Une nouvelle sous-famille,les Poulpinae, et quatre nouvelles espèces de Saitoum radiolaires mésozoiques téthysiens

Studies of skeleton elements of several jurassic species of Saitoum allow to compare them with Poulpus from Trias. The sub-family Poulpinae is introduced, caracterised by three cephalic arcs and the collar position of the cephalic structure. Among the jurassic forms, 4 species are newly described: S. corniculum, S. elegans, S. levium and S. trichylum.     

Male sexual behavior in deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) following castration and hormone replacement

Sexually experienced male deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus bairdi) were castrated and tested for male sexual behavior. In the weeks following castration male sexual behavior decreased. Ejaculation disappeared first, followed by intromission and, finally, mounting. Castrated males failing to copulate were assigned to one of four treatment groups: 200 μg testosterone propionate (TP); 200 μg dihydrotestosterone propionate (DHTP); 2 μg estradiol benzoate (EB); or sesame oil (OIL). TP and DHTP were equally effective in restoring the complete male sexual behavior pattern. In contrast, EB was effective in stimulating mounting and minimally effective in stimulating intromissions (vaginal penetration), but did not stimulate ejaculatory responses. These data indicate that in deer mice testosterone may mediate male sexual behavior through reduction to dihydrotestosterone rather than through aromatization to estradiol.     

Decomposition of urea by size-fractionated planktonic community in a eutrophic reservoir in Japan

Free bacterial populations were separated from an intact planktonic community in water of a eutrophic reservoir in Japan by filtration through Whatman GF/ C glass fiber filters (mean porosity 1.2 µm). Urea decomposition by the free bacterial populations and the intact planktonic community was determined in six different months.The separated free bacteria apparently did not take part in urea-decomposition in waters of the reservoir through the year: the number of free heterotrophic bacteria increased during the urea-decomposition experiments, however, the concentration of urea did not decrease. Whereas, in five cases out of six, urea was decomposed by the intact planktonic community. Probably, phytoplankton were responsible for most of the urea-decomposition. On the assumption that the decomposition of urea obeyed first-order kinetics, rate constants were calculated to be 0.00–0.63 day^–1 with a mean value of 0.21 day^–1.     

A fluorinated vitamin D3 analog with biopotency greater than 1 alpha, 25-dihydroxy vitamin D3

Vitamin D metabolites and analogs induce $\text{de novo}$ synthesis of a specific calcium-binding protein in embryonic chick duodenum maintained in organ culture. Using calcium-binding protein biosynthesis as a specific and sensitive biochemical indicator of intrinsic biopotency, 24,24-difluoro-1α,25-dihydroxy vitamin D₃ was found to be approximately four times more potent on a molar basis than the most active, naturally occurring metabolite, 1α,25-dihydroxy vitamin D₃.     

Mutually exclusive expression of fibronectin and glial fibrillary acidic protein in cultured brain cells

The reported expression of the cell surface-associated, mainly mesenchymal glycoprotein fibronectin by cultured glial cells is in discrepancy with recent work on brain tissue failing to demonstrate any glial or neuronal fibronectin. We have investigated the expression of fibronectin in relation to glial fibrillary acidic protein in cultured human glial and glioma cell lines as well as in cultures derived from newborn rat brain. Using double immunofluorescence technique we found that cells containing glial fibrillary acidic protein do not express fibronectin, and vice versa. The only exception to this rule was the occasional finding of fibronectin at points of cell-to-cell adhesion also in relation to cells containing glial fibrillary acidic protein. The results were also tested by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the culture media of the human cell lines, and by subcultures from the brain of newborn rat, cultures stimulated with dibutyryl cyclic AMP (db-cAMP), and by vinblastine treatment of the cells. The lack of expression of fibronectin in cells containing glial fibrillary acidic protein, a gliospecific cytoskeletal protein, is discussed with reference to glio-mesenchymal interactions and glial markers in vitro.     

T-lymphocyte function and sensitivity to interferon in trisomy 21

Previous studies have shown that cells from subjects with trisomy 21 have enhanced sensitivity to the antiviral effects of interferon, presumably because of the location of the gene, IfRec, coding for the species-specific response to interferon on chromosome 21. Interferon is also known to have many other effects including the ability to inhibit the proliferation of many types of cells. To determine whether proliferating trisomic lymphocytes are more sensitive to the antiproliferative effect of interferon we have investigated, using healthy noninstitutionalized subjects with trisomy 21, the ability of interferon to inhibit the proliferation of lymphocytes stimulated with phytohemagglutinin P(PHA), concanavalin A (Con A), and tetanus toxoid. The trisomic subjects had normal numbers of peripheral blood leukocytes, and normal numbers and proportions of T and B lymphocytes. The production of interferon by PHA-stimulated trisomic T lymphocytes was normal. Trisomic lymphocytes also had normal proliferative responses to PHA and Con A. There were no differences between the inhibitory effects of interferon on the proliferation of PHA-stimulated trisomic and normal lymphocytes. However, trisomic lymphocytes stimulated with low doses of Con A did display significantly enhanced sensitivity to the antiproliferative effects of interferon. In contrast to normal lymphocytes, trisomic lymphocytes were not stimulated to proliferate by tetanus toxoid, and exposure to interferon resulted in enhancement, rather than inhibition, of DNA synthesis.     

The murine bone marrow macrophage,a sensitive indicator cell for murine migration inhibitory factor and a new method for their harvest

Murine bone marrow macrophages grown on Teflon-coated petri dishes for a period of 8–16 days can be removed with a yield of 90–95% and a viability greater than 95% following incubation in 1 mM EDTA. Bone marrow cells cultured on Teflon-coated dishes did not differ in their replication rate, peroxidase and nonspecific esterase content, pinocytosis, secretion of lysozyme and neutral proteinases from bone marrow cells cultured on plastic dishes. Murine bone marrow macrophages were found to be sensitive indicator cells for mouse migration inhibitory factor (MIF). Large numbers of cells for the MIF assay can be obtained, since their yield is 10–15 times higher than the yield of oil-induced peritoneal exudate macrophages from the same number of mice.     

Suppression of lymphokine production: I. Macrophage-mediated inhibition of MIF production

Macrophages have been found to suppress the in vitro production by stimulated T lymphocytes of a lymphokine, migration inhibitory factor. When macrophages isolated from primary MSV-induced tumors were added to antigen-stimulated MSV-immune spleen cells, a complete suppression of MIF production was observed. This suppression was nonspecific, since MIF production by antigen-stimulated alloimmune spleen cells and by PHA-stimulated normal spleen cells was also inhibited. Suppressor macrophages could also be induced by inoculation with Corynebacterium parvum, whereas light mineral oil-induced peritoneal macrophages had no detectable effect on MIF production. The failure to detect MIF in the supernatants of stimulated cultures containing activated macrophages appeared to be due to inhibition of lymphokine production rather than to absorption or inactivation of MIF or to interference with the assay for detection of MIF. Macrophages were able to suppress MIF production only when added during the first 4–5 hr of culture and they had no effect when added later. These data show that activated macrophages can nonspecifically suppress lymphokine production and that this appears to be due to inhibition of an early step in lymphocyte stimulation.     

Random recirculation of small T lymphocytes from thoracic duct lymph in the mouse

The migration of ⁵¹Cr-labeled nylon-wool separated mouse thoracic duct T cells has been followed in order to determine whether there is a circulation of small (nondividing) T cells through the small intestine. Approximately 6% of the injected dose of T-TDL localized in the small intestine (minus Peyer's patches). Experiments revealed that this gut-localizing cell population consisted almost entirely, if not exclusively, of lymphoblasts present in mouse T-TDL. When lymphoblasts and small lymphocytes from mouse T-TDL were separated by velocity sedimentation, and the migration of separated fractions was studied, we found large cells (66% blasts) migrated well to the gut but poorly to the lymph nodes, whereas small cells (2% blasts) showed minimal migration to the gut but localized randomly in lymph nodes and spleen. The in vivo distribution of small cells from T-TDL was similar to that of T-PLN. Furthermore, the recirculatory patterns of both ⁵¹Cr-labeled T-TDL and T-PLN were found to be identical as accessed by their rate of recovery in the thoracic duct lymph of recipient mice. These results support the notion that the vast majority of T-TDL and T-PLN are part of a common pool of recirculating T cells which recirculate randomly through lymph nodes and spleen and not the small intestine.