[Effect of corticosteroids on the enzymatic activity of hepatic tissue]. Tests conducted with rats demonstrated that hydrocortisone and desoxycorticosterone-acetate (DOCA) manifest an effect close by its orientation with regard to mitochondrial and extramitochondrial forms of aspartate- and alanine-aminotransferase (ACT and ALT), as well as cytoplasmatic malate-dehydrogenase (MDG) of the liver. It was only mitochondrial MDG that lent itself to be inhibited by hydrocortisone, but it was induced by DOCA. Adrenalectomy resulted in inhibition on ALT and MDG and in activation of ACT and of mitochondrial LDG. A course-wise introduction of sulphapyridazine with an excess of deficiency of corticosteroids changed the effects of hydrocortisone with respect to cytoplasmatic LDG, as well as the effects of DOCA or adrenalectomy in regard to LDG and MDG.


[Synthesis of 1-and 3-phenyl substituted 1,5-dihydro-2,4-benzoxazepin-3(4H)-ones]. The synthesis of 1-phenyl-1,5-dihydro-2,4-benzoxazepin-3(4H)-ones (II), of 5-phenyl-1,5-dihydro-2,4-benzoxazepin-3(4H)-ones (III) and of the 7-chloro substituted analogs is described. These compounds were prepared by reacting the corresponding amino alcohols with COCl2 in the presence of Na2CO3. The reactivity of some compounds of this series in acid or basic media is also described.


[Evaluation of the skin resorptive action of testosterone and its esters]. The skin-resorptive action of testosterone and of its ethers (propionate, phenylpropionate, isocapronate, enantate, caprinate) was studied on castrated albino male rats with a one-time application to the skin. The effect was assessed by the growth of the seminal vesicles and the ventral lobe of the prostate. The highest skin-resorptive activity displayed testosterone-propionate and the lowest--testosterone-caprinate. The maximum effect following application of all the studied substances was registered on the 2-3d day. The amount of the maximum active dose (0,1 mg per animal) warrants including these compounds in a group of highly dangerous substances producing a skin-resorptive action.


Isolation and structure determination of a further metabolite of diftalone. A further metabolite of diftalone, a new antiinflammatory drug, has been identified as 7,14-dihydroxyphthalazino [2,3-b] phthalazine-5,12(7H,14H)-dione, on the basis of physico-chemical properties. The free metabolite was isolated from guinea-pig urine, where it is present as such and as the beta-glucuronide. This structure confirms the selective susceptibility of the methylene group of diftalone towards biological hydroxylation.


[Research on heterocyclic compounds. I. Heteroarylacetic acids with anti-inflammatory action]. Some new heteroarylacetic acids were prepared. Among the products so far obtained, 2-imidazo [1,2-a] pyrazineacetic acid showed an interesting antiinflammatory activity coupled with low toxicity.


[Spasmolytic effect of mebeverine on the gastrointestinal motility]. Mebeverine, N-ethyl-4'-[1-methyl-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethylamino] butyl-3,4-dimetoxybenzoate, was studied for its inhibitory effect on the motility of the gastrointestinal tract in vivo and in vitro. In both cases its activity was more evident on the hypermotility induced by some common physiological spasmogenic agents than on basal motility. In various tests it was ascertained that mebeverine was able to inhibit the stimulant actions of all the drugs employed, both those acting on specific receptor sites such as histamine and acetylcholine, and those acting directly on the smooth muscle such as substance P, physalaemin etc. This backs up the suggestion of a nonspecific miotropic effect of mebeverine. This compound has the same spasmolytic action at different levels of the gastrointestinal tract and is decisively stronger than papaverine. The lack of remarkable side-effects in the tests which were carried out in vivo with decisively active doses on the gastrointestinal motility and the good inhibitory effect on human isolated strips of the gastrointestinal tract suggest that mebeverine may be useful in the treatment of clinical morbid conditions characterized by hypertone or hypermotility of the gastrointestinal tract.


[Results of a pharmacological and toxicological study of pentagastrin]. Pentagastrin is found to be a highly active stimulator of the gastric glands secretion. With its intraperitoneal introduction to albino rats the drug displays a low acute toxicity. On its re-administration to rabbits and albino rats in doses significantly exceeding the diagnostic ones no substantial influence on the growth of the animals, hematological, enzymological, proteinological blood indices and morphological condition of internal organs was noted.


[Derivatives of isothiochromane].

[Derivatives of isothiochromane]. In connection with a program, the purpose of which is to aim at the synthesis of molecules containing the residual phenylethylamine in a rigid structure, the synthesis of 1-methylaminoisotiocromane (IV) starting from isotiocromane (I) is hereby described.


[Experimental study of manganese chloride toxicity]. In experiments with rabbits is shown weak toxic action of managanese chloride (0,5 and 5 mg/kg intravenously for 2 months) on the organism of animals. The blood managanese level rose only when the element was introduced in a large dose. The ascorbic acid content in the supprarenals diminished. At the site of the preparation administration (muscles) were in evidence manifestations of irritation (necrosis with regeneration), which disappeared 2 weeks after abolishment of the preparation.


[Substituted benzensulfobiguanides].

[Substituted benzensulfobiguanides]. In continuation of earlier work on biguanide derivatives a number of 1-alkoxybenzensulphonyl-5-alkylbiguanides has been prepared. The U.V. absorption spectra have been measured and Beer's Law investigated. None of the compounds tested extensively for microbiological and pharmacological activity was found to possess significant activity in our screening.


[Synthesis and biological activity of pyrido(2,3-e)-1,4-diazepine and of pyrido(2,3-b)(1,4)diazepine]. The Schmidt reaction on tetrahydro-1,8-naphthyridin-4-ones gave pyrido [2,3-e]-1,4-diazepines and pyrido[2,3-b][1,4]diazepines. The preliminary pharmacological screening of some of these compounds showed no appreciable activity.


New 2-methyldialkylammoniumalkylthio-4,p-substituted phenyl-3H-1,5-benzodiazepine iodides with antibacterial activity note I. A series of 2-methyldialkylammoniumalkylthio-4,p-substituted phenyl-3H-1,5-benzodiazepine iodides has been synthesized. Some compounds showed high selective activity against Staph. aureus and Strep. pyogenes. The nature of the sustituents at the phenyl moiety bound to the 4-position of the 1,5-benzodiazepine ring is of decisive influence, wherease the length of the aliphatic chain and the modification of the cationic head are of minor importance for the activity. The most active compound, 2-methyldiethylammoniumethylthio-4,p-phenylthiophenyl-3H-1,5-benzodiazepine iodide (XXXVIII), was selected for further research.


[New esters of N-arylanthranilic acids]. A series of acyloxy- and alkyloxymethyl esters of meclofenamic, flufenamic and mefenamic acids has been synthesized and its antiinflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic activities have been compared with those of the corresponding acids and the methyl, beta,gamma-isopropylidene-dioxypropyl, N,N-diethylaminoethyl esters. The acyloxy- and alkyloxymethyl esters are the most interesting compounds, because they possess pharmacological activity of the same order as that of the corresponding acids and a lower toxicity. The ethoxymethyl ester of the N-(2,6-dichloro-m-tolyl)anthranilic acid is presently under clinical investigation.


Cholinergic compounds. III - Synthesis and biological activity of epi-desmethyldesethermuscarine, desmethyldesethermuscarine and desmethyldesethermuscarone. As a further contribution to better understanding of the nature of the cholinergic receptors, desmethyldesethermuscarone (I), epi-desmethyldesethermuscarine (II a) and desmethyldesethermuscarine (II b) were synthesized. With few exceptions, the drop in muscarinic activity of these compounds compared with that of desethermuscarone and desethermuscarines emphasizes the importance of C-7 methyl (5). As far as nicotinic activity is concerned, C-7 methyl appears much less critical.


Cholinergic compounds. V - New synthesis and further pharmacological evaluation of desethermuscarine. Two new methods of syntesis of (+/-)-desethermuscarine (I) are reported along with the pharmacological evaluation of (I) extended to several muscarinic and nicotinic receptors.


Drugs and muscular pathways of pyruvate metabolism adapted to endurance training. Limited experimental data are so far available on drug interference at muscular level on the pathways of pyruvate metabolism activated by training. In this study, the effect of chronic treatment with caffeine and papaverine on the activity of the muscular malic enzyme, lactate dehydrogenase and glutamate-pyruvate transaminase was evaluated in the trained rat. In trained animals these drugs did not induce any significant change in the enzymatic activities studied as a whole, and particularly in glutamate-pyruvate transaminase related to an important alternative pathway of pyruvate metabolism.


Science for medicine--time for another reappraisal. The Amendments to the National Cancer Act of 1974 included a provision for a comprehensive review of the Federal policies and programs for medical research. This would appear to be a particularly timely review since many of the fundamental issues concerning the Government's role in biomedical research are presently in question. These issues include the rationale for public support for basic medical research, public expectations for returns on these investments, establishment of priorities among various research avenues, and a number of derivative as well as ethical questions. Since the professional and scientific communities have been historically successful in gaining public funds for research, a periodic opportunity for public review and consideration would appear to be highly desirable.


Nutritional and metabolic studies in humans with 1,3-butanediol. Three studies of the role of 1,3-butanediol (BD) in human nutrition are described. Isocaloric substitution of BD for starch in the diets of volunteers caused less negative nitrogen balance. Ingestion of urea also decreased negative nitrogen balance, and the effect of BD plus urea in the diets seemed to be additive. No effects were detected on many blood parameters measured during and after the study, except that BD feeding decreased blood glucose significantly. 1,3-Butanediol was shown to be a nontoxic metabolite providing a source of calories for human nutrition. In a second study, ingestion of BD was shown to cause slight increases in serum insulin and growth hormone concentrations in the fasting state. We next studied the effects of prior ingestion of BD on serum insulin, growth hormone, glucose, and lipids during glucose tolerance tests. No significant differences in these parameters were noted when prior ingestion of sucrose or an isocaloric quantity of BD were compared. Possible mechanisms whereby ingestion of BD spared nitrogen and caused decreased blood glucose are discussed.


Butanediol and lipid metabolism.

Butanediol and lipid metabolism. Young growing rats, chicks and pigs were fed diets containing graded levels of 1,3-butanediol (BD). Replacement of up to 20% of the dietary carbohydrate energy with BD did not affect body weight gain or food efficiency in these species. Blood beta-hydroxybutyrate levels were markedly elevated when BD was added to the diet. Plasma triglyceride response varied with species. In the rat, plasma triglyceride levels were decreased when BD was added to a high-carbohydrate diet. Plasma triglyceride levels were increased when BD-containing diets were fed to pigs and unchanged when chicks consumed diets containing BD. The hepatic lactate:pyruvate ratio was increased in rats fed BD and decreased in chicks fed BD. Hepatic long-chain acyl CoA levels were increased in rats, but not in chicks, fed BD. Addition of BD to a high-carbohydrate diet markedly decreased the rate of fatty acid synthesis, as measured in vitro or in vivo, in rat liver but not in rat or pig adipose tissue. Hepatic fatty acid synthesis in the chick was not affected by replacement of up to 18% of the dietary carbohydrate with BD. We propose that the hepatic conversion of BD to beta-hydroxybutyrate in the rat shifts the cytoplasmic redox state, reduces the glycolytic rate, and reduces substrate availability for fatty acid synthesis. Further, the concomitant shift in the mitochondrial redox state allows long-chain acyl CoA levels to increase. The overall effect is a decrease in the rate of fatty acid synthesis in livers of rats fed BD.


Plasma testosterone free index: a better indicator of plasma androgen activity? Testosterone, quantitatively the most important androgen in the circulation, must enter cells to exert an androgenic effect. It is accepted that it is that fraction of the hormone not bound to the specific, binding, beta-globulin which is available for entry into the cells. By equilibrium dialysis we obtained an in vitro measurement of the unbound fraction. The product of this fraction and the total testosterone level gave us a testosterone free index (TFI). In normal men and women, our ranges were 24.6 to 93.6 and 0.8 to 3.8 ng/100 ml, respectively. Of 54 hirsute women, 24 had an elevated TFI; 4 of these had normal plasma testosterone levels. Thirteen men with hypogonadism had a decreased TFI. Nine of ten women and two men with hyperthyroidism had a normal TFI, although there was an elevated plasma testosterone level in most instances. The calculated TFI, which reflects both the extent of binding and the total testosterone level, may therefore be a better indicator of circulating androgen activity.


Studies on the mucosa of postmenopausal oviducts: surface appearance, ciliary activity, and the effect of estrogen treatment. The epithelial lining of the human oviduct is known to be responsive to the fluctuating hormonal levels of the normal menstrual cycle, but its response to the changes in hormonal climate at the time of the menopause is not clearly defined. In this study the oviducts of nine postmenopausal patients were obtained at the time of abdominal hysterectomy, and the lining epithelium was studied by scanning electron microscopy. The activity of cilia on the fresh tissue was assessed by their ability to transport particulate matter applied to the epithelial surface. The fimbriae of oviducts from women who had received little or no estrogen treatment before surgery showed a significant deciliation of the epithelium, compared with specimens from premenopausal patients, and even showed some sloughing of cells from the surface. The secretory cells appeared inactive. However, the specimens from patients who had been treated with estrogen for periods of 1 year or more showed a remarkable maintenance of the epithelium, with the proportion of ciliated cells remaining almost as high as in premenopausal oviducts, even as late as 25 years after the menopause. The ampullar and isthmic portions showed less obvious changes. Cilia in oviducts from the former group (short-term or no treatment) were incapable of transporting 15-mum microspheres or lycopodium spores applied to the epithelial surface, whereas the oviductal cilia obtained from patients under long-term estrogen therapy showed efficient transport of particulate matter. The results are discussed in relation to earlier conflicting reports on the postmenopausal oviduct.


Eight years of fertility control with norgestrel-ethinyl estradiol (Ovral): an updated clinical review. Data on a combination norgestrel-ethinyl estradiol oral contraceptive (Ovral) were obtained from eight large family planning clinics. The safety and efficacy of the drug were evaluated for 6,806 mature, sexually active women who received a total of 127,872 cycles of the medication; this represents 9,836 woman-years of usage. No pregnancy attributable to medication failure occurred, but 19 women who omitted two or more consecutive tablets became pregnant. This produced an overall use-effectiveness pregnancy rate of 0.19/100 woman-years. Cycle control was excellent, and intermenstrual bleeding was rare. Adverse effects were minimal; laboratory values seldom deviated from pretreatment levels. Fertility returned promptly upon withdrawal of the contraceptive, and no infant abnormalities were attributed to its use.


The semen of fertile men. II. Semen characteristics of 100 fertile men. From a population of men applying for voluntary sterilization, 100 consecutive cases were selected according to the following criteria: (1) each man had fathered at least two children; (2) at the time of the request for a vasectomy the man's wife was pregnant; and (3) a complete prevasectomy semen analysis, including sperm morphology, was available. The usual parameters of human semen evaluation are reported: the mean volume of the ejaculates was 3.3 ml +/- 0.84 SD (range, 0.5 to 11 ml); the mean sperm density was 81 million/ml +/- 57 SD (range, 4 to 318); while the geometric mean, which according to the sample distribution is more representative, was 68. The mean percentage of motile sperm was 63% +/- 16 SD (range, 10 to 95%); the grade of forward progression was 3 +/- 0.55 SD (range, 2 to 4); and for sperm morphology the mean number of sperm with oval heads was 75% +/- 6 SD (range, 21 to 90%). Statistical comparison of these findings with those of our previous study of the semen of 1300 fertile men revealed complete agreement; minor statistical differences, on single parameters, with three similar studies are indicated. A positive relationship between the different variables, sperm density and sperm motility (in percentage of motile sperm and degree of forward motion), as well as between the two variables of sperm motility and sperm morphology to the other variables was confirmed.


Semen zinc levels in infertile and postvasectomy patients and patients with prostatitis. The semen zinc levels were determined in 18 volunteers, 132 patients postvasectomy, and in 19 patients with prostatitis. The mean values for semen zinc were the same in the volunteers and postvasectomy patients. However, the mean zinc concentration in the volunteers and postvasectomy patients was significantly different from that of the patients with prostatitis. When a group of 12 patients with prostatitis was given supplementary zinc sulfate, the levels of semen zinc rose  dramatically and were significantly different from those before treatment. As part of an infertility evaluation, 153 specimens from 72 men who had not fathered a child were examined. A complete semen analysis of each specimen was made, including the semen zinc concentration. The specimens were separated into four arbitrary groups with differing fertility potential. The groups were organized by sperm counts (less than 20 million sperm/ml, 20 to 60 million sperm/ml, 60 to 100 million sperm/ml, and greater than 100 million sperm/ml). There was a trend toward increasing zinc concentrations in the groups with increasing fertility potential. Eleven patients with oligospermia and low semen zinc levels were given supplementary zinc sulfate, 80 mg three times/day for 6 months to 1 year. The parameters of the semen analysis improved in all categories. There were three pregnancies during the period of treatment.


Isolation of a factor from normal human semen that accelerates dissolution of abnormally liquefying semen. A liquefraction factor from normal human seminal plasma was purified by cation and anion exchange chromatography. It is nondialyzable, heat-labile, and has many properties in common with the seminal protease "chymotrypsin-like enzyme." Its lytic effect is most distinctly observed in abnormal semen that is semisolid or that is solid and fails to liquefy for several hours. Seminal plasmas from certain of these samples have and adverse effect on normal sperm motility. Clinically, the purified seminal liquefaction factor is useful in solubilizing abnormal samples for sperm analysis and homologous artificial insemination.


The organized distribution of acrosomal proteinase within the acrosomes of rabbit spermatozoa. Acrosomal proteinase was found to be present in a highly organized distribution in the acrosomes of rabbit spermatozoa, using cytochemistry. This distribution consists of at least six linear loops of evenly spaced proteinase granules, which run diagonally across the flat side of the sperm head in a criss-crossing pattern. Two additional loops may be present, one encircling the tip of the spermatozoon in the region of the acrosome reaction, and the other at the posterior end of the acrosome. The results also seem to indicate that the enzyme granules are associated with the outer, and not the inner, acrosomal membrane.


Human follicular oocytes and their maturation in vitro. To study the maturation of follicular oocytes, germ cells were flushed from visible follicles in the ovaries of 145 oophorectomized patients 17 to 65 years of age. The number of oocytes recovered decreased (P less than 0.05) as patient age increased. More oocytes (P less than 0.05) were recovered from ovaries removed during the proliferative stage of the menstrual cycle than during the secretory stage. Of 776 oocytes obtained, 132 (17%) were examined without incubation. Two had matured in vivo and another possessed two vesicular nuclei. Of 124 oocytes incubated in tissue culture Medium 199 or Ham's F10 supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum, 52 (42%) displayed germinal vesicle breakdown and 39 (31%) progressed to metaphase of the second meiotic division within 42 hours. Neither the stage of the cycle at which ovaries were removed nor the addition of progesterone to the medium had a significant effect on maturation. The rate of maturation peaked with oocytes from women 34 to 39 years of age. Even though more oocytes were recovered from patients 17 to 33 years of age than from patients 34 to 39 years, fewer oocytes obtained from the younger patients appeared to be viable, perhaps because of a greater incidence of ovarian follicle pathology in the youngest group.


Lack of effect of ovarian denervation on ovulation and pregnancy in the rabbit. Following unilateral ovarian denervation by ovarian artery stripping in female rabbits, ovulation and pregnancy were achieved within 3 days of denervation. Three weeks later, at repeat laparotomy, ovarian dimensions and the numbers of corpora lutea and pregnancies were noted. Fluorescent histochemical studies confirmed complete adrenergic denervation in five of the rabbits' ovaries. There was no significant difference in ovarian dimensions, numbers of corpora lutea and pregnancies, or the excess of corpora lutea over implantations when the intact control side was compared with the denervated side. The control ovaries demonstrated an average of 5 corpora lutea/ovary and an average of 3.4 conceptuses in the adjacent uterine horn, while the numbers on the denervated side were 5 and 3.2, respectively. Although these findings demonstrate that central neural efferent control is not essential for the occurrence of pregnancy after mating in the rabbit, the potential significance of ovarian neuromuscular mechanisms in these functions is discussed, and future studies are suggested.


Endometrial biopsy in the cycle of conception. The pregnancy outcome of 18 infertile patients inadvertently biopsied during the cycle of conception is reviewed. Fourteen patients delivered term infants, one a premature infant; one patient aborted during the first trimester, and two patients were lost to follow-up. The pregnancy outcome was better than that frequently quoted for infertile patients. A comparison of the present series with those previously reported is made and the author's technique for endometrial biopsy is discussed. The average duration of gestation is calculated using the endometrial biopsy.


Retrograde seeding of endometrium: a sequela of tubal flushing. The problem of retrograde seeding of endometrial tissue fragments to the peritoneum was investigated by injecting fluids through the cervical canal into the uterus before and after curettage. Fluid samples were collected from the peritoneal cavity through a laparoscope. Endometrial glands were detected in almost all of the fluids samples, and seeding was greater after curettage than before. It is concluded that any procedure in which fluids are pushed through the uterus may cause peritoneal seeding of endometrium.


Alterations in uterine and serum esterases in pregnant mammals. Uterine flushings, endometrial extracts, and serum from estrous and pregnant rabbits were analyzed by acrylamide gel electrophoresis for esterase activity. Two bands of enzyme activity in uterine findings were detectable on days 4 through 7 after coitus. No activity was detectable in washings from nonpregnant animals or on days 1 to 3 of pregnancy. Esterase activity was detectable in endometrial extracts of all rabbits. The intensity and complexity of the esterase activity markedly increased on day 3 and persisted through day 7 after coitus, during which time nine to ten electrophoretic bands were apparent, compared with four bands in extracts from estrous animals. Serum from pregnant rabbits showed two basic patterns. High esterase activity, concentrated in four major bands, was seen in some sera, while other serum samples showed little esterase activity. No consistent correlation was apparent, however, between the stage of gestation and the serum esterase pattern. In contrast, analysis of mouse serum prior to and after mating showed consistent, reproducible changes in esterase profiles, noticeable about 7 days after coitus and becoming increasingly pronounced until parturition. Changes in mouse serum included both marked enhancement of some esterase activities and concomitant diminution in others with increasing gestation time.


Application of a radioreceptorassay of human chorionic gonadotropin in the diagnosis of early abortion. A radioreceptorassay for human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) was used to detect pregnancy as early as 6 to 8 days following conception and to predict spontaneous abortion as early as 8 to 10 days after conception in subjects whose hCG levels were lower than those occurring during normal pregnancy of the same duration. The evidence for the specific measurement of hCG was further provided by the correlation of plasma hCG levels measured by radioimmunoassay using antisera specific for hCG-beta and radioreceptorassay of hCG. By virtue of its sensitivity and specificity, the radioreceptorassay of hCG allowed early and accurate prediction of spontaneous abortion in 15 patients.


Reversibility of clip sterilization.

Reversibility of clip sterilization. A spring clip designed to be applied to the fallopian tube for sterilization without electrocoagulation was applied to 10 pigs. After documenting the prevention of pregnancy for 3 months, the clips were removed and successful reanastomosis was performed on eight pigs. Six of these pigs became pregnant within 2 months of the reanastomosis. This paper describes the technique of the reanastomosis and documents the potential reversibility of spring clip sterilization.


Clomiphene citrate-induced simulatneous intra- and extrauterine pregnancy: case report. A rare complication of ovulation induction with clomiphene citrate is presented. The importance of keeping in mind such a serious complication is emphasized in order to achieve early diagnosis and appropriate management. In pregnancies following clomiphene treatment, close supervision is imperative as soon as pregnancy is evident.


Abdominal pregnancy complicated by genital and renal tuberculosts and hemolytic anemia. After a 10-year period of primary infertility, a patient presented with abdominal pregnancy. Known to have had previously treated genital tuberculosis, on admission she was found to have renal tuberculosis and autoimmune hemolytic anemia. After fetal death, laparotomy was performed and the fetus was removed. The patient's anemia responded well to steroid therapy and she was discharged on antituberculous triple therapy. The literature on hemolytic anemia in pregnancy and in association with tuberculosis, as well as on ectopic gestations, was reviewed.


Variable motility recovery of spermatozoa following freeze preservation. Semen from a random group of potentially fertile men and a small number of donors who had established an artificial insemination pregnancy was mixed with a cryoprotective agent and frozen by two different methods. After 1 week under liquid nitrogen (-196 degrees C), all samples were thawed and their motilities determined. The post-thaw motilities were compared with the prefreeze motilities. The mean motility recovery rate in the group of semen samples with high counts was better than that in the group with counts in the low-normal range. The recovery rate with the slow-freeze method was slightly higher than that with the quick-freeze technique. However, the wide range of post-thaw motility among the random donors (0 to 60%) and the donors of proven fertility (15 to 45%) demonstrated that prefreeze motility and/or paternity history was no guarantee of good motility recovery following freezing. At a time when semen banking is being contemplated for "fertility insurance" prior to vasectomy, it is apparent that a trial freeze is necessary before recommending freeze-preservation of his semen to the man contemplating permanent surgical sterilization.


Seminal prostaglandins in infertile men. The concentration of prostaglandin E (PGE) was measured in the semen of 5 men of proven fertility and in 12 men of couples who were infertile but in whom no abnormality had been detected by conventional semen analysis, postcoital test of sperm motility, endometrial biopsy, and laparoscopic dye insufflation of the fallopian tubes. In the fertile men the mean PGE concentration was 52.7 +/- 9.9 mug/ml, and in infertile men the concentration was 22.1 +/- 2.76 mug/ml; the difference between the two groups was highly significant (P less than 0.001). In five of the infertile men attempts were made to raise the PGE concentration by the administration of either corn oil, which contains the prostaglandin precursor linoleic acid, or caffeine, which inhibits prostaglandin degradation; the response to both agents was insignificant.


Post-ovarian wedge resection adhesive disease. Our purpose was to determine how frequently adhesions develop after  wedge resection for polycystic ovarian disease and to investigate the possibility of their contributing to subsequent infertility. Medical records spanning 15 years were compiled on 173 patients who had been followed for at least 1 year after ovarian wedge resection. Ovarian adhesions were found either by endoscopy or laparotomy at varying times after surgery in 59 of 111 patients not lost to follow-up. Forty-three patients who desired conception did not conceive; forty developed postoperative adhesions. Drug therapy for polycystic ovarian disease seems to offer results comparable to those of surgery and eliminates the risk of adhesions.


Ocular effects of oral contraceptives. I. Studies in the dog. The administration of two oral contraceptives to female dogs for 5 years did not produce ocular lesions. Corneal and lenticular opacities occurred with equal frequency in control and treated groups, and fundic lesions, including papilledema, venous dilatation, and venous or arterial retinal thrombosis, were not produced by doses of Enovid-E or Ovulen 1, 10, and 25 times the human dose.


Effect of copper and plastic intrauterine devices on the norepinephrine content of rabbit oviduct and uterus. An intrauterine device (IUD) consisting of either a plain or a copper-coated polyethylene catheter was inserted in one of the uteri of rabbits. Sham-operated uteri served as controls. The norepinephrine (NE) content was compared only between uteri within the same animal. Both copper and plastic IUDs markedly reduced the NE content in the uterus, but not in the oviduct, within 1 week after insertion. NE in both organs was present exclusively in the adrenergic nerve system. There was no difference in the action of the two types of IUDs. The effect of an IUD was probably eliminated by interruption of the preganglionic nerve connections. The results showed that the uterine adrenergic neurons are influenced by the presence of an IUD.


Ultrastructural evolution of nucleoli of female rat germ cells. The nucleoli of oogonia and oocytes of rat ovaries during fetal and neonatal life  were studied by light and electron microscopy. An evolution from atypical to typical nucleoli was shown. Nucleoli undergo a gradual increase in size and change from dense fibrillar bodies to complete nucleoli with pars fibrosa, pars granulosa, pars amorpha, and associated chromatin.


Ultrastructural study of separated cell and acrosomal membranes from bull spermatozoa. Ejaculated bull spermatozoa were washed and incubated with a cationic detergent, Hyamine 2389, and the material removed was centrifuged on a three-step sucrose gradient. Five different bands were obtained, three of which contained cell and acrosomal membranes and also acrosomal material. The first of these, band  III, was composed of two parts. The lower part contained U-shaped membrane profiles originating from the outer acrosomal membrane, acrosomal material attached to them, and vesicles of different sizes. The upper part, in addition to various vesicles (probably formed from cell membrane), contained acrosomal vesicles arranged in the form of aggregates or caps. The latter vesicles were formed by fusion and vesiculation of the cell and outer acrosomal membranes with tightly bound acrosomal material. Band IV was uniform and comprised various round vesicles with a smooth membrane, which had a typical unit-membrane structure. There were obviously formed from the cell membrane. The fifth band, in the saline portion with material unsedimented in the sucrose, included small vesicles and membrane fragments, the origin of which was obscure. The solubilized material was also left in this fraction.


Influence of neonatal castration or neonatal anti-gonadotropin treatment on fertility, phallus development, and male sexual behavior in the mouse. Male mice were castrated on the day of birth or were treated with anti-gonadotropin serum (AGS) successively on days 1, 3, and 5 of age. When the adult AGS-treated males were compared with normal rabbit serum (NRS)-treated males with respect to fertility, male sexual behavior, gonadotropin release, body size, and penis size it was found that: (1) fertility of AGS-treated males did not differ from that of NRS-treated males; (2) AGS-treated males showed a significant reduction in penis size, compared with NRS-treated males; (3) both groups showed high levels of male sexual behavior; (4) neither group showed the capacity to support ovulation in ovarian grafts from immature mice. It was also observed that the fertility of female mice treated with AGS on days 1, 3, and 5 of age did not differ from that of control females treated with comparable doses of NRS. Male mice castrated at birth showed a significant reduction in male sexual behavior and penis size compared with males first sham-operated at birth then castrated at 25 days of age. Thus, males castrated at  birth were similar to males receiving AGS in infancy, except for sex behavior. The results suggest that the neonatal pituitary in the mouse may not have an important role in the process of sexual differentiation. Previous data for the male rat were compared with those for the mouse.


Immunoglobulins on the surface of lymphocytes in ontogeny. Immunoglobulins on the surface of lymphocytes from pig foetuses and newborn precolostral piglets were studied using iodinated monospecific anti-pig gamma- or mu-antisera. Labelling of cells was determined by autoradiography in light and electron microscope. Beginning with the 80th day of gestation the lymphocytes with surface IgM were detected in significant amounts in the spleen, whereas at earlier stages of prenatal development the IgM-bearing lymphocytes were detected rarely. The cells which carry surface immunoglobulins were classified as small lymphocytes with typical ultrastructural morphology.


The effect of thymic humoral factor upon regeneration of lymphatic and haemopoietic tissues of irradiated mice. The study investigates the effect of humoral factor isolated from calf-thymus (thymosin) upon regeneration of lymphatic and haemopoietic tissues of female (CBA times C57BL/10ScSn)F1 mice irradiated with a whole-body exposure of 500R or 600R of gamma-rays. Thymosin was applied subcutaneously in amounts of 5 mg. per mouse per day. Two schemes of application were used: 1. The first dose given immediately after irradiation, followed by one injection daily for a total of either 3 or 9 days. 2. The first dose given 3 days prior to radiation exposure, followed by one injection daily for a total of 7 days. The number of endogenous spleen colonies, 59Fe splenic uptake, and dry spleen weight, all estimated on day 9 postirradiation, were significantly higher in both experimental groups treated with thymosin, when tested against untreated controls. If the start of the treatment preceded the irradiation, the ESC number increased as much as five times beyond the level found in the irradiated untreated group and the 59Fe uptake even exceeded the values of iron incorporation in unirradiated mice. Stimulation of lymphopoiesis induced by thymosin was reflected in an increase in 2-(14)C-thymidine incorporation into DNA of the spleen, thymus and lymph nodes, measured 72 hours after irradiation.


The difference in absorption of bull seminal ribonuclease by organ tissues of juvenile and adult mice. Young (6- to 8-day-old) mice, weighing 3-5 g., died after the injection of 0.5 mg. bull seminal ribonuclease, whereas adult mice (24-27 g.) withstood a 10-fold amount given in one injection and a 30-fold amount administered in 15 injections without histological changes in the tissues or blood cell counts. The determination of the antitesticular efficiency of AS, AS RNase in the mouse revealed that kidney, heart, lung, peritoneal and spleen tissues in young animals significantly absorb in vitro the enzyme. In adult mice, absorption occurs only in spleen, testicular tissue and Crocker tumour tissue. The difference in absorption of AS RNase by the tissues of juvenile and adult mice was also confirmed by indirect immunofluorescence under conditions in vitro and even in vivo.


The effect of dried thyroid gland pretreatment upon survival, formation of endogenous spleen colonies and differentiation of haemopoietic cell populations in x-irradiated mice. Experiments on non-inbred H-strain male mice confirmed that their radioresistance could be increased by a stimulatory action of the thyroid hormones applied for three weeks preceding the radiation exposure. It was found that the 30-day survival after 750R rose between the 1st and the 5th day after the end of the pretreatment. The highest degree of radioresistance was observed, when the radiation exposure fell into the phase of gradual receding of increased metabolic rate. The relevant experimental groups showed a higher frequency of endogenous spleen colonies and an increased granulocytic differentiation of haemopoietic stem cells. Higher colony-forming activity was also found in animals irradiated immediately after the termination of pretreatment with thyroid, but without an increase in survival. The lack of radioprotective effect under those circumstances could be explained by the persisting hypermetabolic effect of the thyroid, and by the fact that an increased proportion of haemopoietic stem cells underwent differentiation into the erythroid line.


Influence of ultraviolet light, various temperatures, and zinc ions on anthralin (dithranol). Biochemical and chemical investigations. The changes of anthralin under various physical conditions (temperature, ultraviolet irradiation) were investigated by biochemical assay (inhibition of G-6-PDH activity), by oxygen monitor (increased oxygen consumption in the presence of zinc ions), and by recording the absorption spectra. Higher temperatures and exposure to ultraviolet light provoke the formation of a biochemically highly active compound within short periods of time. In clinical therapy, this compound may easily be formed when anthralin is used together with ultraviolet irradiation (Ingram method). Changes in the biochemical activity of anthralin are accompanied by changes in the absorption spectra. Oxidation (e.g. in the presence of zins ions) or inhibition of oxidation (e.g. in the presence of salicylic acid) may easily be detected by spectroscopic assay.


Sweating in the 'anhidrotic type' of congenital ectodermal dysplasia. Whole body sweat rate in two brothers suffering from congenital ectodermal dysplasia (CED) was measured. At a moderate heat load (DBT 30 degrees C and 50% relative humidity) we found no apparent weight loss due to sweating. At a higher heat load (DBT 36 degrees C, 50% relative humidity) sweating was observed, but only at levels approximately two thirds of those observed in normal controls. In the light of these experimental results, we support the suggestion that the nomenclature for CED patients should be changed. Instead of the present classification of anhidrotic CED and hidrotic CED, it is suggested that the terms hypohidrotic and hidrotic be substituted.


Ingestion of ammonium nitrate as a possible cause of erythema dyschromicum perstans (ashy dermatosis). Clinically and histologically typical erythema dyschromicum perstans has been provoked by repeated ingestion of very small amounts of a fertilizer, ammonium nitrate. It has been used by a boy who has noticed accidentally that after licking the fertilizer he developed hyperpigmentations. His main purpose was to avoid school attendance, and he developed a very ingenious method of licking the fertilizer once in several weeks in such a way that it did not produce any digestive or other troubles. His brother, an uniovular twin who had no contact with ammonium nitrate, was healthy. The case supports Pinkus' hypothesis that this type of lesions may be related to some environmental contaminant. Attention is called to a possible food contamination by ammonium nitrate.


Effect of growth hormone on surface charge and electrophoretic mobility of thymocytes from young and aged rats. The electrophoretic mobility and surface charge of thymocytes was reduced on incubation of the cells with growth hormone in vitro. All cells in thymus were not found to be sensitive to the hormone. The proportion of cells whose surface charge was altered by the hormone was 65% in the thymocytes from 5-week-old rats. The subpopulation of hormone-sensitive cells was reduced to 19% of the total teased-out thymocytes in 1-year-old rats and was below the level of detection in thymocytes derived from 11/2-year-old rats. Analytical studies showed that the alteration in the surface charge of the hormone-sensitive subpopulation was nearly of the same order in thymocytes derived from 5-week and 1-year-old rats, suggesting that the binding capacity of the cells for the hormone was presumably similar at the two ages. On the other hand the quantitative preponderance of the subpopulation of cells sensitive to growth hormone diminishes with age, reaching insignificant levels at 11/2 years.


Enzymes of glucose metabolism and of the citrate cleavage pathway in adipose tissue of normal and diabetic subjects. Enzyme activities operative in glucose degradation and citrate cleavage pathway were studied in the adipose tissue of twenty-four patients with adult-onset diabetes and normal body weight, aged 59+/-9 years, and twenty-four matched controls. In normal tissue, type II (heat-inactivated) hexokinase moderately predominated over type I (heat-resistant). 6-Phosphofructokinase had an extremely low activity, which was by far the lowest among the ten glycolytic enzyme activities investigated, and which therefore might greatly limit the glycolytic rate. The level of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (decarboxylating) was elevated above that occurring in other tissues. This, especially if considered together with the low 6-phosphofructokinase activity, would suggest a major role of pentose cycle in glucose degradation. Of the citrate cleavage pathway enzymes, ATP citrate-lyase, although having a lower activity than malate dehydrogenase and malate dehydrogenase (decarboxylating) (NADP), was readily measurable, which contrasts with previous data by others. This finding is consistent with the occurrence of lipogenetic capacity in human adipose tissue. In diabetic tissue, there was a decreased activity, both on a protein and on a wet-weight basis, of enzymes concerned with the glucose entry into metabolic pathways, namely hexokinase (both type I and, especially, type II) and pentose cycle dehydrogenases, as well as of pyruvate kinase. This could be connected with the defective glucose utilization by adipose tissue in diabetes. Beside the above-mentioned dehydrogenases, malate dehydrogenase (decarboxylating) (NADP) was also diminished. The reduction of these NADPH-forming enzymes, which supply reducing equivalents for fatty acid synthesis, would suggest a depressed lipogenesis.


Effect of adrenergic agents on postgastrectomy hypoglycemia. Reactive hypoglycemia was documented in ten postgastrectomy patients by a control oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Nine patients experienced nausea, flushing, and fatigue during the first hour of the test. Neuroglycopenic or adrenergic symptoms of hypoglycemia occurred in eight patients two to five hours after oral glucose. The oral administration of phenylephrine elixir, 15 mg., thirty minutes before a repeat OGTT, significantly raised thelowest plasma glucose from 37.5 +/- 2.8 mg./dl. to 45.2 +/- 3.8 mg./dl. (p less than 0.05) but did not affect the occurrence of either the early or the late symptoms. In contrast, propranolol, 10 mg., raised the lowest plasma glucose from 37.5 +/- 2.8 mg./dl. to 57 +/- 5.2 mg./dl. (p less than 0.02) and prevented the occurrence of early and late symptoms. Neither peak nor total plasma insulin levels were affected by either drug. The rate of glucose utilization, as determined by intravenous glucose tolerance tests, did not significantly change after the oral administration of either drug. It is concluded that propranolol ameliorated the symptoms and chemical hypoglycemia after oral glucose and merits more detailed study as a long-term therapy for this disorder.


Modulation of fatty acid metabolism by glucagon in man. III. Role of pharmacologic limitation of FFA availability. This study was undertaken to examine the contribution of plasma free fatty acid availability upon the regulation of ketone body and endogenous triglyceride concentration in man. This substrate-product relationship was examined both in the basal state and during hormonally induced ketogenic stimulation. Five insulin-deficient diabetics receiving a fixed dose of exogenous insulin were studied after a twelve-hour fast and twenty-four hours after their last therapeutic insulin injection. Reduction in basal free fatty acid concentration was induced with two weeks of clofibrate administration, and hormonal ketogenic stimulation was induced with glucagon administration. A highly significant correlation was observed between the basal free fatty acid level and the basal ketone body concentration. This substrate-product relationship persisted throughout hormonally induced ketogenic stimulation, suggesting that the basal free fatty acid concentration is a major determinant of the plasma ketone body concentration in man. In contrast, alterations in basal free fatty acid concentration were not accompanied by consistent changes in plasma triglyceride concentration, suggesting that plasma free fatty acid concentration may not be the principal determinant of the endogenous triglyceride concentration in clofibrate-treated diabetic man.


Twenty-four-hour serum growth hormone levels in maturity-onset diabetics. Serum growth hormone, glucose, and insulin were studied every half hour during a twenty-four-hour period of "daily life" in four groups of subjects: nonobese normal subjects, obese normal subjects, nonobese maturity-onset diabetics, and obese maturity-onset diabetics. It was found that (1) serum growth horomone was uniformly low without meal- and sleep-related peaks in obese normals and diabetics. The twenty-four-hour serum growth hormone level was significantly higher in nonobese subjects than in obese subjects, in both diabetics and normals; (2) the twenty-four-hour serum growth hormone level was more fluctuating and significantly higher in nonobese diabetics than in nonobese normals; (3) there was no difference in the twenty-four-hour serum growth hormone level between obese diabetics and obese normals.


Glucose tolerance in a Saharan nomad population--the Broayas, from the Toubou ethnic group. Oral plucose tolerance was studied in the Toubou Broayas living in northeaster Niger. Mean fasting plasma level of glucose was 64 +/- 22 (S.D.) mg./100 ml. Two hours after oral administration of 100 gm. glucose, the level was 74 +/- 26 mg./100 ml. Plasma insulin levels were, respectively, 18 +/- 13 and 36 +/- 24 muU./ml. There was no sex difference. Older subjects had higher glucose levels and heavier females had higher insulin levels two hours after glucose administration. In six subjects (4 per cent) the plasma glucose level exceeded either 110 or 130 mg./100 ml. in the fasting state or after glucose administration, respectively, without, however, exceeding 150 mg./100 ml. in any of them. The low prevalence of glucose intolerance in this population is discussed with regard to their nutritional conditions (80 per cent carbohydrates) and their physical activity (nomadism). The Broaya group, in whom obesity is unknown, appears to be well adapted to its extreme environment.


Transport of peptide hormones across isolated rat mesentery: effect of human serum-bound insulin. The exchange of 125I-insulin, 125I-glucagon, 125I-proinsulin, 125I-growth hormone, 131I-albumin, 14C-inulin, and 14C-dextran across isolated rat mesentery was studied in a diffusion cell. The passage of immunoprecipitable porcine 125I-insulin (0.88 ng./ml.) was not affected by porcine proinsulin (145 ng./ml.), crystalline porcine insulin (17.4 ng./ml.), human growth hormone (87 ng./ml.), bovine serum albumin (4.5 mg./ml.), or normal guinea pig serum (840 mug. protein/ml.). However, the rate of insulin exchange was reduced by guinea pig anti-insulin antiserum and partially purified human serum-bound insulin (175 mug. protein/ml.). Bound insulin at the same concentration did not affect the exchange of 125I-glucagon, 125I-growth hormone, 14C-inulin, or 14C-dextran. Further purification of bound insulin by Sephadex G-100 chromatography yielded an approximately 45,000-molecular-weight fraction that at 5 mug. protein permilliliter allowed essentially no insulin transport. This same fraction of bound insulin significantly inhibited the disappearance of immunoprecipitable porcine 125I-insulin from the incubation medium of isolated rat hemidiaphragms. Theses studies suggest that the transport of insulin across biologic membranes, mesothelium, and possible endothelium is specifically inhibited by bound insulin, a circulating macromolecule that possesses insulin-like activity.


Equilibrium reactions in the feet of children with spastic cerebral palsy and of normal children. The foot-balancing reactions to posterior and lateral displacement of the body were compared in 20 normal children and 30 children with spastic cerebral palsy. The children were divided into five functional groups in order to describe the normal developmental sequence and to contrast the responses of the feet of the spastic children with those of normal children. Normal children who had been walking for more than six months (advanced walkers) showed adult-like reactions, including ankle and tow dorsiflexion, medial-arch reactions and stepping responses. Normal children who had been walking for less than six weeks (Beginning Walkers) showed less developed ankle and medial-arch reactions and exhibited clawing rather than toe dorsiflexion. Children with spastic cerebral palsy differed significantly from the normal Advanced Walkers in each of the reactions observed. When compared with the normal Beginning Walkers they demonstrated less ankle dorsiflexion and medial-arch reactions but appeared similar in other factors. Differences were noted between the three functional spastic groups.


Needle biopsies of muscle in infants for diagnosis and research. The results of needle biopsies of muscle in 14 infants (age-range four months to 3 years 3 months) with marked hypotonia are presented. In adults, needle biopsies of muscle have been used to aid in the diagnosis of neuromuscular disorders, with considerable success. The simplicity of the method and the high quality of the samples obtained in the present study suggest that further evaluation of the technique in infants and small children is warranted, and that needle biopsy may in future take precedence over the more commonly used open technique.


A home-visiting intervention programme with Jamaican mothers and children. In order to promote better mental development in three-year-old children from poor Jamaican families, a home-visiting project was carried out with the aim of helping mothers to interact with and stimulate their children. Homes were visited once a week, and the use of toys and books was demonstrated to the mothers. The play equipment was then left with the family and exchanged at the following visit. After a maximum of 29 visits, the children had made significant gains (average 13 IQ points) compared with children in a previously matched control group. The mothers' knowledge of child-rearing had also improved. Similar intervention programmes may be useful on a larger scale, and need not be expensive if full use is made of the mothers' help.


Peripheral neuropathy in Leigh's encephalomyelopathy. An infant with subacute necrotising encephalopathy is described, in whom slow motornerve conduction velocities suggested the presence of peripheral neuropathy. Peripheral nerves are not invariably involved in patients with this disease, but as they are involved in thiamine-deficiency states it is conjectured that the presence or absence of peripheral neuropathy in patients with subacute necrotising encephalopathy may distinguish those with thiamine triphosphate deficiency from those in whom the disease is due to other causes.


Progressive neural muscular atrophy in a case of phenylketonuria. Clinical, neurophysiological and nerve-biopsy findings are described in a 13-1/2-year-old boy with classical phenylketonuria who developed progressive muscular atrophy. Clinical examination revealed atrophy of the calf muscles and pes varus. Tendon jerks were brisk in the upper extremities but were absent in the right leg and weak in the left leg. Nerve conduction velocities of the median and peroneal nerve were strongly reduced. Light- and electronmicroscopic investigation of sural nerve biopsy revealed axonal dystrophy and 'onion-bulb' formation of the Schwann cells. It is assumed that the combination of phenylketonuria and progressive muscular atrophy in this patient is an accidental occurrence.


Familial inheritance of coronal craniosynostosis. Five members of three families with premature fusion of the coronal sutures are briefly reported. The pedigrees of these patients are presented. In each case the mode of inheritance was autosomal dominant with reduced penetrance.


Sex-linked hydrocephalus.

Sex-linked hydrocephalus. A Danish family with seven males with hydrocephalus in three generations is described. Frequent findings in this x-linked recessive form of the disease are irregular cranium, asymmetrical face, thumb held across palm, spasticity of the legs and paradoxical plantar responses. The literature on this mode of inheritance is reviewed.


On the relationship of cholelithiasis to carcinoma of the gall-bladder and on the sex dependency of the carcinoma of the bile ducts. A study based on the autopsy data from 1928 to 1972. On the basis of the autopsy data from the Pathology Department of the Wilhelminen Hospital, Vienna from 1928 to 1972, it has been shown that gall-stones occur more frequently in conjunction with the carcinoma of the gall-bladder but have not aetiological relationship with the malignancy. It is further shown that the carcinoma of the bile ducts is more common in males and the carcinoma of the gall-bladder more common in females.


Effects of long-term treatment with metiamide. Metiamide was given to patients with peptic ulcer or oesophagitis in a pilot study to establish the therapeutic value of the drug. Administration of metiamide resulted in relief of pain within a week in the majority of patients. Healing of duodenal and gastric ulcers was observed.


Influence of the length of Heineke-Mikulicz pyloroplasty on the area of gastric outlet. Using agar casts of human post-mortem stomachs we have shown that (1) A 4-cm Heineke-Mikulicz (H-M) pyloroplasty increases the diameter of the narrowest area of the pylorus in every case. (2) Further increase to an 8-cm pyloroplasty leads to a further comparable increase in the size of the outlet. (3) The distortion caused by H-M pyloroplasty does not reduce the mean cross-sectioned area of the pyloric canal. (4) The narrowest area of the outlet appears to remain at the pylorus. These findings and their significance in gastric emptying are briefly discussed.


Effect of portal arterialization on hepatic cytochrome P-450 in rats with portacaval shunt. Fractional clearance of colloidal gold particles (k), liver weight and hepatic cytochrome P-450 were measured in rats with portacaval shunt and in rats with portacaval shunt plus arterialization of the hepatic stump of the portal vein. The effects of enzyme induction by phenobarbital was studied in both groups. Total arterialization of the liver provides a probably normal hepatic blood flow and seems to protect the liver from post-shunt atrophy. Nevertheless, in both arterialized and shunted rats, the cytochrome P-450 concentration was significantly lower than in controls. The same results were obtained after treatment by phenobarbital. These findings suggest that normal hepatic blood flow and oxygen supply are not the main determinant of a normal activity of the hepatic microsomal biotransformation system. Substances present in portal blood would probably be necessary in maintaining hepatic cytochrome P-450 level.


Inhibition of bile acid and water absorption by phenethylbiguanide in rat ileum in vivo. Since biguanides are known to inhibit hexose and amino acid absorption in vivo and in vitro as well as vitamin B12 absorption the effect of phenethylbiguanide on taurocholate (TC) and water absorption was measured in rat ileum in vivo. Phenethylbiguanide exhibited a time-dependent inhibitory effect on TC- and water absorption. If the bile acid inhibitory effect of biguanides can be found in diabetics on treatment with biguanides it might explain the observed cholesterol-lowering effect of these oral antidiabetic drugs.


Aspects of basal gastric secretion in man. In patients with duodenal ulcer, basal secretion may be significantly inhibited by venepuncture or by overnight aspiration of gastric contents. The implications of these findings are discussed.


Gastric acid secretion in pancreatic disease. Gastric acid secretion studies were carried out in 48 patients with pancreatic disease and in 20 control subjects. The mean basal and maximal outputs were lower in the patients than in control subjects. The present study indicates that such patients are not likely to suffer from gastric hypersecretion and peptic ulceration.


New observations on the absorption of 47Ca in patients with partial gastrectomy. By comparison with controls the investigation of 47Ca absorption and excretion kinetics after oral administration to patients with Billroth I gastrectomy (without milk intolerance) showed no differences in excretion of the isotope in urine and stool or in retention in the body. Patients with Billroth II gastrectomy had a higher degree of isotope excretion in stool and a lower retention of 47Ca. The higher absorption curves of isotope in Billroth I patients suggest a more rapid rate of 47Ca absorption without an actual change in transport capacity.


Parietal cell vagotomy in dogs. Influence on heidenhain pouch acid secretion, serum gastrin concentration, gastric emptying and motility. No change was observed in fasting Heidenhain pouch (HP) acid secretion and fasting serum gastrin concentration following parietal cell vagotomy (PCV) in six dogs whereas significant increase in food-stimulated pouch secretion and serum gastrin concentration was observed. The increase in pouch secretion after PCV took place mainly in the first 2 h after meal. The maximum serum gastrin concentration was reached at 15 min after feeding before as well as after PCV. Maximum in HP secretion was reached later, at 120 min before and at 90 min after surgery. Gastric emptying studies, using a food-barium meal, showed a slight decrease in the emptying rate after PCV in two dogs, while it was unchanged in the others. Cineradiography showed an unaffected antral motility in all dogs after PCV.


Concentration and transport of different sugars in the lymph of the thoracic duct and in blood of the portal vein in dogs after enteral and parenteral administration. The uptake and distribution of glucose, galactose, fructose and inulin in dogs was investigated in the lymph of the thoracic duct and in different blood vessels after enteral and parenteral administration. Whereas inulin could be detected neither in the lymph nor in portal venous blood after enteral administration, all other sugars were found in different concentrations in blood and lymph. Although the concentration of different sugars in the lymph after enteral and parenteral application can be compared to that in serum, the amount of sugars transported via the lymphatics is so small that it can be neglected.


Ontogensis of spermatozoa autoantigens in guinea pigs. The ontogenetic appearance of three independant spermatozoa autoantigens (S, P and T) has been studied in guinea pig germinal cells by immunofluorescence and comparison with cytology and histological structures during early maturation of seminiferous tubule cells. The maturation of 120 testes from 60 guinea pigs studied from day 1 to day 50 after birth has shown an evolution in 3 periods. During the first, or negative, period (day 1 to day 25), only spermatogonia (from day 1) and spermatocytes I (from day 16) are present. No significant PAS-positive formations are seen and no autoantigen is detected. During the second, or transitional, period (day 26 to 29), spermatocytes II and spermatids appear as well as paranuclear PAS-positive golgian proacrosomal and acrosomal granules. At the same time, the three autoantigens S, P and T are detected on the same PAS-positive formations with a frequency that increases from day to day. During the third, or positive, period (from day 30) all testes present cells with PAS-positive formation, progressive maturation of acrosomes in spermatids and appearance of spermatozoa (present on day 39) leading to the adult structure of seminiferous tubules. The three autoantigens are constantly present during that period. The simultaneous appearance of the 3 antigens in haploid germinal cells (spermatids and possibly spermatocytes II) as an early expression of cytodifferentiation and their total absence from diploid germinal cells (spermatogonia and spermatocytes I) seem to be of biological significance.


The localisation of bovine sperm hyaluronidase. Hyaluronidase is a component of the acrosome of bovine spermatozoa. Utilizing fluorescein and peroxidase-labelled antibodies, the enzyme has been localised at both the light and electron microscopic levels. Antibodies against purified bovine testicular hyaluronidase were prepared in New Zealand white rabbits. Immunodiffusion, immunoelectrophoresis, and immuno-inhibition studies of the antiserum demonstrated the presence of an antibody specific for bovine sperm hyaluronidase with no cross reactivity to other sperm-associated antigens. Fluorescence microscopy of ejaculated bovine spermatozoa show the enzyme to be limited to the anterior portion of the acrosome with a sharp termination at the rostral border of the equatorial segment of the acrosome. Light microscopic studies with peroxidase-labelled antiserum were similar to the fluorescent findings. Fine structure studies revealed reaction product predominately associated with the matrix of the acrosome cap. Within the acrosome, more intense localisation was observed in the apical densities, while no product was visualised within the equatorial segment. These findings are compatible with the hypothesis that the enzyme functions to facilitate the passage of spermatozoa between cells.


Relation of an evolutionary mechanism to differentiation. It is believed that new gene products and differentiations arise during evolution by the creation of new members of families of repeated DNA sequences which undergo diversification and take on new functions, while still retaining some common sequences indicating their common ancestry. Since some of the sequences of such DNA families control differentiations that occur in present-day embryos, it appears that members of such families formed during evolution are active in development. The presence of partially homologous proteins in related types of cells, as well as the labile pattern of determination and differentiation of these cells, supports this idea. The ontogenetic sequence of differentiation follows the phylogenetic one and this may occur because the more conservative members of any family of DNA sequences are more reiterated and transcribe more copies of RNA.


Long term culture of cells derived from mouse blastocysts. The development of mouse blastocysts in primary culture has been followed for up to two months. The trophectoderm layer of the blastocyst gives rise to a monolayer of trophoblast cells; cells resembling both ectoplacental cone cells and primary giant cells are observed. The former can transform to giant cells, presumably secondary trophoblast, after several days in culture. Giant trophoblast cells are evident in the culture for much longer than the normal gestation period. Under the culture conditions described, the proportion of blastocysts showing substantial inner cell mass (ICM) proliferation in vitro is higher than that noted in previous studies. The ICM clumps develop into either egg cylinder-like structures, or, more commonly, into spherical, fluid-filled vesicles. The vesicles, which resemble yolk sac morphologically and biochemically [10, 11], continue to enlarge in size during several weeks of culture. The vesicles are attached to the underlying trophoblast monolayers by a stalk. Cells appear to migrate from this stalk out along the culture dish. The result after two to four weeks of culture is the appearance of a mixed monolayer containing a variety of different cell types. Secondary cultures of blastocyst cells have been continuously maintained in vitro for more than one year. Four lines of cells, all developing from the same pool of blastocysts, have been monitored for morphological, growth and biochemical properties, as well as chromosome number. Each line contained two or more morphologically distinct cell types, clearly indicated by cloning studies after eight months of culture. Doubling times and saturation densities among the four lines differed, as did biochemical properties. Although none of the cell lines resembled trophoblast biochemically after 7.5 months in culture, one line, MB4, possessed a number of biochemical properties in common with midgestation yolk sac. After a further five months of culture, some enzymes in the four lines were relatively unchanged; in other cases, notably with alkaline phosphatase, a sharp drop in enzyme activity was observed. One cell line, MB2, and specifically one of the cell types in this line, produced a yellow-orange pigment with a spectrum resembling that of a heme protein. After 7.5 months of culture, two of the four lines, MB21 and MB31, contained large numbers of cells with a diploid number of chromosomes. However, by 12.5 months in culture, the large majority of metaphases in all four cell lines possessed a hypotetraploid chromosome number. In a number of studies carried out to date, none of the cell lines generated tumors when injected into syngeneic hosts.


Cell proliferation and cell differentiation in tissue cultures of adult muco-cilliary epithelia. Explants and monolayers from a variety of muco-ciliary epithelia were cultivated in vitro and the kinetics of their proliferation and differentiation described. New epithelial lining and epithelial-like monolayer sheets of cells formed in which the migration cells were all originally undifferentiated cycling stem cells. The divided and differentiated in ML growth into cell types characteristic of the tissue source: however, the control mechanisms which regulate cell division and cell differentiation in the tissues were lost outside the tissue framework. Cell division and cyto-differentiation in ML growths both in ciliated and in mucus-producing cells, were not always mutually exclusive.


Aspartate aminotransferase activity during early development of chicken embryo. Aspartate aminotransferase (AAT) activity is studied, employing two different procedures, during early development stages of chicken embryo. ATT activity is steady from pre-streak to the definitive primitive streak stage after which it suddenly increases as growth proceeds. INH or IIH administration in this embryonic system led to almost instantaneous and complete disappearance of AAT activity which could be reversed to 80 percent by treatment with equimolar pyridoxal phosphate. Histochemical studies from the literature support a view that the period of intense differentiation coincides with an increased RNA content. The present study shows more AAT activity per mg wet embryo during the same development stages. Whether this is due to availability of more aspartic acid for pyrimidine is not clear due to possible presence of two AAT activities, the many competing reactions that can use aspartic acid, and in situ conditions during differentiation.


Mouse histidyl-tRNAs during pregnancy. Differentiation of activity profiles within and between organs. Optimal conditions for in vitro formation of His-tRNA were established. Transfer RNA of maternal mouse organs and total embryo at 13 and 17 days of pregnancy was acylated in vitro with [3H] or [14C] histidine and examined by reversed-phase plaskon chromatography. Most tissues show different radioactive profiles reflecting a varying activity of six to eight isoaccepting His-tRNA species. Quantitative differences in profile were observed for liver tRNA during pregnancy. Profiles of embryo and uterus, kidney, heart and muscle changes less, and that of brain did not change during pregnancy. The significance of these observations with respect to molecular differentiation of His-tRNAs during pregnancy is discussed.


Influence of 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine (DON), a glutamine analogue, on cartilaginous differentiation in mouse limb buds in vitro. The antibiotic, 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine (DON), an analogue of L-glutamine, causes limb malformations in several species, including mice. This report shows that DON also interferes with differentiation of cartilaginous rudiments of mouse limb buds grown as organ cultures for 3 to 8 days in medium containing the teratogen. DON (5 mug/ml) inhibits growth of the explants and interferes with production of normal matrix by chondrocytes. The cartilage of DON-treated cultures exhibits a striking lack of matrix, compared with that of control explants which contains abundant metachromatic matrix. Differentiation of osteoblasts, and secretion of osteoid around the scapula and humerus are enhanced by DON. The direct effects of DON on growth and chondrogenesis, which can be prevented by addition of L-glutamine (1 mg/ml) to the medium, can be attributed to the known interference of DON in L-glutamine-dependent steps in metabolism. The possible relationships between these effects of DON in vitro and the malformations produced in vivo, are discussed.


In vivo hybridisation of cultured melanoma cells and isogenic normal mouse cells. Somatic cell hybrids were derived by fusing tumourigenic and melanogenic melanoma (PAZG) cells with normal diploid male mouse cells in vivo. Their chromosomal composition was equivalent to the sum of both parental genomes and included a Y chromosome lacking in the melanoma parent. Our study showed that in PAZG X C57BL hybrids (MP), tumourigenicity was suppressed but pigmentation was expressed.


[Exercise test and atrial pacing in angina pectoris: behaviour of adrenosympathetic system (author's transl)]. Arterial plasma noradrenaline and adrenaline concentrations before, during and after an attack of pain, induced first by constant supine exercise and then by multistep atrial pacing, were determined in four patients with coronary occlusion disease and stable angina pectoris. An identical protocol was applied to a patient with atypical precordial pain (anxiety state) and normal coronary arteriograms. When compared, the results led to the following conclusions: 1) during supine exercise arterial plasma catecholamine concentrations, particularly noradrenaline, progressively increase, reaching highest values in temporal coincidence with the onset or the peak of pain, 2) during multistep atrial pacing-induced angina no significant changes of arterial plasma catecholamine concentrations are seen. These data, obtained from the same patients, further emphasize that the application of atrial pacing to the study of pathophysiology of angina pectoris and for evaluating antianginal drugs, especially if interfering with adrenosympathetic system activity, must be considered with caution.


[Coronary angiographic findings in the myocardial infarction involving the dorsal wall of the heart (author's transl)]. The Authors report the results of a coronary angiographic study in 12 patients with acute myocardial infarction in which the necrosis was extended to the dorsal wall of the heart. The electrocardiographic and vectorcardiographic criteria applied in order to assess the involvement of the dorsal wall have been those suggested by Perloff and by Hoffman and coll. and Massie and Walsh, respectively. The diagnosis of dorsal involvement has been also confirmed by the esophageal electrocardiogram. Discussing their results, the Authors consider the variants of blood supply of the posterior wall of the heart. On the basis of their angiographic findings, they underline that significant lesions of the circumflex artery, either alone or associated with narrowing of other main coronary arteries, are the most frequent finding in cases of myocardial infarction involving the dorsal wall of the heart.


[Indications and limits in the use of digitalis in chronic cor pulmonale (author's transl)]. The analysis of the haemodymanic responses and the behaviour of many "contractility indices" of the right ventricle -- after acute intravenous injection of large doses of acetil-digoxin, in twelve patients with CPC caused by COLD with predominant clinical signs of emphysema (group A) or bronchitis (group B) -- showed an alarming, although transient, increase of the average pulmonary pressure (PAP), accompanied by rise of pulmonary arteriolar resistanced (RAP), especially in patients of the first group. In these cases a slow and cautious digitalization is required. It furthermore suggested that such treatment should start only after an efficient restoration of ventilation, in order to allow a good response of the heart to cardiocynetic treatment.


Elevation of left ventricular end-diastolic pressure due to decreased myocardial compliance during angina pectoris. The etiology for the increased left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP), which is frequently seen during angina pectoris, remains controversial. Although left ventricular failure may be present, recent evidence suggests that a decrease in myocardial compliance may be involved. The patient reported here developed a rise in LVEDP when angina was precipitated by atrial pacing. Hemodynamic data during and after pacing showed normal left ventricular function and indicates that a decrease in myocardial compliance should have occurred.


Restoration of antibody-forming capacities by PS-K in tumor-bearing mice. PS-K, a protein-bound polysaccharide from a basidiomycetes, was found to suppress tumor growth after grafting of sarcoma-180 or Ehrlich tumor in ICR mice. In the present study, effect of PS-K on antibody-forming capacities was examined in tumor-bearing mice and normal controls. 1) PS-K did not enhance the capacities of normal mice to produce antibodies against sheep erythrocytes (SRBC), hamster erythrocytes (HRBC), and trinitrophenyl group (TNP). 2) The capacities of mice to produce IgG antibody against SRBC, IgM antibody aganist HRBC, and IgG antibody against TNP were depressed after grafting of sarcoma-180. Intraperitoneal injection of PS-K restored these capacities to the normal levels. 3) Oral as well as intraperitoneal administration of PS-K restored the capacity of the mice bearing sarcoma-180 to produce IgG antibody against SRBC. 4) The capacity to produce IgG antibody against SRBC was depressed after grafting of Ehrlick tumor and it recovered to the normal level after intraperitoneal injection of PS-K. These results showed that antibody-fforming capacity of mice was depressed after tumor grafing and recovered after administration of PS-K.


Nucleotide sequence homology between a virus-specific 6S RNA and various RNA species from adenovirus-2-infected KB cells. To investigate the metabolic fate of a 6S RNA (VA-RNA), which appears in human cell lines only after infection with adenovirus, various species of RNA from the cells at different stages of infection were tested for the presence of nucleotide sequence homologous to this RNA. RNA extracted from subvellular fractions of the cells was further fractionated by sucrose gradient centrifugation and analysed by acrylamide gel electrophoresis or by competition against 32P-labeled VA-RNA in hybridization with adenovirus DNA. The results pointed to the following conclusions. (1) VA-RNA is synthesized in the cells throughout the entire period after infections, starting before the onset of viral DNA synthesis. (2) VA-RNA does not participate in protein synthesis as a messenger RNA or a precursor of transfer RNA. (3) The nucleotide sequence homologous to VA-RNA exists as a part of certain species of nuclear high molecular weight RNA in the infected cells.


Urinary excretion of steroids and response to oophorectomy in premenopausal women with advanced breast cancer. Relationship between the urinary excretion of steroids in premenopausal Japaneses patients with advanced breast cancer and their response to oophorectomy was studied. The estrogen fractions were determined by radioimmunoassay and those who responded to oophorectomy showed higher levels of 17 beta-estradiol than the non-responders before surgery. The high levels of urinary 17 beta-estradiol of the responders dropped markedly after oophorectomy. On the contrary, the non-responders showed relatively low levels of urinary excretion of 17 beta-estradiol before oophorectomy and the levels appeared either unchanged or slightly elevated after surgery. No definite relation was found between changes in the urinary excretion of estrone or estriol and the clinical effect of oophorectomy. Excretion of 17-ketosteroids in the responders was lower than that of the non-responders.


Induction of tumors of the urinary bladder in female mice following surgical implantation of glass beads and feeding of bracken fern. The carcinogenic effect of bracken fern (Pteris aquilina) to the urinary bladder of mice was studied. Powdered bracken fern mixed with a basic commercial diet (1:4 by weight) was fed to a group of 40 ICR strain mice for 20 weeks after the implantation of a glass bead into the bladder. A total experimental period was 70 weeks. Fifteen mice survived 40 or more weeks and 4 mice (27%) developed urinary bladder tumors. No urinary bladder tumor was found in the group of mice fed a similar bracken fern diet mixture without a glass bead in their bladder and in the control group of mice fed a normal diet after the implantation of a glass bead. The result of this experiment may indicate that there is a metabolite(s) in the urine of bracken-fed mice carcinogenic to the bladder.


Adjuvant action of garlic sugar solution in animals immunized with Ehrlich ascites tumor cells attenuated with allicin. Ethanol-insoluble components were extracted from fresh garlic with 0.9% NaCl solution containing streptomycin and penicillin. This extract, containing approximately 10% sugar, 0.3% nitrogen, and 0.4% ash, was termed garlic sugar solution. This garlic sugar solution (Medium 1) was used as the suspending medium for Ehrlich ascites tumor cells attenuated with allicin, the main principle of garlic, and 0.9% NaCl solution containing streptomycin and penicillin (Medium 2) was also used as the suspending medium. Mice of DDD strain were immunized with the attenuated tumor cells suspended in Medium 1 or 2. After immunization, the immunized and control mice were challenged intraperitoneally with viable Ehrlich ascites tumorcells. Animals immunized with the attenuated tumor cells suspended in Medium 1 acquired significantly stronger resistance against the tumor cells than animals immunized with those suspended in Medium 2.


Urinary polyamines in patients with gastric cancer and their change after gastrectomy. Urinary polyamines in patients with gastric cancer were determined and changes in their content due to gastrectomy were studied. Total polyamines (spermine plus spermidine) in patients with gastric cancer of either stage II or III decreased significantly after the operation, the mean values before and after operation being 8.35 and 2.71 mg/day, respectively. The mean value of total polyamines in normal cases has been reported to 4.02 +/- 1.35 mg/day, so that the value in these patients after the operation is within the normal range.


Intestinal tumors of rats by gastric or intestinal administration of cycad extract and cycasin. Sprague-Dawley rats were given gastric intubation of cycad extract (group 1), rectal infusion of cycasin (group 2), or rectal indusion of cycad extract after external colostomy at 1/3 proximal portion of the large intestine (group 3). In group 1, intestinal tumors developed in any portion of the intestinal tract ranging from the duodenum to the rectum. In group 2, tumors developed in mucosa of the large intestine. In group 3, however, tumors arose from both sites of intestinal mucosa which were in contact and not in contact directly with the cycad extract infused. Possible hypothesis for intestinal tumor development by cycad extract and cycasin was presented.


[Urographic and cineradiographic follow-up studies in ureteral stenoses following radical pelvic operations (author's transl)]. The results of 19 urographic follow-up studies 6-15 months following vaginal or abdominal radical pelvic operation are reported. Compared to the first follow-up studies 1-7 weeks after the operation which always showed stenosis of the pelvic ureters with various degrees of urinary retention about one half of the cases showed improvement of the stenoses and normalization of the ureteral function later on even when marked urinary retention was found earlier on. Seven cases showed marked improvement. In these seven cases the dynamics of the ureteral function was studied by cineradiography. The results of this investigation are discussed. A deterioration of the urinary retention was observed in only 2 cases. An adverse effect of preoperative or post-operative radiotherapy on the prognosis of ureteral stenosis was not observed.


[A comparison of low dose heparin and oral anticoagulants in the prevention ot thrombo-phlebitis following gynaecological operations (author's transl)]. In a randomized series of patients who underwent gynaecological operations, the prophylactic effect on thrombophlebitis of low dose Heparin was compared to that of oral anti-coagulants. One group (n = 221) received Heparin (Liquemin Roche) subcutaneously in a dosage of 5000 units 2 hours pre-operatively and every 12 hours until the eighth post-operative day. The control group (n = 237) continued to receive the conventional prophylactic medication with Sintrom by mouth from the second post-operative day to complete ambulation keeping the quick test between 20 and 30%. The two groups were more or less identical regarding several risk factors and the following results were obtained: 1. The number of cases of deep thrombophlebitis diagnosed by the I-125-Fibrinogen test was significantly less in the group receiving Heparin than in the group receiving Sintrom. Clinical examination showed the same correlation but only detected 30% of all cases of deep thrombophlebitis. 2. The clinical suspicion of pulmonary embolism was more frequent in the group of patients receiving low dosage Heparin. Most of the symptoms were mild and none of the patients died. 3. During the anti-coagulant treatment the incidence of secondary bleeding was the same in both groups. The prevention of deep thrombophlebitis by low dosage Heparin is a very effective and simple method with few side effects and is superior to the post-operative prophylaxis with oral anti-coagulants.


[Vaginal hysterectomy at the department of gynecology of the university of Graz from 1955 to 1970 (author's transl)]. Report on 2309 vaginal hysterectomies. The leading indication for vaginal hysterectomy was benign disease of the uterus (54.4%). Utero-vaginal prolapse was the indication in approximately 32% of the patients. In 71.1% of the hysterectomies, the vaginal approach for removal of the uterus was selected in malignant and pre-malignant diseases. Of these cases 11.9% had carcinoma in situ and 2.7% had micro-invasive carcinoma of the cervix. 2.6% of these cases had carcinoma of the endometrium. In 69.9% of the cases the vaginal hysterectomy was combined with a colporrhaphy. Previous genital operations or laparotomies where no contra-indication to vaginal hysterectomy. Trauma to the urinary tract or the rectum occurred in 26 cases (1.02%). Post-operatively 3 urinary tract fistulas and 3 rectovaginal fistulas developed. The mortality was 0.51%. Among 272 cases of carcinoma in situ and 62 cases of micro-invasive carcinoma of the cervix treated by vaginal hysterectomy, one case developed a recurrent carcinoma in situ of the vaginal vault eight years after vaginal hysterectomy for carcinoma in situ. One patient treated for micro-invasive carcinoma of the cervix died four years following vaginal hysterectomy in another hospital of suspected pulmonary metastases. The diagnosis was not confirmed by autopsy. Simple total hysterectomy whenever possible by the vaginal approach is at present the maximal treatment in the University Department in Graz for carcinoma in situ and micro-invasive carcinoma of the uterine cervix.


[Critical evaluation of paracervical anaesthesia in obstetrics (personal observations in 8038 cases) (author's transl)]. Between 1966 and 1973 a total of 8038 paracervical blockades (PCB) were performed at the Rhine State Women's Hospital in Wuppertal. In recent years the preparation normally used has been Bupivacain (Carbostesin) with adrenalin, 5 ml being injected paracervically. This results in complete analgesia in over 90% of cases. The incidence of forceps deliveries in the PCB group (19%) was higher, while the number of cesarean sections did not increase. Typical PCB-related bradycardias were observed in 6.9% of cases. Taking other forms of bradycardia into account-mainly reduced Dip II-a change in fetal cardiac action was seen in 12% of cases altogether. In 1973 there may have been a causal connection between PCB and postpartum infant death in 2 cases. In cases of acute bradycardia following PCB, intra-uterine reanimation, e.g. with Th 1165 a (Partutisten) under circulation control is recommended. Considering perinatal risks, especially those recognizable cardiotokodynagraphically, paracervical anesthesia is judged to be a suitable method of facilitating birth.


[Breast feeding and the relationship between mother and infant (author's transl)]. The attitude of 345 maternity patients to nursing was explored by a questionnaire. Psychological and sociological data were taken into account. 4/5 of the women expected that breast feeding would enhance the relationship between mother and infant. The least enhancing effect was expected by women under the age of 20 (S 5%). Knowledge on breast feeding was the most important factor governing the attitude toward nursing. The less women knew on breast feeding the rarer did they expect that nursing would be of importance for the relationship between mother and child (S 1%). Uninformed women often had the anxiety that breast feeding was not sufficient to nourish an infant (S 1%). Women who did not think that breast feeding was of importance in the relationship between mother and infant did also not think that it had other advantages such as protection against infection (S 1%). Women who had frequent so-called psychosomatic complaints were especially motivated in favor of breast feeding (S 1%).


[The problem of ovarian cancer after preceding gynaecological operations. Case report with special reference to endometriosis (author's transl)]. 5 cases of ovarian cancer following hysterectomy are presented. Prophylactic salpingo-oophorectomy is discussed. After age 45, a prophylactic salpingo-oophorectomy should be performed. After age 50, the ovaries should always be removed along with a hysterectomy. A case of ovarian adeno-carcinoma in the right parametrium two years following radical surgery for wide spread endometriosis is described in detail.


[The so-called pure gonadal dysgenesis (author's transl)]. 4 cases of pure gonadal dysgenesis are reported, their phenotype, karyotype and the histology of the rudimentary gonads are described. There were 3 cases with a 46/XY-karyotype and 1 case with a 46/XX/45/X-karotype. In the 2 cases with a 46/XY-karyotype gonadal dysgenesis, a gonadoblastoma was found. It is therefore recommended that the rudimentary gonads should be removed in cases of pure gonadal dysgenesis of the XY-type.


[Cystitic duplication of the intestine presenting with the clinical diagnosis of ovarian tumor (author's transl)]. Under the clinical preoperative diagnosis of mobile ovarian tumor, a laparotomy was done on a 24 month old female. The pyelogram had shown lateral displacement of the right ureter. The colon X-ray showed displacement of the cecum towards the liver. The ultrasound scan showed a unilocular cyst of 23 cm. diameter. At laparotomy a cystic duplication of the intestine in the iliocecal region of 23 cm. diameter was found and resected. The microscopic examination showed extensive benign metaplasia of the epithelium in association with a normal intestinal wall in all layers.


The effects of identifying objects on a concept-matching task performed by four preschool groups. Subjects for the present study were 20 retarded, 20 brain-injuried, 20 normal, and 20 disadvantaged children equated for average MA of 4 years 10 months. The study focused on a Concept-Matching task that required subjects to match an index object to one within a multiple-choice array on the basis of function or class. Materials were controlled so that this choice had a conceptual, rather than perceptual, base. Subjects were required to identify objects before proceeding to the Concept-Matching task. It was assumed that Identification responses served as mediators for the Concept-Matching task. Materials consisted of 84 common objects and a duplicate set of drawings. One set of hypotheses predicted that all groups would be hampered by the two-dimensional format for both the Identification and Concept-Matching tasks. A second set of hypotheses pertained to the correlation between Identification and Concept-Matching responses. They predicted (a) significant correlations between Identification and Concept-Matching scores for all groups; (b) a rank order for these correlations as follows: brain-injured greater than normals greater than disadvantaged greater than retardates. Hypotheses dealing with format were confirmed with two exceptions: the retarded and the brain-injured did equally well on the Concept-Matching task in either format. Data concerned with correlations were significant and followed the predicted rank order in the case of three groups: the retarded, disadvantaged, and brain-injured. Results were interpreted in the light of two interrelated theories that emerged from the study: a mediational pattern theory and a coping response theory.


Social class and preschool language skill. I. Introduction. This series of studies concerns the relative validity of two explanations of why children of parents of poverty do poorly in school. Both explanations assume that nearly all children have the genetic potential to learn what the schools attempt to teach. One holds that children, and especially the black children, of poverty are in no way deficient in cognitive and linguistic skills. They fail merely because they enter school with a dialect differing from standard English. This complicates the task of learning to read in standard English. The other view holds that the rearing conditions in families of poverty limit the number and variety of objects and places and action models with which the poor child becomes acquainted during his infancy and preschool years, resulting in a cognitive deficit. These conditions also hamper the poor child's acquisition of phonemic symbols for objects and places and the relationships among them, resulting in a deficit in semantic mastery. This series of studies employs several strategies of investigation. This paper indicates their nature. It also describes in some detail the economic and educational characteristics of the parents of the two sets of children examined.


Social class and preschool language skill: II. semantic mastery of color information. The four-year-old children of Head Start (two-year-classes of 90 for 1969-71 and 72 for 1971-72) performed on a test of perceptual identification approximately as well as four-year-old nursery-school children of parents predominantly of college background. On the other hand, only 28.9% and 19.4% of the children of Head Start, as compared with 87.9% and 90.2% of the children of the nursery-school pointed correctly to all six of the blocks when the examiner named the colors. Also, only 25.6% and 23.6% of those of Head Start, as compared with 81.8% and 76.5% of those of the nursery school, named the colors of all six blocks as they were designated by the examiners. Sex differences and race differences, except in the case of brown, among the children of Head Start were negligible and not significant. Somewhat more children showed semantic mastery for the warn colors, orange and red, than for the cool colors, blue and green. The finding of a deficiency in semantic mastery for such an elementary abstraction as color is highly dissonant with the contention of many students of sociological linguistics that children of poverty, and especially black children of poverty, are without cognitive or linguistic deficit, and that they fail in school only because they use a dialect differing from standard English. The finding is quite consonant with the contention that children of poverty do have a cognitive and linguistic deficit which may, and probably does, derive from the rearing conditions in their homes during the preschool years.


Social class and preschool language skill: III. Semantic mastery of position information. The four-year-old children of Head Start (two-year-classes of 90 for 1970-71 and 67 for 1971-72) performed on a test of perceptual identification of a sample of six positions approximately as well as did four-year-olds of parents with predominantly college backgrounds. On the other hand, only 22% and 16% of those of Head Start as compared with 70% and 67% of those of the nursery school placed blocks in all six positions that they heard the examiner name, and only 12% and 9% of the former as compared with 45.5% and 44.9% of the latter gave appropriate names for all the six positions designated by the examiner. Sex differences and differences between black and white children of Head Start were negligible and not significant. Somewhat more children of both Head Start and the nursery school showed semantic mastery based on both heard and spoken identification for positions based on body-object relations (in, on, and under) than for those based on object-object relations (in fromt of, between, and in back of). The fact that the children of Head Start perform so much less well than those of the nursery school on the test semantic mastery for position information is highly dissonant with the contention that children of poverty are without either cognitive or linguistic deficit, but quite consonant with the contention that they suffer a deficit that may well and probably does result from the rearing conditions in their homes during the preschool years.


Assessment of iron stores in old people. Iron deficiency is the commonest cause of anaemia in the old. Anaemia is a useful indicator of morbidity, occurring much more frequently in individuals referred to hospital. Isolated serum iron estimations are often misleading. A study of 34 cases in whom serum iron, iron-binding capacity and bone marrow were examined showed that the percentage saturation of the binding capacity remains a good method of assessing iron stores.