Enzyme histochemical investigation of glycol methacrylate embedded chick embryonic tissue.

The advantages of the water-soluble glycol methacrylate (GMA) embedding procedure make it highly applicable for use with fragile early embryonic material. Not only can one obtain tissue sections containing excellent histological detail, but numerous enzymes are retained for subsequent histochemical localization. For the purpose of establishing a methodology whereby concomitant histology and histochemistry could be obtainable, various fixatives and fixation times have been evaluated on GMA embedded chick embryonic mesonephros and gonad. It was found that fixing the tissues for 1 h in a solution of 95% ethanol, 5% acetic acid and 10% neutral-buffered formalin resulted in the retention of not only excellent histology but also alkaline and acid phosphatase. Thus, with this procedure, more specific investigations of early embryonic tissue can be performed.


Effect of sex and reproductive status on sucrose preference, food intake, and body weight of dogs.

In a study of preferences for diets containing 1% to 20% sucrose over a bland diet, both female and male dogs preferred the diets containing sucrose over a bland diet, but female dogs had a significantly (P less than 0.05) greater preference for 1% sucrose than did males. Differences between sexes were not observed at the higher concentrations. Mean daily caloric intake was calculated for 12 bitches fed ad libitum during metestrus, estrus, and anestrus, as determined from metachrome-stained vaginal smears. Mean daily caloric intake was lowest during estrus (149 +/- 17 kcal/kg of body weight), was higher during metestrus (159 +/- 8 kcal/kg of body weight), and was highest (175 +/- 9 kcal/kg of body weight) during anestrus. Ovariohysterectomized bitches gained significantly (P less than 0.01) more weight (1.3 +/- 0.3 kg) in the first 10 days after surgery than did sham operated controls (0.3 +/- 0.1 kg). Food intake also was significantly greater ( less than 0.01) in the ovariohysterectomized bitches (1,708 kcal/day) than in the sham operated controls (1,423 kcal/day). Depth of subcutaneous fat in shoulder, rib, and rump areas of ovariohysterectomized bitches was not significantly different from that of intact bitches.


Studies on flotation techniques for the recovery of helminth eggs from soil and the prevalence of eggs of Toxocara spp in some Kansas public places.

A technique for extracting Toxocara spp eggs from soil had a recovery efficiency ranging from 53% to 68%. Using the technique, 50 of 232 (22%) soil samples from city and university properties were found to be contaminated with eggs of Toxocara spp. Of 50 samples from highway rest areas, 8 (16%) were contaminated. From a public health standpoint, it was particularly noteworthy that 9 of 23 (39%) samples from sandboxes in student family quarters were contaminated with Toxocara spp eggs.


Antibiotics from basidiomycetes. VII. Crinipellin, a new antibiotic from the basidiomycetous fungus Crinipellis stipitaria (Fr.) Pat.

A crystalline antibiotic, which we have named crinipellin, was isolated from submerged cultures of the basidiomycete Crinipellis stipitaria, strain No. 7612. High resolution mass spectrometry yielded the formula C22H28O5. The antibiotic is most active against Gram-positive bacteria, although yeasts and filamentous fungi are affected to a lesser extent. Crinipellin exhibits high in vitro inhibitory activity against the ascitic form of EHRLICH carcinoma. The incorporation of precursors of DNA-, RNA-, and protein syntheses in EHRLICH carcinoma (and in Bacillus brevis) cells was completely inhibited at 5(10) microgram/ml. In Bacillus brevis the inhibition of the incorporation of uridine was found to be due to an interference by crinipellin with the transport of the precursor into the cells.


Davidoff-Dyke-Masson syndrome presenting as childhood schizophrenia.

The problem of differential diagnosis of childhood schizophrenia versus gross brain pathology is a difficult one. The clinical picture, for instance, of dementia infantalis (Heller's Disease) is indistinguishable from that of schizophrenia (Shaw & Lucas, 1970). The same is true of some major metabolic disorders (Bray,1970). Coexisting neurological and EEG findings for seizures are not helpful since these are often seen in schizophrenia (Bender, 1947; Fish, 1977). Mental retardation may coexist with schizophrenia or any of the other disorders. The following is an unusual case illustration of a child presenting symptoms of schizophrenia, seizures, and retardation without neurological abnormalities. Until his gross anatomical brain pathology was found by neurologic evaluation, he was subjected to the inappropriate treatment of psychotherapy.


Urea: obligate intermediate of pyrimidine-ring catabolism in Rhodosporidium toruloides.

Urea has been shown to be an obligate intermediate in and the penultimate product of the catabolism of pyrimidine-ring nitrogen in Rhodosporidium toruloides (Rhodotorula). One of a series of mutants selected for its inability to utilize uracil as a sole source of nitrogen was unable to utilize urea also. The mutant accumulated urea and failed to form 14CO2 during supplementation with [2-14C]uracil. Radioautograms from the resulting cell extracts and media failed to reveal expected intermediates. Cell-free extracts of the mutant were shown to lack urease activity. Revertants of the mutant were essentially wild type in all tested attributes. Elements of the reductive pathway for pyrimidine catabolism are present in Rhodosporidium (O. A. Milstein and M. L. Bekker, J. Bacteriol. 127: 1-6, 1976), but is has not been determined whether this pathway is involved with production of urea.


Evidence for a hierarchical mating system operating via pheromones in Dictyostelium giganteum.

Studies of four mating types of the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium giganteum revealed that each strain secrets its own sexual hormone to which each of the other three strains responds by forming macrocysts. Based on the ability to secrete or respond to hormone, the four strains can be arranged in a mating-type hierarchy.


Role of pipecolic acid in the biosynthesis of lysine in Rhodotorula glutinis.

The role of pipecolic acid in the biosynthesis of lysine was investigated in Rhodotorula glutinis, an aerobic red yeast. Supplementation of pipecolic acid in the minimal medium supported the growth of mutants lys2, lys3, and lys5; alpha-aminoadipic acid supported the growth of lys5; but neither alpha-aminoadipic acid nor pipecolic acid supported the growth of mutants MNNG42 and MNNG37. During the growth of the appropriate mutants, pipecolic acid was removed from the growth medium and the intracellular pool. In tracer experiments, radioactivity from [(14)C]pipecolic acid was selectively incorporated into the cellular lysine of lys5 and the wild-type strain. l-Pipecolic acid-dependent enzyme activity did not require any cofactor and was inhibited by mercuric chloride and potassium cyanide. This activity was present in the wild-type strain and all of the mutants tested and was repressed in mutant lys5 when grown in the presence of higher concentration of lysine. The reaction product of pipecolic acid was converted to saccharopine by lys5 enzyme in the presence of glutamate and reduced nicotin-amide adenine dinucleotide phosphate. Mutant MNNG37 lacked the saccharopine dehydrogenase activity, indicating that this step is involved in the conversion of alpha-aminoadipic acid and pipecolic acid to lysine. Mutants MNNG37 and MNNG42 accumulated a p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde-reacting product in the culture supernatant and in the intracellular pool. Chromatographic properties of the p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde adduct and that of the pipecolic acid-dependent reaction product were similar. The reaction product and the accumulation product were characterized on the basis of mass and absorption spectra as alpha-aminoadipic-semialdehyde, which in solution remains in equilibrium with Delta(1)-piperideine-6-carboxylic acid. Since alpha-aminoadipic-semialdehyde is a known intermediate of the alpha-aminoadipic acid pathway for the biosynthesis of lysine, it is concluded that pipecolic acid is converted to lysine in R. glutinis via alpha-aminoadipic-semialdehyde and saccharopine.


Catabolism of L-tyrosine in Trichosporon cutaneum.

Protocatechuic acid was a catabolite in the degradation of L-tyrosine by Trichosporon cutaneum. Intact cells oxidized to completion various compounds proposed as intermediates in this conversion, but they did not readily oxidize catabolites of the homogentisate and homoprotocatechuate metabolic pathways, which are known to function in other organisms. Cell extracts converted tyrosine first to 4-hydroxycinnamic acid and then to 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid. The proposed hydration product of 4-hydroxycinnamic acid, namely, beta-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-hydracrylic acid, was synthesized chemically, and its enzymatic degradation to 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde was shown to be dependent upon additions of adenosine triphosphate and coenzyme A. The hydroxylase that attacked 4-hydroxybenzoate showed a specific requirement for reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate. Protocatechuate, the product of this reaction, was oxidized by cell extracts supplemented with reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide or, less effectively, with reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, but these extracts contained no ring fission dioxygenase for protocatechuate. Evidence is presented that the principal hydroxylation product of protocatechuate was hydroxyquinol, the benzene nucleus of which was cleaved oxidatively to give maleylacetic acid.


Evidence for the presence of messenger ribonucleic acid in Allomyces macrogynus mitospores.

Sucrose density gradient analysis was used to show that polysomes were present in the mitospores of Allomyces macrogynus. Fifty percent of the spore monosomes were shown to be resistant to dissociation by 0.8 M KCl, indicating that messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) was bound to them. These polysomes and all the spore ribosomes were contained in the nuclear cap. Only 4S RNA could be demonstrated in the extra-cap fraction. Hybridization studies using 3H-labeled polydeoxythymidylic acid indicated that polyadenylate was present to the extent of 0.08% of the total spore RNA. Sixty-eight percent of the polyadenylic acid is found in the nuclear cap, and 32% is found in the extra-cap fraction. It was demonstrated that [3H]uridine was taken up by the spores and converted to uridine triphosphate. Lack of incorporation of 3H into RNA indicated that the spores do not synthesize RNA. Thus, the mRNA found in spores is synthesized prior to spore formation.


Molecular forms of chicken embryo acetylcholinesterase in vitro and in vivo. Isolation and characterization.

The four molecular forms of chick embryo leg muscle acetylcholinesterase have been isolated by velocity sedimentation; their apparent sedimentation coefficients are 19.5 S, 11.5 S, 7.1 S, and 5.4 S. All four forms are glycoproteins, exhibit the same Km for acetylcholine, and are inhibited to the same extent by specific inhibitors of acetyl- and buryrylcholinesterase. Treatment of the 19.5 S form of acetylcholinesterase with trypsin generates an array of molecular forms, several of which have sedimentation coefficients identical with the naturally occurring forms. Collagenase treatment of the 19.5 S acetylcholinesterase results in a somewhat different pattern of acetylcholinesterase forms including a novel 20.6 S form. Only the 19.5 S acetylcholinesterase is sensitive to collagenase treatment. Our results indicate that the several acetylcholinesterase forms share a common catalytic subunit, and suggest that the molecular forms of acetylcholinesterase in the chick represent different ensembles of a common monomer. In culture, the muscle cells contain only the 11.5 and 7.1 S acetylcholinesterase forms; however, they also secrete substantial amounts of enzyme into the medium. These secreted acetylcholinesterases have sedimentation coefficients of 9 S and 15 S. The relative abundance of the different acetylcholinesterase molecular forms changes during muscle development, both in vivo and in vitro, suggesting that the assembly and distribution of this family of membrane glycoproteins is developmentally regulated.


The fabrication of artifacts out of glassy carbon and carbon-fiber-reinforced carbon for biomedical applications.

Polymeric carbons are produced by the carbonization of a wide range of organic polymeric systems. We have concentrated on the fabrication of two types of polymeric carbons, glassy carbon and carbon-fiber-reinforced carbon (CFRC), both involving phenolic resin precursors. We describe herein the technology which enables us to make dental implants and heart valves out of glassy carbon. We also show how carbon-fiber-reinforced carbon can be made in the form of rods and plates for orthopedic use and molded before firing to produce complex, rigid, individually sculptured shapes suitable for maxillofacial bone replacement. The mechanical properties will be discussed in relation to the structure of these various forms of polymeric carbon. The main purpose of the work is to show that the technology of polymeric-carbon manufacture is essentially simple and the manufacturing process is readily carried out in laboratories which have already been equipped to fabricate standard dental prostheses.


Intracranial choriocarcinoma.

A case of intracranial choriocarcinoma (probably primary), a rare variety of atypical teratoma, is reported. Diagnosis and treatment were based on radiological and hormonal studies. The usefulness of computed tomography (CT) in the follow-up and treatment of patients with tumors in areas not easily accessible for surgical exploration or biopsy is again documented. The CT findings correlated well with the documented hormonal changes as well as with the patient's clinical status.


Chemosurgery for verrucous carcinoma.

The first cases of verrucous carcinoma treated by chemosurgery are herewith reported. We classify verrucous carcinoma in variants according to site as pan-oral, genito-gluteal, and plantar. Chemosurgery is advocated as the treatment of choice for verrucous carcinoma because ablation, being microscopically monitored, is most likely to be complete, and because by this means maximal conservation of tissue is assured.


Model studies on the acriflavine-Feulgen reaction.

The specificity and quantitative reliability of the Feulgen-acriflavine-SO2 procedure was tested on polyacrylamide model films containing DNA. Noncovalent binding of acriflavine to DNA was observed when the washing procedure, as used in the classical way, was applied. The noncovalently bound acriflavine could be removed with an extra wash in acid-ethanol. The presence of SO2 in the staining solution has been found to enhance covalent binding significantly. The absorbance of films stained by our Feulgen-acriflavine-SO2 procedure is directly proportional to that obtained by the classical Feulgen-pararosanilline-SO2 procedure. The acriflavine-Feulgen procedure has also been tested using a commercial and a purified dye. The use of purified acriflavine, compared to a commercial sample did not result in a significant difference in the maximum absorbance value of stained DNA nor in the absorption or the fluorescence emission spectra of acriflavin covalently bound to DNA.


Arctic trichinosis: two Alaskan outbreaks from walrus meat.

The arctic form of Trichinella spiralis that infects terrestrial and marine mammals is of importance in public health because persons living in arctic regions still depend on wild animals for economic subsistence. In 1975, an extended common-source epidemic of trichinosis attributed to consumption of walrus meat involved 29 persons in Barrow, Alaska. Of those persons eating this meat, 64% became ill, and the rate of infection of persons eating meat prepared with little or no cooking was four times as great as that of persons eating cooked meat. One year later a second outbreak occurred when a family ate partially cooked meat from an infected walrus. Clinical illness differed little from the disease acquired in temperature climates; however, only 70% had a positive bentonite flocculation titer, whereas 96% had eosinophilia. These epidemics of trichinosis are the first reported in Alaska to be associated with the consumption of walrus meat.


Effect of dietery weight loss on sex steroid binding sex steroids, and gonadotropins in obese postmenopausal women.

Measurements of SSBG, E2, T, and gonadotropins were performed in 12 obese postmenopausal women before, during, and after a supplemented fast. Weight loss (mean 18 kg) was associated with an increase in SSBG to levels above those seen in nonobese postmenopausal women, a decrease in serum E2 levels, unchanged T levels, and an increase in both gonadotropins. Thus we conclude that weight change or the circumstances associated with it lead to alterations in circulating levels of SSBG. These observations are consistent with the presence of elevated free T and possibly higher free E2 levels in obese postmenopausal women.


Induction of sexual receptivity by oestradiol benzoate in cyclic female rats: influence of ovarian secretions before injection of oestradiol benzoate.

The ability of cyclic female rats to show sexual receptivity 24 h after an injection of 2 microgram oestradiol benzoate (OB) was lost 24 h after ovariectomy. Exposure of cyclic rats to antioestrogen (nitromophene monocitrate) implants 24 h before ovariectomy and OB treatment prevented the latter from inducing sexual receptivity within 24 h of administration. Treatment of ovariectomized rats with constant release implants filled with an oil solution of 15 microgram oestradiol/ml had no behavioural effect in itself, but prepared the rats to show lordosis 24 h after administration of OB. Progesterone treatment (4 mg) induced sexual behaviour in cyclic rats on days other than that of the oestrous cycle when the rats are normally receptive. Evidence is presented that a lower level of oestradiol stimulation than that present duing pro-oestrus was needed for the induction of sexual receptivity in ovariectomized rats. It is suggested that the low basal level of oestradiol which was present throughout the oestrous cycle was necessary for the induction of sexual receptivity and that an increase in oestradial stimulation served to increase the behavioural sensitivity to progesterone.


Inhibition of estrous cyclicity in golden hamsters by melatonin administration on the day of proestrus.

Single injections of melatonin (25 micrograms) were administered to female hamsters, 15 minutes before lights-out (14L:10D), during either the early diestrous (day 1) or proestrous (day 4) phase of the estrous cycle. Hamsters which received melatonin only on the evening of proestrus became anovulatory by three weeks of treatment, while those that were injected with melatonin during diestrus, or administered oil on either day 1 or 4, continued to exhibit normal estrous cycles. These results indicate that quartan injections of melatonin can suppress reproductive function in female hamsters, and that the effectiveness of the injections may be dependent upon the stage of the estrous cycle at which they are administered.


[Morphologic and dermatoglyphic aspects of Klinefelter 47,XXY syndrome (author's transl)].

The author described 20 personal cases of Klinefelter's syndrome, from among those referred to the Institute of Medical Genetics for cytogenetic confirmation of the clinical diagnosis. In the first instance, in relation to the morphological aspects, the author carried out a historic and aetiological review of the syndrome, estimated its incidence and described the clinical and endocrinological symptomatology, also the testicular histology. She then outlined the differential diagnosis and the treatment envisaged for these cases. After giving a clinical description and details of the anthropobiometric measurements of these 20 patients, the author analysed the morphograms established on the Decourt-Doumic graphs. According to this schema, and in relation to the normal, patients suffering from Klinefelter's syndrome can be distinguished by four different constitutional types. All these four varieties can, together with testicular atrophy, evoke this chromosomal aberration. Only a karyotype and/or a sexual chromatin test could confirm the presence of a Klinefelter's syndrome. Secondly, a dermatoglyphic analysis of 9 patients available for this examination is given. After discussing the history, embryogenesis and heredity of finger prints, the author compared her results with those previously obtained in other studies. In conformity with these, she observed a decrease of TRC, of the a-b count and of the a-t-d angle. In addition, these patients present an increase in the number of accessory triradii a' and d', as well as an absence or an abortive state of triradius c, an absence of thenar configurations and an increase in those of the interdigital space II. Whilst many dermatoglyphic characters in the Klinefelter's syndrome differ but little from the normal, some of them appear, however, to be specific. Consequently, dermatoglyphic examination, especially in the case of a difficult differential diagnosis, can be a great help to the clinician and the geneticist.


The hyperkinetic syndrome following long-term haloperidol treatment: involvement of dopamine and noradrenaline.

Mice withdrawn for 7 days from a 35-day treatment period with haloperidol (3 mg/kg/day) displayed significantly greater spontaneous locomotor activity (hyperkinesia) than animals withdrawn from the vehicle. The hyperkinesia was antagonized by phenoxybenzamine (an alpha-adrenergic receptor antagonist) and by FLA-63 (a dopamine-beta-hydroxylase inhibitor) but not by haloperidol (a dopamine receptor antagonist). alpha-Methyl tyrosine (a tyrosine hydroxylase inhibitor) was effective in antagonizing the hyperkinesia and this blockade by alpha-methyl tyrosine could be completely reversed by the administration of a low dose of the catecholamine precursor, DOPA. The data suggest that noradrenergic systems are of importance for the manifestation of the hyperkinetic syndrome seen in mice withdrawn from long-term haloperidol treatment.


Localization and chemical characterization of a partially purified bovine pineal antigonadotropin.

An antigonadotropic substance was partially purified from aqueous extracts of bovine pineal glands by methods of gel filtration, ultrafiltration and ion exchange chromatography. Two biological tests, viz. inhibition of compensatory ovarian hypertrophy and reduction of ventral prostate weight, were used to guide the purification. The partially purified antigonadotropin was characterized chemically using techniques of UV and fluorescence spectrometry, thin layer and paper chromatography, paper electrophoresis and amino acid analysis. The results reveal a diversity of ninhydrin-positive components present in the preparations, including free and peptide-bound amino acids, as well as other unidentified components, but not including any of the commonly occurring indoles, indoleamines or catecholeamines. One peptide, oxidized glutathione, was identified in the most purified material containing the biologically active principle yet pure, synthetric glutathione has no antigonadotropic activity in the biological tests utilized. Although the chemical nature of the bovine pineal antigonadotropin remains in question it may be purified by the methods described. The activity is thought to reside in the extremely small, perhaps trace quantities of residues derived. It is believed that large scale, preparative studies will be required for structural determination.


Ultrastructure of the Mauthner axon collateral and its synapses in the goldfish spinal cord.

The ultrastructure of the synapses formed by the Mauthner axon collateral (MAC) was examined in the goldfish spinal cord. All such collaterals form axo-dendritic chemical synapses with dendrites of motor and interneurons. Besides these chemical synapses, contacts have been found between some MAC and axons of interneurons, which can be characterized as gap junctions with presumed electrical transmission. All cellular processes contacted by the MAC contain 'dense bands' of material in their cytoplasm. These 'dense bands' are absent from other parts of the fish C.N.S. These observations and the peculiar synaptic pattern are discussed and correlated with electrophysiological results.


Influence of dietary pyridoxine on selected immune capacities of rat dams and pups.

The influence of dietary pyridoxine on passive antibody transfer from dams to pups and on active humoral antibody formation by the pups was studied. Rats were fed diets containing 20.0, 0.6, 0.45, or 0.3 mg pyridoxine-HCl/kg during gestation and 20.0, 0.4, 0.3, or 0.2 mg/kg during lactation (diets A, B, C, and D). Diets B, C, and D contained 100, 75, and 50% of the NRC requirement for pyridoxine during gestation and lactation. After pups in groups B, C, and D developed signs of pyridoxine deficiency, all dams were fed diet A on days 9 to 21 of lactation. On day 9 vitamin B-6 levels were lower in spleens and thymuses of pups and in milk in groups B, C, and D. However, IgG in sera of dams and pups and in milk indicated that passive antibody transfer was similar for all groups. After weaning, pups in groups A, B, C, and D were fed diets containing 20.0, 0.4, 0.2, and 0 mg vitamin B-6/kg, respectively. On day 35 vitamin B-6 levels were lower in spleens and thymuses of pups fed inadequate pyridoxine (groups B, C, and D). These pups had fewer spleen cells and splenic antibody-forming cells (AFC) and lower levels of humoral antibody. The reduction in spleen cells and splenic AFC resulted in part from lower food intake but was intensified by pyridoxine deprivation.


Hepatic lipid metabolism in domestic fowl as influenced by dietary cereal.

The influence of dietary cereal on hepatic lipid metabolism was studied in adult Japanese quail and mature female chickens fed isoenergetic and isonitrogenous corn-soy and wheat-soy diets ad libitum. Hepatic lipid accumulation and rate of biosynthesis were significantly higher in birds fed the corn-soy diet. The differential response to the cereals was seen in ovipositing females but not in mature male quail. There were no significant concomitant changes in body composition, egg production, egg weight, body weight, feed, and energy intake. Results of sequential changes in hepatic lipid metabolism showed that reduction in liver fat was significant 2 to 3 weeks after feeding the wheat diet and was due to a significant reduction in rate of lipogenesis and the amount of triacylglycerols deposited. Plasma levels of free fatty acids and glucose were not significantly altered by the dietary regimes in laying hens. In Japanese quail fed the corn-soy diet, plasma glucose was elevated and there was evidence of impaired glucose tolerance. In vitro rate of oxidation of labeled palmitate was significantly higher in liver homogenates from birds fed the corn-soy diet. Addition of carnitine to the incubation mixtures resulted in an increase of equivalent magnitude for both treatments. Liver hemorrhages were observed in laying hens but not in Japanese quail. Addition of myo-inositol to the corn diet for Japanese quail failed to significantly alter hepatic lipid accumulation. These studies show that differences in liver lipid accumulation due to corn and wheat diets are related to changes in rate of lipogenesis.


Sodium and calcium fluxes in a clonal nerve cell line.

1. 22Na+ and 45Ca2+ fluxes were studied in the clonal nerve cell line PC12. Three distinct types of ion channels were found: (a) voltage-dependent  Na+ channels, (b) voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels, and (c) acetylcholine-activated channels permeable to both ions. 2. 22Na+ uptake through voltage-dependent Na+ channels is induced by veratridine and scorpion venom, and is inhibited 50% by 5 X 10(-7) M-tetrodotoxin and greater than 98% by 5 X 10(-6) M-tetrodotoxin. 3. 45Ca2+ uptake through voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels is induced by depolarizing the cells in 50 mM-KCl. This flux is not dependent on the presence of Na+ in the medium and is insensitive to 5 X 10(-6) M-tetrodotoxin. However, 1 mM-Mn2+ causes a 95% inhibition of K+-induced 45Ca2+ uptake. 4. Veratridine and scorpion venom also induce voltage-dependent 45Ca2+ uptake which can be blocked by 1mM-Mn2+. In contrast to KCl-induced 45Ca2+ uptake, this flux is completely blocked by 5 X 10(-6) M-tetrodotoxin and is abolished by removal of Na+ from the medium. Thus the depolarizing stimulus for Ca2+ uptake in this case is Na+ from the medium. Thus the depolarizing stimulus for Ca2+ uptake in this case is Na+ influx through voltage-dependent Na+ channels. 5. Carbamylcholine induces both 22Na+ and 45Ca2+ fluxes which are blocked by nicotinic cholinergic antagonists with the exception of alpha-bungarotoxin. The 22Na+ flux occurs exclusively via acetylcholine receptor channels, as evidenced by the lack of effect of 5 X 10(-6) M-tetrodotoxin. In the presence of Na+, almost all of the 45Ca2+ uptake can be blocked by 1 mM-Mn2+ and thus occurs via voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels which are activated by the depolarizing Na+ influx. 6--8% of the total 45Ca2+ flux, however, is insensitive to 1 mM-Mn2+, suggesting that this portion of the uptake occurs via the acetylcholine receptor channels. In Na+-free medium, the Mn2+-resistant 45Ca2+ component increases to 40% of the total uptake, apparently due to lack of competition from Na+ for the acetylcholine receptor channels. This receptor-linked flux still causes sufficient depolarization to induce the additional 60% of the Ca2+ flux through voltage-dependent, Mn2+ sensitive Ca2+ channels. 6. Mn2+ inhibits Ca2+ flux through voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels by competing for entry through these channels. 50 mM-KCl induces 54Mn2+ fluxes in PC12 cells that are comparable in magnitude to 45Ca2+ fluxes. 7. In normal saline 45Ca2+ efflux from PC12 cells is several times more rapid than in Na+-free medium, indicating the presence of a Ca2+-Na+ exchange mechanism.


Catecholamine secretion in a rat pheochromocytoma cell line: two pathways for calcium entry.

1. The pathways for Ca entry during stimulus-secretion coupling were studied by measuring carbamylcholine and KCl activated dopamine (DA) release from PC12, a clonal cell line originated from a rat pheochromocytoma. Various conditions were used to establish the existence of two independent pathways for Ca entry, i.e. a voltage dependent Ca channel and the acetylcholine (ACh) receptor linked channel. 2. DA release from PC12 was stimulated by activation of nicotinic ACh receptors with carbamylcholine. Release was dependent on external Ca, but not Na, and was insensitive to tetrodotoxin. 3. High concentrations of external KCl (15--56 mM) also stimulated the release of dopamine from PC12. This release required external Ca, but not Na, was insensitive to tetrodotoxin and was diminished by high concentrations of Ca. 4. Ni, Co and, to a lesser extent, Mg inhibited both the carbamylcholine and KCl stimulated release of DA in normal and Na-free media. 5. In the absence of Ca and Na, Mn supported DA release stimulated by either carbamylcholine or KCl. 6. The divalent cation ionophore A23187 stimulated DA release when Ca or Mn, but not Co, Ni or Mg, was the only divalent cation present in the medium. 7. Conclusions can be summarized as follows, (a) KCl stimulates DA release by activation of voltage dependent Ca channels. (b) Carbamylcholine probably stimulates DA release by Ca influx through both the ACh channel and voltage dependent Ca channels. (c) Mn ion is a suitable substitute for Ca ion as regards permeation of the Ca and the ACh channels and activation of the secretory process. (d) Na flux through voltage dependent Na channels is not necessary for stimulation of release by either KCl or carbamylcholine.


The effect of exogenous oxytocin on luteal function in mares.

Daily injections of 150 units oxytocin administered to 6 mares on Days 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 after ovulation (Day 0 = ovulation) failed to induced luteolysis as indicated by the maintenance of normal plasma progestagen concentrations and the occurrence of normal ovulatory intervals. Three additional mares were given oestrogen injections 24 h before an injection of oxytocin on Day 7 after ovulation, but this treatment also failed to induce luteolysis since plasma progestagen concentrations were maintained in all three mares. Two mares exhibited normal ovulatory intervals, while the third developed a corpus luteum which persisted for 46 days.


Cytoplasmic binding of oestradiol-17beta in several brain regions, pituitary and uterus of ferrets ovariectomized while in or out of oestrus.

The reproductive status at the time of ovariectomy had no effect on oestradiol binding. In both groups of ferrets the oestradiol binding capacity of the uterus was approximately 10 times greater than that of the other tissues studied; of these other tissues the highest oestradiol binding capacity was present in the pituitary, followed by hypothalamus, midbrain, amygdala and cerebral cortex. The binding affinity of hypothalamic receptors for oestradiol was the same in ferrets which had been previously ovariectomized while either in oestrus or anoestrus. It is suggested that the occurrence of seasonal oestrus does not depend on changes in the binding capacity or affinity of hypothalamic receptors for oestradiol.


The vaginal smear, mating, egg transport and preimplantation development in a wild guinea-pig, the cuis (Galea musteloides).

Observations were made on vaginal smear pattern, mating, rate of egg transport and preimplantation development in cuis. In 39 of 45 females (87%) vaginal opening occurred within 2 days of pairing, and in 44 (98%) within 5 days; 36 of the 44 females (82%) mated. By the morning of Day 2, eggs were no longer recovered from the ampulla, having all passed into the isthmus, where they remained till Day 4, p.m. Uterine entry was complete by Day 5, a.m. Uterine blastocysts were no longer recoverable on the morning of Day 6. There was no evidence of blastocyst expansion or zona shedding before implantation.


Intervals between multiple ovulations in PMSG-treated and untreated ewes and the relationship between ovulation and oestrus.

The timing of ovulations in 42 PMSG-treated ewes was determined by repeated endoscopy. The first ovulation occurred at a median time of 23 . 6 +/- 0 . 5 (s.e.m.) h after the onset of oestrus. The median interval between first and second ovulations was less than 1 h, and that between first and last ovulations was approximately 6 h. In 59 untreated ewes, probit regression analysis was applied to the number of ovulations which were found by endoscopy to have occurred by 23, 25 and 27 h after the onset of oestrus. The median time of first ovulation was 25 . 5 +/- 0 . 5 h after the onset of oestrus, this interval being similar in single- and twin-ovulating ewes. The median interval between twin ovulations was 1 . 2 +/- 0 . 6 h. Ovulation occurred after the end of oestrus in at least 75% of ewes.


Practical aspects of full-time liaison psychiatry in gynecology.

A full-time liason psychiatrist can work within a department of obstetrics and gynecology. The full-time position described here includes administrative, clinical, teaching and research aspects within a general hospital affiliated with a medical school. The liason role can be established within a department outside psychiatry where medical and psychologic treatment can be rendered to patients simultaneously and the mediating role between psychiatry and medicine is truly a viable phenomenon.


Issues of transference in sex therapy.

When Masters and Johnson introduced the new sex therapy, it was thought that transference responses and related psychodynamic factors did not have an essential role in the treatment of sexual dysfunction. However, subsequent clinical experience has shown that in a substantial number of cases transference phenomena are crucial and need to be worked with in order for the treatment to be successful. This paper reports on the types of transference reactions observed, the process by which sex therapy energizes these reactions, and the therapist's role in dealing with them. Two cases are presented as illustrations of this process.


Awareness in Gestalt sex therapy.

Awareness is conceived to be selective, curative, a method, a prescription for ideal living, and a ground for human existence. In this paper the following gestalt awareness methods are described: continuum of awareness, awareness questions, biobehavioral feedback, directed awareness, concentration, present-centering, taking responsibilty, and shuttles in awareness. The use of these methods is illustrated in a gestalt therapy dialogue. The application of awareness as concept and method to sensate focus and to the treatment of the prematurely ejaculating male is discussed. Shuttles in awareness and the shared continua of awareness are introduced as promising new methods in the treatment of sexual dysfunction and as enhancing sexual pleasure and communion.


Concomitant germ cell tumors in monozygotic twins.

Simultaneously occurring embryonal cell tumors in a 38-year-old set of monozygotic twin brothers are reported. This is the eighth documented case of testicular cancer in twins and it is unique since it is the first report to describe bilateral testicular tumors in 1 of the twin brothers. The role of genetics in the development of certain cancers warrants further study. This documentation of testicular tumors in serologically proved identical twins is used as a basis for discussion of the role of heredity as a possible significant factor in germ cell tumor pathogenesis.


3-Alpha-androstanediol and prostatic growth: comparison of 3-alpha-androstanediol formation in prostates from 8 species including man and dog.

To determine whether the formation of 3-alpha-androstanediol is critical for androgen-mediated growth of the prostate the conversion of dihydrotestosterone to 3-alpha-androstanediol was assessed in homogenates of 60 normal prostates from 8 species. Rates (nmol. times gm. tissue(-1) times hour(-1)) in the presence of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate as cofactor were as follows: dog 271, mouse 200, rat 160, opossum 109, rabbit 24, guinea pig 13, man 11 and cat 9. There was no correlation between prostate size and 3-alpha-androstanediol formation in the entire group. Therefore, either differences in the response to 3-alpha-androstanediol within the prostate or variations in the metabolism of 3-alpha-androstanediol must be more important than the rate of its formation for the development of prostatic hypertrophy in the dog.


Normal position of the ureteral orifice in infancy and childhood: a quantitative study.

Normal values for the distance between the vesicoureteral orifice and the internal urethral orifice are given for different ages, heights, weights, crown-to-rump lengths and surface areas of infants and children. A simple estimate of approximate mean values for these measurements also is included.


Mechanical genital maldevelopment presenting as pseudovaginal perineoscrotal hypospadias.

Pseudovaginal perineoscrotal hypospadias is the descriptive terminology of a phenotypic genital abnormality that may develop from multiple etiologic factors, such as defective virilization-masculinization owing to deficient androgenic synthesis, defective androgenic action or mechanical embryologic failure. The case presented herein typifies a mechanical abnormality that results in perineal hypospadias with the appearance of a vaginal introitus but with rectal mucosa incorporated in the urethral opening.


Choriocarcinoma and undifferentiated cell carcinoma of the bladder with gonadotropin secretion.

A case of choriocarcinoma and undifferentiated cell carcinoma of the bladder is reported. Transitional cell carcinoma was found initially in the bladder wall and in the terminal stage there was clinical evidence of production of gonadotropin. The concept of choriocarcinoma mimicry would supplant the explanation for the pathological features in this case.


Thrombocytopenia found uncommonly during heparin therapy.

In a prospective study to determine the frequency of thrombocytopenia in patients treated with intravenous heparin sodium of porcine gut origin, only four of 120 patients with suspected venous thromboembolism showed a depression of the platelet count to below 150 x 10(9)/L. In two of these patients, heparin was not considered to be the cause of thrombocytopenia because the platelet count, which fell transiently, rose again while heparin therapy was continued. These results indicate that thrombocytopenia is an uncommon complication of anticoagulant therapy with heparin derived from porcine gut mucosa.


[Photocoagulation for central vein occlusion (author's transl)].

27 patients with fully developed central vein occlusion were treated by means of photocoagulation. In all cases, a relatively quick regression of retinal hemorrhage and retinal edema occurred, as well as an extensive nomalisation of the caliber of the veins. In over 1/3 of cases, improvement of visual acuity could be achieved; acuity decreased in 1/3 of cases because of macula alterations (fibrosis, cystic edema, pigmentary dystrophy). The results, however, showed a general improvement as compared to disease courses left untreated. None of the patients developed secondary glaucoma during case control which can be assessed as the most significant result of photocoagulation.


[Conjunctival myiasis with Oestrus ovis larva (author's transl)].

Conjunctival infestation of the right eye with larva of the sheep nasal bot fly, Oestrus ovis Lin., is described. The larva was studied by scanning electron microscopy.


[Unstable steroid-dependent hypotony-hypertony-syndrome (author's transl)].

The author reports an unusual case of a marked hypotony-syndrome without a recognizable cause, occurring after a previously operated chronic angle block glaucoma. On the assumption of a minimal cyclitis local corticosteroid therapy was commenced and lead to recovery of visual function. There were, however, problems in stabilizing intraocular tension both upwards and downwards. The steroids could not be withdrawn, even after 6 months, without the hypotony reappearing. On the other hand, the use of 2 drops of Decadron (dexamethasone) daily lead to tensions above 40 mmHg. The clinical situation is interpreted as a steroid-dependent hyposecretion-normosecretion in the presence of an occluded chamber angle.


A possible modulation of acetylcholine receptors of embryonic chick muscle cells by alpha-bungarotoxin.

Acetylcholine receptors were assayed with alpha-bugarotoxin on embryonic chick skeletal muscle growing in primary cell culture. Toxin was bound specifically to muscle cells and could be competed with D-tubocurarine. Two dissociation constants were obtained by equilibrium binding: 7.2 x 10(-9)M and 2.7 x 10(-7)M at 25 degrees C. Two sets of rate constants were also obtained from dissociation kinetics. There are five times more low affinity sites on cells than high affinity sites. The average density of high-affinity receptors is about 200/micrometers2. A time course of toxin binding to receptors at 37 degrees C in growth medium revealed that under conditions permitting growth and metabolism, toxin bound to cells was lost. The possibility that the growth medium was inactivating toxin molecules was ruled out by showing that unbound toxin molecules in the medium were fully capable of binding to fresh cultures.


Transient cerebral ischemic attacks associated with worn porcine heterograft prosthesis. Case report.

Details are reviewed of a case of transient cerebral ischemic attacks which probably resulted from thromboembolism from a Hancock porcine heterograft prosthesis. Cause of the embolism probably was thrombus formation on the worn cloth covering of the supporting valve stent. Technical and antomic factors which assure precise seating of the prosthesis in the mitral anulus without contacting the ventricular wall appear to be important in preventing this complication.


Age pigments, cell loss and hippocampal function.

The specific aims of this study were to perform direct correlational analyses of age differences in learning, short-term memory and arousal in relation to cell loss and lipofuscin increase in the hippocampus CA1 zone and in visual area 17 of the Fisher 344 rat. The following tentative conclusions can be made from the results presented in this study: (1) significant age differences in 2 and 6 hour passive-avoidance retention or memory between mature and old rats were related to non-significant age differences in days to criterion learning, starting latencies, running distance and time in original approach learning, and (2) significant age differences in 2 and 6 hours retention of old, compared to mature rats were correlated significantly with loss of neurons, and very significantly with increases in intraneuronal lipofuscin in the hippocampus CA1 zone and in visual area 17.


[Otitis nigra: etiologic pathogenetic and clinical aspects (author's transl)].

The clinical picture of otitis nigra (idiopathic sero-hemmorrhagic otitis media) as independent clinical entity is shown, presenting 5 cases requiring mastoid surgery. Samples of mastoid mucosa were investigated by light- and electron-microscopy employing histochemical, immunofluorescent and virological techniques. Pathological changes of the small vessels in the subepithelial connective tissue  with increased vascular permeability and extravasation of red blood cells and serum  play a central role in the pathogenetic course of the disease. Disintegration of erythrocytes leads by catabolism of hemoglobin to formation of hemosiderin and ferretin, whereas by processing of phospholipids of the cell-membrane cholesterin cristals are deposited in the connective tissue. These cholesterin deposits in turn induce a foreign body reaction with formation of typical cholesterol granulomas. The mucosa shows secretory activity in intraepithelial secretory cells and glandlike structures in the subepithelial connective tissue. Neutral and acidic mucopolysaccharides are demonstrated in the secretory product. As possible cause for the vascular lesion that in turn sets off the pathomechanisme of otitis nigra a subclinical viral infection is discussed. This conjecture is supported by demonstration of virus-like inclusion bodies in macrophages and fibrocytes and of virus-like particles in antral smears. In addition myxoviruses of the parotitis-epidemica group could be identified in these smears by serological methods. Furthermore, the stimulation of the local immunological defense system, evidenced by the presence of numerous immunoglobulin-producing plasmacells in the tissue, is in concord with a viral infection. Therapy requires mastoidectomy in combination with posterior tympanotomy in order to eradicate completely the intractably diseased mastoid mucosa.


[Makeup of the extracellular lipids in Rhodotorula glutinis yeasts].

The fractional composition of extracellular lipids extracted with hexane and ethanol was studied in the yeast Rhodotorula glutinis 35 by thin-layer chromatography. The two extracts of extracellular lipids were found to be similar in composition though differing in the quantitative content of individual fractions. The fractional composition of extracellular lipids differed from that of intracellular lipids. The peculiarity of the fractional composition of extracellular lipids can be accounted for by the specificity of its fatty acid and alcohol composition.


[Fractional protein makeup of Candida utilis yeast protoplasts in the process of their growth and development].

Candida utilis IBFMY-405 was grown in a synthetic medium with glucose. Cells taken at the logarithmic phase of growth were studied. The cells were treated with the enzyme from Helix pomatia to prepare protoplasts which were separated by differential centrifugation into groups according to their size. Three protein fractions were isolated from each group and the amino acid composition of the proteins was determined. Proteins of the first fraction (cytoplasmic) prevailed in all of the protoplast groups while the content of proteins of the second fraction (intermediate or myosin-like) was the lowest. As the size of protoplasts increased, difference in the quantitative content of proteins from the first and second fractions became less pronounced. The content of proteins of the third fraction was 3.6 and 2.4 times higher in the protoplasts of the medium size than in the largest protoplasts. The amino acid composition of each protein fraction differed quantitatively and qualitatively in all of the protoplast groups.


[Effect of long-wave ultraviolet light (313 nm) on the survivability and respiration of Candida utilis yeasts].

Irradiation of Candida utilis with near-UV (313 nm) was found to inhibit respiration; the degree of the inhibition correlated with the number of killed cells. Irradiation of the yeast mitochondria inhibited the activity of succinate oxidase; the dependence of the inhibition on the dose of near-UV (313 nm) was close to the dose dependence of the photoinhibition of respiration in whole cells. The action spectrum for the inhibition of the activity of succinate oxidase was recorded; it corresponded to the absorption spectrum of ubiquinone isolated from the yeast cells. The data obtained suggest that ubiquinone is a target molecule in the effects of inhibition of respiration and death of yeast cells induced with near-UV (313 nm).


[Effect of polyploidogenic factors on Trichothecium roseum mycelium in the process of trichothecine and fibrinolytic enzyme biosynthesis].

The effect of colchicine and boric acid on the substrate mycelium of Trichothecium roseum was studied in the course of trichothecin biosynthesis. Addition of boric aicd (0.01%) and colchicine (0.1%) to the medium for biosynthesis increased the antibiotic activity of the fungus, this being due to the specific effect of polyploidogenous factors on growth of the mycelium and the proportion of nuclei in it. The number of nuclei increased in cells of the substrate mycelium correlating with a higher antibiotic activity.


Chicken ribosomal DNA: gene frequency and purification by R-loop hybridization.

The genes for ribosomal RNA of chicken are present in about 200--240 copies per haploid genome. The ribosomal genes were separated from the bulk of DNA by different methods. In CsCl-actinomycin D gradients the GC-rich ribosomal DNA is shifted to the lower density side of the bulk of DNA. After hybridization with iodinated ribosomal RNA under conditions where R-loops are formed ribosomal DNA has an increased density. The R-loops can be separated from the bulk of DNA in Cs2-SO4 gradients.


Study of ribosomal deoxyribonucleic acid of sea urchin.

The structure of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) satellite of sea urchin (Lytechinus variegatus) sperm has been re-examined after purification by two widely used methods. Saturation hybridization experiments indicate that about 28--32% of the rDNA contain sequences complementary to rRNA. Results of hyperchromic spectral analysis reveal that the rDNA melts as two distinct but unequal components. The early transition presumably corresponds to the melting of most of the transcribed part and the late transition is suggestive of the melting of a G + C-rich segment of the rDNA, which may be a nontranscribed spacer.


[Production and characteristics of seven rat embryo cell lines transformed by adenovirus type 5 and its DNA].

Seven cell lines transformed by adenovirus type 5 and its DNA were obtained. It was shown that different cell lines contain the fragments of viral DNA which differ in length and number of copies per DNA of diploid cells. They contain from the left end 6% of the viral DNA to complete or almost complete viral genome. All studied cell lines were sensitive to reinfection with adenovirus type 5. They produced no virus being cocultivated with cell sensitive to the virus. No cell line was able to induce tumors even in immunosuppressed newborn rats. All cell lines formed colonies in soft agar. The level of virus-specific antigens was higher in cells that contained a large part of the viral genome. The methods used did not allow to correlate the biological properties of the transformed cells with the length and the number of copies of the integrated part of the viral genome.


[Reassociation of interspersed moderate DNA repeats].

Reassociation kinetics of the fragments of DNA consisting of interspersed repetitive and non-repetitive nucleotide sequences is considered in this paper. Based on the model, suggested by Gavrilov and Mazo (Mol. biol., 11, 101 1977), which takes into account the random DNA shearing, both reassociation kinetics of the total DNA in the region corresponding to interspersed repeat reassociation and that of the isolated preparation of interspersed repetitive sequences are calculated. In both cases influence of the repeat length on the reassociation rate is demonstrated. The estimation of the repetition frequency of rare repeats from pigeon genome is specified using calculations performed.


[Study of the pathogenicity of Conidiobolus coronatus in experimental animals].

The pathogenicity of a strain of Conidiobulus coronatus isolated from Aenolamia postica was investigated in 152 mice, 42 guinea pigs and 47 hamsters. Four routes of inoculation were used: intraperitoneal, subcutaneous, intratracheal and scarification in the oral mucosa. Each animal was inoculated 3 times at 3 week intervals. Animals were sacrificed at 1, 8, 15, 45 of 225 days after the first inoculation. Observations of macroscopic lesions (nodules, abscesses, adhesions, etc.) direct examinations, cultures and histopathological studies of different tissues were performed. The aforementioned lesions of tissue were the most frequently found and all of them were resolved by spontaneous cure. The animals inoculated intraperitoneally and subcutaneouslly presented the highest number of postive results. The histopathological features at the 1st and 8th days after inoculation showed an acute inflamatory infiltrate with well preserved fungus filaments; at the 15th day granulomas with giant cells were observed containing fragmented and disintegrated fungal hyphae; at the 45th and 225th days a fibrosis reaction was observed and no fungal filaments, could be found. In no animal was rhinoentomophthoromycosis never reproduced, and according to these results it is considered that either this strain is not a pathogen or its pathogenicity is very low.


Becker-type muscular dystrophy.

This is a review of clinical, cardiologic, electrophysiologic, pathologic, and serum creatine kinase changes in eight families with slowly progressive X-linked Becker-type muscular dystrophy. All but one of the patients were able to walk until the age of 16 years, and most lived beyond 20. In every family, electromyography and muscle biopsy showed features which, on the basis of classical criteria, were interpreted as those of both myopathy and denervation, although among patients and among families, one or the other of these processes predominated. The most frequent biopsy picture was of fiber atrophy and hypertrophy, with many split and angulated fibers, and clumps of pyknotic nuclei. Necrosis, phagocytosis, regeneration, endomysial fibrosis, and some fatty infiltration were commonly seen. Review of a family originally described by Becker showed a similar biopsy picture; These pathologic changes are separable from those of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, but they often overlap with those seen in other chronic neuromuscular diseases.


Antigenic activity of Emmonsia crescens mutants.

The antigenic properties of 3 UV mutants of Emmonsia crescens Emmons et Jellison 1960 were compared with the original wild strain, further with other 13 E. crescens strains, with E. parva, E. brasiliensis, E. ciferrina and Chrysosporium pannorum. For this purpose the strains were used for the immunisation of 70 rabbits. The formation of specific IgM-and IgG-antibodies was examined in their blood by means of several serologic reactions, and the capability of sensitizing the organism was proved by means of skin tests. All strains stimulated the formation of specific antibodies and sensibilised the macroorganism but in various extent. The differences in the antigenic activity was found not only among the single species but also among the single strains of the same species. All three mutants of E. crescens induced the formation of the specific antibodies but weaker than the virulent strains. They elicited, however, stronger and better reliable skin reactions than the virulent strains.


Neonatal experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis.

Neonatal rats born of and nursed by mothers immunized with Torpedo acetylcholine receptor protein developed a defect of neuromuscular transmission as indicated by reduced miniature endplate potential amplitudes. It is likely that antibodies to the Torpedo receptor protein were passively transferred to the neonates in the milk. With the exception of the route of transfer, this neonatal form of experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis appears to be similar to its human counterpart, and thus can serve as an experimental model.


Aflatoxin B1 influence on excised soya-bean root growth, 14C-leucine uptake and incorporation.

The present work reports a portion of our continuing effort to determine the mechanism(s) whereby aflatoxins cause toxic responses in in vitro cultured plant tissues. Few investigations have dealt with the mode of action of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in excised plant tissues. Here is detailed AFB1 influence on growth, uptake and incorporation of 14C-leucine by excised, incubated soya-bean roots. Pure AFB1 was added to culture medium prior to autoclaving. One gram fresh weight portions of roots from three-day old soya-bean seedlings were excised and incubated for 4, 8, 12 and 24 hours. Growth was assayed by following changes in root dry weight. Aflatoxin B1 inhibited root dry weight at both 20 and 30 micrograms/ml. Uptake of 14C-leucine was checked by following its depletion from the medium. Reduced 14C-leucine uptake by roots exposed to 20 micrograms/ml AFB1 suggests that the toxin may alter the plasmalemma. A possible role for AFB1 in modification of membrane-associated amino acid transport mechanisms is discussed. Incorporation of 14C-leucine into trichloroacetic acid-precipitable cytoplasm was assayed. Inhibition of this incorporation at 20 micrograms/ml AFB1 was most apparent at 12 hours. Thus, AFB1 may also impair the ability of excised soya-bean roots to carry out protein synthesis.


Amino acid transport by a muscle cell line.

An established rat muscle cell culture, L-6, was employed for the evaluation of muscle amino acid transport. The initial influx of 16 radiolabeled amino acids into these cells was determined, and an overall uptake profile was constructed. L-6 cells accumulate amino acids progressively with time by saturable, temperature-dependent processes. As found in other preparations, several amino acids have sodium-dependent uptake systems. There is a wide range in the rate of transport of the different amino acids. The overall profile of uptake is fairly reproducible and may be characteristic of muscle tissue; it does not resemble that previously found in other cell types. The profile of amino acid uptake into these cells compares favorably with the pattern of amino acid transfer from the bloodstream to muscle found in intact rats. It is concluded that muscle cell transport is basically similar to that of other cell types. L-6 muscle cells have an amino acid uptake profile which resembles that of intact muscle; they should thus prove useful in the further delineation of muscle amino acid transport mechanisms.


Late-onset X-linked recessive spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy.

A family is described in which five males have late-onset facial weakness, dysarthria, dysphagia, and slowly progressive proximal weakness. Electrodiagnostic studies and muscle biopsy were compatible with spinal muscular atrophy. This family appears quite similar to several previously reported families with late-onset X-linked recessive spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy. Because of the relative homogeneity of this particular phenotype of spinal muscular atrophy, a single metabolic derangement was sought. Three obligate carriers were studied, and no abnormality was detected. A further family with this condition is briefly discussed.


Activation of feminine sexual behavior in castrated male rats by intrahypothalamic implants of estradiol benzoate.

The effects of intracerebral estradiol benzoate (EB) implants upon lordosis behavior in castrated male rats were investigated. 27 guage EB-filled or Blank implants were placed unilaterally in either the preoptic area (POA) or the region of the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMH). When 0.5 microgram of EB was administered subcutaneously for eight days, males with EB implants had significantly higher lordosis quotients (LQ) than males with Blank implants. EB implants located in the region of the VMH were significantly more effective in stimulating lordosis responses than implants in the POA. These results indicate that, in male rats as in females, the VMH region is a primary site for the hormonal activation of lordosis behavior.


Induced ovulation in aged female rats by L-dopa implants into the medial preoptic area.

Direct placement of L-dopa into the medial preoptic area (MPOA) of aged pseudopregnant or constant vaginal estrous female rats resulted in a reinitiation of vaginal cycles and ovulation. Similar treatment with L-dopa in the dorsomedial septum or cortex was ineffective. Direct placement of leucine into any of the three brain regions did not have an effect on ovarian function. Intermittent treatment with L-dopa to MPOA was found to reinstate and maintain vaginal cycles in constant estrous females only when administered on the day of vaginal estrus of successive cycles. These findings support the hypothesis that age-dependent disturbances in ovarian function may be initiated by changes in neurotransmitter metabolism within the central nervous system.


Comparison of luteinizing hormone and prolactin levels in cycling and anestrous ewes.

Concentrations of luteinizing hormone (LH) and prolactin (Prl) in the serum of anestrous and cycling ewes were compared. The concentration of LH in serum and the frequency of episodic releases of LH were lower in anestrous than in cycling ewes. Concentrations of LH in serum rose as rapidly after ovariectomy of anestrous ewes as after ovariectomy of cycling ewes. Prl levels were higher during anestrus than at any stage of the estrous cycle; however, high Prl levels were not necessarily associated either with low LH levels or the absence of episodic release of LH. These data suggest: (1) that anestrus is not due to a reduction in the intrinsic ability of the hypothalamo-hypophyseal system to secrete LH, and (2) that high Prl levels may be a symptom rather than a cause of seasonal anestrus.


Effect of electrochemical stimulation in the olfactory bulbs on the release of gonadotropin hormones in rats.

The olfactory bulbs were electrochemically stimulated in non-anesthetized, freely moving rats, and the ovulatory response and serum luteinizing hormone (LH) levels were studied. The stimulus was applied at 11:30 h through unilateral stainless steel electrodes chronically implanted, and serial blood samples were obtained by way of a plastic cannula located in the jugular vein. Electrochemical stimulation (100 microA/60 sec) of the main olfactory bulbs in the ventral aspect of the superficial layers as well as in its central core, performed on the day of proestrus, prevented the preovulatory discharge of LH and ovulation. Blockade of ovulation also occurred when the stimulus was applied in the lateral or medial parts of the superficial layers. On the other hand stimulation in the dorsal part blocked the preovulatory surge of LH and ovulation in only 50% of the cases. Stimulation applied in the accessory olfactory bulbs failed to interfere with ovulation and LH discharge. Stimulation of ovariectomized estrogen-primed rats applied in superficial layers of the main olfactory bulbs had no significant effect on the release of LH, but when the stimulus was applied in the accessory olfactory bulb a release of LH took place 3-6 h following stimulation. These results indicate that stimulation of the olfactory bulbs produce a dual effect on LH release: while the response of the accessory olfactory bulb is facilitatory in nature, that of the main olfactory bulbs is inhibitory.


Rat dopamine hypersensitivity. I. Effect of age.

Two groups of 5 Sprague-Dawley rats were tested with either d-amphetamine or saline following our drug abuse-kindling model for dopaminergic hypersensitivity on pretest and posttest. However, when the animals were 40 weeks older, the saline group also received d-amphetamine. Thus, this group served as saline control for the initial two tests and-amphetamine control for age on the third session. The control group showed significantly more stereotyped behavior on Phase 3 as compared with the experimental group in the first session. These results suggest an increased responsivity of dopaminergic receptors with age as measured by stereotyped behavior in rats.


Rat dopaminergic hypersensitivity. II. Effects of sex.

Two groups of 5 male and 5 female Sprague-Dawley rats each were tested for dopaminergic hypersensitivity on d-amphetamine or apomorphine following a drug abuse-kindling model. In constrast to the males, the female animals did not develop hypersensitivity on either drug, had a higher baseline stereotyped behavior on low doses of d-amphetamine, and lower baseline for apomorphine. Furthermore, on apomorphine the females showed tolerance instead of hypersensitivity with a significant decrease of stereotyped behavior a posttest as compared with pretest. Female rats do not develop a readily demonstrable dopaminergic hypersensitivity with this procedure and show an absence of reverse tolerance to apomorphine.


Reye syndrome: monoamine metabolites in ventricular fluid.

Concentrations of homovanillic acid (HVA) were markedly elevated in the ventricular fluid of 15 children with Reye syndrome (median, 887 ng per milliliter) compared to 7 controls (median, 282 ng per milliliter), but 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) values were comparable (medians of 198 and 189 ng per milliliter, respectively). The ratio of 5-HIAA to HVA was significantly lower in patients with Reye syndrome (0.26) than in controls (0.51). Serial samples demonstrated wide fluctuations in HVA concentration, but not in that of 5-HIAA. Monoamine metabolite concentrations were not correlated with serum ammonia, increased intracranial pressure, morbidity, or mortality. Increased HVA in Reye syndrome may reflect cerebral ischemia and release of vasoactive amines (particularly dopamine) into the brain and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).


Computed tomography and pure motor hemiparesis.

Computed tomography (CT) was abnormal in 75% of 33 patients with pure motor hemiparesis (PMH). In 13 cases, lesions were detected in the capsular region; 10 were consistent with infarction, and 3 were of increased density consistent with hemorrhage. Seven had other vascular disorders, and four had nonvascular conditions. Of 20 patients with PMH with normal electroencephalogram (EEG), isotope scan, and cerebrospinal fluid, 11 had CT evidence of a lesion in the internal capsule-corona radiata region. In patients with PMH with normal CT, recovery was more complete and rapid than in those with CT evidence of a vascular lesion. In 5 cases, CT showed a capsular lesion, although the patients had never had any neurologic deficit.


Cellular immune response against acetylcholine receptor in myasthenia gravis: I. Relevance to clinical course and pathogenesis.

The cellular immune response to acetylcholine receptor from Torpedo electric organ was studied in 100 myasthenic patients and 41 healthy subjects. The mean stimulation index (SI) was 2 +/- 0.15 for the patients, and 1.06 +/- 0.08 for the controls. Stimulation was significantly greater when the test medium contained autologous serum rather than a standard universal serum (AB serum). Young patients were generally good responders (SI, 2.39 +/- 0.26), but older patients usually did not respond (mean SI, 1.18 +/- 0.13). Among the younger patients, men had higher responses than women (mean SI, 3.13 +/- 0.63 and 2.05 +/- 0.23, respectively). There was no correlation between degree of lymphocytic reactivity and duration or severity of symptoms.


Diagnosis and treatment of migraine in children.

We here enumerate criteria that we believe are suitable for the diagnosis of migraine in children. Using these criteria, we identified 84 children retrospectively, and studied their illness for 3 to 9 years thereafter. The majority were male, and 47 patients had frontal headaches. EEGs were performed in 64 children: 17 were paroxysmal, but 7 patients never developed seizures. Referral to a neurologist occurred when there was a marked increase in the frequency or severity of headaches. Irrespective of the form of treatment, about one-half of all patients had more than a 50% reduction in headache frequency in the 6 months following their initial visit to a neurologist.


Spinal cord compression by extramedullary hemopoietic tissue in pyruvate-kinase-deficiency-caused hemolytic anemia.

Spinal cord compression by extramedullary hemopoietic tissue is a rare complication of hemolytic anemias. This is the first report of this complication in hemolytic anemia caused by pyruvate-kinase deficiency. Indium scan, computed tomography (CT) scan, and myelography were helpful in diagnosis. Surgery and radiotherapy were followed by complete recovery during a follow-up period of 12 months.


Hydrocephalic dementia in Paget disease of the skull: treatment by ventriculoatrial shunt.

Severe dementia and ataxia in an elderly woman were related to hydrocephalus resulting from Paget disease of the skull, with basilar impression. Ventriculoatrial shunting resulted in dramatic improvement. This procedure, rather than suboccipital decompression, is probably the operation of choice, and should be carried out at an early stage.


Erythrocytes in Duchenne dystrophy: osmotic fragility and membrane deformability.

Duchenne erythrocytes showed increased osmotic fragility as compared to controls (p less than 0.01), but individual values overlapped with controls, and only half of the Duchenne erythrocyte values were abnormal. When the effect of the smaller mean corpuscular volume of Duchenne erythrocytes was taken into account, there was no significant difference from controls in membrane deformability, as determined by microsieving or flow channel measurements. The increased osmotic fragility suggests minor changes in erythrocyte membrane properties in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.


Relaxation time of the adductor pollicis muscle in Duchenne muscular dystrophy carriers: a new method for detecting carriers.

The half relaxation time (T1/2R) of adductor pollicis muscle contraction after supramaximal ulnar nerve stimulation was measured in normal women and carriers of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The T1/2R after a single stimulus did not differ in these two groups. The decrease of T1/2R after 2-per-second stimulations, however, was significantly greater in the carriers. The percentage of the T1/2R decrease after 2-per-second stimulations in all of the carriers was below the mean -2 SD value for the controls. These findings suggest that determination of the decrease of the T1/2R of the adductor pollicis muscle with 2-per-second stimulations of the ulnar nerve may be a reliable method for detecting Duchenne muscular dystrophy carriers.


Noninvasive diagnosis of extracranial cerebrovascular disease: oculoplethysmography-phonoangiography and directional Doppler ultrasonography.

The ability of two noninvasive diagnostic methods--oculoplethysmography-carotid phonoangiography (OPG/CPA) and directional Doppler ultrasonography--to detect extracranial cerebrovascular disease was examined in 400 consecutive studies. Cerebral arteriography was performed in 74 patients. Transient ischemic attack was the most common indication for study (30%). The OPG was normal in 95% of cases in which the diameter of the lumen of the internal carotid artery (ICA) was less than 60% reduced; the ocular pulse was delayed in 86% of cases with ICA stenosis of 60% or more. The overall diagnostic accuracy of OPG was 93%; CPA did not enhance the accuracy of OPG alone. Supraorbital Doppler tests detected 88% of cases of ICA stenosis of 60% or more, but there was a 13% false-positive rate with ICA stenosis of less than 60%. Supratrochlear Doppler tests had only a 1% false-positive rate, but detected only 48% of significant ICA stenoses. Doppler studies were most often abnormal in the presence of ICA occlusion. Thus, OPG was as sensitive as supraorbital Doppler and more sensitive than supratrochlear Doppler in detecting hemodynamically significant ICA stenoses, without the unacceptable false-positive rate observed with the supraorbital Doppler test.


The prolonged exercise test.

The response to a standardized exercise test was investigated in 12 volunteers and 13 patients with aches, cramps, and pains. In men, creatine kinase (CK) levels peaked (up to 1600 mU per milliliter) between 10 and 20 hours after exercise. High levels of blood lactate during exercise were related to the intensity of work and to high levels of CK after exercise. The patients could be divided into several groups: (1) those with no change in blood metabolites (psychogenic); (2) those with a disproportionate rise in CK (metabolic myopathies); (3) those with a disproportionate rise of lactate (mitochondrial abnormalities); and (4) in one patient with exercise-related pains, subnormal elevation of fatty acid levels. The correlation of changes in blood lactate, CK, and fatty acids may be useful, whereas an isolated measurement, even if outside the normal range, is often meaningless.


"Paradoxic" ear extinction in dichotic listening: possible anatomic significance.

"Paradoxic" extinction in dichotic listening tasks has been attributed to lesions in the interhemispheric auditory pathways, the anatomic courses of which are unknown. The localization of cerebral lesions related to abnormal patterns of dichotic listening was studied in computerized tomographic (CT) scans with a method of anatomic templates. Paradoxic extinction was found consistently with lesions near the lateral wall of the lateral ventricles at the level of the trigone in both left and right hemispheres. On the basis of these findings, we propose that the pathway leaves the auditory cortex traveling backward and upward to arch around the lateral ventricles and join the callosum in its posterior region.


Limb muscle endplates in ocular myasthenia gravis: quantitative ultrastructural study.

Motor endplate ultrastructure in the biceps brachii was quantitatively analyzed in five patients with ocular myasthenia gravis (56 endplates), six patients with generalized myasthenia gravis (83 endplates), and five controls (64 endplates). Ultrastructural changes of the motor endplates were observed in nonweak limb muscles of patients with ocular myasthenia gravis as well as in generalized myasthenia; these changes were mostly restricted to the postsynaptic region. Decrease of the mean presynaptic and postsynaptic membrane length, and postsynaptic membrane density, were more remarkable in generalized myasthenia than in ocular myasthenia. Widening of the primary and secondary synaptic clefts was also observed more frequently in generalized myasthenia. There was no correlation between ultrastructural alterations and the duration of symptoms or treatment, severity of disease, or titers of antiacetylcholine receptor antibody.


Facial myokymia with polyradiculoneuropathy.

Two patients had bilateral facial myokymia in association with polyradiculoneuropathy. Characteristic electromyographic findings allow polyradiculoneuropathy to be differentiated from other causes of facial movements, and support the possibility that extraaxial facial nerve involvement is another cause of facial myokymia.


Freeze-fracture studies of erythrocyte plasma membrane in human neuromuscular diseases.

Freeze-fracture studies were conducted in erythrocyte plasma membrane from 8 patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), 8 age-matched controls, 3 adult controls, 10 patients with myotonic muscular dystrophy, and 26 other neuromuscular disease controls. There was marked depletion of intramembranous particles in Duchenne dystrophy, whereas intramembranous particle density counts in other neuromuscular diseases were within normal limits. Therefore, the internal molecular architecture of the erythrocyte membrane is abnormal in Duchenne dystrophy, supporting the concept that a membrane defect involving multiple tissues is present in this disorder.


ECHO 25 focal encephalitis and subacute hemichorea.

ECHO virus 25 focal encephalitis was documented for the first time in a 5-year-old boy with unequivocal hemichorea. Hemichorea caused by enterovirus CNS disease has never been reported. ECHO virus antigen in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cells was demonstrated by the indirect immunofluorescent technique and typed by a significant rise in neutralizing antibodies against ECHO virus 25. Sequential computerized tomographic (CT) studies with digital analysis demonstrated the evolution of a focal process in the head of the left caudate nucleus, ultimately leading to replacement of tissue by a CSF-containing cyst. In the unclarified pathogenesis of cerebral disease in enterovirus infection, this case suggests a focal inflammatory process rather than vasculitis, occlusion, and infarction. Finally, the near-complete recovery of our patient demonstrated that the mere loss of neostriatal tissue was not decisive in itself, because the tissue loss was permanent and the symptoms were transient.


Thalamic neglect.

Three patients with right thalamic hemorrhage showed contralateral neglect and limb akinesia. They also had anosognosia, visuospatial disorders, and emotional flattening. In animals, neglect can be induced by lesions along a cortico-limbic-reticular loop including the intralaminar thalamic nuclei. We propose that an activation defect is responsible not only for the neglect and akinesia, but also for the visuospatial and emotional defects usually associated with right-hemisphere cortical dysfunction.


Ischemia and sensory nerve conduction in diabetes mellitus.

Sensory conduction along the median nerve was evaluated during 30 minutes of ischemia in patients with diabetes mellitus. There was abnormal persistence of the sensory evoked potential in 19 of 22 diabetic patients, but not in normal controls, patients with nonmetabolic neuropathies, or 5 of 6 patients with motor neuron diseases. There was an excellent correlation between ischemic resistance and effective control of glucose metabolism, as manifested by Hb A1C levels. These data suggest that abnormal ischemic resistance in diabetes may be the most sensitive indicator of peripheral neural dysfunction even when there are no other electrophysiologic or clinical abnormalities.


Functional anatomy of occipital lobe seizures: an experimental study in rats.

Small amounts of penicillin were used to create a seizure focus in the primary visual cortex (area 17), extrastriate cortex (area 18 and 18a), and neighboring somatosensory and temporal areas in rats. Autoradiography with 14C-deoxyglucose was used to map the focus and the local cortical and long subcortical circuits. Mild seizures from area 17 were associated with focal spiking without behavioral manifestations. There was restricted utilization of local U-fiber circuits and ipsilateral subcortical visual system nuclei. Stronger seizures filled up the visual cortex and projected into adjacent neocortex and limbic cortex, the contralateral 17-18a border, and additional subcortical nuclei. Seizures originating in the posterior visual cortex were associated with prolonged afterdischarges and stereotyped behavioral manifestations, with spread into the posterior cingulum, the subicular complex, and the bilateral hippocampus. After analyzing the electrographic discharges, behavior, and seizure pathways in each animal, we conclude that ictal symptoms associated with seizures would not be the expression of the function of a cortical focus, but rather of the dysfunction of excessive discharges through many local and long circuits.


Reversible alexia, mitochondrial myopathy, and lactic acidemia.

A 11-year-old boy of short stature had recurrent right temporal pounding headaches of 7 months' duration, and progressive visual loss for 3 days. There was a left hemianopia, alexia without agraphia, and diffuse muscle weakness. Investigation established the presence of a mitochondrial myopathy with pyruvate and lactic acidemia and increased serum content of sarcoplasmic enzymes. On treatment with prednisone, the patient's strength and reading skill improved, symptoms resolved, and muscle enzymes returned to normal. Three attempts to reduce steroids resulted in accentuation of symptoms, seizures, weakness, regression of reading skills, and elevation of serum enzymes. The alexia was also reversible.


Phantom limb and multiple sclerosis.

Phantom limb phenomena are most often associated with amputations, although they may accompany many neurologic disorders. In the neurologic variety, expression of illusory limbs varies with the level at which the somesthetic pathway is interrupted, and with changes in consciousness. Phantom limb illusions are rarely reported in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The patient reported here complained of a supernumerary phantom limb during an exacerbation of MS. This case suggests that in neurologic diseases, phantom limb illusions may result from distorted perception of limbs that are subject to both sensory loss and such recurrent spontaneous sensations as paresthesias.


Cellular immune response to acetylcholine receptor in myasthenia gravis: II. Thymectomy and corticosteroids.

We studied 11 patients with myasthenia gravis who demonstrated a cellular immune response to acetylcholine receptor (AChR) of the electric organ of Torpedo marmorata. After thymectomy, there was a marked decrease in the patients' lymphocyte reactivity to AChR. The mean reduction of the stimulation index (SI) was 50%, but the response to the nonspecific mitogen phytohemagglutinin (PHA) was not affected. In six cases, the lymphocyte response was measured at intervals up to 22 months after thymectomy; in all six, the immune response to AChR remained decreased. In some cases, the response continued to decrease, even to normal values. The effect of corticosteroid treatment was tested in other patients. The cellular immune response to AChR was significantly lower in treated patients (mean SI, 1.64 +/- 0.25) than in untreated  controls (mean SI, 2.41 +/- 0.38), with no significant difference in the response to PHA. These data suggest that a decrease in the cellular immune response to AChR may be one mechanism by which thymectomy and corticosteroids are therapeutic in myasthenia.


HLA typing and Guillain-Barré syndrome.

In an effort to determine if there might be an association between Guillain-Barré syndrome and specific antigens of the HLA system, 18 patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome were typed for HLA-A, B, and D antigens. No statistically significant relationship was established by this study.


Radionuclide imaging in subacute sclerosing panencephalitis.

Three patients with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE)--two with acute disease and one with an exacerbation--had abnormal radionuclide brain scans during periods of rapid neurologic deterioration. In two of the three patients radionuclide brain scan showed lesions of both cortex and deeper structures, indicating the panencephalic nature of the disease. There was no contrast enhancement on computerized tomography (CT) in the areas of radiopharmaceutical accumulation in the two patients studied. We feel that delayed radionuclide scanning is more sensitive in detecting acute SSPE than routine contrast-enhanced CT, because more time is allowed for tracer accumulation in lesions and for background activity to decrease.


[Action of trazodone on the secretion of pituitary hormones. Behavior of prolactin and somatotropin].

The effect of i.v. trazpdone on PRL and GH was studied in normal subjects and in patients with hypophyseal adenoma coupled with amenorrhoea and galactorrhoea or acromegaly. PRL levels were reduced, whereas the behaviour of GH was paradoxical. These results suggest that the dopaminergic and serotoninergic systems take part in regulating the secretion of these two hormones. An interesting comparison was made with their behaviour following the administration of bromoergocryptine in the adenoma series.


[Rare heterochromosomal anomaly: male XX syndrome in association with adenocarcinoma of the breast. Preliminary considerations].

A case of a male patient with an XX chromosome picture is presented. This anomaly is extremely rare and accompanied, as in the reported case, by morphological and structural alterations of the testicles: tubular fibrosis and germinal aplasia; disturbances of hormone secretion: FSH, LH, testosterone and 17-ketosteroid values were nearer those normally found in females; sex chromatin. The case was rendered more interesting by the simultaneous presence of adenocarcinoma of the breast, which is 100 times less common in males. Statistical evidence is cited for the proposition that this neoplasia has an underlying genetic and endocrine component.


Impact of early nutrition on later development of spontaneous physical activity and lipid metabolism.

Male rats suckled in large litters (more than 12 pups, group A) had significantly higher levels of spontaneous physical activity and temporarily increased food intake (g/100 g body weight) than male rats from small litters (less than 6 pups, group B). Females did not differ. Epididymal fat pads were significantly lighter in males in group A. The concentration of total lipids in the small intestine was significantly higher in females from group A, and the synthesis of lipids was higher in the animals of both sexes from group A. The synthesis of fatty acids in the intestines was significantly greater in both males and females from group A. Cholesterol concentration in the liver and carcass was the same in all groups. Cholesterogenesis was higher in the liver only in males from group B, and in the carcass in the animals of both sexes from group B.


24-Hour patterns of blood sugar, plasma insulin and free fatty acids in patients with primary endogenous hyperlipoproteinemia on isocaloric diets containing 30, 43 and 79 cal% carbohydrates.

10 patients with primary, endogenous hypertriglyceridemia (type IV hyperlipoproteinemia) underwent three different isocaloric dietary regimes of 10 days duration each. The diets contained either 30, 43 or 79% of calories as carbohydrate with 20% of calories from protein. Analyses of insulin, blood sugar and free fatty acids were conducted on the last day of each dietary period, at frequent intervals. There were no differences in either fasting or diurnal blood sugars with the different diets. Insulin levels were positively correlated with the amount of carbohydrate in the diet and there was an inverse correlation between the carbohydrate contents of the diets and circulating free fatty acid levels during waking hours. Since glucose tolerance is maintained, and diurnal plasma lipid levels are lowest with the low fat regime, such diets may be advantageously used for patients with endogenous hypertriglyceridemia.


Benign breast disease I: hormonal investigation.

One hundred eighty-four patients with benign breast disease (BBD) were studied and compared with 50 normal women. All of the women had ovulatory cycles according to a biphasic basal body temperature and a plasma prolactin in the normal range. Their corpus luteum function was evaluated by way of plasma progesterone (P) and estradiol (E2) determinations at days 5, 7, and 9 of the hyperthermic phase. In the 184 patients, plasma P over plasma E2 ratio during the luteal phase was found significantly lower than in normal women. When the patients were grouped according to type of breast lesions, it appeared that plasma P was constantly lower in all groups than in the normal women, while plasma E2 was either normal or elevated in the groups of patients with adenosis tumors and increased nodularity of both breasts. From these results it may be postulated that an imbalance in the secretion of E2 and P by the corpus luteum is a constant finding in women with benign breast disease.


Amniocentesis follow-up: infant developmental evaluation.

The Gesell Developmental Evaluation was administered to 150 children between 8 and 37 months of age whose mothers had second-trimester amniocentesis. The results of the evaluation were analyzed with respect to 1) maternal age at the time of the amniocentesis; 2) volume of fluid aspirated; 3) presence of bloody amniotic fluid; 4) repeat amniotic taps; and 5) medical problems during the first year of life. There was no statistical relationship found between an abnormal developmental score and any of the above 5 items. The results from the same developmental test administered to the control group of 64 young children were not significantly different from the index group.


Diurnal variations in unconjugated and total plasma estriol levels in late normal pregnancy.

Diurnal variations in plasma unconjugated and total estriol were assessed in 11 third-trimester subjects with uncomplicated pregnancies. Commercially available 125I-labeled radioimmunoassay kits were used. Total plasma estriols reach a nadir during the hours of sleep (400 and 700 hours) which exceeds the episodic fluctuations seen from day to day or during a given 90-minute period. Plasma unconjugated estriol fluctuations over 24 hours did not significantly exceed our previously reported episodic fluctuation of 15.6 +/- 8.2%. The data are interpreted as showing no circadian rhythm, but reflecting, in the case of total plasma estriols, an effect of improved renal clearance during hours of rest. Plasma unconjugated estriol emerges as the test of choice in the monitoring of high-risk pregnancies.


Genetic incompatibility between Boophilus decoloratus (Koch, 1844) and Boophilus microplus (Canestrini, 1888) and hybrid sterility of Australian and South African Boophilus microplus (Acarina: Ixodidae).

Virgin females of both Boophilus decoloratus and Boophilus microplus, when mated with males of the other species, subsequently produced sterile eggs. Counts of spermiophore capsules in female seminal receptacles showed that the males of both species will mate with the females of both species and that B. microplus males show a slightly greater, but statistically insignificant, mating capacity than B. decoloratus males. South African B. microplus females, when mated with an Australian strain of B. microplus males, produced a 62% yield of viable hybrid progeny while the reciprocal cross produced only a 1,82% hatch of non-viable larvae. The hybrids were sterile when interbred and no hatch resulted when the Fl males were backcrossed with parent females. The reciprocal backcross of hybrid Fl females to parent males resulted in a low percentage hatch of non-viable larvae.


Neonatal apnea: underlying disorders.

Data from a prospective study of 50,826 neonates were used to determine the frequency and significance of disorders related to apnea in newborns. Such apnea proved to be a significant prognosticator for neonatal death. Fifty-eight percent of preterm neonates with multiple apneic episodes and 18% with a single episode died, whereas only 6% of those without recorded apnea died. The rates were 44%, 5%, and 1% for full-term infants. Amniotic fluid infection was the underlying disorder in 35% of the preterm and 25% of the term neonates who had multiple episodes of apnea. A third of the preterm and 25% of the term infants who had such apneic episodes had antecedent hypoxia-related disorders, i.e., abruptio placentae, erythromblastosis fetalis, placenta previa, large placental infarcts, and umbilical cord compression. Among the apneic neonates, those who were infected were twice as apt to die as were those who had hypoxia-related disorders. Hypoplasia of the lungs and easily recognized central nervous system malformations were responsible for most of the apnea-related deaths associated with congenital malformations.


[Entomophthorosis of Culex pipiens (Culicidae) mosquitoes breeding in basements].

Foci of mycosis of C. p. pipiens and C. p. molestus caused by the parasitic fungus Entomophthora conglomerata Sorok. were found out in basements flooded with water. The conditions prevailing in the foci, sites of infection of mosquitoes and seasonal changes in the epizootic process are described. Developmental periods of conidiospores in mosquitoes were established experimentally. Entomophthorosis epizootia was found to limit the possibilities of mosquitoes to scatter from the hatching sites and to reduce the number of biting females in the population.


Sustained effect of human growth hormone therapy on children with intrauterine growth retardation.

Previous studies have not clarified whether human growth hormone (HGH) therapy can significantly increase the height of patients with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). To determine whether the initial increase in growth rate is sustained through subsequent treatment, 19 prepubertal patients who had IUGR were treated with HGH. Ten of them received a second treatment course. Growth rates (in centimeters per year) were 4.8 +/- 1.4 (mean +/- SD) for the pretreatment period, 7.6 +/- 2.3 for the first treatment period, 4.2 +/- 2.5 for the interval between treatments, 5.9 +/- 1.4 for the second treatment period, and 4.3 +/- 2.6 for the posttreatment period. Growth rates for the two treatment periods were significantly greater than for the periods before, interval between, and posttreatment. Height expressed as the number of standard deviations below the mean for age increased significantly between the onset of treatment and the most recent measurement. These data indicate that HGH has a sustained positive effect on increasing growth rates in children with IUGR, although the magnitude of the effect may decrease with further treatment. Furthermore, we suggest that it is worthwhile to treat patients who have IUGR with HGH for prolonged periods of time, if supplies exceed those necessary to treat children with growth hormone deficiency.


Inhibitory ease--a personality type?

Measures of reactive, transmarginal and internal inhibition, inhibitory strength, extraversion (E) and neuroticism (N) were obtained from a sample of 25 Ss. A Principal Components analysis of the data disclosed factors which were identified tentatively as extinctive/reactive inhibition, transmarginal inhibition, and appetitive and aversive inhibitory strength. N loaded the transmarginal inhibition factor, and I(Introversion) the appetitive inhibitory strength factor. It is suggested that the role of E in appetitive CR extinction may be a function of the extent to which inhibitory strength is involved in inhibitory dynamism.


Familial vulnerability for experimental neurosis.

This summary review of work from one specialized laboratory provides background for the ensuing theoretical discussion concerning experimental neurosis in one inbred strain of purebred pointers. These animals respond selectively to negative reinforcements provided adventitiously in the laboratory environment. The inherited vulnerability of this neurotic strain is contrasted with the high "immunity" of a parallel line in the same laboratory environment.


Fetal and neonatal ventricular arrhythmia.

Ventricular arrhythmia in the perinatal period is observed with greater frequency than reported in the literature. Four cases from the authors' experience and an analysis of the literature are presented. Of the total of 45 cases, nine were detected in utero, three persisted beyond the neonatal period, and two resulted in death with associated disorders. Twenty-four percent of the entire group had serious medical disorders associated with arrhythmia; however, 43% of the group with ventricular tachycardia had major associated disease.


Further characterisation of a nucleic acid binding protein.

A glycoprotein which binds to nucleic acids has now been purified from Ustilago maydis until free from detectable deoxyribonuclease activity. It binds to a variety of substrates and in doing so, makes them soluble in dilute trichloroacetic acid. Physical studies suggest that it forms a variety of aggregates under low ionic strength, but at high ionic strength the monomer consists of a single polypeptide chain. Preliminary experiments have detected this novel binding activity in bacterial, fungal and mammalian cells.


Non-effect of Massachusetts cement kiln dust upon the food intake, body weight, or activity of female rats.

The addition of Georgia cement kiln dust to the diet of cattle or weanling male rats has been reported to increase body weight and feed efficiency. We attempted to replicate these effects by adding kiln dust to the Purina laboratory chow of adult female rats. Massachusetts cement kiln dust caused no significant change in food intake, weight gain, or activity. The kiln dust effect appears, therefore to depend upon (a) ingredients peculiar to Georgia kiln dust, (b) age (juveniles vs. adults), (c) sex and/or (d) deficiencies of the control diet.


Physical dependence following prolonged ethanol or t-butanol administration to rats.

Rats were fed on liquid diets containing ethanol or t-butanol. On removal of either alcohol from the diet after 4-20 days, withdrawal reactions were observed. The range of withdrawal signs produced by the two alcohols were identical although the time course of the withdrawal reactions differed. Administration of one alcohol prevented the appearance of a withdrawal reaction in rats dependent on the other alcohol. Depletion of brain noradrenaline and dopamine did not prevent the development of physical dependence on either alcohol. Thus, neither aldehyde formation nor brain catecholamines appear to be involved in the development of physical dependence on these alcohols.