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A chimeric gene consisting of 1.3 kb of the 5' regulatory region of a member of the potato proteinase inhibitor II gene family, the coding region of the bacterial beta-glucuronidase (GUS) gene and 260 bp of the proteinase inhibitor II 3'-untranslated region containing the poly(A) addition site was introduced into potato and tobacco by Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated transformation. Analysis of transgenic plants demonstrates systemic, wound-inducible expression of this gene in stem and leaves of potato and tobacco. Constitutive expression was found in stolons and tubers of non-wounded potato plants. Histochemical experiments based on the enzymatic activity of the GUS protein indicate an association of the proteinase inhibitor II promoter activity with vascular tissue in wounded as well as in systemically induced non-wounded leaves, petioles, potato stems and in developing tubers. These data prove that one single member of the proteinase inhibitor II gene family contains cis-active elements, which are able to respond to both developmental and environmental signals. Furthermore they support the hypothesis of an inducing signal (previously called proteinase inhibitor inducing factor), which is released at the wound site and subsequently transported to non-wounded parts of the plant via the vascular system from where it is released to the surrounding tissue.

Plants respond to wounding or pathogen attack by a variety of biochemical reactions, involving in some instances gene activation in tissues far apart from the actual site of wounding or pathogen invasion. One of the best analyzed examples for such a systemic reaction is the wound-induced expression of proteinase inhibitor genes in tomato and potato leaves. Local wounding of potato or tomato plants results in the accumulation of proteinase inhibitors I and II throughout the aerial part of the plant. In contrast to wild-type plants, abscisic acid-deficient mutants of potato (droopy) and tomato (sit) show a drastically reduced induction of these genes in response to plant wounding. High levels of proteinase inhibitor II gene expression are obtained in mutant and wild-type plants upon exogenous application of abscisic acid. Measurements of the endogenous abscisic acid levels in wild-type plants show that wounding results in increased levels of this phytohormone in wounded and nonwounded systemically induced leaves. Thus these results show that the plant hormone abscisic acid is involved in the wound-induced activation of the proteinase inhibitor II gene. Furthermore, they are compatible with a model assuming this hormone to be the actual mediator of the systemic wound response.

Contractile responses to carbachol of tracheal segments isolated (i) from rats made diabetic 4 months prior by a single intravenous injection (50 mg/kg) of streptozotocin (group B), and (ii) from diabetic rats that had been treated during the same period with a daily dose (2-4 U/animal) of long-acting insulin (group C) were compared with the contractile responses of trachea isolated from age-matched control animals (group A). Tracheal segments from group B were significantly more responsive to carbachol than those from group A or C at low, but not at high carbachol concentrations. Carbachol pD2 values were higher in group B (6.85 +/- 0.05) than in groups A (6.46 +/- 0.07) or C (6.37 +/- 0.06), but were not significantly different between groups A and C. These data indicate that diabetes induces a supersensitivity to carbachol in airway smooth muscles, possibly related to a diabetes-induced vagal autonomic neuropathy.

Trypsin (10(-6)M produced a positive inotropic and chronotropic effect in left and right atria respectively and an increase in cyclic AMP. The effects were blocked by aprotinine while propranolol, phentolamine, promethazine and cimetidine and reserpine pretreatment did not alter trypsin activity. Trypsin effects were potentiated by RO 20,1724, a phosphodiesterase inhibitor. The cardiac effects of trypsin may be due to increase in cyclic AMP and are in agreement with previous work indicating that trypsin can activate cardiac adenylate cyclase.

Biochemical, hormonal, and behavioural aspects of the effects of prenatal treatment (foetal days 18 and 19) with 6-hydroxydopa (2 × 40 mg/kg) and DSP 4 (2 × 20 mg/kg) have been studied in the rat. The results of the catecholamine assays suggest that the 6-hydroxydopa treatment produced a transient decrease of noradrenaline concentration in the cerebral cortex, and a long-lasting decrease in the cerebellum, whereas DSP 4 produced a long-lasting decrease in the cerebral cortex and a tendency towards increase in the cerebellum. Assays of adrenocorticotropic hormone and corticosterone indicated a general tendency towards increase in base line as well as in moderate stress situations. The results of behavioural tests indicated hyperactivity and/or hyperreactivity, but not restlessness, and partly supranormal sensorimotor performances., (Copyright © 1985. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Proteins present in tobacco nuclear extracts bind to a truncated cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter fragment (from -90 to +2 relative to the transcription start site) in a sequence specific manner. Gel mobility shift assays show the presence of two protein-DNA complexes that are not competed by a -47/+2 promoter fragment. DNAse I protection and DNA methylation interference reveal two protected sites in the slower migrating complex; both include the pentamer TGACG, separated by a stretch of eight nucleotides where G methylation does not prevent the binding of the proteins. The faster complex is the prevalent form at low protein concentrations. As the protein concentration increases a non-linear rise in the amount of the slower migrating complex relative to the faster one is seen suggesting that cooperative effects are involved in the binding to the second site.

A potato proteinase inhibitor II gene was transferred into tobacco plants using Agrobacterium/Ti-plasmid-mediated gene transfer techniques. Whereas no or little expression of the proteinase inhibitor II gene could be detected in non-wounded leaves, high levels of proteinase inhibitor II mRNA were detected in leaves of several transgenic tobacco plants after mechanical wounding as well as after treatment of detached leaves with oligosaccharides. Wounding of a leaf also led to a systemic induction in non-wounded leaves as well as non-wounded stem, and roots. RNA-protection experiments showed that the transcription of the proteinase inhibitor gene in transgenic tobacco plants was initiated at the same nucleotide as that of the original gene. These observations demonstrate that although no proteinase inhibitor II homologous gene can be detected in tobacco, this plant nevertheless has the capacity to regulate the expression of the potato gene in the same complex manner as in the case of potato.

The circadian variation of edema produced by carrageenin (carr.) administration into plantar tissue was studied in rats kept under a 12 light - 12 dark regimen. Three doses were used (125, 250 and 500 micrograms per rat) injected at different time (02.00, 08,00, 14.00 and 20.00 h). With the high doses, the level of edema for the four hour period after carr. administration was similar whatever the hour of injection. In contrast, with the lower dose (125 micrograms) a circadian rhythm in the intensity of the edema produced was observed, showing a maximum of susceptibility during the light span. Repetitive experiments performed at different periods of the year validated this finding. Comparing mean mesors, analysis of this data showed two distinct levels of inflammation, with the lower level observed in autumn and winter indicating evidence for a circannual variability.

1. In order to explore the mechanism of reserpine-induced supersensitivity, we examined the effects of various doses of reserpine (R) on rat cardiac beta-adrenoceptors (beta AR). 2. 24 hr after a single administration of R (1 mg/kg, i.p.) beta AR were up-regulated, while with higher doses (2.5-5 mg/kg) beta AR density was not changed but beta AR coupling, evaluated by the proportion of high-affinity agonist binding states, was impaired. 3. Long-term effects of R (2.5 mg/kg/day, 2 days) included beta AR down-regulation and uncoupling 24 hr treatment (day 1), followed by up-regulation at day 7, while all parameters were similar to controls at day 14. 4. It appears that R induces either an increase or a decrease of cardiac beta AR density and coupling, dependent on the dose and the time at which beta AR are measured after treatment.

The authors report the effects of four proteases (trypsin, plasmin, chymotrypsin and thrombin) on human heart adenylate cyclase (HHAC) activity. Trypsin and plasmin inhibited HHAC at concentrations higher than 0.3 and 1 microgram/ml, respectively. Chymotrypsin had a biphasic effect, with a stimulation (from 0.5 to 10 micrograms/ml) followed by an inhibition at higher concentrations. Maximal stimulation was obtained at 3 micrograms/ml and averaged 67.2 +/- 5.4%. Thrombin had no significant effect at concentrations up to 1 mg/ml. These data indicate that proteases might regulate HHAC and therefore influence cardiac function.

Cardiac beta-adrenergic receptors (beta AR) were studied in rats after 4 months of diabetes induced by streptozotocin (50 mg/kg, i.v.). Saturation binding studies performed using [125I]-iodocyanopindolol (ICYP) as an antagonist ligand showed that the number and affinity of beta AR were not significantly altered. Analysis of competition curves of ICYP binding by the agonist (-)-isoproterenol showed that diabetes induces an increase in the (-)-isoproterenol IC50 and a steepening of the curve ("pseudo-Hill" coefficient not significantly different from 1) in the absence of Gpp(NH)p, while these parameters were not significantly modified in the presence of Gpp(NH)p (10(-4) M). These results indicates that beta AR were not significantly reduced in number but altered in their capacity to efficiently couple with the GTP-binding protein of adenylate cyclase (AC). These data can be correlated to the alteration of beta-adrenergic stimulation of cardiac AC previously observed after 4 months of diabetes. The characteristics of beta AR alteration at this stage of the disease are similar to those of a first step of a beta AR desensitization process due to overstimulation.

The activity of adenylate cyclase present in a purified dog heart sarcolemmal preparation in the presence of magnesium as cosubstrate is biphasically influenced by increasing concentrations of trypsin: Stimulation at low concentrations (0.5 to 1 microgram/mL) is followed by inhibition at higher concentrations. In the presence of manganese in place of magnesium, the stimulation phase is abolished but the inhibition is still observed at the same trypsin concentrations. The trypsin stimulatory effect does not occur when trypsin is preincubated with cardiac membranes prior to the addition of ATP. When trypsin is added with ATP, the stimulation is expressed by an increase in the Maximal Velocity (Vmax) rather than a decrease in the Michaelis constant (Km). The stimulatory effect of trypsin on AC activity is rapid, linear and irreversible. GTP, Gpp(NH)p and adrenaline stimulatory curves are shifted to the left in the presence of trypsin. These results suggest that protease stimulation of cardiac AC involves the GTP-binding protein (N) activity, but the exact mechanism remains to be determined.

After we had made rats' uteri hypoplastic by surgical interference with their blood supply we carried out a second part of our study by treating the animals that had been operated on with a beta-mimetic substance in order to lessen or counter completely the effects of surgical devascularisation. From our results we can conclude in a statistically significant proportion of cases that the effects of devascularisation are cancelled out by the treatment. These facts are explained by taking into account the specific pharmacological effects on the uterus of beta-mimetic substances.

The circadian variations in paw-edema produced by carrageenin and the anti-inflammatory effect of phenylbutazone were studied, in rats kept under a 12 light-12 dark regimen, in comparison with the variations of plasma phenylbutazone and oxyphenbutazone levels. When the experiment was performed during the light span (08.00 and 14.00 h), the rats were highly sensitive to the phlogistic effect of carrageenin, the plasma levels of phenylbutazone and oxyphenbutazone were lower, and the anti-inflammatory effect of phenylbutazone, weaker. Opposite results were obtained when the experiment was performed during the dark span (02.00 and 20.00 h). The results indicate that the chronoeffectiveness of phenylbutazone is influenced by both its chronokinetics and the chronesthesy of the biosystem involved.

The purpose of the experiment was to prove the importance of the vascular factor in uterine hypoplasia. The animal that was chosen was the rat. The method that was used consisted of devascularisation of one of the two uterine cornua. This was done without altering the blood supply to the ovaries when the animals were 7 weeks of age, which is the immediate prepuberty stage. The results that were obtained were significant whether they were looked at macroscopically, microscopically or by weight. In experimental conditons the hypoplasia was obtained solely due to interference with the blood supply which was carried out surgically.

An experimental and comparative study was conducted on 1-(p-chlorobenzoyl)-2-methyl-5-methoxyindole-3-p-acetamidophenol acetate (Apyramide) and known anti-inflammatory agents. Apyramide was far less toxic than indomethacin in rats and mice by the oral or the i.p. route. It exhibited anti-inflammatory activity on carrageenin-induced paw oedema, cotton pellet granuloma and adjuvant arthritis, as well as analgesic and antipyretic activities. The acute ulcerogenic effect of Apyramide was lower than that of indomethacin.

Adenylate cyclase (AC) activities of cardiac membranes prepared (a) from rats that had been made diabetic 4 months previously by a single i.v. injection (50 mg/kg) of streptozotocin (STZ), and (b) from diabetic rats which had been treated during the same period by a daily dose of long-acting insulin (2-4 U/animal), were compared with the AC activity of cardiac membranes prepared from age-matched control animals. Basal (Mg++-dependent) and Mn++ (7 mM)-dependent activities, as well as Gpp(NH)p (3 X 10(-7) M) stimulation and Ca++ (pCa = 3.9) inhibition of cardiac AC were not significantly different in the three groups. At the EC50 concentration epinephrine (5 X 10(-7) M) stimulation of AC was reduced in diabetic animals but no change was observed at higher concentrations (10(-4) M). Glucagon stimulation was impaired at both the EC50 concentration (10(-7) M) and at higher concentrations (10(-5) M). Insulin treatment of the diabetic animals partially prevented the impairment of hormone stimulation. These results confirm observations that alterations of cardiac AC activity in STZ-treated rats are indeed due to diabetes and not to STZ-toxicity and suggest that AC-coupled receptors are altered either by an diabetes-induced alteration of cardiac sarcolemma.