Increase in the ratio of 18S RNA to 28S RNA in the cytoplasm of mouse tissues during aging

The possibility of alterations in cytoplasmic RNA in mouse liver, kidney and brain during aging was investigated. The cytoplasmic RNAs in these organs gave similar profiles of optical density at 260 nm with three major peaks at 28S, 18S and 4S on sucrose gradient centrifugation. However, the ratio of the amounts of 18S and 28S RNA increased significantly with age in the brain and liver. The polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic patterns of extracts of the three tissues under both native and denaturing conditions were nearly identical regardless of the age of the animals. Since most of the minor components separated on gels were probably in vivo degradation products of ribosomal RNA, these results suggest that the extent of apparent and hidden breaks in ribosomal RNA does not change during aging.

Rapid assays of urinary estriol in pregnant women

Two devices designed for rapid assay of urinary estriol, the E3 KIT and E3 HAIR KIT, were evaluated using urine samples taken from pregnant women. Additionally, the clinical application of these devices in pregnancy management was examined. Correlations were high between an established method and the E3 KIT method (r = 0.819, p less than 0.001) and between the E3 HAIR KIT method and the E3 KIT method ( r = 0.936, p less than 0.01). E3 HAIR KIT assays showing E3 values of less than 20 microgram/ml (positive at 100-fold dilution of the urine) after the 36th week of pregnancy suggested fetoplacental dysfunction and indicated that more detailed tests were required. The E3 KIT, which provided rapid quantitative assay of urinary estriol, was capable of measuring 10 samples in approximately 3 hours. The E3 HAIR KIT provided semiquantitative assays of 10 samples in 2 hours. The speed, simplicity, and accuracy of the E3 HAIR KIT indicates its high clinical value as a prospective large-scale screening method for fetoplacental function.

Immunochemical studies on non-precipitating guinea pig antibody produced by administration of an excessive dose of Bacillus subtilis alpha-amylase

Administration of an excessive dose of Bacillus subtilis alpha-amylase [EC 3.2.1.1, alpha-1,4-glucan 4-glucanohydrolase] (BalphaA) induced the production of non-precipitating (non-ppt) IgG2 antibody in guinea pigs, whereas immunization with a normal dose produced precipitating (ppt) IgG1 and IgG2 antibodies. The non-ppt IgG2 antibody thus produced could be isolated from the coexisting ppt IgG2 antibody by means of the precipitin reaction at maximum precipitation. The non-ppt antibody was incapable of forming a precipitin arc with BalphaA in a conventional agar plate. In the presence of 4% polyethylene glycol (PEG), however, it formed a single arc which fused completely with those of the ppt IgG1 and IgG2 antibodies. The non-ppt antibody could not fix complement, but inhibited BalphaA activity, though with less efficiency than the ppt antibodies. These properties of the non-ppt IgG2 antibody may be due to a low affinity for BalphaA, since both gel filtration and precipitation of soluble antigen-antibody complexes with 20% PEG showed that the antibody was easily dissociable from BalphaA.

A butyrylcholinesterase inhibitor produced by Penicillium sp. no. C-81 and its identity with mycelianamide

A screening aimed at obtaining a cholinesterase inhibitor of microbial origin was carried out using Pseudomonas butyrylcholinesterase. A mycelium-extract of a fungus strain, belonging to the genus Penicillium, was found to produce such an enzyme inhibitor. The inhibitor was purified and crystallized as colorless leaflets. From physical and chemical studies, the inhibitor was identified as being identical with an antibiotic, mycelianamide, though this compound was not known to have enzyme inhibitor activity. The kinetics of the inhibition of Pseudomonas butyrylcholinesterase were also studied. Horse serum cholinesterase and hog liver carboxylesterase were also inhibited by the isolated Penicillium C-81 inhibitor, but lipase and acetylcholinesterase were not.

Photocoagulation of angioma of the eyelid

An infant with a large hemangioma (strawberry mark with a cavernous component) of the eyelid was successfully treated with photocoagulation. The method resulted in rapid involution of the lesion and the visual function of the involved eye could be preserved. A similar treatment in a case with strawberry mark and another with pigmented nevus in the eyelid brought about excellent cosmetic results.

Comparison of the cardiac output measurements with electromagnetic flowmeter and dye-dilution technique in dogs, with a note on the comparison between radiocardiography and ear-dye method in man

There are relatively few studies and opinions are still divided as to the agreement between the electromagnetic flowmeter and dye-dilution technique in measurements of cardiac output in animals. Of 22 pairs of cardiac output measurements performed with an electromagnetic flow probe applied to the root of aorta in open-chest, anesthetized dogs and with peripheral venous injection of indocyanine green dye and an arterial cuvette, the measured points fell within the range of plus or minus 20% on both sides of the line of identity in 19 instances. Studied on 8 human subjects with radiocardiography and ear-dye method performed simultaneously with peripheral venous injection of a mixture of R131ISA and indocyanine green, cardiac output given by ear-dye method was higher than that given by radiocardiography by an average of 9 plus or minus 11 (SD)%. Agreement and disagreement in cardiac output measurements given by electromagnetic flow probe, dye-dilution method with arterial cuvette, dye-dilution method with ear-piece densitometer and radiocardiography were discussed.