[Effect of adrenaline on the proliferation of the tunica media smooth muscle cells of rat aorta in culture]. / Action de l'adrénaline sur la prolifération de cellules musculaires lisses de média aortique de rat en culture.

The proliferation of Rat medial aortic smooth muscle cells in secondary cultures is increased with adrenalin. The maximal effect is obtained after 3 days and the increase is dose-dependent. Thus adrenalin might be one of the factors responsible for the proliferation of smooth muscle cells that could play a key role in the formation of the atherosclerotic plaque in vivo.

Platelet functions in relation to dietary fats in farmers from two regions of France.

To determine whether the long-term feeding of dietary fats affect platelet functions in man, platelet aggregation (to thrombin ADP, collagen, epinephrine) and clotting activity of platelet-rich plasma (PRP), platelet-poor plasma and of washed platelets were studied in a mobile-laboratory in 44 healthy male farmers (40--45 years) from two French regions Var and Moselle, in relation to lipemia, glycemia, dietary nutriments, and platelet phospholipid composition. In the Moselle subjects, the platelet clotting activity of PRP and of washed platelets, the platelet aggregation to thrombin and ADP, were highly significantly (p less than 0.001) increased as compared to those of Var, but not the plasma cholesterol, which was identical in the two regions. In Moselle, the intake of total calories, total lipids and saturated fats was higher than in the Var. However, it was only with the saturated fat intake (mostly stearic acid) that the platelet clotting activity (p less than 0.01) and the platelet aggregation (p less than 0.001) were highly significantly correlated. The platelet clotting activity was also significantly (p less than 0.001) correlated with the fatty acid composition of the platelet phospholipid fractions phosphatidyl serine + phosphatidyl inositol.

A simple method for the measurement of labelled compound incorporation into cells in culture.

A simple method for the measurement of labelled compound incorporation into cells in layer culture was developed. Compared to other methods it proves to spare time and to be more sensitive owing to the fact that cells are not detached from the culture vials until the end of the manipulation as these are dissolved in the scintillation medium together with the cells just before counting.