[Solving of simple problems by a fish (free water experiments with Balistes fuscus)]. The problem-solving behaviour of Balistes fuscus was investigated in the Red Sea by under-water observation of three tame animals. The foraging behaviour of Balistes is adapted to moving objects aside with the mouth to get at hidden prey. In test problem situations with familiar objects, obstacles were deliberately and expediently removed in order to reach the prey (sea urchins). In test situations with unfamiliar objects (flat lid, glass cylinder: Fig. 2) it was also evident that the animals have a grasp of spatial connections and can solve arranged problems forthwith. If a once-solved problem is again presented the successful action sequence unwinds very quickly in the new situation. Modified tests for delayed action show that Balistes can retain short-term information for up to about 3 mins. The analysis of behavioural sequences makes it probable that, according to the criteria of Yerkes and Hassenstein, we are dealing with problem-solving behaviour guided by regrouping of engrams. The behaviour is interpreted as ecologically occasioned adaptation to an intensely structured habitat. The solving of problems by the moving of environmental objects seems to have evolved, in vertebrates, in interaction with their habitat, and independently of their systematic position.


[The circannual rhythm of reproductive activity in the starling (Sturnus vulgaris) under the influence of homosexual and heterosexual mates of the same species]. 1. 30 European starlings, kept for 20 months under a constant 12-hour photoperiod and at constant temperature, were investigated at regular monthly intervals with regard to the state of gonadal development, bill coloration and moult. 8 male male lived in individual cages (group 1), 10 male male were housed together in a group cage (group 2), and 6 male male lived together with 6 female female in another group cage (group 3). All birds had acoustical contact with each other. In addition, the birds of groups 2 and 3 could see one another. 2. In all male male the testes regressed following the beginning of the experiment in April. Subsequently they carried out a complete postnuptial moult. In the following spring, all male male went through a full cycle of testicular size which was followed by a second postnuptial moult. The bills of all birds turned yellow as the testes grew and blackened as the testes regressed (fig. 1).--Most of the female female showed similar circannual rhythms of gonadal growth and regression, bill coloration and moult (fig. 2). 3. In 6 male male of groups 1 and 2, a small increase of testicular size was observed subsequent to the termination of the first postnuptial moult. This transient testicular activity most probably corresponds to the autumnal sexual activity known from freeliving starlings. Hence, these results suggest that both spring and autumnal sexual activity of the starling are endogenously preprogrammed. 4. The testes of most male male of group 3 developed to full size immediately after the termination of the first postnuptial moult; subsequently they remained active for at least 7 months. This observation suggests that stimuli emitted by the female female augment the endogenously preprogrammed readiness for autumnal sexual activity and prevent the subsequent testicular regression. It is concluded that exogenous factors from the social environment are capable of modifying the endogenous annual pattern of testicular function in the starling.


Obervations on a population of Bohor Reedbuck, Redunca redunca (Pallas 1767). From 1967 to 1969 the age and sex composition of Bohor Reedbuck groups encountered randomly in the Serengeti region had been recorded. In September and October 1972 the composition of the complete population in an area of about 2,5 km2 and the behaviour of the animals relevant to their social and spatial organization was recorded. 1. Of the 41 animals representing a density of 16 animals/km2, 56% were female female, 49% adult, 29% subadult and 22% immature animals. 2. Adult female female lived on their own -- together with their immature offspring, at most one fawn of either sex and one female of up to subadult age, the previous fawn -- inoverlapping home ranges of 15 to 40 ha. The subadult female female started to develop a home range in parts different from that of their mothers. 3. The ranges of 1 to 5 mature (subadult + adult) female female were defended by the same adult buck, their common ranges thus becoming a territorial area of 25 to 60 ha. The animals of one such area sometimes moved together for some hours, rarely days. 4. The territorial buck defended the territorial area only if female female were near. 5. The home ranges of female female who were defended by different bucks overlapped but much less than those of the female female of the same buck. 6. The territorial bucks chased male fawns off before they reached maturity (before the tips of their spike-like horns started to bend forward). The female fawns stayed in the territorial area. 7. 56% of the adult male male were territorial (26% of all male male), no subadult male was territorial. 8. Immature, subadult and the nonterritorial adult male male lived between the territorial areas in bachelor areas, in one case 6 bucks on 48 ha. Although the bachelor bucks did not defend their range its boundary line was set by the neighbouring territorial areas. The social and spatial organization of the Bohor Reedbuck is compared with that of the Southern Reedbuck (Jungius 1970, 1971). The social and spatial organization of the 3 Redunca species is compared with that of the other Reduncinae species.


[Changes of various organs in joint diseases]. In a review of organic changes of rheumatic diseases the more important changes of skeletal musculature, gastro-intestinal apparatus, kidneys, blood vessels and eyes are discussed. The paper is based upon investigations, publications and post-graduate activities of the Rheumatism Research Institute of Prague.


[Comparative studies by the electron microscope of rhabdoviruses of plant and of animal origin. III. Egtved virus (VHS) of the rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) and rickettsia-like organisms (author's transl)]. With the exception of isolates from blood and homogenates of diseased fish, the presence of Egtved virus (=VHS, viral haemorrhagic septicemia of the rainbow trout) could not yet be demonstrated directly in host organs by electron microscopy, although recently, antigen has been identified in a number of organs by means of fluorescent microscopy. Demonstration of virus from organ extracts by means of a permanent cell culture from a coldblooded animal: Salmo gairdneri (RTG-2) as described in the present paper does not allow for a clear conclusion as to the presence of virus within organ cells. Egtved virus was studied in various organs (brain, heart, liver, kidneys, spleen, gills) of naturally and artificially infected trouts. Virus could not be demonstrated by electron microscopy in any of the organ sections. However, in RTG-2 cell cultures infected by organ extracts from naturally diseased trouts, a clear cytopathogenic effect could be observed in the 1st passage at + 15 degrees C after 48-72 hours and virus demonstrated by electron microscopy (Table, Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4). Both in organ sections (heart, kidney, spleen, and gills) from diseased trout and in RTG-2 cells infected with organ extracts, additional organisms were observed which on account of their ultrastructure could be classified as rickettsia (Table, Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9). On account of the fact that these organisms were found in the organs of trout infected with Egtved virus and which partially died in great numbers, a pathogenic behaviour of these organisms is suggested. It has not yet been clarified whether they have any influence on the course of the viral infection or temporary mass dying of rainbow trout when kept in hatcheries.


[Sterility control: basic mathematical considerations (author's transl)]. The subject of control of sterility in homogenous lots by means of random sampling is discussed. The probability that non-sterile lots may be declared as accepted, was calculated by means of hypergeometric, binomial, and Poisson distribution. The following factors were considered: size of samples, size of lots, and degree of contamination of lots. The values obtained were reproduced in graphs (Figs. 1, 2, and 4). Reference is made to the conditions that have to be met in each case to enable a use of the various distribution functions for a calculation of the acceptance probability of non-sterile lots (Table 1). Furthermore, the necessary size of samples to contain at least one contaminated unit was calculated by means of binomial distribution for probabilities of 90, 95, and 99% (Fig. 3). For example, from a lot having a degree of contamination of 10%, 30 units would have to be assayed for sterility to recognize non-sterility of such a lot in 95% of cases. A degree of contamination of 1% would reguire already 300 units to be examined...


Sensitivity of eels (Anguilla anguilla) and carp (Cyprinus carpio) to type C and E botulinum toxin. This study has shown for the first time that fish such as eels (Anguilla anguilla L.) and carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) are sensitive to type E botulinum toxin. With oral administration the MLD for eels was 27.500 mouse LD50 per kg body weight, while for carp it was only 236 mouse LD50 per kg. Carp were also found to be sensitive to a slight degree to type C botulinum toxin, the MLD of the most virulent toxin of this type being 457,000 mouse LD50 per kg with oral administration. Eels, however, showed no sensitivity to type C toxin.


[The etiology structure of the leptospiroses in Bulgaria (author's transl)]. In the course of many years the authors have studied the etiological structure of the leptospiroses in Bulgaria and have typed a significant number of leptospira strains isolated from humans and animals. The strains have been isolated by the authors themselves for the most part, while some others have been received from other laboratories in the country. The contributions of other authors in this field have been taken into consideration. In identifying these strains use has been made of the methods of the cross agglutination-lysis reaction and the cross absorption according to Schüffner and Bohlander, while in typing the strains from the Icterohaemorrhagiae and Australis serogroups there have been applied also factor sera according to the method of KMETY. The presence of the following serotypes has been established in Bulgaria: L. icterohaemorrhagiae, L. copenhageni, L. sofia, L. canicola, L. bulgarica, L. srebarna, L. lora, L. jalna, L. bratislava, L. pomona, L. mozdok, L. tsaratsovo, L. sejroe, L. balcanica, L. saxkoebing, L. mini, L. batabiae, L. tarassovi. Three of these serotypes, namely, L. sofia (874) L. bulgarica (Nikolaevo) and L. balcanica (1627 Burgas), have been isolated for the first time in Bulgaria, accepted as independent serotypes, and included as such in the International Classification Scheme of the Leptospirae. The serotypes srebarna and tsaratsovo have recently been established by MANEV as independent Bulgarian serotypes, but they have not yet been accepted internationally as such, since no control has been carried out by other reference laboratories.


[Susceptibility to tetracycline and doxycycline of 80 strains of Bacteroides fragilis, B, thetaiotaomicron, and B. vulgatus mostly isolated in 1973/74 (author's transl)]. Recent studies by several authors suggested that Bacteroides fragilis and related species are becoming more resistant to tetracyclines. Therefore, the minimal inhibitory concentrations of tetracycline and doxycycline were determined by broth dilution tests for a total of 80 Bacteroides strains (56 B. fragilis, 15 B. thetaiotaomicron, 9 B. vulgatus), 70 of which had been isolated from clinical specimens during 1973/74. Using initial concentrations of 1 x 10(8) organisms per mo of thioglycolate broth the MIC were determined after 5 hr of incubation. Thus the influence of thermal inactivation of tetracycline compounds on the results obtained was minimized. Tetracycline at less than 0.00075 through 12.5 mug/ml was active against 79 strains. The MIC of one strain, a member of B. fragilis, was 50 mug tetracycline/ml. At 1.56 mug doxycycline/ml the cumulative percentage of sensitive strains was 97,5. The MIC of only 2 Bacteroides cultures was 3.12 mug doxycycline/ml. Taking account of the relatively high initial concentrations of test organisms, the results obtained may be estimated at the quotient of 1/4 as representative of the usual inoculum of 10(6) organisms/ml. Accordingly, 79 and 80 strains, respectively, may be considered to be sensitive to tetracycline and doxycycline in clinically achievable levels.


Feathery outbrusts of the colonies of Clostridium sporogenes containing chain forming mutants after ultraviolet irradiation. Cl. sporogenes NCTC 532 was irradiated with UV light, 20 mins. irradiated colonies after initial 48 hours incubation at 37 degrees C and 10-20 days ageing at room temperature (22 to 25 degrees C), gave rise to feathery outbrusts. The material from these outbursts grew in long chains in fluid media. A pure chain - forming culture could not be obtained as the single cells or pairs always "contaminated" the chain - forming culture.


Drying and irradiation of calf and horse serum. I. Influence on the growth of cell cultures and mycoplasmas. Gamma-irradiation of liquid and dried calf sera with 2.5 Mrads did not affect their capacity to promote the growth of chick embryo, L cell and human embryonic lung cell cultures. Drying and gamma-irradiation of horsesera did not affect their capacity to support the growth of 3 mycoplasma of the species Acholeplasma laidawii and Mycoplasma bovigenitalium.


Drying and irradiation of calf and horse serum. II. Influence on mycoplasma content of the calf sera. Drying of calf sera produced only a negligible change in their content of Acholeplasma laidlawii organisms and reduced the content of Mycoplasma arginini organisms by 2 to 4 logs. Gamma-irradiation of liquid and dried calf sera killed M. arginini and A. laidlawii organisms at irradiation levels of 0.2-0.3 and 0.4-0.6 Mrads, respectively.


[Influence of whole-body irradiation with 60Co on poly I:C induced interferon in mice (author's transl)]. After whole-body irradiation with 200, 900 und 1500 R on mice Poly I:C induced serum interferon was decreased. 24 and 48 hours p.r. the interferon-synthesis in the three irradiated groups was considerably reduced. Increasing interferon-titer-yet lower than those of not irradiated controls - were found after Poly I:C application 3, 4 and 5 days p.r. in the groups irradiated with 200 and 900 R. In these two groups a relationship between irradiation-dose and interferon-synthesis was recognized.


[Studies on simian viruses as possible contaminants of inactivated virus vaccines. I. Direct and serologic detection of simian adenovirus SV20 (author's transl)]. In the Federal Republic of Germany inactivated vaccines against poliomyelitis and measles are still produced in monkey kidney cell cultures which may be contaminated by simian viruses. One of these viruses is the oncogenic adenovirus SV20. A control of monkey sera from the institute's monkey house showed a high incidence of hemagglutination-inhibiting and neutralizing antibodies against this virus (table 1). Experimentally could be demonstrated that inactivated virus vaccines may be contaminated with SV20 antigen. Vero cells were infected at the time of their seeding with small doses of SV20. After 7 and 14 days CPE and hemagglutinin were frequently undetectable although infectivity could be shown by passages (table 2). Vaccines experimentally contaminated with SV20 were injected into guinea-pigs or rabbits (tables 3-6). In this way small amounts of the contaminating virus antigen could be detected by demonstrating neutralizing and hemagglutination-inhibiting antibodies. It is suggested to include passages of control cultures and of the virus harvest, after neutralization of the vaccine virus, for the control of virulent extraneous viruses. Alternatively to the last suggestion high amounts already inactivated virus pools could be inoculated into animals for the detection of antibodies against extraneous virus antigens. These controls are necessary until inactivated virus vaccines will be produced in safer substrates.


[Changes in affinity to mucoprotein receptors of influenza A2-strains after mouse adaptation (author's transl)]. The aim of the study was to establish the relationship between mouse-virulence and affinity of influenza A2-viruses to certain naturally occurring mucoprotein receptor substances. Mouse adaptation of 4 egg adapted cloned H2N2-strains, sensitive to RDE-resistant horse serum inhibitor (PSI), and RDE-sensitive chick serum inhibitor (HSI) in the haemagglutination inhibition and neutralisation test (E+-strains) resulted in mouse virulent strains with diminished PSI-sensitivity (M+-strains, (Table 2). Sensitivity to HSI and to the RDE sensitive fraction of PSI was comparatively less affected (Tables 3, 4). In contrast to the original egg-adapted strains there were only minor differences in inhibitor sensitivity between different M+-strains (Tables 2, 3). 4 mouse virulent strains, derived from 3 egg-adapted strains resistant to PSI and HSI (E--strains), either remained unchanged (2) or gained inhibitor sensitivity (2), (Tables 2, 3). Mouse adapted strains resistant to HSI and PSI could also be selected from M+-strains by passage with PSI in embryonated eggs. In general, properties related to mucoprotein affinity of these strains correspond to those of M--strains derived from E--strains. During selection of M--strains by passage with PSI, strains insensitive to PSI but with considerable residual sensitivity to HSI were encountered (Tables 5, 6). Evidence is presented, that strains of intermediate sensitivity can consist of essentially homogenous populations (Figure 1). While egg adapted inhibitor-sensitive strains showed a high, insensitive strains a low affinity to the human erythrocyte membrane, the reverse was true for mouse adapted strains (Figure 2, Talbes 7, 8). On the other hand all inhibitor-insensitive strains proved to have a higher affinity to the mouse and bovine erythrocyte membrane than sensitive strains (Table 9). PSI-sensitivity of one PSI-sensitivity of one PSI-sensitive Hong Kong/1/68 (H3N2)-strain did not change during mouse adaptation. In a second line, passed in suckling mice, PSI-sensitivity decreased below HSI-sensitivity. Changes in respect to erythrocyte affinity were similar to those of H2-strains.


[On the antigenicity of influenza virus aluminum oxide adjuvant vaccine "Alorbat" in man (author's transl)]. The antihemagglutinin (AH) and antineuraminidase (AN) antibody response in 35 humans to a single vaccination with the aluminum oxide adsorbed influenza virus vaccine "Alorbat" was investigated. The vaccine contained the strains A/Hong Kong/1/68 (H3N2), A/Hong Kong/107/71 (H3N2), A/England/42/72 (H3N2) and B/Iowa/1/69. the rates of significant AH antibody titer increase ranged from 51 percent (against A/Hong Kong/68), 69 (against A/Hong Kong/71), 63 (against A/England/72) to 83 percent (against B/Iowa/69). Persons with high prevaccination titers failed to yield postvaccination antibody titer increase (table 1). Antibody titer increase measured against the neuraminidase of A/England/72 virus was recorded in 60 percent and against the neuraminidase of B/Iowa/69 virus in 31 percent (table 2). Using the neuraminidase of the recombinant strain (A/Bel/42 (H0)-A/Sing/57 (NS) as test antigen a significant titer increase in 32 percent of sera tested was found (table 2). The AN antibody titers against A/England/72 exceeded the titers against the A/Bel-A/Sing recombinant 3,67-5,42 fold. This finding was shown to be caused by additional reaction of anti-H3 antibody with A/England/72 virus resulting in steric hindrance of neuraminidase activity.


Functional significance of neuraminidase in the replication cycle of influenza viruses. An influenza A strain with temperature sensitive neuraminidase was used for investigation of the functional significance of neuraminidase in different stages of the replication cycle. Heat inactivation of the neuraminidase does not diminish infectivity. Therefore, neuraminidase is not necessary for adsorption, penetration, and uncoating. At temperatures which inhibited neuraminidase activity there was also a reduction of intracellular haemagglutinin production but based on observations with a recombinant strain this was considered to be the consequence of a separate ts defect. Using quantitative haemadsorption to determine virus-dependent alteration of the cellular membrane no evidence was found that neuraminidase is involved in this process. However, release of haemagglutinin was considerably reduced if neuraminidase activity was diminished by temperature elevation. This function of the enzyme in the latest stage of the replication cycle can be substituted by V. cholerae neuraminidase.


[Separation of morphological types of hepatitis B-antigen (author's transl)]. Hepatitis B Antigen from plasma of a healthy chronic carrier was separated by gel chromatography using 6% agarose gel into fractions with different size (Fig. 1). Single fractions were further purified by isopycnic centrifugation in CsCl (Fig. 2) and characterized by electron microscopy (Fig. 3). The amount of the different particle groups was determined comparing the extinction peaks in the centrifugates (Table 1). 88% of antigen protein was located in the 18 to 25 nm spheres (Fig. 3a), 10% in tubules with a length between 30 and 100 nm and about 2% form tubules 100-200 nm long (Fig. 3b and 3c). Together with the tubules were found 40 nm spheres representing about 0,1% of the HBAg-substance (Dane paticles, Fig. 3d). The proportion of the larger antigen particle seems to be absent or very low in acute Hepatitis B patients, but is frequently found in chronic carriers.


[Antibodies against hepatitis B (surface) antigen in patients with hepatitis and other groups of epidemiologic interest (author's transl)]. Sera of patients with hepatitis A and B and of patients in a hemodialysis unit as well as sera of drug addicts were examined for the presence of antibodies against hepatitis B (surface) antigen (HBsAg) employing the Ausab test - a new radioimmunoassay. In 79.3% of the hepatitis B patients the occurrence of antibodies against HBsAg (anti-HBsAg) was noted after the HBsAg had disappeared. In hepatitis A patients anti-HBsAg could be detected in 15.5% (adults) and in 4.6% (children) respectively. These antibodies persisted over an observation period up to 15 months and were not connected with the apparent illness at the time of the examination. These results are rather an indication of the frequency of antibodies against HBsAg in the normal population. In two patients with hepatitis A a delayed antibody reaction similar to that seen in hepatitis B patients was observed though HBsAg could not be detected (Ausria 125 test). It is assumed that these patients suffered from hepatitis B which on the basis of the negative HBsAg status was diagnosed as hepatitis A. According to that observation not all cases of HBsAg negative hepatitis are necessarily of type A but occasionally of type B not detectable by means of HBsAg assay at that time. Drug addicts without hepatitis at the time of investigation showed 50.8% anti-HBsAg, in 24.3% HBsAg was detected by means of the Ausria 125 test. In 19 drug addicts with positive antigen or antibody status a history of hepatitis was established. Patients of the hemodialysis unit were found to be HBsAg carriers in 9.2% and anti-HBsAg carriers in 53.5%. The data obtained from drug addicts and dialysis patients point to a high risk of infection in both groups and to a frequent contact with HBsAg (booster) in dialysis units. The combined application of sensitive tests for the detection of antigen and antibodies (radioimmunoassays) with regard to epidemiological and anamnestic studies is recomended.


[Bacteriophages from micrococci (author's transl)]. Using 14 indicator strains we investigated the possibilities of isolation of bacteriophages from micrococci (two strains of M. luteus, three strains of M. varians and one strain of M. roseus). Three phages were released after mitomycin C-induction, four phages after UV-rays-induction. These seven strains seem to be the first known bacteriophages, which were released from naturally lysogenic micrococci. Induction experiments with beta-propiolacton and dimethylsulfate as well as tests of spontaneous lysogeny produced only negative results.


Investigation of the role of Vi antibodies and antibodies of IgA type in the low specific bactericidal activity of the serum in typhoid carriers. Absorption of sera of typhoid carriers with Vi antigen resulting in the decrease of gamma A antibodies led to a significant increase in the specific bactericidal activity of the serum. On the basis of these findings the authors discuss the origin and the cause of the low values of this activity in sera of typhoid carriers and the possible meaning of this phenomenon in the pathogenesis of typhoid carriership.


Untraditional glucose fermenting actinomycetes as human pathogens. Part I: Actinomyces naselundii as a cause of abdominal actinomycosis. Actinomyces naeslundii was proved as a primary pathogen in the case of a fulminant abdominal infection of a 74 aged woman. The preliminary diagnosis of actinomycosis based on direct microscopical findings of microgranules in the pus was confirmed by the results of cultivation and casuistry in addition. The case was of a typical course for actinomycosis and penicillin following surgery was of life saving effect for the patient who was dismissed asymptomatic after 55 days of hospitalization. Actinomycotic microgranules were demonstrated in the pus from the natural infection and from experimentally infected mice and the causative agent Actinomyces naeslundii TR 91/67 was defined. Nevertheless it was concluded that the judgment of the pathogenicity of Actinomyces naeslundii and of the other members of the heterogenous group of etiological agents of human actinomycosis still remains a matter of delicacy in any actual case of their isolation. In practice however, the presumption of actinomycotic etiology of an actual infection may be supported in retrospect by the dramatical effect of penicillin without regard to the presence of concomitant microflora not necessarily sensitive to penicillin.


[The result-sequence method (sequence analysis) in leptospira research. 3. Communication: The bilateral sequential test (de Boer, Armitage) for testing the difference of mean values of two binomial distributions (author's transl)]. The influence of the liver-activated and non-activated cytostatic drug Cyclophosphamid on the respiration of Leptospira biflexa semaranga Veldrat S 173 was tested in three different concentrations by group-sequential testing of two relative frequencies in a two-sided test-reading. The conditioned probability theta = 0.82 results from thetan = 0.40 and thetaa = 0.75. On account of a practicable sample size, we choose theta' = 0.80 (activated form superior) and theta'' = 0.20 (non-activated form superior). The test-adjusted level of significance is alpha = 0.05 less than beta = 0.10. The expected values for the number of discordant pairs are Etheta' = Etheta'' = 13, Etheta = 1/1 = 14 and Ethetamax = 16. The acceptance inspection performed by control chart and tabulated reference figures results - in comparison with conventional procedures - in savings of discordant pairs of 65 per cent (concentration 10(-4) g/ml) in a decision in favour of activated form, of 65 per cent (concentration 10(-8) g/ml) in an equal efficiency of both states of Cyclophosphamid and of 10 per cent (concentration 10(-11) g/ml) in a non-significant difference. Taking into consideration all unrestrictedly selected pairs, the duration of the experiment takes only 4.25 months instead of 6.75 if the statistical data analysis is not performed conventionally, but group-sequentially instead.


[Occurrence of neuraminidase in Sporothrix schenckii and Ceratocystis stenoceras and its role in ecology and pathomechanism of these fungi (author's transl)]. Some strains of Sporothrix schenckii and one strain of Ceratocystis stenoceras were investigated and the occurrence of the enzyme neuraminidase (= sialidase, N-acetylneuraminate glycohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.18) was proved not only by Warren's thiobarbituric acid assay but also by immunoelectrophoresis technique using monospecific antisera against 25 human glycoproteins, lipoproteins, immunoglobulins, fibrinogen and some other proteins (Table 1). There are also fibrinolytic and lipolytic enzyme activities in strains of Sporothrix chenckii corresponding with similar findings of other authors and also in the Ceratocystis stenoceras strain. The temperature optimum of production of neuraminidase seems to be lower than 37 degrees C (Table 2) and all strains failed to produce the enzyme after cultivation at 37 degrees C during some months. The findings of the existence of neuraminidase in the both species confirm also their close relationship. Because the occurrence of N-acylneuraminate was shown only in animals and in some microorganisms but not in plants it can be suggested that also Sporothrix schenckii and Ceratocystis stenoceras grow on animal or neuraminate containing microbial material but not on plants as it is assumed hitherto. Corresponding to this hypothesis the pathogenicity of Sporothrix schenckii and also the facultative pathogenicity of Ceratocystis stenoceras are to see in connexion with the action of neuraminidase and other enzymes metabolizing animal substrates. It can be concluded that neuraminidase is a possible additional pathogenic factor in sporotrichosis below 37 degrees C.


[Epileptic status in hemorrhage into the brain in hypertension]. The authors present a clinico-anatomical correlation of 3 cases with an epileptical status developing in the acute period of a hemorrhage stroke of hypertensive disease. The morphological examination, beside new hemorrhages in the hemisphere, revealed preceding focal and diffuse changes in the brain matter, due to a severe development of the hypertensive disease, brain traumas and disorders of brain circulation. It was established that the epileptical status appearing for the first time during the acute period of brain hemorrhages, has a complex mechanism. One of the conditions of its development is preceding focal and diffuse brain changes. Hemorrhages with oedema is a precipitating factor for a convulsive readiness of the brain.


[Electroencephalography in organic and functional cerebrovascular disorders at a young age]. The paper summarizes the results of a quantitative analysis of the EEG in 106 patients under 45 years. Among these patients 32 had cerebro-vascular paroxysms of a functional angiodystonic character and 74 with mild initial signs of organic vascular lesions of the brain. The authors give a detailed analysis of statistically significant changes in the EEG picture in both groups of the patients.


[Neurological and electromyographic data in acute pneumonias]. The report contains an analysis of EMG studies of the main and auxilliary respiratory muscles in 47 patients with acute pneumonia. It was shown that there is a certain correlation between the character of the EMG, the severity and localization of pneumonia from the prevalent lesion of the different parts of the nervous system. In the pathogenesis of the depicted changes of bioelectrical activity in the respiratory muscles in acute pneumonia a certain significance can be allocated to changes in the functional state of the segmentary apparatus of the spinal cord, innervating the respiratory muscles. This in its turn is related to disorders in the suprasegmental influences stemming from the respiratory center, disturbances of the corticospinal, reticulo-spinal connections with pathological interoreceptive irritation from the affected lungs. It was also shown that insufficiency of the functional state of respiratory muscles, revealed both clinically and electromiographically, may lead to a secondary lung hypo-ventilation and be the reason for future development of hypoxic states.


[Cerebral hemodynamics in disseminated sclerosis (clinical rheoencephalographic correltaions)]. In 119 patients with disseminated sclerosis and 43 normals of the same age, the authors conducted a comparative rheographic study of the state of circulation in the basins of the internal and external carotid arteries and in the vertebro-basillar system. The data permitted to conclude that there was a correlation between the expressiveness of decreased pulse blood repletion of cerebral vessels (especially in the vertebro-basillar system) and the character of a changed vascular tone depending upon the localization of the pathological process. The results of the studies indicate to a necessity of a pathogenetical treatment with reparation directed towards a normalization of cerebral hemodynamics.


[Effectiveness of the complex therapy using physical factors of patients with spinal cord injuries]. It is demonstrated that a trauma of the spine with a damage of the spinal cord in the thoracal area leads to an increase in the tone of the sympathical and parasympathical part of the vegetative nervous system and arterial tone of the affected extremities. In a multiple treatment by physical factors in most of the patients the author found a correlation between the clinical picture and a subsequent increase in the tone of the sympathical part of the vegetative nervous system and arterial tone of the legs.


[Differential diagnostic signs of single and multiple metastases of cancer to the brain]. In 138 patients 81 had multiple cancer metastasis into the brain and 57 -- singular. The main significance for the differentiation of singular or multiple cancer metastasis of the brain are clinical signs. Singular metastasis attaining a significant size may be expressed in monofocal symptomatology. In a small number (2 or 3) of metastasis there is usually a well expressed multifocal neurological symptomatology, inasmuch as they also attain a rather large size and are frequently located in both hemispheres or supra- and subtentorially. In a large amount of metastases, although they are small, they involve different parts of the hemispheres and consequently mental changes become more expressed. Hypertensive and focal symptoms are slightly expressed or may be absent altogether. For purposes of differentiating singular or multiple foci of special importance may be contrast methods of investigation (carotid angigoraphy) and EEG.


[Possibilities and limits of the psychopathological delimitation of psychoses]. On the basis of the analysis of delusional psychoses the author assumes that diagnosis of schizophrenia is justified only if there is a dissociative process which is the most typical for dementia praecox in the Kraepelinian sense and is revealed in delusional or autistic types of existence. Psychoses where a disssociative process is not established (for example, hysterical psychosis) do not belong to schizophrenia. The determination of a dissociative process is important not only for psychopathological research, but biological and psychogenetical one as well.


[Psychic alienation, a main link in the formation of the psychopathology of schizophrenia]. The psychopathological basis of schizophrenia is psychic alienation which is understood as a complex of interrelated syndromes of psychosensory pathology, phobic obsessions, forcible states, depersonalization, psychic automatism and halluconatory-delusional disorders. Manifestations of psychic alienation in the premorbid period, in the initial stage and in the psychotic stage are considered, as well as the genesis and significance of psychic alienation.


[Onset and course of schizophrenia (the results of a statistical study)]. The report contains the results of an examination of 709 patients with catatonia, paranoid, schizoaffective forms of schizophrenia. The study involved an investigation of the form, sex, general amount of psychotic episodes depending upon the time of observation, duration of productive episodes and the intervals between them. The achieved results indicate to a close correlation between the productive manifestations in schixophrenia and affective psychosis.


[Consideration of schizophrenia from a unitary point of view]. The paper deals with the nozological concept of a universal genesis of psychoses which claims that psychotic syndromes are multiveariable and are related to biological, genetical, social and situation factors. The different types of syndromes are not consistent in repeated psychoses and cannot be considered characteristic only of certain historical psychotic patterns. A new way for the exploration of pathogenetical and psychopathological aspects of psychoses is the identification of syndromes by means of the effects of psychopharmacological drugs.


[Effect of the psychogenic factor on the clinical picture and course of schizophrenia]. The role of a psychic trauma depends upon the stage and course of schizophrenia. It can give a shade of reactive psychosis to the initial stage. The role of the psychogenic factor is still more apparent during the advanced stages of schizophrenia in a torpid course of the disease where it can cause exacerbation of the main symptoms, short-term excitatory hysteriform reactions, depressive or depressive-paranoid states partly reflecting the stress provoking situation. During the remission psychic trauma is usually responsible for the exacerbation of schizophrenic symptoms and the subsequent structural changes of the original defect. Thus, psychic trauma interacts with endogenous factors and influences the whole stereotype of the disease development.


[Uniqueness of certain structural personality prerequisites in schizophrenia]. The authors mark the following peculiarities of the fixated set in schizophrenia: inertness (in a continuous course); a lability (in acute manifestations of psychoses and in a recurrent course); a variability (in cases of child and adolescent schizophrenia). In terminal cases and in cases of apathic-aboulic syndrome the excitibility level is considerably lowered. The results of a study with the aid of TAT (Murray's Thematic Apperception Test and Rorschach's tests) also depend upon the age of the patients, the form and type of development and the stage of the disease.


[Results of a catamnestic examination of schizophrenic patients]. A long-term (the average 22.4 years) follow-up study of 757 schizophrenic patients displayed in 22% of the cases full recoveries, in 42,3% -- atypical types of recovery and in 35.7% -- characterisctic deficiency symptoms. At the time of the last follow-up 85.5% of the patients were living at home. 14.5% were permanently in hospital. The author gives a clinical analysis of the examined patients and prognostically favourable and unfavourable factors.


[Clinical aspects and course of schizophrenia from the aspect of age]. On the basis of a study of 3500 schizophrenic patients the authors studied the age preference of 8 schizophrenic syndromes selected for this purpose. It was demonstrated that besides some syndromes typical of schizophrenia occurring in middle age (hallucinatory-paranoid, oneiroid, etc.) there are some syndromes which are most frequently encountered in adolescency and old age. It was also shown that the influence of age factors can be combined with the influence of sex. The age factors exert a certain impact on the formation of the type of disease and its sex distribution. The paper contains a description of special age forms of schizophrenia encountered in adolescency and in old age.


[Epidemiological problems of schizophrenia]. Epidemiological studies with regard to shizophrenia encounter differences in nozological concepts, refinement of symptomatological description, etc. The WHO international pilot study of schizophrenia has succeeded in providing a reasonalby reliable tool for a unified evaluation of patients' present state. However, the combination of the present state examination with the case history will give better possibilities for a delimitation of a group of schizophrenics which is meaningful for the determination expectancy figures for schizophrenia. Techniques for converting prevalence and incidence figures into expectancies are described.


[Evaluation of the public health services concerned with the treatment of schizophrenic patients: an epidemiological approach]. Diagnostical problems are of importance for the organization of mental health services. The WHO data show that criteria for diagnosing schizophrenia are rather broader in Moscow than in London and this must be borne in mind, when comparing services. The rehabilitation system is more thorough in Moscow and Leningrad than in the U. K. So far as the central syndromes of schizophrenia are concerned the basic approach in two countries is practically similar. Both assume an interaction between a biological abnormality which is liable to be chronically handicapping and a social environment.


[Schizophrenia in the African countries]. The frequency of diagnosing schizophrenia in Africa varies from 6 to 60% according to physicians. African population have known social and cultural alterations which are evolved in mental pathology. Schizophrenia in its classical form is quite rare in traditional African societies, and it appears with rapid social changes which organize societies with cultural models designed on occidental societies.


[Comparative characteristics of the work capacity of schizophrenic patients with various types of the course of the disease process (based on epidemiological study data)]. The paper contains data on the study of 1413 schizophrenic patients according to indices of qualification and invalidity groups. The largest category of working patients were those who were diagnosed as periodical schizophrenia. Close to this group were patients with the sluggish form. Shift-like schizophrenia occupied a position between periodical and sluggish on the one side and more progressive within the framework of continous (paranoid and malignant) on the other. A drop in the percentage of working patients from attack to atlack was the least in periodical schizophrenia. The professional qualifications prior to the onset of the disease influenced the working adaptation more in a less progressive form.


[Schizoaffective psychosis and the lithium therapy of patients suffering from schizoaffective schizophrenia]. The historic aspects of the term "schizo-affective psychoses" is considered. On the basis of the results obtained in therapeutic and prophylactic use of lithium it is concluded that it is today hardly possible to create a homogenous nomenclature of mental diseases and that in the indication for the use of lithium in the treatment of schizo-affective psychoses have to be evaluated for each patient depending on the character of the affective components of the pathological picture.


[Comparison of the diagnostic assessment of schizophrenia from the positions of Soviet and French psychiatry (with a clinical illustration)]. The report contains a detailed description of one clinical observation with a delusional psychoses. Besides that a clinical analysis, made by psychiatrists from Prof. Pichot (France) clinic and at the Institute of Psychiatry of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR is given. The Fench psychiatrists diagnosed this case as a chronic hallucinatory delusion with a mystical content. The diagnosis made at the Institute of Psychiatry AMS USSR was schizophrenia, with a clinical manifestation in old age. The course of the disorder was an intermediate one between attack-like progressive (shift-like) and continuous paranoid. The qualification of the case is given with a wide discussion concerning the diagnostical approaches in French psychiatry.


Molecular properties of multiple forms of acid phosphatase from horse liver. 1. Horse liver acid phosphatase was separated into two partially purified fractions differing in molecular weight (enzyme I about 100 00, enzyme II about 25 000). 2. Enzyme I was separated into several subfractions by DEAE-cellulose chromatography and isoelectric focusing. 3. Molecular weight, sedimentation coefficient and effective molecular radii were determined for acid phosphatases I and II by gel filtration and density-gradient centrifugation.


Effect of bicarbonate buffer on the activity of cytoplasmic and mitochondrial alanine aminotransferase. 1. Bicarbonate stimulates the activity of rat brain cytoplasmic and mitochondrial alanine aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.2) probably due to the enhanced affinity for its substrates. 2. Under the same conditions, the activity of crystalline aspartate aminotransferase was inhibited. 3. The role of bicarbonate buffer in regulation of alanine aminotransferase activity and synthesis of alanine are discussed.


Isolation, purification and chemical composition of insoluble collagen from Guerin epithelioma. 1. The insoluble collagen from Guerin epithelioma was isolated and its chemical composition was determined. The unusually high histidine content is accompanied in tumour collagen by a relatively small amount of lysine and arginine. 2. The isolated protein was strongly bound to glycoprotein, which could not be removed by EDTA treatment unless this procedure was preceded by digestion of the complex with trypsin.


Mitochondria from the lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis). Oxidative phosphorylation and related processes. 1. High efficiency of oxidative phosphorylation and a good respiratory control in liver, heart and somatic muscle mitochondria of the lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis) were observed when the particles were isolated in a complex sucrose medium containing EDTA, heparin and nicotinamide. The coupling properties of these mitochondria were further improved by including serum albumin in the incubation medium. 2. The content of total adenine nucleotides in lamprey mitochondria was between 4 and 6 nmoles/mg protein. The translocation of these nucleotides across mitochondrial membrane was stimulated by serum albumin. 3. Lamprey mitochondrial phospholipids contain a large proportion (64-72%) of polyunsaturated fatty acids. 4. Electron micrographs of mitochondria from lamprey liver, heart and somatic muscle are presented.


On the arrangement of histones in chromatin. It was found that nucleoprotein particles formed after DNase I action on calf thymus chromatin contain single-stranded DNA fragments, associated with histones only by ionic linkages. These results suggest that histones in chromatin are bound ionically only to one polynucleotide strand of double-helical DNA, protecting it against nucleolytic attack.


Acyl-CoA pool and acyl-CoA thioesterase in Streptomyces noursei var. polifungini. The size of acyl-CoA pool in S. noursei var. polifungini was found to be associated with the antibiotic-synthesizing ability, and was negatively correlated with both the thio-esterase activity (acetyl-CoA hydrolase, EC 3.1.2.1) and its affinity towards acetyl-CoA and propionyl-CoA. The apparent Michaelis constants with acetyl-CoA and propionyl-CoA were 33 times 10(-5) and 6.6 times 10(-5) M in the low producing strain, and 8.5 times 10(-4) and 1.2 times 10(-4) M in the high producing strain, respectively.


The allosteric influence of beta-halo-alkylamines on the acetyl-choline receptor of smooth muscle. Using the method of receptor blockade by phenoxybenzamine, data have been obtained at the acetylcholine receptor that cannot be explained by a competitive irreversible blockade of the receptors. An allosteric attack of the beta-halo-alkylamines is discussed.


[Micromethod for the quantitative determination of leucine from biological experimental material using a dansylation technic]. A method is described allowing quantitative determination of leucine from biological material up to 1 - 10(-11) M by means of dansylation of amino acids and their thin-layer chromatographic separation on polyamide microfoils. By selecting [14C]-U-L-leucine as an 'internal' standard, which is added to the tissue during the homogenization procedure, it is possible to correct for data scattering related to variations of the conversion rate or the yield of the dansylation reaction, and to losses in the different steps of thin-layer chromatography that are difficult to standardize.


[Studies on the function of blood-liquor barrier in newborn infants]. Simultaneous measurement of the electrolytic conductivity of the cerebrospinal fluid and the blood serum in newborns has revealed a concentration gradient suggesting an active transfer of electrolytes into the liquor space. The extent of this concentration drop is regarded as expressing the functional capacity of the blood-liquor barrier. Comparative investigations in healthy older  children shown that constant values, corresponding to the adult age, are reached approximately at the end of the first year of life.


[Long-lasting changes of irritability in the somatosensory cortex of rabbits following tetanic stimulation of the tooth pulp]. Tetanic stimulation of the tooth pulp produced long lasting increases in potentials released by stimulation of the tooth pulp with single stimuli in the sensomotor cortex of rabbits. Stimulation with 200 impulses/sec for 5 sec produced changes of irritability that are demonstrable for 10-50 min depending on the intensity of stimulation. The lower rate limit for producing such changes is 25 impulses/sec. At a rate of 200 impulses/sec, a stimulation time of 25 msec was necessary to produce these changes. The postexcitatory depression occuring after single stimuli within 10-40 msec was increased by tetanic stimulation, whereas facilitation observed 5 msec after single stimuli was unaffected.


[Deiodase activity in hypothyroid rats]. In rats hypothyroidized with methylthiouracil (MTU), methimazol (MMI), or radiothyroidectomy, the extent of deiodination for L-diiodotyrosine (L-DIT) and L-thyroxine (L-T4) was investigated in homogenate supernatants of liver and kidney. Deiodination in liver and kidney for DIT is twice as high as for T4, but the kidney allows only 25% of the liver deiodination activity both for DIT and T4. In the livers of all hypothyroid animals, iodide splitting both from DIT and T4 is highly significantly reduced by one-half compared with controls. In the kidney of all hypothyroid animals, the DIT deiodination is highly significantly lowered in comparison with controls; the T4 deiodination is significantly reduced only in animals treated with MTU and MMI, and is not significantly enhanced in radiothyroidectomized rats. Thus, there is no difference between MTU and MMI in the extent of deiodination for DIT and T4 in the homogenate supernatants of rat liver or kidney.


Fatty acid composition of serum lipids in bilharzial hepatic fibrosis and chronic active hepatitis. The fatty acid pattern of blood serum lipids was examined by gas liquid-chromatography in 30 cases with bilharzial hepatic fibrosis, 11 cases with chronic active hepatitis accompanied by jaundice, and 28 healthy individuals as a comparison group of the same socioeconomic class of patients. In addition, the fatty acid patterns of the three major serum lipid classes, namely: cholesterol ester, phospholipids and triglycerides, were also investigated in seven cases of each group by gas liquid chromatography. The most remarkable differences were: a depression of the essential fatty acid level (linoleic and arachidonic) in both groups of patients together with a concomitant elevation of oleic acid in the bilharzial group and an elevation of oleic, palmitic, palmitoleic acids in the chronic active hepatitis group. The depression of linoleic and arachidonic acids was explained by the low fat diet intake, malnutrition, and the malabsorption factors which were frequent in all the patients studied. The elevation of monoethenoid acids was attributed to the decrease in the ability of the liver to desaturate the endogenous saturated and monounsaturated acids to polyunsaturated ones.


[Effect of repeated serotonin injections on temperature regulation in the rat]. The effect of repeated serotonine injections was investigated in thirty Wistar rats tested under normo-, hypo- und hyperthermic conditions. 7 mul of a 0.5% serotonine solution (5HT) were injected into the third ventricle at 1-hr intervals. Temperature responses such as oxygen consumption and rectal temperature were measured and the heat loss was calculated. Intraventricular serotonine produced cooling in all animals. The central mechanisms of heat production were inhibited and those of heat loss were activated. The serotonine responses were most pronounced in hypothermic rats and least effective in hyperthermic animals.


[Influence of mediopreoptic stimulation on temperature regulation in rats before and after serotonin injection]. The effects of electrical stimulation of the Area praceoptica medialis (APM) and intraventricular serotonine injection were investigated in thirty Wistar rats tested under normo-, hypo- and hyperthermic conditions. Temperature responses such as oxygen consumption and rectal temperature were measured and heat loss was calculated. The effects of the first stimulation before serotonine injection were compared with those of the second one after serotonine application in order to prove the influence of serotonine on temperature responses due to APM stimulation. On the other hand, the influence of stimulation on changes produced by serotonine injection should be shown by the recordings of the second serotonine responses with stimulation effects and by comparison of these with those of the first serotonine responses without stimulation effects. The first APM stimulation depending on the rectal temperature before stimulation resulted in decreasing oxygen consumption in hypothermic rats while increasing that of hyperthermic animals. There was a little decrease of rectal temperature under hyper- and normothermic conditions. while under hypothermic conditions animals showed marked depression. The increase in heat loss, however, was least in hyperthermic rats and most pronounced in hypothermic animals. The second APM stimulation did almost not affect the temperature responses after serotonine application in normothermic rats, while causing supercooling agin under hypothermic conditions and insignificant cooling at hyperthermic environment temperature. Comparison of the first and second stimulation effects revealed statistical significant differences at normo-, hypo- and hyperthermic temperatures. The results are discussed under consideration of the different starting conditions before the first and second stimulation. These findings do not indicate that serotonine would shift the sensibility of mediopraeoptic structures and thus unequivocally modifies stimulation effects.


[Photic evoked responses in the brain stem of the rat]. The appearance of photic evoked responses in various structures of the reticular formation (RF) and the thalamus was investigated in freely moving rats. Photic evoked potentials (PhEP) were recorded in all the nuclei tested. The PhEP are different in shape, amplitude and latency; they can be classified as a "primary type" with small amplitudes and without latency differences from the PhEP of the visual cortex (VC) and as a "secondary type" with large amplitudes and latency differences from the PhEP of the VC. The "primary type" was observed in thalamic, pontine and bulbar structures but the "secondary type" in posterior-thalamic and mesencephalic structures. Photic afterdischarges (PhNE) and photic recruitment (PhR) were recorded in most of the nuclei tested. These PhNE and PhR have a correlation in their frequency and peak-latency to the PhNE and PhR of the VC. It is discussed that a great part of visual information is transferred to the brain stem through the Corpus geniculatum laterale (CGL) and the VC.


[Accumulation of p-aminohippuric acid and cyclopenthiazide in renal cortex slices from rats of various ages and their dependence on the energy supply]. The accumulation of p-aminohippuric acid (PAH) and cyclopenthiazide, two drugs of acidic character and extremely different physico-chemical properties, was determined in renal cortical slices of rats aged 5, 15, 33, 55, 105, and 240 days. PAH is accumulated in the cortical slices of 5- and 15-day-old animals to a lesser extent than in those of adult rats. Cyclopenthiazide is accumulated in much higher amounts than PAH in all age groups. The age dependence of cyclopenthiazide accumulation is not so pronounced as with PAH accumulation. There is no accumulation of PAH in the cortical slices of all age groups through active tubular transport, when the energy supply is inhibited by means of 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) or nitrogen 2 times bubbling (i.e. anaerobic incubation). By subsequent addition of DNP to the incubation medium or subsequent N2 atmosphere bubbling, an already existing PAH accumulation may be completely nullified. Contrary to PAH accumulation, cyclopenthiazide accumulation can be neither prevented nor abolished by inhibiting the energy supply.


Hyperlipidemia in peripheral atherosclerotic arterial disease. One hundred and ten patients with radiologically established peripheral atherosclerotic arterial disease were studied. None of them suffered from diabetes, endocrine disorders or renal disease. Their serum cholesterol and triglyceride values were compared with those of a reference group consisting of 548 individuals. When the 95th percentile of the reference values was used for cut-off, the frequency of hyperlipidemias in the patients with peripheral arterial atherosclerosis was about 52%. Combined hyperlipidemia was slightly more common (21%) than isolated increase of either cholesterol (17.9%) or triglycerides (12.6%). Using other cut-off limits for the definition of hyperlipidemia, a striking change in the distribution between these three types of hyperlipidemia occurred. In our patients, the frequencies of different blood groups were not significantly different from those of a comparable population. The serum lipids were at the same level in the different blood groups.


Remodelling after femoral shaft fracture in children. Fifty-two children in the 1-14 year age range who had a femoral fracture and were treated by traction and casting, were re-examined 2-17 years later. The results of radiological measurements of femoral length and alignment are analysed by computer. The femoral over-growth following fracture 10.7+/-6.6 mm, did not depend on site or dislocation of fracture. Lateral dislocation completely corrected, varus deformity on an average only up to 40% and valgus deformity up to 60% of the initial defect. Minor deviations corrected less. Repairing continued for over 5 years. Ante- and recurvatum could correct nearly 70%, if the original deformity was over 10 degrees, otherwise less. In neither plane was the correction of axial deviation influenced by site or type of fracture. There were individual cases of complete correction of axial dislocation and cases of complete failure to correct.


Indications and results of operative treatment of femoral shaft fractures in children. In the literature a number of risks due to operative treatment of femoral shaft fracture in children have been reported and justification for such treatment has been thrown into doubt. In our patient series 35 out of 191 children (18%) with femoral shaft fracture were treated by operation, 18 by intramedullary nailing, 16 by other means of osteosynthesis and one crushed extremity by primary amputation. No infections occurred. Nineteen patients of these were re-examined 4.5 to 13.9 years later. Eleven of them had no subjective complaints. Weakness of the fractured limb was suffered by 2 in normal life and by an additional 6 patients in hard exercise. Muscle atrophy of the thigh, more than 2 cm in circumference, was found in 9 patients. Mean longitudinal overgrowth of the fractured femur treated by operation was 9.8 mm corresponding to 10.7 mm in 52 patients treated by traction and casting. Overgrowth of 7.2 mm in intramedullary nailed patients was significantly less (P less than 0.001) than 13.5 mm in those treated by other means of osteosynthesis. A rigid fixation of the fracture partly prevented later spontaneous correction of angulation. Based on the results gained by previous author and from this study a list of indications for osteosynthesis of femoral shaft fracture in children is considered.


Glycogen storage in rat liver and skeletal muscle in thermal trauma. I. Effect of exogenous insulin. The storage of glycogen in skeletal muscle and the liver was investigated after a 20% third-degree burn in the rat. The glycogen storage was studied 30 min and 20 hours post-burn. Thirty minutes after infliction of the burn the storage in the liver was 80% and in the muscle 60% of that in the control animals, and 20 hours after the burn 80% and 40%, respectively. Administration of insulin improved the storage in the muscle considerably--from 60% to 90% of the normal in the 30-minute group and from 40% to 75% in the 20-hour group. It was uncertain, on the other hand, whether insulin affected the glycogen storage in the liver. Possible causes of the reduced glycogen storage are discussed, including absolute or relative insulin deficiency.


Glycogen storage in rat liver and skeletal muscle during continuous infusion of adrenalin. II. Effect of exogenous insulin. In association with trauma the storage of glycogen, especially in skeletal muscle, is reduced. An increased release of adrenalin may be one of the causes of this phenomenon. In this study the effect of exogenously supplied adrenalin (0.5 mug/kg/min) on the storage of glycogen in the liver and skeletal muscle during a standardized infusion of glucose was studied in rats. A significant reduction of the glycogen storage in the liver was recorded. In the muscle the glycogen storage was practically eliminated. Simultaneous determinations of the serum insulin concentration showed very low insulin levels on administration of adrenalin, indicating a blockade of the insulin release in the beta-cells. When insulin was given at the same time the glycogen storage was almost completely normalized. This suggests that the deficiency of circulating insulin occurring on administration of adrenalin may be responsible for the lack of glycogen storage in the muscle.


The effect of cytostatic drugs on the synthesis of DNA in adenocarcinomas of the stomach. An in vitro study. The sensitivity of adenocarcinomas of the stomach to various cytostatic drugs has been tested in short-term incubations. A suspension of single cells and small tissue fragments was prepared. It was used for incubation with the following drugs: melphalan, vinblastine sulphate, amethopterin, and 5-fluoro-uracil. The effect of the cytostatic drugs was measured as the difference in incorporation of labelled precursors in treated tubes and untreated control tubes. The different tumours were found to vary significantly in the their sensitivity. Moreover, a correlation of the effects between melphalan and vinblastine sulphate, and between amethopterin and vinblastine sulphate was observed.


Studies on small intestinal obstruction. I. Intraluminal pressure in experimental low small bowel obstruction in the cat. Intra-intestinal pressure was recorded with open-tip catheters in experimental low small-bowel obstruction in the cat. At zero time the pressure was 2-4 mmHg. After 72 hours sustained intraluminal pressure ranged mainly between 5 and 10 mmHg. Long periods of inactivity alternated with short bouts of spontaneous bowel activity. During activity the pressure rose to about 20 mmHg. In motility responses elicited by cholecystokinin, momentary pressure waves amounting to 40-50 mmHg were recorded. The result of simple mechanical obstruction is predominantly a bowel distension, whereas the magnitude of sustained intraluminal pressure is rather modest. Possible effects of distension on intestinal microcirculation are discussed.


The rate of weight loss after intestinal bypass operations for obesity. An analysis of factors of significance. The postoperative period after small intestine bypass operations could be subdivided into five. Analysis of the rate of weight loss during the period of constant weight loss (period II) in 80 subjects gave a mean rate of 0.011 weight-index units (Broca) per week (range 0.023-0.003) or 0.79 kg per week (range 1.81-0.22). After both end-to-end and end-to-side jejuno-ileostomy the rate of weight loss during period II was correlated to initial body weight. After end-to-end jejuno-ileostomy the rate of weight loss was also correlated to the length of the distal eleum in function, either as absolute value or as a fraction of the total small intestinal length. The absence of these correlations after end-to-side jejuno-ileostomy might be due to a more variable reflux in to the bline loop after this operation. It is suggested that a small intestinal bypass operation should not be performed as a standardized procedure with predetermined segments of the small intestine in function, but rather as an operation designed for each patient.


Decreasing incidence of acute appendicitis. All cases of acute appendicitis operated upon with removal of the appendix in one hospital, and from a defined district in Norway almost exclusively served by this hospital, have been registered for the 30 year period 1943-72. While the population has decreased slightly over this period, the number of acute appendectomies has diminished to less than half. This holds true also in the age group below 20, and for different severity grades of appendicitis.


Technical considerations in arterial embolectomy. The frequency of arterial embolism is high and seems to be increasing. The introduction of the Fogarty catheter for embolectomy has afforded a considerable simplification of the operative technique. Nevertheless the mortality and amputation rates are still substantially high. Early diagnosis and further improved technique for removal of the embolus may enhance limb salvage and reduce mortality rates. The present paper is a review of 10 years' experience concerning technical problems with embolectomy. The arteriotomy technique, the handling of the catheter, per- and postoperative management, and specific technical problems related to the embolic lodgement at different sites are discussed with the object of giving some hints on how to perform the embolectomy in a safe way and with best chances of a suscessful outcome.


Portosystemic arteriovenous fistula. Case report. A case of the rare portosystemic arteriovenous fistula is presented. This lesion, although basically simple, is not trivial. The predominant cause of death is variceal bleeding. Most often, the fistulas are due to rupture of an aneurysm of the hepatic or splenic artery, gunshot wound of the abdomen, or the use of mass ligature during abdominal surgery. The treatment is excision when possible, reconstruction of the vessels when vessels cannot be sacrificed, and ligation when everything else fails. Angiography is indispensible in defining the fistula. Because of the circulatory strain produced by these fistulas and of the danger of portal hypertension even in the asymptomatic patient, the presence of a portosystemic arteriovenous fistula is sufficient indication for surgical treatment.


Liver abscess. Case report.

Liver abscess. Case report. A typical case of liver abscess is reported. The mortality rate of this surgical entity, previously very high, has been reduced markedly in recent years. The most important factors are the new diagnostic developments such as liver scans and coeliacography, making an early and exact diagnosis possible and thus forming the basis for an early and adequate surgical drainage.


Appendico-vesical fistula. Case report.

Appendico-vesical fistula. Case report. Two cases of appendico-vesical fistula are reported. In one patient a spontaneous healing with fibrosis of the appendix had probably occurred. The incidence and clinical features of this fistula are presented. The diagnosis is difficult. The average length of time between the initial symptoms and the diagnosis is measured in years. In many patients the correct diagnosis is probably never made and in some patients the fistula eventually heals spontaneously. The condition is probably not as rare as is stated in the literature.


Results of immunosuppressive treatment: Prognosis in chronic active hepatitis. A series of 21 patients with active chronic hepatit diagnosed on the basis of clinical, biochemical and histological criteria, were treated by immunosuppressive cure--a combination of Prednison or Triamcinolon with 6-Mercaptopurin. The cure lasted for at least 12 months and attempts as its interruption usually brought about exacerbation of activity requiring further treatment reaching the total of more than 3 years, in some cases lasting for all the followed period of 7 years. There were no significant side effects requiring interruption. Immunosuppressive treatment remarkably improved biochemical indicators, particularly significant was the decrease in SGPT activity and hypergammaglobulinemia. The results were likewise good in HB-Ag positive patients, 8 of which are included in the series. The prognosis of chronic active hepatitis undergoing immunosuppressive treatment was mathematically estimated. Using the mathematical solution of biological problems the authors arrived at the probable survival of 5.5 to 6.5 years for their series of patients.


Histological findings of hypersplenism after experimental intraperitoneal injection of methyl cellulose and ligature of the splenic artery in rats. The intraperitoneal injection of methyl cellulose in rats causes splenomegaly and hypersplenism. Clusters of foam cells in form of granulomas develop. They are containing methyl cellulose. The ligature of the splenic artery damages mainly the white pulp. Even after ligature of the splenic artery absorption of methyl cellulose continues. The reticular cells released by the reticulum remain capable of phagocytic action. After previous injection of methyl cellulose the ligature of the splenic artery causes normalization of the peripheral blood values.


Hemostatic abnormalities in chronic aggressive hepatitis and liver cirrhosis. Hemostatic defects of chronic aggressive hepatitis (CAH), 25 cases, and of liver cirrhosis, 20 cases, were investigated. The following assays were performed: liver function tests, thromboelastogram, prothrombin time (PT), partial thromboplastin time (PTT), factors I, II, V, X, XIII, euglobulin lysis time, fibrinogen degradation products (FDP), platelet count, morphology and agglutinability. High incidence of hemostatic defects was present in both groups. Thromboelastogram, PTT, prothrombin and qualitative platelet abnormalities were most common. On the whole, severity of hemostatic alterations in cirrhosis was more pronounced than that found in CAH, FDPs were increased in more than 50% of the CAH cases and only in a few cirrhotic patients. Bleeding occurred more frequently in cirrhosis (55%) than in CAH (4%) and, within the cirrhotic patients' group, it was associated with a more severe thrombocytopenia.


Influence of phospholipids on liver damage. II. Changes in lipid content and synthesis after liver damage with carbontetrachloride and other agents. Content and synthesis of lipids were studied in rats after carbontetrachloride poisoning and different treatments with phospholipids (EPL), as well as in some other conditions under which an increase in lipids occurs. The increase in neutral lipids during CCl4 poisoning is significantly reduced by pretreatment and--somewhat less--by posttreatment with EPL. Incorporation of acetate into triglycerides, phospholipids and cholesterol increases in CCl4 poisoning and this was not affected by EPL. Moreover, treatment with EPL had but little effect on the lipid accumulation induced by orotic acid feeding and partial hepatectomy. EPL promoted, however, slightly DNA synthesis after partial hepatectomy and protected DNA in thymus after whole body X-irradiation.


Effects on lipids, coagulation factors and liver histology of long-term ethanol administration to guinea-pigs. The constant failure to produce a liver cirrhosis that can be ascribed to alcohol in the rat promoted the present study in guinea-pigs. The animals were given 40 per cent of calories as ethanol during 8 months. However, no alcoholic hepatitis or cirrhosis developed. Triglycerides and cholesterol increased in the liver and in serum. The persistance of liver triglyceride increase in spite of a rather low fat content of the diet is in contrast to experiences in the rat. A slight depression of coagulation factors II, VII, X and XI was observed in the ethanol-fed animals.


Serum lipase activity in chronic renal failure. In a total of 110 patients with chronic renal failure, 46.4% of the cases had a serum lipase activity exceeding 200 IU, the upper limit of the norm. The degree of reduction of renal function is positively correlated to the frequency of hyperlipasaemia as well as to the elevation of the lipase activity in serum. At a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of less than 20 ml/min, hyperlipasaemia in chronic glomerulonephritis was found in 75%, significantly more frequent than in chronic pyelonephritis (46.8%). The frequency and degree of hyperlipasaemia was not influenced by haemodialysis. Significantly elevated serum lipase activities were also observed in experimentally produced chronic renal failure in the rat.


Is chronic gastritis a reversible process? Follow-up study of gastritis by step-wise biopsy. In 36 patients step-wise biopsies of gastric mucosa were performed in 1971 and in 1974/75. A comparison of the histological changes revealed identical findings in 15, progression of superficial gastritis in 9 and regression of superficial gastritis in 7. In 5 patients regression of chronic atrophic gastritis was seen. In one patient an essentially normal mucosa was found in all biopsy specimens, in other patients parietal cells reappeared without any specific therapy.


Human evoked responses to potentially noxious tactile stimulation, i. Primary somatosensory evoked responses to tapping and pinprick of contralateral central palmar skin, recorded from human scalp, yielded significant differences of peak latency but not of amplitude, suggesting afferent conduction by two populations of primary fibers, Group II and Group III respectively. Pinprick first positives were always later for all conscious subjects, and sometimes larger. A model for cortical discrimination of signal phase and frequency is related to these data.


The effect of cortical spreading depression on motor performance and depth avoidance in rats. Functional decortication induced by cortical spreading depression (CSD) was used to estimate the significance of cerebral cortex for swimming and depth avoidance in arts. In the swimming test (5 gr sinkers, 36 degrees C water) the median swimming time was reduced from greater 120 minutes in the controls to 16 minutes in the bilaterally depressed rats. Depth avoidance in the physical and visual cliff situation (6 cm to the shallow and 48 cm to the deep surface) was unimpaired by unilateral CSF but was abolished by bilateral CSD. Combination of monocular occlusion with ipsilateral CSD deteriorated the visual cliff test but not the physical cliff behaviour. Functional decortication increased descent latencies and decreased the explaration rate in both tests. It is concluded that cerebral cortex plays an important role in the regulation of unlearned, innate activities with the overall behaviour of the organism.


Ketamine-pancuronium induction in patients with aortic stenosis. In 15 patients with severe aortic stenosis who were to undergo aortic valve replacement, the induction sequence ketamine followed by pancuronium caused a 25% rise in systolic blood pressure. In a similar series, the induction sequence diazepam + morphine followed by pancuronium caused a 22% fall in systolic blood pressure. This shows that the blood pressure rise caused by ketamine is not blocked by pancuronium, although pancuronium may possibly modify the cardiovascular responses to this drug.


Fine structure of a cerebellar "fibroma". The fine structure of an intracerebellar "fibroma" has been examined. The tumor consists of irregularly-shaped cells connected by well developed junctional complexes. Unusual, fenestrated capillaries with extremely narrow and irregular lumens are frequent. Collagen fibers are not common but the wide extracellular spaces contain large amounts of dense, granular or fibrillar material. The dense material coats the tumor cells and is a apparently secreted from small vesicles found within these cells.


Ultrastructural studies on cerebrovascular permeability in acute hypertension. Acute hypertension, experimentally induced by intravenous injection of metaraminol in adult rabbits, rapidly induced a damage of the blood-brain barrier in the cerebral cortex, as visualized by Evans-blue-conjugated albumin and horseradish peroxidase. Extravasation of these two exogenous tracers was demonstrated to occur in arterioles, in capillaries and, rarely, in venules. Peroxidase passed the endothelial cell into the nervous tissue in either or three different ways, i.e. through channels, often sigmoidshaped, in the cytoplasm, and transendothelial pinocytosis. The third pathway could, although rarely, be demonstrated between adjacent endothelial cells after cleavage of junctional complexes. The tracer peroxidase was further spread along the blood vessel within the basement membrane and in the extracellular space of the brain. Damaged endothelial cells with diffuse cytoplasmic peroxidase activity and large vesicles were occasionally observed within the areas with blood-brain barrier injury. There were also signs of increased pinocytotic activity in endothelial cells outside the barrier damaged cortical areas. Nerve cells and neuroglial cells could show either a diffuse cytoplasmic peroxidase activity or a vesicular location of the tracer, or sometimes both. The observations are discussed in relation to previous studies on the mechanism of transendothelial passage of protein tracers at blood-brain barrier damage.


[The Marchi reaction: ultrastructural aspects (author's transl)]. A secondary demyelination process was brought about in the optic tract by unilateral enucleation of 10 adult rats which were sacrificed at 8, 15, 20, 30 and 45 days respectively, after the intervention. The Marchi reaction, which is identifiable by the presence of granular bodies, is positive at all stages, but tends to lessen towards the 45th day. The granular bodies are inside the disintegrating myelin sheath, and gradually fill the space made available by the degenerate axoplasm. The granular bodies are at first bulky and compact before breaking up and disappearing. The remains of the myelin sheath are then resorbed. Satellite cells occur from the 15th day onwards. The interest of the Marchi reaction for the tracing of nervous pathways is confirmed by these findings.


Experimental cerebral ischemia in mongolian gerbils. I. Light microscopic observations. Light microscopic observations were carried out on Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) subjected to a partial cerebral ischemia by occlusion of the left common carotid artery at the neck. About 30% of gerbils developed an ischemic injury in the ipsilateral hemisphere and their brains revealed the following histopathologic features: 1. the changes were related to the intensity (duration) of the ischemic insult and to the time elapsed following release of the occlusion. The ischemic lesions appear to progress after re-establishment of the circulation and this presents one facet of a "maturation" phenomenon which seems to be a general principle applicable to various parameters of ischemic injury. The rate of "maturation" of the lesions is related to the intensity of the ischemic insult, a lesser intensity resulting in longer development of lesions. 2. The changes were either focal or diffuse in character. The former were assumed to be directly related to a vascular involvement; among the latter the topistic distribution of the hippocampal changes suggested a feature of selective vulnerability. 3. An indirect indication of neuronal recovery was surmised from observations on animals sacrificed after different periods following occlusions of the same duration. Also capable of recovery was a "reactive change" observed in the H3 neurons of the hippocampus. This change was characterized by central chromatolysis and resembled the "rimäre Reizung" of Nissl.


The kinetics of cultured human glioma cells: autoradiographic studies. The kinetics of monolayer cell cultures, derived from brain tumors which had been labeled with 3H-thymidine just prior to surgical removal, have been investigated. Analysis of autoradiographs indicates that: 1. the distribution of cell types in primary cultures is similar to that of the viable areas of the parent tumor in vivo; 2. the first week of culture constitutes a lag phase; and 3. vigorous proliferation commences during the second week of culture. Double labeling of the tritiated cultures with 14C-thymidine indicates that the pulse labeling index (PLI) of primary cultures during the second week is lower than that of the parent tumor and that the PLI of the culture increases during the second week. In contrast, we found that long-term established cultures in our laboratory have a high PLI during the first few days after passage, quickly reach a maximum, and then drop precipitously 1 week after passage. These latter variations in PLI correspond to the following growth pattern: 1. exponential growth; 2. a stationary phase due to medium exhaustion; or 3. a a plateau due to overcrowding. There are indications that some cell types, which have the capacity to divide in the parent tumor, lose this ability after transfer to tissue culture.


Occipital encephalocele: a pathologic and anatomic analysis. The brain from an infant with a cystic occipital mass present at birth is examined in serial section. The occipital mass proved to be a rhombic roof ventriculocele. Within the posterior fossa, it was bound to an occipital lobe encephalocele which issued as a diverticulum of the left lateral ventricle through a microgyric cortical defect in the territory of the left posterior cerebral artery. The posterior medial aspects of both cerebral hemispheres were herniated downward into the widened tentorial gap. Craniolacunae were prominent on the inner aspect of the skull. The aqueduct and central canal of the spinal cord were widely dilated, although the lateral ventricles were collapsed. It is suggested that hydrocephalus secondary to obstruction to flow of CSF through the rhombic roof entrained a sequence of events giving rise to the rhombic roof ventriculocele and causing occlusion of the posterior cerebral artery and subsequent diverticulation of the lateral ventricle through an infarcted region of the posterior-medial hemisphere.


Plasma membrane structures of medulloblastoma and cerebellar sarcoma. Three medulloblastomas and 1 cerebellar sarcoma were studied on their plasma membrane structures. The average number of membrane particles per mum2 plasma membrane was 710 on face A and 70 on face B of medulloblastoma and 1280 on face A and 160 on face B of cerebellar sarcoma. The membrane particles were often aggregated in medulloblastoma and diffusely scattered in cerebellar sarcoma. Small gap junctions were occasionally found in cerebellar sarcoma and not evident in medulloblastoma. Round membrane protrusions, about 0.5-0.6 mu in diameter and provided with several small depressions on their foot, were often observed in region of narrow perinuclear cytoplasm of cerebellar sarcoma and different in structure from cytoplasmic processes. The present series is too limited in number to allow a definite conclusion, but indicates that the plasma membrane structures are different in medulloblastoma and cerebellar sarcoma.


Anoxic encephalopathy with predominant involvement of basal ganglia, brain stem and spinal cord in the perinatal period. Report on seven newborns. This study reports subcortical lesions in 7 newborn babies after transient circulatory arrest and/or asphyxia. Basal ganglia, diencephalon, tegmentum of the brain stem and spinal grey matter exhibited extensive necroses in a columnar pattern. The lesions of the telencephalic and cerebellar cortex are less prominent. The spinal cord, available in 3 children, revealed subtotal neuronal loss in all segments. The lesions represent the extreme anoxic damage of the CNS in the perinatal period, comparable with brain death in the adulthood. Moreover, the pattern with predominating subcortical lesions indicates that anoxia affects the grey matter in all levels of the CNS.


Regeneration of a transected peripheral nerve. An autoradiographic and electron microscopic study. The regeneration of transected peripheral nerves of mice was studied using autoradiographical and electron microscopical techniques. In general, maximal proliferation occurred between the 5th and 7th day after dissection and stopped when the cells emigrating from the proximal and distal stumps of the nerve started to contact one another. Special attention was paid to the reaction of the connective tissue cells of the endo-, epi- and perineurium. The perineurial cells seemed to dedifferentiate between the 3rd and 5th day after the transection and then started to proliferate into the defect. Labelled perineurial cells were completely absent, when the minifascicles were fully developed in the neuroma. The epineurial fibroblasts started to proliferate during the 1st day. Even 6 weeks after transection the multiplication rate was about ten fold that of the controls. The results are discussed with special reference to clinical nerve repair.


Human nervous system tumors. Observations by high voltages electron microscopy. Thick sections (0.5--2 mu) of biopsies from human nervous system tumors (Schwannoma, ependymoma, medulloblastoma), fixed in aldehydes followed by osmium, and stained with uranyl acetate and lead, have been studied at 2.5 MV, and compared to thin sections of the same material observed by ordinary low voltage electron microscopy. High voltage electron microscopy permits direct observation of cell fine structure in three dimensions, including the spatial relations of organelles. Details of contours of nuclear envelopes, shapes of mitochondria, fine aspects of the structure of cell surfaces and processes, such as the flat sheet-like and irregular cylindrical processes of Schwannoma cells, the small projections and ridges on their surfaces, and microvilli and cilia of ependymoma cells, and other features have been observed. These initial observations demonstrate the applicability of high voltage electron microscopy to further study of neural neoplasms.


Ganglioneuromas in hamsters.

Ganglioneuromas in hamsters. A description is given of three cases of ganglioneuromas, which originated from ganglia of the sympathetic chain of hamsters. Other reports of such tumors in this species are reviewed and the literature relative to hamster ganglioneuromas presented. In addition, the possible genesis of origin from adult ganglion cells upon the action of carcinogenic stimuli is discussed.


An adult case of metachromatic leukodystrophy. Light, polarization and electron microscopic study. The findings are described in an adult case of metachromatic leukodystrophy examined by light, polarization and electron microscopy. Symmetrical demyelination was found in the cerebral hemispheres, but was moderate in the cerebellum, brain stem and spinal cord. Early changes in myelin of peripheral nerves have been demonstrated by polarization microscopy. Various metachromatic structures have been described in glial cells and neurons by electron microscopy, indicating disturbances at different metabolic steps of lipid metabolism. There are minor but no essential ultrastructural differences in the disease of different ages.


[External temporal biopsy in a case of infiltrating limbic glioma: study of astrocytic membranous wrapping whorls (author's transl)]. An intracranial hypertension was found at autopsy to be due to a limbic infiltrating glioma. A cortical temporal biopsy had been done 14 months before, whose ultrastructural results are reported. Membranous whorls, made of two dense membranes with a variable separative space are seen around neurones, dendrites, axons, synapses and oligoglial cells; they derived from astrocytes and are joined by 2 types of cell junctions: gap-junctions and puncta adherentia. Relations between reactive and tumoral gliosis are discussed.


Uptake of tritium labelled chloroquine into organized cultures of rat spinal ganglia. An electron microscope autoradiographic study. Cultured spinal ganglia of the rat treated with 3-3H-chloroquine led to the formation of numerous multilamellated bodies (MLB) in the perikarya of neurons, satellite cells, and fibroblasts. Electron microscope autoradiography showed label over and near a considerable proportion of MLB. The action of chloroquine in MLB is discussed with regard to its effect upon lysosomes.


Symmetrical infantile thalamic degeneration with focal cytoplasmic calcification. Infantile thalamic degeneration is a rare clinico-pathological entity. Restricted location of the lesion and peculiar cytopathological changes serve to distinguish this disorder from other common encephalopathies. Optical and ultrastructural studies demonstrate cytoplasmic calcopherules in previously viable cells. According to current concepts of acute cellular reactions to injury and mechanism of intracellular calcification, the cytological changes cannot be attributed to either hypoxic ischemic cell change or dystrophic calcification. By analogy to other human and pathological material, the most likely basis for nondystrophic calcopherule formation is toxic or infectious injury with local synthesis, or autophagic or phagolysosomal degradation of cellular debris of specific chemical composition favoring calcium deposition.


Changes caused by chloroquine in cultured nervous tissues of the rat. Cultures of dorsal root ganglia and spinal cord segements of Wistar rats were subjected to chloroquine at a concentration of 2 X 10(-4)M for periods from 1-6 days. The perikarya of sensory ganglion cells and central neurons reacted to the drug by vesiculation and dilatation of the Golgi apparatus after 24 hrs of chloroquine administration. At this stage small numbers of multilamellated bodies (MLB) were present in the cytoplasm. Widening of the Golgi organelle had progressed, and MLB increased in size and numbers 48 hrs after exposure to the drug. Membranes of the Golgi apparatus and of the endoplasmic reticulum were incorporated in the lamellae of the MLB. At 6 days of chloroquine treatment the neurons were filled with large numbers of MLB. Acid phosphatase activity was found in MLB at early stages of drug exposure up to 48 hrs. At the 5th day of exposure no reaction for this hydrolytic enzyme was detected.


[Piloid astrocytes (spongiocytes) and Rosenthal fibers in multiple sclerosis (author's transl)]. Focal and widespread intense hyperplasia of piloid astrocytes was found in the brain of a 51 year old woman with multiple sclerosis and typical demyelinating lesions. The piloid astrocytosis was confined to older plaques in brain stem, cerebellum and periventricular white matter, but could not be found in telencephalic plaques distant from the ventricular system. The piloid astrocytes and accompanying glial fiber bundles were oriented in alternating direction, thus imitating structural characteristics of spongioblastomas. In the pons, an especially high density of astrocytosis was found with lobulated and giant nuclei and binuclear cells. One large demyelinated plaque in the central white matter of the cerebellum contained numerous Rosenthal fibers between the piloid astrocytes. By their intense glial fiber production, the piloid astrocytes took part of the formation of glial scars. The term spongiocyte is proposed for piloid astrocytes of this highly differentiated type, in order to separate them from the immature spongioblasts of gliogenesis. The pathogenetic mechanism is not clear. It is supposed that during intense reparative astrocytic proliferation the development of atypic reactions is favoured. A primary evocation of this type of reaction by the demyelinating factor itself must also be taken into consideration. The topographic predilection, in our case, of piloid astrocytosis to brain stem and cerebellum indicates a disposition of regions formed by the embryogenetic side plate to reactions of this type.


Fluorescein labelled dextrans as tracers for vascular permeability studies in the nervous system. Golden hamsters received i.v. injections of dextrans labelled with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC-Dextran). After 4 hrs samples from the cerebral hemispheres, Gasserian ganglia and sciatic nerves were fixed either by immersion in formalin or by cardiac perfusion with the same fixative. The distribution of the tracer was then studied by fluorescence microscopy of thin frozen sections. With this simple technique FITC-Dextrans could easily be detected in tissue sections. The tracers used (mol. w. 19000 and 154000) spread in the same way as fluorochrome-labelled albumin, remaining in the lumen of cerebral vessels but leaking extensively from vessels in the ganglia. FITC-Dextrans thus appear to be very useful tracers for vascular permeability studies of nervous tissue since dextrans can be obtained in a wide range of molecular weights. FITC-Dextrans can also be subjected to microscopic and quantitative studies.


Cholesterol masses in association with spinal cord infarction due to intervertebral disc emboli. The clinical and autopsy findings are presented from three dogs with spinal cord infarction. At autopsy firm gritty masses and cystic areas were present within the spinal cord. The masses contained numerous cholesterol clefts, collagen and reticulin fibres and were accompanied by a macrophage, giant cell and lymphocytic response. The cholesterol masses were present mainly in white matter. The ventral spinal artery or its branches as well as pial arteries contained fibrillary masses often covered by endothelial cells. The staining characteristics of these emboli suggested that they were fibro-cartilagenous and probably derived from the intervertebral discs. It is assumed that the cholesterol masses were formed from myelin breakdown products within infarcted areas.


The morphology of growth cartilage using the scanning electron microscope. The authors undertook a scanning electron microscopic study of the layers of the growth cartilage in the distal end of the rabbit femur in longitudinal and transverse fractures. The relationships between the various morphological structures were determined. The three-dimensional spatial depiction facilitates the better understanding of some mutual relationships between various growth cartilage components. Especially interesting are the regressive processes in both the cells and the matrix which explain the reduction of mechanical strength in the zone of the hypertrophic cells. Also interesting is the way in which the cells are placed and fixed in the lucunae. Moreover, the spatial picture of the terminal plate shows an unexpectedly compact structure.


Bone lesions in pigmented villonodular synovitis. Seven cases of pigmented villonodular synovitis with invasion of the bone are described, four affecting the hip and the remaining three involving the knee, shoulder and ankle joint, respectively. The pathogenesis of the bone changes and the radiographical appearance of the involved joints are described. The methods of treatment are discussed.


Monteggia lesions and their complicating nerve damage. Monteggia lesions and their equivalents are reviewed on the basis of the literature and 14 cases encountered over a 10-year period. Mention is made of aetiology, classification into types and treatment. For the 14 cases in this study the mean follow-up time was 6 years. Likewise, mention is made of the relationship between anatomy and the neuropathy which is a frequent complication in Monteggia lesions. In particular the ramus profundus of the radial nerve is exposed to injury but other nerves may also be involved. It is concluded that Monteggia lesions and their equivalents are relatively rare, a fact that may give rise to therapeutic problems. In adults the lesions often lead to permanent restriction of movement. Patients should be followed up for a long time with a view to early recognition and treatment of ulnar pseudoarthrosis. In case of neurological complications the intiial treatment should be conservative and expectant since there is usually no lesion to the nerve in continuity, but if function has failed to return after 8 weeks, surgical exploration is required with decompression in view.


The carpal tunnel syndrome. A retrospective study of 400 operated patients. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common cause of pain, often combined with hypaesthesia in the median distribution of the hand and atrophy of the thenar. We describe pre-, per-, and post-operative findings in 400 patients. Venous stasis is a good diagnostic method in establishing the syndrome. Operative treatment generally gives freedom from pain and normalization of sensibility.


The effect of delayed disc surgery on muscular paresis. A prospective study was carried out in 280 patients suffering from sciatica caused by myelographically verified disc prolapse. The patients were divided into three groups according to the following criteria: 1. The doubtful group, selected at random. Patients with doubtful indications for surgery. Treated operatively or not--by drawing lots. 2. Non-operated group. Patients with moderate symptoms and/or continued improvement. 3. Operated group. Patients with imperative indications for surgery. The muscle strength of the lower limbs was measured during maximal isometric voluntary contractions in all the patients 2 weeks after admission. Approximately 50 per cent had paresis. Control examinations of these patients 1 year later showed that operative treatment gave no better prognosis than conservative treatment with regard to the motor function, neither in the group chosen at random nor in the selected groups. The causative factors are discussed.