[Uptake and incorporation of labeled oleic acid and glycerol by the isolated and perfused liver of the Wistar rat].

After perfusion by oleic acid (9-10(-3)H) and glycerol (1(-14)C) previously starved Wistar rats, the synthesis of hepatic TG and PL follows the two following different method: -- during the first minutes of perfusions, the most important method synthesis of TG and especially of PL is a de novo synthesis utilizing glycerol and the exogenous AG. The TG synthesized are 18:1 18:1 18:1 and 16:0 18:1 18:2 the PL synthesized are LP, AP and LPC; -- during perfusions of long duration (30, 60, 120 min.), the major method of synthesis of TG and PL is an active exchange of AG of the endogenous glycerolipids. The TG synthesized are 16:0 18:1 18:1 and 16:0 18:1 18:2 the PL synthesized are PE and PC.


[Mitotic activity in the glandular epithelium of the rat small intestine after electrothermocoagulation of the tubero-infundibular region of the hypothalamus and simultaneous resection of the pineal gland].

Radio-frequency lesions of the tubero-infundibular region of the hypothalamus and simultaneous pinealectomy are performed in rats. The double operation is followed by a significant increase of mitotic rate in the small intestine glandular epithelium. This increase is higher than the addition of the effects that are caused by each operation.


[Involution of the mesonephros and differentiation of the epididymis in chickens: immunohistological study].

By means of purified rabbit anti-adult chicken kidney antibodies two types of antigens have been identified in the mesonephros: one, localised in the cells of the proximal segment of the secretory tubules, the other characteristic of the collecting segments derived from the Wolffian duct. During the transformation of certain mesonephric tubules into ductuli efferentes and conjugentes of the epididymis the collecting tubule antigen disappears whereas the proximal secretory tubule antigen not only persists but can also be detected in the parietal layer of Bowman's capsules as they transform before connecting with the rete testis.


[Induction of the mesoderm and primordial germ cells by the endoderm of Pleurodeles waltlii (Amphibia, Urodele): development during gastrulation].

Blastulae ectoderm is combined with dorsal or ventral endoderm from blastulae, gastrulae and early neurulae. In vitro culture reveals the presence of different mesodermal structures whose nature is connected with the endoderm origin site. Primordial germ cells differentiate essentially in the recombinates including ventral endoderm. The inducing capacity of this latter concerning germ cells is maximum at the beginning of gastrulation, then decreases during it and finally disappears at the onset of neurulation.


[Demonstration of a receptor for 5 alpha-androstane-3 beta, 17 beta-diol in the cytosol of the anterior pituitary of prepubertal male rats].

The presence of a specific receptor for 5alpha-androstan-3beta, 17beta-diol (3beta-diol) in the pituitary cytosol from prepubertal male rats was demonstrated. Its characteristics were: Ka = 5.2.10(7) M-1 KD = 1.9 X 10(-8) M, number of specific binding = 8.7 10(-14) moles per mg of proteins. Its sedimentation constant was 3 S. Competition assays showed that only 3beta-diol itself and estrogens were able to compete for the binding sites for 3beta-diol. Androgens, including 3alpha-diol, were inefficient. This receptor was found only in pituitary cytosol, it was missing from hypothalamic or cortical cytosols. This special localization seemed to foreshadow a specific role for 3beta-diol in the anterior hypophysis.


[Problems in the determination of isoelectric points of beta lactamases].

Analytical isoelectric focusing in polyacrylamide gels and preparative electrofocusing in density gradients may give very different pI determination for the same beta lactamase. This difference seems due to a lack of enzyme migration in some parts of the cross-linked polyacrylamide gel. This migration appears easier in density gradient isoelectricfocusing, and thus this technique yields more significant absolute pI values. Analytical isoelectric focusing should only be used for comparison studies.


[HLA groups in the infantile psychoses during development, and hypothesis for an enzyme defect].

The HLA typing (loci A and B) of a series of fifteen psychotic children has shown an increase of the frequency of both HLA-A9 and B5 antigens. These preliminary data and previous biochemical findings in psychotic patients lead the authors to postulate the hypothesis of a qualitative or quantitative anomaly of the superoxide dismutase (SOD-2), the gene of which is situated on the same chromosome (sixth) as the HLA complex.


[Immunity and cancer: suppressor effect on the cytotoxic activity of lymphoid cells from animals carrying syngeneic tumors].

When it is tested in vitro, the cytotoxic action of lymphocytes from mice bearing a syngeneic tumour (T2) vary with the age of the graft. At a time when it is very low, the lymphoid cells are cultivated for 3 days and then can be fractionated in two subpopulations on a glass bead column: a cytotoxic "non adherent" group of cells and an "adherent" group that inhibits the activity of the first group when it is added to it.


Hemodynamics and antianginal effects of high dose oral isosorbide dinitrate after chronic use.

In a randomized, double-blind, crossover study, 19 patients with angina were exercised 2 min after 0.4 mg sublingual nitroglycerin and after sublingual placebo and before and 1, 3, and 5 hours after oral isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN) and oral placebo. After initial testing, patients took the dose of ISDN they had had during the study (mean dose 29 mg) for a mean period of 5.6 months before retesting using the same protocol. Compared to placebo, exercise time after sublingual nitroglycerin increased 56% (P less than 0.001) initially and 51% (P less than 0.001) at retest. Compared to placebo, exercise time increased 58% (P less than 0.05) initially and 58% (P less than 0.005) at retest 1 hour after ISDN, 38% (P less than 0.05) initially and 27% (P less than 0.005) at retest 3 hours after ISDN, and 13% (NS) initially and 21% (P less than 0.02) at retest five hours after ISDN. The mean exericse times initially and at retest were not significantly different. Hemodynamic changes (decrease in systolic blood pressure and increase in heart rate) at 15 min persisted through 300 min after ISDN during both initial testing and during retesting. However, these changes were significantly less during retesting. We conclude that a partial tolerance to the hemodynamic effects of the drug develops after chronic use of high dose oral ISDN but that the antianginal efficacy of both sublingual nitroglycerin and oral ISDN is unimpaired.


Specific and total serum IgE measurements in the diagnosis of penicillin allergy. A long term follow-up study.

Sera from 204 patients with acute or former reactions following penicillin treatment were investigated by RAST with specificity for benzylpenicilloyl and phenoxymethyl-penicilloyl. The IgE antibody levels were followed up for of more than 2 years. Positive results could be observed at the time of the acute reactions and the weeks following; later months or years in many cases. Occasionally negative RAST results occurred within 30 days; on the other hand high levels of specific IgE persisted for years in some patients. Total serum IgE measured by RIST and the RAST results showed similar patterns, with mean levels of 568 u/ml between 0 and 30 days after the penicillin allergic reaction, 286 u/ml between 30 days and 1 year, and 195 u/ml in cases after 1 year corresponded well with the observed decline in specific IgE. Skin tests performed with penicilloyl-polylysine in 118 patients showed an overall correlation of 91-5% with the RAST results. Differences between the two test systems were observed in patients with a long interval between the test and the last allergic attack. None of the patients with proved penicillin allergy had atopic diseases or a history of atopy. On the basis of these findings it is suggested that the determination of both circulating specific IgE and total IgE should be of great value for diagnostic purposes during acute drug reactions and in the months immediately afterwards.


Diagnostic tests in the skin and serum of works sensitized to Bacillus subtilis enzymes.

Two allergen pools of commercial detergent enzymes were prepared as skin test reagents: (1) Carlsberg type, composed of three products containing subtilopeptidase A, and (2) BPN type, composed of two products containing subtilopeptidase B and alpha-amylase. In 100 non-exposed controls a reaction suggesting primary irritancy was found at protein concentrations greater than 1 microng/ml intradermally or 1 mg/ml by prick test. Intradermally at 10 microng/ml weals were accompained by less pronounced flare reactions than observed in specifically sensitized enzyme workers. At 100 micronh/ml the reactions were like strong specific reactions. Galse positive prick test reactions occurred irregularly at 10 mg/ml. In 100 sensitized enzyme workers, reactions were elicited at concentrations from 1-0 to 10(-5) microng/ml intradermally and from 1000 to 1 micron by prick test. Intradermal and prick tests correlated well (r=0-84, P less than 0-001). Ratings of symptom severity upon exposure obtained from questionnaires were significantly correlated with skin test reactivity (P less than 0-01). RAST performed on sera collected simultaneously also correlated significantly with symptom scores. PCA tests in monkeys were less sensitive. Standardized test reagents allow diagnostic skin testing by either intradermal or prick test in B. subtilis enzyme sensitive patients. A clear distinction between primary irritant reactions and true sensitization was made on the basis of the concentration required to elicit a reaction.


Antigens in pigeon breeder's disease: the use of pigeon dropping antigens in detecting antibody activity.

Sera from patients with pigeon breeder's disease were analysed for precipitating antibodies by immunodiffusion and immunoelectrophoresis using whole pigeon dropping extract (PDE) and a purified fraction of PDE (PDE1) as antigens. For comparison, sera from asymptomatic pigeon breeders and normal individuals were also tested for precipitating antibodies. Whereas whole PDE formed precipitin lines with normal serum as well as with serum from symptomatic and asymptomatic pigeon breeders, PDE1 formed precipitin lines only with serum from individuals exposed to pigeons, This suggests that whole PDE forms non-specific (non-antigen-antibody reactions) as well as specific precipitin lines, while PDE1 appears to form only specific lines. These data indicate that whole PDE has limited usefulness in studies of pigeon breeder's disease. It is also possible that PDE1 will be useful in studies of this disease.


The effect of orally administered sodium cromoglycate on symptoms of food allergy.

A comparison was made between the effects of sodium cromoglycate (SCG) and placebo on symptoms of food allergy in twenty children. Both the clinician's and patient's preferences and the clinician's evaluation of the specific response to challenge showed a significant benefit from SCG. A striking effect on skin symptoms was seen in some children and the recorded mean score for skin symptoms was lower after 2 weeks' treatment with sodium cromoglycate. However, the differences detected from the mean symptom scores were not statistically significant. Neither were there any significant changes in the IgE, IgG, IgA and IgM food allergen antibody levels related to the treatment.


The combined use of betamethasone valerate and sodium cromoglycate in the treatment of asthma.

A double-blind comparison of betamethasone valerate, sodium cromoglycate and the combination of these two treatments was carried out in twenty-two adult patients with asthma. Regular fortnightly assessments were made in the clinic throughout the study and adrenal function was monitored and found to be normal. All patients measured their peak expiratory flow rates in the morning and evening and monitored their symptoms daily on a record card as well as recording bronchodilator usage. Assessment using these parameters indicated that treatment with betamethasone valerate compared with sodium cromoglycate resulted in an improvement in the patients' asthma which was stitistically significant (P less than 0-001). Overall the combined treatment produced a better response than sodium cromoglycate (P less than 0-02) but a poorer response compared with the steroid aerosol given alone (P greater than 0-05). In only two patients was the response to the combined therapy significantly greater than to either drug given alone.


A rate nephelometer for measuring specific proteins by immunoprecipitin reactions.

A kinetic nephelometric method and instrument have been developed for the rapid determination of specific serum proteins by means of immunoprecipitin reactions. The maximum rate of change of scattered light intensity in an antigen-antibody reaction can be made to occur within 60 s after initiation of the reaction and provides a measure of the antigen concentration under antibody excess conditions. A mathematical relationship has been found for the conversion of the nonlinear maximum rate data directly into a linear concentration read-out, making possible the use of single-point calibration. Instrument operating parameters and computations are programmed for a particular analysis by means of machine-readable cards. Antigen-excess samples are detected rapidly by injection of calibrator into the reaction mixture after the rate signal has dropped to a pre-selected level. The method correlates well with both radial immunodiffusion and end-point nephelometric methods.


A prospective study of respiratory infection in asthmatic patients treated with beclomethasone dipropionate and sodium cromoglycate.

A prospective study of forty adult asthmatic patients attending two chest clinics in the City of Liverpool was undertaken. All patients had reversible airways obstruction and were under treatment with either beclomethasone dipropionate or sodium cromoglycate. Satisfactory symptomatic control was achieved in both groups of patients on a subjective basis, but there was a statistically significant (P less than 0-001) reduction in the number of admissions to hospital in the treatment year compared to the preceding 12 months in the beclomethasone aerosol group. No increased incidence of lower respiratory tract infections or non-specific sore throats was found in either group studied. No cases of clinical oral Candida infection occurred in the beclomethasone aerosol treated patients. It is concluded that beclomethasone dipropionate in aerosol form is not only a safe and effective method for symptomatic control of adult bronchial asthma but is also economically worthwhile as a means of reducing hospital admissions in this vulnerable group of patients.


A radioactive substrate and assay for alpha-L-iduronidase.

A novel radioactive substrate for alpha-L-iduronidase, anhydro[3H]mannitol-iduronide has been prepared. This compound is hydrolysed by alpha-L-iduronidase to yield anhydro[3H]mannitol, which can be separated from the substrate and counted. The assay, described for use with fibroblast homogenates, is satisfactory for the diagnosis of mucopolysaccharidosis I.


[Glycoproteins of pleural effusions (author's transl)].

Using single radial immunodiffusion, ten glycoproteins from non purulent pleural fluids have been estimated in different diseases. For five proteins (prealbumin, ceruloplasmin, alpha2HS-glycoprotein, transferrin, beta2-glycoprotein 1) the results have been found not to correlate with the causal disease. However for orosomucoid, alpha1-antitrypsin, haptoglobin, alpha2-macroglobulin and hemopexin, there was good correlation between proteins levels and aetiology. The glycoprotein concentration was low in mechanical effusions from cirrhosis and chronic cardiac failure. It was high in inflammatory, post-embolism and particularly neoplastic effusions. A raised orosomucoid level occurred as the most characteristic of cancer states especially when associated with a parallel increase of the four other glycoproteins. A simultaneously elevated level of these five pleural glycoproteins seems to be a good and significant biological sign for neoplastic effusion diagnosis.


Decreased serum thyroid hormone levels and increased TSH response to TRH in infants with coeliac disease.

Plasma levels of thyrotrophin before and after the intravenous administration of 200 microgram of thyrotrophin releasing hormone have been studied in eleven patients with active gluten-induced enteropathy and in a group of twenty-one normal prepubertal children. In nine out of eleven coeliac patients an exaggerated and/or sustained response of plasma thyrotrophin is observed. Basal plasma thyrotrophin level is not significantly different from the value observed in normal children. However, plasma levels recorded 20 and 60 min after injection of the releasing hormone are significantly higher than in control children (at 20 min: P less than 0.01; at 60 min: P less than 0.001). Serum levels of dialysed triiodothyronine and thyroxine and of triiodothyronine are significantly lower in coeliac patients than in normal infants (P less than 0.01). These data support the evidence of an endocrine dysfunction in coeliac disease. It is not clear whether it is due to malnutrition and/or to some direct action of circulating gluten-peptides on the hypothalamus.


C3b receptors in glomerular disease.

Using two indicator systems--sheep erythrocytes or fluoresceinated S. typhi coated with C3b the presence of a receptor for C3b (but not C3d) in the normal human glomerulus is confirmed. No receptor could be detected in other species tested (mouse, rat, guinea-pig, rabbit and rhesus monkey). Binding of indicator particles was reduced or lost in diseases associated with glomerular capillary deposition of C3, but not in those with mesangial deposition alone. However in some cases the receptor was lost in the absence of detectable C3 deposition. No receptors were detected in proliferating cells in glomerular crescents.


The relation of clinical and laboratory findings to the survival of patients with macroglobulinaemia.

The relation of clinical and laboratory findings at the time clinical presentation to subsequent survival was investigated in 204 patients with macroglobulinaemia. It was found that the ten following clinical and laboratory parameters were of prognostic significance and a further twelve were not. The best prognoses were found amongst male patients, patients aged 50-69 years and those with serum IgM paraprotein concentrations of 20-39 g/1, type lambda paraproteins, no Bence-Jones proteinuria or cryoglobulinaemia, only one paraprotein, serum cold haemagglutinin activity, serum albumin above 40 g/1 and serum urea below 10 mmol/1.


Comparison of plasma disappearance and standard clearance techniques for measuring glomerular filtration rate in children with and without vesico-ureteric reflux.

The plasma disappearance rate, or slope clearance, after a single intravenous injection of 51Cr-EDTA was compared with simultaneously determined standard (UV/P) clearances of inulin, creatinine and 51Cr-EDTA in 4 healthy adults and 18 children with renal disease but no reflux. Slope clearance correlated well with standard inulin (r=0.99) and 51Cr-EDTA (r=0.97) clearances and was more accurate than creatinine clearance. Slope clearance x0.82 estimated standard 51Cr-EDTA clearance with +/- 12% accuracy in these subjects. In 18 children with vesico-ureteric reflux the correlations of the standard clearance methods with slope clearance were significantly reduced. Slope clearance may be measured with only two plasma samples and is recommended as the method of choice for determining glomerular filtration rate in children with gross reflux or impaired ability to empty their bladders.


Enhanced polychlorinated biphenyl lesions in Moloney leukemia virus-infected mice.

The hepatic toxicity produced by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) was enhanced in mice that were inoculated with an oncogenic virus, Moloney leukemia virus (MLV). Whenever there was neoplastic involvement of the spleen by MLV, the hepatic lesions produced by PCB were more pronounced than in those of non-MLV inoculated mice. Mice were exposed to PCB Aroclors, 1254, 1242, and 1221 for six months. Aroclors 1254 and 1242 were hepatotoxic with Aroclor 1254 causing death. Aroclor 1221 did not affect the mice. Liver weights in mice that were fed PCBs for six months and then maintained on a PCB-free diet for an additional three months were comparable with those of non-PCB exposed mice. These results suggest that the PCB-produced hepatic lesions (noncirrhotic) regenerate after removal of PCB from the diet. Polychlorinated biphenyls did not affect (promote or induce) the oncogenesis of MLV in this study.


Dose response relationships in allergic contact dermatitis: glutaraldehyde-containing liquid fabric softener.

Glutaraldehyde (GTA) is an effective preservative in some consumer products. Because it is a weak cutaneous allergen at certain concentrations, studies were conducted to assess any potential hazard of adding a low level (550 ppm) of GTA to an experimental liquid fabric softener. Allergic contact dermatitis (delayed hypersensitivity) was not elicited in challenge tests of 16 GTA-sensitive subjects or in repeated insult patch tests of 706 normal human male and female subjects. The subjects were exposed (1) to the experiment formulation, (2) to the formulation with 10 times the normal level of GTA, and (3) to fabrics laundered with the normal use level or with 10 times the normal use level of these experimental formulations.


Diuretic effects of Bay g 2821 in patients with advanced renal failure.

Clearance studies were carried out in 18 non-oedematous patients with advanced renal failure (glomerular filtration rate less than 12 ml/min) to assess the diuretic effects of Bay g 2821 given different oral doses (120 mg to 360 mg). The results showed a significant increase in urinary volume and in clearances of sodium, calcium, magnesium, chloride, inorganic phosphorus and 51CrEDTA. There were no significant changes, however, in clearance of PAH, urea and uric acid. The diuretic response started in the first hour after drug intake, reached a maximum after 3 to 5 hours, and declined slowly in the following 3 to 4 hours. In patients with a glomerular filtration rate less than 3 ml/min the drug lost its effect. In rates between 5 to 10 ml/min the efficacy of Bay g 2821 was comparable to that of furosemide and ethacrynic acid. No side-effects were reported.


Chromosomal evolution in Malagasy lemurs. II. Meiosis in intra- and interspecific hybrids in the genus Lemur.

The chromosome analysis of meiosis in four lemurs, Lemur fulvus fulvus, L. f. collaris, L. f. albocollaris, and L. macaco, and particular hybrid crosses is reported. In metaphase I, trivalents and chain elements were detected and identified with T-banding. The study largely confirms our previous work on mitotic karyotype comparisons in the genus Lemur. The absence of chain multivalents elements in the pachytene stages of hybrid meiosis, where a chain is detected later in diakinesis, may offer evidence on the possible existence of a two-step pairing mechanism in meiotic homolog pairing. Considerations about the role of the chromosome rearrangements in establishing a gametic barrier in speciation are developed.


Control of high density bacterial contamination of the fiberoptic bronchoscope.

In a double-blind study the fiberoptic bronchoscope was contaminated with five pathogenic organisms, each at a concentration of 10(9) organisms per milliliter. The shaft and inner channel of the bronchoscope were cleansed with five antiseptic regimens. Each regimen included equal 120-ml aliquots of one, two, or three solutions, respectively. The five different regimens were as follows: (1) physiologic saline solution; (2) 70 percent solution of isopropyl alcohol, followed by physiologic saline solution; (3) alkaline glutaraldehyde, followed by 70 percent solution of isoproply alcohol, followed by physiologic saline solution; (4) benzalkonium chloride, followed by 70 percent isopropyl alcohol, followed by physiologic saline solution; and (5) povidone-iodine solution, followed by 70 percent solution of isopropyl alcohol, followed by physiologic saline solution. The four regimens involving solutions other than saline solution alone were effective in reducing the count of residual bacterial colonies to 10(4) colonies per milliliter or less.


[Epilepsia partialis continua of Kozevnikov (author's transl)].

Continuous myoclonus in a localised area of the body was observed in three patients. In two cases the myocloni sometimes developed into motor Jacksonian convulsions. All three patients had neurological signs on the same side as their continuous twitching indicating a lesion of the contralateral hemisphere. The surface EEG did not show changes which could be directly correlated with continuous convulsions in any of the cases. The cause was found to be a malformation of the hemisphere in one case, a recent encephalomalacia in the second and a severe hyperosomolar diabetic electrolyte imbalance in the third. Epilepsia partialis continua Kozevnikov differs from motor Jacksonian epilepsy in the continuous non-attack character and the absence of a "march of convulsions". Pathophysiologically they are both forms of focal cortical status epilepticus.


Effect of sulpiride on serum growth hormone and prolactin concentrations following L-DOPA administration in man.

The effect of chronic administration of sulpiride on serum human growth hormone (hGH), prolactin and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) was examined in 6 normal subjects. Sulpiride was given orally at a dose of 300 mg (t.i.d.) for 30 days. Sulpiride raised serum prolactin levels in all subjects examined. In addition, sulpiride suppressed hGH release induced by L-dopa, although the basal hGH level was not changed. Sulpiride treatment appeared to antagonize partially the inhibitory effect of L-dopa on prolactin release. Following thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) injection, the percent increment in prolactin levels from the baseline in sulpiride-treated subjects was less than in controls without sulpiride. In contrast, both the basal and TRH-stimulated TSH levels were not influenced by sulpiride. These observations suggest that sulpiride suppresses L-dopa-induced hGH release and stimulates prolactin release, presumably by acting against the dopaminergic mechanism either on the hypothalamus or on the pituitary. The decreased prolactin response to TRH after sulpiride treatment may indicate a diminished reserve capacity in pituitary prolactin release.


Influence of synthetic thyrotropin-releasing hormone tartrate monohydrate on plasma gonadotropin concentration of normal males.

Synthetic thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) tartrate monohydrate was administered by rapid intravenous injection to nine normal males. Plasma thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) were measured before and at selected periods after TRH injection. The mean plasma TSH value immediately prior to TRH injection was 3.5 muU/ml and the level 15 min after injection was 14.8 muU/ml. The mean plasma LH value immediately prior to TRH injection was 8.0 mIU/ml and the level 15 min after injection was 15.0 mIU/ml. The latter elevation was statistically significant (p less than 0.01), although it was just above the upper normal range. The mean plasma FSH value immediately prior to TRH injecion was 7.7 mIU/ml, and a significant difference was not observed after TRH administration. These results revealed that synthetic TRH tartrate monohydrate influenced the release of LH from the anterior pituitary.


Diurnal variation of valproic acid plasma levels and day-night reversal in monkey.

Four normal monkeys each equipped with an EEG plug and two indwelling catheters for drug infusion and sampling, respectively, were administered valproic acid (VPA) before and after a 12-hr light, 12-hr dark phase shift. Before day-night reversal, diurnal oscillations of VPA plasma levels under steady-state intravenous constant-rate infusions were 30-50%, with maximum concentrations during the dark phase of the cycle. After reversal, maximum VPA plasma concentrations tended to follow the dark phase shift. The correlation was not perfect, nor was the sleep cycle completely reversed since the animals slept less after the phase shift. Possible mechanisms of the diurnal plasma level fluctuations and the importance of oscillations of this magnitude to clinical drug regimens are discussed.


Laughing and running fits as manifestation of early traumatic epilepsy.

Early traumatic epilepsy, whose frequency is rather high, especially in children, is usually characterized by focal motor seizures (57%) or by generalized seizures (43%). The association of both running and laughing fits in the same patient on the contrary is quite exceptional, as only three cases have been reported in literature. There are no observations about temporal lobe epilepsy, nor, particularly, about running or laughing fits in early traumatic epilepsy. We report here the interesting case of a boy whose early traumatic epilepsy manifested itself as temporal lobe epilepsy characterized by running and laughter.


Peptide mapping of the lambda-like chains of the BASILEA rabbits.

The recently established mutant strain of rabbits, named BASILEA, lacks the k polypeptide L-chain which is replaced by a lambda-like type (bas). This is evident from the amino acid composition and peptide maps of the bas L-chain when compared to the L-chains of the rabbits suppressed for the expression of the b locus allotypes.


3-hydrazinopyridazine derivatives as inhibitors of the copper containing amine oxidases.

A series of 3-hydrazine derivatives with antihypertensive properties were studied as inhibitors of the copper containing amine oxidases. All the compounds with a free hydrazino group were found to be strong-non-competitive inhibitors. Some of them had an inhibitory activity of the same order as that of hydralazine.


Protein malnutrition induced during gestation: its effect on pup development and maternal behavior.

Repeated time-lapse photographic observations were used to examine the ontogeny of behavioral development in prenatally malnourished rat pups following birth. Pups born to dams receiving a low protein diet (7% casein by weight) were fostered at birth to well-nourished dams and behavioral observations were made at 4-day intervals. Dams nursing gestationally malnourished pups were observed to spend more time in the nesting area with their pups towards the end of lactation. Moreover, the behavioral development (locomotion, feeding, and rearing and climbing activity) of gestationally malnourished offspring was depressed when compared to their controls. The results indicate that prenatal undernutrition alters the behavioral development of the offspring and maternal behavior of the dam in a manner which reduces the exposure of the pup to the immediate environment.


Serum phenformin concentrations in patients with phenformin-associated lactic acidosis.

Phenformin concentrations were measured in serum from seven patients with phenformin-associated lactic acidosis, and initial values ranging from 20 to 625 ng./ml. were obtained. Five of the seven patients had serum concentrations within the usual therapeutic range of up to 241 ng./ml. Serum phenformin concentrations were measured serially, and apparent half-lives of 5, 25, and 30 hours were obtained in three patients with serum creatinine concentrations of 1.7, 7.6, and 6.0 mg./dl., respectively. Although the half-life of phenformin was prolonged in azotemic patients, no correlation between serum creatinine concentration and serum phenformin could be demonstrated; furthermore, the severity of lactic acidosis as measured by arterial pH and lactate concentration did not correlate with the serum creatinine concentration.


A chronic gastrostomy and test system for evaluation of gastric secretions in rhesus monkeys.

We have developed a test system for the evaluation of gastric secretion in the rhesus monkey on a chronic basis that does not require the usual restraining techniques. The system is characterized by ease of animal maintenance and handling, reliability in introducing test substances into the stomach, and long term postsurgical stability. The system comprises a surgical preparation whereby the gastrostomy tube is inserted permanently in the stomach, is passed subcutaneously up the back, and is exteriorized at the top of the skull, and a training procedure that conditions the monkeys so as to facilitate easy handling during the administration of test substances and the collection of gastric controls. Values for pH, volume, total acid, and acid concentration appear reasonably consistent under base-line (no test substance) conditions as well as after the intragastric administration of water or the subcutaneous injection of Histalog.


Study of the subcellular localization of 59Fe and iron-binding proteins in the duodenal mucosa of pregnant and nonpregnant rats.

The subcellular localization of intraduodenally administered 59Fe has been studied in control, pregnant, and nonpregnant rats absorbing iron at different rates. Binding of iron to the particulate fractions of mucosal homogenates produced by centrifugation at 500, 10,000, and 100,000 X g did not vary among groups despite significant alterations in iron transport rates. Study of the 10,000 X g supernatant fluid showed that increased iron transport in iron-deficient and day 20- to 21-pregnant rats was associated with an increase in 59Fe binding to a particulate fraction of the mucosal homogenate. Although only 10 to 15% of the total mucosal 59Fe was present in the 100,000 X g supernatant in all groups, significant differences were demonstrated, among groups in the binding of iron to the three proteins present in this supernatant fraction. The proteins have been identified as ferritin, transferrin, and a protein of lower molecular weight than transferrin. Increased iron absorption was associated with a reduction in ferritin 59Fe binding and an increase in 59Fe bound to protein 3. Conversely, reduced iron absorption, was associated with increased ferritin 59Fe content and decreased protein 3 59Fe content. By studying day-21 pregnant rats 5 and 18 hr posthysterectomy it was possible to demonstrate a 12- to 18-hr delay in the intestinal mucosal protein response to alterations in the stimulus to iron absorption.


Lack of toxicity of chenodeoxycholic acid in the squirrel monkey.

The toxicity of chenodeoxycholic acid was studied in squirrel monkeys of both sexes. The drug was orally administered to five groups of 26 animals each at a daily dose of 0, 10, 20, 40, and 80 mg per kg, respectively, for a maximum of 52 weeks. No clinical symptoms that could suggest drug toxicity were observed. All laboratory studies, including liver function tests, were within normal limits. The proportion of lithocholic acid in biliary acids remained unchanged, whereas that of chenodeoxycholic acid was dose-dependently increased. No histopathological changes considered to be attributable to drug administration were observed.


Radiotherapy of hemangioma cavernosum of the liver.

Four patients with massive cavernous hemangioma of the liver were treated with 6 Mev X-ray, and favorable results were obtained in 3. Patient 1 was treated with a total tumor dose of 940 rads without response. The 2nd patient was given a total tumor dose of 1900 rads over 54 days, with a daily dose of 50 to 100 rads. Although the hemangioma regressed after treatment, the response was transient. A total tumor dose of 2940 rads was given over 41 days with a daily dose of 100 to 200 rads as a second course, and the hemangioma regressed with no sign of reenlargement. Patients 3 and 4 were given 150 to 200 rads every other day to a total of about 3000 rads, with a satisfactory response. Follow-up studies showed the latter 3 patients to be well 8, 5, and 4 years after radiotherapy, respectively.


[Amyloidosis].

Recent studies have clearly indicated that amyloid is a generic term which includes a number of different substances, all of which have a beta-pleated sheet structure and a characteristic fibrillar appearance in the electron microscope. The most common types are made of immunoglobulin light chain (AL) fragments in the primary and myeloma-associated type, and of the AA protein in the secondary and some familial forms. It seems probable that other localized types are composed of prohormones or other tissue proteins. In systemic amyloidosis, the fibrils seem to be derived from a soluble circulating precursor; immunoglobulin light chains give rise to AL, and the SAA protein, which behaves as an acute phase reactant yields AA, presumably by proteolysis. It is not known whether the disease is due to overproduction or a defect in degradation. Though effective therapeutic agents are still lacking, colchicine has proved useful in preventing or ameliorating the amyloid in Familial Mediterranean Fever and in several experimental forms of the disease. It deserves careful study as a possible therapeutic agent on other types of amyloidosis.


The pediatric arthritides.

The three principal syndromes of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis have distinctive features that aid in early diagnosis and can contribute to specificity of treatment. Guidelines are given for differentiating JRA from other disorders producing joint pain.


The development of a medium supplemented with egg extract for the maintenance of Drosophila cell lines.

A saline extract was prepared from Drosophila eggs. When diluted to a concentration of 1% with Drosophila tissue culture medium, it did not support growth of cells from the Drosophila line D1 during the first few days of subculture as well as medium containing serum. When cells reached a stationary phase, however, the cell density in medium containing extract was greater than in medium containing serum. By altering the concentrations of the extract, and by adding bovine albumin, a medium was obtained in which D1 cells survived initial culturing, and which supported cell growth by day 4 as well as medium plus serum. The initial retardation of growth in medium containing egg extract might be due to the need of the cells to adapt to the new medium. At the present time four Drosophila cell lines have been maintained in this medium for more than 16 passages. Preliminary experiments with primary embryonic Drosophila cells indicate that medium containing 2% extract and bovine albumin retards the differentiation of these cells.


Stimulation of macrophages by cord factor and by heat-killed and living BCG.

Trehalose-6,6'-dimycolate (cord factor; CF) injected into the peritoneal cavity of mice induced stimulation of the peritoneal macrophages, evidenced both by increased activity of the lysosomal enzyme, acid phosphatase, and by increased phagocytosis of Listeria monocytogenes. The increase in enzyme activity and phagocytosis was similar to that induced by killed or living BCG. When administered intravenously, CF or BCG did not induce stimulation of peritoneal macrophages. CF when added to tissue cultures of normal peritoneal cells did not induce increased acid phosphatase activity or increased phagocytosis of L. monocytogenes.


Binding of progesterone to Neisseria gonorrhoeae and other gram-negative bacteria.

The binding of [1,2-(3)H]progesterone to progesterone-sensitive Neisseria gonorrhoeae CS-7 and the progesterone-insensitive Neisseria mucosa, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Salmonella typhimurium (rough and smooth strains) was investigated. The kinetics of binding to N. gonorrhoeae CS-7 demonstrated that the majority of the progesterone binding occurred and equilibrium was reached within the first 30 min. Despite the rapid binding of progesterone, only about 20% of the added steroid was bound at the cell concentration used throughout this study. Whole cells of progesterone-insensitive bacteria bound progesterone less efficiently than the progesterone-sensitive N. gonorrhoeae CS-7. N. mucosa bound low amounts of this steroid (20% of that bound by N. gonorrhoeae CS-7) whereas the other gram-negative bacteria exhibited little progesterone binding (<3% of that bound by N. gonorrhoeae CS-7). The outer membrane permeability of N. gonorrhoeae CS-7, as measured by crystal violet uptake and inhibition, was similar to the deep rough mutant of S. typhimurium TA 1535. The latter organism neither bound nor was inhibited by progesterone. However, isolated cell envelopes of N. gonorrhoeae and progesterone-insensitive bacteria all bound progesterone equally well. Cortisone and cholesterol, althouh structurally similar to progesterone, were not inhibitory to N. gonorrhoeae and did not bind to whole cells as well as progesterone. The major site of progesterone binding appeared to be the cytoplasmic membrane, which bound four times more progesterone than the outer membrane. In addition, isolated cytoplasmic membrane proteins bound more than three times more progesterone per milligram of protein than the intact membrane.


Bacteriocin typing by leakage of ultraviolet light-absorbing material.

A rapid and reproducible method of bacteriocin typing is described based on leakage of ultraviolet light-absorbing material (UVAM), detectable in supernatants of bacteriocin-sensitive cultures, by means of a spectrophotometer. The prerequisites for reproducible results, with nonsignificant fluctuations in standard error of the mean, are: a set of standardized bacteriocins, produced under defined conditions and of determined strength. These must interact with the unknown bacterial culture in suspension and at a given ratio in order to achieve an optimal multiplicity of interaction. Pyocin and colicin typing by the "scrape and streak" technique of Gillies (J. Hyg. 62:1-10, 1963) was compared with the UVAM leakage method in 275 tests; the two tests were found to be in good agreement for the strains tested.


Comparison of ethyleneglycoltetraacetic acid and its magnesium salt as reagents for studying alternative complement pathway function.

The divalent cation chelators, ethyleneglycoltetraacetic acid (EGTA) and its magnesium salt, MgEGTA, were compared in studies of alternative complement pathway function. EGTA (0.01 M) inhibited both the rate and the amount of complement activation by zymosan whether compared to nonchelated serum or to serum chelated with MgEGTA (0.01 M). The rate of alternative pathway activation by zymosan was slightly slower in MgEGTA-chelated serum than in nonchelated serum, but the overall amount of complement consumed by a given amount of zymosan was not decreased. MgEGTA chelation spontaneously activated the alternative pathway, as reflected by lysis of erythrocytes from a patient with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria. No evidence could be found that MgEGTA either spontaneously activated C2 or facilitated zymosan activation of C2. Suggested guidelines for the use of these chelators are advanced.


Pathology in rabbits treated with leukocyte-degraded meningococci in combination with meningococcal endotoxin.

The effects of a preparative dose of the leukocyte egesta containing degraded meningococci and a provocative dose of the meningococcal lipopolysaccharide on development of pathological lesions associated with disseminated intravascular coagulation were studied in tissues of 32 rabbits. These effects were compared with effects of a single dose of meningococcal lipopolysaccharide as well as leukocyte egesta containing degraded Staphylococcus epidermidis. Rabbits injected subcutaneously with egesta containing degraded meningococci followed after 12 h with meningococcal endotoxin (intravenously) exhibited heterophilic leukocytosis and disseminated intravascular coagulation mainly in the pulmonary capillaries and venules; focal necroses occurred in myocardium, lungs, and liver, whereas, cortical renal necrosis developed in lethal cases. Similar lesions, however, but less severe and with less frequency, developed even after a single dose of meningococcal endotoxin or after endotoxin that followed a dose of supernatant fluid from normal leukocytes. Our findings suggest that meningococcal material from polymorphonuclear degradation plays a role in the pathology characteristic of meningococcal septicemia.


Comparison of Streptomyces albus muramidase-extracted streptococcal antigen with acid-extracted M antigen and with pepsin-extracted T antigen.

Purified Streptomyces albus lytic enzyme was used in an attempt to extract type-specific antigen from a type 1, group A streptococcus. The presumably type-specific antigen was purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation followed by chromatography on O-(carboxymethyl)-cellulose columns. Comparison of the enzyme-extracted substance with acid-extracted material showed it to be serologically different from M protein. In addition, the extract obtained by enzyme treatment was resistant to trypsin as well as to the lytic enzyme. It was inactivated partially by pepsin and totally by papain. Comparison of the enzyme extract with pepsin-extracted T antigen showed these two preparations to be serologically identical. Subtle differences in their susceptibility to heat and acid treatment were noted. Immunodiffusion analyses of acid-extracted M protein and pepsin-extracted T protein, as well as with the enzyme extract, clearly established that the M-protein preparation contained a component serologically identical with one of the precipitinogens common to the other two extracts.


Structure-activity relationships of an exotoxin of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

The relation of the structure of Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A (PA toxin) to its enzymatic activity (adenosine 5'-diphosphate-ribosyl transferase) in vitro and to its toxicity in vivo was examined. PA toxin is produced as a single polypeptide chain with a molecular weight of about 71,500. PA toxin is produced by Pseudomonas as a toxic proenzyme that lacks enzymatic activity. Adenosine 5'-diphosphate-ribosyl transferase activity is expressed when the molecule is denatured and reduced or when its is cleaved by Pseudomonas proteases to yield an enzymatically active 27,000-dalton fragment (fragment a). A 45,000-dalton protein is tentatively identified as the enzymatically inactive fragment b of PA toxin. Enzymatically active forms of the toxin lack toxicity for mouse L-cells or mouse lethality. Thus, it is concluded that the native toxin proenzyme is required for toxicity and that a structural rearrangement must precede its intracellular activity.


Reagin-mediated hypersensitivity reaction in the rat hindpaw and its inhibition by antianaphylactic drugs.

Immediate hypersensitivity reactions are usually studied locally by the passive cutaneous anaphylaxis method. In the present experiments reaginic antibody-induced hypersensitivity was produced in the rat hindpaw (passive paw anaphylaxis or PPA). Increased vascular permeability was determined by measuring the increase in paw volume. The reaction in the paw and its inhibition with antianaphylactic drugs was found to be similar to that in the skin. The PPA is fast and easy to perform and can be used to study hypersensitivity reactions in the rat.


Preparation and properties of a specific antiserum against human liver.

Immunization of rabbits with a soluble human liver fraction incorporated into Freund's adjuvants produced antibodies that reacted with human liver extracts as well as extracts of other human organs. Absorption of the antihuman liver sera (AHLS) with lyophilized human serum, heart, and kidney abolished the reactions with other organs but did not remove the liver antibodies. The existence of at least two different liver antigens could be shown by gel diffusion precipitation experiments. One of these antigens could be removed by absorption of the antisera with chicken liver extracts. The AHLS did not crossreact with liver extracts of other species. Comparison of the AHLS with a mouse liver anti-serum described previously indicated that these antisera detected closely related but non-identical liver antigens.


Chemical modification of crude timothy grass pollen extract. III. The effect of glutaraldehyde-induced aggregation on antigenic and immunogenic properties.

Timothy pollen extracts have been reacted with glutaraldehyde under conditions leading to different degrees of aggregation of the product. Aggregation tends to enhance the previously demonstrated effects of glutaraldehyde in that reactivity with human IgE antibody, and ability to induce IgE antibody in the Bordetella pertussis-treated rat, are further reduced. Ability to induce IgG antibody with specificity for unmodified extract is substantially retained in all aggregated products.


Clinical and social comparison of fluphenazine decanoate and flupenthixol decanoate in the community maintenance therapy of schizophrenia.

The clinical and social effects of flupenthixol decanoate and fluphenazine decanoate were compared in the maintenance treatment of a population of chronic schizophrenic out-patients over a period of 9 months. The results failed to show significant difference between the treatments, and in particular, reports suggesting specific advantages for flupenthixol decanoate in alleviating the negative symptoms of apathy, anergia and depression in chronic schizophrenics were not confirmed. It seems that chronic schizophrenic patients who are well established on one depot preparation are unlikely to be benefited by being changed to the alternative.


Preliminary investigations on abnormal immunoglobulin(s) in leprosy.

A new, abnormal immunoglobulin designated IgK has been discovered in leprous Rubino-negative sera. The IgK having a negative net charge and its own antigenic specificity appears to be partly related to the Fc fragment of IgA and to Fab fragments of known immunoglobulins, but its net charge is negative at pH 8.8. Its molecule seems to possess kappa but not lambda light polypeptide chains. Implications of this discovery are discussed.


Embryopathic effect of ophthalmic EDTA.

Studies on the potential teratogenic effect of topically applied EDTA (0.1% and 3%) were undertaken because of its proven teratogenic effects when administered systemically and because of its wide use as an ophthalmic drug. Although no teratogenic effect was found for either 0.1% or 3% solution of EDTA, 3% EDTA applied topically to the eye six times a day has a significant embryopathic effect, with only 30% of the progeny remaining normal.


The effect of mannitol infusion on retinal function and oxygen tension.

Mannitol administered intravenously in rhesus monkeys resulted in a temporary recovery of the visual evoked response (VER) after its decrease due to elevation of the intraocular pressure. Mannitol infusion caused an immediate, albeit transitory, increase in retinal oxygen tension. These changes were independent of the ocular hypotensive effect of mannitol, and we conclude that the drug is a far better agent for the treatment of acute glaucoma than heretofore believed.


An animal model for the study of prostatic adenocarcinoma.

After the injection of the potent carcinogen 9,10-dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene (DMBA) male rats (Fisher/Furth), mice (Strong A/J), and Golden hamsters, which had been previously conditioned by castration and in which the prostate had become histologically atrophic, developed tumors consistent with prostatic adenocarcinoma. One month after castration, intravenous injections of DMBA were given in the vena cava or jugular vein once a month for 3 months. Three to four months later, histologic evidence of prostate adenocarcinoma was consistently found in each of the groups of castrated animals (11 rats, 22 mice, and 11 hamsters) which survived the experiment. The glands were enlarged grossly and ureteral obstructions were also noted. Metastasis to the lung also occurred in five mice, three rats, and one hamster.


Hormonal response to exogenous luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone and thyrotropin-releasing hormone in pregnancy and puerperium.

Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) and thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) were injected into five women in the last month of pregnancy and three  women in the postpartum period. In seven of the women, follicle-stimualating hormone (FSH) levels were at the limit of sensitivity of the assay and there was no response to LH-RH. One postpartum subject tested three weeks after delivery did show an FSH response to LH-RH. The thyrotropin response to TRH was within normal limits. When compared with control subjects, the pregnant and puerperal women had elevated basal levels of prolactin and an exaggerated response to TRH. Growth hormone levels were low and there was an inconsistent response to the administration of the releasing hormones. These results indicate that in pregnancy the thyrotroph and lactotroph are responsive to stimulation, whereas the gonadotroph is suppressed.


[Glutarladehyde-pollen-tyrosine hyposensitization. Course control of therapy using RIST and RAST].

The efficiency of the glutaraldehyd-pollen-tyrosin vaccine was controled by determination of total IgE and IgE antibodies against grass-pollens every two weeks. In addition the clinical state was checked. Patients who suffered from an allergy to grass-pollens only were free of symptoms after therapy. To proof this, a test is necessary since the case history is unreliable in 10% of persons.


Stability of working reagents for the Modified Rapid Fermentation Test (MRFT).

The Modified Rapid Fermentation Test (MRFT) for Neisseria gonorrhoeae has been shown to demonstrate the proper carbohydrate degradation for confirmation in less than 30 minutes. A new approach for using the reagents in the testing procedure has been established, making the MRFT a more practical tool in the laboratory. Instead of mixing reagents at the time of testing, previously prepared, labelled reagents were made in economic quantities and used according to the established procedure. These prepared reagents were stored at -70 C, -20 C, 4 C, and at room temperature (22-23 C). Stability was determined over a 6-month period by using a laboratory strain and fresh clinic strains of N. gonorrhoeae. The use of prepared reagents increases the efficiency of the confirmation approach, reduces the cost per test, and increases the uniformity of the individual tests.


Cost effectiveness of laboratory improvement programs: the viewpoint from the private sector.

The costs of participating in laboratory improvement programs are categorized and presented from the viewpoint of the laboratory. These include: prevention costs, appraisal costs, and compliance costs. Costs of participating in voluntary vs. mandatory programs are compared. Reduction of costs could be achieved by reducing duplication and overlapping of programs. In conclusion, it is difficult to identify the exact costs in any program, but it is estimated that for the individual laboratory it may represent 10-15% of the operating costs.


Cost-effectiveness of cardiopulmonary resuscitation training programs.

A model is presented to analyze the cost-effectiveness of programs to train large numbers of citizens in the techniques of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). From a planner's estimates of certain key factors, the model determines the probability of intervention for various numbers of trained citizens and for several allocation strategies and patterns of population density. These key factors are the maximum distance from which a person with CPR training could intervene in an emergency, the cost of training, and loss of skill with time. The model is used to analyze possible training efforts in Houston, Texas.


Tuberculosis in the intensive care unit.

The overwhelming majority of patients infected with tuberculosis may be very adequately treated without hospitalization on an out-patient basis. Until tuberculosis is completely eradicated, however, some patients with extensive disease will require hospitalization for diagnosis and the institution of appropriate chemotherapy. A minority of these who are desperately ill and require admission to an intensive care unit may still recover by the prompt diagnosis of the illness, appropriate supportive care, and the rapid institution of appropriate antituberculous chemotherapy.


An EM autoradiographic study on ovarian follicle cells of Drosophila melanogaster with special reference to the formation of egg coverings.

Ovarian follicle cells of Drosophila melanogaster have been studied by ultrastructural and autoradiographic analyses. During their migration through the germarium, follicle cells undergo several structural changes and, of these, the most conspicuous one occurs at the level of the nucleolus. By the time the first ovarian chamber is formed, follicle cells have formed a layer of uniform thickness all around a cluster or nurse cells and the oocyte. Following the initiation of vitellogenesis, the follicle cells overlaying the oocyte become columnar while those over the nurse cells become very thin. During stages 9-10, the columnar follicle cells are involved in the formation of the vitelline membrane, while from stages 11 to 13 these cells produce the endochorion. An EM autoradiographic analysis has shown that the rate of 3H-uridine incorporation in follicle cells nuclei is low in previtellogenic chambers, while it becomes very high in nuclei of stage 9-10 chambers. After short exposure to uridine, silver grains are located predominantly over nucleoli. Evidence from incorporation studies with 3H-lysine indicates that the columnar follicle cells and the region of the various egg coverings are highly labelled within an hour of incubation in the tracer. The observations confirm that columnar follicle cells are the only cells in the chamber involved in the formation of materials which make up the egg coverings.


Water-stable fluorophores, produced by reaction with aldehyde solutions, for the histochemical localization of catechol- and indolethylamines.

The properties of a new fluorescence histochemical method for arylethylamines based on reaction with a mixture of 4% formaldehyde and 0.5% glutaraldehyde in  aqueous solution are described. At room temperature the aldehyde mixture produced a well-localized fluorescence reaction in tissues, which, when examined microscopically in aqueous solution, was sufficiently intense for fine terminal noradrenergic axons to be seen. If the tissue was subsequently dried, the fluorescence intensity increased. At the same time as inducing the fluorophores, the aldehyde mixture fixed the tissue to a standard well suited for electron microscopy. It thus proved possible to locate amine containing cells in the fluorescence microscope and subsequently examine their ultrastructure. In aqueous models, the aldehyde mixture formed fluorescent products with adrenaline, noradrenaline, dopamine, dopa, 5-hydroxytryptamine and 5-hydroxytryptophan, but not with histamine or octopamine. The fluorescence induced in the aldehyde mixture remained stable if the tissue was subsequently transferred to saline or distilled water and when it was dehydrated in ethanol and cleared with xylene, benzene, chloroform or acetone.


Mycobacteria isolated from exotic animals.

Mycobacteria were isolated from 263 of 474 specimens submitted from captive exotic (nondomesticated) animals over a 5-year period. Mycobacterium avium was isolated from 128 animals originating in 13 states and the District of Columbia; serotype 1 accounted for 65 of the isolations. Mycobacterium bovi was isolated from 74 animals in 7 zoos, 7 game parks, and 4 primate colonies in 1, states: Mycobacterium tuberculosis was isolated from 29 animals originating 9 stats; and Mycobacterium fortuitum, Mycobacterium chelonei, Mycobacterium scrofulaceum, and Mycobacterium spp. The widespread occurrence of tuberculosis in exotic animals maintained in captivity emphasizes the public health importance of these infections.


Composition and molecular weight of pili purified from Pseudomonas aeruginosa K.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain K (PAK) bears polar pili that promote infection by at least six bacteriophages. Moreover, a recently isolated mutant of strain K (PAK/2PfS) is many times more piliated than the wild-type strain and facilitates the preparation of large amounts of pure pili for biochemical studies. The present investigation was carried out to establish the structural relatedness of PAK and PAK/2PfS pili and to determine their biochemical composition. A purfication procedure is described for PAK and PAK/2PfS pili that yields about 8 mg of pure pili per 100 g (wet weight) of PAK/2PfS cells and 0.8 mg of pure pili per 100 g (wet weight) of PAK cells. PAK and PAK/2PfS pili were found to be free from phosphate, carbohydrate, and lipid and to contain a single polypeptide subunit of 17,800 daltons. Isopycnic centrifugation studies revealed that PAK and PAK(2PfS pili have the same buoyant density in sucrose (1.221) and CsC1 (1.295). Both types of pili banded at pH 3.9 when subjected to isoelectric focusing. Amino acid analyses showed that PAK and PAK/2PfS pili have identical amino acid compositions, whereas microimmunodiffusion studies revealed that the two types of pili are immunologically indistinguishable. It was concluded that PAK and PAK/2PfS pili are identical and that the mutation responsible for producing the multipiliated state in PAK/2PfS is probably located outside the structural gene for PAK pili.


Transformation of Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis with a hybrid plasmid molecule.

A hybrid molecule constructed from Escherichia coli plasmid pMB9 and a fragment of Bacillus subtilis 168 deoxyribonucleic acid functions in cells of leu-E. coli, converting them to leucine prototrophy, but fails to survive in strains of B. subtilis 168.


De novo synthesis and glycosylation of the MOPC-46B mouse immunoglobulin light chain in cell-free extracts.

The mRNA for the mouse MOPC-46B K chain, a glycorportein, was prepared translated in Ehrlich ascites cell-free extract. A polypeptide product similar to the MOPC-46B kappa chain was identified by its antigenic properties and by analysis of the products of tryptic digestion. In addition, the cell-free product was glycosylated after translation. It appeared that glycosylation of the cell-free product occurred on the same tryptic peptide glycosylated by intact cells. The characteristics and requirements of glycosylation are described. The presence of Mn2+ was a major requirement.


Decalcified bone as a substrate for osteogenesis. An appraisal of the interrelation of bone and marrow in combined grafts.

This paper examines the fate of decalcified allografts (homografts) of iliac cancellous bone impregnated with autologous red marrow and implanted intermuscularly into the anterior abdominal wall of rabbits. In contrast to the findings of Urist and other workers that cortical bone decalcified with hydrochloric acid (HCl) and then freeze-dried is inductive to new bone formation in various heterotopic sites, evidence is presented that iliac bone decalcified by HCl and grafted alone to a muscular site is itself very weakly inductive to bone formation. However, when combined with autologous bone marrow the HCl-decalcified bone provides a better substrate for bone formation by marrow cells than does either undecalcified iliac bone, or iliac bone decalcified with ethylene-diamine-tetra-acetic acid. The freezing or freeze-drying of decalcified bone does not affect new bone formation when implanted alone or with autologous marrow. The differences between the cortical and cancellous bone as inductive substrates for osteogenesis are discussed and the interrelationship of bone and marrow in combined bone grafts are re-evaluated.


Quantitative determination of nuclear pore complexes in cycling cells with differing DNA content.

The number of pore complexes per nucleus was determined for a wide variety of cultured cells selected for their variable DNA content over a range of 1-5,6000. The pore number was compared to DNA content, nuclear surface area, and nuclear volume. Values for pore frequency (pores/square micrometer) were relatively constant in the species studied. When the pore to DNA ratio was plotted against the DNA content, there was a remarkable correlation which decreased exponentially for the cells of vertebrae origin. Exceptions were the heteroploid mammalian cells which had the same ratio as the diploid mammalian cells despite higher DNA content. The results are interpreted to mean that neither the nuclear surface, the nuclear volume, nor the DNA content alone determines the pore number of the nucleus, but rather an as yet undetermined combination of different factors. The surface and volume of vertebrate nuclei do not decrease with decreasing DNA content below a given value. The following speculation is suggested to account for the anomalous size changes of the nucleus relative to DNA content in vertebrates. Species with small DNA complements have a relatively large proportion of active chromatin which determines the limits of the physical parameters of the nucleus. The amount of active chromatin maybe the same for at least the vertebrates with low DNA content, At high DNA content, the nuclear parameters may be determined by the relatively high proportion of inactive condensed chromatin which increases the nuclear surface and volume.


Chromosomal basis of dosage compensation in Drosophila. IX. Cellular autonomy of the faster replication of the X chromosome in haplo-X cells of Drosophila melanogaster and synchronous initiation.

[(3)H]Thymidine labeling patterns have been examined in gynandric mosaic salivary glands of drosophila melanogaster. The Ring-X stock, R(1) w(ve)/In(1)dl 49, l (1) J1 y w lz(s), was used for this purpose. 365 labeled XX2A and 40 labeled XO2A nuclei were obtained from a total of 624 nuclei in nine pairs of mosaic salivary glands. It was observed that in all but those nuclei which had DD, 1C, and 2C patterns, the X chromosome of the XO2A nuclei always had fewer sites labeled than the X chromosomes of the XX2A nuclei, for a given pattern of the autosomes in either sex. Such asynchronous labeling of the X chromosome in the XO2A (male) nuclei was observed regardless of the proportion of the XO2A cells (2.0-73.7 percent), in the mosaic glands. Moreover, while the frequency of [(3)H]thymidine labeling for all of the 39 replicating units except the two late replicating sites (3C and 11A) in the X chromosome of the XO2A nuclei, was consistently lower than in the X chromosome of the XX2A nuclei, the mean number of grains on the X chromosome was relatively (to autosomes) similar in both XX2A and XO2A cells. The results, therefore, suggest that, as in XY2A larval glands, the X chromosome in the XO2A cells also completes the replication earlier than autosomes and that the XO2A nuclei show cellular autonomy with respect to the early replication of the X chromosome, like its counterpart, RNA transcription. Absence of the asynchrony during the initial phase (DD-2C) further completes the replication earlier but that the rate of replication of its DNA is possibly faster, and (b) that there might be a common regulation with respect to the initiation of replication of different chromosomes in a genome.


The structure of postsynaptic densities isolated from dog cerebral cortex. II. Characterization and arrangement of some of the major proteins within the structure.

An attempt was made to identify some of the proteins of the postsynaptic density (PSD) fraction isolated from dog cerebral cortex. The major protein has been tentatively labeled "neurofilament" protein, on the basis of its 51,000 mol wt correspondence to a protein found in neurofilament preparations. Other proteins are akin to some dog myofibrillar proteins, on the basis if immunological crossreaction and equal sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-gel electrophoretic mobilities. While a protein similar to dog muscle myosin is not present in the PSD fraction, a major protein present is actin, as evident from reactivity with antiactin serum, from SDS-gel mobility, and from amino acid composition. Only very little tubulin may be present in the PSD fraction, as determined by gel electrophoresis. Various treatments of the PSD fraction were attempted in order to extract some proteins, as revealed by gel electrophoresis, and to observe the structural changes of the PSD fraction residue after extraction of these proteins. The PSD is remarkably resistant to various extraction conditions, with only 4 M guanidine being found to extract most of the proteins, except the 51,000 mol wt protein. Disulfide reducing agents such as dithiothreitol (DTT), blocking agents such as p-chloromercuribenzoate (PCMB) (both in the presence of deoxycholate [DOC]), a Ca++ extractor, ethylene glycol-bis (beta- aminoethyl ether) N,N,N',N'-tetraacetate (EGTA), and guanidine caused an opening up of the native dense PSD structure, revealing approximately 10-nm filaments, presumably consisting of "neurofilament" protein. Both DTT-DOC and PCMB-DOC removed chiefly actin but also some other proteins. EGTA, in greatly opening up the structure, as observed in the electron microscope, revealed both 10-nm and 3- to 5-nm filaments; the later could be composed of actin, since actin was still in the residue after the treatment. EGTA removed a major 18,000 mol wt component and two minor proteins of 68,000 and 73,000 mol wt. Based on the morphological and biochemical evidence, a picture is presented of the PSD as a structure partly made up of 10-nm and 3- to 5-nm filaments, held together through Ca++ interaction and by bonds amendable to breakage by sulfhydrylblocking and disulfide-reducing reagents; either removal of Ca++ and/or rupture of these disulfide bonds opens up the structure. On the basis of the existence of filamentous proteins and the appearance of the PSD after certain treatments as a closed or open structure, a theory is presented with envisages the PSD to function as a modulator in the conduction of the nerve impulse, by movements of its protein relative.


Hepatocyte innervation in primates.

The efferent innervation and some characteristics of nerve fibers of the liver lobule in the tree shrew, a primate, are described. Nerve endings on hepatocytes were encountered regularly and were determined to be efferent adrenergic nerves. Transmission electron microscopy revealed nerve endings and varicosities in close apposition to the hepatocytes adjacent to the connective tissue of the triads as well as within the liver lobule in the space of Disse. Fluorescence microscopy indicated the existence of adrenergic nerves with a similar distribution. Autoradiography of the avid uptake of exogenous [3H]norepinephrine indicated that all intralobular nerves are potentially norepinephrinergic (adrenergic). Chemical sympathectomy with 6-OH-dopamine resulted in the degeneration of all intralobular liver nerve fibers as revealed by fluorescence microscopy and electron microscopy. Substantial regeneration occurred after 60-90 days but was not completed by that time. Some nerves were also observed in close association with von Kupffer cells and endothelial cells. The functional significance of the efferent liver innervation is discussed.


Prostaglandin F2alpha binding sites in human corpora lutea.

The specific binding of 3H-prostaglandin (PG) F2alpha to homogenates of human corpora lutea of the cycle and ectopic pregnancy was examined. Corpora lutea of ectopic pregnancy bound significantly (P less than 0.01) higher amounts of added 3H-PGF2alpha than those of the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. The 3H-PGF2alpha binding sites in corpora lutea of ectopic pregnancy were further characterized. The specific 3H-PGF2alpha binding to all corpora lutea was biphasic: all contained sites of 10(-8)M Kd, two also had sites of Kd greater than 10(-8)M while the other contained sites of 10(-9)M Kd. PGs competed for 3H-PGF2alpha binding in the following order: PGF2alpha greater than 15(S)15 methyl PGF2alpha greater than PGF1alpha greater than PGE2 greater than PGE1 greater than PGB1 greater than PGA1. Binding was time and temperature dependent; maximum binding was obtained by 1 h at 22 C; AT 38 C, the initial binding was high but rapidly declined after 30 min of incubation. A cationic requirement for 3H-PGF2ALPHA binding is suggested by the findings that the addition of EDTA severely reduced the binding which was reversed by concomittant addition of Ca+ to the medium. Preincubation of homogenates with proteolytic enzymes drastically reduced the binding, suggesting that the binding sites are protein in nature.


Effects of thyrotropin-releasing hormone on sleep and sleep-related growth hormone release in normal subjects.

Effects of TRH on sleep and sleep-related growth hormone (GH) release were examined in four normal volunteers. A bolus of 500 microgram of synthetic TRH was injected iv at the onset of sleep, followed by continuous iv infusion of 1000 microgram of TRH dissolved in saline for 3 h on two nights. Saline alone was infused on two control nights in each of these subjects. Polygraphic sleep records showed that TRH transiently interrupted sleep on both nights in all of the four subjects. The arousal phenomenon was observed from 80 to 151 min after the start of TRH administration until 20 to 212 min after the end of TRH infusion. The mean (+/-SE) percentage of awakening on the nights of TRH administration was significantly larger than on the control nights (36.4 +/- 1.9% vs. 1.3 +/- 0.8%, P less than 0.001). Plasma GH increased in close relationship to the initial appearance of slow wave sleep (SWS) within 40 min after sleep onset on both control nights in all four subjects. On nights of TRH administration, however, plasma GH levels during the initial 80 min of sleep were significantly lower (P less than 0.005) than on control nights, whereas SWS was demonstrated before the interruption of sleep. On nights when sleep was interrupted by forced wakefulness 1 h after sleep onset, plasma GH rose to levels comparable to those on control nights during early sleep periods in all subjects examined. These results suggest that TRH inhibits sleep and sleep-related GH release in normal subjects.


Growth hormone and prolactin responses to thyrotropin-releasing hormone in patients with severe liver disease.

Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) was administered iv to 10 patients with severe liver disease and 10 control subjects. Injection of 400 microgram TRH as a bolus induced in 7 out of 10 patients a clear-cut GH rise (larger than or equal 10 ng/ml) occurring 15-120 min after the injection, and no effect on GH levels in controls. Mean baseline GH levels wre higher in patients than in controls. An exaggerated and sustained PRL rise was present after TRH in the subjects with liver disease, whose mean baseline plasma PRL levels were within normal range.


Suppression of elevated serum TSH levels in hypothyroidism by fusaric acid.

The effect of Fusaric acid (FA), a specific inhibitor of dopamine beta-hydroxylase, on humna TSH and thyroid hormone concentration (T4 and T3) was evaluated. Healthy subjects showed no significant changes in serum T3,T4 and TSH concentrations following the administration of FA calcium salt (FA-Ca) or placebo. Similarly, administration of FA-Ca for 4 weeks to hypertensive patients failed to produce significant changes in the serum T4 or T3 Resin Sponge Uptake values, and in the TSH and T3 responses to TRH. In contrast, FA-Ca produced a significant reduction on the high basal serum TSH level in patients with primary hypothyroidism. The mean nadir was 25% and ranged from 6 to 61%. As in the case of L-Dopa, the effect of FA-Ca on serum TSH is most clearly demonstrated in patients with primary hypothyroidism. Alterations in brain amines may directly or indirectly suppress pituitary TSH secretion. The possibility of changes in the peripheral distribution or turnover rate of TSH has not been excluded.


Comparison of nitroglycerin-, nitroprusside-, and phentolamine-induced changes in coronary collateral function in dogs.

The recent use of vasodilators to improve ventricular function in acute myocardial infarction led us to investigate the effects of nitroglycerin, nitroprusside, and phentolamine on coronary collateral flow. Dogs were studied 2-4 wk after an ameroid constrictor was placed around the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery. Retrograde flow and peripheral coronary pressure were measured from a cannula inserted in the LAD distal to the ameroid. Systemic arterial pressure was held constant by an aortic cuff. When administered intracoronary (i.c.), nitroglycerin, 0.3-100 mug/min, or nitroprusside, 3-100 mug/min, produced quantitatively similar, dose-dependent increases in retrograde flow. Neither drug, i.c., changed peripheral coronary pressure. Nitroglycerin, 3-300 mug/min, intravenous (i.v.), produced dose-dependent increases in retrograde flow; nitroprusside, i.v., increased retrograde flow only in high doses (100-300 mug/min). Nitroglycerin and nitroprusside, i.v., produced similar increases in peripheral coronary pressure. Phentolamine, 1-300 mug/min, i.v., decreased retrograde flow, and did not change peripheral coronary pressure. Nitroprusside was considerably more potent than nitroglycerin in decreasing systemic arterial pressure and in reducing total coronary resistance. Thus, (a) although i.c. nitroglycerin and nitroprusside produce similar effects on collateral function, i.v. nitroglycerin is more effective than i.v. nitroprusside in augmenting collateral flow; (b) phentolamine has deleterious effects on collateral function; and (c) the relative vasodilator potencies of nitroglycerin and nitroprusside vary in different vascular beds; thus, for a given reduction in systemic arterial pressure, nitroprusside is less effective in increasing retrograde flow.


Orotic aciduria in two unrelated patients with inherited deficiencies of purine nucleoside phosphorylase.

The urines of two unrelated children with inherited deficiencies of purine nucleoside phosphorylase have been found to contain significant quantities of orotic acid in addition to the previously reported purine nucleosides. The data are consistent with some cell types of these immunodeficient patients being deplete of pyrophosphoribosylphosphate, a precursor of both purine, and pyrimidine nucleosides. It is suggested that the pyrophosphoribosyl-phosphate-depleted cells may be some component of the thymus-dependent immune system.


Phonocardiographic and echocardiographic features of Lillehei-Kaster mitral prosthesis.

Fifteen patients were studied with phonocardiography (phono) and echocardiography (echo) three to 13 months after mitral valve replacement with Lillehei-Kaster mitral valve prostheses. Echo measurements in all patients included prosthesis excursion (DE), opening velocity (OV), closing velocity (CV), and Q-to-mitral prosthesis closure (Q-MPC). In five patients, further, echo measurements included isometric contraction period (ICP), left ventricular ejection time (LVET), and time to completion of aortic valve opening (TCAO). Phono measurements in all patients included pre-ejection period (PEP), LVET, and PEP/LVET. Further phono measurements in the same five patients in whom further echo measurements were performed included Q to first heart sound (Q-S1), ICP, and isometric relaxation period (IRP). Phono and echo measurements were done sequentially. The echo results showed widespread values for DE, OV and CV with no correlation between clinical state, size of prosthesis, or postoperation duration. There was a positive correlation between CV and OV, r + 0.65. Q-MPC by echo averaged 72 msec, which is longer than reported values for Q-to-mitral valve closure in normal people. Similarly, ICP by echo was shorter than ICP by phono in every patient. Of the phono measurements IRP was shortest (45 msec) in one patient in congestive heart failure with a possible prosthesis malfunction. We conclude that echo- and phonocardiography are useful tools in evaluating mitral prosthesis function, but because normal values are widespread, individual measurements may be useful for followup in the same individual. Precise measurement of subdivisions of systolic intervals are now possible with these techniques.


Echocardiographic detection and management of patent ductus arteriosus in neonates with respiratory distress syndrome: a two-and one-half year prospective study.

A prospective 2 1/2 year study of 50 infants with combined respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) was undertaken to determine whether echocardiographic measurements combined with clinical assessment could be used to select those infants who needed cardiac treatment. From a pilot study, criteria were adopted to use digoxin in the treatment of infants with evidence of congestive cardiac failure and/or a left atrial dimension 1.5 times normal size, and to ligate the PDA in those with unremitting congestive cardiac failure and a left atrial dimension persistently twice normal. Left atrial, left ventricular, and aortic dimensions, left atrial to aortic ratio, and mean Vcf were echocardiographically determined. Forty-six per cent of the 50 infants with PDA required digoxin administration, and 18 per cent of the total group was operated. The long-term mortality for the total group was 12 per cent (6 of 50) and mortality was 33 per cent (3 of 9) for the operated group. Results showed that absolute left atrial dimension, particularly if recorded in two dimensions, most accurately predicted those infants who would develop congestive cardiac failure or failure that would become medically unmanageable.


Ultrasonic contrast study to indentify stomach tap water microbubbles.

In ultrasound scanning of the left upper quadrant of the abdomen, it is important to identify stomach contents which may appear as a cyst if the content is fluid or as a solid mass if the content is fluid with suspended food particles. By giving the patient a drink of two or three ounces of freshly drawn water, multiple strong echoes are produced from the fundus and the body of the stomach because of the microbubbles contained in recently agitated tap water and the microbubbles produced by the mixing effect of swallowing. These strong echoes will cause a "cystic" or "mass-like" appearance produced by the stomach contents to disappear. Thus, a false positive diagnosis is easily and rapidly avoided. The portion of the pancreas behind the stomach may also become more obvious. If the mass or cyst persists, the diagnosis of an abnormality is confirmed.


Percutaneous puncture guided by ultrasonic multitransducer scanning.

A technique for percutaneous puncture guided by real-time scanning is described. By means of a special puncture adaptor fastened to one end of a multitransducer, a needle can be guided in the plane of scanning in an adjustable angle to the transducer front. By this technique, the puncture target as well as the needle can be monitored on the real-time image during the entire puncture procedure. The technique has been used for amniocentesis, fine needle biopsy of a renal mass, renal cyst puncture, and pericardiocentesis.


A comparison of gray scale ultrasound and radionuclide imaging for the detection of focal hepatic lesions: open shutter technique.

A conventional B scan ultrasound unit was modified by the addition of a specially built logarithmic amplifier and a high resolution nonstorage oscilloscope, as suggested by Taylor and Carpenter. One hundred five consecutive patients submitted for radionuclide imaging of the liver were examined with ultrasound using a standardized scanning system. The ultrasound technique produced scans that were technically poor or inadequate in 37 per cent of the patients studied. In the studies in which there has been confirmation, the ultrasound diagnosis was accurate in 73 per cent and the radionuclide diagnosis was correct in 83 per cent. The combined accuracy of the two studies was 93 per cent. In 11 patients, ultrasound more clearly defined the lesions that were demonstrated by both techniques or demonstrated the nature of suspicious or equivocal areas on the radionuclide images. In 48 patients, the radionuclide scan imaged the liver more completely or demonstrated lesions more clearly than did the ultrasound examination. This specific approach to ultrasound gray scale imaging appears to be a valuable supplemental tool to radionuclide imaging, but at its present stage of development cannot replace it as a routine screening technique for hepatic disease.


Ultrasonic evaluation of the superior mesenteric artery.

With the use of gray scale B scan ultrasound, it is now feasible in many cases to detect portions of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) arising from the aorta. Thus, it is possible to measure the aortomesenteric angle and distance. We evaluated a series of patients by ultrasound to determine the normal values for the SMA angle, distance, and lumen diameter. Patients were also examined who had pathological conditions that might produce an alteration in the angle and distance. Abnormal widening was observed in patients with aortic aneurysms and para-aortic lymphosarcomatous nodes. In patients suspected of having duodenal ileus, there was evidence of narrowing of the superior mesenteric artery angle and distance. However, a comparable group of asymptomatic patients of the same age showed a similarly narrowed angle and distance. It was thus concluded that the narrowing of the aortomesenteric angle and distance is not a cause of duodenal ileus. Knowledge of the SMA and aortic lumen diameter has been helpful in selecting the proper catheter and approach for selective arteriography.


Ultrasonic demonstration of right ventricular myxoma.

A case of right ventricular myxoma masquerading as infundibular pulmonic stenosis with right-sided heart failure is presented. The unsuspected tumor was diagnosed with two-dimensional multicrystal real time scanning and single element echocardiography. Direct visualization of the tumor anatomy and its spatial relationships on cross-sectional images facilitates the diagnosis. On the other hand, the more accurate motion analysis form the time-motion display of the echo data yields additional functional information. Thus the two techniques are complementary to establish a diagnosis in those disorders where anatomy and function overlap. Ultrasonic examination yields a practical solution to the problem of screening patients to detect intracardiac tumors. This painless, noninvasive examination should be included in the analysis of every patient with cardiac symptoms.


The gray scale appearance of the normal pregnancy from 4 to 16 weeks of gestation.

Since the advent of gray scale, more detail is available on sonograms and the products of conception are more readily seen. The gestational sac can be seen at about the fifth week of gestation and the fetal parts can be recognized around the seventh week of gestation. The gestational sac, fetal parts, and the placenta can be followed all the way through pregnancy without any "blind periods." In the first three months of pregnancy, gestational age can be determined by measuring the size of the gestational sac in centimeters and adding 2 to that number. From then on the head and chest measurements can be used for a more accurate determination of gestational age.


Clinical application of high speed B mode echocardiography.

This study discusses the clinical application of high speed B mode echocardiography to a wide variety of heart diseases. We used a rapid mechanical sector scan at 30 frames per second and 120 scanning lines per frame, resulting in real time observation of cardiac structures. The sector angle was relatively wide (maximum 90 degrees). The tomograms were synchronized with the electrocardiogram and recorded on ordinary 35 mm or Polaroid film in conjunction with 8 mm cinematography. Heart cross sections could be recorded even in the presence of arrhythmia. We used a flat or focused, 10 mm diameter transducer made of lead zirconate-titanate with a resonant frequency of 2 or 3 MHz at a repetition rate of 3.6 kHz. High speed B mode echocardiography is a means of observing cross sections of the heart that can contribute to the improvement of accuracy in cardiac diagnosis.


Social and nonsocial behaviors of adult rhesus monkeys after amygdalectomy in infancy or adulthood.

At 6 yr of age six female rhesus monkeys that had sustained bilateral amygdalectomy in infancy, and five intact controls, were transferred to an observation cage where behaviors were recorded while the monkeys were (a) alone, (b) paired with unfamiliar stimulus animals, and (c) paired with familiar monkeys from the opposite experimental group. The five adult controls then underwent amygdalectomy, and all tests were repeated with the infant- and adult-operated animals. Infant-operated monkeys changed behaviors more rapidly than did intact controls in social and nonsocial situations, and their activity levels were less modified after a 24-hr period in the observation cage. They were subordinate to intact controls but expressed less fear than did controls when briefly placed with an unfamiliar aggressive animal. Adult amygdalectomy produced many changes in behavior, but these aberrations were identical to those observed in like-age monkeys that had been amygdalectomized in infancy. Infant-operated monkeys demonstrated more behavioral deficits at 6 yr than they had earlier in life.


Effect of physical properties of milk fat globules on Brucella ring test sensitivity.

Variations in Brucella milk ring test reactions have been attributed to size and disparity in size of fat globules, fat content of milk, inhibitory factors, and cream-rising capacity. Physical properties of milk fat globules were studied in individual milk samples that had diverse sensitivities for detection of Brucella agglutinins. Size or disparity of globule size could not be correlated with the milk ring test sensitivity. Inhibitory and enhancing creaming factors could be transferred from the cream to the skim milk and reacted with other cream to show changes in sensitivity. The proportion of clustered milk fat globules was related directly to the quantity of agglutinins detected by the test. Sensitivity of the test was attributed to a fat globule agglutinin that caused clustering and to an inhibitory factor.


Ultrastructure of rumen entodiniomorphs by electron microscopy.

Thin sections of rumen ciliated protozoa of the subclass Spirotrichia were studied by electron microscopy to elucidate their ultrastructure. To prevent retraction of their adoral cilia, menthol crystals were used to relax the retrociliary region. These protozoa had a distinct ectoplasm and endoplasm with the macro- and micronuclei located in the ectoplasm. At the surface of the entodiniomorph body was a highly differentiated cortical zone of four layers. Ribosomes were abundant throughout the cytoplasm, suggesting a substantial potential for protein synthesis. These protozoa appeared to engulf bacteria into large vacuoles, and subsequently the bacteria were taken into the endoplasm in vesicles containing only one bacterium each. The bacteria were digested partially, and only in isolated cases were the bacterial cell walls still intact.


Ultrastructure of rumen holotrichs by electron microscopy.

Thin sections of rumen diliated protozoa of the subclass Holotrichia were observed with a transmission electron microscope. These protozoa had a double layered boundary separating the ectoplasm from the endoplasm. Starch granules were abundant throughout the endoplasm and are probably storage starch. Also in the endoplasm of the holotrichs were the macro- and micronuclei. They were adjacent to one another, apparantly surrounded by a continuous membrane. Many unidentified dense bodies appeared in the endoplasm adjacent to the inner layer of the ectoplasmic-endoplasmic boundary. These inclusions could be precursor material to the boundary. The cuticle contained granular inclusions which might be secreted to facilitate ciliary movement. The holotrichs ingested chloroplasts as these were in vacuoles throughout the cytoplasm. The anal pore appeared to be open to the exterior and lined by a unit membrane.


The instantaneous transverse changes in the maxilla due to different points of force application.

The effects of different sites of an expansile force on the maxillae of three monkeys were studied. A lateral force of five pounds was delivered directly to four locations on each maxilla. Aluminum rods, rigidly attached to the teeth of each buccal segment, were photographed before and after each force application. The data indicated that the pattern of lateral maxillary displacement is related to the position of the lateral force in relation to the center of resistance of each maxilla.


Cyclotron-produced Zn-62: its possible use in prostate and pancreas scanning as a Zn-62 amino acid chelate.

Zinc-62 is a positron emitter that localizes in pancreas, prostate, and liver. Cyclotron-produced Zn-62 was separated by column chromatography and evaluated in vivo as the chelate of five amino acids and also as 62ZnCl2. Tissue-distribution studies were done in normal animals from 0.7-23 hr after intravenous administration. Pancreas-to-liver ratios (per gram) of about 1.0 were found at 1.5 hr in studies on rats, dogs, and monkeys. Pancreas was as difficult to separate from liver in Zn-62 (amino acid) images as in [75Se] selenomethionine images. Some studies were done with Zn-65 to determine the effects of carrier zinc and molar ratios of ligand. The highest ratio of pancreas to liver in these studies was 1.44. This uptake ratio decreases with increasing amounts of histidine, but the ratio is increased by adding carrier zinc because there results a decrease in liver uptake and no change in the pancreas uptake. There is sufficient specificity of pancreas and prostate uptake to make feasible emission computed tomography with Zn-62.


Preseasonal IgE ragweed antibody level as a predictor of response to therapy of ragweed hay fever with intranasal cromolyn sodium solution.

Intranasal administration of a 4% solution of cromolyn sodium for the treatment of ragweed hay fever was tested in an 8-week double-blind matched-pair study involving 66 patients. Patients on active drug received 5.2 mg into each nostril 6 times daily; control patients received a placebo spray. The treated group showed a significant reduction in mouth breathing (p less than 0.001), stuffy nose (p less than 0.002), runny nose (p less than 0.003), and postnasal drip (p less than 0.035). Patients receiving the active drug also reported fewer sneezing episodes (p less than 0.003) and nose blowing episodes (p less than 0.015). One patient using cromolyn solution developed nasal ulceration, tongue swelling, coughing, and wheezing. Other side effects were minimal and occurred with equal frequency in both groups. In the treated group relief of symptoms was most marked in patients with high preseasonal levels of IgE ragweed antibody. Intranasal 4% cromolyn solution appears to be an effective drug for the treatment of ragweed hay fever; measurement of the preseasonal level of IgE ragweed antibody is a useful screening test to identify patients most likely to achieve a maximal beneficial response to treatment.


Airway mucosal permeability in the Ascaris suum-sensitive rhesus monkey.

The permeability of the airways to technetium 99m-labeled albumin was measured in Ascaris suum-sensitive rhesus monkeys. All 8 animals were skin-sensitive to Ascaris suum (AA) antigen, 4 being respiratory responders (R) and 4 nonresponders (NR) to aerosolized antigen. In the absence of antigen challenge there were no differences in the accumulation in the blood of radioactive material from the tracheobranchial tree between the R and NR animals. After a five-minute challenge with aerosolized AA, there was a threefold increase in the rate of accumulation of radioactive material in the blood over control for the R group with no effect noted in the NR group. Gel filtration data indicated that the radioactivity in the blood most likely represented low molecular weight albumin fragments, resulting from spontaneous degradation of Tc-albumin, that crossed the mucosa and partially bound to circulating albumin. It is concluded that hyperpermeability of the airway mucosa probably is not a factor that contributes to the selective responsiveness of the R group to aerosolized antigen, and that airway permeability is increased consequent to the allergic reaction mediating acute bronchoconstriction.


Utilization of hospital in-patient services by the elderly.

A survey was made of the patterns of hospital admission for patients aged 65 or older in an urban practice under the management of a primary care team composed of a family physician, nurse, and medical social worker. Results showed that the elderly used a higher percentage of in-hospital facilities than did the younger age groups. However, admission rates were significantly lower than the local national rates, and involved relatively fewer cases of long-term illness. No patients over 65 were admitted for psychiatric care during the one-year period of observation. This was attributed to the provision of planned domiciliary programs for supervision of patients with long-term illness within a coordinated framework of primary medical care.


The nature and control of myopia.

There is a growing body of evidence to support the belief that most myopia develops as a result of prolonged exposure to nearpoint activities. This paper summarizes the most important studies that have been done and postulates a mechanism by which prolonged accommodation can result in myopia. Possible means of arresting or preventing the development of myopia are discussed.