Alterations in volatile free fatty acids of blood after hepatectomy.

Volatile free fatty acids (VFA) in blood increased approximately twofold in dogs subjected to total hepatectomy. The average total plasma VFA preoperatively was 1,585 mug percent and shortly before death, postoperatively, was 2,798 mug percent. The corresponding red cell concentrations were essentially the same. Acetic acid was 81 percent of the total VFA, propionic acid 7 percent, isobutyric acid 4 percent, butyric acid one percent, and isovaleric acid 5 percent. There was little or no isovalerate in red cells. The increments in the individual fatty acids after hepatectomy were highly variable, but the average increase with time was almost linear. The increase in VFA probably reflects an increased utilization of the branched-chain aminoacids by extrahepatic tissues.


Experimental herpetic keratitis in the guinea pig.

A model of herpetic keratitis with type 1 Herpesvirus hominis was established in the guinea pig. The administration of 10 mg triamcinolone acetonide subconjunctivally in both eyes resulted in an amelioration of the clinical course of the disease process, whereas 40 mg injected peritoneally did not. The possible pathophysiology of these responses is discussed.


Treatment of biliary atresia: microsurgery for hepatic portoenterostomy.

Microsurgery was used for hepatic portoenterostomy as the treatment of biliary atresia in 46 patients whom we treated since 1972. The microscope had a higher power (eight or ten times) magnification. As for the results of the operative procedure with the microscope, of 46 patients, 32 (70 percent) showed satisfactory bile flow postoperatively.


Feline herpes virus infection.

Ten cases of naturally occurring dendritic keratitis (feline herpes keratitis), which are manifestations of the disease commonly known as feline viral rhinotracheitis, have been identified in domestic cats in San Fancisco. Neonatal, juvenile, and adult forms of the disease are described and their treatment is discussed.


Cephalic vein cross-over bypass for subclavian vein thrombosis: a case report.

A case of axillary vein thrombosis in a young man was treated by means of a cephalic vein cross-over bypass graft. A temporary arteriovenous fistula performed in the antecubital fossa resulted in a reasonable enlargement of the graft and prevented its occlusion in the critical postoperative period until healing of the intima resulted. The swelling disappeared and the patient, who was completely incapacitated functionally prior to the operation, resumed normal activity.


Herpes simplex: the primary infection.

A primary infection with herpes simplex virus (HSV) occurs at some time in the life of almost every member of the population, especially among those living in crowded, unsanitary conditions. In many cases the lesions are subclinical, and in most cases they are self-limited even when clinical. In a few patients, such as the newborn infant, the patient with concomitant eczema, or the patient with reduced immunity, the primary infection may become severe, generalized, and life-threatening. Type 1 HSV has a predilection for a number of sites, including the oral cavity, the eye, and the skin; and type 2 HSV has a predilection for the genital area and for the newborn.


Splenic artery ligation in experimental hypersplenism.

The effects of splenic artery ligation (SAL) were examined in Sprague-Dawley rats with methyl-cellulose-induced hypersplenism. When performed close to the splenic hilium, SAL effectively reduced functioning splenic mass and raised peripheral counts of leukocytes and platelets, a response similar to that following total splenectomy. In hypersplenism, therefore, a satisfactory hematologic response may not necessary require total ablation of the spleen but merely substantial reduction of functioning splenic tissue.


Failure to pentagastrin administration to restore postprandial acid secretion from Heidenhain pouches after antrectomy in dogs.

In four dogs with Heidenhain pouche, acid outputs from the pouch were measured in response to feeding boiled liver with or without simultaneous administration of pentagastrin. Antrectomy was performed and the experiments were repeated. Antrectomy decreased the acid response to feeding by 90 percent. The preantrectomy response was restored by infusing pentagastrin but near maximal doses were needed and the maximal response to feeding plus pentagastrin could not be restored. These results indicate that the decrease of the acid secretory response to feeding from Heidenhain pouches after antrectomy cannot be explained fully through suppression of endogenous gastrin release. Antrectomy probably interferes with the intestinal phase of gastric secretion.


Effect of histamine on technetium-99m excretion by gastric mucosa.

The ability of histamine to increase excretion of 99mtechnetium by gastric mucosa was investigated in dogs with Heidenhain pouches and denervated antral pouches. Histamine increased Heidenhain pouch 99mtechnetium output in a dose-related manner, and 99mtechnetium output was related linearly to acid output. Antral pouch 99mtechnetium output was unchanged by increasing doses of histamine. The study suggests that concomitant use of histamine may improve the accuracy of 99mtechnetium scanning in the clinical diagnosis of conditions caused by ectopic gastric mucosa.


A microsurgical technique for orthotopic ovarian transplantation in the Chinese hamster.

A microscopic surgical technique for the orthotopic transplantation of ovaries in the Chinese hamster is described. The procedure, which uses microcauterization of the mesovarian stump and closure of the ovarian bursa with microvascular suture, resulted in a 75 to 80 percent surgical success rate in a series of 12 nondiabetic and 12 diabetic hamsters. Applications include the production of prediabetic offspring, the study of intrauterine environmental effects on transplant-derived offspring, and the preservation of endangered genetic colony sublines.


Onset of cell proliferation in the shortened gut: growth after subtotal colectomy.

Cell proliferation and remodeling of the small intestine were studied after subtotal colectomy in the rat. After an initial fall in nucleic acid contents, there was a trend to increasing amounts of RNA throughout the intestine on the fourteenth postoperative day; by the thirtieth day RNA and DNA contents were increased about 20 percent. DNA synthesis increased after 5 days. Although initially villi became shorter and crypts shallower, higher villi, deeper crypts, and an increased rate of cell migration were present after 14 days. Subtotal colectomy stimulates nucleic acid synthesis and remodeling of the small bowel within 2 weeks. Changes are more marked in ileum.


Role of serum nonsuppressible insulin-like activity (NSILA) in wound healing. I. Influence of thyroparathyroidectomy on serum NSILA and wound healing in the rat.

Serum contains a 90,000 molecular weight glycoprotein that exhibits insulin-like activity on adipocytes, skeletal muscle, and fibroblasts in tissue culture; however, this protein is physicochemically and immunochemically distinct from insulin and presently is termed "nonsuppressible insulin-like activity ("nsilA)." This study was designed to assess the response of serum NSILA to thyroparathyroidectomy (TPTHX) and to associate this response with tissue repair processes in the injured rat. It was postulated that NSILA modulates the fibroblastic response in wound healing. TPTHX decreased NSILA to 40 percent of control levels (p less than 0.001); 90 male animals subsequently were wounded by either a 10 percent third-degree burn or skin excision. Following injury, NSILA significantly increased in both control and TPTHX groups, but this acute-phase response was attenuated in TPTHX animals. Light microscopy of granulation tissue demonstrated a diminution in the fibroblastic response in TPTHX animals. Hydroxyproline analysis of granulation tissue revealed a significant decrease (p less than 0.025) in collagen content in TPTHX animals with low NSILA levels. The results suggest that serum NSILA levels are controlled, in part, by thyroid hormone and that NSILA may modulate the fibroblastic response of connective tissue repair processes.


The role of house staff in undergraduate surgical education.

An analysis of the contribution made by house officers in fulfilling the objectives for a comprehensive clerkship experience was undertaken by questioning members of the 1975 medical class. The objectives examined over a broad spectrum of surgical disease and are applicable to any general surgical clerkship. In addition, the instruction received in technical skills was analyzed and deficiencies were noted. Major subject areas related to surgical disease were examined for adequacy of house staff instruction, and an estimation of hours per week devoted to the clerkship experience by house and staff was derived. The university-private hospital training program at this institution permitted a comparison of instruction between these clerkship settings. Some deficiencies did appear in intellectual and technical instruction in both clerkship environments. These deficiencies, however, usually were related to a paucity of patient material and to the lack of opportunity for clinical instruction which ensues from these cases. With few exceptions, the house staff provided nearly one third of the knowledge base acquired during the junior medical student experience. The results indicate that very little difference exists between the didactic role of the house officer in either the university or community hospital environment.


Thiabendazole: a potential adjuvant in cancer therapy.

This set of experiments was designed to evaluate the effects of thiabendazole (TBZ), a relatively nontoxic thiazole derivative, on the delayed hypersensitivity response of normal mice, tumor-bearing mice, and mice immunosuppressed by radiation and chemotherapy. Normal mice treated with a single intraperitoneal injection (20 mg. per kilogram) of TBZ given on the day of challenge with 2,4 dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) had 41 percent greater swelling of the injected foot pad than did control animals. This increased immune reactivity could be transferred with spleen cells from TBZ-treated animals as well as with macrophages incubated in vitro with TBZ. Mice given sublethal radiation (450 r) had almost complete restoration of the delayed hypersensitivity response (90 percent of control) when treated with TBZ. The immunosuppressive effects of Adriamycin also could be reversed in a similar fashion. It is likely that the immune function of more than one population of spleen cells is amplified by TBZ treatment. The observed effects strongly suggest that thiabendazole may have a role as an adjunct in cancer therapy.


Monitoring of intraoperative heparinization in vascular surgery.

In 15 patients undergoing aortofemoral bypass, partial thromboplastin time (PTT) tests before and following intravenous administration of 75 U. per kilogram of heparin at zero, 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes were determined for study of control of anticoagulant adequacy. The results demonstrate clearly that this amount provides excellent protection against thrombosis without bleeding complications. For intraoperative assay of heparin level effectiveness, the PTT test is advised. This test showed that a value of 250 percent of control still existed 75 minutes following the administration of heparin.


Intravenous rupture of arteriosclerotic aneurysms of the abdominal aorta.

Intravenous rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysms occurs infrequently but should be considered with the coexistence of severe congestive failure, anasarca, and abdominal bruits. Six patients are presented with four survivors. In only two patients was the diagnosis considered preoperatively without angiography. Two were variants in that thrombus occluded the fistula, thereby negating findings usually manifested clinically. Diagnosis of this type can be made only during operation when copious venous bleeding ensues with evacuation of the aortic thrombus. Careful fluid management and prompt surgery are prerequisites to obtaining a successful outcome. Repair is accomplished easily by suturing the fistula from the aortic aspect, but care is required to avoid dislodgement of thrombus and atherosclerotic debris resulting in pulmonary embolism.


Cystadenocarcinoma of the pancreas presenting as a splenic cyst.

A report of a cystadenocarcinoma of the pancreas arising in the spleen from pancreatic heterotopia is presented. The fact that the resected pancreatic tail was microscopically normal and separate from the tumor lends strong support that the tumor arose from pancreatic heterotopia rather than from direct extension or metastasis.


Ca-DTPA-induced fetal death and malformation in mice.

Increased fetal mortality and congenital malformation were induced in mice by Ca-DTPA, a chelate widely used for the removal of internally deposited plutonium in human beings. Mated C57BL/Do female mice were given five daily injections of 720-2,880 mumol/kg Ca-DTPA during early, mid, or late gestation. Damage probably occurred as a result of the depletion by Ca-DTPA of zinc and manganese, trace elements essential to growth and development. By extension, it seems likely that Ca-DTPA could damage human fetuses. A much safer chelate, Zn-DTPA, is recommended for the treatment of accidental plutonium contamination.


Reduced interlitter variability in rats resulting from a restricted mating period, and reassessment of the ""litter effect''.

Rats were mated for two or 15 hours and variability of day-12-embryos in weight, protein content, and [3H]thymidine incorporation was compared in the long mating period (LMP) and short mating period (SMP) groups by a 2-level nested analysis of variance. Variability in day-20 fetal weight was similarly compared. In both groups day-12 embryonic weight was relatively more variable than day-20 fetal weight, and variability was less in SMP than LMP animals for each comparison made, although statistical significance was attained only for thymidine incorporation. ""Litter effects'' were noted but not of the magnitude reported by other investigators. It was concluded that inappropriate statistical methods have encouraged the belief that among-litter variability usually exceeds within-litter fetal weight variability. The teratological implications of reduced development variability and the ""litter effect'' are discussed.


Placental morphology in spontaneous human abortuses with normal and abnormal karyotypes.

A systematic gross and microscopic study of the placenta was done on human spontaneous abortions, correlating placental morphology and karyotype of the conceptus. Consistent abnormalities were seen in the four major forms of human heteroploidy, so that a fairly accurate ""karyotypic diagnosis'' could be made from careful gross and microscopic examination of the aborted material. Depressed growth activity and dysmorphogenesis characterized these placentas, reflecting placental participation in the disturbed phenotypic expression of heteroploidy.


Preventive effect of riboflavin and ATP on the teratogenic effects of the phenothiazine derivative T-82.

To examine the hypothesis that the teratogenic effects of the phenothiazine derivative T-82 are due to its causing a riboflavin deficiency day 11 or 12 pregnant CB Wistar rats were each given 2,000 mg/kg T-82 po plus 100 mg/kg riboflavin ip, 12.4 mg/kg ATP ip, or both. The rates of fetal mortality and external malformations were significantly decreased in all supplementation experiments. The frequencies of cleft palate, micrognathia, and micromelia were unchanged but those of ectopic testis and hydrops fetalis were significantly increased in the group treated with T-82 and ATP on day 12.


Studies of teratogenic effects of the dithiocarbamates maneb, mancozeb, and propineb.

Oral administration of high dosages of the dithiocarbamate pesticides maneb and mancozeb was teratogenic in rats but not in mice. The malformations, severe limb and craniofacial defects, were pronounced after maneb treatment but less so after mancozeb and propineb, zinc-containing compounds. The teratogenic effect of maneb was progressively reduced by simultaneously administering increasing amounts of zinc acetate. The mechanism of the teratogenic effect may involve the compounds being chelating agents, trapping zinc required for many important enzyme systems.


Craniosynostosis. I. Sagittal synostosis: its genetics and associated clinical findings in 214 patients who lacked involvement of the coronal suture(s).

The clinical and genetic findings in 214 patients with sagittal synostosis are described. Seventy-three per cent of the patients were male. Children with sagittal synostosis were treated earlier than those with coronal synostosis. Major malformations occurred in 22%, and 8.9% were mentally retarded. The retardation was clearly unrelated to the synostosis in almost half the patients. The remaining retarded patients had a significantly lower mean birth weight, higher frequency of malformations, and later age at operation than the control group. We believe the late age at operation was due to bias in the ascertainment of this group of retarded children, and that sagittal synostosis was simply one of a number of malformations that can occur in children with intrinsic retardation. Familial data and the skull measurements of a sample of parents of affected children were compatible with multifactorial inheritance; however there is need for prospective family studies and parental measurements on ethnically uniform groups.


Trisomy 18 and cyclopia.

A stillborn male infant with cyclopia, holoprosencephaly, extracephalic malformations, and trisomy 18 is described. The importance of chromosome studies in infants with severe congenital malformations is discussed.


[Inflammation of the tail in swine. Slaughter-house findings during 1972, 1973, and 1974 (author's transl)].

In the Public Salughter-House of Utrecht, a percentage increase in the number of pigs with inflammation of the tail, which had or had not healed, was observed during the period from 1972 to 1974 inclusive. The most common secondary symptoms of inflammation consisted in embolic pneumonia, osteomyelitis of the vertebrae and abscess formation in other parts of the body, particularly the semimebranosus muscles. Osteomyelitis was found to be the most common complication in pigs in which the inflammation of the tail had healed, whereas this usually consisted in embolic pneumonia in those cases in which the inflammation of the tail had not healed. The bacteriological examination carried out in accordance with the Meat Inspection Regulations was positive in 21.7 per cent, 13.5 per cent of the cases respectively in 1972, 1973 and 1974. Micro-organisms were isolated much more frequently from the kidney than they were from the spleen and meat. There was no relationship between the presence of inflammation of the tail and climatological conditions during the fattening period. The losses at slaughter from inflammation of the tail in the Netherlands are estimated at 3-4 million guilders per annum.


[Modified surgical treatment of eversion and inversion of the third eyelid in dogs (author's transl)].

Description of a simple surgical method for treatment of eversion and inversion of the third eyelid, resulting in minimum loss of function. Only the abnormally curved position of the cartilage is removed through the palpebral conjunctiva. The results of this form of treatment were highly satisfactory in ten cases of eversion or inversion; there was no loss of function.


[Mycobacterial intestinal disease in woodpigeons (Columbia palumbus) (author's transl)].

During and shortly after the second world war, an infection bearing a resemblance to avian tuberculosis was observed in woodpigeons in Denmark and Great Britain. These birds had been found dead or been shot. The patogenic agent, however, could not be isolated by the usual methods. In the Netherlands, the disease was also detected in woodpigeons and occasionally in psittacine birds. The histological changes bore a resemblance to those observed in Johne's disease. Detailed bacteriological and experimental studies showed that there were two different infections. One agent was a mycobacterium of the species, which could not be grown on the usual culture media for M. tuberculosis, whereas it could on the media used in the culture of M. paratuberculosis, particularly Smith's medium. The bacterium also soon becomes rough on this culture medium. As a result, differentiation of serological types by Schaefer's method failed. The other type of mycobacterium (which indeed causes a similar form of intestinal disease) could be readily cultured and was identified as M. avium type 2. The former mycobacterium is still nameless in point of fact but is sometimes wrongly referred to as Mycobacterium columbae. This rod was not found to be pathogenic for the domesticated pigeon (Columba livia), not even when intestinal mucosa containing large numbers of bacteria and obtained from a diseases woodpigeon which had died recently, was inoculated orally in recently hatched specimens of the domesticated pigeon. To account for the appearance of tuberculosis in native woodpigeons, it is suggested that low plasma transferrin levels could result in marked susceptibility to infections such as tuberculosis and trichomoniasis.


[Nitrate poisoning in cattle in the province of Goningen. Report on a number of cases (author's transl)].

Six cases of nitrate poisoning in cattle are reported. The fact that the symptoms were highly acute and appeared as rapidly as within a few hours after feeding, was a striking feature in dairy cows. Deaths occurred among yearlings without the stock owners having previously noticed any changes. In those cases in which post-mortem studies were done, characteristic changes were not observed, with the exception of engorgement of the lungs with blood or paleness of the mucosae. Nitrate levels were found to vary markedly within a single lot of roughage. Early administration of methylene blue to reduce methaemoglobin and treatment with hypertensive agents may be life-saving.


HLA antigens in three Siberian populations.

The distribution of HLA phenotypes, gene and haplotype frequencies was studied in three Mongoloid populations in Central Asia (Tofs, Tuvinians and Buryats). In comparison with Caucasian populations increased frequency of HLA-A9, BW40 and BW15 and haplotype A9, BW15 as well as low frequency of HLA-A1, B8 and B12 are characteristic of all three populations. Buryats seem to have the relatively highest admixture of Caucasoid genes.


The brain of the horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus). I. Neuroglia.

The brain of the horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus, harbors three populations of neuroglial cells, whose distribution and cellular details are best appreciated by a combination of silver impregnation, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy. Stellate astrocytes envelop neurons as satellite cells, permeate the neuropile, and secrete a framework of sustentacular trabeculae throughout the brain. Velate astrocytes are restricted to Kenyon cells, i.e. small association neurons, of which they harbor up to 150 per neuroglial cell. Vascular neuroglia is composed of glycogen and mitochondria-laden, interlocked cells that form an open meshwork in the hemocoelic spaces of the brain. Aside from supportive functions of neuroglia, the vascular neuroglial cells in particular seem to subserve the role of a metabolic reserve cell for the central nervous system.


Scanning and transmission electron microscopy of the spermiophores of Ornithodoros ticks: an attempt to explain their motility.

The spermiophores of two tick species, the kangaroo tick, Ornithodoros gurneyi and the cave tick, Ornithodoros tholozani have been examined by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The anterior end (head) of the spermiophore is a hemisphere covered with a hexagonal network of small projections. The rest of the spermiophore is covered with longitudinal ridges, seen in sections as cellular processes whose membranes are attached only at their anterior ends by specialized 'feet'. In the cytoplasm of the sperm cell body and just beneath the cellular processes are find filaments, which form a continuous layer in O. tholozani and bundles in O. gurneyi. Fibrils tend to be situated beneath the larger cellular processes. In scanning micrographs helical constrictions have been observed in the posterior parts of some spermiophores. It is proposed that certain of the movements observed by light microscopy in living cultures of spermiophores may be explained by contraction of the cytoplasmic filaments seen in the electron microscope.


Selective uptake of noradrenaline, dopa, and 5-hydroxytryptamine by the nervous system of Phocanema decipiens (Nematoda): a light autoradiographic and ultrastructural study.

As determined by light microscopic autoradiography, parts of the nervous system of Phocanema decipiens have selective and high affinity mechanisms for the uptake of tritiated noradrenaline, dihydroxyphenylalanine (dopa) and 5-hydroxytryptamine. In the nervous system, noradrenaline is accumulated only by the four papillary nerves and two fibers in the nerve ring. The precursor dopa is also taken up by these neurons and, in addition, by the lateral nerves. 5-Hydroxytryptamime is accumulated by the three pharyngeal nerves, two cells in each lateral ganglion, and two other fibers in the nerve ring. With adjacent ultrathin sections, the labelled papillary nerve and lateral ganglion were examined ultrastructurally and found to contain various dense core vesicles which are similar to those in other aminergic neurons. The adjoining unlabelled cells of the same neurons are found, on the other hand, to contain dense agranular vesicles. With these results, the noradrenaline accumulating neurons are suggested to be noradrenergic and to contain the amine synthesizing enzymes. The lateral nerves are regarded, for the present, as dopaminergic neurons. These suggestions are in agreement with the previous demonstration of catecholaminergic neurons in this nematode. The 5-hydroxytryptamine accumulating neurons are tentatively identified as tryptaminergic.


The granular cells of Galleria mellonella during clotting and phagocytic reactions in vitro.

Light and electron-microscopic observations of the blood-cells (hemocytes) of the wax-moth Galleria mellonella showed that hemolymph coagulation was initiated by the rapid release of material from the granular cells. During incubation for short terms in vitro these cells showed progressive degranulation as material derived from the granules was discharged into the hemolymph. Attempts to determine the nature of this material by staining with ruthenium red proved mainly unsuccessful. When challenged with bacteria in vitro the granular cells failed to phagocytose these particles and instead the bacteria became embedded in the granular material surrounding these cells. The mode of coagulation reported here is compared with previous reports of the role of invertebrate hemocytes in hemolymph clotting.


Fine structure and x-ray microanalysis of mineralized concretions in the malpighian tubules of the housefly, Musca domestica.

The epithelium and the lumen of the Malpighian tubules of the housefly contains mineralized dense bodies called concretions. The morphological characteristics, mode of origin, nature of the sequestered elements and the age-associated changes in the distribution of concretions are reported. There are three types of concretions in the cytoplasm, which have been designated as type A, type B, and type C. Type A concretions are membrane-bound spherical structures which may arise by the gradual intravacuolar accumulation of dense material. Type B concretions appear to be related to multivesicular bodies. Type C concretions are heteromorphic and morphologically resemble the residual bodies. They show a positive localization of acid phosphatase reaction product. X-ray microanalysis of intracytoplasmic and intraluminal concretions revealed the presence of phosphorus, sulphur, chlorine, calcium, iron, zinc and copper. There was no evidence suggesting the extrusion of the intracytoplasmic concretions into the lumen of the Malpighian tubules. There is an age-associated increase in the distribution of type C concretions. It is hypothesized that the sequestration of metal ions within the concretions may provide a means for the effective excretion of these elements.


The fine structure of the embryo during the gastrula stage of Comanthus japonica (Echinodermata: Crinoidea).

The fine structure of the embryo of Comanthus has been described by scanning and transmission electron microscopy at two-hourly intervals throughout the gastrula stage (from the fifth through the fifteenth hours of development). At 5 hr, gastrulation has occurred in the absence of any structure comparable to the echinoid hyaline layer; therefore, at least one important mechanism proposed for echinoid gastrulation cannot occur in this crinoid. At 7 hr, the blastocoelic basal lamina has formed, and all ectodermal and entodermal nuclei contain dense aggregates, which are probably perichromatin fibrils. At 9 hr, the blastocoel contains mesenchyme cells, presumably of entodermal origin. At 11 hr, ciliogenesis has started at the apical surfaces of the ectoderm cells and at the archenteral surfaces of the entoderm cells; many of the newly formed cilia are swollen subterminally. At 13 hr, a conspicuous glycocalyx is beginning to cover the apical ends of the ectoderm cells, and the fertilization membrane is beginning to dissolve from its inner surface. Between 5 and 13 hr, there is a gradual development of a junctional complex associating the apicolateral margins of the ectoderm cells; the zonula adherens part of the complex appears at 5 hr and is well developed by 7 hr, and then the septate junction part of the complex appears at 9 hr and is well developed by 13 hr. At 15 hr, the blastopore has closed, the ectodermal glycocalyx is fully developed, some mesenchyme cells appear to be differentiating into skeleton forming cells, and the fertilization membrane is in the last stages of dissolution.


Electron microscopic study on gut epithelium of the tench (Tinca tinca L.) with respect to its absorptive functions.

Few morphological differences are seen along the intestinal tract of the adult tench (Tinca tinca L.) a stomachless freshwater teleost. However, three segments can be distinguished, when function and structure of enterocytes are studied. The enterocytes of the proximal segment are found to be concerned with dietary lipids absorption. In the cell, absorbed fats are seen in two inclusion bodies: lipid particles and lipid droplets. Only lipid particles are involved in direct transport of absorbed fatty acids in the blood circulation, as in lymphatic vessels. Lipid droplets seem to be involved in temporary storage of fatty acids. Special features are found in enterocytes of the short middle segment; these cells show many invaginations and pinocytosis figures, a well-developed tubulo-vesicular network and large vacuoles in the supranuclear hyaloplasm. Such characters bear a resemblance to descriptions of the gut of some newborn mammals. The great permeability of this epithelium to macromolecules is demonstrated by the administration of horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Enterocytes of the distal segment show, at their basal pole, numerous invaginations of the plasma membrane, and a large mitochondrial population. Morphological similarity suggests a functional analogy with epithelia involved in water and ions transport.


Light and electron microscopic serial analysis of mouse extraocular muscle: morphology, innervation and topographical organization of component fiber populations.

Mouse superior rectus extraocular muscle was examined in serial section by light and electron microscopy. By such analysis, it was possible to discriminate single versus multiple innervation, characteristics of internal cell morphology, and topographical distribution of the respective fiber populations within the muscle. Singly innervated (SIF) and multiply innervated fibers (MIF) were observed, both in an orbital surface layer and in the underlying global region of the muscle. Five morphologically distinct fiber types (three SIF and two MIF) were discriminable in terms of fiber diameter, mitochondrial richness, development of the sarcoplasmic reticulum, and myofibrillar size. Many fibers both SIF and MIF, terminated variously along the length of the muscle. The diameter of orbital MIF typically varied from one end of the fiber to the other by a factor of about three; the global MIF were of essentially constant diameter. The junctional complexity varied among the respective types of SIF. The MIF of both the global and orbital regions exhibited comparable ranges of complexity in their neuromuscular junctions.


Ultrastructural observations on differentiating human preadipocytes cultured in vitro.

A cell type, preadipocytes, isolated from the stroma of adult human adipose tissue appears capable of differentiating, in culture, into a cell with morphological features similar to that observed in terminally differentiated human adipocytes cultured under similar conditions. During this process of differentiation, preadipocytes develop extensive rough endoplasmic reticulum with prominent cisternae, the chromatin of most nuclei becomes decondensed and lipid bodies accumulate to levels observed in cultured adipocytes. Fibroblasts derived from non-adipose tissue do not undergo the same morphological changes when cultured under similar conditions.


Difference in changes of plasma volume in two types of Goldblatt hypertension in rabbits.

High plasma renin concentration (PRC) and hematocrit (Ht) were observed in hypertensive rabbits with one renal artery clipped and an intact opposite kidney (Group A), while rather low PRC and Ht in hypertensive ones with one renal artery clipped and the opposite kidney removed (Group B). Plasma volume (PV), blood volume (BV), and packed cell volume (PCV) were estimated in these two types of hypertensive rabbits, and also in sham-operated rabbits (Group C). In Group A, 4 weeks after clipping of a renal artery, PV was decreased and significant inverse correlations were observed between PV and the elevation of blood pressure and between PV and PRC. A significant correlation between PRC and the elevation of blood pressure was also found 4 and 12 weeks after the clipping. PCV was increased until 12 weeks after clipping. In Group B, PV was increased 1 and 4 weeks after clipping, then returned to the initial level. Ht was decreased 1 and 12 weeks, and PCV was decreased 12 weeks after clipping. These results would indicate that a high Ht seen in Group A was partly due to the decreased PV and partly due to the increased PCV, while, in Group B, a low Ht in early stage might be mainly due to the increased PV, but in the late stage, a decreased PCV appeared to play a role to lower Ht. PRC seems to be affected differently by PV in these two types of hypertension.


Citrate treatment in a patient with pyruvate decarboxylase deficiency.

A 5-year old boy with intermittent sopor, severe vomiting and ataxia since 2 1/2 years old was described. During attack period the patient showed elevation of blood pyruvate and alanine and also cerebrospinal-fluid pyruvate, whereas during the time free from attack only blood pyruvate was increased. Deficiency of pyruvate decarboxylase was found in patient's leukocyte and in cultured skin fibroblasts. Addition of thiamine in assay medium did not correct the enzyme activity. Oral administration of citrate seemed to be most effective and during the treatment only a mild attack was once observed.


A case of Wegener's granulomatosis with necrosis of the penis.

A 31-year-old male had a sudden onset of painful swelling in the penile root region. He then developed necrosis of the penis and further a progressive, chemotherapy-resistant ulcer which involved the perineal region also. Histologically there was evidence of neither malignancy nor specific inflammation, but there were granulomatous tissues with cellular infiltration and scattered vascular necrosis. Examination of the nose suggested gangrenous rhinitis with perforation of the nasal septum. X-ray examination revealed that the nasal septum and conchae had disappeared. Chest roentgenogram also revealed increased hilar shadows in both fields of the chest. Routine laboratory examinations showed slight albuminuria and a normal BUN level. Positive findings included leucocytosis, hyper-gamma-globulinemia, accelerated ESR, positive RA and CRP tests. The patient's death was caused by bleeding from gastric ulcer and pulmonary failure.


A study on the pathogenesis of postmastectomy lymphedema.

In order to study the causes of postmastectomy lymphedema, venography, lymphangiography and RISA absorption test were performed on the patients following radical mastectomy. Venous obstruction was a rare cause of postmastectomy lymphedema. Edema patterns in arm lymphangiography were observed in the patients with lymphedema and even in some of the non-edematous upper extremities. The finding of axillary lymphangiography was correlated with the degree of edema of the upper extremity. The absence of adequate lymphatic pathway across the axilla (type 2, collateral and type 3, blocking) was thought to provide the pathologic base for the postmastectomy lymphedema. RISA absorption test also provided precise information of the lymphatic flow in the extremity. It was lower in the patients with edema, as compared with the patients without edema.


Clinical and biochemical studies on periodic hyperammonemia with hyperlysinemia and homocitrullinuria.

An 18-year-old mentally and physically retarded boy, suffering from episodes of anorexia, vomiting, coma and convulsion which have been severer with advance in age, had periodic hyperammonemia, hyperlysinemia and homocitrullinuria. Blood cell arginase activity of the patient on normal diet was markedly reduced after an oral load of L-lysine. The oral loading tests of L-lysine revealed hyperammonemia, hyperlysinemia, hyperargininemia, hypercitrullinemia and homocitrullinuria.  Etiology of metabolic error of our patient was discussed in reference to lysine-urea cycle.


Radioimmunoassay for serum thyroxine.

A new procedure for radioimmunoassay (RIA) was applied to determine the serum concentration of thyroxine (T4). Mixtures of T4-methylester hydrochloride-bovine serum albumin complex and complete Freund's adjuvant were injected to rabbits to get them immunized. Specific anti-T4 rabbit serum, high in titer, could be obtained 18 months after the start of immunization. RIA for T4 extracted by ethanol from serum was performed by an application of dextran-coated charcoal to separate bound and free 125-i-t4. on the other hand, RIA for T4 performed directly in the serum containing 100 mg/100 ml of 8-anilino-1-naphthalene-sulfonic acid (ANS) gave a similar standard curve for T4 obtained by the ethanol-extraction method. Serum T4 values obtained by the methanol-extraction method were 9.7 +/- 3.3 mug/100 ml for patients with hyperthyroidism and 0.6 +/- 0.3 mug/100 ml for those with hypothyroidism. The corresponding figures obtained by RIA in the serum containing ANS were 11.1 +/- 2.1, 19.1 +/- 3.3 and 0.7 +/- 0.7 mug/100 ml, respectively. The figures positively correlated respectively to the serum T4 values obtained by the competitive protein-binding analysis method (Tetrasrob-125).


Significant prognostic factors in breast cancer of Japanese women: special reference to nuclear grade and sinus histiocytosis.

Based on clinicopathological observations of 91 female patients with breast cancer in Miyagi Prefecture, TNM stage, histologic type, grade of infiltrative growth tendency (INV), vessel involvement, lymph node metastasis, nuclear grade and sinus histiocytosis were assessed in relation to prognosis. Follow-up studies indicated that 73.6% of the patients survived more than five years after operation. Among the factors submitted to histologic evaluation, nuclear grade, INF, vessel involvement and lymph node metastasis were apparently correlated to prognosis, while sinus histiocytosis was not significantly related to it, except for patients with positive nodes.


On the agglutinogens of red cells developed with proteolytic enzymes and neuraminidase.

It has been known that the agglutinability of human red cells is changed or enhanced by treatments with proteolytic enzymes or neuraminidase. In this paper, the serological properties of agglutinogens developed by proteolytic enzymes (bromelin, ficin, papain, trypsin and pronase) and neuraminidase are investigated by using antisera to trypsin- and neuraminidase-treated red cells. The adsorptions of the antiserum to trypsinized red cells with the cells treated with each of the proteolytic enzymes showed that the agglutinogens uncovered by bromelin, ficin and papain were different from those by pronase and trypsin. It was demonstrated that pronase was the most effective enzyme to uncover the agglutinogen located on deeper site of red cell membrane. This was confirmed by the agglutination with the test cells treated twice with two kinds of the enzymes. The reactions of the antiserum to neuraminidase-treated red cells treated with six kinds of the enzymes indicated that the agglutinogens developed by neuraminidase resembled those by bromelin, ficin and papain more than those by trypsin and pronase.


Resolution of diffuse membranous changes with remission of nephrotic syndrome.

A case of membranous glomerulonephritis with initial proliferative changes accompanied by nephrotic syndrome was followed up for seven years. With three serially obtained renal biopsy tissues, the regression of the glomerular membranous alterations was confirmed after the remission of nephrotic syndrome. The diagnosis of lupus nephritis was not conclusive but was suggestive. The resolution of the basement membrane seemed to start structurally at the outer, epithelial surface of the membrane with the formation of basement membrane material. The "microtubular structures" in the glomerular endothelial cytoplasm were continuously observed in three renal tissues obtained serially for five years, regardless of the clinical remission and of glomerularstructural resolution.


Electroencephalograms in a case of maple syrup urine disease: their relation to serum levels of branched-chain amino acids.

During dietary treatment of a case of maple syrup urine disease, it was found that abnormal EEGs were observed when serum levels of leucine were abnormally high while those of valine and isoleucine were normal, and also when serum levels of valine and isoleucine were abnormally high while serum leucine levels were normal.


Visualization of the human cavernosum penis by using 99mTc-labeled autologous red blood cells.

Penial scintiphoto-images were obtained by using 99mTc-labeled autologous red blood cells in three functionally impotent patients. The cavernosum penis was clearly pictured disclosing no organic abnormalities in these three patients' penises. This method enables one to present clear macroscopic images of the cavernosum penis without causing pain to the patient, and it may be recommended for clinical use as an alternative to cavernosography.


Serum zinc and copper levels in healthy Japanese children.

Serum zinc and copper concentrations of 156 healthy children (6-12 years old) were measured by the atomic absorption spectrophotometric method. The average serum zinc concentration was 92 +/- 13 mug/100 ml (mean +/- S.D.) with a range of 62-127 mug/100 ml. No statistically significant age or sex differences were found in serum zinc levels. The mean serum copper level was 109 +/- 17 mug/100 ml with a range of 70-164 mug/100 ml. Average serum copper concentration in younger age groups (6-9 years old) was higher than that in older age groups (10-12 years old). The highest value of mean serum copper level was observed in the group of 8-year-old children. No sex differences in serum copper levels were found in all the age groups.