Organochlorine insecticides and PCB in the sediments of Lake Huron (1969) and Georgian Bay and North Channel (1973).

Surficial and core sediments were collected from the main body of Lake Huron in 1969 and Georgian Bay and North Channel in 1973. These were analysed for organochlorine insecticides and PCB. Residues of organochlorines were higher in the twelve depositional basins in Lake Huron and Georgian Bay than in sediment in the non-depositional zones. PCB was present at similar concentrations to sigma DDT; with mean levels of 13 and 10 ng/g for PCB and sigma DDT in the main body of Lake Huron and 11 and 5 ng/g for PCB and sibma DDT in Georgian Bay. Residues of PCB varied from 9--33 ng/g in the 12 basins. With respect to sigma DDT, both parent DDT and its two metabolites were present in sediment at a mean residue of 7.8 ng/g for the whole lake. The main lake had residues of 10.2 ng/g while Georgian Bay had 5.8 ng/g and North Channel 4.1 ng/g in keeping with use pattenrs since 1943. HEOD was present in only 5.7% of sediment samples from main Lake Huron, 30% from Georgian Bay and 15% from North Channel. The highest residues 1.7 ng/g occurred in the North Channel. No chlordane was detected, however, heptachlor epoxide was identified in 8.5% of sediments collected in Lake Huron, 23% from Georgian Bay and 14% in North Channel. Endosulfan appeared in 4%  of samples from both Georgian Bay and North Channel.


Effects of frontal eye field and superior colliculus ablations on eye movements.

Two parallel neural pathways are primarily responsible for the control of saccadic eye movements--one mediated through the frontal eye fields and the other through the superior colliculus. When both pathways are disrupted, control of saccadic eye movements is lost. Disruption of either pathway alone produces only subtle deficits.


Social welfare expenditures under public programs, fiscal year 1977.

Social welfare expenditures under public programs reached $362.3 billion in fiscal year 1977, which covered the 12-month period from October 1, 1976, to September 30, 1977. This figure was about $30 billion higher than the $331.9 billion spent in fiscal year 1976 (July 1, 1975, through June 30, 1976) and represented a 9-percent increase. When adjusted for price and population changes, real per capita expenditures rose from $1,623 in fiscal year 1976 to $1,646 in 1977, reflecting a 1-percent real increase in per capita spending under these programs. Social welfare expenditures as a proportion of the Nation's gross national product dropped slightly from 20.4 percent in fiscal year 1976 to 19.7 percent in 1977. The decline resulted from lower rates of growth during 1977 in most of the major social welfare categories and a higher rate of growth in the gross national product.


Orogenital contact and the isolation of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Mycoplasma hominis, and Ureaplasma urealyticum from the pharynx.

Men and women who came to clinics in Boston underwent pharyngeal examinations, and pharyngeal specimens were obtained for cultures for Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Mycoplasma hominis, and Ureaplasma urealyticum. Fifty-one (4.9%) of 1,037 participants had gonococcal pharyngeal infection. M. hominis and U. urealyticum were recovered from the pharynges of 149 (14.3%) and 154 (14.8%) of 1,044 participants, respectively. The history of ever having performed fellatio was associated with pharyngeal infection with N. gonorrhoeae (P less than 0.02), M. hominis (P less than 0.05), and U. urealyticum (P less than 0.006). A history of fellatio was also associated with a history of a recent sore throat. There was, however, no association between pharyngeal infection with N. gonorrhoeae, M. hominis, or U. urealyticum and a recent sore throat. Cunnilingus was not associated with symptoms or signs or pharyngitis or with the isolation of gonococci or genital mycoplasmas from the pharynx. The pharyngitis associated with fellatio remains a microbiologic enigma.


An improved method for embedding brain tissue in albumin-gelatin.

A new modification of the Snodgrass-Dorsey (1963) albumin embedding method is described. Formalin fixed brains of various ages of rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) were sunk in 10% phosphate buffered formalin which contained 30% sucrose, and then embedded in a 3% gelatin, 30% egg albumin solution which had been centrifuged to ensure uniformity. The albumin-gelatin was hardened in formaldehyde fumes and blocks cut frozen at 10-40 micron. Sections thus prepared can be handled easily and mounted without damage to the tissue. Modifications of conventional cell and fiber stains produce high quality finished slides in which the stained brain tissue is surrounded by a colorless albumin-gelatin matrix.


Equations for the dose distributions of high-energy electrons.

Dose distributions of high-energy electrons were calculated using simple equations which were derived from experimental data. Equations are composed of functions of the percent depth dose, the field effect ratio and the off-axis ratio. The electron energy and field size are parameters for the calculation. Dose distributions were compared between experiments and calculations for different field sizes and energies. It is concluded that the equations can be applied clinically to calculate dose distributions for treatment planning.


[Radiation therapy of the nasopharyngeal carcinoma: results of treatment and criteria of optimization (author's transl)].

From 1968 till 1977, out of 84 patients with a malignoma of the nasopharynx 44 underwent sole radiation therapy with curative doses because of histologically established nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The 3-year survival rates for all the carcinomas amount to 63.2%, 5-year survival to 46.5%. Prognoses differ according to the histological type of carcinoma, but therapeutic results are also influenced by osseous involvement or by spread to the lymph nodes. Local recurrences appeared in 20% at the base of the skull, at the pharyngeal roof or in the region of the posterior nasal apertures. Following analysis of the patient collective a critical examination of imaginable and of practically used irradiation schedules is performed. Of the possible arrangements for radiation therapy those with readily reproducible parallel opposed field adjustments using ultrahard photon beams are to be preferred.


[Pre-operative irradiation and tumor-specific immune response in hypernephroid renal carcinoma (author's transl)].

In vitro demonstration of a tumor-specific immune response was tried using the so-called leucoycte migration test in altogether 32 patients with a hypernephroid renal carcinoma (nontreated before operation or pre-irradiated). The principle of this technique consists in the release of a lymphocyte factor by bringing in contact sensitized lymphocytes with the concerned tumourous tissue, the lymphocyte factor inhibiting the migration capacity of granulocytes. With hypernephroid cancerous tissue from nontreated patients no reaction was obtained in 12 of 13 cases (no inhibition of migration), whereas a positive reaction (inhibition of leuococyte migration) was observed in 17 out of 19 patients with hypernephromas having been irradiated before surgical treatment. This radiation-induced effect on the immune response from hypernephroma and lymphocytes in patients with this neoplasm is specific, as no reaction of irradiated hypernephroid cancerous tissue with lymphocytes of sound donors or of patients with different malignant tumors could be shown in control tests, a significant inhibition of leucocyte migration failing to appear.


The Clinac-18 linear accelerator. 10 MeV photon beam data.

Measurements were carried out on a Clinac-18 linear accelerator in order to characterize the 10 MeV photon beam. Depth dose data and tissue-maximum-ratios were obtained for field sizes up to 35 x 35 cm2. Using a parabolic expression a least square fit to the tissue-maximum-ratios was performed. The radiation field flatness and the penumbra were found to be in good agreement with the tolerances recommended by the IEC standard (draft). The radiation field and the light field isocentre were determined as suggested by the IEC. The distance between both isocentres was less than 1 mm.


The effect of an analyzed deuterium ion beam on the lifetime of TiT targets used at the fast neutron therapy facility (DT, 14 MeV) Hamburg-Eppendorf.

Report on experiments performed with mixed or analyzed deuterium ion beams incident on TiT targets at the neutron therapy facility Hamburg-Eppendorf. Bombarding a TiT target area with all separated atomic and molecular ions of an analyzed deuterium ion beam at different beam spots, the "initial" half-life of the used tritium target increases with a factor of more than three as against the half-life obtained with a mixed deuterium ion beam at a single beam spot. In this case, the effective target current is not reduced and in the same order as that for a mixed deuterium ion beam. Using the atomic deuterons only, the increase of the "initial" half-life is far longer yet, but the loss in target current is about 50% dependent on the reduction of molecular deuterium ions. These facts are most important for the economy of this type of neutron therapy facilities clinical work.


Edridge-Green Lecture, 1978. Visual disabilities of oculocutaneous albinism and their alleviation.

The visual disabilities of oculocutaneous albinism are discussed in the light of a series of 32 such patients seen in South-west Scotland between 1962 and 1978. Possible explanations for these defects are considered, with reference to an original series of light and electron microscopic sections from early embryos by Dr John Shaw-Dunn of the Department of Anatomy of Glasgow University which may afford clues to the relationship between the pigmentary and neurological aspects of the condition. Various forms of treatment which have been suggested are debated, and the author's own approach is described. Emphasis is laid on the social needs of the albino, and ways of meeting these are put forward.


[Myofibril breakdown during spreading damage. II. A calcium-free medium].

Peculiarities of Zenker's degeneration (ZD) have been investigated in fast muscle fibres of the frog incubated in a Ringer solution free of Ca++ (R--Ca) with a normal or increased (by 100 mM) concentration of KCl. ZD in these solutions is distinguished by a 10--90 minutes delay of the appearance of the primary contraction knot and cessation of ZD development in the majority of fibres after formation of several (1--5) contraction knots. In the presence of 0.5 mM EDTA in R--Ca, after a few typical contraction knots are formed, fibres commonly fall into large fragments that retain cross-striation. Contracted or super-contracted state of sarcomeres in detached contraction knots and at the necrosis boundary, as well as an increasing lysis of contactile material and proliferation of fibre membrane structures in the region of ZD arrested boundary, are characteristic of ultrastructural changes during ZD in calcium-free solutions.


Photoelectron emission microscopy of biological tissue; the influence of glutaraldehyde and heavy or biligrafin on the emission image of chicken liver in methacrylate.

The effect of various preparations on the emission image was studied taking into account the influence of UV wave length, section thickness and specimen support. By suitable selection of these parameters, images with sufficient contrast can be obtained of unstained specimens which are only fixed with glutaraldehyde. With glutaraldehyde fixation intravitally injected Biligrafin used as a stain in cholecystography is recognized in the emission image of liver tissue labeling the intravital transport path from the blood capillaries to the bile ducts. Hypotheses for the image forming process are discussed.


[Vitamin C levels in the early postnatal period in calves and their mothers].

The dynamics of L-ascorbic acid was studied in 68 cows and 91 calves at an age from one to ten days in the period from November to April. The study was conducted in two maternal stocks in a supply area of a large-capacity calf-house located in the beet-growing region. L-ascorbic acid in the blood serum was determined accoring to King. The lowest average levels of L-ascorbic acid were found in February (cows 0.35 mg%, calves 1.02 mg%), and the highest in April (cows 1.00 mg%, calves 2.52 mg%). The level of L-ascorbic acid descended during ontogenesis from the value found at birth (6.72 mg%); the values of the first postpartal day are significantly higher in comparison with all the remainind observations. The results constituted a basis for a working hypothesis on the importance of colostrum as an exogenous source of L-ascorbic acid for calves.


[The effectiveness of the drugs Dovenix and Bilevon(R)-Injection against liver fascioliasis (Fasciola hepatica, Linné 1758) in cattle].

Dovenix and Bilevon-injection (manufactured by SPECIA, France and BAYER, West Germany, respectively) were tested for their anthelmintic efficacy against Fasciola hepatica in cattle. The drugs proved highly effective against both adult and immature flukes. The faeces of the treated animals were negative for F. hepatica eggs when examined 91 days after the treatment. In experiments with rats Dovenix and Bilevon-injection were tolerated up to eight times and ten times higher doses than the normal therapeutic dose, respectively.


[The occurrence of a toxigenic strain of Fusarium tricinctum in connection with disease in a dairy cow].

The fungus Fusarium tricinctum, producing T-2 toxin, was isolated from mouldy maize silage. T-2 toxin was identified by TLC and by a bioassay. Consumption of mouldy silage resulted in a disease in a dairy cow, which had to be killed. The patho-anatomical findings obtained in the slaughtered cow generally suggested trichothecene poisoning. It was derived from these findings that the disease was due to the presence of trichothecenes in the feed.


[Vitamin E concentration in the blood serum of sows during pregnancy and lactation].

The dynamics of vitamin E in the blood serum of sows of the Slovak Large White breed was studied from the 10th day of gravidity to the 20th day of lactation. A slight variation was observed in the average values of serum vitamin E from the 10th to the 50th day of gravidity (from 0.134 to 0.122 and 0.129 mg per 100 ml). A rise to the absolutely highest average values of serum concentration of vitamin E, 0.166 mg per 100 ml, was ascertained in the period from the 70th to the 90th day of gravidity. In the subsequent period, i.e. 110th day of gravidity, the value dropped to 0.120 mg per 100 ml, and on the 5th day of lactation the absolutely lowest value (0.095 mg per 100 ml) for the whole study was obtained. On the 20th day of lactation the serum concentration of vitamin E increased on an average to 0.103 mg per 100 ml. These data indicate the critical periods in the levels of vitamin E; these are from the 90th to the 100th day of gravidity and the first days of lactation when the concentration of vitamin E markedly decreases. If vitamin E is not supplemented to the sows during gravidity in sufficient amounts, preclinical and clinical vitamin E deficiency can be expected to occur.


[The effect of chorionic gonadotropin administration on testosterone levels in the blood of boars with sexual function disorders].

Thirty-three boars with sexual dysfunctions and twenty-six boars clinically sound as to their reproductive capacity were evaluated for the testosterone levels in the blood plasma before i.v. administration of 500 i.u. of chorionic gonadotropin and two hours after the administration. A group of animals with reproduction disorders comprised boars with an impaired quality of ejaculate and low fertility ability (18 boars) and with sexual dysfunctions (15 boars). No statistically significant difference in the basal concentration of testosterone in the blood was found in the boars with the studied sexual dysfunctions, as compared with the boars with no sexual dysfunctions. Administration of chorionic gonadotropin increased significantly the plasma testosterone levels in both groups. If the effect of chorionic gonadotropin on the studied level of this hormone was compared in boars with sexual dysfunctions and in boars without any disorders, no significant differences were proved. It has been inferred from the above findings that there are no significant disorders of androgen supply and incretion reserve of the gonads in the boars with sexual dysfunctions.


[The effect of feeding rumen contents on glutamate dehydrogenase activity in some organs of broilers].

The effect of the replacement of 50, 60 and 80% of proteins in diet by dried rumen contents on glutamate dehydrogeanse activity (EC 1.4.1.3) in the kidneys, liver, and caecum tissue and contents was studied in broilers. The liver and caecum tissue did not show any significant changes in the activity of glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH) in dependence on the concentration of rumen contents in the diet. A statistically significant drop of GLDH activity was ascertained in the kidneys, the drop being the most marked at a 65% concentration of rumen contents in the diet. Similarly, a statistically significant decrease of GLDH activity, caused by rumen contents feeding in comparison with the control, was observed in caecum contents, in which the activity of GLDH was the highest.


[An electricodynamic cathethermometer and heat conditions in pens for piglets].

In the farrowing houses the electric dynamic katathermometer (EDK) was used to determine the thermal conditions in boxes for piglets heated by electric infraradiators (EIZ) with an input of 525 W. The density of heat flow of the EDK sensor in the boxes which characterizes the cooling properties of this environment was zero or only very low if the infraradiators were installed 60 to 70 cm above the floor of the boxes, i. e. so as to temper the air to a temperature recommended by the standard. This is apparently caused by the relatively great radiation from the infraradiator which is not registered by the mercury thermometer but is absorbed by the body surface of the piglets and may lead to their overheating. A desirable increase in the cooling properties of the box environment and of the other spaces of the farrowing house was achieved by decreasing the infraradiator input to 260 W and suspending them 50 cm above the floor of the boxes. Their fixation at a greater height allowed the further effective regulation of the heat conditions in the boxes while at the same time cutting down electric energy consumption by a half.


[Effectiveness of environmental disinfection with formalin aerosol].

The effectiveness was tested of preventive disinfection of pig-fattening houses with formalin, applied as aerosol with the Swingfog SN 100 apparatus. The effectiveness of this treatment was evaluated according to the proportion of smears containing lactoso-positive micro-organisms, expressed as a percentage of the total number of smears, and according to the reduction of contamination with E. coli and St. aureus on wooden or aluminium carriers. The effectiveness was found to be good and the treatment is recommended as suitable for the preventive disinfection of stables. However, the following procedure should be strictly observed: Before disinfection the stables must be thoroughly mechanically cleansed, dried, and well closed to be air-tight. The air temperature in these premises should not be lower than 12 degrees C. Formalin (with a minimum content of 40% of formaldehyde) should be applied at a rate of at least 10 ml per 1 m3 of space and the agent should be diluted with water at 1 : 1 ratio prior to use. The aerosol should be produced by the Swingfog SN 100 generator, adjusted to apply about 40 1 of the solution per hour. The maximum space treated from one place should be limited to 500 m3. The exposure time should be at least 16 hours.


[Determination of chlorinated pesticide residues by gas chromatography].

Possibilities were tested of using several phases of chromatography used in toxicological laboratories (3% OV-1, 3% OV-17, 3% NPGS + 0.75% TA) and mixed fillings (3% OV-17, 7.5% QF-1, 3% XE-60 in a 2 : 2. : 1 ratio) in the separation of chlorinated pesticides. In the tested fillings, the retention volumes and Kováts indices were measured for 16 chlorinated hydrocarbons. The amounts of chlorinated hydrocarbon residues in water and eggs were also determined.


Electrocerebral changes in acute alpha-chloralose poisoning: a case report.

A patient who had swallowed a high dose of alpha-chloralose (AC) exhibited a severe CNS depression, myoclonic convulsions and a flat EEG tracing. An episode of respiratory depression occurred also during hospitalization. The cerebral electrical activity reappeared after 18 hrs., EEG and clinical pictures subsequently showing a rapid improvement. Chemical tests revealed the presence of 0.3 mg/100 ml of trichloroethanol in the blood. Treatment included the administration of diazepam against convulsions and assisted respiration. This case confirms previous clinical and experimental observations, proving that AC should be regarded as a convulsant in addition to being an anesthetic agent.


Complement components detected on normal red blood cells taken into EDTA and CPD.

Normal red blood cells (RBC) from fresh EDTA and CPD blood and from stored CPD blood were examined for the presence of bound subcomponents of C3 and C4. By serologic agglutination tests, only C3d was detectable on the cells. Incubation in compatible fresh normal serum (FNS) at 37 degrees C appeared to increase the amount of 3Cd on the RBC. C3b was serologically detectable only on stored CPD cells and only after incubation in compatible FNS. No. C4 components were detected on the cell surfaces in agglutination tests. Using an indirect labeling technique, small, but significant, amounts of C3d and C4d were found on all three types of untreated cells. C3b was present on stored CPD cells only. The indirect labeling technique showed a significant increase in C3d and C4d on all cells following incubation i- compatible FNS, whereas bound C3b was significantly increased only with stored CPD cells. There was no increase in bound C4b following serum incubation. The average number of C3d molecules per cell on normal EDTA cells was 557 and average Ko was 3.6 x 10(7) l/mol.


The Duffy blood group system in Israeli Jews and Arabs.

The distribution of the Fy gene was studied in 1,207 Israeli Jews and 509 Arabs. The Fy(a--b--) phenotype (FyFy) was observed in Moslem, Christian and Druze Arabs, and in Jewish immigrants from Yemen and Iraq, but not in Sephardi or Ashkenazi Jews. The Fy gene frequencies in Arabs and Jews were compatible with historical evidence of interactions with native African and admixed regional populations. Compared with Rho (cDe) and Jsa, Fy(a--b--) is a more useful genetic marker for recognizing African admixture in Middle Eastern populations.


Red cell antibody screening with the Groupamatic system. I. Bromelin methyl-cellulose and saline techniques: evaluation of five years' routine use.

These data comprise 1,231,024 routine tests carried out over a 5-year period on voluntary blood donors. The percentage of positive results on the machines varies from 1 to 3% of the total number of samples tested. Antibodies identified either by manual or automated techniques make up 15--20% of the positive screening reactions. Rhesus, Luewis and P systems prevail, whilst Duffy, Kidd and Ltheran systems are absent. This screening has three main advantages: the supply of plasma for our production of test sera, or therapeutic immunoglobulins; protection of the recipient; partial information on the donor's immunohaematological state, especially for the risk of giving him incompatible blood sometimes in the future.


[Polyamine oxidative deamination in hepatomas with varying growth rates].

Rates of oxidative deamination of polyamines were studied in rapidly growing hepatomas G-22 and G-27, in slowly growing hepatomas G-60, G-61, G-48, G-46 as well as in liver tissue of tumor-bearing animals and animals treated with nitrose piperidine. Diamine oxidase activity was not found in rapidly growing hepatomas. Treatment with pyridoxal-phosphate did not restore the diamine oxidase activity in hepatomas G-27, but distinctly increased the latter in the liver tissue of the tumor-bearing animals up to the level of the enzymatic activity found in liver tissue of the intact animals. On the contrary, high concentrations of pyridoxal-phosphate (above 0.02 mg) inhibited the diamine oxidase activity in liver tissue of the impaired and intact animals. The enzymatic activity was markedly decreased in slowly growing hepatomas G-60, G-61, G-48 and G-46 as compared with the activity in liver tissue of tumor-bearing animals. Oxidation of all the substrates used could be measured using hepatoma G-60, putrescine and spermidine - for hepatoma G-61, but only putrescine - for hepatoma G-48. No of the substrates used was deaminated by hepatoma G-46. Four-fold decrease in the diamine oxidase activity was observed during malignization of liver cells induced by nitrose piperidine. The diamine oxidase was mainly localized in the postmitochondrial fraction of hepatocytes.


Long-term support of a patient with aplastic anemia by platelets and granulocytes from donors of a HLA-A,B identical family.

The case of an 18-year-old male patient with aplastic anemia is reported who was successfully treated by platelets from his father, mother and uncle over a period 8 months because of the very rare constellation of HLA-A,B identity in the family. The patient deceased from uncontrollable septicemia.


[Comparison of glibenclamide, gliquidone, glisoxepide and placebo in maturity onset diabetics of differing degrees of severity (author's transl)].

The purpose of the study was to investigate whether the potency of effect on the beta cell differs with type of sulfonylurea (SU) and with degree of severity of diabetes. 12 maturity onset diabetics were classed according to fasting blood glucose (FBG) in three groups of 4 patients each. Each patient served as his own control. Glibenclamide, Gliquidone, Glusoxepide and placebo were administered in random order with degree dosage adjusted according to degree of severity of diabetes. All patients were given a standardized diet with 150 g carbohydrates per day. Fullday profiles of blood glucose, insulin, C-peptide and sulfonylurea level in serum were made on the third day under each preparation. Results showed that with proper nutrition and sufficient weight reduction, patients in group I (FBG 80--130 mg/dl) needed no oral medication and in fact showed a tendency towards hypoglycaemic episodes under oral therapy. In group II (FBG 130--200 mg/dl) the effect of nutrients on beta cell secretion appeared to be both enhanced and accelerated by SU administration. Satisfactory metabolic control was achieved with SU, but not with placebo. This group seems to represent the type of patient most likely to benefit from SU therapy. In spite of high dosage levels, satisfactory control was not achieved with SU in any patient in group III (FBG greater than 200 mg/dl). Depending on individual factors such as ketosis-proneness, vascular complications, age and psycho-social aspects, insulin administration should be considered for these patients. There were not differences between the individual SU preparations in the parameters studied. There was insufficient evidence for a pharmacokinetic differential diagnosis.


Inhibition of hepatic drug-metabolizing enzymes by arachidonic acid.

1. The effects of arachidonic acid on hepatic drug-metabolizing enzymes was investigated in male ICR-Swiss mice. 2. A single administration of arachidonic acid, 100 mg/kg i.p., doubled the hexobarbital sleeping time. Arachidonic acid in vitro gave a type I binding spectrum with hepatic microsomes; it inhibited the metabolism of hexobarbital and of ethylmorphine, two type I binding drugs, but not that of aniline, a type II binding drug; the inhibition of hexobarbital metabolism by arachidonic acid was competitive. 3. Repeated administration of arachidonic acid up to a total dose of 1000 mg/kg i.p., either in the course of 5 hours, or in the course of 5 days, decreased microsomal cytochrome P-450 levels and NADPH-cytochrome c reductase activity. 4. It is concluded that the administration of arachidonic acid may impair drug metabolism in two ways, mainly, by competitively inhibiting the activity of drug-metabolizing enzymes, and secondarily, by decreasing the hepatic concentration of these enzymes.


Practolol metabolism in various small animal species.

1. The metabolism of the beta-adrenergic blocking agent practolol has been studied in a variety of small animal species, using both ring- and acetyl-14C-labelled material. After oral dosing at 100 mg/kg, elimination of 14C in urine and expired air was monitored, and urinary metabolite patterns were examined by t.l.c. 2. Marmoset was unusual in extensively deacetylating practolol (c. 57% dose). Urinary elimination was low, with only 25% being recovered in 4 days; over 30% of urinary 14C was present as desacetyl practolol, whereas less than 50% was unchanged practolol. 3. Hamster was also atypical, in its extensive hydroxylation of practolol. Urine contained 60% dose; 11% of urinary radioactivity was present as 3-hydroxypractolol, much of the polar material present (48%) appeared to be a conjugate of this, and only 35% was present as practolol. 4. For the other species studied (rat, mouse, guinea-pig and rabbit, metabolism was more limited. Deacetylation was typically about 5%, but was somewhat higher in the mouse (8--14%). Urine was the major route of elimination and practolol represented 50--90% of urinary radioactivity. 5. Despite extensive toxicity studies, both in species which metabolize practolol similarly to man and in species such as the hamster and marmoset which metabolize practolol extensively, no animal model has been found for the human adverse reactions.


The use of naturally occurring cancer in domestic animals for research into human cancer: general considerations and a review of canine skeletal osteosarcoma.

For many years, research into human cancer has concentrated on human patients and on artificially induced neoplasms in inbred murine hosts. Cancer, however, affects a great variety of mammals, particularly those that have been domesticated. Suchf naturally occurring neoplasms are common in dogs, cats, cattle, horses, etc., and offer fertile ground for studies relating to epidemiologyf, etiology, immunobiology, and therapy. Canine osteosarcoma is described in detail. The clinicopathologic features of this canine tumor closely approximate that of human osteosarcoma and thus make canine osteosarcoma an invaluable comparative model. Canine osteosarcoma and other naturally occurring tumors lie intermediate between the mouse models and human cancer. The use of these veterinary models in the future fabric of cancer research will broaden its base and will influence our conceptual approach to research and clinical options.


Increased responsiveness of electric precipitation (electrosynerese) by means of a chemical method.

Electric precipitation is a method in serological diagnostics (determination of species-specificity). Since serum protein fractions (especially immunoglobulins) and extracts from blood stains migrate in agar-gel at pH 8.2--8.6 towards the cathode they cannot be used for the determination of the species specificity. By a chemical method using glutaraldehyde authors have produced an albumin-immunoglobulin complex, altering in this way the direction of electrophoretic mobility. Treatment of the blood samples with glutaraldehyde increases the sensitivity and realiability of the method.


An analysis of the organization of vocal communication in the titi monkey Callicebus moloch.

Vocalizations of titi monkeys were recorded from 6 groups at two sites in the Ilanos of Colombia during 8 months of study. Frequency and temporal measurements from spectrograms of recordings, and differences in their patterns of use, were used to characterize call types. Animals repeat calls to form phrases, and combine phrases to form sequences. The six sequence types, defined by different transition probabilities between phrases, varied in proportion in different contexts. To examine the effect of order of phrases on response, I played back artificially constructed sequences to subject groups. I discuss hierarchical and sequential mechanisms as generators of vocal sequences, and draw comparisons with models of human language.


[Effect of anodal polarization of several subcortical structures on the spatial synchronization of cortical potentials during elaboration of a defensive conditioned reflex in rabbits].

The effect of the functional state of some thalamic and hypothalamic nuclei, modified by anode polarization, on spatial synchroneity of cortical potentials (SSCP) and the speed of elaboration of a conditioned defensive reflex (CDR) were studied in chronic experiments on 15 rabbits. Reversible blockade of the studied subcortical structures considerably affected the local SSCP form and the reflex execution. In intrasignal periods the global SSCP practically did not change. A comparative analysis of the results permits an assumption that the mammillary bodies play an important role in the formation of local SSCP at the beginning of defensive conditioning and that in the stabilized reflex, this SSCP form requires the activity of non-specific thalamic nuclei.


Untyped forms of faecal streptococci in Egyptian sewage and Nile water.

When  the thallous-azide agar medium was used a higher incidence of pure faecal streptococci recovery was recorded especially from slightly polluted vehicles such as river water than on the standard M-enterococcus agar medium. In addition, a thallous-azide combination at pH 6.5 was used successfully for the primary isolation of Str. faecalis and its two variants. Results of biochemical tests of 274 faecal streptococci isolates showed that 20% belonged to Str. faecalis and its two variants as well as Str. durans, Str. faecium and Str. equinus. Thirty-eight percent of the isolated strains were classified as atypical I, II, III, and V previously designated by COOPER and RAMADAN (1955) as well as the unclassified group of RAMADAN et al. (1972). While the remaining 42% were found to belong to seven different categories (SALEH 1976 and 1977). The correlation between four differential tests used for defining the source of faecal streptococci isolates was discussed.


Subtilopeptidase A produced by Bacillus subtilis PR-70. I. Kinetic behaviour of solubilized enzymes.

The kinetic behaviour of subtilopeptidase A was investigated. The enzyme was obtained from a local isolate of B. subtilis PR-70. The rate of enzyme catalyzed conversion of substrate to product is directly proportional to the enzyme concentration, v = K(E). Michaelis constant was determined using different methods. The average of Km value is equal to 0.01615. The Vmax and Et were determined being 0.71 and 1.467, respectively, using KUNITZ's casein digestion method. The enzymeconcentration involved in the reaction system is equal to 97.8%. A trial to calculate the molecular weight and the number of active groups were discussed.


[Quality and efficiency of surgery in a district-hospital (author's transl)].

Control of quality and efficiency of surgical procedures performed is of utmost importance to every surgeon. This voluntary self-control has regularly been made by us for ten years. It allows accurate statements to be made on both the level of proficiency in surgery and the effectiveness of the surgical work done.


[Rickettsia conorii and prowazekii plaque study in a chick fibroblast cell culture].

The results of the study of plaques formed by R. conorii (strain M 1) and R. prowazeki (strain E and erythromycin-resistant strain E) in chick fibroblast cell culture are presented. In this study the tissue monolayer was inoculated with rickettsiae suspended in various media, and media of different composition were used in the nutrient cover and for cell cultivation. The maximum plaque formation was observed under the following conditions: the monolayer of chick fibroblasts (seeding density was not less than 375,000 cells per 1 sq. cm) was grown in medium 199 with 5-10% of fresh fetal or calf serum and inoculated with rickettsiae suspended in heart-brain infusion; the nutrient cover was prepared on the basis of Seakem agarose (USA) and contained medium 199 (without antibiotics) and 10% of fresh fetal or calf serum. In these conditions R. conorii formed plaques 2 mm in diameter, the first plaques being observed on day 6, and most of them on days 7-9; the both strains of R. prowazeki formed plaques 1 mm in diameter, the first plaques being observed on days 8-9, and most of them on days 10-13.


[Immunoglobulin level in viral hepatitis patients].

The results of studying the dynamics of serum immunoglobulins in patients with viral hepatitis varying in severity are presented. At the acute stage of the disease pronounced shifts in the content of all the three classes of immunoglobulins were found to occur in the patients irrespective of their age. Higher levels of IgM detected in women seem to be due to the physiological peculiarities of the female organism. Gamma globulin prophylaxis, when carried out at the incubation period, has been shown to exert a negative influence on humoral immunity.


[Cell structure and the pathogenicity of Brucella at different stages of L transformation].

On the basis of changes in the biological properties and morphology of Br. abortus culture under the action of penicillin 3 stages of L-transformation in Brucella were determined. The prevalence of first bacilliform and then typical L-cells and rapid reversion hampering the determination of virulence were characteristic of the initial stage (passages 1-4). Typical L-cells with the wrinkled surface, deep depressions and holes as well as a decrease in virulence and slight pathomorphological changes in the organs of the infected animals were characteristics of the intermediate stage (passages 5-10). Typical L-cells and amorphous masses, a further decrease in virulence, pathomorphological changes of toxic character (only after the injection of L-culture in large doses) were characteristic of the late stage (from passage 11 and further on). At all stages of L-transformation Brucella cultures showed a high reproductive capacity, binary division, the formation of elementary bodies by budding both inside and on the surface of L-cells.


[Ultrastructural changes in the cells of a nonsynchronous Pseudomonas aeruginosa culture occurring under the influence of chlorhexidine bigluconate].

Total preparations of P. aeruginosa (strain 65) were studied after contrastive treatment with 2% phosphato-tungstic acid and 2% uranyl acetate; ultrathin sections of bacteria treated with chlorhexidine bigluconate in various concentrations and fixied by the method of Hoffmann et al. were also studied with the use of an electron microscope IEM 100 v. Structural and morphological changes depending on the concentration and the time of action of the antiseptic were discovered; these changes were manifested by bacterial lysis and coagulation, the lossening of the cell wall with revealing its five-layer structure.


[Assessment of the effectiveness of different methoods of immunization with live plague vaccine EB in aerosol infections].

The work deals with the results of the comparative evaluation of the effectiveness of vaccines developed at the Sanitary Research Institute (Zagorsk) and the Mechnikov Research Institute for Vaccines and Sera (Moscow), as well as two methods of immunization against plague, by inhalation and subcutaneous injection, under the conditions of aerosol infection. The immunogenic effectiveness of both vaccines, when evaluated in terms of LD50, was shown to be approximately the same, but the animals immunized by the inhalation method with the vaccine developed at the Sanitary Research Institute proved to be less susceptible to infection than those immunized with the vaccine developed at the Mechnikov Research Institute for Vaccines and Sera in Moscow. After immunization by the inhalation method the vaccine developed at the Sanitary Research Institute rendered more effective protection (3- to 4-fold) against aerosol infection than after immunization by subcutaneous injection. The animals immunized by the inhalation method proved to be capable of surviving plague in the primary pneumonic form.


[Evaluation of the role of specific antimeningococcal antibodies in the spread of meningococcal carrier states in collectives].

The results of serological, bacteriological and epidemiological studies carried out in populations with different epidemic pattern of meningococcal infection are presented. A-group specific antibody was found to have the leading role in the intensity of the spread of meningococcal infection in the populations. The presence of antibody to this antigen in 16.7% of serum samples inhibited dissemination of meningococci in the populations. Simultaneously with an increase in the herd immunity level to 34.8% the attenuation of the active meningococcal dissemination cycle was observed. Meningococci isolated in the populations with different epidemic patterns of meningococcal infection were shown to have different ecological properties.


[Immunologic study of artificial complex antigens obtained from P. aeruginosa lipopolysaccharides].

Artificial antigens were obtained on the basis of the polysaccharide component of P. aeruginosa complexed with an indifferent protein. Immunological study indicated that the specific polysaccharide of P. aeruginosa lipopolysaccharide contained two structures, high molecular and low molecular, having qualitative and quantitative differences in their hydrocarbon composition. Artificial complex antigens possessed serological and immunogenic properties, the low molecular polysaccharide fraction complexed with protein having less pronounced serological and immunogenic activity than polysaccharide and the high molecular fraction complexed with protein. Antificial complex antigens exerted no protective effect in generalized P. aeruginosa infection in rats.


[Immunologic characteristics of the protein antigens of the Neisseriaceae family. I. Antigenic interrelationships between nonpathogenic representatives of the genus Neisseria].

The immunological characteristics of protein complexes isolated from the filtrates of broth cultures, obtained after prolonged incubation, of 86 strains of N. perflava, N. flava, N. subflava, N. Flaviscens, N. sica and N. mucosa are presented. All these strains, irrespective of their species, had 11--15 common antigens and differed by 1--4 components. The presence of common antigens in all representatives of the family Neisseriaceae has been proved to be important for the study of immunological reactivity to this group of microorganisms.


Non-progressive evolution, the Red Queen hypothesis, and the balance of nature.

The Red Queen hypothesis, or the ability organisms have to control and regulate the available trophic energy, is a recently proposed parameter for measuring fitness. Firstly, this hypothesis is analysed in terms of its heuristic power. Secondly, the claimed causal dependence between this parameter and a, still controversial, law of constant extinction is judged to be unjustified, however reasonable such a claim appears to be. Finally, the ubiquity of competition in nature which is seemingly required by the Red Queen and supposedly realized at the expense of a mutualistic alternative, is deemed to be a questionable assumption.


The origin of life. A cybernetic and informational process.

According to the model presented in this paper, the beginning of life was marked by the coupling of two complementary nucleotide bases: adenine and thymine. The adenine-thymine system received photons from the sun and stored their energy in the form of a chemical high-energy bond between two phosphoric acid molecules, which were before-hand fixed by adenine from the aqueous environment. The energy of the high-energy bond was then delivered in the form of two waves of electronic excitation. These were utilized to synthesize new molecules, starting from the carbonic acid and ammonia molecules, fixed from the aqueous environment by the polar groups of the nucleotide bases. In this way, a nucleotides-histone protosystem (NHPS) was self-synthesized, evolving step by step towards complexity, by means of some internal cybernetic and informational mechanisms. During its evolution, the NHPS synthesized a limiting membrane, produced the organizing elements of the cellular organelles (chloroplastes, mitochondria, ribosomes etc) and constructed microtubules and microfilaments. Subsequently, the NHPS evolved to the building of DNA-histone system and formed the cellular nucleus.


Morpho-functional principle of neuroendocrine system analysis.

A new approach to the analysis of the neuroendocrine system (NES) is suggested. It is based on the fact of structural and metabolic determination of any effect on cell and cell aggregates. The principle of a common communication channel in the NES is formulated and a possible method of its formalization is proposed.


Optimal body size and an animal's diet.

Within many animal taxa there is a trend for the species of larger body size to eat food of lower caloric value. For example, most large extant lizards are herbivorous. Reasonable arguments based on energetic considerations are often invoked to explain this trend, yet, while these factors set limits to feasible body size, they do not in themselves mathematically produce optimum body sizes. A simple optimization model is developed here which considers food search, capture, and eating rates and the metabolic cost of these activities for animals of different sizes. The optimization criterion is defined as the net calorie gain a consumer accrues per day. This model does produce an optimum intermediate body size which increases with food quality--not the reverse. This discrepancy is accounted for, however, because the model also predicts that body size should be even more sensitive to increases in food abundance. In nature, many poor quality foods are also relatively abundant foods, hence the consumers eating them may maximize their daily energetic profit by evolving a relatively large body size. Optimum consumer body size also decreases with increases in consumer metabolic rate and "prey" speed.


Conservative treatment with total parenteral nutrition in patients with gastroesophageal anastomotic leaks (anastomotic leaks conservatively treated).

Seventeen patients with anastomotic leaks after operation for cardiac or upper gastric cancers were treated conservatively with parenteral nutrition, antibiotics and drainage. Ten patients healed after in mean 33 days, while seven died. All febrile patients had elevation of blood urea, and four had abnormal hepatic enzymes during the parenteral nutrition. There were no significant venous or infectious complications due to the parenteral nutrition.


Effect of the acute administration of haloperidol and pimozide on plasma GH levels in acromegaly.

In 11 untreated acromegalic patients the plasma GH levels were determined after the acute administration of bromocriptine, haloperidol, pimozide (only in 8 patients) and of placebo. A 50% or more suppression of the basal GH levels was arbitrarily defined as a positive response to bromocriptine. Five patients displayed a negative response to bromocriptine. Of these, 4 responded to both antidopaminergic drugs. We conclude that the acute administration of antidopaminergic drugs reduces the GH secretion in some bromocriptine-insensitive acromegalic patients. Therapeutical implications will require further studies.


Effects of obesity, total fasting and re-alimentation on L-thyroxine (T4), 3,5,3'-L-triiodothyronine (T3), 3,3',5'-L-triiodothyronine (rT3), thyroxine binding globulin (TBG), cortisol, thyrotrophin, cortisol binding globulin (CBG), transferrin, alpha 2-haptoglobin and complement C'3 in serum.

The effects of total fasting for 31 +/- 10 days followed by re-alimentation with an 800 calorie diet on thyroid function, i.e. T4,T3,rT3,RT3U (resin T3 uptake), and TSH, and on TBG levels in serum were studied sequentially in obese hospitalized patients (N=18). Additionally, cortisol, growth hormone, prolactin, parathyrin and free fatty acids were followed as hormonal and metabolic parameters, respectively. Further, CBG, transferrin, alpha 2-haptoglobin and complement C'3 were measured as representatives of other serum proteins. Results before fasting: T4, T3, TBG, cortisol, CBG, alpha 2-haptoglobin and complement C'3 of the obese patients were elevated when compared with healthy normal weight controls, whereas rT3, T4/TBG ratio, T3/TBG ratio, TSH, coritsol/cbg ratio, growth hormone, prolactin, parathyrin and transferrin of the obese group were normal. RT3U and fT4 index were decreased in the obese patients. Results during fasting: Significant decreases were observed during fasting for the following parameters -- T3, TBG, T3/TBG ratio, transferrin, alpha 2-haptoglobin complement C'3. rT3, T4/TBG ratio, RT3U, fT4 index and FFA increased. T4, tsh response to TRH stimulation, cortisol, CBG, cortisol/cbg ratio, parathyrin, growth hormone and prolactin did not change. Results during re-alimentation: T3, TBG, T3/TBG ratio, TSH response to TRH, transferrin, alpha 2-haptoglobin and complement C'3 increased. Conversely, fT3, RT3U, FFA, cortisol and cortisol/cbg ratio decreased whereas the other parameters did not change. 1) There is no evidence for primary hypothyroidism in obese patients during prolonged fasting and re-alimentation. 2) The rapid decrease of T3 and increase of RT3U after initiation of fasting are not fully explained by the observed slower decreases in TBG. 3) The alterations of T3, rT3 and RT3U resemble in their kinetics the changes in FFA levels. 4) Fasting reduced the levels of only certain serum proteins, interestingly TBG, transferrin, alpha 2-haptoglobin and complement C'3, all of which, except transferrin, are elevated in obesity. 5) The magnitude of the observed decreases does not suggest any clinically relevant deficiencies in serum proteins. 6) Re-alimentation reverses rapidly all observed changes.


Studies of oxytocin in the baboon during pregnancy and delivery.

Oxytocin was determined by radioimmunoassay in pregnant baboons throughout gestation, in the foetus at caesarean section, and after oxytocin infusion into the mother and foetus. Serial maternal plasma oxytocin in 6 baboons during pregnancy showed a significant correlation between the gestational age and maternal plasma oxytocin concentrations with a correlation coefficient of r = 0.3185 and P less than 0.005. Seventy-one out of 75 plasma samples (94.7%) during pregnancy had detectable levels of oxytocin. Uterine vein plasma had higher oxytocin concentrations than maternal plasma and amniotic fluid (18.6 +/- 4.6 pg/ml; mean +/0 SE) but lower than umbilical, jugular vein and cardiac blood from the foetus. Foetal pituitary gland contained 5.4--26.1 micrograms oxytocin/g. Regular uterine contractions were established with iv oxytocin of 4--20 mU/min and the plasma oxytocin measured showed a significant correlation with the uterine activity achieved (r = 0.64, P less than 0.001). The disappearance of plasma oxytocin at 179 days gestation gave an apparent half-life of 1.1 and 1.7 min in 2 baboons with a late half-life of 9.9 and 17.3 min, respectively. In one baboon at 171 days gestation, the apparent half-life of oxytocin was 9.9 min. The metabolic clearance rates were calculated to be 3.1, 3.2 and 11.7 ml/kg/min, respectively. The production rates were 97, 74, 390 pg/kg/min, respectively. Oxytocin injected into the umbilical vessel near term showed an increase in oxytocin concentration in maternal and uterine vein plasma and amniotic fluid, suggesting that oxytocin can cross the placenta from the foetal to the maternal side. Our findings indicate that in the baboon (1) oxytocin is present throughout pregnancy, (2) uterine activity can be correlated with plasma oxytocin during oxytocin infusion, (3) foetal circulation has higher oxytocin concentration than maternal blood and (4) oxytocin probably can cross the placenta from the foetus to the mother.


Effect of cyproheptadine on thyrotrophin and prolactin secretion in normal man.

In order to investigate the effect of cyproheptadine, a compound with antiserotoninergic activity, on the secretion of thyrotrophin (TSH) and prolactin (PRL), the nocturnal secretory patterns of these hormones have been studied in 4 normal men in the basal state and after an oral treatment with the drug. In addition, the TSH and PRL responses to TRH of 6 women were compared in the basal conditions and after cyproheptadine treatment. The TSH nocturnal secretion was slightly modified by drug treatment. The response to TRH as well as the basal levels were comparable in the treated and non-treated subjects. In contrast, the PRL secretion measured through the nocturnal investigation was significantly inhibited by cyproheptadine administration as were the PRL basal levels in the TRH test. The PRL response to TRH was comparable in both situations.


Inhibitory effect of certain drugs on thyroid hormone binding by human liver cytosol.

Effects of dinitrophenol (DNP), salicylate, diphenylhydantoin (DPH) and heparin on thyroid-hormone binding by human liver cytosol were studied using Pevikon thin-layer electrophoresis. Thyroxine (T4) binding by the major cytosol T4-binding protein, hT4-2, was significantly depressed with these drugs, and the displaced T4 was bound by another cytosol binding protein, hT4-1. Triiodothyronine (T3) binding by the major cytosol T3-binding protein, hT3-2, was significantly decreased with DPH and heparin, but not with DNP and salicylate. Comparative studies using human serum indicated that T4 binding by serum T4-binding prealbumin (TBPA) was inhibited with DNP and salicylate, and that binding of T4 and T3 by serum T4-binding globulin (TBG) was decreased only with DPH. The results obtained indicate that these drugs inhibit thyroid-hormone binding by the liver cytosol binding proteins for T4 and T3, and that the displaced hormones may be responsible for changes in free hormone levels in serum, and within the cells, and for the accelerated turnover of hormones.


Isolation, characterization and radioimmunoassay of corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) in human serum -- clinical significance and comparison to thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG).

Isolation of the corticosteroid-binding globulin CBG was achieved by 5 chromatographical steps on cortisol Sepharose, QAE-Sephadex A-50, Con A-Sepharose and hydroxylapatite. The purity of the isolated CBG was demonstrated in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, SDS electrophoresis, immunodiffusion and ultracentrifugation. Microheterogeneity was shown in isoelectric focusing by 5 bands in the pH range of 3.7--4.2, which could be reduced to one major band after neuraminidase treatment. The equimolar binding of cortisol to CBG was demonstrated by binding studies. The association constant for cortisol was 2.8 x 10(8)M-1, for progesterone 1.7 x 10(6)M-1. From analytical ultracentrifugation, the molecular weight was calculated on 50 700; the sedimentation coefficient was 3.6 S, the partial specific volume 0.690 ml/g, the Stokes radius 38 A and the frictional coefficient ratio 1.5. A specific radioimmunoassay for CBG was established using the purified CBG for immunization, radioiodination and for calibration standards. The normal range of CBG levels in human serum was 2.4--4.4 mg/100 ml (mean +/- 2 SD). Studies were performed to compare the levels of CBG and thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG). No sex differences but a significant biphasic age dependence were observed for both proteins. In pregnancy and under oestrogen treatment of women and men, CBG was demonstrated to be the more distinct indicator of oestrogenic activity as compared with TBG, whereas the sensitivity of TBG was more pronounced to supposedly antioestrogenic substances like Danazol, and in severe disease. No coincidence of genetic CBG and TBG deficiencies have been found so far.


Clonal evolution of marker chromosomes in a case of myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia and myeloblastic transformation.

The diverse spectrum of acquired chromosome abnormalities in a female patient with myelofibrosis and myeloid metaplasia is described. A sequence of karyotypic evolution involving a ring chromosome is postulated. The terminal clinical picture was unusual in that there was obstructive renal failure from extramedullary myeloblastic transformation and infiltration of the bladder, and this was also present in other sites. Initially neutrophils showed low alkaline phosphatases activity but latterly two distinct populations in which cells had either high activity or none.


Y chromosome duplication: a minor route evolutive pattern in CML.

2 patients have been investigated, in which Y chromosome duplication occurred during blastic transformation of chronic myelocytic leukaemia. Comparison of cytogenetic findings and survival data in our cases and in previously reported individuals, suggests preliminary conclusions about the prognostic significance of this aneuploidy. Y chromosome gain does not seem to represent per se an unfavourable event, unless it is associated with additional chromosome change.


Suppression of granulopoiesis in diffusion chambers by syngeneic clonal acute myelogenous leukemia cells or peritoneal exudate macrophages.

To determine the mechanism by which acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) cells suppress normal marrow granulopoiesis, diffusion chambers containing Wistar/Furth (W/Fu) rat marrow cells, peritoneal exudate (PE) macrophages or W/Fu AML clone-3 cells were implanted intraperitoneally into syngeneic irradiated rats. Growth of each population over 21 days in single or double diffusion chambers (in which cell populations were separated by a Nucleopore filter) was compared to that of mixed populations. Double diffusion chamber culture of homologous or heterologous combinations had no detectable effect on growth kinetics of any of the three cell populations compared to single chambers. In contrast, normal granulocyte proliferation was significantly depressed by single chamber co-cultivation with one tenth the number of PE macrophages or AML cells. Mixing PE macrophages with AML cells produced no preferential population suppression. AML cells differentiation was not detected under any set of conditions. These studies demonstrate that physical contact with proliferating normal macrophages as well as AML cells will suppress granulopoiesis in diffusion chambers.


111In chloride bone marrow scintigraphy and ferrokinetic studies in a case of sickle cell anemia with transient erythroid aplasia.

A patient with sickle cell anemia was hospitalized because of an acute erythropoietic aplastic crisis. 111In chloride bone marrow scintigraphy performed during the aplastic crisis showed markedly impaired uptake of the radionuclide and simultaneous 59Fe clearance T 1/2 studies were prolonged (420.9 min). Following recovery from the aplastic crisis 111In scintigraphy revealed an expanded marrow and the radioiron clearance T 1/2 was accelerated (20.9 min). The clinical course, hemograms and bone marrow aspirations correlated with marrow scintigraphy. 111In appears to be a valuable marrow scanning agent for assessing the presence of intramedullary erythropoietic activity.


A comparison of hemoglobin A1c in human and baboon blood.

Cation exchange chromatography was performed on hemolysates prepared from human and baboon (Papio anubis) blood. In humans with diabetes mellitus and in baboons with pancreatectomy induced diabetes mellitus there were significant increases in Hbs A1, A1c, and A1a +A1b. The quantity of Hb A1 and Hb A1c in nondiabetic baboons was approximately one-half the quantity of Hb A1 and Hb A1c in nondiabetic humans. These differences may be explained by the differences in survival time between human and baboon red cells.


Intraluminal duodenal diverticulum diagnosed by intravenous cholangiography.

A case of gastrointestinal complaints with a long history due to an intraduodenal diverticulum is described. The patient had a gastric resection and a cholecystectomy before the correct diagnosis could be made by an intravenous cholangiography.


Histochemical patterns in human breast tumours.

Histochemical investigations carried out on 104 breast tumours (10 benign proliferations and 94 carcinomas) showed that breast carcinomas were characterized by various enzymological equipments in relation to tumour differentiation degree, histogenesis, functional stage, site of tumour cells in the carcinomatous islands or cords and to hormonal factors. Tumour cells -- stroma interrelationships study pointed out that high glycolysis (high LDH, NADPH2-TR, NADH2-TR activities) and an intense LEPA-activity of tumour cells seem to be favourable for proliferation and local tumour cells migration.


Lymphocyte activation and the increase of nuclear birefringence.

Nuclear birefringence of neutral red or rivanol stained cell suspensions from rat spleen has been investigated. Polyclonal or monoclonal mitogens produced an increased birefringence of the nucleus following 30 min in vitro stimulation at 37 degrees C. The nuclear birefringence increased by 62.2% [p less than 0.001], when the cells were incubated in the supernatants of a previously phytohemaglutinin stimulated culture. Amantadine, a potent phytohemagglutinin inhibitor, was unable to prevent the effect of the supernatant, but heating for 1 h at 56 degrees C destroyed its activity. The results suggest that increase in nuclear birefringence is mediated by a soluble factor which is released in the course of lymphocyte activation. The nuclear birefringence of surviving cells from human spleens obtained within 6 to 24 h post mortem increases after in vitro stimulation.


[Ultrastructural localization of the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in the diaphragm of the rat embryo (author's transl)].

Electron histochemistry revealed intense AChE activity in the diaphragm of 15 days old rat embryos. The reaction product was localized to the perinuclear cisterna and the cisternae of the sarcoplasmic reticulum of myoblasts. The development of myoneural contacts at day 17 of gestation was preceded by the appearance of AChE activity of muscle cells. Sarcoplasmic cisternae and vesicles in the subjunctional sarcoplasm may play an important role in the development of the AChE activity of the postjunctional sarcolemm.


[Photomicrography of autoradiographs (author's transl)].

It is often desirable to delineate the areas of autoradiograms where accumulations of silver grains are observed in order to establish topographic landmarks. This is prevented by either bright field or dark field illuminatiated photographs, where the topography of the silver grains is neglected despite the high resolution obtainable by autoradiography, but may be done by taking advantage of a modification of dark field illumination thus generating an additional bright field effect. This modification also enables to correlate selective histochemical reaction sites with the area of silver grain accumulation.


Developmental-related changes in the lectin binding to cells of the central nervous system.

Developmental related changes in Concanavalin A binding to nerve tissue are reported in this paper. ConA binding sites were studied in brains of rats and chicks at different embryological stages using the ConA-Peroxidase-DAB sequence. Developmental related changes in the extent, and pattern of ConA binding sites were observed in the neuronal perikaryon. An increment in the uptake of ConA is parallel to neuronal maturation, and to the development of Golgi apparatus and endoplasmic reticulum. A great density of ConA binding sites is found in radial glial processes in rat brain at day 15 following insemination. The density of ConA binding sites in radial glial processes decreases in the following days. At day 18 ConA binding sites in these glial processes are not found. ConA binding sites in oligodendroglia and myelin coat are not found before birth.


The main neutral protease of rat skin is a mast cell enzyme. Immunohistochemical localization of the enzyme in rat skin with the peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) complex method.

The highly sensitive PAP immunoperoxidase method was used to localize the main neutral protease of rat skin. The use of the neutral detergent, Triton X-100, in the reagent and washing solutions was observed to effectively decrease the nonspecific staining. The specific staining was localized to the mast cell granules.


Detection of iodine, sulphur and phosphorus in histological thyroid sections by using electron probe microanalysis.

Electron probe microanalysis for iodine, sulphur and phosphorus was performed in histological frozen sections from thyroid tissue of 5 patients undergone thyroid surgery for benign disease. Iodine seemed to be localized in the colloid of the thyroid follicles. Phosphorus localized in areas which corresponded with the epithelium of the follicles. Sulphur showed a strong association with iodine both in localization and in relative amounts. It was suggested that iodine and sulphur reflect the presence of thyroglobulin in the colloid of thyroid follicles.


The histochemical demonstration of guanase: observations in the human central nervous system.

1. A method is described for the histochemical demonstration of the purine catabolizing enzyme guanase, employing glutaraldehyde fixation and Nitro blue tetrazolium (NBT). Parallel biochemical studies confirm that enzyme activity is not significantly inhibited by exposure to glutaraldehyde. 2. By this procedure guanase activity has been visualized in neurons and glial elements of the human central nervous system (CNS). 3. Controls consisted of direct incubation of cryostat sections with a specific inhibitor of guanase (5-amino-4-imidazole carboxamide) and omission successively of the substrate guanine, of xanthine oxidase and of NBT. Enzyme activity was completely inhibited by the above procedures, and by boiling of tissues for 10 min prior to fixation. 4. Levels of enzyme activity in spinal cord and brain were assessed by a subjective scoring method, and showed close comparability with biochemical assay data in brainstem and cerebral hemispheres; whereas a low correlation for enzyme activity was observed in spinal cord and cerebellum. Differences between biochemical and histochemical assessments of CNS guanase activity are discussed.


On the morphology of the Golgi apparatus and its relation to glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in neurosecretory nuclei of rats under normal and thirsting conditions (application of karyometry).

Histochemical studies on the distribution of TPPase and G6PD in SON and PVN of rats have been conducted by using the new TPPase method, karyometry, and statistics under normal and thirsting conditions. All differences in nuclear volume among the 4 groups classified by the TPPase and G6PD reactions were significant after thirsting for 2 and 4 days, respectively. The intimate parallel relationship was found statistically between the GA shape and G6PD activity in neurons of both nuclei. These results may substantiate the usefulness of classification of neurons of both nuclei. These results may substantiate the usefulness of classification of neurons by the TPPase method on the LM level. They also suggest strongly that the GA shape may directly indicate its synthesizing activity, and that the complicate GA shape may correspond to the phase of vigorous synthesizing activity in the neuron. Both nuclei included some neurons whose GA appeared intact under activation. This suggests that secretory cycles of individual cells may proceed asynchromously under thirsting as well as normal conditions. The unique peak revealed by the curves of mean nuclear volumes of GA Type IV and G6PD. strongly positive groups only in PVN must be representative of phenomenon of exhaustion of PVN.


Effect of halothane anaesthesia on primary antibody response in the chicken.

The effect of a single anaesthesia of 2 hours' duration with 1% v/v halothane and of 1, 2, and 3 hours' duration with 2% v/v halothane was studied on the primary antibody response in line-bred chickens. In contradistinction to earlier studies, the immunisation was performed during anaesthesia to resemble antigenic exposure in surgical practice. The IgG and IgM antibodies against the antigens, bovine serum albumin (BSA) and formalin-killed Brucella abortus organisms (Brucella), were quantified by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The halothane concentration of the blood was measured by gas chromatography at the end of anaesthesia. Anaesthesia with 1% and 2% v/v halothane given in the antigen-processing phase of humoral immune response had no effect on the concentrations of IgG-and IgM-anti-BSA and IgG-and IgM-anti-Brucella antibodies in the primary antibody response.


Cost-benefit analysis of posterior fusion of the lumbosacral spine.

In this study the cost-benefit ratio of posterior fusion of the lumbosacral spine was assessed. The calculations were based on 118 operated patients, followed up for an average of 4.8 years. Costs were calculated using the average costs of treatment at central hospitals, visits to the outpatient department and travelling. The costs for one patient exceeded on average 5,569 US dollars. The economic benefits derived from the operations were estimated by the work output of those 36 patients who postoperatively returned to their previous or a corresponding occupation. The postoperative work output was estimated using the coefficients for known causes of retirement (emigration, mortality, disability). The benefits of one lumbosacral fusion amounted on average to 16,075 US dollars. Fusion of the lumbosacral spine prove to be profitable at a cost-benefit ratio of 1 : 2.9. If the selection of patients for operation could be made so as to guarantee that working capacity is restored by operative treatment, the cost-benefit ratio might be improved to 1 : 9.5. It is emphasized that cost-benefit analyses of surgical procedures are important from the standpoint of principles of treatment and priority of operations. This study deals with economic aspects only. The medical aspects of the present material have been presented in two previous papers.


Modification of the macaque's vestibulo-ocular reflex after ablation of the cerebellar vermis.

In macaque, the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) as evaluated by the time constant of nystagmus in a modified Bárány spinning test, shows a regular pattern of change with time after ablation of the vermis cerebelli. One day ablation the time constant is in the low normal range; it then increases, and after one week assumes values in the high normal range. While the time constant is high, the VOR is resistant to modification by repeated testing, but may be modified by unidirectional optokinetic nystagmus and by experience with reversing spectacles. These results suggest that the vermis of the cerebellum plays no crucial role in modifications of the VOR by visual inputs, but is involved when the VOR is modified by repeated vestibular experience.


[Etiology and therapy of Ludwig's angina].

After two case reports of Ludwig's angina, the pathogenesis, the bacteriology and the treatment of this syndrome is reviewed. The initial antimicrobial therapy should be broad enough to inhibit the gram-negative and anaerobic organisms. The antibiotherapy should be completed by the incision and the drainage of the submandibular region. The sudden airway obstruction will be prevented by a tracheotomy under local anesthesia.


Study of malignant lymphomas from the aspect of immunoglobulin production.

Intracytoplasmic localization of immunoglobulins in neoplastic cells of malignant lymphomas was studied by both light and electron microscopic immunoperoxidase methods. This was demonstrated in 17 out of 71 cases submitted to light or electron microscopic immunoperoxidase methods. Out of 19 cases examined by the electron microscopic immunoperoxidase method, immunoglobulins were intracellularly identified in 10 cases; 3 out of 6 cases which were diagnosed as follicular lymphoma, 3 out of 5 cases of reticulosarcoma, 2 out of 6 cases of lymphosarcoma and 2 cases of immunoblastic sarcoma. Out of the above 10 cases, IgM was demonstrated in 9 cases except one of immunoblastic sarcoma in which IgA, IgG and IgM were identified intracellularly. In addition to these findings, our ultracytological and pathological studies have indicated that immunoglobulin-producing tumors can be classified into the following three major groups according to their cellular origin; germinal centers (group 1), primary follicles (group 2) and extrafollicular (group 3). Group 1 is comprised of follicular lymphoma and reticulosarcoma, group 2 lymphosarcoma, and group 3 immunoblastic sarcoma.


Macroglobulinemia Waldenström complicated by autoimmune hemolytic anemia, meningeal sign and femoral lysis.

A necropsied case of macroglobulinemia Waldenström with unusual complications was presented; the patient was found to have autoimmune hemolytic anemia, first. During the course of its treatment, he developed monoclonal immunoglobulin M in serum together with lytic osseous lesion in both femurs, and died of meningeal involvement by tumor cells. Clinically, he had hepatosplenomegaly and generalized lymphadenopathy. The macroglobulin was kappa type of light chain, ultracentrifugation showed sharp spike of 21S in 18.6%, and myelogram revealed increased lymphocytoid series of 29.6%. It was proved that autoantibody causing autoimmune hemolytic anemia was composed of IgG and macroglobulin itself had no activity as an anti-red cell antibody. An emphasis was made that autoimmune hemolytic anemia followed by macroglobulinemia is based on the state of immunodeficiency of this patient.


Deoxyribonucleic acid relatedness among species of slowly-growing mycobacteria.

DNA-DNA hybridization is a reliable method for determining the phylogenetic relationship between bacterial strains The hybridization kinetics for DNA from different slowly-growing mycobacteria were measured optically in a spectrophotometer. The results indicate that M. tuberculosis and M. bovis belong to one species. M. avium and M. intracellulare are two species, but some serotypes, now designated M. intracellulare, actually belong to M. avium.


Nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction by bacteria. Some properties of the reaction and its possible use.

All the S. albus, E. coli and P. aeruginosa strains examined reduced nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) to dark blue formazan. The amount of formazan produced was proportional to the number of bacteria. Under the same growth conditions, an equal number of bacteria of various strains produced different amounts of formazan. However, there were statistically verified differences in the NBT-reduction between the three species examined. The NBT-reduction took place in all phases of growth but was most intense in the early logarithmic phase. NBT was found to be toxic for bacteria, and the different strains had varying sensitivity to that effect. The NBT-reaction was markedly enhanced by phenazine methosulphate (PMS). The blue colour of formazan produced from NBT has an advantage over the red colour from triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) if the reaction occurs in the presence of haemoglobin often present in biological materials. With NBT and PMS, 10(6)--10(7) bacteria are needed to form detectable amounts of formazan. The NBT-reduction by bacteria may be useful for measuring the influence of bactericidal, bacteriostatic or growth-stimulating factors on bacteria.


Pharmacological modification of experimental tardive dyskinesia.

Cebus apella monkeys subjected to chronic haloperidol administration develop neurologic disturbances very similar to neuroleptic-induced acute dystonia human beings. After varying lengths of time, certain monkeys develop a prolonged dyskinetic syndrome resembling tardive dyskinesia (TD), as seen clinically. Two monkeys with signs of TD were given single intramuscular injections of various compounds with known effects on the catecholaminergic, cholinergic, serotoninergic and GABA-ergic neurotransmittor systems, and their effect on the TD signs were rated. Dopamine receptor blockers as well as cholinergics had an ameliorating effect on the symptoms. Some compounds known to activate the GABA system, including some benzodiazepines and the GABA-transaminase inhibitor amino-oxyacetic acid, also reduced the symptoms, as did the serotonin precursor L-5HTP. Results with serotonin antagonists were equivocal. It is concluded that dopamine receptor blockade, as well as increased activity within the GABA-ergic or cholinergic systems cause alleviation of TD. The findings are in agreement with earlier reports in man and thus seem to validate this primate model.


Capillary permeability in cat choroid, studied with the single injection technique (II).

Transcapillary movements of 22Na, 51Cr-EDTA and 125I-myoglobin were studied in the cat choroid by means of the single injection technique, using labelled albumin as the reference tracer. By an external shunting of blood, recirculation of tracer was delayed and complete venous outflow curves became available for analysis. The initial extractions observed were 0.66, 0.35 and 0.08 respectively. The extractions decreased with time. Within 20--25 s the extracted fractions of the tracers had almost completely returned to the blood. The results indicate high permeability coefficients and small extravascular volumes of distribution. The retinal pigment epithelium seems to have a very low permeability to all three substances. Extraction of tritiated water at 20--25 s was about 0.30 probably due to rapid penetration of labelled water into the retina. Evidence for a stereo-specific transport system for glucose in the retinal pigment epithelium was found in experiments with labelled D-glucose and 3-O-methyl-D-glucose. The total amount of glucose delivered by the choroid was calculated from measurements of the a-v differences for unlabelled glucose.


Efficiency of postoperative radiation in carcinoma of the breast. A comparison between two methods.

The results of simple mastectomy and postoperative irradiation of the chest wall and the regional lymph nodes in a series of 256 patients with primary carcinoma of the breast (between 1970 and 1972) were compared with those in a series of 155 patients (from 1963 to 1965) treated with radical mastectomy and postoperative irradiation of the regional lymph nodes. A statistically significant difference (p less than 0.01) was found between the chest wall recurrences in the group of patients with irradiation of the chest wall and the group without. No evidence indicates that routine postoperative irradiation should be harmful. Distant metastases in the 1970--1972 group were less frequent (13%) than in the 1963--1965 group (29%)9 The age-corrected 4-year survival rates for stages I and II were 83 per cent for the 1970--1972 group and 78 for the 1963--1965 group. The age-corrected 10-year survival rates for states I and II were 60 per cent.


Effect of irradiation on the feto-placental tissues.

Seven pregnant patients with genital carcinoma were treated with high voltage irradiation in combination with operation. Five patients aborted spontaneously after a dose of 30 to 34 Gy. Two were operated within 2 weeks after completed irradiation. Angiography, microscopy and hormone analyses indicate that damage of the fetal central nervous system and not placental insufficiency is responsible for the intrauterine fetal death.


Long-term treatment of subjects with borderline glucose tolerance.

Subjects with borderline glucose tolerance are at a higher risk of suffering and dying from cardiovascular disease than subjects with normal glucose tolerance. Our data on the progression to overt diabetes and our data on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality suggests that tolbutamide treatment reduces these risks. In any case, we have no data supporting the theory that tolbutamide promotes cardiovascular damage.


Enzyme immunoassay of bradykinin.

An enzyme immunoassay of bradykinin was developed by using beta-D-galactosidase as a labeling enzyme. Bradykinin was conjugated to beta-D-galactosidase with a new coupling agent of a hetero bis-functional type, N-(m-maleimidobenzoyloxy)-succinimide (MBS). Antisera were obtained from rabbits immunized with bradykinin linked to albumins (ovalbumin or bovine serum albumin) with toluene-2,4-diisocyanate. Double antibody method was employed to separate the antibody-bound antigen from free. The enzyme activity in the precipitate was measured with a fluorogenic substrate, 4-methyl-umbelliferyl-beta-D-galactoside. This assay is based on heterogeneous competitive binding between unlabeled and labeled antigens, so that unlabeled bradykinin reduces binding of bradykinin-enzyme conjugates to the antibody. A standard inhibition curve was linear between 3 and 300 ng bradykinin/assay tube.


How do kinins affect vascular tone?

Because kinins affect vascular tone, it is assumed that kinins act directly on smooth muscle. However, a direct interaction is difficult to conceive. Vessels containing smooth muscle are lined by a continuous endothelium with tight junctions. In addition, kinins act on endothelial cells to cause the release of prostaglandin-related substances; possibly through receptors. Furthermore, endothelial cells have a great capacity for hydrolyzing kinins to inactive products. Hence, even invoking active transport, less than 1% of kinins might be expected to reach the first layer of smooth muscle cells. However, kinins may not act directly on smooth muscle as endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells form specialized cell contacts. Myoendothelial junctions occur, and we have shown, in pulmonary arterioles, that smooth muscle cells send large numbers of projections into the cytoplasm of the endothelial cells. In addition, smooth muscle cells attach directly to the abluminal surface of endothelial cells, as do pericytes. Thus, there is a morphologic basis by which kinins can affect tone of smooth muscle without acting directly on smooth muscle cells.


Liver disease in patients undergoing hemodialysis and kidney transplantation.

Liver dysfunction was observed in 33% of patients treated by hemodialysis and kidney transplantation. Fifty-eight percent of these cases of hepatitis occurred in patients with past or present HBs antigenemia, and 77% of HBsAg-positive patients showed evidence of LD. However, during the course of a program conducted from 1969 to 1976 and involving 267 patients, the decrease in the prevalence of HBs antigenemia observed during the last two years did not lead to any reduction in LD incidence. In a small number of patients, potentially hepatotoxic drugs could be incriminated, but in our experience azathioprine never appeared to be involved. In a few patients, LD was due to granulomatous disease of the liver, such as tuberculosis and schistosomiasis. Twenty-one (7%) of the 267 patients at risk developed chronic hepatitis, which contributed to death in nine patients. In 12 cases (three deaths), this form of hepatitis occurred in HBsAg-positive patients, and in nine cases (six deaths), in HBsAg-negative patients. In three of these latter individuals, cytomegalovirus could be incriminated. Routine monthly screening for CMV in kidney recipients confirmed the high incidence of this viral infection in such patients. Studies on murine CMV infection have demonstrated that this infection can be enhanced by histoincompatible graft or by cyclophosphamide in a model that is very close to the kidney recipient. As in mice, CMV infection in kidney recipients apparently results from reactivation of a latent infection. It seems to play a major role in the LD observed and could apparently lead to chronic hepatitis and even to cirrhosis of the liver. Finally, the occurrence of LD in HBsAg-, anti-HBs- and antiCMV-negative patients would suggest the responsibility of other viruses for the pathogenesis of liver disease in patients treated by hemodialysis and kidney transplantation. Besides Epstein-Barr virus, other viruses, such as hepatitis C virus, should be thoroughly scrutinized.


Disorders of glucose metabolism in uremia.

Chronic renal failure results in a variety of metabolic derangements that perturb glucose homeostasis. These may in part result from the fact that the kidney plays a prominent role in the metabolism of insulin as well as a number of other low-molecular-weight peptide hormones that affect carbohydrate metabolism. Specific abnormalities in glucose utilization that appear to be related to alterations in membrane receptors, resulting in increased glucagon sensitivity and decreased insulin action, are a newly recognized factor in intolerance to oral glucose. Glucose production and utilization are both abnormally increased in patients with chronic uremia, and these disturbances are only partially corrected by hemodialysis treatment. The mechanism(s) contributing to these changes is unclear, but seems to involve a combination of humoral and cellular factors. These include some degree of insulin resistance, probably inadequately modulated proteolytic responses to glucagon and parathyroid hormone, and a basic defect in energy production that alters intracellular concentrations of high-energy phosphate-containing nucleotides. It is unclear whether these changes in carbohydrate tolerance pose an increased risk for the premature development of cardiovascular disease in patients with renal failure, as they appear to do in the nonuremic population. The occasional patient with renal failure may develop clinical hypoglycemia when glucose utilization continues in a setting in which the hepatic capacity to produce glucose is reduced, probably as a consequence of altered substrate delivery and/or inhibition of one or more key gluconeogenic enzymes.


The effect of lodoxamide ethyl [diethyl N,N'-(2-chloro-5-cyano-m-phenylene)dioxamate] on in vivo anaphylactic reactions.

Orally administered iodoxamide ethyl (U-42,718) inhibited anaphylactic reactions in a dose-related manner in the following test animals: (1) in the rat PCA reaction, excellent activity (75% inhibition at 0.1 mg/kg) was seen with a duration of activity of 30 min, (2) In the ascaris-sensitive primate (45% inhibition at 1.0 mg/kg) in lung parameters related to increased resistance and decreased compliance which persisted for up to 3 h, and (3) 50 mg/kg protected guinea pigs, sensitized to egg albumin, from lung function changes. Activity in these animal systems indicates that this orally active drug may hold promise in clinical asthma.


Inhibition of diamine oxidase by antihistaminic agents and related drugs.

Various drugs were tested as inhibitors of diamine oxidase on the basis of chemical relationships to the enzyme substrates. It was found that serotonine tryptamine and phenformin are good competitive inhibitors while cimetidine and pheniprazine are non-competitive inhibitors. Other antihistaminic drugs like promethazine are less powerful inhibitors.


Conformational requirements at the prostaglandin cyclooxygenase receptor site.

When space-filling models of the peroxy radical precursor of PGG were compared with models of 2(S)-(3-chloro-4-cyclohexylphenyl)propionic acid and other acidic cyclooxygenase inhibitors several common structural features were revealed. This led us to propose a template for synthesising non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIS's) based on the geometry of the peroxy radical immediately prior to its cyclisation to PGG.


Prostaglandins, rheumatoid arthritis, fibrin and lymphoedema.

Rheumatoid joint swelling is in part due to lymphoedema accompanying extravascular (E-V) deposition of fibrin. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin (ASA), phenylbutazone (PBZ) and indomethacin (INDO) which share the ability to inhibit prostaglandin synthetase fail to prevent fibrinous lymphoedema occurring in rabbit skin homografts in association with the presence of sensitised lymphocytes. The data highlight the need to define whether or not prostaglandins promote lymphocytic fibrinous lymphoedema.


Relation between ulcerogenic activity of various NSAID and their potency as inhibitors of prostaglandin synthesis in vivo.

A series of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) and a few other agents were evaluated for their ability to: 1) reduce the acute toxicity of intravenously injected arachidonic acid (AA) in mice; 2) prevent castor oil-induced diarrhoea in mice; 3) enhance the formation of gastric mucosal erosions by a water stress in rats. A correlation between the activity in the three tests has been found for most NSAID studied, and the results point to inhibition of cyclooxygenase as a common mechanism of action.


In vitro and in vivo models for evaluating drugs which influence arachidonic acid metabolism.

This paper describes several animal and human models, which are used for studying phospholipase, cyclo-oxygenase and thromboxane synthetase inhibitors.


Correlation between lymphographic grouping and anatomic and clinical stages in chronic lymphoid leukemia.

In a retrospective study of lymphograms in 55 patients with chronic lymphatic leukemia observed 42-170 months, four lymphographic groups were established according to lymph node size and morphology. In group 1, the lymph nodes were only slightly enlarged and pathologic in appearance. In group 2, the nodes were moderately enlarged and appeared reticular. In groups 3 and 4 the nodes were greatly enlarged and appeared foamy, striated, or "ghostlike" (similar to those seen in lymphoma). The correlation between the lymphographic groups and a new clinical classification (stages O-IV), which has been demonstrated to have prognostic values, was statistically significant: clinical stage O and lymphographic group 1; clinical stages III and IV and lymphographic groups 2, 3, or 4. Clinical stages 1 and II were dispersed throughout the different lymphographic groups. Although the specific prognostic value of the results of lymphography is not apparent in clinical stages O-II, it does seem to be established in stages III and IV. In these stages, the number of deaths was significantly greater in patients in lymphographic groups 3 and 4 when compared with those in lymphographic group 2.


Hilar and mediastinal lymph node metastases in malignant melanoma.

Of 65 patients with intrathoracic metastases from melanomon, 35 had metastasis to hilar or mediastinal nodes. In 28 of these 35, hilar and mediastinal lymph node enlargement was radiographically visible, hilar node enlargement was more commonly seen than mediastinal node enlargement. Pulmonary nodules were demonstrated radiographically in 25 of the 28 patients. Although lymph node enlargement was often asymmetric, symmetric hilar adenopathy mimicking sarcoidosis occurred in five of the 28 patients. Seven patients had unilateral involvement of lung and hilar and mediastinal nodes. In patients with melanoma, indirect metastatic spread via pulmonary nodules to hilar and mediastinal nodes may account for the frequent association of node metastases with lung nodules, the occurrence of intrathoracic adenopathy in the absence of extrathoracic node metastases, and the common finding of unilateral lung and nodal disease.


Effect of mechanical ventilation and positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) on chest radiograph.

The effect of differing ventilator settings and positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) on the chest radiograph was studied in 12 patients with acute respiratory failure. Changing ventilator settings produced dramatic variations in the appearance of pulmonary infiltrates in technically identical radiographs exposed over a 10-15 min period. PEEP had the greatest effect on radiographic appearance. In seven patients, the diagnosis or estimation of severity of pulmonary infiltrates would have been altered if only the film during PEEP had been available. Knowledge of ventilator settings is vital in evaluating the severity of infiltration and radiographic diagnosis in patients with acute respiratory failure.


Iatrogenic hydromediastinum simulating aortic laceration.

Widening of the mediastinum after blunt, deceleration injuries to the chest in three patients suggested thoracic aortic lacerations. In each patient, the aorta was found to be intact and the iatrogenic hydromediastinum was caused by malpositioned central venous pressure lines. The radiographic appearance of the central venous pressure catheter is illustrated and clinical characteristics of the malpositioned catheter are discussed.


Lymphoid follicular pattern of the colon in adults.

The clinical and radiographic findings of the colonic lymphoid follicular pattern in 37 adults aged 20-79 years were evaluated. An incidence of 13% was found on review of 100 consecutive double-contrast barium enemas. Usually, the presence of multiple 1-3 mm diam, uniform-size nodules is sufficiently characteristic to make a presumptive diagnosis on these radiographic criteria. The nodules are often not visible endoscopically. The clinical data suggest that that the lymphoid follicular pattern is usually of no clinical significance in adults. In most patients, its radiologic pattern can be distinguished from entities such as familial polyposis and early Crohn's disease, thus sparing the patient unnecessary further diagnostic evaluation.


Pancreatic pseudocysts of the duodenum.

A pancreatic pseudocyst within the wall of the duodenum is presented. Its radiographic features were analyzed and comprehensively compared with 10 proved cases. These pseudocysts can be intramural or extrinsic severely compressive lesions. The occurrence of these pseudocysts at multiple sites throughout the gastrointestinal tract emphasizes the need to consider them in the differential diagnosis of severe extrinsic compressive or intramural lesions.


Incidental detection of pericardial effusions on abdominal ultrasound studies.

During ultrasounc studies of the abdomen, three cases of pericardial effusion, two proven and one presumptive, were detected as incidental findings. Pericardial effusion was not clinically suspected at the time of study. Study of the heart-liver interface is simple and can be done in routine abdominal ultrasound study. The pericardial effusion can also be aspirated through a B-mode aspiration transducer.


Bilary tract exploration via T-tube tract: improved technique.

A total of 40 cases referred for postoperative reexploration of the biliary tract via the T-tube trace was reviewed. In selected cases, a modified technique of dilatation of the T-tube tract or bile ducts and endoscopy via the T-tube tract was used. Dilatation of the T-tube tract is a relatively simple procedure that was necessary in over one-half of our cases, since the retained stone was larger than the T-tube inserted during surgery. A new T-tube with a larger external limb was developed in order to reduce the necessity for dilatation of the biliary-cutaneous fistulous tract. Fiberoptic endoscopy of the biliary system via the T-tube tract offers another means for removing large or impacted stones and for investigating mucosal defects. This modified technique has reduced the number of patients requiring surgical reexploration.


Demonstration of traumatic bile leakage with cholescintigraphy and ultrasonography.

Technetium-99m HIDA cholescintigraphy and ultrasonography are noninvasive, safe, simple procedures that can document the presence, location, and extent of a bile leak. Early detection of posttraumatic or postoperative biliary tract disruption can significantly reduce morbidity and mortality. The possibility of biliary tract disruption should be considered in any patient who has had blunt or penetrating abdominal trauma. In two cases reported, the new hepatobiliary radiotracer 99mTc dimethyliminodiacetic acid (HIDA) was quite useful in detecting such leaks. Sonography was particularly useful in detecting small intra- or perihepatic bile collections which no longer communicate with the biliary tree. An active bile leak at a surgical anastomosis may also be documented by 99mTc-HIDA cholescintigraphy and can yield information of potential prognostic importance. Serial cholescintigraphy is also useful in evaluating the response to medical or surgical treatment.


Evaluation of 111In leukocyte whole body scanning.

Indium-111 oxine, polymorphonuclear cells isolated and labeled with 111In were used for studying absecesses and inflammatory conditions. There were 64 total scans done in 59 patients, 32 male and 27 female, aged 3-81 years (average, 51). The original clinical diagnosis was abscess in 33 patients. The whole blood cell scan was abnormal in 12 (36%) of these, and a good clinical correlation was obtained in 11 of the 12. In the 21 with a normal scan, 18 had no evidence of abscess, yielding one false-positive and three false-negative interpretations in the abscess group. Thirteen patients had fever of unknown origin, nine had negative scans and no subsequent evidence of abscess, and four had positive scans with good correlation in three. Acute bone and joint infections were positive on scan (4/4), whereas chronic osteomyelitis was negative (0/2). Three patients with acute myocardial infarction and three of four with subacute bacterial endocarditis had normal scans. All three studies in renal transplant rejection showed positive uptake in the pelvic kidneys. Indium-111 white blood cell scans have proved useful to diagnose or exclude a diagnosis of abscess or inflammatory condition infiltrated with polymorphonuclear leukocytes.


Effect of phlebography on 125I uptake test.

Increased 125I fibrinogen uptake counts were encountered in 30 of 55 limbs after a normal ascending phelbogram. In most cases, the abnormal 125I fibrinogen uptake test occurred within 72 hr after phlebography, and the elevated counts were most frequently seen around the ankle, with contiguous involvement of the calf seen less often. Inly three patients with positive counts subsequently became symptomatic and were treated for deep venous thrombosis. The presence of deep venous thrombosis was confirmed by repeat ascending phlebography in two of these cases. Ascending phlebography was not performed on the other positive postphlebographic fibrinogen uptake test limbs.