Extracellular potassium concentration in normal and denervated hind limb muscles of the rat

K+-sensitive electrodes with a side pore were used for measuring extracellular potassium levels in control muscles and in the gastrocnemius, extensor digitorum and soleus muscles of the rat, one, 8 and 14 days after denervation. In all cases, the extracellular potassium level was close to 5 mmol.1-1. There were no substantial differences between muscles of different functional and morphological types and between control and denervated muscles. Elevated extracellular potassium cannot therefore be the reason for increased sensory outflow of impulses observed after motor denervation.     

Stimulation of 32Pi transport into human erythrocyte ghosts and reconstituted vesicles by Mg2+ and hemoglobin

Human erythrocyte ghosts catalyze a low rate of 32Pi uptake. A severalfold stimulation of 32Pi uptake was observed after exposure of the membranes to an erythrocyte lysate or to hemoglobin in the presence of Mg2+. Ghosts prepared from erythrocytes that had been exposed to 10 microM 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid showed a marked reduction in 32Pi uptake. Reconstitution of membranes with added phospholipids by freezing and thawing, by octylglucoside dilution or by cholate dialysis, yielded vesicles that catalyzed 32Pi uptake. When membranes were incubated with hemoglobin and Mg2+ prior to reconstitution, the rate of uptake was increased severalfold. The inhibition of hemoglobin and Mg2+-dependent uptake of 32Pi by chloride suggests that the transport in the reconstituted vesicles is catalyzed by the classical inorganic anion transporter.     

New data on small mammals in the Kazakh Uplands

Small mammals were studied in the Kazakh Uplands in the spring and fall of 2008. The trapping studies revealed 10 species. Abundances of the animals were low in the four main distinct characteristic biotopes of Bayanaul National Park, but those of biotope dominants were high. In the Kazakh Uplands, rodents and insectivores are clearly restricted to certain biotopes. Biodiversity indices for small mammal communities are low, indicating that the community structure is disturbed.     

Interferon and cytotoxic factor (cytotoxin) released in the blood of mice infected with Mycobacterium bovis BCG. III. Interferon and cytotoxin induced by the specific antigen as compared with those induced by bacterial lipopolysaccharide

The time course of development and decline of the ability of BCG-infected mice to produce interferon in the serum in response to the intravenous infection of purified protein derivative of tuberculin (PPD) was very similar to that of their systemic hypersensitivity to PPD. A cytotoxic factor (cytotoxin) was produced in parallel with interferon in the serum of BCG-infected mice after stimulation with PPD. The duration of the period in which cytotoxin-production responsiveness to PPD was definitely detectable was much shorter than that for interferon-production responsiveness although the periods for the maximum production of interferon and cytotoxin coincided. The kinetics of release of interferon in the serum of BCG-infected mice after stimulation with PPD did not parallel that of release of cytotoxin. The four kinds of activities, interferons and cytotoxins induced by PPD and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the serum of BCG-infected mice, were compared for their stability to heating at 56 C and to treatment at pH 2. The kinetics of inactivation of these four activities differed significantly, when the serum was either heated at 56 C or treated at pH 2. Interferon produced in response to LPS could be neutralized by anti-L cell(NDV) interferon rabbit serum as easily as L cell (NDV) interferon, 16 times as much antiserum was required to neutralize the same amount of interferon in response to PPD, but cytotoxins induced by PPD and LPS were not neutralized at all by the antiserum. From these findings it is thought likely that interferons and cytotoxins induced by PPD and LPS in the serum of BCG-infected mice are different substances, although the antigenic relationship between cytotoxins induced by PPD and LPS remains unknown.     

Changes in the Activity and Pattern of Hemolymph Esterases in the Larvae of Greater Wax Moth Galleria mellonellaL. (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae) during Mycosis

The extended pattern of multiple esterase forms has been revealed in the hemolymph of wax moth Galleria mellonellalarvae infected by the fungi Metarhizium anisopliae, Beauveria bassianaor Paecilomyces fumoso-roseus. The total esterase activity of the hemolymph also increases during mycosis. Mechanical damage of the cuticle, treatment with deltamethrin, and chilling of the caterpillars induced similar changes in the hemolymph pattern of esterase activity. Presumably, the changed spectrum and activity of the hemolymph esterases during mycosis is due to the damaged cuticle and epidermis cells.     

The spinal cord supports of vertebrae in the crown‐group salamanders (Caudata,Urodela)

The development of spinal cord supports (bony thickenings which extend into the vertebral canal of vertebrae) in primitive (Salamandrella keyserlingii) and derived (Lissotriton vulgaris) salamanders were described. The spinal cord supports develop as the protuberances of periostal bone of the neural arches in the anteroproximal part of the septal collagenous fibers which connect a transverse myoseptum with the notochord and spinal cord, in the septal bundle inside the vertebral canal. Spinal cord supports were also found in some teleostean (Salmo salar, Oncorhynchus mykiss) and dipnoan (Protopterus sp.) fishes. The absence of the spinal cord supports in vertebrates with cartilaginous vertebrae (lampreys, chondrichthyan, and chondrostean fishes) corresponds to the fact that the spinal cord supports are bone structures. The absence of the spinal cord supports in frogs correlates with the lack of the well developed septal bundles inside the vertebral canal. The spinal cord supports are, presumably, a synapomorphic character for salamanders which originated independently of those observed in teleostean and dipnoan fishes. J. Morphol. 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

A new semi-automated instrument to improve the fine needle aspiration procedure during breast lesion cell sampling

A large and increasing number of women in the western world will at some point during their life be investigated morphologically for some type of breast lesion. Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) is one morphological method which is considered to be the fastest, cheapest and the most patient-friendly approach. However, the frequency of conclusive samples using this method varies and is often too low, especially when performed by unexperienced operators. In this study we have developed and tested a new semi-automated instrument (“CytoTest”) designed for FNA which is intended to improve the efficacy of the technique by increasing the percentage of conclusive samples. A total of 443 consecutive aspiration procedures on palpable breast lesions were performed to compare this new “CytoTest” equipment with the standard protocol using the same type of needles. We conclude that by increasing the extent and frequency of the reciprocatory motions used by an experienced sampling operator as well as enhancing the ejection pressure, the cellular yield can be increased almost three folded compared to the standard protocol. For cases with high amounts of non-diagnostic material (such as blood or cystic fluid) which were discarded, up to four times more sample could be obtained. Furthermore, the frequency of sparse samples under 1 mg was halved with use of the “CytoTest”.     

Tyrosinases of motile Azospirillum strains

A number of motile strains of Azospirillum brasilense, A. lipoferum, and A. irakense, were found to possess tyrosinase activity both on the surface of and inside the cells. A. brasilense Sp245, Sp7, and A. irakense KBC-1 each possessed two forms of tyrosinase of different molecular masses; A. lipoferum 43, A. lipoferum 59b, and A. irakense KA-3 each had a single tyrosinase form of approximately the same molecular mass; and A. brasilense Sp107 possessed a single form of tyrosinase different from all the other forms.