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Human serum albumin and human gammaG globulin were labeled with (131)I, and the labeled proteins were then mixed with different amounts of the respective unlabeled protein. These mixtures were injected intravenously into pregnant mice near term, and the amounts of protein-bound radioactivity present in the fetuses and in maternal serum 24 hr later were determined. The concentration of human albumin found in the fetus was proportional to the maternal serum concentration of this protein over the maternal range studied, from 0.03 to 935 mg/100 ml. On the other hand, the fetal concentration of human gammaG first increased rapidly as the maternal concentration increased to approximately 200 mg/100 ml and then decreased as the maternal concentration continued to increase above this level; however, as the maternal human gammaG level increased above approximately 1100 mg/100 ml, the fetal concentration again increased and became proportional to the maternal concentration. The data suggest that maternofetal transfer of human gammaG in the mouse may be mediated by two processess; one of these, as with the transfer of human albumin, appears to be first order in relation to the maternal serum concentration, and the other appears to be consistent with a carrier or enzymatic process that is directly or indirectly inhibited at high maternal serum levels.

A new enzymatic process is described. Different preparations of lipase B from Candida antarctica are able to catalyse Michael-type addition of secondary amines to acrylonitrile. This new reaction widens the applicability of these biocatalysts in organic synthesis.

Shochu is the most widely consumed spirit in Japan. In its manufacture is used koji, a solid fungus culture traditional of the Asian countries, but that makes the production process slow. Shochu can be produced from a variety of starchy sources, including sweet potato. About 7% of the world’s sweet potato production is wasted due to imperfections that make it unsuitable for consumption. However, this material can be used in ethanol production. Considering the high productivity of sweet potato in Brazil, an opportunity to add value to this raw material is perceived. An alternative process for the production of sweet potato distillate similar to shochu was proposed. Koji was replaced by a mixture of alpha-amylase and glucoamylase. Process time was reduced from 14 to only 1 day. Composition analyses were performed by HPLC and GC. The experimental yield of alcoholic fermentation using pectinase enzyme reached 67.31-73.65%, but methanol was above the limits of the legislation. Without the addition of pectinase, no methanol was formed. However, there was a decrease in yield (51.65-54.75%), due to the incomplete disintegration of sweet potatoes. The distillate produced and the commercial shochu presented the same absorption bands in FTIR analysis, identifying the similarity between them.

SOME years ago, I was able to demonstrate that œstrone which had been administered to the organism very soon became inactive1. Mature mice or infantile rats were injected subcutaneously with large doses of œstrone (up to 40,000 M.U.). Three to seventy-two hours after the administration of the hormone the animals were killed, cut into small pieces and extracted in toto with an organic solvent. It was apparent that even after a very short time, only very insignificant amounts of the hormone (about 1 per cent) could be detected. There remained, indeed, always a certain quantity of active hormone, sufficient to produce œstrus; but the question whether we were considering a hormone which had not become inactive, or one which had become reactivated again, could not be decided. œstrone is inactivated in the liver, probably by means of an enzymatic process. This inactivation, apparently, is a general biological reaction, since it takes place not only in warm-blooded, but also in cold-blooded animals and in plants as well.

As appears from recent publications of Indian workers (Sreenivasaya and Bhagvat1, compare also Rona and Fischgold2), a considerable volume change is observed in systems in which enzymatic cleavages take place. This volume change may be applied to the estimation of enzyme activity, and the dilatometric methods thus developed possess certain advantages, among which may be mentioned the continuous observation of the undisturbed enzymatic process. While looking around for possible means of refining the histochemical methods previously de-scribed (Linderstrom-Lang and Holter3), I came across the falling drop method for the measurement of specific gravity (Barbour and Hamilton4), a method which recently was re-investigated and improved by Fenger-Eriksen, Krogh and Ussing5. Experience with this method led to the development of a static principle of measurement especially suited for estimation of volume changes in small drops and therefore for micro-estimation of enzyme activity. The following description is concerned only with the application of the method for this latter purpose, but the method may prove useful for the estimation of specific gravity also in other cases.

In vitro degradation of TRH by human plasma has been demonstrated in adults. This study concerns plasma TRH-DA during the neonatal period.(H3)TRH is incubated in 50ul of plasma, extracted and intact (H3)TRH quantitated by high pressure liquid chromatography after one hour incubation period.(H3)TRH after 0 minute incubation is the reference value and results are expressed in % TRH remaining after one hour.Paired mother and newborn (arterial cord plasma) n=7 and neonates from day 1 to 5 (n=5 each day) are studied. Maternal values TRH-DA are not significantly different from adult euthyroid control (37.5±5). Plasma of neonate have a very low TRH-DA.Activity appears at day 3 and reachs maternal values at day 5. The known increase of plasma T3 level in newborn occurs 2 days before appearance of any degrading activity. In conclusion - Plasma of newborns have no TRH-DA until day 3. This metabolic immaturity may play a role in the neonatal thyroid hyperactivity. T3 induction of this enzymatic process demonstrated in rats as to be considered in human.

After a brief review of the literature, the results of exposure of the skin to long wave ultraviolet irradiation are detailed. Immediate pigmentation (IP) can be produced in all but very fair-skinned individuals. Even in the latter, with negative IP at first, a positive result can often be produced on areas which have become pigmented by the enzymatic process. Repeated doses of IP result in longer duration of the pigmentation, which may vary in duration from an hour to many months. The findings of Pathak et al 12 were confirmed as regards the capacity of visible light to produce IP. No repigmentation was observed in these areas at the end of 24 to 120 hours. The mechanism of tanning of the skin is briefly discussed.