Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences

About: Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences is a based out in . It is known for research contribution in the topics: Catalysis & Adsorption. The organization has 13227 authors who have published 17335 publications receiving 272882 citations.

Changes in densities of bacteria and microfungi during gut transit in Lumbricus rubellus and Aporrectodea caliginosa (Oligochaeta:Lumbricidae)

Abstract: Numbers of bacteria, actinomycetes and micromycetes were estimated in gut content samples of specimens of two earthworm species using the plate count technique and the epifluorescence microscopy method. An increase in numbers of all three microbial groups was observed in the intestine of Lumbricus rubellus during the food passage. The total number of palatable aerobic and facultatively anaerobic bacteria was 7 × 106 g−1 dry gut content in the foregut, but it increased to 16 × 106 and 29 × 106 in the midgut and hindgut, respectively. A similar increasing tendency was also observed in numbers of actinomycetes and micromycetes. In contrast higher numbers of bacteria and actinomycetes were detected in the foregut (62 × 106, 6 × 106 g−1 dry gut content) than in midgut (37 × 106, 4 × 106) of Aporrectodea caliginosa, and their numbers did not change significantly from midgut to hindgut. Micromycetes were relatively stable in number in all three gut sections. Number of living bacterial cells, estimated by the epifluorescence microscopy method, in general corresponds well with plate counts, although an increase in number of bacteria was detected from midgut to hindgut of A. caliginosa. Factors which would be responsible for differences in the composition of intestinal communities between two earthworm species are discussed.

Effects of drugs on behaviour of aggressive mice

Abstract: 1 The occurrence of 11 aggressive and non-aggressive activities was observed in aggressive male mice treated with drugs in paired interactions with non-aggressive males given water. Effects of chlordiazepoxide, diazepam, barbitone, chlorpromazine, imipramine, (+)-amphetamine, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) all given orally and of intraperitoneal scopolamine were investigated.2 Scopolamine (0.25 and 0.75 mg/kg), (+)-amphetamine (0.25 and 1 mg/kg), chlorpromazine (2.5 mg/kg), diazepam (10 mg/kg) and chlordiazepoxide (50 mg/kg) reduced aggressive activities (attacks, aggressive unrest) without inhibiting walking across the cage or rearing in the aggressive mice. Thus, the inhibition of aggression induced by these drugs does not seem to be due to neuromuscular impairment and seems to this extent specific. On the other hand, imipramine lessened aggressive activities only at a dose (80 mg/kg) which also decreased walking across the cage and rearing. Barbitone or LSD did not change aggression at either dose tested (20 and 60 or 0.01 and 1 mg/kg, respectively). Aggressive activities were increased significantly only by chlordiazepoxide at a dose of 5 mg/kg.3 (+)-Amphetamine (0.25 mg/kg) and scopolamine (0.75 mg/kg) increased escapes and alert postures, respectively, in the aggressive mice.4 Diazepam and chlordiazepoxide decreased tail rattling at 1 and 5 mg/kg, respectively, doses 10 times lower than those inhibiting attacks. The other drugs tested inhibited tail rattling only at doses reducing attacks. Tail rattling appears to be a convenient measure for testing effects of drugs on behavioural conflict.5 Diazepam (5 and 10 mg/kg), chlordiazepoxide (20 and 50 mg/kg), barbitone (60 mg/kg) and scopolamine (0.25 and 0.75 mg/kg) increased sociable activities (sniffing, following partners and climbing over them) whereas (+)-amphetamine, chlorpromazine, imipramine and LSD did not. Effects of the drugs on sociable activities in aggressive mice seem to correlate with their action on punished responding and other types of suppressed behaviour.