in molecular geometry, the initiation of the biochemical reactions responsible for the inducing of the enzymatic system [8] is hindered. Received July 21, 1975 1. Buu-Ho~, N.P., etal.: Bull. Chim. Th~rap. 7, 83 (1972) 2. Brown, R.R., et al.: J. Biol. Chem. 209, 211 (1954) 3. Arcos, J.C., et al. : ibid. 236, 1291 (1961) 4. Conney, A.H., et al.: J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 130, 1 5. Buu-Hoi, N.P., Hien, D.P.: C. R. Acad. Sci. 264, 153 6. Buu-Hoi, N.P., et al. : ibid. 264, 2414 (1967) 7. Saint-Ruf, G., Hieu, H.T.: Arzneimittel-Forsch. 25, 66 8. Buu-Ho~, N.P., Hien, D.P.: C. R. Acad. Sci. 268, 423
(1960) (1967) (1975) (1969)
Environmentally Sensitive Cerebral Nerve Endings F.V. DeFeudis, A. Ojeda, P. Madtes and P.A. DeFeudis Departamento de Investigacidn, Centro Nacional "Ram6n y Cajal" (Seguridad Social) y Facultad de Medicina Aut6noma, Madrid, Spain The pronounced behavioral changes that occur in male mice subjected to prolonged periods of individual housing (" isolation") have been correlated with significant alterations in neurochemistry and cerebral pharmacology [1, 2]. These environmentally induced changes might reflect a modification in cerebral subcellular morphology [2, 3]. For elucidating this postulated morphologic change we measured the protein contents of cerebral subcellular particles prepared from the brains of differentially housed mice. Male, Swiss albino mice (21-23 days of age) were kept either singly or in a group of 24 for 6-7 weeks [4]. Their brains (rostral to the inferior colliculi; excluding cerebellum) were excised, weighed, and homogenized in 20 vols isosmotic (0.32 M) sucrose solution. Portions (5 ml) of homogenates (representing 0.24 g brain) were used to prepare "synaptosomal-mitochondrial" (P2) fractions [5] which were then resuspended in 1.5 ml 0.32 M sucrose solution and further resolved
700[
600[
f
a-~ Isolated mice II ~--~ Aggregated mice ii
5OO
I
iri
I
o=
~00
0_
.i 200
L
I
.............
,............... !~
[
i
loo
sd 0
5
10
15
2~0
25
7
1.2
~.o~
lO.6s o.3 ~ - ~ - ~ Io 30 32
Fraction no.
Fig. 1. Protein contents of gradient-fractionated "synaptosomal mitochondrial" (Pz) particles of the brains of differentially housed mice. All steps, except for the final gradient fractionation, were carried out at 0 °C. Fractions are numbered from top to bottom of the tubes. All points represent mean values for 5 mice; fraction 25 contained significantly less protein in the "isolated" mice (p < 0.01); relevant standard errors are indicated Naturwissenschaften 62 (1975)
Supported by Centro Nacional "Ram6n y Cajal" and Fundaci6n Juan March. Received September 8, 1975 1. Welch, B.L. : Syrup. Med. Aspects of Stress in the Military Climate. U.S. Govt. Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1965, p. 39; Welch, A.S., Welch, B.L., in: Physiology of Aggression and Defeat, p. 91. New York: Plenum Press 1971; Essman, W.B.: Biol. Psychiat. 3, 141 (1971); Valzelli, L. : Psychopharmacol. 31, 305 (1973) 2. DeFeudis, F.V., in: Current Developments in Psychopharmacology, p. 114. Spectrmn PuN. (1975) 3. DeFeudis, F.V. : Experientia 28, 1427 (1972); NeuropharmacoI. 11, 879 (1972); DeFeudis, F.V., Marks, J.H.: Experientia 29, 1518(1973) 4. DeFeudis, F.V. : Life Sci. 10 (II), 1187 (1971) 5. DeFeudis, F.V., et al. : Exptl. Neural. (in press) 6. Lowry, O.H., et al. : J. Biol. Chem. 193, 265 (1951) 7. Gray, E.G., Whittaker, V.P.: J. Anat. (Land.) 96, 79 (1962); Whittaker, V.P., Michaelson, I.A., Kirkland, R.J.: Biochem. J. 90, 293 (1964) 8. Tanzi, E.: Rev. Sper. Freniat. 19, 149 (1893); Ram6n y Cajal, S. : Histologie du Syst~me Nerveux de l'Homme et des Vert6br~s, Vol. 2. Paris: Maloine 1911
A First AHergenie Sesquiterpene Laetone from Chrysanthemumindicum L.: Arteglasin-A
i : ................. 1.6
~J
s soo
by centrifugation of 1.2-ml aliquots at 53,000 g, 1 h, on discontinuous gradients consisting of 3.0 ml 0.6 M, 3.0 ml 0.8 M, 3.0 ml 1.0 M, 3.0 ml 1.2 M, and 4.5 ml 1.6 M sucrose solutions. Gradient fractions (0.5 ml) were collected by puncturing the bottoms of the tubes and perfusing a solution of 2.0 M sucrose through these punctures. The protein contents of all gradient fractions were determined [6] using bovine serum albumin as standard. Gradient profiles of the aggressive "isolated" mice contained less protein than those of "aggregated" mice. Although the greatest amount of protein was localized in fractions 19-21, the greatest difference in protein content between "isolated" and "aggregated" mice existed in fractions 24-26, and this difference was significant in fraction 25 (p < 0.01 ; Fig. 1). Fraction 25 was located just above the 1 . 2 M : I . 6 M interface of the gradients, a region that is known to be enriched in heavy (intact) nerve endings [7]. These results support the notion of early theorists that brain growth is altered by experience [8]. This environmental sensitivity of cerebral synaptic particles indicates that the brain exhibits structural plasticity when an animal is adapting to environmental conditions that elicit dramatic changes in its behavior.
© by Springer-Verlag 1975
B.M. Hausen and K.H. Schulz Department of Dermatology, Division of Allergy, University Hospital, Hamburg, Germany O. Jarchow, K.H. Klaska and H, Schmalle Institute of Mineralogy and Petrography, University of Hamburg, Germany Contact allergy being due to Chrysanthemum indicum L. (family: Compositae; tribe: Anthcmidae) has been known for a long time [1, 2]. In spite of the assertion of many authors that chrysantemum allergy seems to be a rarity, more than 50 cases could be cited from literature of the last 70 years. Several different constituents have been isolated from the flower [2] and were assumed to be the cause of the allergy. But it was not until 1970 that the suspicion arose that sesquiterpene lactones, known as one of the main compounds occurring 585
(1960) (1967) (1975) (1969)
Environmentally Sensitive Cerebral Nerve Endings F.V. DeFeudis, A. Ojeda, P. Madtes and P.A. DeFeudis Departamento de Investigacidn, Centro Nacional "Ram6n y Cajal" (Seguridad Social) y Facultad de Medicina Aut6noma, Madrid, Spain The pronounced behavioral changes that occur in male mice subjected to prolonged periods of individual housing (" isolation") have been correlated with significant alterations in neurochemistry and cerebral pharmacology [1, 2]. These environmentally induced changes might reflect a modification in cerebral subcellular morphology [2, 3]. For elucidating this postulated morphologic change we measured the protein contents of cerebral subcellular particles prepared from the brains of differentially housed mice. Male, Swiss albino mice (21-23 days of age) were kept either singly or in a group of 24 for 6-7 weeks [4]. Their brains (rostral to the inferior colliculi; excluding cerebellum) were excised, weighed, and homogenized in 20 vols isosmotic (0.32 M) sucrose solution. Portions (5 ml) of homogenates (representing 0.24 g brain) were used to prepare "synaptosomal-mitochondrial" (P2) fractions [5] which were then resuspended in 1.5 ml 0.32 M sucrose solution and further resolved
700[
600[
f
a-~ Isolated mice II ~--~ Aggregated mice ii
5OO
I
iri
I
o=
~00
0_
.i 200
L
I
.............
,............... !~
[
i
loo
sd 0
5
10
15
2~0
25
7
1.2
~.o~
lO.6s o.3 ~ - ~ - ~ Io 30 32
Fraction no.
Fig. 1. Protein contents of gradient-fractionated "synaptosomal mitochondrial" (Pz) particles of the brains of differentially housed mice. All steps, except for the final gradient fractionation, were carried out at 0 °C. Fractions are numbered from top to bottom of the tubes. All points represent mean values for 5 mice; fraction 25 contained significantly less protein in the "isolated" mice (p < 0.01); relevant standard errors are indicated Naturwissenschaften 62 (1975)
Supported by Centro Nacional "Ram6n y Cajal" and Fundaci6n Juan March. Received September 8, 1975 1. Welch, B.L. : Syrup. Med. Aspects of Stress in the Military Climate. U.S. Govt. Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1965, p. 39; Welch, A.S., Welch, B.L., in: Physiology of Aggression and Defeat, p. 91. New York: Plenum Press 1971; Essman, W.B.: Biol. Psychiat. 3, 141 (1971); Valzelli, L. : Psychopharmacol. 31, 305 (1973) 2. DeFeudis, F.V., in: Current Developments in Psychopharmacology, p. 114. Spectrmn PuN. (1975) 3. DeFeudis, F.V. : Experientia 28, 1427 (1972); NeuropharmacoI. 11, 879 (1972); DeFeudis, F.V., Marks, J.H.: Experientia 29, 1518(1973) 4. DeFeudis, F.V. : Life Sci. 10 (II), 1187 (1971) 5. DeFeudis, F.V., et al. : Exptl. Neural. (in press) 6. Lowry, O.H., et al. : J. Biol. Chem. 193, 265 (1951) 7. Gray, E.G., Whittaker, V.P.: J. Anat. (Land.) 96, 79 (1962); Whittaker, V.P., Michaelson, I.A., Kirkland, R.J.: Biochem. J. 90, 293 (1964) 8. Tanzi, E.: Rev. Sper. Freniat. 19, 149 (1893); Ram6n y Cajal, S. : Histologie du Syst~me Nerveux de l'Homme et des Vert6br~s, Vol. 2. Paris: Maloine 1911
A First AHergenie Sesquiterpene Laetone from Chrysanthemumindicum L.: Arteglasin-A
i : ................. 1.6
~J
s soo
by centrifugation of 1.2-ml aliquots at 53,000 g, 1 h, on discontinuous gradients consisting of 3.0 ml 0.6 M, 3.0 ml 0.8 M, 3.0 ml 1.0 M, 3.0 ml 1.2 M, and 4.5 ml 1.6 M sucrose solutions. Gradient fractions (0.5 ml) were collected by puncturing the bottoms of the tubes and perfusing a solution of 2.0 M sucrose through these punctures. The protein contents of all gradient fractions were determined [6] using bovine serum albumin as standard. Gradient profiles of the aggressive "isolated" mice contained less protein than those of "aggregated" mice. Although the greatest amount of protein was localized in fractions 19-21, the greatest difference in protein content between "isolated" and "aggregated" mice existed in fractions 24-26, and this difference was significant in fraction 25 (p < 0.01 ; Fig. 1). Fraction 25 was located just above the 1 . 2 M : I . 6 M interface of the gradients, a region that is known to be enriched in heavy (intact) nerve endings [7]. These results support the notion of early theorists that brain growth is altered by experience [8]. This environmental sensitivity of cerebral synaptic particles indicates that the brain exhibits structural plasticity when an animal is adapting to environmental conditions that elicit dramatic changes in its behavior.
© by Springer-Verlag 1975
B.M. Hausen and K.H. Schulz Department of Dermatology, Division of Allergy, University Hospital, Hamburg, Germany O. Jarchow, K.H. Klaska and H, Schmalle Institute of Mineralogy and Petrography, University of Hamburg, Germany Contact allergy being due to Chrysanthemum indicum L. (family: Compositae; tribe: Anthcmidae) has been known for a long time [1, 2]. In spite of the assertion of many authors that chrysantemum allergy seems to be a rarity, more than 50 cases could be cited from literature of the last 70 years. Several different constituents have been isolated from the flower [2] and were assumed to be the cause of the allergy. But it was not until 1970 that the suspicion arose that sesquiterpene lactones, known as one of the main compounds occurring 585
