Improved micro-method for the high-performance liquid chromatographic determination of caffeine and paraxanthine in biological fluids

A high-performance liquid chromatographic procedure is reported for reproducibly and sensitively quantitating caffeine and its N-demethylated metabolite paraxanthine in micro-samples. A 5-μm reversed-phase radial compression column and 214-nm fixed wavelength ultraviolet detector were used to attain a sensitivity sufficient to quantitate these compounds at concentratios as low as 80 ng/ml using only 25 μl of sample. The assay is applicable to microliter samples of whole blood, serum, plasma, saliva, amniotic, cerebro-spinal and gastric fluids such as might be obtained in studies involving small animals or neonates. The utility of the assay is illustrated with caffeine and paraxanthine levels measured in several maternal and fetal fluids following constant-rate intravenous infusion of caffeine into a rabbit throughout pregnancy.     

Dielectric spectroscopy for noninvasive examination of corneal tissue]

Dielectric spectroscopy is a non-invasive contact technique that permits the in vivo measurement of the specific electrical properties of biological tissue induced by an external electrical field. Permittivity, relaxation time and specific conductivity as a function of corneal hydration (wet weight/dry weight) and temperature were measured in 10 porcine corneas. Variation of tissue hydration has a minor influence on the signal, with a significant variation of the signal being detectable only for relatively dry tissue. A much greater influence was found for temperature, in particular on relaxation times. Dielectric spectroscopy provides us with an opportunity to detect structural, in particular temperature-induced, changes in living tissue. In the frequency range investigated, hydration has only a small influence on the dielectric properties of the tissue.     

Ruddy turnstones Arenaria interpres rapidly build pectoral muscle after raptor scares

To cope with changes in the environment, organisms not only show behavioural but also phenotypic adjustments. This is well established for the digestive tract. Here we present a first case of birds adjusting their flight machinery in response to predation risk. In an indoor experiment, ruddy turnstones Arenaria interpres were subjected to an unpredictable daily appearance of either a raptor or a small gull (as a control). Ruddy turnstones experiencing threat induced by a flying raptor model, longer than after similar passage by the gull model, refrained from feeding after this disturbance. Pectoral muscle mass, but not lean mass, responded in a course of a few days to changes in the perceived threat of predation. Pectoral muscle mass increased after raptor scares. Taking the small increases in body mass into account, pectoral muscle mass was 3.6% higher than aerodynamically predicted for constant flight performance. This demonstrates that perceived risk factors may directly affect organ size.     

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) enhances antibody production and protein kinase activity in murine B cells

Treatment of murine spleen cells with 30 nM TCDD resulted in an approximately 3 fold increase in unstimulated antibody production after 3 days in culture. This response was not accompanied by increased cellular proliferation and may represent an effect of TCDD on B cell activation or differentiation. Since PMA is capable of activating B cells, presumably via PKC, we have compared the effects of PMA and TCDD on protein kinase activation and phosphorylation of endogenous proteins in a highly purified preparation of B cells. In contrast to a reduction of cytosolic PKC activity, the expected effect of PMA, TCDD caused an increase in basal kinase activity with no effect on PKC activity. Addition of either PMA or TCDD resulted in enhanced phosphorylation of a similar profile of proteins, including proteins of Mr 12.2, 14.6, 29.2, 52.3 and 62.7 KDa. Addition of TCDD also resulted in the increased phosphorylation of a protein of Mr 45.2, which was unaffected by PMA. Combined treatment with PMA and TCDD resulted in additive responses. The additive effects of PMA and TCDD suggest an interaction at the level of protein phosphorylation which is mediated by different kinases. Therefore, TCDD may be stimulating B cells via an early effect on an unidentified protein kinase.     

The 90-kilodalton peptide of the heme-regulated eIF-2 alpha kinase has sequence similarity with the 90-kilodalton heat shock protein

Highly purified preparations of the heme-controlled eIF-2 alpha (eukaryotic peptide initiation factor 2 alpha subunit) kinase of rabbit reticulocytes contain an abundant 90-kilodalton (kDa) peptide that is immunologically cross-reactive with spectrin and that modulates the activity of the enzyme [Kudlicki, W., Fullilove, S., Read, R., Kramer, G., & Hardesty, B. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 9695-9701]. The amino-terminal sequence of the 90-kDa protein has a high degree of similarity with the known amino-terminal sequences of the Drosophila 83-kDa heat shock protein (20 out of 22 residues) and with other related heat shock proteins. The amino acid sequence of a tryptic phosphopeptide isolated by high-performance liquid chromatography from the eIF-2 alpha kinase associated 90-kDa protein after phosphorylation by casein kinase II is shown to be identical with a 14 amino acid segment of the known sequence of the Drosophila 83-kDa heat shock protein. Results of hydrodynamic studies indicate a highly elongated structure for the reticulocyte protein, characteristic of a structural protein. Additional structural similarities between the eukaryotic heat shock proteins, the reticulocyte eIF-2 alpha kinase associated 90-kDa peptide, and spectrin are discussed.     

The histone H1°/H5 variant and terminal differentiation of cells during development of Xenopus laevis

The maintenance of the differentiated condition is supposed to be associated with the presence of a histone of the H1(0)/H5 subclass. If the H1(0)/H5 variant has an important role in differentiation distinct from that of H1, it should display differential expression in time and position during development. Here we report that this prediction is verified during Xenopus laevis development, in which tadpoles exhibit a very characteristic, developmentally regulated pattern of histone H1(0)/H5 expression that is different for the derivatives of each embryonic germ layer. However, the pattern of appearance of this variant during development does not reflect a simple correlation between its presence and the state of differentiation. Therefore, these results are pertinent to current ideas on differentiation and the involvement of lysine-rich histones in the repression of eukaryotic genes.     

The effect of pancreatic mesenchyme on the differentiation of endocrine cells from gastric endoderm

To determine whether mesenchyme plays a part in the differentiation of gut endocrine cells, proventricular endoderm from 4- to 5-day chick or quail embryos was associated with mesenchyme from the dorsal pancreatic bud of chick embryos of the same age. The combinations were grown on the chorioallantoic membranes of host chick embryos until they reached a total incubation age of 21 days. Proventricular or pancreatic endoderm of the appropriate age and species reassociated with its own mesenchyme provided the controls. Morphogenesis in the experimental grafts corresponded closely to that in proventricular controls, i.e. the pancreatic mesenchyme supported the development of proventricular glands from proventricular endoderm. Insulin, glucagon and somatostatin cells and cells with pancreatic polypeptide-like immunoreactivity differentiated in the pancreatic controls. The latter three endocrine cell types, together with neurotensin and bombesin/gastrin-releasing polypeptide (GRP) cells, developed in proventricular controls and experimental grafts. The proportions of the major types common to proventriculus and pancreas (somatostatin and glucagon cells) were in general similar when experimental grafts were compared with proventricular controls but different when experimental and pancreatic control grafts were compared. Hence pancreatic mesenchyme did not materially affect the proportions of these three cell types in experimental grafts, induced no specific pancreatic (insulin) cell type and allowed the differentiation of the characteristic proventricular endocrine cell types, neurotensin and bombesin/GRP cells. However, an important finding was a significant reduction in the proportion of bombesin/GRP cells, attributable in part to a decrease in their number and in part to an increase in the numbers of endocrine cells of the other types. This indicates that mesenchyme may well play a part in determining the regional specificity of populations of gut endocrine cells.