Binding of aromatic compounds to cornstarch polysaccharides

Sorption of aromatic compounds from aqueous solutions by cryotextures and suspensions of native cornstarches was studied by capillary gas chromatography. Acetophenone and benzyl alcohol were not sorbed by cryotropic-cornstarch gel and native-cornstarch suspension. A linear concentration dependence was found for aldehydes. Phenylethyl alcohol was characterized by a nonlinear concentration dependence. The presence of a benzene ring contributed to decreased binding (relative to the level characteristic of aliphatic compounds). The degree of binding depended considerably on the type of functional group in the aromatic compounds. Cryotextures were more potent than granules of native cornstarch in binding aromatic compounds.     

Vascularization of liver metastases: a corrosion cast study

22 livers with multiple metastases from different primaries were injected with acrylate resin and examined stereoscopically. All metastases had developed an individual pattern of vascularization. The metastases of 8 out of 12 livers injected via the portal vein showed a distinct blood supply by the portal vessels. In all 16 livers with arterial hypervascularized metastases the development of pathological tumor vessels could be demonstrated. All metastases of the same liver showed an identical pattern of vascularization. Larger branches of the hepatic vein always were displaced by the growing tumor. It was impossible however to infer from the vascularization pattern of the metastases to the primaries. The clinical relevance of these anatomical findings will be discussed.     

Effects of aminoglutethimide on ovarian histology in the rat

Aminoglutethimide, a corticosteroid inhibitor, administered at a daily dose of 150 mg per kg body weight, showed a dramatic interference with ovarian histology in the rat. The drug caused thinning of the germinal epithelium and disruption of the layers of the follicular cells. It also resulted in the appearance of cytoplasmic vacuoles and distortion of follicle cell nuclei. In the corpus luteum, it caused shrinkage of the lutein cells, resulting in large spaces between the cords of cells. It also arrested immature follicles at various stages of their development. Our results indicate that aminoglutethimide, by modifying ovarian structure in the rat, interferes with the ovulation process.     

PRODUCTIVITY AND PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY OF AN UPPER SONORAN DESERT EPHEMERAL COMMUNITY

During years with good winter rainfall, ephemeral plants can contribute considerably to primary production in the upper Sonoran Desert. This study was designed to compare ephemeral community productivity and production efficiency within the different microhabitats created by trees, shrubs and open spaces in a Sonoran Desert ecosystem. Ephemerals were periodically harvested in the different habitats and dried for biomass and caloric determinations. The caloric data were compared to total solar input into the different microhabitats in order to determine production efficiencies of each stand. Productivity rates were also determined for the total community for the sample period, winters of 1972-74. Both productivity and production efficiency were highest under the shade of Cercidium. The highest production efficiency occurring in the shaded sites was 5.03% which approaches the theoretical maximum photosynthetic efficiency level. The production efficiency of the entire ephemeral community for the whole growing season was only 0.17% during an optimal year, demonstrating the influence of the environment in the interspaces on productivity and solar conversion in the desert.     

Identification of a region of mouse zona pellucida glycoprotein mZP3 that possesses sperm receptor activity.

The ability of mouse zona pellucida glycoprotein ZP3 (mZP3) to function as a sperm receptor is attributable to certain of its oligosaccharides, not to its polypeptide (P. M. Wassarman, 1990. Development 108, 1-17). Here, purified, radioiodinated mZP3 was digested by either papain or V8 protease, and the glycopeptides produced were fractionated by HPLC and assayed for sperm receptor activity in vitro. Each proteolytic digest of mZP3 contained a heavily glycosylated peptide, approximately 55,000 apparent M(r), that exhibited sperm receptor activity in vitro. To determine the region of mZP3 polypeptide from which the active glycopeptides were derived, Western gel immunoblotting, employing an antiserum directed against a specific mZP3 peptide epitope, and automated amino-terminal amino acid sequencing were employed. Results of these experiments strongly suggest that the active glycopeptides produced by digestion of mZP3 with either papain or V8 protease are derived from the same region of the carboxy-terminal half of the mZP3 polypeptide. These and other findings are discussed in terms of mZP3 structure and function.