In vitro propagation of Coleus forskohlii Briq., a threatened medicinal plant

In vitro clonai multip1ication of Coleus forskahlii Briq a threatened plant, has been achieved on MS medium supplemented with Kn (2.0 mg/l) and IAA (1.0 mg/l) using nodal segments as explants, Shoots multiplied at a rate of 12 - fold every six weeks. Rooting was achieved upon transfer of shoots onto MS medium containing IAA (1.0 mg/l). The micropropagated plants were successfully established under field conditions. Forskolin content in tubers of plants obtained by micropropagation was found to be 0.1%, the same as that found in wild plants. This micropropagation procedure should be useful for conservation as well as production of this important plant.

Phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) and inhibitors of protein kinase C alter glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) mRNA levels

Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) mRNA levels in the human astrocytoma line U-373MG were examined to explore further the effects of agents that regulate protein kinase C. U-373MG cells exhibit a biphasic change in steady-state GFAP mRNA in the presence of the phorbol ester phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA). Short-term treatment with PMA results in increased GFAP mRNA, and long-term treatment results in decreased GFAP mRNA. Nuclear run-off experiments demonstrate that the PMA-induced decrease in GFAP mRNA levels is not at the level of GFAP gene transcription. PMA exerts its effect in the presence of protein synthesis inhibitors, demonstrating that de novo protein synthesis is not required for the PMA-induced changes in GFAP mRNA. Staurosporine, a protein kinase C inhibitor, reduces GFAP mRNA expression in a dose-dependent manner; in the presence of PMA the effect is additive. By contrast HA1004, an inhibitor of cAMP-dependent protein kinase, is not inhibitory to GFAP steady-state mRNA. Total protein kinase C activity was determined to be 2,398.8 +/- 94.3 pmol/min/mg protein, with most of the activity in the cytosol. Short-term PMA treatment results in the translocation of the cytosolic protein kinase C activity to the membrane. Long-term PMA treatment results in a decrease in total protein kinase C activity indicating that downregulation occurs. These studies demonstrate that in the U-373MG cells, protein kinase C inhibitors and long treatment with PMA result in a decrease in steady-state GFAP mRNA.

Morphological and functional characterization of a hormonally induced AIMS/GRXII cell line

The AIMS/GRXII cell line is a product of the line of research our laboratory is pursuing to understand the response of target cells to sustained hormonal stimulation, a situation simulating the one that brings about in vivo tumorigenesis. The cell line was derived from goat ovarian granulosa cells subjected to luteinizing hormone stress (high doses repeated). It was found to be contact-inhibited, nontumorigenic and secreted progesterone. The majority of cells at any given passage showed hypodiploidy. The cell line required hormonal support till passage 8 after which it was hormone-independent. Thus, the system offers a phase-wise development of the cell line which might be useful in cancer research, particularly to understand the mechanisms of cell transformation at the cellular and molecular level and possible hormone (onco)gene nexus in cell proliferation.

Effect of electroconvulsions on glucose homeostasis in rabbits

Acute electroconvulsions (ECS) produced hyperglycemic response in rabbits which peaked at 30 min and recovered within 4 h. This hyperglycemic response to acute ECS was significantly more marked in rabbits which were chronically pretreated with ECS. The hyperglycemic responses to acute ECS and oral glucose were additive in nature. Daily administration of adrenaline in chronically ECS pretreated rabbits further enhanced the hyperglycemic response to acute ECS. The hyperglycemic response to oral glucose and parenteral adrenaline were significantly more marked in such rabbits. GTT done on the day next to ECS, in rabbits chronically pretreated with ECS and then with ECS plus adrenaline produced enhanced hyperglycemic response. These results indicate that repetitive ECS disturbs glucose homeostasis.

Induction of error-free DNA repair in Escherichia coli by thiamine deprivation

Incubation of Escherichia coli AB1157 in a thiamine-deficient medium causes a large, time-dependent increase in resistance to UV-radiation (254 nm) and a fall in its UV-induced mutation frequency to histidine prototrophy which are abolished in its uvrA mutant, but only delayed in lon- and recA- cells. The response of the lexA3 mutant resembles that of the parental cells. These effects are very similar to those we have shown to be induced by heat shock and are clearly due to an error-free, DNA-excision repair-dependent process. They may represent a general response to non-mutagenic stress in these cells.

Effects of dexamethasone on lipid metabolism in rat organs

Injecting of dexamethasone (10 mg/kg body weight) for 8 days to rats decreased the body weight and feed intake by 29 and 50%, respectively. The increase in weights of liver, heart, kidneys and testes per 100 g body weight was 55, 37, 33 and 13%, respectively. Though, in general, the triglyceride content increased in all the organs, maximum increase (9-fold) was observed in the liver. The plasma showed elevated levels of triglycerides, cholesterol and phospholipids. In hepatic mitochondrial membranes, the content of protein, phospholipids and cholesterol decreased/g tissue. The percent 14C distribution, as a part of total incorporation in nonpolar lipids, of [14C]acetate into triglycerides of liver, kidneys and testes increased significantly. The increased turnover of phospholipids in liver and heart was mainly due to increased turnover of phosphatidyl choline (PC) and phosphatidyl ethanolamine in liver and PC in heart. Turnover of phospholipids of testes was not affected.

Health educators in India--a profile

While India has a long history of health education, its formal integration into health care services is just three decades old. In addition to providing health education through traditional or informal methods, the country has been stimulating the integration of health education through a professionally trained group of health workers, commonly called: "Health Educators". The impression remains, however, that "information giving" is the primary goal and function of a health educator, and, more often than not, his activities remain confined to publicity. This leads to a debate of the issue of: "who should conduct health education activities, a health education specialist or some other health worker"?

Care of the newborn by traditional birth attendants

The study was carried out in a slum cum resettlement colony (Area-I) and four villages (Area-II) of Delhi. Management of the newborn by the 25 functioning Traditional Birth Attendants (TBA's) who conducted 83.64% deliveries in Area-I and 16.22% in Area-II was studied. Majority of TBA's did not have the concept of washing hands before conducting per vaginum (P/V) examinations or deliveries. Most of the TBA's, i.e., 21 out of 25 used a razor blade to cut the umbilical cord of which 9 used a fresh blade. No TBA left the cord untied. Vigorous patting in upright and also after holding the baby upside down was the commonest (68%) method of neonatal resuscitation. All TBA's massaged and bathed the baby everyday. Majority of the TBA's (18 out of 25) referred the baby to a health agency for immunization though they did not know the exact schedule.

Age at menarche in relation to adult body size and physique

The relationship of early and late menarche with adult body dimensions has been studied on a sample of 147 young adult women drawn from an urban Punjabi population of Chandigarh and Ludhiana. The results indicate that girls with early menarche (age 10 to 11) have significantly smaller skeletal dimensions (both longitudinal and transverse) and more subcutaneous fat than those with average or late menarche. The girls with late menarche have on average more height for weight than early maturers. Results indicate that there is a biological determinant of the observed association between menarcheal age and fatness and adult body size.

Alterations in lactate dehydrogenase isoenzymes and phosphofructokinase activity in the hormonally induced G-XII cell line

G-XII cell line was earlier developed in our laboratory from the granulosa lutein cells of goat ovaries, subjected to sustained stimulation by ovine luteinizing hormone. It is a non-clonogenic and non-tumorigenic cell line which secretes progesterone. In the present paper, we report some biochemical findings on the cell line studied between passages 10 and 15. The cells exhibited a shift in the lactate dehydrogenase isoenzyme pattern from the heart form to muscle form and a 300% increase in the phosphofructokinase activity compared to fresh granulosa cells.

The fate of thymine-containing dimers in ultraviolet-irradiated Halobacterium cutirubrum

Extremely halophilic bacteria do not recover in the dark from the effects of ultraviolet radiation, although they can be completely photoreactivated, thus proving that pyrimidine dimers are the cytotoxic photoproducts. We have now shown, by studying the fate of thymine-containing dimers during dark liquid-holding of Halobacterium cutirubrum, that the lack of dark repair in these bacteria is due to their inability to excise such lesions, in contrast to Escherichia coli B. Nevertheless, extensive nonspecific degradation of DNA occurs in H. cutirubrum following ultraviolet irradiation, so the lack of dimer excision is not due to a generalised inability to degrade DNA after such treatment. These findings raise interesting questions concerning the basis of the resistance of halophiles to ultraviolet radiation.

Studies of adenosine incorporation in Langendorff rat heart and rat heart mitochondria

The acid-insoluble product isolated from well-oxygenated Langendorff rat heart after perfusion with [14C]adenosine was purified by phenol extraction and subjected to specific phosphorolysis by pure polynucleotide phosphorylase. TLC analysis of the reaction mixture showed that ADP was the only radioactive product, proving that the original substance was a polyribonucleotide. Studies of the time course of labelling and of the distribution of the acid-insoluble product between the mitochondrial and nuclear fractions showed that both are labelled even after 1 min at 25 degrees C, but at short times and low temperature more radioactivity is found in the mitochondria. The kinetics of adenosine incorporation resemble those expected for the labelling of hnRNA and mRNA. Isolated, respiring mitochondria incorporate adenosine and adenine nucleotides into acid insoluble form by a process dependent on oxidative phosphorylation and the adenine nucleotide translocase that is specific for adenine derivatives. The results are discussed in terms of the hypothesis that the polyribonucleotide might be a storage form of adenine nucleotides: it is concluded that the bulk of the labelled product is unlikely to play a major role in energy metabolism.

Further studies on the presumed adenine nucleotide storage compound of rat heart

Further studies on the acid-precipitable radioactive substance formed during perfusion of Langendorff rat hearts with [14C]adenosine have shown that very brief (30 s) ischaemia causes a sudden rise (20-35%) in its level in the tissue which is followed by the steady fall we have previously described. Analysis of the products of alkaline hydrolysis of this compound shows that at least 96% of the radioactivity appears in the form of a mixture of 2'- and 3'-AMP as would be expected for RNA while its relatively high resistance to dilute alkali suggests that it is poly A. Subcellular localization studies indicate that radioactivity enters all compartments of the cell, with maximum label in the nucleus. However, a significant proportion is present in the mitochondria and may be poly A acting as the mitochondrial storage form of adenine nucleotides whose existence we have proposed.

Preparation and properties of highly-purified Vibrio costicola polynucleotide phosphorylase

Vibrio costicola polynucleotide phosphorylase (polyribonucleotide: orthophosphate nucleotidyltransferase, EC 2.7.7.8) has been purified to electrophoretic homogeneity. It has an approximate molecular weight of 220 000 and consists of identical subunits with an approximate molecular weight of 72 000. The enzyme appears to be a fairly typical polynucleotide phosphorylase with respect to its pH optima, substrate specificity and requirement for a divalent cation cofactor. However, the effect of salt concentration on its physiologically important phosphorolysis activity suggests that it is a moderately halophilic enzyme, able to function at the intracellular ionic strength of the bacterium. In addition, its ADP polymerization activity is remarkably stimulated by polylysine.

A possible adenine nucleotide storage form in normal and ischaemic rat heart

Perfusion of Langendorff rat hearts with [14C]adenosine yields an acid-insoluble, radioactive product whose concentration falls during ischaemia. The properties of the substance show that it is a polyribonucleotide. It is suggested that it may be mitochondrial poly A acting as a storage form of adenine nucleotides.

Effect of dietary chronic cadmium exposure on cell-mediated immune response in rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta): role of calcium deficiency

The role of Ca deficiency on the immunomodulatory effects of chronic Cd exposure for a period of 10 weeks in male Rhesus monkeys were assessed by the blastogenic capacity of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) in response to T-cell mitogens, phytohemagglutinin (PHA), and concanavalin A (Con A). Calcium deficiency significantly decreased the blastogenic response to PHA (P less than 0.01) and Con A (P less than 0.05). Although Cd exposure in normal monkeys significantly increased the blastogenic response to Con A (P less than 0.05), Cd exposure in Ca-deficient monkeys produced a further significant decrease in the blastogenic response to Con A (P less than 0.001). Total and ionic Ca were also significantly decreased in plasma of Ca deficient monkeys exposed to Cd. It is possible that these two observations may be related to each other. Thus, it is important to assess the nutritional status of the host while evaluating the immunotoxicological effects of an environmental pollutant.

Photoreactivation in pigmented and non-pigmented extreme halophiles

The sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation (254 nm) and the photoreactivability of four pigmented and three colourless strains of the extremely halophilic bacteria Halobacterium cutirubrum and Halobacterium salinarium have been studied. The results with three pigmented/non-pigmented pairs show that the pigments play an accessory role in photoreactivation at low visible light intensities and confirm that they do not provide passive protection against ultraviolet light. Evidence is presented that photoreactivation plays an unexpected direct role in the resistance of extreme halophiles to ultraviolet radiation and that colourless mutants of H. cutirubrum NRC 34001 only arise in cultures that have been both ultraviolet-irradiated and photoreactivated. None of these extreme halophiles is capable of excision repair of ultraviolet damage to DNA.

Prostaglandins and thromboxane in the delayed phase of shock induced by Serratia marcescens endotoxin

The cardiovascular and metabolic effects of an endotoxin derived from Serratia marcescens were examined in anaesthetized, spontaneously-breathing cats. There was a marked initial elevation of right atrial pressure (the result of pulmonary vasoconstriction) and decreases in systemic arterial pressure and in arterial PO2. The 'delayed' effects of endotoxin shock in this species (1-8 h) consisted of a reduced cardiac output and decreased urinary excretion. Blood pressure and myocardial contractility (assessed from measurement of left ventricular (LV) dP/dt and LV end-diastolic pressure) were maintained throughout this phase. There was evidence of a metabolic (lactic) acidosis largely compensated by hyperventilation. Plasma levels (both arterial and mixed venous blood samples) of prostaglandin (PG)E2, PGF2 alpha, 6-keto PGF1 alpha and thromboxane (TX)B2 were measured by radioimmunoassay techniques. Endotoxin administration caused substantial increases in the plasma levels of all four derivatives of arachidonic acid, especially between 1 and 6 h. Separation of the endotoxin-treated cats into survivors and non-survivors showed that the non-survivors had significantly higher circulating levels of PGE2, TXB2 and PGF2 alpha. It is suggested that TXB2 and PGF2 alpha might contribute to some of the detrimental effects of endotoxin (e.g. pulmonary, mesenteric, renal vasoconstriction; platelet aggregation with resulting organ failure) and that prostacyclin may be beneficial in endotoxin shock in this species.

Disulfide linking of albumin to the hinge region of immunoglobulin G in normal human serum

A protein-protein complex from human serum was isolated and characterized as a two-component system, containing albumin and IgG in a 1:1 mole ratio. The observations reported here suggest that the albumin-IgG complex may have formed through intermolecular disulfide bonds between albumin and IgG. Immunoelectrophoretic analysis of papain-digested fragments of albumin-IgG complex revealed that the combining sites for albumin may be located in the hinge region between the Fab and the Fc fragments of IgG.

A comparison of liquid-holding recovery and photoreactivation in halophilic and non-halophilic bacteria

The ability of the extreme halophile Halobacterium cutirubrum to recover from the effects of ultraviolet radiation during liquid holding in the dark in non-nutrient medium has been compared with that of (i) a moderately halophilic bacterium (NRC 41227) and (ii) Escherichia coli B. The photoreactivabilities of all three bacteria have also been studied. The extreme halophile was incapable of liquid-holding recovery in these conditions, in marked contrast to both E. coli B and the moderate halophile, and also failed to recover when held in nutrient medium in the dark. These results strongly support the hypothesis that H. cutirubrum lacks DNA excision repair. It was also found that ultraviolet-irradiated H. cutirubrum could be almost completely photoreactivated from any level of survival in the range 10(-4)-80%, provided exposure to visible light was not delayed, whereas the moderate halophile resembled E. coli B and had a comparatively limited capacity for photoreactivation.