Stress hormones and abiotic stresses have different effects on antioxidants in maize lines with different sensitivity.

The effect of stress hormones and abiotic stress treatments on reactive oxygen species and on antioxidants was compared in two maize (Zea mays L.) lines (Penjalinan and Z7) having different stress tolerance. Following treatment with abscisic acid, salicylic acid or hydrogen peroxide, the amount of hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxides increased, while after osmotic stress or cultivation in continuous darkness, the levels were unchanged or decreased. The higher amount of lipid peroxides in Penjalinan indicated its greater sensitivity compared to Z7. The level of the examined antioxidants was increased by nearly all treatments. Glutathione and cysteine contents were higher after salicylic acid, hydrogen peroxide and polyethylene glycol treatments and lower after application of abscisic acid, NaCl and growth in darkness in Z7 than in Penjalinan. The activity of glutathione reductase, ascorbate peroxidase, catalase and glutathione S-transferase was higher after almost all treatments in Z7. The expression of the glutathione synthetase (EC 6.3.2.3) gene was not affected by the treatments, while the level of gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (EC 6.3.2.2) and glutathione reductase (EC 1.6.4.2) transcripts increased after most treatments. The two stress hormones and the stress treatments resulted in different changes in antioxidant levels in the two maize lines, which indicates the specific, stress tolerance-dependent response of plants to the various growth regulators and adverse environmental effects that were examined.

[Treatment of pancreatic insufficiency with a preparation containing high lipase activity]. / A pancreaselégtelenség kezelése egy magas lipázaktivitású pancreatinkészítménnyel.

In vitro testing of lipase survival of Panzytrat 25,000 homogenized in Tris HCl buffer and Lundh meal stimulated gastric or duodenal contents demonstrated favorable stability of lipase of this new preparation in the protein and fat containing gastric and duodenal juices of patients with chronic pancreatitis. Later an open, intra-individually controlled study with two doses of Panzytrat 25000 (5 x 1 and 5 x 2 capsules/day) was performed in 10 patients with severe pancreatic steatorrhoea. A diet containing 70 g of fat/day was offered and the 3-day fat loss of collected stools was measured in the last 3 days of 5-day equilibration periods with and without replacement therapy. After these short-term periods, patients were treated with 5 x 1 capsules of the drug for one month and body weight increases as well as patient's appraisals were registered. Stool weight and fat loss maximally decreased already in response to the 5-day treatment with 5 x 1 capsules of drug and double dose of the preparation did not further decrease steatorrhoea in most cases except 2 patient. Disappearance of fat loss was achieved in 3 out of ten patients. Body weight of patients increased in most cases and their subjective evaluation was also favorable.