The structural organization of the cell walls at the aleurone-sub-aleurone junction has been examined by fluorescence microscopy in ungerminated seeds of two varieties of Hordeum vulgare L. (cultivars Himalaya and Vanier). The sub-aleurone cell walls that are immediately adjacent to the aleurone layer are considerably thicker than the remainder of endosperm walls and contain extensive deposits of aniline blue-positive material. The latter was not significantly affected by periodate oxidation and was removed from tissue sections only by β-1,3-glucanases or hot dimethyl sulphoxide. These deposits may represent the primary substrate for endo-β-1,3-glucanases secreted by the aleurone layer during germination.

Summary Nitro-L-arginine inhibits the production of nitric oxide and can thereby cause vasoconstriction in vivo. One consequence of this is that nitro-L-arginine can increase hypoxia in a range of transplantable and spontaneous murine solid tumours. Bioreductive drugs such as RB6145 are more active under hypoxic conditions, and the combination of RB6145 with nitro-L-arginine in vivo shows greater anti-tumour activity than either agent individually. In mice given nitro-L-arginine at 10 mg kg-' i.p. up to 1 h before or after 300 mg kg-' i.p. RB6145, survival of KHT tumour cells was reduced by 3-4 logs when assessed by clonogenic assay 24 h after treatment. RB6145 or nitro-L-arginine alone caused no more than 20% cell kill. Similar effects were found in SCCVII tumours. The tumour response to the drug combination was tumour size dependent, with increased tumour cell sensitivity occurring when the tumour volume at the time of treatment was increased. Further, the response of KHT tumours to the combination of RB6145 and nitro-L-arginine was also dependent on the time interval between treatment and on when tumours were excised for determination of survival in vitro. The relative surviving fraction was about 0.3 for intervals less than 4 h but was reduced to 0.01 at 12 h and 0.001 at 24 h. These results were supported by histological examination of tumours, when necrosis at 2 h after treatment was less than 5% but increased to greater than 90% at 24 h. RB6145-induced normal tissue damage, as measured by CFU-A survival, was not altered by combining with nitro-L-arginine. Hence, this drug combination may provide therapeutic benefit. It is likely that the substantial anti-tumour effects are due to enhancement of bioreductive toxicity through increased tumour hypoxia, although additional mechanism(s) may also contribute to the overall response.