Porphyric insecticides. IV: Structure-activity study of substituted phenanthrolines

The porphyric-insecticide-modulating activities of 1,10-phenanthroline and eight of its analogs were investigated. The insecticidal efficacy of these compounds was closely associated with their ability to enhance the conversion of exogenous δ-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) to protoporphyrin IX (Proto). As observed for photodynamic herbicidal effects in plants, the presence of nitrogen atoms at positions 1 and 10 of the macrocycle was essential for porphyric insecticidal activity. This was evidenced by the very limited activity of phenanthrene, in which positions 1 and 10 are occupied by carbon instead of nitrogen atoms. On the other hand, enhancement of Proto formation and porphyric insecticidal activity were maintained following methyl, chloro and nitro group substitution at the periphery of 1,10-phenanthroline. In contrast, Proto levels and photodynamic toxicity were reduced by hydroxy and phenyl substitution at the same positions. Benzyl substitution at the 2–3 and 8–9 positions was also inhibitory. Quantitative structure-activity calculations suggested a relationship between peripheral group substitution and physicochemical properties of the substituted compounds. Electron density changes in 1,10-phenanthroline and its analogs that appeared to be related to reduced efficacy included (a) appearance of positive charge-binding volumes at positions 4 and 7 of the 1,10-phenanthroline macrocycle, which flanks positive charge-repelling volumes, (b) a dramatic increase in superdelocalisability (i.e. electron density) over some unoccupied molecular orbitals, and (c) electronic charge at positions 1 and 10 of the macrocycle. Large increases in van der Waals volumes also exerted negative effects on insecticidal efficacy.     

Production Characteristics and Size Variability of Channel Catfish Reared in Cages and Open Ponds1

Production characteristics of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) reared in cages and open ponds were compared. Fish reared in open ponds had significantly better growth and food conversion ratios than fish reared in cages. Cages and open ponds stocked with fish which were closely graded in size produced fish with less size variability at harvest compared to ponds and cages stocked with nongraded and coarsely graded fish. The decrease in size variability at harvest was reflected in a greater proportion of marketable fish.     

Heinz Body Formation Associated With Ketoacidosis in Diabetic Cats

Oxidative damage plays an important role in the pathophysiology of diabetes and diabetic complications. Feline hemoglobin is uniquely susceptible to oxidative denaturation; therefore, Heinz body formation is a highly sensitive indicator of in vivo oxidative stress in this species. Heinz bodies also contribute to anemia. We investigated hematological and clinical biochemical changes in 30 cats with spontaneous diabetes mellitus (as compared to 15 healthy control cats) and evaluated the relationship of these changes to erythrocyte oxidative damage. Cats were categorized as ketoacidotic or nonketoacidotic based on their clinical presentation and the presence of urine ketones. Ketoacidotic cats had significantly ( P = .0009) more Heinz bodies (28.3% ± 9.1 %) than nonketotic diabetic cats (6.5% ± 1.60%) and healthy control cats (0.6% ± 0.2%). Percent Heinz bodies in diabetic cats directly correlated with plasma β-hydroxy-butyrate concentration ( r = .622; P = .0002), as well as with serum chloride concentration ( r = -0.576; P = 0.0009) and the number of monocytes ( r = .536; P = .0023). Percent Heinz bodies were negatively correlated with erythrocyte glutathione concentrations. Erythrocyte membrane lipid peroxidation was slightly but not significantly increased in diabetic cats. There were no significant associations between percent Heinz bodies and degree of anemia, hyperglycemia, or glycohemoglobin. These data indicate that ketones are associated with oxidative hemoglobin damage in cats, and suggest that ketone metabolism, ie by cytochrome P450 2E1, may be a potential source of in vivo oxygen radical generation in animals with ketosis.     

Shifts in disease resistance induced by growth regulators

Experiments on the effect of various compounds with plant growth regulating activity led to the hypothesis that conditions inhibitory to indoleacetic acid (IAA) action or leading to a decrease in the IAA level in cucumber seedlings would be unfavourable for the development of cucumber scab, caused byCladosporium cucumerinum. Susceptibility decreased as the result of treatment with growth retardants, which cause an increase in IAA-oxidase activity in the plants, whereas application of indoleacetic acid or compounds expected to decrease the rate of oxidative breakdown of IAA in the seedlings resulted in an increase of susceptibility. Growing the plants under various periods of illumination also influenced both the susceptibility of the plants and the IAA-oxidase activity in the hypocotyl tissue.To obtain further information about the relation between the increase in resistance and the increase in the rate of IAA oxidation, the effect of one compound, viz. L-threo-β-phenylserine (abbr. phenylserine) was studied in more detail. The rate of oxidative breakdown of IAA was increased in extracts of hypocotyls and cotyledons of plants treated with phenylserine as compared with extracts of tissue of untreated plants. Extracts of phenylserine-treated plants were found to contain a higher cofactor and/or a lower inhibitor content than those of control plants. The substances involved were not identified, but this result may indicate a shift in the concentrations of various phenols in the tissue.The question must remain open whether a shift in the concentration of phenols some-how effected by phenylserine treatment determines both degree of susceptibility and rate of IAA oxidation independently, or whether the rate of IAA breakdown and the resulting change in IAA content in the plants is directly related to the degree of susceptibility.     

Mechanisms of anemia in Aleutian disease viral infection of mink

Mink with Aleutian disease developed severe anemia within a few months after infection. Evaluation of erythropoiesis and erythrocyte survival demonstrated that the anemia was caused by increased erythrocyte destruction, complicated in some cases by decreased or inadequate erythropoiesis. An inverse relationship existed between the amount of IgG on affected mink erythrocytes and the erythrocyte half-life. However, the number of IgG molecules/erythrocyte were not high enough to be detected by direct Coombs' test, with the exception of one case. Inadequate erythropoiesis was reflected by lower plasma iron turnover levels and reticulocyte numbers than expected considering the severity of the anemia involved.     

Effect of substituted pyrazoles and related compounds on geotropism in cress seedlings

The effects on root geotropism of three series of compounds related to 2-phenyl-8H-pyrazolo[5,1-a]isoindol-8-one (IV), its 3,3a-dihydro derivative (V) and 5-(2-carboxyphenyl)-3-phenylpyrazole (VI) have been assessed using cress seedlings. Compounds (IV) and (VI), and their derivatives, are highly active, destroying geotropism at concentrations of 10^?7-10^?9M. Substitution with various functional groups and increased molecular size resulted in only minor variation in the level of activity.     

Serum nitrate and nitrite in dogs with spontaneous cardiac disease

The purpose of this study was to determine whether nitric oxide (NO) concentrations are high in dogs with chronic valvular disease (CVD) and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) compared to healthy controls and to determine whether NO concentrations are correlated with type of cardiac disease, disease severity, medical therapy, or serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin-1 (IL-1). Blood was collected from 32 dogs with DCM, from 10 dogs with CVD, and from 10 healthy controls. Indirect determination of NO concentrations was performed by a commercial photoabsorbance assay that uses a Greiss reagent to measure the concentration of nitrite and nitrate (NN), end products of NO metabolism. TNF and IL-1 activities were measured by bioassay. Mean NN concentrations were significantly higher in dogs with heart disease (median, 4.57 microM; range, 0.00-31.05 microM) than in controls (median, 0.00 microM; range, 0.00-6.16 microM; P = .04). NN concentrations in dogs with cardiac disease were not correlated with type or severity of cardiac disease, medication type, or TNF and IL-1 concentrations. NN concentrations were inversely correlated with fractional shortening. The results of this study suggest that metabolites of NO are increased in some dogs with cardiac disease, but these increases appear to be independent of disease severity, TNF and IL-1 concentrations, and type of pharmacologic intervention.