Search

Lampreys are an ancient lineage of jawless fish for which the relationships among some lineages are uncertain. We addressed these information gaps for Lampetra species with a focus on western North America. Phylogenetic analysis using all publicly available sequences of two mitochondrial genes—cyt b and COI—supported designation of western North American Lampetra as a distinct genus from Lampetra in Europe, Asia, and eastern North America. Species delimitation analysis of cyt b sequences identified seven species, only three of which are currently recognized. Lampetra ayresii and L. richardsoni, regarded as separate under the “paired species concept,” were not genetically distinct; we recommend synonymizing L. richardsoni with L. ayresii because the latter has precedence, yet continuing to recognize each ecotype using its current common name. Other than the widespread L. ayresii clade, all other species exhibited limited ranges often restricted to one or two locations. Within headwaters of the Willamette River, L. ayresii demonstrated strong genetic structure and lack of gene flow among subbasins, indicating that the subbasin scale may represent an appropriate management unit. However, the appropriate management scale in other areas may differ based on evolutionary histories and gene flow. Subsequent work is needed across western North America to better delineate the ranges of the aforementioned species and to evaluate whether other unrecognized taxa in this lineage may be present.

For solid solutions with the same arrangement of atoms, the size of a unit cell depends on the size of the atoms in the unit cell. The distance between nuclei also helps determine how strongly electrons are held, which changes the band gap energy. Samples of semiconductor CH3NH3Pb(I1–xBrx)3 solid solutions were prepared; the unit cell size was measured by powder X-ray diffraction, and the band gap energy was measured by visible absorption spectroscopy. This use of a material with significant research and technological implications for solar cells illustrates the periodic properties relationship between composition, atomic size, and electron energy levels.

The effects of electrofishing on salmonid movement and of salmonid movement on electrofishing-derived abundance estimates were studied in two streams in western Montana, U.S.A. Electrofishing increased emigration of salmonids from study reaches for 1 day, but not for succeeding days, whereas immigration to study reaches was unaffected. Movement of most emigrating fishes was downstream. On these small streams, electrofishing did not appear to cause fishes to flee during sampling. Numbers of salmonids migrating between mark and recapture runs were small relative to the fish abundance estimates in study reaches, usually much less than the 95% CL for those estimates, thus disregarding movements of marked fishes from the study reaches would have produced small positive biases in abundance estimates. Overall, for this suite of salmonid species in mid-summer in these streams, the effects of electrofishing on fish movement and of fish movement on abundance estimates were minor.

Mass spectra of four nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (nitro-PAHs), 9-nitroanthracene, 1-nitropyrene, 2-nitro-9-fluorenone, and 2-nitrofluorene, have been investigated using single-step laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Pulsed UV radiation at 266 or 213 nm was used for desorption and ionization of solid samples deposited on an aluminum probe. The positive molecular ion which was observed for each nitro-PAH was of greater relative intensity when 213 nm radiation was used. A strong [M - NO]+ peak was observed in all spectra, and an intense NO+ signal accompanied the [M - NO]+ signal when 213 nm was used but was only weakly present when 266 nm was used. Comparison of the various spectra suggests that nitro-PAHs undergo an excited state nitro-nitrite rearrangement, followed by loss of NO. Multiphoton ionization of the NO fragment appears to be the principal route of formation of NO+ during laser desorption/ionization when 213 nm radiation is used. The presence of the carbonyl group in 2-nitro-9-fluorenone leads to unique and prominent fragments involving losses of CO from the carbonyl bridge.

Ocean acidification will likely have negative impacts on invertebrates producing skeletons composed of calcium carbonate. Skeletal solubility is partly controlled by the incorporation of "foreign" ions (such as Mg and Sr) into the crystal lattice of these skeletal structures, a process that is sensitive to a variety of biological and environmental factors. Here we explore the effects of life stage, oceanographic region of origin, and changes in the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in seawater (pCO2) on trace elemental composition in the purple sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus). We show that, similar to other urchin taxa, adult purple sea urchins have the ability to precipitate skeleton composed of a range of biominerals spanning low to high magnesium calcites. Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios were substantially lower in adult spines compared to adult tests. On the other hand, trace elemental composition was invariant among adults collected from four oceanographically distinct regions along the US west coast (Oregon, Northern California, Central California, and Southern California). Skeletons of newly settled juvenile urchins that originated from adults from the four regions exhibited intermediate Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca between adult spine and test endmembers, indicating that skeleton precipitated during early life stages is more soluble than adult spines and less soluble than adult tests. Mean skeletal Mg/Ca or Sr/Ca of juvenile skeleton did not vary with source region when larvae were reared under present-day, global-average seawater carbonate conditions (400 ppm; pH = 8.02 ± 0.03 1 SD; Ωcalcite = 3.3 ± 0.2 1 SD). However, when reared under elevated CO2 (900 ppm; pH = 7.72 ± 0.03; Ωcalcite = 1.8 ± 0.1), skeletal Sr/Ca in juveniles exhibited increased variance across the four regions. Although larvae from the northern populations (Oregon, Northern California, Central California) did not exhibit differences in Mg or Sr incorporation under elevated CO2 (Sr/Ca = 2.09 ± 0.06 mmol mol−1; Mg/Ca = 66.9 ± 4.1 mmol mol−1), juveniles of Southern California origin partitioned ∼ 8% more Sr into their skeletons when exposed to higher CO2 (Sr/Ca = 2.26 ± 0.05 vs. 2.10 ± 0.03 mmol mol−1 1 SD). Together these results suggest that the diversity of carbonate minerologies present across different skeletal structures and life stages in purple sea urchins does not translate into an equivalent plasticity of response associated with geographic variation or temporal shifts in seawater properties. Rather, composition of S. purpuratus skeleton precipitated during both early and adult life history stages appears relatively robust to spatial gradients and predicted changes in seawater carbonate chemistry for 2100. An exception to this trend may arise during early life stages, where certain populations of purple sea urchins may alter skeletal mineral precipitation rates and composition beyond a given CO2 threshold. The degree to which this latter geochemical plasticity might affect mineral stability and solubility in a future, altered ocean requires additional study.

An analysis is presented for the prediction of the pressures required to effect the infiltration of both conventional and hybridised aligned fibre bundles, taking into account the exact meniscus configuration and the effect of entrapped gas. This allows the existence, and size, of defects formed under particular infiltration conditions to be predicted. The strength of the cohesive forces acting between the fibres during infiltration is calculated.MST/1130

Plasmin, a broad spectrum proteinase, is inactivated by an autoproteolytic reaction that results in the destruction of the heavy and light chains of the protein. Recently we demonstrated that a 61-kDa plasmin fragment was one of the major products of this autoproteolytic reaction (Fitzpatrick, S. L., Kassam, G., Choi, K. S., Kang, H. M., Fogg, D. K., and Waisman, D. M. (2000)Biochemistry 39, 1021-1028). In the present communication we have identified the 61-kDa plasmin fragment as a novel four kringle-containing protein consisting of the amino acid sequence Lys(78)-Lys(468). To avoid confusion with the plasmin(ogen) fragment, angiostatin(R) (Lys(78)-Ala(440)), we have named this protein A(61). Unlike angiostatin, A(61) was produced in vitro from plasmin autodigestion in the absence of sulfhydryl donors. A(61) bound to lysine-Sepharose and also underwent a large increase in fluorescence yield upon binding of the lysine analogue, trans-4-aminomethylcyclohexanecarboxylic acid. Circular dichroism suggested that A(61) was composed of 21% beta-strand, 14% beta-turn, 18% 3(1)-helix and 8% 3(10)-helix. A(61) was an anti-angiogenic protein as indicated by the inhibition of bovine capillary endothelial cell proliferation. Plasminogen was converted to A(61) by HT1080 cells and bovine capillary endothelial cells. Furthermore, a plasminogen fragment similar to A(61) was present in the serum of humans as well as normal and tumor-bearing mice. These results establish that plasmin turnover can generate anti-angiogenic plasmin fragments in a nonpathological setting.

A new analytical technique for small carbohydrates utilizing the cyclic ferrocenyl boronic esters (FcBors) of several neutral mono- and disaccharides is demonstrated. Distinction between the diastereomers of mono- and disaccharides is obtained. Analysis is by tandem electrospray-mass spectrometry (ES-MS) using a modified ion-source that promotes the preformation of ions. Selection of the molecular ion produced during single-electron oxidation of the ferrocene moiety of a specific population of saccharide isomers permits a variety of collisionally induced dissociation (CID) experiments. The resultant MS2/MS3 spectra reflect the ensemble of possible cyclic esters in equilibrium. An array of stable cross pyranose ring fragment ions representing sequential carbon loss as 30 u is observed. Consequently, the system provides an information-rich set of MSn spectra containing large amounts of structural information. Identification of D-glucose (D-Glc), its two commonly found epimers (D-mannose and D-galactose), and the two major L-diastereomers of 6-dideoxymonosaccharides, L-fucose (L-Fuc) and L-rhamnose (L-Rhm), are demonstrated. Selected pairs of disaccharides can be distinguished in terms of their anomeric linkage by reference to their MS3 spectra.

Monosaccharides, disaccharides and larger carbohydrates can be derivatized using 3-aminophenylboronic acid (3-APBA). This procedure is carried out at low pH (2.7-3.0) and allows the use of positive ion mode electrospray orthogonal time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ES-OTOFMS) to analyze the resulting boronate complexes. A carbohydrate profile map of a complex carbohydrate mixture, honey, was prepared which displayed superior sensitivity when compared with lithium ion cationization. Complexes formed using simple mono- and disaccharides show that facile in situ derivatization leads to an equilibrium mixture; which is reproducible for a specific set of electrospray conditions. D-Glucose could be detected at 5 microM concentration using the standard instrument spray interface. Lower detection levels of approximately 500 nM could be achieved using a nanospray device. The 3-APBA complexes are observed on instruments employing a low temperature interface (140-150 degrees C) which allows formation of the boronate species while still promoting efficient desolvation of the ions. The spectral identification of 3-APBA complexed carbohydrates in complex mixtures is facilitated by the easily observed 1 mass unit separated peak pair bearing the 1:4 ratio resulting from the natural isotopic abundance of (10)B and (11)B.

A tandem electrospray mass spectrometric (MS(n)) technique for the analysis of N-acetylated hexose carbohydrates using ferrocene boronate (F(c)Bor) derivatization was developed. The biologically important N-acetyl hexosamines can be readily distinguished utilizing this technique. The analysis is made possible by utilizing the inherent electrochemical properties of the electrospray device to produce oxidized, pre-formed single-electron ferrocenyl ions in a non-aqueous solvent system. The electrospray device was modified using a custom built cell consisting of concentric stainless steel tubes, which produced an enhanced signal for the molecular ion of each analyte species. The MS(2) spectra derived from isomeric populations of ferrocenyl boronic esters of these carbohydrates when generated under the same conditions possessed features unique to each sugar allowing easy differentiation between a number of N-acetyl hexosamine isomers.

Cyclic deformation behaviour of two novel high volume fraction particulate reinforced metal matrix composites was investigated. Microyielding plays a significant part in the change in compliance observed in the silicon carbide reinforced composite. Localised yielding does change the response of the composite at low strains , wich is extremely relevant to the dimensional stability of the composite

Cyclic AMP levels, measured by a competitive protein-binding assay and by a prelabeling technique with adenine-14C, were determined on fetal, infant, and adult heart, diaphragm, and skeletal muscle of the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta); the effect of PGE2 on cyclic AMP accumulation was also studied. The levels of cyclic AMP were higher in the three types of muscle from 150-day fetuses (91% of term) than in adult muscles and even higher at 78–100 days fetal age, and histological evidence indicated that by 65 days gestation, the majority of the rhesus skeletal muscle cells are in the myotube stage. These data agree with the observation in cell cultures that a decrease in cyclic AMP is correlated with fusion of myoblasts to form myotubes. PGE2 (2.8 μM) stimulated cyclic AMP accumulation in all the fetal series, even in the earliest series (47% of term), as well as in all the adult series.

Procede d'obtention d'un melange semi-solide a microstructure globulaire adequate pour la coulee sous pression. De plus, des fibres discontinues ou autres dispersoides peuvent etre introduits dans le melange et conduire a des composites de composition homogene

Biopsies of myometrium from pregnant rhesus monkeys and taenia coli from nonpregnant monkeys were rapidly excised and freeze-clamped. Tissue levels of all the metabolic intermediates and cofactors of the glycolytic pathway were determined and the mass-action ratios for each reaction calculated. The apparent equilibrium constants were over 1000 times larger than the mass-action ratios for hexokinase, phosphofructokinase. and pyruvic kinase; this is evidence that these three enzymes are rate-limiting for glycolysis in both types of smooth muscle. The apparent equilibrium constants of the combined reaction for glyceraldehyde-P dehydrogenase plus P-glycerate kinase were 30 and 50 times greater than the mass-action ratios for myometrium and taenia coli respectively: thus it is possible that this step is also rate-limiting. The remaining reactions in glycolysis are either at equilibrium or fairly close to equilibrium and therefore cannot be rate-limiting. The conversion of [‘4CJ fructose-6-P to [‘4C] lactate by cell-free extracts of myometrium and taenia coli was studied. Without added ATP, no [‘4C] lactate was produced, increasing the level of ATP increased and then decreased lactate production. This biphasic response to increasing levels of ATP is also found in semipurified preparations of cardiac and skeletal muscle phosphofructokinase. As in cardiac and skeletal muscle, the ATP inhibition of [‘4C] lactate production by myometrium was relieved by inorganic phosphate. The amount of data on the metabolism and biochemistry of mammalian skeletal muscle published during the last 15 years contrasts sharply with the paucity of information on smooth muscle, especially on primate myometrium. Studies on myometrium from the pregnant rhesus monkey (Macaca mu!atla), which is biologically similar to the human primate, are therefore of particular interest. Numerous publications are available on the identification of rate-limiting or regulatory reactions for the glycolytic pathway in voluntary skeletal and cardiac muscle (Newsholme and Start 1973; Mansour 1972), but similar data on smooth muscle appear to be lacking.

Glucose Utilization of Cardiac and Skeletal Muscle Homogenates from Fetal and Adult Rhesus Monkesy

Effect of Insulin and Epinephrine on the Carbohydrate Metabolism and Adenylate Cyclase Activity of Rhesus Fetal Muscle

The effects of prostaglandins (PG) and epinephrine on the level of cyclic AMP-14C (adenylate cyclase activity) of myometrium from pregnant rhesus monkeys (145–160 days) were measured. Adenylate cyclase activity was determined from the formation of cyclic AMP-14C from ATP labeled by incubation with adenine-8-14C. PGE2 (2.8 μM) increased cyclic AMP-14C levels both with and without caffeine (2.5 μmM). When 2.5 mM caffeine was present the effects of PGE1 and PGE2 (2.8 μM), like those of PGF1α and PGF2α, were similar; the PGE series, however, had a greater effect on cyclic AMP-14C. Similar differences between the series E and F prostaglandins were observed in concentrations from 0.28 to 5.6 μM. Epinephrine also increased cyclic AMP-14C levels of myometrium; the addition of propranolol (33 μM) decreased the effect of epinephrine but did not alter the effect of PGE2. The basal level of cyclic AMP-14C in the myometrium of pregnant rhesus monkeys was 2.5-fold higher than that of taenia coli from nonpregnant monkeys. The addition of caffeine to the medium increased cyclic AMP-14C concentrations slightly in taenia coli and, on a percentage basis, the addition of PGE2 in the presence of 2.5 mM caffeine caused similar increases in cyclic AMP-14C levels in taenia coli and in myometrium. Epinephrine (10 μM) also increased the cyclic AMP-14C concentration of the taenia coli.

Tubercle bacillus-infected macrophage monolayer cultures, after fixation in glutaraldehyde or without fixation, are stained by a Gomori method to show acid phosphatase activity. The method includes H,S to convert lead phosphate to sulphide. Only a minority of the mycobacteria is outlined by the black or brown stain; the similarity to the surrounding stained cytoplasmic particles makes identification difficult. The Gomori staining procedure is followed by a Ziehl-Neelsen method to stain acid-fast microorganisms; the temperature of the carbol fuchsin is just high enough to produce steaming, and the time of decolorisation is short. To avoid loss of the Gomori stain from the acid-fast procedure it is essential to repeat the exposure to H2S between the decolorisation and the light counterstaining. This combined method preserves the Gomori stain, against which the red acid-fast bacilli stand out sharply, so that acid phosphatase activity and bacteria can be located easily in the cell.

The properties of multifilament SiC/Al composites can be enhanced when they are ‘hybridised’ by small additions of particulate or whisker material. Previous studies have shown that a mechanism for this improvement is the reduction in the number of fibre contacts. The present work investigated other possible mechanisms. It showed evidence for the reduction of meniscus penetration defects and for the importance of the increased availability of the reinforcement/matrix interfacial area in reducing interface related degradation. In the Al-Cu matrix system this interfacial effect was manifested in the distribution of intermetallic in the composite.

Extract: In our studies of metabolic control mechanisms in skeletal muscle from rhesus fetus we have determined the tissue levels of the metabolic intermediates and cofactors of the glycolytic pathway and have calculated the mass-action ratios for each reaction. Skeletal muscle from rhesus fetuses (Macaco mulatto), 90–155 days of gestational age, and from adult rhesus monkeys was used in these experiments. The apparent equilibrium constants for hexokinase and phosphofructokinase (PFK) in these tissues were over 1,000 times larger than the massaction ratios at all ages studied; the corresponding values for pyruvate kinase were more than 800 times different. The data suggest that these three enzymes are rate-limiting for fetal skeletal muscle as early as 54% of gestation. The next step was to study some of the numerous factors that modify these nonequilibrium reactions. Increasing the ATP concentration had a marked effect on the PFK activity of both fetal and adult muscle, first increasing and then inhibiting enzyme activity. At maximum PFK activity, the amount of fructose-6-PO4 (F6P) phosphorylated per mg of protein was 2–3 times greater in the two fetal than in the adult series. At a concentration of 0.3 mM, citrate decreased PFK activity of the 100-day fetal muscle; a further decrease occurred at 1.2 mM citrate. At a citrate level of 0.3 mM, the addition of inorganic phosphate (P1) or cyclic AMP returned PFK activity to the uninhibited levels (pH 7.0). Relief of ATP inhibition of F6P phosphorylation with P1 and cyclic AMP was also observed at pH 7.0 in extracts of 100-day fetal skeletal muscle. Speculation: Control of carbohydrate metabolism in the fetus and newborn (30, 31) has recently become a point of considerable interest. For example, it is now known that the mammalian fetus possesses an endocrino~ogic autonomy and many hormones have been identified in the fetal circulation early in gestation. The mere presence of a hormone, however, does not necessarily imply that it is physiologically or biochemically active since tissue responsiveness may not have developed. It is generally agreed that in the adult, one of the primary effects of many hormones is to change the intracellular concentration of cyclic AMP (26). However, for the hormone to have its effect the cell must be capable of responding to such a change. In an earlier paper (7), we suggested that insulin and epinephrine affect carbohydrate metabolism in rhesus fetal muscle by changing the level of cyclic AMP. But even the simplest hormonemediated action has its origin in a chain of events, every link of which must be intact if the system is to work. These considerations are relevant to the perinatal period, for the enzymes in the adult cell are not necessarily present in the corresponding fetal cell (30). Our data provide evidence that as early as midterm the enzyme, PFK, which is generally agreed to be rate-limiting for glycolysis in adult tissues, is also rate-limiting in fetal muscle and is sensitive to changes in the level of effector molecules such as cyclic AMP. These results provide support for the hypothesis that in the overall regulation of glycolysis and the action of such hormones as epinephrine there is no major difference between fetal and adult muscle.

Age-Related Changes in Adenylate and Guanylate Cyclases from Rhesus Muscle: Sensitivity to Positive Modulators

Our results indicate that indomethacin inhibits cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase in the myometrium of the pregnant rhesus monkey under in vitro as well as in vivo conditions. Kinetic data on extracts of myometrium from pregnant rhesus monkeys indicated two cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activities. The apparent K m value for the high affinity enzyme averaged 3.9 μM and for the low affinity enzyme 23 μM; the V max values averaged 0.56 and 1.4 nmoles cyclic AMP hydrolized per mg protein min −1 respectively. When indomethacin was added to the myometrial extracts, the activity of the high K m phosphodiesterase was competitively inhibited, with an average K i of 200 μM; the low K m enzyme was noncompetitively inhibited with an average K i of 110 μM. Experiments on myometrial slices demonstrated that 10 μM indomethacin potentiated the effect of PGE 1 and epinephrine on cyclic AMP levels, presumably by inhibiting the phosphodiesterase activity. The uterine relaxing effect of indomethacin is generally attributed to the inhibition of prostaglandin synthetase activity. However, treatment of pregnant rhesus monkeys with therapeutic doses of indomethacin resulted in a significant inhibition of myometrial cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity in association with uterine relaxation and prolongation of gestation.

We determined the activities of the adenylatc (homogenate) and guanylate cyclases (100,000 X g supernatant) and the cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs) (100,000 X g supernatant and particulate) of myometria from: 1) rhesus monkeys spayed for at least 6 months and treated either with estradiol-b7� (E2) for 14 days or with E2 for 14 days and then treated for 5-14 additional days with E2 plus progesterone (P); and 2) cynomolgus monkeys during the follicular and luteal phases of natural menstrual cycles. Plasma levels of E2 and P were similar in the spayed rhesus monkeys treated with hormones and the naturally cycling cynomolgus monkeys. The specific activities of the guanylate cyclase and the cAMP- and cGMP-PDE enzymes/mg nitrogen or DNA were decreased in myometria from monkeys in the luteal compared with the follicular phase of both natural and induced menstrual cycles; no difference was observed in adenylate cyclase activity. There was also no difference in the concentrations of nitrogen and of DNA in the follicular and luteal phase myometrium. The average cAMP/cGMP ratio was more than twice as high in the follicular compared with the luteal phase (8.5 vs 3.7). This decrease in the cyclic nucleotide ratio was due mainly to an increase in cGMP levels and suggests that in vivo the activity of the guanylate cyclase enzyme decreased less than did the activity of the cGMP’PDE. These data strongly suggest that it is P that causes the decrease in the activities of the guanylate cyclase and cyclic nucleotide PDE, because enzyme activity is significantly higher in the myometrium during the follicular phases of both the induced and natural menstrual cycles. It appears that cyclic nucleotide metabolism in nonhuman primate myometrium varies during the menstrual cycle.

Prostaglandin (PG) production from [1-14C] arachidonic acid was measured in homogenates of sartorius muscle of aged (more than 20 years) and young adult (7 to 11 years) rhesus monkeys. Total production by the aged series (3.21 +/- 0.31 (S.E.) nmol PG per g N per min) was about two times that of the young series (1.76 +/- 0.14 (S.E.) nmol per g N per min). Epinephrine-stimulated PG production was also twice as great in the aged muscle series as in the young adult series (7.22 +/- 0.74 (S.E.) and 3.54 +/- 0.52 (S.E.) nmol per g N per min). This difference was mainly due to greater production of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha and PGF2 alpha. In both series, the addition of 500 microM epinephrine to the assay media significantly increased production of all types of PGs measured (6-keto-PGF1 alpha, PGF2 alpha, PGE2 plus thromboxane B2 [TXB2], the stable breakdown product of TXA2, and PGD2). The absolute increases in all types of PGs studied in the presence of epinephrine were significantly greater in the aged muscle, with the exception of PGF2 alpha. The distribution patterns of the various types of PGs studied were similar in all series, except for 6-keto-PGF1 alpha; this PG accounted for a greater percentage of the total production by aged muscle than by young adult muscle (p less than 0.05).

Cyclic AMP levels, measured by a competitive protein-binding assay and by a prelabeling technique with adenine-14 C, were determined on fetal, infant, and adult heart, diaphragm, and skeletal muscle of the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta); the effect of PGE on cyclic AMP accumulation was also studied. The levels of cyclic AMP were higher in the 3 types of muscle from 150-day fetuses (91% of term) than in adult muscles and even higher at 78-100 days fetal age, and histological evidence indicated that by 65 days gestation, the majority of the rhesus skeletal muscle cells are in the myotube stage. These data agree with the observation in cell cultures that a decrease in cyclic AMP is correlated with fusion of myoblasts to form myotubes. PGE (2.8 MUM) stimulated cyclic AMP accumulation in all the fetal series, even in the earliest series (47% of term), as well as in all the adult series.

We compared glucose metabolism by erythrocytes from patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and by erythrocytes from control individuals. There was a significant decrease in the rate of lactate production at pH 7.2 in the dystrophic group. When the pH of the incubation medium was changed to 8.0, we found that the increase in the rate of lactate production for the dystrophic group was significantly larger. We measured the concentrations of key glycolytic metabolites and adenine nucleotides and determined the values of the energy charge during these incubations. We also determined the concentrations of polyol pathway intermediates, the activities of the oxidative portion of the pentose phosphate pathway and the activities and kinetics of phosphofructokinase from both cell groups. There were no significant differences between groups for any of these variables.

Guanylate cyclase activity was determined in various subcellular fractions of myometrium (1) from rhesus monkeys spayed for at least 6 months and treated either with estradiol-17β (E2) for 14 days or with E2 for 14 days and then for 5 to 14 additional days with E2 plus progesterone (P) and (2) from cynomolgus monkeys during the follicular and luteal phases of natural menstrual cycles. Plasma levels of E2 and P were similar in the spayed rhesus monkeys treated with hormones and the naturally cycling cynomolgus monkeys. In the 100,000g supernatant and particulate fractions of macaque myometrium before and after treatment with Triton X-100, the specific activities (per milligram nitrogen or DNA) of the guanylate cyclase were less in the luteal than in the follicular phases of both natural and induced menstrual cycles. The hormonal effects appear specific for myometrial smooth muscle since there was no difference in the guanylate cyclase activity of intestinal smooth muscle (taenia coli) in the follic...

Effect of thermal injury on tissue metabolism was studied by comparing the glucose metabolism of normal rat diaphragm tissue incubated in plasma from injured (plasma taken 15 min. after injury) and uninjured rats. Glucose concentrations in the plasma from the burned and control rats were made comparable to compensate for the hyperglycemia due to injury. An inhibition of glucose uptake by the diaphragm tissue incubated in plasma from burned rats was demonstrated, whereas the QO2 and the conversion of glucose-U-C14 to C14O2 were not significantly changed. This inhibition of glucose uptake was observed when dialyzed plasma from burned animals or the dialysate was used. Epinephrine under certain circumstances inhibited glucose uptake. These studies indicate that immediately after thermal injury, a disturbance in glucose utilization occurs; this disturbance appears to be other than in the conversion of glucose to CO2; a dialyzable principle is present in the plasma; and epinephrine is not excluded as a causative agent.