Effect of chemical sympathectomy on the content of acetylcholine, choline and choline acetyltransferase activity in the cat spleen and iris

1. Acetylcholine and choline were measured in the spleens and irides of normal and 6-hydroxydopamine-treated cats. In addition, choline acetyltransferase activity was measured in the spleens.2. No acetylcholine or choline acetyltransferase activity were found in spleens of normal or treated cats. The choline content of normal spleens was 12.4 +/- 1.5 mug/g wet wt. (mean +/- S.E. of mean), which was not significantly altered by chemical sympathectomy.3. The acetylcholine and choline contents of the cat iris were 3.0 +/- 0.3 mug/g wet wt. and 7.7 +/- 0.9 mug/g wet wt., respectively. There was no difference in acetylcholine and choline concentrations between left and right or normal and sympathectomized irides.4. These results are discussed in relation to the question of a cholinergic link in post-ganglionic sympathetic transmission.     

Effect of acetylcholine on sensitivity of the cardiac membranes to pain

Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine -     

Increased sensitivity to DNA-alkylating agents in CHO mutants with decreased poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activity

Using a replica-plating procedure and a ³²P-NAD⁺ permeable cell-screening assay, we have isolated a CHO mutant, PADR-9, which displays approximately 17% of the wild-type level of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activity. Biochemical analysis of the mutant using activity, Western, and Northern blot technique indicate that relative to its parent cell, the mutant's enzyme activity, antibody recognition,a nd mRNA levels have been reduced to approximately the same extent. These results are consistent with a mutation in the PADR-9 cell which has resulted in a reduction in enzyme synthesis and/or/ stability. Relative to wild-type CHO cells, the PADR-9 mutant has increased sensitivity to killing by DNA-alkylating agents but has normal γ-ray sensitivity. Correlation between a decrease in poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activity and an increased sensitivity to DNA-alkylating agents suggests that poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis may be important in the repair and/or induction of DNA damage produced by these agents.     

The effect of isohemotransfusion on the metabolism of adrenergic substances in the brain and effector organs

Summary The author studied the effect of isochemotransfusion on the content of norepinphrine, epinephrine, and compounds possessing the properties of the oxidation products of epinephrine-like substances in the brain and the main blood depots (the striated muscle triceps brachii, and the spleen).As established, isohemotransfusion is attended by an increase in the amount of norepinephrine and oxidation products in all the tissues investigated. The main feature in the hemodynamic action of various types of hemotherapy is the effect on the functional condition of the systems controlling the arterial blood pressure, i.e., the nervous and the endocrine.(Presented by Active Member AMN SSSR V. N. Chernigovskii) Translated from Byulleten' éksperimental'noi biologii i meditsiny Vol. 49, No. 2, pp. 77–80, February, 1960.     

Effect of beta adrenergic blockade on bronchial sensitivity to inhaled acetylcholine in normal subjects

Dose-responses curves were established in 10 normal subjects by measuring, with a body plethysmograph, the changes of specific airway conductance (SGaw) produced by aerosolized acetylcholine. Doses of acetylcholine producing a 50 per cent decrease of control SGaw (ED₅₀) were found to be largely variable among individuals. β-adrenergic blockade with intravenous propranolol (0.2 mg per kilogram) resulted in a mean potentiation of the acetylcholine effect (mean ED₅₀ after propranolol was significantly lower than mean ED₅₀ before). This potentiating effect of propranolol, however, was also subjected to individual variations, suggesting individual variability of the sympathetic system. The range of variation in acetylcholine sensitivity was not narrowed by propranolol treatment and no correlation was found between initial acetylcholine sensitivity and propranolol potentiation. This suggests that variability of the sympathetic system is not the main factor in determining individual variation in acetylcholine sensitivity. Even when propranolol was very effective in increasing airway sensitivity, this sensitivity was still less marked than usually encountered in asthmatic patients. This suggests that β-adrenergic blockade cannot create, if alone, the bronchial hypersensitivity characteristic of asthma.     

The influence of supraspinal impulse activity on the intra-axonal transport of acetylcholine,choline acetyltransferase and acetylcholinesterase in rat motor neurons

The effect of supraspinal impulse activity upon the intra-axonal transport of acetylcholine (ACh), AChesterase (AChE) and cholineacetyltransferase (CAT) in rat sciatic nerve has been studied. A decreased impulse activity was obtained by spinal cord transsection (SCT) in the thoracic region 18 h, 6 days or 20 days before killing the rats. An increased neuronal activity was obtained by exercising the rats in a commercial rodent treadmill a couple of hours per day for 14 days. The amounts of substances which had accumulated in the sciatic nerve segments relative to a nerve crush performed 12 or 18 h. earlier were used to calculate the intra-axonal transport. The amounts of proximo-distally transported ACh decreased markedly with time after the SCT, while the proximo-distal transport of AChE-activity increased. Physical exercise appeared to increase ACh-transport. Thus, input to motor pericarya from supraspinal centres may regulate intra-axonal transport from the cell body of motor neurons into their axons.     

Effect of salts and other agents on foot-and-mouth disease virus poly (U) polymerase activity

Summary The activity of the purified poly (U) polymerase replication complex of foot-and-mouth disease virus was optimized when 100mM NH₄+ and either 0.75mM Al³+ or 1.0mM Fe³+ was added to the standard assay reaction mixture. Zn²+ at concentrations of 10^–5 mM to 5mM inhibited enzyme activity although all polymerases examined to date have contained zinc. Mercaptoethanol and dithiothreitol inhibited polymerase activity despite the presence of cysteine residues in the viral induced polypeptide of the replication complex, possibly because of their action as metal chelators rather than as reducing agents.With 1 Figure     

Effects of chronic manipulations of dietary choline on locomotor activity,discrimination learning and cortical acetylcholine release in aging adult fisher 344 rats

Dietary levels of choline have been shown to influence central cholinergic neurotransmission. To further examine the behavioral and neurochemical effects of dietary choline, adult Fisher 344 rats were maintained on choline deficient (n=6), enriched (n=6) or usual lab chow (n=6) diets for 38 weeks. During 14 weeks of free access to these diets, controls gained little weight whereas the deficient group increased and the enriched group decreased. For the remaining 24 weeks the weights of all groups were maintained at 90% of their original level. Locomotor activity did not differ significantly in a 90 min session but during a 20 hr session controls were most active, deficient rats least with the enriched group in between. The groups showed no significant differences in the acquisition or reversal of a discrimination. Spontaneous and evoked cortical release of acetylcholine was enhanced in the enriched group and decreased in the deficient group relative to controls. These data suggest that chronic manipulations of dietary choline may significantly influence Locomotor and neurochemical activity but not discrimination learning.     

Effect of nanophyne,pachycarpine, and gangleron on the activating and convulsant effects of nicotine

Summary Experiments were staged on dogs with induced ventricular tachycardia. As shown, magnesium-disodium salt of EDTA had an antiarrhythmic effect. However, although in arrhythmia induced by ligature of the coronary artery this action was manifested only in some cases, in strophanthin intoxication MgNa₂ EDTA had a constant distinct therapeutic effect.(Presented by Active Member AMN SSSR. V. V. Parin) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 54, No. 11, pp. 72–76, November, 1962