Plasma cortisol concentration in newborn infants

Plasma cortisol was measured in cord and neonatal blood. Cortisol concentration in neonates decreased rapidly during the first three days after delivery and thereafter remained at an almost constant level. The more the delivery was stressful, the higher the cortisol in the 1-day-old infant, but the concentration came down to the same level as in the less stressful delivery on the 3rd day of the infants' life. The cortisol level in vaginal delivery after spontaneous labor was not different from that in vaginal delivery after oxytocin induced labor. Cortisol in small-for-date infants or infants with hyperbilirubinemia was lower than in average-for-date infants or infants without hyperbilirubinemia.

Radical scavenging reactions of alpha-tocopherol. II. The reaction with some alkyl radicals

alpha-Tocopherol was reacted with some alkyl radicals (ethyl, n-propyl, iso-propyl, n-butyl, and sec-butyl radical) to study its radical scavenging reactivity. The two types of products (alkyl ethers of alpha-tocopherol and cyclohexadienones) were obtained on treatment of each radial. These structures were determined by the spectral analysis. It was observed that alpha-tocopherol is very sensitive to the alkyl racidals and that the yields of the cyclohexadienones are decreased and that of the alkyl ethers are not much varied with an increase of carbon numbers of the alkyl radicals.

Further study on the effects of LH-RH in rat anterior pituitary

As to the mechanism of the action of LH-RH on rat anterior pituitary, the participation of the adenylate cyclase system in gonadotropin release has been clarified. The authors previously reported that LH-RH increased the RNA synthesis in the rat anterior pituitary. In this study, the significance of the increase of RNA synthesis by LH-RH and the relationship between the adenylate cyclase system and the RNA synthesis system were investigated and the following results were obtained. (1) LH-RH induces not only the release of LH but also its synthesis in the rat anterior pituitary, and furthermore, RNA synthesis participates in LH synthesis. (2) The effects of LH-RH on RNA synthesis appeared to be independent from the effects on the adenylate cyclase system.

The effects of LH-RH on the concentration of 3',5'-cyclic AMP and RNA synthesis in rat anterior pituitary

In an experiment performed to investigate the effect of LH-RH on the anterior pituitary of rats, we studied the changes in the concentration of 3',5'-cyclic AMP in the anterior pituitary and the uridine uptake by the anterior pituitary following the intravenous injection of 100 ng LH-RH. The results obtained are summarized as follows: 1) The tissue level of 3',5'-cyclic AMP in the anterior pituitary reached the highest peak 15 min after the injection of LH-RH. 2) The uridine uptake of the anterior pituitary began to increase 15 min after the LH-RH injection and attained a maximum level (5 to 6 times the normal level) in 30 min. 3) The fact that the uridine uptake was inhibited to a considerable extent by the addition of actinomycin D to the incubation medium suggested that uridine was incorporated into the RNA fraction.

Morphological and biochemical alteration in the rat liver induced by maprotiline

The fatty change in the liver induced in male rats by a new antidepressant, maprotiline, given at high-dose was studied morphologically and biochemically. The accumulation of triglyceride in the liver was related to accelerated synthesis of fatty acid in the liver in males, which liver triglyceride was decreased in spite of increased synthesis of fatty acid from acetate in females. Secretion of lipoprotein granules was noted in both sexes. The sexual differences of triglyceride contents in the liver and serum was influenced by sexual hormone. Proliferation of smooth endoplasmic reticulum and "fingerprints" were found in treated rats and these were correlated with the induction of hepatic microsomal drug metabolizing enzymes. The "myeloid bodies" induced in hepatocytes were considered to be of lysosomal nature. Both morphological and biochemical alterations in the hepatocytes induced by maprotiline was reversible upon cessation of treatment.

Chemical studies on the cell walls of Leptorspira biflexa strain Urawa and Treponema pallidum strain Reiter

The preparation and chemical properties of the cell walls of Leptospira biflexa Urawa and Treponema pallidum Reiter are described. Both cell walls are composed mainly of polysaccharides and peptidoglycans. The data of chemical analysis indicate that the cell wall of L. biflexa Urawa contains rhamnose, arabinose, xylose, mannose, galactose, glucose and unidentified sugars as neutral sugars, and alanine, glutamic acid, alpha, epsilon-diaminopimelic acid, glucosamine and muramic acid as major amino acids and amino sugars. As major chemical constituents of the cell wall of T. pallidum Reiter, rhamnose, arabinose, xylose, mannose, galactose, glucose, alanine, glutamic acid, ornithine, glycine, glucosamine and muramic acid have been detected. The chemical properties of protein and polysaccharide fractions prepared from the cells of T. pallidum Reiter were also partially examined.