New pathway of utilization of ammonia nitrogen for the synthesis of amino acids through NADH dependent transaminases in Bombyx mori L.

NADH dependent transamination was recorded for the first time in silkworm Bombyx mori (L.) eggs and in larval tissues. L-Glutamine:2-oxoglutarate amino transferase (GOGAT) and L-asparagine:2-oxoglutarate amino transferase (AOGAT) were determined in embryonic and also in larval tissues of multi- and bivoltine races. The presence of these two enzymes coupled to glutamine synthetase indicated efficient utilization of metabolic ammonia hitherto unknown in higher organisms. It is proposed that these transfer enzymes help in building the free amino acid pool seen during the diapause and also in the fibroin synthesis in the last larval stadium

Glutamine synthetase activity during embryonic and larval development of the silkworm Bombyx mori L. and role of a JH analogue

Silkworm eggs of diapause nature were chilled or treated with hydrochloric acid. Glutamine synthetase activity in such treated eggs was present soon after the treatment, whereas in non-diapause eggs it was not detectable until 24 h after the start of development. During larval life, the glutamine synthetase was found to be absent in midgut tissue. Topical application of a JH analogue resulted in extened larval duration and it reduced glutamine synthetase activity initially, but in the latter part of development the activity was higher

Ascorbic acid and fat content in the red and white muscles of carp, Catla catla

Ascorbic acid, the degrdn. products of ascorbic acid, and total fat content were analyzed in the red and white muscles of lateral musculature of riverine major carp C. catla. The white muscles are characterized by low fat, high I no., and high water content. The white muscles contain 2.5-​3 times more ascorbic acid, ∼12 times less dehydroascorbic acid, and 1-​2 times less diketogulonic acid than the red muscles. Postmortem changes and cold storage of these muscles altered the relative proportions of the above substances in varying amts. The data on the relative ratios of ascorbic acid and its metabolites, as well as ascorbic acid oxidase activity, suggested that ascorbic acid oxidn. is higher in red muscle than in white muscle

Nucleotides and organophosphates of cardiac, fast, and slow muscles of chick during development

Nucleotides like ATP, ADP, AMP and organophosphate, a compd. like creatine phosphate, creatine, and creatinine were estd. in the cardiac, slow anterior latissimus dorsi (ALD) and fast posterior latissimus dorsi (PLD) muscles of the prenatal chick. A decrease in the ATP level and an increase in the ADP​/ATP ratio was obsd. with the advance in development in all muscle types. The increase in ADP level with an increase in development was noted with a complementary increase in the activity of ATP creatine transphosphorylase in all types. A gradual increase in creatine phosphate and a decrease in free phosphate in all the muscle types was recorded. The utilization of ATP as indicated by phosphate potential was suggested to be existing during development by way of increased transphosphorylation. The heart and ALD muscles exhibited similar trends in ATP utilization up to the 16th day. The Ca2+ and Mg2+ activated myofibrillar activity exhibited a decrease with ref. to development. The studies on ocular shortening of glycerinated fibers revealed that the contractility of the fibers progressively increased with development. The ALD fibers are bound to Ca2+ more than that of PLD and heart. The sensitivity of Ca2+ to the fibers changes with development as the PLD fibers become more sensitive:heart fibers lose their sensitivity; and ALD fibers have a mixed nature with ref. to Ca2+ sensitivity

Protein degradation and14C amino-acid incorporation rates into the foot muscle proteins of pond snailPila globosa during aestivation

Protein degradation and14C amino-acid incorporation rates in the foot muscle proteins of the pond snail,Pila globosa were studied with reference to aestivation. Lysosomal enzymes like: cathepsin, acid phosphatase except β-glucoronidase showed a decrease in activity on aestivation. Cathepsin activity showed an elevated temperature optimum on aestivation. Decreased proteolysis and autolysis on aestivation indicated a lowered turnover of proteins. To test this14C amino-acid incorporation rates were examined. Total proteins, myosin, actin, actomyosin, and tropomyosin did not exhibit any change in their incorporation rates. Sarcoplasmic proteins and collagen fraction decreased significantly in contrast to paramyosin on aestivation. It was concluded that aestivation resulted in changes in heterogeneous turnover of certain protein molecules

Fatty acid metabolism in denervated muscle of frog in vitro

Denervation-​atrophy in frog gastrocnemius muscle for 1 month resulted in depletions in fat content and fatty acid formation and an increase in mitochondrial palmitate and pyruvate oxidn. There was no change in mitochondrial yield

PROTEIN DEGRADATION AND 14C AMINO-ACID INCORPORATION RATES INTO THE FOOT MUSCLE PROTEINS OF POND SNAIL PILA GLOBOSA DURING AESTIVATION

Protein degradation and14C amino-acid incorporation rates in the foot muscle proteins of the pond snail,Pila globosa were studied with reference to aestivation. Lysosomal enzymes like: cathepsin, acid phosphatase except β-glucoronidase showed a decrease in activity on aestivation. Cathepsin activity showed an elevated temperature optimum on aestivation. Decreased proteolysis and autolysis on aestivation indicated a lowered turnover of proteins. To test this14C amino-acid incorporation rates were examined. Total proteins, myosin, actin, actomyosin, and tropomyosin did not exhibit any change in their incorporation rates. Sarcoplasmic proteins and collagen fraction decreased significantly in contrast to paramyosin on aestivation. It was concluded that aestivation resulted in changes in heterogeneous turnover of certain protein molecules

Carbonic anhydrase activity in the gills ofEtroplus maculatus (Teleostei) as a function of salinity acclimation

1. Carbonic anhydrase in the gills of the freshwater teleost,Etroplus maculatus, was demonstrated to be influenced by transfer of the animal to saline media. 2. Sudden and direct exposure of the fish to saline media resulted in a decrease of the enzyme activity. 3. The enzyme activity was reduced gradually with progressive increase of the salinity after two months acclimation of the fish in the medium. 4. It was concluded that reduced carbonic anhydrase activity of the gill on acclimation to higher salinities, is associated with Cl− uptake but not Cl− excretio

Acetylcholinesterase activity in the embryonic muscles of chick

Acetylcholinesterase activity in the exts. of fast (posterior latissimus dorsi; PLD)​, slow (anterior latissimus dorsi; ALD)​, and cardiac muscles of embryonic chick was estd. by the titrimetric method. The activity in the fast PLD gradually increased up to 16th day of development and gradually decreased afterwards. In the slow ALD there was an increase in activity up to 16th day, but later on the activity became steady. The heart maintained a steady level from the 8th day onwards. The decay of activity in PLD and maintenance of steady level in ALD after the 16th day and in heart from the 8th day of incubation are discussed with ref. to the establishment of muscle-​nerve interaction

Burden of Neurological Disorders across the US from 1990-2017: A Global Burden of Disease Study

Importance: Accurate and up-to-date estimates on incidence, prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life-years (burden) of neurological disorders are the backbone of evidence-based health care planning and resource allocation for these disorders. It appears that no such estimates have been reported at the state level for the US. Objective: To present burden estimates of major neurological disorders in the US states by age and sex from 1990 to 2017. Design, Setting, and Participants: This is a systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2017 study. Data on incidence, prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) of major neurological disorders were derived from the GBD 2017 study of the 48 contiguous US states, Alaska, and Hawaii. Fourteen major neurological disorders were analyzed: stroke, Alzheimer disease and other dementias, Parkinson disease, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, motor neuron disease, migraine, tension-type headache, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injuries, brain and other nervous system cancers, meningitis, encephalitis, and tetanus. Exposures: Any of the 14 listed neurological diseases. Main Outcome and Measure: Absolute numbers in detail by age and sex and age-standardized rates (with 95 uncertainty intervals) were calculated. Results: The 3 most burdensome neurological disorders in the US in terms of absolute number of DALYs were stroke (3.58 95% uncertainty interval UI], 3.25-3.92] million DALYs), Alzheimer disease and other dementias (2.55 95% UI, 2.43-2.68 million DALYs), and migraine (2.40 95% UI, 1.53-3.44 million DALYs). The burden of almost all neurological disorders (in terms of absolute number of incident, prevalent, and fatal cases, as well as DALYs) increased from 1990 to 2017, largely because of the aging of the population. Exceptions for this trend included traumatic brain injury incidence (-29.1% 95% UI, -32.4% to -25.8%); spinal cord injury prevalence (-38.5% 95% UI, -43.1% to -34.0%); meningitis prevalence (-44.8% 95% UI, -47.3% to -42.3%), deaths (-64.4% 95% UI, -67.7% to -50.3%), and DALYs (-66.9% 95% UI, -70.1% to -55.9%); and encephalitis DALYs (-25.8% 95% UI, -30.7% to -5.8%). The different metrics of age-standardized rates varied between the US states from a 1.2-fold difference for tension-type headache to 7.5-fold for tetanus; southeastern states and Arkansas had a relatively higher burden for stroke, while northern states had a relatively higher burden of multiple sclerosis and eastern states had higher rates of Parkinson disease, idiopathic epilepsy, migraine and tension-type headache, and meningitis, encephalitis, and tetanus. Conclusions and Relevance: There is a large and increasing burden of noncommunicable neurological disorders in the US, with up to a 5-fold variation in the burden of and trends in particular neurological disorders across the US states. The information reported in this article can be used by health care professionals and policy makers at the national and state levels to advance their health care planning and resource allocation to prevent and reduce the burden of neurological disorders.. © 2021 American Medical Association. All rights reserved