[Cooperative interaction of pyruvate dehydrogenase from pigeon breast muscle].

Cooperative interaction of pyruvate with the pyruvate dehydrogenase (PD) complex from pigeon breast muscle was shown. The sigmoidal dependence of the reaction rate on pyruvate concentration was observed for the PD complex. The Hill coefficient is equal to 1,5; no inhibition by the substrate (up to 2.2.10(-3) M) was found. The kinetic behaviour of the isolated pyruvate dehydrogenase component (PDH) analyzed under similar conditions, is more complex; this may be probably due to the presence of oligomeric forms with different molecular weights and specific activities. The competitive inhibitor of the PD complex--an amide of pyruvic acid (PA) (Ki=6.3-10(-6) M) activates the enzyme at low concentrations (less than 2,10(-6) M). When PA is present, the dependence of the reaction rate on pyruvate concentration gives a usual hyperbolic curve, v of [S]o. It is concluded that pyruvate may have a regulatory effect on the activity of muscle PD complex.


[Interrelationship between protein synthesis and mRNA metabolism in rat liver cells].

It is demonstrated that RNA isolated from polyribosomes and postmitochondrial fraction of rat liver cells and bound to nitrocellulose filters (Milliport) represent mRNA. RNA taken from the nitrocellulose filters sedimented in sucrose concentration gradient with a wide peak within the range of 18--6S, attaining a maximum at 12S. The (A+U)/(G+C) ratio of this RNA was equal to 1.04. On the other hand, the same ratio for rRNA was 0.64. Specific radioactivity of polysomal mRNA containing poly-A sequences, was significantly lower at 14-hour labelling with 14C-orotate than at 4-hour labelling (control). Inhibitors (cycloheximide, puromycin, ethionine, actinomycin D) stabilized polysomal mRNA. Specific radioactivity of postmitochondrial fraction mRNA was higher at 14-hour labelling than at 4-hour labelling. Specific radioactivity of postmitochondrial fraction mRNA during protein synthesis blocking by different inhibitors was comparable to those of control animals. It is hypothesized that active translation is necessary for the initiation of rat liver mRNA degradation.


[Isolation of a neutral histone-hydrolyzing protease from bovine spleen].

Neutral histone-hydrolyzing protease has been isolated by fractionation of bovine spleen extract. The low level of the protease activity in the extract may be due to the presence of an inhibitor. The enzyme activity was increased 100--1200-fold during ammonium sulfate fractionations, gel filtration on Sephadex G-100 and G-75, chromatography on CM- and DEAE-celluloses. The protease was detected in the fraction with a molecular weight lower than 25000. The enzyme was markedly activated by dithiothreitol and EDTA and inhibited by p-chloromercuribenzoate and iodoacetic acid. It was also inhibited by N-tosyl-L-lysyl chloromethyl ketone, N-tosyl-L-phenylalanyl chloromethylketone, bovine blood serum and partially by soybean trypsin inhibitor DFP, trasylol and epsilon-amino caproic acid had no effect. Beside histone, the neutral protease hydrolyzed casein and gamma-globulin and fibrinogen in a low extent. The enzyme had no activity toward N-benzoyl-D,L-arginine p-nitroanilide, N-benzoyl-L-arginine ethyl ester and N-acetyl-L-tyrosine ethyl ester, collagen, elastin and fibrin. Some properties of the enzyme were similar to those of neutral SH-dependent proteases described by Hayashi and Lo Spalluto et al.


[Functional characterization of the creatine phosphokinase reactions in heart mitochondria and myofibrils].

The kinetic properties of MM-isozyme of creatine phosphokinase (CPK) bound to heart myofibrils have been determined experimentally. It has been shown that CPK isozymes bound to the heart myofibrils and mitochondria are electrophoretically different, but have very similar kinetic properties. For both isozymes the ATP formation reaction is preferable. However, in heart mitochondria the kinetic properties of CPK are compensated for by a tight functional coupling with ATP-ADP translocase. Due to this coupling the ATP formed in the course of oxidative phosphorylation can be used completely for creatine phosphate production in mitochondria. On the other hand, the kinetic properties of myofibrillar CPK isozyme are such that they provide for the effective utilization of creatine phosphate produced in mitochondria for rephosphorylation of AKP formed in the myofibrils during contraction. It is concluded that in the heart cells energy can be transferred from the mitochondria to the myofibrils by creatine phosphate molecules.


[Interaction of electrophilic alkylating agents with nucleophilic sites of mitochondria].

The electrophilic alkylating agents having different numbers of electrophilic groups with nucleophilic sites of mitochondria were studied. Bifunctional compounds were found to modify the structure of mitochondria so that some of the sulfhydryl groups become inaccessible for titrating ions of Ag+. Monofunctional agents caused no changes in the number of determinable sulfhydryl groups and prevented the effect of bifunctional compounds. The linkage formed between the electrophilic residue and the nucleophilic site is stable in the absence of electron transport. During the transport of electrons in the respiratory chain the linkage becomes labile and the electrophilic residue chips off. A scheme of interaction of electrophilic alkylating agents with nucleophilic sites of mitochondria is proposed.


An attorney's approach to psychiatrists in custody cases.

The contested custody case has in common with any other case that it is a search for the truth through the medium of the courts. Many modern thinkers believe that the courts are not the proper arena for discovering the truth in all cases. Increasingly, there is agitation to remove areas of testimony from the courts, placing them perhaps in the hands of some commission appointed by government. So far, this has not happened in the area of child custody, and we still have the courtroom technique of examination and cross-examination, with a final decision by a judge on the basic subject of truth, that is, what is the best interest of the child. The attorney can learn from the doctor in this process, and I think the doctor can learn from the courts. I hope the day will come when no psychiatrist will ever say that he is too busy to take the patient's case if it is likely to involve him in legal controversy. I hope the time will come when no psychiatrist will say that he will not become involved with a case unless he can do so as an appointee of the court as opposed to a doctor employed by one of the parties. I hope the doctor will look forward to providing testimony and that some of the thoughts expressed in this discussion will make his day in court a better experience for him.


Carcinoembryonic antigen in patients with untreated central nervous system tumors.

This study was designed to determine whether immunological examination of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels in blood serum and cerebrospinal fluid would be helpful in detecting central nervous system tumors. Forty patients with tumors of the central nervous system were compared with 108 control patients. The findings suggest that: 1) CEA determinations are not helpful as a screening test in detecting preclinical central nervous system tumors; 2) Serum CEA determinations may be useful in determining the presence of a malignant tumor in patients with a circumscribed uptake on brain scan or a nonspecific mass lesion at cerebral angiography; 3) Cerebrospinal fluid CEA determinations were of no value in detecting central nervous system tumors; 4) Further study on a larger population of malignant central nervous system tumors is warranted.


Congenital facial neuropathy in oculoauriculovertebral dysplasia-hemifacial microsomia (Goldenhar-Gorlin syndrome).

Four patients with clinical features of Goldenhar-Gorlin syndrome who showed facial paralysis on clinical examination are presented. The fourth case died following surgery for cleft lip. Autopsy revealed hypoplasia of the right facial nerve in its intracranial segment, with small right facial nucleus in the brain stem. Nosological aspects of the Goldenhar-Gorlin syndrome are discussed. Peripheral facial paralysis, as a part of this syndrome, is reviewed in the light of clinical and pathological findings and in its relationship to cardiac anomalies. It is suggested that Goldenhar-Gorlin syndrome is a part of a so-called cardiofacial syndrome.


Alternating Bell's palsy associated with diabetes mellitus. A report of four cases.

Four diabetic patients are presented with alternating facial palsy. The term alternating is meant to imply facial nerve paralysis, the onset of which occurs at different points in time on both sides of the face. Clinical findings are presented and a short review of the literature is summarized. The authors conclude that alternating facial palsy is often associated with diabetes mellitus. Alternating facial palsy is an infrequent finding. This is in marked contrast to the unilateral form. Approximately every 13 minutes someone in the United States incurs idiopathic facial paralysis or Bell's palsy (20 persons per 100,000 per year). It is apparent that the majority of unilateral facial palsies fall into the idiopathic category. The alternating form of facial paralysis, however, appears to be an unusual finding in a symptom complex of several diseases which will be discussed. It is the diagnostic significance of this alternating facial paralysis and its occasional association with diabetes mellitus that prompts this report.


The measurement of spatial contrast sensitivity in cases of blurred vision associated with cerebral lesions.

Thirty-five patients with known cerebral lesions complained of recently acquired blurred vision. None of them had evident oculomotor or pupillary abnormalities, and each had intact central fields and normal visual acuity by conventional standards. Examination of spatial contrast sensitivity was carried out with sinusoidal grating patterns, by determining the minimum contrast between alternate light and dark bars required to distinguish the pattern from a homogeneous field. This was done at each of several spatial frequencies which were established by varying the width of the bars and hence the coarseness of the pattern. The contrast sensitivities were plotted as "visuograms" which, by analogy to audiograms, record the sensitivities in comparison to normal standards. Of the 35 patients, most showed significant losses, amounting to greater than 50 per cent elevation of contrast thresholds. Eighteen showed high frequency losses; 11 had uniform reductions over the entire visible spatial frequency range and 6 had selective frequency losses in the intermediate frequency ranges. These defects in spatial contrast sensitivity, which were not predictable from standard acuity scores, indicate that the visual symptoms in our patients may have been caused by damage to frequency-selective neural elements in the central visual systems. The method may be used to advantage in clinical investigations as well as in physiological investigations of the functional pathways subserving central vision.


Primary cerebral neuroblastoma. A clinicopathological study of 35 cases.

A series of 35 primary cerebral neuroblastoma is reported. These rare tumours occur most often in children in the first half of the first decade. Grossly the tumors are often massive, discrete, lobular, firm and cystic. Histologically three variants, largely determined by the extent and distribution of the fibrous connective tissue stroma, are recognized: (1) a classical variant, which most resembles the peripheral neuroblastoma and is characterized by a high frequency of Homer Wright rosettes and a relatively high frequency of ganglionic differentiation; (2) a desmoplastic variant, which is characterized by an intense connective tissue stroma; and (3) a transitional variant, in which both the classical and the desmoplastic features may be present within the same case, either concurrently or consecutively. Both the desmoplastic and the transitional forms are less likely to exhibit differentiation to mature ganglion cells, but the importance of identifying the primitive cell elements as neuroblasts is emphasized. With rare exceptions, this can be established only by specific silver impregnations on frozen material. Occasionally the direction of growth may be largely leptomeningeal. Seven illustrative clinical histories with pathological correlations are described. The over-all clinical behaviour of these tumours is that of malignant neuroepithelial neoplasms, characterized by a high recurrence rate. Recurrence may, however, be a late development, in some cases occurring five or seven years after apparently successful surgical removal. The tumour shows shows a high incidence of metastatic spread, almost 40 per cent of the cases examined at autopsy having disseminated in the cerebrospinal pathways. Exceptionally, extraneural metastases may also develop. However, long post-operative survival occasionally occurs, and the subsequent clinical course is not always predictable in the individual case. The differential diagnosis is briefly discussed. The cellular nature of the tumour and its biological behaviour recall those of the cerebellar medulloblastoma. Post-operative radiation to the entire neuraxis should be considered for these neoplasms.


Enhanced pressor response to noradrenaline in patients with cervical spinal cord transection.

Arterial blood pressure, heart-rate and the electrocardiogram were recorded in subjects tetraplegic from cervical spinal cord transections, and in control subjects, before, during and after intravenous infusions of 1-noradrenaline. Over a wide range of doses the blood pressure rose much more in the tetraplegics than in the controls. Circulating noradrenaline during infusion did not significantly differ between the two groups. The findings indicate that tetraplegic subjects have an enhanced pressor response to noradrenaline infusions. Such a response therefore does not necessarily indicate post-ganglionic sympathetic denervation. The observed responses in the tetraplegics may in part be due to exaggerated adrenergic receptor responses, but the main cause is likely to be the loss of those baroreceptor reflexes with sympathetic efferent pathways.


Radiculomyelitis following acute haemorrhagic conjunctivitis.

The clinical manifestations and natural history of radiculomyelitis following a newly reported disease--acute haemorrhagic conjunctivitis (AHC)--have been studied in 33 patients in Taiwan, and the following observations made: All the patients in this series were adults at ages ranging from 21 to 55 years; the salient initial neurological manifestations were radicular pains and acute flaccid paralysis which developed from five to thirty-seven days after the onset of AHC. In some patients, signs and symptoms indicating involvement of the meninges, cranial nerves and the white matter of the cord were observed; motor paralysis was the most striking feature during the whole clinical course; it consisted of flaccid asymmetrical weakness in one or more limbs, usually being more severe in the lower limbs than in the upper, and often more proximal than distal. Atrophy in the severely affected muscles usually became apparent in the second or third week of the weakness; the prognosis regarding the return of function in the affected muscles was dependent on the severity of the involvement. Permanent incapacitation due to paralysis and muscular atrophy in the affected proximal muscles of lower limbs was the main sequel in severe cases. The pattern and prognosis of flaccid motor paralysis were reminiscent of acute poliomyelitis in which the anterior horn cells of the spinal cord are mainly involved. Pleocytosis ranging from 11 to 270 per mm3 was noted in the majority of the patients when the cerebrospinal fluid was examined within the first three weeks from the onset of neurological symptoms; the total protein level was raised invariably from the second week onwards in all specimens, and remained so throughout the subsequent course as long as the seventh week or later. Tissue culture neutralization tests were performed on the sera from 9 patients; significant rises in the antibody titres (greater than or equal to 1:16) to AHC virus antigens were found in 8 cases, and in 2 of them a fourfold rise in the paired sera was noted. The differentiation of this syndrome from poliomyelitis and from Guillain-Barré syndrome, the relative freedom of children from neurological complications of AHC and the aetiological relationship of AHC virus to the syndrome have been discussed. It is concluded that this unusual neurological syndrome is caused by the neurovirulent properties of the AHC virus.


Learning and insight in psychotherapy.

The main objectives of this paper are: (a) an overview of therapeutic parallels and differences between psychoanalytic and behavioral psychotherapy; (b) an analysis of learning process with reference to insight taking place during psychotherapy. For attaining these objectives, the author reviews the literature and explores the cognitive and educational values inherent in the psychotherapeutic process.


[Aggression].

The aggressiveness is not a drive and has nothing in common with Freudian death instinct, but it is one of the ways to fulfill the possession desires and the narcissistic desires. As the way to achievement, it comes into a conflict with the fear of failure, with the co-operation advantages and with the altruistic human drives. As the latter ones are rather weak in an average person, the co-operation--as a basis of society--is in all its strata imbued with aggression. Each social structure, up to the present day, has contained aggression as an organic component. The hope of creating a society free from aggression is not based on the betterment of the human character, but on the growth of the productive forces. The existence of the interpersonal aggression has been concealed from a child, brought up in the spirit of the centuries-old fallacious educational principles. As a result, the child develops its first neurosis--the Superego neurosis. The Superego is not a structural component of the human psyche, but it is a neurotic formation. In the subsequent years, the confrontation of the child and the youth with the true aggression may affect his or her development in various ways. In some cases, the given individual disregards the Superego commands and pays for it with the neurosis of permanent guilt feelings. In other cases, the individual deals with the Superego as with the ethical values in themselves, and develops an inhibition neurosis (Gehemmtheitsneurose). Still in other cases he or she revolts against the mendacity of the society and develops a pseudopsychopathy. The proper education should strive to awake the nobe feelings in the child, but at the same time to reveal the whole truth about the existence of aggression in the human interrelations. In these conditions, through the conscious choice between the egoistic and the altruistic drives, could the growing person form the moral attitudes fitting his or her own nature. Because the ethics of the values in themselves is but a philosophical fiction, the only real ethics is that which is based on feelings.


Hypnotic recall and flashback: the remembrance of things present.

There are two kinds of flashbacks: the self-programed or intra-individual variety and pre-programed or inter-individual flashbacks re-presenting mythical and narrative event structures which contribute to the survival of the species. Both types of experiences are arousal-state bound and stage (set and setting) or culture bound. Flashbackers may be characterized by (1) their variability (large SD) on perceptual-behavioural tasks pointing to their extensive cognitive or interpretive repertoire, (2) they are minimizers (or reducers) of sensory input (particularly at the peak of a hallucinogenic drug experience), (3) as a group they display high resting heart rates, (4) are hypnotizable and experience), (3) as group they display high resting heart rates, (4) are hypnotizable and hence (5) prefer righ cerebral hemispheric cognition, (6) displaying EEG-alpha dominance in the resting, waking state. Flashback and hypnotic recall differ only in the ways and means by which they are induced. Hypnotic induction, however, is not to be confused with the induced state that may be any ordinary or non-ordinary state of consciousness on the perception-hallucination-meditation continuum which the subject has a least once experienced before. If mind is an open system comprising the individual's mind and the minds of his total environment, i.e. his past and present sets and settings, then for many of us thoughts and actions are hypnotically induced, and memories are flashbacks of those experiences.


The hyperkinetic child syndrome: the need for reassessment.

The dramatic increase in the incidence of hyperkinesis witnessed in recent years constitutes a growing concern for the children so classified. Some relevant issues are discussed in terms of (a) diagnostic practices, (b) treatment practices, and (c) changing views about the nature of the disorder itself. Rather than focusing on the child as a source of the problem (as has typically been the case), future research and practices need to demonstrate a broad-based perspective on the adjustment problems of these children that examines "situational" determinants and institutional policies.


Isotope lymphography of the retrosternal region.

The authors have examined 150 patients with Hodgkin's lymphomas and cancer of the breast and lung. They consider indirect lymphography as a screening method necessary to be completed with available clinical examinations. In normal scintigram it is possible eliminate the pathological process. Even when some part of lymphatic region is not scanned it is possible to say that the suspicion of a pathological process is highly probable. It is necessary to consider the anatomical variability of lymphatic vessels. Therefore, the scintigram must be evaluated together with other clinical findings. The examination of axillar and cervical area of lymphatic system and the determination of eventual collateral circulation is recommended simultaneously with retrosternal lymphography.


Control of the RIA method as viewed from the standpoint of the investigation on the kinetics of the insulin-125 I-antibody reaction.

In this paper attempts were made towards the optimalization and the control of some parameters of the RIA reaction. Basing on the law mass action, as well as on the Scatchard's and Sip's equations, the equilibrium constants for the reversible reaction: insulin-125I-antibody for different incubation temperatures were calculated. Moreover a characteristic of the antiinsulin antibody by means of the "alpha"heterogeneity coefficient was done, as well as the values of the thermodynamic function increments were calculated, which made possible to point out explicitly the optimal shape of the standard curve.


A rational approach to "in vitro" thyroid function testing.

A system of "in vitro" thyroid function testing is proposed whereby laboratory staff select the most appropriate screening test depending on the information supplied by the clinician. Total serum triiodothyronine (T3) or thyroxine (T4) are used for screening as appropriate. In borderline cases, secondary tests are performed automatically according to a flow chart. This system improves efficiency and is cost effective, saving approximately 1,800 pounds annually in a laboratory handling about 5,000 requests for thyroid function tests each year.


Experiences with the use of the 131I-hippuran test as an indicator in functional patency of ventriculocardiac shunts in hydrocephalic children.

In this paper a method is presented that provides information on the function of ventriculocardiac shunts in hydrocephalic children. There is good correlation between clinically and operatively demonstrated obstruction of the shunts as well as with clinically found free C.S.F. passage through the shunt. However, the greatest benefit is provided with the aid of the present method in cases with equivocal obstruction of the shunt where in our experience some operations of the shunt could be postponed or completely avoided in some cases. Because of its simplicity, safety, rapidity, and easy repeatability the method is recommended for routine ambulatory and hospital use.


Chronobiological pattern of growth hormone secretion in normal subjects and in retinopathic diabetics. Lack of suppression by a plurichronocorticoid drug.

Nyctohemeral variations in plasma concentrations of HGH, glucose, and FFA were studied in 22 normal subjects and 48 diabetic patients affected with retinopathy. In the normal subjects, (fourteen males and eight females, mean age 40+/-3 years; body weight less than 110% of I.B.W.) the determinations were made on blood samples drawn every hour. Seven of these normal subjects were examined before and after 10 days of administration of a new plurichronocorticoid drug (administered at 08(00) and 15(00), with a total amount of 14 mg of prednisolone and 15 mg of cortisone). In patients with diabetic retinopathy (32 male and sixteen female patients, mean age 46+/-2 years, body weight less than 110% of I.B.W.) the determinations were made on blood samples drawn every 3 hrs. All the diabetic patients were insulin treated and were under good or discrete metabolic control, and presented advanced retinopathy. Both in the normal subjects and in retinopathic diabetics, the mean HGH curve showed a characteristic elevation during the early nighttime hours (between 21(00) and 02(00). Despite higher values in plasma glucose and FFA, in diabetics the nocturnal elevation of HGH was only slightly lower than in the normals. The comparison between daytime and nighttime determinations, both in the normal subjects and in the diabetics, reveals statistically significant differences. These results suggest that in subjects with diabetic retinopathy, in the phase of good or discrete metabolic control, spontaneous HGH secretion is not increased, and that nocturnal elevation of HGH is not substantially influenced by higher plasma levels of glucose and FFA. Ten days of plurichronocorticoid treatment with a new drug which exhausts its activity before the evening, did not modify the circadian rhythm of HGH.


Definitions and terminology in cancer (tumor) etiology--an analysis aiming at proposals for a current internationally standardized terminology.

The Committee on International Collaborative Activities (CICA) of the International Union Against Cancer (UICC) has decided to attempt to provide a current international standardized terminology in cancer (tumor) etiology, in cooperation with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the Worlk Health Organization (WHO). As a first stage of this attempt and to encourage international discussion, CICA has requested one of its members, the author, to formulate and publish under his responsibility the present analysis and proposals. The present paper to be published in a number of cancer journals outdates all of its previous versions or drafts.


[Influence of antidepressants on the convulsive action of corazole and strychnine].

The influence of 10 antidepressants on an experimentally induced convulsive syndrome in mice was studied. It was found that, as concerns their ability to have an effect on DL50 of metrasol, the depressants may be classified into drugs protecting mice against the action of metrasol (melipramine, amitryptiline, chlorprothixen and phthoracizine), those potentiating the effect of metrasol (insidon, phrenolon, iproniazide, nuredal) and drugs producing no essential effect on DL50 of metrasol (desipramine, sonapax). All of the above drugs had an effect of decreasing the mean lethal dose of strychnine.


HeLa cell-tumor in nude mice and its response to antitumor agents.

HeLa cells were heterotransplanted to nude mice and their response to some of antitumor agents was investigated. HeLa cell-tumor readily grew in nude mice and no regression was observed. Metastases to the lung and other organs were noticed in some of the animals. Histopathological examination revealed that the tumor retained the original characteristics of human epidermoid carcinoma. Standardization of HeLa cell-tumor in nude mice for the screening and evaluation of antitumor chemotherapeutics was attempted. Marked inhibition of tumor growth was observed with lower doses of Mitomycin-C, 5-fluorouracil, Adriamycin, and Bleomycin. The tumor regression was observed with high doses of Mitomycin-C, Adriamycin, and 5-fluorouracil. However, cyclophosphamide, cytosine arabinoside, and daunorubicin had little effect on the tumor growth. Complete regression was not obtained with any of the test agents and active regrowth took place even with the most effective compound. Considerable variation in the effect on tumor growth was observed among the test compounds, while histopathological findings were much alike; few mitotic figures, vacuolization, and pyknosis were main changes in tumor cells, and large foci of necrosis and hemorrhage were present in the degenerative areas. The regrowth was initiated around the capillaries in the necrotic tumor tissue.


[Effect of gamma-aminobutyric acid on peripheral mechanisms regulating autonomic functions].

Experiments with cats ascertained the potentiating action of GABA (100,300,500 mg/kg) on the pressor reactions of the small intestine vessels, the systemic arterial pressure, depressing (100 mg/kg) and facilitating (500 mg/kg) effect upon the reactions of inhibition of the small intestine motor activity evoked by the efferent stimulation of the celiac nerve. Adrenolytics (dihydroergotoxin, inderal) abolished the facilitating effects of GABA. The latter (0.01 solution) inhibited spontaneous contractions of isolated small intestine lengths. As proved histochemically GABA (500 mg/kg) reduces the catecholamines content in the suprarenals, in the solar plexus ganglia and in vessles "in vivo". It also increases the catecholamines content in the small intestine wall in experiments in vivo and reduces in vitro tests. The potentiating action of GABA on the vegetative reactions in efferent stimulation of the ciliac nerve occurs, apparently, due to an increased ejection of catecholamines by suprarenals and lowered the content of catecholamines in the solar plexus ganglia, which causes facilitated conduction of excitation in the ganglia.


Cytotoxic activity of lymphocytes to bronchogenic carcinoma cells in patients with lung cancer.

Cytotoxicity of peripheral blood lymphocytes against a cultured cell line QG-56 of a bronchogenic squamous cell carcinoma was studied by a microcytotoxicity test in 33 cases of bronchogenic carcinoma. An augmented cytotoxicity was detected in the patients in early stages of the disease as compared to normal controls or the patients carrying other types of tumors. The cytotoxicity declined as the stages of cancer advanced. The patients with high degree of cytotoxicity appeared to show better clinical course after radiotherapy.


[Bioneutralizing properties of antibodies to serotonin].

Experiments conducted on rabbits demonstrated formation of antiserotonin antibodies in response to introduction to the animals of a serotonin-proteinic conjugate. The effect of antibodies on the development of a serotonin- and dextran-induced inflammation in rats and on the serotonin level in cells of slices of their organs, as well as in the blood thrombocytes was studied. The antibodies were found to produce an antiphlogistic effect in regard to exogenous (serotonin-induced) and endogenous (dextran-induced inflammation) serotonin. Histochemical investigations showed the antibodies to exert a neutralizing action on intracellular serotonin.


Effect of a sulfated polygalacturonic acid on the proliferation of cells in culture.

The effect of a low molecular weight sulfated polygalacturonic acid on the growth of BALB/c 3T3 cells and HeLa cells was examined. This chemical reduced the saturation density of 3T3 cells in the range of concentrations of 10(-4) to 1 mg/ml, and inhibited the proliferation of HeLa cells, causing little or no cell damage. Treated cells began to grow after removal of the sulfated polygalacturonic acid. Treatment with this acid also induced enlargement of the cell size in 3T3 cells, and a marked reduction of colony size and of central piling up in HeLa cells. 35S-sulfated polygalacturonic acid was bound to the cells immediately. Electrophoretic mobility of both cell lines treated with this sulfated polygalacturonic acid increased the negative charge of the cell surface. These evidences suggest that sulfated polygalacturonic acid affects the cell surface, restricting the cell growth of both cell lines.


Tumors of the upper digestive tract of ACI/N rats given N-propyl-N-nitrosourethan in the drinking water.

Three groups of ACI/N rats of both sexes were given 400, 200, or 100 ppm of N-propyl-N-nitrosourethan (PNUR) continuously in the drinking water. The incidence of tumors in the upper digestive tract was 100% in all 3 groups. These tumors were observed most frequently in the forestomach, followed by the esophagus, oral cavity, and pharynx. Histologically, all the tumors were papillomas or squamous cell carcinomas. A few tumors were detected in the small intestine and glandular stomach. The study on morphogenesis of squamous cell carcinomas arising from the upper digestive tract indicates that the majority of tumors of the esophagus and forestomach may pass through acanthosis or hyperkeratosis, leukokeratosis, and papilloma, and finally develop into invasive squamous cell carcinoma, but many carcinomas of the oral cavity and pharnyx, especially the tongue, may develop without passing through a papillomatous stage.


[Dynamics of nonachlazine distribution in several rat organs following single and repeated administration].

Dynamics of nonachlazine, a new anti-anginal agent, distribution in organs following its single and repeated introduction in the form of a potion and aqueous solution was studied in tests with albino rats. It was ascertained that on introduction of a ready for use medicinal preparation (potion) the drug is absorbed by the blood and enters internal organs at a quicker pace than does its aqueous solution. The type of the medicinal preparation of the drug has no relevance to the rate of its elimination from the organism. With its repeated introduction (over a space of 12 days) the nonachlazine level in the heart and kidneys goes up, whereas its content in the blood and liver experiences but a slight change.


Properties of thymidine kinase partially purified from human adrenal glands.

Thymidine kinase was partially purified from human adrenocortical carcinoma, hyperplasia, and normal adrenal glands. For the purpose of clarifying the qualitative and quantitative difference of thymidine kinase between cancer and normal tissue, biochemical properties of partially purified thymidine kinase were compared. Adrenocortical carcinoma and hyperplasia contained greater concentration of thymidine kinase than normal adrenal gland. By the DEAE-cellulose chromatography, adrenocortical carcinoma gave two peaks (Peak I and Peak II) of thymidine kinase, while in hyperplasia and normal adrenal gland, the second peak (Peak II) was only slightly detected or hardly detected. Thymidine kinase in these three glands was identical with respect to pH optimum and inhibition by dTTP, but inhibition by dCTP was quite different. dCTP inhibited the activity of normal adrenal gland and Peak II of adrenocortical carcinoma by 55% and 40% at 0.1 mM, respectively, but the activity of adrenocortical hyperplasia and Peak I of adrenocortical carcinoma was hardly affected. Normal adrenal enzyme was more stable against heat inactivation than adrenocortical carcinoma and hyperplasia. The apparent Km with thymidine for Peak I and Peak II of adrenocortical carcinoma, hyperplasia, and normal adrenal gland was 5.0, 11.1, 5.1 and 25.0 x 10(-6)M, respectively.


Comparison of the manifestation of radiation-induced lethal damage in in vitro and in vivo systems.

The kinetics of radiation-induced cell death was compared in in vitro and in vivo systems, using mouse mammary carcinoma cell line, FM3A. Cultured and ascites cells were irradiated with 5 krad of X-rays, and changes in the number of viable cells and in the cell volume after irradiation were analyzed. The volume of irradiated cells in both systems increased about 5 times that of control after 3 generations and was saturated. Cells in vitro began to die after 3 generations. The number of cells in vivo began to decrease immediately after irradiation, but the rate of the decrease became large at 3rd generation. It was concluded that radiation-induced lethal damage manifests itself in the same way at the intracellular level in both systems, and some dying cells in vivo were eliminated before manifestation of lethal damage.


Tumour-associated hepatocellular mitosis in Ehrlich ascites tumour-bearing mice.

The hepatocellular mitotic response associated with Ehrlich ascites tumour is mediated by the tumour less than 48 hr, but more than 18 hr prior to the time of observation (day 8 of tumour growth). Tumour-associated hepatocellular motisis is normally centrilobular in distribution and appears to involve marginally more of the liver lobule than is sensitive to the necrotic effect of CCl4. There is failure to summate mitotic activity when both tumour-associated hepatocellular mitosis and regenerative hepatocyte motisis would be expected to occur; in this situation regenreative heaptocyte mitosis is the overwhelming contributor to the observed mitotic index. It is postulated that tumour-associated hepatocellular mitosis is obligatorily centrilobular. Tumour-associated hepatocellular mitosis, on the evidence of the present work and the results of others using intraperitoneally administered proteolytic enzymes as inducers of hepatocyte mitosis, is considered to be systematically mediated; there is complete failure to observe any perilobar preponderance of mitotic activity. This implies an indirect effect of tumour in producing the hepatocyte mitogen. Criteria obtained from the present work are suggested as useful in any attempt to isolate and identify the true or in vivo tumour-associated mitogen, and would help to exclude possible non-specific mitogens.


[Anabolic activity of phytoecdysone-ecdysterone isolated from Rhaponticum carthamoides (Willd.) Iljin].

Introduction of phytiexdizone-exdisterone (0.5 mg/100 g) to rats for 7 days is shown to be attended by an accelerated body weight gain and also by a rising weight of the liver, heart, kidneys and musculus tibialis anterior. In these organs the total amount of protein increases. All of the above-stated changes are more marked when the substance is given to growing rats (70--80 g). In experiments on castrated sexually immature rats the androgenic action of exdisterone, unlike that of methandrostenolone, is not demonstrable.


[Heinz body formation and abnormal methemoglobin reduction. Expressions of damage to erythrocytes in chronic kidney failure].

Erythrocytes of patients dialyzed due to chronic renal failure were investigated. An inhibition of the NADH-dependent methaemoglobin reductase, an insufficient methaemoglobin reduction by the NADPH-system, and Heinz-bodies as denaturation products, were found. The damage of erythrocytes was enhanced by incubation in both patient's plasma and dialysis medium. In erythrocytes of normal persons the damaging effect of incubation in plasma of chronic renal failure patients could also be demonstrated. The factors eliciting the oxidative injury are discussed. Factors that could further decrease the reduction capacity of red cells should be omitted.


Accumulation and localization of lead in Eisenia foetida (Oligochaeta) tissues.

1. Accumulation and distribution of lead in tissues of Eisenia foetida (Oligochaeta) living in soils with different concentrations PbO2 was studied histochemically and with the use of the dithizione method. 2. The earthworms absorb lead from the soil through the alimentary canal as well as through the body wall. this leads to considerable accumulation of this metal in epithelial cells, especially in the epithelial gland cells of the body wall and of the alimentary tract. 3. High concentration of lead in the soil does not favour increased accumulation of lead in the earthworms' organisms. The histochemical data show that the most intense accumulation occurs when the concentration of PbO2 is 0-4 mg/1-00 g soil.


[Influence of the functional state of the endocrine glands on the toxicity and accumulation of lithium in rats].

Hypophysectomy, adrenalectomy, introduction of desoxycorticosterone-acetate (DOCCA) and aldosterone facilitate cummulation of lithium in the organs and plasma of rats subjected to the action of lithium chloride, whereas thyroidectomy, administration of triiodothyronine, hydrocortisone and aldactone fail to influence this process. The toxicity of lithium chloride for animals increases with hypophysectomy and adrenalectomy, remains unchanged with introduction of DOCCA, triiodothyronine and thyroidectomy and subsides under the effect of hydrocortisone.


Ultrastructure of the chorionic villus of the human placenta of the second and third trimester pregnancy.

38 human placentae of the 14th week of normal gestation were studied ultrastructurally. The thickness of the syncytial layer of villi varied markedly, and the syncytial cytoplasm showed marked vacuolization, which increased in the course of pregnancy in association with intensification of processes of resorption and absorption and hormonal function of the syncytium. Toward the end of the 2nd and at the beginning of the 3rd trimester of pregnancy, hypertrophic cytotrophoblastic cells appeared, whose ultrastructural character indicated functional stimulation. This observation contradicts the widely held view that cytotrophoblastic cells undergo gradual reduction in the course of pregnancy.


Characteristics of drug abuse patients at a Veterans Administration Hospital.

A total of 308 patients were treated at the Wood VAC Drug Treatment Center during its first 2 years of operation (November 1, 1971-October 318 1973). They completed confidential questionnaires upon admission. Personal information and data concerning drug usage were obtained. Significant findings include the following: 1. A wide variety of opiate and nonopiate drugs were available in the military. 2. Although most patients had experienced illicit drugs prior to service, over 60% tried heroin for the first time while in the military; 83% of these men were subsequently treated for opiate dependence. 3. High rates of unemployment, marital instability, and convictions for illegal activities were revealed. A significant proportion of first convictions occurred prior to major drug usage. Data suggest that a flexible and multimodal approach to drug abuse therapy may have the best potential for success. Problems in evaluating and coordinating drug treatment programs are discussed briefly.


Psychological testing and the detection of drug abusers.

Empirical studies using psychological tests for the detection and early identification of drug abusers are summarized. Although the emphasis is on personality testing, intelligence and special aptitude tests are included. The author concludes that psychological testing has not been successful in differentiating drug abusers from other sampled groups. The ARCI and MMPI personality tests show potential, but their validity remains to be fully demonstrated. Factors for their lack of success include subjects with different "response sets" and in specific institutionalized settings. Recommendations for additional research in noninstitutional environments are discussed.


Two contrasting alcoholism treatment programs: a comparison of outcomes.

Participants in two 60-day alcoholism treatment programs with contrasting treatment philosophies and rationale were followed-up 1 year after discharge from the hospital. Widely different results were obtained with distinctly different alcoholic veteran populations. Response to treatment was highly favorable for less symptomatic alcoholics when direct emphasis was place upon the alcoholism per se and complete abstinence. Less favorable responses were achieved with overt neurotic alcoholics when treatment was designed to resolve underlying personality disturbances. Self-reports of marked depression, anxiety, and prior treatment for alcoholism were three pretreatment variables found significantly related to unsuccessful drinking outcome. The implication of these findings is that treatment outcome is largely dependent upon both the characteristics of the population treated and the treatment approach.


Student drug use: attitudinal, parental relations, and sex differences--a pilot study.

Student drug abuse and its relationship to attitudes held by the abuser, sex differences,and the abuser's relationship to his parents were studied. The Parent-Child Relations Questionnaire and four Smantic Differnetials regarding the "real" me, the perceived me, the immediate world and the drug addict were employed. Subjects were divided into present, past, and never users. Results indicated striking sex differences as well as differences between female present and never users with respect to all the attitudes investigated and the perceived relationship with the mother. It was hypothesized that the etiological factors surrounding female drug use may be psychodynamic in nature while the etiological factors for male drug use may be environmental.


Studies on the nicotine exposure of individual smokers. I. Changes in mouth-level exposure to nicotine on switching to lower nicotine cigarettes.

Twenty-four subjects smoked two brands of filter-tipped cigarettes delivering different amounts of nicotine, on the following 4-week schedule: 1. Smoking their usual brand for 1 week. 2. Smoking another brand similar in size, but delivering less nicotine, for 2 weeks. 3. Reverting to their usual brand for 1 week. The amount of nicotine entering the mouth, defined as the mouth-level exposure, was estimated from a determination of the amount of nicotine trapped in the filter of each cigarette smoked. The results indicate a substantial variation in mouth-level exposure for the subjects studied, even among smokers of cigarettes that deliver similar amounts of nicotine when smoked on a machine under standard conditions. For the majority of subjects, however, changing to a lower nicotine cigarette reduced the total daily mouth-level exposure to nicotine and, therefore, presumably the total tar intake.


Criminality and addiction.

This follow-up study describes the criminal activity of samples of 112 dropouts and 110 active patients from one of the largest methadone maintenance programs in New York City. Certain refinements in the categorization of "dropouts" and in the calculation of crime rates are proposed that appear necessary if different drug treatment modalities are to be compared. Considering the rates for property offenses committed during the year following admission to the program, the highest rates are among the court cases included in the sample of active patients, followed by the dropouts who were in institutions at the time of the interviews, and the dropouts who went to other methadone programs. The data suggest that methadone alone, without adequate supportive services, will not solve the crime problem and may even exacerbate it, at least for some groups of addicts. The need to monitor, alter, and improve treatment programs is emphasized.


Frequency and magnitude distribution of life change in heroin and alcohol addicts.

A study of the frequency and magnitude of life change in two Veterans Administration Hospital addiction groups was made. Both heroin and alcohol addicts were characterized by a high frequency and magnitude of life change. The life change was highly correlated between the two addictions and there were no significant differences. This kind of evaluation is seen as important in identifying areas in which social disruption is concentrated and as an aid to organizing treatment in a way that is acceptable and nonthreatening to the patient.


Benzidine and congeners: analytical chemical properties and trace analysis in five substances.

Spectrophotofluorimetric (SPF) methods are described for the trace analysis of benzidine, 3,3'-dimethylbenzidine, 3,3'-dimethoxybenzidine, and their dihydrochloride salts in microbiological growth media, waste water, potable water, human urine, and rat blood. The salient elements of the methods for these known or suspected carcinogens are: extraction of the residues as the free amine with benzene, rapid cleanup on an alumina column, and quantification of the free amine in methanol via SPF. Potable water solutions of the salts are diluted with buffer (pH-4) and quantified directly by SPF. Ancillary analytical information concerning the solubility and stability of these compounds in water, p-values, gas chromatographic analysis of the free amines, and thin layer chromatographic data in ten solvent systems are also presented.


Determination of cadmium in the livers and kidneys of puffins by carbon furnace atomic absorption spectrometry.

A carbon furnace atomic absorption procedure is described for the determination of cadmium in the livers and kidneys of puffins, fratercula arctica. Samples are dried and weighed and 2 to 100 mg are dissolved in sulphuric and nitric acids. These solutions are analysed directly in the carbon furnace against aqueous standards and provide accurate results in the range 0-1 to 100 micrograms/g dry weight. The method is simple and rapid and requires much less of the small total sample than would be required for flame atomic absorption.


Interferon synthesis in mouse peritoneal cells damaged by X-irradiation.

NDV-induced interferon of peritoneal cells of irradiated (X-rays, 400 R) and control mice was investigated in vitro. Irradiation or treatment with hydroxyurea (10(-5) M) and mitomycin C (25 microng/ml) did not change interferon synthesis in spite of an 80--90% inhibition of 3H-thymidine incorporation. Increased doses of mitomycin C and treatment with actinomycin D and puromycin blocked interferon production. De novo interferon synthesis occurred in cells with damaged replicative activity of DNA caused by irradiation or by treatment with antimetabolites.


Evidence against the postulated identity of e-antigen with DNA polymerase associated with the hepatitis B candidate virus.

Partially purified preparations of e-antigen, obtained from sera of hepatitis B antigen carriers, were chromatographed on columns of immobilized single- or double-stranded DNA or on pyran-Sepharose. e-Antigen did not adsorb to any of these columns under conditions appropriate for the retention of various nucleic acid polymerases. Therefore, e-antigen and the DNA polymerase associated with Dane particles can be regarded as distinct proteins.


The mortality component of health status indexes.

The mortality component of contemporary health indexes is discussed. Since these indexes reduce to mortality indexes when only life and death states enter the analysis, they share the conceptual weaknesses of mortality indexes. Also, they do not incorporate consumption variables explicity and therefore provide no structure for relating health status and living standard. Some attention is devoted to methodological problems of assessing survival probabilities, either from survey or experimental data or from beliefs of experts or individuals who are affected directly. The final section deals with individual preferences for survival lotteries. Conceptual weaknesses of common indexes are discussed, several canonical models for survival preferences are presented, the interdependence of individual utilities is discussed, and methods for eliciting individual survival preferences are considered, along with some illustrative empirical results.


Scales for measuring general health perceptions.

This article reports on the construction and testing of eight health perception scales from 32 items on a standardized survey instrument designed for self-administration, the Health Perceptions Questionnaire (Form II). The scales measure perceptions of prior health, current health, health outlook, resistance/susceptibility to illness, health worry/concern, sickness orientation, rejection of sick role, and attitude toward going to the doctor. Field testing revealed that the scales are valid, reliable, and stable over time for diverse populations. It is recommended that the scales be used in studies requiring general health measures. Suggestions for future research are offered.


Income group differences in relationships among survey measures of physical and mental health.

The present research tested the hypothesis that the experience of health is hierarchically organized such that gratification of physical health needs must precede gratification of mental health needs. It was reasoned that because the nondisadvantaged possess greater resources for the gratification of health needs in general, symptoms of mental illness would be more salient for this group and thus better able to explain variance in both mental and physical illness. On the other hand, it was reasoned that symptoms of physical illness would be more salient and thus better able to explain variance in both mental and physical illness for the disadvantaged. Results of the study indicate income group differences in patterns of relationships among health variables, supporting the hypothesis and suggesting important differences in the validity of health measures across income groups. The results are related to previous findings in medical sociology, and suggestions for future research are made.


The K index: a proxy measure of health care quality.

An index of health care quality is described that requires data on "sentinel health events"--unnecessary death and disability caused by specific ICDA-coded conditions on which medical agreement can be reached about avoidability of negative outcomes. The proposed index combines measures of incidence, severity, and concentration of sentinel health events in communities and compares the measures with mean values for a group of normative communities, to arrive at index values that are distributed as X2 for a group of communities with regard to the mean health conditions experienced by the normative communities. Calculation of the index is illustrated with hypothetical data, and problems of selecting normative communities are discussed.


Predicting self-assessed health status: a multivariate approach.

Two-stage multivariate analysis was used to examine factors affecting personal perception of health status. In the first stage, sociodemographic variables were used as independent variables in Automatic Interaction Detector (AID) analysis in order to partition the study sample (11,153 civilian noninstitutionalized adults aged 58-63) into subgroups. In the second stage, binary multiple regression analysis was performed on each AID subgroup and on the total sample. Predictors used were indicators of psychological, socioeconomic, and sociomedical well-being. Finally the applicability of these indicators in classifying persons in one of the two categories of perceived health status was examined by discriminant function analysis. Sociomedical health indicators were better explanatory variables of self-assessed health status than socioeconomic or psychological indicators of well-being.


Health status: types of validity and the index of well-being.

The concept of validity as it applies to measures of health and health status is examined in the context of a set of standard, widely accepted definitions of validity. Criterion validity is shown to be irrelevant to health status measures because of the lack of a single specific, directly observable measure of health for use as a criterion. To overcome this problem, the Index of Well-being has been constructed to fulfill the definition of content validity by including all levels of function and symptom/problem complexes, a clearly defined relation to the death state, and consumer ratings of the relative desirability of the function levels. Data from a two-wave household interview survey provide convergent evidence of construct validity by demonstrating an expected positive correlation of the Index of Well-being with self-rated well-being and expected negative correlations with age, number of chronic medical conditions, number of reported symptoms or problems, number of physician contacts, and dysfunctional status. Discriminant evidence of construct validity is demonstrated by predicted differences in correlation between concurrent Index of Well-being scores and self-assessed overall health status, and between the Index of Well-being scores and self-rated well-being on different days. A simple method of estimating a currently usable comprehensive population index of health status, the Weighted Life Expectancy, is described.


A comparative study on somatic treatment and comprehensive treatment of bronchial asthma.

Asthmatic patients who were treated at our hospital for at least 3 months and for whom a follow-up was conducted were divided into 2 groups according to their attitudes toward psychotherapy: Group I who accepted psychotherapy and Group II who did not accept it as part of our comprehensive approach. We examined the differences in therapeutic results in these two groups obtaining the following information: (1) No significant differences was found between Groups I and II as to the onset age, family history, type, severity, laboratory findings, etc. (2) In Group I, no significant difference was found in therapeutic results as to the onset age, type of asthma, its severity, etc. (3) In Group II, a significant difference was observed in the therapeutic results as to the onset age, type of asthma and its severity. These findings were almost identical to the literature of the internal medicine field. (4) The difference in therapeutic results of Groups I and II was assumed to be related to the use of psychotherapy when psychological factors were present. (5) Although psychotherapy was shown to be effective in the treatment of bronchial asthma, we need to be aware that there is often initial resistance to the process and a tendency for patients to terminate prematurely.


The smooth muscle cell. III. Elastin synthesis in arterial smooth muscle cell culture.

Primate arterial smooth muscle cells and skin fibroblasts were examined for their ability to synthesize elastin in culture. In the presence of the lathyrogen beta-aminopropionitrile, the smooth muscle cells incorporate [3H]lysine into a lysyl oxidase substrate that was present in the medium and associated with the cell layer. A component having a mol wt of 72,000 and an electrophoretic mobility similar to that of authentic tropoelastin was isolated from the labeled smooth muscle cells by coacervation and fractionation with organic solvents. In the absence of beta-aminopropionitrile, long-term cultures of smooth muscle cells incorporated [14C]lysine into desmosine and isodesmosine, the cross-link amino acids unique to elastin. In contrast, no desmosine formation occurred in the fibroblast cultures. These characteristics demonstrate that arterial smooth muscle cells are capable of synthesizing both soluble and cross-lined elastin in culture.


Purification from black widow spider venom of a protein factor causing the depletion of synaptic vesicles at neuromuscular junctions.

The aqueous extract of the venom glands of black widow spiders was fractionated on a column of Sephadex G-200 and then on a column of DEAE-Sephadex A-50 pH 8.2. A protein fraction was obtained that caused a great increase in the frequency of occurrence of miniature end plate potentials at the frog neuromuscular junction, and caused swelling of the nerve terminals and depleted them of their vesicles. The fraction consists of a least four protein components that are similar in their molecular weights (about 130,000) and isoelectric points (ranging from pH 5.2 to 5.5) and are immunologically indistinguishable. It contains no sugar residues and has little or no lipolytic or proteolytic activity. The fraction is toxic to mice and is different from the fractions that act on houseflies, the crayfish stretch receptor and the cockroach heart. It seems pure enough to warrant a detailed study of its site and mode of action.


Evidence for RNA linked to nascent DNA in HeLa cells.

Rapidly labeled, i.e., nascent, DNA from HeLa cells was separated from the bulk DNA by ultracentrifugation. Further characterization of the rapidly labeled component revealed that its sedimentation coefficient is in the range of 4S and that it exists in a single- and double-stranded conformation. Moreover, analysis by nitrocellulose chromatography and CsSO4 density sedimentation of the nascent DNA labeled with 3H-uridine revealed that it is covalently linked to short chains of RNA, indicating that in HeLa cells RNA primer is involved in DNA replication.


The role of actin in the temperature-dependent gelation and contraction of extracts of Acanthamoeba.

The temperature-dependent assembly and the interaction of Acanthamoeba contractile proteins have been studied in a crude extract. A cold extract of soluble proteins from Acanthamoeba castellanii is prepared by homogenizing the cells in a sucrose-ATP-ethyleneglycol-bis-(beta-aminoethyl ether) N,N'-tetraacetic acid buffer and centrifuging at 136,000 g for 1 h. When this supernate of soluble proteins is warmed to room temperature, it forms a solid gel. Upon standing at room temperature, the gel slowly contracts and squeezes out soluble components. The rates of gelation and contraction are both highly temperature dependent, with activation energies of about 20 kcal per mol. Gel formation is dependent upon the presence of ATP and Mg++. Low concentrations of Ca++ accelerate the contractile phase of this phenomenon. The major protein component of the gel is actin. It is associated with myosin, cofactor, a high molecular weight protein tentatively identfied as actin-binding protein, and several other unidentified proteins. Actin has been purified from these gels and was found to be capable of forming a solid gel when polymerized in the presence of ATP, MgCl3, and KCL. The rate of purified actin polymerication is very temperature dependent and is accelerated by the addition of fragments of muscle actin filaments. These data suggest that Acanthamoeba contractile proteins have a dual role in the cell; they may generate the forces for cellular movements and also act as cytoskeletal elements by controlling the consistency of the cytoplasm.


Membrane flow during pinocytosis. A stereologic analysis.

HRP has been used as a cytochemical marker for a sterelogic analysis of pinocytic vesicles and secondary lysosomes in cultivated macrophages and L cells. Evidence is presented that the diaminobenzidine technique (a) detects all vaculoes containing encyme and (b) distinguishes between incoming pinocytic vesicles and those which have fused with pre-existing lysosomes to form secondary lososomes. The HRP reactive pinocytic vesicle spaces fills completely within 5 min after exposure to enzyme, while the secondary lysosome compartment is saturated in 45--60 min. The size distribution of sectioned (profile) vaculoe diameters was measured at equilibrium and converted to actual (spherical) dimensions using a technique modified from Dr. S. D. Wicksell. The most important findings in this study have to do with the rate at which pinocytosed fluid and surface membrane move into the cell and on their subsequent fate. Each minute macrophages form at least 125 pinocytic vesicles having a fractional vol of 0.43% of the cell's volume and a fractional area of 3.1% of the cell's surface area. The fractional volume and surface area flux rates for L cells were 0.05% and 0.8% per minute respectively. Macrophages and L cells thus interiorize the equivalent of their cell surface area every 33 and 125 min. During a 3-period, the size of the secondary lysosome compartment remains constant and represents 2.5% of the cell volume and 18% of the surface area. Each hour, therefore, the volume and surface area of incoming vesicles is 10 times greater than the dimensions of the secondary lysosomes in both macrophages and L cells. This implies a rapid reduction in vesicle size during the formation of the secondary lysosome and the egress of pinocytosed fluid from the vacuole and the cell. In addition, we postulate that membrane components of the vacuole are subsequently recycled back to the cell surface.


Functional significance of the variations in the geometrical organization of tight junction networks.

Using freeze-fracture techniques, we have examined the morpholog of tight junction networks found along the length of the alimentary tract of Xenopus laevis before and after metamorphosis. We have developed the hypothesis, based on these observations, that the geometrical organization of the network determined by the stress-induced shape changes normally experienced by the cells linked by the network. Consistent with this theory, tight junctions can be classified into two distinct types of network organization which differ in their response normal and experimentally induced stress conditions: (a) loosely interconnected networks which can stretch or compress extensively under tension, thereby adapting to stress changes in the tissue; and (b) evenly cross-linked networks which retain their basic morphology under normal stress conditions. The absorptive cells of the large intestine as well as the mucous cells of the gastrointestine or stomach are sealed by the first, flexible type of tight junction. The second type of junctional organization, the evenly cross-connected network, is found between absorptive cells of the small intestine and ciliated cells of the esophagus, and reflects in its constant morphology the relative stability of the apical region of both of these cell types. Networks intermediate between these two types arise when a cell which would normally form a lossely interconnected network borders a cell which tends to form a more evenly cross-linked network, as is found in the esophagus where ciliated and goblet cells adjoin. Despite the change in the animal's diet during metamorphosis from herbivorous to carnivorous, the basic gemetrical organization of the networks associated with each tissue of the alimentary tract remains the same.


Segmental differentiations of cell junctions in the vascular endothelium. Arteries and veins.

A systematic survey of endothelial junctions in elastic (aorta) and muscular (mesenteric) arteries and in medium (renal and mesenteric) and large (cava inferior) size veins has been carried out in the rat using freeze-cleaved preparations. The arterial endothelium is provided with a complex of occluding and communicating junctions (gap junctions) comparable to, though less elaborate than, that described in arterioles. The particles of the occluding junctions behave like "single unit" particles and have the tendency to remain on B faces upon membrane cleavage. In the venous endothelium the junctions take the form of long occluding junctions with few associated communicating junctions (maculae communicantes). As in arterial endothelium, the junctional particles appear preferentially on B faces in cleaved preparations. These structures, although continuous over long distances, are interrupted focally by areas in which the junctional elements are similar to those found in venules: the ridges and grooves are short, discontinuous, randomly distributed along the general line of cell contact, and often particle-free. In muscular arteries two unusual types of junctions are encountered. Both are disposed in loops over short distances along the perimeter of the cell. One type appears to be a strectched-out version of the usual combination of occluding and communcating junctions of the arterial endothelium (this type is also occasionally encountered in the venous endothelium). The other type is reminiscent of the septate junctions found in the epithelia of invertebrates but the apparent similarity remains to be checked by further work.


Isolation and electrophoretic analysis of nucleoli, phenol-soluble nuclear proteins, and outer cyst walls from Acanthamoeba castellanii during encystation initiation.

A technique is described for isolating nuceoli from Acanthamoeba castellanii. Nuclei isolated by a modification of the technique of F. J. Chlapowski and R. N. Band (1971) are sonicated in a surcrose-Tris-MgSO4-KC1-Triton X-100 buffer and centrifuged on a linear sucrose gradient extending from 1.3 M to 1.5 M with a 2.6 M cushion, at 41000 rpm for 90 min. The only apparent contaminants in the nucleolar preparation are outer cyst walls. A procedure is described for the isolation of chemically pure outer cyst walls, and a comparison of the proteins with the nucleolar preparation reveals that outer cyst walls represent negligible contaminants. The ultrastructure of these isolated nucleoli examined with transmission electron microscopy is found to be identical with that of nucleoli from whole cells, fixed in an identical manner. The 50 nucleolar proteins separated by SDS gel electrophoresis have been examined throughout the growth cycle of Acanthamoeba and into the strat of induced encystment, at which time 10 protein bands disappear, 11 bands are observed to decrease, and 8 are seen to increase in concentration. Phenol-soluble proteins are extracted from the nucleolus which correspond to 29 of the 50 nucleolar proteins, with 17 of these proteins corresponding to nucleolar proteins that change at the onset of encystment. Thes nucleolar proteins are also compared with those of rat liver nucleoli by gel electrophoresis, resulting in the observation that extremely few protein homologies exist between the two. Numerous quantitative and qualitative changes in the gel pattern of phenol-soluble nuclear proteins during early and late log phase growth and the onset of stationary phase were also observed.


Studies of excitable membranes. II. A comparison of specializations at neuromuscular junctions and nonjunctional sarcolemmas of mammalian fast and slow twitch muscle fibers.

Mammalian fast and slow twitch skeletal muscles are compared by freeze-fracture, thick and thin sectioning, and histochemical techniques using conventional and high voltage electron microscopy. Despite gross morphological differences in endplate structure visualized at relatively low magnifications in this sections, rat extensor digitorum longus (EDL) (fast twitch) and soleus (slow twitch) fibers cannot be distinguished on the basis of size, number, or distribution of molecular specializations of the pre- and postsynaptic junctional membranes exposed by freeze fracturing. Specializations in the cortex of the juxtaneuronal portions of the junctional folds are revealed by high voltage electron stereomicroscopy as a branching, ladder-like filamentous network associated with the putative acetylcholline receptor complexes. These filaments are considered to be involved in restricting the mobility of receptor proteins to the perineuronal aspects of the postynaptic membrane. Although the junctional membranes of both EDL and soleus appear similar, a differential specialization of the secondary synaptic cleft was noted. The extracellular matrix in the bottom of soleus clefts was observed as an ordered system of filamentous "combs," These filamentous arrays have not been detected in EDL junctions. Examination of the extrajunctional sarcolemmas of EDL and soleus reveal additional differences which may be correlated with variations in electrical and contractile properties. For example, particle aggregates termed "square arrays" previously described in the sarcolemmas of some fibers of the rat diaphragm were observed in large numbers in sarcolemmas of EDL fibers but were seldom encountered in soleus fibers. These gross compositional differences in the membranes are discussed in the light of functional differences between fiber types.


Ectogalactosyltransferase studies in fibroblasts and concanavalin A-stimulated lymphocytes.

In this communication, we have demonstrated that hydrolysis of the nucleotide sugar can cause errors in the detection of an ectoglycosyltransferase. Spleen cell suspensions can incorporate radioactivity when incubated with labeled UDP-galactose, but all the activity is due to decomposition of the nucleotide sugar and uptake of the free sugar. The fibroblast cell lines can incroporate carbohydrate directly from UDP-galactose. Several criteria are presented with can be used to demonstrate that a nucleotide sugar is the direct carbohydrate donor.


The role of eye pathology in low vision evaluation.

The low vision patient's ultimate function and ability to profit from his rehabiliation are influenced by his eye disease. A discussion of low vision patient management uses as a basis the observation that greater success is evidenced when the low vision patient is treated in the context of his eye disease, visual acuity and his subsequent adjustment problems. The diagnosis, visual acuity and the visual field are explored as elements of a functional classification. The author classifies eye diseases according to the pattern of visual field loss: no loss of visual field; central or macular field loss; peripheral or perimacular field loss. Visual characteristics are then elaborated and case management is suggested in the context of each category.


Training low vision patients.

The importance of training low vision-patients to use low vision aids is discussed. The team approach is emphasized and the advantages of the additional expertise considered. Specific procedures and techniques are are recommended to enhance the chances for success of the training program and it is concluded that training is an important aspect of follow-up care which should be made an intergral part of low vision care.


Community resources--why should we use them.

Professionals working with low vision persons may find themselves in the situation where they are either the first or only contact known to their patient. Because one person is usually not able to fulfill the diverse needs of the visually impaired individual, he may find it necessary to refer patients to other sources. Knowledge of the role of other related professionals and their availability in the community may make the difference between a fragmetned receipt of services or a total approach to vision rehabilitation.


Visual acuity and highway accidents.

An analysis of binocularly obtained visual acuity test scores of 13,786 automobile drivers was made in terms of the number of accidents reported by each driver during a 12 month period. For each of eight different age categories the drivers were classified as having poor acuity if their scores were below the lower quartile, and as having good acuity if their scores were above the median. The percent of drivers with poor acuity who reported three or more accidents was approximately double the percent of drivers with good acuity who reported three or more accidents. The proportion with poor acuity who reported two accidents was approximately 50% greater than the proportion for those with good acuity. These differences were statistically significant and prevailed at all age levels above 19 years. The differences in proportions reporting one accident and no accident for the poor and good acuity categories were not significant.


The center of projection.

Our ability to manipulate ourselves and the objects which surround us in our object space depends upon reasonably precise localization of the perceived images of these objects in our visual space. To be functionally sensible, this premise suggests that a "center of projection" must be located somewhere on the subject's body. Two studies which were done in an effort to illuminate an earlier study in regard to the center of projection are reported. One study used an "optical gun" which forced the subject to "shoot" at a perceived target. A second study used a focused beam headlamp to indicate the perceived direction of a perceived target. The perceived direction of the targets was altered by changes in the accommodative stimulus. Since the subject was aware only of the perceived direction of the image and since, in addition, he could not see the results of his efforts to localize the target, the location of a fixed center of projection could not be demonstrated.


What causes astigmatism?

Although spectacles were invented in the 13th century, methods of testing for astigmatism have been developed only within the past one hundred years. Even today, the etiological factors responsible for corneal astigmatism are not well understood. A mechanism which may account for the existence of corneal astigmatism is proposed, on the basis of data concerning changes in astigmatism with age, racial variations in astigmatism and changes in astigmatism due to the wearing of contact lenses.


Effects of mydriatics and a miotic on ocular discomfort and pupil responses.

Mydriatics produced two different effects on the discomfort threshold following administration of the drugs depending upon whether the mydriasis was produced by paralysis of the sphincter muscle or by activation of the dilator. When the sphincter was paralyzed by tropicamide, the discomfort threshold was elevated during the period of time that the pupillary light reflex was significantly reduced to the flashing stimulus. Initially, phenylephrine-induced mydriasis had no effect on the discomfort threshold, but as the pupil responses returned to normal the threshold rapidly increased and then gradually returned to a pre-drug level. The return of the threshold back to normal seemed to parallel the decline of action of phenylphrine on the dilator muscle. Significant impairment of the light reflex by pilocarpine-produced miosis was also related to an increase of the discomfort threshold.


Management of fifth metatarsal head lesions by biplane osteotomy.

We have been using monoplane and biplane wedge osteotomies in the management of fifth metatarsal head lesions and have revised the procedure presented by Sgarlato, Subotnick and Gerbert in that we have been utilizing distal diaphyseal dorsiflexory adductory wedge osteotomies as well as proximal diaphyseal dorsiflexory adductory wedge osteotomies. We feel that the neck wedge osteotomy offers the advantage of reduced postoperative diability and correction of pathology.


A histologic analysis of plantar fibromatosis.

Space occupying lesions of the plantar aspect can be a most preplexing surgical problem. Investigation into the histopathology of one of these lesions is presented. An in-depth cellular analysis of primary structures related to abnormal findings is also presented.


Melorheostosis.

Melorheostosis is a seemingly rare condition of unknown etiology. Although it affects bone primarily, it may also involve soft tissue. The lower extremities are most frequently affected, and joints may become stiff as a result of obstruction of joint motion by thickened cortical sclerosis. The disease is difficult to diagnose in the early stages before bone changes become evident, and it is easily misdiagnosed. Surgery may be required to prevent deformity or to restore normal function.


Double osteotomies for structural correction of hallux abducto valgus.

The authors discuss their procedure for performing osteotomies for correction of hallux abducto valgus. Their technique involves the use of a paper template which aids in establishing normal values according to the functional position in which they desire to place the joint. They outline their procedure for performing the closing abductory wedges of the base of the first metatarsal and the closing medial wedges of the head of the first metatarsal. After the correction has been completed, they apply a below-the-knee cast.


A.C.F.S. Neoplasm survey of the foot--1975: A continuing study.

This continuing investigation, now in its third year, is being conducted to record statistics on tumors that affect the foot. The study was undertaken to increase the diagnostic information on the various types of tumors in order to assist the pediatric surgeon in the differential diagnosis and surgical management of tumors of the foot. The study is very important to the profession, and it is important for all foot surgeons to participate.


Sinus tarsi pain: case history.

An attempt was made to give the podiatrist some insight into the differential diagnosis of sinus tarsi pain. One possible etiology is discussed in detail along with case presentation and treatment.


Reduction of comminuted metatarsal fractures utilizing circular wire fixation.

The comminuted fracture of a metatarsal shaft provides a greater challenge to clinicians in relationship to stabilization and and fixation then does the simple noncomminuted type of fracture. Comminuted fractures may result in gross displacement or fragmentation of the bony segments calling for more dramatic methods of fixation to insure proper union with optimal bone healing and minimal postfrature complications. Adequate approximation of fractured bone segments is essential to insure proper restoration of function and stability to fractured bones. Open reduction with circular wire fixation is one method by which proper approximation of comminuted fracture bone segments can be accomplished.


Occlusive arterial disease in the lower leg and foot.

In approaching a patient suspected of peripheral vascular disease the following signs and symptoms are of key importance (16): 1) Pain in the extremity which is induced by exercise and relieved by rest; pain which is influenced by posture is localized to one digit, is unilateral or is paroxysmal. 2) Impaired pulsations of peripheral arteries. 3) Abnormal color of the skin, particularly when affected by raising or lowering the part. 4) Gangrene, ulceration, impaired nail and hair growth, excessive calluses, or paronychial infections. 5) Unusual warmth or coldness. 7) Swelling, atrophy, or difference in length of extremity. 8) Ausculatory evidence of arteriovenous fistula. 9) Cyanosis or unusual pallor of digits when immersed in cold water. 10) Peripheral neuritis.


Capsule reconstruction.

In this article, the author discusses the general concept of of capsule reconstruction and emphasizes the importance of discriminative judgement in in capsule reconstruction. He reviews capsular composition and histology, as well as varied capsulotomy procedures.


Osteomyelitis associated with peripheral vascular disease secondary to diabetes mellitus.

Diabetes mellitus and arteriosclerotic vascular disease have been found to be the predisposing factors of osteomyelitis associated with peripheral vascular disease (10). A diabetic person is more susceptible to osteomyelitis because of the microangiopathy, peripheral neuropathy and decreased resistance to infection. In diabetes mellitus there can be microangiopathy which results from the proliferation of the endothelium of the intima and thickening of the basement membrane. This further contributes to a sluggish blood flow. In the patient with arteriosclerotic vascular disease, the lumens of the arterioles and arterioles are compromised by the atheromatous plaques. The anatomic structure of the blood supply to bone along with the pathologic membrane thickening, allows for slowing of blood. This slowing of blood flow causes micro-thrombi and enhances bacterial growth. In diabetes mellitus it has been shown that there is a decreased immunologic response which, along with the above, contributes to the sheltering and proliferation of bacteria in the small bones of the foot.


Pattern-analytic approach to analysis of accidents due to human error: an application of the ortho-oblique-type binary data decomposition.

An ortho-oblique-type binary data decomposition based on data matrices providing relevant conditions of accidents is proposed as a means of classifying patterns of human error, and the computing procedures are described. The usefulness of the technique is shown by a numerical example of accidents in freight-car classification yard work. Forty-two severely injured victims were interviewed by psychologists and the contents of case reports were rearranged into a reliable binary data matrix which indicated the presence or absence of an interrelationship between each sample and each of 42 items of operational, environmental, and psychological conditions. Three patterns of error leading to an accident were identified by interpreting the orthogonally rotated results. They were 1) failure of strenuous performance in relation to fatigue and poor communication, 2) veterans' mistakes in teamwork, possibly due to hasty operation or distractions, and 3) errors caused by certain defects of machines or inappropriate work space. Recommendations were thus made on training plans for beginners. The importance of using non-scaled accidental data in binary form and allowing rotation for data decomposition is discussed.


Factors affecting choice of mode of sitting and sleeping by inhabitants of public housing.

Field research on mode of living was undertaken in the winter of 1962 and 1973 in households in public residences owned by the Japan Housing Corporation. Factors affecting mode of sitting and sleeping were analyzed for 63 households replying to questionnaires in both years. Three modes, the floor, chair-beds, and their combined use were classified for three major living activities of meal-taking, relaxing, and sleeping. Rate of households with the chair-bed mode was the highest for meal-taking and the lowest for sleeping. Choice of the chair-bed mode was associated with young household heads, smaller family size, separation of sleeping rooms from dining space by a wooden floor, and possession of furniture for relaxing and fixed beds. The adoption of the floor mode was common to households with only elderly people who, in spite of ample space, preferred it and those with small children. The floor mode was also frequent in houses without dining-kitchen areas where meals and sleeping were usually done in the same room. The combined mode was found for all of the three living activities. The results confirm that each pattern of floor utilization was closely related not only with resident factors but also with limited living space and the family's own way of living.


Spontaneous alternation of the working arm in one-arm cranking.

One-arm cranking was done by ten healthy male adults at an oxygen intake level of about 1.0 liter/min. Each subject performed two kinds of cranking at a speed of 60 rpm: forced cranking using only one arm continuously for 15 min and free cranking for 30 min with the instructions to alternate from one arm to the other whenever fatigue set in. The results, excluding those of a subject who changed arms very frequently, were analyzed. In forced cranking, oxygen intake and heart rate steadily increased, the average time of appearance of local fatigue being 161 sec for the stronger arm and 122 sec for the weaker one. In free cranking, the working arm was changed 6 to 23 times during the 30-minute period, while oxygen intake and heart rate increased with fluctuations. The mean duration interval was 175 sec with the stronger arm and 123 sec with the weaker one. The mean interval of arm alternation was positively correlated with the individual time of onset of the sensation of local rigidness during forced cranking, but not with the individual time of initiation of respiratory distress. It is suggested that alternation of active muscles in moderately dynamic work may be linked with an early stage of local fatigue which is different from that of static work.


An electromyographic study on training to pronounce English consonants unfamilar to Japanese.

This paper is concerned with the electromyographic analyses of the pronunciation of English consonants as pronounced by a native speaker, a well-trained Japanese, and an untrained Japanese. Six muscles related to movement of the lips and the mandible were tested. The three-paired English words (right--light, she--see, and thank--sank) were selected, as they include consonants that are very difficult for Japanese to pronounce or distinguish correctly when heard. Electromyographic results obtained for the native speaker and the well-trained Japanese indicated light pouting of the lips during the preparatory period for pronouncing [r], raising of the upper lip from the preparatory period in the pronouncing of [sh] and [th], and a downward spreading of the lower lip from the preparatory period in the pronouncing of [l] and [s]. The untrained Japanese subject was given individual and intensive training for several hours with a technique based on electromyographic observation results. Following this, the subject showed improvement in pronouncing the consonants, with the exception of [sh] which the subject had learned to pronounce at a language school. The electromyograms of the subject approached those of the native speaker and the well-trained Japanese.


Combined influences of ambient temperature and graded work on cardiopulmonary functions.

Several cardiopulmonary items were measured in eight adult females who had performed stationary ergometer cycling of 75-450 kgm/min in air temperature between 14 degrees and 35 degreesC. The experiments were designed on the basis of the Latin square method and the results were analyzed by computing the analysis of variance and multiple regression equations for each item linked with work rate and air temperature. In view of the degree of affinity of the effect of work rate and that of air temperature, the items could be divided into three groups. The first group consisted of items of pulmonary functions closely related with work rate but independent of air temperature, such as pulmonary ventilation, oxygen intake, carbon dioxide production, respiratory exchange ratio, and ratio of oxygen removal. The second group characterized by linear dependency on air temperature included mean skin temperature and mean innermost air temperature. The third group consisting of heart rate, pulse sum during work, and work pulse sum was intermediate. In spite of the confusion in the literature about the attitude of oxygen intake or mean skin temperature during work in heat, the former was the most stable in relation to change in air temperature and the latter was independent of work intensity.


Cardiorespiratory mobilization and endurance performance.

Twenty subjects performed for 11 min on a bicycle ergometer 30 sec following 5 min of prior exercise (PE) at each of four different intensities. PE was adjusted to maintain a heart rate of 110, 140, and 170 beats/min. The 4th treatment was no PE. Heart rate was an estimate of the mobilization of the cardiorespiratory system during exercise. The criterion task (CT) included cycling for 10 min against 3 kg resistance at 68 rpm followed by 1 min of an all-out work bout where subjects tried to complete as many rpm's as possible against 3 kg. The 11th minute was used to assure the complete exhaustion of energy reserves following the paced part of the task. Overall performance following PE-170 was significantly worse than that following no PE, PE-110, and PE-140, which was probably due to a build up of anaerobic metabolites such as lactate during the PE. Total work appeared to be greatest following PE-110, which showed a slight tendency toward better performance especially after the 6th minute. However, no clear cut evidence was produced to support the hypothesis that light to moderate PE would sufficiently improve performance by mobilizing the cardiorespiratory system, thereby reducing the initial oxygen deficit in the CT and thus allowing more work to be performed.


Influence of castration and testosterone on pineal multi-unit activity in quail.

Pineal multiple unit electrical activity was recorded in unanaesthetized quail maintained under a short or long daily photoperiod. Both spontaneous and flash-induced multiple unit firing were recorded in intact, castrated or superior cervical ganglionectomized birds. The effects of testosterone administration were tested in each experimental group. 10 Whereas orchidectomy led to a substantial rise in pineal multi-unit activity (MUA), testosterone propionate injection resulted in a markedly decreased MUA in castrates. A smaller decrease in MUA was caused by androgen treatment in intact or ganglionectomized birds. Androgen treatment of controls and ganglionectomized quail was not so effective in reducing pineal activity as was lengthening the photoperiod from 6L-18D to 18L-6D. 20 Repetitive photic stimulations resulted in a significant suppression of pineal MUA in all intact, castrated and ganglionectomized quail, whether or not testosterone was administered.


[Diet influence on growth-characteristics of the shrimp Crangon Crangon L., estimated by the evolution of nucleic acid content (author's transl)].

1. Young sand-shrimps having an initial weight of 63 mg were reared for 4 months with a natural diet (A) and a compounded diet (B). 2. Growth is studied, both by the evolution of the fresh weight and the variation of cell-number and cell-size; these are estimated from total DNA and fresh-weight/DNA ratio evolution. 3. With diet A, the mean weight increment is a linear function of time, the daily weight-gain being equal to 2.8 mg/day. The increase in total DNA content per shrimp is a linear function of fresh weight; its value goes up from 187 to 1020 micromoles. The fresh-weight/DNA ratio, initially equal to 337.9 (mg/micromoles) ,remains constant. For the whole experiment, growth is only a result of cellular multiplication. 4. With diet B, the weight gain is inferior to that observed with diet A. The fresh weight gain curves show two visibly homogenous steps, each with a distinct growth-rate; the mean daily weight gain is equal to 1.7 mg/day during the first two months, and equal to 2.6 mg/day for the two following months (fig. 1). In reality, from the total DNA and fresh-weight/DNA ratio evolution, 3 successive steps can be discerned (fig. 2, fig. 3). During the first month, total DNA increases from 187 to 418 micromoles and fresh-weight/DNA ratio falls down to 273.9, a-19% decrease. For this period, growth is only the result of cellular multiplication, and the decrease of the weight-gain in comparison with diet A is attributed to a decrease in cellular size. During the second month, as the fresh weight increases from 114.5 to 161.2 mg, total DNA increases from 418 to 519 micromoles and the fresh-weight/DNA ratio returns to its initial value. Two thirds of the growth is the result of cellular multiplication, and the rest being due to cell-size enlarging. For the last two months, as the mean fresh weight increases from 161.2 to 296.7 mg, the DNA per shrimp, hence the cell-number, remains constant; but the fresh weight/DNA ratio, or the cell-size, is multiplied by 1.93. 5. By the method used for this study, it is possible to evidence influence of diet on the growth mechanisms themselves (cellular multiplication and cell enlarging). 6. The influence of diet on the growth of the shrimp could be explained by, either a diet qualitative deficiency, or a food-intake decrease. The possibility of a hormonal control has been suggested.


Carotid sinus, aortic and subclavian baroreceptor activities during cardiopulmonary bypass in rabbits.

10Carotid sinus (SIN), aortic (AO) and subclavian (SUB) baroreceptor activities were recorded from intact nerves during experiments using cardiopulmonary bypass in 11 rabbits. These activities (number of impulses/second) were expressed as a percentage of basal activity observed before artificial circulation (AC). The preparation remained in a relative, "stable period" for up to 45 minutes. Then, a progressive decrease occurred in maximal arterial pressure (AP max) in the 11 experiments (fig. 2,4). 20 According to the level of arterial pressure the "stable period", our experiments can be divided into two groups: a) Group I (6 rabbits) with AP max greater than or equal 90 mm Hg; in this group, the correlation coefficients between pressure levels and nervous activities calculated during the period 0-70 min after the onset of AC, were positive (fig. 3) and statistically significant, as we could expect (AO, p less than 0.02; SIN, p less than 0.01; SUB, p less than 0.01). b) Group II (5 rabbits) with AP max less than 90 mm Hg; surprisingly, in this group no positive correlation was found between levels and nervous activities, which were generally very high (fig. 5). 30 Experiments were performed in 18 other rabbits in order to check the nature of the higher activities recorded in group II. These high activities were not of chemoreceptor or efferent origin, and, thus, were thought to be indeed really from baroreceptive fibres. 40 Ten experiments under AC were carried out to test the reactivity of baroreceptors in response to induced increase and decrease of pressure. The responses were qualitatively normal (i.e. an increase of pressure produced an increase in the nervous discharge), but in group II, the operative point was set at a higher level (fig. 6). 50 A possible, time-dependent, shift in the baroreceptor response curve under AC can account for these findings by giving, in some cases the illusion of a negative correlation between baroreceptor activity and arterial pressure (fig. 8). 60 The above mentioned shift in the baroreceptor response curve could be related to a change in sympathetic control of baroreceptors,resulting in a higher activity, and initiating and/or maintaining hypotension.