Hypocholesterolemic effects of garlic in cholesterol fed rabbits.

Healthy male rabbits weighing about 1 Kg to 1.5 Kg were divided into 4 groups. Group-I fed on normal stock and 50 mg cholesterol per day.

A comparative assessment of tube esophagography with double-contrast esophagography in the detection of reflux esophagitis.

We undertook a prospective study comparing the sensitivities of double-contrast and tube esophagography in 34 patients with gastroesophageal reflux and compared our findings with those at endoscopy. Neither test detected changes accurately in mild inflammation; however, they both became more sensitive as the severity of esophagitis increased. The sensitivity of both tests increased from 0% in grade 2 to 86% in grade 4 esophagitis.

Evaluation of isomers of octopamine for in vitro alpha-adrenergic stimulation of the aortic smooth muscle from spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Isomers of octopamine were tested for in vitro alpha-adrenergic stimulation of aortic smooth muscle of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). In order to test the response of alpha 1-adrenoceptors to meta-, para-, and ortho-octopamine, alpha 2-adrenoceptors were blocked with 10(-7) M yohimbine, and to measure the response of alpha 2-adrenoceptors the alpha 1-adrenoceptors were blocked with 10(-7) M prazosin. The contractile response of aortic smooth muscle of SHR to stimulation by phenylephrine, m-, p-, and o-isomers of octopamine in the presence of yohimbine was not appreciably altered.

The effect of hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism on alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenergic responsiveness in rat aortic smooth muscle.

We report the role of thyroid hormones on in vitro responsiveness of rat aortic smooth muscle to alpha-adrenergic stimulation. Four groups of rats: hypothyroid, hyperthyroid, thyroxine (0.1 mg/kg) treated hypothyroid and controls were employed.

Fetal renal cystic disease: sonographic-pathologic correlation.

Renal cystic disease encompasses a complex group of pathologic and clinical entities, with varied yet distinctive sonographic features. An accurate assessment of the fetal genitourinary tract and the amniotic fluid volume by sonography can lead to a specific prenatal diagnosis in most cases. This article emphasizes the usefulness of sonographic-pathologic correlation in understanding renal cystic disease.

Probable occurrence of brain basic protein factor I, an activator of phosphoprotein phosphatases.

Basic protein factor I (BPFI was purified to homogeneity from bovine brain by boiling and trichloroacetic acid-precipitation of tissue homogenate, followed by DEAE-cellulose, Sephadex G-150, Affi-Gel-phenothiazine, and Bio-Gel P-6DG chromatographic procedures. The preparation appeared as a single protein band in the SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with a minimal Mr of 13,200. The factor was a basic protein as indicated by an estimated isoelectric point of pH 8.

Modulation of protein kinases and phosphoprotein phosphatases by a small acidic protein from bovine brains.

A small, acidic and heat-stable protein was purified from bovine brains by column chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, Bio-Gel HTP, Affi-Gel phenothiazine and Sephadex G-75. This protein stimulates megamodulin-dependent protein kinase I from brains and phosphoprotein phosphatases from either brain or yeast. However, it inhibits cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinases from skeletal muscle.

Purification and partial characterization of megamodulin, a heat-stable protein factor from E. coli and its stimulatory effect on RNA polymerase holoenzyme.

Megamodulin, a heat-stable protein from Escherichia coli was isolated and purified near homogeneity as determined by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. It had a molecular weight of 71,000 and pl between 3.5 and 4.

Comparative estimation of octopamine in the aortic smooth muscle, plasma and red blood cells of spontaneously hypertensive and Wistar Koyoto control rats.

Octopamine is an alpha agonist, the levels of which vary with age and in pathophysiological conditions. The levels of octopamine were found to be higher in the aortic smooth muscle and red blood corpuscles, but lower in the plasma of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) than in the Wistar Koyoto rats. The importance of these variations are discussed.

Megamodulin, a cation binding protein from Escherichia coli and its effect on bacterial RNA polymerase.

The versatile multication binding protein, otherwise known as the stimulatory protein kinase modulator (PKMs) or megamodulin has been isolated from Escherichia coli and it has been found to stimulate E. coli RNA polymerase holoenzyme. It has been hypothesized that megamodulin may regulate RNA polymerase activity by blocking the pausing mechanism and/or increased chain elongation activity during the process of transcription, and also may play an important role in protein synthesis.

Effect of isomers of octopamine on in vitro reactivity of vascular smooth muscle of rats.

The vascular reactivity to DL-ortho-, meta-, and para-octopamine was tested in vitro in aortic smooth muscle of the rat. When reactivities were compared on a molar basis with L-phenylephrine, an alpha-adrenergic agonist, the potencies of the three isomers were: 0.7500, 0.