Effects of Juvenoids and Retinoic Acid on Development of Larvae and Nymphs in the Tick Ixodes ricinus L. (Acari,Ixodidae) and Regeneration of Haller's Organ during Metamorphosis

Larvae and nymphs of the tick Ixodes ricinus L. display similar reactions to analogs of the insect juvenile hormones (methoprene and pyriproxyfen), which induce at both stages juvenalization of the Haller's sense organ regenerates. Similar effects were also described for retinoic acid. Unlike juvenoids, retinoic acid can affect not only regeneration, but also normal development of the Haller's organ and cause changes corresponding to so-called regenerative induction. Amputation of the leg and treatment with retinoic acid do not affect the duration of larval or nymphal development, while juvenoids somewhat accelerate their development.     

The effect of sucrose on the levels of abscisic acid, indoleacetic acid and zeatin/zeatin riboside in wheat ears growing in liquid culture

The influence of a varied sucrose supply on grain size and hormonal contents of detached wheat ears ( Triticwn aestivum L. cv. Schirokko) was investigated throughout grain development. In ears led limited amounts, or no sucrose, grain weights in both proximal and distal grain positions of the ear were reduced. Radioimmunoassay for abscisic acid, indoleacetic acid and zeatin/zeatin riboside showed that the changes in the levels of these hormones in grains and bracts were comparable to intact ears when detached ears were well supplied with sucrose. Under conditions of limited sucrose supply, higher abscisic acid levels in the distal and proximal grains of detached ears were found compared to ears supplied with adequate sucrose. Limiting sucrose supply to the ear did not alter the levels of indoleacetic acid or zeatin/zeatin riboside in either the grains or bracts of detached ears.     

Developmental appearance of the Ca2+-binding proteins parvalbumin,calbindin D-28K,S-100 proteins and calmodulin during testicular development in the rat

Summary Calcium and intracellular Ca²⁺-binding proteins are possibly involved in hormone production and spermatogenesis in rat testis. Parvalbumin, calbindin D-28K, S-100 proteins and calmodulin were localized in the Leydig cells, which are sites of testosterone synthesis. Only the appearance of parvalbumin-immunoreactivity is closely correlated to testosterone production during development of the testes. Calbindin D-28K-immunoreactivity persisted in foetal-type Leydig cells and in adult-type Leydig cells at all stages of development. S-100-immunoreactivity was low during all foetal stages, absent between birth and puberty, and increased thereafter. Calmodulin staining is most prominent in the cytoplasm of developing spermatocytes and of maturing spermatids. All four proteins co-exist in the seminiferous tubules. The distinct localization and developmental appearance of these proteins suggests different regulatory roles in Leydig cell function and spermatogenesis.     

Calmodulin plays a dominant role in determining neurotransmitter regulation of neuronal adenylate cyclase

Ca2+, through the mediation of calmodulin, stimulates the activity of brain adenylate cyclase. The growing awareness that fluctuating Ca2+ concentrations play a major role in intracellular signalling prompted the present study, which aimed to investigate the implications for neurotransmitter (receptor) regulation of enzymatic activity of this calmodulin regulation. The role of Ca2+/calmodulin in regulating neurotransmitter-mediated inhibition and stimulation was assessed in a number of rat brain areas. Ca2+/calmodulin stimulated adenylate cyclase activity in EGTA-washed plasma preparations from each region studied--from 1.3-fold (in striatum) to 3.4-fold (in cerebral cortex). The fold-stimulation produced by Ca2+/calmodulin was decreased in the presence of GTP, forskolin, or Mn2+. In EGTA-washed membranes, receptor-mediated inhibition of adenylate cyclase was strictly dependent upon Ca2+/calmodulin stimulation in all regions, except striatum. A requirement for Mg2+ in combination with Ca2+/calmodulin to observe neurotransmitter-mediated inhibition was also observed. In contrast, receptor-mediated stimulation of activity was much greater in the absence of Ca2+/calmodulin. The findings demonstrate that ambient Ca2+ concentrations, in concert with endogenous calmodulin, may play a central role in dictating whether inhibition or stimulation of adenylate cyclase by neurotransmitters may proceed.     

Immunocytochemical and ultrastructural characterization of endocrine cells in chicken proventriculus

Summary The endocrine cells of the chicken proventriculus were investigated immunocytochemically, using the peroxidase-antiperoxidase technique on paraffin and semithin sections for light microscopy, and immunogold staining in osmium-fixed material for electron microscopy. The fixation procedure also allowed a detailed ultrastructural investigation. Twenty-three antisera were tested and 7 immunoreactive cell-types were identified: D-cells containing somatostatin-like peptide; EG-cells immunoreactive to anti-glucagon, anti-GLP1 and antineurotensin; NT-cells labelled only with anti-neurotensin; BN-cells containing bombesin-like material; ENK-cells showing met-enkephalin immunoreactivity; EC-cells reactive to anti-serotonin; and APP-cells positive to anti-avian pancreatic polypeptide. In addition, enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells, were also detected by electron microscopy. The presence of ENK-cells and the ultrastructure of these and NT-cells are described for the first time in chicken proventriculus, and glucagon, GLP1 and neurotensin are shown to be colocalized in the EG-cells.     

Reproductive and metabolic hormones during estrus after fasting in Holstein heifers

The estrous cycles of 23 Holstein heifers were synchronized with three prostaglandin F₂α (PG) injections at 0600 h 11 d apart, designated as Days ?11, 0 and 11. Twelve of the animals were randomly assigned to receive no solid food (Group F) from Day 6 to 14, while the other animals remained on full feed to serve as controls (Group C). Jugular blood samples were collected at 6-h intervals beginning with PG injection at 0600 h on Day 0 until 1800 h on Day 4 and at 0600, 1200 and 1700 h on Day 8 through 10. Samples were collected again at 6-h intervals from PG Day 11 (0600 h) until 1800 h on Day 15. Period 1 was defined as those samples collected from Day 0 through 4.5, Period 2 from Day 7 through 10, Period 3 from Day 11 through 14.25, and Period 4 from Day 14.5 through 15. Plasma growth hormone concentrations were increased (P<0.01) in F as compared with C animals during Periods 2, 3 and 4. Plasma concentrations of prolactin (P<0.01) were decreased in F as compared with C animals during Periods 2 and 3. Plasma urea concentrations were increased (P<0.01) in F as compared with C animals during the first 3 d of the fast (Period 2) but were decreased (P<0.01) during the remainder of the experiment (Periods 3 and 4). Thus, fasting was effective in altering several metabolic parameters. Although plasma progesterone and luteinizing hormone (LH) concentrations remained similar (P>0.05) between F and C animals, plasma estradiol-17β concentrations decreased in F as compared with C animals during Periods 2, 3 and 4. No differences (P>0.05) between F and C animals were found in duration to LH peak after PG injection, estrous behavior, or pregnancy rates. Results from this study indicate that fasting reduced plasma estradiol-17β concentrations during estrus but did not alter occurrence of estrus or pregnancy rate.     

Different hormonal requirements for androgen-independent growth of normal and tumor epithelial cells from rat prostate

Summary The proliferation of isolated normal prostate epithelial cells from rat and man is androgen-independent and requires cholera toxin, insulin, dexamethasone, epidermal growth factor (EGF) and one or more polypeptide factors that are concentrated in bovine neural tissue. The active agents in the neural tissue extract are heparin-binding polypeptides (prostatropins), the predominant form of which has a molecular weight of 17400 and an acetylalanine at the aminoterminus. Prostatropins supported a half-maximal increase in normal prostate epithelial cell number at 50 picomolar. The proliferation of primary and serially-cultured epithelial cells from androgen-responsive Dunning R3327 rat prostate tumors was also androgen-independent, but exhibited dramatic alterations in response to hormones that stimulated normal cell proliferation. At low cell density, androgen-independent growth of isolated tumor-derived epithelial cells was independent on cholera toxin, was stimulated by dexamethasone, required insulin andeither EGFor prostatropin. The presence of either EGF or prostatropin masked the response to the other factor. In the absence of EGF, purified prostatropins supported a half-maximal increase in tumor cell number at 7 picomolar. Endogenous production of EGF-like and prostatropin-like factors or both was suggested by the reduced requirement for EGF and prostatropin at high prostate tumor cell density. These results suggest that anti-hormonal therapies against prostate tumor growth should be based on intervention with the activity of insulin (or insulin-like factors) or simultaneous intervention with both EGF and prostatropin (or their homologues). This work was supported by NIH grants CA 37589 and HL 33847, and grant 1718 from the Council for Tobacco Research. Editor’s Statement This paper is the first report of the comparison of the hormone requirements of primary cultures of normal and tumor prostate epithelial cells from the same system.     

Actions of calcitonin, parathyroid hormone, and prostaglandin E2 on cyclic AMP formation in chicken and rat osteoclasts

The effects of calcitonin, parathyroid hormone, and prostaglandin E2 on cyclic AMP production were studied in osteoclast-rich cultures derived from medullary bone of laying hens and from the long bones of newborn rats. Cyclic AMP was assayed biochemically in replicate cultures, and furthermore, changes in cytoplasmic fluorescence were sought by indirect immunofluorescence with rabbit anti-cyclic AMP and FITC-labelled goat anti-rabbit IgG. Treatment of rat osteoclasts with calcitonin increased cyclic AMP formation as measured biochemically, and this was confirmed by the immunofluorescence method. No such increase took place in chick osteoclasts. Prostaglandin E2 increased cyclic AMP production in both rat and chick osteoclasts as determined by both methods. Since the immunofluorescence method failed to detect a response to parathyroid hormone either in chick or rat osteoclasts, its variable biochemical effects were concluded to be due to actions on contaminating osteoblasts in the cultures. Thus it has been possible with a combined biochemical and immunocytochemical approach to define the cyclic AMP responses to the calcium-regulating hormones in rat and chick osteoclasts. The failure of calcitonin to increase cyclic AMP in chick osteoclasts identifies a need to investigate the nature of calcitonin action on avian osteoclasts, which may contribute to understanding of its actions on mammalian cells.     

Larval development,developmental arrest,and hormone levels in the couple Galleria mellonella (lepidoptera-pyralidae)—Pseudoperichaeta nigrolineata (diptera-tachinidae)

During their growth on the substitution host Galleria mellonella, about onethird of Pseudoperichaeta nigrolineata larvae undergo a developmental arrest in the middle of the second stage. To assess the extent of endocrine involvement, juvenile hormone (JH) and ecdysteroid (ECD) determinations by radioimmunoassays were made both on G. mellonella and P. nigrolineata throughout the larval development of this parasitoid. The transfer of G. mellonella larvae from the usual rearing temperature (27.5°C) to that required for infestation (21°C) significantly affects hormone titers: the JH level increases 10 to 20 times, while the ECD level becomes 10 times lower. The JH levels are lower in hosts with parasitoids in developmental arrest than in those with P. nigrolineata in continuous growth, but the high variability makes it seem unlikely that the titer of this hormone is critical in regulating development of the parasitoid. ECD levels are depressed in the hosts with parasitoids in developmental arrest and are increased when the parasitoids resume growth. Therefore, we propose that the main cause of the developmental arrest of P. nigrolineata is the low ECD levels characterizing some G. mellonella larvae for which the transfer to 21°C has induced some physiological disturbances.