Endobronchial metastases.

Seventeen cases of endobronchial metastases are reviewed. Of these, six had the primary lesion in the breast. Treatment was by resection, radiation, or systemic therapy. Breast cancer patients with long disease-free intervals had the longest survival after bronchial metastases, and those with the most aggressive carcinomas and sarcomas had shorter survival.


Cerebral necrosis following irradiation and chemotherapy for metastatic choriocarcinoma.

A case of cerebral necrosis following radiation and chemotherapy in a patient with metastatic cerebral choriocarcinoma is reported. Computed tomography (EMI Scan) demonstrated evolution and enlargement of the necrotic lesion. This focus was surgically excised and histology is presented. The possible enhancement of radiation necrosis by chemotherapy is noted, but the continued need for simultaneous use of radiation and chemotherapy is recognized and discussed.


Massive intracerebral hemorrhage caused by angioblastic meningioma.

A case of massive intracerebral hemorrhage caused by an asymptomatic focus of recurrent meningioma is reported. The mechanism of hemorrhage is briefly discussed.


Some effects of prostaglandin on corpora lutea and on the uterus in the cycling dog.

The effect of prostaglandin PGF2alpha was investigated on the progesterone production in the corpora lutea and on the occurrence of amino acids and carbohydrates in the uteri of seven beagles in metoestrus (D-36 to D-42). The dose, 15 mg in all (3 X 5 mg with intervals of 1 and 24 hours), was injected i.m. After ovariectomy and hysterectomy it appeared that 5 hours after the last injection in conversion of pregenolone into progesterone in the corpora lutea was greatly reduced that in the uterus much more fructose, glucose, and glucuronic acid was present than could by expected at the time of the cycle. After 24 hours the progesterone production was still low and in the uterus the fructose production had increased and lactic acid was formed. Four days after the last injection, the progesterone production in the corpora lutea was normal again and the amounts of fructose and of glucose in the uterus showed the normal values; the concentrations of glucuronic acid and of lactic acid were still elevated, but they were reducing. Seemigly 15 mg of PGF2alpha injected i.m. in dogs caused a temporary blocking of progesterone production in the corpora lutea, accompanied by the formation of glucuronic acid in the uteri van zeven beagles in metoestrus (D-36 - D142). De dosis bedroeg in total 15 mg (3 X 5 small amounts of fructose and of lactic acid in the uterus.


Acyclicity and dyscyclicity in mares.

Two trotter stud farms were visited on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays during 1972 and 1973. A total of 356 mares were bored on these farms during these breeding seasons. There were 194 nursing, 113 barren, and 49 maiden mares. Of the 356 mares, 78 (21.9%) had functional disorders of the ovaries at one time or another. The functional disorders consisted of: 27 anoestrous mares after early embryonic death, 20 with low ovarian activity, 19 with multifollicular ovaries, and 12 mares with persistent corpora lutea. The following therapies were used: (a) 1000 I.U. PMSG i.v. + 10 mg stilboestrol i.m. Of 13 treated mares, 3 (23.1%) came into heat and all 3 became pregnant in the first oestrus following treatment. (b) Intra-uterine infusion of 0.5 - 1 liter physiological saline solution. Of the 26 treated mares, 19 (73.1%) came into oestrus and 14 (53.9%) became pregnant in the first oestrus following treatment. (c) Chlormadinone acetate, 10 mg. orally for 17 days. Of 38 treated mares, 35 (92.4%) came into oestrus and 22 (57.9%) became pregnant in the first oestrus following treatment. This therapy was also used in early spring (February-March) in 15 mares, of which 10 (66.7%) came into oestrus and 4 (26.7%) became pregant in the first oestrus following treatment. (d) Prostaglandin F2alpha, 25 mg intra-uterine. Of the 9 mares treated, al came into oestrus and 8 (88.9%) became pregnant in the first oestrus following treatment. (e) Curettage of the uterus. In this treatment group, none of the 5 treated mares showed improvement. Altogether, 54.7% of the treated mares became pregnant in the first oestrus after treatment, and 76.9% of the mares became pregnant after one of more breedings.


HLA and cancer in South African Negroes.

Five hundred patients with cancer were tested for 32 HLA antigens and the antigen frequencies compared with those of 500 control subjects matched for race, sex and age. Although the overall frequencies showed no significant differences, detailed analysis with regard to site of cancer, age and the number of antigens detected at each locus revealed significant differences. Phenotype tables and haplotype frequencies have been included.


Diurnal variation in occurrence of strokes.

The time of onset of a completed stroke was recorded in 707 patients. Of the 554 cerebral infarctions 40% occurred between midnight and 6 a.m. Onset at night was, if anything, less common among the 153 cases of cerebral hemorrhage.


[The inhibition of prostaglandin induced uterine contractions by diazoxide in vitro (author's transl)].

The tocolytic efficiency of Diazoxide, a benzothiadiazine derivative with pronounced musculotropic action, was tested on the isolated uteri of non-gravid and gravid rats. Regular uterine contractions were induced by the prostaglandines E2 and F2 alpha. Their amplitude and frequency could be suppressed totally or subtotally. Contraction intervals lasted 4--22 min. The basal tone was reduced in most cases.


[Fungal infestation of the excretory urinary ways in chronic pyelonephritis].

374 patients with florid chronic pyelonephritis were examined concerning the frequency of a funguria. In primary diseases in 7.8% and in secondary forms in 12.4% of the cases fungi could be proved in the urine. Furthermore it is reported on course and therapy of manifest infections with fungi.


Clinical results of lumbar sympathectomy alone or as a complement of direct arterial surgery.

Six hundred and eighty patients underwent conservative surgery for chronic obliterative arterial disease of the lower limbs during a 15 year period ranging from 1960 to 1974. Two hundred and fifty-three lumbar sympathectomy were performed in 240 patients, 339 patients had direct surgery and in 133 cases lumbar sympathectomy was added to direct surgery. From this experience the authors conclude: 1. Lumbar sympathectomy has a low mortality rate (3 deaths or 1.18%) and no important after effects: in particular no sexual problems are reported. 2. Lumbar sympathectomy for intermittent claudication seems to be useful since it apparently improves symptoms and prognosis of the operated leg. 3. Lumbar sympathectomy for rest pains or necrosis can be useful in 1/3 of the patients with proximal arterial lesions and in 2/3 of the patients with only peripheral lesions. 4. Lumbar sympathectomy should always be added to direct arterial surgery above the inguinal ligament since it improves the patency rate of arterial reconstruction without increasing the operative risk.


Lumbar sympathectomy.

The three points discussed in this paper are: 1. Improvement in walking distance. 2. Post-sympathectomy neuralgia. 3. Post-sympathectomy ejaculatory problems. The experience in the paper was derived from 2,450 operations of lumbar sympathectomy carried out between the years of 1947 and 1972. The claudicant patients were divided into 3 main groups. Those who were not treated by any form of surgery, those who could walk for 200 yards before claudication and those who could walk less than 100 yards before claudication, the latter two groups having been treated by lumbar sympathectomy. The results show a considerable difference in the two groups treated and compare favourably with the untreated cases.


Pathogenesis of developmental defects induced in the rat by amniotic sac puncture.

The morphogenesis of developmental defects induced by aminotic sac puncture was studied at the gross and microscopic levels. In fetuses recovered from 15 min to 48 h after amniocentesis, a  pattern of hemorrhagic lesions, excessive accumulation of interstitial fluid, followed by tissue necrosis and leading ultimately to the reduction of amputation of distal limb segments and morphological changes in the head, was observed. These changes were indicative of venous stasis, hypervolemia and embryonic oxygen deficiency. Intrauterine compression of the fetus and the obstruction of the fetomaternal circulation were considered to be the primary etiological factors in amniocentesis-induced anomalies which included hemorrhagic lesions, limb reductions and amputations, deformities of the head and abdominal regions, generalized edema and postural moulding.


Primary choriocarcinoma of the lung: case report of two male subjects.

Extragenital choriocarcinoma in the male is known to occur in retroperitoneum, mediastinum and pineal body in a high proportion, and there have been no certain reports of lung origin. We studied two cases of choriocarcinoma arising from the lung in the male by histological, electronmicroscopical, immunofluorescent, and immunoenzyme methods. Histologically, characteristic changes of choriocarcinoma, composed of irregular complex of cytotrophoblasts and syncytiotrophoblasts with massive necrosis and hemorrhage were demonstrated. These two cell patterns, characteristic of choriocarcinoma, were also demonstrated electronmicroscopically and differed from giant cell carcinoma of the lung. By immunofluorescent and immunoenzyme methods, anti-HCG reactive particles were seen in the cytoplasm mainly of syncytiotrophoblasts and proved HCG production function of the tumor.


Ultrastructural changes in the parathyroids of Mongolian gerbils induced experimentally in vitro. Effects of variations in Ca2+ and Mg2+ concentrations.

Isolated parathyroid glands from normal adult Mongolian gerbils were incubated for 15 minutes to 3 1/2 hours either at high or low concentrations of Ca2+ and Mg2+ after which they were studied ultrastructurally, using the pyroantimonate technique and x-ray analysis for identification and son concentrations were mainly composed of suppressed chief cells with moderate or high cytoplasmic density, sparsely developed endoplasmic reticulum, often large Golgi complex, occassional cytoplasmic accumulations of secretory granules, lipoid bodies, glycogen-like particles, and numerous often large mitochondria. Ca2+-containing precipitates were found mainly in mitochondria. Autophagic vacuoles contained Ca2+-loaded degenerating mitochondria. Glands exposed to low concentrations of Ca2+ and Mg2+ were mainly composed of stimulated and active chief cells; characteristic features were a moderate or low cytoplasmic density, prominent endoplasmic reticulum, small Golgi complex, medium-sized, or small mitochondria, and smooth electron lucent vacuoles with or without an association of mitochondria. Ca2+-containing precipitates were found mainly in smooth vacuoles and cytosol, but also in mitochondria and routh vacuoles. Myelin-like figures and crystalloid bodies occurred in some mitochondria, and normal or degenerating mitochondria withoug Ca2+-loading were seen in autophagic vacuoles. In addition, some stimulated chief cells exhibited double membrane-limited sequestered areas of cytoplasm with a rich content of free ribosomes and glycogen-like particles. The chief cell mitochondria seem to possess capacity for rapid accumulation of Ca2+, associated with an increase in volume at functional suppression. At stimulation of parathyroid function the endoplasmic reticulum is prominent in the active cells, and there seems to be a decrease in the volume and Ca2+-content of the mitochondria occasionally associated with degenerative changes, and a decrease also in the number of free ribosomes and glycogen-like particles in the stimulated cells.


Thrombocythaemia and multiple myeloma. A report on two cases.

A report is presented on two patients with the very rare combination of thrombocythaemia and multiple myeloma. Both patients displayed an increase in monoclonal immunoglobulin in the serum, an increased amount of plasma cells in the bone marrow, and multiple osteolytic lesions in the skeleton, along with a platelet count exceeding 1 mill./mm3, haemorrhagic diathesis, and thromboembolic complications. In case 1, both diseases reacted favourably to treatment with melphalan during a 36-month follow-up. In case 2, the thrombocythaemia had been brought under control with busulphan prior to the diagnosis of myeloma. The latter patient died before initiation of treatment of the myeloma. The signifacance of the combination is discussed.


Retinitis pigmentosa and a retinal vasculopathy of the Coats type.

Retinitis pigmentosa is occasionally associated with a vasculopathy of the Coats type. Although the clinical appearance of the vaculopathy is similar to that seen in the usual patient iwth Coats's disease, cases associated with retinitis pigmentosa are usually bilateral, equally common in females, and are not seen in childhood. These findings suggest a different etiological process. We speculate that the etiology in such cases may be related to the vascular narrowing and slower circulation known to occur in some retinitis pigmentosa patients.


Characteristics of ventricular tachycardia in ambulatory patients.

This study analyzes 94 episodes of the ventricular tachycardia recorded in the ambulatory electrocardiograms of 23 patients with stable cardiac disease. The episodes were asymptomatic in 19 patients, and only one episode resulted in ventricular fibrillation. Eighty-five percent of the episodes occurred when the underlying heart rate was less than 100 beats/min, and 17 percent occurred during sleep. The rate of the ventricular tachycardia was between 120 and 180 beats/min in 78 percent of the episodes and showed a modest correlation with the underlying heart rate (r = 0.59, P less than 0.001). Only 14 of the 94 episodes were initiated by R on T premature ventricular contractions, and the mean prematurity index (+/- standard deviation) (R-R'/Q-T) for all episodes was 1.31 +/- 0.28. Episodes of ventricular tachycardia recorded during ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring are usually self-limited and asymptomatic. They occur during ordinary nonexertional activity and are frequently initiated by late couples premature ventricular contractions.


Breast milk composition in Ethiopian and Swedish mothers. III. Amino acids and other nitrogenous substances.

The content of amino acids and other nitrogenous substances was determined in milk samples from Ethiopian and Swedish mothers. The Ethiopian mothers were divided into two groups, one with children having low weight for age and one with children having standard weight for age. All children were in the age range 2 to 5 months, and there were eight in each group. The main findings were as follows: 1) The mean daily milk volumes and total daily nitrogen content in the milk were found to be similar in all three groups. The Swedish group had a significantly lower nitrogen content per milliliter than did the Ethiopian group with low weight for age. 2) The total amino acid composition of the milk was almost identical in the three groups studied except for the tyrosine value, which was significantly lower in the Ethiopian standard group than in the low weight for age group. The composition corresponded well with previous findings. 3) The protein fraction constituted 90 to 92% of the total amino acids, the peptide fraction 4 to 5%, and the free amino acids 5%. 4) The concentrations of free amino acids in milk were lower (2 to 6 times) than in plasma, except for glutamic and aspartic acid. The taurine concentration was much higher in milk than in plasma. Only the urea levels in milk and plasma were significantly correlated. The implications of these findings in child health are discussed.


Comparative sensitivities of viruses to cell cultures and transport media.

The relative sensitivities and temporal permissivenesses of human embryonic kidney, baboon kidney, and human fibroblast (WI-38) cells for primary isolation of viruses were compared. Of 405 viruses isolated, 83% (335) were cultivated in human embryonic kidney cells, and 49% (198) in baboon kidney cells. WI-38 cells supported the growth of 34% of 199 viral agents. Of the 405 isolates, 70% manifested a cytopathic effect first in human embryonic kidney cells. Daily cumulative rates for primary virus isolation from 1960 to 1974 were examined. Of 558 virus isolates, 58% showed cytopathic effects within seven days after inoculation of the specimen. Comparison of two transport media demonstrated that the total number of isolates from tryptic soy broth approximated twice the number detected with charcoal viral transport medium.


Foodborne disease outbreaks of chemical etiology in the United States, 1970-1974.

In the United States between 1970 and 1974 there was an increase each year both in the absolute number of foodborne diseases outbreaks of chemical etiology reported to the Center for Disease Control and in the proportion of these outbreaks in the total reported foodborne disease outbreaks. Nearly half (48.9%) of these foodborne disease outbreaks of chemical origin were caused by toxic fish or shellfish. Of the rest, 16.5% were caused by poisonous mushrooms, 10.9% by heavy metal poisoning, 7.2% by excessive use in food of monosodium glutamate (the etiologic agent of Chinese Restaurant Syndrome) and 16.5% by miscellaneous chemicals. Practices that contributed to the occurrence of these outbreaks included the inadvertent selection for consumption of toxic fish, shellfish, or mushrooms, storage of fish at improper temperatures, storage of acidic liquids in metal containers, and addition of excessive amounts of monosodium glutamate to foods. Commercially-processed foods were responsible for outbreaks of scombroid fish poisoning, shellfish poisoning, and heavy metal poisoning. Because outbreaks of chemical etiology due to contaminated commercial products do occur, prompt recognition and reporting of outbreaks to public health personnel are essential so that epidemiologic investigations can be conducted and effective control measures promptly initiated.


Adult Niemann-Pick disease: its relationship to the syndrome of the sea-blue histiocyte.

Three unrelated female patients with adult Niemann-Pick disease are described. All the patients had reduced coagulation factors and involvement of the marrow, liver, spleen and lungs. Two patients were shown to have abnormal platelet function; two patients also had pingueculas and a late onset of a menarche. Foam cells and sea-blue histiocytes were seen in the marrow and livers in all three patients, in the spleen in two patients in the lymph nodes in one patient. The clinical presentation, the histologic appearance, the histochemical staining reactions, the lipid analysis and the ultrastructure were all consistent with a diagnosis of adult Niemann-Pick disease. On the basis of these observations, it is clear that adult Niemann-Pick disease is a cause of the syndrome of the sea-blue histiocyte. The existence of the syndrome of the sea-blue histiocyte as a separate entity is also questioned.


Plasma beta-subunit human chorionic gonadotropin assay in molar pregnancy and choriocarcinoma.

Serum plasma levels of the beta-subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG-beta) were measured by radioimmunoassay in 24 women with molar pregnancies and five with choriocarcinoma. In the patients with molar pregnancy, plasma HCG-beta concentrations became undetectable within 8 to 173 days. In the patients with choriocarcinoma, plasma HCG-beta levels declined rapidly with appropriate chemotherapy. Serial plasma HCG-beta assay in this series accurately determined remission and detected early recurrences during follow-up. All patients are in remission with a mean follow-up of 22 months for the patients with choriocarcinoma.


Urethral behavior during the involuntary detrusor contraction.

The bladder-urethral pressure records of 77 patients with involuntary detrusor contractions have been reviewed to described the behavior of the urethra in relation to the involuntary detrusor contraction. The involuntary detrusor contraction is preceded by a fall of urethral pressure in a manner similar to that observed with normal voiding. Parasympathetic blockade will completely or partially prevent the detrusor contraction with a limited effect upon the urethral pressure fall. The meschanism proposed is an interruption of synpathetic effect in the urethra and bladder with parasympathetic stimulation of the detrusor as in normal voiding. The stimulus of this mechanism in the involuntary detrusor contraction is not known; however, a wide range of possibilities should be considered.


Cell-to-cell herniae in the arterial wall. I. The pathogenesis of vacuoles in the normal media.

Vacuoles were observed by light microscopy in the smooth muscle cells of the media in normal rat arteries. By electron microscopy these vacuoles were limited by two membranes; they usually contained myelin figures, a few organelles (especially mitochondria and microfilaments), and an amorphous background material that varied greatly in density. Morphologic evidence indicates that these structures arise by herniation of one smooth muscle cell into another; it is presumed that herniation occurs during contraction at weak points corresponding to areas where adjacent cells come in close contact. Such cell-to-cell herniae were mostly seen in small arteries (arterioles) with a diameter of 0.4 to 0.2 mm; however, none was found in coronary arteries of this size. This discrepancy suggests that the pathogenesis of cell-to-cell herniae is correlated not only with the caliber of the artery but also with functional demands. (Am J Pathol 87:375-398).


Effect of ovarian hormones on lysosomal acid hydrolase activities in rat myometrium.

The activities of the lysosomal acid hydrolases-cathespin D, acid phosphatase, beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase, and beta-glucuronidase-were measured in rat myometrium under the following hormonal conditions: during the estrus stage of the estrous cycle (NE); at 1,2, and 3 wk after ovariectomy; and in 3-wk postovariectomized females after hormone replacement therapy with 17 beta-estradiol (E2), progesterone (P), or E2 + P. Activities per milligram protein and per milligram DNA of the enzymes were significantly decreased after ovariectomy and were restored to the NE level or above after injecting E2 or E2 + P. Lysosomal enzyme activities did not change with hormonal state in hypophysectomized rats, suggesting that other hormones are required for mediation of enzyme activity. Acid hydrolase activities in other tissues and nonlysosomal enzyme activites in the myometrium did not fluctuate with hormonal state. Studies of lysosomal membrane integrity suggested that one population of lysosomes richer in cathepsin D and acid phosphatase and another rich in beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase and beta-glucuronidase may be present in rat myometrium. Estrogen seemed to labilize the lysosomal membrane of at least the latter of the two proposed populations of myometrial lysosomes.


Forensic psychiatry: female offenders.

The authors examined the records of 127 female and 1,068 male offenders referred by the courts to a forensic service over a 22-year-period. Female offenders were less likely than male offenders to be referred for psychiatric evaluations when they were charged with criminal behavior. They were more likely to be charged with homicide, arson, forgery, or fraud and more frequently received diagnoses of affective disorder and neurosis.


The effect of an educational program upon hospital antibiotic use.

The effect of an educational program on the use of antibiotics was studied in a university-affiliated Veterans Administration Hospital. Following an initial survey of antibiotic usage, educational presentations of the collected data were made to the hospital staff which included specific prescribing errors and alternative recommendations. Then, another survey was conducted. Measurable changes following the educational presentations were limited to decreasing costs of unjustified antibiotic use. An effect was noted in decreasing unjustified use of antibiotics in prophylactic situations, but this remained the most common misuse. Thus, an educational program directed at specific prescribing errors produced little noticeable effect on the use of antibiotics in a university-affiliated hospital. The study indicates that more direct measures, such as control of use of particular antibiotics, may be required to produce a meaningful change in prescribing practices.


Detergent toxicity survey.

A survey of over 249 detergent products involving biological testing, chemical analyses, and product label reviews has been conducted from 1971-1976 for determining compliance with the Federal Hazardous Substances Act. Test results for 145 detergent products having both chemical and biological data were examined. All of the tested detergents were rabbit eye irritants. Forty-seven per cent were also either rabbit primary skin irritants or corrosives. Eighty-one per cent were either rabbit esophageal test irritants or corrosives, and 80 per cent had rat oral toxicities 5g/kg or less.


A practical reporting and evaluation system for intervention programs: guiding principles and potential uses.

The continued existence of intervention programs is contingent on the ability to answer basic questions such as "What is your program doing?" and "Why should we fund your program?" This paper outlines basic principles and describes a practical reporting and supplemental evaluation system that can be used by administrators of even the smallest intervention program.


Brugia-like filarial infection acquired in the United States.

A mature male filarial worm was found in sections of an enlarged, painful retroauricular lymph node removed from an 18-year-old resident of New Jersey. On the basis of its morphology and location in an obstructed lymph vessel, the worm was identified as probably a species of Brugia, possibly Brugia beaveri, a parasite of the raccoom. The infection in this case resembled one reported earlier from the same general area of the country, New York City. In the absence of demonstrable microfilaremia in this and other cases of zoonotic filariasis acquired in the United States, specific drug treatment after surgical removal of the worm is usually unnecessary.


Intracellular collagen in the nonpregnant and IUD-containing rat uterus.

An experiment designed to study the effects of the copper IUD on the virgin rat uterus has revealed the presence of intracellular collagen fibrils in control uteri and in uteri that have contained a copper IUD for three months. The cells containing the collagen are found in the stroma in close proximity to the uterine epithelium. The collagen is found within membrane-bound cytoplasmic vacuoles that vary in morphology. In some cases the fibrils are tightly packed and linear, with no other material evident in the vacuole. In other examples, the fibrils are randomly arranged and the vacuoles contain a punctuate material which is characteristic of phagolysosomes. Finally, cytoplasmic vacuoles are seen which contain ill-defined debris and poorly-visualized structures that exhibit a periodicity, suggesting a terminal phase of fibril breakdown. All animals were sacrificed in metestrus, and the results indicate that intracellular collagen is present in the nulliparous rat uterus at this stage of the cycle. In addition, this phenomenon does not appear to be influenced by the presence of a copper IUD over a period of three months.


Antiarrhythmic anesthetic action I: the effect of halothane on canine intracardiac impulse conduction during sinus rhythm.

The effect of halothane on intracardiac impulse conduction was assessed in dogs before and after pharmacologic vagotomy. Impulse conduction was measured by anesthetic-related changes in the A-H and H-V intervals of the His bundle electrogram. Prior to vagotomy, both "light" and "deep" halothane prolonged the A-H interval significantly. Maximal A-H interval prolongations corresponded to the maximal decrease in heart rate with either dose of anesthetic. Following vagotomy, the A-H prolongation produced by light halothane was abolished and the prolongation produced by the deep level greatly reduced. Neither dose of halothane had a measurable effect on the H-V interval before or after vagotomy. In one animal in which the effects of increasing rates of atrial pacing were measured without the addition of halothane, the A-H interval lengthened with no measurable change in the H-V interval. In two dogs in which the heart rate was held near pre-halothane levels by atrial pacing, the A-H interval was slightly prolonged and the H-V interval unchanged during the administration of deep halothane. These studies indicate that during sinus rhythm: (1) halothane prolongs A-V impulse conduction, (2) that this effect is correlated with a concomitant decrease in heart rate, and (3) that these effects are largely dependent upon intact vagal innervation of the heart. During atrial pacing, A-V conduction is prolonged by increased heart rate or by deep halothane when the heart rate is held constant. Thus, in addition to the known effects of halothane on pacemaker automaticity, concomitant changes in conduction may contribute to the antiarrhythmic action of this anesthetic.


Antiarrhythmic anesthetic action. II. The effect of methoxyflurane on ventricular automaticity.

During the course of surgical anesthesia, the majority of patients experience some arrhythmias, virtually all of which can be attributed to changes in cardiac pacemaker automaticity and/or alterations in cardiac conduction velocity. Therefore, a better understanding of these mechansims is of importance to anesthesiologists. Cardiac automaticity in the intact heart of dogs under methoxyflurane anesthesia was assessed by measuring changes in ventricular escape time (VET) and ventricular escape rate (VER). A slight shortening of VET was noted, while there was virtually no change from control in VER. Unexpectedly, however, a nonsinus supraventricular escape focus became prominent in many animals at a low anesthetic dose and in all animals at a higher anesthetic concentration. This effect was shown to be preventable by pretreatment with reserpine or a beta-blocking agent. It is concluded that methoxyflurane increases the automaticity of parts of the atrial conducting system, other than the sinus, either by a direct effect or by increasing the sensitivity to prevailing background adrenergic levels.


Fluctuating intracranial hypertension due to Cheyne-Stokes respiration.

Cyclically fluctuating intracranial pressure (ICP) with periodic breathing was first described by Nils Lundberg in 1960. While Cheyne-Stokes respiration (CSR) frequently accompanies severe cerebrovascular accidents, it is not commonly appreciated that cycles of severe intracranial hypertension can complicate this abnormal ventilation pattern. We recently treated a patient with a hemorrhagic stroke in whom episodes of elevated ICP were synchronously associated with CSR.


Further studies of manually operated self-inflating resuscitation bags.

Four resuscitators were tested, of which three had recently been improved by the manufacturers (Danish-made Ambu, Air Bird, Laerdal Resusci 2), and one was new (Hope 2). All functioned well at extremes of temperature and all would deliver 100 percent O2 to the patient. All are essentially vice-free and represent great steps forward in resuscitator design.


The potential for contamination of continuous epidural catheters.

In cultures from 102 patients undergoing continuous epidural catheterization, 22 catheters were found to be contaminated. No statistically significant correlation could be established between the contaminated catheters and the parameters monitored. A worrisome trend of contamination seemed to be developing in association with hospital-prepared epidural trays as well as the procedure of vaginal delivery. Hypotheses for these observations together with current prophylactic measures are discussed. One significant clinical infection occurred; a brief report of this patient is included.


Flaccid paraparesis following obstetrical epidural anesthesia: possible role of benzyl alcohol.

Severe flaccid paraplegia accompanied by extensive sensory loss after epidural anesthesia administered for labor and delivery occurred in a previously healthy 24-year-old primagravida. Recovery was virtually complete after 16 months. The cause of the neurologic deficits may have been the 1.5 percent benzyl alcohol preservative contained in an 0.9 percent saline solution used for postdelivery epidural injection.


Laceration of left pulmonary artery during mediastinoscopy.

During a mediastinoscopy on a 65-year-old man with a carcinoma of the lung, the left pulmonary artery was biopsied inadvertently. The patient became hypotensive due to a loss of 1500 ml of blood in less than 5 minutes. Rapid administration of plasma and whole blood and emergency thoracotomy to control bleeding were necessary. The authors suggest securing an IV route using a large-bore catheter and stress the need to be alert to the possibility of life-threatening hemorrhage occurring during mediastinoscopy.


Anesthetic management of an intracranial arteriovenous malformation in infancy.

The prevention and control of massive bleeding has always been a problem in neurosurgical procedures, particularly in patients with arteriovenous malformations, intracranial aneurysms, and large vascular tumors. During the past 25 years, new technics have reduced the risk of hemorrhage; however, these have been most suitable for adult patients. Vascular intracranial lesions during infancy present even more complex problems. This is a report of the anesthetic management of a 7-month-old infant with an aneurysm of the v cerebri magna (great vein of Galen). Anesthetic management consisted of (1) halothane-N2O-O2 general endotracheal anesthesia, (2) surface-induced profound hypothermia, and (3) low-flow extracorporeal circulation. Phenothiazine premedication was used with halothane anesthesia to antagonize reflex vasoconstriction during hypothermia, hypothermia and low cardiac output to lessen the possibility of hemorrhage, aneurysmal rupture, and neurologic damage, and surface-induced hypothermia because it provides better core perfusion than central cooling. This technic allowed a successful outcome in an otherwise high-risk procedure.


A comparison of general anesthesia and lumbar epidural analgesia for elective cesarean section.

Controversy exists concerning the choice of anesthetic technic for elective cesarean section. Several maternal and newborn parameters were compared during general anesthesia (GA) and lumbar epidural analgesia (LEA). High inspired maternal O2 levels were achieved with both technics. Vigorous, well-oxygenated infants with good umbilical-cord acid-base values were delivered during both GA and LEA. Umbilical artery and vein pH were better with GA, but 1-minute Apgar-minus-color scores were higher and time to sustained respiration was shorter with LEA. On the basis of this study, neither technic can be vigorously recommended over the other from the standpoint of the newborn's condition.


Hemodynamic effects of metocurine in patients with coronary artery disease receiving propranolol.

This study was undertaken to determine the circulatory effects of metocurine (dimethyltubocurarine) in 7 men scheduled for coronary artery surgery who had been receiving propranolol for at least 6 weeks before morphine-N2O-O2 anesthesia. The study was divided into 4 measurement periods: (1) control after induction; (2) 5 minutes after administration of 0.35 mg/kg of metocurine; (3) 10 minutes after; (4) 20 minutes after. There were no significant changes in mean blood pressure, heart rate (HR) central venous pressure or arterial blood gases throughout the study. Cardiac index rose significantly from a control value of 1.89 +/- 0.1 L/min/m2 to 2.39 +/- 0.2 L/min/m2 in period 2 and remained elevated throughout (2.53 +/- 0.3 and 2.33 +/- 0.2 Lmin/m2). Systemic vascular resistance (SVR) fell from a control value of 20.2 +/- 1.8 units to 16.1 +/- 1.6 units in period 2 and remained below control in periods 3 and 4 (17.2 +/- 1.8 and 16.9 +/- 1.3). These data suggest that metocurine produced a significant decrease in SVR in the presence of propranolol, resulting in an increase in cardiac output (and stroke volume) in a compensated heart, to maintain perfusion pressure. The possibility of a central (cardiac) effect cannot be excluded, but the lack of an increase in HR suggests it would not be clinically significant.


Fade of neurally evoked compound electromyogram during neuromuscular block by d-tubocurarine.

Trains of neurally evoked compound electromyographic responses of the thenar muscles were studied in 20 patients anesthetized with enflurane and N2O and paralyzed with d-tubocurarine. Fade was correlated with stimulus frequency (0.1 to 50 Hz) and degree of neuromuscular block. The lowest response in a train occurred on the 4th and the 6th-to-8th responses when the train was elicited at 2 Hz and 50 Hz, respectively. Fade was more observable with deeper block and could best be demonstrated by 5 Hz stimuli. With 50 Hz stimuli, a concomitant facilitation, observable from the beginning of the train, partially compensated for the fade.


Tests of minimal obstruction in the small airways: interrelationships and physiologic significance.

Several technics have become popular to detect airway obstruction in the small (less than 2 mm diameter) peripheral bronchi which appear to be the site of the early lesions in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). These include determining maximal midexpiratory flow rate (MMFR) from the expiration spirogram, maximum expiratory flows at low lung volumes from the maximum expiratory flow-volume (MEFV) curve, a comparison of flow-volume curves during air and helium/O2 breathing, demonstration of frequency dependence of compliance, and the measurement of closing volume (CV). This discussion attempts to interpret the literature relative to these tests, examining their physiologic basis and clinical significance while relating them to the standard spirometric tests. The aim is to provide the clinical anesthesiologist with a better understanding of the information they provide, since their physiologic basis relates well to the many aspects of abnormal lung function which appear during anesthesia and the entire perioperative period.


A new instrument for continuous recording of the evoked compound electromyogram in the clinical setting.

To study neuromuscular transmission, observation of the evoked compound electromyogram (EMG) has important advantages over observation of the evoked mechanical muscle contraction. Technically, however, recording of the evoked compound EMG, especially in continuous study of several hours duration, has been difficult. Investigators have employed various complicated systems, including tape recording, photorecording, and photographing for such purposes. The authors have applied modern computer technology to construction of an EMG analyzer which enables handling the evoked EMG even more easily than the evoked mechanical contraction. The principle involves digital dissection, storage with memory, readout with time expansion, and analog reconstruction of the compound EMG. The signal can be recorded with ease by use of any suitable hot-stylus or ink-writing oscillographic recorder. Both the waveform and the amplitutde of the EMG can be on-line recorded. The cost compares favorably with comparable devices for similar studies.


Neuroleptanalgesia for awake pronation of surgical patients.

Pronation of anesthetized patients may result in complications. Neuromuscular block increases the risk. To minimize the risk, the authors devised a technic of "awake pronation," evaluating its feasibility, in 11 consecutive patients in a 1-year period for 12 operations; all attempts were successful and without complicatons. Neuroleptanalgesia is achieved with droperidol and fentanyl, topical anesthesia of the upper airway is induced with lidocaine, awake intubation is performed orotracheally under direct vision, and pronation is accomplished with patient cooperation.


The anesthetic management of a patient with an obstructing intratracheal mass: a case report.

A patient with a large mass in his lower trachea presents a real challenge to the anesthesiologist. The anticipated management and alternatives must be discussed with the surgeons beforehand. This report describes a procedure that successfully managed such a case involving a neurofibroma without evidence of neurofibromatosis.


Anesthesia for untreated hypothyroidism: report of three cases.

Two preoperatively unsuspected and one known hypothyroid patients underwent elective surgery with general anesthesia. All demonstrated unusual sensitivity to anesthetic agents. As suggested by a history of thyroid abnormalities, high serum cholesterol, and exaggerated response to anesthetic agents, the authors were led to suspect hypothyroidism, which was confirmed postoperatively by low serum thyroxine levels.


Bovine anaplasmosis transmission studies conducted under controlled natural exposure in a Dermacentor andersoni = (venustus) indigenous area of eastern Oregon.

In Anaplasma marginale transmission studies conducted on the high semi-arid range of eastern Oregon during the 1974 and 1975 vector season, A marginale-susceptible calves (principals) were maintained on 2 raised tick-proof platforms. Anaplasmosis-susceptible control calves of approximately the same age and latent-infected cows grazed the area surrounding the platforms. One latent-infected steer spent the entire 1975 vector season on a platform with the principals. The 28 principals did not develop anaplasmosis, whereas 15 of 30 (50%) controls became infected. The disease was not transmitted from the latent-infected cattle to the principals exposed only to flying hematophagous insects, whereas 50% of the controls exposed to the Rocky Mountain wood tick Dermacentor andersoni) = (venustus) developed the disease. Dermacentor andersoni appears to be the principal vector on this range.


Electrogoniometric analysis of equine metacarpophalangeal joint lameness.

Electrogoniometry was used qualitively and quantitatively to assess the movements of the normal and pathologic metacarpophalangeal joints of selected horses. A total of 4 Thoroughbreds, 1 normal and 3 with clinical and radiographic changes in the metacarpophalangeal joints of 1 limb, were evaluated at the walk and trot. Goniograms of the affected joints were compared with those of the normal horse and the normal contralateral metacarpophangeal joint. Qualitative asymmetry was recognized on the goniograms, and the ranges of motion were quantified and related to the clinical and radiologic observations.


Influence of a progestogen on the cytophysiologic character of the bovine adenohypophysis.

The objective in the present experiment was to study the effects of melengestrol acetate (0.5 mg for 14 days starting at day 15 of the estrous cycle) on the cytophysiologic character of the bovine adenohypophysis. Twelve Hereford and Angus heifers were used. A combination of thick-thin sectioning of resin-embedded material was used to aid in specific identification of individual hypophyseal cells. Alterations were not observed in the cytophysiologic activity of the presumptive prolactin-, somatotropin-, thyrotropin- or corticotropin-secreting cells. A marked increase in chromophobes was observed in animals given melengestrol acetate. Evidence indicated that these chromophobes originated from gonadotropin-secreting cells.


Induction of estrus and ovulation in the bitch, using exogenous gonadotropins.

The capability of pregnant mare serum (PMS) and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) to induce estrus and ovulation was tested in mature, anestrous bitches. The PMS was given for 10 consecutive days in 1 of 3 regimens: 500 IU/day (experiment 1), 250 IU/day (experiment 2), or 20 IU/kg/day (experiment 3). The HCG was given as a single 500-IU dose on experimental day 10. Controls were given saline solution. Vaginal smears were collected on days 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 12 by jugular venipuncture, and the plasma was assayed for progesterone concentration by radioimmunoassay. On day 13, the bitches were euthanatized, ova were flushed from the uterine tubes (oviducts), and the ovaries were collected and prepared for microscopic examination. Fourteen of 25 bitches treated with PMS and HCG showed estrus and ovulated. Proestrus (vaginal bleeding) commenced between experimental days 7 and 10. Estrus commenced on day 9 or 10. Progesterone increased from approximately 1 ng/ml on day 1 to more than 6 ng/ml on day 12. Numbers of ovulation sites on both ovaries were 4.7 +/- 1.1 and 4.6 +/- 0.5 (mean +/- SEM) in those given the daily doses of 500 and 250 IU of PMS and 9.8 +/- 1.5 in experiment 3 bitches. Eleven hormone-treated dogs and 7 saline-treated dogs did not show any detectable response. Neither cystic nor unovulated, luteinized follicles appeared on the ovaries.


Activity of some antileprosy compounds against Mycobacterium intracellulare in vitro.

A series of 12 compounds, consisting of 3 known antileprosy drugs (dapsone, B663, and Ciba 1906) and 9 structural derivatives of dapsone, were tested for their antimycobacterial activity against 50 strains of Mycobacterium intracellulare. Detailed investigations of B663, the only compound showing considerable in vitro activity, were carried out. All of the strains of M. intracellulare were inhibited by a B663 concentration of 1.6 mug per ml, and 88% were inhibited by a drug concentration of 0.8 microng per ml. The rate of emergence of in vitro resistance was similar to that of M. tuberculosis against streptomycin and isoniazid. Preliminary experiments indicated that the action of the drug on M. intracellulare may be bacteriocidal in nature.


Elective splenectomy in the elderly patient.

This report reviews 10 years' experience with elective splenectomy in patients over 55 years of age. Of 55 patients, 25 were over the age of 65. The majority of splenectomies (41) were performed for hematological disorders exclusive of lymphoma, but including ITP, hypersplenism (both primary and secondary), Felty's syndrome and myeloid metaplasia. Sixty-eight per cent of these patients responded to splenectomy with sustained elevation of platelet counts while 70 per cent responded to sustained elevation of leukocyte counts. Sixteen of the hematological patients received a preoperative trial of steroid therapy in an attempt to alleviate leukopenia or thrombocytopenia with a 37.5 per cent (6 of 16) success rate. There was no correlation between the response to preoperative steroid therapy and response to splenectomy. These data correspond favorably to previous published material in the younger aged patients. There was no difference in the postoperative complication rate related to drainage or nondrainage of the splenic bed. However, eight other complications occurred for a morbidity rate of 14.5 per cent in addition to complications related to drainage of the splenic bed (8%). A 9 per cent (5 of 55) mortality rate was related to the patients' pre-existing diseases and appears acceptable in light of hematological response rate and quoted mortality rates for splenectomy over age 65.


Phenylketonuria and its variants.

The hepatic phenylalanine hydroxylase system is complex, consisting of at least two enzymes and two non-protein cofactors. In classical phenylketonuria (PKU) the affect component has been shown to be the enzyme, phenylalanine hydroxylase. Recently, several variant forms of PKU have been identified which are due to deficiencies of two of the other components of the hydroxylase system, dihydropteridine reductase and tetrahydrobiopterin. In these cases, the defects lead to symptoms which are more severe than in PKU. Furthermore, since these two components are also required in the biosynthesis of the neurotransmitters, serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine, treatment with a phenylalanine-restricted diet is not effective. Thus, it is important to distinguish PKU from one of its variant forms at as early an age as possible to institute alternate therapies. The methods for determining the affected component will be discussed.


Synthesis of vaccinia viral antigens in HeLa cells in the presence of isatin beta-thiosemicarbazone.

Vaccinia virus antigens, in HeLa cells treated with the antipox virus drug isatin beta-thiosemicarbazone (IBT), were analyzed by immunoprecipitation, followed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The total radioactivity in the immunoprecipitate was decreased to almost 50% in the presence of the drug as compared to its absence. An inhibition also occurred with an IBT-dependent mutant (IBT(D)) when growing in the absence of IBT. However, similar levels of radioactivity were observed in the immunoprecipitates from an IBT-resistant mutant (IBT(R)) grown in either the absence or presence of the drug. When the antigens within the immunoprecipitates were analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, it was shown that the inhibition observed in the wild-type-infected cells in the presence of IBT and in the IBT(D)-infected cells in the absence of the drug, was quantitative, affecting the amounts of the different polypeptides more or less equally.


Relationship between the physicochemical nature of human interferon, the cell induced, and the inducing agent.

To determine the basis for differences in interferons previously noted by others, we prepared five types of human interferon, namely interferon induced in muscle skin fibroblasts using complexed polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (IC) and Newcastle disease virus (NDV), and interferon induced in leukocytes using IC, NDV, and phytohemagglutinin. We determined the molecular weight, isoelectric point, inactivation rate at 56 degrees C and structural activity relationships for each interferon. Significant differences between these interferons were found, many of which seem related to the cell induced rather than the inducer. We believe these findings have important pharmacological implications for the use of interferon in man.


[Antibody producing cells and immunoglobulin synthesizing cells lacking antibody function].

After primary immunization the first immunoglobulin-synthesizing cells which appeared, contained immunoglobulins devoided of antibody function. These cells were progressively replaced by antibody synthesizing cells. The results we reported here demonstrated that except the repartition of Ig between IgM and IgG, there are no differences in the molecular composition and in the rate of biosynthesis between these two populations of cells.


Thermophilic methane production from cattle waste.

Methane production from waste of cattle fed a finishing diet was investigated, using four 3-liter-working volume anaerobic digestors at 60 degrees C. At 55 degrees C a start-up culture, in which waste was the only source of bacteria, was generated within 8 days and readily adapted to 60 degrees C, where efficiency of methanogenesis was greater. Increasing the temperature from 60 to 65 degrees C tended to drastically lower efficiency. When feed concentrations of volatile solids (VS, organic matter) were increased in steps of 2% after holding for 1 months at a given concentration, the maximum concentrations for efficient fermentation were 8.2, 10.0, 11.6, and 11.6% for the retention times (RT) of 3, 6, 9, and 12 days, respectively. The VS destructions for these and lower feed concentrations were 31 to 37, 36 to 40, 47 to 49 and 51 to 53% for the 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-day RT digestors, respectively, and the corresponding methane production rates were about 0.16, 0.18, 0.20, and 0.22 liters/day per g of VS in the feed. Gas contained 52 to 57% methane. At the above RT and feed concentrations, alkalinity rose to 5,000 to 7,700 mg of CaCo3 per liter (pH to 7.5 to 7.8), NH3 plus NH4+ to 64 to 90 mM, and total volatile acids to 850 to 2,050 mg/liter as acetate. The 3-day RT digestor was quite stable up to 8.2% feed VS and at this feed concentration produced methane at the very high rate of 4.5 liters/day per liter of digestor. Increasing the percentage of feed VS beyond those values indicated above resulted in greatly decreased organic matter destruction and methane production, variable decrease in pH, and increased alkalinity, ammonia, and total volatile acid concentrations, with propionate being the first to accumulate in large amounts. In a second experiment with another lot of waste, the results were similar. These studies indicate that loading rates can be much higher than those previously thought useful for maximizing methanogenesis from cattle waste.


[Autoimmune aspermatogenetic orchiepididymitis in guinea pigs induced by water-soluble adjuvants].

Use was made of water-soluble adjuvant fractions with homologous sperm, sperm extract or sperm autoantigens to induce autoimmune aspermatogenic orchiepididymitis (AIAO) in guinea-pigs. Guinea-pigs were injected with soluble sperm extract or sperm purified autoantigen S emulsified in incomplete Freund adjvant (IFA) together with two synthetic watersoluble adjuvants, Mur-Nac-L-Ala-D-isoGlu et Mur-Nac-L-Ala-acide D-isoGlu. These animals developed lesions of AIAO, delayed hypersensitivity reactions and specific anti-spermatozoa antibodies. These lesions and reactions were comparable to the ones induced in a control group treated with the same spermatozoa extract or autoantigen S in complet Freund adjuvants. No lesion was observed in the absence of IFA, Other guinea-pigs received a mixture of spermatoza or purified sperm autoantigens, S, P, T. and of polyadenylicpolyuridylic complex either in saline or emulsified in IFA. The recipients of sperm or autoantigen T mixed with Poly A:U, with ou without IFA, displayed lsdions of AIAO; autoantigen S and Poly A:U in IFA, provoked AIAO but did not do it in the absenceof IFA.


Tetrahydrofolate and other growth requirements of certain strains of Ruminococcus flavefaciens.

Two strains of Ruminococcus flavefaciens were studied. Each grew in a chemically defined minimal medium containing: minerals; ammonium sulfate as a nitrogen source; amino acids as a nitrogen source, a growth promotant(s) or as both; cellobiose as an energy and carbon source; isobutyric acid, isovaleric acid, carbonic acid, and bicarbonate as additional carbon sources; and biotin, thiamine, and tetrahydrofolic acid as vitamins. Tetrahydrofolic acid (5 ng/ml) served as a replacement for rumen fluid that was required in previous media tested for the growth of these bacteria. The present bacteria differ from many of the ruminococci previously studied in that they do not require either p-amino-benzoic acid or folic acid but do require tetrahydrofolic acid for maximum growth. Dihydrofolic acid and 5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid can substitute for tetrahydrofolic acid in minimal chemically defined medium. Thus, there must be extensive metabolic interaction between the microbes inhabitating the rumen, because the R. flavefaciens isolated had complex requirements for growth and yet was among the predominant bacteria in the rumen of cattle fed a simple vitamin B-deficient, nonprotein nitrogen, high-fiber, purified diet.


[Regulation of antibody secretion: observation made on cultured lymphoid cells from immune rabbit lymph nodes].

Rabbits were immunized with soluble and particulate antigens (horseradish peroxidase or SRBC) in complete Freund's adjuvant. Four to twelve weeks after footpad immunization, popliteal lymph nodes were removed and the lymphoid cells were cultured with autologous serum for 5 to 7 days. Using local hemolysis assay, we observed a recrudescence of antibody secreting cells when the autologous serum present in the medium had previously been freed of antibody by specific adsorption. This phenomenon was not usually observed with cells cultured with pre-immune autologous serum or with unadsorbed antiserum. We will discuss the potential use of this model in dissociating the different factors involved in the regulating mechanisms of the humoral immune response.


Scanning electron microscopy of vaginal colonization.

Changes in the appearance of the vaginal epithelium of rats during the estrous cycle were seen by scanning electron microscopy. Bacterial colonization of this tissue appeared to be influenced by these changes.


[Reaginic immunological responses in rats and mice].

Reaginic immunological responses present characteristics of induction which differentiate them from classical antibodies responses from other classes: among them we studied, on the one hand, the genetic control. In the case of OVO-DNP reaginic antibodies in the rat, the controls exercised by the Ag-B haplotypes or the synthesis loci of the immunoglobulin heavy chains does not seem to be sufficient to explain the experimental results. Another control exist probably. It could be linked to the global IgE serum level control; on the other hand, the IgE plasma cells. In rats infested with Nippostrongylus brasiliensis, they make their appearance in large number in the mesenteric lymph node but not in the lamina propria of the intestinal mucosa.


Correlation of cord bilirubin levels with hyperbilirubinaemia in ABO incompatibility.

We studied 91 offspring of ABO incompatible preganacies and 30 controls resulting from O--O pregnancies to test whether cord bilirubin levels could be used to predict the severity of hyperbilirubinaemia in ABO incompatibility. Blood group, direct Coombs's test, and serum bilirubin estimations were carried out on cord blood, and bilirubin estimations at 12, 24, 36, and 48 hours of life.


Pre- and post-synaptic actions of apomorphine: differentiation by rotatory effects in normal rats.

Normal rats were tested for rotation (circling behavior) following d-amphetamine (1.0 mg/kg) and, a week later, following apomorphine (10.0 mg/kg). In most rats, d-amphetamine and apomorphine elicited rotation in opposite directions whereas, in some rats, the two drugs elicited rotation in the same direction. Subsequently, alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine was found to antagonize the rotatory effect of apomorphine in the latter but not in the former rats. The results suggest that apomorphine has both pre- and post-synaptic actions and that relative sensitivity to these actions varies among rats.


[Demonstration of antibody forming cells in various calf organs].

Reported in this paper are studies relating primarily to methodical aspects of qualitative and quantitative identification of all classes of immunoglobulin-forming cells by means of fluorescent antibody in different tissues of calf. Particular attention was given to the respiratory tract. The method enables to study the postnatal development of the local secretory defence system in the context of all immunoglobulin classes.


Parental style. Mothers' and fathers' and perceptions of their relations with twin children.

Mothers and fathers rated their interaction with twin children on the Parent's Report (PR) questionnaire containing two scales-how the parent actually relates and how the ideal parent would relate. Mothers and fathers differed in parental style. Mothers perceived themselves as being profoundly more child-centered; fathers perceived themselves as using more control through arousal of guilt and anxiety. Parents asserted more control through temper and detachment with same-sex children. Boys and girls and monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins did not receive distinctly different parenting. Parents described MZ children as much more similar than DZ children but acted similarly with children in both types of twinships. Parental knowledge of zygosity did not affect the way the parents treated children. These findings suggest the relative importance of genetic contributions to behavioral similarity in MZ twins.


Fathers' and mothers' perceptions of children's personality.

Mothers and fathers rated the personality of twin children, using the Childhood Personality Scale (CPS). Fathers characterized children as less attentive, zestful, and talkative than mothers. Boys were rated as more attentive, hyperactive, ebullient and sociable; girls were described as more placid and talkative. Monozygotic (MZ) twinships were much more similar than dizygotic (DZ) on the attention, behavior modulation, and sociability dimensions. Monozygotic and DZ twins both had a high degree of intrapair similarity in zestfulness and verbal expressiveness. Monozygotic twins whose parents thought they were DZ or were not certain of zygosity were as alike as MZ twins believed to be MZ. All three MZ groups were different from DZ twins. Thus, parental expectation did not appear to strongly influence similarity in attention, behavior modulation, and sociability, This suggests the strong genetic contribution to their emergence.


Epidemiology and pathology of a tetrachlorodibenzodioxin poisoning episode.

We describe epidemiological and laboratory investigation of a poisoning outbreak that involved three riding areas and killed fifty-seven horses, five colts, and numerous other animals. The outbreak was traced to the spraying of the areas with salvage oil contaminated with tetrachlorodibenzodioxin, trichlorophenol, and polychlorinated biphenyls. The contamination of the salvage oil resulted from the improper disposal of toxic industrial waste. In the tissues of the horses available for study, the most prominent lesion was a centrilobular fibrosis of the liver that arose in the wall of the central veins. This lesion resembled the chronic form of veno-occlusive disease of the liver in humans.


Benefits of an intensive community surgical audit program.

In addition to educational benefits, an intensive audit program has satisfied Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Hospitals requirements, allowed in-house Professional Standards Review Organization accreditation, increased percentage of surgery performed by qualified surgeons, and led to the establishment of an effective morbidity and mortality conference. Better methods of granting surgical privileges have been developed, and our accumulated statistics have been utilized to assure our local press and public that we are practicing good quality surgery.


[Isobutylidene diurea, a new NPN source for ruminants. 3. Excretion of isobutylidene diurea following feeding of N-15 isobutylidene diurea to lactating cows].

2 experimental cows received isobutylidenedi urea added to a natural diet in amounts of 175 g (I) and 730 g (II) per day for a period of several weeks before the trial was started. On the 1st day of experiment the morning dose was labelled with 5.05 g of excess 15N. 8 hrs after the beginning of the trial of 15N level in the TCE soluble portion of blood plasma (TCE=trichloroacetic acid) increased and remained at an elevated level until the 36th hour of experiment. Similarly, the values for maximum urinary 15N concentrations were maintained for a prolonged period of time. Isobutylidenedi urea was excreted with the urine in rates related to its solubility. Only small percentages of the 15N intake were excreted in the TCE soluble portion of the milk (cow I: 0.03%; cow II: 0.05%). The 15N-labelling of milk protein provides evidence for the fact that nitrogen from IBDU is utilized for the synthesis of milk in the cows. The amount of urea in milk averaged 400 mg per litre. None of the milk samples tested contained IBDU.


Glaucomatocyclitic crisis.

Ten patients with glaucomatocyclitic crisis were examined for glaucoma during the interval. The follow-up period was over ten years. One patient had primary open angle glaucoma and two had suspicion of glaucoma. These findings confirmed our previous concept of an association between glaucomatocyclitic crises and open angle glaucoma. Six patients were examined during acute attacks. Focal segmental ischaemia of the iris of different degree was typical during the attack, later in the immediate postattack phase congestion, leakage and even extreme hypotony were found. Iris angiography during the interval showed generally a rich vascular pattern, and in some cases, tortuous vascular tufts. Stromal atrophy and atrophy of the sphincter were considered secondary to pressure attacks. The role of the abnormal reactivity of the vessels of the ciliary vascular system on the development of acute attacks is discussed.


Retinal macroaneurysms.

Five patients had macroaneurysms of the retinal arterioles. These macroaneurysms may be observed without pathologic sequelae or may be associated with circinate retinopathy, intraretinal hemorrhage, subretinal hemorrhage, or intravitreal hemorrhage. They may also evolve into more widespread vascular anomalies resembling adult Coats disease in some respects. Photocoagulation therapy is occasionally indicated.


Dolichyl monophosphate and its sugar derivatives in plants.

A glucose acceptor was isolated from soya beans by extraction with chloroform/methanol (2:1, v/v), followed by DEAE-cellulose column chromatography of the extract. This acceptor could not be distinguished from liver dolichyl monophosphate by t.l.c. It could replace dolichyl monophosphate as a mannose acceptor with a liver enzyme and its glucosylated derivative could replace dolichyl monophosphate glucose as a glucose donor in the same system. These results, together with those already reported [Pont Lezica, Brett, Romero Martinez & Dankert (1975) Biochem, Biophys. Res. Commun. 66, 980-987], indicate that the acceptor from soya bean is a dolichyl monophosphate. Gel filtration of its glucosylated derivative on Sephadex G-75 in the presence of sodium deoxycholate indicated that the acceptor contained 17 or 18 isoprene units. An enzyme preparation from pea seedlings was shown to use endogenous acceptors to form lipid phosphate sugars containing mannose and N-acetylglucosamine from GDP-mannose and UDP-N-acetylglucosamine. Chromatographic and degradative techniques indicated that the compounds formed were lipid monophosphate mannose, lipid pyrophosphate N-acetylglucosamine, lipid pyrophosphate chitobiose and a series of lipid pyrophosphate oligosaccharides containing both mannose and N-acetylglucosamine. None of these compounds was degraded by catalytic hydrogenation, and so the lipid moiety in each case was probably an alpha-saturated polyprenol. The endogenous acceptors for mannose and N-acetylglucosamine in peas may therefore be dolichyl monophosphate, as has been found in mammalian systems.


Labelling of egg phosphatidylcholine vesicles and myelin membrane with a photoreactive lipophilic reagent.

The preparation and isolation of [3H]phenyl azide, a photosensitive non-polar probe, is reported. The reagent partitions into the lipid bilayer of egg phosphatidylcholine vesicles and bovine myelin membranes. On photoactivation to generate the nitrene grouping, as much as 90% of the covalently attached label is associated with the fatty acyl residues of the constituent phospholipid molecules. The remainder is found in the polar head groups. The cholesterol component of myelin membranes is also heavily labelled. These results suggest that such reagents may be used to probe the hydrophobic regions of natural membranes.


Compartmentation of free amino acids for protein biosynthesis. Influence of diurnal changes in hepatic amino acid concentrations of the composition of the precursor pool charging aminoacyl-transfer ribonucleic acid.

To investigate further the mechanisms by which amino acids are segregated for protein biosynthesis, the distribution of a pulse of [3H]valine was monitored in hepatic amino acid pools at seven intervals in the diurnal cycle of meal-fed rats. Although each condition was characterized by a unique balance between intracellular and extracellular valine, in every case the specific radioactivity of valyl-tRNA at steady state was higher that that of intracellular valine but below the extracellular value. Further, the specific radioactivity of the valyl-tRNA could be accurately predicted if extracellular and intracellular valine were combined in proportions specified by the transmembrane concentration gradient. These observations not only substantiate our earlier conclusions that the amino acids used for protein synthesis do not originate exclusively from either the intracellular or extracellular pools, but also strengthen our theory that the membrane transport system is the physical basis for such compartmentation. On the basis of these data we present a method for measuring the specific radioactivity of the precursor pool for protein biosynthesis in cases where the actual isolation of the aminoacyl-tRNA is not technically feasible, and also suggest a theoretical basis for interpreting the unequal distribution of both total and [3H]valine between intracellular and extracellular fluids.


Significance of abnormal echoes in left ventricular outflow tract.

We have observed abnormal echoes in the left ventricular outflow tract in 4 patients: 3 of the subjects had bacterial endocarditis and the fourth patient had myxomatous degeneration of the aortic valve (floppy aortic valve). A single diastolic echo with fine high frequency fluttering was seen in the patient with the floppy aortic valve, whereas the patients with endocarditis had associated infection of the mitral valve and an aneurysm of the anterior mitral leaflet, which was represented by dense systolic echoes on the proximal part of the mitral valve...


Adaptation of marrow sinus wall to fluctuation in the rate of cell delivery: studies in rabbits after blood-letting.

The extent of marrow sinus wall coverage by perisinal adventitial cells was measured before and after removing 25% of the calculated blood volume in rabbits. A marked reduction in the area covered by adventitial cells was recorded coinciding with the early reticulocyte response to phlebotomy. In control animals, only scattered microfilaments were occasionally observed in the cytoplasmic process of adventitial cells. After phlebotomy, these filaments were more frequently observed and appeared as band-like structures, raising the possibility of an active role for perisinal adventitial cells in response to fluctuations in the magnitude of cell traffic. Perisinal adventitial cells may, therefore, translate the body's demand for cell delivery by regulating the rate of transmural cell migration from the marrow. Such an adaptive mechanism may depend on the incompleteness of the adventitial layer of the sinus wall and the absence of endothelial-adventitial cell junctions, permitting separation of the two layers of the wall, so that the reticulocyte can gain access to more endothelial surface and the pores.


Uveal involvement in Marburg virus disease.

The first reported case of uveal involvement in Marburg virus disease is described.


Artificial rearing of pigs. The effect of different levels of fat, protein and methionine in a milk-substitute diet containing skim milk and soya-bean oil.

1. Protein and energy requirements of pigs weaned at 2 d of age were studied. In Expt 1, three diets with crude protein (CP; nitrogen x 6.38) and fat contents (g/kg dry matter (DM)) of 268, 260 (diet A); 216, 415 (diet B) and 264, 405 (diet C) were compared, with and without a supplement of 2 g DL-methionine/kg. Diets A and B contained skim milk and soya-bean oil only, in different proportions. Casein was added to diet C to equalize the CP content to that of diet A. In Expt 2, diets containing 290 or 315 g CP/kg DM were used with either 310 or 405 g fat/kg. The diets contained different proportions of skim milk, soya-bean oil and casein. The same diets as used in Expt 2 were used in Expt 3 but fed to a scale based on live weight which was 25% less than that used in Expts 1 and 2. 2. Methionine supplementation had no significant effect (P greater than 0.05) on the growth rate or feed: gain ratio of pigs from 2 to 28 d of age. The growth rate of the pigs from 2 to 28 d of age was significantly (P less than 0.05) reduced when they were given the higher level of either CP or fat, with the exception that the effect of fat was not significant (P greater than 0.05) in Expt 3. The reduction in growth rate was associated with a decrease in feed intake. Feed: gain ratios were unaffected (P greater than 0.05) by the level of either CP or fat in the diet. 3. The higher protein level did increase the proportion of CP in the carcass DM (Expt 2 P less than 0.01, Expt 3 P greater than 0.05) and gave an indication, which was not significant (P greater than 0.05), of improved N retention (g/d per kg live weight). The higher dietary fat level increased the proportion of lipid in the carcass DM, and this effect was significant (P less than 0.05) in both Expts 2 and 3. 4. Diets containing additional casein were not fully consumed at the level of feeding used in Expt 2. This effect may be associated with the larger amounts of digesta in the stomachs of these pigs. Some differences in the composition of the digesta in the stomach were observed, but these did not affect the performance of the pigs. 5. It seems likely that either growth rate or feed: gain ratio (g DM consumed/g live-weight gain) can be improved by protein or energy levels exceeding those in a diet containing (g/kg DM) 730 skim milk (265-290 CP) and 310 fat. In this diet, containing (g/kg DM) 6-4 methionine and 3-5 cystine, sulphur amino acid requirements were satisfied.


Fluorescence properties of the copper enzyme galactose oxidase and its tryptophan-modified derivatives.

Galactose oxidase contains a single nonblue Cu(II) atom and 18 tryptophan residues per molecule. Removal of the copper atom reveals that it has an approximately 29% quenching effect on the relative quantum yield of fluorescence. While saturating concentrations of the sugar substrate of galactose oxidase also reduce the quantum yield, the second substrate, oxygen, has no significant effect on fluorescence in the absence of the sugar substrate. N-Bromosuccinimide (NBS) inactivates galactose oxidase as two tryptophans are oxidized (Kosman, D. J., Ettinger, M. J., Bereman, R. D., and Giordano, R. S. (1977), Biochemistry, 16). Oxidation of two tryptophans also leads to a disproportionately large decrease in fluorescence intensity. A 23% reduction in quantum yield with blue-shift occurs with oxidation of 0.85 tryptophan equiv and a further 25% quenching is obtained as the reaction proceeds to 2.0 residues oxidized. Fluorescence experiments with the modified enzyme show that it contains at least one tryptophan residue which is unreactive towards NBS, but which also interacts with the Cu(II) atom and substrate. These results taken together substantiate the postulate that one or more tryptophan residues, the Cu(II) atom, and the sugar substrate mutually interact within the native enzyme. Energy-transfer calculations suggest that this residue(s) which must be within a relatively hydrophobic environment is at least 12 A from the Cu(II) atom.


Nonrandom distribution of chromosomal proteins during cell replication.

The distribution of chromatin-associated proteins in replicating Chinese Hamster ovary cells has been examined using the method described by Taichman and Freedlender (Taichman, L., and Freedlender, E.F. (1976), Biochemistry 15, 447). Cells are grown for several generations in [14C]lysine and thymidine, and then for one generation in the presence of [3H]lysine and 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrUdRib) and a further generation in cold amino acid and BrUdRib. This protocol produces equal amounts of unifilarly (heavy-light) and bifilarly (heavy-heavy) substituted DNA. Chromatin containing the two types of DNA are separated by sucrose-gradient centrifugation after ultraviolet irradiation. The results indicate that some of the chromatin proteins can segregate with the DNA strand synthesized in the same generation when the cells subsequently replicate. Using chromatin with a protein to DNA ratio of 2.6, in different experiments, 5-22% of the chromatin proteins were estimated to segregate with the appropriate DNA strand, while the remaining proteins were randomly distributed to daughter chromatin. The segregating proteins have not been specifically identified but they migrate in sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis in the region where the four smaller histones migrate.


Effects of a trinucleotide ethyl phosphotriester, Gmp(Et)Gmp(Et)U, on mammalian cells in culture.

The nonionic 2'-O-methyribooligonucleotide ethyl phosphotriester, Gmp(Et)Gmp(Et)U, is complementary to the...ApCpC...sequence found in the amino acid accepting stem of most tRNAs and the anticodon region of tRNAgly and to the threonine codon of mRNA. Gmp(Et)Gmp(EtU forms hydrogen-bonded complexes with the amino acid accepting stem of tRNApheyeast and unfractionated tRNA Escherichia coli under physiological salt conditions at 37 degrees C as determined by equilibrium dialysis. The extent of phenylalanine aminoacylation of tRNApheE.coli is inhibited 39% by Gmp(Et)Gmp(Et)U at 37 degrees C in solution. The triester is resistant to hydrolysis by serum nucleases and cell lysates. The triester is readily taken up by transformed Syrian hamster fibroblasts growing in monolayer. Within the cell, the triester is deethylated to give the trinucleotide species Gmp(Et)GmpU, GmpGmp(Et)U, and GmpGmpU and is also hydrolyzed to dimeric and monomeric units. Treatment of transformed fibroblasts in monolayer with 25 micronM Gmp(Et)Gmp(Et)U results in a 40% inhibition of cellular protein synthesis with a concurrent slight increase in cellular RNA synthesis during the first 4 h. After 4 h, the rate of cellular protein synthesis begins to recover while RNA synthesis returns to that of the control. Our biochemical studies suggest that inhibition of cellular protein synthesis might be expected if Gmp(Et)Gmp(Et)UGmp(Et)GmpU, GmpGmp(Et)U, and GmpGmpU, which have been taken up by or formed within the cell, physically bind to tRNA and mRNA and inhibit the function of these nucleic acids. The reversible inhibition of protein synthesis may be a consequence of further degradation of the trinucleotide species within the cell as well as to an increase in supply of RNA molecules involved in protein synthesis. The growth of the transformed  fibroblasts is inhibited during the first 24 h of incubation with 25 micronM Gmp(Et)Gmp(Et)U after which growth proceeds at a normal rate. In cloning experiments, the number and size of colonies formed by the transformed fibroblasts after 5 days exposure to 25 micronM triester is decreased by 50% relative to untreated controls. The temporary inhibition of cell growth may reflect the transitory inhibition of cellular protein synthesis caused by the triester.


Uncoupled-induced changes in mitochondrial structure detected by small-angle x-ray scattering.

Small-angle X-ray scattering data suggest that major but reversible rearrangements of mitochondrial inner membrane structure are induced by uncouplers. Low levels of 2,4-dinitrophenol (10 micronM) cause a perceptible wide-angle shift of the 20 mrad X-ray scattering maximum characteristic of intact liver mitochondria. Higher dinitrophenol concentrations (greater than 25 micronM) reduce this scattering maximum to one-third its initial intensity. In terms of mitochondrial function, the former scattering change appears to correlate with the uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation while the latter occurs in the course of dinitrophenol stimulation of mitochondrial ATPase activity.


Quantitative studies on lysolecithin-mediated hemolysis. Use of ether-deoxy lysolecithin analogs with varying aliphatic chain-lengths.

The process of lysolecithin-mediated hemolysis has been investigated by use of various ether-deoxy lysolecithin analogs (1-alkyl-propanediol-3-phosphorylcholine) with alkyl  residues of 10-22 carbon atoms. Hemolytic activities were defined either as molar amounts to be added for 50% lysis (L50) or as cell-bound amounts at 50% lysis (A50). It was found, that in contrast to L50, A50 values are independent of experimental conditions. Moreover, L50 values primarily reflect the binding affinities, while A50 values give more accurate information on the actual membrane-disturbing potential. The strongest hemolytic C16-lysolecithin analog required 2 - 10(7) or 5 - 10(7) molecules bound per cell for 50% lysis at 0 or 37degrees C, respectively, corresponding to about 10 or 25% of the total membrane phospholipids. Evidence is presented, indicating that (a) lysophosphatides bind to cells below their critical micelle concentration, (b) micelles themselves are not generally necessary for cell lysis. Red cells of different species (man and cattle) as well as at varying temperatures exhibit significantly different sensitivities in terms of L50 and A50 values. These differences, however, depend on the degree of hydrophobicity of the lysolecithins and disappear in the case of lysolipids having C10 or C12 aliphatic residues. The data are in agreement with our hypothesis that cellular sensitivity to lysolecithin lysis may be determined by the degree of segregation of lysolecithin-rich areas within the membrane lipid phase.


The permeability of aconitine-modified sodium channels to univalent cations in myelinated nerve.

1. Ionic currents through the sodium system of nodes of Ranvier treated  with aconitine were measured under voltage clamp conditions in a Ringer solution containing Na+ or an equimolar amount of various test cations. 2. Average shifts in reversal potentials in nodes of Ranvier treated with aconitine with NH4+, Li+, K+, Rb+, Cs+ in place of Na+ in the Ringer solution are 7.6, --6.8, --25.0, --41.0 and  --51.5 mV at 13--14degrees C. At 20--22degrees C the sequence of shifts is 7.5, --5.5, --13.5, --29.0 and  --41.0 mV. For Tl+ the the average reversal potential shift is  +3 mV at 20--22degrees C. 3. The slope of the instantaneous current-voltage relation at the reversal potential in nodes treated with aconitine changed with the various cations tested. The ratios are NH4+/Na+/K+/Rb+/Cs+/Li+ = 1.14 : 1.0 : 0.80 :0.67 :0.53 : 0.53. 4. Using a three energy barrier model some of the parameters for the aconitine-modified Na+ channels were estimated (Chizmadgev, Yu. A., Khodorov, B.I. and Aityan, S.Kh. (1974) Bioelectrochem. Bioenerg. 1, 301--312).


Calorimetric measurements of the transition enthalpy of DNA in aqueous urea solutions.

The helix-coil equilibrium of DNA is delicately affected by the nature of the solvent. In this investigation the helical secondary structure was destabilized by an increasing concentration of urea. We found a linear dependence of the transition enthalpy deltaH on the urea concentration for calf thymus DNA as well as for salmon sperm DNA.


Thermodynamic values of the helix-coil transition of DNA in the presence of quaternary ammonium salt.

The knowledge of the enthalpy and entropy of the helix-coil transition in DNA is necessary for the understanding of the stabilization of its native conformation in solution. Reported here is the transition temperature Tm, the transition enthalpy deltaH, determined with the help of an adiabatic scanning calorimeter, the transition entropy deltaS and the breadth of the helix-coil transition as a function of tetramethyl and tetraethyl ammonium chloride concentration.


Nuclear steady-state RNA from chicken immature red blood cells. Distribution of globin-coding and poly (A) sequences.

Nuclear steady-state RNA and polysomal RNA of chicken immature red blood cells were isolated and separated on formamide sucrose gradients. For comparison the distribution of 9 S globin mRNA was investigated by gradient centrifugation of 125I-labelled mRNA. The material was either pooled into two fractions (less than 20 S; greater than 20 S) and translated in an Ehrlich ascites cell-free system or each gradient fraction was analyzed by hybridization with [3H]-poly (U) or [3H]-labelled DNA complementary to purified 9 S globin mRNA (globin cDNA). In neither case could evidence be obtained for the existence of a high molecular weight RNA as a probable globin mRNA precursor. Further analysis was performed by electrophoresis of RNA on exponential polyacrylamide gels in formamide and subsequent hybridization with cDNA. The results are consistent with those of gradient centrifugation and demonstrate that the distribution of globin-coding sequences in nuclear steady state RNA corresponds to that of cytoplasmic 9 S globin mRNA.


Characterisation of a highly hydrophobically modified lactate dehydrogenase.

1. Lysine residues of porcine H4 lactate dehydrogenase (L-lactate:NAD+ oxidoreductase EC 1.1.1.27) were modified with methyl-epsilon-(N-2,4-dinitrophenyl)aminocaproimidate - HCl. With increasing incorporation of the reagent a linear decrease of enzymatic activity was noticed. No essential lysyl group with an extraordinary reactivity was modified. 2. The active forms of the modified enzyme with different incorporation values were separated from denatured material by fractional precipitation and gel chromatography. An epsilon-(N-2,4-dinitrophenyl)aminocaproamidinate lactate dehydrogenase was obtained with an average incorporation of 38 groups per tetramer and a residual activity of 42%. This material proved to be homogenous in cellulose electrophoresis. 3. The epsilon-(N-2,4-dinitrophenyl)aminocaproamidinate lactate dehydrogenase is soluble only in glycine buffer at pH 8 and can be stabilized as ternary complex with NAD+ and sodium sulfite. Gel chromatography and ORD measurements show no strong conformational change. 4. epsilon-(N-2,4-dinitrophenyl)aminocaproamidinate lactate dehydrogenase has similar Km values for pyruvate, NADH, lactate and NAD+ as the native enzyme, and shows a lower thermostability due to a diminished stabilization by the hydrate layer on the surface.


[Interaction between tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase and tryptophan analogs with modified alpha-amino group].

Analogs of L-tryptophane with modified alpha-amino groups (substituted for hydrogen or keto-group, or acylated) are competitive reversible inhibitors of the aminoacylation of tRNNATrp catalyzed by tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase from beef pancreas. Compounds lacking alpha-amino group are weakly bound to the enzyme, whereas the Ki values for N-acylated L-tryptophane derivates and for beta-indolylpyruvic acid are similar and approximately two orders of magnitude higher than the KM value for L-tryptophane.


[Study of lysosomal enzymes in chick embryo fibroblasts infected with microorganisms of family Halprowiaceae (Chlamydiaceae)].

It is shown that infection of chick embryo fibroblasts with agents of paratrachoma and meningopneumonia Halprowiaceae (Chlamydiaceae) causes a sharp decrease of the activities of lysosomal enzymes, e.g. acidic alpha-glucosidase, beta-glucuronidase, beta-galactosidase, alpha-mannosidase, acid phosphatase, etc. The activity of cytosol enzymes (neutral alpha-glucosidase, amylo-1,6-glucosidase) does not change, however. A decrease in the activities of lysosomal enzymes in infected fibroblasts occurs some time later after inoculation and is due to a release of lysosomal enzymes from the fibroblasts into the culture medium, without loss of cell integrity. No changes in the activity of lysosomal enzymes in fibroblasts and culture medium is observed in the case of inoculation of cells with a killed agents, as well as after contact of cells with a suspension of normal chick embryo yolk sacs. The release of lysosomal enzymes from halprowiae-infected chick embryo fibroblasts probably occurs by the exocytosis.


[Fractionation of "tricholysine" by isoelectric focusing].

A possibility to fractionate fibrinolytically and thrombolytically active complex "tricholysin" into five components, differing in iso-points and in enzymatic activity, is demonstrated by means of isoelectric focusing using ampholine solution within pH range 3.0-10.0. Homogenous fraction IV (isopoint 6.8-7.0) has a low caseinolytic activity and a high specific fibrinolytic and esterase activities. This fraction is characterized with a high ability of plasminogen activation. Serine, threonine, alanine and valine are found to prevail in amino acid composition of the fraction IV, its molecular weight being 39000.


[Anionic center of porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2].

The interaction between porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2 and low-molecular fragments of its substrate -- lecithine was studied using gel-diffusion of the enzyme in lecithin-agarose plates. When the inhibitor was added, a decrease in the magnitude of cleared areas (l/l0) around the depots filled with enzyme solution was observed. A marked decrease in l/l0 in the presence of alpha- and beta-glycerophosphates supported the statement that the cathionic center is a part of the enzyme active site SII. The potent inhibition of phospholipase activity in the presence of phosphocholine, choline, acetylcholine, thiocholine and acylthiocholines suggests the existence of an anionic center SIII in the active site. This suggestion is supported by intensive inhibition of phospholipase activity by certain, aliphatic amines. It was shown that the center is spaced in the direction of the cathionic center. SII. The main contribution to the binding of the cathionic lecithin part ("head") with the anionic center SIII is probably provided by the ion-ionic interactions.


[On glutamate dehydrogenase interaction with sex hormones].

The effect of sex hormones on the activity of glutamate dehydrogenase from beef liver was studied in vitro. The inhibitory effect of the hormones was relieved both when the guanidine groups of the enzyme were blocked and when L-arginine was added to the reaction mixture. The data obtained suggest that the guanidine groups of the arginine residues of the enzyme are involved in the realization of the inhibitory effect of the hormones.


Interactions of antipsychotic drugs with norepinephrine and cerebellar neuronal circuitry: implications for the psychobiology of psychosis.

Using the rat cerebellar Purkinje cell as a model neuronal system, the effects of norepinephrine and fluphenazine, an antipsychotic drug, are examined. Fluphenazine is shown to be a potent, specific antagonist of the norepinephrine-mediated inhibition of Purkinje cell discharge. Norepinephrine, despite its inhibitory action on spontaneous firing of the Purkinje cell, increases its responsiveness to afferent synaptic pathways. These data thus imply that norepinephrine may increase the brain's sensitivity to incoming information, and that antipsychotic drugs interfere with this effect. A role for norepinephrine, as well as dopamine, in the genesis of psychosis is suggested on the basis of their mutual antagonism by anti-psychotic drugs. The facilatory effects of NE on neuronal information-processing are used to predict a possible participation of NE in the perceptual difficulties noted in psychosis.


Identification of fibrin oligomers in sonicated fibrin clots.

Clots of bovine fibrin, with both coarse and fine structure, and ligated to different extents by fibrinoligase, have been broken up by ultrasonic agitation and the sonicates have been examined by ultracentrifugal sedimentation. Sonication is followed by gross aggregation of the fragments unless guanidine hydrochloride is introduced (order of 1 M). In that case, sonicates of gamma-ligated fine clots contain two species whose sedimentation coefficients correspond to fibrin monomer and an oligomer with twice the monomer cross-section area and at least 20 monomer units, presumably with the structure of lateral dimerization with staggered overlapping. If the gamma ligation is incomplete, shorter oligomers are identified. The monomer and oligomer with degree of polymerization greater than 20 appear also in sonicates of coarse clots, but in smaller amounts, the principal product consisting of larger aggregates. The implications of these results with respect to metastability of the fine clot and the pattern of polymerization are discussed.


[Comparative characteristics of endometrial and endometriosis cell cultures].

The authors studied comparatively the endometrium and endometrosis cell cultures of 35 women before and (in part of the group) after the synthetic progestin treatment. Methods for cultivating the endometrium and endometriosis cells were developed. A normal endometrium cell culture was found to be made up by epithelioid cells, while the cell culture from the endometriosis focus exhibited mostly a mixed cell population. The analysis of the internal endometriosis cell cultures before and after the infecundin treatment failed to show any clear distinction in respect to the cell growth and morphology. Endometriosis cells were found to possess low mitotic activity which made the kariotype studies difficult. the data obtained are the result of the first effort to cultivate endometriosis cells.


[Effect of diazepam on the impulse activity of neurons in the sensomotor and visual areas of the rat cerebral cortex].

Acute experiments on nonanesthetized curare-treated rats with the recording of the neuronal activity of the cortex were conducted; a determination was made of the threshold doses in which diazepam influenced the spontaneous and induced activity of the neurons of the sensory-motor and optic cortex. Diazepam proved to depress the spontaneous and induced activity of the neurons of the sensory-motor and optic cortex. Diazepam proved to depress the spontaneous and induced activity of the neurons of the sensory-motor cortex in considerably lesser doses than the neuronal activity of the optic cortex. It is supposed that the neurons of the anterior portions of the cortex were more sensitive to diazepam than the neurons of the limbic structures and the reticular formation.


[Immune response of mice of different inbred lines to Clostridium oedematiens anatoxin].

Mice belonging to a number of inbred strains were immunized intradermally with Cl. oedematiens alpha-toxoid. The immunization was repeated 30 days later. On the 20th and the 30th days after the first injection and on the 10th day after the second one the antibody level against the toxoid was determined in the blood of mice by the passive hemagglutination test. The maximum response to the primary immunization was observed in the mice of the C3H strain, and the minimum one--in mice of the DBA/2 strain; the difference was more than 30-fold. The rest of the strains used in the test (A,CBA, BALB/c, AKR, CC57BR) displayed an intermediate level of the immune response. The differences reduced after the repeated immunization. The immune response to this antigen in mice is supposed to be genetically controlled.


[Effect of suboptimal temperature on the mitotic regime].

A two-hour treatment of Chinese hamster cells with a suboptimal temperature of 21 degrees C leads to a decrease of the mitotic index and to a delay in division at the metaphase. Cooling causes a sharp rise of the pathological mitosis, represented mainly by the forms of pathology connected with the disorganization of the mitotic apparatus, such as C-mitosis and dispersion of chromosomes in the metaphase. After being transferred to the optimal temperature conditions the cells completely restored their mitotic regimen in one hour, the amount of the pathological mitosis during that time still being much higher than the control level.


[Effect of estradiol on the spontaneous activity of individual neurons in the arcuate area of the hypothalamus at different stages of the estrus cycle in rats].

Microiontophoretic application of estradiol into the arcuate region of the hypothalamus increased the activity of single neurons in the majority of experiments. This reaction was more pronounced at the stage of dietrus-1 and diestrus-2 than during proestrus. It is supposed that the changes in the prevailing reactions of the arcuate region neurons to the estradiol administration in the course of the estrual cycle were determined by the level of the endogenous estrogens and gonadotropins of the hypophysis in the peripheral blood.


[Sex ratio of inbred strains of mice].

A study of the sex ratio in mice of the inbred strains (CBA and C3H) and connection of the postimplantation embryonic mortality in mice of these strains with the sex distribution of embryos demonstrated that the sex ratio in these mice was 1:1. Literature and the author's personal data suggested that genetic features of mice of the inbred strains failed to influence significantly the sex ratio of the offspring. The postimplantation embryonic death rate in the C3H mice exceeded that in the CBA mice (14.4 and 9.3%, respectively). However, the balanced sex ratio in mice of these strains points to the absence of selective mortality of the embryos of any one sex during embryogenesis.


[Tissue sources of sex steroids in rat ovaries during the preovulatory period].

The method of quantitative histoenzymological analysis was used to determine the extent of participation of various structures of the ovary in the provision of the preovulatory synthesis of sex hormones. The activity of steroid dehydrogenases (3beta, 17beta, and 20alpha-OH), glucoso-6phosphric dehydrogenases, NAD and NADP-diaphorases was investigated. The synthesis of sex hormones proved to be realized by the mobilization of all the ovarian structures. At the early proestrus enhanced estrogen synthesis was provided by mature follicles, interstitial glands and the old corpora lutea. In the mid proestrus the active sources of progesterone and 20alpha-hydroxypregh-4en-3on synthesis are young corpora lutea and follicles; at this time the interstitial glands and old corpora lutea synthesized mainly the progesterone derivative.


[Effect of chronic stimulation of rats with intact and deafferented hypothalamuses on lipid metabolism and the adrenal cortex].

Chronic irritation of the falsely operated rats and those with the deafferentated hypothalamus led to reduction of total blood cholesterol and the accumulation of triglycerides in the liver. Dexamethasone administration was accompanied by an increase of blood cholesterol and triglycerides and the triglyceride accumulation in the liver. The action of dexamethasone was more pronounced in the animals with the deafferentated hypothalamus. The rate of 11-oxycorticosteroid secretion into the adrenal vein is reduced in the latter.


[Tissue distribution of chelants during life].

Injection of dithizone and quinoline compounds to animals leads to the intravital zinc chelate granule formation detectable on frozen tissue sections. The intensity of intravital histochemical reaction depends on be complexing ability, the dose, the ways of the agent injection, and also on the presence of other ligands lowering the agent's coordination volume use.