The nucleotide sequence of oocyte 5S DNA in Xenopus laevis. II. The GC-rich region.

The primary sequence of the GC-rich half of the repeating unit in X. laevis 5S DNA has been determined in both a single plasmid-cloned repeating unit and in the total population of repeatig units. The GC-rich half of the repeating unit contains a single long duplication of 174 nucleotides. The duplicated segment commences 73 nucleotides preceding the 5' end of the gene and terminates at nucleotide 101 of the gene. The duplicated portion of the gene, termed the pseudogene, differs by 10 nucleotides from the corresponding portion of the gene, and the remaining duplicated sequence of 73 nucleotides differs by 13 nucleotides. The plasmid-cloned repeating unit differs from the dominant sequence in the total population repeating units by 6 nucleotides in the GC-rich region. Evidence is provided that most of the CpG dinucleotides in 5S DNA are at least partially methylated.


Friend leukemia cells: relationship between differentiation, clonogenicity and malignancy.

Friend leukemia cells were cultured in vitro in the presence or absence of agents which induce erythroid differentiation. The cultures were harvested and the degree of differentiation determined. Clonogenicity of the cells in vitro and malignancy in vivo were determined as well. There was an inverse exponential relationship between the degree of differentiation and the clonogenicity of the culture. Differentiation was also associated with a modest decline in malignancy. Of interest was the observation that bromodeoxyuridine inhibited the biochemical manifestations of erythroid differentiation, but did not prevent the decline in clonogenicity which accompanied differentiation.


An immunological method for the purification of radiolabelled thyroxine.

A method for the removal of iodothyronine and iodide impurities from radiolabelled thyroxine is described. The principle of the method is to bind iodothyronine contaminants to specific antisera, and then to separate the antiserum-bound contaminants and iodide from the thyroxine by column chromatography. As reported here, the method is optimised for the removal of more than 98% of contaminating 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine and 99.8% of contaminating iodide from between 10 ng and 100 ng of thyroxine, where the molar ratio of thyroxine: 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine before purification is greater than or equal to 10:1. Recovery of purified thyroxine is more than 80%. The performance of the method is superior to that of preparative dialysis.


Sex hormone binding globulin: binding capacity and studies on the binding of cyproterone acetate and other steroids.

Sex hormone binding globulin in blood is quantitated by ammonium sulphate precipitation technique with two radioactive ligands, [3H]testosterone and [3H5dihydrotestosterone. Plasma levels in normal men, normal women, women taking oral contraceptives containing oestrogens, and pregnant women are presented, measured with both ligands. Binding experiments with these ligands and several competing steroids show marked differences in displacement ability. For cyproterone acetate 100-500 ng per tube is required to obtain even a slight displacement of the radioactive ligands.


Genetic control of human plasma creatine phosphokinase activity.

Plasma creatine phosphokinase (CPK) activity was determined in 14 monozygotic (MZ) and 14 dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs. The heritability indexes calculated for plasma CPK activity indicated support for the hypothesis that plasma CPK activity is under some genetic control. This finding is discussed in relation to various diseases in which plasma CPK activity is increased.


Large Y chromosome (Yq+) and increased risk of abortion.

Previous reports have indicated an association between Yq+ in the family and increased risk of abortion. In a chromosome investigations of 11,148 consecutively newborn children, we found 58 boys with a large Y chromosome (Y/F equal to or greater than 1.00). The mothers of these boys had 22% abortions, compared with 13% among 4,895 mothers of children with normal karyotypes and without Yq+ (P less than 0.001).


Diagnosis of uveo-parotid fever by 67Ga-citrate imaging.

67Ga-citrate scan from skull to mid-abdomen showed increased uptake in both parotid glands, mediastinum, lungs, uvei and/or enlarged lacrimal glands. The differential diagnosis of the positive radiogallium scan is discussed with emphasis on the value of the extrathoracic findings. Tissue diagnosis confirmed the imaging diagnosis of sarcoidosis. The case illustrates the usefulness of double radionuclide study--67Ga and 99mTc-MAA--and of the tomographic scanner in defining the spread of the active granulomatous disease.


Pericardial angiosarcoma simulating pericardial effusion by echocardiography.

A fast-growing angiosarcoma caused incapacitation of a boy and death in a period of three months. The growth of the tumor was well documented by a series of echocardiograms. The heart was well encased by a thick layer of purplish vascular neoplasm enveloped mostly by thin pericardium, with some additional few foci of extracardiac metastasis. The heart weighed 2,000 gm. It is worthy to note that another cause of an echo-free space may be the presence of a pericardial tumor, rather than pericardial effusion.


Heritability in syntactic development: a critique of Munsinger and Douglass.

Munsinger and Douglass (Child Development, 1976, 47, 40-50) used the Assessment of Children's Language Comprehension and the Northwestern Syntax Screening Test as measures of syntactic ability to investigate the heritability factor in language acquisition. By comparing the concordance of scores of twins and siblings, they concluded that heritability was the important variable in test performance (h2 = .79) and that environmental influences were not much over, 10. In the present critique, weaknesses regarding test measures are pointed out, and the validity of these measures for the ages of the children used in the study is questioned. It is also emphasized that the question of environmental effects in normal circumstances remains unquantified, and research indicates that language intervention programs with deficient populations can be beneficial.


Therapy of isolate Rhesus: different partners and social behavior.

36 monkeys from 3 different rearing conditions were subdivided into 3 groups and then paired daily for 20 weeks either with others that were (a) socially sophisticated 9-month-old monkeys; (b) partial isolates, reared alone from birth for 9 months; or (c) socially naive 3-month-old infant monkeys. When 12 9-month-old partial isolates were thus split and tested, social play was greater in isolates paired with sophisticated therapists and least in isolates paired with isolate therapists. Fear showed the reverse pattern. Hostility was greatest in those infants, isolates, and sophisticates when paired with isolates and least in all groups when paired with infants. Of the nonisolate groups the infants were affected by their pairing the most, showing reduced social play when paired with the isolates, but increasing play when with sophisticates. Evidence is found against a learning or instrumental model of aggression production, and a novel theory is advanced suggesting that infants are genetically predisposed to acquire specific behavioral characteristics shown by the mother.


Intestinal nematodes of man.

An account of the life cycle and morbidity of the commoner intestinal nematodes is given and methods of control and eradication discussed.


Oxidation of sulfhydryl groups in lactate dehydrogenase under high hydrostatic pressure.

Lactate dehydrogenase from rabbit skeletal muscle in the presence of substrate exhibits irreversible deactivation at hydrostatic pressures beyond 1 kbar [Schmid, G., Lüdemann, H.-D. & Jaenicke, R. (1975) Biophys. Chem. 3, 90-98]. In the absence of substrate and coenzyme the lability towards pressure is enhanced. The pH dependence of the effect and its inhibition by SH-protecting agents suggest the oxidation of sulfhydryl groups to be involved in the mechanism of deactivation. Partial deactivation observed at pH 5.5-7.0 becomes complete in the range of the intrinsic pK of cysteine; addition of dithiothreitol and/or EDTA protects the enzyme from complete deactivation, and leads to the residual enzymatic activity observed at pH 7.0. Incubation of the enzyme with dithiothreitol after pressure deactivation at pH 8.5 causes partial reactivation. From pressure-dependent measurements of the kinetics of deactivation an activation volume of deltaVnot equal to = -285 +/- 30 cm3 . mol-1 is calculated, which exceeds numerical data reported for typical reactions in organic chemistry. Therefore, the assumption can be made that the oxidation of sulfhydryl groups is connected with structural changes in the enzyme in the rate-determining step of the deactivation. The proposed mechanism may contribute to the toxicity of oxygen towards bacteria under high hydrostatic pressure.


Metabolic stability of the extrachromosomal ribosomal RNA genes in the slime mould Physarum polycephalum.

The rRNA genes of the slime mould Physarum polycephalum are located on free, linear DNA molecules of a discrete size, Mr=38X10(6). Using an isotope dilution technique we have examined the metabolic stability of these extrachromosomal genes during active, balanced growth. Microplasmodia, prelabelled with [3H]thymidine, were used to prepare synchronous surface plasmodial cultures which were subsequently grown on unlabelled medium. The gross synthesis of ribosomal DNA was then determined over three consecutive mitotic divisions from the ratio of 3H to 14C in a hybrid formed between the extracted ribosomal [3H]DNA and a [14C]rRNA probe. It was found that ribosomal DNA, like chromosomal DNA, is completely stable during active growth.


Deoxyribonucleic acid polymerase from Physarum polycephalum. Properties of the major cytoplasmic activity in exponentially growing microplasmodia.

DNA polymerase was purified 1000-fold from the cytoplasm of microplasmodia of the myxomycete Physarum polycephalum. The activity was found in two forms exhibiting molecular weights of 204000 and 116000 respectively. Both forms eluted together from DNA-cellulose and DEAE-Sephadex columns. The Stokes radii were 6.5 and 5.5 nm. The sedimentation coefficients were 7.6 and 5.2 S. The frictional ratios of 1.69 suggest a highly hydrated and/or an asymmetric structure of the molecule. The enzyme-catalyzed reaction was sensitive to N-ethylmaleimide (60% inhibition by 1 mM). Unlike DNA polymerase alpha from mammalian cells the Physarum enzyme was stimulated by 30 mM NaCl. Activated DNA was the preferred template. Poly(A) . (DT)12 was not accepted. The Km value for deoxynucleoside triphosphates was 3 micron, for activated DNA 50 microgram/ml and for Mg2+ at the optimum [k+] of 150 mM about 0.6 mM.


Polypeptide synthesis in toluene-treated lymphocytes.

Normal human lymphocytes stimulated by phytohemagglutinin P, and other mammalian cells were rendered permeable to macromolecules such as poly(U) and proteins, by treatment with a low concentration of toluene. Under this condition, poly(U) translation was more efficient in the permeabilized cells than in 10000 X g extracts. Such a process occurs inside the treated cells as demonstrated by the fact that [14C]uridine-labelled ribosomes remain associated with the toluene-treated lymphocytes even after incubation at 37 degrees C. A nuclease from Staphylococcus aureus was able to penetrate the permeabilized cells and to break the polysome-bound endogenous messenger RNA. However, the protein-synthesizing machinery inside the toluene-treated lymphocytes was unaffected by the nuclease, as demonstrated by the unimpairment of polyphenylalanine synthesis when poly(U) was added after the preincubation with the enzyme. These results suggest that the toluene treatment can be considered as an important tool for the study of the synthesis of macromolecules and its regulation in eukaryotic cells.


Anesthesia of the rabbit.

The authors evaluate the results of 150 anesthesias of rabbits in experimental surgery employing various operations. The use of Alfathesin leads to rapid and deep anesthesia with awakening occurring in very good conditions. The technique isparticularly recommended for short operations. Satisfactory cardiovascular and respiratory conditions can be maintained by tracheal intubation together with artificial ventilation, which allows for long and difficult surgical procedures.


Second Congress of the European Association of Urology Lymphadenectomy in Urological Cancer. Report of a round table discussion.

This report on a round table which took place at the 2nd Congress of the EAU in Prague, concerns the indications and techniques of lymphadenectomy in tumours of the testis, prostate and bladder as well as cancers of the kidney, penis and upper urinary tract.


Metastasis of prostatic carcinoma in the epididymis.

A case of metastasis of a prostatic carcinoma in the epididymis is reported. The literature is reviewed and discussed.


Intranigral kainic acid: evidence for nigral non-dopaminergic neurons controlling posture and behavior in a manner opposite to the dopaminergic ones.

The unilateral, intranigral administration of kainic acid (k.a.) produced a syndrome characterized by early sequelae of contra- and ipsilateral circling and by a chronic contralateral turning associated with moderate loss of neurons in the pars reticulata. The acute contralateral circling seems to be related to dopaminergic nigro-neostriatal neuron stimulation, since it was prevented by previous intranigral injections of 6-OHDA. The acute ipsilateral circling and the chronic contralateral turning, on the other hand, seem to be independent of the integrity of the dopaminergic system and may be due to an initial stimulation, followed by destruction, of a nigral neuronal system which mediates turning behavior in a manner opposite to that of nigro-striatal dopamine. Treatment with D-amphetamine or apomorphine changed the contralateral into ipsilateral turning, while haloperidol potentiated the contralateral turning. Bilateral injection of k.a. into the nigra resulted in chronic stereotyped sniffing and gnawing, which were not inhibited by haloperidol. Moreover, haloperidol did not produce catalepsy in these animals. It is suggested that the intranigral k.a. injection destroyed a neuronal system antagonistic to dopamine and resulted in a reduction of the response to DA-receptor stimulation of the c. striatum.


3H-thymidine incorporation (DNA synthesis) and radiotoxicity in the ovary of the Japanese quail before and during follicle formation.

No evidence was found for ribosomal DNA amplification in the oocytes of the Japanese quail, before or during folliculogenesis. DNA synthesis in the somatic cells, involved in follicle formation, starts at the medullar side of the basement membrane. The localized sterilization of the quail ovary after administration of 3H-thymidine (3H-TdR) seems to be due to radiation-induced lesions in the follicle forming somatic cells, rather than to direct radiation damage of the oocyte.


Platelet aggregation following electrical stimulation.

It was demonstrated that the previous in vitro electrical stimulation of human and rat platelet-rich plasma does not modify the subsequent response of platelets to the aggregating activity of ADP, thrombin, thrombofax or adrenaline. This is interesting in view of the fact that the electrical stimulation can induce clot retraction.


Immunomodulating effects in vitro of a hydroxythiazolobenzimidazole in the absence of mitogenicity.

Wy-13, 876, a hydroxythiazolobenzimidazole, enhanced in vitro antibody formation by mouse spleen cells immunized with sheep red blood cells. The optimal dose was 25--50 microgram/culture. The compound did not have a mitogenic effect at any dose.


Dietary fat and cancer trends--a critique.

Recent speculation concerning the relationship of dietary fat and cancer causation is challenged. Correlations between increase in per capita dietary fat intake and cancer mortality over a 60-year period show significant positive correlations for total fat and vegetable fat, and negative or no correlation for animal fat. The significant positive correlation for vegetable fat could not always be explained by the effects of total unsaturated components; individual unsaturated components, such as oleic or linoleic fatty acids; or the saturated component; but could be explained by the trans fatty acid component.


[Effect of chronic morphine administration on the "reward" system in rats].

The influence of morphine on lateral hypothalamic self-stimulation in rats was studied, The drug was injected in stepwise increasing doses from 20 to 60 and 120 mg/kg per injection. A total of 30 injections were performed in 15 days. Initial doses of every new drug injection period exerted predominantly a suppressive action upon self-stimulation, while additional injections resulted in a stable and clearcut activation of the central mechanisms mediating "rewards".


Normalization of visual fields following bromocriptine treatment in hyperprolactinemic patients with visual field constriction.

Two patients with galactorrhea-amenorrhea and bilateral visual field defects were studied. Routine radiologic examination of each patient revealed a normal sella turcica and no demineralization of the posterior clinoid process. Serum prolactin levels were elevated (patient V. G., 80 ng/ml; patient S. R., 204 ng/ml). Within 2 months of bromocriptine therapy, the serum prolactin levels were normal (patient V. G., 12.21 ng/ml; patient S. R., 8.25 ng/ml) and the bilateral visual field defects were corrected. Bromocriptine has been shown to control prolactin secretion in patients with prolactin-secreting pituitary tumors. Normalization of restricted visual fields following bromocriptine therapy indicates the possibility of an anatomical regression of pituitary hyperplasia or an underlying prolactin-producing microadenoma. It is speculated that the modality of functional galactorrhea reflects hyperplasia of the lactotrophs preceding a nodular and ultimately an adenomatous change. The continuous and prolonged administration of bromocriptine may prevent such a progressive sequence. Further experience is required to validate this possibility.


[Character of baroreceptor reflexes during emotional stress in awake animals].

The baroreflectory bradycardia in the cat was inhibited during emotional tension leading to hypertensive reaction. The emotional tension caused a hypotensive reaction after extirpation of sino-carotid and aortic nerves. After recovery of the baroreceptor reflexes, the amplitude and duration of this reaction decreased and hypertensive reaction followed. One of the mechanisms of the hypertension during emotional stress seems to involve the inhibition of the baroreceptor reflexes.


General features of steroid resistance on lymphoid cell lines.

Some general features of dexamethasone resistance in five murine lymphoid cell lines were investigated. To obtain large numbers of dexamethasone-resistant (Dexr) variants, a technique was developed by which mouse lymphoid cell lines can be grown with high efficiency on the surface of agar plates without a feeder layer. A total of 271 Dexr variants were investigated, and 90% of them turned out to lack detectable steroid receptor whereas 10% have receptor with, in most cases, a normal affinity for the steroid hormone. Most of this latter class of variants, however, have reduced amounts of receptor and the receptor of all of them displayed altered nuclear binding characteristics. None of the five investigated lymphoid cell lines yielded a Dexr variant with a normal receptor. These results confirm the idea that the high incidence of receptor variant may be due, at least in part, to the haploid state of a gene coding for the receptors. In cell fusion experiments it could be shown that Dexs is dominant over Dexr, but that a Dexr a-lele in a tetraploid cell can lead to an increased frequency of steroid resistance.


Spontaneous pup-killing by mice in response to large litters.

Primiparous lactating nice mice whose young were removed on the day of parturition were presented with foster litters of either 12 or 16 day-old young. The adults spontaneously killed young during Day 3-7 of the lactation period, killing more in the 16-pup than in the 12-pup litter. The lactating animal appeared to select the young to be killed on the basis of body weight. It killed significantly more young that were in the bottom half than in the top half of the weight range for its particular litter.


Effects of undernutrition and litter size on material variables and pup development.

Differential effects of maternal nutrition and litter size variation were examined in a 2 x 2 factorial design in which undernourished or lib fed mothers nursed litters of 4 or 12. Litter size accounted for a greater proportion of pup body weight a weaning than did maternal nutrition. When the mother was fed ad lib, birth weight of individual pups and later body weight were correlated regardless of litter size. When the mother was undernourished, these correlations were not found. Enlargement of littersize increased the pup weight coefficient of variability only when the mother was fed ad lib. Size of the litter did not influence the maternal variables under study: open field behavior, adrenal weight, and body weight.


Proinsulin and A-component antibodies in diabetics after long-term monocomponent insulin treatment.

In newly diagnosed diabetics treated with Monotard (porcine monocomponent (MC) Lente insulin) for five years, no antibodies against porcine or bovine proinsulin were observed, but 2 of 13 subjects developed a-component antibodies. In newly diagnosed diabetics, treatment for the same period with conventional Lente insulin induced both proinsulin and a-component antibodies (in 5 and 8 of 10 cases, respectively). In 31 patients transferred from conventional Lente to Monotard, proinsulin and a-component antibody levels were significantly lower than in 22 patients maintained on conventional Lente after the 5-year follow-up period. No significant differences were noted between bovine and procine proinsulin antibodies. Insulin antibody production was similar to that of proinsulin antibody.


Lipogenesis in situ in the genetically obese Zucker fatty rat (fa/fa): role of hyperphagia and hyperinsulinaemia.

In situ fatty acid synthesis has been measured with 3H2O in anaesthetised lean and obese Zucker (fa/fa) rats. The accumulation of fatty acids was increased in both the liver and adipose tissue of young fa/fa rats as a result of both an increased rate of lipogenesis and an increase in tissue mass. Whereas total hepatic lipogenesis increased with age, total adipose tissue lipogenesis decreased in older fa/fa rats. Experiments with hepatectomized rats showed that the liver was the major site of the excess fatty acid synthesis in fa/fa rats. The enhanced rate of lipogenesis in fa/fa rats was abolished by either pair-feeding or streptozotocin treatment. The results suggest that the increased fatty acid synthesis in fa/fa rats is secondary to the hyperphagia, hyperinsulinaemia, and increased mass of hepatic and adipose tissues.


[Concentrations of IgM and IgA in the umbilical cord blood of 400 newborn infants: possible significance and correlations with prenatal infections (preliminary note)].

IgM and IgA dosed in cord sera of 400 infants. IgM are present in all samples; 16.25% of them show levels 25 mg/100 cm3. IgA are present in 5.75%, but only 2.25% show levels 6 mg/100 cm3. Our controls have confirmed they depend on maternal blood contamination. Correlations between IgM and IgA levels and perinatal infections are considered. Further studies are required to determine the presumptive nature of infectious agents.


Unreliability of chromogenic substrates for assay of the clotting activity of thrombin.

The rapid loss in clotting activity of commercially available thrombins during storage is not reflected by their activity as measured by synthetic chromogenic substrates. It is suggested that conformational changes occurring during storage can affect the binding sites of thrombin for fibrinogen, whereas small synthetic substrates are incapable of monitoring these changes.


Microheterogeneity in thrombin standards.

Potency estimations of thrombin have been performed using clotting and synthetic substrates in parallel assays. The International Standard and the Nordic Standard of thrombin have both been used as references. Divergencies in estimated unitage necessitated a study on possible heterogeneities in the standard preparations presented in this paper.


[Physical dependence liability test of ifenprodil in rats (author's transl)].

A single administration of ifenprodil at the doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg (p.o.), and 50 and 100 mg/kg (i.m.) produced a moderate CNS depression in rats, such as, sedation, ptosis, systemic muscle relaxation and decrease in motor activity. These symptoms appeared dose-dependently and persisted for about 4 hours following administration. In a direct physical dependence test, 5 groups of rats were fed the ifenprodil-admixed food together with drinking water ad libitum for 24 hours daily for 53 approximately 103 days (mean ifenprodil intake, 43--240 mg/kg/day), on the gradedly increased dosage schedule with a dosage level of 0.5 vs. 1 mg/g food to 4 mg/g food. In the natural withdrawal following administration, no significant withdrawal signs were observed in any group. In a substitution test either for phenobarbital or morphine, no suppression of withdrawal signs during the period of cross-administration of ifenprodil and no maintenance of dependence were observed. In a physical dependence-producing test, the rats fed ifenprodil never manifested withdrawal signs such as diarrhea, "wet shakes", sudden loss of body weight as in the levallorphan precipitation test. Ifenprodil apparently has no physical dependence liability.


Stress-induced depression model in female rats--biochemical and histochemical investigation of brain monoamines.

Forced running stress induced a prolonged inactive state with the abolition of hormone-dependent cyclic behavior in some female rats which had already recovered from physical exhaustion. The state could be regarded as a "depression model" in these animals. In the biochemical study, norepinephrine in the hypothalamus was found to be significantly lowered in these animals. In the histochemical study, an increase of fluroescence intensity in nerve cell groups of the ascending norepinephrine system and a decrease of fluorescence intensity in nerve cells and terminals of the tubero-infundibular dopamine system were found in these animals. These findings were also seen in the rats which were examined immediately after the stress, but not in the rats which recovered their spontaneous and cyclic running activity in several weeks after the stress. These results suggest that changes of monoamine metabolism in the brain which is induced by the stress remains unrestored for a long time in the "depression model rats".


Effects of ovariectomy and estradiol replacement therapy upon the sexual and aggressive behavior of the greater galago (Galago crassicaudatus crassicaudatus).

The effects of ovariectomy and estradiol treatment upon sexual and aggressive behavior were studied in a prosimian primate, the greater galago. Ovariectomized galagos were sexually unreceptive and frequently aggressive, but retained their sexual attractiveness to males. When females were treated with estradiol monobenzoate, however, their aggression and refusals of males' mounting attempts decreased markedly. Although males mounted these females, they usually failed to copulate, possibly because the females did not perform certain postural adjustments which assist males to intromit. Estradiol benzoate alone, even in large does, does not fully restore patterns of mating behavior in ovariectomized female greater galagos. These observations on a prosimian primate are in striking contrast to the results of similar work on Old World monkeys and chimpanzees.


Diagnosis of twin zygosity by mailed questionnaire.

A deterministic questionnaire method for zygosity determination is developed for use in epidemiological studies of adult twins. It is based on the answers of both members of a twin pair to two questions on similarity and confusion in childhood. The algorithm of the method is used to determine the zygosity status of a twin pair at two different levels of certainty. The validity of the method is tested by making blood marker determinations of 11 polymorphic marker systems fro a random sample of 104 twin pairs. The agreement between questionnaire and blood marker diagnosis was 100%, but the stricter level of certainty left 8.7% in the nonclassified group. The genetical representativeness of the sample is tested by the allele distribution of the markers as compared to the Finnish population data as well as by the distribution of the number of intra-pair differences in blood markers.


Effect of dark-rearing on experimental myopia in monkeys.

When lids are surgically fused in rhesus monkeys before eye growth is completed, a high degree of myopia develops, which is caused by an elongation of the eye globe. The present study shows that in monkeys raised in the dark after monocular lid fusion, refraction and axial length were normal in both the closed and the open eye. Myopia, however, readily developed and the eye elongated when a monkey raised in the dark was transferred to illuminated quarters. These findings indicate that visual stimulation through the translucent lids was necessary for the development of this experimental ametropia.


The pineal gland does not control rod outer segment shedding and phagocytosis in the rat retina and pigment epithelium.

Diurnal patterns of retinal outer segment shedding and phagocytosis by the pigment epithelium were examined in pinealectomized, superior-cervical-ganglionectomized, and sham-operated rats. Phagocytosis was quantitatively similar in all groups. Sharp increases in the number of large phagosomes were observed soon after lights were turned on in the tree sets of animals. Pinealectomized animals kept in constant darkness over a 24 hr period also exhibited normal shedding patterns. Our results suggest that the pineal does not exert a major influence on the daily rhythms of shedding and phagocytosis observed in the retina-pigment epithelium unit.


The os penis of the rat. I. Phosphomonoesterases in its proximal growth cartilage.

The distribution of reaction for acid and alkaline phosphatases in the proximal cartilage of the os penis and the mandibular condylar cartilage has been compared. The distribution of acid phosphatase in the two structures seems to be identical, whereas the distribution of alkaline phosphatase in the os penis cartilage seems to differ from that in the mandibular condylar cartilage and, by this, from all other studied growth cartilages.


Intravesical instillation of dilute formalin for treatment of cyclophosphamide-induced hemorrhagic cystitis in two dogs.

Sterile hemorrhagic cystitis induced by cyclophosphamide therapy was diagnosed in 2 dogs. Clinical signs included pollakiuria, hematuria, and stranguria. The signs were progressive and referable to long-term oral cyclophosphamide administration. Dilute (1%) formalin was used to treat the hemorrhagic cystitis. Clinical control of hemorrhage was achieved in both cases, and hemorrhage did not recur.


Metabolites of Dactylaria lutea. The structures of dactylariol and the antiprotozoal antibiotic dactylarin.

The metabolites of the predacious fungus Dactylaria lutea ROUTIEN include the anthraquinone macrosporin (2) and three hydroxylated 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro derivatives of this anthraquinone, altersolanol A (5), altersolanol B (4) and dactylariol (6). The structure and relative configuration of dactylariol are established from spectroscopic studies, and its absolute configuration is proposed as 1R, 2R, 3R by virtue of its co-occurrence with altersolanol B. Dactylarin, suggested by other authors to have the structure (1), is shown to be identical with altersolanol B (4).


Protease activity during cell differentiation of the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum.

Individual aggregates, migrating pseudoplasmodia, and sorocarps of Dictyostelium discoideum were assayed for proteolytic activities by colorimetric and fluorometric techniques. Cathepsin D-like and cathepsin B-like acid protease activities were found to decrease throughout development, but the patterns of decrease were different for the two enzymes. A gradual decrease was found for cathepsin D, whereas a sharp decrease between aggregates and migrating pseudoplasmodia was detected for cathepsin B. By using microdissection techniques and fluorometric assays for amino acids and peptides, prestalk cells and prespore cells exhibited no difference in cathepsin D activity, whereas cathepsin B activity was higher in the prestalk cells. Similarly, stalk cells and spores in the sorocarps showed no difference in cathepsin D activity, but showed a fivefold higher cathepsin B activity in the stalk cells. This finding suggests a possible role for cathepsin B in stalk cell differentiation.


Inhibitory factor of microtubule assembly from sea urchin egg cortex. I. Preparation and characterization.

A new inhibitory factor of the microtubule (MT) assembly system was isolated from unfertilized sea urchin egg cortex. This factor not only suppressed spontaneous brain MT assembly, but also induced depolymerization of the reconstituted MTs. The factor did not suppress initial MT growth initiated by ciliary outer fiber fragments but the assembled MTs were soon depolymerized with time. The inhibitory activity was heat-stable but sensitive to trypsin or urea. The mode of the inhibition was distinct from the inhibitory effects of RNA on the MT assembly. The inhibitory factor partially purified on DEAE-Sephadex A-50 completely inhibited tubulin polymerization in a factor: tubulin ratio of 0.013.


Inhibition of mouse myeloma DNA polymerase alpha by 5-triphosphates of 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylthymine and 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine.

This is the first report dealing with the effect of 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylthymine 5'-triphosphate (araTTP), synthesized by a new method, on eukaryotic DNA polymerase [EC 2.7.7.7]. AraTTP was tested for the inhibition of DNA synthesis in vitro using highly purified mouse myeloma DNA polymerase alpha in comparison with 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine 5'-triphosphate (araCTP). AraTTP was found to inhibit competitively the incorporation of [3H]dTTP into DNA and non-competitively the incorporation of [3H]dCTP, while the mode of the inhibition by araCTP was non-competitive with respect to dTTP and competitive with respect to dCTP. Neither araTTP nor araCTP was utilized as a substrate in place of dTTP or dCTP in DNA synthesis by DNA polymerase alpha.


Ionization and reactivities of the thiol groups which participate in the formation of interchain disulfide bonds of Bence Jones proteins and an Fab(t) fragment.

The pK values and reactivities of the thiol groups which participate in the formation of interchain disulfide bonds in Bence Jones proteins and the Fab(t) fragment of a myeloma protein (Jo) (IgGl, kappa) were determined by means of the reactions with chloroacetamide and DTNB, and of spectrophotometric titration. The two thiol groups of partially reduced type kappa Bence Jones protein dimers had the same pK values (pK = 9.76 at 0.2 ionic strength and 25 degrees C) and the same true second-order rate constants (k) toward chloroacetamide (k = 18.8 x 10(-2) M-1 . S-1). The two thiol groups of partially reduced type lambda Bence Jones protein dimers had different pK values but the variation of the pK values among the specimens was small (pK1 = 8.5-8.6 and pK2 = 9.5-9.7 at 0.2 ionic strength and 25 degrees C). The spectrophotometric titration of partially reduced Nag protein (type lambda) also showed that the two thiol groups have different pK values. The pK values of two thiol groups of the partially reduced Fab(t) fragment were determined as 8.51 and 9.76 at 0.2 ionic strength and 25 degrees C. The effect of ionic strength on the pK values of the thiol groups of partially reduced Nag protein and the pK values of the thiol groups in partially reduced Ta protein (type kappa) and in a hybrid molecule formed between partially reduced Ta protein and partially reduced and alkylated H chains indicated that the difference in pK values did not arise from electrostatic interaction between the two thiol groups, but that the pK values are intrinsically different. The true rate constants, k1 and k2, of the two thiol groups of type lambda Bence Jones proteins varied with the specimen (k1 = 1.9-5.7 x 10(-2) M-1 . S-1 and k2 = 18.5-25.0 x 10(-2) M-1 . S-1). The k1 and k2 values for Jo-Fab(t) were 7.21 x 10(-2) and 23.1 x 10(-2) M-1 . S-1, respectively. On the basis of these pK values and reactivities, we discuss the reformation of the interchain disulfide bonds from partially reduced Bence Jones proteins and immunoglobulins in the presence of oxidized glutathione.


Cellular retinoic acid-binding protein from rat testis. Purification and characterization.

Cellular retinoic acid-binding protein has been purified to homogeneity from rat testes. The procedures utilized in the purification included acid precipitation, gel filtration, and chromatography on DEAE-cellulose. The binding protein was purified approximately 12,000-fold, based on total soluble testicular protein. The protein is a single polypeptide chain with a molecular weight of 14,600, determined by information from gel filtration and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide electrophoresis. The protein binds retinoic acid with high affinity; the apparent dissociation constant was determined by fluorometric titration to be 4.2 X 10(-9) M.


A study of rapid mitochondrial structural changes in vitro by spray-freeze-etching.

The spray-freeze-etching technique has been used to study energy-linked mitochondrial structural changes in rat liver mitochondria incubated in vitro. The technique involves spraying the suspension of mitochondria into liquid propane at -190 degrees C, and does not require the use of cryoprotectants or chemical fixatives. The results confirmed that freshly isolated mitochondria have a condensed matrix and that this expands at the expense of the outer compartment to give the orthodox configuration when the mitochondria are incubated in a K+ medium in the presence of substrate and phosphate. Addition of adenosine diphosphate (ADP) caused a rapid shrinkage of the matrix compartment, and the time-course and extent of this shrinkage has been measured quantitatively by coupling a rapid sampling device to the spray-freezing apparatus. These data show that for orthodox mitochondria the onset of phosphorylation is accompanied by a reduction of 30% in the matrix volume in 20's, and there is no evidence that the decrease in matrical volume affects the phosphorylation efficiency. These results suggest that natural ionophores in the mitochondrial inner membrane make it permeable enough to permit a rapid readjustment of matrix volume after the addition of ADP, and that the associated ion movement does not cause uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation.


Enrichment of spinal cord cell cultures with motoneurons.

Spinal cord cell cultures contain several types of neurons. Two methods are described for enriching such cultures with motoneurons (defined here simply as cholinergic cells that are capable of innervating muscle). In the first method, 7-day embryonic chick spinal cord neurons were separated according to size by 1 g velocity sedimentation. It is assumed that cholinergic motoneurons are among the largest cells present at this stage. The spinal cords were dissociated vigorously so that 95-98% of the cells in the initial suspension were isolated from one another. Cells in leading fractions (large cell fractions: LCFs) contain about seven times as much choline acetyltransferase (CAT) activity per unit cytoplasm as do cells in trailing fractions (small cell fractions: SCFs). Muscle cultures seeded with LCFs develop 10-70 times as much CAT as cultures seeded with SCFs and six times as much CAT as cultures seeded with control (unfractionated) spinal cord cells. More than 20% of the large neurons in LCF-muscle cultures innervate nearby myotubes. In the second method, neurons were gently dissociated from 4-day embryonic spinal cords and maintained in vitro. This approach is based on earlier observations that cholinergic neurons are among the first cells to withdraw form the mitotic cycle in the developing chick embryo (Hamburger, V. 1948. J. Comp. Neurol. 88:221-283; and Levi-Montalcini, R. 1950. J. Morphol. 86:253-283). 4-Day spinal cord-muscle cultures develop three times as much CAT as do 7-day spinal cord-muscle plates, prepared in the same (gentle) manner. More than 50% of the relatively large 4-day neurons innervate nearby myotubes. Thus, both methods are useful first steps toward the complete isolation of motoneurons. Both methods should facilitate study of the development of cholinergic neurons and of nerve-muscle synapse formation.


Spontaneous mutation rate to thioguanine resistance is decreased in polyploid hamster cells.

The mutation rate to thioguanine resistance was 3.11 X 10(-6) in a near diploid V79 hamster cell line and 7.58 X 10(-8) in a near tetraploid derivative produced with colchicine. The specific activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and phosphoglycerate kinase of the tetraploid line were greater than that of the diploid which suggests that twice the number of active X chromosomes were present in the tetraploid. These results are compatible with the hypothesis that spontaneous variants resistant to thioguanine arise through mutation and chromosomal segregation, as has been suggested for induced mutations in tetraploid hamster cells.


Persistent lymphatic fistula. Unusual complication of femoro-femoral arterial bypass.

An unusual complication of persistent lymph fistula occurred three months postoperatively following axillo-femoral and femoro-femoral bypass graft. The lymphangiograms demonstrated the precise site of lymph extravasation. Multiple aspirations and local drainage were of no avail and it finally responded to prolonged continuous local pressure over the area of lymph extravasation.


Control of glycolysis and the pentose phosphate shunt in transformed 3T3 cultures rendered permeable by ATP.

Exogenous ATP has been shown earlier to activate a permeability change in transformed 3T3 cultures leading to massive efflux of the acid-soluble pools. This leads to reduction of the basal rate of glycolysis to a very low level so that glycolysis becomes almost totally dependent on the addition to the medium of glucose, inorganic phosphate and ADP in order to restore the rate to that of untreated cells. No such depression of glycolysis is observed in untreated transformed cells or in ATP-treated normal 3T3 cells. In such permeabilized cultures, phosphorylated intermediates such as glucose-6-phosphate and fructose-1,6-diphosphate can serve as effective substrates for lactic acid formation. ATP treatment of cultured cells also allows molecules as big as NADP to enter the cells and participate in the pentose phosphate shunt pathway. This ability to temporarily and differentially render transformed cells permeable allows a review of several aspects of cellular metabolism and biosynthesis in the intact cell where the cellular organization is maintained. Furthermore, it deserves serious consideration as a means to achieve differential cytotoxicity of transformed cells by chemotherapeutic agents which, on their own, are indiscriminate in their action.


Thin-layer chromatographic screening methods for histamine in tuna fish.

Twelve solvent systems were tested for their ability to separate histamine and histidine on a variety of thin-layer coatings. The best solvent-adsorbent systems were: chloroform-methanol-ammonia (2:2:1), methanol-ammonia (20:1), acetone-ammonia (95:5), and double development with (a) n-butanol-acetone-water (2:2:1) and (b) chloroform-methanol-ammonia (12:7:1), all on silica-gel layers. Ninhydrin was used as the visualization reagent. These four systems were then evaluated for their potential use as rapid screening procedures in the detection of possibly deleterious levels of histamine in tuna fish. Successful separation of histamine from the other ninhydrin-positive components of methanolic tuna fish extracts was achieved with all four systems. A sample from a lot of tuna implicated in human illness was found to have a histamine level considerably higher than tuna purchased from a local retail outlet or an extract spiked to a histamine level considered to be a threshold value for toxicity symptoms. The methanol-ammonia (20:1) and chloroform-methanol-ammonia (2:2:1) systems, used with silica-gel plates, are the most promising for rapid preliminary screening of tuna fish extracts for histamine.


The mechanisms of and the interrelationship between bile acid and chylomicron-mediated regulation of hepatic cholesterol synthesis in the liver of the rat.

Hepatic cholesterol synthesis is controlled by both the size of the bile acid pool in the enterohepatic circulation and by the amount of cholesterol reaching the liver carried in chylomicron remnants. These studies were undertaken to examine how these two control mechanisms are interrelated. When the size of the pool was systematically varied, the logarithm of the rate of hepatic cholesterol synthesis varied in an inverse linear fashion with the size of the taurocholate pool between the limits of 0 and 60 mg of bile acid per 100 g of body weight. The slope of this relationship gave the fractional inhibition of cholesterol synthesis associated with expansion of the taurocholate pool and was critically dependent upon the amount of cholesterol available for absorption from the gastrointestinal tract. Furthermore, the degree of inhibition of cholesterol synthesis in the liver seen with taurocholate feeding was reduced by partially blocking cholesterol absorption with beta-sitosterol even though the bile acid pool was still markedly expanded. In rats with diversion of the intestinal lymph from the blood, a five-fold expansion of the taurocholate pool resulted in only slight suppression of the rate of hepatic cholesterol synthesis, and even this inhibition was shown to be attributable to small amounts of cholesterol absorbed through collateral lymphatic vessels and (or) to a fasting effect. Similarly, the infusion of either taurocholate or a combination of taurocholate and taurochenate into rats with no biliary or dietary cholesterol available for absorption caused no suppression of hepatic cholesterol synthesis. Finally, the effect of changes in the rate of bile acid snythesis on hepatic cholesterol synthesis was examined. The fractional inhibition of cholesterol synthesis found after administration of an amount of cholesterol sufficient to raise the hepatic cholesterol ester content by 1 mg/g equalled only --0.36 when bile acid snythesis was increased by biliary diversion but was --0.92 when bile acid synthesis was suppressed by bile acid feeding. It is concluded that (a) bile acids are not direct effectors of the rate of hepatic cholesterol synthesis, (b) most of the inhibitory activity seen with bile acid feeding is mediated through increased cholesterol absorption, and (c) bile acids do have an intrahepatic effect in that they regulate hepatic cholesterol synthesis indirectly by altering the flow of cellular cholesterol to bile acids.


Hereditary aspects of decreased hypoxic response.

Decreased ventilatory responses to hypoxia and hypercapnia have been demonstrated in a variety of disorders; however, the etiology of these decreased drives remains virtually unknown. Recent observations have suggested a familial influence on hypoxic and hypercapnic ventilatory response, but it is unclear whether this influence is the result of hereditary or environmental influences. Therefore we measured the ventilatory response to isocapnic hypoxia (HVR) and hyperoxic hypercapnia in 12 pairs of identical and 12 pairs of nonidentical twins. Significant correlation (P less than 0.01) was found for HVR within identical twin pairs but not within nonidentical twin pairs. Identical twins resembled each other more closely with respect to HVR than was the case for nonidentical twins (P less than 0.0125). This was independent of body size, blood PCO2, or pH. No such correlation could be found for ventilatory response to hyperoxic hypercapnia. It is concluded that hereditary influences affect HVR and it is speculated that such influences may play a role in clinical conditions characterized by decreased hypoxic ventilatory responses.


Deletion of the platelet-specific alloantigen PlA1 from platelets in Glanzmann's thrombasthenia.

Expression of a Platelet-specific alloantigen (Pl(A1)) was studied in five unrelated patients with Glanzmann's thrombasthenia using immunologic techniques based on release of (51)Cr from tagged platelets by Pl(A1)-specific antibody. Less than 1% of the normal quantity of Pl(A1) could be detected on platelets of patients 1, 2, and 3; platelets from patients 4 and 5 contained 22 and 12% of normal levels, respectively. After treatment with bromelain, platelets from patients 4 and 5, but not those from patients 1, 2, and 3, released (51)Cr as well as normal Pl(A1)-positive platelets when exposed to anti-Pl(A1). Platelets from each of the five patients reacted normally with drug-dependent antibodies and with autoantibodies specific for platelets. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of thrombasthenic platelets showed marked deficiencies of glycoproteins IIbalpha and III (P < 0.0005), confirming recent reports of others. Deficiency of the two proteins as determined by gel scanning was more pronounced in patients 1, 2, and 3 than in patients 4 and 5. Normal levels of glycoproteins IIbalpha and III were found in platelets from normal subjects negative for Pl(A1). These observations are consistent with the possibility that the Pl(A1) antigen is located on one or both of the glycoproteins lacking in Glanzmann's thrombasthenia, although other explanations are possible. They further suggest that patients with thrombasthenia may be heterogeneous in respect to the degree to which these glycoproteins are deleted. The Pl(A1) antigen can be measured with considerable precision and may provide a marker useful for the diagnosis and study of Glanzmann's disease.


Estrus in relation to time of administration of prostaglandin F2alpha to heifers.

Holstein heifers (95) were given two injections of prostaglandin F2alpha, the first on day 0 and the second either at 0600 h or 1800 h on day 12. Interval from the second treatment to first observation of estrus did not differ between heifers treated during the morning (69.8 +/- 4.4 h) or evening (72.7 +/- 5.2 h). However, estrus was detected sooner after treatment of heifers during July 1975 (49 +/- 2 h) than after treatment during June 1976 (85 +/- 8 h). Estrus began at 64 +/- 5, 73 +/- 7, and 76 +/- 7 after the second injection during August 1975, October 1976, and December 1975. Heifers treated during the morning in October were detected in estrus sooner (57 +/- 3 versus 95 +/- 13 h) than those treated during the evening. An interaction of season by time may affect interval from prostaglandin F2alpha treatment to onset of estrus.


Energy expended in alternate foodservice systems for chicken menu items.

Preliminary data from the application of an energy accounting model were given for various chicken entrees served in four types of foodservice systems. Comparisons among the data indicated large variations in BTUs expended per weight of chicken menu item processed for service. Based on the preliminary data analysis, several implications were made as to how the application of this energy-accounting model can be used to identify areas in which energy can be used more effectively. Recommendations were made for applying this model on a wide scale, so that statistical comparisons can be made among alternate foodservice systems.


Digital contracture deformity after implantation of a silicone prosthesis: light and electron microscopic study.

Following the implantation of a silicone tendon prosthesis for reconstruction of a deep flexor tendon, an extensive, dense, contractile fibrosis developed rapidly. The resulting flexion deformity ultimately necessitated an amputation. The amputated specimen was examined by light and electron microscopy. A great many myofibroblasts were seen in the new tendon sheath, which, because of their contractile properties, probably caused the deformity.


Intrauterine development of the microfilariae of Dipetalonema viteae.

The egg shell of Dipetalonema viteae separated from the oolemma and became highly convoluted at an early stage of development. No second oolemma or trilaminate membrane was seen. Channels containing electron dense material (thought to be nutrient material from the uterine wall) were formed between adjacent embryos. Many developing embryos died. Microvilli were formed by the uterine wall and developing embryos were closely apposed to these (again presumably to obtain nutrient). Embryos emerged from the egg in the uterus and were born as unsheathed microfilariae.


Partial synchrony of the oestrous cycles of rats introduced to a new environment.

Partial synchronization of oestrous cycles was observed in Sprague-Dawley rats with both 4 and 5 day cycles. In groups of rats exhibiting a synchrony of cycles, the number of animals that came into oestrus 4 or 5 days (approximately one cycle) after they were placed in a new environment was significantly greater than the number expected to be in oestrus if cycling was random. An environmental influence was considered to be responsible for the synchrony of the oestrous cycles but a specific stimulus for their synchronization was not identified. Initiation of vaginal smearing was considered to be a factor contributing to cycle synchrony. The introduction of rats to light-darkness cycles and their removal from the presence of other female rats were stimuli tested for their effectiveness in initiating new cycles, and causing the cycles to be synchronized as a consequence, but, when tested, neither of these environmental changes was found to initiate the observed synchrony of cycles.


Plasma oestradiol and delayed ovulation after administration of sodium pentobarbitone to pro-oestrous 5 day cyclic rats.

Injection of sodium pentobarbitone (Nembutal) into rats between 12.00 and 13.00 h on the day of pro-oestrus was fully effective in blocking the expected ovulation. In 75% of the rats, ovulation of the present generation of large follicles occurred 24 h later (delayed ovulation). Injection of Nembutal between 12.00 and 13.00 h on the day of pro-oestrus and at the same time on the subsequent day was fully effective in blocking the ovulation twice: in only two rats out of 13 did ovulation of the present generation of follicles still occur. When unilateral ovariectomy was performed immediately after injection of a single dose of Nembutal into pro-oestrous rats, delayed ovulation was significantly inhibited. However, after inhibition of ovulation by either two injections of Nembutal or one injection and unilateral ovariectomy, delayed ovulation could be induced by treatment with a small dose of oestradiol benzoate during the Nembutal-induced anaesthesia. It thus seemed that delayed ovulation failed because of disruption of oestrogen production after administration of Nembutal. The concentration of oestradiol-17beta in the plasma of Nembutal-treated pro-oestrous rats decreased rapidly during the 24 h after treatment. It is concluded that this decrease in the concentration of oestradiol is due to the inherent ageing of preovulatory follicles manifesting itself when exposure to the ovulatory surge of LH is inhibited.


Acute and chronic effects of cocaine on extinction-induced aggression.

Pigeons worked individually in a chamber containing a response key and a mirror. Pecking on the key was controlled by a multiple schedule in which a brief period of continuous food reinforcement alternated with a 5-minute period of extinction. Under baseline conditions, aggressive behavior (responding on the mirror) occurred at the onset of each extinction period. In Experiment I (acute drug administration), the aggressive behavior was decreased by doses of cocaine that had little or no effect on key pecking. Such food-reinforced responding was disrupted, however, by higher doses of cocaine. An attempt to mimic the disruptive drugs effects by a prefeeding manipulation was unsuccessful. In Experiment II (chronic drug administration), some tolerance developed to the disruptive effects of cocaine on the food-reinforced responding, except at the highest dose tested. There was no clear-cut indication of tolerance to the initial effect of cocaine on the aggressive behavior at any dose.


Selectivity of cations and nonelectrolytes for acetylcholine-activated channels in cultured muscle cells.

The selectivity of acetylcholine (A-Ch)-activated channels for alkali cations, organic cations, and nonelectrolytes in cultured muscle cells has been studied. To test the effect of size, charge, and hydrogen-binding capacity of permeant molecules on their permeability, we have obtained the selectivity sequences of alkali cations, compared the permeability of pairs of permeant molecules with similar size and shape but differing in charge, and studied the permeability of amines of different hydrogen bonding capacity. ACh-activated channels transport alkali cations of small hydration radii and high mobility. The molecules with positive charge and (or) a hydrogen-bond donating moiety are more permeable than the ones without. On the other hand, several nonelectrolytes, i.e., ethylene glycol, formamide, and urea, do have a small, but measurable, permeability through the channels. These results are consistent with a model that ACh-activated channel is a water-filled pore containing dipoles or hydrogen bond accepting groups and a negative charged site with a pK of 4.8.


Infection of cultivated mouse peritoneal macrophages with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus.

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus strain WE multiplied in cultivated peritoneal macrophages from unstimulated NMRI mice. As revealed by immunofluorescence technique, most cells participated in the infectious process. They were not, however, functionally altered. Morphologically, infected cells contained more cytoplasmic vacuoles, but these were also present, though less numerous, in uninfected ageing cells and in cells having phagocytosed Latex beads. As compared with the WE strain virus, the E-350 (Armstrong) strain multiplied more slowly to lower titres, but the proportion of infected cells was similar.


The cryoprobe retractor in the microsurgical dissection of tumors. Technical note.

A technique is outlined for retraction of tumors under the operating microscope using the microcyoprobe. The method depends on temperatures settings in the--20 degrees to--30 degrees C range to produce a small ice bond uniting tumor and cryoprobe. No attempt is made to create a solid frozen tumor. The locally avascular field and retraction provided ideal circumstances for microdissection. Examples of this approach are outlined with case summaries for spinal cord ependymoma and hemangioblastoma.


Retinol-binding proteins in human testis cytosol.

In the cytosol fraction of human testes a specific binding protein for retinol has been isolated by sephadex column chromatography and by gradient centrifugation. The protein has a sedimentation coefficient of 2S, and its molecular weight is estimated by gel filtration to be approximately 16,000 daltons. Competitive binding studies with labeled retinol and 200-fold molar excess of unlabeled retinal, retinoic acid, retinyl palmitate and retinyl acetate indicate that the isolated protein is specific for retinol. Retinyl esters bind to the protein as effectively as retinol; however retinal binds to a lesser degree than retinol esters. In addition, a lower molecular weight protein of approximately 4,500 daltons was found in the cytosol that has comparatively lower affinity for retinol binding than the 16,000-dalton protein.


Relation between sugar metabolism and riboflavin formation in non-growing cells of Eremothecium ashbyii.

The present experiments were carried out to investigate the relation between sugar metabolism and riboflavin formation in non-growing cells of eremothecium ashbyii incubated with various sugars (related compounds) and purines. Glycerol, gluconate and glucono-delta-lactone markedly stimulated riboflavin formation with increasing concentrations up to 0.5% or with increasing incubation times, but above the concentration range the effects of these substances on flavinogenesis were different. Ribose, xylose and ribitol brought about a weak stimulation of riboflavin formation in a concentration range of 0-0.2%. Glucose and fructose enchanced flavinogenesis in a concentration range of 0-0.5% but were inhibitory above the range. Glucosamine strongly restricted riboflavin formation in lower concentrations and the inhibition effect occurred immediately after its addition. The inhibition of riboflavin formation due to glucosamine (0.15%) was almost completely recovered by glucose (1.0%) but not by glycerol. Caffeine (5mM) reduced the yields of riboflavin to a fairly greater extent. The decrease was reversed not by xanthine, guanine and theobromine but by glycerol, ribose and glucose, especially by glycerol (0.5%). Accordingly, caffeine was considered to inhibit a pentose phosphate pathway and glucosamine to inhibit a glycolytic pathway closely related to flavinogenesis.


Pelvic ultrasonography in pediatric and adolescent endocrine disorders.

Pelvic ultrasonography was employed in the evaluation of 57 pediatric and adolescent patients with disorders of sexual development or differentiation. It provided a rapid and accurate method for: (1) detection of the presence of a uterus and its stimulation by estrogen; (2) detection of ovaries in children over the age of two years and assessment of their size and symmetry, and (3) identifying ovarian pathology such as cystic areas. Its value as an additional diagnostic modality in the approach to the infant with ambiguous genitalia, the child with precocious puberty, and the adolescent with amenorrhea, hirsuitism, or virilization was demonstrated.


An electrophoretic analysis of Schistosoma mansoni soluble egg antigen preparation.

Schistosoma mansoni soluble egg antigen (SEA) has been examined electrophoretically. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) electrophoresis of SEA reveals an extremely heterogeneous protein composition. At least 18-20 distinct bands stain with Coomassie blue and at least 6 bands stain with periodic acid Schiff (PAS). Four of the PAS-positive bands stain only faintly with Coomassie blue. The estimated molecular weight range for these proteins is between 16,000 and 200,000 daltons. An acid soluble fraction was isolated from SEA which contained 5 of the 6 glycoproteins. An immunoelectrophoretic analysis of SEA reveals at least 5 distinct precipitin arcs when developed with serum from mice infected with S. mansoni for 16 weeks.


Anatomy of the genital ganglion of the male acanthocephalan, Moniliformis moniliformis.

Male Moniliformis moniliformis possess paired genital ganglia each measuring approximately 280 micron long by 80 micron wide by 25 micron thick. They are located on either side of Saefftigen's pouch on the ventral surface of the ejaculatory duct where it joins the bursal cap. The cellular organization consists of externally located soma and a poorly developed internal neuropile. Most of the 19 cells in each ganglion exit via axons from the anterior and posterior extremities. A single dorsal commissure connects the 2 ganglia. No ventral commissure was observed. Many cells contained large nuclei with perinuclear rings but no cell had 2 nuclei.


Immunogenicity of a single sporocyst of Eimeria maxima.

Eight out of a total 40 chickens infected with single sporocysts of Eimeria maxima produced infective oocysts. These 8 chickens, when challenged with 4 X 10(5) oocysts per bird at 28 days postinfection, showed at least twice the percent average weight gain of the previously unexposed chickens, indicating that partial immunity was probably conferred by these infections. Also, these successful single sporocyst infections suggest that like E. tenella, sporozolles of E. maxima are probably sexually undifferentiated.


Structure-activity relationships among in vivo active germacranolides.

Nine structurally related germacranolides from Eupatorium semiserratum and Eriophyllum confertiflorum were assayed in two standard tumor systems (PS and KB) to determine the structural features required for in vivo antileukemic activity. The moieties necessary for in vivo activity were found to be an alpha,beta-unsaturated ester side chain adjacent to the gamma-lactone and either a primary or secondary allylic alcohol or both.


Development and maintenance of morphine tolerance and dependence in the rat by scheduled access to morphine drinking solutions.

Rats were housed on a cabinet designed to control their access to water or morphine solutions. They were trained to drink all of their fluid as morphine solutions or tap water during 5-minute access periods scheduled at 2 A.M., 8 A.M., 2 P.M. and 8 P.M. On this schedule, the morphine drinking rats consumed an average of 29, 27, 21 and 23% of their total daily fluid during the four respective access periods. The rats that had access to the 0.05% morphine solution drank an average of 53 mg/kg/day of morphine. Separate groups of rats were tested for morphine tolerance and dependence at 4-day intervals. Tolerance to the analgesic effect of challenge doses of morphine (3, 6 and 9 mg/kg) was first detected after 10 days of morphine drinking and reached a plateau after 18 days. Withdrawal scores for rats injected with 0.3 or 3 mg/kg of naloxone reached a plateau between 14 and 18 days of morphine drinking, whereas the scores of rats given 0.03 mg/kg were still increasing after 26 days of drinking. Plasma levels of morphine ranged between 167 and 300 ng/ml in blood samples collected 1 hour after each access period on the 18th day of morphine drinking. Six hours after the 8 A.M. access period, the levels of morphine in the plasma had decreased to 50% of the levels detected at 1 hour after the access period. Ninety percent of the rats accepted the morphine solutions and drank regularly for the 26 days the solutions were offered. They remained healthy throughout this period and, except for the fact that they gained 11% less body weight over the 26 days, they were visibly indistinguishable from the water drinking control rats.


Loss of inhibition in the spinal cord during barbiturate withdrawal.

Three types of inhibition in the spinal cord were studied during barbiturate withdrawal. Cats were made physically dependent on pentobarbital using a standard technique for chronic treatment developed in this laboratory. All animals treated this way developed severe withdrawal signs including spontaneous grand mal type convulsions, upon abrupt drug withdrawal. Animals were prepared for electrophysiological studies 48 hours after the last dose of chronic pentobarbital treatment, near peak intensity of the withdrawal syndrome. Under halothane anesthesia, the neuraxis was sectioned at C1 and both common carotid arteries were ligated. The animal was then respired on room air. The lumbar spinal cord was exposed by laminectomy, a hindleg was dissected to allow stimulation of peripheral nerves and action potentials were recorded from ventral roots L7 and S1 that had been cut near their exits through the dura mater. Recurrent (Renshaw cell-mediated) inhibition was almost totally absent during barbiturate withdrawal. Presynaptic inhibition was also decreased. Postsynaptic inhibition was little affected by barbiturate dependence. These findings indicate that loss of function in inhibitory pathways plays a role in barbiturate dependence and withdrawal.


[Molecular ageing in bovine plasma albumin I. Exposure of disulfide bonds in the N-B transition (author's transl)].

An accessibility of the disulfide bonds of defatted SH-blocked bovine plasma albumin (BPA) to reduction by dithiothreitol was studied at 4 degree C. Upon reduction SH-blocked BPA acquired one SH per mole in the pH range from 4.0 to 6.0. Above pH 6.5 (the pH range of the N-B transition) an increasing number of the disulfide bonds became susceptible to reduction by dithiothreitol. Chemicals, such as KC1, fatty acid, sodium dodecylsulfate which suppress the structural fluctuation of BPA in the alkaline region decreased the accessibility of the disulfide bonds to reduction. The conversion of buried disulfide bonds into exposed ones is interpreted as being due to conformational changes in the N-B transition (pH 7.0 approximately 9.0).


Acanthamoeba royreba sp. n. from a human tumor cell culture.

A new species of Acanthamoeba was isolated from a culture of an established line of human choriocarcinoma cells. The identification of this strain, originally called the Oak Ridge strain, and the establishment of a new species for it were based on morphologic, serologic, and immunochemical studies. In general, the structure of the trophozoite did not differ significantly from that of other species of Acanthamoeba, except that a body which more closely resembled a centriole than material described previously as centriolar satellites was observed in trophozoites examined with the electron microscope. The dimensions of the trophozoite were the smallest among the species of Acanthamoeba. The cyst was typical of the genus, but differed from those of other species by its smaller size and the presence of numerous ostioles. Studies of the Oak Ridge strain by immunofluorescence using antisera developed against the isolate and Acanthamoeba culbertsoni, A. castellanii, A. polyphaga, A. rhysodes, A. astronyxis, and A. palestinensis revealed the antigenic uniqueness of the Oak Ridge strain. It was demonstrated by immunoelectrophoretic analyses of the soluble proteins of the Oak Ridge strain that shared approximately 1/2 of its antigenic structure with A. castellanii and A. culbertsoni. The antigenic differences of the isolate from other species of Acanthamoeba were deduced from comparison of the antigenic constitution of these species and the Oak Ridge strain with A. culbertsoni and A. castellanii. Although the strain was initially recognized by its cytopathogenicity for cultures, it did not produce acute infections in mice after intranasal inoculation of 1 X 10(4) ameba/mouse. The foregoing results constituted the basis for the establishment of the Oak Ridge strain as a new species, A. royreba sp. n., in the genus Acanthamoeba.


Fine structure of the cell surface and Golgi apparatus of Ochromonas.

Ochromonas danica has an unusually flexible cell surface capable of producing projections of varying sizes and shapes: large projections, 340-360 nm long, and small projections, 50-110 nm long. These projections have been demonstrated by transmission and scanning electron microscopy; some of them may break off into the medium and be the source of extracellular membranes and vesicles reported in the cell-free O. danica growth medium. Ruthernium red stained the acid mucopolysaccharide layer just outside the cell surface as well as small blebs at the cell surface. The Golgi complex of O. danica, Ochromonas malhamensis, Ochromonas sociabilis and Ochromonas sp. produced small coated vesicles which may move toward and fuse with the plasma membrane. The role of the several vesicles is unknown but possible functions are discussed.


Successful demonstration of an elusive cell coat in amebae.

Cell coats were cytochemically demonstrated for the first time in myxamebae of Fulig- septica, Didymium  iridis, Dictyostelium discoideum, Cavostelium apophysatum, and amebae of Naegleria grubei. The stain enhances the cell coats of Physarum polycephalum plasmodia, Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa myxamebae, and Acanthamoeba sp. Cell coats usually unstained by cationic dyes stain intensely with the aid of the new cytochemical protocol utilizing 0.5% Alcian blue in the primary fixative and 0.05% ruthenium red in the secondary fixative.


Ultrastructure of the genus Schizoplasmodiopsis (Protostelia).

Two basic types of spore wall structures were observed in ultrastructural examination of Schizoplasmodiopsis micropunctata, Schizoplasmodiopsis pseudonendospora, Schizoplasmodipsis reticulata, and Schizoplasmodipsis vulgare. The spores of S. micropunctata, S. pseudoendospora, and S. vulgare had walls bearing electron-dense protrusions, while those of S. reticulata had walls with irregular thickenings. Prominent cytoplasmic features included 2 types of vesicles and electron-dense bodies studded with ribosomes. The ameboid phase of all species lacked the electron-dense bodies and, unlike the dormant phases, did not have mitochondrial surfaces covered with ribosomes.


Selenium-sulfur analogues. 1. Synthesis and biochemical evaluation of selenotetramisole.

(+/-)-2,3,5,6-Tetrahydro-6-phenylimidazo[2,1-b]selenazole (1-selenotetramisole) was prepared from 2-aminoselenazoline in a three-step synthetic sequence. Resolution with d-10-camphorsulfonic acid yielded the optical isomers which were compared with (+)- and (-)-tetramisole as inhibitors of alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes. At 8.7 X 10(-5) M the (-) isomer of both tetramisole and 1-selenotetramisole produced significant inhibition of bovine liver and placental isoenzymes but not of calf intestinal or human placental isoenzymes. The (+) isomers demonstrated no inhibition at these concentrations. The similarity in inhibitory activity of the (-) isomers indicates the virtual interchangeability of selenium for sulfur in the thiazolidine ring of the parent drug and the likelihood that 75Se-radiolabeled selenotetramisole can provide an in vivo tracer to tetramisole biodistribution.


Urethral infection of chimpanzees by Ureaplasma urealyticum.

Two strains of Ureaplasma urealyticum serotype V that had produced urethritis in human volunteers were, after a number of subcultures in artificial media, introduced intra-urethrally into three chimpanzees. One strain given to two chimpanzees rapidly multiplied 1000-fold whereas there was less evidence that organisms of another strain multiplied in a third animal. Over a 14-day period the ureaplasmas persisted in all animals, did not spread to the throat and did not produce an inflammatory response. After this time they were eliminated by tetracycline therapy.


Armillifer armillatus in Bendel State (Midwest) Nigeria (a village study in Ayogwiri Village, near Auchi, 120 kilometres from Benin City) phase I.

Armillifer armillatus (Porocephalosis or tongue worm Disease) in Ayogwiri Village (near Auchi) 120 kilometres from Benin City in Bendel State (Midwest) Nigeria, first detected by us in 1975, was studied. It was first detected incidentally by X-ray which is usual. Confirmation of the diagnosis was made by the radiologist at Benin City Hospital. The focus of this infection was studied by "contact tracing" of the household of the subject. Initially the diagnosis was Miliary Tuberculosis and subsequently multiple calcified nymphs of Armillifer armillatus. Phase one of this study consisted of X-ray of the chest, abdomen and thighs, as well as a history and examination of all ten members of the household. Forty per cent had evidence of calcified nymphs, a finding hitherto regarded as incidental by radiologists. Unlike Paragonomiasis in Eastern Nigeria, the above disease is endemic, largely symptomless, and occurs in snake eating rather than in crab eating communities. There was no increase in snake consumption. Porocephalosis in this part of Nigeria is being reported for the first time. No case of Paragonomiasis has yet been found by us in this area despite a constant search for it since 1972 by sputum examination of all cases of haemoptysis as well as Radiologically in a hospital with a large Pulmonary TB Department where both diseases may occur.


Genitourinary malignancy and pseudohyperparathyroidism.

Genitourinary tumors account for half of all documented cases of pseudohyperparathyroidism. The treatment of hypercalcemia is directed toward immediate correction of the electrolyte imbalance and long-term control. These goals are accomplished with volume repletion, calcium normalization and removal of the tumor. Effective therapy includes saline infusion and furosemide. Additional control is obtained with phosphates and/or indomethachin. In refractory cases actinomycin-D or mithramycin is helpful. The first reported case of urethral cancer and second reported case of testicular seminoma producing this syndrome are added to the literature.


Complications of permanent bladder catheter drainage in spinal cord injury patients.

We reviewed the effect of permanent bladder catheter drainage on the course of 59 long-term spinal cord injury patients. Current renal function, findings on excretory urography and major renal, bladder, genital and urethral complications were tabulated. Although all long-term spinal cord injury patients had severe renal function, depression and abnormal excretory urograms patients with indwelling bladder catheters had a significantly higher complication rate than those managed without an indwelling catheter.


Computed tomography of the genitourinary tract.

Eighteen months of experience with computed body tomography have revealed that this radiologic modality is useful in the diagnostic evaluation and management of urologic patients. Renal masses, perirenal lesions, poorly functioning kidneys, pelvic tumors and associated retroperitoneal nodal spread and other diagnostic problems related to the urinary tract have been imaged successfully with computed body tomography. Accuracy is high in the differentiation of benign renal cysts from renal neoplasms. Tumor staging and computed body tomography is being explored currently.


Urodynamic evaluation of female stress urinary incontenence.

To understand further the urodynamics of female stress urinary incontinence 6 patients with this condition were studied before and after anterior vesicopexy. The evaluation included uroflowmetry, cystometry, urethral pressure profilometry, anatomical urethral length measurement with the subject in the supine and standing positions, demonstration fo stress incontinence and cystourethroscopy. These procedures, except cystometry and cystourethroscopy, were repeated 7 days and 4 to 6 weeks postoperatively in most patients. All patients had short preoperative functional urethral lengths and standing anatomical lengths and all were lengthened after the anterior vesicopexy. The urinary flow rate demonstrated decreased peak and average flow rates 1 week postoperatively but complete recovery 4 to 6 weeks later. We believe that this study reaffirms the importance of urethral length in the pathophysiology of female stress urinary incontinence and, by demonstrating decreased flow rates in the immediate postoperative period, draws attention to the need for careful observation of voiding after catheter removal to avoid bladder decompensation. The marked improvement observed in the 4 to 6-week postoperative period reveals that anterior vesicopexy does not obstruct the urethra since no tissue posterior to the urethra is used. These urodynamic studies have proved to be valuable adjuncts in the evaluation of female stress incontinence.


The drug laws. Are they effective and safe?

The laws controlling narcotic and other psychoactive drugs are viewed as one of three major forms of treatment designed to deal with the drug problem: laws, prevention, and rehabilitation. All three modalities should be evaluated for effectiveness and safety in the same way we would evaluate surgical or pharmacologic treatment. As a treatment, the drug laws appear to be only marginally effective. Their side effects are so dangerous that the treatment is often more devastating than the disease. A judgment based strictly on the effectiveness and safety of the drug laws would require their immediate repeal or overhaul. The government should be pressed to undertake further evalution and action. If society decides on retention of these laws, it should do so only if it believes other benefits override the laws' failure as treatment.


Cutaneous sporotrichosis in forestry workers. Epidemic due to contaminated Sphagnum moss.

In December 1975 and January and February 1976, an epidemic of cutaneous sporotrichosis occurred in Mississippi among forestry workers and other persons exposed to sphagnum moss used in packing pine seedlings. Seventeen cases were identified, 15 of which were from patients who had been exposed to sphagnum moss from a single source. Attack rates were significantly higher among workers exposed to this moss than among those not exposed. Sporothrix schenckii was cultured from the implicated batch of sphagnum moss but not from other batches. The source of contamination of the sphagnum moss that caused this epidemic and sphagnum moss associated with similar epidemics is unknown. One worker without cutaneous sporotrichosis may have had asymptomatic pulmonary sporotrichosis.


[Intestinal tuberculosis and differential diagnosis against Crohn's disease in children (author's transl)].

The case of a 9-year-old girl treated elsewhere for anemia due to iron deficit is described. The first diagnosis of Crohn's disease made by us and for which the girl received treatment had to be revised, because an intestinal tuberculosis was later accepted to be the correct diagnosis. The authors emphasize the importance of safe diagnostic distinctions between Crohn's disease and intestinal tuberculosis. Diagnostic and therapeutic procedures are discussed.


[Incomplete membrane stenoses of the duodenum (author's transl)].

A report in 2 children with incomplete membrane stenoses of the duodenum and further abnormalities in the gastrointestinal tract, the urogenital region and on the skeleton. In the first case ileus symptoms existed in early infancy following operated anal atresia. A duodenal diverticulum near the papilla was found with reflux of contrast medium in the biliary and pancreatic tracts. In the second case the clinical symptoms were limited; however, the x-ray findings of an intraduodenal pseudodiverticulum were impressive. Both patients were operated successfully by removal of the incomplete duodenal membrane. Both cases clearly showed the great variability in clinical symptoms with etiologically similar disease patterns and typical x-ray signs.


[Tubular colon duplication (author's transl)].

Report on two patients with tubular colon duplication and severe further abnormalities in the urogenital system in particular in the sense of double abnormalities. In addition omphalocele was present in the first child, and vertebra-rib abnormalities in the second child; hence the children were to be classified as according to Kottra and Dodds. No disturbances in early pregnancy could be established in either case. Surgery was performed. The second case and its surgical treatment is concurrently reported as a presentation in "Zeitschrift für Kinderchirurgie" by Priv.-Doz. Dr. med. v.d.Oelsnitz.


[Technique of the introduction of duodenal sounds in children (author's transl)].

Duodenal Sounds, provided they are sufficiently rigid, can be introduced actively with simultaneous x-ray control. Good sedation promotes rapid passage; further important aids are: appropriate positioning of the patient, instillation of air, and palpation. In recent years, intravenous administration of diazepam and metoclopramid has proved successful as premedication. The described procedure reduces the strain on the children and the amount of time required by the medical staff.


[Studies on the influence of various mathematical formulations on the determination of the proportion of fat in relation to bodyweight by means of skin fold measurements (author's transl)].

The paper reports on investigations on the influence of various mathematical formulations on the determination of the proportion of fat in relation to body-weight by means of skin fold measurements. For this purpose, the various equations derived from Archimedes' law, as well as the densities of various body fractions as determined by different authors, are discussed. This is followed by a discussion of the deliberations on the methods to be employed for estimating the density of the body by means of skin fold measurements. The various formulations differ from each other mainly by the location and number of measuring points. It was shown by means of comparative studies that for children aged between 9 and 16, independent of their sex, it will be sufficient to employ two skin folds (triceps and scapula). The existence of a very close correlation between the measured data of these points of measurement was found when using different calipers and the relevant conversion factors. In this manner it becomes possible to use a nomogram which has already been determined by Parízková and which was converted into a matrix for easier calculation. The determination of the relative proportion of fat'via skin fold measurements cannot replace the determination of individual body density by weighing under water. However, in mass examinations it is very well suited for differentiating between various groups of children (e.g. overweight, underweight, trained, and untrained) in respect of their relative proportion of fat.


[Silence in children with oncologic diseases (author's transl)].

Silence is one of the dominant features in the behavior of fatally ill children and of the adults who care for these children. Silence signals the effectiveness of taboos that are still present in society, hospital personnel as well as in parents and children.


[Pulmonary sequestration (author's transl)].

Pulmonary sequestration is a relatively rare condition in which a part of lung tissue has no or only a secondary connection with the tracheobronchial tree. Blood supply comes from the aorta in anomalous branches. Sequestrations may be intra- or extralobar. Gerle et al. include both types in the general term congenital bronchopulmonary foregut malformation. Two surgically confirmed observations of bilateral intralobar pulmonary sequestrations are reported. The clinical features are recurrent respiratory infections with cough, fever and purulent sputum. X-rays only show nonspecific alterations. Chronic changes in the lower lobes should draw attention to pulmonary sequestration. Thoracic aortography is the procedure of choice in establishing the diagnosis and should always be carried out preoperatively. Segmental resection or lobectomy is the indicated treatment.


[The fetal hydantoin syndrome (author's transl)].

Two siblings have various congenital malformations due to the teratogenic effect of anticonvulsant drugs. Their mother has a 14-year history of continuous anticonvulsant medication. The malformations noted in the older girl are less and in the 8 years younger sister more extensively developed as well as in the fetal hydantoin syndrome. The causes of different severity of the fetal hydantoin syndrome in two sisters are discussed.


[Endocrinological aspects of ketotic hypoglycemia and adrenal calcification (author's transl)].

Case report on a 2 6/12 years old girl with bilateral adrenal calcifications and ketotic hypoglycemia. Adrenal function tests showed a normal response of the adrenal cortex but signs of adrenal medullary insufficiency. Urinary adrenaline in samples before and after insulin did not increase significantly and plasma adrenaline was undetectable during hypoglycemia. We suggest, that the absence of adrenaline, caused by perinatal adrenal hemorrhagia, is one of the possible pathogenetic keys of ketotic hypoglycemia and examinations on this disease should always include the search for adrenal calcifications.


[Phenumopericardium and pneumomediastinum depend upon bronchial foreign body (author's transl)].

A case with pneumopericardium and pneumomediastinum produced by a bronchial foreign body (pieces of a nut) is reported. The pathomechanism is discussed: In state of check valve the bronchial foreign body produces an interstitial emphysema by rupture of the alveolar membranes in the overinflated lung. The interstitial air travels along the sheaths of the pulmonary blood vessels to the root of the lung, to mediastinum, and to pericardium. In state of stop valve, depending on the inflammatory swelling of the mucosa, the affected lung becomes atelectatic. After removing the foreign body air passage will be free. Other therapeutic measures are not necessary.


[The importance of linear fractures of the skull in infancy (author's transl)].

The importance of 33 infants with linear fractures of the skull caused by minor head injuries were studied. 32 of them were conscious and without neurological deficit. In 9 infants we noted transient focal pathological EEG changes. In 23 infants focal EEG findings due to functional disorders of the brain could not be demonstrated. But the considerable clinical importance of the linear fractures of the skull consists of the intracranial complications provoked by the anatomical specificities. This is demonstrated by an 8 months old infant, who developed an epidural hematoma after a minor head injury.


Accessory splenectomy in management of recurrent idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.

Residual splenic tissue can occasionally be responsible for recurrent idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura after splenectomy. Although this is an uncommon phenomenon, we have identified six such patients at the Mayo Clinic in the last 40 years, and a review of the literature revealed nine others. Only 4 of the 15 patients with sufficient follow-up were significantly improved after splenectomy, 1 requiring less medication to control his thrombocytopenia. The presence of residual splenic material is suggested by the absence of Howell-Jolly bodies in the peripheral smear and confirmed by technetium-99m scanning. Accessory splenectomy should be considered as an adjunct to the control of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura in previously splenectomized patients but with the realization that remission or improvement in the clinical course may occur in only about one-half of such patients.


Behavior alterations in tree shrews (Tupaia glis, Diard 1820) induced by Borna disease virus.

Intracerebral injection of Borna disease virus in tree shrews led to a persistent infection that sometimes resulted in clinical symptoms and/or specific alterations in the animals' behavior. Whereas infective virus in the brain and in the serum antibodies were always present after infection, only some of the animals showed signs of clinical disease and behavior changes. Animals kept in pairs showed especially obvious behavior alterations expressed as an exaggeration of all the components of normal social behavior. The division of the roles between males and females was seriously disturbed. The breeding behavior of females was especially impaired, although no stress factors were given and the animals were obviously in good physical condition. Some females that were maintained solitarily showed considerably exaggerated spontaneous locomotor activities (hyperactivity) 4 weeks after infection, followed by a phase of clinical neurologic symptoms (decline phase), spatial and temporal disorientation, and alterations in comfort behavior. Following a slow recovery the animals remained unusually docile and were much less timid than before infection. A recurrence of the clinical illness is possible, as shown by the occurrence of a second decline phase. All the behavior alterations can be interpreted as a disturbance in the balance of approach and avoidance. In paired animals this imbalance results in interference with normal sociosexual behavior. These alterations indicate that BD preferentially involves the limbic system, an interpretation supported by the results of neuropathologic investigations.


Role of adenine in pathogenesis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections of tracheal epithelium.

Adenine sulfate and several related compounds were evaluated for their ability to retard the cytotoxic effect which normally accompanies M. pneumoniae infections of hamster tracheal explants. Adenine sulfate, at the 0.01 mM level, was found to exert a significant protective effect. Little or no ciliostasis or loss of cell viability was detectable when organ cultures were infected with 10(7) CFU of virulent M. pneumoniae in the presence of the adenine supplement. Mycoplasmas grew in broth and on plastic surfaces in the presence of adenine, and no significant diminution of growth rate or cell yield was detectable. Organisms adhered to the tracheal epithelial surface regardless of the presence or absence of adenine. When explants were incubated in the presence of 14C-(8)-adenine, rinsed, and then infected with M. pneumoniae, the adenine label could be recovered from the mycoplasmas 20 h after the infection. These data are compatible with the known nucleic acid requirement of mycoplasmas and with a model which ascribes a role for purine/pyrimidine competition and/or depletion in the infective process.


[Effect of elevated temperature on the morphology of a chemostat culture of Candida utilis yeasts and on their content of nucleic acids].

The effect of elevated temperature (40 degrees C) on a chemostat culture of Candida utilis was studied at different rates of dilution, D = 0.1 and 0.3 hr-1. The cells in the fermenter being in the stationary state at the optimum temperature of 30 degrees C were gradually washed-out 5 hours after the action of this temperature, and the population consisted of non-divided cells. In the majority of such "double" cells, the nucleus was contained in both the parent and the daughter parts. The content of RNA decreased by 31%, that of DNA, by 20%, and that of protein, by 13% (per 1 mg of biomass).


Physician responsibility for the cost of unnecessary medical services.

Most diagnostic and therapeutic services are ordered by physicians, but physicians practicing under fee-for-service conditions have few incentives to contain the costs of medical care. Without such incentives, effective cost control through mechanisms such as Professional Standards Review Organizations have been disappointing. Several legal approaches might be used to increase physicians' responsibility for the cost of unnecessary services--expansion of tort law, implied contact, redesign of insurance mechanisms, equitable estoppel and informed consent. However, increasing physician responsibility will require uniform but flexible definitions of medical necessity, reliable means for predeterming the need for services and effective penalties or incentives. We propose a peer-review system that would incorporate the sharing of financial risk among physician, hospital, insurer and patient in the fee-for-service sector.


[RNA biosynthesis and regulation of protein biosynthesis in the liver of chicks with experimental coccidiosis].

The aim of this work was to investigate the interrelationship between RNA biosynthesis and that of protein in chick liver during experimental coccidiosis induced by E. tenella. The peculiarity of this model is that in the course of this disease protein synthesis is significantly intensified inspite of the fact that the rate of the biosynthesis is rather high under normal conditions. It has been shown that 4 to 6 days after infection incorporation of labeled amino acids into proteins from chick liver subcellular fractions is greatly increased. The most pronounced changes are in ribosomal and mitochondrial fractions as well as in the postribosomal supernatant. At the same time the specific radioactivity of serum albumin excreted by liver was increased by factor 3. These changes in protein biosynthesis are associated with a significant increase of both the content and intensity of biosynthesis of high molecular weight precursors of rRNA as well as with those of mature 18S rRNA. The amount of 28S rRNA and mRNA per cell is practically without any changes whereas the mRNA turnover is somewhat more extensive. The selective accumulation of 18S rRNA is suggested to be responsible for the intensification of protein biosynthesis.


[Use of echography as a diagnostic aid in pediatric abdominal pathology].

Echotomography was used in the diagnosis of abdominal disease in children. The results obtained were compared with those given by conventional methods. The soundness of echotomography in the location and indication of the size and structure of lesions was demonstrated in a series of 20 cases.


[Glutamic acid gamma-ethyl ester in high doses in the treatment of high blood ammonia levels in severe hepatic failure].

The AA. administered i.v. large doses of gamma-ethylester of glutamic acid to 22 patients affected with severe liver failure associated to mental and neuromuscolar abnormalities as tremors, confusion, restlesness which have been duly recorded for the purpose of this evaluation. The average daily dose was 36.3 gm and the treatment lasted as an average 9.5 days. The peripheral venous blood ammonia was checked, at the beginning and at the end of the treatment, in all the patients and in some, at random, the following parameters were determined: pH, pCO2, pO2, HCO3, TCO2, oxygen saturation on arterial blood. The treatment caused a statistically remarkable decrease of blood ammonia in 21 of 22 patients. The mental and neuromuscolar abnormalities too showed a statistically important downward trend vs. the basal values. The acid-base balance did not record any remarkable variation. The AA. judge as absolutely positive the trial carried out with gamma-ethylester of glutamic acid. The large doses used caused clear-cut and dramatic improvements and were estremely well tolerated.