[A case of arteriovenous communication between external and internal carotid arteries and the sinus after removal of the meningioma (author's transl)]. A 60-year-old man was admitted with anosmia, memory disturbance and disorientation in 1971. He was diagnosed the left olfactory groove meningioma and received the removal of the tumor after ligation of the left external carotid artery. Over the following two years he was admitted again with progressive memory disturbance and mental disorder in Aug. '73. Physical examination disclosed no abnormalities except for slight hypertention. His CSF pressure was 120 mm H2O and pneumoencephalograms showed marked dilatation of the lateral ventricles. Right carotid angiography revealed the right olfactory groove meningioma which was receiving a rich circulation from the branches of right ophthalmic artery. And right selective external arteriography showed an arteriovenous communication between the occipital artery and the transverse sinus. Contrast medium flowed to the left transverse sinus. Left internal carotid arteriography showed an anomalous arteriovenous communication between the tentorial branch (Bernasconi-Cassinari artery) of the internal carotid artery and sigmoid sinus. Further left vertebral arteriography revealed another arteriovenous communication between the left occipital artery anastomosed with vertebral artery and the transverse sinus. An operation for the right olfactory groove meningioma was made in Sep. '73. Some considerations on the pathogenesis of developement of these arteriovenous communications were discussed.


[Electron microscopic observations of ependymoblastoma (author's transl)]. The fine structure of an ependymoblastoma was examined and compared to normal ependyma, ependymoma and to developing neural tube. As in the ependymoma, the tumor cells formed compact masses as well as rosettes and the blood vessel-associated pseudorosettes. In general, the cells appeared primitive but displayed well developed junctional devices in some areas as well as ciliary basal bodies. In many respects, the tumor cells resembled the cells forming the developing neural tube.


[Catheter cerebral angiography in little children. Review of 71 examinations on 59 children under the age of 7 years (author's transl)]. Although the role of the cerebral angiography in the diagnosis of the central nervous system disorders in children is well established, there exists some reluctance to perform angiography in little children, probably due to technical difficulties and possible occurrence of side effects. For the last several years, we have performed catheter cerebral angiography on children with various disorders of central nervous system utilizing Seldinger's transfemoral technique. Our technique has been described in detail with special reference to the dilator catheter and double replacement technique, and the results of 71 catheter angiographies on 59 patients under the age of 7 years have been reviewed. No neurological complication or systemic reaction to contrast medium was noted. Circulatory disturbance at the site of femoral puncture was occasionally noted. Transient circulatory disturbance of several hours' duration was not uncommon in this age group. There were three cases which developed thrombus formation at the puncture site with resultant successful thrombectomy utilizing balloon catheter. The causes of these complications were analysed, and the need for systemic heparinization or heparin coated catheter during catheterization in little children was stressed. Comparison was made with other methods of cerebral angiography applied to children. It has been pointed out that this is a relatively convenient and safe technique applicable to little children, in whom multivessel study is often needed.


[Spinal cord tumor of children--a cured case of infantile spinal cord tumor and review of domestic literature (author's transl)]. Spinal cord tumor of children is a rare occurrence and infancy it is extremely rare. Experience with a 3-month-old female case of intraspinal extradural neurinoma was reported. This is the youngest reported case in the domestic literature. The tumor, which was solid and extended from the level of 11th thoracic vertebra to the /th lumbar vertebra, was successfully removed. Preoperative symptoms, such as sensory and motor disturbances of bilateral lower extremities and urinary and fecal incontinences, disappeared postoperatively. The patient is quite healthy 7 years after the operation. The domestic literature consisting of 73 cases of spinal cord tumor of children was reviewed and statistically  observed. Histopathologically, teratoma and teratoid tumors were the major constituents. Neurinoma, which is a major entity in adult cases was observed only in 12 cases (16.4%). In infancy early diagnosis is often difficult due to absence of subjective complaints and, in about half of the reported cases, motor disturbance was the first noticed clinical sign. In the present case, the parents noticed crying of the baby on lifting up the limbs to change diaper and the presence of some sort of sensory disturbance was suggested. Thus in suspicious cases, diagnostic procedures such as myelography should be done in early stage and early operation should be undertaken.


[The protrusion of thoracic intervertebral disc-thoracic spondylosis (author's transl)]. The protrusion of cervical intervertebral discs was divided into three pathological entities by Spurling; soft disc, hard disc and spondylosis. We applied these concept to the dorsal intervertebral disc disease and treated two cases of thoracic spondylosis. Case 1. A 41-year-old male entered the hospital because of the gradual progression of weakness of both legs of two months' duration. Since ten days before admission he had not had an errection and had not been to able to walk and micturate. He also complained of paresthesia radiating down the abdomen into both legs. There were no visceral complaints. Neurological examination revealed severe weakness of both legs with bilateral impairment of deep sensations and hypalgesia up to the level of T6. Reflexes in both legs were hyperactive with sustained clonus. Plantar responses were extensor bilaterally. Though plain X-rays showed no changes, tomography revealed a calcified intervertebral spur formation at the T5-6 interspace. A myelogram showed a complete block of the contrast medium at the level of the upper part of T6. The patient underwent a complete laminectomy from T3 through T6 and extradural anterior decompression with the removal of the calcified disc at the T5-6 interspace using an air drill. Postoperatively, he demonstrated an immediate improvement in sensation and a gradual recovery in motor power. At his follow-up examination 14 months after surgery he could walk without assistance. Case 2. A 47-year-old dwarfish woman (130 cm) with a low back pain and difficulty in walking for a few years duration was admitted. A few months before admission she felt pain at her left lateral abdomen. There was weakness of both legs, greater in the left. Reflexes in her left lower extremity were hyperactive with sustained clonus. Plantar responces were flexor bilaterally. Palin X-rays showed scoliosis of thoracic spine with the top at T7 level and calcified intervertebral masses at T10-11, T11-12 and T12-L1, extending into the canal that were confirmed more clearly by tomography. Myelography by a cisternal puncture disclosed a complete block at the level of T10. The patient underwent total laminectomy of T9 through L2 and extradural anterior decompression with the removal of calcified discs. At her follow-up examination 12 months after surgery she could walk for herself with some residual neurological signs, minimal weakness in the right leg and hypesthesia up to the level of T12 in the left. We have discussed the incidental, related diagnostic and operative problems of this disease.


[An interhemispheric subdural abscess (author's transl)]. A subdural abscess which is cinfined to the interhemispheric space alone, which does not extend over the convexity is rare. This is a specific form and is a complication of a common intracranial subdural abscess. It is of great practical importance to determins this uncommon location, and cerebral angiography is most useful. Multiple trephinations or craniotomy for exploration and evacuation must be performed near the midline. A 20 year old female was in a comatose state on admission. There was a flaccid paralysis of the right lower extremity and a dilated left pupil. Examination of the eyegrounds showed bilateral choked discs. Left cerebral angiography revealed the proximal pericallosal artery to be shifted to the right side and the callosomarginae artery was displaced from the midline parallel to the distal pericallosal artery. Although 20 ml of pus was evacuated through the parietal burr hole, which was located a bout 2.5 cm from the midline, she died. At autopsy, a subsural abscess was found in the interhemispheric space. It extended from the frontal pole to the occipital and had a thick membrane which adhered firmly to the falx medially. We could find no other subdural nor intracerebral pus collections. The left cerebral hemisphere was edematous. The superior sagittal sinus had a thick wall and was almost occluded. This dural sinus thrombophlebitis may have developed into the interhemispheric subdural abscess. It is emphasized that this uncommon location for subdural abscess poses a specific problem in clinical practice.


[The fine structure of epithelial cyst in the central nervous system (author's transl)]. The fine structure of three types of cysts within central nervous system, all with a single cell lining, has been examined. The first was in the subarachnoid space of the lumber cord and the lining cells included both ciliated and nonciliated secretory cells. It was considered to be of endodermal origin. The second type was a colloid cyst of the third ventricle and its fine structural features were almost identical to those of the first type. It was, therefore, likewise considered to be of endodermal origin. The third type was an intracerebral epithelial cyst in which the lining cells more closely resembled ependymal cells. The value of fine structural studies for the understanding of the pathogenesis of epithelial cysts within the central nervous system is discussed.


[Clinical study on rebleeding of cerebral anuerysms--with special references to the warning signs of rebleeding and antifibrinolytic treatment during waiting time for surgery (author's transl)]. The warning signs of rebleeding in the ruptured cerebral aneurysms, and the effect of antifibrinolytic treatment on the prevention of rebleeding from the ruptured aneurysms were studied and evaluated satistically by analysing the 62 single ruptured aneurysms. The incidennce of rebleeding during waiting time for surgery was higher in the following factors, i.e., the older patients, the Grade 2, the higher blood pressure, the larger aneurysms, the anterior-communicating aneurysms, the vasospasm. The critical time for rerupture was within three days after admission and within seven days after last bleeding. The anti-edema treatment and the sedation treatment have no effect upon the rebleeding. There was no difference in incidence of rebleeding among the sex and the frequency of bleeding before admission. The operative mortality of the reruptured patients during waiting time for surgery was very high. The antifibrinolytic treatment definitely lessened the incidence of rebleeding of the ruptured aneurysms during waiting time for surgery, and there were no noticeable complications following this treatment. This treatment is of value in the prevention of rebleeding from ruptured cerebral aneurysms during waiting time for surgery.


[Electric thrombosis of the experimental aneurysm--effect of alteration in intraaneurysmal hemodynamics on thrombus formation and progress of thrombosis (author's transl)]. Electric thrombosis may be one of useful method to provide protection against re-bleeding from the intracranial aneurysm which cannot be obliterated by clipping or ligation of its neck without disturbing arterial circulation. However, a better method is required to make the aneurysm to be almost completely thrombosed within one or two hours and to avoide marked damage of its wall, dislodging of the formed thrombus and excessive thrombosis. In this report a method of electric thrombosis of the experimental aneurysm was studied, and effects of hematocrit value and alteration in intraaneurysmal hemodynamics on thrombus formation and progression of thrombosis were investigated. An aneurysm-like vein pouch of 6 to 9 mm in diameter and of 5 to 8 mm in height was made on the common carotid artery of the dog. One week later, patency of the "aneurysm" was confirmed on angiogram. An anodal electrode of a platinum needle of 0.2 mm in diameter was inserted into the "aneurysm" to place the tip of the needle approximately at the center of the sack. Two platinum plates of 3 mm in diameter and of 0.1 mm in thickness were used as the cathodes and were placed externnally on the aneurysm wall. Direct current of 3 mA was applied for 5 or 10 minutes, or current of 5 mA for 5 minutes. Intraaneurysmal pulsating jet and turbulent flows were reduced by occlusion or stenosis of the common carotid. Size of the thrombus immediately after passing current and further progress of thrombosis were evaluated on angiogram and also on plethysmogram of the "aneurysm". Hematocrit value of 45% or more was favorable in producing a thrombus. Although direct current of 3 or 5 mA was desirable to avoid injury of the "aneurysm" wall and to inhibit dislodging of the formed thrombus, only a small thrombus was produced around the anode. Simultaneous occlusion or stenosis of the carotid artery proximally to the "aneurysm" during application of the current markedly promoted thrombus formation. With current application for 5 minutes, 30 to 40% or more of "aneurysm" lumen was occupied by the thrombus in a half of the cases. When the thrombus had reached to approximately 40% of aneurysm "sack" 5 minutes after passing DC current, it progressed to 80% within the following one hour. The most favorable site of the anode for progression of thrombosis was the proximal wall (cardiac side) of "aneurysm". Proximal occlusion or stenosis of the carotid artery promoted remarkably also progress of thrombosis. Excessive thrombosis, dislodging or spontaneous resolution of the formed thrombus was not found throughout one month follow-up. Histologically, the thrombus was organized within one month and covered with the endothel extending from the parent artery.


[Treatment for traumatic aneurysm of the cerebral artery--identification between deteriorating type and spontaneously disappearing type (author's transl)]. Thirty five cases of traumatic aneurysm of the cortical cerebral artery were reviewed in the literatures cited in the references. Five cases of them healed spontaneously without operative treatment (disappearing type), the other cases underwent direct operation of aneurysm, in spite of high operative moltality or mobility (deteriorating type). Recently four cases of traumatic aneurysm of the cortical cerebral artery were treated in our clinic. Three cases which had the aneurysm in the pericallosal artery (1 case) and middle cerebral artery (2 cases) respectively underwent radical operation for treatment as progressively deteriorating type and fourth case which had the aneurysm in the peripheral part of the frontopolar artery was treated by medication as the spontaneously disappearing type until the aneurysm disappeared on the angiogram. According to the review of literatures, it is the most important for the treatment of tramatic aneurysm to know whether disappearing type or deteriorating type, because deteriorating type had bad prognosis without radical operation and the prognosis of disappearing type was excellent without operation. Analysing the clinical signs and angiographical findings of the all cases, the authors found out some specific characteristics of the spontaneously disappearing type. are (1) The aneurysm is found in the relativery late post traumatic stage except for cases caused by penetrating wound, (2) The irregular shape, uneven opacity of the aneurysm without clear neck connecting with pearent artery on angiography, (3) Shape and size of the aneurysm in follow up angiogram (two weeks or more) became smaller, (4) Around of aneurysm, there are not any kind of intracranical hemetoma. According to these results, differential diagnosis between spontaneously disappearing type and deteriorating type was done in the author's four cases and the three cases of deteriorating type were relieved by radical operation without any postoperative disability and one case of spontaneously disappearing type was treated by medical treatment until disappear of aneurysm. It is concluded that traumatic aneurysm of the cortical cerebral artery is relative rare and it is important to know whether deteriorating type or spontaneously disappearing type in order to get excellent results.


[A clinical survey of brain abscess (3rd report): special reference to chronological analysis of EEG on brain abscess (author's transl)]. The attention of those concerned with the management  of intracranial abscess has been largely directed to a study of the findings in clinicopathological and neuroradiological investigations. Our object, in this communication is to arouse interest in the electroencephalographic survey, especially chronological electroencephalographic study of absecess patients. The clinical material forming the basis of this study is drawn from a series of 46 consecutive cases of intracranial abscess treated, during 3 years, in the neurosurgical department of Tokyo Women's Medical College.


[Clinical manifestation of muco- and pyocele of the sphenoid and ethmoid sinuses (author's transl)]. We, neurosurgeons, frequently encounter patients whose chief compiants are visual disturbance, disorder of the ocular movement, trigeminal neuralgia and/or panhypopituitarism wich have been called as superior orbital fissure syndrome or orbital apex syndrome. Among these, there might be considerably high incidence of mucocele or pyocele of posterior ethmoid sinuses. We have experienced 12 cases of mucocele in past 5 years, which were confirmed by operation. The most reliable method to diagnose mucocele or pyocele at this moment is by the radiogical procedures, and among all, tomogram of the skull is essential. This procedure not only clearly demonstrates the existence of mucocele in a certain sinus but also provides us informations about the surrounding bony stracture. Diagnosis becomes more definite if the epipharyngography demonstrates no filling of postive contrast medium into suspected paranasal sinuses. Treatment of choice for this disease is firstly drainage of mucocele or pyocele by transnasal approach, to avoid postoperative meningitis or brain abscess, and secondarily dissection of the arachnoidal adhesion around the optic chiasm by intracranial approach if it is necessary. Recently, we perform the drainage of mucocel and peeling off of affected mucosa via transnasal route using microsurgical technique. Results are all satisfactory.


[Neurogenic hypernatremia caused by a teratoma on the supraoptic region (author's transl)]. This is a case report involving a 9 year old girl with a teratoma that infaced mainly the bilateral hypothalamus. The girl was observed for 14 months after partial surgical removal. During that time she showed aphagia, adipsia, hypopituitarism, and visual and psychiatric disturbances. Severe hypernatremia also was present, even though large amounts of 5% glucose solution without salt were given I.V. Food and water were given by nasal gastric gavage and later gavage via gastric fistula, but the hypernatremia remained unchanged. When pitressin or spironolacton (anti-aldosterone) were administered, remarkable effect on the hypernatremia couldn't be found. Upon autopsy it was discovered that the bilateral hypothalamus, left subthalamus and ventral part of the thalamus were invaded by teratoma. Comparing many similar clinical reports and manifestations of hypothalamic lesions in experimental animals, it is reasonable to assume that the mechanisms of hypernatremia were caused by the disturbances of ADH secretion, thirst centre and osmoreceptor in the hypothalamus.


[Acute epidural spinal abscess--A case of complete recovery by surgical treatment (author's transl)]. Acute spinal epidural abscess is found to be relatively rare and may be getting rarer since antibiotics have been widely used. An early diagnosis and prompt surgical treatment are still important to prevent severe neurological deficit such as paraplegia. A characteristic case is presented. Eighteen years old boy showed acute progression of paraplegia and rectourinary difficulty with complete spinal block at T 6-7 intervertebral space on myelography, who had suffered from multiple infectious lacerations on his face and hands two months previously. There was complete recovery of neurological signs following removal of epidural abscess with granulation tissue and spinal decompression by lamineotomy through T 5-7, and supplimentary antibiotic therapy for the organism (Staphylococcus aureus). To our knowlodge, this will be the first case report in this country, which has been obtained successful recovery after surgical treatment in such an acute case.


Idiopathic polyneuropathy associated with cytotoxic anti-neuroblastoma serum. IgG and IgM immunoglobulin studies. Serums from six patients with progressive idiopathic acute or chronic polyneuropathy possessed a cytolytic activity against transformed mouse cholinergic or noncholinergic neuroblasts but not against transformed rat astrocytes. This activity was not qualitatively nor quantitatively present in serums from normal controls or from patients with a variety of other motor system disorders and other neurologic disorders. Fluorescein conjugated goat antihuman IgG and IgM monospecific immunoglubulins were used to characterize further the cytotoxic activity from patient serums and these studies suggested the presence of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) directed against a cell surface neuroblastoma antigen. Cold reactive immunoglobulins of the IgG and IgM type were present in the serums of all six patients. A bioassay is described that may be helpful in evaluating other patients with progressive idiopathic polyneuropathies.


Tick paralysis: electrophysiologic studies. A patient with tick paralysis had motor and sensory nerve conduction studies before and after removal of an engorged tick. The amplitudes of muscle action potentials evoked by stimulation of motor nerves were reduced initially, returning to normal after the tick was removed. Distal motor and sensory latencies also shortened after removal, and conduction velocities were improved 6 months later. Direct stimulation of muscle produced a normal response, and tests of neuromuscular transmission were normal, including the response to edrophonium. These findings are compatible with experimental results showing effects of the toxin on motor nerve terminals as well as on large sensory and motor nerves.


Supranuclear paralysis of monocular elevation. A man with bronchogenic carcinoma lost the ability to elevate his left eye voluntarily. His eyes were level in the primary position and the Bell phenomenon was normal, indicating that the ophthalmoplegia was caused by a supranuclear lesion. Other clinical and radiologic evedence indicated that there was a lesion in the rostral midbrain. A metastatic tumor, found in the right pretectum at autopsy, probably produced the ophthalmoplegia by interrupting axons destined for the superior rectus portion of the homolateral oculomotor nucleus and the interior oblique portion of the contralateral oculomotor nucleus.


The 'empty' sella.

The 'empty' sella. Records of all patients diagnosed as having an "empty" sella turcica at the University of Michigan Medical Center after 1972 were retrospectively reviewed. Nineteen patients satisfied the two criteria, absence of prior surgical or radiotherapeutic intervention and air within the sella turcica at pneumoencephalography. Associated clinical signs and symptoms were varied and nonspecific. Two patients had relative visual field deficits without increased intracranial pressure. Three patients had papilledema and were diagnosed as having had benign increased intracranial pressure. Increased intracranial pressure was not a consistent enough finding to be considered an etiology for the empty sella syndrome.


Cell-mediated immunity to neural antigens in idiopathic polyneuritis and myeloradiculitis. Clinical-immunologic classification of several autoimmune demyelinating disorders. Patients with peripheral nervous system disorders were tested for the presence of cellular hypersensitivity to peripheral and central nervous system antigens by means of the in vitro lymphocyte transformation technique. Lymphocytes sensitized to the neuritogenic peripheral nervous system P1L basic protein were found in pure polyradiculitis of the Guillain-Barré syndrome type. Lymphocytes from patients with myeloradiculitis underwent transformation by peripheral P2 basic protein and by central nervous system basic encephalitogenic protein. In cases of chronic relapsing polyneuropathy response was shown to the central nervous system basic encephalitogen and to both of the peripheral nerve basic proteins. Lymphocytes from patients with other neurologic conditions showed no response to any oth these antigens. These findings suggest that cell mediated immunity to specific basic proteins of the myelin plays a rolw in the pathogenesis of the above-mentioned demyelinating disorders and may lead to a new approach in their classification and diagnosis.


Alexia with left homonymous hemianopia without agraphia. A case report with autopsy findings. Unusual findings at autopsy prompted this case report of a patient with the syndrome of alexia without agraphia. The expected disconnection of the left angular gyrus from both visual cortices was not found at postmortem examination. Multiple cerebral metastases were identified, but none were present in the presumed pathways connecting the left occipital lobe and the left angular gyrus.


Effects of prostaglandins on cerebral blood vessels: interaction with vasoactive amines. Prostaglandins B1 and B2 were topically applied to the pial vessels of mice and arteriolar constriction was observed. This constriction could be significantly increased if serotonin was added to B1, but not when norepinephrine was added. Response to B2 was not enhanced by the simultaneous addition of either serotonin or norepinephrine. Earlier work with prostaglandin F2alpha was replicated. F2alpha constricted pial arterioles and a significantly greater constriction was produced when norepinephrine was applied simultaneously with F2alpha. The data suggest that among the causes of cerebral vasospasm one should consider not only the action of singly agents, but also the combined effects of several agents that might be in contact with cerebral vessels.


Pathogenesis of pigment and spheroid formation in Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome and related disorders. In a case of Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome, neuromelanin was found in neurons and, extracellularly, in the globus pallidus and pars reticulata of the substantia nigra. Some cells of pars compacta contained Lewey bodies. We propose that neuromelanin is formed by a metal-catalyzed pseudoperoxidation of lipofuscin, involving increased amounts of iron and copper in the affected regions. A similar mechanism of spheroid formation, often associated with neuromelanin, may result from pathologic accumulations of lipid peroxides during fatty acid oxidation of myelin. We suggest that neuromelanin is a late stage in the metabolism on intraneuronal and extraneuronal lipopigments. Discrepancies among the histochemical features of the pigment in different cases may be explained by differences in amounts of lipofuscin, neuromelanin, and their precursors. We propose relation of peroxidation to the pathogenesis of some related degenerative diseases.


[Clinico-statistical data on the sexualtiy of the male diabetic]. In 60 male diabetics aged between 16 and 60 followed up for 5 years, libido was found to be reduced in 58% and potency in 63%. The alteration in sex function would not appear to be related to the duration or gravity of the diseases, nor with the existence of vasculopathy; it was, however, related to age (a prevalence in elderly subjects) and to the existence of neuropathy. In one third of subjects, impotence preceded or was contemporaneous with clinical diagnosis of diabetes. Spermiogenesis alterations, present in more than half the cases, were closely related to gonadotropinuria LH; this finding, added to personal results and those obtained previously by other researchers, suggests a two-fold hypophyseal and Leydigian pathogenesis of impotence in the diabetic.


A rapid spectrophotometric method for the monitoring of embryonic development in ticks (Acarina: Ixodoidea). A rapid spectrophotometric method for the monitoring of embryonic development in Boophilus decoloratus (Koch, 1844) is described. The method is based on a quantitative assessment of guanine, the prinicipal end-product of nitrogenous metabolism in ticks, which is gradually built up and stored in the rectal sac during embryonic development of the larvae. A study of the growth of tick embryos under constant temperature conditions and 6 different humidity conditions demonstrated that embryonic development was dependent on the water content of the eggs at the time of oviposition. When eggs lost more than 35% of their initial mass through evaporation, nitrogenous metabolism (as indicated by guanine production) was seriously affected and embryos died.


The mode of hatching of the monogenean Entobdella soleae, a skin parasite of the common sole (Solea solea). Observations have been made on the hatching behaviour of the larva of the monogenean Entobdella soleae and on the effects of various enzymes on the opercular cement of the egg. These observations indicate that hatching is brought about by a proteolytic hatching fluid which is produced by two pairs of ventral head glands and spread over the inner surface of the opercular joint by rotation of the larva about its longitudinal axis. After hatching there is no trace of the ventral head glands. Similar glands are present before hatching in the oncomiracidium of E. hippoglossi.


Fasciola hepatica: the ultrastructure of the epithelium of the seminal vesicle, the ejaculatory duct and the cirrus. The ultrastructure of the seminal vesicle, ejaculatory duct, cirrus sac and cirrus is described. The epithelium of the seminal vesicle consists of a single layer of squamous to cuboidal cells. The apical ends of the cells have thin polymorphic lamellae and long narrow pits, both of which enclose normal spermatozoa. The cells have a moderate amount of GER and Golgi complexes which produce a lucid secretory body. The ejaculatory duct epithelium is composed of cuboidal to columnar cells between or through which project the terminal parts of the ducts of the unicellular prostate glands. The apical surfaces of the epithelia are extended into triangular or filiform projections having thin sinuous lamellae. The cytoplasm contains GER cisternae and Golgi complexes which synthesize a dense ovoid secretion. The cirrus sac and cirrus are covered by a thin modified tegument. The cirrus has many spines and the normal ratio of T1 and T2 type of secretory bodies, whereas the cirrus sac has few spines and the T2 type of secretory body predominates over the T1 type. The significance and possible functions of the structures observed in the three tissues are discussed.


In vitro oncospheral agglutination given by immune sera from mice infected, and rabbits injected, with eggs of Hymenolepis nana. Oncospheral agglutination given by sera immunized with Hymenolepis nana eggs is described as a new way of assessing H. nana infection. All sera of mice which possessed acquired protective immunity against reinfection by H. nana eggs had the potency to induce oncospheral agglutination in vitro. Only oncospheres, which had been hatched, agglutinated, no agglutination occurred in sera from uninfected mice. Oncospheral agglutination was carried out by mixing 0-1 ml of serial two-fold dilutions of serum and 0-1 ml of Hanks' balanced salt solution containing about 600 hatched oncospheres. Titre of agglutinins was indicated as a reciprocal of the final dilution capable of giving agglutination clusters made of three or more oncospheres. Agglutinins developed within 14 days after a primary infection with 500 shell-free eggs. There was no rapid increase of agglutinins within 4 days following a secondary infection. The titre increase coincided with the increase in dosages of eggs. Agglutinins were thought to be immunoglobulins, because the potency of the serum to agglutinate oncospheres was extinguished after absorption of globulins with rabbit anti-mouse globulin serum. Agglutinins were produced in rabbits by intravenous injections of shell-free eggs. The titres of the rabbit sera were much higher than those of mouse sera.


Breast-feeding: First thoughts.

Breast-feeding: First thoughts. Factors responsible for negative attitudes toward breast-feeding are discussed. These factors do not relate to the relative properties of bottle or breast milk, but to anxieties and conflicts women experience in relation to their breasts and sexuality. A review of factual data in the literature that can be brought to bear in the clinical management of these anxieties is presented. The impact of physician attitudes and physician intervention on breast-feeding trends is discussed.


Dual effects of calcium ions on pacemaker activity in guinea-pig taenia coli. The effects of various [Ca2+]0 on membrane potential (MP), action potential (AP) frequency, and isometric tension of isolated guinea-pig taenia coli were studied using intracellular recording techniques and simultaneous tension measurement. At 5.9 mM [K+]0 the order of potency of [Ca2+]0 this order is gradually reversed since high [Ca2+]0 becomes more potent in accelerating impulse discharges. At 2.5 mM [Ca2+]0 the line relating MP to log [K+]0 is not straight; its slope for a tenfold change of [K+]0 is 21.1 mV in the range between 5.9 and 17.7 mM [K+]0, and 51.5 mV between 32.45 and 59 mM [K+]0. In general, reducing [Ca2+]0 depolarizes the membrane whereas increasing [Ca2+]0 hyperpolarizes it. The Ca2+-induced changes of MP are reduced at high [K+]0. At 2.5 and 7.5 mM [Ca2+]0 the lines relating AP frequency and tension to the MP are nearly superimposed. In contrast, at 0.83 mM [Ca2+]0 the line is shifted to lower frequency and tension for all MP values studied. In conclusion, in the range of low [Ca2+]0 the system underlying pacemaker activity seems to be dependent on Ca2+ in two ways: 1. by an indirect negative action mediated by an increase of PK+ and by hyperpolarization of the membrane; 2. by a direct positive action which is not mediated by alterations of MP. In the range of normal and high [Ca2+]0 only potential-mediated Ca2+-effects determine AP frequency. The hypothesis is put forward that Ca2+ may carry the background inward current responsible for pacemaker activity.


Force velocity relationships in vascular smooth muscle. The influence of temperature. Force velocity relationships of isolated vascular smooth muscle preparations were examined in the tetanized rat portal--anterior mesenteric vein by means of afterloaded isotonic contractions. Lowering of the temperature from 37 degrees C to 25 degrees C caused an average decrease of the follwoing parameters: maximal velocity of shortening at zero load from 0.51 to 0.28 muscle length/sec; maximal rate of tension increase (dT/dt) from 847 to 362 dyn/sec; mechanical tension developed at the maximum of dT/dt from 43 to 34% of the peak force generation; constant b of Hill's equation from 0.18 to 0.09 muscle length/sec. The latency was prolonged from 0.33 to 0.56 sec, and the time-to-maximum of dT/dt from 0.9 to 1.6 sec. Between 27 degrees C and 37 degrees C the following Q10 values were calculated: for the maximal velocity of shortening at zero load 1.56; for the maximal rate of tension increase 1.88; for the latency 1.63. No distinct influence of temperature could be observed on the extent of isotonic shortening at zero load (3.69 muscle length at 37 degrees C), on the extent of peak force generation (1107 dyn at 37 degrees C), and on constant a of Hill's equation (0.35 at 37 degrees C). It is concluded that parameters of contraction velocity in vascular smooth muscle depend on temperature, whereas the extent of contraction is independent of temperature. These findings are discussed in connection with the theory of the sliding-filament mechanism.


Influence of volume expansion, serum sodium, and fractional excretion of sodium on urate excretion. The relative contributions of volume expansion and increased fractional excretion of sodium to the uricosuria of saline infusion were assessed in 19 subjects by volume expansion with rapid infusion of 21 of hypertonic saline (3%), isotonic saline (0.9%), or hypotonic saline (0.45%). Urate excretion increased 385 mug/min (P less than 0.01) with hypertonic, 145 mug/min (P less than 0.05) with isotonic saline, and 294 mug/min (P less than 0.001) with hyptonic saline. When 150 meq of sodium chloride was administered as appropriate volumes of hypertonic, isotonic of hypotonic saline, the magnitude or uricosuria was correlated with volume load (r = 0.66, P less than 0.002). fractional excretion of sodium correlated with infusion volumes for all studies taken together (r = 0.35, P greater than 0.1). The relationship between fractional excretion of sodium and fractional excretion of urate was entirely attributed to their correlation with infusion volume. Both post-pyrazinamide urate excretion and pyrazinamide suppressible urate excretion increased with volume expansion.


Evaluation of peritubular capillary microperfusion method by morphological and functional studies. The present study was undertaken in anesthetized rats to evaluate the technique of efferent arteriolar and branch capillary microperfusion in the kidney. In contrary to previous suggestions, subsurface efferent arteriolar branches were demonstrated to occur prior to the surface site of insertion of the microperfusion pipette into an efferent arteriole. This finding, in addition to the presence of continued blood flow around the microperfusion pipette, provided an explanation for continued filtration and tubular reabsorption in nephrons under study. Moreover, additional microdissection studies demonstrated that a mean of 3.8 nephrons are surrounded by artificially perfused capillaries from a micropipette inserted into a single efferent arteriole. Thus, any obstructive effect of the microperfusion technique on post-glomerular blood flow might be expected to alter nephron function in only a minority of nephrons which are surrounded by artificial perfusate. The results also demonstrated the importance of avioding osmotic gradients between the animal's plasma and the artificial perfusate. A method is also described in which the correlation between in vivo diagrams and in vitro microdissections allows assessment of the completeness of the artificial perfusion of capillaries surrounding the surface loops of nephrons under study.


Variation of proximal tubular reabsorptive capacity by volume expansion and aortic constriction during constancy of peritubular capillary protein concentration in rat kidney. The present study was undertaken in anesthetized rats to examine the effect of aortic constriction and volume expansion on proximal tubular sodium reabsorption during constancy of flow and fluid composition in the peritubular circulation of the kidney. Efferent arterioles and branch capillaries were perfused at 625 nl/min with an artificial perfusate containing 9 g per oiter of albumin both before and during either aortic constriction or saline infusion. Results of recollection micropuncture studies in those tubules surrounded by artificially perfused capillaries were compared with results in control tubules in which the peritubular capillary flow and fluid composition were allowed to change during aortic constriction or volume expansion following saline infusion. Changes in single nephron filtration rate, fractional and absolute reabsorption induced by both aortic constriction and saline infusion were found to be qualitatively and quantitatively comparable in tubules with constant peritubular capillary microperfusion and in the control tubules with changing peritubular capillary environment due to the experimental maneuvers. Taken together, therefore, the present results indicate that with the use of the peritubular microperfusion technique no evidence is found to support a role of alteration in the peritubular environment in modulating the effect of aortic constriction or saline infusion on tubular sodium reabsorption in the rat nephron. Rather, these results provide indirect evidence in support of intraluminal factors as mediating these responses in tubular reabsorption to volume expansion and aortic constriction.


Transport of ascorbic acid in perfused rat lung. Rat lungs were perfused by recycling Krebs-bicarbonate solution in an apparatus which allowed negative pressure ventilation of the lungs. After addition of either reduced or oxidized ascorbic acid to the perfusion fluid serial samples were taken over 60 min and assayed for ascorbic acid. At the end of perfusion, lungs were assayed for ascorbic acid. The results show that reduced ascorbic acid was taken up by the lung and concentrated in the tissue. No appreciable transport of oxidized ascorbic acid was measured.


The Hering-Breuer reflexes in the bronchial asthma attack. The correlation between pulmonary stretch receptor activity and inspiration-expiration duration quotient as well as respiratory frequency (Hering-Breuer reflexes) has been established before and during an asthma attack in the guinea-pig. The Hering-Breuer reflexes subserving the self-regulation of breathing during uninfluenced spontaneous breathing no longer prevail after induction of a bronchial asthma attack. Increased stretch receptor activity following increased lung volume does not lead to inhibition of inspiratory activity (lung inflation reflex), but to an enhancement of the asthmatic tachypnoea. The latter is assumed to result from the expiratory self-compression of the lungs (lung deflation reflex). The enhancement of the deflation reflex by increasing lung volume during the asthma attack is discussed with regard to the uneven ventilation and the conditions in lung mechanics underlying the excitation of the lung deflation or collapse endings.


The use of local anaesthetics to produce prolonged motor nerve block in the study of denervation hypersensitivity. 1. Silastoseal cuffs containing 25% and 45% lignocain, 25% marcain and 25% NaCl were placed onto the sciatic nerve. The effects of this on the sciatic nerve as well as the soleus and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles was studied. 2. Cuffs containing local anaesthetics caused both early and late phases of paralysis, cuffs containing NaCl caused only the late phase of paralysis, showing that the late phase of paralysis was not due to the anaesthetic properties of the drugs. The paralysis produced by these procedures was irreversible. 3. Responses to indirect and direct stimulation of soleus and EDL muscles were compared to assess the degree of denervation. In case of cuffs containing 25% marcain and 45% lignocain more than half of the muscle fibres were denervated. 4. Acetylcholine sensitivity was assesses in all experiments. Soleus and EDL muscles from all animals that had cuffed nerves containing either local anaesthetics or 25% NaCl were hypersensitive to ACh. The degree of hypersensitivity could be correlated to the degree of "denervation" as assessed by comparing the directly and indirectly elicited twitch tensions. 5. It was found that the sciatic nerve undergoes degenerative changes when exposed to cuffs containing either local anaesthetics or 25% NaCl.


Handling of allantoin by the rat kidney. Clearance and micropuncture data. Renal excretion of allantoin was measured by tracer techniques. After injection of 2-C14 urate and H3 inulin, clearances of allantoin and inulin were measured and both proximal and distal tubules were micropunctured. In confirmation of earlier results 2-C14 urate injected into an intact animal is very rapidly converted to C14 allantoin: after 15 min more than 90% of urinary tracer is present as allantoin. It was further observed that 1) allantoin clearance is essentially identical with inulin clearance over a wide range of urine flows; 2) no net transport of allantoin occurs in either proximal or distal tubules. Clearly allantoin is handled by the rat kidney like inulin. The total excretion of filtered allantoin unlike that of filtered urate provides an easy and effective mechanisms for animals possessing the enzyme uricase to dispose of their purine loads.


Effect of inhibitors and diuretics on electrical potential differences in rat kidney proximal tubule. Active transport potentials were studied across early loops of rat proximal tubule during luminal perfusion and peritubular superfusion with HCO3- Ringer's solution of identical ionic composition. From the effects of the carbonic anhydrase inhibitor acetazolamide and of ouabain it is concluded 1. that the lumen-positive active transport potential indicates an excess of active H+ secretion/HCO3- absorption over active Na+ absorption and 2. that the lumen-negative active transport potential, which develops in the presence of glucose (and/or aminoacids) in the tubular lumen, indicates stimulation of active Na+ absorption. Ouabain did not abolish the lumen-positive potential difference suggesting that active H+/HCO3- transport and active Na+ transport may be to some extent independent. Among the diuretics tested the mercurial diuretic mersalyl acted primarily on Na+ transport, and furosemide acted on HCO3- transport, whereas the effect of ethacrynic acid appeared to be unspecific.


Series elasticity in the intact heart. Evidence for the application of the Hill model for muscle to the intact left ventricle. Several recent studies have shown that the contractile state of the intact heart may be described by the instantaneous relationships between contractile element velocity, length and stress. However, there is little direct evidence that the intact heart can be described by a model containing at least a contractile element and a series elastic component (SEC). In isolated muscle the series elastic component can be analyzed by determining the length changes following quick releases to known loads during contraction. The characteristics of the effective SEC of the intact left ventricle (LV) were determined by a quick release method in 8 dogs in which the left ventricle contracted isovolumically against a balloon inserted via the mitral annulus. During active contraction, sequential withdrawals of 0.5 to 7.0 ml of fluid were performed rapidly (5-18 msec) by an electrically-timed, springloaded syringe. From these releases the calculated maximum extension of the SEC averaged 4.03 +/- 0.27% of LV circumference at LV pressures averaging 79/6 mmHg (systolic/end-diastolic; range 66-107/0-15 mmHg.) The reductions of the left ventricular midwall circumference were plotted against the corresponding changes in mean wall stress. The load extension curve determined in this manner was unchanged by varying the time of release and by norepinephrine infusion. These data support a model for the intact LV that contains an undamped SEC, the characteristics of which resemble those of isolated cardiac muscle.


Monosynaptic activation of a direct reticulo-spinal pathway by the dentate nucleus. Experiments were performed to test the hypothesis that the output of the dentate nucleus can affect the excitability of spinal neurons via the reticular formation. In the first group of studies, the response of neurons in the medial reticular formation to stimulation of the dentate nucleus was investigated. In the second set of experiments, stimuli were applied in the same region of the medial reticular formation in order to determine whether neurons in the dentate nucleus could be antidromically activated from this part of the brainstem. The results indicate that the output from the dentate nucleus monosynaptically activates medial reticular neurons which project to the spinal cord. This finding, together with the observation that stimulation of the medial reticular formation can antidromically activate neurons in the dentate nucleus, demonstrates that there is an anatomical substrate by which the dentate nucleus can affect the excitability of spinal neurons via a rapidly conducting reticulospinal pathway.


Effects of indomethacin on renal hemodynamics and on water and sodium excretion by the isolated dog kidney. Blood-perfused isolated dog kidneys demonstrate steady increases in blood flow and in water and sodium excretion which could be attributed to the accumulation of renal prostaglandins in the perfusing blood. This hypothesis was tested by adding indomethacin, a potent inhibitor of prostaglandins synthesis, to the perfusing blood. Indomethacin completely prevented the vasodilation observed in control kidneys, without affecting glomerular filtration rate. Urine volume was not modified but sodium excretion was enhanced while the steady free water clearance increment observed in the control kidneys was depressed by indomethacin. The sum of sodium and free water clearances which, in the absence of antidiuretic hormone, constitutes an index of the part of the filtered load of solutes which escapes proximal tubular reabsorption, was not modified by indomethacin. Finally, indomethacin partially maintained the osmotic cortico-papillary gradient which was abolished after 2 hrs perfusion in control kidneys. These data suggest that prostaglandins accumulation in the blood is probably the major cause of the vasodilation taking place in isolated blood-perfused kidneys. This vasodilation does not account for decreased proximal reabsorption but partially explains the ADH-resistant diabetes insipidus developing in the isolated kidney. Moreover, indomethacin inhibits sodium reabsorption in the ascending limb of Henle's loop and increases water transport in the collecting duct.


Investigation on the possible role of a work factor in thermoregulatory behavior of man. During experiments on thermoregulatory behavior, subjects rested or exercised completely immersed in a water bath of constant temperature. They could adjust the temperature on their backs by means of a water-perfused pillow. The difference T diff between the freely selected temperature on their backs and the water temperature was taken as output of the system of thermoregulatory behavior. Tdiff depends on deep-body and mean skin temperature but not on a non-thermal work factor. In the equation Tdiff=ao + a1Tes + a2Ts, the ratio a1/a2 is approximately 3. This is much smaller than the same ratio for the correlation between sweat rate and deep-body and mean skin temperature which is of the order of 10.


Glomerular filtration rate and microsphere distributions in single nephron of rat kidney. In control non diuretic (ND) and in salt-loaded (SL) rats, both the microsphere technique and the 14C ferrocyanide infusion technique were used to determine the distribution of microspheres in single glomeruli and the SNGFR of the corresponding nephrons. A sample of microspheres with a diameter averaging 11.0 +/- 2.6 mu SD was selected from a 15 +/- 5 mu unlabelled batch. In each rat, three million of these microspheres were injected through the left carotid artery. The microspheres were directly counted under microscopic observation in the glomeruli of the nephrons which were microdissected to determine the SNGFR value. The number of microspheres per glomerulus for a given kidney generally varied from 0 to 8 and was independent to the SNGFR value. The diameter of the microspheres trapped was constant in all the animals. The mean number of microspheres for superificial (S) and juxtamedullary (JM) nephrons was, (ND); S = 1.99 +/- 0.48 SE., n = 5; JM = 3.02 +/- 0.51 SE, n = 5; P less than 0.02, (SL): S = 3.75 +/- 0.53 SE, n = 6; JM = 2.86 +/- 0.33 SE, n = 6; P less than 0.05. This distribution was directly related to that of SNGFR in ND rats (S = 39.0 +/- 6.1 SD and JM = 49.5 +/- 10.3 nl/min) but not in SL rats (S = 50.9 +/- 6.1 and JM = 66.9 +/- 10.0 nl/min). In conclusion, the microsphere technique described in the present paper, appears more suitable for investigating single glomerular blood flow since the number and the size of the microspheres trapped are directly determined at the level of the glomerulus.


Sodium and chloride transport by the intestine of the European flounder Platichthys flesus adapted to fresh or sea water. 1. Everted intestinal sacs prepared from Platichthys flesus adapted to sea water (SW) have higher rates of salt and water transport than did sacs prepared from fresh water adapted (FW) fish. 2. Intestines mounted in Ussing chambers gave stable open-circuit voltages and short-circuit currents after pre-incubation for 20--30 min of --1.91 +/- 0.14 (14) mV and --45.0 +/- 5.1 (14) muA/cm2, SW fish, and --1.24 +/- 0.14 (11) mV and --18.2 +/- 3.6 (11) muA/cm2, FW fish. 3. Isotope flux measurements indicated a net Na transport of 21.5 +/- 4.1 (11) neq/cm2-min in SW fish intestines, but no significant Na transport in FW fish (7.6 +/- 7.6 (9) new/cm2-min). Both preparations showed an active Cl transport, 26.6 +/- 6.1 (12) neq/cm2-min for SW and 18.5 +/- 9.7 (17) neq/cm2-min for FW fish. 4. No significant difference in the uptake of Na or Cl across the mucosa was observed between FW and SW fish. The uptake of both ions showed some saturation at high concentrations. 5. Interactions between Na and Cl uptake were small, although Cl uptake was significantly higher in Na-free solutions. 6. It is concluded that electrogenic Cl transport may be the dominant mechanism for water and salt transport in flounder intestine, and that adaptation to a saline environment involves regulation of pumping rather than Na or Cl entry across the mucosal membrane.


A critical reticular site involved in the spino-bulbo-spinal reflex system. 1. In precollicular decerebrate cats, the nucleus reticularis gigantocellularis in the medullar was identified to be critically involved in the spino-bulbo-spinal (SBS) reflex system. 2. Electrolytic lesion place in this nucleus eliminated the SBS reflex and its associated effects in the spinal cord. 3. Ascending volleys from the spinal cord were found to excite neurons within this nucleus, whereupon further direct stimulation was able to enhance the inhibitory effects of the SBS reflex on spinal motoneurons. These interactions were also facilitated by physostigmine and suppressed by atropine, indicating the cholinoceptive nature of these neurons, another criterion which qualified them as being associated with the SBS reflex. 4. The functional roles of SBS reflex and nucleus reticularis gigantocellularis in somatic and visceral activities were discussed.


Adenosine response of the rat kidney after saline loading, sodium restriction and hemorrhagia. Experiments were performed on three groups of rats. The first group consisted of sodium loaded (SL) rats (high sodium diet, 10 meq Na/day, the second group consisted of sodium restricted (SR) rats (low sodium diet, 0.7 meq Na/day) and the third group consisted of hemorrhagic rats (HR), which were bled with 1-1,5% of the body weight. Blood pressure, glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and sodium excretion were measured. In some animals renal blood flow (RBF) was recorded with an electromagnetic flow meter. Adenosine was injected or infused into the thoracic aorta. Bolus injection of 10 nmoles adenosine resulted in a rapid and marked decrease of RBF (40%) in SR rats whereas in SL rats only a very small decrease of RBF (2%) was observed. Continuous infusion of adenosine (10(-7) moles/min) decreased GFR by 54% in SR rats and by 33% in HR rats, whereas GFR in SL rats did not change significantly. 5'-AMP decreased GFR in SR rats by 18% and in HR rats by 32%. Adenosine and 5'-AMP caused a slight fall in the systemic blood pressure, but this decrease could not account for the decrease of GFR. The sensitivity of kidney vasculature to adenosine parallelled high plasma renin activity (162 ng ang/ml-h in SR and 76 ng ang/ml-h in HR), elevated renal vascular resistance and low GFR. Simultaneous infusion of angiotensin (Hypertensin), 250 ng/min, in SL rats resulted in an increase of sensivity to adenosine infusion: GFR decreased by 21%. Our experiments demonstrated that a marked renal vasoconstriction caused by adenosine only occurs in rats in which renin-angiotensin system was stimulated.


The effect of sudden stretches on length-tension-and force-velocity relations of mammalian cardiac muscle. In the isotonically beating cat papillary muscle, a sudden augmentation of the preload initiates a visco-elastic strain retardation, in the course of which the preparations show a marked increase in their isotonic mechanogram amplitudes. It is preceded in the first seconds by a short-term decline. These effects correspond well with the phenomena of stress relaxation. When applying these post-stretch phenomena to the length-tension diagram, it is shown that the isometric and isotonic length-tension curves are significantly shifted to greater distances with respect to the resting length-tension curve, involving even a doubling of the myocardial working capacity in certain cases. Stretch-induced alterations in Vmax which were obtained from damped quick-releases, initiated during isometric contractions are almost negligible. On the other hand Vmax obtained from quick-releases which were started immediately after the onset of isotonic contractions are strongly affected by sudden stretches. The stair-like decline of the mechanograms in the initial phase of relaxation or retardation is assumed to be mediated by a stretch-induced alteration in the time course of the action potential. The additional reduction in myocardial performance superimposed on this, is consistent with the hypothesis of a stretch-induced transient inactivation or a delayed activation of contractile interaction sites.


Some properties of sympathetic neuron inhibition by depressor area and intraspinal stimulation. In Nembutal anesthesized cats single shock stimulation of the depressor area of the medulla oblongata evoked inhibition of spontaneous and glutamate-evoked activity of sympathetic preganglionic units. Single shocks to the lateral funiculus of the cervical or upper thoracic spinal cord in acute spinal cats evoked inhibition of the spontaneous and glutamate-evoked activity of single units and of the segmental reflex mass discharge evoked by spinal afferent stimulation. Cats studied 4 to 6 weeks after a complete transection of the spinal cord also showed, on stimulation of the lateral funiculus below the transection, an inhibition of the segmental reflex with time course similar to that seen in the acute spinal state, but of lower threshold and greater intensity. These results suggest that the inhibitory coupling between supraspinal levels and sympathetic preganglionic units is mediated, at least in part, by propriospinal neuronal system which survive after chronic spinal section. On the assumption that the observed changes in the properties of inhibition are due to plastic changes consequent to partial denervation the results also suggest that continuous descending tracts exist, and that both the continuous and the propriospinal descending tracts may be converging onto some common neural element.


Transport of amylase across the apical membrane of the pancreatic exocrine cells. Quantitative analysis of zymogen granules. The number or the size of the zymogen granules was calculated in a determined volume slice of pigeon pancreas and in a total cellular fraction of zymogen granules isolated from a part of this organ having the same volume. The obtained values were not significantly different. These results are discussed in relation to the mechanism of digestive enzyme secretion. They confirm that amylase can be transported molecule by molecule across the intact apical membrane of the pancreatic exocrine cells.


The effect of carotid sinus nerve stimulation on muscle and skin nerve sympathetic activity in man. Microelectrode recordings of multi-unit sympathetic activity were made in the right peroneal nerve of 4 awake human subjects during carotid sinus nerve stimulation. 36 periods of CSN-stimulation gave in all cases an inhibition of the muscle nerve sympathetic activity and there was good temporal agreement between this effect and the reduction of heart rate and blood pressure. The neural inhibition was marked during the first part of the stimulation but with continued stimulation the sympathetic activity reappeared, in most cases with reduced strength. In contrast, 20 periods of CSN-stimulation had no reproducible effect on skin nerve sympathetic activity. In most cases, the neural activity remained unchanged but both increases and decreases could occur. The results demonstrate that stimulation of carotid sinus baroreceptors in man has different effects on sympathetic outflow to different regions: a clear inhibition of the outflow to the muscles but no discernable effect on impulses destined to the skin.


Electrical responses of isolated protoplasm from Nitella. Isolated protoplasmic droplets of the alga Nitella were investigated with microelectrodes in artificial vacuolar sap. The following observations were made: 1. Two types of preparations could be distinguished differing in size and in time of adaptation to artificial pond water but only slightly in their electrical behaviour. 2. The droplets proved to be electrically excitable in the sense that short current pulses elicited electrical responses which outlasted the stimuli. 3. The responses resembled nerve action potentials in shape and duration but they were graded and could be elicited as well in positive as in negative direction. Moreover, spontaneous changes of the normal resting potential (a few millivolts inside negative) did not influence their amplitudes. 4. In most cases the amplitudes of the responses grew with time and saturated after about 90 min. Before saturation the relation between stimulus strength and amplitude of responses was almost linear but became slightly S-shaped after saturation. The saturation value of the responses caused by 100 mus pulses of 1 muA/mm2 was taken as a standard response. In 32 experiments the standard response varied considerable between 2 and 90 mV and was 13 mV on the average. The observations suggest that quite different mechanisms are responsible for the transients of the Nitella droplets and the all-or-none responses of nerve fibres.


A characterisation of spindle afferents from the intertransverse tail muscles in the rat. The conduction velocities of myelinated afferent axons from the intersegmental muscles at the tail-base in rat range from 5.0--43.0 m-sec-1, and have a bimodal distribution with a boundary between the groups at 25.0 m-sec-1. Calculations of the dynamic indices of spindle endings, observed when stretching the muscle, show that axons from primary endings conduct at velocities above 28.0 m-sec-1 and those from secondary endings at below 24.0 m-sec-1. These characteristics resemble those of spindles in the rat hind-limb muscles, and do not compare with those in the more distally situated segmental tail muscles.


Coronary responses to dilating substances and competitive inhibition by theophylline in the isolated perfused guinea pig heart. Coronary dilation induced by infusion of adenosine, adenine nucleotides, dipyridamole, and papaverine was quantitated in the spontaneously beating isolated perfused guinea pig heart. Theophylline antagonized the effects of all the substances tested. The inhibition proved to be reversible and of a competititve type. Single injections of ADP and ATP induced flow increases which were more rapid in onset and of greater magnitude than those due to equimolar amounts of adenosine. Lowering the perfusate temperature prolonged coronary responses to ADP and ATP more than those to adenosine. Papaverine produced greater maximal dilation than adenosine. Theophylline inhibited papaverine-induced dilation less effectively than dilating responses to adenosine and other compounds. In the potassium arrested heart, the dilation caused by compound D 600 and papaverine was sensitive to the perfusate calcium concentration but that due to adenosine was unaffected. Dipyridamole, which was equipotent to adenosine in the non-arrested hear, became less potent than adenosine in the arrested heart. The results favour the view that all of the substances tested induce coronary dilation per se and that their effects are not mediated by adenosine. The dilator response to papaverine is assumed to be the result of two effects, one of which is inhibited by theophylline, the other by high extracellular calcium.


Temperature sensitivity of outward current in cardiac Purkinje fibers. Evidence of electrogenicity of active transport. 1. In cardiac Purkinje fibers the temperature sensitivity of the membrane current flowing after 2 sec in response to depolarizing clamp steps was recorded. When the temperature was quickly lowered (30 sec) from 37 degrees C to 20 degrees C for a period of 2 min the outward current was markedly reduced. The effect was immediately reversed upon rewarming. The reduction in outward current on cooling was most pronounced between 30 degrees C and 20 degrees C. 2. In the range of anomalous rectification cooling to 20 degrees C shifted the i.v. relation in a negative direction by a constant amount of 20 nA. Outside this potential range (negative to -80 mV and positive to -45 mV) the slope conductance was reduced with a Q10 of about 1.3. 3. In the presence of dihydroouabain cooling did not further reduce the outward current in the potential range of anomalous rectification. However, negative to -80 mV and positive to -40 mV the slope conductance was reduced. The results support the view that part of the outward current is generated by an electrogenic sodium pump which is inhibited by cooling.


Differential blocking of motor fibers by direct current. Differential blocking of alpha motor fibers was investigated in single fiber recordings when slowly rising direct current was applied to the gastrocnemius nerve in the cat. 18 out of the 26 (69.2%) L7 ventral root filaments, each of which contained 2-5 single alpha, or gamma motor fibers, or both, showed consecutive blocking from thicker to thinner fibers with increase of polarizing current. In the remaining 8 filaments (30.8%) thicker and thinner fibers were blocked almost simultaneously, or the order was reversed. The relation between the strength of the blocking current and conduction velocity is summarized on 30 alpha and 41 gamma fibers. The blocking current of each single fibers was shown to be inversely proportional to 2.01 power of conduction velocity (correlation coefficient -0.71). A regression line was also drawn for alpha fibers alone, its correlation coefficient being -0.60. Concerning prolongation of latencies of 82 single fibers (39 alpha and 43 gamma), it was shown that the conduction velocity, the smaller was the prolongation of latencies. In no experiments did the prolongation of latencies of single alpha fibers exceed the latency range of the mass alpha volley. Moreover, single alpha fibers were blocked earlier than or almost simultaneously with the mass alpha volley.


Increase of potassium flux by valinomycin in embryonic chick heart. The effect of different concentrations of the antibiotic valinomycin, was determined on 42K efflux and Na, K content of embryonic chick hearts. Valinomycin produces an increase of K efflux which is progressive in time and markedly dependent on the concentration of external K (0-5 mM) and valinomycin (10(-8) to 10(-5) M). The changes in K efflux is not due to a reversal of the Na-K pump mechanism, secondary to ATP depletion: i) the increase of K efflux by valinomycin persists in the absence of external Na ions. ii) analysis of Na and K content and 42K influx measurements with and without valinomycin indicate that active K influx is not inhibited in a solution containing 0.5 mM K and only slightly decreased in a solution containing 5 mM K. Valinomycin, acting as a K carrier, presumably increases K conductance of the cell membrane resulting in a rise in K efflux.


Equipotency of hypertonic solutions of mannitol and sodium chloride in eliciting thirst in the dog. The dogs were infused intravenously with either 3.6% NaCl or 20% mannitol solutions. Both infusions stimulated the animals to drink water when similar osmotic loads were introduced and exactly the same degree of cellular dehydration achieved. The amounts of water drunk at thirst threshold did not differ significantly. The results are discussed with relation to the hypothesis of osmometric control of water intake.


The renin-angiotensin system in rats with hereditary hydronephrosis. The renin-angotensin system was studied in rats suffering from hereditary hydronephrosis in which normal blood pressure, hyperkalemia, and damage to the renal medulla and distal tubules were found. An increased serum creatinine level, decreased creatinine clearance and increased 24 hrs urine volume were observed in rats with bilateral hydronephrosis. When compared to rats with normal kidneys, bilaterally hydronephrotic animals exhibited elevated plasma renin activity (9.9 +/- 1.3/S.E./ng AI/ml/hr vs. 2.4 +/- 0.4 in rats with normal kidneys), and decreased renal renin concentration (78 +/- 4 mug AII/g vs. 132 +/- 5). No correlation between the extent of kidney damage and renal renic concentration was found. After the hyperkalemia of the hydronephrotic rats was corrected, there were significant increases in both plasma renin activity and renal renin concentration, but the renal renin concentration remained significantly lower than that observed in animals with normal kidneys. The results suggest that renin production and/or storage capacity are diminished in hydronephrotic kidneys.


Neuronal activity in the lateral vestibular nucleus of the cat. V. Topographical distribution of inhibitory effects mediated by the spino-olivocerebellar pathway. The spatial distribution of inhibitory effects mediated by spinoolivocerebellar pathways and evoked by stimulation of the FRA was studied in Deiters' nucleus by intracellular recordings and extracellular measurements of positive field potentials. At a geven recording site individual nerves greatly varied in their effectiveness: Q and Saph, Tib and FDL were usually the most effective, while GS had very little effect. When comparing several recording sites, various patterns of dominating and nondominating nerves were found, resulting in a somewhat patchy distribution of responses. The results were supported by intracellular recordings, which showed that CF-mediated IPSPs can be evoked from a limited number of nerves only. The findings show that a discriminative pattern exists in the FRA-evoked spino-olivocerebellar-mediated inhibition. In addition, Deiters neurones were found in which the inhibition was evoked from a large number of fore- and hindlimb nerves. Such a generalized inhibitory pattern may be involved in interlimb coordination during locomotion.


[Idiopathic autoimmune haemolytic anaemia in dogs (author's transl)]. Three cases of autoimmune hemolytic anemia in dogs are described. The description includes results of laboratory tests. All three cases were characterized by a short course of disease before the first "crisis". One of the dogs is still alive 2 years after the first crisis, having had one remission after 3 months. A second dog died five days after hospitalization (four days after initiation of medical treatment) whereas the third dog was killed one day after initiation of medical treatment because of rapidly developing weakness.


Causes of culling and death in sows.

Causes of culling and death in sows. Over a 4-year period, the annual number of culled sows in 9 Danish herds averaged 54.8 per cent of the year-sows and the number of culled sows in per cent of total number of farrowings averaged 25.8 (Table I). -- The culling rate varied considerably from herd to herd within the same year and from year to year (Tables I and II); however, the average annual culling rate for all the herds only presented small variations (Table II). The average number of litters reared per sow before culling was 3.6. The culling rate was higher in pedigree herds than in commercial herds, and it was highest in the small pedigree herds (Table III). The hygiene level in the herds and the introduction of new female breeding stock did not influence the culling rate (Table IV). A proportionally lower percentage of the sows was culled in herds where the dry and pregnant sows were housed in stalls and/or were tethered, as compared to herds where these sows were housed in pens (Table V). -- The culling rate in the age groups of sows with less than 8 farrowings remained at approximately the same level (Table VI). The main reason for culling was infertility problems, which were recorded in 41.4 per cent of the culled sows, while 16.7 per cent of the sows were culled because their litters were poor and/or small (Table VII). The mortality rate among the culled sows was 11.9 (Table VII), and the main causes of death were chronic pyogenic infections, which occurred in 25.5 per cent of the fatal cases (Table VIII). Certain aspects concerning the recording and calculation of culling rates in the different herds are discussed and it is emphasized that the culling rate per se may not have any direct relationship to the productivity in the herd.


Problems of aging: relieving itching in the geriatric patient. Itching is a common condition in elderly patients and probablpy is caused by a combination of factors, low humidity being one of the most important. After determining that the patient does not have systemic pruritus, the physician should give advice about trying to increase the ambient humidity and about bathing, eg, to decrease the number of baths or showers, use warm water rather than very hot water, and soap only the axillary, anal, and pubic areas. In some instances the use of steroid creams or lotions may be helpful.


Nuclear scattering applied to radiography. The possibility of using the nuclear scattering of 500-1000 MeV protons was investigated, in order to obtain direct, three-dimensional reconstruction of an object with only one exposure. The resolution should be about 1 mm3. Preliminary measurements with an incomplete set-up give a resolution of 10 mm3. Additional independent information on the relative concentration of hydrogen compared to other elements should also be obtainable by nuclear scattering radiography. The radiation doses involved are comparable to those of other techniques. The first experimental results are given.


Professional Standards Review Organizations. Another quality assurance program. A brief history oa quality assurance efforts preceding the Professional Standards Review Organization law is presented. The goals of the legislation and its requirements and procedures are discussed. Particular emphasis is placed on the PSRO requirements for short-stay hospital review which is the area where PSRO efforts will initially concentrate. The possibilities of non-physician involvement in the review process are briefly discussed.


Early neuromuscular development of the premature infant. A case study is presented which documents the neuromuscular development of a premature infant (34-35 weeks gestation) during the first eight weeks of postnatal life. The development of postural tone, spontaneous activity, and responsiveness to stimulation is described and compared with that of the full-term infant. This information is of value to physical therapists involved in evaluation and therapeutic intervention programs for high risk infants.


Learned taste aversion induced by cortical spreading depression. Male albino rats were cannulated and placed on a 24 hr water deprivation schedule. The animals were allowed 10 min access to water in a large animal cage for 5 days. On the sixth day of deprivation the animals were randomly divided into 6 groups and given either 12 percent KCl, 25 percent KCl, or Ringers solution applied unilaterally or bilaterally to the cortex immediately after access to 8 percent sucrose. On the seventh day of deprivation, each rat was placed in a two-choice situation with the sucrose solution and water. Only the unilateral and bilateral 12 percent KCl groups developed an aversion to the sucrose. These results indicate that CSD has aversive as well as amnesic properties, there exists a gradient of amnesia, dependent on concentration, and that the cortex is not necessary for learning a taste aversion.


Development of running activity in maturing rats: dependence upon prior androgen exposure and ovarian function. Female Sprague-Dawley derived rats were given either 1 mg testosterone propionate or an oil vehicle at 2 days of age. At weaning age half of each group were ovariectomized and at puberty the rats were placed in Wahmann activity wheels. In all groups there was a rise in running activity during the first 10 days after vaginal opening. This rise continued progressively in intact, ovulatory rats but did not continue in either persistent estrous or ovariectomized females. Beginning at 85 days of age running activity began to decline in all groups except the ovulatory females. This regression was protected against to some extent by ovariectomy in the androgen-treated females. It can be concluded that the ovaries are not required for either the initiation of running activity or the later decline seen in mature rats but that the gradually increasing running seen in intact rats is directly related to ovarian function.


Variables affecting "spontaneous" seminal emission in rats. The frequency of spontaneous seminal emission (SE) by isolated rats (X = 2.05 +/- 0.64/day) was not increased when estrous females were housed in adjacent cages. Coital ejaculation during mating tests temporarily inhibited the production of SE, and inhibition was more marked after 5 than after 1 ejaculation with a female. Males experiencing only 1 coital ejaculation tended to resume production of SE somewhat sooner if they were exposed to stimuli from estrous females than if such stimuli were lacking. The possible functional significance of spontaneous and self-induced noncoital seminal emission which is common in a variety of mammals is discussed.


Relation of memory formation to controlled amounts of brain protein synthesis. Anisomycin, an inhibitor of brain protein synthesis, was used to control the time and duration of protein synthesis occurring in mice after they were trained on a one-trial  passive avoidance task. It was found that if synthesis was strongly inhibited for 6 to 8 hr, a high percentage of the animals was amnesic. However, if small amounts of protein synthesis were allowed to occur by permitting intervals of partial recovery of protein synthesis during the period of inhibition, then fewer mice were amnesic. The longer the duration of this interval of controlled synthesis and the closer it occurred to training, the greater the percentage of subjects remembering the training.


Chlordiazepoxide and diazepam induced mouse killing by rats. Chlordiazepoxide HCl, at dose levels from 2.5 mg/kg to 80 mg/kg, significantly increased the low base rates of mouse killing (3-9%) observed in large samples (N = 100/dose) of Holtzman strain albino male rats. Maximal killing rates were obtained at doses from 7.5 mg/kg to 20 mg/kg. Diazepam was equally effective, and several times more potent than chlordiazepoxide. Pentobarbital did not increase killing. Killing induced by chlordiazepoxide was blocked by d-amphetamine SO4, but not by l-amphetamine, at dose levels similar to those that block undrugged killing in this strain (ED50 = 1.5 mg/kg). Unlike pilocarpine-induced killing, the effects of chlordiazepoxide were not increased or decreased significantly by either peripherally or centrally active anticholinergic drugs, over wide dose ranges of these agents; nor were the effects of chlordiazepoxide increased by repeated daily administration.


Appearance of wet dog shake behavior during cobalt experimental epilepsy in the rat and its suppression by reserpine. Rats rendered chronically epileptic by the implantation of cobalt in the right parietal cortex were simultaneously prepared with permanent cortical and temporalis muscle electrodes for longitudinal EEG and EMG recording. Animals treated similary with glass rods served as the controls. Wet dog shakes were quantified by counting the characteristic artifacts produced in the EEG tracings upon their appearance. The number of wet dog shakes exhibited by the control rats remained at a low and constant level over 18 days of recording. In contrast, wet dog shakes in the chronically epileptic rats began to increase by the fourth day after cobalt placement and remained significantly elevated up to the 18th day. Administration of reserpine to naive rats or to cobalt epileptic rats on days 7 and 9 after implantation resulted in an almost complete suppression of wet dog shakes which endured over a period of 3-5 days. These results suggest that the abnormally elevated wet dog shake response of the cobalt-epileptic rats and the spontaneous wet dog shake behavior of normal rats may be mediated by common neural pathways.


Effects of drug experience on drug induced conditioned taste aversions: studies with amphetamine and fenfluramine. Conditioned taste aversions (C.T.As) established in rats to 0.1% sodium saccharin by intra-peritoneal injections of DL-fenfluramine hydrochloride (6 mg per kg) or d-amphetamine sulphate (2.0 mg per ke) were found to be significantly attenuated, but not abolished altogether, by chronic pretreatment (over 9 days) with the specific drug. Prior treatment with fenfluramine attenuated the aversive effects of amphetamine, but the converse was found not to be the case. These results are considered to refute the "Unnatural need state AND "Novelty" hypotheses of the effects of prior drug experience on the establishment of C.T.As. An alternative explanation of such effects in terms of tolerance is considered, and the possible relevance of the results to studies of drug abuse in humans discussed.


Plasma creatine phosphokinase levels in rats following lysergic acid diethylamide. Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) injected intraperitoneally or intramuscularly did not increase rat plasma creatine phosphokinase (CPK) activity. LSD did not produce an increase in serum CPK activity in rats kept in a 2 degrees C environment for 2 hrs. LSD also did not potentiate, in rats, the increase in plasma CPK activity produced by restraint at 2 degrees C or 24 degrees C. It is likely that the increases in serum CPK activity previously reported to occur in people who became psychotic following LSD ingestion are a consequence of the psychotic state itself rather than a direct effect of LSD.


Behavioural changes in laboratory mice during cannabis feeding and withdrawal. The effects of feeding cannabis at a level of 0.4% in the diet has been studied by an ethological analysis of encounters between male mice. Administration of cannabis to dominant males resulted in a reduction of non-social activity and an increase in flight and in social and sexual investigation when compared with untreated controls, but the behaviour of subordinate males was not significantly altered by cannabis. One week after withdrawal of cannabis, the behaviour of diminant males showed a rebound effect with increase in aggression. Nevertheless, by a preference feeding test it was demonstrated that the treated mice were not dependent on the cannabis-containing diet but consumed the control diet in preference.


Dose-response effects of d-amphetamine on passive avoidance learning in the rat. Trials and errors to learning a passive avoidance response were assessed in 63 albino rats injected subcutaneously with d-amphetamine, in amounts ranging from 0-7 mg/kg body weight. Both measures indicated dose-response effects on responding; animals under either low or high doses of d-amphetamine made significantly less errors and took significantly fewer trials to learn the response than did middle dosage animals. The scores of the lower and higher dosage animals did not differ from the nondrug control group. Results are discussed in terms of amphetamine stereotypy.


Replication of arboviruses in mouse organ cultures. II. Multiplication of virulent and avirulent Semliki Forest and western equine encephalitis viruses in mouse organ cultures. The titre of WEE virus produced by organ cultures of brain, muscle and spleen decreased as tissue was taken from older mice. The multiplication of SFV and SFA in muscle organ cultures of mice remained nearly constant, whereas in spleen organ cultures, titers of both viruses decreased with increasing age of mice. There was a striking difference in the rate of decline of the yield of brain organ culture infected with virulent and avirulent SF virus strains. Organ cultures made from the brains of mice over 16 days old were totally resistant to SFA infection, whereas similar cultures from mice up to 42 days of age supported SFV multiplication. These results show that the avirulence of this strain of SF virus is due to age related intrinsic brain insusceptibility.


Ultrastructural study of African swine fever virus replication in cultures of swine bone marrow cells. Cultures from pig bone marrow cells were infected with ASFV and the replication cycle was studied. In the cytoplasmic replication areas there are a differentiation of membrane segments. Some of them are polygonal, which give rise to virus particles. An over production of viral coded materials, including non-polygonal membranes seems to be an important feature of the replicative cycle of ASFV in this cell system. Viruses are released enveloped with a cellular membrane. Paracrystalline arrays of viruses are seldom seen in the cytoplasm. At no time did we see viruses in the nucleus. Infected cells showed marked cytopathic effect, beginning at early times post infection.


The interaction of behavior and environmental conditions in the production of stomach lesions in the rat. Moderate amounts of several different experimental procedures are capable of producing stomach lesions in laboratory rats. The fact that some animals fail to develop such lesions under most conditions suggests that uncontrolled variables are involved in the physiological response. Although physiological characteristics of the experimental animals have most often been studied, several reports indicate that the activity level of the animal just before the stress period is related to the proportion of animals that develop lesions or the severity of lesions that develop. This suggests that the tendency to develop stomach lesions may depend on the interaction between the level of an animal's activity and the nature of the environmental conditions to which it is exposed. A study is reported in which two equally pathogenic environmental conditions are shown to be differentially pathogenic for behaviorally different animals.


Effects of acute exposure to stressors on subsequent avoidance-escape behavior. This paper attempts to show that severely stressful conditions can lead to a deficit in avoidance-escape responding by reducing noradrenergic activity in the brain. It is argued that this stress-induced neurochemical change explains more adequately an avoidance-excape deficit seen previously in dogs after severe inescapable shock than does the "learned helplessness" explanation originally offered for this effect. A series of six experiments are described that test the stress-neurochemical change explanation, which is called the "motor activation deficit" hypothesis. The first experiment showed that a brief exposure to cold swim, which reduced central noradrenergic activity but did not induce "learned helplessness," produced an avoidance-escape deficit similar to that observed after inescapable shock in the original "learned helplessness" studies. Subsequent experiments demonstrated that the deficit induced by cold swim was also similar to the original deficit in that it too dissipated with the passage of time and was reduced by pretraining animals in the correct response. Further experiments then showed that the deficit induced by cold swim was (a) aggravated by raising the height of the barrier between compartments in the shuttle box, and (b) did not occur if the avoidance-escape task used required little motor activity, both of the findings being predicted by the "motor activation deficit" hypothesis. Finally, an avoidance-escape deficit was produced by inescapable shock, and it was found that this stressor likewise did not impair avoidance-escape responding if the task required little skeletal activity, a result not predicted by the "learned helplessness" hypothesis. The paper concludes by discussing how the results presented in this paper, as well as in succeeding papers, support the "motor activation deficit" explanation for certain avoidance-escape deficits, defining the cases to which the explanation applies and discussing the neurotransmitters involved.


Monamines as mediators of avoidance-escape behavior. A series of three experiments were carried out to test the hypothesis ("motor activation deficit" hypothesis) that the avoidance-escape deficits observed following certain highly stressful conditions result from changes in activity of noradrenergic (or other monominergic) neural systems. These studies indicate that: (1) Depletion of monamines by a single injection of tetrabenazine produces an active avoidance-escape deficit when the avoidance-escape response involves a relatively high degree of motor activity but not when a minimum of motor activity is required. This parallels results found when animals are acutely exposed to a stressor prior to avoidance-escape testing. (2) Daily injections of tetrabenazine for a period of two weeks, like daily exposure to inescapable shock for the same period of time, markedly attenuates the magnitude of the avoidance-escape deficit produced by either a single injection of tetrabenazine or single session of inescapable shock. (3) Decreasing the stress-induced depletion of monamines by the use of an MAO inhibitor serves to protect the animals from the effects of inescapable shock, markedly reducing the avoidance-escape deficit produced by such shock. It is concluded that these results are consistent with the motor activation deficit hypothesis.


Influence of the estrous cycle and prostaglandins on utero-ovarian vein blood flow in the rat. The blood flow rate in the utero-ovarian vein (UOV) has been measured in adult female rats during the different phases of the estrous cycle. It was observed that the blood flow rate in the UOV is high at proestrus and at estrus and low during diestrus days 1 and 2. The intravenous injection of 10 mug PGF2alpha or PGE2 diminishes the blood flow rate in the UOV. The efficacy of the two PGs in reducing blood flow is different in the various phases of the estrous cycle, being maximal during the day of estrus.


Hormonal changes around bovine luteolysis. Plasma concentrations of estradiol-17beta, progesterone, LH and 13, 14-dihydro-15-keto-PGF2alpha were determined by radioimmunoassay on 2-hourly samples obtained around luteolysis and estrus in three dairy cows. The decline in progesterone occurred before the preestrous rise in estrogen and no pre-estrous peak of progesterone could be detected. The major activity of prostaglandin coincided, with declining progesterone levels and the active stage of estrogen secretion.


[Acute renal failure after the infusion of hemoglobin solutions with or without red cell ghosts in rabbits (author's transl)]. Out of 85 rabbits 2j received a purified 6% hemoglobin solution free of ghosts (1,8 gHb/Kg) and were compared to 14 animals receiving the same dose of a crude hemoglobin solution containing ghosts. 11 rabbits had 5 infusions with a daily dose of 1,2 g Hb/Kg of the stromafree solution. Controls were partly untreated partly infused with saline. Creatinin, urea, electrolytes, and haptoglobin were determined in the serum oxygen consumption was measured separately in cortex and medulla by Warburg technique, and all kidneys examined histologically. In both groups 20% of the animals died spontaneously. Both groups exhibited the typical morphological and functional signs of acute renal failure. There was an increase in creatinin, urea, and potassium in the serum and a gain in kidney weights. In cortex and medulla we found a 20% drop in O2 consumption in both groups. Thus there was no evidence that ghosts play any role in the pathogenesis of renal failure in hemolysis or in the course of Hb-infusions. even after 5 infusions with lower dose renal damage was demonstrable. The drop in haptoglobin levels indicates, that renal ischemia may be induced by a disturbance in hemoglobin breakdown. The pathogenesis of renal damage has to be elucidated before Hb-solutions come into therapeutical use.


[Glioma of the posterior limbic system revealed by transient global amnesia. Anatomic-clinical observations of 1 case]. Transient global amnesia occured three months previously to a tumoral Korsakoff's syndrome. Neuropathologic studies discovered a polymorph glioblastom strictly localized to posterior limbic system. The interest of topography and associated degenerations is pointed out.


[Angiography and renal tuberculosis (author's transl)]. The value of renal angiography is assessed on the basis of findings in 40 cases of renal tuberculosis. The differential diagnosis from unspecific infective renal disease and from hypovascular renal tumors is discussed.


[Radiologic diagnosis of thrombosis of renal veins (author's transl)]. Recent literature shows thrombosis of renal veins to be more common than so far assumed. When it is suspected clinically, angiographic examination is essential since conventional and nuclear-medical examinations give only uncharacteristic results. Causes and clinical findings are outlined and two cases reported. The follow-up of the second case shows that in spite of progressive renal vein thrombosis renal function may be maintained if good collaterals develop.


The concentrations of retinol-binding protein, prealbumin, and transferrin in the sera of newly delivered mothers and children of various ages. Umbilical-cord blood from 50 full-term newborns and capillary or venous blood from 226 children varying in age from 6 weeks to 16 years was examined for content of retinol-binding protein (RBP), prealbumin, and transferrin. The mean levels of the three proteins in the newborns were 21 mug/ml, 128 mug/ml, and 1.65 mg/ml, respectively. The corresponding maternal levels were 39 mug/ml, and 3.2 mg/ml. Paired serum values of mothers and newborns showed a correlation for both RBP and prealbumin but not for transferrin. The low levels of RBP at birth (about 50 per cent of that of nonpregnant women) increased rapidly over the first 6 months to a maximum of 31 mug/ml but declined thereafter to a mean level of about 26 mug/ml, which was maintained until the age of puberty when adult values were gradually attained. In serum, the prealbumin levels showed a similar development, whereas the transferrin values reached constant adult levels as early as 2 years of age.


In vitro target cell lysis mediated by normal human lymphocytes. Influence of molecular properties and affinity of inducing antibody. Lysis of DNP-coated chicken erythrocytes by human blood lymphocytes (K cells) was induced by means of rabbit anti-DNP antibodies. Antisera were prepared by injecting the animals with DNP-conjugated proteins emulsified in Freund's complete adjuvant. An ammonium sulphate precipitation technique was used for assay of antibody concentration and affinity. Sephadex G-200 chromatography indicated that 90% of the DNP antibodies were 7S in the bleedings on days 10-16, whereas 99.8% were 7S in later bleedings. 7S antibodies induced K-cell lysis at high dilutions, whereas 19S antibodies were essentially negative. Antibody fractions obtained by DEAE- or CM-cellulose chromatography were used to establish possible heterogeneities in the capacity of 7S antibodies to induce either K-cell- or complement-mediated target cell lysis. No such heterogeneities were founnd. Fifteen IgG preparations containing antibodies of different affinities were compared with regard to their capacity to induce K-cell-mediated lysis. A statistically significant correlation was found between antibody affinity and efficiency in K-cell-mediated lysis. In a similar study of complement-mediated lysis the correlation was not significant at the 5% level but was significant at the 10% level.


Brown pelicans: improved reproduction off the southern California coast. Although still about 30 percent too low for population stability, productivity of California brown pelicans at their two northern colonies has improved significantly since 1971. Numbers of adults breeding probably reflect food supplies and recruitment from more successful colonies to the south, but improving fledging rates (up to 0.9 young per nest in 1974) reflect better egg survival and improving eggshell condition, with declining DDE contamination in anchovies, their major food source.


Independence of "on" and "off" responses of retinal ganglion cells. Recordings of action potentials from retinal ganglion cells that are stimulated repetitively demonstrate two properties (i) variability introduced during the stimulus is not evident in the response that occurs at stimulus offset and (ii) variability in the ON response shows a different temporal structure than variability in the dark. Our findings demonstrate that these responses are generated independently.