Bibliothek

Notizen: Abstract— High phosphodiesterase activity for cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP was found in subcellular fractions of the bovine retina with more rapid hydrolysis of cyclic GMP than cyclic AMP in each fraction. Rod outer segments (ROS) and the supernatant fraction had highest activity. High enzyme activity remained associated with ROS membranes through several steps of purification by gradient centrifugation. A complex kinetic pattern was observed for cyclic AMP hydrolysis by the supernatant fraction yielding two values for Km; a simple kinetic pattern was observed with cyclic GMP hydrolysis in supernatant and for both cyclic nucleotides in preparations of purified outer segments. Phosphodiesterase activity of outer segments was enhanced by Mg2+. Mn2+ and inhibited by EDTA. Cyclic AMP had relatively little effect on the hydrolysis of cyclic GMP in supernatant or ROS while cyclic GMP inhibited hydrolysis of cyclic AMP in both fractions.

Notizen: —In contrast with neurotoxic organophosphates of the type (RO)2P.O.X several phosphinates (R2P.O.X) cause prolonged inhibition of ‘neurotoxic esterase’in vivo but do not cause delayed neurotoxicity even after repeated administration. Prior administration of these phosphinates protected hens against the neurotoxic effects of several organophosphates: this protection lasted until about 70 per cent of the enzyme site again became available for phosphorylation. In this respect phosphinates behave like carbamate and sulphonyl fluoride inhibitors of ‘neurotoxic esterase'. It is proposed that the development of delayed neurotoxicity requires phosphorylation of the esterase followed by hydrolysis of one remaining phosphoryl ester bond to produce a charged monosubstituted phosphoric acid group attached to the protein. Generation of such a group could not occur after inhibition by the protective phosphinates, carbamates or sulphonates. It is proposed that the charged group is responsible for the metabolic disturbance leading to degeneration of long axons.

Notizen: 1. Natural variation in environmental parameters, as well as practical constraints in study design and sampling methodology, often pose difficulties in treating impact assessments in river catchments as controlled field experiments. It is frequently impossible to develop robust relationships between reference and test stations prior to the onset of an impact and the range of statistical tools which can be adopted in data analysis to detect a change or disturbance is limited.2. In an attempt to overcome these problems we introduce a novel disturbance index to assess the impact of landuse activities on river systems. The index identifies differences in hydrochemical parameters and macroinvertebrate community metrics between reference and test stations (at a set level of significance). This approach allows for objective assessment of the occurrence and direction of change as well as the duration of an impact. The disturbance index can be applied at different scales – for a single stream, a catchment or a region.3. In this paper we describe the derivation of the index and illustrate its utility through worked examples. We use the index to assess impact of clearfelling on hydrochemical parameters such as hydrogen ion concentration, total hardness, suspended solids, conductivity and nitrate concentration as well as on macroinvertebrate parameters including abundance, richness, reciprocal of Simpson's diversity index, evenness, Ephemeroptera/Plecoptera/Trichoptera (EPT) richness and percentage of EPT taxa.4. The sensitivity of the disturbance index changes with scale of application however, and the clearfelling (CF) index has proven sensitive to the detection of even quite small changes, although in these cases ecological significance should be considered. We show that the CF index, particularly when derived from a regional scale, is a conservative index but is very robust to variation in the number of samples used in its derivation. The application of the index corresponded very well with the application of more standard statistical approaches. We believe that the index can thus be applied to other impact studies with similar project design.

Notizen: Nitrogen removal from wastewater is rapidly becoming an essential but expensive upgrade for many small wastewater treatment works in the UK. Using a pilot-scale waste stabilization pond effluent, this paper highlights a low-cost upgrading unit, capable of removing BOD, SS, ammonia and faecal colliforms. Results are given for 12 months of operation and it is suggested that these units could be used by the water companies when ammonia removal is necessary to meet with current legislative demands and prevent eutrophication of receiving watercourses.

Notizen: Estrogen affects many aspects of the nervous system, including pain sensitivity and neural regulation of vascular function. We have shown that estrogen elevation increases sensory nociceptor innervation of arterioles in Sprague–Dawley rat mammary gland, external ear and mesentery, suggesting widespread effects on sensory vasodilatory innervation. However, it is unclear whether estrogen elicits nociceptor hyperinnervation by promoting target release of neurotrophic factors, or by direct effects on sensory neurons. To determine if estrogen may promote axon sprouting by increasing release of target-derived diffusible factors, dorsal root ganglia explants were co-cultured with mesenteric arterioles for 36 h in the absence or presence of 17β-estradiol (E2). Mesenteric arteriolar target substantially increased neurite outgrowth from explanted ganglia, but estrogen had no effect on outgrowth, suggesting that estrogen does not increase the availability of trophic proteins responsible for target-induced neurite outgrowth. To assess the direct effects of estrogen, dissociated neonatal dorsal root ganglion neurons were cultured for 3 days in the absence or presence of E2 and nerve growth factor (NGF; 1–10 ng/mL), and immunostained for the nociceptor markers peripherin or calcitonin gene-related peptide. NGF increased neuron size, survival and numbers of neurons with neurites, but did not affect neurite area per neuron. Estrogen did not affect neuron survival, size or numbers of neurons with neurites, but did increase neurite area per neuron. The effects of these agents were not synergistic. We conclude that estrogen exerts direct effects on nociceptor neurons to promote axon outgrowth, and this occurs through an NGF-independent mechanism.