An androgen-dependent mouse mammary carcinoma cell line (SC-3) requires androgen for growth stimulation. We have shown previously that androgen acts on SC-3

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A B S T R A C T The membrane organization of the erythrocytes from patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy was studied by means of electron spin resonance. The fluiidity of the membrane near the polar region of Duchenine muscular dystrophy ervthrocytes was similar to that of normal erythrocytes. The membrane environment in the nonpolar region, however, was quite different from that of normal erythrocytes, judged by the spectra with 2-(14-carboxytetradecyl) -2 -ethyl -4,4 -dimethyl -3 -oxazolidinvloxyl as probe. The temperature dependence of the ratio of the line height of central field to that at the low field showed two inflection points in normal erythrocytes at pH 7.4 (13.5°-16.5°and 37.5°-40.5°C, respectively) but the inflection point in the lower temperature range was not detected in Duchenne muscular dystrophy erythrocytes. When pH was varied, an abrupt decrease in the ratio was observed at pH 5.9-5.6 in normal erythrocytes whereas there was a gradual decrease over the range of pH from 6.6 to 5.0 in Duchenne muscular dystrophy erythrocytes.The rate of reduction of the radical 2-(3-carboxypropyl)-4,4-dimethyl-2-tridecyl-3-oxazolidinyloxyl by ascorbate in normal erythrocytes was faster than that in Duchenne muscular dystrophy erythrocytes. Treatment of both erythrocytes with phloretin markedly reduced the rate of reduction by ascorbate and eliminated the difference in the two types of erythrocyte. These results indicate that in Duchenne muscular dystrophy the erythrocyte membrane is involved as well as the muscle cell.

Acetyl LDL (modified low-density lipoprotein), which is thought to be taken up through scavenger receptor A (SR-A), rapidly induced the appearance of phosphotyrosine proteins in monocytic THP-l-derived macrophages in vitro. The two alternative forms of Lyn (pS3 and p56) were found to be tyrosine-phosphorylated within 30 s after the stimulation with acetyl LDL. The catalytic activity of Lyn measured by an in vitro kinase assay had also increased in acetyl LDL-stimulated THP-l-derived macrophages. Furthermore, Lyn could be coimmunoprecipitated with SR-A from the cell lysate. These observations suggest a functional and possible physical association of SR-A with Lyn in THP-l-derived maerophages, and also imply a possible involvement of Lyn in SR-A signal transduetion.

This is the first report of the detection of herpes simplex virus DNA in semen and menstrual blood. Encouraging preliminary results justify antiviral therapy in case of a positive test.