The fate of pharmaceuticals, steroid hormones, phytoestrogens, UV-filters and pesticides during MBR treatment.

This study examined the relationship between molecular properties and the fate of trace organic contaminants (TrOCs) in the aqueous and solid phases during wastewater treatment by MBR. A set of 29 TrOCs was selected to represent pharmaceuticals, steroid hormones, phytoestrogens, UV-filters and pesticides that occur ubiquitously in municipal wastewater. Both adsorption and biodegradation/transformation were found responsible for the removal of TrOCs by MBR treatment. A connection between biodegradation and molecular structure could be observed while adsorption was the dominant removal mechanism for the hydrophobic (logD>3.2) compounds. Highly hydrophobic (logD>3.2) but readily biodegradable compounds did not accumulate in sludge. In contrast, recalcitrant compounds with a moderate hydrophobicity, such as carbamazepine, accumulated significantly in the solid phase. The results provide a framework to predict the removal and fate of TrOCs by MBR treatment.

Identification of a calcitonin-like diuretic hormone that functions as an intrinsic modulator of the American lobster, Homarus americanus, cardiac neuromuscular system.

In insects, a family of peptides with sequence homology to the vertebrate calcitonins has been implicated in the control of diuresis, a process that includes mixing of the hemolymph. Here, we show that a member of the insect calcitonin-like diuretic hormone (CLDH) family is present in the American lobster, Homarus americanus, serving, at least in part, as a powerful modulator of cardiac output. Specifically, during an ongoing EST project, a transcript encoding a putative H. americanus CLDH precursor was identified; a full-length cDNA was subsequently cloned. In silico analyses of the deduced prepro-hormone predicted the mature structure of the encoded CLDH to be GLDLGLGRGFSGSQAAKHLMGLAAANFAGGPamide (Homam-CLDH), which is identical to a known Tribolium castaneum peptide. RT-PCR tissue profiling suggests that Homam-CLDH is broadly distributed within the lobster nervous system, including the cardiac ganglion (CG), which controls the movement of the neurogenic heart. RT-PCR analysis conducted on pacemaker neuron- and motor neuron-specific cDNAs suggests that the motor neurons are the source of the CLDH message in the CG. Perfusion of Homam-CLDH through the isolated lobster heart produced dose-dependent increases in both contraction frequency and amplitude and a dose-dependent decrease in contraction duration, with threshold concentrations for all parameters in the range 10(-11) to 10(-10) mol l(-1) or less, among the lowest for any peptide on this system. This report is the first documentation of a decapod CLDH, the first demonstration of CLDH bioactivity outside the Insecta, and the first detection of an intrinsic neuropeptide transcript in the crustacean CG.

Effects of resin or charcoal treatment on fetal bovine serum and bovine calf serum.

INTRODUCTION: Charcoal- or resin-stripping of fetal bovine serum (FBS) or bovine calf serum (BCS) intended for supplementation of cell culture media is widely practiced to remove a variety of endogenous compounds, including steroid, peptide, and thyroid hormones. The possibility that stripping removes other biologically relevant factors from serum may not be appreciated. METHODS: In this report, standardized clinical laboratory testing methods were used to assess the effects of resin- and charcoal-stripping on content in FBS and BCS of more than 25 analytes in the sera. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: In addition to hormones, the serum constituents affected by stripping are certain vitamins, electrolytes, enzyme activities, and metabolites.

Control of gonadotropin secretion by follicle-stimulating hormone-releasing factor, luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone, and leptin.

Fractionation of hypothalamic extracts on a Sephadex G-25 column separates follicle-stimulating hormone-releasing factor (FSHRF) from luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH). The FSH-releasing peak contained immunoreactive lamprey gonadotropin-releasing hormone (lGnRH) by radioimmunoassay, and its activity was inactivated by an antiserum specific to lGnRH. The identity of lGnRH-III with FSHRF is supported by studies with over 40 GnRH analogs that revealed that this is the sole analog with preferential FSH-releasing activity. Selective activity appears to require amino acids 5-8 of lGnRH-III. Chicken GnRH-II has slight selective FSH-releasing activity. Using a specific lGnRH-III antiserum, a population of lGnRH-III neurons was visualized in the dorsal and ventral preoptic area with axons projecting to the median eminence in areas shown previously to control FSH secretion based on lesion and stimulation studies. Some lGnRH-III neurons contained only this peptide, others also contained LHRH, and still others contained only LHRH. The differential pulsatile release of FSH and LH and their differential secretion at different times of the estrous cycle may be caused by differential secretion of FSHRF and LHRH. Both FSH and LHRH act by nitric oxide (NO) that generates cyclic guanosine monophosphate. lGnRH-III has very low affinity to the LHRH receptor. Biotinylated lGnRH-III (10(-9) M) labels 80% of FSH gonadotropes and is not displaced by LHRH, providing evidence for the existence of an FSHRF receptor. Leptin has equal potency as LHRH to release gonadotropins by NO. lGnRH-III specifically releases FSH, not only in rats but also in cows.

The complete amino acid sequence of chum salmon stanniocalcin, a calcium-regulating hormone in teleosts.

Stanniocalcin (STC) is a hypocalcemic hormone secreted from the corpuscles of Stannius of bony fish. Chum salmon STC was isolated in pure form by ion-exchange chromatography and reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography following ethanol-ammonium extraction of the tissues. A cDNA was cloned from cDNAs of the tissue by the PCR method using two primers corresponding to the N- and C-terminal amino acid sequence of the hormone. Sequence analysis of the protein and the cDNA revealed that chum salmon STC is a homodimer, and that the monomer consists of 179 amino acids including 11 half-Cys residues and one N-linked glycosylation site, which is 44 residues smaller at the C-terminal region than the sequence deduced from coho salmon STC cDNA.

Extraction of the hormonal substance from hop.

Substances that suppressed a gain in the weight of pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin (PMSG)-primed immature rat ovaries, were obtained from dried powder of the hop cone. The substances were designated F1a-I and F1a-II. In immature rats at 4 days after PMSG priming, ovarian weights decreased by 58.0 +/- 3.7 and 66.9 +/- 6.6% the control by injections with 4 mg each of F1a-I and F1a-II, respectively. Apparent M1s of the partially purified fractions were nearly 80000 (F1a-I) and 66000-80000 (F1a-II). They were water-soluble. Acidic and neutral sugars were detected in the hydrolysate of the substance.

[Inhibition of rat heart and brain cyclic 3',5'-adenosine monophosphate phosphodiesterase under the influence of neurohormone "C"]. / Ingibirovanie fosfodiésterazy tsiklicheskogo 3', 5'-adenozinmonofosfata serdtsa i mozga krys pod dei stviem neirogormona "C".

In vitro studies of the effect of neurohormone C on cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity of heart and brain showed that amounts of neurohormone equal to 5 ng inhibited significantly the activity of phos-phodiestherase in heart and even more strongly in brain. A comparison of the effect of the neurohormone with that of theophylline (10 mM) showed that very small amounts of the neurohormone brought about inhibition of enzyme activity that was equal to that observed from much larger concentrations of the theophylline. It is proposed that the inhibition of phosphodiestherase activity is of importance in the mechanism of the action of the neurohormone.