Salivary gland lysates from the sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis enhance Leishmania infectivity

Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease transmitted by phlebotomine sand flies. The role of sand fly saliva in transmission of the disease was investigated by injecting mice with Leishmania major parasites in the presence of homogenized salivary glands from Lutzomyia longipalpis. This procedure resulted in cutaneous lesions of Leishmania major that were routinely five to ten times as large and contained as much as 5000 times as many parasites as controls. With inocula consisting of low numbers of Leishmania major, parasites were detected at the site of injection only when the inoculum also contained salivary gland material. This enhancing effect of sand fly salivary glands on cutaneous leishmaniasis occurred with as little as 10 percent of the contents of one salivary gland of one fly. Material obtained from other bloodsucking arthropods could not mediate the phenomenon.     

Biosynthesis of a vasotocin-like peptide in cell cultures from pineal glands of human fetuses

Cultured cells from pineal glands of human fetuses release into their media a substance that has antidiuretic and hydroosmotic activities. The ratio of these activities as well as their susceptibility to tryptic digestion, specific oxidative inactivation by tyrosinase, and reductive inactivation by sodium thioglycollate, indicates the presence of a basic peptide, presumably identical with arginine vasotocin. The total amount of this peptide released into the culture media during 38 days of incubation is about ten times greater than the amount contained in nonincubated pineal glands from fetuses of the same age, strongly suggesting that fetal ependymal cells from the pineal gland can synthesize in vitro a peptide similar to arginine vasotocin.     

Lysosomal and free acid phosphatase in salivary glands of chironomus tentans

In cells of salivary glands of last-instar larvae of Chironomus tentans, acid phosphatase activity is bound to (probable) lysosomes and a few other cell organelles. At the end of the pupal molt the salivary gland breaks down. While acid phosphatase in areas of nondegenerated cells is still restricted to the structures mentioned, in degenerated areas the enzyme is freely distributed in the cytoplasm.     

A toxic dipeptide from the defense glands of the colorado beetle

The Colorado beetle is protected against predators by the secretions of defensive glands located on the pronotum and the elytra. The single major compound of the secretion was identified as gamma-L-glutamyl-L-2-amino-3(Z),5-hexadienoic acid by spectroscopic and chemical methods. This compound, which contains a nonprotein beta,gamma- unsaturated amino acid, is toxic to ants (Myrmica rubra) at a concentration 10(-2) molar, which is less than its estimated concentration in the secretion (1.8 x 10(-1) molar).     

兔痒螨中肠和唾腺的超微结构观察

应用透射电镜对兔痒螨[Psorptes communis cuniculi (Delafond,1859)]中肠细胞和唾腺的超微结构进行了观察，结果显示兔痒螨中肠细胞肠腔面具有微绒毛，胞质内具有多量吞噬泡和各期溶酶体，近基膜胞质和基膜上有多量管状结构，是消化吸收和转运营养物质的主要场所，中肠细胞通过分裂增殖和凋亡进行细胞更新，唾腺细胞可分为3种不同生理．功能时期。     

Deficient vasoactive intestinal peptide innervation in the sweat glands of cystic fibrosis patients

The innervation of acini and ducts of eccrine sweat glands by immunoreactive, vasoactive intestinal peptide-containing nerve fibers was sharply reduced in seven patients with cystic fibrosis compared to eight normal subjects. The decrease in innervation by this neuropeptide, which has been shown to promote blood flow and the movement of water and chloride across epithelial surfaces in other systems, may be a basic mechanism for the decreased water content and relative impermeability of the epithelium to chloride and other ions that characterize cystic fibrosis.     

Endothelin: a novel peptide in the posterior pituitary system

Endothelin (ET), originally characterized as a 21-residue vasoconstrictor peptide from endothelial cells, is present in the porcine spinal cord and may act as a neuropeptide. Endothelin-like immunoreactivity has now been demonstrated by immunohistochemistry in the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclear neurons and their terminals in the posterior pituitary of the pig and the rat. The presence of ET in the porcine hypothalamus was confirmed by reversed-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography and radioimmunoassay. Moreover, in situ hybridization demonstrated ET messenger RNA in porcine paraventricular nuclear neurons. Endothelin-like immunoreactive products in the posterior pituitary of the rat were depleted by water deprivation, suggesting a release of ET under physiological conditions. These findings indicate that ET is synthesized in the posterior pituitary system and may be involved in neurosecretory functions.     

Carcinogenic substances from pituitary glands of cattle

Lipid extracts from the pituitary gland of cattle were prepared which, when injected into a pure strain of white mice, caused development of malignant tumors in 26.8 per cent of the 67 animals injected, which corresponds with the numerical results obtained by investigators working with human liver extracts. Evidently the carcinogenic power of these lipid extracts is low. The tumors developed chiefly in organs at a distance from the site of injection, exhibiting various histological types including carcinoma as well as sarcoma. The tumors developed at an earlier date after injection of extracts from the anterior lobe as compared with those developing after injection of the posterior lobe extracts, the average period of time necessary for their development being 9.3 months for the anterior lobe extracts and 14 months for posterior lobe extracts.     

无指盘自蛙皮肤分泌液中促胰岛素释放肽的分离纯化与活性初步研究

通过葡聚糖 Sephadex G-50凝胶过滤和反相高压液相层析等手段,对无指盘臭蛙皮肤分泌液进行分离纯化,得到了高纯度的多肽分离峰.分别采用体外培养的大鼠胰岛和INS-1胰岛β细胞系检测分离峰的促胰岛素释放活性.结果表明,所得多肽既可促进原代培养的大鼠胰岛分泌胰岛素,又可以促进INS-1细胞胰岛素释放;运用飞行质谱仪测定该促胰岛素释放肽的相对分子质量,其大小为1 868.此外,利用鸡胚尿囊绒毛膜(CAM)体内模型检测,发现该多肽还具有显著的抑制血管生成活性.     

无指盘臭蛙皮肤分泌液中促胰岛素释放肽的分离纯化与活性初步研究

通过葡聚糖Sephadex G-50凝胶过滤和反相高压液相层析等手段,对无指盘臭蛙皮肤分泌液进行分离纯化,得到了高纯度的多肽分离峰。分别采用体外培养的大鼠胰岛和INS-1胰岛β细胞系检测分离峰的促胰岛素释放活性。结果表明,所得多肽既可促进原代培养的大鼠胰岛分泌胰岛素,又可以促进INS-1细胞胰岛素释放;运用飞行质谱仪测定该促胰岛素释放肽的相对分子质量,其大小为1868。此外,利用鸡胚尿囊绒毛膜（CAM）体内模型检测,发现该多肽还具有显著的抑制血管生成活性。     

Insect salivary glands: stimulation of fluid secretion by 5-hydroxytryptamine and adenosine-3',5'-monophosphate

Low concentrations (10(-9)M) of 5-hydroxytryptamine increase the rate of fluid secretion by isolated salivary glands of adult Calliphora. 5-Hydroxytry ptamine is present in Calliphora brain. Adenosine-3',5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) also stimulates fluid secretion and may be involved in the mode of action of 5-hydroxytryptamine.     

Mutagenicity of filtrates from respirable coal fly ash

Incubation of histidine-requiring auxotrophs of the bacterium Salmonella typhimurium with cyclohexane-, saline-, and serum-soluble surface components of respirable fly ash particles produced an increased number of revertants in two frameshift tester strains. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that both organic and inorganic mutagens are present in coal fly ash.     

A novel illusion of bars made from triangles

A repetitive pattern of a triangular luminance profile may be perceived as a triangular-wave grating or as a square-wave grating. This illusion may reflect the operation of cortical phase-selective mechanisms that are biased toward particular phase relations and favor abrupt luminance gradients.     

莲雾果实挥发物对橘小实蝇的引诱作用

【目的】研究莲雾Syzyzgium samarangense果实挥发物对橘小实蝇Bactrocera dorsalis的引诱作用.【方法】利用Y型嗅觉仪测试橘小实蝇对5个莲雾品种(黑珍珠、印度红、大叶、泰国红钻石、巴掌)的成熟果及黑珍珠果的5个不同发育阶段挥发物的行为反应,并通过室内接虫研究该虫对5个莲雾品种的产卵选择性;利用固相微萃取法(SPME)和气质联用(GC-MS)技术对5个莲雾品种成熟果的挥发物成分进行分析;依据黑珍珠不同发育阶段挥发物成分的变化,并结合5个莲雾品种挥发物成分,测试9种合成的单体化合物对橘小实蝇的引诱效果.【结果和结论】5个莲雾品种及黑珍珠果不同发育阶段的挥发物对雄虫无引诱作用(P0.05);不同品种对雌虫具有不同的引诱作用,其相对引诱率为黑珍珠(40.75%)印度红(39.40%)大叶(34.76%)泰国红钻石(23.02%)巴掌(15.54%);黑珍珠果不同发育阶段的挥发物质对雌虫的引诱作用随着果实成熟逐渐增强;橘小实蝇的产卵选择性结果[黑珍珠(517.0头)大叶(433.0头)印度红(357.0头)泰国红钻石(305.7头)巴掌(200.0头)]与嗅觉反应结果基本一致.各品种的挥发物主要成分及相对含量分别是黑珍珠(12种,80.27%);印度红(6种,23.56%);大叶(6种,69.90%);泰国红钻石(11种,96.97%);巴掌(9种,95.1%),表明品种间挥发物成分差异很大.乙酸异丁酯、癸醛、β-石竹烯、莰酮4种化合物对橘小实蝇雌虫有明显的引诱作用,γ-萜品烯、α-法尼烯和邻苯二甲酸二异丁酯3种化合物仅对性成熟的雌虫有明显的引诱作用;这些化合物中乙酸异丁酯、γ-萜品烯和莰酮对雄虫亦有引诱作用.同一种化合物,对性成熟橘小实蝇的引诱作用强于对性未成熟的引诱作用,对雌虫的引诱作用远大于对雄虫的引诱作用,尤其是对性成熟雌虫的引诱作用最强.     

A synthetic peptide from fibronectin inhibits experimental metastasis of murine melanoma cells

Adhesive interactions between cells and the extracellular matrix occur at several stages of metastasis. Such interactions might be inhibited by synthetic peptide probes derived from the cell-binding regions of matrix molecules. Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser (GRGDS) is a pentapeptide sequence that appears to be critical for cell interaction with fibronectin. Coinjection of GRGDS with B16-F10 murine melanoma cells dramatically inhibited the formation of lung colonies in C57BL/6 mice. Two closely related control peptides, in which specific amino acids within the GRGDS sequence were transposed or substituted, displayed little or no activity. Inhibition by GRGDS was dose-dependent, noncytotoxic, and did not result from an impairment of cellular tumorigenicity. GRGDS may function by inhibiting tumor cell retention in the lung since radiolabeled B16-F10 tumor cells injected with the peptide were lost at a substantially greater rate than control cells.     

Release of catecholamines and specific protein from adrenal glands

Rabbit antiserums directed against a purified protein obtained from the catecholamine storage vesicles of the adrenal medulla of the cow were used to study the mechanism of secretion from the adrenal medulla. During secretion evoked by acetylcholine in isolated perfused adrenal glands, catecholamines and the specific intravesicular protein were released in relative amounts comparable to those present in the intact gland. Thus catecholamines are apparently released from the storage vesicles by a process resembling reverse pinocytosis.