Alterations in high-affinity binding characteristics and levels of opioids in invertebrate ganglia during aging: Evidence for an opioid compensatory mechanism

In Mytilus and Leucophaea the high-affinity binding site density is significantly lower in old animals than in young animals, whereas the low-affinity site density remains unchanged. In Mytilus the estimated met-enkephalin and met-enkephalin-Arg6-Phe7 levels are significantly higher in old than in young animals. In Leucophaea only the met-enkephalin level can be determined, and it is also higher in old animals. The decrease in the high-affinity binding site density and the corresponding increase in endogenous enkephalin levels suggest the existence of an opioid compensatory mechanism associated with the aging process. In Mytilus there is a demonstrated decrease with age in intraganglionic dopamine levels in response to applied opiates. In addition, the inhibition of dopamine-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity by opiates also decreases in older animals. In Leucophaea the sex difference in opioid binding densities diminishes with age.     

Analysis of uric acid and oxypurines in normal subjects and in gout patients

The behavior of plasma and urine oxypurines (hypoxanthine and xanthine) and of uric acid has been studied in normal subjects and in gout patients. Oxypurines and uric acid were increased in the plasma of gout patients but only the urinary excretion of hypoxanthine was higher in this group. The interpretation of the observed variations is discussed.     

Purine metabolism: determination of PRPP-amidotransferase and PRPP-synthetase in lymphocytes from patients with chronic lymphatic leukemia (CLL)

Phosphoribosyl-1-pyrophosphate (PRPP) amidotransferase is the "key anabolic enzyme" of purine nucleotide synthesis; PRPP synthetase connects the pentose cycle with the same pathway. We have studied their behavior in 5 control subjects and in 8 affected by CLL. Determination of PRPP amidotransferase was carried out through the evaluation of 14C-glutamic acid (released by 14C-glutamine) in the incubation mixture. PRPP synthetase was followed by adding ATP and ribose 5-phosphate to the incubation mixtures, and by evaluating the PRPP formed through the release of CO2 in a coupled reaction. In the case of PRPP-amidotransferase, our values are in the range reported in the literature: in patients affected by CLL, the enzyme activity is much higher and the increase is more evident when values referred to the patients, than when to the cells. Our values of PRPP synthetase are consistent with those of Peters and Veerkamp, but no definite conclusion is possible in the case of leukemic patients.     

Neurotransmitter, opiodergic system, steroid-hormone interaction and involvement in the replacement therapy of sexual disorders

Dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) are the neurotransmitters most directly involved in sexual activity. DA plays a stimulatory role while 5-HT has an inhibitory effect. The two monoaminergic systems modulate the secretion of many hormones (GnRH, LH, testosterone, prolactin and endorphins) involved in sexual functional capacity. Furthermore, hormones influence synthesis and storage of brain neurotransmitters. Impotence can often be associated to clinical depression and altered neurotransmitter function. Moreover, stress represents an unbalance between various neurotransmitter systems and can induce impotence especially when disorders of the endorphinic system are present. Replacement therapy is based upon the understanding of these basic concepts. Impotence due to an underlying depressive illness must be treated with dopaminergic antidepressant drugs; while in stressful conditions a good response to the naloxone test is the preliminary criterion to subsequent naltrexone treatment. When a hormonal deficiency has been proved, the hormone replacement therapy is of course highly effective (gonadotropins in hypogonadotropic syndromes, testosterone in aging, etc.). Finally, idiopathic impotence could be treated by DA agonist and/or 5-HT antagonist drugs either alone or better yet in association with psychotherapy.     

Importance of some factors on the dimorphism of Candida albicans

The passage between the yeast and mycelial forms of Candida albicans B 311-10 was studied by using the minimal syntehtic medium of Shepherd et al. [19] modified without biotin and with low glucose concentrations. It was observed that biotin, aminoacids and particularly pH are not important factors in the dimorphism of C. albicans. The only factor of notable importance in the passage of yeast form to mycelial form in C. albicans was glucose concentration.