Effects of atomic bomb radiation on the differentiation of B lymphocytes and on the function of concanavalin A-induced suppressor T lymphocytes

The differentiation of peripheral blood B lymphocytes into immunoglobulin-producing cells (Ig-PC) by pokeweed mitogen (PWM) and the function of concanavalin A (Con A)-induced suppressor T lymphocytes were examined to elucidate the late effects of atomic bomb radiation. A total of 140 individuals, 70 with an exposure dose of 100 rad or more and an equal number with an exposure dose of 0 rad matched by sex and age, were selected from the Nagasaki Adult Health Study (AHS) sample. Both the differentiation of peripheral blood B lymphocytes into Ig-PC by PWM and the function of Con A-induced suppressor T lymphocytes tended to be more depressed in the exposed group than in the control group, but a statistically significant difference could not be observed between the two groups. The function of Con A-induced suppressor T lymphocytes tended to decrease with age, but a statistical significance was detected only for percentage suppression against IgM-PC.     

Surveillance for typhoid fever in Matsuyama city during 1974-1981 and detection of Salmonella typhi in sewage and river waters

Eighty-two cases of typhoid fever were found in Matsuyama city in the period from 1974 to 1981. Seventy-six cases were found to be infected with Salmonella typhi other three with Salmonella paratyphi A, and the remaining three were diagnosed only clinically. The strains of S. typhi isolated from these patients showed such a variety of Vi-phage types as D1, D2, E1, M1, 53 and degraded Vi-positive strain (DVS). The concurrent survey of the city sewage and river waters for typhoid bacilli was conducted with total 578 samples taken therefrom. S. typhi was isolated from 120 of those samples. The Vi-phage types of the isolates were closely related with those of the isolates from the patients. The periodical examinations of the city sewage and the draining river may serve as a useful means for the controlling typhoid fever epidemics.     

A Drosophila receptor-type tyrosine kinase (DFR1) acts as a fibroblast growth factor receptor in Xenopus embryos

Members of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family play important roles in various developmental processes in vertebrates. Since two genes closely related to the vertebrate FGF receptor (FGFR) genes DFR1 and DFR2/breathless have already been reported in Drosophila , the existence of a Drosophila FGF has been predicted. In the present study, we examined whether DFR1 is functionally interchangeable with a vertebrate FGFR in the Xenopus system. First, we found that the expression of DFR1 promoted Ca²⁺ efflux in response to human basic (b)FGF in Xenopus oocytes, whereas the coexpression of a dominant negative form of DFR1 (ΔDFR1) with a chick FGFR1/cek1 inhibited promotion of Ca²⁺ efflux induced by the expression of cek1 in the oocyte. Second, the expression of ΔDFR1 was observed to induce a defect in the posterior structure of the Xenopus embryo at stage 30, as observed with a dominant negative form of cek1 (Δcek1). Third, we found that the expression of ΔDFR1 inhibited the expression of FGF-regulated genes such as Xbra, Xnot , and Xshh in Xenopus embryos at stage 11, while the coexpression of DFR1 with ΔDFR1 could rescue the inhibited expression of FGF-regulated genes. These results indicate that DFR1 acts as an FGFR in Xenopus embryos and that an FGF is likely to exist in Drosophila .     

Relations Between the Extracellular Concentrations of Choline and Acetylcholine in Rat Striatum

Abstract: Changes in extracellular levels of acetylcholine (ACh) and choline (Ch) in the striatum of rats were examined by in vivo microdialysis after intraperitoneal injections of drugs. A dopamine D₂ antagonist, sulpiride (20 mg/kg), and a muscarinic antagonist, atropine (3.5 mg/kg), increased ACh levels and decreased Ch levels. On the contrary, the D₂ agonist (±)-2-( N -phenylethyl- N -propyl)amino-5-hydroxytetralin (N-434; 5 mg/kg) and an anesthetic, pentobarbital (50 mg/kg), decreased ACh levels and increased Ch levels. Perfusion of 10 µ M hemicholinium-3 (HC-3), a Ch uptake inhibitor, through the striatum induced a complete inhibition of ACh release and increased Ch levels in all drug-treated groups. The degree of relative increase in the level of Ch induced by HC-3 differed among the drug-pretreated groups; compared with the control group, the relative increase was larger in the sulpiride- and atropine-treated groups and smaller in the N-434 and pentobarbital-treated groups. Thus, we demonstrated reciprocal relations between extracellular concentrations of Ch and ACh after treatments by drugs. The data suggest that in the striatum, which is rich in cholinergic innervation, the extracellular Ch concentration is to a large extent determined by activity of the cholinergic transmission reflected in high-affinity choline uptake.     

Properties of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) depolymerase from a marine bacterium, Alcaligenes faecalis AE122.

Alcaligenes faecalis AE122 that used poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) as a sole source of carbon was newly isolated from a coastal seawater sample. The strain required seawater for growth on PHB as well as in a nutrient broth, in which seawater could be replaced by an appropriate concentration of NaCl. PHB depolymerase was purified to homogeneity from the culture supernatant of A. faecalis AE122 by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The enzyme consisted of a monomer subunit with a molecular mass of 95.5 kDa. The N-terminal amino acid sequence was GAWQNNLAGGFNKV. The dimeric and trimeric esters of 3-hydroxybutyrate were the main hydrolysis products of the purified enzyme. The enzyme was most active at pH 9.0 and 55 degrees C and was inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride. Several cations in seawater greatly enhanced the enzyme activity.     

Redescription of Caprogammarus gurjanovae Kudrjaschov & Vassilenko, 1966 (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from Hokkaido,Japan, with notes on the taxonomic status of Caprogammarus

Caprogammarus gurjanovae Kudrjaschov & Vassilenko, 1966 (Amphipoda: Caprellidea: Caprogammaridae) was redescribed based on the materials newly collected off Kushiro and Akkeshi, Hokkaido, Japan, which represents the southernmost record of this genus. Caprogammarus and Caprella share an identical feature, that of having the head and perionite I partially fused. Thus, Caprogammarus is considered to be a member of the suborder Caprellidea.     

Memory impairment and morphological changes in rats induced by active fragment of anti-nerve growth factor-antibody

Treatment of rats with a specific Fab' fragment of anti-nerve growth factor (NGF)-antibody (anti-NGF, 12, 120 and 400 micrograms/4 weeks, i.c.v.) impaired their learning ability. The distance of swimming of anti-NGF-treated rats in a water maze was shortened more slowly by training than that of control rats. Anti-NGF treatment altered the staining of nuclei of cells in the hippocampus, parietal cortex and dentate gyrus with hematoxylin. It is suggested that the anti-NGF-induced amnesia could be due to change in nuclear morphology.