Erythropoietin sensitivity as a differentiation marker in the hemopoietic system: studies of three erythropoietic colony responses in culture. A time course study of the sequential appearance of erythropoietin-dependent colonies and bursts (derived from CFU-E and BFU-E, respectively) was performed on mouse hemopoietic cells cultured in methyl cellulose containing 2-mercaptoethanol. A new type of small, short-lived burst was found to be apparent by the third day in culture. By the sixth day most of these bursts had lysed. At the same time, differentiating erythroblasts began to be detectable in the large, late appearing bursts described previously. These two types of burst, differing from each other and from CFU-E derived colonies both in their ultimate size and morphology, as well as in their time course of appearance and lysis, were compared in other ways. It was found that early burst formation required about 100 times more erythropoietin than that needed to stimulate CFU-E. On the other hand, early burst formation required less than one-quarter of the amount of erythropoietin needed to obtain the large, late appearing bursts. Comparison of the distribution of early burst progenitors relative to pluripotent stem cells (CFU-S) in individual spleen colonies gave a correlation coefficient that was also intermediate between that obtained comparing CFU-S with CFU-E and that obtained comparing CFU-S with the progenitors of late bursts. These results suggest that decreasing proliferative capacity is associated with progressively increasing erythropoietin responsiveness as primitive erythropoietic progenitors move from a position close to pluripotent stem cells through several differentiation steps to reach a stage just prior to the onset of detectable hemoglobin synthesis.


Some effects of positively charged surface groups on cell aggregation. A study was made of the effects of 2,3-dimethylmaleic anhydride (DMA), a reagent removing positive charges, on the aggregation and surface charge of embryonic chick neural retina cells. Neural retina cells, recovered from the dissociation procedure, were cultured on a gyratory shaker and the aggregate dimaeters formed in the presence of DMA or DMA-serum dialysate, following DMA-pretreatment, or in appropriate control cultures measured. The electrophoretic mobilities of similarly treated cells were also determined. In addition, cellulose acetate electrophoresis was carried out on samples of serum containing DMA, and the incorporation of 14C-amino acids into DMA-treated cells studied. Aggregates formed in the presence of DMA, or following DMA-pretreatment, were significantly smaller than aggregates from control cultures. The electrophoretic mobility of DMA-treated cells was significantly increased in serum-containing medium, but not serum-free Hanks' solution. At 24 h after removal of DMA-containing medium, the mobilities of pretreated cells were similar to those of controls. The electrophoretic pattern of DMA-treated serum was changed only with concentrations of DMA many times that affecting cell aggregation or mobility. DMA-serum dialysate did not significanlty reduce aggregate size. The incorporation of 14C-amino acids in DMA-treated cells and the structure of aggregates were unchanged from controls. It is concluded that positively charged consituents of the cell periphery play a demonstrable, but not limiting, role in cell aggregation, while a minor role for positive charges on serum protein cannot be totally excluded.


Differentiation for aggregation in the cellular slime moulds: the emergence of autonomously signalling cells in Dictyostelium discoideum. The results of experiments on small populations of Dictyostelium discoideum, directed towards the measurement of the development in time of the competence of the cells to signal autonomously, are reported. This competence is quantified by X3, the intrinsic probability that a given cell may turn autonomous. The data show an early exponential growth in time of X3, followed by saturation. The saturation value depends on the population size suggesting that the differentiation is a co-operative phenomenon. The differentiation of autonomous cells starts roughly 7 h after the removal of food and saturates within 21 h.


Mitral valve replacement for idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis. Results in 27 patients. Treatment of idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis (IHSS) remains a controversial problem and depending upon many factors, medical or surgical treatment may be elected. When medical therapy fails and surgery is recommended, choice of an appropriate surgical technique may be difficult. An analysis is given of 27 patients who have undergone only mitral valve replacement as definitive treatment. Twenty-six patients were dismissed from the hospital with good or excellent results and one died (3.7 percent mortality). Pressure gradients across the left ventricular outflow tract after operation were eliminated in every instance. The mean preoperative gradient was 74 mm Hg and postoperatively was 6.9 mm Hg. Advantages and disadvantages of mitral valve replacement as definitive treatment of IHSS are presented. This method of treatment should be reserved for patients with incapacitating symptoms, congestive heart failure, severe left ventricular hypertension, unusual electrocardiographic findings or in patients who have failed to respond favorably to previous septectomy.


Apparent amitosis in the binucleate dinoflagellate Peridinium balticum. Mitosis and cytokinesis in the free-living binucleate dinoflagellate Peridinium balticum are described, P. balticum contains 2 nuclei; one is a typical dinoflagellate nucleus and the other resembles the interphase nuclei of some eucaryotic cells and is here named the supernumerary nucleus (formerly called the eucaryotic nucleus). The dinoflagellate nucleus divides in the characteristic manner already described for certain other dinoflagellates. The supernumerary nucleus does not undergo normal mitosis; its chromatin does not condense, a spindle is not differentiated for its division, nor are any microtubules present inside the nucleus during any stage of its division. Instead the supernumerary nucleus divides by simple cleavage, which is concurrent with cytoplasmic cleavage. The nucleus cleaves first on its side facing the wall, but later it cleaves circumferentially as the cytoplasmic cleavage furrow draws closer. Invariably at late cytokinesis, a portion of the dividing nucleus passes through the only remaining uncleaved area of the cell. The final separation of the supernumerary nucleus is probably accomplished by the ingrowing furrow pinching the nucleus in two. There is no apparent precise segregation of genetic material during division, nor are there any structural changes inside the dividing nucleus which distinguish it from the interphase nucleus. Certain aspects of amitosis, and previously postulated theories concerning the endosymbiont origin of the second nucleus, are discussed.


The actions of restriction endonucleases on lampbrush chromosomes. Lampbrush chromosomes from oocytes of Notophthalmus viridescens were dispersed in media containing restriction endonucleases isolated from Haemophilus and E. coli. These endonucleases cleave duplex DNAs at specific palindromic sequences of nucleotides, and several sensitive sites occur per micron of DNA. The overwhelming majority of the lateral loops of lampbrush chromosomes are extensively fragmented by these endonucleases, but an occasional pair of loops is refractory. A notable example of loops showing this refractory property are the giant loops on chromosome II in the presence of Hae. These loops, whose DNA-containing axes are several hundred micra long, are sensitive to other nucleases such as EcoB, endonuclease I and pancreatic DNase I; their refractory behavior towards Hae therefore indicates that the sequence sensitive to this particular endonuclease is systematically absent. This anomalous property can be comprehended if it be assumed that the axial DNA of the giant loops consists of tandem repeats of a sequence which happens not to include the sensitive site.


Movement of the cell surface and change in surface area during cleavage in the newt's egg. In cleaving eggs of the newt, Cynops pyrrhogaster, the behaviour of the egg surface was analysed by observing linear and area changes in a transplanted piece of cortex which differed in pigmentation from the background. Results from the animal hemisphere showed that the surface in the cleavage plane shrank extensively in the region where the early cleavage furrow was being formed. On both sides of the cleavage plane, the surface began to shrink in a direction parallel to the cleavage furrow and to stretch perpendicularly to the furrow, simultaneously with the onset of cleavage. The nearer the grafted region was to the furrow, the greater the change. These changes continued until about the time of the appearance of unpigmented surface on both walls of the furrow, when a maximum was reached. Thereafter a slight reversal was observed. Similar changes of lesser magnitude were encountered in regions remote from the cleavage plane. The surface area decreased in the vicinity of the furrow during the early phase of cleavage and returned roughly to its original value during the late phase, while, in the distant region, only an increase occurred. Results from the vegetal hemisphere showed that little linear change of surface occurred even in the region adjacent to the furrow, while the surface area changed in the furrow region similarly to the animal half. In the vegetal hemisphere remote from the furrow, the changes took place to a lesser extent.


Sero-epidemiological study on equine influenza in Japan. A serological survey was conducted on horse sera collected for 7 years just before the first outbreak of equine influenza (EI) infection in Japan in 1971. No antibodies against the A/Equi-1/Prague/56 (equi-1) and A/Equi-2/Miami/63 (equi-2) strains of EI virus were detected in any of the sera of 452 native horses when employing hemagglutination inhibition (HI) and complement fixation (CF) tests against viral (V) antigen. On the contrary, of the 80 imported horses, 48 (60.0%) had HI titers of 1:8 or higher against equi-1 and 23 (28.8%) against equi-2. In the CF-V test 42.6% of the horses showed titers of 1:4 or higher against equi-1 antigen and 42.9% against equi-2 antigen. However, all the test sera of the native and imported horses were negative (less than 1:4) in CF tests against soluble human influenza antigen. Epidemiological analysis was carried out to clarify the relationship between the history and the presence of serum antibody against EI viruses in individual imported horses.


Differential behavioral effects of lesions of the median or dorsal raphe nuclei in rats: open field and pain-elicited aggression. Electrolytic lesions were placed in either the dorsal or median raphe nuclei of adult male albino rats. Both lesions produced significant reductions in forebrain serotonin levels. Lesions of the dorsal nucleus produced a long-lasting increase in pain-elicited aggression, whereas median lesions were without effect. By contrast, lesions of the median nucleus produced significant increases in open-field activity, which began immediately and lasted for at least 3 mo, whereas lesions of the dorsal nucleus had no such effect. Similarly, when animals with dorsal or sham lesions were tested in an open field and then given a brief noncontingent footshock, their open-field activity was markedly reduced on the following day. Median animals, however, showed little or no decrease in open-field activity on the day after footshock. These results suggest that the serotonin-containing neurons of the median raphe nucleus may exert an influence over the emotional responsivity of the rat. The overall results of these experiments extend our previous reports that lesions specific to the dorsal nucleus produce markedly different behavioral effects than lesions confined to the median nucleus. They also challenge the utility of manipulations that fail to take this into account, e.g., lesions of more than one nucleus or depletion of serotonin throughout the central nervous system.


Lordosis in the male golden hamster elicited by manual stimulation: characteristics and hormonal sensitivity. The lordosis response was regularly elicited from 24 of 31 intact, adult male hamsters, using manual somatosensory stimulation of the dorsal rear body. In these males there was no correlation between measures of male-typical behavior and lordosis. Castration had no effect on male lordosis duration scores even when intromissions were eliminated. Combined treatment with estradiol benzoate and progesterone significantly increased male lordosis duration scores. The body surface was mapped with a standardized brush stimulus. For eliciting lordosis, effectiveness of stimulation increased in an almost identical manner for hormone-primed males and females from the anterior to the posterior part of the body, with the stimulation of flanks, rump, and perineum the most effective. Within each skin zone, absolute effectiveness was greater in females than in males. Various types of somato-sensory stimulation were compared for their effectiveness in eliciting lordosis. Females were more responsive to these stimuli than males, even when males were hormonally primed. These behavioral data have implications for concepts of the neural organization of male- and female-typical mating responses existing within the same individual.


Retrograde amnesia in honeybees (Apis mellifera carnica). After a single reward on a spectral color, freely flying honeybees show retrograde amnesia when an electroconvulsive shock, CO2 narcosis, N2 narcosis, or cooling (to 1 degrees C) is applied after learning. Retrograde amnesia is measurable with these four treatments up to 7 min after the reward. For none of the treatments was a consistent relationship found between the reaction tested and the time of testing after the treatment. Prolonged application of the four treatments leads to a significant increase in the rate of retrograde amnesia only after CO2 narcosis. Memory in the honeybee is susceptible to impairment until 15 min after the reward.


Taste aversions to food flavors and vaginal secretion in golden hamsters. Although rodents readily associate virtually any distinctive flavor with gastrointestinal illness when the flavor and illness have been paired, experience with a flavor can provide information that interferes with later attempts to produce aversions to the familiar taste. The vaginal secretion of female hamsters carries sexual information for males, which does not depend on previous experience, and that built-in information might also be expected to interfere with associations between the flavor of the secretion and illness. Surprisingly, male hamsters show dramatic changes in behavior toward the vaginal secretion when its presentation has been followed by lithium chloride poisoning, suggesting that mammalian responses to sex pheromones are far more easily modified by experience than has been supposed.


Role of pelvic nerves in the postcopulatory abbreviation of behavioral estrus in female rats. The role of the pelvic nerves in the postmating abbreviation of behavioral estrus in domestic female rats was investigated. Mating during a period of 40 min at the beginning of hormonally induced estrus in spayed female rats resulted in a rapid decrease in receptivity as measured hourly by the lordosis response. Moreover, the length of the receptive period was significantly shortened by mating at the start of the period. Bilateral pelvic nerve transection completely abolished these effects of mating. Continuous exposure to sexually active males throughout the period of receptivity resulted in a more pronounced decline in receptivity but again was without effect in pelvectomized females. Apparently genital stimuli mediated by the pelvic nerves are responsible for the postcopulatory decrease in receptive behavior in the female rat.


Role of residual olfactory cues in the determination of feeding site selection and exploration patterns of domestic rats. Weanling domestic rat pups feed and explore in areas containing residual olfactory cues deposited by conspecific adults in preference to clean areas. Both nulliparous and lactating Long-Evans female rats deposit residual cues in an area that induce pups to explore and feed in it. Residual cues continue to affect the feeding and exploratory behavior of pups to maturity. Discrepancies between results obtained in the olfactory discrimination apparatus used by Leon and Moltz and those of the present experiments are resolved, and evidence is presented for the existence of residual cues not contained in anal excreta, which are attractive to pups. It is suggested that residual cues deposited by adult rats can play a role in directing weanlings to their first meals of solid food in the natural environment.


Influence of female's sexual cycle on aggressiveness in male rats. Two experiments examined the relationship between the female's stage of estrus and agonistic behavior among males. Socially subordinate male albino rats were exposed to an inaccessible female and then given equal numbers of free-choice and forced-choice trials to a more aggressive "target" male or to an empty compartment. The submissive males were more aggressive following exposure to an estrous female than following exposure to a diestrous female. Furthermore, the probability of approaching the more aggressive male increased. This heightened level of aggressiveness was accompanied by a comparable increase in hostile behaviors by the dominant target males of Experiment 1. However, in the second experiment the increase in submissive-male aggressiveness was sufficient to reduce the social distance between the submissive subjects and their moderately aggressive target males.


A reevaluation of the relation between estrogen and emotionality in female rats. It has been hypothesized that the emotionality of the female rat is reduced at estrus. In confirmation of previous research, it was found that administration of estradiol benzoate (EB;20 mug/kg) to female rats of the Maudsley Reactive (MR) strain increased open-field activity and decreased open-field defecation. In addition, ovariectomy increased open-field defecation in MR females. Supporting the generality of these findings, hormone administration reduced open-field defecation and increased open-field activity in intact females of a genetically heterogeneous background. Additional studies suggested that the decrease in open-field defecation at estrus is dependent on estrogenic suppression of food intake. Hormone replacement decreased food intake in the period preceding the open-field test, and colonic contents were also lower in rats treated with EB+P (progesterone) immediately after the completion of the open-field test. These changes were seen in both MR and genetically heterogeneous females. It was concluded that the decrease in open-field defecation at estrus may be mediated by a reduction in food intake and a consequent decrease in colonic contents and that the validity of the defecation response as a measure of emotionality may be seriously questioned under these circumstances.


Regulation of female sexual behavior in the golden hamster: behavioral effects of mating and ovarian hormones. In the female hamster, sexual receptivity was abbreviated following copulation. Short-term effects of mating, lasting approximately 24-48 hr, were observed in females mated in either estradiol- or estradiol-and-progesterone-induced estrus. Long-term effects of copulation, of 9 days or more in duration, were apparent only in females chronically treated with both estradiol and progesterone, suggesting that progesterone exposure prolongs the inhibitory effects of mating. When progesterone stimulation was intermittent through the use of short-acting injection procedures, recovery from mating could be detected in 48 hr and was complete within 96 hr after copulation. The pattern of behavioral response to ovarian hormones in unmated females was also documented, replicating the "biphasic" effect of progesterone in this species. The inhibitory effects of mating and progesterone summate to produce consistent decrements in female sexual receptivity. It is postulated that short-term postcopulatory abbreviations in receptivity would reduce the vulnerability of the estrous female while long-term inhibitions, interacting with sustained progesterone stimulation, would reduce the probability of mating during pregnancy when hormone levels are elevated for a prolonged period.


Influence of home-cage lighting conditions on shock-induced fighting. A series of experiments was conducted to assess the influence of home-cage lighting conditions on shock-induced aggression in rats. The first two experiments tested rats six times within 24 hr and demonstrated that subjects maintained on a light/dark (LD) cycle fought more than rats maintained on a 24-hr light schedule (LL). In addition, a periodic trend could be identified in the data of the LD groups but not in the data of the LL groups. The second two experiments assessed the effects of castration on this lighting effect. Castration of adults did not influence the lighting effects, but castration of weanling rats eliminated the group difference between LL and LD groups. However, the LD rats castrated at weaning did show the periodic trend characteristic of all of the LD groups tested within 24 hr. Two additional experiments assessed the effects of time of testing in between-subjects designs. Time of testing was a significant variable in the LD groups but unimportant in the LL groups. A final experiment demonstrated that the difference between the LD and LL groups does not emerge in a daily testing procedure.


Influence of colony lighting conditions on home-cage spontaneous aggression. In a series of experiments the effects of colony lighting conditions on home-cage aggression were examined, and the relation among measures of home-cage aggressive behavior and shock-induced aggression were determined. In each experiment rats were maintained under either a light/dark (LD) cycle or a continous light (LL) schedule. Experiments 1A and 1B indicated that for cages of LD rats the highest rates of home-cage aggression occurred during the dark segment of the light cycle whereas the lowest rates of aggression characterized the light segment. In contrast, the rate of home-cage aggression was low and constant across time periods for cages of LL rats. Reflecting these differences between lighting conditions, regression analyses in Experiment 1B identified a periodic trend following the fundamental sine curve in the home-cage aggression data from cages of LD rats but not in the data from cages of LL rats. In Experiment 2 the relation between individual differences in home-cage aggression and shock-induced aggression and shock-induced aggression was found to be time dependent for pairs of LD rats. Correlations based on scores of home-cage aggression and shock-induced aggression obtained during the dark segment were positive and statistically significant. Correlations of these two aggressive behaviors based on scores obtained during the light segment were not statistically significant. For pairs of LL rats, no time-dependent pattern in the relation of home-cage aggression to shock-induced aggression was observed.


Review: Casein micelle structure; an examination of models. The casein micelle system of bovine milk is unique in that protein aggregates of similar spherical shape but extreme variability of size are formed by the self-assembly of three major nonidentical subunits. The monomeric subunits appear to be approximately the same size and shape with similar amphiphilic natures, the chief difference in properties being in the carbohydrate-containing kappa-casein which acts to stabilize the system against precipitation by calcium ion. Micelle models with kappa-casein exclusively in the interior lack a stabilization mechanism and can be eliminated. Statistical considerations of a chain polymer model also lead to its rejection. Electron microscopy reveals spherical submicellar aggregates which at present can be accounted for by only three models. Of these three, the experimental data are predicted only by one in which, alphas 1-, beta-, and kappa-casein subunits are associated into spherical soap micelle-like particles with the kappa-casein segregated into one portion, giving these submicelles an amphiphilic nature. The alphas 1- and beta-caseins are hydrophobic while the kappa-casein portion of the submicelle surface is hydrophilic. Of particular interest is the ability of this micelle model to explain the formation of a minimum micelle which is larger than a submicellar particle.


Binding added iron to various milk proteins. Binding of an added radionuclide to milk protein and casein components of cow's milk fractionated by the combination of Sephadex G-150 gel filtration and diethylaminoethyl-cellulose chromatography was determined. Iron-59 labeled ferric chloride was added directly to raw whole milk at a concentration of .02 and 10 ppm isotope and carrier, respectively, and held overnight at 4 C. Five milliliters of the skin milk were chromatographed on a Sephadex G-150 column and fractionated into casein, whey protein, and nonprotein materials. The casein fraction was chromatographed on a diethylaminoethyl-cellulose column and separated into its components, alphas-, beta-, and kappa-caseins. Casein bound about 85% of the added iron in skim milk; of this amount, 72, 21, and 4% were associated with the alphas-, beta, and kappa-caseins.


Effects of environmental and other stressors on blood hormone patterns in lactating animals. Recent data on various environmental stressors and blood hormone patterns are presented for lactating cattle. Known stressor effects of such factors as environmental temperature, air pollution, and noise on the plasma thyroxine, growth hormone, cortisol, prolactin, progesterone, luteinzing hormone, epinephrine, and norepinephrine of lactating cattle are discussed. Information on stressor effects is lacking on glucagon, insulin, vasopressin, calcitonin, oxytocin, thyrotrophic hormone, follicle stimulating hormone, melatonin, parathyroid hormone, and estrogens in the lactating cow. The importance of evaluating both the effect of environmental stressor and of production or lactation intensity is emphasized in the overall interpretation of changes in hormone of plasma. The short and long term environmental heat effects on thyroxine, cortisol, and growth hormone are clear with initial increased due to acute stressors and a decline of amounts in plasma after prolonged exposure to stressors. The relationship of amounts in plasma of these hormones to milk production appears to be related directly for cortisol, growth hormone, and prolactin with an inverse relationship with thyroxine. Epinephrine and norepinephrine seem to be elevated with prolonged environmental heat stress. However, the influence of intensity of lactation has not been measured. Hormones in plasma as they relate to stressor effects and milk production are important as potential indicators of the physiological state of a cow and reflect the physiological compensations a cow undergoes at various lactation intensities and/or stress exposure.


Studies on Alternaria allergens. II. Measurement of the relative potency of commercial Alternaria extracts by the direct RAST and by RAST inhibition. The relative potency of 12 commercial Alternaria extracts was analyzed by end-point skin test titrations and compared to in vitro measurements of potency, including (1) the radioallergosorbent test (RAST) inhibition procedure; (2) the direct RAST procedure; and (3) the protein nitrogen unit (PNU) content. Potencies determined by skin testing 10 sensitive patients were strongly correlated among the various patients. Measurements of potency by both RAST inhibition and direct RAST assay were strongly correlated to potency as measured by skin testing. In contrast, neither the weight:volume nor the PNU content bore any relationship to allergenic potency as measured by skin testing or by either of the RAST procedures. Extracts differed by as much as 3,000-fold in allergen content by skin testing. Moreover, the extracts appeared to contain different allergenic determinants when tested by RAST inhibition. RAST inhibition offered several technical advantages over the direct RAST procedure, in that only one solid-phase RAST reagent was required, slopes of dose-response curves could be more easily compared, and a greater discrimination in allergenic potencies among extracts could be made. The RAST appears to offer an excellent method for measuring the potency of allergy extracts, pending the isolation and characterization of actual allergens.


A standardized method of evaluating exercise-induced asthma. In order to evaluate drug effects on exercise-induced asthma, and to study associated metabolic and pulmonary effects, a method for inducing a consistent response is needed. A method is presented, consisting of 5 min of treadmill exercise sufficiently strenuous to increase a subject's heart rate to 90% of the predicted maximum for age; the airway response is measured frequently for 20 min after exercise. Using this method, 48 asthmatics and 13 nonasthmatics were evaluated. Although none developed severe asthma, a significant airway response occurred in 71% of asthmatics. The severity of exercise-induced asthma depended on intensity and duration of exercise but not on time of day. The method described allows a consistent stress to be applied to a wide age range, and response to this stress was consistent at various ages. Variation of a subject's response following repeated testing was less than that reported with other methods, and could be further reduced by selecting only those subjects with greater than 20% change in one-second forced expiratory volume (FEV1) and by completing studies in less than a month.


A galactosidase immunosorbent test for human immunoglobulin E. We report here the development of a galactosidase-immunosorbent test (GIST) for immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies in which the amount of galactosidase adsorbed to a cellulose disc is a single valued function of IgE concentration in human serum. Rabbit anti-IgE immunoglobulin insolubilized on cellulose discs is incubated sequentially with human serum, sheep anti-IgE serum, and a covalent conjugate of rabbit antisheep immunoglobulin with the enzyme beta-D-galactoside galactohydrolase (E.C.) 3.2.1.23). Colorimetric assay of enzyme conjugate adsorbed to discs permits quantitation of 1.0 to 25 ng of IgE per test. Concentrations of IgE in 48 sera as measured by the GIST gave a linear correlation coefficient of 0.97 with IgE concentrations as determined by radioimmunoassay. Preliminary studies indicate that the GIST makes possible nonisotopic measurement of ragweed-specific IgE antibiotics in human serum. The GIST for IgE is simple to perform and requires neither short-lived radioisotopes, expensive scintillation detection equipment, nor scarce, purified IgE.


Tapeworms from Philippine birds, with three new species of Raillietina (Raillietina). 13 species of cestodes from 13 species of Philippine birds are reported from Palawan Island. Raillietina (R.) palawanensis n. sp., from Chalcophaps i. indica, has three or four testes, and a cirrus pouch 93 to 108 mum long, 28 to 45 mum wide, and its egg capsules are 10 to 12 mum long, seven to nine mum wide, each containing four to six eggs. Raillietina (R.) passeriformicola n. sp., from Gracula religiosa palawanensis, has seven to nine testes, and a cirrus poucch 134 to 170 mum long, 47 to 68 mum wide. Its egg capsules are 79 to 115 mum wide, containing 7 to 12 eggs each. Raillietina (R.) fischthali n. sp., from Ducula aenea palawanensis, has 12 to 15 testes, and a cirrus pouch 130 to 150 mum long, 52 to 72 mum wide. Its egg capsules are 130 to 200 mum wide each containing 50 to 70 eggs. Raillietina (R.) johri Ortlepp, 1938, is redescribed. Anonchotaenia chauhani Mukherjee, 1965 is shown to be a junior synonym of A. gaugi Singh, 1952.


Quantitative and qualitative analysis of helminth fauna in Rattus rattus rufescens. A helminthological survey of 149 house rats in Jodhpur during the year 1975 revealed infection with 8 helminth species: 4 cestodes, Vampirolepis fraterna, Hymenolepis diminuta, Mathevotaenia symmetrica and Taenia taeniaeformis (larval stage); 3 nematodes, Aspiculuris pakistanica, Rictularia ratti and Syphacia sp. and one acanthocephalan, Moniliformis sp. Vampirolepis fraterna, H. diminuta and A. pakistanica were most common, R.ratti and M. symmetrica less frequent, and T. taeniaeformis, Syphacia sp. and Moniliformis sp. of occasional occurence. Multiple infections were more frequent among male than female hosts.


Ultrastructural localization of acetylcholinesterase in cultured cells. I. Embryo muscle. Several techniques were employed to examine the localization of acetylcholinesterase (EC 3.1.1.7, AChE) in cultured chick embryonic skeletal muscle. Glutaraldehyde produced the best cellular preservation but less enzyme activity was lost when the cells were fixed in paraformaldehyde. Two staining methods were examined: in one (Karnovsky MJ, Roots L: J Histochem Cytochem 12:219, 1964) potassium ferricyanide was added with the primary reactants, and in the other (Tsuji S: Histochemistry 42:99, 1974) the potassium ferricyanide was added at the end of the staining procedure. Localizations of AChE were similar with both stains; activity was present in the nuclear envelope, the perinuclear sarcoplasm, the sarcoplasmic reticulum, subsurface vesicles and bound outside the cells. /owever, a granular artifact was found with the method of Karnovsky and Roots that did not appear with the method of Tsuji. The localization of AChE are consistent with kinetic data that AchE binds, moves and is released from cultured muscle fibers.


Substantiation of methodical approaches to a unified (complex) norm-setting in hygiene. Hygienic norm-setting of admissible content of noxious chemical substances separately for atmospheric air, the air in industrial plants, water and food products, does not take into account the possibility of combined intake of these substances into the organism. It is therefore necessary to elaborate methodical approaches to the substantiation of unified (complex) norms in hygiene. The author discusses the determination of biological equivalence (isoeffectiveness) of concentrations of chemical substances in different environments on the basis of investigation of the relationship "concentration (dose) - time" as one of the possible methods of assessing the character of a complex action of these substances and one of the approaches to unified hygienic norm-setting.


Presence of certain enteroviruses (Coxsackie) in sewage effluents and in river waters of Roumania. The paper presents the results of research studies conducted during a 10-year period (1962-1971) with the view to detect certain enteroviruses (Coxsackie) from sewage, river and drinking water samples, and from the filter sand of drinking water-works supplied with river water. The method consisted first in preconcentrating the samples collected on immersed gauze pads, secondly in the concentration of the virus samples by the following methods-used either separately or in parallel: the Amberlite method, the yeast cell and the aluminium bydroxide concentration method. The isolation of A and B Coxackie viruses averaged 29.12% in the sewage samples and 14.66% in the river water samples. Lower values were found both in aqueduct water and in the filter sand (2 positive samples out of 65 and 3 positive samples out of 39, respectively). A seasonal distribution of the viral incidence was evidenced in the sewage samples with lower value in the river water, while the frequency decreased with the distance from the pollution source. For the lightly contaminated water (river and aqueduct waters) the yeast cell concentration method gave the best results, this method being also the single reliable method for Coxsackie virus isolation from the filter sand samples.


Food poisoning caused by parahaemolytic and NAG vibrios after eating meat products. At total of 15 subjects taken ill with food poisoining caused by parahaemolytic and NAG vibrios after eating boiled pork sausage and boiled veal stomach were examined. The meat products were secondarily contamined in the sausage factory due to the use od non-disinfected lake water which was found to be a natural medium of the vibrios. When the use of this water was prohibited, the contamination of the factory and the meat products disappeared and no further cases of food poisoning due to meat products were notified. The disease has a toxic character, runs a bening course and ends after 2--3 days by restoration to full health.


[Biological and chemical indicators of thermal sterilization and their possible effect on its general concept]. Regarding to ignorance of germ thermoresistance occurring in hospital environment, the effect of sterilization in medicine is determined occasionally on samples of medium with high number of germs or tests are performed to determine the sterilization success (in pharmacy) by examining samples of sterile badges, although their degrees of contamination (mostly low) before sterilization are not known. Instead of fixed sterilization parameters, the new second Pharmacopoeia of the German Democratic Republic (1976 seqq.) allows a free choise of sterilization parameters ingeniously spaced (110 degrees C--140 degrees C vapour, 160 degrees C--200 degrees C hot air) according to diagrams. The mentioned methods both imperfect and expensive ones should be replaced by introducing sterilization indicators whose changes might render the designation "sterile" possible. Substantial differencies between biological and chemical indicators are shown.


Resistance to fenitrothion in Danish houseflies, Musca domestica. Resistance to fenitrothion was investigated in housefly populations in Danish farms 1964--72 in connection with trials of fenitrothion, dimethoate and other organophosphorus compounds for fly control. Resistance was tested by topical application and expressed as resistance ratios, R/S, relative to normal susceptible strains. In 1964--70 fly populations on farms sprayed with fenitrothion (one year each) only developed mode-rate fenitrothion-resistance, R/S at LD 95 below 21 and fly control was generally satisfactory. However, in 1972 high fenitrothion-resistance, R/S 100--400 at LD 95, was found in several fly populations, both on farms treated with fenitrothion and on farms treated with dimethoate, fenitrothion, or bromophos. In all cases the high fenitrothion-resistance was associated with high resistance to dimethoate. Some characteristics of this, apparently complex, resistance are discussed including the effect of certain synergists. Resistance to fenitrothion in Danish flies is only partly reduced by pretreatment with high dosages of sesamex, which inhibits microsomal detoxication, and very little by TBTP (S, S, S tributyl phosphorotrithioate), which inhibits other types of break-down of organophosphorus compounds, e.g. by ali-esterases. The occurrence of fenitrothion- resistance in field populations of houseflies in other regions is briefly reviewed. Widespread, partly very high, resistance has recently been reported from Japan.


Leptospirosis infection through insemination of animals. The semen of animals in spontaneous and experimental leptospirosis was investigated by bacteriological, immunological and biological methods. It has been found that pathogenic leptospirae (L. pomona, L. hebdomadis) are well preserved in the semen and in media used for its dilution. Leptospirae are eliminated with the semen. The initial strain of the agent was isolated from the semen and secretions of 6 out of 26 experimentally infected rabbits and 4 spontaneously recovered bulls (L. hebdomadis). Specific leptospiral antibodies appear in the semen of infected animals. The dynamics of the titre of these antibodies corresponds to the dynamics of the antibody titre in the blood. It is recommended to use the sement for the agglutination reaction. The application of semen infected with pathogenic leptospirae for artificial insemination causes the animals falling ill with leptospirosis accompanied by abortions, reduced fertility and stillbirths of rabbits.


Substantiation of methodical approaches to a unified (complex) norm-setting in hygiene. Hygienic norm-setting of admissible content of noxious chemical substances separately for atmospheric air, the air in industrial plants, water and food products, does not take into account the possiblity of combined intake of these substances into the organism. It is therefore necessary to elaborate methodical approaches to the substantiation of unified (complex) norms in hygiene. The author discusses the determination of biological equivalence (isoeffectiveness) of concentrations of chemical substances in different environments on the basis of investigation of the relationship "concentration (dose) -- time" as one of the possible methods of assessing the character of a complex action of these substances and one of the approaches to unified hygienic norm-setting.


Presence of certain enteroviruses (Coxsackie) in sewage effluents and in river waters of Roumania. The paper presents the results of research studies conducted during a lo-year period (1962-1971) with the view to detect certain enteroviruses (Coxsackie) from sewage, river and drinking water samples, and from the filter sand of drinking water-works supplied with river water. The method consisted first in preconcentrating the samples collected on immersed gauze pads, secondly in the concentration of the virus samples by the following methods-used either separately or in parallel: the Amberlite method, the yeast cell and the aluminum hydroxide concentration method. The isolation of A and B Coxasackie viruses averaged 29.12% in the sewage samples and 14.66% in the river water samples. Lower values were found both in aqueduct water and in the filter sand (2 positive samples out of 65 and 3 positive samples out of 39, respectively). A seasonal distribution of the viral incidence was evidenced in the sewage samples with lower value in the river water, while the frequency decreased with the distance from the pollution source. For the lightly contamined waters (river and aqueduct waters) the yeast cell concentration method gave the best results, this method being also the single reliable method for Coxsackie virus isolation from the filter sand samples.


Food poisoning caused by parahaemolytic and NAG vibrios after eating meat products. At total of 15 subjects taken ill with food poisoining caused by parahaemolytic and NAG vibrios after eating boiled pork sausage and boiled veal stomach were examined. The meat products were secondarily contamined in the sausage factory due to the use od non-disinfected lake water which was found to be a natural medium of the vibrios. When the use of this water was prohibited, the contamination of the factory and the meat products disappeared and no further cases of food poisoning due to meat products were notified. The disease has a toxic character, runs a bening course and end after 2--3 days by restoration to full health.


[Serum sterilization in the cold with peracetic acid]. On the basis of broad antimicrobic effect including also bacterial spores, mycoplasmas and viruses, the peracetic acid suits to sterilize in cold. By means of the final 0,1 to 0.02% concentration of the peracetic acid acting for 30 min. up to 5 days, it succeeded in sterilizing the serum used to prepare culture medium for bacteria, mycoplasmas and tissue cultures. Growth controls shown at least as good results as were those in using filtered sera. Chemical sterilization by means of the peracetic acid leads to significant diminution of neutralization and complementfixation antibodies in serum.


[Biological and chemical indicators of thermal sterilization and their possible influence on its total conception]. Regarding to ignorance of germ thermoresistance occurring in hospotal environment, the effect of sterilization in medicine is determined occasionally on samples of medium with high number of germs or tests are performed to determine the sterilization success (in pharmacy) by examining samples of sterile badges, although their degrees of contamination (mostly low) before sterilization are not known. Instead of fixed sterilization parameters, the new second Pharmacopoeia of the German Democratic Republic (1976 seqq.) allows a free choise of sterilization parameters ingeniously spaced (110 degrees C--140 degrees C vapour, 160 degrees C--200 degrees C hot air) according to diagrams. The mentioned methods both imperfect and expensive ones should be replaced by introducing sterilization indicators whose changes might render the designation "sterile" possible. Substantial differencies between biological and chemical indicators are shown.


Resistance to fenitrothion in Danish houseflies, Musca domestica. Resistance to fenitrothion was investigated in housefly populations in Danish farms 1964--72 in connection with trials of fenitrothion, dimethoate and other organophosphorus compounds for fly control. Resistance was tested by topical application and expressed as resistance ratios, R/S, relative to normal susceptible strains. In 1964--70 fly populations on farms sprayed with fenitrothion (one year each) only developed mode-rate fenitrothion-resistance, R/S at LD 95 below 21 and fly control was generally satisfactory. However, in 1972 high fenitrothion-resistance, R/S 100--400 at LD 95, was found in several fly populations, both on farms treated with fenitrothion and on farms treated with dimethoate, fenitrothion, or bromophos. In all cases the high fenitrothion-resistance was associated with high resistance to dimethoate. Some characteristics of this, apparently complex, resistance are discussed including the effect of certain synergists. Resistance to fenitrothion in Danish flies is only partly reduced by pretreatment with high dosages of sesamex, which inhibits microsomal detoxication, and very little by TBTP (S, S, S tributyl phosphorotrithioate), which inhibits other types of break-down of organophosphorus compounds, e.g. by ali-esterases. The occurrence of fenitrothion- resistance in field populations of houseflied in other regions is briefly reviewed. Widespread, partly very high, resistance has recently been reported from Japan.


Experiments on chickens placed on ground endemic of classical scrub typhus in Akita prefecture, Japan. The chicken is available as a bait animal for the study of vector mites and has been found to be infected by chigger mite bite in an area endemic of scrub typhus. L. pallidum and L. palpale were reconfirmed to be zoophilic for the chicken. It is suggested a walking bird can serve as a vector--carrying mites from one place to another. R. orientalis can persist subclinically for a certain period in the spleen and liver of chickens placed on the ground endemic of scrub typhus. Specimens of L. pallidum, 22 in number, collected from chickens placed on the ground of an endemic area in Akita Prefecture were found rickettsia-positive. Both strains isolated from bait chickens and L.pallidum collected from host chickens were identified as a Kato type of R. orientalis.


Relationship between resistance to metallic ions and production of beta-lactamase in strains of Staphylococcus epidermidis. Thirty five strains of Staphylococcus epidermidis were tested for resistance to prenicillin G, erythomycin, metallic ions Zn, As3, As5, Cd, Hg, Pb and activity of beta-lactamase. These studies have shown that the majority of tested staphylococci were resistant to penicillin G, erythromycin, and produced beta-lactamase. No correlation between the activity of beta-lactamase and the resistance to metallic ions has been shown.


Leptospirosis infection through insemination of animals. The semen of animals in spontaneous and experimental leptospirosis was investigated by bacteriological, immunological and biological methods. It has been found that pathogenic leptospirae (L. pomona, L. hebdomadis) are well preserved in the semen and in media used for its dilution. Leptospirae are eliminated with the semen. The initial strain of the agent was isolated from the semen and secretions of 6 out of 26 experimentally infected rabbits and 4 spontaneously recovered bulls (L. hebdomadis). Specific leptospiral antibodies appear in the semen of infected animals. The dynamics of the titre of these antibodies corresponds to the dynamics of the antibody titre in the blood. It is recommended to use the semen for the agglutination reaction. The application of semen infected with pathogenic leptospirae for artificial insemination causes the animals falling ill with leptospirosis accompanied by abortions, reduced fertility and stillbirths of rabbits.


A terminal-labelling microcytotoxicity assay with 125I-iododeoxyuridine as a label for target cells. The development of a terminal-labelling microcytotoxicity assay is described in which target cells (fetal fibroblasts) were labelled with 125I-iododeoxyuridine after effector (lymphoid) cells had been incubated with them for 24 h. The time-course for the development of cell-mediated cytotoxicity was assessed following allogeneic skin grafting. 'Non-specific' cytotoxicity detracts from the sensitivity of all microcytotoxicity assays and the terminal-labelling assay using 125I is no exception. The non-specific effects can be reduced but not eliminated by the removal of adherent cells. The optimum target cell/effector cell ratio would seem to be between 1:100 and 1:250. Residual lymph node cells did not appear to incorporate enough label to affect the test results. In vivo correlates of in vitro findings are still not easy to determine.


Regulation of some functions of granulocytes by zinc of the prostatic fluid and prostate tissue. Oxygen consumption, phagocytosis, and activity of hexosomonophosphate shunt (HMS) of dog and human polystyrene latex-activated polymorphonuclear leukocytes were inhibited by normal and infected human prostatic fluid (PF) and prostate extract; resting cells were not affected. Granulocytes incubated in 7 per cent PF increased five times their zinc content. Inorganic zinc added to synthetic medium which contained activated granulocytes also inhibited O2 consumption and phagocytosis of yeast particles in a concentration-dependent manner; resting cells were not affected. Incubation of PF with CaNa2 ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) abolished the inhibitory effect of PF; extensive dialysis of PF against this chelating agent reduced the inhibition by half. After the PF was dialyzed against saline, the low molecular weight dialysate retained inhibitory effects. Extracts from dog liver, spleen, and human saliva were not inhibitory. Polyamines, which next to zinc are also present in PF in high concentrations, had no effect on granulocytes, O2 consumption, and HMS activity. Human as well as dog PF were inhibitory to human or dog granulocytes, respectively. Besides granulocytes, rat peritoneal macrophages were inhibited by PF as well. It is concluded that PF and extract from prostate inhibit various functions of phagocytes mainly because of high concentration of zinc. The existence of other, large molecular weight, heat-resistant substances in PF which contribute to zinc effect cannot be ruled out.


Changes in the secretion of ovarian steroid and pituitary luteinizing hormone in the peri-ovulatory period in the ewe: the effect of progesterone. The secretion rates of oestradiol, androstenedione and progesterone and the peripheral plasma concentration of LH were measured in 12 ewes with ovarian autotransplants before and after luteal regression induced by a single intramuscular injection of a synthetic prostaglandin (PG) analogue, 16-aryloxyprostaglandin F 2alpha (I.C.I. 80996). Luteal regression was followed by a fourfold rise in the basal concentration of LH and increased secretion of oestradiol. In five out of six ewes there was a discharge of LH with the peak occurring 36--78 h after the injection of the PG analogue. The secretion of oestradiol declined from 3-68 +/- 1-08 to 0-33 +/- 0-6 (S.E.M.) ng/min in the 24 h following the LH peak (P less than 0-001). In the remaining six ewes in which progesterone was implanted subcutaneously 24 h after the injection of PG analogue, follicular development was suppressed as indicated by the low secretion of oestradiol and androstenedione. The basal concentration of LH fell to values similar to those observed during the luteal phase after the implant of progesterone. The secretion of androstenedione followed a similar pattern to that of oestradiol in those ewes which showed presumptive evidence of ovulation. These results suggest that progesterone reinforces the negative feedback effects of oestrogen in the ewe.


Effect of a skeleton photoperiod on the daylength-dependent response to oestrogen in canaries (Serinus canarius). Previous studies have shown that ovariectomized canaries, injected with 50 mug oestradiol benzoate thrice weekly, show more oestrogen-induced nest-building on a long day than on a short day. In this study the same effect was obtained with castrated canaries. The influence of time available for building was assessed first by comparing castrated males on skeleton long days with birds on short days, the total number of light hours being equal. More birds in the skeleton long-day group placed material in the nest, and did so with a shorter latency, than birds in the short-day group. Thus the differences between short- and long-day birds are unlikely to be due entirely to differences in the time available. However, some of the long-day birds were no more active than the short-day ones suggesting that the skeleton long-day schedule does impose some constraint. In a third experiment photorefractory females (whose ovaries do not secret oestrogen in response to long days) kept on a long skeleton-day scored similarly on all measures of building as birds kept on a full 14 h day and significantly more than birds on a short day. The results also indicate that the birds are measuring daylength by means of a diurnal rhythm of photosensitivity, an effect comparable to that of longer photoperiods on gonadal growth.


Studies on the duration of the breeding season and photorefractoriness in female ferrets pinealectomized or treated with melatonin. Oestrous ferrets became anoestrous on exposure to short photoperiods (8 h light: 16 h darkness, 8L:16D) at the summer solstice, and this effect was prevented by pinealectomy. Removal of the pineal alone did not alter the duration of oestrus in animals kept in natural daylight. Melatonin (1 mg, thrice weekly) given to oestrous ferrets kept in daylight also terminated oestrus prematurely. Animals made photorefractory by prolonged exposure to long photoperiods (14L:10D) became photosensitive again if either given melatonin or transferred to short photoperiods (8L:16D) for 7 weeks. These findings show that the pineal gland of the oestrous ferret is involved in the termination of oestrus when the animal is exposed to experimental short photoperiods. This is in addition to its role in inducing oestrus when anoestrous animals are exposed to long days, an effect shown previously. Thus, neither phase of the annual breeding cycle is altered by experimental lighting regimes in pinealectomized animals. Furthermore, some of the effects of short days (but not of long days), including that on photosensitivity, can be replicated by melatonin in the ferret.


Advancement of ovulation in the guinea-pig with exogenous progesterone and related effects on length of the oestrous cycle and life span of the corpus luteum. A single subcutaneous injection of progesterone (0-4 mg) was given to intact female guinea-pigs on either day 1, 7, 12, 13, 14, 15, or 16 of the behavioral oestrous cycle (day of oestrus is day 0). Injections given on either day 1 or day 7 had little effect, although there was a suggestion that injection on day 7 produced a lengthening of the cycle. Animals injected on either day 12 or day 13 underwent cycles of 16-9 and 18-1 days average length, respectively, which were significantly longer than the mean of 15-8 days for uninjected control females. Injection of progesterone on days 14, 15, or 16 was associated with one of three distinct sequelae: (1) simple prolongation of the cycle associated with a return to spontaneous oestrus 4--7 days later; (2) advancement of ovulation, formation of abnormal corpora lutea, and return to spontaneous oestrus 9--13 days later, and (3) return to spontaneous oestrus 14--16 days after the progesterone injection. These findings suggest that progesterone can cause the release of ovulatory amounts of gonadotropin following a period of endogenous oestrogen conditioning of the gonadotrophic system. If progesterone is administered before oestrogen conditioning is complete, then it inhibits or delays the conditioning process, and spontaneous oestrus and ovulation are postponed.


Administration of antiserum against ovine follicle-stimulating hormone or ovine luteinizing hormone at pro-poestrus in the rat: effects on follicular development during the oncoming cycle. Cyclic rats received at 13.00 h on the day of pro-oestrus a single i.v. injection of one of the following antiserum preparations: AOLH (raised in rabbits against NIH-LH-S17); AOFSH (raised against NIH-FSH-S9) or pAOFSH (AOFSH preincubated with 195 mug NIH-LH-S16/ml). Rats were killed at day 1, 3 or 5 after injection, and the ovaries prepared for histological study of the antral follicles. After AOLH, ovulation and resumption of meiosis in oocytes in pre-ovulatory follicles were prevented but follicular development during the following cycle appeared undisturbed. After either AOFSH or pAOFSH, blockade of ovulation was never observed but the formation of antral follicles normally occurring between mid-pro-oestrus and mid-oestrus was postponed by about one day. The later development of antral follicles might reflect a supranormal compensatory secretion of endogenous gonadotrophin because the development does not occur in AOFSH- or pAOFSH-treated rats hypophysectomized 24 h after injection and subsequently treated with pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin in dosage approximating the amount of gonadotrophin secreted endogenously during dioestrus. The results imply (1) that the pre-ovulatory surge of LH release is not essential for follicular development during the oncoming cycle whereas (2) a surge of FSH release is required for the formation of the new cohort of antral follicles that is normally seen at the start of a new cycle.


Stability of RNA synthesized by the mouse oocyte during its major growth phase. The RNA of growing mouse oocytes and ovulated ova was labeled by injection of a solution containing tritiated uridine into the ovarian bursa. The time course of incorporation into RNA by oocytes was followed by analysis of alkali-labile acid insoluble radioactivity and by autoradiography. The results show that most of the incorporation into RNA by growing oocytes takes place within one day of bursal injection of the precursor, reflecting the rapid fall of label in the acid soluble precursor pool. The RNA of growing oocytes of all sizes is unusually stable, at least 80% of the labeled RNA present two days after bursal injection being retained until ovulation 10 to 20 days later. The fraction of heterogeneous RNA in labeled RNA of ova was estimated as 20% by sucrose gradient analysis. It is likely that egg RNA is synthesized primarily during the period of oocyte growth one to three weeks before ovulation.


Release of DNA template restrictions in rabbit spermatozoa and rat liver nuclei. The effects of disulfide reduction on DNA template activity of rabbit sperm and rat liver nuclei are compared. After treatment of rabbit spermatozoa with 5 mM dithiothreitol and 1% Triton X-100 for 90 minutes at room temperature, sperm nuclei decondense and nuclear template restrictions for DNA synthesis are released. By contrast, similar thiol treatment of isolated rat liver nuclei fails to release DNA template restrictions. These results suggest a significant difference in the control of template activity in mammalian sperm and somatic cell nuclei.


Analysis of baby hamster kidney cells persistently infected with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus. Baby hamster kidney cells were persistently infected with lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM) virus (BHKpi cells). After 21 passages of the BHKpi cells infectious virus could no longer be detected; however, the cultures continued to produce LCM virus particles which interfered with the replication of infectious LCM virus in BHKpi cells and protected mice from a subsequent intracranial inoculation of infectious LCM virus. Cultures of BHKpi cells appeared to consist of three cell populations: uninfected cells, infected cells containing infectious LCM virus, and infected cells releasing interfering particles of LCM virus.


[Parkinson's disease and anosmia in monozygotic twin sisters (author's transl)]. Monozygotic twin sisters developed Parkinson's disease and anosmia at the age of 39. The disease was kept under control and regressed with L. Dopa. Two families with the same association had been previously reported. An anomaly of the metabolism of dopamine, genetically determined, is probably responsible for these disorders.


Psychological development and blood levels of sex steroids in male identical twins of divergent sexual orientation. Despite differences in psychological development and personality structure, blood levels of testosterone and estradiol were equivalent in two monozygotic male twins of divergent sexual orientation.


Effects of treatment of whole fat soybeans or soy flour with formaldehyde to protect the polyunsaturated fatty acids from biohydrogenation in the rumen. Full-fat, ground soy flour (GSF) was treated with 37% formaldehyde (HCHO) and evaluated by in vitro and in vivo criteria to determine the protection afforded linoleic acid against ruminal biohydrogenation when the materials described above were fed as a protein supplement to rations for growing lambs. The supplements compared were soybean meal (SBM), uked for 2 hours. Organoleptic evaluations were conducted to determine if any flavor differences in meat from lambs fed these supplements could be detected. Excellent protection of linoleic acid, the major polyunsaturated fatty acid in soybeans, was noted both in vitro and in vivo. Rump, shoulder, kidney knob and omental fat depots of lambs fed the HCHO treated GSF ration had significantly more linoleic acid than lambs fed untreated GSF while lambs fed untreated GSF had significantly, more linoleic acid in their fat depots than lambs fed SBM. Linoleic acid content of intramuscular (loin) fat from lambs fed HCHO treated GSF was not significantly different from lambs fed untreated GSF, but lambs fed untreated GSF had significantly more loin linoleic acid than lambs fed SBM. No significant differences were noted in daily feed intake, feed efficiency or average daily gain for lambs fed growing-finishing rations containing any of the products tested as the protein supplement. A taste panel could not detect any differences in flavor of ground loin among any of the treatments.


Effect of water of hydration on the measurement of the protein efficiency ratio of casein and soybean protein with rats. The hydration of soybean protein or casein prior to mixing of the diet improves the apparent protein efficiency ratio (PER). The PER of soybean protein was improved more than that of casein, so that an increase in adjusted PER of soybean protein was observed also. The improvement did not appear to be associated with digestibility. It is theorized that some diets with dry protein isolates may be less acceptable to the rat due to the dusty nature of the isolate. Consequently, diets with such isolates may have a lower PER. The effect can be overcome by hydrating the protein isolates prior to mixing the diet.


Effects of dietary carbohydrate, fat and protein on growth, body composition and blood metabolite levels in the dog. Six semipurified canned diets ranging in composition from 0 to 62% of energy from carbohydrate and from 20% to 48% of energy from protein were fed to female beagle dogs for 8 months. Additionally, three commercial-type diets were also fed. The effects of these diets on growth, body composition and selected blood metabolite levels in the dogs were studied. The dogs readily consumed each of the nine diets fed. The level of carbohydrate, fat or protein in the diet did not influence body weight gain during the first 16 weeks nor was nitrogen balance affected by the diets. At the end of the 32-week study, dogs fed the high-carbohydrate (62% of energy) diet contained less body fat but an equal-free mass, than did dogs fed lower-carbohydrate (20--42% of energy) diets with a similar quantity of protein. Consumption of carbohydrate-free diets did not influence postprandial levels of circulating glucose or insulin in the dogs. Plasma cholesterol levels were elevated in dogs consuming in the diets high in fat but plasma triglyceride levels were not influenced by the diets fed. Consumption of high-protein (46--48% of energy) diets elevated plasma urea nitrogen levels but had minimal influence on plasma amino acid levels. The general response of these young dogs was not markedly influenced by consumption of diets ranging from carbohydrate-free to high-carbohydrate and from adequate-protein to high-protein.


Arsenic trioxide absorption and excretion in industry. 1. A study of 24 smelter workers routinely exposed to arsenic trioxide was conducted to evaluate some characteristics of its absorption and excretion. A statistically significant correlation was found between airborne arsenic trioxide concentrations below 300 mug/m3 and urinary arsenic values below 500 mug/liter. These men wore personal monitors for five consecutive work days and were determined to have been exposed to average airborne arsenic concentrations of 53 mug/m3 (70 mug/m3 of arsenic trioxide) which increased their urinary arsenic values from 152 mug/liter to 200 mug/liter (an average gain on 32%). 2. The background average urinary arsenic value for adult males not exposed to arsenic trioxide in industry was determined to be 52.6 mug/liter for 204 men during preemployment examinations. 3. After removal from industrial arsenic trioxide exposure, the rate of fall in urinary arsenic values varies with the magnitude of the urinary arsenic level. An initial decrease of 9.5% per day was measured for workers having urinary arsenic values below 200 mug/liter. The initial decrease is about 21% per day for workers with urinary arsenic values over 600 mug/liter. 4. It was determined that arsenic in seafood can alter, in a dramatic fashion, the urinary arsenic values determined for smelter workers within 24 hours following consumption. It is recommended, therefore, that the absorption of arsenic trioxide due to industrial exposure is best evaluated from urine samples collected at least two days after seafood has been eaten.


Bochdalek hernias in infants: factors determining mortality. From 1950 through 1974, 76 infants with Bochdalek hernias have been surgically repaired. Mortality has been confined to those admitted at under 30 hr of age, and the highest mortality has been among those infants admitted within the first 8 hr of life. A recent increase in mortality is explained by the arrival of a new group of infants who arrived intubated, had large diaphragmatic defects, required postoperative ventilatory assistance, and had hypoplastic lungs at autopsy. Six infants might have benefited from an early intervention to hasten closure of their patent ductus arteriosus. Since we cannot be positive that intubation of these infants prior to arrival will not have a deleterious effect, we urge great discretion in choosing which infants to intubate.


A longitudinal study of the genetics of personality. A longitudinal twin study was conducted to determine whether personality traits with significant heritability in adolescence remain so in adulthood. A subsample of a group of twins who had been administered in Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory and the California Psychological Inventory in adolescence was readministered the same two inventories 12 years later. The subsample was found to be representative of the sample from which it was drawn. Different patterns of significantly heritability were found for the two ages studied: Several personality traits demonstrated evidence of significant heritability in either adolescence or adulthood, while others demonstrated evidence of significant heritability at both ages. In addition, genetic influences on the change from adolescence to adulthood were found for several personality traits. The results raise important questions for the interpretation of twin research and the understanding of genetic influences on personality development.


Effects of ewe proximity on peripheral plasma testosterone levels and behaviour in the ram. Groups of yearling and immature rams were kept for 6 months during the breeding season either adjacent to or apart from ovariectomized ewes in which oestrus was induced by hormone therapy. The older rams kept near ewes were found to have larger testes, higher plasma testosterone levels and greater sexual and aggressive activity, although the immature animals showed no response. Plasma testosterone concentration was also found to increase after copulation in some animals.


A comparison of metal and plastic cannulae for performing vacuum. A comparative study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of a metal or flexible plastic 8 mm cannula for artificial abortion by vacuum aspiration for patients at six to 10 weeks' gestation. Complication rates, amounts of retained tissue (obtained with a curette check), frequencies of cannula obstructions and procedure times were used as criteria for determining the efficacy of the two types of cannulae. Two physicians participated in the study: one was responsible for the preliminary examination and performance of the abortion, and the other physician, who was kept unaware of the type of cannula used, was responsible for patient care after completions of the abortion to the time of the follow-up visit. Paracervical block anesthesia was used in all cases. Differences in complication rates (controlled for gestational age) between groups of subjects aborted with either the metal or flexible plastic cannula were not significantly different (p less than .05). For both patient groups shock was the most frequently reported immediate complication (2.7% in the metal cannula group, 4,7% in the flexible plastic cannula group), and leukorrhea was the most frequently reported complication at the time of follow-up (3.3% metal, 5.3% flexible plastic). Amounts of retained tissue and frequency of cannulae obstruction were similar for both groups. Procedure times were also similar for both groups (means of 5.7 minutes and 5.5 minutes, respectively, for procedures performed with the metal and flexible plastic cannulae).


Congenital abnormalities and selective abortion. The technique of amniocentesis, by which an abnormal fetus can be detected in utero, has brought a technological advance in medical science but attendant medical and moral problems. Dr Seller describes those congenital disabilities which can be detected in the fetus before birth, for which the "remedy" is selective abortion. She then discusses the arguments for and against selective abortion, for the issue is not simple, even in the strictly genetic sense of attempting to ensure a population free of congenital abnormality.


Characteristics of Sindbis virus temperature-sensitive mutants in cultured BHK-21 and Aedes albopictus (Mosquito) cells. A number of the temperature-sensitive mutants of Sindbis virus originally isolated and characterized by Burge and Pfefferkorn (1966, 1968) were reexamined for their abilities to grow and complement one another in cultured BHK-21 and Aedes albopictus (mosquito) cells. The response of the mutants to conditions of high and low temperature was similar in cultured cells of both the vertebrate and invertebrate hosts. Complementation experiments in BHK-21 cells produced growth patterns similar to those described by Burge and Pfefferkorn for chicken embryo fibroblast cells (1966) and placed the mutants into six nonoverlapping complementation groups. When examined in the cultured mosquito cells, only three of the nine mutants used in this study demonstrated complementation under a variety of experimental conditions. Homologous interference experiments demonstrated that the unusual patterns of complementation obtained in the A. albopictus cells did not result from an inefficient infection of the invertebrate cells by the mutants.


Physical and chemical characterization of an avian reovirus. The avian viral agent S1133 has previously been classified serologically as a member of the avian reovirus group. This viral agent grows in chicken embryo fibroblast cells, bands at a density of 1.37 g/ml in CsCl equilibrium density gradients, has a particle diameter of 75 nm, and has a morphology similar to that of human reovirus type 3. Its nucleic acid is comprised of double-stranded RNA and adenosine-rich oligonucleotides. The dsRNA is distributed among 10 segments with molecular weights of 2.7 x 10(6), 2.6 x 10(6), 1.7 x 10(6), 1.5 x 10(6), 1.3 x 10(6), 1.2 x 10(6), 0.80 x 10(6), 0.74 x 10(6), and 0.68 x 10(6) for the largest (L1) to the smallest (S4) segment, respectively, as determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. These 10 segments migrate differently on polyacrylamide gels compared to those of human reovirus type 3. The capsid proteins of avian reovirus consist of eight species of polypeptides as determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. These are lambda1, lambda2, lambda3, mu1, mu2, sigma1, sigma2, and sigma3 with molecular weights of 140, 125, 115, 85, 72, 40, 36, and 32 x 10(3), respectively. Only polypeptide sigma2, which resides in the inner capsid or core, comigrated with the sigma2 polypeptide of type 3 reovirus. Antiserum against type 3 reovirus did not neutralize avian reovirus. Avian reovirus core particles were found to possess a transcriptase and a methylase activity.


Nonpermissive infection of L cells by an avian reovirus: restricted transcription of the viral genome. Avian reovirus multiples in chicken embryo fibroblasts. Although the avian virus adsorbs to L cells and is uncoated therein, it does not multiply. In the nonpermissive infection of L cells with the avian reovirus only four of the genomic segments of the viral genome are transcribed, L1, M3, S3, and S4, and these are the same segments that have been designated previously as early functions in the permissive infection of L cells with type 3 reovirus. When L cells are co-infected with avian reovirus and type 3 virus all ten segments of the avian viral genome are transcribed, although there is no synthesis of avian viral double-stranded RNA. Type 3 reovirus multiplies almost normally in this mixed infection. The most likely explanation is that a cellular repressor blocks transcription of the six late segments of the avian viral genome and that this repressor is removed by the co-infection with type 3 virus. A second block prevents replication of the viral genome.


Time-course changes in blood pressure, urinary excretion of norepinephrine and dopamine after administration of fusaric acid in a single dose in elderly hypertensive patients. Time-course changes in blood pressure, urinary norepinephrine and dopamine excretion after administration in a single dose of fusaric acid calcium salt were examined in 8 elderly hypertensive patients. Eight elderly hypertensive patients served as controls receiving placebo administration in a single dose. The dose of fusaric acid calcium salt ranged from 5.1 mg/Kg to 6.0 mg/Kg. The results obtained are as follows: 1) Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure showed a significant reduction in fusaric acid calcium salt group, the lowest value of systolic blood pressure being observed from 4 to 8 hrs. and that of diastolic blood pressure being observed from 4 to 6 hrs. after administration of this agent, respectively. Systolic blood pressure returned more slowly to the level before fusaric acid calcium salt administration than diatolic blood pressure did. In placebo group, however, no significant reduction of both systolic and diastolic blood pressures was noted. 2) In fusaric acid calcium salt group, norepinephrine excretion in the urine did not show a diurnal change. In placebo group, however, a tendency of diurnal change was noted. These results would suggest that noepinephrine synthesis might be inhibited temporalily by fusaric acid calcijm salt. 3) In fusaric acid calcium salt group, dopamine excretion in the urine did hardly show a diurnal change. In placebo group, however, a fairly evident diurnal change was observed. The interpretation of these results seems to be difficult in the present state of knowledge of the action of fusaric acid calcium salt in humans.


Reduction of the hypoxia-induced depression in the intracellular electrical activity of the ventricular muscle fibers of the rabbit fed on food containing Crataegutt. The rabbits were divided at random into 2 groups: one was fed for 6 weeks on the rabbit food containing 5 mg Crataegutt per 100 Gm food (CR group), and the other was fed for the same period on the commercial rabbit food and used as a control. Intracellular records were made from fibers in the ventricle of isolated rabbit heart. The inhibitory influences of hypoxia on the resting membrane potential and on the amplitude of action potential of the fiber of the CR group are significantly less than those of the control group. However, the inhibitory influence on the time courses of contraction of the papillary muscle was almost the same between these 2 groups.


[Finger vasomotor, heart rate, and electrodermal measures of orienting and defensive reflexes (author's transl)]. The present study was carried out to differentiate orienting reflexes (OR) from defensive reflexes (DR) using 20 female college students as Ss. All Ss received 5 stimulations of 1 sec weak tone (1000 Hz, 40 dB) and 5 stimulation of 1 sec strong tone (white noise, 100 dB) in a randomized order and time interval. Finger pulse amplitude (PA), finger blood content (BC), heart rate (HR), and palmar skin potential reflex (SPR) were recorded simultaneously. BC decrease, HR deceleration, and negative wave of SPR occurred to weak stimulations, while increase, acceleration, and positive wave occurred to strong stimulations. Both intensities of stimulation produced a decrease in PA. These results were discussed in relation to the autonomic changes involved in OR and DR.


[Endoscopic electromyographic study on upper gastrointestinal tract (author's transl)]. Recently we made the electromyographic study on human gastrointestinal tract using the endoscopic method is useful for the clinical studies of the patho-physiological aspects on human gastrointestinal tract. The silver bipolar needle electrode which was 0.2 mm in diameter, 10 mm in length and 1.0 mm in interpolar distance and the electroencephalography recorder provided with pen-writer were used for this research. The endoscopy was done to the volunteer anesthetized his pharynx with xylocaine spray. 20 cases of gastro-electromyograms, 35 cases of duodeno-electromyograms and 5 cases of the electromyograms of duodenal papilla were recorded. On these endoscopic electromygorams, the typical rhythms and patterns of electrical activities were disturbed by various kinds of factors; that is, on the endoscopic manipulation, the sticking of needle electrode into the shallow layer of gastrointestinal wall and automatical pouring of water into canal through the endoscope. On volunteers' condition, his deep breathing, electrocardiogram and vasotonic condition were important factors. Typical duodeno-electromyograms showed the grouped spikes synchronizing with the duodenal peristalsis observed endoscopically. The electromyograms of the duodenal papilla showed the similar patterns and rhythms to those of duodeno-electromyograms on active phase. In the clinical study on the correlation and propagation between gastric and duodenal motility, the rhythms of electrical activities on duodeno-electromyograms were not similar to the rhythms of gastric peristalsis at the prepyloric region. The propagation of gastric movement to duodenal bulb were not able to be clarified. We assumed that the gastric and duodenal motility occurred each other on the different rhythms.


[Electromyographic studies on gastric and intestinal motor function following pylorus preserving gastrectomy with jejunal interposition in dogs (author's transl)]. The gastric and intestinal motor function following pylorus preserving gastrectomy with jejunal interposition were studied electromyographically in dogs. The action potentials were recorded from the interposed jejunal segment, the preserving pylorus and the duodenum before and after insertion of warm water. Studies were made on the frequency, the propagation velocity of the spike-bursts in the portions mentioned above, and the incidence of the spike-bursts which propagated from the distal porition of the interposed jejunal segment to the preserving pylorus, and from the preserving pylorus to the proximal portion of the duodenum. The results obtained are as follows: 1) The frequency of the spike-bursts found in the interposed jejunal segment, the preserving pylorus, and the duodenum showed a remarkable increase after insertion of warm water. 2) The propagation velocity of the spike-bursts in the interposed jejunal segment, the preserving pylorus, and the duodenum were accelerated after insertion of warm water. 3) There were observed a moderate increase in the incidence of the spike-bursts which propagated from the distal portion of the interposed jejunal segment to the preserving pylorus, and from the preserving pylorus to the proximal portion of the duodenum after insertion of warm water. These findings suggested that the motor function of the interposed jejunal segment, that of the preserving pylorus, and that of the duodenum after pylorus preserving gastrectomy with jejunal interposition might be kept not yet injured enough to transport the contents from the interposed jejunal segment into the duodenum.


[The central neural mechanism of the gastric motility in the dog's medulla oblongata on the vagal inhibitory and excitatory reflexes (author's transl)]. The influences of the vagal inhibitory and excitatory reflexes on the gastric motor centers in the dog's medulla oblongata were investigated. Dogs were anaesthetized with Nembutal, and supplemented Gallamine at need. The brain stem was transected on the level of inferior colliculi of midbrain, the spinal cord transected on the level of between C1 and C2. Bilateral splanchnic nerves were also severed. Electrical activities from the inhibitory and excitatory areas in medulla oblongata were recorded by using a concentric circle electrode which was inserted into medulla oblongata from the dorsal surface of it. Following results were obtaind. 1) Electrical activities of the gastric inhibitory areas were classifed into three types (see Table 1). Type I: The augmentation of electrical activities of the gastric inhibitory areas during theinhibitory reflex were associated with the diminution of them during the exictatory reflex. Type II: Although electrical activities of the gastric inhibitory areas were augmented during the inhibitory reflex, any changes of them were not obtained during the excitatory reflex. Type III: Any changes of electrical activities of the gastric inhibitory areas were not obtained during both inhibitory and excitatory reflexes. 2) Electrical activities of the gastric excitatory areas were classified into two types (see Table 2). Type I: The diminution of electrical activites of the gastric excitatory areas during the inhibitory reflex were associated with the augmentation of them during the excitatory reflex. Type II: Although any changes of electrical activities of the gastric excitatory areas were not observed during the inhibitory reflex, they were augmented during the excitatory reflex.


[The influence of transection of extrinsic nerves to stomach on the fluctuation of intragastric pressure in dog (author's transl)]. Twelve adult dogs fasted over night were used under Nembutal anesthesia. The intragastric pressure was measured by strain-gauge method with open tip cannula via duodenum. The stomach was filled through the cannula with 50 ml of Ringer's solution in a stepwise manner every two minutes until a total of 600 ml. Following results were obtained: 1) The intragastric pressure was more elevated on the vagotomized and the splanchnicotomized dogs than on the intact animals by a stepwise augmentation of Ringer's solution. 2) On the animals which were transected totally the extrinsic nerves, the increase of the intragastric pressure was the most. 3) It may be concluded that the elevation of intragastric pressure after denervation of the extrinsic nerves, due to the abolitions of vagal and splanchnic inhibitory reflexes.


[A contribution to the management of paracentral retinal branch vein obstruction (author's transl)]. 11 eyes (11 patients) with cystoid macular edema secondary to central retinal branch vein occlusion were treated with Laser-coagulations. In 11 eyes macular edema disappeared completely. In 10 eyes visual acuity improved during the next months. One eye developed a macular hole with decrease of visual acuity. The results were compared with a group of 33 eyes (33 patients) which were treated with drugs. In 9 eyes visual acuity improved. In spite of the small number in this survey Laser-coagulation may be of value in the management of cystoid macular edema following retinal branch vein occlusion.


[Prophylactic lasercoagulation of senile retinoschisis (author's transl)]. 135 patients with senile retinoschisis were treated by argon laser coagulation. 73 of them were reexamined after an average interval of 15 months. The treatment consisted of a posterior demarcation by 2-3 lasercoagulation series in the area of the normal retina and in addition treatment of the entire area of retinoschisis. Lasercoagulation was performed, when: 1. the retinoschisis reached the equator or extended postequatorially, 2. a hole in the outer layer was detected, 3. a retinal detachment proceeded from a retinoschisis in the other eye.


[Experimental hypertony caused by obstruction of the anterior chamber angle ab interno (author's transl)]. In 30 rabbits, separated into 3 groups (A, B and C), the entire area (A), three quarters (B) half of the anterior chamber angle (C) was experimentally obstructed by means of a homologous scleral graft. In groups A and B a statistically significant change of the intraocular pressure and of the cornea diameter was shown as compared with the control eye and group C. This change is due to the obstructed area of the angle. The increased intraocular pressure lasted for some months. The graft was well tolerated by the tissue of the angle and the obstruction of the angle was total, as was confirmed by means of the histological preparations.


[Controlled gentamycin treatment in prematures and newborns (author's transl)]. On the basis of our experience with 50 prematures and newborns and 200 serum level analyses, Gentamycin doses of larger than or equal to 5 mg/kg body weight/day (depending on the pathogenic sensitivity) is necessary in life-threatening infections to obtain a serum level of 4-5 mug/ml. Our findings in this regard correspond with the results of other authors with comparable test systems. However, we found that in ill prematures and newborns, an accumulation inside of 7-10 days is the rule rather than the exception. With increasing length of therapy, Gentamycin treatment should be discontinued if the general condition and/or kidney function worsens. Treatment should be discontinued until the serum concentration has been established or a drop in serum creatine occurs. If there is no possibility of conducting control checks, Gentamycin therapy should not extend more than one week and should not exceed 2 mg/kg body weight/day for prematures and newborns. The available tests for determinin aminoglycosides in the serum must be simplified and standardized so that they can be more readily used. Such a simplification and standardization is possible as we have shown. In this way a basis is established for future follow-up checks and the risk of side effects in the inner ear and kidneys is reduced. The same is true for the new aminoglycosides Tobramycin, Amicacin, Sisomycin.


[Hamostasiological changes induced by platelet-aggregation-inhibitors, tested in children with congenital heart disease (in vitro and in vitro examinations) (author's transl)]. This report has delt with in vivo and in vitro examinations in the cases of sixteen children suffering from cyanotic congenital heart disease, and who had been placed under extended therapy with platelet-aggregation-inhibitors. The pharmacological effect of acetylsalicylic acid and dipyridamol has been discussed--as far as it is known. The discrepancy between in vivo and in vitro therapy-effect in the treatment with platelet-aggregation-inhibitors has been subjected to criticism. Consistant treatment of all children suffering from cyanotic congenital heart disease with aspirine and persantine has been advocated, however should only be carried out in collaboration with a competent hamostasiological laboratory.


[Investigations concerning serum concentration and temperature following oral application of a new paracetamol preparation (author's transl)]. A new, highly concentrated, fluid paracetamol preparation (paracetamol fluid) was tested on 26 small children and school children. The children were divided into 3 groups on the basis of dosage (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg body weight). The paracetamol serum concentration was determined and the temperature reactions noted. The resorption was rapid; maximum serum level was usually reached after 30 minutes. In most cases, maximum drop in temperature, however, occurred in 3-4 hours. The most obvious and longest lasting drop in temperature was achieved fol following 20 mg/kg body weight dose of the paracetamol preparation. Doses of 5 mg/kg body weight had no significant affect on elevated body temperatures. The most favorable dosage then is between 10-20 mg/kg body weight. The paracetamol concentration in the children under study never exceeded that of 20 mug/ml, even with the higher doses (20 mg/kg). This is far below the toxic threshold of 120 mug/ml. Even higher paracetamol doses of 40 mg/kg body weight, such as may be acciddentally administered, only resulted in a maximum serum level of 50 mug/ml and, therefore, were far below the toxic threshold.


[Influencing of the thyroid hormone system by long-term treatment with 5-5 diphenylhydantion in children and adolescens (author's transl)]. In the context of anticonvulsive maintenance therapy in epileptic children and adolescents, 5-5-diphenylhydantoin leads to a statistically significant decrease in total thyroxin (T4), protein-bound iodine (PBJ) and free thyroxin (FT4). The consequences of DPH therapy are based on the direct and indirect influence of DPH on the thyroid hormone system. DPH competitively pushes the T4 out of its plasma-protein bond. The lowering of T4, PBJ and finally also FT4 can be traced back to an indirect influence of DPH which consists of an increase in T4 metabolism in the liver by the DPH-induced enzyme. The possibility of a direct effect of DPH on the hypothalamus was discussed.


[Atypical late onset of clinical symtoms after phenylbutazone/amidopyrine ingestion (author's transl)]. A 33 month old healthy girl accidently took 1.5 g phenylbutazone and 2.6 g aminopyrine. She was treated with gastric lavage and forced diuresis. No clinical symptoms were discovered for 17 hours after drug ingestion. She then developed generalized convulsions. After 19 hours reddish discoloration of urine was observed for first time. High serum transaminase indicated later on a toxic hepatocellular damage. It is recommended to treat patients with phenylbutazone aminopyrine insgestions for at least 24 hours even in the absence of reddish urine discoloration and clinical symptoms.


[Seckel syndrom (author's transl)].

[Seckel syndrom (author's transl)]. Report of a girl, aged twenty-one months with the typical symptoms of the Seckel Syndrom: Low initial weight in spite of normal resp. prolonged pregnancy, characteristical "bird headed face", mikrocephaly, shortening, general dystrophy, stato-motorial and mental retardation.


[True hermaphroditism with 46, XY/46, XX/47 XXY mosaicism (author's transl)]. A case of true hermaphroditism was described. The patient had an uterus, a fallopian tube, a testide on the left in the position of the ovary and an ovary on the right side. The chromosome picture corresponded to a 47, XXY/46, XX/46 XXY mosaic. The phenotype of the patient was male so the decision for male sex seemed to be justified.


Effect of caging variables on body weight and weight gain in mice. The effects on body weight of mixing litters to attain constant density of mice per cage, as opposed to housing litters in separate cages, was studied. Mixing litters resulted in a decreased weight gain between 21 and 42 da of age and a decreased adult body weight at 63 da of age compared to housing litters in separate cages, whether the separately housed litters were allowed to vary in density or not. Mixed litter housing also increased the variance of the body weight measures among males. Housing litters separately, even if it entails variable density of housing, appears to be the preferred method for studies involving inheritance of body weight.


Metabolism of 2,4-3H-14alpha-methyl-5alpha-ergost-8-enol and 2,4-3H-5alpha-ergosta-8,14-dienol in Ochromonas malhamensis. Tritium-labeled 14alpha-methyl-5alpha-ergost-8-enol and 5alpha-ergosta-8,14-dienol were converted to brassicasterol and poriferasterol in Ochromonas malhamensis. This indicates that the organism can rearrange these sterol structures so that they contain the naturally occurring 5(6) double bond, and suggests that O. malhamensis is able to introduce a 24(28) double bond into a nine-carbon saturated side chain which is alkylated to produce a C-29 sterol.


Genetic recombination of Coprinus. V. Repair synthesis of deoxyribonucleic acid and its relation to meiotic recombination. Repair synthesis of DNA per se at pachytene is not needed for commitment to meiotic recombination although it is a necessary event to follow. Recombination frequency is governed by the rate of nicking and the time in which unrepaired nicks are allowed to match and crossover. Cold treatment at pachytene prevented repair synthesis, hence open nicks were accumulated to match and crossover, and a 3-fold increase in recombination resulted. The kinetics of cold temperature effect followed a quadratic function as shown by a computer simulation which agreed with our experimental data (Lu, 1974b). High temperature did not change the rate of repair synthesis. It did cause an increased nicking which led to a twofold increase in recombination and which entailed a higher rate of recovery repair synthesis.


Relative ribosomal RNA cistron multiplicity in oocytes and postembryonic stages of the eutelic nematode Panagrellus silusiae. The number of ribosomal RNA cistrons has been measured in the total DNA extracted from L2 juvenile and adult stages of the free-living nematode Panagrellus silusiae. Saturation hybridization studies with homologous rRNA indicate that both stages have about 275 ribosomal genes per haploid equivalent. Using homologous 125I-labelled rRNA for in situ hybridization, the mean number of silver grains per DNA content for oocyte, hypodermis and gut nuclei was similar. The mean DNA contents of maturing oocyte, hypodermis and gut nuclei are about 20C, 2C, and 10C respectively. We conclude that rDNA amplication alone is insufficient to account for the variation in DNA content of oocytes and that postembryonic development in this eutelic organism occurs without a significant differential increase in the number of ribosomal cistrons per worm.


Increased nerve-growth-factor beta-chain cross-reacting material in familial dysautonomia. To determine whether dysautonomia arises from alteration in nerve-growth factor (NGF), we measured serum levels of NGF subunits in normal and dysautonomic subjects using a biologic assay based on neurite outgrowth from chick ganglions, a binding assay based on displacement of radiolabeled betaNGF from rabbit-ganglion microsomes, and radioimmunoassays of chi, gamma and betaNGF subunits via antiserum to mouse NGF polypeptides. A threefold increase (P less than 0.001) in serum antigen levels of the biologically active subunit (betaNGF) was found for dysautonomic as compared with normal subjects. By all other assays, the groups were alike. The marked discrepancy in betaNGF levels between antigenic and functional (biologic and binding) measurements suggests a qualitative abnormaltiy of betaNGF in dysautonomia. Alternatively, elevation of betaNGF antigen can be regarded as secondary to disease. This alternative seems less likely since we must then suppose that the normalcy of functional assays in spurious.


Chemical composition of Oidiodendron kalrai. The chemical composition of yeast cells of Oidiodendron kalrai was analyzed and is expressed as percent dry weight. Cultures were grown in tryptone broth and in a liquid synthetic medium containing ammonium salts as a nitrogen source. After 48 h, carbohydrate levels were higher in the synthetic medium, but lipid levels were lower, Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), ribonucleic acid (RNA), and protein contents did not differ significantly in the two media. The chemical components were also studied at different stages of growth. DNA remained relatively constant, but other components varied with the age of culture. The RNA was 6.6% at 18 h and declined rapidly to 5% by 24 h and remained constant, An initial protein content of 23% at 18 h increased rapidly to 37% by 48 h and gradually declined to 30% by day 10. The lipid content of 33% at 18 h decreased over the entire growth period to 10% by day 10. An initial carbohydrate level of 30% increased to a maximum of 54% by day 5 and then declined.