Measurement of diurnal core temperatures of rats in operant cages by AM telemetry.

A special AM telemetric system of recording core temperature was developed for rats working in individual, adjacent operant conditioning chambers within a sound-attenuated room. The system monitored core temperatures of each rat continuously and recorded them, in degrees Celsius, every 30 min so that diurnal patterns and fluctuations after saline or drug injections could be determined. Periodic comparisons showed close agreement with temperatures recorded by a rectal probe.


Banded filaments associated with the aster yellows MLO in Vinca rosea L.

The ultrastructure of an aster yellows mycoplasma-like organism was studied in the phloem of periwinkle (Vinca rosea L.) plants. Banded filaments were observed in association with mycoplasma-like organisms of characteristic morphology. The filaments were variable in length, from 50-100 nm in width, and displayed a regular periodic banding of alternating electron-dense and electron-lucent structures.


Osmotic effects on radial growth rate and specific growth rate of three soil fungi.

The radial growth rate on osmotically adjusted agar medium and the relative specific growth rate in osmotically adjusted liquid medium were determined for Rhizoctonia solani, Pythium ultimum, and Verticillium dahliae. On basal medium, an isolate of P. ultimum and R. solani had similar radial growth rates of 0.52 and 0.47 mm/h, respectively, whereas V. dahliae grew at a rate of 0.08 mm/h. Radial growth rate was reduced 50% at osmotic potentials of -16, -27, and -32 bars for P. ultimum, R. solani, and V. dahliae, respectively. No growth occurred at -32 bars for P. ultimum, -56.2 bars for R. solani, and -100 bars for V. dahlia. Specific growth rates in liquid culture were 0.011 h-1 for P. ultimum, 0.008 h-1 for V. dahliae, and 0.026 h-1 for R. solani. Ratios of radial growth rate (Kr) to specific growth rate (alphas) were computed for each fungus growing at different osmotic potentials. There was not a constant relationship between Kr on agar and alphas in liquid medium, e.g., Kr/alphas ratios varied from 8-41% from a mean ratio for a particular species. The results indicated that radial growth rate on osmotic agar was not useful as a measure of relative specific growth rate of a fungus in osmotically adjusted liquid medium.


Ouabain induced stereotyped behavior in rats.

Stereotyped behavior was induced in rats with ouabain administered intraventricularly in doses of 2, 3 and 4 microgram in 50 microliter saline. Haloperiodol reduced the stereotyped behaviour. Monoamine turnover studies showed a reduction in concentration of norepinephrine in hippocampus and midbrain, an increase in norepinephrine turnover in the medulla oblongata and a reduction in dopamine turnover in the striatum. The interpretation of these finds is discussed. It is suggested that this model could be significant clinically as it demonstrates that impairment of Na+-K+-ATP'ase may result in behavioral abnormalities characterised by stereotypy.


Paralytic shellfish poisoning.

Two cases of paralytic shellfish poisoning after ingestion of mussels occurred in October 1977 in Nova Scotia. The incidence of this type of poisoning is relatively high among persons living on the coast of the Bay of Fundy and the estuary of the St. Lawrence River. The causative organism, Gonyaulax tamarensis, elaborates an endotoxin, saxitoxin, that blocks neuromuscular transmission in the motor axon and muscle membrane while leaving the end-plate unaffected; it also suppresses conduction in the atrioventricular node and inhibits the respiratory centre. The clinical manifestations are unique and include numbness of the lips, tongue and fingertips within minutes of ingestion of the poisoned shellfish, then numbness of the legs, arms and neck, with general muscular incoordination, and finally respiratory distress and muscular paralysis. Treatment is symptomatic and prevention can only occur by public education.


Carcinoid of the uterine cervix: a case report with light and electron microscopic studies.

The case of a 33-year-old woman with primary carcinoid of the uterine cervix is reported. Primary carcinoid tumor is well known to occur in organs such as the gastrointestinal tract, lung and gonads. However, its occurrence in the uterine cervix is rare. To our knowledge, primary carcinoid of the uterine cervix has not been reported from the United States, although it has been well documented by non-American authors. Light microscopically, the tumor was characterized by formation of solid nests, trabeculae and glands. The cells therein showed argyrophil granules but were negative for argentaffin reaction. Electron microscopy revealed the presence of numerous neurosecretory granules and microfilaments. On the basis of light microscopic ultrastructural and cytochemical properties, the tumor is believed to arise from the normal argyrophil cell of the cervix and is regarded as an endocrine tumor, a member of the group of neoplasms called apudomas.


Egg lectin of Rana japonica and its receptor glycoprotein of Ehrlich tumor cells.

Egg lectin of Rana japonica, which specifically agglutinates transformed cells but does not agglutinate nontransformed cells and erythrocytes, has been isolated by gel filtration and successive ion-exchange chromatographies on diethylaminoethyl cellulose and carboxymethylcellulose columns and has been characterized as a homogeneous carbohydrate-free protein with a relative molecular weight of 13,500. The lectin, at a concentration of 1 microgram/0.1 ml, causes obvious cytoagglutination of various transformed and tumor cell. The receptor of the Erlich ascites tumor cells which inhibits the lectin-induced agglutination of the Ehrlich ascites tumor cells has been isolated and characterized. The receptor was solubilized from Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells by treating a tumor cell suspension with insolubilized trypsin, and the solubilized receptor was isolated by gel filtration through Sephadex G-100, followed by ion-exchange chromatography on diethylaminoethyl cellulose. The receptor was identified as a homogeneous glycoprotein having about 25% carbohydrate. The receptor, at a concentration of 4 microgram/0.1 ml, completely inhibited the cytoagglutination of the Ehrlich carcinoma cells caused by three agglutination doses (about 3 microgram/0.1 ml) of the R. japonica lectin.


Transcatheter embolization of the kidney with butyl-2-cyanoacrylate: experimental and clinical results.

The technique and efficacy of therapeutic catheter embolization of the kidney with butyl-2-cyanoacrylate (Histoacryl) were studied in 80 rabbits (including control groups) and in 10 dogs. A mixture of butyl-2-cyanoacrylate, 50% glucose, and tantalum powder was used for the embolization. Complete and permanent vascular occlusion was found in nearly all cases. The main complication observed was a reflux of embolizing material into the lumbar arteries, which occurred in seven rabbits. Clinically therapeutic embolization was performed in six patients with hypernephroma. The indication for embolization in these patients, as well as in two others with iatrogenic lesions, was pronounced hematuria. Cessation of bleeding was achieved in all cases. For embolization the coaxial catheter technique is recommended; in special cases with extensive arteriovenous shunts, adjunctive balloon occlusion would be advisable.


A simple method for producing different growth fractions in vitro for use in anti-cancer drug studies.

A simple technique has been used experimentally to produce in vitro Chinese hamster ovary cells with growth fractions ranging from 0 to 100%. Known numbers of exponentially growing and plateau-phase tissue culture cells were mixed in various proportions to yield the desired final growth fraction. Cells attach to the culture flask surface within 1 hr of mixing. Treatment at that time with the nitrosourea compounds, CCNU and MeCCNU, resulted in differential drug survival sensitivities that were dependent upon the growth fraction of the population treated.


Diurnal variation in proliferative compartments and their relation to cryptogenic cells in the mouse colon.

The depth of the crypts in mouse descending colon varied diurnally, between twenty-six cells at 24.00 hours and thirty-eight cells at 12.00 hours. Cell loss from the colon was greatest immediately before the maximum faeces production, at the beginning of the dark period. The labelling index of the colon also changed, from 9% at 20.00 hours to 16% at 12.00 hours. The greatest variation in labelling index occurred at the top of the zone of proliferative cells, between the ninth and eighteenth cell position up the crypt. In this region a synchronized cohort of about forty cells apparently entered S phase once a day. Although the length of the proliferative zone doubled at 12.00 hours, that of the non-proliferative zone remained fairly constant all day. The number of cryptogenic cells per crypt was estimated by comparing single and split-dose X-ray survival curves. This gave a mean value of two cryptogenic cells per crypt. Crypts rarely regenerated from the base after irradiation. The cryptogenic cells probably lay between cell positions Nos 9 and 18 up the crypt and probably did not function as stem cells in the normal crypt.


The mechanism of microtubule associated cytoplasmic transport. Isolation and preliminary characterisation of a microtubule transport system.

The nutritive tubes of telotrophic insect ovaries are cytoplasmic channels along which ribosomes are transported over distances of several mm from trophic  cells to the developing oocytes. The presence within the nutritive tubes of a massive number of orientated microtubules renders them strongly birefringent in polarised light, a property which, together with their size, rendered them amenable to isolation by microdissection. Ultrastructurally the isolated tubes were indistinguishable from undissected controls. Polyacrylamide gels revealed a consistent pattern of some 30 bands of which tubulin was the most prominent. The tubes also contained a band which comigrated with the major high molecular weight microtubule associated protein (MAP) from mouse brain but no detectable actin, myosin or dynein. Microtubules in the isolated tubes were not depolymerised by treatments (cold, calcium and colchicine) which typically disrupt cytoplasmic microtubules. Following extraction of the membrane enclosing the tubes and the cytoplasmic matrix the microtubule cytoskeleton persisted, retaining its cylindrical organisation although no bridges between the microtubules were detected in the electron microscope. The possibility that the stability and spatial deployment of the nutritive tube microtubules is conferred by specific microtubule accessory proteins is discussed.


Ultrastructure and cytochemistry study of the yolk syncytial layer in the alevin of trout (Salmo fario trutta L.) after hatching. I. The vitellolysis zone.

After hatching, the yolk syncytial layer of Salmo fario trutta may be subdivided into two zones, namely, the vitellolysis zone (containing numerous yolk platelets), and the cytoplasmic zone (where yolk platelets are rare). In the vitellolysis zone, two stages in the utilization of the yolk are observed: 1) The first stage, comprises the formation of yolk platelets from coalescent yolk by spherical cutting out and basal scission. This process seems to be achieved by the invagination of fibrillar elements into the coalescent yolk to form individual yolk platelets surrounded by a limiting membrane. 2) The second stage essentially consists of the extrusion or budding of yolk matter from a yolk platelet. Again, where the yolk matter leaves a platelet, fibrillar elements are evident and show an alkaline phosphatase activity. The platelets of the vitellolysis zone have a homogeneous content and variable diameter; they never acquire a heterogeneous and polymorphic aspect which could be interpreted as an intermediate stage in their degradation.


Immunocytochemical demonstration of separate vasopressin-neurophysin and oxytocin-neurophysin neurons in the human hypothalamus.

With the use of immunocytochemistry, it was shown that both the supraoptic and paraventricular hypothalamic nuclei in humans contain at least two different neurophysins. These two human neurophysins are immunologically related to bovine neurophysin I and neurophysin II, respectively. One human neurophysin is associated with vasopressin, the other wiht oxytocin. Human vasopressin-neurophysin and oxytocin-neurophysin are located separately in two different types of neurons, which correspond respectively to the vasopressinergic and oxytocinergic neurons of both the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei. The neurophysin of the human vasopressinergic suprachiasmatic neurons appears to be closely related to or identical with neurophysin of the vasopressinergic neurons of the human magnocellular hypothalamic nuclei.


Detailed neurite morphologies of sister neurolbastoma cells are related.

Neuroblastoma cells exhibit a wide variety of patterns of neurite morphology. However, when these cells are induced to extend neurites under conditions in which mitotic sister cells are readily identifiable, 60% of these sister pairs display analogous morphologies. These cells are related either as identical twins or as mirror images of each other. The relatedness is expressed in considerable detail of neurite morphology. These relationshiops can persist through at least two cell divisions. The results suggest that animal cells can inherit specific determinants of shape.


Middle ear effusions: a consideration of factors involved in their aetiology, maintenance and treatment.

Although the treatment of chronic middle ear effusion in children by paracentesis and the insertion of a ventilator tube is popular, it is well recognized that this method does not always provide a cure. Failures are frequently attributed to premature extrusion of the tube. Success in designing a 'long-stay tube' will depend upon a better understanding of the pathogenesis of middle ear effusion. Some of the various factors considered responsible for the initiation and maintenance of middle ear effusion are discussed and the possible mechanisms of tube extrusion are considered.


The human X-chromosome and the levels of serum immunoglobulin M.

The serum concentrations of immunoglobulins G, A and M were measured in a sample of 93 pairs of monozygotic twins, their spouses, and their offspring. The hypothesis that the human X-chromosome carries genes which control the levels of immunoglobulin M was tested with three different approaches. Our results indicate that environmental factors are primarily responsible for the observed variation in the levels of IgG and IgA. The variance of IgM seems to be mostly the result of X-linked gene effects, with women having higher IgM levels than men.


[An example of research on biological control: Entomophthora fungi pathogenic for aphids].

The results obtained in 15 years of research on the Entomophthorales pathogen of aphids showed the importance of the action of these fungi in the regulation of natural aphid populations and their possible use in agriculture as a biological control agent. Recent ecological studies on natural populations of aphids established the seasonal variation of the different fungal species and the diverse degrees of specificity between the species or groups of species of aphid and the various species of Entomophthora. The study of populations dynamics of an aphid species on a cultivated plant permitted the determination of the way a certain number of biotic and abiotic factors, such as temperature, humidity, thresholds of the insect population and of the infecting fungus lead to an epizootic development. If the air propagation of the disease by conidia is understood for a long time, the role of the soil as a reservoir for the infecting fungus has been demonstrated recently. Under favourable climatic conditions, the use of industrially produced resistant resting spores would allow the regulation of aphid populations in nature.


Swimmer's itch. A review and case report.

The historical development of Swimmer's Itch is reviewed and details of investigative work done to discover the etiology and pathogenesis of the disease are presented. The distribution, life cycle, and necessary conditions for disease are discussed. A small epidemic of Swimmer's Itch in Lake Michigan is reported.


Acute valvular insufficiency complicating hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy.

This report describes a patient with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy complicated by acute aortic and probably mitral valvular incompetence caused by endocarditis due to Staphylococcus aureus. Following the onset of valvular insufficiency, this patient developed hypotension and pulmonary edema and eventually underwent cardiac surgery in an attempt to control these complications. We review the unique pathophysiology of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy and its alterations in the presence of acute valvular incompetence and analyze the limitations of medical management of cardiac decompensation in patients with this combination of cardiac abnormalities. The possible need for early surgery in such patients is examined.


Calcific pulmonic stenosis in adulthood: treatment by valve replacement (porcine xenograft) with postoperative hemodynamic evaluation.

Clinical and morphologic features are described in a 56-year-old man in whom severe, isolated pulmonic valve stenosis was treated by valve replacement with a porcine prosthesis. The calcific deposits were located on the ventricular aspect of the pulmonic valve, opposite the location (arterial aspect) of calcific deposits on stenotic aortic valves, and calcific deposits also were present in the tricuspid valve anulus.


Evidence that control of fetal thyrotropin secretion is independent of both the fetal and maternal hypothalamus.

Propylthiouracil (PTU) administered to pregnant rats from day 18-21 of gestation caused a significant increase in maternal and fetal thyroid weight and plasma TSH. Fetal encephalectomy on day 18 did not significantly affect basal or PTU-stimulated pituitary-thyroid function. Destruction of the basal hypothalamus in the mother on day 13 or 16 markedly reduced maternal plasma TSH and thyroxine and prevented a PTU-induced increase in thyroid size, but did not affect fetal pituitary-thyroid function. Plasma PRL, was undetectable in both intact and encephalectomized fetuses at 21 days but was increased greater than 6-fold to approximately 2 microgram/ml in the mothers by maternal hypothalamic destruction. We conclude that fetal pituitary-thyroid function in the rat is not dependent on either fetal or maternal hypothalamic TRH.


Displacement of estradiol from estrogen receptors by simple alkyl phenols.

Simple alkyl phenols have been tested for their ability to prevent the binding of [3H]estradiol and to displace the prebound hormone from estrogen receptors of uterine cytosols. Tetrahydronaphthol, an analog of the A and B rings of estradiol, is highly effective in preventing the forward bindng of estradiol. p-sec-Amyl phenol (pSAP) with a flexible alkyl chain corresponding to the B ring of estradiol is highly effective at 0 C in displacing estradiol which had been prebound by the receptor. Both compounds were more effective at  0 C than at 23 C. The data are discussed in terms of sequential conformational changes which might be required for the binding and release of the natural hormones and their possible relevance to receptor action.


Prolactin during pregnancy and lactation in the rabbit.

By using a specific heterologous double-antibody RIA, changes in the blood levels of PRL during pregnancy, pseudopregnancy, and lactation have been investigated for the first time in the rabbit. Blood levels fluctuate during early and midpregnancy in a manner similar to that in pseudopregnancy. Levels decline in the third trimester of pregnancy and increase dramatically (3- to 25-fold) at or 1--2 days before delivery. Pituitary levels of PRL showed no significant alteration, and fetal serum and amniotic fluid levels of PRL remain low (less than 10 ng/ml) throughout pregnancy. No significant PRL-like, GH-like, or placental lactogen-like activity could be demonstrated either in serum or in extracts of placenta (n = 262) taken between days 10 and 31 of pregnancy. Postpartum blood levels of PRL were similar in lactating and postpartum nonlactating females. In lactating females, suckling evoked an immediate increase (15- to 25-fold) in circulating PRL levels. Handling the female or the iv injection of oxytocin during lactation did not cause PRL release. In contrast, manual test stimulation caused an immediate increase in blood levels of PRL and a response pattern very similar to that of natural suckling. These results suggest that PRL release during suckling occurs solely in response to the tactile stimulation of the teats.


Maternal and fetal concentrations of ovine placental lactogen measured by radioimmunoassay.

A specific and sensitive homologous RIA for ovine placental lactogen (oPL) has been developed. The assay is specific for oPL in that ovine pituitary PRL (oPRL), GH (oGH), and other pituitary hormones, as well as rat, caprine, bovine, monkey, and human PLs exhibit no cross-reaction in the assay. The lower limit of sensitivity of the assay is 1.0 ng/ml. In uterine vein samples oPL was measurable after day 40 of gestation and in peripheral sera after day 48 (3.5 +/- 1.9 ng/ml). Peripheral plasma oPL concentrations reached peak levels by day 131--141 (649 +/- 205--565 +/- 347 ng/ml), then began to decline approximately 5 days before parturition and disappeared rapidly after delivery. No significant circadian variation in serum oPL concentrations was found during a 4-day period of sampling from day 120--125 of gestation. Fetal serum oPL levels ranged from 24--150 ng/ml throughout pregnancy. oPL was measurable in fetal membranes as early as day 20--30 (0.21 +/- 0.06 microgram/g wet wt), whereas the concentration in maternal caruncles at this time was 0.1 +/- 0.06 microgram/g wet wt. In the placentomes, peak concentrations occurred around day 101--130. Peak concentrations of oPL in allantoic fluid were found between day 35--50, with detectable levels as early as day 18. In amniotic fluid, oPL was measurable between day 40--50. Concentrations of oPL in urine from the pregnant ewe never exceeded 5 ng/ml.


Persistent estrus and blockade of progesterone-induced LH release follows lesions which do not damage the suprachiasmatic nucleus.

Very small electrolytic lesions were made over the anterior or posterior portion of the optic chiasm in mature female rats showing normal estrous cycles. Lesions over the posterior portion of chiasm destroyed the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus (SCN) while the anterior lesions destroyed a small neural structure, here designated as the medial preoptic nucleus (MPN). Both lesions were effective in inducing persistent vaginal estrus, but when animals were ovariectomized and treated with exogenous and progesterone it was found that lesions including the MPN alone, but not the SCN alone, eliminated the positive feedback effects of this steroid regimen on LH release.


Growth hormone release in conscious pinealectomized and sham-operated male rats.

Conscious, adult male, sham-operated (control), and pinealectomized (Pect) rats with chronic jugular cannulae were bled during the day or night. Daytime samples were obtained from rats housed singly in small cages, while the night samples were obtained from animals on a reversed light-dark cycle kept in a larger isolation cubicle. During the day, controls showed frequent secretory bursts of GH release, as evidenced by dramatic elevations of plasma GH with a periodicity of 2.3 h. In the Pect rats, there was a more variable GH release, with some animals showing spikes similar in amplitude to those of controls and others showing no spikes. There were significantly fewer GH values in excess of 150 ng/ml after Pect, and GH release over the total period of sampling, calculated from the area under the plasma GH curve, was significantly reduced. During the night, plasma GH spikes of controls were significantly reduced in frequency and amplitude, but these were not further significantly reduced by Pect. Under our conditions, there was a diurnal change in GH release with reduced release at night. Pinealectomy significantly reduced GH release during the day but did not significantly further reduce GH release at night.


Stimulation of human fibroblast protein, ribonucleic acid, and deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis by bovine growth hormone fragments.

Bovine GH and two fragments which were obtained by dissociation of a limited tryptic digest of the hormone stimulated protein, RNA, and DNA synthesis of contact-inhibited human fibroblasts. The stimulation of protein, RNA, and DNA synthesis was similar for the test substances. Maximal stimulation was noted at 10 nM. At that concentration, protein, RNA, and DNA synthesis were respectively increased 1.80, 1.42, and 1.37 times by GH; 1.93, 1.27, and 1.46 times by A-I (the larger fragment); and 1.99, 1.26, and 1.33 times by A-II (the smaller fragment). The action of GH, A-I, and A-II was similar to that of fetal calf serum, but was distinguished by the time course of stimulation and by the magnitude of the response. For example, GH, A-I, and A-II produced their earliest detectable effect at 10 h for protein synthesis, 22 h for RNA synthesis, and 26 h for DNA synthesis. On the other hand, serum stimulated protein, RNA, and DNA synthesis at 6, 10, and 16 h, respectively. These data show that human fibroblasts respond equally to GH, A-I, and A-II and suggest that there may be more than one "active site" in the GH molecule. Lastly, human fibroblasts may represent a useful system to study the actions of GH in vitro.


Receptors for androgen and estrogen in the rat lung.

By the use of sucrose density gradient and protamine sulfate analyses, the cytosol fraction of rat lung has been found to contain binding activities for both androgenic and estrogenic steroids. These activities are present in lungs of rats of both sexes and at all ages examined. Both activities interacted stereospecifically with, and possessed high affinity for, the respective ligand, and sedimented in the 8-9S region of low salt sucrose density gradients. The androgen-binding activity appeared to bind 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and testosterone with similar affinities, but in vitro, whole lung incubation studies demonstrated that DHT is the perdominant androgen found in lung nuclei. In the immature male rat, removal of endogenous androgen by castration-adrenalectomy had no effect on DHT-binding activity in lung cytosol. In the adult, however, this procedure led to a marked cycloheximide-sensitive increase in binding activity. During postnatal development in male rats, relatively constant levels of both androgen- and estrogen-binding activities were found in the lung until the peripubertal period, from which time a striking increase in DHT binding and a decline in that of estradiol were observed. In female rats, cyclic changes in the level of both binding activities were evident during the estrous cycle. When considered in the light of evidence that sex steroids influence certain aspects of lung biochemistry, these data suggest that the demonstrated binding activities represent hormone receptor activities which may mediate a variety of biological events in the lung.


Cytoplasmic estrogen receptors and estrogen concentrations in bovine uterine endometrium.

Specific cytoplasmic binding of 17beta-[3H]estradiol ([3H]E2beta) by unoccupied receptors in bovine uterine endometrium was determined by saturation analysis and correlated with endometrium levels of E2beta in 21 cows. The concentrations of these estrogen receptors (ER) during the estrous cycle were significantly greater during proestrus, estrus, and postestrus (days 18-20 and 0-4 of the cycle) than during the midluteal period (days 10-12; P less than 0.05). These increases in ER concentration paralleled increases in endometrial and plasma E2beta concentrations. In a preliminary experiment involving six heifers killed during the estrous cycle, a comparison of the ER concentrations of the horns ipsilateral and contralateral to the corpus luteum showed no significant differences, as did a study of the dissociation constant of the steroid-receptor interaction during the estrous cycle and early pregnancy. The order of inhibition of cytoplasmic binding of [3H]E2beta by estrogens was as follows: E2beta greater than E1 greater than E2alpha greater than E3 at 4 C. The concentration of ER in six pregnant animals was higher on days 2-3 than on days 13-14 after insemination, which was similar to that found in cycling animals; however, the difference between days was not significant. Ovariectomy of two heifers resulted in slightly higher ER concentrations than in intact heifers, whereas immunization of two heifers with an E2beta conjugate resulted in levels 2-fold higher. In these altered animals plasma progesterone (P4) was nearly nondetectable. ER concentration was inversely related to the level of plasma P4 in cycling heifers (r = -0.58, P less than 0.01). Endometrial estrogen and plasma estrogen levels were also inversely correlated with plasma P4 levels (r = -0.65, P less than 0.01 and r = -0.48, P less than 0.05, respectively). Thus, if P4 level influences ER levels, the hormone may make the tissue less responsive to ovarian estrogens at such time as the luteal phase of the cycle and during pregnancy.


Identification of cytochrome P-450, and its distribution in the membrana granulosa of the preovulatory follicle, using quantitative cytochemistry.

The distribution of cytochrome P-450 (C-P450), an essential component of the oxidative enzyme system involved in the hydroxylation of steroids, was measured by quantitative cytochemistry in cryostat sections of preovulatory follicles obtained from rats in proestrous. The sections were reacted with medium saturated with carbon monoxide with or without the addition of sodium dithionite. The absorbance spectrum was measured from 400 to 500 nm and a difference spectrum calculated by subtracting the extinction obtained from incubations without sodium dithionite from that obtained in the presence of sodium dithionite. A distinct peak at 450nm was recorded in cells of the peripheral portion of the membrana granulosa (MG) but not in those of the cumulus, providing evidence for the presence and differential distribution of C-P450 in the MG of the preovulatory follicle.


Rabbit ovarian protein kinases. II. Effect of an ovulatory dose of human chorionic gonadotropin or luteinizing hormone on the multiplicity of follicular and luteal protein kinases.

DEAE-cellulose chromatography of the 105,000 X g supernatant fraction (cytosol) obtained from popped estrous rabbit follicles revealed the presence of a single form of cAMP-dependent protein kinase, designated protein kinase 3. The iv injection of an ovulatory dose of hCG to estrous rabbits promoted the appearance of a second, transient peak of cytosol cAMP-dependent protein kinase, protein kinase 1. Protein kinase 1 was detected within 10 min of hCG administration but had regressed to undetectable levels by 24 h in corpora lutea (CL) of pseudopregnancy and by 72 h in CL of pregnancy. Ovulation and subsequent CL formation were accompanied by the appearance of a third form of cAMP-dependent protein kinase, designated protein kinase 2. Protein kinase 2 was present within 2 h after hCG administration and persisted as a major form of cytosol cAMP-dependent protein kinase throughout the life span of CL. All three forms of protein kinase were inhibited by the heat-stable protein kinase inhibitor from rabbit skeletal muscle, possessed cAMP-binding activity, and were markedly stimulated by 10(-7) M cAMP. The activity of protein kinase 3 in CL of pregnancy, in corpora albicantia, and in interstitial tissue was markedly greater than that in follicles or in CL of pseudopregnancy, while the activity of protein kinase 2 remained relatively constant throughout the luteal life span. The iv injection of a luteolytic dose of hCG to 4-day pseudopregnant rabbits promoted no alterations of the protein kinase elution profile upon DEAE-cellulose chromatography of the luteal cytosol obtained 10 min to 3 days post-hCG injection. However, with dedifferentiation of corpora albicantia into interstitial tissue, the cAMP dependency of protein kinase 2 was reduced. The results indicate that the enzymatic activity and multiplicity of cAMP-dependent protein kinases in the cytosol of ovarian structures are subject to regulation by LH (hCG) and depend upon the various reproductive stages of the rabbit.


The actions of serotonin, norepinephrine, and epinephrine on hypothalamic processes leading to adenohypophyseal luteinizing hormone release.

The effects of third ventricle (3V) infusion of exogenous monoamines on the secretion of LH were investigated in Nembutal-blocked proestrous rats after electrochemical stimulation (ECS) of the medial preoptic area (MPOA). Two microcannulae were anatomically oriented through the ventral surface of the brain to establish a push-pull flow system in the 3V at the rate of 3.9 microliter/min for 160 min. Serotonin perfusions (2.6 x 10(-3) M for 160 min at 3.9 microgram/min) significantly depressed the MPOA-ECS-induced rise in plasma LH at 160 and 200 min, but did not diminish the secretion of LH after an intraatrial injection of 250 ng LRH. Seemingly, the reduced plasma LH which follows MPOA-ECS in serotonin-treated rats is the consequence of decreased hypothalamic LRH secretion. Desipramine (3.6 x 10(-4) M), a norepinephrine (NE) uptake inhibitor, did not prevent serotonin inhibition. In contrast, the specific serotonin uptake inhibitor. Lilly 110140 (3.2 X 10(-4) M), and cyproheptadine (2.9 x 10(-4) M) blocked the inhibitory effects of serotonin. Serotonin was also tested in proestrous rats anesthetized with Nembutal within 1 h after the beginning of the light cycle (morning rats) and in proestrous rats at least 15 min after the start of the dark cycle (night rats). Serotonin (2.6 x 10(-3) M) failed to diminish the rise in plasma LH after ECS in morning rats, but depressed the ECS-induced increase of LH in night rats. Perfusions of 3 X 10(-8) M NE at 3.9 microliter/min for 160 min augmented the plasma LH increase after MPOA-ECS but only at 160 and 200 min, while its response to LRH was not tested. At higher concentrations, 3 x 10(-6) M NE markedly suppressed the rise in plasma LH after ECS and also depressed the secretion of LH after an intraatrial injection of LRH. In contrast, 3 x 10(-6) M epinephrine which inhibited the response to LRH, potentiated the MPOA-ECS-induced rise in plasma LH. Higher concentrations of epinephrine (3 x 10(-4) M), however, inhibited both the ECS and LRH-induced secretion of LH.


Hyperprolactinemia-induced precocious puberty in the female rat: ovarian site of action.

Hyperprolactinemia induced in immature female rats by chronic treatment with sulpiride, a dopaminergic receptor blocker, resulted in advancement of the onset of puberty. While serum PRL levels increased promptly after initiation of the treatment and remained elevated throughout the entire period studied (day 22 to first diestrus after vaginal opening), gonadotropin levels did not appear to be altered and increased abruptly only at the time of the first preovulatory surge. Except for a decrease during the first diestrus, serum TSH and GH were not consistently altered by sulpiride. After 5 days of treatment, serum progesterone levels, but not those of androgens, were increased in hyperprolactinemic (HP) rats. Uterine weight, taken as an index of estrogen secretion, was unambiguously increased in HP rats, the first significant difference being observed 5 days after initiation of the sulpiride treatment (day 27). Ovarian estrogen and progesterone responsiveness of normal animals to gonadotropins, as determined by in vitro release of the steroids after incubation with hCG, increased with age. The response was dramatically enhanced in HP rats, its magnitude increasing markedly as the animals approached puberty. Androgen response to hCG was, however, similar in HP and control rats. In vitro release of adrenal progesterone, but not that of estrogen or androgens, was slightly enhanced in HP rats. When sulpiride treatment was terminated on the first day of diestrus after vaginal opening, the animals continued to show estrous cycles. By contrast, maintenance of the treatment for several days after vaginal opening resulted in a condition of constant diestrus. The results suggest that one of the mechanisms by which PRL induces precocious puberty in the female rat is by sensitizing the ovaries to the low circulating gonadotropin levels observed during the prepubertal period. In addition, PRL also seems to stimulate progesterone secretion by the adrenal glands.


Long term effect of teflutixol on apomorphine-induced stereotypy and vomiting in dogs.

Dose--response relationships to apomorphine-induced vomiting and stereotyped running behaviour have been determined in dogs before, and up to 24 and 28 days respectively, after daily oral treatment with 2.5 mg/kg of teflutixol or 12 days. The ED50 values for apomorphine-induced vomiting after teflutixol were not different from those obtained before treatment. Stereotyped running behaviour of increasing intensity was seen 4--12 days after teflutixol treatment. The intensity then declined and returned to normal. The results suggest that the nigro-neostriatal dopamine system in dogs became hypersensitive after prolonged teflutixol treatment, while the dopamine receptors of the emetic chemotrigger zone did not.


Dopaminergic antagonism and catalepsy in the developing rat.

The cataleptic effect of the dopaminergic blockers spiroperidol and haloperidol was investigated in developing rats. Both neuroleptics were found to produce less catalepsy in 15 day old rats than in either 10 or 20 day old animals. It is proposed that the decrement in catalepsy occurring between 10 and 15 days of age is related to increased dopaminergic activity in the neostriatum. The reversal of this phenomenon by 20 days may be a consequence of maturation of cholinergic local circuit neurons.


Effects of morphine and related drugs on core temperature of two strains of rat.

The changes in core temperature induced by low (5 mg/kg) and high (40 mg/kg) doses of morphine were compared in Wistar and Sprague-Dawley rats. In Sprague-Dawley rats the low dose caused a hyperthermia and the high dose a hypothermia but in Wistar rats both doses caused a hyperthermia. In either case the change in core temperature was antagonized by naloxone (2 mg/kg). Tolerance to the effects of the high dose of morphine developed in both strains of rat. Dextromoramide (3.75 and 15 mg/kg) also had an effect on core temperature, but in this case the responses of the strains were opposite to those seen with morphine. Laevomoramide was relatively ineffective. Naloxone (2 mg/kg) had no effect on the ability of rats of either strain to withstand heat or cold stress, providing no evidence that endogenous morphine-like substances have a physiological role in thermoregulation.


Arrangement of nucleosomes in condensed chromatin fibres.

Condensed chromatin shows globules of 300 A formed by approximately 8 to 10 nucleosomes. Each globule might be an uncoiled turn of a supercoil. This supercoil forms major coils along the fibre.


Tsetse fly reactions to light and humidity gradients.

Tsetse flies are positively phototactic below about 30 degree C and negatively phototactic above it. The flies show a preference for the wet end of a humidity gradient and the bright end of a dorsal light intensity gradient. Studies of activity levels indicate that tsetse flies should aggregate in damp situations where the activity levels is minimal, whereas in practice the flies are distributed throughout the whole of gradient. Analyses of the water and fat content of experimental flies indicates that the reactions of individual flies is determined by their physiological condition and the conditions under which the flies have previously been kept. Previous ecological studies on the reactions of flies to humidity and light stimuli need to be reassessed in the light of these findings.


A comparative study of the effects of muscimol and diazepam on the recall of noxious events.

Muscimol induced in rats a recall deficit which possibly results from a dissociation of learning. In one out of the 2 experimental conditions studied, a cross dissociation of learning was found between diazepam and muscimol.


Chick and duck blastoderms can expand on each others vitelline membranes.

The expansion rates in vitro of chick and duck blastoderms transferred to each others vitelline membranes were compared with blastoderms left in place. Duck blastoderms expanded slightly faster than chick, irrespective of membrane type. There was no specificity.


Anti-estrogen inhibition of testosterone-stimulated aggression in mice.

Testosterone-stimulated intermale aggression in castrated mice can be reversibly inhibited by anti-estrogen administration suggesting that estrogen formation and actions in the brain may be required for testosterone's behavioral actions.


The fractional postcoital test: a reappraisal.

Postcoital tests (PCTs) were conducted following artificial insemination with either live or dead spermatozoa. The cervical mucus samples were analyzed for sperm counts and acid phosphatase activity. The results indicate that the final distribution of mucus and sperm in the PCT sampling catheter is not truly representative of their original distribution within the cervix. Moreover, PCTs done after insemination with semen containing only dead sperm yield unrealistically high sperm counts and high cervical mucus acid phosphatase levels. This is apparently due to the translocation of semen from the area of the external os into the mucus sample by the sampling catheter. This problem can be largely prevented by removing a plug of mucus from the external os prior to the catheter sampling procedure.


The influence of insemination timing and semen characteristics on the efficiency of a donor insemination program.

The analysis of accumulated data from conceptional and nonconceptional ovulatory menstrual cycles of patients undertaking artificial donor insemination has allowed some observations to be made on the practical aspects which may influence the efficiency of the program. The evidence suggests that with the use of preserved semen, accurate timing of insemination is essential, and that days 0 and +1 with respect to the luteinizing hormone surge appear to be advantageous as compared with closely related days. When the numbers of motile spermatozoa which were inseminated over a critical 4-day interval were analyzed, the results also suggested that improved conception rates occurred when larger numbers of active spermatozoa were used. A comparison was made between those patients who had been inseminated on a single occasion and those inseminated on more than one occasion during the periovulatory period. The results obtained from those cycles inseminated on a single occasion were inferior to those obtained from cycles inseminated more than once. Finally, some limited comparison is drawn between the established insemination programs of bovine husbandry and the relatively inefficient human experience. One explanation may lie in the wider spectrum of donor semen desirable for the human programs.


[Relationship between the phase of the sex cycle and differences in the rate of hexenal detoxication and its induction by phenobarbital in female rats].

Differences in hexenal detoxication rate and its induction with small doses of phenobarbital in mongrel female rats, depending upon the stage of the sex cycle, were investigated. The application of the hexobarbital test demonstrated that the duration of a continuous lateral position and re-establishment of locomotion after administration of a standard dose of hexobarbital in the stages of proestrus and estrus are much shorter than they are in the stages meta- and diestrus. In females pretreated with small doses of phenobarbital were found the same temporal correlations of sleep and restored locomotion during corresponding cycles following administration of hexobarbital as in controls, but their levels proved 2-3 times lower respectively than they were in control females. Low doses of phenobarbital (10, 10 and 20 mg/kg) used in the present experiments are nearly as effective as are doses almost by one order higher (80-150 mg/kg), used by other authors.


[Relationship between sex and the development and course of experimental chronic alcoholism].

The existence of sex differences in the development and course of experimental alcoholism in sexually mature rats (with 20 individual animals of each sex) was established. With formation of preference to a 8% ethanol solution as against water, with free access of the animals to the liquids, this process by its speed is shown to proceed quicker in males, but the females display a greater degree of preference. Moreover, the females manifest a greater lability with respect to the fortifying properties of ethanol. In framing the preference the presence of a second animal of the same or the other sex leads to a greater consumption of ethanol by the females than by males. On a repeated offering of ethanol following its cancellation the renewed preference of ethanol to water occurs in females quicker and more intensively than in males.


[Effect of piracetam on some manifestations of the effects of ethanol and acetaldehyde].

An experimental study of pyracetam (2-pyrrolidonacetamide) showed it capable to mitigate some behavioral and toxic manifestations of the action exerted by alcohol in tests on mice and rats, such as those of the "open field", "conflict situation", "rotating rod" and righting reflex. Pyracetam also attenuated some toxic symptoms of acetaldehyde in mice. It shortened the duration of coma, lessened the intensity of convulsive seizures, but it had no influence on the lethal effect of acetaldehyde. The type of the relation between doses and effects suggests the observed antagonism to be of a nonspecific nature.


Morphological research on the male gonad in long-lasting alcoholization of rats.

The research was carried out on 64 male rats of the Wistar strain aged between 3 to 4 weeks and of an initial body weight of 150 to 300 g. The observed animals were divided into 4 experimental groups and for each individual group of alcoholized rats there was a separate control group. 40 animals in the experimental group were given 40% of ethyl alcohol in a dose of 3 g/kg body weight throughout a period of 13 days the 1. group, 51 days the II. group, 102 days the III. group and 204 days the IV. group. The last dose of alcohol was given 24 h before they were killed. The macroscopic appearance and the weight of the testicles was determined. The sections of testicles were stained with hematoxyline and eosine with the Azan method according to HEIDEN-HAIN and with Masson's Three-coloured stain. In each group the diemater of the seminal tubules was measured. A gradual decrease in the size and weight of the animal testicles was ascertained together with the prolongation of the duration of alcoholization. On the basis of my own observations one can suggest that, the narrowing of the seminal tubules light is one of the first noticeable results of the negative influence of ethyl alcohol on the gonad. In the microscopic preparations of the testicles of chronically alcoholized animals an inhibition in the spermio- and spermatogenesis, degenerative changes in the periphery of the spermatogenic epithelium were noticed. The intensification of the above described changes were observed to be dependent on the duration period of alcohol intoxication.


[Obstetrical problems in patients with Glanzmann's thrombasthenia. A casuistic presentation (author's transl)].

Glanzmann's thrombasthenia is a rare, autosomal recessive disorder of bleeding arrest. The differential diagnosis of this platelet defect with respect to recently gained knowledge is presented in the case of a pregnant woman. Because of pelvic presentation a cesarean section was performed after adequate platelet substitution, which did not involve excessive blood loss. A severe puerperal infection necessitated an abdominal hysterectomy after appropriate platelet transfusion. The difficulties in testing platelet function in the newborn are discussed. The effectiveness of a commercially available homologous phospholipide complex (Fibraccel) was tested on the patient in a noncritical phase. The results appear important for general procedure when pregnancy and platelet dysfunction concur.


Spontaneous infection of white laboratory mice with Emmonsia crescens Emmons et Jellison, 1960 under natural conditions.

Fifty white laboratory mice were planted in a microbiotope in which adiaspiromycosis has been detected in 52 Microtus arvalis during the last 10 years. Four of the white mice became infected with adiaspiromycosis. Serological tests revealed the infection in two mice exposed for 3 months. After 4 months' exposure, another two mice were found to be infected and the positive serological results were confirmed by microscopical examination which revealed adiaspores in their lungs. The infection was thus detected by serological methods sooner than by microscopical examination.


[Pharmacological studies of long-acting phenothiazines with particular reference to fluphenazine decanoate (author's transl)].

A long-term study was performed on the effects of fluphenazine decanoate and the results were compared with those of fluphenazine-2HCl and fluphenazine enanthate. These agents given orally were equipotent in inhibiting the motility of mice. With subcutaneous administration, decanoate and enanthate showed a clearly prolonged action, whereas fluphenazine-2HCl was effective for only 3 days. Decanoate and enanthate did not produce marked hypothermia in rats. Like enanthate, decanoate inhibited, for a long duration, apomorphine-induced stereotyped behavior and methamphetamine group toxicity in mice, as well as induced catalepsy in rats. It was found that fluphenazine-2HCl markedly inhibited certain agonists-induced contraction of isolated preparations while enanthate and decanoate inhibited these contractions almost equally. In rats, enanthate induced a persistent hypotension and marked changes in ECG while decanoate showed a transient hypotension and slight changes in ECG. In the study of rat brain catecholamine turnover, these three drugs significantly increased dopamine turnover, and decanoate and enanthate were found to have prolonged effects. No significant change in noradrenaline turnover was observed. These results indicate that fluphenazine decanoate has the same spectrum of activity as enanthate except for its slower onset, weaker potency and longer duration of action. A prolonged tranquilizing effect was most evident.


Regulation of periodicity and intensity of photo-induced conidiation of Trichoderma viride.

After a short irradiation at 366 nm with 200 lx, the intensity of conidiation of Trichoderma viride colonies grown in the dark increased for the first 10 s proportionally with time. The increase slowed down after 10 s-5 min of exposure and after 10-60 min of irradiation the conidiation intensity began to decrease. When photo-induced by daylight, the conidiation started at a high rate after 25 h and persisted even after 48 h. The conidiation had no circadian character and its periodicity depended on the periodicity of photo-induction. Its intensity was also influenced by the carbon sources used, a maximum being reached with glucose (1-2%). Higher glucose concentrations inhibited conidiation but had no influence on growth of colonies.


Effect of volatile substances from Origanum majorana and Ocimum basilicum on spore respiration and germination of some soil fungi.

Oxygen uptake by the spores of Fusarium moniliforme, F. oxysporum, F. semitectum, F. solani, Mucor racemosus and Trichoderma viride was increased in the presence of volatile substances extracted from Origanum majorana and Ocimum basilicum. This increase was greater in the presence of volatile substances from O. basilicum than O. majorana, except in the case of F. semitectum where the reverse was true. A drop in the RQ of all the germinating spores was observed in the presence of these substances. Volatile substances from O. majorana reduced the spore germination of M. racemosus whereas the spores of T. viride were stimulated to germinate. Volatile substances from O. basilicum stimulated the spore germination of M. racemosus whereas T. viride spores were not affected.


Analysis of hog thyroglobulin. Identification of galactosamine and absence of lysinoalanine, a potential product of tyrosine coupling.

A small peak in the amino acid analysis of hog thyroglobulin was observed in the region reported for lysinoalanine and galactosamine. Since galactosamine had been previously reported absent in hog thyroglobulin, the possibility that this peak was lysinoalanine, a potential product of the coupling of two iodotyrosines, was investigated. Tests, however, showed that the material was galactosamine and that hog thyroglobulin contains no significant amount of lysinoalanine. Approximately 5 moles of galactosamine were found per mole of thyroglobulin.


[Human nitrogen balance under oral administration of egg proteins].

Long-term nitrogen balance periods over 17 and 24 days were performed in 5 healthy volunteers (2 females, 3 males) in order to evaluate the requirements under varying input of whole egg protein. Nitrogen balances are consquently influenced in a positive or negative way by increased or decreased protein intake. The estimation of protein requirements, an important precondition for evaluation of biological value of proteins and/or amino acid mixtures, however, is not influenced as far as experiments are conducted in the linear region between input and balance. In spite of considerable variations of protein intake maximum alterations of requirements of 20, and average ones of 10 per cent points are shown. Even under most unfavorable conditions of comparison potato egg pattern of amino acids administered orally and parenterally exceeds egg protein, given orally, at least by 7, atthe most by 27 points, and reported values of amino acids according to ROSE'S or to the plasma pattern by 36, 23, and 21 points.


[Antithrombotic agents for the prevention of thromboses during infraclavicular vena cava catheterizaiton].

To study the suppressibility of thrombosis due to central venous catheter phlebographically, groups of 25 patients were given low-dose-heparin, dextran 70 or salicylate (initial application preoperatively). The catheter was inserted for 6 to 8 days. As a control group 25 patients received no antithrombotic medication whatsoever. Of these cases 35% showed evidence of thrombus formation. In comparison only the patients with salicylate showed a significant reduction of catheter-induced thrombosis by 67%. By comparing the heparin to the control group  the total of thrombotic formations when planimetrically assessed results in a ration of 1:12, which is superior to dextran and salicylate.


[The human utilization of orally administered 15N-glycine].

In 7 convalescent patients we studied utilisation of a single dose of 15N-labelled glycine. In intervals we estimated total-N, urea-N, NH3-N and their 15N-abundances (urine). The following results were obtained. The peak of ammonium-15N appeared 25 minutes earlier than the  peak of urea-15 N. The cumulative elimination of total-15N amounted to 25% of uptake after 24 hours and to 34.4% after 6 days. 12 hours after application 53% of the total amount, excreted within 6 days, were already eliminated. 24 hours after administration 80% of total-15N was urea-15N and 2.8% NH3-15N. Further we found correlations between N-balance (N-application minus excretion) and elimination of 15N-urea: If N-balance got more negative, the amount of cumulative elimination, the portion of urea-15N to total-15N and the percentage of elimination after 12 hours related to 6 days were elevated. That means that in stress condition utilisation of glycine to urea is higher and accelerated. The model seems acceptable, to get information concerning metabolic situation in a simple way.


Immunoglobulin-binding structure on bovine group G streptococci different from type III Fc receptors on human group G streptococci.

The immunoglobulin G (IgG)-binding capacity of 54 group G streptococci of human and bovine origin was investigated. Of 20 human strains, 17 carried a surface component which could combine with human IgG and bovine IgG1 and IgG2. Inhibition experiments with unlabeled human IgG and with a panel of animal sera revealed that the same surface component was involved in the binding of human as well as bovine immunoglobulins. Of 16 beta-hemolytic bovine group G streptococci, 13 reacted with human IgG but not with bovine IgG1 or IgG2. This binding structure was different from the type III Fc reactivity found in human group G streptococci. All human strains, including the three IgG Fc-nonreactive strains, fermented trehalose, in contrast to all bovine beta-hemolytic strains, which were negative. Immunoglobulin Fc reactivity is thus a feature not only of human strains but also of some bovine strains.


Proteoglycans, proteases, chemotaxis, and aggregation of inflammatory, cells.

A trypsin-like protease activity present in rabbit alveolar macrophages was shown to be activated by hyaluronic acid (HA) at  10(-9) M, but not by other proteoglycans. This activation of proteases by HA was accompanied by aggregation of alveolar macrophages and by the release of chemotactic activity. This chemotactic activity was destroyed by proteases and was less active for polymorphonuclear leukocytes than for alveolar macrophages. These effects of HA appear to be sepcific for alveolar macrophages, because no similar effects of HA on human polymorphonuclear leukocytes or lymphocytes could be observed. These observations suggest that HA, which is secreted into airways, plays a specific role in the macrophage-mediated chronic inflammatory processes in the distal lung.


Model studies on dental plaque formation: deoxyhexoses in Actinomyces viscosus.

A careful examination of two strains of Actinomyces viscosus, T14V (virulent) and T14AV (avirulent), revealed no qualitative or quantitative difference in 6-deoxyhexose content of their cell surface. For a further study of the role of these sugars in cell surface-related phenomena, the stereochemical configuration of deoxyhexoses of A. viscosus T14 was established by two complementary approaches. (i) Examination of the biosynthetic pathway was found to lead to the formation of both 6-deoxy-l-talose and 6-deoxy-l-mannose and showed no differences in the ability of either bacterial strain, A. viscosus T14V or T14AV, to produce the precursors of these cell wall components. The biosynthetic pathway for 6-deoxy-l-talose and 6-deoxy-l-mannose was found to originate from deoxy-thymidine diphosphate (dTDP)-d-glucose, which in turn is converted to dTDP-4-keto-6-deoxy-d-glucose. Epimerization at carbons 3 and 5 of the hexose moiety of dTDP-4-keto-6-deoxy-d-glucose is followed by stereospecific reduction with reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate to yield dTDP-6-deoxy-l-talose and dTDP-6-deoxy-l-mannose. In cell-free extracts of both A. viscosus T14 and T14AV, an identical ratio of 6-deoxy-l-talose to 6-deoxy-l-mannose of 1:8 was produced. Known precursors for the d-isomers of the same 6-deoxyhexoses such as guanosine diphosphate-d-mannose and dTDP-d-mannose were not converted by A. viscosus T14 cell-free extracts. (ii) Isolation of 6-[U-(14)C]deoxytalose and 6-[U-(14)C]deoxymannose from both strains of A. viscosus T14 was carried out by growing cells in a medium containing d-[U-(14)C]glucose. Again no qualitative or quantitative difference was noticeable between the two strains when 6-deoxy-hexoses were released from whole cells or purified cell walls by acid hydrolysis. Radioactive 6-[U-(14)C]deoxytalose isolated from the cell surface was used in an isotope dilution experiment to establish the stereochemical configuration of this 6-deoxyhexose. The radioactive sugar was mixed with unlabeled standard d- or l-6-deoxyhexose, respectively, and conversion to the corresponding 1-phenylflavazole derivative was carried out. Recrystallization to constant specific activity identified the radioactive sugar isolated from A. viscosus to be the l-isomer. A facile synthesis of the rare sugars 6-deoxy-l-talose and 6-deoxy-d-talose is reported.


Effects of zinc chloride on guinea pig complement component activity in vitro: concentration-dependent inhibition and enhancement.

We have studied the in vitro effects of zinc chloride on the hemolytic activity of each component of the guinea pig classical complement pathway over a wide range (25 to 500 muM) of zinc concentrations. At high concentrations (>200 muM) the activity of all components was strongly inhibited by this metal. Concentrations of 500 muM inhibited C1 and C5 by 80 and 65%, respectively, whereas all other components were inhibited by more than 94%. Zinc chloride at 25 muM produced more varied effects, with C2, C3, and C6 inhibited by 36, 35, and 55%. C7 and C8 were inhibited by approximately 25%, whereas C1, C4, and C9 were not appreciably affected. The activity of the fifth component, on the other hand, was strongly enhanced by the presence of zinc. Concentrations of 25, 50, and 100 muM zinc chloride produced increases of 92, 44, and 18%, respectively, in C5 titers when present during the activation-binding step of this component. Further studies indicated that the activities of cell-bound complement components were unaffected by zinc treatment after activation and/or binding to the sheep erythrocyte surface had occurred. In addition, zinc did not appear to inhibit by causing irreversible denaturation of either total complement proteins or its various components. Rather, it appears that zinc must be present as a reactant during the activation and/or binding step of each component for inhibition or enhancement to occur.


IgE and IgG4 antibodies in specific human allergies.

In 90 sera from patients with specific allergies (i. e. to guinea pig dander, cat dander, horse dander, dog dander, human dander or ipecac) and with positive skin tests to the allergenic preparations, the presence of IgE and IgG4 antibodies was determined by radioallergosorbent test (RAST). A correlation between IgE RAST scores and IgG4 RAST scores to the individual allergens was established. In patients allergic to guinea pig dander, a high incidence of negative IgE RAST scores but positive IgG4 RAST scores was found. This was less often the case in the group with cat dander allergy. IgG RAST scores determined in 51 sera proved to have some predictive value with respect to IgG4 or other IgG subclasses involved in the allergic reactions. Because a high incidence of negative IgE RAST scores was found, IgE RAST inhibition does not seem to be the method of choice for the standardization of allergenic preparations in general.


DI patient refractory to vasopressin and dDAVP: absence of antibodies to AVP and dDAVP and inactivating factor in blood serum.

Antibodies to either AVP or dDAVP were sought in the serum of a patient suffering from diabetes insipidus and treated with Adiuretin (Spofa) to which the patient had become refractory. Neither the antibodies nor the presence of enzymes inactivating LVP was detected in the serum.


Differential retinoid binding in chick pigment epithelium and choroid.

A receptor for retinol but not for retinoic acid was demonstrated to be present in fresh chick embryo pigment epithelium and in pigment epithelial cells grown in tissue culture. In contrast, chick choroid was found to possess receptors for both retinoic acid and retinol.


Reliability of the middle ear examination.

Interobserver reliability of physical signs elicited and diagnoses made on middle ear examination were studied. Effect on reliability of variation in observer knowledge, patient age and instrument were defined. Two board-certified, color-seeing pediatric specialists who worked in the same clinic examined consecutively 350 ears with the same otoscope for each case. Over a period of four months, four different otoscopes were used to examine at least 50 ears with each. The following groups of findings were graded independently by the pediatrician according to pre-set criteria: color, landmarks and light reflex. Diagnosis was also recorded. At no time did the observers discuss their findings or diagnoses. Degree of interobserver agreement was expressed by the reliability coefficient (values given below) and the K coefficient. Overall agreement on findings ranged from 0.50 for landmarks to 0.85 for air-fluid level. Overall agreement for diagnoses was 0.72. Specific agreement on physical findings ranged from 0.0 for presence of air-fluid level to 0.85 for absence of air-fluid level. Specific agreement on diagnoses ranged from 0.08 on serous otitis to 0.56 on otitis media and 0.61 on normal. After the age of one year, agreement did not increase with age. Agreement did not change significantly with different instruments or as the study progressed. We concluded that equivalence of observer knowledge strongly increases agreement, while patient age less than one year decreases agreement, and type of instrument does not affect agreement. Clinicians should be trained to recognized middle ear signs and diagnoses according to specified criteria to maximize interobserver agreement.


Evaluation of primary plating media for the isolation of group A streptococcus from delayed throat cultures.

Sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim blood agar (SXT-BA), neomycin blood agar (NEO-BA) and plain sheep blood agar plates (SBA) were compared for isolating group A streptococci in 1,954 throat cultures. SBA and SXT-BA had similar isolation rates (approximately 75% of all positive isolates). NEO-BA was significantly better (87% recovery). A combination of any two media gave 92-95% recovery of group A streptococci from throat specimens.


Thrombocytopenic purpura occurring during the early phase of a mumps infection.

Thrombocytopenic purpura with reduced megakaryocyte count in bone marrow was found in a very early phase of a mumps infection in a one year 9 months old boy. No antithrombocyte antibodies were detected. Three weeks later, the mumps antibody titer in the serum was significantly elevated, and thrombocyte and megakaryocyte counts returned to normal.


Surface features of exfoliated vaginal epithelial cells during the oestrous cycle of the rat examined by scanning electron microscopy.

The purpose of this study was to document vaginal exfoliative cytology (smears) as seen with the scanning electron microscope during the first, hormonally induced oestrous cycle of PMS-LH treated immature rats and to compare it with the surface morphology of the intact vaginal wall of similarly treated rats. Exfoliated cells were obtained by vaginal lavage 7--9 hours (pro-oestrus), 18--20 hours (oestrus), 28--34 hours (metoestrus) and 60--64 hours (dioestrus) after administration of luteinizing hormone. Cell suspensions were plated upon moistened Millipore filters according to the method of Shelton & Orenstein (1975). The pro-oestrous stage was characterized by round to ovoid cells with numerous short microvillus-like protrusions and blebs. The vaginal wall exhibited folds lined by cells with many short microvilli. Oestrus was characterized by flattened angular cells with either blebs, microridges or both. The intact wall exhibited 'flattened mosaics' of cells, some in the process of desquamation, with ridges and pits. Metoestrus resembled oestrus, except for the presence of a few leucocytes in the plated specimens. Dioestrus was characterized by an abundance of pleomorphic leucocytes with blebs of varying sizes. The vaginal wall appeared as a 'cobblestone' pavement with cells of varying sizes and shapes possessing numerous short, microvilli with bulbous endings.


Characterization of active derivatives produced by acetamidination and selective autolysis of bovine trypsin.

A commercial preparation of bovine trypsin was treated with methyl acetimidate-HCl, and most of the lysine residues were converted to trypsin-resistant residues retaining their cationic charges. The modified preparation was then fractionated by ion-exchange chromatography on SE-Sephadex C-50 into two active components, amidinated alpha- and amidinated beta-trypsins. The latter component (Am-beta-trypsin), which consisted of a single polypeptide chain, was allowed to autolyze at pH 7.8, 25 degrees C for 3.5 h and a new active component named Am-delta-trypsin was isolated from the autolysate. Several lines of experimental evidence indicated that Am-delta-trypsin was derived by primary cleavage of the bond Arg105-Val106. Cleavage at Arg55-Leu56, on the other hand, appeared to lead to inactivation of Am-beta-trypsin. The kinetic properties of the catalytic hydrolyses of synthetic substrates and the affinity to Gly-Gly-Arg immobilized on Sepharose were compared among Am-delta-, Am-beta-, and Am-alpha-trypsins. Am-delta-trypsin resembled Am-beta-trypsin in these properties, but did not resemble Am-alpha-trypsin which had a cleavage at Lys131-Ser132.


Copurification of actin and desmin from chicken smooth muscle and their copolymerization in vitro to intermediate filaments.

Desmin is a 50,000-mol wt protein that is enriched along with 100-A filaments in chicken gizzard that has been extracted with 1 M KI. Although 1 M KI removes most of the actin from gizzard, a small fraction of this protein remains persistently insoluble, along with desmin. The solubility properties of this actin are the same as for desmin: they are both insoluble in high salt concentrations, but are solubilized at low pH or by agents that dissociate hydrophobic bonds. Desmin may be purified by repeated cycles of solubilization by 1 M acetic acid and subsequent precipitation by neutralization to pH 4. During this process, a constant nonstoichiometric ratio of actin to desmin is attained. Gel filtration on Ultrogel AcA34 in the presence of 0.5% Sarkosyl NL-97 reveals nonmonomeric fractions of actin and desmin that comigrate through the column. Gel filtration on Bio-Gel P300 in the presence of 1 M acetic acid reveals that the majority of desmin is monomeric under these conditions. A small fraction of desmin and all of the actin elute with the excluded volume. When the acetic acid is removed from actin-desmin solutions by dialysis, a gel forms that is composed of filaments with diameters of 120-140 A. These filaments react uniformly with both anti-actin and anti-desmin antiserum. These results suggest that desmin is the major subunit of the muscle 100-A filaments and that it may form nonstoichiometric complexes with actin.


Correlation of the effect of Ca+2 on Na+ and K+ permeability and membrane potential of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells.

The effect of Ca+2 on the transport and intracellular distribution of Na+ and K+ in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells was investigated in an effort to establish the mechanism of Ca+2-induced hyperpolarization of the cell membrane. Inclusion of Ca+2 (2 mM) in the incubation medium leads to reduced cytoplasmic concentrations of Na+, K+ and Cl- in steady cells. In cells inhibited by ouabain, Ca+2 causes a 41% decrease in the rate of net K+ loss, but is without effect on the rate of net Na+ accumulation. Net K+ flux is reduced by 50%, while net Na+ flux is unchanged in the transport-inhibited cells. The membrane potential of cells in Ca+2-free medium (-13.9 +/- 0.8 mV) is unaffected by the addition of ouabain. However, the potential of cells in Ca+2-containing medium (-23.3 +/- 1.2 mV) declines in one hour after the addition of ouabain to values comparable to those of control cells (-15.2 +/- 0.7 mV). The results of these experiments are consistent with the postulation that Ca+2 exerts two effects on Na+ and K+ transport. First, Ca+2 reduces the membrane permeability to K+ by 25%. Second, Ca+2 alters the coupling of the Na/K active transport mechanism leading to an electrogenic hyperpolarization of the membrane.


Evidence for lack of phosphatidic acid and phospholipase D activity in milk.

Phosphatidic acid could not be demonstrated when milk was assayed for phospholipase D activity even when lecithin was added. The concentration of "free" choline in milk remained the same before and after addition of lecithin. However, phosphatidic acid and an increased concentration of "free" choline were demonstrated when cabbage phospholipase D was added to raw milk. The concentration of phosphatidic acid and "free" choline in milk increased appreciably when both lecithin and cabbage phospholipase D were added to raw milk. Phospholipase D activity in milk was assayed at 23.5 C, pH 5.6, in the presence of 10% vol/vol of diethyl ether and .015M calcium chloride. "Free" choline was determined by adjusting the acid whey from milk to pH 11 and adding a freshly prepared 3% methanolic solution of ammonium reineckate. The precipitated choline reineckate was washed, dissolved in acetone, and its absorbance measured at 520 nm. The absence or presence of phosphatidic acid was shown by thin-layer chromatography. These results refute a previous report which proposed that both phosphatidic acid and phospholipase D were in milk.


Minerals in whey and whey fractions.

Liquid and dried acid and sweet wheys and the concentrates and permeates obtained from ultrafiltration of whey were analyzed for major and trace minerals. Calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium were determined by atomic absorption and phosphorus by a colorimetric method. Zinc, iron, copper, and manganese were determined by flameless atomic absorption. The composition of all wheys and their fractions differed in nutritionally important minerals. Calcium was three times as great and zinc twenty times as great in acid whey as in sweet whey.


Induction of lactation: lactational, physiological, and hormonal responses in the bovine.

Milk yields, physiological responses, and concentrations of plasma hormones were evaluated in 24 attempts to induce lactation in nonlactating dairy cows. Subcutaneous injections of estradiol-17beta and progesterone (.10 and .25 mg/kg body weight per day) for 7 consecutive days were used. Dexamethasone injections (.028 mg/kg body weight per day) on days 18 to 20 were given during 12 attempts at induction. Milking was initiated on day 21. All cows showed proestrus activity within 2 days after the first steroid injection; this subsided, then reappeared in many animals between days 16 to 20. In 14 of 24 attempts mean daily milk production was greater than 5 kg. Actual or projected 305-day lactation milk yields were between 1859 and 5354 kg. However, milk yields of seven induced cows averaged only 73% (32% to 136% range) of their previous natural lactations. Dexamethasone injections increased the number of cows that produced more than 5 kg/day; however, milk yields were not improved. Concentrations of estradiol, estrone, and progesterone in plasma were unaffected by dexamethasone, but concentrations of glucocorticoids in plasma were depressed on days 19 to 22. Concentrations of prolactin (peak and mean) in plasma for six cows each that produced greater or less than 5 kg/day did not differ. However, concentrations of prolactin increased in the week following steroid injections (days 8 to 15) only in those cows that produced greater than 5 kg/day but were elevated in all cows during the 3rd wk.


Effect of melengestrol acetate on growth and reproduction in rats.

Effects of melengestrol acetate on reproductive performance of 48 female rats and 20 of their female progeny were evaluated in two experiments. Treatments of 0, .01, and .1 mg in .1 ml of propylene glycol were given three groups of 16 rats for 7 days. From day 7 following sperm detection (10-day breeding period), half from each group received .1 mg per day for 14 days. Experiment 2 tested performance of 10 progeny exposed or unexposed to in utero treatment. Cyclic changes in Experiment 1 were inhibited only in animals receiving daily initial treatment of .1 mg. Estrus was detected in 61.5% of animals within 48 h of treatment withdrawal. Synchronization caused no significant changes in conception rates or postbreeding results of treatment. Treatment during gestation lowered weight gain for dams, increased gestation length, and decreased number of pups per litter. Treatment lowered mean weight per litter and weight per pup. It also caused high mortality among pups. In Experiment 2, there were no differences between progeny groups in gestation length, litter size, weight per litter, weight per pup, or mortality rate.


Effect of some hygienic factors on family health.

On the basis of longitudinal observations of a large group of town habitants the author determined some hygienic factors of direct as well as indirect influence on their health. The author elaborated a series of sanitary and hygienic recommendations believing that even in case of complete dispensarization of the population and assurance of suitable medical assistance, the physicians have all the same to take into consideration concentrate living conditions of each family.


Interaction of molybdenum with other elements and compounds in the organism.

The toxic effect of molybdenum lies in the inhibition of the activity of the sulphide oxidase system and in the formation of thiomolybdate from molybdate and endogenous sulphides. Sulphate ions activate the enzymic system oxidizing sulphide and thiomolybdate thus restraining the formation of thiomolybdate and accelerating the oxidation of thiomolybdate to the less toxic molybdate.


Ecology of Staphylococcus aureus: comparative characterization of strains isolated from man, cattle and sheep in Bulgaria and in the GDR.

Staphylococcus aureus strains from man, cattle and sheep have been differentiated by biochemical tests and by phage typing. Strains from pathological material of human origin mostly belong to the host-specific variety hominis, strains from mastitis in cattle mostly belong to the host-specific variety bovis. However, there are also strains from cattle which cannot be allotted to one of the known host-specific varieties and also strains which belong to the host-specific variety hominis. Strains from mastitis in sheep clearly differ from strains of human and bovine origin; these strains are designated as variety ovis. The frequency distribution of the host-specific varieties in man, cattle and sheep is the same in Bulgaria and in the GDR.


Human arthropod-borne virus infections in Nigeria. Serological and virological investigations and Shaki, Oyo State.

During the early dry season of 1972, an arbovirus surveillance was carried out is Shaki. On hundred and twenty human blood samples and 304 sera were processed for virus isolation and serology respectively. A high prevalence of antibodies to 8 arbovirus antigens was found in the community. Percentage of positive sera was as follows: Chikungunya (24%)  Sindbis (19%), Yellow fever (55%), Dengue (54%), West Nile (58%) and Wesselsbron (67%). Human infections by Ilesha virus (35%) and Ingwavuma (15%) were also demonstrated. No virus was isolated from the blood samples processed.


Rubella haemagglutination inhibiting antibodies in females of child-bearing age in western Nigeria.

Hitherto, epidemiological surveys of viral disease in Nigeria had been concentrated mostly on arboviral infections. This could be due to prevalence of the arthropod vectors responsible for the arboviral infections in this country. Recently, however, the Departments of Paediatrics and Ophthalmology of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, reported an alarming number of cases of congenital heart defects and cataracts in some infants in the wards. The clinical histories of these cases seemed to incriminate congenital rubella infection. A serological survey of females of child-bearing age was carried out the detection of antibodies to rubella virus using the haemagglutination-inhibition (HI) test. The results showed that over 70% of the sera tested were positive for rubella HI antibody.


[Biological properties of the mumps virus--behavior in the rct marker].

12 different mumps virus strains or their variations were studied in the rct-marker in dog kidney cell cultures at 32 degree and 39 degree C. The results obtained were compared with those of the T50 marker ascertained earlier revealing considerably coincident data. Changes in culture conditions became clearly evident in both markers. Relations between their behaviour in vitro in vivo are discussed.


Evaluation of the indirect haemagglutination test in the diagnosis of amoebiasis.

The IHA test was evaluated in the diagnosis of amoebiasis. Axenically-grown E. histolytica was used as an antigen. A total of 427 sera from symptomatic (intestinal and extra-intestinal) amoebiasis patients. asymptomatic carriers, patients with parasitic intestinal infections other than E. histolytica, and healthy controls were tested. From 288 symptomatic cases of amoebiasis, 232 (80.6 per cent) gave positive reactions. In 93 asymptomatic cases of amoebiasis, 55 (59.1 percent) were seropositive. In testing of sera from 16 subjects with parasitic intestinal infections other than E. histolytica, a low-level positive IHA titres occurred in 2 (12.5 per cent). The test was also positive with a low titre in 3 (10.0 per cent) of the 30 subjects of the healthy control group. The results indicate that the IHA test is of value in the confirmation of intestinal and extra-intestinal amoebic infections especially in cases where the parasite is difficult to demonstrate.


A new trend in non-infectious immunology-investigation of the biological role of natural anti-tissue antibodies in humans and animals.

The author analysis a number of studies of Soviet and foreign investigators demonstrating the presence of natural anti-tissue antibodies in healthy human and animals. A large number of these antibodies appear during and they occur more frequently and in larger amounts in females than in males. The physiological function of these antibodies which influence the permeability of tissues, their metabolism and their role in the removal and neutralization of the products of cell disintegration and metabolism, are discussed. Emphasis is laid on the participation of normal autoantibodies in the resistance of the organism of tumours and to radiation, discovered in the last few years. The studies dealing with the detection of activators--inductors of normal autoantibodies and with the role of their effect in specific immune response are mentioned. Thus the review elucidates the theoretical and practical perspectives of exploring this new trend in immunology.


Intra-ovarian formation of steroid sulphates: measurement and influence of gonadotrophins.

The steroid sulphokinase activity in 105 000 g supernatant fractions from rat and bovine ovarian tissue has been determined by measuring the radioactivity incorporated into conjugated steroids after incubation with 14C-labelled androgens and oestrogens. The enzyme from bovine ovaries was partially characterized, changes in its activity with pH were measured and Km values of 30, 10 and 4 mumol/1 were obtained for testosterone, oestradiol and oestrone respectively. The rate of formation of sulphates from oestrogens by preparations of bovine luteal tissue was 10--20 times higher than the rate of formation by follicular tissue (P less than 0.001), but both tissues exhibited similar rate of sulphate formation with testosterone. Sulphation of dehydroepiandrosterone by the ovaries of gonadotrophin-treated rats did not differ from that observed in the control group, whereas sulphation of oestrone was nearly three times greater in ovaries obtained from rats treated with gonadotrophins (P less than 0.005). Furthermore, a comparison of steriod sulphation in the ovaries of pseudopregnant and normal cyclic rats showed that the sulphation of oestrone was about six times greater during pseudopregnancy. These observations suggest that the formation of oestrogen, but not androgen, sulphates by ovarian aryl sulphokinase differs in follicular and luteal tissue and may be gonadotrophin dependent. The greater capacity of luteal, compared with follicular, tissue for the sulphation of oestrogens may be a control mechanism for steroidogenesis within the ovarian tissue.


Cytological effects of hormones and plasma on bovine mammary tissue in vitro.

Mammary explants from two heifers pretreated with oestradiol and progesterone were cultured for 96 h with various combinations of hormones and calf plasma to identify the complement causing mammary tissue development in vitro in the cow. Initial tissue histology, determined by quantitative morphological analysis, was maintained by incubation with insulin, cortisol, oestrogen and progesterone; enlarged lumina were observed after treatment with insulin and cortisol. Lactogenesis was induced in vitro by insulin, cortisol and prolactin, enhanced by adding oestrogen and progesterone at the doses used here and further stimulated by the addition of plasma. The most highly developed mammary alveoli were characterized by an increased luminal area with lipid and stainable secretion, epithelia with large lipid droplets in the apical cytoplasm and a limited stromal area. In a second experiment, samples of plasma were collected from two cows, successfully induced to lactate, on days 6, 15, 17, 19 and 21 after treatment with oestradiol and progesterone. Mammary gland explants from five heifers pretreated with oestradiol and progesterone in vivo were cultured with insulin and cortisol plus these plasma samples (30%, v/v) to test for changes in lactogenic activity. All plasma samples were found equally beneficial in promoting tissue differentiation. These experiments show that low concentrations of ovarian steroids synergize with prolactin at the level of the mammary epitherlium and suggest that other plasma components aid the development of bovine mammary epithelium in vitro.


Fluctuations of adenylate cyclase activity during anterior regeneration in Owenia fusiformis (Polychaete Annelid).

Biochemical assays of adenylate cyclase activity were performed during the early phases of regeneration in Owenia fusiformis (Polychaete Annelid). The results indicate the existence of a strong stimulation in an early phase following trauma. This stimulation is then followed by periodic fluctuations exhibiting a diurnal rhythm correlated with the cell cycle. Adenylate cyclase activity is also shown to be neurotransmitter-dependent. In this paper it is proposed that neurotransmitters might participate in the regulation of cyclic AMP formation, by means of adenylate cyclase acting on target blastema cells, undergoing the cell cycle.


Voltage-modulated membrane resistance in coupled leech neurons.

1. Resistive interactions have been studied between two pairs of large identifiable neurons in ganglion 6 of the leech CNS, called the lateral and rostral cells. Both are motor neurons causing penile eversion. 2. Lateral and rostral neurons have different membrane resistance properties. Input resistances of lateral neurons are virtually constant. By contrast, membrane resistances of rostral neurons are highly voltage dependent. When depolarized from resting potential to firing level, a rostral neuron's input resistance can increase 10-fold, from 30 to 300 Momega. 3. Voltage-dependent membrane characteristics of rostral neurons cause resistive interactions with lateral neurons to be nonlinear. DC potentials evoked in lateral cells are transmitted to rostral cells with an efficiency varying over a 10-fold range. Hyperpolarizing coupling is weak, with coupling factors of about 0.03. Depolarizing coupling factors increase progressively with increasing lateral neuron depolarization, reaching values of up to 0.3. 4. Membrane resistance changes in rostral neurons accompany lateral to rostral cell interactions. Input resistances increase during depolarizing and decrease during hyperpolarizing coupling potentials. The lateral to rostral cell junctional resistance is high and invariant, as evidenced by uniformly weak coupling in the reverse direction, from rostral to lateral neurons. 5. In conclusion, asymmetries in lateral to rostral cell interaction are based on postsynaptic rather than junctional resistance changes. The impact of the lateral onto the rostral cell's excitability contains a nonlinear component besides the usual linear additive one. As in conventional resistive coupling, depolarizing coupling potentials raise the rostral neuron closer to its voltage threshold. But more significantly, depolarizing coupling potentials lower the rostral neuron's current threshold because increases in resistance proportionately reduce the amount of excitatory current needed to reach firing level. Thus, the resistance change acts to amplify the input signal efficiency. In addition to the static changes in current threshold, the reostral neuron also changes dynamically. Membrane resistance increases lead to increases in space constant shrinking the neuron's electrical lenght. 6. Other properties of the network have been analyzed. The pair of lateral neurons is strongly coupled, whereas the pair of rostral neurons is weakly coupled, the coupling factors are 0.3 and 0.05, respectively. Hyperpolarizing membrane time constants for the lateral and rostral neurons are estimated to be between 100 and 200 ms. Time constants of depolarized rostral neurons are significantly larger.


[Evolution of plasma corticosterone concentration in basal conditions or after psychic aggression during growth in the Rat. Influence of neonatal gonadectomy (author's transl)].

Evolution, during growth, of basal plasma concentration of corticosterone and the adrenocortical response to psychic aggression was studied in animals of both sexes, normal or gonadectomized on the day of birth. 1. In the control animals : (a) The fluctuations of the basal plasma concentration of corticosterone took a similar course in the male and female; no significant difference was observed between males and females except on the 55th day. (b) The intensity of the response to aggression took the same course in all the test animals between the 15th and 60th day with an increase between the 15th and 45th day and a decrease between the 45th and 60th day. 2. In the animals whose gonads were removed at birth, the basal plasma concentration of corticosterone and the response to psychic aggression developed in a similar manner in the two sexes, during the period studied. 3. These results suggest the existence of an autonomous maturation of the adrenocortical function which is independent of genetic sex and gonadal secretions. These latter, however, play a determinant role in the amplitude of the response which is increased by estrogens and decreased by androgens. The existence of a mechanism whose maturation is accomplished, in part, independently of the gonadal secretions and is responsible for the response to aggression is discussed.


Periovulatory gonadotrophin and ovarian steroid patterns in sheep of breeds with differing fecundity.

Plasma hormone concentrations before and during luteolysis (induced by injection of a prostaglandin analogue on Day 10 or 11 of the cycle), during the period of preovulatory follicle growth and ovulation were examined in sheep with known differences in ovulation rate (Romanov, Préalpes, Romanov x Préalpes cross, Ile de France). The number of CL at the time of treatment and the ovulation rate in the ensuing cycle were established by endoscopy. Plasma concentrations of FSH, LH, progesterone and total oestrogen were measured by radioimmunoassays in the 3 days before PG injection, then hourly for the 24 h after PG injection and 2-hourly for a further period up to about 100 h after PG injection. The onset and duration of oestrus were also recorded. Although breed differences were observed for many of the features studied, only the intervals between oestrus and the LH peak and between PG injection and the LH peak were significantly correlated with ovulation rate.


Luteolytic effect of oestrone sulphate on cyclic beef heifers.

The action of oestrone sulphate on luteal function was tested in cyclic beef heifers. Once daily injection of 28 or 56 mg oestrone sulphate in corn oil beginning on Day 10 of the cycle had a significant luteolytic effect as compared to corn oil-treated controls.


Plasma progesterone levels throughout the oestrous cycle and release of LH at oestrus in sheep with different ovulation rates.

The concentrations of progesterone in the peripheral plasma throughout the oestrous cycle and the preovulatory LH discharge were examined in Finnish Landrace, Galway and Fingalway (Finnish Landrace X Galway) ewes. Progesterone levels were significantly higher in Finnish Landrace ewes during the luteal phase of the cycle (Days 10--13) than in Galways of Fingalways in which the concentrations were similar. Luteal-phase progesterone levels were almost 50% higher during December than during October in all three breeds. The relationship between the number of CL and plasma progesterone was not a simple linear function. All aspects of the preovulatory LH discharge were similar in the three breeds with the exception of the timing of the LH release in relation to the onset of oestrus. This occurred earliest in the Galway and latest in the Finnish Landrace while the Fingalway was intermediate.


Multiple marking of cell surface receptors by gold granules: simultaneous localization of three lectin receptors on human erythrocytes.

A method is described for transmission electron microscopy which allows high resolution mapping of three lectin receptors on the same cell. As a model, receptors for Concanavalin A, soya bean and wheat germ agglutinins have been simultaneously localized on human erythrocytes using lectin-labelled gold markers of different sizes (5, 17 and 26 nm, respectively). Quantitative binding data and examination of stereoscopic micrographs of thin sections of marked erythrocytes indicated that the greatest part of these lectin markers was bound by receptors spatially separated. As gold granules are electron dense and uniform in size, they are well suited for multiple marking of cell surface components. The method is simple and leads to a better understanding of the topography of cell membranes.


Prenatal diagnosis of a de novo Y/22 translocation.

Prenatal chromosomal analysis was performed at 17 weeks' gestation because of the previous birth of a girl with trisomy 13. A seemingly balanced de novo Y/22 translocation was diagnosed. Translocations involving the Y chromosome are rare and no similar translocation, detected pre- or postnatally, could be found in published reports. The counselling problems are discussed. The pregnancy ended at term with the birth of a phenotypically normal boy. After birth, the prenatal diagnosis was confirmed and the H-Y antigen expression was determined.


A new method for electromyography of the female urethra.

A newly developed catheter enables the introduction of fine wire electrodes into the urethral striated sphincter muscle at predetermined locations and depths. Because of FET-probes electrode wires can be short, thus the signals show minimal artifacts owing to cable movement. The technique 1) facilitates registration of signals during coughing, walking, micturition and other activities, 2) is simple to perform and painless to the patient, 3) can be done by inexperienced personnel and 4) provides assurance that the electrodes are in the urethral sphincter muscle.


[Congenital valves and diaphragms of the urethra in adult men. A series of 16 observations (author's transl)].

The authors studied 16 adult men with congenital valves and diaphragms in the urethra, and stress that: --their frequency is greater than is commonly stated; --they have serious effects on the upper urinary tract; --they are often difficult to diagnose radiologically; --they are responsible for some cases of difficulty in ejaculation which are wrongly considered to be cases of lack of ejaculation;  --endoscopy play a fundamental role in their diagnosis and treatment, --excellent results are obtained with endoscopic treatment.


Radiation therapy of the nasopharynx: a 30 year view.

A 15 to 30 year follow-up study has been made of radium therapy to the nasopharynx for Eustachian tube obstruction and serous otitis, with a review of the relevant literature. No malignancies or other complications have been seen or recorded. Objective evaluation leads to the conclusion that this is a safe, effective treatment modality. In spite of this it has been discontinued because of public fear and pressure. A judgement reached for this reason, ignoring scientific medical facts, contains the seeds of decline of quality and effectiveness of medical care.


[Genetic means for control of insect vectors of human diseases (author's transl)].

We divide genetical control methods in two major groups:--mechanisms operating between different species and an example is the attempt of control of A. gambiae in West Africa,--mechanisms operating in a single species with: gamma rays and chemical treatment for sterilisation, cytoplasmic incompatibility (ex.: C. pipiens). Genetical control also suppose the knowledge of biology and ecology of the target insect. This paper does not want to be an exhaustive review of this problem. Its only ambition is to try and expose the possible applications of genetics in the control of vectors.


Chemoimmunotherapy of sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma.

Sarcomatoid renal adenocarcinomas are rare, invariably fatal tumors. There is only one report of treatment of this tumor with chemotherapy. We report a case of an advanced sarcomatoid renal adenocarcinoma treated with chemoimmunotherapy consisting of cyclophosphamide, vincristine, Adriamycin (doxorubicin), DTIC, BCG, and sarcoma viral oncolysate. The patient had an objective response with a marked reduction in the size of the tumor mass. The residual tumor was removed surgically, and the patient remains in complete remission two years after the diagnosis was made.