Bile Duct Dilatation in Patients With Chronic Viral Hepatitis on Maintenance Methadone Therapy.

Methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) is commonly used in the treatment of opioid dependence. Several small-scale reports have suggested that methadone may lead to nonobstructive dilatation of the common bile duct (CBD). We present the first large study to retrospectively evaluate this hypothesis in asymptomatic patients with chronic hepatitis on long-term MMT.

[The 80th anniversary of the organization of phthisiatric services in Russia].

The paper outlines the history of foundation of a state phthisiologic service in Russia. In Russia, there was no state antituberculous service before the Soviet power. The date of foundation of a phthisiologic service should be considered October 25, 1918, when the Meeting of the Board of the People's Commissariat of Health of Russia approved the point "On a Tuberculosis Control Section of the People's Commissariat of Health".

Expression of mouse mammary tumor virus envelope protein does not prevent superinfection in vivo or in vitro.

Inbred mice expressing endogenous mouse mammary tumor virus envelope proteins can be infected with exogenous virus, and the mammary tumors that develop in these mice usually have many proviruses integrated in their genomes, indicating that this virus is not subject to receptor interference. We show here that transgenic mice expressing an exogenous mouse mammary tumor virus (C3H) envelope protein can still be infected with this virus. Moreover, cultured mammary gland cells expressing the mouse mammary tumor virus (C3H) envelope protein can be superinfected with pseudotyped viruses bearing that same protein.

Kinetics of 2-oxoglutarate uptake by synaptosomes from bovine and rat retina and cerebral cortex and regulation by glutamate and glutamine.

2-Oxoglutarate (2-OG) is a metabolic precursor of glutamate and may be utilized to replenish the neurotransmitter pool. 2-OG is rapidly transported into neurons by a high-affinity carrier that is particularly prevalent in glutamatergic terminals. Here we report the kinetics of [U-14C]2-OG uptake by crude synaptosomal preparations from bovine and rat retina and brain, and the modulatory effects of glutamate and glutamine.

Expression and regulation of casein kinase 2 during heat shock in Verticillium dahliae.

A homogeneous preparation of casein kinase 2 has been isolated from the phytopathogenic fungus Verticillium dahliae (the parasite of cotton). The enzyme consists of three subunits with molecular masses of 53, 41, and 38 kDa. Highly specific immune serum against casein kinase 2 has been obtained.

pH-dependent changes in structure and RNA-binding activity of casein kinase 2 from Rana temporaria oocytes.

It is demonstrated by filter-binding assay that casein kinase 2 from Rana temporaria oocytes binds rRNA in vitro with high affinity. Ligand-blotting shows that rRNA-binding activity is inherent to alpha and alpha' subunits of the enzyme. Increase of pH from 6.

The decreased level of casein kinase 2 in brain cortex of schizophrenic and Alzheimer's disease patients.

The content of casein kinase 2 is considerably decreased in ribosome-free extracts of the frontal cortex of schizophrenic and Alzheimer's disease patients in comparison to normal brains as has been demonstrated by means of immunoblotting. The activity of casein kinase 2 towards endogenous substrates and casein is also diminished in the cases of mental pathologies examined. This phenomenon may explain the well-known aberrations in the phosphorylation of structural proteins of human brain which are intrinsic for the mental diseases.

[A comparative analysis of chromatographic, kinetic and antigenic properties of casein kinase type 2 from bovine liver and the phytopathogenic mushroom Verticillium dahliae].

Homogeneous preparations of casein kinases 2 have been isolated from bovine liver and the phytopathogenic fungus Verticillium dahliae. The isolation procedure was similar in both cases and included consecutive chromatography on heparin-Sepharose, phosphocellulose PII and monoQ. The bovine liver enzyme consists of two subunits with molecular masses of 38 kDa and 27 kDa, while the fungus kinase has three subunits with Mr of 53 kDa, 41 kDa and 38 kDa.

[A new type of Clostridium thermocellum endoglucanase produced by the recombinant strain of E. coli. Some properties and identification in donor cells].

The properties of endoglucanase produced by the recombinant strain of E. coli carrying plasmid pCU 104 with a 2.9 kb insert of chromosomal DNA of C.