Vascular permeability to proteins and peptides in the mouse pineal gland

Summary The permeability of fenestrated capillaries in the mouse pineal gland to proteins and peptides was demonstrated by means of ultrastructural tracers. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and microperoxidase (MP) were injected intravenously and allowed to circulate for approximately 30 s, 1 min, 5 min, 1 or 2h. The tissue was then fixed by vascular perfusion or by immersion with aldehydes. In all experiments a pronounced extravasation of HRP and MP occurred. Transendothelial vesicular transport seemed to have occurred across the fenestrated capillaries. The most pronounced tracer labeling of vesicles was found after 1 min of MP- or HRP-circulation. The vesicles were uncoated and more than 70 % of the HRP-and MP-containing vesicles exhibited diameters between 50 and 110 nm. Furthermore, three other transcapillary pathways taken by the tracers are suggested: 1) via intercellular junctions, 2) through fenestrae and 3) via channels formed by fusion of vesicles with the luminal and abluminal cell membranes. Based on these results, it is assumed that the capillaries in the mouse pineal gland are also permeable to peptides synthesized and secreted by the pineal gland.Part of this study was presented at the EMCELL-76 meeting, Copenhagen, 1976     

Immunocytochemical identification of proctolinlike immunoreactivity in the terminal ganglion and hindgut of the cockroach Periplaneta americana (L.)

Summary In the American cockroach, the distribution and connections of neuronal elements of the terminal ganglion-proctodeal nerve-hindgut system were investigated by means of immunohistochemical methods and axonal CoCl₂ iontophoresis. Proctolinlike immunoreactivity was localized within neurons of the terminal ganglion projecting into the proctodeal nerve on the one hand, and in nerve cells without a direct connection to this system on the other. Immunohistochemically, in whole mount preparations fibres of the proctodeal nerve and terminal structures in the hindgut musculature exhibit strong proctolinlike immunoreactivity. At the light- and electron-microscopic levels the pathways of about 30 somata of the proctodeal neural system were characterized by cobalt chloride iontophoresis. The relationships of cobalt filled and immunoreactive neuronal structures are discussed.For the preparation of tritiated proctolin we thank Dr. S. Reißmann, WB Biochemie, Sektion Biologie, FSU JenaThe authors wish to thank G. Schörlitz, Film- und Bildstelle, FSU Jena, for photographs of whole mount preparations and Ms. A. Zinßer and Mrs. B. Cosack for excellent technical assistance.     

Phenice's visual sexing technique for the os pubis: a critique

Innominate bones from 362 California Indians were sexed with Phenice's three non-metrical features of the os pubis. The frequencies of marked, intermediate, and absent cases of these three morphological features were tabulated in males and females to see if unambiguous and reliable distinctions were consistently available. The results suggest that Phenice's technique offered extremely reliable sex evaluations in this material.     

不同细胞周期大鼠肝实质细胞癌细胞粘弹特性研究

以胸腺嘧啶核苷和秋水仙碱顺序阻断法及胸腺嘧啶核苷双阻断法分别获得同步化Ｇ１期和Ｓ期细胞,从细胞周期角度出发,采用微管吸吮技术对大鼠肝实质细胞癌细胞的粘弹特性进行了测定并以标准线性固体模型对实验数据进行了拟合,结果表明：该细胞具有高弹性和低粘性的总体特征;Ｇ１期细胞与Ｓ期细胞相比具有高Ｋ１值和低μ值的特点,从而显示Ｇ１期细胞比Ｓ期细胞具有更大的强度和更快的被动变形能力。这些结果不仅反映了同步化细胞存在的细胞骨架状态的周期性差异,也提示Ｇ１期细胞可能比Ｓ期细胞更适于在血流中存活和转移。     

Using 137Cs technique to quantify soil conservation capacities of different ecosystems in Wolong Natural Reserve, southwestern China

Reliable information about soil conservation capacities of different natural ecosystems is an important reference for the design of targeted erosion and sediment control strategies. The objective of this paper is to quantify the soil conservation capacities of different natural ecosystems that can represent different climatic zones. The 137Cs technique has been used to estimate soil redistribution rates in different natural ecosystems over the past 40 years in Wolong Nature Reserve. The reserve, transiting from the Chengdu plain to the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, maintains rich ecosystems from subtropical to frigid.The net soil erosion rates of 5 selected ecosystems that represent a warm coniferous-broadleaf-mixed forest, a cold-resistant deciduous taiga forest, a cold-resistant shrub, an evergreen cold-resistant taiga servation capacities are reversed in order. The reference inventories for 137Cs in different ecosystems velop effective erosion and sediment strategies in areas with similar climates should consider natural ecosystem types.     

Structural understanding of stabilization patterns in engineered bispecific Ig‐like antibody molecules

Bispecific immunoglobulin‐like antibodies capable of engaging multiple antigens represent a promising new class of therapeutic agents. Engineering of these molecules requires optimization of the molecular properties of one of the domain components. Here, we present a detailed crystallographic and computational characterization of the stabilization patterns in the lymphotoxin‐beta receptor (LTβR) binding Fv domain of an anti‐LTβR/anti‐TNF‐related apoptosis inducing ligand receptor‐2 (TRAIL‐R2) bispecific immunoglobulin‐like antibody. We further describe a new hierarchical structure‐guided approach toward engineering of antibody‐like molecules to enhance their thermal and chemical stability. Proteins 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

利诺吡啶对豚鼠耳蜗外毛细胞和Deiters细胞钾电流的抑制

为探讨KCNQ家族钾通道在耳蜗外毛细胞和Deiters细胞的功能性表达,我们观察并记录了KCNQ家族钾通道阻滞剂利诺吡啶对豚鼠耳蜗单离外毛细胞(outer hair cells,OHCs)和Deiters细胞总钾电流的影响。采用酶孵育加机械分离法分离豚鼠耳蜗单个OHCs和Deiters细胞：运用膜片钳技术,在全细胞模式下记录正常细胞外液中8个外毛细胞和5个Deiters细胞的总钾电流,并观察100μmol／L和200μmol／L利诺吡啶对外毛细胞和Deiters细胞总钾电流的影响。结果观察到,在正常细胞外液中的单离外毛细胞,可记录到四乙基二乙胺敏感的外向性钾电流和静息膜电位附近激活的内向性钾电流(the K^ current activated at negative potential,IKa)两种钾电流,而在单离Deiters细胞中只记录到外向整流性钾电流。在细胞外液中,加入100μmol／L利诺吡啶后,OHCs中的四乙基二乙胺敏感的钾电流峰电流成分被抑制,稳态电流幅值减小,且电流的失活时问常数明显延长;在细胞外液中加入100μmol／L和200μmol／L利诺吡啶后,OHCs的内向性钾电流IKa被完全抑制;而细胞外液中利诺吡啶终浓度为200μmol／L时,Deiters细胞的外向整流性钾电流幅值无明显变化。由此我们推测,KCNQ家族钾通道存在于豚鼠耳蜗外毛细胞,其介导的钾电流是四乙基二乙胺敏感的钾电流的组成部分,并构成全部的IKn,其功能是介导细胞内K^ 外流和防止细胞过度去极化;KCNQ家族钾通道不存在于豚鼠耳蜗Dciters细胞。     

高血压病患者肠系膜动脉平滑肌细胞钙激活钾通道研究

目的:研究高血压病患者肠系膜动脉平滑肌细胞钙激活钾通道(KCa)的功能活动。方法:应用膜片钳制技术内面向外式单通道记录方法。结果:①人肠系膜动脉平滑肌细胞KCa开放具有电压依赖性。KCa通道电导在高血压组、正常组分别为191.4pS、197.7pS。胞内侧应用TEA可阻断通道。②增加浴液中Ca2 浓度(从0增至10-8、10-7、5×10-7、10-6mol/L),各组KCa开放概率(Po)均呈浓度依赖性增加,高血压组Po从0.016增至0.023、0.031、0.053、0.094,正常组Po从0.004增至0.023、0.041、0.072、0.184。通道平均开放时间延长,平均关闭时间缩短。③Ca2 浓度为0时,高血压组KCa开放概率明显高于正常组,在其它Ca2 浓度下高血压组KCa开放概率等于或低于正常组。结论:高血压病患者肠系膜动脉平滑肌细胞KCa的Ca2 敏感性较低,可能促进高血压的发生。     

Design and effectiveness of a novel trap for capturing nesting songbirds

ABSTRACT Capturing songbirds at their nests can be challenging and time consuming. Although traps designed for capturing songbirds at their nests have been described in the literature, few are effective for capturing species with open‐cup nests. We describe a cylindrical trap designed to capture songbirds at nests up to 2 m above ground in grasses, forbs, shrubs, and small saplings. The nest trap is constructed using a rigid hoop, two pieces of mist net, three stakes, and twist ties. We used this trap to capture female Dickcissels (Spiza americana) and female Indigo Buntings (Passerina cyanea) at their nests, with success rates of 85% (N= 196) and 60–73% (N= 16), respectively. Trapping success was comparable to that using other passerine nest trap designs. Nest abandonment after trapping attempts was rare and similar to that reported in previous studies. Our nest trap is lightweight, easy to make, versatile enough to use in a variety of grassland and shrub habitats, and easily carried and deployed in the field.     

Effects of grass species and grass growth on atmospheric nitrogen deposition to a bog ecosystem surrounded by intensive agricultural land use

We applied a ¹⁵N dilution technique called “Integrated Total Nitrogen Input” (ITNI) to quantify annual atmospheric N input into a peatland surrounded by intensive agricultural practices over a 2-year period. Grass species and grass growth effects on atmospheric N deposition were investigated using Lolium multiflorum and Eriophorum vaginatum and different levels of added N resulting in increased biomass production. Plant biomass production was positively correlated with atmospheric N uptake (up to 102.7 mg N pot⁻¹) when using Lolium multiflorum. In contrast, atmospheric N deposition to Eriophorum vaginatum did not show a clear dependency to produced biomass and ranged from 81.9 to 138.2 mg N pot⁻¹. Both species revealed a relationship between atmospheric N input and total biomass N contents. Airborne N deposition varied from about 24 to 55 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹. Partitioning of airborne N within the monitor system differed such that most of the deposited N was found in roots of Eriophorum vaginatum while the highest share was allocated in aboveground biomass of Lolium multiflorum. Compared to other approaches determining atmospheric N deposition, ITNI showed highest airborne N input and an up to fivefold exceedance of the ecosystem-specific critical load of 5–10 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹.