Mast cell and blood coagulation functions during prolonged noradrenaline administration

During the long term noradrenaline injection (0.56 microgram/kg/min-2 hours during six days) the number of connective tissue mast cells decreases in dogs. Mature cells disappears and the percentage of young forms increases. Marked degranulation develops. 5-10 cell groups and chains are formed. The increase of free heparin level and the activation of anticoagulant unit hemostasis correspond to these changes. It is due to mast cells discharge of biologically active heparin which is an unspecific adaptogen.     

Mitochondrial proteinases of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae: electrophoretic detection, substrate specificity and sensitivity to inhibitors

The proteins of submitochondrial particles solubilized with 0.1% Triton X-100 were separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Hydrolysis of several proteinase substrates was registered directly in the gel after completion of electrophoresis. According to the data obtained the inner mitochondrial membrane contains one or two enzymes which catalyze hydrolysis of cytochrome c as well as one or two enzymes splitting synthetic substrate of trypsin-like proteinases, e. g. N-alpha-benzoyl-L-arginine-p-nitroanilide (BAPA) and N-alpha-benzoyl-L-arginine-beta-naphthylamide (BANA). Submitochondrial particles were shown to catalyze hydrolysis of 3H-labelled cytochrome c. This activity is suppressed by the same inhibitors as the hydrolysis of mitochondrial translation products, i. e. phenyl-methylsulfonylfluoride, p-chloromercuribenzosulfonate, leupeptin and antipain. Presumably these two processes are catalyzed by the same enzyme localized in the inner mitochondrial membrane. Physiological functions of BAPA- and BANA-hydrolyzing enzyme(s) are still unclear.     

Molecular forms of alpha-1-acid glycoprotein in human blood serum. Differences in levels of di-, tri-, and tetra-antennary N-linked carbohydrate chains]

alpha 1-Acid glycoprotein isolated from healthy individuals blood was separated on Con A-Sepharose into three fractions: non-bound (AGP-1, 84%, 43.5 kDa), Con A-bound (AGP-2, 14%, 41.3 kDa), and Con A-tightly bound (AGP-3, 2%, 39.6 kDa). Amino acid compositions of these fractions were similar but carbohydrate ones differed. HPLC analysis of 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin derivatives of the oligosaccharides in combination with their sequential exoglycosidase digestion showed that AGP-1, AGP-2, and AGP-3 have the same set of oligosaccharides and differ only by their proposition. A minor quantity of agalacto-oligosaccharides (with a terminal GlcNAc residue) was identified.     

Different properties of two groups of orientation discriminators in the cat visual cortex

The properties of 149 neurons, divided into two groups, were investigated during acute experiments on immobilized cats. These consisted of "timers" (37%) in which latency of response and time taken for reaction to peak changed in an orientation range of not more than 10 msec. The remaining 63% consisted of "scanners" [2]. "Timers" reliably differed from "scanners" in their shorter latent periods, rising time of discharge rate, duration of response, and higher rate of impulsation at all orientations of the stimulus. "Scanners" display greater orientational tuning and "scan" much more frequently throughout the orientation range. The pattern of acuity of orientational tuning is counterphasic during response in neurons of these two groups, while the distribution of their preferred orientation is complementary in nature. Both timers and scanners were found in the orientation columns of the visual cortex on most occasions, with the latter predominating. Columns consisting of only timers or scanners were met with more seldom. The significance of the differences between the properties of the two groups of neurons in the visual cortex is discussed with a view to orientational discrimination.Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 18, No. 1, pp. 85–92, January–February, 1986.     

The sensitive period in the development of the human visual system

The human visual system is the most sensitive to the deprivation of the object vision up to the age of 7, when the amblyopia produced by congenital or traumatic cataract develops in all cases and is "relatively" sensitive during the period from 7 to 15 years, when probability of amblyopia development and its degree are determined by the age of cataract appearance and duration of its existence. Visual deprivation taking place after 15 years does not lead to ambliopy. The data on visual evoked potentials (VEP) obtained during stimulation of the ambyopic and the second, intact eye are used in discussion of the neurophysiological mechanisms of the unilateral visual deprivation and of informative importance of VEP.     

A cytogenetic study of the human chorion for the purpose of the prenatal diagnosis of hereditary diseases

Cytogenetical investigation of 50 diagnostic chorionic villus samples from women with a high risk of giving birth to babies with chromosomal and genic pathology, and of 128 chorionic samples obtained from medical abortions, both on the 8-12th weeks of gestation was performed by means of original direct chromosomal analysis. Chromosomal anomalies were found in 6 cases of diagnostic chorion biopsies (12%) and in 4 cases (3%) of medical abortions. The former group included 5 embryos with autosomal trisomy (4--Ts21 and 1--Ts13) and one embryo with monosomy 18. The latter group contained 2 embryos with X-chromosome monosomy and 2 other with chromosomal mosaicism. A significant prevalence of the female sex was found in the diagnostic group (sex ratio 0.56), but not in the medical abortion one (sex ratio 1.0). Analysis of routine chromosomal preparations and those after in situ hybridization with X-chromosome alfoid-probe YAP 1-10 revealed polyploidy in average in 0.8-1% chorion cells. The feasible causes of sex ratio distortion in embryos of diagnostic group and factors responsible for the rate of polyploidy are discussed. High reliability of originally elaborated direct "shaking-blotting" method of chromosomal preparations from chorionic villus samples is stressed.