Clinical experience with ciprofloxacin.

In a multicenter study of 30 patients treated with ciprofloxacin (mean daily dosage, 1000 mg per day; mean duration of treatment, 10.6 days) for a variety of infections, 14 were microbiologically proven. Of these, bacteriologic cure and/or improvement resulted in 92.3% of cases. For all 30 infections clinical cure and/or improvement resulted in 88.9% of cases. A total of ten infections were classified as chronic. Overall there were 5/30 (16%) adverse reactions (ADRs), however, only two were definitely related to ciprofloxacin therapy. For three ADRs the relationship to therapy was uncertain. Therapy with ciprofloxacin was discontinued in one (3.3%) patient because of adverse effects. Four patients elected to continue ciprofloxacin therapy despite mild side effects.

Phosphodiesterase activities for cyclic nucleotides in nerve endings from the bovine posterior pituitary gland.

The cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE) activities were studied in a nerve ending fraction from bovine neural lobes. Most of the activity was particulate and unaffected by calcium. Lineweaver-Burk plots for this fraction showed negative cooperativity with apparent Km values for cyclic AMP of 11 microM and for cyclic GMP of 4 microM. The soluble activities for both cyclic nucleotides were activated by calcium and inhibited by calmodulin-binding drugs (trifluoperazine and calmidazolium). The apparent Km values were 50 microM for cyclic AMP and 20 microM for cyclic GMP for the soluble activities. Sucrose density gradients resolved the soluble activities into two peaks. The activity with the higher sedimentation rate (MW 122,000 daltons) hydrolysed both cyclic nucleotides and was calcium-calmodulin-dependent. The other peak (MW 47,000 daltons) had a higher affinity for cyclic AMP than for cyclic GMP and was calcium-independent. Solubilized particulate activities gave two main peaks on the density gradient, both calcium-independent. One was mainly for cyclic AMP (MW 47,000 daltons) and the other mainly for cyclic GMP (MW 133,000 daltons). The function of PDEs in relation to secretion was discussed.

Subcellular fractionation by centrifugation of homogenates of the neural lobe of the bovine pituitary gland: identification of different pools of hormone in the homogenate and isolation of neurosecretosomes.

1. Homogenates of bovine pituitary neural lobe tissue were subjected to differential centrifugation. Six subcellular fractions (I-VI) were obtained and the distribution among them of various cell organelles was studied by means of markers. Fraction II (800-3000 gav), the nerve-ending fraction (neurosecretosomes), contained sedimentable lactate dehydrogenase, hormone and a large proportion of the total Mg2 + +Na+ +K+-ATPase. 2. Lysis of the neurosecretosomes in hypotonic sucrose solutions led to loss of lactate dehydrogenase and vasopressin. 3. Centrifugation of the granule fraction (IV) on a sucrose gradient (1.3-2.0 M sucrose) gave a bimodal distribution of vasopressin. Purified neurosecretory granules were recovered from the denser band. Centrifugation on modified gradients (0.8-2.0 or 0.4-2.0 M sucrose) increased the yield of hormone in the denser band but the purity of the granules was decreased. 4. Considerable purification of the neurosecretosomes (fraction II) was achieved by "washing". Centrifugation of washed neurosecretosomes on sucrose density gradients led to the accumulation of all activities at a region between 1.4 and 1.5 M sucrose. 5. The distribution of Mg2+ +Na+ +K+-ATPase in centrifugal fractions indicated that the neurosecretosomes had been isolated in relatively high yield.

Isolation and protein composition of membranes of neurosecretory vesicles and plasma membranes from the neural lobe of the bovine pituitary gland.

1. Homogenates of neural lobes of bovine pituitary glands were fractionated by differential ultracentrifugation. 2. Neurosecretory vesicles were isolated by sucrose-gradient ultracentrifugation and membranes were obtained after hypo-osmotic lysis of the particles. 3. A method is described for the isolation of a preparation of purified neuronal plasma membranes by using a fraction enriched in nerve endings as a starting material. 4. The purity of the subcellular fractions was estimated by enzyme assays and by examination with the electron microscope. 5. On the basis of the results it was estimated that neuronal plasma membranes constitute more than 30% of the protein of the nerve endings and neurosecretory vesicles more than 45% of the total amount of protein in the homogenate. 6. The proteins of membranes of neurosecretory vesicles and of plasma membranes were solubilized by means of sodium dodecyl sulphate. Polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis of such preparations showed that both membranes contained a large number of proteins, including three glycoproteins.