The proposed program is designed to motivate minority faculty members to engage in biomedical research, strengthen the institution's capabilities to train students for graduate and health professional study, provide opportunities for minority students to gain biomedical research experience, and interest students in pursing research careers in the biomedical sciences. To this end, the subprojects included in the program are: 1) LIPOLYTIC ENZYMES AND THEIR SUBSTRATES OF PANCREAS, SMALL INTESTINE, AND KIDNEY. A comparative study of the variety of endogenous lipids in the pancreas, small intestine, and kidney of the guinea pig and rat through examination of their respective lipolytic capacities as expressed by the products of in vitro incubation. Lipid analysis of chloroform:methanol extracts of control and incubated samples via multiple forms of thin layer chromatography will provide the basis of the data. To correlate the respective TLC observations with estrous cycle related plasmalogen changes, kidney specimens will be used for the plasmalogen histochemistry. 2) DETECTION VERSUS CONTROL OF STRESS RELATED PHYSIOLOGICAL VARIABLES. Investigation of four variables (peripheral temperature, pulse transit time, heart rate, and skin conductance) determining the ability of humans to discriminate and voluntarily control certain physiological functions related to stress-induced or psychosomatic disorders. Both detection and control underlie the behavioral approach used in biofeedback training, holistic healing, meditation techniques, and stress management. 3) PLATINUM-THYMINE IN COMBINATION CHEMOTHERAPY OF CANCER CELLS. Ultrastructural and histochemical studies of the combined application of platinum-thymine and bleomycin using ascites sarcoma-180 cells in vitro and in vivo. Dose limiting side effects using combination therapy will be monitored on cancer and normal cells of the intestine and kidney in Swiss Albino mice. The mode of action of the combined drugs will be determined histochemically by observing their effect on alkaline phosphatase and calcium-activated ATPase.
