Ibaraki Virus,an Agent of Epizootic Disease of Cattle Resembling Bluetongue

Replication of Ibaraki virus was not inhibited by 5-iodo-2′-deoxyuridine, indicating that the virus is an RNA virus. The virus was resistant to ether, chloroform and deoxycholate, sensitive to trypsin, very labile at acidic pH but stable at pH 6.4 or higher, and was resistant to repeated freezing and thawing. The virus was readily inactivated at 56 C or higher, was fairly stable at 37 C, and very stable at 4 C, while it rapidly lost infectivity when stored frozen at —20 C. The virus was readily sedimented by centrifugation at 40 000Xg for 60 min. It readily passed through membrane filters of 200 mμ pore size, passed through 100 μfilters but only with some titer loss and did not through 50 mμ filters. In these tests, the bluetongue virus used as a control behaved in the same manner as Ibaraki virus. These findings provide additional evidence for the similarity of Ibaraki virus to bluetongue virus which had been previously demonstrated on the basis of seasonal incidence, symptomatology and pathology of the diseases caused by these viruses and the behavior of the viruses in cell cultures, embryonated eggs and laboratory animals. The present study, however, provided no evidence for any serological relation between these two viruses. More Information is needed to reach a final decision on the classification of Ibaraki virus, particularly regarding the morphology of the virion, the doublestrandedness of the viral RNA and other basic features.     

Bovine Diarrhea Virus

Five strains of bovine diarrhea virus were isolated from Japanese cattle using bovine tissue cultures. These are the first isolations of this virus from Japanese cattle to be reported. Of importance is the finding that the new isolates, which are non-cytopathogenic, induce an exaltation of Newcastle disease virus in bovine testicular cell culture. This finding has provided a laboratory tool whereby the assay of the virus and its neutralizing antibody can readily be performed.     

Comparison of effects of a potassium channel opener BRL34915, a specific potassium ionophore valinomycin and calcium channel blockers on endothelin-induced vascular contraction

The effects of a potassium (K+) channel opener BRL34915 and a specific K+ ionophore valinomycin on vasoconstriction induced by endothelin (ET) were compared with those of calcium (Ca2+) channel blockers, nicardipine and verapamil, using helical strips from rat thoracic aorta. ET induced potent and persistent contraction in control solution and similar but smaller contraction in Ca2+-free solution. BRL34915 and valinomycin inhibited the ET-induced contraction dose-dependently in control solution, but not in Ca2+-free solution. The ET-induced contraction was also inhibited by nicardipine and verapamil, though less strongly. On the other hand, high K+ (35 mM)-induced vasoconstriction was strongly inhibited by nicardipine and verapamil, but not by BRL34915 or valinomycin. These results support the idea that the extracellular Ca2+-dependent component of the ET-induced contraction may be mediated by Ca2+ influx by a route other than voltage-dependent Ca2+-channels.     

Immunological identification of rat urinary inactive kallikrein as a proform of tissue kallikrein

Antibody was raised against a synthetic undecapeptide (PS 11) which corresponds to the prosegment of the rat tissue kallikrein precursor. The potential to recognize rat urinary active or inactive kallikrein was assessed by an enzyme immunoassay method for PS 11, using beta-D-galactosidase as the labeling enzyme. The active kallikrein failed to compete with the enzyme-labeled PS 11 in binding to the antibody. The inactive kallikrein displaced the enzyme-labeled PS 11 in this enzyme immunoassay, and the displacement curve was in parallel with that of PS 11. These results indicate that rat urinary inactive kallikrein contains a prosequence recognized by the antibody to PS 11. This inactive kallikrein is probably a proform of tissue kallikrein.     

Phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy of forearm flexor muscles in student rowers using an exercise protocol adjusted for differences in cross-sectional muscle area

To assess exercise energy metabolism of forearm flexor muscles in rowers, six male student rowers and six control subjects matched for age and sex were studied using phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P-MRS). Firstly, to adjust for the effect of differences in cross-sectional muscle area, the maximal cross-sectional area (CSAmax) of the forearm flexor muscles was estimated in each individual using magnetic resonance imaging. Multistage exercise was then carried out with an initial energy production of 1 J.cm-2 CSAmax for 1 min and an increment of 1 J.cm-2 CSAmax every minute to the point of muscle exhaustion. A series of measurements of 31P-MRS were performed every minute. The CSAmax was significantly greater in the student rowers than in the control subjects [19.8 (SD 2.2) vs 17.1 (SD 1.2) cm2, P less than 0.05]. The absolute maximal exercise intensity (J.min-1) was greater in the rowers than in the control subjects. However, the maximal exercise intensity per unit of muscle cross sectional area (J.min-1.cm-2) was not significantly different between the two groups. During mild to moderate exercise intensities, a decrease in phosphocreatine and an increase in inorganic phosphate before the onset of acidosis were significantly less in the rowers, indicating a requirement of less adenosine 5'-diphosphate to drive adenosine 5'-triphosphate production. The onset of acidosis was also significantly delayed in the rowers. No difference was observed in forearm blood flow between the two groups at the same exercise intensity (J.min-1.cm-2).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray studies on human epidermal growth factor

Single crystals of human epidermal growth factor have been prepared from a polyethylene glycol solution and characterized by X-ray diffraction. The crystals grow in a space group of P2(1) with unit cell dimensions of a = 32.7, b = 32.5, c = 22.3 A, and beta = 96.9 degrees. They contain a single molecule per asymmetric unit and show better diffraction than 2.5 A.     

Increase of (Ca2++Mg2+)-ATPase activity of renal basolateral membrane by parathyroid hormone via cyclic AMP-dependent membrane phosphorylation

Studies were made on the mechanism of the effect of parathyroid hormone (PTH) on the activity of (Ca2++Mg2+)-ATPase, a membrane bound Ca2+-extrusion pump enzyme from the basolateral membranes (BLM) of canine kidney (Km for free Ca2+ = 1.3 X 10(-7) M, Vmax = 200 nmol Pi/mg/min). At 1 X 10(-7) M free Ca2+, both PTH (10(-7)-10(-6) M) and cAMP (10(-6)-10(-4) M) stimulated (Ca2++Mg2+)-ATPase activity dose-dependent and their stimulatory effects were inhibited completely by 5 microM H-8, an inhibitor of cAMP-dependent protein kinase. PTH (10(-7) M) also caused 40% increase in 32P incorporation into the BLM and 5 microM H-8 inhibited this increase too. PTH (10(-7) M) was found to stimulate phosphorylation of a protein of Mr 9000 by cAMP dependent protein kinase and 5 microM H-8 was found to block this stimulation also. From these results, it is proposed that PTH stimulates (Ca2++Mg2+)-ATPase activity by enhancing its affinity for free Ca2+ via cAMP-dependent phosphorylation of a BLM protein of Mr 9000.