9 -Tetrahydrocannabinol: effects on mammalian nonmyelinated nerve fibers

Delta(9)-Tetrahydrocannabinol can be applied to tissue in vitro by dissolving it in Pluronic F68 and ethanol. It causes a decrease in size of the compound action potential of the nonmnyelinated fibers of the vagus nerve of the rabbit. This effect appears to be dose-related and chloride-dependent. Effects on other measurable parameters of nerve function seem to be minimal. Although the amounts required seem to be higher than those required to produce hallucinogenic effects in man, this effect is consistent with other work on Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol and may ultimately account for a significant portion of the pharmacological activity of this drug.     

Xenon: effect on radiation sensitivity of HeLa cells

HeLa cells, plated onto plastic petri dishes, were exposed to various atmospheres composed of air and carbon dioxide; helium, oxygen, and carbon dioxide; and xenon, oxygen, and carbon dioxide in a pressure vessel. Survival curves with x-rays, 280 kilovolts (peak), show that air and helium have the same effect, but that xenon potentiates x-irradiation to the extent that the dose to produce a given level of survival with xenon is 0.58 of the dose required with air.     

Centrifugation of mammalian cells on gradients: a new rotor

A short-arm rotor increases separation of viable mammalian cells, from mixtures, by low-speed centrifugation; continuous Ficoll density gradients in tissue-culture media are used. We describe the theory and experimental demonstration of the superior separation achieved with this new rotor.     

Ethanol embryotoxicity: direct effects on mammalian embryos in vitro

Exposure to ethanol retards growth and differentiation in cultured rat embryos during organogenesis. The development of untreated embryos is indistinguishable from growth in utero. These data suggest that the hypoplastic features of children born to chronically alcoholic mothers are due, at least in part, to a direct action of ethanol, which causes reduced embryonic cellular proliferation early in gestation.     

Estrous cycle in the rat: effects on self-stimulation behavior

The performance of female rats, in pressing a bar for electrical stimulation of the hypothalamus, changes during the estrous cycle. Highest barpressing rates accompany the appearance of vaginal cornification. This increase is not an artifact of increased spontaneous activity at estrus, although the factors underlying these changes in activity may also mediate the changes in self-stimulation behavior.     

Sarcocystis: development in cultured avian and mammalian cells

Sarcocystis, a protozoan that parasitizes muscle tissue of reptiles, birds, and mammals, including man, developed in avian and mammalian cell cultlures. Mctile banana-shaped organisms, released from cysts in grackle muscle, entered cells and transformed into enlarged ellipsoid or oblong stages, which developed into either multinucleate or cyst-like stages, or both.     

Microcloning and replica plating of mammalian cells

A technique for cloning single mammalian cells has been developed by means of a microculture method (0.010 milliliters per culture). A technique of replica plating has also been developed for use with clones of single cells in microcultures; this technique permits the screening of desired properties of many clones simultaneously before the growth of stock cultures. With these techniques an investigator can with limited budget, space, and personnel perform research using tissue culture systems.     

哺乳动物ES细胞与EG细胞研究进展

综述了国内外对哺乳动物ES细胞和EG细胞的研究概况, 并着重讨论了近年来国内对于ES/EG细胞的饲养层制备、诱导分化、种系嵌合与成纤维细胞的冷冻保存等方面的研究进展.探讨了ES细胞与EG细胞的共同特征及其起源的差异,指出EG细胞与ES细胞相比,具有培养材料易获得、存在时间长、无种间差异等优点.     

L-asparaginase-induced immunosuppression: effects on antibody-forming cells and serum titers

Treatment of mice with L-asparaginase from Escherichia coli resulted in a marked suppression of the immune response, as assessed both cellularly and humorally. Suppression occurred only when the enzyme was injected together with the sheep erythrocytes used as antigen. There was little or no effect when the enzyme was injected before the antigen. Simultaneous injection of asparagine prevented suppression, an indication that the effect of the enzyme was due to depletion of an amino acid probably essential for normal lymphoid cell function during antibody production.     

Uptake of protein by mammalian cells: an underdeveloped area. The penetration of foreign proteins into mammalian cells can be measured and their functions explored

Although it is accepted on the basis of biological and morphological evidence that mammalian cells will take up macromolecules, little is known about the kinetics, the specificity, and the functions of this uptake. With labeled proteins used as models, it is found that the transport proceeds at very low rates, requires little energy, and is markedly enhanced by polybasic compounds. Molecular charge and size are important factors: cells clearly favor cationic macromolecules of large molecular weights. Neither factor, however, can fully account for the selectivity detected in the uptake of different proteins. Ingested albumin undergoes rapid and extensive degradation. This fact suggests that macromolecules have only a limited chance to express their biological activity in target cells, a finding that is relevant also to the role of foreign nucleic acids and the possibility of achieving genetic transformation in animal cells. There are concrete indications, however, that in spite of their short half-life, proteins can act as carriers, as precursors of active agents, and as regulators of metabolic functions in host cells. They may also be important in the control of growth and differentiation. These functions of exogenous proteins are still largely unexplored.     

Sensitivity of culture mammalian cells to streptomycin and dihydrostreptomycin

Cultured mammalian cells killed by streptomycin were essentially unaffected by an identical concentration of dihydrostreptomycin.     

Transverse tubule apertures in mammalian myocardial cells: surface array

The technique of " freezeetching" tissues for electron microscopy has permitted observation of the external apertures of the transverse tubules. The apertures appear on the cell surface in approximately parallel rows, which can be interpreted as corresponding longitudinally to the spaces between the myofibrils and transversely to the Z regions of the myofibrils.     

Synchronization of mammalian cells with tritiated thymidine

Short exposures of mammalian cells to tritiated thymidine of high specific activity destroys the proliferative capacity of mammalian cells. Since the killing is limited to cells that have synthesized DNA in the presence of the labeled compound, an exposure duration of less than one generation can yield a synchronized population.     

Uptake of isolated chloroplasts by mammalian cells

Mouse fibroblasts (L cells) in suspension culture incorporated isolated chloroplasts of spinach and African violets and isolated mitochondria of chicken liver. The organelles resided in the cell cytoplasm and were not contained in vacuoles or digestion vesicles. Green cells divided like normal cells. Green chloroplasts were followed for five cell generations or 5 days, at which time hybrid cells were greatly outnumbered by nongreen progeny cells. The ingested chloroplasts retained their structural integrity as determined by electron microscopy of organelles and hybrid cells and by analysis of photochemical activity and DNA in chloroplasts reisolated from cells after 1 or 2 days in culture.     

Segregation of sister chromatids in mammalian cells

Segregation of sister chromatids in embryonic mouse cells in primary tissue culture is not random. In mitosis those chromatids replicated on a DNA template synthesized during the preceding division cycle are separated from those constructed on a template synthesized two division cycles previously. Segregation in cells of the Chinese hamster follows a similar, but less pronounced, pattern.     

Penetration of somatic mammalian cells by sperm

Penetration of somatic mammalian cells by spermatozoa occurred after simple admixture in culture. With sperm labeled in vivo, autoradiography revealed incorporation of DNA into nuclei of recipient cells, indicating release of DNA after entrance by sperm. This system provides a new approach to study the molecular biology of information transfer and of haploid gene expression.     

Oscillation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate concentration during the myocardial contraction cycle

The concentration of adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) rises and falls during each myocardial contraction cycle. Peak concentrations of cyclic AMP precede peak development of systolic tension. Epinephrine alters the normal oscillation in myocardial cyclic AMP and increases both diastolic and systolic concentrations of the cyclic nucleotide. These transient changes in myocardial cyclic AMP indicate a potential role for cyclic AMP as a beat-to-beat regulator of myocardial contractility.