[A simple and direct radioimmunoassay for serum and urinary metanephrine].

A simple, direct and specific radioimmunoassay for serum and urinary metanephrine was developed, in which we used 125I-Synephrine and specific antiserum generated in rabbits by injecting with metanephrine conjugated with bovine serum albumin as described by Grota and Brown. The sensitivity of the assay was 2 pg/tube. Intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation were 2.

[Salivary peptide P-C (III). Its relation to the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus].

Previous immunohistochemical study showed that salivary peptide P-C like immunoreactivity, originally isolated from whole human saliva, was present not only in human salivary glands but also in human pancreatic B-cells. To elucidate the pathophysiological role of this peptide-like immunoreactivity in human pancreatic B-cells, immunohistochemical study using antisera against both insulin and peptide P-C was carried out on the paraffin embedded pancreatic tissues of 27 diabetic patients and 30 control subjects. Positive immunofluorescence due to insulin was detected in 96% of the diabetic pancreases and 100% of the controls.

Solution synthesis of [ASN76]-human parathyroid hormone (1-84).

Human parathyroid hormone, hPTH(1-84), was synthesized by the conventional solution procedure applying the maximal-protection approach. All protecting groups were removed simultaneously by the HF method. The product was purified by CM-cellulose column chromatography, gel-filtration on Sephadex G-50 and in the final stage, by reversed phase HPLC.

Fresh-water planarias and a marine planaria are relatively dissimilar in the 5S rRNA sequences.

The nucleotide sequences from fresh-water Dugesia japonica and marine Planocera reticulata have been determined. The similarity between these two species is only 69%. The Planocera sequence reveals nearly 80% similarity (72-81%) to the sequences of multicellular animals, while the Dugesia sequences are considerably different from them (66-73%).

[Gastrin radioimmunoassay with polyethylene glycol method].

125I-labelled gastrin with high immunological activity and high specific radioactivity of 22.2 approximately 25.9 GBq (600 approximately mCi)/mg (0.

The predominance of flunisolide in the topical use of anti-inflammatory steroids.

Local and systemic anti-inflammatory effects of topically applied flunisolide on hind footpad edema induced by subplantar injection of 1 microgram of serotonin in mice were evaluated in comparison with those of three related steroids. The order of the potency for local anti-inflammatory effect observed in the foot injected with the steroids was flunisolide, dexamethasone, betamethasone valerate and beclomethasone dipropionate in decreasing order. In contrast, potency for systemic effect of flunisolide observed on the opposite foot was rather weak compared with its strong local effect.

Measurement of plasma renin activity by a simple solid phase radioimmunoassay.

A solid phase RIA in which an antibody adsorbed onto polystyrene balls was developed to determine PRA. Complete inhibition of converting enzyme and angiotensinase during enzymatic reaction was achieved by phenyl methyl sulfonyl fluoride and EDTA combination. Pepstatin A was found to be an effective agent to block angiotensin I generation during the RIA, and the sample can be directly incubated at room temperature for RIA without any special treatment to inhibit renin activity.

[A simple solid phase radioimmunoassay for plasma renin activity (author's transl)].

A solid phase radioimmunoassay (RIA) in which plasma renin activity (PRA) can be measured in a single test tube throughout enzymatic reaction and determination of angiotensin-I (A-I) generated was developed. Two hundred micro 1 of plasma samples was incubated with phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) and ethylenediamine tetraaceticacid (EDTA) at pH 6.0 or 7.

Acetylcholine release from the myenteric plexus of guinea-pig ileum by prostaglandin E1.

Release of acetylcholine (ACh) by prostaglandin E1 from the nerve terminals of the guinea-pig longitudinal muscle strip was studied in order to reveal the effect of PGE1 on myenteric plexus activity. The ACh released was collected in the presence of physostigmine (2.1 microgram ml-1) and choline (0.

Release of prostaglandins from the passively distended wall of guinea pig small intestine.

The effects of the radial distension of the intestinal wall and the increased intraluminal pressure on the liberation of prostaglandins (PGs) were studied with the isolated guinea pig ileum. Both procedures were accompanied by an increased output of a prostaglandin-like substance and the release was proportional to the degree of distension or intraluminal pressure. Thin-layer chromatography coupled with bioassay suggested that this substance may be a mixture of PGF2 alpha, PGE2 and PGE1.

Synthesis and antitumor activity of analogues of the antitumor antibiotic chartreusin.

First isolated in 1953 from a fermentation broth, chartreusin (1) has received renewed interest as a result of substantial antitumor activities recently demonstrated in several murine test systems. Poor water solubility frustrated formulation attempts, and rapid biliary excretion observed in mice made 1 an improbable candidate for clinical development but an excellent candidate for an analogue synthesis program. From a common intermediate, which was prepared from 1, three analogues were synthesized wherein the disaccharide moiety of 1 was systematically replaced with fucose (6), glucose (7), and the disaccharide maltose (8).

Usnic acid derivatives as potential antineoplastic agents.

Usnic acid, a lichen antibiotic, showed low-level activity in the Lewis lung carcinoma test system. In an effort to produce new agents of potential use in the treatment of lung cancer, derivatives of the natural product were synthesized and evaluated with a cytotoxicity assay. Structure--activity analysis of the cytotoxicity data indicated the importance of the lipophilicity and the beta-triketone moiety of usnic acid on cytotoxicity.