Protein synthesis by synaptosomes from rat brain: the effect of centrifugal forces. 1. Synaptosomal protein synthesis has been found to differ depending on whether synaptosomes are recovered from the sucrose gradients by centrifuging at 20,000 g or at 150,000 g. 2. The fraction obtained at 20,000 g incorporated 60% more amino acid into proteins after 30 min of incubation than the one obtained in the same period of time at 150,000 g. 3. The respiratory capacity of synaptosomes obtained at 20,000 g in the presence or absence of glucose as substrate, is also better preserved than that of those obtained at 150,000 g. 4. It is shown that the yield, enzymic content, and nucleic acid composition is the same in both fractions. 5. These results cannot be explained by the presence of inhibitory factors in the 150,000 g fraction or by the presence of better preserved free mitochondria in the 20,000 g fraction. 6. Our findings are best explained by postulating that the synaptosomal metabolic activity is damaged when synaptosomes are pelleted at too high a speed.


Synaptic development in the rabbit superior colliculus and visual cortex. The development of synapses in the visual cortex (VC) and superior colliculus (SC) of the rabbit has been examined with the electron microscope. In both areas, the number of synapses reaches adult levels by 20--25 days of postnatal age, but the development in the visual cortex is delayed in comparison to that in the superior colliculus. When S synapses (spheroidal vesicles, asymmetric thickening) are compared with F synapses (flattened vesicles, symmetric thickening), even greater differences are seen. In both the VC and SC, S synapses develop earlier than F synapses, though there is considerable overlap. Of interest is that fact that synapses in the visual cortex seem to overshoot their adult levels late in development, suggesting that an excess of synapses may be formed in this system. Multiple synapses, probably of retinal origin, increase in the first 3 weeks of synaptic development in the SC, but never are present in significant proportions in the VC. Synapse formation most often is characterized by formation of a junction and a postsynaptic thickening, followed by acquisition of synaptic vesicles. After 15 days, there is only a small number of such "non-vesicle synapses" in either the SC or VC.


Further studies on the aberrant cross visual corticotectal pathway in rats. An aberrant crossed corticotectal pathway can be generated by removal of one visual cortex and the contralateral superior colliculus from newborn rats. This aberrant crossed corticotectal projection arises from the pyramidal neurons located in layer V of the visual cortex and terminates in a spatially orderly manner in the appropriate laminae of the cortically deafferented contralateral colliculus. Comparable results cannot be reproduced by unilateral collicular lesions alone. The significance of these findings and the possible mechanisms involved in the formation of the aberrant pathway are discussed and compared with the retinotectal system.


The retinotopic distribution of visual callosal projections in the suprasylvian visual areas compared to the classical visual areas (17, 18, 19) in the cat. The distribution of the interhemispheric projection from area 17 and 18 was studied using the anterograde degeneration technique. Besides the classical visual areas (17, 18, 19), area 21 and several visual areas in the middle suprasylvian sulcus also received visual callosal input. In the four terminal areas of the middle suprasylvian sulcus the projection was found to be focused on representations of the ventrical meridian including the area centralis, as in the classical visual areas. An increase of the width of visual field represented in the zone of callosal terminations can be seen from area 17 through area 18 to area 19 and possibly this trend continues in the suprasylvian visual areas.


Correlation of subjective pain experience with cerebral evoked responses to noxious thermal stimulations. The relationships between different parameters of the evoked cerebral response to noxious thermal stimulation, stimulus intensity, and subjective pain were investigated in seven normal human volunteers. The evoked response was characterized by late events: a small negative peak at 164--180 ms, followed by a high amplitude positive peak at 372--391 ms. The only correlation found in this study was between the amplitude of the positive component and the qualitative and quantitative aspects of the verbal report of pain. This was manifested by a linear trend of association: an increase in the evoked response amplitude was accompanied by an increase in the magnitude of the subjective sensation. The findings suggest that the evoked response to noxious heat reflects not a mere transduction of the physical parameters of the stimulus, but rather a complex interpretative action at the cerebral level.


Multiple spatial-frequency tuning of electrical responses from human visual cortex. Human occipital potentials evoked by stimulation with a counterphase flickering grating were recorded by a digital narrowband filter technique. The data showed a surprising degree of narrow tuning to particular spatial frequencies in addition to the expected narrow temporal frequency tuning. At each temporal frequency, there could be two or more peaks of different spatial frequencies, each distinct from the whole field flicker response. Variations in this multiple spatial frequency tuning were investigated as a function of luminance, electrode location, and temporal frequency for several observers. The results are interpreted in terms of many stimulus-specific resonant neural circuits within the brain, and suggest that it is possible to make a highly detailed exploration of the responses of neural circuits to visual stimulation.


Prenatal toxicity of simultaneously administered ethanol and pentobarbital in the rat. The use and abuse of drugs has reached epidemic proportions among individuals of child-bearing age. The frequency with which alcohol and pentobarbital are used in our society increases the probability that they will be taken simultaneously. Experiments were designed to investigate the prenatal toxicity of alcoho and pentobarbital interaction in the rat. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were treated intraperitoneally with one of three doses of ethanol (0.56 to 1.4 g/kg) in combination with 5, 15, or 25 mg/kg pentobarbital on days 9 through 12 of gestation. Maternal and fetal toxicities were evaluated and compared with the results of previous studies using the same doses of ethanol and pentobarbital. In pregnant rats treated with combinations of the two drugs, there was no consistent pattern of response. With respect to the offspring, there was no evidence that combinations of ethanol and pentobarbital, at the dose levels used here, had any more deleterious effect on fetal development than either drug acting independently.


Morphological and biochemical studies on the effect of agents with liver protecting properties. The liver protective effect of Aicaphosphate in CC1(4)-induced acute, as well as CC1(4)-and thioacetamide-induced subacute and chronic liver damages is demonstrated. The effect of the protective drugs was studied in the forms of pre-, simultaneous and delayed treatment in acute and chronic liver damages induced by various toxic agents. The degree of liver damage was determined by morphological and biochemical methods, complementary to each other. For the completion of histological studies and morphometry used for the determination of the degree of fibrosis biochemical investigations are performed. In acute liver damage the determination of DNA, protein and lipid contents of the liver tissue and the radioactive aminoacid incorporation rate should be carried out with a simultaneous analysis of the serum enzymes. In chronic liver damage, the measurement of the hydroxyproline and DNA contents of the liver give useful data for the determination of the severity of the lesion and the effect of the protective drugs, respectively.


Acid phosphatase activity in normal and denervated chick skeletal muscle. Histochemical and biochemical changes in acid phosphatase activity were studied in the normal and denervated gastrocnemii of chick for a maximum period of 8 weeks. In the normal muscle, fibre heterogeneity with respect muscles exhibit greater susceptibility to degenerative changes on account of denervation. Quantitatively higher enzyme levels in the denervated muscles confirm the lytic role of acid phosphatase.


Changes induced by Ehrlich ascites carcinoma in hepatic fumarase and aconitase activities. Ehrlich ascites carcinoma induced significant changes in liver fumarase (activation) and aconitase (inhibition). A significant increase in hepatic fumarase specific activity was also observed in mice inoculated with Ehrlich ascites fluid after centrifugation of cells (EAF). Hepatic aconitase was not significantly influenced by EAF.


Essential fatty acids (EFA) deficiency and liver mitochondria. 2 dietary fats, namely, hydrogenated coconut oil and safflower seed oil were fed at 20% levels to weanling male albino rats for a period of 2 months after which the animals were sacrificed and oxidative phosphorylation measured in liver mitochondria. This ratio was more in the unsaturated-fat-fed group of rats compared to the saturated-fed ones for glutamate and malate; in the case of succinate no such change was noticed.


Control of obesity in Avy/a mice by 5alpha-androstan-17-one. Treating VY/WfL-Avy/a mice with 5 alpha-androston-17-one, a mammalian glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase inhibitor, prevented the mice from becoming obese. The weight difference between treated and control Avy/a mice was mainly due to a decreased accumulation of triacylglycerol. The compound did not suppress appetite, had no detectable toxicity and did not affect the lipogenesis rates in the liver and carcass. The weight-controlling effect of 5alpha-androstan-17-one in Avy/a mice was reversible upon withdrawal of treatment.


The synovial fluid hyaluronic acid in rheumatoid arthritis. The intrinsic viscosity of hyaluronic acid in synovial fluid decreases significatively in mild and severe arthritis (24% and 37% respectively). Variation in hyaluronic acid concentration parallels the above results. Chondroitin-6-sulfate can be detected in about 30% of the arthritic fluids.


The validity of the estimates of the half-saturation concentration and maximum velocity for the efflux of glucose from human erythrocytes in infinite-cis conditions. It is shown that, if the asymmetrical model for glucose transport is correct, the published estimates of this half-saturation concentration must be low. As a result, the model is even less able than before to satisfy the tests of its validity.


Inactivation of superoxide dismutase by several thiocarbamic acid derivatives. 4 thiocarbamic acid derivatives inhibited superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in vitro. Dimethyldithiocarbamate also inhibited tissue SOD in mice in vivo. These data extend previously published results on the inhibitory action of diethyldithiocarbamate on SOD activity.


A response to monoamines in Peripatopsis moseleyi (Onychophora). Preparations of longitudinal muscle respond to catecholamines if the ventral nerve cords are present, and also to 5-hydroxytryptamine. The response to 5HT is complex if the central nervous system is present, but muscle alone is probably inhibited.


Effects of disuse and nerve stump length on the development of fibrillation in denervated soleus muscle. Both in normal (control) and in cordotomized (disused) rats, the soleus muscle was denervated either by cutting the sciatic nerve near the trochanter (proximal denervation) or by cutting the soleus nerve near the insertion into the muscle (distal denervation). In the control muscles, the development of fibrillation was not dependent on the level of nerve section. In disused muscles, the development of fibrillation was greater following distal denervation that following the proximal one.


Somesthetic cortex reactivity during sleeping and waking in the rat. The cortical S1 responsiveness was studied by unique and coupled stimuli of non-maximal intensity applied to somesthetic radiations. The reactivity is highest during sleep with slow waves, lowest during active waking, intermediate during non-active waking and rapid sleep. The recovery of responsiveness presents an exactly opposite form and begins at a long interstimulus delay (greater than 150 msec).


Endothelial injury by nicotine and its prevention. Nicotine administered i.v. or p.o. in doses above 0.0125 mg/kg to the rat caused a highly significant increase in circulating anuclear carcasses of endothelial cells estimated by an original method. This effect of nicotine was completely prevented by a prior oral administration of the flavonoids hydroxyethylrutosides (HR) or Mono-7-HR.


The effects of dopamine, noradrenaline and serotonin in the visual cortex of the cat. The predominant effect of dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin on the photically-evoked urinary activity was a prolonged inhibition of firing. These amines were also able to block acetylcholine-induced excitations and for longer periods of time than GABA.


Sodium-dependence of sustained force in potassium contracture of cat ventricle. Following exposure to low-Na solutuion, the initial phase of K-contracture in cat ventricle is prominent while the second (sustained) phase is markedly attenuated. Monensin, a Na-specific ionophore, enhances the second phase of K-contracture following exposure to low-Na solution.


The influence of hyperosmolality on heart function. Hyperosmolality produces a reduction in myocardial water content, an increase in ventricular stiffness and coronary blood flow, and decrease in ventricular performance. The alterations of myocardial dehydration and ventricular stiffness are more pronounced in glucose-induced, and those of ventricular performance in urea-induced hyperosmolality.


A phase response curve for the locomotor activity rhythm of the rat. A phase response curve was obtained for the locomotor activity rhythm of the rat. Mus norvegicus albicus, by interrupting a free-running rhythm with light signals of short duration. The response curve obtained was continuous and had the switch-over point at the position of 2 h before the acrophase, followed by the portion of advancing phase shift. The pattern of the curve was typical for the nocturnal rodent.


Elapid alpha-toxins have no effect on the cholinergic responses of bivalve myocardia. Elapid alpha-toxins (alpha-bungarotoxin, alpha-cobratoxin and crude Bungarus caeruleus venom) do not affect the myocardial nicotinic ACh receptors of the following bivalve molluscs: Mercenaria mercenaria, Chione cancellata, Mya arenaria, Mytilus edulis, Rangia cuneata and Crassostrea virginica.


Effect of gum Arabic on aminopyrine demethylation in rats. Stimulation of aminopyrine demethylation induced in rats by oral or i.p. administration of phenobarbital was partially inhibited in animals receiving daily treatments of 2 x 200 mg/kg gum Arabic p.o.


Close relation between hypothalamic and cardiac norepinephrine during stress and its role in acute myocardial infarction disrhythmias. The decrease of the norepinephrine levels in hypothalamus and heart caused by stress is prevented by pargyline and imipramine. Such a decrease in spleen and adrenals is not affected. Chlorpromazine and lithium only prevented the norepinephrine decrease in the spleen. The uptake of H3norepinephrine by isolated atria of guinea-pig increases during anoxia; the change to a normal oxygen situation decreases these norepinephrine levels by more than 50%.


Sodium excretion after bilateral adrenalectomy in rats with experimental cirrhosis. Bilateral adrenalectomy (ADX) or a sham procedure was performed in cirrhotic and control rats. After ADX, controls increased their sodium excretion with respect to the basal values but cirrhotics did not. When sodium-loaded, the ADX cirrhotic rats retained a significant amount of the load. These data do not support a primary role of aldosterone in the impaired sodium handling by cirrhotic rats.


Prolonged action of drugs in rats with flavonoid-deficiency. In flavonoid-deficient Wistar-rats, the action of caffeine, harmine, hexobarbital, morphine and pentobarbital is enhanced. In contrast, the thiopental sleeping time is shortened. These observations may indicate impaired drug metabolism as a consequence of the flavonoid-deficiency state.


Effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs of Moloney sarcoma virus inoculated mice. Chronic administration of phenylbutazone, flufenamic acid and a new, potent non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent ITF (3-methyl-5-benzoyl-amino-isothiazole-4-carboxy-p-ethoxyphenylamine) to BALB/c mice inoculated with a Moloney sarcoma virus resulted in a stimulation of tumor growth and increased severity of disease. This treatment, however, had no effect on the spontaneous regression of tumors. Indomethacin in a dose of 5.0 or 2.5 mg per kg suppressed the MSV-induced tumor growth, but this effect was apparently connected with the high toxicity of this drug for mice.


Effects of d1-methadone and morphine on developing chick embryo. Injections of methadone into the air space of fertile chicken eggs affected development of the embryo. Both methadone and morphine caused decreases in liver weight and brain protein, and morphine increased liver protein levels.


Autophagy in mouse hepatocytes induced by lysine acetylsalicylate. I.v. administration of lysine acetylsalicylate inces autophagy in mouse liver cells. Single and multiple membrane-bounded vacuoles were found. The latter seems to be an unusual morphological form of the sequestration process. These findings could express a transitory sublethal liver cell injury induced by the drug.


Kinetics and inotropic action of probenecid in guinea-pig heart in vitro. Probenecid (100-750 microgram . ml-1) was found to inhibit cardiac contraction force in untreated and digoxin-treated (100 microgram . ml-1) isolated right guinea-pig atrium in vitro by a reversible process, without influencing beating frequency. At low concentrations (1.5--60 microgram . ml-1), 14C-probenecid was accumulated into right atrium by an oxygen-dependent process. Correlation between uptake and negative inotropic action of probenecid could not be found.


Picrotoxin-diazepam interaction in a behavioural schedule of differential reinforcement of low rates. In rats working in a behavioural schedule of differential reinforcement of low rates (6 or 10 sec), picrotoxin (1 mg kg-1) decreased the number of premature responses and increased (in DRL 10 sec only) the number of rewarded responses. The effect of picrotoxin was antagonized by diazepam (2 mg kg-1). In contrast to picrotoxin, strychnine (1.5 mg kg-1) increased the number of premature responses.


The action of conformationally restricted analogues of GABA on Limulus and Helix central neurones. Intracellular recordings have been made from GABA sensitive neurones in the central nervous system of Limulus and Helix. The following conformationally restricted analogues of GABA all possessed GABA-like activity on Limulus neurones and Helix excitatory GABA receptors: muscimol, thiomuscimol, THIP, isoguvacine and piperidine-4- carboxylic acid. It is suggested that GABA interacts with these receptors in a partially extended and almost planar conformation.


Surface model of the collagen fibril as determined by two-stage plastic replica. Two-stage plastic replicas of fresh and vacuum dried rat tail collagen were examined by electron microscopy. Microphotometer tracings made from the replica micrographs showed that the surface of the collagen has a periodic undulating topography which includes an approximately 20--40 A deep depression located within the major band distance.


The peritoneal leukocytes of the germ-free mouse. The cytology of the lavage-recoverable peritoneal cell population of germ-free mice is similar to that of conventional controls. The microbial status has no effect on the total counts, differential counts or 3H-thymidine labelling index of peritoneal leukocytes.


Spermatocyte selection during meiosis following mitomycin C treatment in mice. In mice treated with mitomycin C, elimination of spermatocytes is observed during meiotic division, whereby an increase in number of the eliminated cells is closely related to an increase in the frequency of spermatocytes with chromosome aberrations at M-I.


Secretory cell in the medulla of the bursa of Fabricius. Light microscopy has revealed a possible secretory cell in the medulla of the bursa of Fabricius. Cyclophosphamide increased the presence of the secretory cell.


Modulation of antibody synthesis by an anti-tumour alga. An unicellular alga, Chlorella pyrenoidosa, which had been reported to protect C3H mice against sarcoma BP8, is shown, when injected in Freund's incomplete adjuvant, to modulate the antibody synthesis induced by immunization with a hapten-carrier complex. C. pyrenoidosa appeared to be able to initiate an antigenic competition between hapten and carrier determinants of the antigen molecule during antibody synthesis, and thus it could be speculated that C. pyrenoidosa modulates the immune response at the macrophage level.


Pineal N-acetyltransferase depression in rats exposed to heat. Exposure of adult male rats to increased temperature of 33 +/- 1 degrees C for 3 and 10 days brought about decreases in pineal N-acetyltransferase activity. These and previous findings of pineal HIOMT inhibition under similar conditions support the postulation of a possible thermoregulatory role for the pineal gland.


Prolactin and growth hormone releasing activity of [D-Met2, Pro5]-enkephalinamide in the rat after systemic administration. The growth hormone (GH) and prolactin releasing (PRL) activity of [D-Met2, Pro5]-enkephalinamide (EKNH2). an opioid peptide analog with higher opiate agonist activity that morphine, was compared in the unanesthetized male rat to those of equimolar doses of morphine upon systemic injection. EKNH2 proved to be a higher PRL, but not GH, releaser than the opiate alkaloid.


Comments on the significance of the quasi-valence number for chemical carcinogenesis. A quasi-valence number of less than 3.20 was reported to be significant in correlating carcinogenicity. This criterion has no meaningful relationship since such a large proportion of organic compounds fall in this group that it provides no selectivity.


A rapid and simple method for the isolation of pure eosinophilic leukocytes from horse blood. An improved and short method is described for the isolation of intact eosinophilic leukocytes from horse blood with high yield (1--1.5 g/20 l). Viability and purity of the preparations were verified by light and electron microscopy and by the trypan blue exclusion test. Isolated eosinophils were 98--100% pure, intact and viable, and they could be shown to phagocytise immune-complexes.


Monitoring of ovulation induction.

Monitoring of ovulation induction. The plasma hormonal patterns of the normal menstrual cycle have been reviewed. A consistent cyclic pattern of plasma hormone levels is observed in LH, FSH, estrogens, and progestins in the menstrual cycle. Other plasma hormones, such as ACTH, growth hormone, TSH, and PRL, as well as androgens and corticosteroids, fluctuate throughout the menstrual cycle without any consistent pattern during the ovulatory cycle. FSH, LH, E2, E1, P, T, and A levels during the induced ovulatory cycle are presneted for comparison. In the gonadotropin-induced ovulatory cycle most hormones behave in a manner similar to that in the normal ovulatory cycle, except for FSH levels, which rise continuously throughout the follicular phase of the cycle. Following ovulation in the gonadotropin-induced cycle, T rises above normal levels. Early in the clomiphene-induced ovulatory cycle, unlike the normal cycle, LH is distinctly elevated. Levels of both LH and FSH in the rest of the cycle simulate those in the normal cycle. However, T and A levels rise from the very beginning of clomiphene therapy and continue to rise throughout the clomiphene-induced ovulatory cycle. Levels of E and P are higher than in the normal ovulatory cycle, but a similar pattern is preserved. Because of the potential dangers of gonadotropin therapy, monitoring by frequent examination and laboratory tests is required. E monitoring is mandatory to evaluate follicular maturation, to time hCG administration, and to minimize hyperstimulation. Cervical mucus is an unreliable parameter for monitoring gonadotropin therapy alone. In addition to cervical mucus, plasma or urinary E should be monitored regularly. Clomiphene therapy is less dangerous than gonadotropin therapy. Because of its lesser risk, monitoring is rarely performed during clomiphene use. An active monitoring approach has been described. While this approach may not necessarily improve the outcome of clomiphene therapy, it may hasten the process of selecting the appropriate dose. Although other ovulation-inducing agents are available, their use is rarely associated with serious medical complications, and monitoring would seem unnecessary.


Vaginal progesterone for contraception.

Vaginal progesterone for contraception. Silastic vaginal rings impregnated with progesterone (P) or progesterone and estradiol (E) were used in nine women for thirty 21-day cycles to study the effect on ovarian function. The average daily rates of release of P and E from the rings were 2.2 mg/day and 220 microgram/day, respectively. In anovulatory treatment cycles the mean plasma level of P was 0.9 ng/ml. E levels fluctuated in the range seen in normally cycling women due to endogenous E production. In a menopausal woman the E levels increased to 50 to 100 pg/ml during treatment and FSH levels declined. Ovulation occurred in 18 (60%) of the treated cycles, and resulted in one pregnancy. Although the results rule out the use of these rings for contraceptive purposes, they indicate that at higher dosages the Silastic vaginal ring offers a mode of administration of natural steroids to be used in hormonal contraception.


Hysterosalpingography in the evaluation of infertility: a six-year review. A series of 505 consecutive hysterosalpingograms (HSG) for the evaluation of infertility is reviewed. Two hundred and seventy-five (54.3%) were interpreted as normal. A tubal abnormality was found in 188 (37.2%) and a uterine abnormality in 42 (8.5%). The literature is reviewed. Hysterosalpingographic abnormalities in the present series are compared with those reported in studies previously published. Complications and advantages of the procedure are outlined. Analysis of the results shows a low morbidity and high return (45.7% abnormal), making HSG one of the most valuable tools in the initial evaluation of the infertile couple.


Pregnancy success following abdominal myomectomy for infertility. There were 46 patients with primary infertility (34 patients) or secondary infertility (12 patients) with no other detectable cause except myomas. After myomectomy, 38% of the patients with primary infertility had full-term pregnancies and 50% of those with secondary infertility. Preoperative distortion of the endometrial cavity was not impressively correlated with the postoperative prognosis.


The use of a one-day luteinizing hormone assay for timing of artificial insemination in infertility patients. A 1-day rapid assay for luteinizing hormone (RLH) was developed by combined alteration of incubation temperatures and immune-complex precipitation of a commercially available LH kit. The RLH assay, compared with the standard 3-day assay, had the following characteristics: standard curve slope values of --2.47 and --2.314; assay sensitivity of 5.5 and 3.8 mIU/ml of serum; average coefficients of variation for the standard curves of 13.6% and 14.1% and for serum controls of 10.6% and 13.1%, respectively. Two consecutive RLH assays of split samples were highly correlated (r = 0.9908; P less than 0.001), as were split aliquots measured by RLH or the 3-day assay (r = 0.993; P less than 0.001). When 52 samples from portions of 5 normal menstrual cycles were assayed in both systems, agreement was again high (r = 0.9871; P less than 0.001). Representative curves of both RLH and standard LH assays, together with other data, are presented to show the feasibility of applying this method for timing of artificial insemination.


Classification of adnexal adhesions: a proposal and evaluation of its prognostic value. A system of classification of adnexal disease is proposed. Hysterosalpingography is important to determine tubal patency (stage I) and to distinguish between the presence of rugae in early fillage of the ampullae (stage II) and their absence (stage III or IV). Diagnostic laparoscopy under general anesthesia with the double-puncture technique is recommended to inspect the ovaries thoroughly and to put adhesions on a stretch for evaluation of thin, avascular adhesions (A) and thick, vascularized adhesions (B). The extent of adnexal disease can be classified as stage I minimal if most or all of the ovarian surface is visible; stage II, over 50% of the ovary is visible; stage III, less than 50% of the ovary is visible; Stage IV, no ovarian surface is visible. Each adnexum should be described separately. The worst aspect of each adnexum should be described. The best adnexal classification should be used in describing the patient for purposes of comparing surgical treatments. Using this approach, the authors describe a gradient from stage I (best prognosis) to stage IV (poorest) in a personal series of 99 tuboplasties over a 10-year period.


Ultrastructural studies on testicular biopsies from eighteen cases of hypospermatogenesis. An electron microscopic study was conducted on biopsies from 18 young hypospermatogenic patients. No signs of "tubular blockage" or "germinal disorganization" were found. The relationships between the different components of the germinal epithelium were comparable to those found in normal testes. Germ cells were often connected by cytoplasmic bridges and Sertoli cells by typical narrow junctions, which, in the case of very depleted tubules, were very extensive and of irregular outline owing to the interdigitations of the cells. Sertoli cells had normal cytologic characteristics and, contrary to the findings of other investigators in similar material, had apparently a normal amount of lipid droplets and microfilaments. In six cases, a large number of thick, banded collagen fibers substituted for the microfibrils usually found between the myoid cells in the tunica propia. The possible significance of these changes as a cause or as a consequence of the tubular changes is not yet clear.


Penile blood pressure in the evaluation of erectile impotence. Identification of specific etiologies of erectile impotence is hindered by a paucity of objective criteria needed to segregate organic from psychogenic varieties and to define specific organic causes. Simplified measurement of penile blood pressure was performed with a digital cuff and a portable ultrasound Doppler system for flow detection. An index relating penile-to-brachial systolic blood pressure was generated, and the results were compared in patients with impotence versus patients with normal erections. The mean indices for the two groups were significantly different (P less than 0.05). The penile-to-brachial index provides an additional diagnostic tool in the evaluation of potency, allowing us to identify those patients with decreased penile blood flow, and may be helpful in selecting patients for revascularization procedures.


A microliter oxygen electrode system for sperm suspensions. A new polarographic oxygen electrode system is described which can accept sperm suspensions with volumes as low as 50 microliters. In this configuration, the electrode tip forms the base of the suspension reaction chamber, and there is no stirring. Consequently, structured fluids such as cervical mucus can be applied. Measurements can be performed in as little time as 10 minutes. The system reliably measures oxygen consumption rates as low as 0.1 mm Hg/minute, so that mammalian sperm suspensions with concentrations of the order 1 X 10(6)viable cells/ml can be applied. Sample experiments, comparing the oxygen uptake of human spermatozoa in semen and in Tyrode's solution, are described.


Vasovasostomy and vas occlusion: preliminary observations using artificial devices in guinea pigs. Intravas devices designed to reverse a vasectomy or to occlude the vasa instead of transecting them were evaluated in guinea pigs. Absorbable intravas devices (AID) were inserted into the vasa at the time of vasovasostomy and produced a return of normal semen quality in 73% of the experimental animals as compared with only 40% in the control group. Seventy per cent of the AID group sired litters. In a second group of guinea pigs, vasectomy was replaced by the bilateral insertion of reversible intravas plugs (RIP) which occluded the lumina. After a period of azoospermia, the central, occlusive pins were removed from the devices. Sperm-positive animals were bred and three of five sired normal offspring. Histologic examination of the vasa revealed morphologic changes in some AID animals, these being attributed to the vasectomy procedure. A similar evaluation of the functional RIP insertion site revealed the desired occlusive tissue-device interfaces.


In vitro reversal of indomethacin-blocked ovulation by prostaglandin F2alpha. An in vitro perfused ovary preparation was used to study the role of prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2alpha) in follicle rupture. The administration of PGF2alpha alone has been shown to restore indomethacin-blocked ovulation in rabbits and monkeys. In the model used, ovulation consistently occurred when human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) was given to the intact rabbit prior to ovarian removal. hCG-induced ovulation was blocked in both perfused and in situ control ovaries by indomethacin (10 mg/kg intravenously 6 hours after hCG) given to the intact animal. The addition of PGF2alpha (1 mg/200 ml) to the perfusion fluid restored ovulation in the isolated ovary as compared with the in situ ovary (P less than 0.005) and with the perfused, untreated ovary (P less than 0.01). Following removal and perfusion of both ovaries from rabbits treated with indomethacin, ovulation occurred following the addition of PGF2alpha to the perfusate, but did not occur without PGF2alpha (P less than 0.05). These data indicate that indomethacin can block ovulation and that ovulation can be restored by the addition of PGF2alpha to the perfusion system, further supporting the significance of PGF2alpha in the process of follicular rupture.


Combined tubal and multiple intrauterine pregnancies following ovulation induction. An infertile woman who conceived after human menopasual gonadotropin-induced ovulation experienced ovarian hyperstimulation and a quintuplet gestation--an ectopic and a quadruplet intrauterine pregnancy. The intrauterine pregnancy was confirmed by B-scan ultrasonography about the time that the tubal pregnancy was ruptured. Salpingectomy did not interfere with the intrauterine pregnancy, but in spite of a cervical cerclage the patient developed premature labor after about 26 weeks of gestation.


Regression of a prolactin-secreting pituitary tumor during long-term treatment with bromocriptine. A nulliparous woman with 12 years of amenorrhea, galactorrhea, and hyperprolactinemia and radiologic evidence of a pituitary macroadenoma was treated with large doses of bromocriptine. During treatment the greatly increased prolactin levels normalized and ovulatory menstrual cycles were regained after 48 weeks of treatment. A transsphenoidal surgical exploration of the pituitary fossa was performed after 27 months of treatment. The findings at surgery suggested that regression of the pituitary adenoma had occurred during the prolonged treatment with bromocriptine. After discontinuation of the therapy, the patient continued to ovulate and subsequently conceived.


Right-sided varicocele associated with situs inversus. In the overwhelming majority of cases, varicocele appears in the left scrotum, the reason being the anatomical dissimilarity of the two sides. In patients with right-sided or bilateral varicocele, further investigation to rule out a retroperitoneal pathology, especially neoplastic, is indicated. On rare occasions, however, a vascular anomaly as the underlying pathology must be considered. A patient is presented with a complete situs inversus accompanied by a right-sided varicocele. Intraoperative right internal spermatic phlebography revealed that this vein drained into the right renal vein, and valvular incompetence at their confluence was the etiology of the disease. Intraoperative internal spermatic phlebography in patients with right-sided or bilateral varicoceles is recommended as the simplest and safest means to demonstrate the etiology of this disease.


[Effect of the intensity of repeated splanchnic nerve stimulation on the development of habituation in the cat cerebral cortex]. Changes of amplitude of evoked potentials in the areas SI and SII of the cortex on repeated stimulation of the splanchnic nerve were studied in anesthetized and immobilized cats. The degree of habituation was inversely related to the intensity of stimulation. The application of maximal stimulus intensity produced sensitization which turned into habituation with increase of the frequency of stimulation from 1 to 5/sec. The effect of the intensity increment told in changes of the 2nd component of the EPs. The data obtained are considered from standpoints of the theory stimulus--model comparer and the dual-process theory.


[Effect of cholinergic substances on electrical processes in a ganglion of the enteric nervous system]. In the isolated in vitro segments of cat small intestine the sensitivity of myenteric neurons was studied by means of application of acetylcholine, nicotine, lobeline. The action of these drugs depended on their concentration: 10(-10)--10(-6)g/ml usually increased while larger concentrations (10(-5)g/ml) decreased the spontaneous activity. The preliminary application of d--tubocurarine (10(-6)g/ml), hexamethonium (10(-7)g/ml), and atropine (10(-6)g/ml) prevented the excitatory effects or suppressed neuronal discharges. The alteration of spontaneous activity seems to depend on the postsynaptic action of cholinergic drugs in M- and N-cholinoreceptors.


[Coding the rhythm of adequate stimulation of a crayfish mechanoreceptor neurons by slow oscillations in its firing rate]. Rhythmic (with periods from 0.5 to 29 sec) adequate stimulations of a single neuron in the crayfish isolated mechanoreceptor induced periodic slow oscillations in its firing rate of which the oscillations with period by 6--10 times exceeding that of stimulation, prevailed. This period was affected by neither stimulation intensity, nor by initial spontaneous firing rate but revealed regular variations on changes of the stimulation frequency. Latencies of the induced oscillations varied from several seconds (for high frequencies) to several minutes (for low frequencies), and on repeated trains of stimuli the latencies grew shorter. After cessation of stimulation these oscillations persisted for several minutes; they could be transformed by another stimulation frequency in 1--3 min. The data suggest that the coding of stimulation rhythm in the firing rate oscillations is related to rhythms of energy metabolism in the nervous cell.


[Microiontophoretic study of the effect of acetylcholine and noradrenaline on the monosynaptic reflex activity of the spinal cord]. In anesthetized and spinal cats the influence of microionophoretic local injections of acetylcholine and noradrenaline into different layers of grey substance of lumbar segments of the spinal cord were studied with aid of monosynaptic EPSPs of motoneurons. Injections of ACH and NA in the surface layers of the grey substance of dorsal horn induced depression of monosynaptic reactions. In the area of 6--7 layers ACH induced a weak depression, while NA significantly increased the reflex responses. In the given arrangement of motoneurons NA depressed and ACH facilitated extensor and flexor monosynaptic reactions of motoneurons.


[Diurnal variations in the cellular composition of peripheral blood in mice of different genotypes]. Changes of the circadian rhythm of the general numbers of nucleus-containing cells and leucograms of peripheral blood in NZB mice with autoimmune spontaneous hemolytic anemia and in C57BL mice without visible disturbances in the system of immunostructural homeostasis were the most obvious in the white blood in NZB mice: a) disappearance of the circadian rhythm of the general number of nucleus-containing cells in peripheral blood owing to the inversion of circadian rhythm of the absolute number of neutrophiles; b) changes of circadian fluctuations of lymphocytes-neutrophiles ratio. The observed differences in circadian rhythms of hematological indices in NZB and C57BL mice seem to stem from insufficiency of adrenal cortex function and/or changes in functional state of hemopoietic tissue which can occur during the development of autoimmune processes.


[Basal metabolism of an isolated rat heart preparation]. Estimation of the basic metabolism in isolated preparation of the rat heart by means of extrapolation of partial regression of the total energy expenditure by the heart on cardiac effort index at constant oxygen supply of the preparation, revealed on the average 72% of the total energy expenditure by the working preparation. Estimation of the same parameter by means of measuring the heart oxygen consumption after heart arrest with potassium, at the same level of oxygen supply, revealed on the average 49% of the mean total energy expenditure by the working preparation. The level of oxygen supply appears to have a major significance for the estimation of the heart basic metabolism.


[Hering-Breuer inhibitory reflex in cats with hypoxia and following carotid sinus denervation]. In decerebrated and anesthetized vagotomized cats, the effects of hypoxia and carotid sinus denervation on the Breuer--Hering reflex, induced by inflation of the lungs or stimulation of the central end of vagus nerve were studied. Hypoxia was followed by shortening of reflex inhibition of inspiration elicited both by inflation of the lungs and afferent vagus fibers stimulation. After carotid sinus denervation the effect of hypoxia on the Breuer--Hering reflex was almost completely abolished, and a reduction of the overall ventilation response (VTXf) during hypoxia occurred.


[Regional blood filling in hypoxic hypoxia]. Unanesthetized rats put in the hermetic chamber breathed with a gas mixture containing 10.5% of oxygen in nitrogen during 30 and 60 min (moderate hypoxia), and 3.5% of oxygen in nitrogen for 30 min (severe hypoxia). The circulating blood volume increased in moderate hypoxia but was rather reduced in severe hypoxia. Mobilization of blood from the liver occurred in moderate hypoxia after 30 min, becoming less obvious after 60 min or in severe hypoxia. Redistribution of blood in the myocardium, skeletal muscles of the head and neck occurred in moderate hypoxia. Severe hypoxia led to depression of the regional circulating blod redistribution and the signs of pathological accumulation of the blood in the liver, small intestine, colon and testicles.


[Temperature effect of muscle work in white rats during hypoxia]. During the hypoxia muscular work revealed an augmented electrical activity of the working muscles, a lesser increase in their and body's temperature. Rats adapted to hypoxia developed a higher level of muscular activity and a lesser increase of temperature indices. This suggests that hypoxia and adaptation to hypoxia decrease thermoregulatory effects of arbitrary activity of skeletal muscles. The additional thermogenesis formed during the muscular work seems to be depressed during hypoxia.


On the presence of micronucleoli in mature avian erythrocytes. Chick, hen, duck and pigeon mature erythrocytes were investigated by means of a simple cytochemical procedure for the selective demonstration of the RNA-containing structures to provide more information on the presence or absence of nucleoli in these cells. The results clearly demonstrated that almost all mature erythrocytes of ducks, chickens and hens possessed micronucleoli. In "not-flying" pigeons micronucleoli were present in about two thirds of mature erythrocytes and in contrast, about two thirds of these cells in "flying" pigeons did not contain any nucleoli. Since the formation of micronucleoli reflects the cessation of the nucleolar and presumably ribosomal RNA synthesis, the mature erythrocytes of the investigated birds containing such nucleoli do not synthetize this nucleic acid. Similarly, mature pigeon erythrocytes without nucleoli also do not synthetize the ribosomal RNA since nucleoli are responsible for this process in the nucleus. Both these observations and conclusions are in perfect accordance with previous biochemical studies which demonstrated the cessation of the ribosomal RNA synthesis in these cells. The differences in the presence of micronucleoli between pigeon mature erythrocytes and these cells in other birds investigated in the present study, just as the difference in the presence of micronucleoli in mature erythrocytes between "not-flying" and "flying" pigeons, indicate that a certain maturation specificity may exist in the erythropoiesis of various species of birds and even in birds of the same species, depending on their living conditions.


Demonstration of chicken B alloantigens by the Cytotoxicity test. The activity of complements from various sources was compared in the complement-mediated cytotoxicity test, using chicken alloantisera. The highest cytotoxicity index was obtained with a pool of complements from fresh guinea pig serum and chicken serum. No difference in activity between complements from chickens of the different inbred lines was found. Using the above test, we demonstrated the B-F antigen on lymphoid cells, whereas the B-G antigen was not present.


Cytochemical demonstration of glutaraldehyde-resistant NADH-ferricyanide oxido-reductase activities in rat-liver plasma membranes and Golgi apparatus. NADH-ferricyanide reductase activity was demonstrated in rat liver endomembranes by cytochemical procedures. The activity observed in plasma membrane and mature portions of the Golgi apparatus resisted fixation in 0.1% glutaraldehyde, a characteristic which permitted differentiation of the NADH-ferricyanide reductase of plasma membranes and mature Golgi apparatus elements from those of mitochondria, microbodies, endoplasmic reticulum and nuclear envelope. With the latter membranes, activity could be demonstrated only with unfixed material or following brief glutaraldehyde fixation and was greatest with broken cells or isolated fractions due to problems of penetration of reagents. Biochemical studies paralleled cytochemical findings with respect to glutaraldehyde fixation and sensitivity to other metabolic inhibitors. The findings provide evidence that a NADH-ferricyanide reductase may be among the membrane constituents conserved and/or modified during flow differentiation of membranes. The basis for a method to evaluate plasma membrane contamination of endoplasmic reticulum fractions and to differentiate among mature and immature secretory vesicles of the Golgi apparatus is also indicated.


[Secretion and organization of the stratified wall of spermatophore in some copepods: ultrastructure and cytochemistry]. The ultrastructure of the wall of the spermatophore of some copepods is studied during its elaboration along the male genital tract. The secretion of this material appears in the form of a loose fibrillar network, sandwiched between a granular layer and a set of thin dense plates. At the level of segment III this layer, which has considerably thickened compared with segment II, shows a more compact aspect. Finally in the spermatophore its organization is similar to that of external cuticles. The typical architecture, the elaboration process as well as the ultrastructural cytochemical characteristics of this wall lead us to discuss the analogies with the peripheral cuticle.


Ornithine decarboxylase activity in rat liver during phalloidin poisoning. Rat liver ornithine decarboxylase activity was measured during phalloidin poisoning of 17 day-old rats, adult rats, and adult rats protected against phalloidin toxicity by pretreatment with somatotropin. The results show: 1. In adult rats, after a short period of activation, ornithine decarboxylase activity decreases to basal levels after phalloidin administration and remains so until death. 2. In somatotropin-pretreated rats, the enzyme activity increases with a peak 4 hours after injection of somatotropin but then drops rapidly to control levels. All rats survive poisoning. In somatotropin-pretreated rats that has also been given the ornithine decarboxylase inhibitor, 1,3-diaminopropane, phalloidin poisoning causes a decrease in the enzyme activity to basal levels and death of all animals. 3. In 17 day-old rats, ornithine decarboxylase activity decreased initially after phalloidin poisoning but then returned to unpoisoned levels. All rats survived poisoning, even those pretreated with 1,3-diaminopropane.


[An ultrastructural study of acid phosphatase activity localized in bud primordia of an organogenic culture of Nicotiana tabacum L. var. P. 19]. Acid phosphatase activity in particularly organogenic strain of tobacco has been localized in two kinds of tissue: the internal bud primordia and the adjacent tissues. Generally the reactions are weaker in the undifferentiated cells. In differentiating cells, the localization of precipitates from the reaction shows up the continuity of membrane systems such as the endoplasmic reticulum, the nuclear membrane and the vacuoles. The relative weakness of the reactions observed in the vacuoles is in agreement with the rareness of hydrolysis. Parenchymatous cells between the meristems and the surface of the tissue culture undergo autolysis, which seems to help the growth of buds produced by neoformation. Specific and often intense reactions occur in the cell walls.


Scanning electron microscopic observations on cells grown in vitro. IV. HeLa cells do not have an upperside-underside polarity. Small glass particles are added to HeLa monolayer cell cultures. Landing on top of a flattened cell fingerlike protrusions are surrounding the particles. Later on leading lamellae are formed on the upperside of the cell and the glass becomes more and more surrounded until it appears to be "incorporated" completely. The glass particles become attached so firmly that by detaching them the cell surface is destroyed. This speaks against the assumption that cells in monolayers are polarized.


Alterations of cytoskeletal morphologies and growth patterns in human fibroblasts treated with polyethylene glycol. Non-transformed human fibroblasts, strain PA-2, were treated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) in monolayer culture to produce multinucleate fibroblast homokaryons. Antibodies to tubulin or actin were used to monitor cytoplasmic microtubule and actin filament patterns immediately after cytoplasmic fusion, as well as after the fused cells had been in culture for varying amounts of time. The cytoplasmic microtubule complex as increased for a short time after cell fusion and then decreased to resemble the complex seen in control cells. The actin stress fibers were similarly enhanced for a comparable period of time. However, this initial enhancement of the actin stress fibers gradually diminished for approximately one month in culture after which the fibers were greatly reduced in both size and number. Concurrent with the changes in cytoplasmic microtubule and actin fiber complexes, the PEG-treated cells began to show alterations in growth parameters which progressively resembled those characteristic of transformed cell populations. Fusion of normal cells may be an initial step in the transformation of such cells to malignancy.


Autonomic function tests in diabetes mellitus. Five tests of autonomic function were evaluated in a group of twenty-five diabetics. The Valsalva ratio proved to be the most valuable single indicator of generalised autonomic dysfunction, whilst the blood pressure response to sustained handgrip, the pupillary response to a dilute solution of methacholine and the fall in blood pressure on standing, all proved to be less valuable as indices of autonomic neuropathy either when considered individually or when taken together. The cold pressor test was shown to be of no value in the assessment of patients with autonomic neuropathy. It is suggested that of those examined the Valsalva procedure is the most valuable simple outpatient test for autonomic neuropathy.


Study of enzyme defect in a case of ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency. Activity of liver ornithine transcarbamylase was measured in a biopsy obtained from a seven years old girl, suffering from chronic hyperammonemia and orotic aciduria. The activity of the defective enzyme was only 17% of that of a control. pH optimum was 8.1 in the patient and the control. However, the pH curves were different between 7.0 and 8.1. Km (ornithine) of the patient's ornithine transcarbamylase was within the normal range (0.41 nM), but the Km (carbamyl phosphate) was low (0.18 mM). The girl seems to be a heterozygote carrier of ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency due to an abnormal liver enzyme.


The spontaneously diabetic Wistar rat (the "BB" rat): the significance of transient glycosuria. A longitudinal study of thirteen rats with transient and intermittent episodes of glycosuria was undertaken, to further characterize the "BB" diabetic syndrome. "Chemical diabetes" (normal fasting glycemia, abnormal GTT) was observed in five rats, accompanied by the same dramatic insulitis previously reported in this syndrome, in two of the three pancreases examined. Progression from "chemical" to overt diabetes occurred in one of these rats. Two other patterns of presentation were observed. Periods of complete remission occurred in four rats with diabetes considered sufficiently severe to warrant previous treatment with insulin. Four additional rats with previous glycosuria (untreated) showed no abnormalities on followup. It is not known whether hyperglycemia accompanied the glycosuria in these rats, and renal glycosuria has not been excluded. Thus, the "BB" diabetic syndrome exists in not only the overt and "chemical" forms, but may also present with transient glycosuria, followed by a variety of subsequent progressions.


Defective acute insulin secretion in diabetics. Differences between normal weight and obese subjects. The acute insulin responses to intravenous glucose and tolbutamide were studied serially in middle aged subjects with a wide spectrum of glucose tolerance. Eighty were of normal weight, 102 frankly obese. In normal weight patients, insulin response to glucose, subnormal in chemical diabetes, was almost absent when fasting blood glucose was elevated. Tolbutamide evoked a normal response provided that the fasting blood glucose was lower than 125 mg/100 ml. The response decreased dramatically thereafter. In the obese the response decreased dramatically thereafter. In the obese the response to glucose was decreased in chemical diabetics compared to non-diabetics, but failed completely only when the fasting glycemia exceeded 200 mg/100 ml. The response to tolbutamide decreased only with fasting glycemia in excess of 200 mg/100 ml. When insulin responses were expressed relative to basal insulin values the differences between non diabetic obese and normal weight subjects disappeared but this was not true of the other categories. These findings demonstrate that the B-cell responses differ not only quantitatively but also in kind between normal weight and obese diabetics. Six cases of incipient juvenile diabetes (100 less than fasting blood glucose less than 125 mg/100 ml) showed no insulin response to glucose nor to tolbutamide in contrast to the comparable weight group of maturity onset diabetics.


Roles of growth hormone and testosterone in the synthesis of mouse kidney glucuronidase. Mouse kidney beta-glucuronidase production is under multihormonal control. In normal mice, kidney glucuronidase is induced over 100-fold by testosterone. However, hypophysectomy reduces this induction to about 5% of normal. This loss in inducibility was in part restored by growth hormone. Simultaneous administration to hypophysectomized female mice of growth hormone and testosterone, but not of prolactin and testosterone, restored kidney glucuronidase concentration to half that found in testosterone-treated normal female mice. Growth hormone alone had no effect in hypophysectomized females nor did it enhance glucuronidase activity in testosterone-treated normal females. Radiolabeling experiments demonstrated that the enhancement by growth hormone of glucuronidase activity was accompanied by a corresponding increase in its rate of synthesis. Kidney hypertrophy and kidney glucuronidase production may be under common hormonal regulation. Testosterone or growth hormone treatment alone of hypophysectomized mice had little or no effect on either process, but combined treatment with the two hormones significantly enhanced both. The rate of synthesis of kidney glucuronidase is controlled by the Gur gene. Relative differences in kidney glucuronidase synthesis in mice of different Gur genotype were maintained in testosterone-treated hypophysectomized mice. This suggests that control of glucuronidase synthesis by the Gur locus is exerted by interaction with androgens rather than pituitary products.


Estradiol-induced accumulation of vitellogenin mRNA and secretion of vitellogenin in liver cultures of Xenopus. Explants of male Xenopus liver maintained in a serum-free culture medium respond to stimulation by 2 X 10(-8) M 17beta-estradiol with an increasing rate of accumulation of vitellogenin mRNA, as revealed by hybridization of cDNA to the total cytoplasmic RNA extracted from the cultures. A similar response is observed for secretion of 32PO4-labeled vitellogenin into the culture medium. The in vitro response is improved in liver tissue of prestimulated animals, and by adaptation of liver explants to the culture medium prior to hormone treatment, but attains only about 10% of the in vivo response. Since essential features of the in vivo response are maintained in liver explants, organ culture appears suitable for investigating initial events of estradiol action leading to enhanced synthesis of vitellogenin.


Tactual exploration by normal infants.

Tactual exploration by normal infants. The age of onset for tactual exploration of the fingers, body (torso), knee, foot and penis by the fingers was determined in 100 normal infants. Exploration of the mouth, face, head, ears, nose and eyes was also studied by daily observations in the first three days of life in a second sample of 12 normal newborns, and the age of onset was recorded. The data show that the ability of the normal infant to explore by touch the various parts of his body appears to have a definite age of onset and a definite sequence.


Localisation of human speech by the newborn baby and the effects of pethidine ('meperidine'). Eight newborn babies were tested to see whether they could make discriminating headturn responses to the sound of a 9-second recording of a human voice coming from 15 degrees, 30 degrees and 80 degrees from the midline, from either the right or left side. The babies showed significant differences in response to sounds coming from the right and the left, and to sounds coming from 15 degrees and 80 degrees from the midline. Pethidine ('Meperidine') given to the mother during labour had a significant effect, both on degree of response and on the babies' apparent ability to localize sound.


Routine analysis of dermatoglyphics and palmar creases in children with developmental disorders. A dermatoglyphic and palmar crease analysis was carried out in 100 children aged six months to five years with psychomotor retardation (excluding Down's syndrome). When compared with 121 of the parents and a random group of 168 school-children, certain unusual features were found to be twice as common in the retarded children, demonstrating that these features may indicate an 'at risk' infant if found during routine examination of the newborn.


Re-evaluation of the approach to an enlarging head in infancy. Computerized axial tomography is a safe, non-invasive technique for measurement of ventricular size. A review of 44 children without myelodysplasia who were evaluated for inappropriately enlarging heads, documented a group of 20 children presenting at five months to two years of age with megalencephaly or mild communicating hydrocephalus. Of these, only two required shunts. At their most recent examination, the great majority of these children are developmentally normal. Serial neurological examination, developmental evaluation and head-circumference measurements, in association with computerized axial tomography, have proved effective in the assessment and management of this particular group of children with large heads.


Spinal muscular atrophy in childhood: review of 50 cases. The clinical findings in 50 children with intermediate or mild spinal muscular atrophy are reviewed. An early age of onset and the presence of tongue fasciculation carry a poor prognosis for disability. Scoliosis appears early in nearly all children with the more severe forms of spinal muscular atrophy and early energetic treatment is indicated. Contractures are also found in both the more severe and the milder forms and are the main cause of progressive disability, since continuous deterioration of muscle power was not evident in the present series. Respiratory failure is rare but potentially fatal, and may occur even in mild forms of the disease. Clinically evident weakness of the axial musculature may give warning of this complication.


Uncommon syndromes of cerebellar vermis aplasia. I: Joubert syndrome. Necropsy findings are reported for a case of Joubert syndrome (familiar aplasia of cerebellar vermis with episodic hyperpnea, abnormal eye-movements, ataxia and retardation). The findings consisted of an almost total aplasia of the cerebellar vermis; dysplasias and numerous heterotopias of cerebellar nuclei; an almost total absence of pyramidal decussation; and anomalies in the structure of the inferior olivary nuclei, the descending trigeminal tract, solitary fascicle and of the dorsal column nuclei. The lesion resembled the Dandy-Walker malformation or simple aplasia of the cerebellar vermis in some of its aspects, but there were numerous others to set it apart--at least tentatively--as a distinct nosologic entity.


Uncommon syndromes of cerebellar vermis aplasia. II: Tecto-cerebellar dysraphia with occipital encephalocele. Two new cases are reported of a rare syndrome of malformation consisting of occiptal encephalocele, aplasia of the vermis and deformity of the tectum. Less consistent components are aplasia of mammillary bodies, fusion of thalami, anomalies of cerebral gyral patterns, bifid atlas or bifid occipital squame, elevation of torcular, and cervical hydromyelia. One of the present cases had survived to the age of eight years with a ventricular shunt. This syndrome, of which five cases are known, is thought to be a tandem malformation in which either an occipital dysraphia or an encephalocele induces aplasia of the vermis. A classification of aplasias of the cerebellar vermis is proposed.


Infantile spasms associated with hemihypsarrhythmia and hemimegalencephaly. A case of unilateral megalencephaly in a four-week-old child with infantile spasms and hemihypsarrhythmia is presented. The histological and histometrical investigations showed signs of immaturity in the cortex of the megalencephalic hemisphere.


Fingerprint body myopathy: a report of twins. Ultramicroscopic changes of subsarcolemmal fingerprints in the muscle of children with infantile hypotonia and weakness may represent a specific congenital entity. Four children have been reported so far. The two children reported in the present paper are the first full siblings to be described and, in addition, are identical twins. Four of these six children also had mental retardation, which suggests that this disorder may carry with it a significant risk of central nervous system abnormality.


Gait analysis in cerebral palsy.

Gait analysis in cerebral palsy. Electromyography is the most frequently used laboratory method of assessing gait of patients with cerebral palsy. This method has shown that slow stretch testing is non-specific and that electromyograms obtained during walking are of greater value in planning treatment. If surgical treatment is necessary, only those muscles with phase reversal should be considered for transfer; lengthening is appropriate for those with phase prolongation. The addition of movement measurements and force-plate recording increases the amount of information available for analysis. Distinctions can then be attempted between primary abnormalities and compensatory mechanisms, and gait patterns with common demominators can be identified. Only by precise pre- and post-operative studies can treatment for locomotor problems be reliably assessed. Progress in the treatment of patients with cerebral palsy cannot be achieved without such objective assessment.


Early detection of deafness in young children. It is generally accepted that early detection and intervention for children with hearing defects, either congenital or acquired, is both necessary and advantageous. Detection before the end of the first year of life seems to improve speech acquisition, lessen the likelihood of behaviour problems and decrease the cost of education. The methods for early detection are discussed and a procedure is recommended.


Gastric mucosal proteins in patients with chronic peptic ulcer. As ulcerogenesis could be explained by a defect in the mucosal proteins, a study of soluble proteins extracted from human gastric mucosa was made. The proteins were fractionated by gel electrophoresis. 7--8 major bands and several minor bands were present on polyacrylamide tube gels and 30 bands were visible on isoelectric focusing gels. No reproducible differences were found between body and antral mucosa or between the mucosa of gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer and gastric carcinoma patients.


Alkaline phosphatase activity in lymph and serum of bile duct-ligated rats. To determine whether liver alkaline phosphatase (AP) reaches the circulation by crossing the space of Dissé and traversing lymphatic channels to the thoracic duct, AP was measured in lymph and serum hourly for 12 h after bile duct ligation in thoracic duct cannulated rats. AP did not rise at any time point in lymph, was markedly increased in serum by 7 h when compared with controls (p less than 0.05), and continued to rise for the next 5 h. However, AP in the thoracic duct lymph was increased 5-fold by corn oil feeding. Molecular weight for serum AP from bile duct-ligated rats was determined by gel chromatography and found to be approximately 125,000. Thus, hepatic AP molecules probably pass freely through the large openings in the sinusoidal endothelial lining and are transported out of the liver chiefly in sinusoidal blood, which flows more rapidly than liver lymph.


A questionnaire for assessment of the result of peptic ulcer surgery. Details of a 22-item questionnaire used to assess the result of surgery for peptic ulcer are given. Tested in 47 patients the questionnaire correlates well with the Visick grading. The 100-mm line test and post-operative alkali consumption are less accurate measures of outcome. As an alternative to the Follow-Up Clinic, as a potential predictor of result, and as an indicator of the quality of life, the questionnaire has much to offer.


Action of norepinephrine on the serum gastrin level. The authors have studied the influence of endogenous norepinephrine released during exercise on the level of serum gastrin. After a period of absolute rest, 10 volunteers in good health underwent a prolonged graded exercise corresponding to 60, then 80% of the maximum theoretical heart-beat frequency. Only norepinephrine was significantly high during the course of the second phase of muscular activity. No significant change in serum gastrin was observed during the entire test.


Radioimmunological quantitation of human group-II pepsinogens. A solid-phase sandwich radioimmunoassay was developed to quantitate human group-II pepsinogens in plasma. The test detected pepsinogen II in a concentration range of 0.25--64.0 ng/ml using sample volumes of 125 microliter. Purified group I pepsinogens showed no response up to concentrations of 100 microgram/ml. In apparently healthy donors, we observed mean plasma concentrations of 20.3 ng/ml (males) and of 15.5 ng/ml (females).


Hypersensitivity reactions in the small intestine. IV. Influence of allograft rejection on small intestinal mucosal architecture: a scanning and transmission electron microscope study. The effect of a local delayed hypersensitivity reaction (allograft rejection) on small intestinal architecture has been examined by using scanning electron microscopy of the mucosal surface. In isografts, regarded as a morphological basis for normality of the system, the villi appeared normal and finger like. In allografts the appearances ranged from fairly normal areas to others with stunted and ridged villi, and flat areas in which crypt mouths opened on to the flat mucosal surface. The fine structure of epithelial cells was studied further by transmission electron microscopy. There was an apparent reduction in the size of the microvillous border in allografts but no other consistent abnormality. The similarities between this model of allograft rejection, and untreated coeliac disease in man, are highlighted and contrasted with the effects of acute radiation injury on the intestine.


A comparison between injection and infusion of pancreatic stimulants in the diagnosis of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. Exocrine pancreatic function was studied by rapid intravenous injection and by prolonged intravenous infusion of a combination of secretin and caerulein in a group of patients with proven pancreatic disease and in controls. The aim was to compare the value of the two procedures of stimulation in the diagnosis of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. Results showed that the pancreatic response to infusion of the stimulants discriminates normal from abnormal pancreatic function better than responses to rapid injection.


Increase in amylase clearance in relation to creatinin clearance during acute pancreatitis. Renal amylase clearance in relation to creatinin clearance (Cam/Ccr) was determined for 20 patients suffering from acute pancreatitis (AP). For each of them, the diagnosis rested upon operative or laparoscopic observation of characteristic anatomical or histological lesions. The average clearance relationship in these patients reached 16 +/- SEM 3.8%. These results were significantly higher than those obtained from 132 patients who had been hospitalized for other medical or surgical diseases, as well as from 51 test patients (p less than 0.001). The authors stressed the diagnostic importance of this test, in particular in the presence of a normal amylasemia level.


Is the fat breath test effective in the diagnosis of fat malabsorption and pancreatic disease? An attempt was made to evaluate the diagnostic effectiveness of the 14CO2-tripalmitin breath test in the screening or diagnosis of fat malabsorption. The differential absorption of 14C-tripalmitin and palmitic acid was evaluated in the diagnosis of pancreatic insufficiency. 24 controls, 13 patients with steatorrhea and 6 with pancreatic disease (4 of them with sufficiency) were studied. 81 breath tests were performed using 75 ml sour cream as a carrier. In 11 cases the 14C-tripalmitin test was repeated using 27 g corn oil as carrier. Both the 14C-tripalmitin and 14C-palmitic acid breath tests failed to provide any discrimination between normals and patients with fat malabsorption. Variation in type and amount of the carrier fat did not alter these results. 14C-tripalmitin absorption was distinctly abnormal in the patients with pancreatic insufficiency. The differential absorption of 14C-tripalmitin and 14C-palmitic acid provided an even better separation between patients with and without pancreatic disease. In contrast to some other investigators we did not find the 14C-tripalmitin and/or palmitic acid breath tests useful in the diagnosis or screening of fat malabsorption. These tests appear promising in the diagnosis of pancreatic disease.


Zinc and copper concentrations in serum, blood and liver in moderate experimental pancreatic insufficiency. Serum and liver concentrations of zinc and copper were studied in the rat after ligation of the pancreatic duct. Ligation of the bile duct was done close to the duodenum and high up in the hilum of the liver. The bile flow was by-passed into the intestine via a plastic catheter. The surgical method used was found suitable for a study of moderate exocrine pancreatic insufficiency since significant--although markedly reduced--concentrations of amylase and trypsin were estimated in intestinal contents at sacrifice 19 weeks after the operation. The serum zinc level was unaffected by duct ligation except for a slight decrease after 2 weeks. Similarly zinc in whole blood was unaffected. The copper concentration in serum was, however, significantly enhanced during in first 10 weeks. The copper zinc ration was markedly increased in duct ligated rats during the whole period. Zinc and copper concentrations in liver tissue were significantly decreased after 19 weeks. The findings suggest that a decrease function of exocrine pancreas might induce a disturbed balance of zinc and copper in the rat.


Delayed weaning and denial of solid food nibbling upon pancreatic acinar cell responsiveness to urecholine in neonatal rats. Pancreatic response to urecholine was studied in rats which were fed maternal milk only until they reached 27 days of age. A group of pups which remained all the time with their mother were weaned at 21 days; over that nursing period, their pancreatic amylase concentration increased gradually, lipase started to decrease from day 23 while chymotrypsin remained constant. In those who were denied solid food from day 12, the amylase concentration fell significantly from day 23 to 27 while lipase and chymotrypsin rose rapidly. Delayed weaning was associated with significant decreases in basal and urecholine-stimulated amylase secretion from day 23, whereas lipase and chymotrypsin releases were increased. If, however, secretion is expressed in percentages of the amount of enzyme released over the total tissue content, the output of the three enzymes in response to urecholine is significantly reduced from day 25 in pups kept on maternal milk only. These results suggest that dietary fat and carbohydrate modulate the enzyme content of the pancreas and that milk as the only source of energy and protein reduces the pancreatic acinar cell responsiveness to urecholine.


DNA-dependent RNA polymerases from Artemia salina: decreasing polymerase activities and number of polymerase II molecules in developing larvae. Embryos and larvae of the brine shrimp, Artemia salina, provide a useful biological system for biochemical studies of animal development. Dormant encysted embryos can be cultured readily in the laboratory to provide large quantities of free-swimming nauplius larvae. The rate of synthesis of all classes of RNA in swimming larvae declines markedly between 24 and 72 h after immersion of dormant embryos in sea water. Nuclei were isolated from 24-72 h larvae and RNA polymerase activity was measured under conditions in which the nuclei remained intact. Total RNA polymerase activity of isolated nuclei decreased in parallel with RNA synthesis in vivo. RNA polymerases were solubilized from nuclei and fractionated by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose. The levels of both RNA polymerases I and II also decreased in parallel with RNA synthesis in vivo. The specific activity of highly purified RNA polymerase II was determined by comparison of enzyme activity with the mass of RNA polymerase II subunits displayed on SDS gels. The specific activities of RNA polymerase II preparations from 24 and 72 h larvae were identical. The number of polymerase II molecules was estimated from the mass of the subunits. The number of molecules per nucleus declined from 20,000 at 24 h to 3500 at 72 h.


Spontaneous transformation of bovine lens epithelial cells: kinetic analysis and differentiation in monolayers and in nude mice. Bovine lens epithelial cells, in vivo, are known to perform two determined functions. First, they synthesize the lens capsule and subsequently, in the germinal region, they differentiate in fiber cells with massive production of crystallin proteins, inactivation and pyknosis of the nucleus. Bovine lens epithelial cells from adult origin can be cultured but so far no massive crystallin production has been demonstrated in vitro. We have studied the growth and differentiation of these cells and shown that in long term culture they acquire spontaneously many characteristics of transformation: unlimited growth potential, abnormal karyotype, multilayering. Viral particles were scarcely detected. However, they retain their epithelioid character and the ability to synthesize lens capsule material. Kinetic characteristics of those cells have been determined. When injected into nude mice, they actively proliferate and form tumors in which synthesis of alpha-crystallin can be demonstrated. These results show that in vitro transformation of lens epithelial cells does not affect their potential for terminal differentiation.


The evolution of nonrepetitive DNA in sea urchins. Molecular hybridization of nuclear DNAs has been employed to study the evolution of nonrepetitive DNA sequences in four species of sea urchin. The data indicate that the extent of homology between the nonrepetitive DNA sequences of S. purpuratus, S. droebachiensis, S. franciscanus, and L. pictus confirms the phylogenetic relationship established through palaeontological evidence. The average rate of divergence of nonrepetitive DNA sequences was found to be approximately 0.22% per million years. In addition, a small fraction (approximately 14%) of the nonrepetitive DNA sequences is highly conserved between S. purpuratus and L. pictus after 120-200 million years divergence. This study may provide a basis for the use of interspecific hybrid embryos of these organisms to investigate the evolution and importance of certain DNA sequences in early developmental processes leading to cell differentiation.


Transport of DNA from lymphocytes to fibroblasts in culture. The exchange of radioactivity between lymphocytes, labelled with (3H) thymidine after stimulation with Concanavalin A, and recipient V79 fibroblasts in culture was studied. The radioactive material involved in this exchange was macromolecular deoxyribonucleic acid as well as its breakdown products. This deoxyribonucleic acid from lymphocytes localised in the nuclei of the host cells soon after contact between donor and recipients. This occurred even when the V79 fibroblasts were confluent at high cell density, and thus in a steady, non-growing state with respect to cell numbers. The fate of the radioactive donor lymphocyte deoxyribonucleic acid, substituted with bromodeoxyuridine, was followed in the recipient cells by analysing its buoyant density in caesium chloride gradients. This deoxyribonucleic acid was found to become associated with the nuclear deoxyribonucleic acid of the host cells, involving both retention of relatively intact donor deoxyribonucleic acid as well as its breakdown and re-utilisation for host cell deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis. Non-growing recipient cells were found to retain the donor deoxyribonucleic acid in relatively intact form for much longer periods than when the same cells were in logarithmic growth phase.


Transfilter lens induction in avian embryo. The directive influence of the optic vesicle during lens induction of 2-day chick embryos was studied in vitro. Trunk ectoderm was chosen for the responding tissue. This uncommitted ectoderm formed distinct lentoid bodies when grown together with the optic vesicle. Crystallin synthesis was demonstrated in the lentoids with fluorescein labelled antiserum. By interposing filters of different thicknesses and pore sizes between the interacting tissues, three questions were put forward: (1) Whether the intimate contact between the interactants was essential for induction, (2) how far the inductive influence of the optic vesicle extended, and (3) what was the smallest pore through which the inductive influence could penetrate. The inductive influence reached across a Millipore filter with a thickness of 100 micrometer. It also penetrated a dialyzer membrane, allowing passage of molecules with molecular weights (MW) of less than 12,000 daltons. It was concluded that the directive, inductive signal(s) passing from the optic vesicle, diffused in the extracellular space as far as 100 micrometer and had a molecular weight of less than 12,000 daltons.


Induction of vitellogenin synthesis in Xenopus laevis tadpoles. Oestradiol induces vitellogenin synthesis in vitro in liver taken from Xenopus laevis tadpoles that are in late metamorphosis. Inducibility first appears at the end of prometamorphosis, and the response to oestradiol increases during the completion of metamorphosis. Oestradiol continuously present during development does not influence the stage at which tadpole liver becomes inducible. It seems that the acquisition of inducibility is part of the normal development of the liver, and independent of both the supply of oestrogen and the sex of the tadpole.


Revised radiologic concepts of the Barrett esophagus. The radiologic findings in 39 cases of histologically proven Barrett esophagus are reviewed. Esophageal strictures were not found in 18% of the cases, and when present were more often distally located. Esophageal ulcers were found in only 46% of the patients. In 13% of the cases neither ulcer nor stricture was found. The majority (72%) of these cases did not fit the classic stereotype of high esophageal stricture and/or ulcer.


Adenocarcinoma of the stomach in association with Menetrier's disease. Menetrier's disease is an uncommon lesion which may have malignant potential. This report documents a case of gastric malignancy arising in a patient with long-standing Menetrier's disease and emphasizes that close follow-up of patients with this condition is necessary because of the possible development of gastric malignancy.


Heterotopic submucosal gastric cysts: Report of two cases, one in association with carcinoma. Two cases of heterotopic submucosal gastric cysts, one with a coexisting superficial spreading carcinoma, are described. This is an uncommon entity with which radiologists should be familiar. An association between such cysts and carcinoma has been predicated previously. The induction of submucosal gastric cysts in monkeys fed polychlorinated biphenyls is cited, and the potential significance of this observation with regard to such lesions in humans is discussed.


Angiographic and pathologic features of probable primary carcinoid-like hepatic tumors. The angiographic and pathologic features of two cases of primary carcinoid-like hepatic tumors are described. Neither patient had the carcinoid syndrome.


Pathologic effusions localized on the anterior pararenal space: an in vivo demonstration. The retroperitoneum is divided into three spaces by four fascial planes. This case reports outlining of the anterior pararenal space with opaque medium in a patient who developed large abscess cavities secondary to hemorrhagic pancreatitis. The contour of the cavities, their cross-communication, and their effect on adjacent organs and landmarks are described .


Ascariasis of the gastrointestinal tract. The radiographic findings and complications of Ascaris lumbricoides infection of the gastrointestinal tract are presented. Since the clinical symptoms of ascariasis are usually vague or nonspecific, the radiologist may be in a position to play a major role in the proper diagnosis of this disease.


The spectrum of small bowel melanoma.

The spectrum of small bowel melanoma. Twenty-one patients with documented secondary small bowel involvement by malignant melanoma are reviewed. Roentgen mainfestations are discussed and illustrated. A vigorous diagnostic approach emphasizing enteroclysis is described. Clinical awareness and aggressive radiologic investigation are providing these patients with earlier surgical and adjuvant therapy, which appears to be leading to increased length of survival.


Kaposi's sarcoma of the intestinal tract: roentgen manifestations. Five cases of generalized Kaposi's sarcoma are reported with roentgen evidence of involvement of the intestinal tract. In three instances, there was extensive involvement of the small bowel with multiple intramural nodules. The fourth patient demonstrated multiple polypoid lesions of the colon, and in the fifth a constricting lesion of the ileum was present. Two patients with small bowel involvement had significant malabsorption. This latter complication of diffuse Kaposi's sarcoma of the small bowel has not been previously reported. The diagnosis of the nature of the roentgen intestinal abnormality can usually be made, because intestinal involvement generally occurs late in the disease, when both extensive cutaneous nodules and edema of the extremities are apparent.


Localized giant pseudopolyposis of the colon in ulcerative and granulomatous colitis. The occurrence of localized large clusters of colonic pseudopolyps in 4 patients is described. The underlying disease was chronic ulcerative colitis in 2 cases and granulomatous colitis in 2 others. Each lesion presented as a bulky polypoid mass causing partial or total occlusion of the transverse segment or splenic flexure of the colon. The radiographic and pathologic features of this rare entity are illustrated, and the previously reported 10 cases are briefly reviewed.


Obstructing giant pseudopolyps in granulomatous colitis. Two cases of giant pseudopolyps occurring in Crohn's disease of the colon are presented. In both there was obstruction to retrograde flow of barium, and in one the patient presented with acute obstruction.


Study on the specificity of Shore's method for the determination of histamine in various tissues. Specificity of Shore's method for the histamine determination was investigated by examining the fluorescence spectrum of the extract from rat gastric mucosa, biopsy specimen of human gastric mucosa, human gastric juice and human whole blood. An almost identical spectrum to that of pure histamine was obtained with the extract from rat gastric mucosa and human whole blood, whereas the spectrum with the extract of human gastric biopsy specimen and human gastric juice was different from that of histamine. By means of high-performance liquid chromatography, an approximately three times more concentrated extract from human gastric mucosa gave a distinct peak of histamine while a hundred times concentrated gastric juice gave no measurable peak of histamine. Fluorescence spectrum of the substances which might be extracted with histamine was examined. The ratio of the fluorescence of histidine to that of equimolar concentration of histamine at the wave length for histamine determination was 4.62%. From the above results, it has been concluded that Shore's method is useful for the determination of histamine contents in the gastric mucosa and whole blood if approximately 5% contamination with histidine is taken into consideration.


Studies on immunoreactive gastrin with special regard to its molecular form and G cell counts in gastrointestinal mucosa of fetal, neonatal and adult rats. Changes of distribution of immunoreactive gastrin (IRG) and molecular forms of intra-tissue gastrin in the growth course of rats were examined. The results obtained were as follows; 1) IRG concentrations and G cell counts were extremely low in the fetal antral mucosa. However, a gradual increase of the above was observed during the neonatal suckling period, accompanied by a rapid increase at the commencement of feeding. 2) IRG concentrations in the duodenal mucosa of the fetal and neonatal period were markedly higher than that of adult rat. 3) Jejunal IRG concentration was negligible in the fetal period. The value obtained from the postnatal rats was equal to or higher than that of adult rat. 4) The major form of antral gastrin was G-17 throughout the fetal and adult age. No qualitative change of antral IRG in the growth course of rats was seen. 5) The major form of the duodeno-jejunal mucosa was G-17 in the fetal period and thereafter G-34 increased gradually in the growth course of rats. These results suggested that, (1) suckling and feeding appeared to be a trigger of the production and release of antral gastrin in the growth course of rats. (2) In the initial stage of the growth, G cells distributed in the duodeno-jejunal mucosa as well as in the antral mucosa may participated in the production and release mechanism of gastrin.


Gastric motility after selective proximal vagotomy. Effects of vagotomy on gastric motor activity were studied on 39 patients after vagotomy for gastric or duodenal ulcer by fluoroscopic examination and by monitoring of intragastric pressure using a balloon introduced into the stomach. These patients were divided into three groups according to types of vagotomy; selective proximal vagotomy (SPV), selective vagotomy (SV) and atypical selective proximal vagotomy. In atypical SPV, dorsal antral branches of vagal gastric nerves were sacrificed in addition to conventional SPV because of local conditions around the ulcer. In patients after SPV or atypical SPV, no gastric stasis was observed on fluoroscopic examination. However, marked gastric stasis with delayed emptying was a constant finding in patients after SV, especially at the early postoperative period. In recording of intragastric pressure, basic peristaltic waves of a 20-second rhythm were observed following inflation of the balloon in all patients after any type of vagotomy. In addition, an alternation of active and resting periods of motor activity and confluence of large waves at the end of active period were observed as characteristoc findings in patients after both SPV and atypical SPV. The large waves were considered to coincide with active propulsive movements seen on fluoroscopy in these patients. The results in this study confirmed that good gastric motility could be preserved in patients after SPV and even after atypical SPV.


Studies on human pure pancreatic juice collected by endoscopic retrograde catheterization of the papilla. Pure pancreatic juice was collected from 8 subjects by endoscopic retrograde cannulation of the papilla. Samples were collected at 1 minute intervals for 20 minutes after rapid intravenous injection of secretin (Eisai, 1u/kg) and for 10 to 15 minutes after rapid intravenous injection of CCK-PZ (1 U/kg). Three hydrolases (amylase, chymotrypsinogen and lipase) showed nonparallel secretory pattern. Lipase was proportionally more stimulated than chymotrypsinogen and chymotrypsinogen was more stimulated than amylase by CCK-PZ stimulation. However, in one subject the secretion of three hydrolases was parallel and in another subject lipase and chymotrypsinogen showed parallelism. Samples  collected at "wash out" period showed quite high enzyme and protein concentration with specific activity and enzyme ratio not different from those of samples collected at peak period of CCK-PZ stimulation. Normal ranges were estimated in peak flow rate per minute, peak enzyme concentration, specific activity of enzymes, maximal enzyme output per minute and maximal bicarbonate concentration.


Substrate specificity for pancreatic amylase. Substrates commonly used for the determination of amylase activity include potato starch, corn starch and dye-labeled starch. Determination of the amylase activity of serum using these different starches has shown that the measured value varies depending upon the ratio of isoamylases present, namely between pancreatic amylase (P-type) and salivary amylase (S-type), contained in the serum. With corn starch as substrate, the P-type dominant serum exhibited an apparently higher value than the S-type dominant serum. In the use of blue-starch which is employed as a chromogenic method, the P-type dominant serum gave a higher value than the S-type dominant serum. Red-starch which is also used as a chromogenic method, however, did not cause the P-type dominant serum to show such a high level of amylase activity as blue-starch. These differences in amylase activity can be also shown by determining the Km values of pancreatic amylase and salivary amylase using these substrates. Thus, corn starch and blue-starch showed smaller Km values to pancreatic amylase than to salivary amylase. They were thus proved to have a strong affinity for pancreatic amylase. In contrast, potato starch, red-starch and glycogen had good affinity for salivary amylase. In pancreatic disease in which pancreatic amylase is increased without much elevation in the total amylase level in the serum, it might be possible to detect the abnormality of pancreatic amylase activity if either corn starch or blue-starch is used as a substrate for measurement of the serum amylase activity.


[The importance of hemorrhoids in gynecology and obstetrics (author's transl)]. Hemorrhoids are of enough importance in gynecology and obstetrics that the gynecologist should be well versed in proctologic diagnosis and treatment. In the gynecological office practice about 19% of the patients and in the antenatal practice about 46% of the patients have hemorrhoids which require treatment. Prior to treatment an exact examination with the exclusion of carcinoma of the rectum is important. The indications for different modes of treatment are discussed. Minor hemorrhoids require only general and conservative measures. Recurrent and severe hemorrhoid problems require specific treatment. The specific treatment should be as tolerable for the patient as possible, have few recurrences and be economic regarding time and money. These requirements are best fulfilled by aspiration rubberband ligature or the combination of this ligature with cryotherapy.


[An atraumatic instrument for the removal of the lost string intra-uterine device (author's transl)]. A less common complication of intra-uterine device contraception is the lost string. Since the intra-uterine devices are more used the problem of the search for lost string intra-uterine devices has increased. An intra-uterine device forceps with a diameter of 2.5 mm. is presented. The instrument can easily be used in office practice. Removal of the device under general anaesthesia after dilation of the cervix with a large instrument can best be avoided.


[The effectiveness of cytology in the prevention of cancer of the uterine cervix (author's transl)]. The cytodiagnosis has become the main stay of prevention of cancer of the uterine cervix. The accuracy was once judged to be very high and is not considered to be quite as high to date. In this paper the possibilities for the development of mistakes and the type of mistakes are described, which can arise in a method which has several steps.


[Can ectopic pregnancy be detected by ultra-sound tomography (author's transl)]. During the past eight years ultra-sound scans were carried out on 281 patients with the suspicion of ectopic pregnancy. Diagnostic criteria were established which were designed to minimize false negative results. In 52 cases the clinical suspicion was confirmed by operation. In 46 of these patients ultra-sound signs of ectopic pregnancy were present. Six ectopic pregnancies were not recognized by ultra-sonographies. 73 patients were suspicious of ectopic pregnancy but did not show ectopic pregnancy. The high rate of ultra-sound misinterpretation in ectopic pregnancy is due to the variability of ectopic pregnancy, abortions of intra-uterine pregnancies, abnormalities of the uterus, and adnexal tumours of other etiology. Negative ultra-sound findings do not rule out an ectopic pregnancy since a number of cases with the clinical suspicion of ectopic pregnancy show intact intra-uterine pregnancies. Ultrasonography is a valuable additional diagnostic method in suspected cases of ectopic pregnancy.


[The activity of L-cystine-aminopeptidase (oxytocinase) in the serum of pregnant women during intravenous application of oxytocin (author's transl)]. The oxytocinase levels have been tested prior to, during and after oxytocin challenge tests in 42 pregnant women. There was no relation between labour and the activity of the enzyme. There was no change in the activity during and after oxytocin infusion. Repeated challenge tests did not change these results. The use of the oxytocinase as a parameter of placental function is not influenced by oxytocin infusions.


[Collagen- and total-vitamin c-content of humanplacentae (author's transl)]. The contents of collagen and total-vitamin C in human placentae of varying periods of gestation, specially in the period from 27 to 40 weeks, have been chemically determined. During this period a linear increase of the mentioned placenta-contents has been found.