Biochemistry and experimental biology最新文献

A macrocytic hypocromic anemia was observed in newts after toluene inhalation, with 2 concentrations, for 6 weeks. Anemia resulted associated with the used dose of toluene. Erythroblast counts, performed on blood smears and on spleen and heart imprints, showed an erythropoietic stimulus during the first weeks of treatment followed by a depressed erythrostimulating action. Differential count of erythroblasts indicated a slow maturation induced by toluene on erythroblasts. An aplasia of the spleen was suggested on the basis of the results from 6 week-treated animals. A reduction in white blood cell count, associated with increased neutrophils and lymphocytopenia, occurred only in the animals treated with the higher concentration of toluene, after 5 and 6 weeks of treatment. A decrease of phagocytic activity of neutrophils, obtained with the in vitro assays, appeared the most relevant finding at the level of lekocyte compartment.

An investigation on the free fatty acid (FFA) profile in blood serum, using liquid gas chromatography, has been carried out on young (8-9 week-old) spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). A significative increase in the level of unsaturated FFA was found in SHR in comparison to their controls. The deviations in the composition of the FFA spectrum found were elevation of the polyunsaturated fatty acids: hexadecanoic acid (C16:2), linoleic acid (C18:2), linolenic acid (C18:3), eicosadienoic acid (C20:2), eicosatrienoic acid (C20:3), eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5). The differences between FFA profile in SHR and control group can reflect genetically controlled variables.

A great number of Egyptian workers and farmers are seeking settlement in Iraq and some of them proved to have either Schistosoma Haematobium (S.h.) or Schistosoma mansoni (S.m) or even mixed infection. Besides, there is the possibility that some of the Iraqi fresh water snails may prove to be susceptible to infection by one or both of the Schistosoma Egyptian strains. The present study deals with investigations on the susceptibility of Iraqi B. truncatus, Gyranaulus ehrenbergi, Physa c.f. fontinalis, Lymnea lagetis, Melanoides tuberculata and Melanopsis nodes by these parasites. Egyptian S. haematobium but not Egyptian S. mansoni infect Iraqi B. truncatus and both proved to be unable to infect any of the other snails included in the study. Yet, the number of cercariae shedded by B. truncatus snails infected with the Egyptian S. haematobium strain, was much less that the number of cercariae shedded by these snails when infected with the Iraqi S. Haematobium strain.

Either half or one hour incubation time was enough to get a constant production of benzylaldehyde and were proportional to the amount of enzyme added. The optimal temperature of MAO, I, II, III, IV are 60 degrees, 37 degrees, 60 degrees, 45 degrees, and 37 degrees C respectively, and they follow Arrhenius equation until these optimal temperatures. Each form have optimal pH depends on substrate concentration used and the buffer used. These forms were shown to be inhibited by high substrate concentration with formation of inactive enzyme-amine complex, whereas butyl- and octylamine was found to be competitive inhibitors. Isoniazid inhibit MAO II, III, IV and V forms in a non competitive fashion, whereas MAO I inhibited competitively with respect to the substrate. Semicarbazid inhibit MAO I. III, IV and V forms in a non competitive fashion, whereas MAO II inhibited competitively with respect to the substrate.

With regard to a set of studies about cellular nutrition, the effect of different amounts of phospholipids, extracted from various organs of calf (diencephalon, retina, cerebral cortex and heart), on normal embryonal chicken myocardium cultures has been tested. From the numerous observations we have made it is resulted that phospholipids, particularly at the highest levels, constantly decrease the culture migration velocity and this reduction is remarkably more accentuated in presence of 1.25%(0) heart phospholipids. Moreover in this condition the cells show a change in their morphology and appear all full of big lipid drops, perhaps in consequence of an alteration of the chemical-physical plasmalemma characteristics and a change in the membrane enzyme activities involving lipid metabolism too.

Ninety-nine diabetics were simultaneously given a capillaroscopic examination of periungual walls and an electrocardiogram evaluated according to the Minnesota Code. From these tests the following data were recorded: a. the number of knobs revealed by capillaroscopy is inferior, in a statistically significant manner, in groups having "major abnormalities"; b. capillaroscopic abnormalities did not seem to be definitely correlated to age, but rather to the length of time diabetes mellitus was present; in particular, these abnormalities were quite evident in subjects diagnosed as diabetics for the first time. This procedure is therefore extremely useful for the early diagnosis of diabetic microangiopathy; c. electrocardiographic abnormalities are correlated to patient's age, whereas are not related to the period of the illness. Although the small sampling obliges us to maintain certain reservations, such abnormalities were more frequent in subjects taking antidiabetic drugs orally.

The kinetic properties of SLDH were investigated in untreated patients with acute leukemia at 37 degrees. SLDH was found to be inhibited by high pyruvate concentrations to a degree which depended on the pH of the reaction mixture; the degree of inhibition of normal SLDH at pH 7.5 was much higher than leukemic SLDH. 0.4M citrate was found to activate SLDH reaction rate at low pyruvate concentrations, while it was inhibitory at high pyruvate concentrations; the degree of inhibition being greater for leukemic SLDH than for normal SLDH. Citrate was also found to be a non-competitive inhibitor with respect to NADH and the value of Ki was determined. Methanol (3-4M), acted as a strong inhibitor to SLDH. The inhibition was found to be purely non-competitive with respect to pyruvate. Ki was calculated to be four times higher for leukemic SLDH than for normal SLDH.

The authors describe an original method for the setting up of pulmonary parenchymal preparations to be observed with electron microscopy. The salient aspects of this method are: the material fixed with a supersaturated uranyl acetate solution and colored, after simple dehydration and inclusion in Epon 812, with bismuth subnitrate. With this method it is possible to obtain a good definition of the morphological aspects and a greater contrast of the phospholipidic structures of the pulmonary parenchyma.

In a continuation of our previous report (Adekunle, 1978), we have carried out a comparative study on the metabolism of eosin (2, 4, 5, 7-tetrabromofluorescein), a xanthene, in 2 mammalian species, the Albino rat (Rattus norvegicus) and the African giant rat (Cricetomys gambianus, Waterhouse). The latter shows a minor metabolism of this dye compared with the former. The findings are discussed in relation to the disposition of Erythrosine BS (tetraiodofluorescein) reported by other workers.

Cytomorphological implications studied after the inducement of chlorpromazine included various anomalies like precocious despiralization, stickiness, breaks and pseudobridges. It is certain that CPZ has the capability of depolymerizing the DNA contents of the germ cells of S. fossilis.