[Relationship between some health indicators of physical, mental well-being and handicaps in the aged (author's transl)]. The health status of 1,025 senior urban citizens was determined by a questionnaire based on the subjects' view of physical, mental and global well-being and of dependency (indicators of Belloc and all., Berkman, Grogono and Woodgate, Linn). The significant correlation was observed between different health indicators. However, these correlations are not strong enough to allow the explanation of one indicator by the others. The mental well-being is most independent of all other health measurements under study. The valuable information on the prevalence of some health limitations in the population is given by the constituents of the health indexes used. On the contrary, a more complete view of the health of the population should be obtained by the non correlated methods of measurement. The situation may vary following the epidemiological characteristics of the population studied.


Sodium cromoglycate and ipratropium bromide in exercise-induced asthma. In thirteen patients with extrinsic asthma the effects of placebo, sodium cromoglycate, ipratropium bromide, and ipratropium bromide plus sodium cromoglycate were studied in a random double-blind fashion to assess their inhibitory action in exercise-induced asthma (EIA). Exercise testing consisted of steady state running on an inclined treadmill for up to eight minutes. In eight of the 13 patients studied the baseline ratio of expiratory flow at 50% vital capacity (VC) breathing helium-oxygen (V50He) to V50air was over 1.20 and they were called responders; the remaining five patients were called non-responders. There was a significantly lower baseline maximum mid-expiratory flow rate (MMEF) in non-responders (P less than 0.02) as compared to responders but no difference in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) or forced vital capacity (FVC). Sodium cromoglycate (P less than 0.02), ipratropium bromide (P less than 0.01), and ipratropium bromide plus spdium cromoglycate (P less than 0.01) all significantly inhibited the percentage fall in FEV1 after exercise in the responders. Ipratropium bromide had no preventive action on non-responders, unlike sodium cromoglycate (P less than 0.05) and ipratropium bromide plus sodium cromoglycate (P less than 0.02). It is postulated that mediator release is an important factor in development of EIA in most extrinsic asthmatics, whereas cholinergic mechanisms are relevant only in those patients in whom the main site of airflow obstruction is in the large central airways.


The effect of aerosol ipratropium bromide and salbutamol on exercise tolerance in chronic bronchitis. In a double-blind placebo controlled trial in 24 patients fulfilling the MRC criteria for chronic bronchitis, ipratropium bromide 40 microgram and salbutamol 200 microgram produced similar and significant (P less than 0.001) increases in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC). A greater increase in FEV1 and FVC was seen when both drugs were used together, but this increase did not differ significantly from that produced by either drug alone. Salbutamol increased 12-minute walking distance significantly (P less than 0.001) by 62 +/- 15 metres, whereas the increase of 43 +/- 15 metres observed after ipratropium was not significant (P less than 0.05). With both drugs in combination 12-minute walking distance increased by 72 +/- 15 metres, but this change was not significantly different from that observed with salbutamol alone. If aerosol bronchodilators in the doses used in this study are to be given with a view to improving exercise tolerance in such patients than salbutamol would appear to be the aerosol of choice.


Natural oestrogen in the female climacteric--influence on blood coagulation and fibrinolysis. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect on blood coagulation and fibrinolysis of a natural oestrogen preparation, piperazine oestrone sulphate, prospectively in menopausal women. Scopolamine was given to the control group. The women were investigated before and during treatment with regard to factors VIII, VII, X, V, fibrinopeptide A, antithrombin III, plasminogen, rapid antiplasmin and alpha 1-antitrypsin. There was no significant change towards hypercoagulability or decreased fibrinolysis in any group. In the oestrogen group, however, a tendency towards an increased level of plasminogen and a decreased level of antiplasmin was demonstrated. In the scopolamine group there was an unexpected fall in factors X and V and also in plasminogen and alpha 1-antitrypsin. A low level of some blood coagulation factors in some of the women before treatment is somewhat astonishing; none of them had any history of excessive bleeding.


Ultrastructural evidence of myofibroblasts in pseudomalignant myositis ossificans. Seven cases of pseudomalignant ossifying myositis with a typical clinical symptomatology have been reported. None of the cases had experienced an injury. All the lesions were intramuscular and all of them showed a zonal arrangement. Electron microscopy in three cases allowed the demonstration of cells showing morphological features of myofibroblasts and monocytic cells of the macrophage type. These previously unreported features together with the zonal pattern of the lesions indicate their reparative nature.


The basement membrane in experimentally induced atypias and carcinoma of the uterine cervix in mice. An immunofluorescence study. Basement membrane-specific antigens of the squamous epithelium of the uterine cervix were investigated in 19 normal mice, in 7 mice with cervical atypia and in 3 mice with invasive carcinoma. Cervical atypia and carcinoma were induced by local application of benzo(a)pyrene. Basement membrane-specific antigens were demonstrated by immunofluorescence with sera from patients with bullous pemphigoid. Both normal squamous cervical epithelium and atypical cervical epithelium showed the presence of a continuous, clearly delineated basement membrane. Clusters of invasive squamous carcinoma were also surrounded by a fluorescent basement membrane which, however, appear fragmented or discontinuous. The results suggest that the ability of cervical squamous cells to secrete basement membrane antigens is not completely lost during carcinogenesis, thus substantiating our previous observations in the cervix of human subjects.


[Ultrastructural observations on transitional cloacogenic carcinomas of the ano-rectal region (author's transl)]. The clinical and pathological features of four transitional cloacogenic carcinomas (TCC) are presented with particular reference to electron microscopy. The incidence of this tumour is 1.4% of all ano-rectal neoplasms. Three cases showed a gross appearance similar to the common rectal neoplasms. One tumour presented without an intraluminal lesion, but infiltrated the bowel wall and the anal glands. TCC show a distinct histological pattern. The degree of differentiation of the basic transitional cell component determines the "grading" of the lesion. We distinguish between grade I, II and III. Grade I lesions show uniform polygonal cells with only occasional mitotic figures. There is distinct palisading of the nuclei of the peripheral tumour cell layers. Grade II lesions are characterized by partial or total loss of the peripheral palisading. Grade III lesions are extremely anaplastic ("oat cell" carcinoma). This histological classification correlates well with the prognosis. Electron microscopic investigation of TCC revealed the ultrastructural features of basal cells. The uniform tumour cells with large nuclei contain tonofibrils, desmosomes and hemi-desmosomes, free ribosomes, and relatively few other organelles. We did not find keratinocytes or keratohyalin granules in these four cases of TCC. It is emphasized that TCC of the ano-rectal region differ fundamentally from the basalcell carcinomas of the skin in their biological behaviour.


Papillary carcinoma of the thyroid gland and atresia of the common bile ducts of a five year old boy. We present a case of papillary carcinoma of the thyroid gland with pulmonary metastases in a 5 year old boy. The child also suffered from atresia of the gallbladder and the common bile ducts with biliary cirrhosis of the liver and died from hepatic insufficiency. Possible correlations between childhood thyroid carcinoma and congenital malformations are discussed.


[Disorders of phenylalanine and tyrosine metabolism in Down's syndrome]. Content of phenylalanine and tyrosine was increased in blood serum in mongolism. When 4 patients with mongolism and 10 healthy persons were loaded with 1-phenylalanine, content of the amino acid in blood serum of patients exceeded 1.5--2-fold that found in healthy persons within 4 and 6 hrs after the treatment. The hydroxylation rate of phenylalanine was lower in mongolism as compared to normal state; it corresponded to the rate of phenylalanine hydroxylation in atypical homo- and heterozygote patients bearing "phenylketonuria" gene and in patients with viral hepatitis. Concentration of tyrosine was distinctly higher in the impaired patients within 2--6 hrs after the loading as compared with the healthy persons. But content of tyrosine was increased only slightly in patients with mongolism during the loading and excretion of homogentisinic acid with urine was decreased. These data suggest that activity of phenylalanine hydroxylase system is impaired in liver tissue in mongolism. Excretion of phenylpyruvic acid with urine was not observed in the patients and healthy persons both before and during the amino acid loading. The data obtained suggest that impairment of phenylalanine and tyrosine turnover in mongolism appears to be one of the factors responsible for disturbance of neurotransmitter synthesis and to be related to development of mental retardation.


[Effect of thyroid hormones on the calcium pump in sarcoplasmic reticulum]. In vitro thyroxine inhibited accumulation of Ca2+ by fragments of sarcoplasmic reticulum, isolated from rabbit sceletal muscles. The inhibitory effect of thyroxine was responsible for its direct action on Ca2+ dependent ATPase. Half-maximal inhibition of the enzymatic activity occurred at the same concentrations of thyroxine using both membrane-bound and highly purified solubilized forms of Ca2+-ATPase (15--20 micrometer and 10 micrometer of the hormone, respectively). Triiodothyronine was similar in the effect but not diiodothyrosine, which did not possess the hormonal activity. The data obtained suggest that thyroid hormones affect the mechanism of dephosphorylation in ATP-hydrolase reaction.


[Omphalocele and gastroschisis: clinical differences and surgical considerations. A ten year review (author's transl)]. 31 infants with anterior abdominal wall defects were treated over the past 10 years. Despite the falling birth rate gastroschisis occurred almost twice as often as omphalocele (19 and 12 cases, respectively). The mortality rate of 71% in omphalocele were related to large defects, rupture of the sac and associated cardiac malformations. The 73% incidence of prematurity, additional malformations and sepsis contributed to the mortality rate of 58% in gastroschisis.


[Clinical results and hormonal aspects of the treatment of virilizing symptoms in women with cyproterone acetate (author's transl)]. 28 cases of moderate to severe hirsutism, two cases of acne and one case of axilary hidrosadenitis were tested continuously on average over 6 months by the daily administration of 100 mg cyproterone acetate. This drug was then given together with 1-2 mg oestradiol valerate over a further 6 month period by reversed sequential therapy. The effect of treatment was judged as being moderate only in 7 cases of idiopathic and one case of adrenal hirsutism and good in the remaining cases. However, this regimen caused a marked lowering of the urinary dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate and low polar oestrogen levels and also the plasma testosterone level. At the same time, according to preliminary results, the fraction of sex hormone binding globulin was raised. The plasma hydrocortisone level was depressed by about 20%. The fractions of 17-KS and 17-KGS decreased slightly at first, but then returned to normal. The side effects of continuous treatment were mainly gestagenic and of reversed sequential therapy mainly oestrogenic in nature. The continuation rate was 81% during a treatment period of two years.


[Tbual Sterilization (author's transl)]. During the years 1975, 1976 and 1977 2481 tubal sterilizations were performed, either simultaneously with gynaecological operations or Caesarian sections, as an independent operation post partum or by laparoscopy. Unipolar, bipolar or thermocoagulation was used for tubal occlusion. Primary surgical complications occurred in 0.36% of the patients. Until March 31st, 1978 6 women (0.24%) became pregnant after tubal coagulation; so far 2 women have asked for reversal of the operation. From the surgical point of view, on the basis of the basis of these figures, it is a low-risk, dependable (Pearl index 0.13), irreversible method of contraception.


[The Sézary syndrome--an erythrodermic T-cell-lymphoma]. Report on a 75-year-old patient with Sézary syndrome which is characterized by the following leading symptoms: Erythrodermia, leukocytosis, circulating atypical lymphocytes with cerebriformous nuclei (Sézary cells) and swollen lymph nodes. Light microscopic and electron microscopic findings refer to a transitory situation of the Sézary cells from the reactive character to the (pre)neoplastic one. The disease is classified by T-(helper)cells as a low grade non-Hodgkin-lymphoma in parallel to mycosis fungoides and in general it finishes lethally after a course of 5 to 8 years. Apart from local steroid ointments and UV-irradiations the internal application of steroids, in the late stage if necessary in combination with cytostatics is recommended for therapy.


[Transient systolic anterior movement of the mitral valve (SAM) without asymmetric septal hypertrophy (case report with post-mortem examination) (author's transl)]. Typical SAM of the mitral valve was detected by echocardiography in a 71-year-old patient with acute myocardial infarction. The patient showed auscultation signs of IHSS and was digitalized and hypovolemic secondary to diarrhea. Following rehydration and digitalis being discontinued, SAM was no longer seen. There were no signs of IHSS at post-mortem examination. This case demonstrates that obstruction of left ventricular outflow tract together with echocardiographical findings of SAM and the typical clinical signs of IHSSS may be observed without the presence of asymmetric septal hypertrophy. This supports the hypothesis that ejection dynamics in a small and asynergically contracting left ventricle may contribute substantially to the appearance of SAM. On the other hand echocardiographic findings of SAM without asymmetric septal hypertrophy may not exclude symptoms of IHSS.


[Treatment of experimental immune complex nephritis with indomethacin]. Functional, histological and immune-histological examination were performed in altogether 64 Wistar-rats, in order to control the effect of a therapy with 2 mg/kg per body weight indomethazine lasting 2 months at the model of an experimental immune complex nephritis. In 44 rats after presensibilisation an immune complex nephritis was performed by intraperitoneal injections with human serum albumin which were repeated three times a week. 24 glomerulonephritis animals and other 20 animals without glomerulonephritis were daily administered indomethazin through a tube probe, the remaining 20 animals with glomerulonephritis served as untreated control groups. The excretion function of the kidney was tested before the beginning of the experiment, 2 weeks after the beginning of the therapy and the regular serum injections, respectively, and before the end of the experiment by determination of the biological half-life period of 131J-hippuran. In every case one day before this the proteinuria during 24 hours was determined. At the end of the experiment the kidneys were examined histologically and immune-histologically. The results showed that indomethazin does not lead to a clear influence on the proteinuria in the immune complex nephritis of the rat. The excretion of 131J-hippuran was significantly restricted, whereas the histological and immune-histological preparations in the animals with foreign serum injections showed clear changes of the glomeruli in the sense of an early stage of the immune complex nephritis, however, they did not show any essential influence by indomethazin. That is, indomethazin had altogether no favourable effect on the immune complex nephritis of the rat.


[Immunoglobulin content in persons with a varying donor record]. The blood level of IgA, IgG Igm, and protein in male donors was studied in connection with the duration of the donor's activity. The content of the main blood immunoglobulin classes and proteins depended significantly on the duration of the donor's activity. Therefore it is not recommended to use donors as control group in determining the immunoglobulin level in the blood.


[Determinant factor and pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis]. A clinico-epidemiological and genealogical analysis of 182 patients with disseminated sclerosis, living in climatogeographical conditions of Tadjikistan permits to assume that disseminated sclerosis is an exogenous intrauterine (but not hereditary!), acquired monoetiological disease. At the basis of the pathogenesis lies an ectodermal microdysgenesia with a selective lesion of the embryo oligodendroglia system and an eventual disturbance of postnatal myelinopoesis. This condition is due to an exogenous-mutagen (toxico-allergic) action of the respective climatogeographical regions of "risk" in relation to disseminated sclerosis.


Modification of yeast phosphofructokinase by trypsin and subtilisin in the presence of effectors. Yeast phosphofructokinase was subjected to limited proteolysis by trypsin in the presence of different effectors. It could be demonstrated that the substrates MgATP and fructose-6-phosphate are able to protect the enzyme from inactivation by trypsin. Other effectors like AMP, ADP, phosphoenolpyruvate, citrate and ammonium ions exhibit only negligible effects. During the first step of degradation consisting in the conversion of the subunits from Mr 120,000 to 90,000 no significant effects of the substrates and effectors on the proteolytic inactivation of yeast phosphofructokinase can be observed. In the presence of ATP as well as of ADP the sensitivity of the enzyme against ATP inhibition is either not or only slightly influenced by proteolytic modification. The modified enzyme retains its sensitivity against activation by AMP, independently of whether effectors are present or absent during proteolysis. The kinetic parameters of the enzyme modified by subtilisin in the presence of ATP or of fructose-6-phosphate have been determined.


A comparative study of liver blood flow using 133Xenon clearance and electromagnetic flowmeter measurements. Recent work has shown that the slow components of the multiexponential clearance of 133Xenon from the liver are generated by radioactive gas in the stomach and intestines, and that the true intraphepatic clearance is monoexponential (Mackenzie et al., 1976). In the present study, liver blood flow calculated from the fast component of the 133Xenon clearance curve was compared with the total hepatic flow recorded with electromagnetic flow probes on the portal vein and hepatic artery in 8 dogs. Injections of isotope were made intoe the portal vein, and the clearance curves treated simply as biexponentials. A total of 50 pairs of blood flow measurements with the two techniques was obtained over a range of values from 80 to 1400 ml/min, and a close correlation found between them (r = 0.91). This result shows that when the clearance rate of the fast component is used for the flow calculation, the 133Xenon clearance technique provides an accurate measure of liver blood flow.


Humoral influences on local blood flow and external secretion of the resting dog pancreas. Graded doses of glucagon (2--8 microgram/kg b. w.), prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) (125--1000 ng/kg b. w.), caerulein (1--32 ng/kg b. w.) and a synthetic C-terminal octapeptide of cholecystokinin-pancreozymin (CCK--PZ) 50--400 ng/kg b. w.) were infused into the superior pancreatioduodenal artery in chloralose-anaesthetized dogs to study the effect on blood flow and external secretion of the resting pancreas. Local blood flow was measured by a heated thermocouple inserted into pancreatic tissue supplied by the superior pancreaticoduodenal artery. Blood flow through this artery was measured by electromagnetic flowmeter. Juice was collected from the cannulated main pancreatic duct. Each of the four agents significantly increased pancreatic blood flow. There was a linear correlation between the doses and the blood flow responses. Caerulein and the synthetic C-terminal octapeptide of CCK--PZ increased the amount of secreted juice from the resting pancreas. The C-terminal octapeptide of CCK--PZ elevated the protein concentration of the secreted juice in proportion to the dose. Glucagon and PGE1 did not influence the amount of secreted juice from the resting gland.


Effect of cadmium on changes in concentration of adenine nucleotides induced by mitochondria. The effect of Cd2+ on the respiration of rat liver mitochondria was investigated. The uncoupling effect of Cd2+ was partially restored by the addition of Mg2+. The influence of Cd2+ on adenine nucleotide concentrations in the reaction mixture consisting of mitochondria and ATP was also studied using high performance liquid chromatography. In the presence of added Mg2+, a two-fold increase in AMP concentration was brought about by the addition of Cd2+. There was a concomitant decrease in ATP. In the prence of added ADP, an increase in AMP concentration was also brought about by addition of Cd2+. The results are discussed in relation to ATPase and adenylate kinase activity in mitochondria.


Levels of erythrocyte superoxide dismutase activity in Japanese people. Levels of erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD) activitiy in a sample of Japanese people were determined. Blood samples were taken from new-born infants, preschool children, young and old people who had no apparent diseases and also from three anemic patients. Erythrocyte SOD activities in different age groups had a nearly normal distribution. Females had slightly lower activities than males, although the difference was statistically insignificant. The distributions of SOD activities were 12.6 +/- 2.7 (m +/- SD) unit/mg Hb in young people and 11.4 +/- 3.0 in old people, indicating that erythrocyte SOD activity falls with aging. Because of low concentration of hemoglobin, SOD activities of old people expressed as unit/ml blood were much lower than in young people. Three anemic patients had slightly lower SOD activity (unit/mg Gb), but the difference was not significant.


Fractionation and characterization of euchromatin isolated from mouse ascites sarcoma cells. Euchromatin specimen prepared by the usual method formed large clumps and had various shapes under electron microscopy. A method of separation of the euchromatin specimen into chromatin fractions having relatively homogeneous form was examined and partial characterization of these fractions was carried out. The heavy euchromatin fraction was a large network of thin fibrils (about 100 A in diameter) and various thick fibers. The intermediate euchromatin fraction consisted of relatively homogeneous networks of thick knobby fibers (about 250 A in diameter). The light euchromatin fraction had metworks of thick fibers. These chromatin fractions were quantitatively prepared from sonicated nuclei of mouse ascites sarcoma cells. Twenty-one or twenty-two bands of non-histone proteins besides histones were detected in these chromatin fractions by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. There were significant differences in the electrophoretic patterns of non-histone proteins among these chromatin fractions.


Accumulation of radioisotopes with tumor affinity. I. Uptake and excretion of 67Ga-citrate in malignant tumors and normal cells. Using in vivo and in vitro experimental models, the uptake and excretion of 67Ga-citrate in tumor cells and normal cells were studied. The time-lapse accumulation of 67Ga in the tumor of rats bearing Yoshida sarcoma reached its peak 24 h after the administration of 67Ga and gradually decreased thereafter. However, the excretion of 67Ga from the tumor was less than that from normal lung. For culture cells in vitro, the uptake of 67Ga increased with lapse of contact time between 67Ga and the cells, but there was no distinct difference between the results of tumor cells and normal skin fibroblasts. The excretion of 67Ga from the cells tended to decrease with prolongation of the contact time, the excretion from tumor cell being only about 10% after a contact time of 24 h. This indicated a significant delay in excretion in comparison with that of normal skin fibroblasts. This delay in the excretion of 67Ga may be an important factor in the tumor accumulation of 67Ga.


Identification of organic sulfur compounds transferred to fish from petroleum suspension. The authors attempted to determine if the organic sulfur compounds usually contained in a crude oil could serve as a marker of oil pollution in fish. Eels (Anguilla Japonica Temminck et Schlegel) were maintained in a controlled laboratory environment of water with a suspension of crude oil. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and mass chromatography of eel flesh extract showed the presence of organic sulfur compounds of alkyl-(from mono- to pentametyl) benzothiophenes, dibenzothiophene and alkyl-(from mono- to trimethyl) dibenzothiophenes, and other organic sulfur compounds of alkyl-(from mono- to pentamethyl) naphthalenes.


An approach to nutritional therapy of hepatic encephalopathy by normalization of deranged amino acid patterns in serum. A mixture with essential and nonessential amino acids high in branched chain amino acids and low in aromatic amino acids (Fischer solution), and another synthetic mixture of branched chain amino acids containing 3 amino acids associated with the urea cycle (Hep-OU) were infused to control subjects and patients with severe hepatic disease. Alterations in serum aminograms, blood ammonia levels and electroencephalograms following the infusion were studied and compared with those obtained by a commercially available amino acid mixture. Short-term or continuous infusion of a commercially available amino acid solution to cirrhotic patients caused an increase in methionine, phenylalanine and tyrosine and a decrease in branched chain amino acids. These post-infusion results were similar to the patterns seen in hepatic encephalopathy. In cirrhotic patients, infusion of Fischer solution which contains small quantities of methionine and phenylalanine produced an increase in the concentrations of these 2 amino acids, probably because of impaired utilization by the injured liver. No marked alterations in serum aminograms, however, were observed in cirrhotic patients either immediately after, or 3 h after, the end of the Hep-OU infusion. Reduction of methionine, tyrosine and phenylalanine levels and elevation of the molar ratio of (valine + leucine + isoleucine)/(phenylalanine + tyrosine) were significant. The infusion of Hep-OU to patients with liver cirrhosis or subacute hepatitis resulted in clinical and neurological improvements and the restoration of the molar ratio of branched chain amino acids/aromatic amino acids.


Low responsiveness of synovial and peripheral blood lymphocytes stimulated by either PHA-P or CON-A in patients with chronic rheumatoid arthritis. Lymphocytes were highly purified from synovial fluid and peripheral blood of 10 rheumatoid arthritis patients and assessed for responsiveness to PHA-P and Con-A. In all cases, both synovial and blood lymphocytes showed a marked reduction in response to these mitogens compared with normal blood lymphocytes. The factors responsible for this low T cell responsiveness are discussed.


The effect of repeated intramuscular gonadotrophin-releasing hormone injections on luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, testosterone, oestrogens, dehydroepiandrosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate in normal men. The endocrine response to three daily intramuscular injections of 500 microgram LH-RH was measured in 9 normal men during a period of 3 days. A marked but declining response in LH was seen in addition to a significant increase in the serum concentration of FSH, testosterone, oestradiol and the urinary excretion of oestrogenic substances. No change could be demonstrated in the DHA, DHAS or cortisol secretion which confirms our previous results of a direct effect of clomiphene on adrenal steroidogenesis.


The athlete's heart.

The athlete's heart. In summary, we have discussed the anatomical and physiologic effects of physical training and how they alter the physical examination, thoracic roentgenogram, ECG, and echocardiogram of the athlete. The importance of recognizing these deviations from "normal" findings is to avoid considering them evidence of cardiac disease. On the other hand, it is important to exclude cardiovascular disease in those pursuing vigorous athletics because of the potential for sudden cardiac death in those with coronary artery, valvular, or myocardial disease. Unfortunately, the first manifestation of coronary artery disease may be sudden death during athletic performance, a disease not easily detected in asymptomatic individuals. Finally, improper training, excessive trauma, and extreme environmental conditions may contribute to cardiovascular accidents in the competing athlete.


HL-A and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

HL-A and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. HL-A antigens were determined in 26 unrelated Japanese patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Several antigens were more common in patients compared with controls, but statistically significant differences were not evidenced. We also studied two families in which many had a hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. All the affected individuals revealed HL-A-A9 and B7, while none among the unaffected family members had HL-A-B7. Our findings suggest that the HLA-A system may play some role in the pathogenesis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with familial occurrence.


Sleep apnea and Q-T interval prolongation--a particularly lethal combination. We have discovered a 20-day-old infant who possessed anatomic evidence of chronic hypoxemia with right ventricular hypertrophy and who died in hypoxic hypoxemia with a postmortem PO2 of 4 mm. Hg. Subsequently, and ECG was discovered which had been obtained at one day of age and showed Q-T interval prolongation along with T-wave alternation. We believe this case to be one of the first to substantiate the mechanism for SIDS as proposed by Schwartz, 26 with hypoxia acting synergistically with a prolonged Q-T interval causing sudden unexpected death in this infant--providing a link between cardiac and respiratory mechanisms of death.


Post-traumatic coronary occlusion and early left ventricular aneurysm. A case of post-traumatic coronary occlusion is presented. A 38-year-old sustained a blunt chest trauma with secondary transmural infarct and early evolution toward a huge left ventricular aneurysm. Coronary arteriography showed complete occlusion to the left anterior descending coronary artery.


Studies of 16-androstenes in an infant with virilizing adrenal carcinoma. An 18-month-old girl with virilization was found to have an encapsulated right adrenal carcinoma (2 x3 cm) with great variation in nuclear size, frequent mitoses, and possible blood vessel invasion. Preoperative urinary excretions of 17-ketosteroids, androsterone, etiocholanolone, dehydroepiandrosterone, testosterone, pregnanetriol, 3alpha-androstenol, and 3 beta-androstadienol were elevated; all showed a noticeable decrease postoperatively. Cortisol acetate, given preoperatively, produced a definite decrease in the urinary excretion of 17-ketosteroids and dehydroepiandrosterone; administration of corticotropin resulted in an increase in levels of urinary 17-ketosteroids, 17-hydroxycorticosteroids, and pregnanetriol. Urinary testosterone and 3beta-androstadienol may have diagnostic value since neither was suppressed by cortisol therapy. The behavior of both 3alpha-androstenol and 3beta-androstadienol in this study suggests that they are of adrenal origin.


Fate of circulating immune complexes in infective endocarditis. To examine the role of circulating immune complexes (CIC) in infective endocarditis, we studied 64 patients with infective endocarditis for the presence of CIC by the polyethylene-glycol (PEG)-precipitation test and the Clq binding test. This study was repeated during the course of the disease in 23 patients. CIC were found in 84 per cent of patients (66 per cent with acute infective endocarditis, 89 per cent with subacute infective endocarditis) during the active phase of the disease. Higer PEG precipitates were associated with typical cutaneous signs, cryoglobulins and nonstreptococcic culture-positive infective endocarditis. Under appropriate antibiotic treatment, the PEG precipitate levels of 17 patients fell within 1 month to the normal range, with a concomitant drop in cryoglobulinemia and rheumatoid factor. Conversely, uncontrolled sepsis always (six of six) yielded a rising level of CIC. These findings support the hypothesis that CIC may be important in the pathogenesis of peripheral lesions in infective endocarditis.


Verbal operants in mothers' speech to nonretarded and Down's syndrome children matched for linguistic level. Verbal response classes produced by mothers speaking to 21 nonretarded children were compared with those of mothers speaking to 21 Down's syndrome children matched with them on mean length of utterance. As mean length of utterance increased, total verbal response classes increased for both groups of mothers and children. Nonretarded children and their mothers produced more echoics; retarded children and their mothers produced more intraverbals. The implications of these findings were discussed in relation to previous research and the teaching of language.


Visual handicaps of mentally handicapped people. Recent literature concerning visual handicaps of mentally handicapped people was reviewed. Topic areas considered were etiology and epidemiology, visual acuity, color vision, and educational techniques. The material considered indicated that a large proportion of mentally handicapped people are affected by some form of visual handicap and the extent to which further specialization of care and training techniques is required in order to limit the extra disadvantages imposed by such defects.


Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in the dog.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in the dog. Clinical and necropsy findings in 10 dogs with a spontaneous primary hypertrophic cardiomyopathy are described. Each dog had marked cardiac hypertrophy, and 8 dogs had disproportionate thickening of the ventricular septum with respect to the left ventricular free wall (compared with dogs with normal hearts or with cardiac hypertrophy due to acquired or congenital heart disease). Septal:free wall thickness ratios in the 10 dogs ranged from 1.1 to 1.5; 6 had ratios greater than or equal to 1.3. However, marked cardiac muscle cell disorganization in the ventricular septum, characteristic of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, was present in only 2 of the 10 dogs. Death occurred most commonly while the dogs were under anesthesia during the course of operative procedures (5 dogs) or suddenly and unexpectedly in animals without previous symptomatic manifestations of cardiac disease (3 dogs). Four dogs had clinical signs of congestive heart failure, including 2 with marked cardiac decompensation. In addition, 2 of these 4 dogs with heart failure and 1 dog without previous symptoms (that died during a noncardiac operation) manifested complete heart block. It is conceivable that dogs with spontaneous hypertrophic cardiomyopathy may prove useful in the future investigations of the clinical, hemodynamic, and pathologic features of this disease in humans.


Effect of low fibrinogen concentrations on the rheology of human blood in vitro. The influence of low concentrations of fibrinogen on the rheology of normal human blood was investigated with an instrument that permitted simultaneous determination of viscosity and the state of red blood cell aggregation and deformation. Fibrinogen, in concentrations of 9-82 mg/100 ml, decreased blood viscosity at all shear rates below the value obtained with red blood cells suspended in serum. At concentrations above 116 mg/100 ml viscosity was increased. Aggregate formation increased progressively as the fibrinogen concentration increased, necessitating higher dispersing shear rates. The deformation and alignment of the red cells, occurring at a shear rate of 230 s-1, was facilitated by low concentrations. The effect of fibrinogen on low-shear viscosity is explained by the formation of different kinds of aggregates. At low concentrations, the aggregates consist of only few cells forming spherelike particles displaying hemodynamic properties better than those of the single discoid cells. At normal or high concentrations big rodlike aggregates occur and increase resistance to flow.


Fiber orientation in hypertrophied canine left ventricle. Myocardial fiber orientation was examined in transmural specimens obtained at the maximum diameter of the left ventricle from five dogs with pressure-overload hypertrophy produced by aortic stenosis, six dogs with volume-overload hypertrophy due to an arteriovenous fistula, and six exercise-hypertrophied greyhounds trained for racing. Hearts arrested in diastole were fixed in situ while the operating end-diastolic pressure was maintained. Fiber orientation changed smoothly from about +60 degrees (with respect to the equator) at the endocardium to about -69 degrees at the epicardium. The majority of fibers near the midwall were oriented circumferentially. These findings are quite similar to those previously reported for normal dogs. In comparison to normals, the left ventricles from dogs with pressure-overload had an increase in longitudinally oriented fibers, i.e. fiber angles between -67.5 degrees and -90 degrees and between +67.5 degrees and +90 degrees; these fibers comprised 10.4 +/- 1.8% of the total fibers in dogs with aortic stenosis vs. 2.9 +/- 1.8% of total fibers in normal dogs (P less than 0.001). Neither the dogs with volume-overload hypertrophy nor exercise-trained animals were significantly different from normals.


Effect of implant duration on in vivo sensitivity of electromagnetic flow transducers. Twenty-three electromagnetic flow transducers with lumen diameters of 3.5-6.0 mm were implanted in rhesus monkeys and baboonss for 12 h to 120 days. Each flow transducer was calibrated 1) in vitro on dialysis tubing with saline before implantation, 2) in vivo the last day of the implant period, and 3) again in vitro after the flow transducer was recovered. Three other flow transducers were implanted on femoral arteries of baboon just central to an arteriovenous Silastic shunt, and were calibrated in vivo daily for 23-47 days. In vitro sensitivity was not affected by implant durations of up to 120 days. In vivo sensitivity fluctuated unpredictably for the first 3-4 wk of implant, after which it followed a systematic course that depended on the lumen size. In vivo sensitivity at any time during implant (after the initial period) could be accurately predicted by knowing either the in vitro sensitivity or the terminal in vivo sensitivity.


Coverage of exposed vascular conduits.

Coverage of exposed vascular conduits. When a vascular conduit becomes exposed, it is generally thought that if it is not already infected, it will soon become so. The most comprehensive treatment would be removal of the prosthesis, debridement of the wound, and extraanatomic bypass. Occasionally, however, extraanatomic bypass cannot be done. In such cases, local measures, such as skin grafting or skin flap coverage, may be used. Our two cases illustrate that these procedures can, on occasion, provide long-term coverage of exposed vascular conduits.


Calcium and glycoprotein metabolism as correlates for ethanol preference and sensitivity. Enzyme markers associated with calcium and glycoprotein metabolism may be correlated with the sensitivity and preference to alcohol in rodent strains.


[Distribution of 35S labeled sulfated mucopolysaccharides in the recipient eye after corneal allografting. Experimental studies in rabbits]. The release of 35S labeled corneal glycoprotein from an allogenic interlamellar corneal graft was studied in randomly selected rabbits. Simultaneously, the uptake of 35S by the recipient animal was investigated. These changes followed for a period of 80 h indicate that there is a constant 35S release fromthe donor cornea and that it is the recipient cornea which takes up the major part of the 35S from the donor. The iris, choroid, and sclera of the recipient also take up a certain percentage of the donor's 35S while the aqueous humor, the optic nerve, and the local lymph nodes take up only minimal amounts.


Histochemical characteristics of the masseter and temporalis muscles of the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta). The histochemical characteristics, cross-sectional area and capillary of the skeletal muscle fibers of the anterior and posterior regions of the superficial masseter and the temporalis muscles are described for juvenile and adult rhesus monkeys of both sexes. Slow twitch fatigue resistant (S), fast twitch fatigue resistant (FR) and fast twitch fatigable (FF) fibers were found in varying proportions throughout the muscles; however some fibers with an intermediate myofibrillar ATPase activity were observed in the anterior masseter. No significant differences for any of the variables were found between male and female juveniles for a specific muscle sample site. However, considerable variation was found between juvenile and adult and between adult male and female monkeys in the percentages of different fiber types and the cross-sectional area of fibers in specific regions of the superficial masseter and temporalis muscles. We conclude from these observations that significant differences in function exist both within and between the different masticatory muscles of rhesus monkeys. Functional differences may result from the pronounced sexual dimorphism evident in the dentofacial complex of the rhesus monkey.


The effect of dichloromethylene diphosphonate, a pyrophosphate analog, on bone and bone cell structure in the growing rat. Dichloromethylene diphosphonate (Cl2MDP) is a synthetic compound related in structure to inorganic pyrophosphate but is resistant to enzymatic and chemical degradation and is known to be a potent inhibitor of bone resorption. The administration of 20 mg/kg/day of Cl2MDP for ten days to growing rats results in marked increases in metaphyseal mineralized tissue mass due to slowed bone resorption. There was an increase in resorption areas covering anorganic bone viewed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), however, the resorption pits, or Howship's lacunae, in these resorption areas were smaller and less defined than those encountered in controls. The appearance of these large areas of poorly delineated resorption pits is likely due to an inhibition of bone resorption coupled with slow bone formation. Administration of Cl2MDP to growing rats also results in an increase in the numbers and size of osteoclasts. Because this would appear to be a histological paradox, in view of the ability of Cl2MDP to slow bone resorption, the osteoclasts were examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The ruffled borders and associated cytoplasmic vacuoles were generally less extensive in the Cl2MDP-treated osteoclasts than in controls, even though clear zones were frequently seen. Examination of undecalcified light microscope sections reveal that the area of bone being degraded by adjacent osteoclasts was generally much smaller in the Cl2MDP-treated animals than in controls. Thus the collaborating TEM observations of smaller ruffled borders, with the SEM observations of smaller, less-defined resorption pits, with the light microscope observations of smaller bone areas being degraded by individual osteoclasts provide a morphological basis for the observed decreases in bone resorption following Cl2MDP administration.


Septal aneurysm and right ventricular obstruction: a case report. A 32-year-old man with a history of ventricular septal defect presented with systolic and diastolic murmurs and vectocardiographic evidence of right ventricular hypertrophy. Echocardiography demonstrated a prominent systolic bulging of the interventricular septum into the right ventricle. Left ventricular angiograms indicated that the ultrasonic abnormality was based on an aneurysm of the membranous septum which produced a 35 mm Hg gradient within the right ventricle. After plication of this aneurysm, murmur and abnormal septal protrusion were not recorded.


"Steroid-phobia" in asthma management.

"Steroid-phobia" in asthma management. Excellent clinical results were obtained in 85 patients with chronic asthma who took corticosteroids (mostly triamcinolone) on a long-term basis for periods varying from one to 26 years. There was a minimum of side-effects, none serious; the most discomforting were ecchymosis and a tendency to easy bruising. The results of this and previous studies have convinced the author that corticosteroids, if judiciously used, are the most valuable adjunct we have in the treatment of acute and chronic asthma.


Newly acquired left bundle-branch block: the Framingham study. The clinical implications of newly acquired left bundle-branch block (LBBB) were examined prospectively in the Framingham Study population. During 18 years of observation 55 people developed LBBB. The mean age at the onset of LBBB was 62; LBBB occurred largely in people with antecedent hypertension, cardiac enlargement, coronary heart disease, or a combination of these. Coincident with or subsequent to the onset of LBBB, 48% developed clinical coronary disease or congestive failure for the first time. Throughout the entire period of observation only 11% remained free of clinically apparent cardiovascular abnormalities. Within 10 years of the onset of LBBB, 50% had died from cardiovascular diseases. In men, the appearance of LBBB contributed independently to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease mortality. Comparison with age- and sex-matched control subjects free from LBBB confirmed that in the general adult population, newly acquired LBBB is most often a hallmark of advanced hypertensive or ischemic heart disease, or both.


[Clinical evaluation of a topical ethyl lactate treatment of acne vulgaris (author's transl)]. The efficacy of a lotion containing 10 p. 100 ethyl lactate was evaluated in a double-blind clinical trail during 8 weeks. Test subjects were 45 male and female patients with polymorphous juvenile acne. They were divided into three groups and received the following treatments: Group A: oral antibiotic + topical placebo lotion. Group B: oral antibiotic + topical ethyl lactate lotion. Group C: topical ethyl lactate lotion only. The lotions were applied twice daily with a swab of cotton-wool. The antibiotic doses (tetracycline hydrochloride) were decreased as the trial progressed. Patients were examined before the trial, then after 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks. At each visit, comedones, microcysts, pustules and nodules were counted on a skin surface of 9 cm2. Colour photographs were taken before and at the end of the trial and served for counting inflammatory lesions. Also, at each visit, skin lipids were sampled and analysed by I. R. spectrophotometry in order to asses the effect of the treatments on the free fatty acid/triglyceride ratio. The treatments showed similar effectiveness as regards comedones and microcysts, but only treatments A and B succeeded in reducing the number of inflamed lesions. With respect to the latter, the combined treatment B (oral antibiotic + topical ethyl lactate lotion)  was more effective than treatment A (oral antibiotic + topical placebo); both treatments were more effective than treatment C (topical ethyl lactate lotion only). At the end of the trial, all three groups of patients showed significant overall improvement, but acne scores (total number of lesions) did not differ significantly between treatments. When comparing these results with literature data concerning the effects of vitamin A acid and benzoyl peroxide, it appears that ethyl lactate is slightly less effective for topical treatment of acne than vitamin A acid, but slightly more effective than benzoyl peroxide. It should be underlined that ethyl lactate is well tolerated by the skin. Analysis of sebum samples failed to yield evidence of a decrease in the free fatty acid/triglyceride ratio in skin lipids of the patients irrespective of the treatment applied.


[Effect of surface-active antiseptics on plasmid transduction of drug resistance and the transducing bacteriophages of staphylococci]. Anionic surface active substances (SAS), such as sodium alkylsulfates, iodonate, sulfanol NP-3 used in subbacteriostatic concentrations lowered at least 100 times the intensity of the erythromycin resistance plasmid in vitro on mixed cultivation of the staphylococcal cells of the donor (strain 8325/11 de) and the recipient (strain 825-1). The cationic SAS, i. e. roc cal, chlorhexidine had no such capacity. The above anionic and cationic SAS had an antiphage effect with respect to the transducing staphylococcal bacteriophages of the serological group B (80, 85, 52A, 53). Such an effect (on the example of sodium alkylsulfates) increased with prolongation of the alkyl radical from C8 to C14. A decrease in the transduction intensity of the erythromycin resistant plasmid in staphylococci was observed in the presence of the anionic SAS either possessing (alkylsulfates, iodonate) or not (sulfonol NP-3) the antiphage activity.


Methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus phage type 92. Methicillin-resistant (Mec(r)) strains of Staphylococcus aureus received for phage typing from several hospitals in New York City were resistant to the international set of typing phages but susceptible to experimental phage 92. Subsequently, strains of type 92 were detected in two outbreaks with Mec(r) strains in two other locations in the United States. In all instances, type 92 was predominant among the Mec(r) strains isolated in each hospital. With the exception of one strain, the methicillin resistance of the Mec(r) strains investigated was homogeneous. In most instances, isolates from the same hospital were closely similar in their antibiotic resistance patterns. The strains isolated in New York City could be divided into three groups by the host range of their lysogenic phages and by antigenic structure. Transduction experiments indicated that the transfer of chromosomal tetracycline resistance from Mec(r) strains into a strain susceptible to several international typing phages renders the latter nontypable. However, the acceptor strain remains susceptible to experimental phages 92 and 88. Transduction of methicillin resistance had no effect on the phage susceptibility of the acceptor strain. It is possible that the presence of chromosomal tetracycline resistance is a determining factor in the phage susceptibility of Mec(r) strains isolated in New York City.


Thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms. A review and current status. Surgical management of the thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm is a formidable undertaking. Presently two fairly distinct operative methods are available. The conventional technique, pioneered by Etheredge, involves replacement of the aneurysm with a synthetic graft and then, step by step, revascularization of the abdominal organs with prosthetic side limbs taken from the primary graft. Individual organ ischemic time is limited to that time required for the performance of each distal side limb anastomosis. The second operative method, first described by Crawford, consists of proximal and distal control of the aneurysm, followed by its incision to simultaneously expose the origin of all four major intra-abdominal arteries. Replacement is then rapidly performed with a tubular Dacron graft including anastomosis of these major intra-abdominal arteries to four elliptical graft incisions, from within the aneurysm. Total operating time is reduced at the expense of prolonged organ ischemia. The conventional method allows for step-by-step intraoperative planning and action, and this technique is accordingly recommended to most surgeons, who have had little experience with this unusual lesion. Our recent successful experience with two cases of extensive thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms is described as well as a discussion of additional measures which may become useful in certain cases to favor a successful outcome. Finally the problem of potential resultant paraplegia is discussed.


Dynamic changes of nasal resistance.

Dynamic changes of nasal resistance. Fifty human subjects were studied and evaluated utilizing posterior rhinomanometry techniques. The main purpose of the investigation was to study the physiologic dynamic range of nasal resistance so that the data might serve as a baseline, not only for evaluation and diagnosis of pathologic states but also for the assessment of nasal responses to various physiologic, drug-induced, or pathologic challenges. Analysis was divided into two parts: first, the evaluation of the average resistance and average change in resistance for each patient, and second, determination of the maximal amount of change to be expected over 15-minute periods in a healthy subject. These studies give the investigator an idea of the magnitude of change that one might expect in normal physiologic situations, based on the 50 subjects that allowed 1,272 observations for justification of the concept of percent change in nasal resistance and not the value of nasal resistance alone. We concluded that the physiologic change in nasal resistance in a normal individual during a 15-minute interval should be less than 53% of the previous observation of nasal resistance. A change greater than 53% suggests a significant change that cannot be attributed to physiologic variability.


The value of the electromagnetic flow probe in experimental and clinical microvascular anastomosis. The Gould Statham Blood Flowmeter Model SP 2204 has been used to assess microanastomosis in 25 superficial femoral arteries of rabbits. When a pulsatile wave form has been achieved this correlates with a satisfactory anastomosis and vice versa. The digital read out of estimated volume flow past the anastomosis made by this instrument will need further evaluation. We are persisting with the electromagnetic flow probe in the assessment of our clinical microvascular anastomoses at operation.


Some properties of vacuoles isolated from Neurospora crassa slime variant. A method for the isolation of vacuoles based on polybase induced lysis of protoplasts of the cell wall deficient Neurospora crassa slime variant is described. Isolated vacuoles are characterized by 12 to 50 times increased specific activities of several hydrolases as compared with the total homogenate of protoplasts. Total alpha-amino nitrogen, arginine, and polyphosphate are also greatly enriched in these vacuoles. Vacuoles are equipped with a permease for the transport of basic amino acids across the tonoplast.


Determination of intestinal viability by Doppler ultrasound. The Doppler ultrasonic flowmeter was used to determine intestinal serosal and mesenteric blood flows in 130 patients who underwent abdominal aortic vascular procedures and in 14 patients who underwent general surgical procedures. Temporary occlusion of the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) during aortic surgery resulted in the absence or marked diminution of collateral blood flow over the left side of the colon in eight patients. One patient had the flow in the IMA preserved by proper placement of an end-to-side aortofemoral Dacron prosthesis, whereas the other seven patients underwent replantation of the IMA into the Dacron prosthesis. All patients did well postoperatively. In the 14 general surgical patients, intestinal viability and collateral mesenteric blood flows were determined, which demonstrated that the presence of audible arterial blood flow correlated with ultimate bowel viability. We recommend the use of the Doppler ultrasonic flowmeter in abdominal aortic revascularization procedures to determine the need for IMA reconstruction as well as in general surgical procedures where the surgeon desires a more objective assessment of intestinal viability.


[Methods of the multivariate statistical analysis of so-called polyetiological diseases using the example of coronary heart disease]. General characteristics of the multivariate statistical analysis (MSA) is given. Methodical premises and criteria for the selection of an adequate MSA method applicable to pathoanatomic investigations of the epidemiology of multicausal diseases are presented. The experience of using MSA with computors and standard computing programs in studies of coronary arteries aterosclerosis on the materials of 2060 autopsies is described. The combined use of 4 MSA methods: sequential, correlational, regressional, and discriminant permitted to quantitate the contribution of each of the 8 examined risk factors in the development of aterosclerosis. The most important factors were found to be the age, arterial hypertension, and heredity. Occupational hypodynamia and increased fatness were more important in men, whereas diabetes melitus--in women. The registration of this combination of risk factors by MSA methods provides for more reliable prognosis of the likelihood of coronary heart disease with a fatal outcome than prognosis of the degree of coronary aterosclerosis.


Computerized tomography in hereditary nonprogressive chorea. A 56-year-old woman had a 50-year history of childhood-onset chorea without progressive neurologic deficit. The patient's father had a lifelong extrapyramidal disorder characterized by a head-nodding tremor and involuntary movements especially evident with anxiety. The computerized tomographic scan was normal, without evidence of cortical or caudate atrophy. The computerized tomographic scan supports the notion of a functional rather than a structural lesion, and may aid in the discrimination of hereditary nonprogressive chorea from more devastating forms of hereditary chorea.


The tortuous tube: pregnancy rate following laparoscopy and hydrotubation. 256 infertile women whose ovulatory and related male fertility factors were normal were investigated by diagnostic laparoscopy and dye hydrotubation. The tubes were objectively classed into 4 groups--normal, patent with macroscopic tubal adhesions, patent with one tortuosity, and patent with multiple tortuosities. The latter group had a highly significant response to the above procedures and 66% were pregnant within 1 year and 81% within 2 years. No significant effect was found in the other 3 groups. This multiple tortuosity group represents the type of tube that significantly responds to treatment inherent in all tubal patency tests. Its pathogenesis and management are discussed.


Photosensitivity of respiration in Neurospora mitochondria. A protective role for carotenoid. 1. The effect of visible light on respiratory activity was studied in two strains of Neurospora crassa, one a wild-type strain able to synthesize carotenoid and the other an albino mutant lacking carotenogenic activity. Light had no effect on growth under the conditions studied, but inhibited respiration of hyphal suspensions. the degree of inhibition being dependent on the carotenoid content of the hyphae. 2. In studies of respiration of isolated mitochondria, three types of photosensitive site were detected. These were the flavo-protein dehydrogenases themselves, a site separate from the latter also associated with the dehydrogenase but re-activatable by treatment with a thiol reagent, and the respiratory quinone, ubiquinone. Cytochrome oxidase, previously reported as photosensitive from many sources, was not appreciably affected by light in these preparations. 3. The degree of inactivation of the respiratory quinone was dependent on the amount of carotenoid in the preparation, high concentrations of the pigment in the mitochondrial membranes providing substantial protection against the effect of light. 4. Separation of the inner and outer membranes of mitochondria showed that under conditions where carotenoid appears to protect quinone, significant amounts are found in the inner mitochondrial membrane, oterhwise carotenoid is restricted to the outer membrane.


A thermodynamic analysis of the interaction between the mitochondrial coupling adenosine triphosphatase and its naturally occurring inhibitor protein. 1. The naturally occurring ATPase (adenosine triphosphatase)-inhibitor protein, from bovine heart mitochondria, was obtained as a single pure protein. It was not identical with any of the five subunits (alpha-epsilon) of the isolated ATPase, and appeared to be a single polypeptide chain. 2. The inhibitor combined with the ATPase in a 1:1 molar ratio, producing a completely inhibited ATPase molecule. The affinity of the ATPase for its inhibitor is high; the K(d) is of the order of 10(-8)m. 3. The enthalpy of the ATPase-inhibitor complex-formation is positive, the value of K(d) decreasing as the temperature is raised. This suggests that the forces involved are largely hydrophobic in nature. 4. Hydrolysis of a nucleoside triphosphate promoted formation of the ATPase-inhibitor complex, although the equilibrium position was almost unaffected by the rate of hydrolysis. At low salt concentration, less than 200 turnovers of the ATPase suffice for the ATPase to combine with the inhibitor protein. At higher salt concentrations, a larger number of turnovers is required. It is suggested that the inhibitor binds to a form of the ATPase that is produced transiently during hydrolysis. 5. In the presence of 75mm-K(2)SO(4), the rates of association and dissociation are slow enough to allow their kinetics to be studied. Association is first-order in inhibitor concentration, but fractional order in ATPase concentration. Dissociation is first-order in ATPase-inhibitor complex concentration. The temperature coefficients of the ;on' and ;off' processes were also measured. 6. A simple kinetic model for the ATPase-inhibitor interaction is proposed that can be extended to take into account release of inhibitor protein under energized conditions on the membrane. 7. The isolated ATPase is inhibited by preincubation with Mg(2+), reversible by subsequent addition of EDTA, and by ADP, reversible by subsequent addition of ATP. These effects are not found on the membrane-bound ATPase. The mechanism of these effects is discussed.


Comparative antiinflammatory and bone protective effects of two diphosphonates in adjuvant arthritis. The effects of disodium ethane-1-hydroxy-1,1-diphosphonate (EHDP) and disodium dichloromethane diphosphonate (Cl2MDP) were evaluated in the rat adjuvant model of arthritis to directly compare their ability to inhibit arthritic processes. The results of the experiment indicated that both diphosphonates inhibited osseous changes, pedal inflammation, and the change in body weight gain patterns which are characteristic of this model. The latter effects suggest that diphosphonates may have antinflammatory activity that is not related to their previously known actions on bone. Cl2MDP appeared to be more effective than EHDP in this particular model when all aspects were considered. The relationship of these results to the potential safety of these compounds in clinical situations is discussed.


Immunoregulation in New Zealand mice. I. Failure of the transfer of syngeneic spleen or thymus cells to influence the natural disease in New Zealand mice. Young, syngeneic thymocytes and spleen cells were administered to F1 hybrids of New Zealand Black by New Zealand White (NZB/W) mice beginning at 3 weeks of age and were continuted at 2-week intervals for 8 to 9 months. The development of autoimmunity as assessed by measuring the incidence and level of anti-DNA antibody, the degree of renal involvement, and the survival of recipient mice was evaluated and compared to a control group of animals. No significant differences were noted in these parameters in mice receiving cell transfers as compared to the control group. Therefore, in contrast to other reports, these results suggest that the transfer of young thymus or spleen cells into aging NZB/W mice fails to influence immunoregulation and the subsequent development of autoimmunity.


Application of flow cytometry and cell sorting to megakaryocytopoiesis. We have employed flow cytometry (FCM) and cell sorting to quantitate and study megakaryocytes in mouse and rat femoral marrow following their 20- to 30-fold concentration by centrifugal elutriation (CE). This enrichment of megakaryocytes permitted the first determination of their DNA-related fluorescence by FCM analysis following DNA staining. Fluorescence distributions of CE-enriched cell fractions following supravital staining with Hoechst 33342 were similar to those following chromomycin A3 staining of ethanol-fixed cells. Microscopic examination of cells sorted onto glass slides on the basis of their DNA-related fluorescence following supravital staining together with specific acetylcholinesterase staining for megakaryocytes indicated that megakaryocytes generally increased in cell size with increasing DNA content. This technologic application represents a significant advance in the study of megakaryocytopoiesis, since the kinetics of either the normal or perturbed population can now be studied rapidly and quantitatively.


Assessment of left-to-right shunt and left ventricular function in isolated ventricular septal defect. Echocardiographic study. This echocardiographic study was designed to assess left ventricular function and pulmonary blood flow in ventricular septal defect. Fifty-one patients aged 2 weeks to 21 years were investigated (group 2). Five of 10 operated patients were studied one week after surgical closure of the defect (group 3) and seven 3 to 6 weeks postoperatively (group 4). The control group consisted of 45 normal subjects aged 2 weeks to 21 (group 1). Left atrium/aortic root dimension ratio (LA/Ao) was used to express the pulmonary systemic flow ratio. Left ventricular chamber size was assessed by measurement of left ventricular end-diastolic dimension and volume. The left ventricular mass and the ratio of end-diastolic volume to left ventricular mass were determined to relate the degree of left ventricular hypertrophy to volume overload. Myocardial function was evaluated using ejection phase indices. Ventricular septal thickness, posterior wall thickness, and echocardiographic patterns of septal motion were also studied. The left atrium/aortic root dimension, end-diastolic volume, and left ventricular mass were significantly greater in group 2 patients (P less than 0.05) than in the normal controls. There was a very good correlation between LA/Ao and pulmonary/systemic flow ratio (r = 0.83). Eleven of the group 2 patients showed asymmetric septal hypertrophy (unrelated to shunt size) but left ventricular function as assessed by ejection phase indices appeared unimpaired. Immediately after operation (group 3) there was a deterioration in left ventricular function in 5 patients as shown by reduced ejection fraction, mean velocity of circumferential shortening, and relative changes in minor axis with systole. Septal motion was impaired but returned to normal in 3 to 6 weeks in 7 patients (group 4). Left atrial/aortic root dimension, end-diastolic volume, and left ventricular mass decreased significantly immediately after operation (group 3) but were still raised at 3 to 6 weeks (group 4).


Pre- and postoperative left ventricular contractile function in patients with aortic valve disease. In 43 patients left ventricular micromanometry and cineangiography were performed preoperatively and and 20 months after aortic valve replacement. A score of left ventricular functional impairment, derived from 5 to 8 haemodynamic variables, was calculated as: number of pathological indices x 100/total number of determined indices. Preoperatively the score of left ventricular functional impairment amounted to 35 per cent in group 1 (aortic stenosis: n = 19), to 61 per cent in group 2 (combined lesion:n = 15) (P less than 0.05), and to 87 per cent in group 3 (aortic regurgitation: n = 9) (P less than 0.001). In contrast, the functional classification according to the NYHA showed similar impairment in the 3 groups. Postoperatively the score of left ventricular functional impairment decreased significantly in all 3 groups to 10, 16, and 27 per cent, respectively, but the score of group 3 remained raised (P less than 0.05) as compared with that of group 1. The patients with residual left ventricular dysfunction had a higher preoperative left ventricular muscle mass than the patients with normal or near normal postoperative left ventricular function. It is concluded that (1) at similar functional impairment according to the NYHA classification left ventricular contractile function is more severely impaired in aortic regurgitation and in aortic regurgitation + aortic stenosis than in aortic stenosis alone, (2) left ventricular function improves significantly after valve replacement in all three forms of aortic valve disease, (3) residual functional impairment is greater in aortic regurgitation than in aortic stenosis or aortic stenosis + aortic regurgitation, and (4) persistent postoperative left ventricular functional impairment is found in the patients with severe preoperative hypertrophy.


Nongenetically transmitted disproportionate ventricular septal thickening associated with left ventricular outflow obstruction. Clinical, haemodynamic, and morphological features are described in 2 patients with disproportionate ventricular septal thickening, left ventricular outflow obstruction with systolic anterior motion of the anterior mitral leaflet, and either acquired or congenital heart disease. The disproportionate septal thickening in these patients appeared to be secondary to their underlying cardiac disease rather than a manifestation of genetically transmitted hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. One patient with combined aortic and mitral stenosis had severe systolic anterior motion of the anterior mitral leaflet and a residual large systolic pressure gradient between left ventricle and systemic artery after aortic valve replacement. In this patient the systolic anterior motion was evident in the presence of mitral valve stenosis. The other patient with mild aortic stenosis and a previously repaired coarctation of the aorta also had mild systolic anterior motion and a small subaortic systolic pressure gradient. Hence, these 2 patients demonstrate that disproportionate septal thickening secondary to acquired or congenital heart disease may be associated with left ventricular outflow obstruction and systolic anterior motion of the anterior mitral leaflet.


Pulsus alternans induced by glyceryl trinitrate paste in a patient with alcoholic cardiomyopathy. Application of a small dose of glyceryl trinitrate paste (0.25 in) resulted in severe left ventricular dysfunction with the appearance of pulsus alternans in a patient with alcoholic cardiomyopathy. The echocardiogram showed a reduction in the amplitude and velocity of motion of the left ventricular posterior wall on alternate beats. Leg elevation promptly reversed the pulsus alternans, and the echocardiographic abnormality. Glyceryl trinitrate paste should be used with caution and under close supervision in patients with liver dysfunction.


Accuracy of gas flowmeters determined by the bubble meter method. THe accuracy of 15 oxygen and nitrous oxide flowmeter units in daily use was investigated using the bubble meter method. At preset oxygen flow rates of less than 1 litre min-1 unacceptable errors were found. At flow settings greater than 1 litre min-1 the deviations varied within closer limits, but the actural flows were inaccurate irrespective of the presettings and of the gas delivered, and independent of the indicator being adjusted to be opposite or between the graduation marks on the flowmeter.


Drugs causing fixed eruptions.

Drugs causing fixed eruptions. Forty patients having fixed drug eruptions were subjected to provocation tests. Twelve patients failed to complete the provocation tests while in the remaining, the causative drugs were shown to be tetracyclines (6), analgin (metamizole) (6), oxyphenbutazone (5), phenobarbitone (4), sulphadiazine (3), sulphaphenazole (2), penicillin (1), suphadimethoxone (1), Saridon (1), sulphadimidine (1) and sulphamethoxypryridazine (1). There was evidence of cross-sensitivity between tetracycline and demethylchlortetracycline and also between exyphenbutazone and phenylbutazone, but not between different sulphonamides, In 2 cases, the minimum dose of the drug capable of reactivating the lesions was 100 mg of sulphadiazine and 50 mg of Saridon respectively.


Comparative evaluation of skin atrophy in man induced by topical corticoids. In this in-patient study, mild skin atrophy was observed clinically in 6 out of a total of 22 patients after fluocinolone acetonide and in one patient after flumethasone pivalate ointment applications (P less than 0,05). Investigations were discontinued prematurely on days 14 and 17 in 2 patients because they developed early atrophy due to fluocinolone acetonide applications. Histological findings indicating either moderate or marked skin atrophy were evident in 15 patients after flucinolone acetonide as against one patient after flumethasone pivalate ointment applications (P less than 0.001). In comparison with the controls the mean decrease in epidermal thickness was more marked after fluocinolone acetonide applications, namely 30.5% vs 21.3% after flumethasone pivalate applications. The ultrastructural tissue changes were less marked at the sites to which flumethasone pivalate was applied.  In comparison with controls, the percentages of mean decrease in diameters of collagen fibrils measured in six volunteer patients ranged from 5.1% to 27.6% after fluocinolone acetonide and from 0% to 12.3% following flumethasone pivalate ointment applications, This difference was statistically significant (range P less than 0,01 to less than 0.001). This experimental study has demonstrated that flumethasone pivalate displays only a mild atrophogenic effect and it is clinically and histologically significantly less atrophogenic than fluocinolone acetonide. Flumethasone pivalate can therefore be reckoned as a suitable topical corticosteroid especially for the long-term treatment of corticoid-responsive dermatoses.


Surgery for trachoma in Burma.

Surgery for trachoma in Burma. The problem of trachoma in Burma is presented.  For its major sight-threatening complication of trichiasis a surgical procedure is described which is simple, effective, economical, and without any cosmetic blemish. With this procedure 1861 cases of different grades of trichiasis were operated upon at the Eye, ENT Hospital, Rangoon, with 528 cases followed up at 1 year. The results are entirely satisfactory when the operations are performed for first and second degree trichiasis, and for trichiasis of our third degree grading the success rate is 95%.


Primary soluble plasmic degradation product of human cross-linked fibrin. Isolation and stoichiometry of the (DD)E complex. The formation of the (DD)E complex and fragments DD and E upon proteolysis of human cross-linked fibrin was studied by timed digestions using varying amounts of plasmin. The (DD)E complex was the primary soluble degradation product released form cross-linked fibrin. This complex contained fragments DD and E1. Upon further digestion (DD)E1 complex was cleaved to (DD)E2 complex whereby only the fragment E moiety was affected. However, when fragment E2 was digested to fragment E3, dissociation of the complex occurred. Thus, fragments DD and E3 are the terminal plasmic digestion products of cross-linked fibrin. This pattern was consistent regardless of the plasmin to fibrin ratio; however, the rate of production of the terminal degradation products was directly dependent upon enzyme concentration. Digestion conditions were modified so that either the (DD)E complex or fragment DD was the predominant degradation product, allowing for the purification of these species by one-step gel filtration. The molar ratio of fragment DD to fragment E in the (DD)E complex was investigated by dissociation of the complex and by reassociation of the purified components. The (DD)E complex contains one molecule of fragment DD and one molecule of fragment E.


Effect of organic solvents on the beef heart mitochondrial adenosine triphosphatase. The effect of organic solvents on the beef heart mitochondrial ATP-base-catalyzed ATP and ITP hydrolysis was examined. It was observed that numerous organic solvents stimulated ATP hydrolysis while ITP hydrolysis was inhibited. Methanol at 20% (v/v) was found to stimulate ATP hydrolysis by over 300%, while at the same methanol concentration ITP hydrolysis was inhibited approximately 50%. In the presence of 20% methanol, ATP hydrolysis exhibited linear plots of 1/[ATP] vs. 1/v, while in the absence of methanol negative cooperativity was observed. These data can be interpreted to imply that the catalytic and regulatory sites of the mitochondrial ATPase are being dissociated 20% methanol. The effect of methanol on the hydrolysis of ATP and ITP was examined as a function of pH. It was found that, at high pH in totally aqueous solutions, the hydrolysis of ATP and ITP was inhibited, while the presence of 20% methanol either caused the hydrolytic rate to peak and remain constant above pH 8 (with ATP as substrate) or caused the rate of hydrolysis to continue to increase above pH 8 (when ITP was the substrate). These data are interpreted to indicate that an acidic group in the active site may be ionizing, limiting the ATPase-catalyzed hydrolytic rate, and, with 20% methanol, this ionization was inhibited.


A possible mechanism for the increased oxidation of choline after chronic ethanol ingestion. An attempt has been made to determine the location of the site at which the metabolism of ethanol interacts with that of choline to produce an increase in the oxidation of choline. The first enzyme in the oxidation pathway for choline, choline dehydrogenase, was assayed using a newly developed spectrophotometric assay and freshly isolated intact rat liver mitochondria. No changes were observed in either 'apparent' V or the 'apparent' Km values of choline dehydrogenase for choline after ethanol ingestion. However, when the choline oxidase system was assayed, a 28% decrease in 'apparent' Km for choline and a 53% increase in 'apparent' V was observed. The effects of ATP on choline oxidase were studied further, and a 29.4% decrease was observed in mitochondrial ATP levels from freshly isolated mitochondria from the ethanol-treated rats. In vitro aging of mitochondria further decreased the level of ATP, and the rate of decrease was considerably faster during the first hour in the mitochondria from the ethanol-treated animals. The decreases in ATP from both control and experimental mitochondria were accompanied by increases in choline oxidase activity. The initial decrease in ATP was correlated with an increase in mitochondrial ATPase activity which may be related to an increase in mitochondria Mg2+. Because chronic ethanol ingestion has resulted in decreased oxidation rates of succinate and beta-hydroxybutyrate while at the same time increasing the oxidation rates of choline, the studies reported here suggest that the effect of chronic ethanol ingestion is primarily on a step that is unique to choline and which probably exists prior to the electron transport chain.


F1-ATPase from different submitochondrial particles. 1. F1-ATPase has been extracted by the diphosphatidylglycerol procedure from mitochondrial ATPase complexes that differ in ATPase activity, cold stability, ATPase inhibitor and magnesium content. 2. The ATPase activity of the isolated enzymes was dependent upon the activity of the original particles. In this respect, F1-ATPase extracted from submitochondrial particles prepared in ammonia (pH 9.2) and filtered through Sephadex G-50 was comparable to the enzyme purified by conventional procedures (Horstman, L.L. and Racker, E. (1970) J. Biol. Chem. 245, 1336--1344), whereas F1-ATPase extracted from submitochondrial particles prepared in the presence of magnesium and ATP at neutral pH was similar to factor A (Andreoli, T.E., Lam, K.W. and Sanadi, D.R. (1965) J. Biol. Chem. 240, 2644--2653). 3. No systematic relationship has been found in these F1-ATPase preparations between their ATPase inhibitor content and ATPase activity. Rather, a relationship has been observed between this activity and the efficiency of the ATPase inhibitor-F1-ATPase association within the membrane. 4. It is concluded that the ATPase activity of isolated F1-ATPase reflects the properties of original ATPase complex provided a rapid and not denaturing procedure of isolation is employed.


Tentoxin-induced binding of adenine nucleotides to soluble spinach chloroplast coupling factor 1. The effect of tentoxin on the binding of adenine nucleotides to soluble chloroplast coupling factor (CF1) has been studied and the following results have been obtained: 1. Tentoxin (400 micron) increases the maximum attainable tight binding of ADP to CF1. In the absence of tentoxin, the maximal binding observed by the method employed is about 0.3 nmol ADP/mg protein, whereas in the presence of tentoxin this ranges from 1.5 to 2.0 nmol ADP/mg protein. 2. Tentoxin-induced binding of ADP to CF1 is severely inhibited by divalent cations (50% inhibition at about 2 mM) but only weakly inhibited by monovalent cations (less than 50% inhibition at 100 mM). 3. The binding of ADP to CF1 induced by tentoxin is inhibited by ATP and adenylyl imidodiphosphate but is not inhibited by other nucleotides including AMP, GDP, CDP, IDP, or beta, gamma-methylene ATP. 4. The ADP-CF1 complex induced by tentoxin is quite stable. 75% remains bound to CF1 even after passage of the complex through a gel filtration column. An additional 25% can be removed by incubation in the presence of ADP, and all of the bound ADP can be removed only after incubation in the presence of both tentoxin and ADP. The latter result is interpreted as a tentoxin-induced exchange of bound ADP for medium ADP.


The carbohydrate prosthetic groups of rat fibrinogen plasmic fragment E. Rat fibrinogen plasmic fragment E was found to contain one oligosaccharide chain per gamma-chain attached by a glycosylamine linkage. The oligosaccharide was composed of 1 sialic acid, 1 galactose, 2 mannose and 2 glucosamine residues. The probable sequence from the nonreducing end was sialic acid leads to galactose beta leads to mannose alpha leads to mannose alpha leads to glucosamine leads to glucosamine. No difference in the rate of clearance from the rat circulation could be detected between native and desialated fragment E. A non-denaturing method for the purification of fragment E is described.


Nature of the phosphorylated 26 000 molecular weight protein extracted from dog thyroid with contractile proteins. Dog thyroid contractile proteins are characterized by their ATPase activity at high KCl concentration. In the presence of Ca(2+), 80 nmol ATP are hydrolyzed per min per mg protein. This Ca(2+) -ATPase activity is inhibited by Mg(2+) but not influenced by sodium azide. The 26 000 molecular weight protein which is present in thyroid contractile protein preparations and the phosphorylation of which is stimulated by thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) is suggested to be identical to the lysine-rich histones (H1). Indeed, radioactive thyroid H1 histones added to unlabelled thyroid slices copurify with the contractile proteins and migrate at the same level as the 26 000 molecular weight when submitted to electrophoresis in polyacrylamide sodium dodecyl sulfate gels of different acrylamide concentrations.


Pulmonary vascular reactivity in the spontaneously hypertensive rat. We examined the pulmonary vascular reactivity of normotensive rats (NR) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) to acute and chronic pressor stimuli. In rats kept at low altitude (1,520 m), SHR had a slight degree of right ventricular hypertrophy, but there was no difference between SHR and NR in either right ventricular systolic pressure or pulmonary artery wall thickness. When compared to blood-perfused lungs from low altitude NR, lungs from low altitude SHR were normoresponsive to acute airway hypoxia, hyporesponsive to intra-arterial angiotensin II, and hyperresponsive to intra-arterial prostaglandin F2alpha. After exposing rats to simulated high altitude (4--6 weeks at 4,270 m) to induce hypoxic pulmonary hypertension, SHR had a higher right ventricular systolic pressure, a greater degree of right ventricular hypertrophy, and more pulmonary artery medial thickening than did NR. The results indicate that although the pulmonary vasculature of SHR does not become hypertensive spontaneously, it might have an increased tendency to develop hypertension when exposed to an appropriate stimulus, i.e., chronic airway hypoxia.


Whole gut irrigation: a survey of patient opinion. Patients' assessment of whole gut irrigation via a nasogastric tube has been obtained by a questionnaire answered by 79 of 99 patients who received this method of bowel preparation before operation on the large bowel or colonoscopy. Abdominal pain during the irrigation was experienced by 13 patients (17 per cent) and nausea and vomiting occurred in 24 (30 per cent). Intubation with a nasogastric tube and the discomfort of prolonged sitting on a commode were considered the most disagreeable aspects of the procedure. Fifty-six patients (71 per cent) would have agreed to the irrigation being repeated if necessary and many patients preferred whole gut irrigation to previous 'orthodox' bowel preparations that they had experienced.


Effects of para-chlorophenylalanine on amphetamine and haloperidol-induced changes in striatal dopamine turnover. Para-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA) was administered to rats, and the animals were sacrificed 48 h later. Animals received various doses of S(+)-amphetamine (AMPH) 31 min before sacrifice or of haloperidol (HAL) 46 min before sacrifice and an intracerebral injection of [3H]tyrosine 15 min prior to sacrifice. PCPA pretreatment potentiated the increased accumulation of striatal [3H]dopamine (DA) induced by doses of AMPH to 1.5 mg/kg, and inhibited the decrease in striatal [3H]DA accumulation observed at higher doses (greater than 2.5 mg/kg) of AMPH. Further, the AMPH-induced increase in endogenous levels of striatal DA was inhibited by PCPA pretreatment. Similarly, PCPA pretreatment potentiated the HAL-induced increase in striatal [3H]DA accumulation. The data are discussed with respect to an inhibitory serotonergic influence on nigrostriatal DA function, and the relationship of nigrostriatal biochemical events to AMPH-induced behavioral changes.


Histophysiological observations on fast skeleto-fusimotor axons. In three instances, repetitive stimulation of a single fast skeleto-fusimotor axon supplying cat tenuissimus muscle was observed to activate a secondary ending belonging to a precisely located spindle. Prolonged repetitive stimulation of these beta-axons elicited glycogen depletion in the intrafusal muscle fibres of the located spindles and in extrafusal fibres. The intrafusal depletion affected the longest of the chain fibres in two instances, and the bag1 and bag2 fibres in the third instance. In one experiment, the discharge from the primary ending of the located spindle was also recorded. The fast beta-axon (it supplied the longest chain fibre in the spindle) had a static action on the primary ending. The extrafusal muscle fibres of the 3 fast beta-motor units belonged to the fast oxidative-glycolytic type.


[Mechanism of action of antibiotics:some examples]. Antibiotics are very commonly used substances to eradicate bacterial infections by bacteriostatic or even bactericid effect. They act at a very specific stage (target), although other less important or secondary interactions can occur. We studied the interaction of three antibiotic families (beta-lactamins, aminosides, rifampicin) with bacterial cell. Penicillin disturbs the cell wall synthesis and more accurately the glycopeptide (or murein) formation, a substance giving rigidity or shape to bacteria. It acts in the late phase of murein-biosynthesis, when N-acetyl glucosamin -- N-acetyl muramic acid L ala -D glu M-DAP (L lys) -D ala -D ala are linked together by the peptide part, under the effect of several enzymes, particularly transpeptidase and DD-carboxy-peptidase. It would appear that beta-lactame-thiazolidine rings have a steric analogy with dipeptide D-alanyl D-alanine. The result would be that the enzyme would act on the antibiotic instead of peptide: the consequence would be inhibition of the peptidic link, giving an abnormal murein, and an incomplete cell wall i.e. fragile bacteria. Aminosides, particularly Streptomycin, link themselves to 30 S subunit of bacterial ribosome. In this case, it seems that it is a 3''OH function which reacts with lysine (from S 12 protein part of 30 S subunit). The consequence is an alteration in the RNA messager lecture, and a false traduction and consequently protein biosynthesis stops with a decrease of polyribosomes and of the formation of inert 70 S ribosome. Rifamycins, and particularly Rifampicin act by inhibition of RNA messager synthesis. One molecule of antibiotic links itself to one molecule of RNA messager : hydroxyl and cetone function in C1 Cs C21 C23 and "ansa" bridge link to beta subunit of RNA polymerase. This linkage gives a conformational change to the RNA polymerase-DNA complex, inhibiting the catalytic action of this enzyme, and consequently stopping RNA messager and protein synthesis. The study of the action mechanism of these antibiotics enables us to show the action specificity of these products in the bacteria. This specificity is more accurate when the target is not to be found in the eucaryotic cells : in this case the antibiotic may be considered as entirely atoxic. If the study of the action mechanism of antibiotics gives a better understanding of the use of these drugs, their action at a definite stage in bacterial metabolism is a valuable tool for scientists in their approach to cell functioning.


[Histochemistry of neurosecretory cells in the cerebral ganglion of the adult or juvenile sweet water crab, Potamon magnum magnum (Pretzman)]. The histochemistry of the neurosecretory material of the PF-positive neurosecretory cells of the cerebral ganglion of the adult and juvenile crab, Potamon magnum magnum (Pretzman) has been investigated. The PF-positive neurosecretory material is proteinaceous and contains considerable amounts of cystine; it is associated with significant amount of cytoplasmic RNA, lipids and phospholipids and with moderate amounts of carbohydrates, though no glycogen could be detected. The significance of these results is discussed.


[Evaluation of food intake and adrenergic response in rats during the tail pinch test]. The urinary catecholamines output and the food intake were investigated in two groups of rats: a control group and a group where Tail Pinches (T.P.) were performed. Our results have shown, as these of antelman and al., that the Tail Pinch induced a high concentrate milk consumption, in spite of an increase of adrenergic activity which is known to have an inhibitory effect on caloric intake. We suggest that the role of various stress on food intake dependes on the balance of these two antagonist effects.


[Hemodynamic, functional and biochemical effects of hypobaric hypoxia in rats treated with cytidine diphosphocholine]. Treatment with cytidine diphosphocholine (20 mg/kg i.p.) in rats induces, during acute hypoxia, a reduction of vegetative responses (no modification of cerebral blood flow), a protection of conditioned avoidance response and a stabilization of dopamine and noradrenaline cerebral levels.


[Effect of citidoline on hemodynamics in the normobaric hypoxic dog]. In dogs submitted to a normobaric hypoxia, we found an elevation of the arterial blood pressure, of the heart rate, of the cardiac output and of the regional blood flows, the total peripheral resistance remaining unchanged. Treatment with citidoline abolishes these hemodynamic responses and the authors hypothetize that this effect is correlated with the agonist dopaminergic effect of the drug.


[Effect of different estro-progesterone sequences on nidation of dormant blastocysts administered in diapause in ovariectomized rats]. The hormonal condition permitting delayed nidation in rats ovarectomized on day 4 or 5 of pregnancy was studied by administering progesterone and estradiol in differents sequences between days 9 and 14. The best result was obtained when progesterone was given 3 days before an estrogen-progesterone association. The same treatment induced delayed nidation in rats receiving Reserpine and ovariectomized day 5, but not when progesterone and estradiol were present day 4.


[Lipid-protein interactions in blood serum]. The lipoprotein-fatty acid complexes show an electrophoretic mobility greater than that lipoproteins alone, but that phenomenon does not appear when those complexes have previously incubates for two days at 37 degrees C: an hypothesis on the evolution in time of the patterns of interaction binding lipoproteins and fatty acids has been confirmed by studies in isoelectric focusing.


[Evidence and properties of digestive proteases in young mugilidae during the first year of life]. Proteolytic activity was observed in extracts from the digestive tract of Mugil auratus and Mugil capito; its maximum occurs at about pH 2 and 9. Activity in the acid range is mainly found in stomach extracts and the enzyme may be considered as similar to pepsin and cathepsins. In the alkaline range, the main activity is recorded in the region of the pyloric caeca. Activities of the trypsin, chymotrypsin, A and B carboxypeptidases and elastase type are found. The effects of pH and temperature on some activities are studied: optimal pH are about 2.6 and 3,4 with pepsin-like activity, between 8,1 and 8,5 with trypsin-like activity and between 7,8 and 8,5 with chymotrypsin-like activity; incubation optimal temperature (pH 2,2) is found between 35 degrees and 40 degrees.


[Immunocytological studies of C cells with anti-calcitonin or antisomatostatin immunoserums in rats treated with vitamin D, thyroxine or benzyl-thiouracil]. In rats treated with vitamin D3, thyroxin or BTU alone or with associations of vitamin D3 + BTU or vitamin D + thyroxin, immunocytochemical studies with an anti-human calcitonin serum show a stimulating effect of vitamin D and of thyroxin and an inhibiting effect of BTU on the C cells of the thyroïd. These results are in agreement with the existence of functional relations between follicular and C cells. A few calcitonin-containing cells are immunoreactive to an anti-somatostatin serum. All the C cells contain both calcitonin and somatostatin when they are grouped in a single big interfollicular cluster.


[Effect of propyl-2-pentene-2-oic acid on GABA levels in different regions of mouse brain]. An elevation in cerebral GABA level (65%) is observed after administration of an anticonvulsant, sodium propyl 2-pentene-2 oate, a branched chain fatty acid, comformationally restricted GABA analogue, competitive inhibitor of GABA-T in regard to GABA. The concentration of GABA increases in some regions i.e. substantia nigra, frontal and temporal cortex, cerebellum and olfactory bulbs. The GABA level remains unchanged in caudate nucleus, hippocampus and occipital cortex. Results are discussed comparatively to the effect of sodium n-dipropylacetate.


[Action of hemocoagulase on the cicatrization of the dura mater in rabbits. Preliminary results]. The present study compares the cicatrization of the dura by administration of I.M. hemocoagulase. This study was done on 6 rabbits and 6 control animals. The authors think that the cicatrization is a little slower but of better quality. The hemocoagulase seems to favorize the vasculo-exsudative process of cicatrization. The fibrinous deposits are more important too. Perhaps the occlusion of C.S. fluid fistulas could be favorized by means of the used product. Definitive conclusions are not possible for the moment but a work on a larger scale is projected.


[Effect of dichlorophenolindophenol on glucose dehydrogenase activity of Pseudomonas fluorescens (type R)]. The glucose dehydrogenase activity of Pseudomonas fluorescens cells grown in iron-depleted synthetic media is strongly decreased (about 80%) by dichlorophenolindophenol (DIP) 2 X 10(-3) M. In those cells, DIP seems not to play the part of an ultimate electron acceptor.


[Dwarf colony mutants of Escherichia coli: plasmids resistant to antibiotics]. Deficient dwarf colony (DDC) mutants of E. coli K 12, harboring or no resistance plasmids, were obtained in vitro. The R plasmids of parental strains and to DDC mutants were transfered by conjugation to normal colony, and to DDC mutants of E. coli K 12; the frequencies of transfer were similar for all strains studied.


[Cellular material in urinary sediment in retarded or precocious puberty]. The cellular material studied in the urinary sediment mainly obtained from exfolied alls the bladder trigone was submitted to hormonal stimulation. These cell changes constitute the basis of a cytologic method called the urocytogram. The urocytogram was followed up in six children with early puberty and ten young girls with backward puberty. These repeated examinations contribute to the diagnosis and help in the differential diagnosis. Whenever it is necessary to investigate a child' sex hormones the urocytogram, simple painless method is indicated.