The effects of the ciliate Paramecium cf. caudatum Ehrenberg on toxin producing Cylindrospermopsis isolated from the Fitzroy River, Australia

The large ciliate Paramecium cf. caudatum Ehrenberg was found to be a successful grazer of toxin producing Cylindrospermopsis in the laboratory. The feeding rate increased with increasing cell concentration to 1367 cell animal hr-1 at 4.1 x 10(5) cells mL-1 but declined slightly at cell concentrations greater than this. Preliminary studies on the effects of this grazing on toxin concentrations in cultures of both straight and coiled forms of Cylindrospermopsis resulted in the production of different amounts of the toxin cylindrospermopsin in the different isolates. Differences in toxin production were also found between cultured and field populations from the lower Fitzroy River indicating that toxin production may be influenced by a suite of genetic and environmental factors. The proven ability of this ciliate to graze toxic Cylindrospermopsis provides some insight into interactions that may be able to control some toxic blooms in semiarid Australian conditions.

Evaluation of the somatogenic activity of bovine placental lactogen with cell lines transfected with the bovine somatotropin receptor

Studies have shown that bovine placental lactogen (bPL) has partial somatogenic activity in vivo even though binding results clearly indicate bPL does not cause homodimerization of the bovine somatotropin receptor (bST-R). To help understand the receptor binding versus biological activity of bovine somatotropin (bST) and bPL we have developed a homologous model system. Full length bST-R was stably transfected into a murine lymphoid cell line, Ba/F3 and a hamster kidney cell line, BHK. From both transfected cell lines, clones were isolated (Ba/F3-C1 and BHK-24) which demonstrated specific binding of bST and, or bPL. Bovine ST stimulated proliferation of the Ba/F3-C1 clonal line over a dose range of 10 to 3000 pM with an EC50 of 100 pM. A bST variant (des 1-4 bST) and porcine ST (pST) which both have approximately 10% of the binding affinity for bST-R as native bST were 1 and 10% as potent as bST in this bioassay, respectively. This suggests that affinity and biological activity are correlated for this system. Proliferation was initiated through the bST-R because addition of a monoclonal antibody which recognizes the extracellular domain of bST-R and inhibits binding of bST to its receptor, inhibited bST-stimulated mitosis. However, even though the affinity of bPL for the bST-R is similar to that of bST, bPL antagonized the proliferative action of bST with an IC50 of 1 nM. Components of the somatogenic signal transduction pathway were also evaluated in both cell lines. Addition of bST to the cell cultures increased phosphorylation of JAK2 in Ba/F3-C1 and BHK-24 cells in a dose-responsive manner but bPL failed to increase phosphorylation of JAK2 in either cell line. In summary, these data support the hypothesis that ST-R homodimerization is necessary for bioactivity in this model system but fail to explain apparent somatogenic activity of bPL in vivo.

Atypical responses of rat ileum to pindolol, cyanopindolol and iodocyanopindolol

1. Pindolol, cyanopindolol (CYP) and iodocyanopindolol (IodoCYP) have been reported to act either as antagonists, agonists or partial agonists at the beta 3-adrenoceptor in different preparations. A comprehensive investigation has not yet been described with these compounds tested in one tissue from one species. This study was conducted to delineate the pharmacological effects of pindolol, CYP and IodoCYP and to provide data on their affinities at the predominant beta-adrenoceptor in rat ileum. 2. The beta-adrenoceptors present in rat ileum were characterized in the presence of CGP 20712A and ICI 118 551, atropine and corticosterone, with (-)-isoprenaline used as an agonist. The role of the beta 1 and beta 2-adrenoceptors was determined by the omission of either CGP 20712A, ICI 118 551, or both, from the buffers. Conversely, the effectiveness of the beta 1- and beta 2-adrenoceptor blockade was examined by use of the beta 1-adrenoceptor-selective agonist, RO 363 and the beta 2-adrenoceptor-selective agonist, salbutamol. 3. There was no evidence for the presence of functional beta 1-adrenoceptors, and no strong evidence that beta 2-adrenoceptor stimulation contributed to the relaxant effects of (-)-isoprenaline. (-)-Phenylephrine did not produce relaxation of the tissue and 5-hydroxytryptamine produced contraction. 4. The beta 3-adrenoceptor-selective agonist, BRL 37344 and (-)-isoprenaline were potent full agonists (pD2 8.35 +/- 0.04 and 7.76 +/- 0.14 respectively), whereas ICI D7114 was less potent (pseudo pD2 6.92 +/- 0.15). These results indicate that the predominant functional beta-adrenoceptors in rat ileum are beta 3-adrenoceptors. 5. Partial agonist effects were produced by CYP (pD2 5.28 +/- 0.26) and IodoCYP (pD2 7.0 +/- 0.26), but not pindolol. All three compounds antagonized the effects of (-)-isoprenaline with pKb values of 6.68 +/- 0.10, 7.59 +/- 0.07 and 7.59 +/- 0.11 for pindolol, CYP and IodoCYP respectively. Likewise, CYP and IodoCYP antagonized the effects of BRL 37344 with pKb values of 7.20 +/- 0.22 and 7.21 +/- 0.14 respectively. This study provides the first functional data on the effects of IodoCYP, the ligand with the highest known affinity for the beta 3-adrenoceptor, at the characterized rat ileum beta 3-adrenoceptor. 6. In conclusion, whereas pKb values suggest that CYP and IodoCYP have a similar affinity for the beta 3-adrenoceptor in rat ileum, the higher potency of IodoCYP suggests that it promotes a greater coupling efficiency, or that its partial agonist effects are produced through a site other than the beta 3-adrenoceptor. The similar pKb values for CYP and IodoCYP at the beta 3-adrenoceptor contrast with their order of known affinities at the beta 1- and beta 2-adrenoceptors, where IodoCYP is far more potent than CYP. This provides evidence of further differences in the characteristics of the beta 3-adrenoceptors compared to the beta 1- and beta 2-adrenoceptors. Finally, the utility of IodoCYP as a beta 3-adrenoceptor antagonist would appear to be limited because of the greater magnitude of partial agonist effects that it produces.