{"title":"[Effect of pyridoxine deficiency on fatty acid metabolism in the rat].","authors":"P E Dussault, M Lepage","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We have studied the effect of pyridoxine deficiency on rat liver fatty acid synthetase using acetyl-1-14C-CoA. We have observed no significant difference in the synthetase activity between the deficient and ad libitum control rats. From in vivo experiments with palmitate-1-14C, linoleate-1-14C or arachidonate-1-14C, we noted an increase in the oxidation of all fatty acids in the deficient animals. Studies with the same tracers on their incorporation rate into liver triglycerides and phospholipids showed an increase in the rate of incorporation of palmitate and linoleate within lipids of deficient rats, but no significant difference was seen with arachidonate.</p>","PeriodicalId":21345,"journal":{"name":"Revue canadienne de biologie","volume":"37 2","pages":"57-63"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1978-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"11906446","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"[Scotopic visual pigments in 3 Percidae: Perca flavescens, Stizostedion vitreum and S. canadense].","authors":"F Pothier, M A Ali","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The scotopic visual pigments of three percids from Quebec waters, viz. the yellow perch (Perca flavescens), the walleye (Stizostedion vitreum) and the sauger (S. canadense), were studied in situ using a microspectrophotometer-computer complex. The difference spectra show that the three fishes possess a porphyropsin whose lambda max. is at 530 nm in the yellow perch, 533 nm in the walleye and at 536 in the sauger. This variation corresponds to the tendency of the visual pigments to fit the preferred environments. The three species studied also have different modes of life. The yellow perch inhabits mostly shallow, clear waters while the walleye and sauger prefer turbid waters. The retinal structure and responses also differ among them. Since the difference in lambda max. is so small, the differences in habitat and behaviour may be attributed to morphological differences in the retina rather than to its visual pigment content.</p>","PeriodicalId":21345,"journal":{"name":"Revue canadienne de biologie","volume":"37 2","pages":"91-100"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1978-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"11906449","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Cardio-protective contribution of hard waters to magnesium in-take.","authors":"J R Marier","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The reported inverse correlation between water hardness and incidence of cardiac fatalities has led to tentative hypotheses concerning the role of magnesium intake in this phenomenon. The present article reviews the evidence in favor of the magnesium hypothesis, with emphasis on differentiating between diet-derived and water-borne magnesium intake, and their respective cardio-protective potentials.</p>","PeriodicalId":21345,"journal":{"name":"Revue canadienne de biologie","volume":"37 2","pages":"115-25"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1978-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"11906445","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Suppression of cone signal in the dark-adapted frog retina as indicated by the electroretinogram.","authors":"R Fatechand","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Electroretinogram (ERG) cone acitvity is depressed in the dark-adapted frog retina. The strength of this effect is examined over a large range of flash energy, for 618 nm flashes extending up to about 4 log10 units above the \"threshold\" (10-25 micron V b-wave) of the cone ERG \"released\" in the early stage of rapid dark-adaptation (RDA). Cone signal depression is remarkably strong over this flash energy range. The cone ERG is practically absent for flashes up to about I log unit above cone RDA threshold. For stronger flashes, the suppression becomes time-dependent, that is, cone signal is very small for the first few hundred msec. after the flash, cone intrusion then becoming detectable. The results suggest that the cone suppression phenomena arises distally in the retina, probably near the receptor layer, and that cone signal intrusion a few hundred msec. after a strong flash may be due to light-adaptation of rods by the flash itself.</p>","PeriodicalId":21345,"journal":{"name":"Revue canadienne de biologie","volume":"37 2","pages":"101-13"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1978-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"11522367","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"[Relative sensitivity of various cell cultures to the thermostable exotoxin of B. thuringiensis].","authors":"P Laurent","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The \"thermostable\" B. thuringiensis exotoxin is active on cell cultures of Mammals \"in vitro\", except on the KB strain from a human tumor. The primary cultures are the most sensitive: first, with monkey kidney cells, the growth is inhibited by 0.1 mg of toxin per ml; next, the young rabbit kidney cells react to 0.25 mg of toxin per ml. The established lines of cells come last: human diploid cells (Lyon 4) and heteroploid cells (BHK21C13), with the same active dose of 1 mg of toxin per ml. No protection is obtained by adding ATP to monkey kidney cells at the same time as the exotoxin.</p>","PeriodicalId":21345,"journal":{"name":"Revue canadienne de biologie","volume":"37 2","pages":"127-30"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1978-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"11321264","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Possible role of fundus circulation as an intraocular colour filter in certain fishes.","authors":"J G Sivak, P I Roth","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The possible role of the fundus circulation as an intraocular colour filter was studied by measuring chromatic aberration in two species of fish. One species (the goldfish) has an extensive fundus circulation while the other (the rock bass) has a minimal one. Chromatic aberration was measured retinoscopically in the living eye and by determining the spectral variation in focal length of the excised lens. In the rock bass, chromatic aberration of the excised lens is always a little less than that measured by retinoscopy. In the goldfish, the retinoscopic measurements are substantially less than measurements of the excised lens. This difference is apparently due to the limitation imposed by the goldfish fundus circulation on the possibility of performing retinoscopy with blue light. It is suggested that a fundus circulation can modify the intraocular transmission of light.</p>","PeriodicalId":21345,"journal":{"name":"Revue canadienne de biologie","volume":"37 2","pages":"85-90"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1978-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"11906448","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Retinal organisation in goldeye and mooneye (Teleostei: hiodontidae).","authors":"H J Wagner, M A Ali","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This paper presents the results of a comparative investigation of the retinas of two Hiodontids, the goldeye (Hiodon alosoides) and the Mooneye (H. tergisus) employing light and electron microscopy, cell isolation techniques as well as microspectrophotometry. Contrary to the observations of previous workers these species possess a duplex retina. The photoreceptors are bundled in groups of 20 rods and 20 cones. They exhibit features which have hitherto not been observed in vertebrates. These are a) an ellipsoid divided in two parts by the myoid: b) tubules in cone outer segments and, c) large \"lateral sacs\" (accessory outer segments). Cones are immobile but the rods and epithelial pigment are capable of movement (retinomotor responses). The prominent reflecting layer consists of cuboid and rod-like crystals composed of uric acid. The inner layers are made up of three tiers of large horizontal cells, one of amacrine cells and scarce bipolar and ganglion cells. Bundle density is 1 700 per sq. mm. Roughly, one receptor bundle projects onto one bipolar and one ganglion cell suggesting that each bundle acts as a functional unit. The visual pigment of the mooneye absorbs maximally at 535 +/- 2 nm, and is based on vitamin A2 (porphyropsin). We suggest that all non deep-sea fishes with bundled receptors have duplex retinas and the adaptive mechanisms for vision in turbid waters are based on different morphological means as illustrated by the comparison with Stizostedion.</p>","PeriodicalId":21345,"journal":{"name":"Revue canadienne de biologie","volume":"37 2","pages":"65-84"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1978-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"11906447","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"[Phage-like particles produced by Clostridium tetani].","authors":"H W Ackermann, T V Fredette, G Vinet","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Two C. tetani strains used for toxin production spontaneously produce two varieties of phage-like particles with isometric heads. Type A has a contractile tail, whereas type B shows a non-contractile tail with a long, wavy tail fiber. No relationship between the presence of these particles and the amount of toxin produced was found.</p>","PeriodicalId":21345,"journal":{"name":"Revue canadienne de biologie","volume":"37 1","pages":"43-6"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1978-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"11564332","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"[Effect of coitus on sperm transport and fertilization in rabbits].","authors":"R D Lambert, C Tremblay","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The number of spermatozoa into the Fallopian tubes and levels of in vivo fertilization were measured following different treatment. The results show that copulation by the artificially inseminated animal has a strong influence on the transport of the rabbit spermatozoa and \"in vitro\" fertilization. This constitutes some more evidence about the physiological role played by the utero-tubal junction.</p>","PeriodicalId":21345,"journal":{"name":"Revue canadienne de biologie","volume":"37 1","pages":"1-4"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1978-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"11875830","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M A Wainberg, H Sauerwein, E Israël, M Yu, R Mandeville
{"title":"[Immunological and structural properties of Rous sarcoma virus-transformed and tumor cells].","authors":"M A Wainberg, H Sauerwein, E Israël, M Yu, R Mandeville","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We compared the capacity of both normal and Rous sarcoma virus (RSV)-transformed chicken embryo fibroblast (CEF) cells as well as Rous sarcoma (RS) tumor cells to serve as targets in anti-tumor immunity assays. These studies showed that sera from tumor-bearing donors were able to stain transformed CEF more efficiently than RS cells as detected by immunofluorescence. In contrast, antiserum against the major viral glycoprotein, gp 85, stained a higher percentage of RS than transformed cells. Normal CEF cells, which served as controls, were essentially non-reactive with the immune system as judged by this type of assay. We observed that RS cells are considerably larger and contain far higher levels of protein than either normal or transformed CEF. Scanning electron microscopy revealed both the RS cells and transformed CEF to be rich in surface ruffles, blebs and microvilli as distinguished from the flattened, fusiform appearance of normal CEF cells.</p>","PeriodicalId":21345,"journal":{"name":"Revue canadienne de biologie","volume":"37 1","pages":"15-25"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1978-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"11424457","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}