Spasmogenic and potentiating actions of some amino acids on the guinea-pig myometrium

Ectothiorhodospira shaposhnikovii, Chromatium minutissimum and Thiocapsa roseopersicina were grown in the dark under anaerobic conditions on media containing glucose or fructose and organic acids. Their cell contained the following enzymes of the fructose diphosphate pathway: phosphofructokinase, fructose diphosphate aldolase, and 3-phosphoglyceraldehyde dehydrogenase. The activity of fructose diphosphate aldolase was higher in the cells grown in the dark than in the cells grown in the light. The same enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid cycle were found in the cells cultivated in the dark on media containing organic acids as in the cells grown in the light, though the activity of some enzymes was lower. Only the activity of isocitrate lyase increased in the cells cultivated in the dark on a medium containing acetate.     

SCH 45752--an inhibitor of calmodulin-sensitive cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase activity

A highly potent inhibitor of calmodulin-sensitive phosphodiesterase (PDE) activity was isolated from the culture broth of an unidentified fungal isolate, SCF-125. A chemically defined medium was developed for production of this compound. The PDE inhibitor was isolated from the fermentation filtrate by adsorption on a macro-reticular resin and further purified by gel filtration chromatography and reverse-phase HPLC. The major PDE inhibitor was identified as cephalochromin, a bis-naphthopyrone, by spectral data analysis. The compound, SCH 45752, inhibited calmodulin-sensitive PDE activities with IC50 values of 40-47 nM. It inhibited the activities of calmodulin-independent PDE and various protein kinases with higher IC50 values (2-40 microM). SCH 45752 does not appear to be a calmodulin antagonist. Furthermore, SCH 45752 affects smooth muscle contraction at a concentration of 30 microM; it potentiated the relaxing effect of sodium nitroprusside on carotid artery media contracted by histamine. Thus SCH 45752 is one of the most potent inhibitors of calmodulin-sensitive PDE activity known, and it is capable of exerting a pharmacological effect in at least one intact tissue model.     

Angiographic analysis and results of endovascular therapy of aneurysm of vein of Galen

A computer program was developed in conjunction with a musculoskeletal modeling scheme to determine lower extremity joint angular velocity profiles which allow specific muscles, if activated tetanically, to generate their greatest power. As input the program requires subject anthropometric and joint configuration data. Muscle-tendon (MT) attachment location data and a straight line MT model are used to calculate MT lengths for each joint configuration. The shortening velocity which allows an active muscle to generate its greatest power is calculated based on muscle architecture and a relationship between power and shortening velocity. A finite difference technique is used to calculate the time between sequential joint configurations which will produce the optimal muscle shortening velocity. This time is then used to calculate optimal joint angular velocities for each muscle and and for each joint configuration. The utility of this program is demonstrated by calculating optimal joint angular velocities for fifteen muscles and comparing calculated knee extension velocities with experimental results cited in the literature.     

Cholesterol concentrations and cardiovascular reactivity to stress in African American college volunteers

Cholesterol levels and cardiovascular responses to emotionally arousing stimuli were examined in 60 healthy African American males and females. Cardiac output, stroke volume, contractile force, heart rate, and blood pressure were measured as the participants viewed two racially noxious scenes on videotape. Total serum cholesterol, high-density lipoproteins (HDL), low-density lipoproteins (LDL), and triglycerides were measured within 2 weeks of viewing the scenes. Multiple regression analysis showed that LDL and HDL were significant predictors of blood pressure responses. A correlation analysis revealed that total serum cholesterol and LDL were positively correlated with stroke volume, contractile force, and blood pressure reactivity. A possible relationship among stress, beta-adrenergic activity, and nonmetabolized free fatty acids is discussed. These findings suggest that cardiovascular reactivity to stress may be a new risk factor for heart and vascular diseases.     

Dental caries in the deciduous teeth of the children from Gulbarga, Karnataka

A cross-sectional dental examination of 1,560 randomly selected unrelated children of Gulbarga, Karnataka has shown about 30% of the children with deciduous teeth suffering from one or more carious teeth. The proportion of male children with df teeth was larger than female ones; the difference between the two being statistically significant (chi 12 = 8.0387). Its incidence was higher in children of low income group. Muslims (36.2%) were found to be affected more than Hindus (29.6%) and Christians (27.8%). An increase in the frequency of carious children was observed with the increasing age excepting the children aged 12 years and above who have shown a decreasing trend. In both the sexes mandibular teeth were found more susceptible than maxillary ones. No side difference was found in either jaw. Lower second molars were affected more, followed by lower first and upper second molars. Toothwise prevalence of caries by age showed no consistent trend either in maxilla or mandible.