Neurochemical correlates of behavior: levels of amino acids in four areas of the brain of the rat during drug-induced behavioral excitation. The levels of GABA, aspartate, glutamate, glycine and alanine were determined in 4 specific brain areas (telencephalon, diencephalon-mesencephalon cerebellum and pons-medulla oblongata) of rats killed during a period of drug-induced behavioral excitation. Behavioral excitation was obtained in adult, male Wistar rats working on a Sidman shock-avoidance schedule following administration of 2 mg/kg tetrabenazine (TBZ) 18 hr after iproniazid (50 mg/kg) pretreatment. When compared to trained animals (working on the avoidance schedule but receiving no drugs), the excited rats had increased levels of GABA in the telencephalon and diencephalon-mesencephalon, decreased levels of aspartate in all 4 brain areas, and a lower content of glycine in the pons-medulla region. The changes in the levels of aspartate in all areas of the brain, GABA in the diencephalon-mesencephalon, and glycine in the pons-medulla were significantly correlated (p less than 0.01) with the degree of excitation. It was observed that avoidance training alone produced increases in the levels of four amino acids: aspartate in telencephalon and cerebellum, GABA in cerebellum, and glycine and glutamate in the pons-medulla. The injection of iproniazid alone or iproniazid followed by TBZ into naive animals had little effect on the levels of the five amino acids. The data are discussed in terms of aspartate and GABA interacting as neurotransmitters with cholinergic and catecholaminergic and/or serotonergic neurons to produced the behavioral excitation.


Role of monoamines in sexual behavior of the female guinea pig. Ovariectomized guinea pigs, rendered sexually receptive by injections of estradiol benzoate and progesterone, were treated with drugs that are known to affect monoamine receptor activity. Treatment with the dopamine receptor stimulant apomorphine or the serotonin agonist LSD resulted in a suppression of lordosis behavior that lasted for several hours. The noradrenergic receptor stimulant chlonidine potentiated the performance of lordosis (i.e., increased the duration of individual lordosis responses), while the noradrenergic receptor blocker phenoxybenzamine abolished sexual receptivity. Administration of dopaminergic or serotonergic receptor blockers (pimozide and methysergide, respectively) did not facilitate lordosis. In fact, methysergide produced a brief inhibition of sexual behavior. The results indicate that noradrenergic neurons may be involved in the induction of female sexual behavior in the guinea pig. Dopamine, and possibly serotonin, may serve as transmitters that inhibit lordosis in this species.


Plasma corticosterone following alterations of hypothalamic catecholamines in rats. The role of central catecholamines in the regulation of resting ACTH secretion has been investigated by relating plasma corticosterone to changes in hypothalamic catecholamines after treating rats with various amine depleting agents. The hypothesis of a noradrenergic inhibitory control is not supported by the data since a correlation between hypothalamic catecholamine content and plasma corticosterone levels could not be established.


Effect of 10 days reserpine or apomorphine administration on sleep cycles in rats. The duration of sleep-wakefulness periods and sleep cycles was investigated by means of EEG and EMG in rats with implanted brain electrodes and myographic electrodes in neck muscles during 5 hr trials after repeated administration of 2 depressant drugs, reserpine and apomorphine. Ten days administration of reserpine at a dose of 0.05 mg/day, SC, decreased the duration of both slow-wave and paradoxical sleep, whereas apomorphine had no effect on sleep duration or occurance of sleep phases in either the low dose (0.2 mg/kg/day, SC) or in the high dose of 0.6 mg/kg/day, SC. This finding might be correlated with previously found differences in catecholamine levels in the brain in the same model experiments.


Dose-related effects of metrazol on retention and EEG. The effects of various dose levels of Metrazol on retention and electrocorticogram (ECoG) were investigated. Mice given a subconvulsive 30 mg/kg or a convulsive 50 mg/kg dose of Metrazol 15 min before reversal training in a discriminated escape learning task showed retention impairment of reversal training retention. Lower dose levels (5 or 10 mg/kg) had no effect. The 30 mg/kg dose produced asymmetrical dissociation. The convulsive dose (50 mg/kg), previously reported to result in symmetrical dissociation, produced ECoG changes that were still evident 15 min following the injection, i.e. at the time when training or testing usually took place. With lower doses (10 or 30 mg/kg), no apparent ECoG effects were observed at this interval. The implications of the findings were discussed with respect to the state-dependent hypothesis.


Drug discrimination in rats: effects of mixtures of ditran and cholinesterase inhibitors. Groups of rats were trained in a T-shaped maze to discriminate the effects produced by IP injections of ditran (1.60 mg/kg), either when given singly, or when combined with the acetylcholinesterase inhibitors neostigmine (0.25 mg/kg) or physostigmine (0.50 and 1.00 mg/kg), from the nondrug condition (saline). The results from this state-dependency (StD) model indicated that acquisition of the drug discrimination was similar for the 4 groups of rats. After drug discrimination was established the rats were tested with various drug combinations. Physostigmine (0.50 and 1.00 mg/kg) challenge reversed drug discrimination among rats trained with ditran solely or the ditran plus neostigmine combination. There was no antagonism among the ditran plus physostigmine trained rats. Involvement of the C.N.S. is implicated since tests with neostigmine did not upset ditran discrimination. In addition, survival rate of physostigmine treated mice is increased with ditran. In conclusion, this study indicates the usefulness of employing both training and transfer test procedures when evaluating antagonism in this StD model.


Conditioned flavor aversions for assessing precipitated morphine abstinence in rats. Rats receiving twice-daily morphine injections acquired aversions to a saccharin solution which had been presented for 1 hr immediately prior to injections of naloxone. The degree of aversion was related to the maintenance dosage of morphine. Rats maintained on a regimen of daily saline injections did not show significant aversion to saccharin paired with naloxone, even at doses as high as 40 mg/kg. The sensitivity of the technique was such that significant aversions could be demonstrated in rats receiving doses of morphine as low as 1 mg/kg twice daily. It is suggested that conditioned flavor aversions provide a useful method for assessing the aversive quality of abstinence precipitated from low doses of morphine.


Effects of frontal polar cortical ablation and cycloheximide on ethanol tolerance in rats. Thirty adult male Wister rats were pretrained to criterion on the moving belt test, and then made tolerant to ethanol by daily administration of increasing doses over a period of 3 weeks. After a one-month recovery period, they were divided into 3 groups, subjected to bilateral frontal polar cortical ablations, sham-operation and no operation respectively. After postoperative recovery, the cycle of ethanol treatment and testing was repeated. Only the lesioned group failed to reacquire tolerance. A pilot experiment showed that occipital cortical ablations also prevented tolerance. In a second experiment 32 rats, which had similarly undergone and then recovered from an initial period of ethanol tolerance, were divided into 4 groups which received daily treatment with sucrose plus cycloheximide (0.3 mg/kg), sucrose plus saline, ethanol plus cycloheximide, and ethanol plus saline respectively. Only the ethanol plus saline group re-acquired tolerance. Tt is concluded that frontal polar cortical lesions and cycloheximide can both block the development of tolerance to ethanol in animals previously shown to be capable of developing such tolerance.


Intracranial cycloheximide: effect on male mouse sexual behavior and plasma testosterone. Cycloheximide (Cyclo), an inhibitor of protein synthesis, infused bilaterally into the preoptic area (POA) of intact B6D2F male mice significantly inhibited male sexual behavior when the males were presented with receptive females 12 hr after treatment. The few males that ejaculated appeared to copulate normally. This finding suggests that Cyclo acts primarily by inhibiting sexual arousal rather than sexual performance. The inhibition of sexual behavior was not observed when the males were tested 84 hr after treatment. After exposure to an estrous female, plasma testosterone levels were measured in males with POA infusions of Cyclo or saline vehicle. No significant difference was found, but both groups had significantly higher levels of plasma testosterone than males not exposed to estrous females. It is suggested that the interference with sexual behavior by Cyclo was not due to interference with the neuroendocrine mechanisms controlling blood andorgen levels, but due to Cyclo acting directly on the neural circuits controlling sexual responsiveness.


Behavioral teratogenesis: a critical evaluation. A critical review of some relevant literature concerning the effects of prenatal administration of drugs and several other substances on postnatal behavior. Significant variables and problems in the adequate design of experiments to assess these effects are discussed. Although the evidence concerning prenatal drug effects on behavior is equivocal, sufficient data exist to indicate that this will continue to be a viable and important area of research in the future. Present results demonstrate the complexity of drug interactions with other variables.


Pitressin-induced inhibition of drinking following water deprivation in the SWR/J mouse. SWR/J female mice, 8 hr water deprived, were injected intraperitoneally with 0, 10, 50, 200, and 800 mU of aqueous pitressin, 5 min prior to presentation of water. Drinking measurements made at 5, 15, 25, and 35 min of the drinking period revealed a significant transient inhibition of drinking for the three highest dosages. Injections had no measureable effect on blood pressure. Only the highest dosage had an effect on gross motor activity, a significant decline.


Drug-induced conditioned suppression: specificity due to drug employed as UCS. The classical conditioning potential of several drugs was tested in rats by pairing a light CS with the drug UCSs; these stimuli were superimposed in a variable-interval 30 sec schedule for water reinforcement. Conditioning (suppression of bar-pressing in the presence of the CS) was definitely demonstrated with psilocybin (2.0 mg/kg), was suggested but not clearly shown with LSD (0.13 MG/kg), and was not evident with methyl atropine nitrate (50 mg/kg) or pentobarbital (25 mg/kg). These results indicate that previously demonstrated drug-induced conditioned suppression is not a nonspecific effect of unconditioned suppression but depends on the type of drug employed.


Treatment of lumbar disks with chymopapain. Symptoms arising from a herniated disk appear when the nucleus pulposus or soft inner portion of the disk bulges against a nerve root. When conservative treatment fails to help the patient, the enzyme chymopapain is currently being used in the treatment of such conditions. Injected directly into the disk, the chymopapain dissolves the nucleus by enzymatic action which selectively breaks certain bonds within the nucleus. The pressure within the center is decreased, hence the pressure against the nerve root is relieved, alleviating the symptoms. Because back care is particularly important following such treatment, physical therapy is valuable in promoting continued relief. The major emphasis of the therapy back care program is on abdominal strengthening exercises and postural training.


Effect of circuit exercise training on physical fitness of alcoholic patients. A group of patients with chronic alcoholism who participated in a circuit training exercise program were compared on a stair climbing task to a group of patients who did not participate in the program. After three weeks, the patients in the exercise group had gained significantly in the number of stairs which they could climb when compared to the patients in the nonexercise group. The time required to return to the heart rate before stair climbing was significantly shorter for exercising patients than for nonexercising patients. The circuit training exercise program, therefore, appears to be an effective method for improving the fitness level of alcoholic patients.


Research and human rights. Part 1.

Research and human rights. Part 1. The problem of biomedical research and human rights is reviewed from the perspectives of current issues, historical events, and other sciences. Government control of research, reactions to and possible consequences of that control, and the concern for consent from members of vulnerable populations are examined. The nature of research is discussed and the origins of opposing ethical views are described in an attempt to clarify the issues within the problem.


Physical therapy following disconnection of the cerebral hemispheres. An alternative available for the patient with intractable epilepsy is disconnection of the cerebral hemispheres. The role of the physical therapist includes evaluating motor loss and establishing a program based on the evaluation which stresses balance, coordination, endurance, and accommodation for inattention in the left visual field. The program extends to the home situation with follow-up testing after discharge. No long-standing motor problems were evident other than lack of ability to carry out rapid highly coordinated activities. Six months after surgery the patients had returned to school, jobs, family responsibilities, or special care and were discharged from physical therapy.


Multidisciplinary approach to sex education of spinal cord-injured patients. The need for sex education of spinal cord-injured patients is often unmet by current rehabilitation programs. In the programs which do exist, therapeutic objectives vary widely, indicating a need for clarity and communication among professionals. An interdisciplinary approach to evaluating and treating sexual dysfunction is described which provides information to patients and families about sexual disorders related to spinal injury and offers counseling services to patients experiencing problems in their altered sex relations. Physiological, psychological, and social aspects of human sexuality as they are integrated into a multidisciplinary sex education program are discussed with specific recommendations for content which should be included in the information-giving counseling process.


Stability and comparability of intellectual measures for cerebral-palsied preschoolers. Intelligence test scores on the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale and the Merrill Palmer Scale were studied for 23 cerebral-palsied children to determine the stability and comparability of these measures during the preschool years as well as the relationship of pyschological gains or losses to clinical diagnoses of the children. Test and posttest data were analyzed for subjects who had participated for one year in a special preschool program for children with neuromotor problems. A high correlation was found between the two intelligence tests both on pretesting (r = .89) and posttesting (r = .83). No significant differences were observed between IQs attained at the three-year level and IQs attained at the four-year level. No associative pattern between etiology of the disability, neuromotor involvement, and intelligence test patterns was determined.


Continuing Education Unit: a new dimension in continuing education. The rapid expansion of continuing education within the professions has evolved with little continuity and structure, a fact which impedes the professional's ability to develop a long-range plan of continued professional development. A major weakness stems from society's lack of uniform standards to measure and certify continuing education. A new unit of measure, the continuing education unit (CEU), has been developed as a voluntary national effort for a uniform unit of measure for noncredit continuing education, which will both quantify programs and ensure a reasonable degree of program quality. Effective implementation and use of the CEU requires consumers of continuing education to assume a greater role in program planning and development in conjunction with program producers. The CEU provides a valuable tool for the professions to effectively use continuing education; however, improved competency requires more than the mere accumulation of CEU.


Behavioral treatment of hysterical neurosis: symptom substitution and sympton return reconsidered. One of the major areas of disagreement between therapists working within the psychodynamic and behavioral frameworks involves the issues of symptom substitution and symptom return, the psychodynamicists holding that treatment of symptoms alone cannot result in permanent improvement, and the behavioral therapists arguing that it can. However, a reexamination of the data indicates that psychoanalysts base their conclusions primarily on cases of hysterical neurosis whereas the behaviorists base their conclusions primarily on the treatment of phobia. Heeding the call of the recent American Psychiatric Association Task Force on Behavior Therapy (1973), in this paper we seek to reconcile the apparently contradictory data, illustrating our arguments with case reports. Moreover, we will attempt to obtain a greater degree of rapprochement and cross-fertilization between the dynamic and behavioral schools of thought.


Time and Schizophrenia.

Time and Schizophrenia. It is possible, albeit reductionistic, to consider the many dysfunctions of reality testing found in schizophrenia as manifestations of a defective time sense. This perspective on schizophrenic discourse, for instance, permits a new grasp of "schizophrenic logic" and a novel approach to therapeutic interpretation. The present paper describes the use of time-related interventions in the psychotherapy of a schizophrenic patient. Several aspects of time sense are outlined. Under each heading are examples from the psychotherapy of Carrie, demonstrating her idiosyncratic notion of that particular temporal concept. Interpretations are aimed at clarifying the cognitive assumptions underlying the patient's expressions.


Routine tomography of the temporomandibular joint. Routine lateral tomography of the temporomandibular joint has resulted in a three-fold increase in the detection of positive findings. The technique is easily accomplished, eliminates the problem of superimposition of unwanted structures, permits a true lateral view of the condyle and condylar fossa, and allows small articular surface abnormalities to be identified. Although the entrance skin dose to the patient's face in the beam is about two times greater per exposure than that for our previous conventional open and closed lateral views, we believe that the increased dose is reasonable and the resulting improved diagnostic accuracy outweighs this disadvantage.


The evaluation of tracheal abnormalities by tomography. At present, linear plain-film tomography of the trachea is the method of choice for demonstrating the location of post-tracheostomy stenotic lesions and tracheal tumors. This technique does not further compromise the patient's respiratory status, as sometimes occurs with positive-contrast studies using iodine-containing materials, and the radiation dose to the patient from plain-film tomography is considerably less than that from xerotomography.


Teaching English composition to radiologic technologists: You don't need to read Hamlet. As the allied health degree programs move from the locus of the hospital to the college campus, the administrators and students concerned with technical curriculums are often confronted with an inexorable freshman composition requirement. However, a special course was developed for the radiologic technology program at Morris Harvey College in Charleston, West Virginia. The following article details a one-semester course plan that anyone who is currently teaching English can adapt to make freshman composition practical for those students who are not enrolled in liberal arts degree programs.


Left ventricular angiocardiography in coronary artery disease. Cineangiocardiography is a clinically important method for studying the left ventricle in coronary artery disease. However, at present left ventricular angiocardiography is only a semiquantitative method. This is important to bear in mind when making decision on treatment, prognosis and follow up of patients. Various techniques to improve the diagnostic value of left ventricular angiocardiography and make it a quantitative method have been suggested and they should be applied in patients in carefully planned studies to determine their clinical value.


[Morphology of coronary heart disease (author's transl)]. Atherosclerosis and insufficiency of the coronary arteries and their sequelae are summarized in the term "coronary heart disease". For the evaluation of the coronary arteries the knowledge of malformations, variants and supply areas is of importance. Extension and severity of atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries and their insufficiency is being influenced by hyperlipidemia, hypertension and diabetes mellitus. The process of atherosclerosis as a cause of the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells in complicated by ulceration, parietal and obliterative thrombosis as well by intramural hemorrhages. Relative ischemia leeds to disseminated cell necrosis; total ischemia causes large myocardial tissue necrosis, called infarction. Localization and extension of infarction and the later scars correspond to the caliber of the obliterated coronary artery and to the significance of the collaterals. Postmortem coronary angiography can detect cause and extension of the damaged cardiac area. Functional significance of chronic coronary heart disease is related to the "critical connective tissue content" of the heart. After surgical treatment qualitative and quantitative morphology may help to explain postoperative cardiac failure.


[Pathophysiology and clinic of coronary insufficiency (author's transl)]. Coronary insufficiency is defined. Some specialities of coronary circulation and aspects of their regulation are discussed. Physical mechanisms such as arteriovenous pressure gradient, vascular and extravascular components of the coronary resistance, the influence of rhythm change on the contraction-conditions of the myocardium, as well as the pulse-rate are differentiated from biological regulation mechanism, such as metabolic, nervous and hormone influences. The typical distrubance of this regulation in the coronary insufficiency is emphasized including impaired left ventricular function. In the second part, the clinic or coronary insufficiency deducted from the anatomical-pathological lesions as well as their pathophysical relations is dealt with, for instance manifestation of angina pectoris and myocardial infarct. The indications and contra-indications for selective coronary angiography are described.


[Significance of roentgenologic and nuclear medicine methods in diagnosis and operative indications of coronary artery disease (author's transl)]. Significance and technique of roentgenologic and nuclear medicine methods for evaluation of coronary artery disease and myocardial perfusion are presented. Some routinely used methods in nuclear medicine are briefly discussed concerning the evaluation of left ventricular function.


An innovation in testing.

An innovation in testing. The testing method presented here is just one of a variety of "games" that are being utilized in teaching at all levels. It helps to make testing fun, capitalizes on the student's natural tendency to fool around, and teaches something in the process.


A rationale for behavioral objectives in the teaching of radiologic technology. Even after fifteen years of use, behavioral objectives are still the subject of controversy. In radiologic technology programs their use is relatively new and not too well understood by some. This statement, therefore, briefly emphasizes why it is important to the student and teacher alike to identify what the student will be expected to achieve and how the degree of his achievement will be assessed.


Intrathoracic stomach: when does it obstruct? Large esophageal and paraesophageal gastric herniations may occasionally produce gastric obstruction and strangulation. Seven cases of gastric intrathoracic herniation of varying degree, including 2 with obstruction, are presented with diagrams of the anatomy in each case. The cases with obstruction are discussed in relation to existing theories of the mechanism of obstruction: (a) tightness of the hernial ring; (b) acute volvulis of the herniated stomach; and (c) subdiaphragmatic redescent of the fundus with fundic distension and crowding of the hernial orifice. It is concluded that the last mechanism is the most common, but that a combination of mechanisms produces the obstruction in some cases.


System designed to improve communication process between patient and technologist. With the use of more specialized equipment in our radiology departments, we are able to examine more patients with greater efficiency. However, our role as radiologic technologists is only partially fulfilled if our concern over the number of patients and the functional aspects of the equipment restricts us from adequately communicating with the patient during the radiographic examination.


Radiation therapy technologist survey: state of Michigan. A survey of institutions in Michigan utilizing megavoltage equipment demonstrated a shortage of certified radiation therapy technologists. The low number of such personnel who can be trained in the available approved programs in the state is barely sufficient to maintain the present level. Projections show a continued shortage and a need for more approved radiation therapy technology training programs.


The left lateral view in the plain-film assessment of abdominal distension. Since the left lateral position facilitates the entry of air into the rectosigmoid, it has been employed in the plain-film evaluation of patients with abdominal distension. The value of this view is illustrated by examples of patients with (a) colonic ileus due to imipramine hydrochloride (Tofranil) or chlorpromazine, (b) partial mechanical obstruction due to diverticulitis, (c) involvement of the rectum by Hirschsprung's disease, and (d) sequential evaluation of a patient with clindamycin colitis. This simple maneuver is recommended for (a) evaluation of patients with plain-film evidence of low colonic obstruction, (b) problems of differential diagnosis between bowel obstruction and ileus, and (c) evaluation of patients with conditions affecting the rectosigmoid.


"Blind" evaluation of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in the diagnosis of pancreatic carcinoma: the "double duct" and other signs. A "blind" review of 40 "look-alike" ERCP examinations was conducted to determine if pancreatic carcinoma could be diagnosed by ERCP findings alone, and if there were specific findings which occurred only in carcinoma. All 11 cases of carcinoma involving the pancreas were diagnosed correctly, with no false positives or negatives. Irregular (nodular or rat-tailed) pancreatic duct encasement or obstruction occurred exclusively in carcinoma. When the adjacent common bile duct was similarly involved (Double Duct Sign), the diagnostic certainty increased. The results suggest that ERCP is an accurate and reliable method for diagnosing pancreatic carcinoma.


Priscoline-augmented hepatic angiography. Tolazoline hydrochloride (Priscoline) is a useful adjunct to hepatic angiography in the evaluation of space-occupying lesions. It was of definite value in 8 of 26 studies, either in facillitating the diagnosis or in evaluating the extent of disease. The mechanism of enhanced visualization is presumably related to its vasodilatory effect on the small blood vessels of the liver. Priscoline deserves further evaluation in the following situations: (a) a negative hepatic angiogram in the face of positive clinical findings or radionuclide images; (b) suspicious but not definitive findings on conventional hepatic angiography; and (c) assessment of the full extent of disease.


45-degree central ray angulation for improved lumbosacral myelography. Forty-five-degree central ray angulation was utilized during radiography of the lumbosacral region at the time of myelography in 70 patients. The resulting radiographic image allowed for improved assessment of nerve root detail in the region of the fifth lumbar vertebral body and below.


Spurious complete obstruction of the inferior vena cava in an adult as a result of the Valsalva maneuver. The authors describe a case of spurious complete obstruction of the inferior vena cava in a 60-year-old man, which proved to be the result of a Valsalva maneuver. It is recommended that if an apparent abnormality is noted on supine inferior vena cavography, the position of the patient be changed and additional films obtained in different projections without the Valsalva maneuver.


Radiographic aspects of permanent cardiac pacemakers. Radiographic findings in patients with permanent cardiac pacemakers are described, and recent advances in pulse generator and lead design are presented. Emphasis is placed on those findings which are related to (a) complications of cardiac pacing, (b) radiographic configurations of new energy sources and lead/electrode systems, and (c) a new system of pulse generator identification.


"Dimple sign" produced by a benign cystic renal mass. A benign cystic renal lesion causing a mass effect in the kidney is reported. The mass was associated with a "double dimple sign," heretofore reported only in malignant renal tumors.


Clinical and radiographic abnormalities in ankylosing spondylitis: a comparison of men and women. A clinical and radiographic study of 98 patients with definite ankylosing spondylitis (Rome criteria) was undertaken to evaluate differences in men and women with the disease. Clinical manifestations which were atypical in the 18 female patients when compared to those of the men included older age of disease onset, higher incidence of initial and subsequent peripheral joint disease, more common cervical spine symptomatology, and milder disease course. Radiographic differences in the women included a high incidence of cervical spine abnormalities, a combination of cervical spine and sacroiliac joint alterations with a normal intervening thoracic and lumbar segment, and frequent and severe osteitis pubis.


The flared mandible sign of the flail mandible. A useful radiographic finding is described for the diagnosis of a flail mandible. The flail mandible removes forward support for the tongue, which may result in airway obstruction. Immediate radiographic diagnosis allows quick surgical correction of the fractured mandible and relief of the obstruction, decreasing the time during which an endotracheal or tracheostomy tube is needed to keep the airway open.


Angiography in the diagnosis and therapy of frostbite. Five patients with frostbite injury were studied by selective angiography and treated by selective intra-arterial application of reserpine with follow-up angiography two days later. Control angiograms showed various degrees of vascular spasm as well as organic stenosis and occlusion. Intra-arterial reserpine produced dramatic subsiding of vasospasm, as evidenced by angiography and relief of clinical symptoms. Complete healing without tissue loss occurred in 4 patients. Amputation was necessary in one case, due at least in part to pre-existing peripheral atherosclerotic disease. Selective angiography was found to contribute significantly to both the diagnosis and therapy of frostbite injury.


Lung carcinoma superimposed on pulmonary tuberculosis. Review of patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis over a three-year period showed an increased incidence of bronchogenic carcinoma (5%). There had been considerable delay in establishing diagnosis of coexistent carcinoma which was attributed to finding of acid-fast bacilli and relative ease of ascribing all findings to that cause. Suspicious roentgen signs are reviewed and the importance of sputum cytology is also stressed.


Protracted yet variable major pulmonary artery compression in sarcoidosis. A case of thoracic sarcoidosis showing diffuse mediastinal lymphadenopathy was followed for a 6-month period with serial chest radiographs, perfusion lung scans, and pulmonary angiograms. Significant extrinsic pressure upon major pulmonary arteries from large lymph nodes of sarcoidosis was seen to cause marked restriction in pulmonary parenchymal perfusion on both scanning and angiography.


Early clinical experience with motionless whole-body computed tomography. A new computed tomographic body scanner, capable of completing a scan in 18 sec., produces dramatically clearer and more precise pictures of the abdomen and thorax than heretofore possible. Other technical improvements result in increased clarity in areas of the body not affected by motion, including the brain. Potential clinical uses are illustrated.


The normal anterior inferior cerebellar artery. Anatomic-radiographic correlation with emphasis on the lateral projection. Previous descriptions of the course and anatomic relationships of the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA), as visualized in the lateral projection, have not been found by the authors. Dissection and radiography of 32 injected human cerebella show that AICA and its major branches define the position of the pontomedullary sulcus; supra-olivary fossette; 5th-11th cranial nerves; brachium pontis; flocculus; great horizontal fissure; posterolateral fissure; superior semilunar lobule; inferior semilunar lobule; biventral lobule; foramen of Luschka; and the choroid plexus of the lateral recess of the 4th ventricle. With magnification and high-quality subtraction, AICA and its associated structures may be identified in the lateral projection in the large majority of patients.


Calvarial and vertebral sarcoidosis. Case report and review of the literature. A case of associated calvarial and cervical spine lesions in sarcoidosis is reported. The radiographic findings are discussed and the literature is reviewed.


Familial "doughnut" lesions of the skull. A benign, hereditary dysplasia. Multiple calvarial doughnut lesions present a dramatic roentgenographic picture. The scant literature indicates that they are benign, asymptomatic, and of obscure etiology. Three additional examples of this rare entity have been identified all in the same family and are presented. The implication of a familial relationship with regard to develpmental pathogenesis is discussed. Histology is nonspecific but is felt to be consistent with hyperostosis.


Histological changes in the central nervous system following intraventricular administration of oil-soluble contrast media. An experimental study in the rat. Following injections of iodophendylate (Pantopaque) in adult rats, the contrast medium was shown to be refrained in the dilated cerebral ventricles for at least 180 days. Histological examination revealed macrophages containing phagocytosed lipid on the ependymal lining of the ventricles, but there was no leukocytic reaction to retained or encysted contrast material. The macrophages were considered to be involved in the removal of iodophendylate. The irritative reaction in the normal central nervous system was limited, as opposed to the severe reactions previously reported in animals with inflammation of the brain and meninges.


Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. The radionuclide, radiographic and pathologic findings in a patient with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy were correlated. Radionuclide imaging demonstrated the largest two of the many lesions observed at pathology. On repeated studies, one of the lesions developed a "doughnut" sign due to central necrosis. Cerebral angiography disclosed only one lesion which was initially suggestive of tumor encasement, but four weeks later, this deteriorated into an avascular zone. There were no characteristic features of the lesions demonstrated by radionuclide imaging and cerebral angiography that could be specifically attributed to progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy.


The radiographic features of mannosidosis. Skeletal changes seen in 12 patients with mannosidosis included thickened calvaria, ovoid configuration, flattening and hook-shaped deformity of the vertebral bodies, hypoplasia of the inferior portions of the ilia, and mild expansion of the short tubular bones of the hands. The pattern of skeletal changes is that of mild to moderate dysostosis multiplex with considerable intrafamilial variation. The skeletal abnormalities may decrease with age. Correlation of the skeletal abnormalities with clinical and biochemical findings is necessary for a specific diagnosis.


Postoperative chylothorax in children with congenital heart disease. Clinical and roentgenographic features. The clinical and roentgenographic findings in 11 children were reviewed following development of a chylothorax after surgery for the management of congenital heart disease. The operative site in most cases was in proximity to the aortic isthmus. The pleural effusion was delayed in onset, reaccumulated rapidly after initial thoracentesis, and frequently recurred after apparent resolution. In most patients, widening of the mediastinum was noted prior to the appearance of the pleural effusion. Anatomical features of the thoracic duct and pathophysiologic concepts operative in chylothorax are reviewed and related to the clinical and roentgenographic characteristics of this entity.


Gray scale ultrasound imaging. The anatomy and pathology of the liver. Gray scale ultrasound imaging circumvents some of the limitations of other diagnostic tools. The authors have extended this technique to the investigation of hepatobiliary disease. The details of their equipment are described and their results in relation to various parameters of the disease are discussed. A major feature of the gray scale technique is the enhanced signal-noise ratio, which allows low-level echoes to be displayed.


Ultrasonically-guided percutaneous nephrostomy. Report of 24 cases. Ultrasonically-guided percutaneous nephrostomy using the Seldinger technique was attempted on 24 kidneys in 19 patients with obstructive hydronephrosis. Seventeen of the procedures were successful, 4 failed, and in 3 the catheter slipped out of the renal pelvis 1-48 hours after insertion. The procedure is simple and independent of renal function. Postrenal uremia can be relieved, infected hydronephrosis drained prior to elective surgery, and urinary parameters assessed. Injection of contrast material can define pathological anatomy in those cases where excretory urography and retrograde pyelography are unsatisfactory. No significant complications were encountered.


Radiographic imaging using an effective rotationally symmetrical focal spot. A mathematical model is presented for predicting the effect of rotation on certain types os asymmetric focal spot intensity distributions. Experimental rotational techniques are used to obtain rotationally symmetric, gaussian-like focal spot distributions from existing asymmetric distributions. Radiographic examples are shown which illustrate the resulting imaging effect of such rotationally symmetric focal spots compared to existing focal spots. In particular, images of resolution test patterns and simulated blood vessels are used to examine some of the radiographic consequences (contrast transfer and spurious imaging) of the use of differing types of focal spot intensity distributions, and to question the utility of single number characterizations of asymmetric focal spots.


The production of apparent image bifurcation. It is well known that x-ray focal spots with split-intensity distributions can produce radiographs exhibiting image bifurcations. The authors observed such bifurcations in optical analogue images which were produced with both split- and uniform-intesity focal spots. The bifurcations observed with the split focal spot were real, while those observed with the uniform focal spot were not observed in photometer scans of the object. The authors explain these bifurcations by a consideration of the response function of the eye.


Exposure of radiologists to scattered radiation during radiodiagnostic examinations. The exposure to scattered radiation was measured on both hands, the forehead and gonads of six radiologists by means of thermoluminescent dosimeters in two fluoroscopy rooms. Exposure of the forehead was found not to exceed approximately 1% of the maximum permissible exposure (MPD) (3% pursuant to NCRP (recommendations). During examinations of the colon, the exposure of the right hand proved to be significantly higher compared to the left. There was only slight exposure to the gonads as measured behind the apron.


A fast neutron source for cultured cell irradiation. Because of recent interest in the use of neutrons for radiotherapy, there has been an increased interest in the radiology of neutrons. In this irradiated cell study, a 1.3 MeV accelerator produced beam currents over 100 muA on the water-cooled 3-mm thick beryllium disk target. The monolayer of irradiated cells was neutron-shielded by about 700 kg of paraffin. The neutron energy spectrum for the 9Be(d,n)10B reaction was obtained, with an average neutron energy calculated to be between 3.3 and 3.5 MeV, and an average linear energy transfer calculated at more than 30 keV/micron.


Survival of mouse L-929 cells following neutron irradiation. Mouse L-929 cells were exposed in a monolayer to x rays and to a 3.5 MeV neutron beam for comparison of damage effects. Single dose experiments showed a radiobiological effectiveness of 1.5 for neutrons when compared to x rays. Both single and paired dose experiments indicated that the cells were unable to repair neutron-induced damage. Dinitrophenol was found to increase the survival of those cells irradiated with neutrons.


Evaluation of times of maximal involvement for early skin reactions following x irradiation combined with hyperthermic treatment. Times of maximal involvement in mouse skin were determined for reactions produced by graded doses of x irradiation combined with hyperthermic treatment at 37.5, 41, 42, 42.5 and 43 degrees C for one hour. The times of maximal involvement in each case were found to be independent of thermal treatment. These data provide indirect evidence that hyperthermic treatment does not modify the kinetics of epithelial proliferation or alter the progress of early radiation reactions.


A developer solution for tank processing of x-ray film under ambient, tropical conditions. A modification of a proprietary 90-sec. x-ray-film developer which permits its use as a hand-tank developer at ambient temperatures between 21.6 degrees-30.6 degrees C (80 degrees-100 degrees F) is described. This processing technique is useful in tropical countries where the control of developer temperature is particularly difficult.


A simple myelographic maneuver for the detection of mass lesions at the foramen magnum. Popular belief and teaching has emphasized the necessity for supine myelography to avoid missing lesions on the dorsal aspect of the foramen magnum; however, this required not only additional time but also considerable discomfort for the patient. A simple maneuver added to the prone myelogram, requiring little additional time and no discomfort, virtually assures the detection of lesions at or near the foramen magnum. This technique has been used in 40 patients suspected of having either a demyelinating process or a mass lesion involving the high cervical cord. Eight Chiari malformations and 1 meningioma were demonstrated.


The who, why and how of radiology teaching files. A variety of teaching files in diagnostic radiology is needed to serve a broad spectrum of purposes and students. A method of acquiring a simplified teaching file to be used for and by medical students, non-radiology house staff, first-year radiology residents and senior staff members is described. The medical student, as a learning experience, acts as the procurer of this file.


Release of prostaglandins from healthy and sensitized guinea-pig lung and trachea by histamine. The effects of histamine and its antagonists on the release of prostaglandin E and F2alpha (PGE and PGF2alpha) and the 15-keto-13,14-dihydro PGF2alpha/E (metabolites) were examined in minced and whole perfused guinea pig lung. Lung fragments released considerable amounts of prostaglandins into the incubation media with time alone: parenchyma more PGF2alpha than PGE, trachea more PGE than PGF2alpha. The levels of PGF2alpha found in the filtrates of both tissues on per gram basis were about the same, whereas the concentrations of PGE were several fold higher in the media of incubated trachea. In contrast to lung, trachea released only trace amounts of metabolites. These differences in synthesis and turnover are probably of importance for maintenance of the adequate ventilation-perfusion ratios. The process of sensitization caused a significant increase in the outflows of PGF2alpha and metabolites from the lung fragments. The PGE to PGF2alpha ratio was decreased in both parenchymal and tracheal tissues. Increased spontaneous release of prostaglandins was also found in whole perfused sensitized lung. This was consistent with the hypothesis that sensitization with antigen alters the biochemical properties of the organism. Incubation of lung fragments with histamine had only a small additional effect on the liberation of prostaglandins, since the baseline release was high due to the trauma of mincing. However, histamine perfusion of whole lung caused severalfold increase in the outflows of prostaglandins. Pretreatment with pyrilamine (histamine receptor 1 antagonist) decreased the subsequent release of PGF2alpha by histamine. On the other hand, pretreatment with metiamide (histamine receptor 2 antagonist) diminished the subsequent release of PGE. It is suggested that stimulation of histamine receptor 1 is predominantly (but not solely) related to the synthesis of PGF2alpha, and stimulation of the receptor 2 is related to the synthesis of PGE.


Effects of indomethacin and PGE1 on the vasoconstrictor responses of the rabbit ear artery to nerve stimulation. Actions of PGE1 and indomethacin on electrically induced vasoconstriction in isolated ear arteries of rabbits were studied. PGE1 (8.5 X 10(-9) M) reduced the vasoconstriction; this inhibition was inversely related to the rate of stimulation. Indomethacin (1.5 X 10(-6) M) potentiated the constrictor responses to nerve stimulation. The degree of this potentiation was also frequency-dependent being greater at low (1 - 2 HZ) than at high (8 - 16 HZ) rate of stimulation. These findings support the view that prostaglandins, in addition to their action on vascular smooth muscle cells, play a functional role in the regulation of tone of the rabbit ear artery by a negative feed-back control of adrenergic neurotransmission.


Concentration of prostaglandins F in uterine venous plasma of anesthetized mares during the estrous cycle and early pregnancy. Prostaglandins F were quantitated by radioimmunoassay in uterine venous plasma of anesthetized mares on day 7 of estrus, days 2, 6, 10, 14 or 18 of diestrus and days 10, 14 or 18 of pregnancy. The PGF concentration was greater (P less than .01) at day 14 of diestrus than at all other days studied. The concentrations at days 10 and 18 of diestrus and at days 10, 14 and 18 of pregnancy were greater (P less than .05) than at day 7 of estrus and days 2 and 6 of diestrus. PGF concentrations at days 10 and 14 were greater (P less than .01) for diestrous than for pregnant mares.


Early termination of pregnancy: a comparative study of intrauterine prostaglandin F2alpha and vacuum aspiration. The relative safety and effectiveness of vacuum aspiration and the intrauterine administration of 5 mg PGF2alpha for terminating pregnancies within two weeks of a missed menstrual period were evaluated in a study where subjects were randomly assigned to procedures; 100 patients were aborted with vacuum aspiration and 100 patients were aborted with PGF2alpha. All PGF2alpha-treated patients were premedicated with meperidine, diazepam and atropine. Complications were infrequent with either of the procedures. Vomiting occurred more frequently during the PGF procedure (30.0%) than during the vaccum aspiration procedure (9.0%). The intrauterine instillation of PGF2alpha successfully terminated all pregnancies. One patient continued to be pregnant after the vacuum aspiration procedure. Based on the results of this study both study procedures appeared to be safe and effective for terminating early first trimester pregnancies.


Prostaglandin E2 in human gingiva in health and disease and its stimulation by female sex steroids. The levels of prostaglandin E2 were measured by means of radioimmunoassay in 12 clinically normal and 24 chronically inflamed human gingival tissue homogenates. The average values were found to be 16 and 285 pmol/gm wet weight of the normal and inflamed samples, respectively. Addition of estradiol-17beta alone or a mixture of estradiol-17beta and progesterone to incubation media containing normal or inflamed gingiva caused a significant increase in the in vitro synthesis of endogenous PGE2. Increased levels of female sex steroids during pregnancy may enhance gingival inflammation.


A role for prostaglandins in the regulation of the placental blood flows. A model is proposed for the regulation of the placental blood flows to the near-term pregnancy. The model has three features. 1) The maternal uterine and fetal placental tissues can synthesize constrictor and dilator prostaglandins. 2) Prostaglandins can cross the placenta. 3) There must exist a prostaglandin which has a vascodilating action in one of the placental circulations and a vasoconstricting action in the other circulation. Evidence is provided to indicate that the sheep, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) can cross the placenta and has a vasodilating action in the uterine placental circulation and a vasoconstricting action in the umbilical placental circulation. The placenta and the lung are compared and PGE2 is shown to have similar actions in each of these organs.


A specific radioimmunoassay for PGE2 using an antibody with high specificity and a sephadex LH-20 microcolumn for the separation of prostaglandins. Antiserum against PGE2 was raised in rabbits following immunization with prostaglandin-hen-gamma-globulin conjugate. The antiserum exhibited 14% cross reactivity with PGE1 and far less cross-reaction with heterologous prostaglandins. A microcolumn of Sephadex LH-20 was used for a partial, but sufficient separation of PGE2 from PGE1 and a complete separation from heterologous prostaglandins to ensure a specific RIA for PGE2. The precision of the method in the rage 10-500 picograms showed a coefficient of variation varying between 4 and 13%. The detection limit was 10 picograms corresponding to 15 pg/ml of PGE2 in serum. In order to demonstrate the validity of the method values obtained for non-diuretic rat renal venous serum were compared with those obtained using the isotope derivative method of Bojesen & Buckhave (1972) on the same samples. The concentrations of PGE2 obtained were 239 +/- 25 pg/ml and 250 +/- 58 pg/ml, respectively.


Dose related changes in tissue morphine concentration. Rats were injected with morphine-6(3)H diluted with increasing amounts of non-radiolabelled morphine. The entry of the isotope into the brain and various tissues was measured by combustion in a tissue oxidizer. The relative distribution of morphine between the blood and brain remained constant at about 5.5:1 over the range of doses studied (0.07 - 10.0 mg/kg). No dose related differential effects on morphine uptake were evident in central tissues, with the exception of the hypothalamus which exhibited a disproportionately greater uptake. Among the noncentral tissues, kidney and liver showed the greatest dose related increases in uptake.


Disposition of (3H) benzoylnorecgonine (cocaine metabolite) in the rat. The preparation and disposition of (3H) benzoylnorecgonine, which has potent stimulant activity intracisternally in the rat, has been described. The T1/2 of (3H) benzoylnorecgonine in brain and plasma of rats injected with a 10 mg kg-1 i.v. dose were 3.0, 1.2 h respectively. The ratio of mean peak concentration in brain to that in plasma was 0.03. No metabolites of benzoylnorecgonine were observed in rat brain. The mean percentage of dose excreted in urine and feces in 96 h were 85 and 2.2, respectively, with major excretion (82.5%) occurring within 24 h in urine. Approximately 90% of the radioactivity in urine was due to unmetabolised benzoylnorecgonine and 10% due to an unidentified metabolite. Norecgonine was not detected as a urinary metabolite.


Characterization of three monohydroxyacid and two dihydroxyacid metabolites of delta 1-tetrahydrocannabinol in mouse liver. Delta 1-Tetrahydrocannabinol-7-oic acid, together with its 2 inches-, 3 inches- and 6 alpha-monohydroxy and 2 inches, 6 alpha- and 3 inches, 6 alpha-dihydroxy derivatives have been characterized by combined gas chromatography and mass spectrometry in organic extracts of mouse liver following large doses of delta 1-tetrahydrocannabinol.


Sub-lethal effects on offspring of male rats treated with methadone before mating. We have observed that ingestion of methadone (METH) by male rats prior to mating greatly increased the neonatal death rate of their offspring. In this experiment male rats were allowed drinking water containing METH for 24 hrs, alone or in the presence of females, and then mated with drug-naive females. When both males and females were exposed to METH the frequency of matings was decreased. Offspring of METH males were lighter in weight at birth and at weaning, particularly if their sires had been exposed to females during the period of METH ingestion. Although the neonatal death rate of the METH offspring was more than twice that of controls this difference was not statistically significant. The enhancement of METH effects by concurrent exposure to females leads us to propose that the locus of action of METH is the developing spermatozoa.


Allergic bronchoconstriction and its drug-induced reversal in anesthetized, ovalbumin-sensitized cats. Cats, once thought to possess little immunological responsiveness, have recently been shown to manifest a wide range of immunologic reactions. Sensitization of cats with ovalbumin rendered the animals capable, after a latency period of 40 to 60 days, of anaphylactic shock upon intravenous challenge. Physiologically the response is characterized by bronchoconstriction as evidenced by an increase in airways resistance. This response was ameliorated by intravenous administration of either aminophylline or isoproterenol. Other reactions elicited upon challenge were dyspnea, cyanosis, and in some instances death. The parameters of the allergic response corresponded with those reported in previous studies of other experimental models of allergic bronchoconstriction.


An evaluation of the hot plate technique to study narcotic antagonists. The mouse hot plate model, with slight differences from the way it is used to study narcotic analgesics, was evaluated as a method for determining the oral effectiveness, relative potency and duration of action of two standard narcotic antagonists, naloxone and naltrexone, and a new agent, 6-desoxy-6-methylene-naltrexone (ORF 11676). Naltrexone and ORF 11676 were found to be more effective orally than naloxone. Naltrexone and ORF 11676 were equipotent by 3 routes of administration and both were more potent than naloxone. Naloxone produced a significantly shorter duration of action than the other two drugs. It was concluded that the mouse hot plate method, used to detect and characterize the activity of narcotic antagonists, provides information compatible with that obtained in other species, including man.


Acetylcholine induced alterations of 32Pi incorporation into phospholipids: lack of effects in human term placenta. Fragments of noninnervated human placenta, a tissue rich in acetylcholine were incubated with 32Pi and drugs which modify cholinergic functions. The incorporation of 32Pi into placental polar phospholipids was measured in the presence or absence of 1X10(-4)M exogenous ACh. Particular attention was paid to phosphatidic acid, phosphatidyl inositol and phosphatidyl choline. There was no change in the intensity of labelling of any of the phospholipids due to the presence of ACh.


Influence of thyroid hormone on norepinephrine metabolism in rat brain during maturation. The effect of thyroid hormone on norepinephrine (NE) metabolism was investigated in various regions of the developing rat brain. Neonatal hypothyroidism, induced by daily propylthiouracil injection starting at birth, caused an increase in NE levels in the brain stem and hypothalamus. The turnover of brain NE, as indicated by its rate of depletion following alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine administration, was decreased in the hypothalamus of 30-day-old hypothyroid rats but was unchanged in the brain stem and basal ganglia. The activities of monoamine oxidase (MAO) and catechol-o-methyl transferase (COMT) were decreased in certain brain regions of hypothyroid rats. The data suggest that thyroid hormone may influence the ontogenic patterns of NE metabolism in the brain.


Effects of solid food on blood levels of alcohol in man. Forty-five ml of 95% alcohol, diluted to 150 ml with orange juice, was taken orally by six adult male volunteers under the following conditions: A (fasting), B (following a light breakfast), C (following a heavy breakfast), D (following a steak meal), E (alcohol 1 hr after a heavy breakfast), and F (alcohol 1 hr before a heavy breakfast). Using treatment A as a reference, the average area under the blood alcohol, time curve was reduced by 36, 63, 55, 56, and 18% for treatment B through F, respectively. The reduction in area is attributed to two factors: (a) food reduced the efficiency of absorption of alcohol; and (b) food reduced the rate of absorption of alcohol, which, coupled with the operation of Michaelis-Menten elimination kinetics, contributed to the reduction in area. The latter effect is a result of changes in the ratio: instantaneous rate of metabolism/amount of alcohol in the body, which results in a smaller area when the rate of absorption is slow than when the rate of absorption is rapid. Using treatment A as a reference, the ratio of the average peak alcohol concentrations were: 1.0, 0.72, 0.35, 0.50, 0.49 and 1.11 for treatments A through F, respectively.


Vitamin B6 deficiency in patients with a clinical syndrome including the carpal tunnel defect. Biochemical and clinical response to therapy with pyridoxine. Ten individuals having a severe clinical status associated with the carpal tunnel syndrome were selected for treatment with pyridoxine. The status of vitamin B6, as pyridoxal phosphate, was determined by the specific activities of the glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase of the erythrocytes (EGOT). Before treatment, the patients showed a deficiency of vitamin B6 as determined by 1) a comparison of the specific activities of EGOT with those of a control group (P less than 0.001); and 2) a differential assay based upon the principle of unsaturation and saturation of a Coenzyme-Apoenzyme System (CAS), as applied to EGOT. These patients were treated with pyridoxine, and the specific activities of EGOT were determined after 2 and 4 weeks. Not only was there a disappearance of the deficiency of pyridoxal phosphate, but the level of EGOT activity increased 55-68% during 2-4 weeks, respectively. More apoenzyme was apparently biosynthesized, because the specific activities were significantly higher than before therapy (P less than 0.001/4 wks). Clinical evaluation showed a great improvement in their status, and anticipated surgery for some of the patients became unnecessary. It is concluded that patients with a severe syndrome including the carpal tunnel defect have a deficiency of vitamin B6, and that both the syndrome and the deficiency are relived by therapy with pyridoxine.


Experimental bovine Trichophyton verrucosum infection. Comparison of the rate of epidermal cell proliferation and keratinisation in non-infected and reinoculated cattle. The rate of epidermal cell renewal in normal bovine skin and that reinoculated with Trichophyton verrucosum was measured using a radioautographic technique. The transit times of both nucleated and fully keratinised cells were measured in sequential biopsy samples removed at predetermined periods after intradermal inoculation with radio-labelled isotopes. The total time taken for cells of the basal layer to travel to the point of desquamation in the stratum corneum was 18 days in normal cattle. In similar areas on cattle that had been reinoculated with T verrucosum the total epidermal cell renewal time was reduced to 12 days. Increased protein synthesis, as measured by incorporation of radio-labelled nucleoside was evident in basal cells within 24 h of reinoculation with the fungus. The nucleated epidermal cell thickness had almost doubled in areas of reinoculated skin within 72 h and increased cell proliferation was maintained for at least 10 days. Desquamation of the thickened stratum corneum had occurred within seven days of reinoculation with the fungus.


Plasma bile acid elevation following CCI4 induced liver damage in dogs, sheep, calves and ponies. Plasma bile acid concentration was determined in normal dogs,sheep, calves and ponies for three days before and six days after liver damage, induced by carbon tetrachloride. In all species, a significant increase in plasma bile acid concentration was associated with a concomitant significant increase in plasma sorbitol dehydrogenase and transferase activity. Plasma bilirubin also significantly increased in all animals except the dogs. Results suggested that plasma bile acid levels could be used to test liver function in domestic animals.


Use of pharmacokinetics to predict the distribution of pantothenate in dogs. On the basis of plasma concentrations of pantothen[14C]ate, after its intravenous administration, a three compartment open model was proposed to predict the pharmacokinetics of pantothenate in dogs. The model assumed a central compartment comprising the plasma and other extracellular fluids, and distribution into two other peripheral compartments, one of which included the liver. Elimination of unchanged pantothenate was assumed to occur by metabolism from the compartment which included the liver. Distribution of pantothen[14C]ate from the plasma compartment into the liver compartment was shown to be very rapid; during 10 min after intravenous administration about 80 per cent of the dose had been cleared from the plasma compartment. The model successfully predicted the influence (first pass effect) of the liver on the fraction of an oral dose which reached the peripheral plasma unchanged.


The use of a liver biopsy technique for investigating the effects of hexacholrobenzene on some drug-metabolising enzymes in sheep. Several parameters of drug-metabolising capacity were measured in samples taken from various regions of the sheep liver. A statistically significant difference of 10 per cent between mean values of enzyme activities of the ventral and dorsal lobes was found. This could be ignored when compared with the expected treatment effect. It is concluded that the biopsy technique provides a sufficiently representative sample of the whole liver for use in studies of the type described. The results also indicated that the liver enzyme levels of young lambs were lower than those of older lambs and adult sheep. Sheep dosed with hexachlorobenzene (hcb) showed increased activities of aniline hydroxylase and 4-nitroanisole O-demethylase but not of the NADPH-independent esterases. It is concluded that HCB induces the drug-metabolising enzymes of sheep liver.


The ecology of the free living stages of Nematodirus  filicollis. The development and survival of the eggs of Nematodirus filicollis placed on grass plots over a period of a year were studied. Development took place at every season although it was more rapid in the warmer months. Yields of larvae were highest from eggs placed outside during February, March and April. Larvae persisted for two to two and a half years after eggs were placed on the pastures. The extraordinary persistence of the eggs and larvae of N filicollis makes control of the parasite difficult.


Intranasal infection with Bordetella bronchiseptica in gnotobiotic piglets. Nineteen gnotobiotic piglets, four to six days old, from three different litters, were inoculated intranasally on three consecutive days with a pure culture of Bordetella bronchiseptica. Necropsy 10 to 30 days after inoculation revealed atrophic rhinitis lesions in all and pneumonia in 13 (73 per cent)infected piglets. One died of septicaemia two days after inoculation. Agglutinating antibodies were detected in the sera of all piglets necropsied from 17 to 30 days after inoculation. Five control piglets showed no lesions or serological changes.


Experimentally produced calf pneumonia.

Experimentally produced calf pneumonia. Experimental pneumonia was produced in calves by the endobronchial inoculation of pneumonic lung homogenates. Irradiated homogenates produced minimal pneumonia. Ampicillin treatment of the homogenates and the experimental calves reduced the extent of pneumonia. Treatment with tylosin tartrate prevented experimental pneumonia. These results suggest that the total pneumonia was due to organisms susceptible to tylosin tartrate and that the residual pneumonia remaining after ampicillin treatment was due to organisms susceptible to tylosin tartrate but not to ampicillin. Of the organisms isolated from the lungs, the ones in this latter category most likely to be responsible are Mycoplasma dispar and ureaplasmas (T-mycoplasmas).


The effects of nitroxynil on the survival, growth and morphology of Fasciola hepatica in sheep. Groups of sheep were experimentally infected with Fasciola hepatica and treated with nitroxynil at 10 mg/kg given subcutaneously at intervals of up to 70 days later. Effects on fluke burden, weight, morphology, egg production and hatchability were recorded. The results showed that the efficacy of nitroxynil and the occurrence of structurally abnormal flukes were directly proportional to the age of infection at treatment. Treatment also deleteriously affected fluke growth and egg hatchability and reduced faecal egg counts.


The involvement of biotin in preventing the fatty liver and kidney syndrome in chicks. Three experiments were carried out to investigate the involvement of vitamins in the fatty liver and kidney syndrome. The compounds studied, singly and in combination, were thiamin, riboflavin, nicotinic acid, pyridoxine, pantothenic acid, biotin, folic acid vitamin B12, ascorbic acid, choline and inositol and of these, only biotin prevented the syndrome. The minimum levels of supplemental dietary biotin required to prevent mortality varied from 0-05 to 0-15 mg/kg, depending on the diet. These levels were higher than the amounts required for maximum liveweight.


The effect of exercise on the lactic dehydrogenase and creatine kinase isoenzyme composition of horse serum. The distribution of lactic dehydrogenase, aldolase and creatine kinase in various horse tissues was determined. Using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis the lactic dehydrogenase and creatine kinase isoenzyme composition of horse serum, taken before and after exercise, was studied. Horse tissue isoenzyme patterns were also obtained. By comparing tissue and serum patterns, skeletal muscle was found to be the tissue of origin of the increase in serum lactic dehydrogenase and creatine kinase observed after exercise.


Relation between the toxogenicity and pyogenicity of Corynebacterium ovis in experimentally infected mice. Suspensions of Corynebacterium ovis subjected to physical and chemical treatment failed to kill inoculated mice but were able to produce sterile pyogenic lesions. It appears that the exotoxin is different from the pyogenic factor and that the latter is attached to a heat-stable substance in the bacterial cell. Mice immunised with antitoxin showed local non-spreading lesions when subsequenly inoculated with washed C ovis cells while unprotected control mice showed a spreading type of infection when similarly injected. Antitoxin did not prevent the formation of pus but hindered the spread of infection from the site of inoculation to the internal organs.


The establishment and duration of Fasciola hepatica infections in two strains of rats and the development of acquired resistance. Male and female rats of the inbred  Piebald Virol Glaxo ( PVG) and Sprague Dawley (SD) strains were infected with 20 metacercariae of Fasciola hepatica. Three months after infection there was a highly significant difference (P LESS THAN 0-001) in the fluke burden of the two strains. The PVG rats (average 9-4 flukes) were more susceptible than the SD strain (average 2-8 flukes). The PVG males (11-6 flukes) were also found to be significantly more susceptible than the PVG females (average 7-2 flukes) whereas the sex of the SD rats did not affect the fluke burdens significantly. Seven to eight months after infection the PVG rats had eliminated their flukes. These 'self cured' PVG rats were significantly resistant to oral challenge with 20 metacercariae. In marked contrast the SD rats had not eliminated their flukes at the  termination of the experiment 12 months after infection.


A possible relationship between haemonchosis and haemoglobin polymorphism in Merino sheep in Kenya. It is known that sheep  show polymorphism for haemoglobin in that  three phenotypes (HbA, HbB AND HbAB) are normally found. Since it has been suggested, on the basis of haematological values, that HbA type sheep are more able to survive in Haemonchus contortus endemic environments, a preliminary study was conducted on the performance of set-stocked Merino ewes and lambs in relation to their haemoglobin phenotypes. The results provided some evidence that, in Merino sheep at least, those with HbA type show 'self-cure' more frequently and effectively than those with HbB and HbAB types. Examination of the PCV values and total body weights of Merino eres showed a similar trend, ie, the HbA types had the highest haematological parameters and the heaviest body weights, while the HbB types were consistently lowest. It would appear that the practical significance of these results justifies investigation on a larger scale.


Some behavioural and physiological changes in pregnant goats and sheep during adaptation to laboratory conditions. Eight goats and 12 sheep were examined during their first six to eight weeks in the laboratory. Plasma corticosteroid concentrations in four untamed goats and four untamed sheep were elevated during the first week but thereafter remained at basal values. In contrast, low corticosteroid concentrations were observed throughout in four tame goats and in four untamed sheep sampled only after they had been in the laboratory for two weeks. Plasma glucose concentrations were elevated during the first week in the untamed goats. In four partially tamed sheep a rise in heart rate which occurred transiently during handling for 4-6 min did not occur when these animals showed tame behaviour after two to three weeks, and in four untamed sheep a rise in plasma corticosteroid concentration, which occurred transiently when seven blood samples were taken in 90 min, did not occur when these sheep were judged to be tame after five to six weeks.


Solanum malacoxylon poisoning in pigs.

Solanum malacoxylon poisoning in pigs. Solanum malacoxylon was given orally to four pigs. The animals were examined clinically and subjected to post mortem examination. Macroscopic lesions were not seen with the exception of a small calcified plaque in the endocardium of one animal. Microscopic examinations revealed slight calcification of elastic fibres in the soft tissues. The pathological changes in the bones were extensive and are described in detail. The pigs showed minimal lesions at dose levels which cause considerable systemic calcification in cattle and sheep.


Method for concentrating antisera for preparing  Mycoplasma growth inhibition discs. Mycoplasma growth inhibiting antibody in rabbit anitsera was concentrated with a dry polyacrylamide gel. Discs prepared with such concentrated antisera inhibited only the homologous organism provided the antisera had been heated at 56 degrees C for 30 min, and when dried retained their potency during storage for over two years at 4 degrees C.


Postnatal changes in the levels of 2,3-diaphosphoglycerate, reduced glutathione and some enzyme activities in the erythrocytes of lambs. The concentration of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate, and the activities of the enzymes hexokinase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, glutathione reductase and NADH-dependent methaemoglobin reductase in the erythrocytes of newborn and adult sheep were investigated. All the enzyme activities and the concentration of 2,3-diaphosphoglycerate were found to be significantly greater in the erythrocytes of newborn lambs than in those of adult sheep.


The levels of selenium and glutathione peroxidase activity in blood of sheep, cows and pigs. The levels of selenium (Se) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) in the blood of sheep, cows and pigs under farm conditions were examined. Sheep appear to form two distinct groups, namely high Se and GPX and low Se and GPX. The high group gave ranges of 133-249 ng/ml and 77-179 iu/g Hb for blood Se and GPX respectively, while the low group showed levels of 21-67 ng/ml and 2-20 iu/g Hb. Overall sheep blood showed a high correlation between Se and GPX (r = 0-92, P less than 0-001). Cow bloods formed one group, all having low Se and GPX levels except for a single outlier. Omitting this animal, the overall ranges were 9-72 ng/ml and 6-36 iu/g Hb for Se and GPX respectively. Blood Se and GPX activity were significantly correlated (r = 0-59, P less than 0-001). Pigs formed a single group also, with the difference that while their blood Se was high, the corresponding blood GPX activities were relatively low. Overall ranges were 93-193 ng/ml and 17-69 iu/g Hb for Se and GPX respectively. Correlation between blood Se level and GPX activity in this species was not significant (r = 0-27, P more than 0-1).


Estimating erythrocyte glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase by a new method. A semi-quantitative fluorimetric assay for glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase has been described. This method was applied to a number of animal species and correlates well with the standard spectrophotometric method.


[The action of somatotropic hormone on bone and on phospho-calcic metabolism]. The author reviews present knowledge concerning the action of somatotropic hormone on the kidney, the intestine, and on developmental changes in bone. He reviews, in particular, the controversial question of acromegalic osteoporosis and in this connexion considers the possibility of associated hyperparathyroidism.


[HL-A W27 antigen and atypical rheumatic pelvispondylitis]. The authors report 26 cases of atypical inflammatory rheumatism in which the discovery of HL-A W27 antigen indicated the possibility of atypical ankylosing spondylarthritis. These patients included 17 men and 9 women with an average age of 35.6 years. The clinical symptoms included :--pelvic or vetebral signs alone in 8 cases,--pelvic or vertebral signs combined with peripheral inflammatory rheumatism, the latter being always cleaarly evident, in 9 cases,--extravertebral signs alone without any involvement of the vertebral column or of the sacroiliac joints in 9 cases (8 cases of peripheral inflammatory rheumatism, 1 case of talalgia). The vertebral radiograms were normal in 84 percent of cases. The sacroiliac joints were clear radiologically in 65 percent of cases. In the other cases the lesions, generally unilateral, were extremely discrete. In all the cases, the Waaler-Rose reaction was negative. The therapeutic test with non-hormonal anti inflammatory products were generally positive. The evolution of the condition confirmed the diagnosis of rheumatic pelvispondylitis in 2 cases. The patients have been under observation for insufficient time to be sure whether all the cases presented represent authentic cases of ankylosing spondylarthritis that were at first atypical. The authors emphasize the high percentage of female cases (38 percent) the high frequency of extra-vertebral manifestations. They also emphasize the value of looking for HL-A W27 antigen in patients with atypical inflammatory rheumatism.


[Role of vertebral hyperostosis in cervical myelopathies]. The authors analysed the case histories of 40 patients with cervical myelopathy and were struck by the frequency of associated vertebral hyperostosis (Forestier and Rotès-Quérol disease). They found 17 cases in which dorsal vertebral hyperostosis was indiscutable and in which there was acquired stenosis of the cervical canal related to the bony proliferations that had developed on the anterior face of the cervical canal and to the type of cells described by Forestier and Rotes-Querol on the anterior and lateral faces of the vertebral column. According to the present authors these posterior growths occurred in a site that has not previously been described for hyperostosis. These growths are likened to those observed by Japanese neurosurgeons since 1960. Their particular interest concerns their role in pathology.


[Atrioventricular blocks and rheumatoid arthritis]. Among 379 hospitalized cases of rheumatoid polyarthritis, 12 auriculo-ventricular blocks were detected between 1965 and 1975. The formation of a complete AV block is usually preceded by a branch block or a first degree block. During the installation of a pacemaker, hypoexcitability was usually noted. Four of the patients died. In the other 8 the evolution has been satisfactory over periods from 6 months to 4 years. Conduction disturbances were found in cases of polyarthritis of 10 years duration on the average. The articular lesions were normally diffuse with considerable lesions detectable radiologically. In many cases the frequency of extra-articular lesions indicated the severity of the rheumatic disease. From the anatomical point of view, histological lesions of rheumatoid polyarthritis were found : granuloma and arteritis in the myocardium. Only 8 authors have previously reported lesions of the donducting vessels at autopsies carried out on rheumatoid polyarthritis cases who had presented AV blocks. Except for Thery's case related to amylosis of the nodal tissue, rheumatoid granulomas occupied the whole or part of the nodal tissue. In elderly subjects suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, it was difficult to establish a strictly rheumatoid origin for the AV blocks observed, unless specific granulomas were discovered anatomically in the nodal tissue.


Jejunal morphology and mucosal enzyme activity following intestinal shunt operation for obesity. Jejunal biopsy in 33 patients before and after intestinal shunt operation for obesity has demonstrated that neither surface nor volume of the villi increase after surgery. Specific disaccharidase activity remained unchanged, and specific alkaline phosphatase activity increased slightly. There was a significant decrease in protein content in the postoperative biopsies. It is concluded that weight stabilization after the shunt operation is due to adaptive compensation in the ileal remnant.


Routine and blind histological diagnoses on colonoscopic biopsies compared to clinical-colonoscopic observations in patients without and with colitis. Of the 110 patients examined, complete agreement was found between the blind and routine histological studies in the sections from 69 patients (63%), between the blind histological study and that of colonoscopy in 66 patients (60%), and between the routine histological diagnoses and those of colonoscopy in 73 patients (66%). The diagnosis of a normal colonic mucosa was made by blind study on colonoscopic biopsies in 32 patients, by the routine one in 36 patients, and by clinical-colonoscopic examination in 40 cases, the percentage of agreement with the colonoscopic diagnosis being 68 and 72, respectively. The diagnosis of unspecific non-ulcerative colitis was made by  the blind histological study in 43 patients, by the routine histological examination in 58 cases, and by colonoscopy in 41 patients. The percentage of agreement between the histological studies and the clinical-colonoscopic diagnoses was 61 and 78, respectively. A diagnosis of ulcerative colitis was made by the blind histological study in 35 patients, by the routine histological examination in 16, and by colonoscopy in 27 cases. The percentages of agreement between the histological studies and the diagnoses by clinical-colonoscopic examination were 82 and 59, respectively. The differences in symptomatology between groups were small, except for a high occurrence of diarrhoea and blood in stool in ceses with ulcerative colitis, as evaluated by blind histological study. The findings stress the importance of following defined criteria for histological examination.


The diagnosis of colitis by colonoscopy with biopsy and X-ray examination. A blind comparative study. The examinations were performed in 40 outpatients, of whom 21 were women. From the rectal and colonic mucosa 185 biopsies were obtained. The X-ray examination was performed within one week from the colonoscopy, using a conventional barium enema. A complete agreement between the colonoscopic diagnosis and that of the directed biopsy was found in 33 cases (80 per cent), and minor disagreements in 3 cases. A complete agreement between the colonoscopic and X-ray diagnoses was obtained in 22 patients (55 per cent), and minor disagreements in 16 cases, most of whom showed "unspecific" non-ulcerative colitis. In 3 cases with ulcerative colitis a normal colon was found by X-ray. A higher percentage of cases showed decreased haustration by X-ray examination than by colonoscopy, whereas a fairly equal percentage of ulceration was detected by the two methods. Erosions, mucus covering, oedema, vascular injection, and bleedings were not detected by X-ray examination.


Post prandial changes in colonic motility related to serum gastrin levels. Colonic motor activity and serum gastrin levels were correlated during a basal period and after a meal in 16 subjects. Motor activity preceded the gastrin response. The motility index and the serum gastrin levels rose in parallel, but the motility fell before later showing a second rise. The frequency response showed the earliest change and since it preceded the gastrin rise may be neurogenic. This response was later "extinguished" and replaced by one of waves of increasing amplitude; the sustained nature of this response fitted more closely the gastrin response.


Gastric emptying and bile acid concentration in the duodenum after bypass operation of the small intestine because of obesity. Gastric emptying was measured concomitantly with bile acid concentration in the duodenum in 9 patients operated upon with jejuno-ileal bypass. Two of them were cholecystectomized. The results of gastric emptying were compared with those of 7 healthy volunteers. The emptying rate was within normal limits, except for one cholecystectomized shunt-operated patient who had extremely low bile acid concentration in the duodenum.


Morphometric studies of the small intestine following jejuno-ileal shunt operation. In five patients in whom a jejuno-ileal by-pass had been previously performed for massive obesity, a relaparotomy was performed because of subjective complaints or unsatisfactory weight reduction. At the reoperation morphometric studies were made of the functioning segments and the by-passed intestine. Length and circumferential measurements were taken, and the villous height and mucosal thickness were measured from histological biopsies. The results were compared with the findings in a control group. After shunt operation adoptive hypertrophy in the functioning remnant, a considerable length growth and dilatation of the gut, as well as a marked increase in villous height and total mucosal thickness, were demonstrated. These adaptive changes seem to be more marked in the distal part of the small intestine. No atrophy of the mucosa could be demonstrated in the excluded intestinal loop.


Bile acids in bile during long-term chenodeoxycholic acid treatment. Relative concentrations of conjugated and sulfated bile acids in duodenal bile were measured in 5 patients before and during treatment with 0.50-0.75 g of chenodeoxycholic acid per day for 3-4 months. Lithocholic acid constituted 0.8-3.3% (mean 1.8%) of total conjugated and sulfated bile acids before and 0-5.4% (mean 2.6%) during treatment. Lithocholic acid was  the predominant bile acid in the sulfate fraction in three patients and chenodeoxycholic acid in two. Sulfated bile acids constituted less than 1% of total bile acids and did not increase during treatment. Ursodeoxycholic acid, the other major metabolite of chenodeoxycholic acid, was found in higher amounts during therapy. The unsaturated bile acid 3beta-hydroxy-delta5-cholenic acid, which was found exclusively as its sulfate ester, showed a slight fall. The average G/T conjugation ratio rose from 2.2 to 4.5.


The effect of carbachol on resting gastro-oesophageal sphincter pressure and serum gastrin in normal human subjects. With the purpose of investigating the mechanism of action behind the rise in gastro-oesophageal sphincter pressure induced by cholinergic activity, serum gastrin and sphincter pressure were recorded in 8 normal human subjects before and in relation to administration of carbachol. Carbachol was given subcutaneously in a dose of 4.5 mug per kg body weight. Mean sphincter pressure recorded 15, 30, and 45 minutes after administration of carbachol was significantly higher than the basal mean. The administration of carbachol did not lead to significant changes in serum gastrin and a relationship between serum gastrin and sphincter pressure was not demonstrable. It is concluded, that the carbachol-induced rise in the basal sphincter pressure is not dependent on an increase in serum gastrin, but probably attributable to either direct cholinergic stimulation of the receptors or a cholinergically enhanced sensitivity of the receptors for gastrin. Moreover, it is concluded that carbachol in individual dosages may be a suitable adjuvant in the medical treatment of patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux.


Serum orosomucoid in ulcerative colitis: its relation to clinical activity, protein loss, and turnover of albumin and IgG. Serum orosomucoid was compared with clinical activity, routine laboratory tests, intestinal protein loss, and albumin and IgG turnover in 22 cases of ulcerative colitis. Serum orosomucoid was well correlated with clinical activity, haemoglobin and leucocyte counts were not. A significant correlation was present between serum orosomucoid and intestinal protein loss (gastro-intestinal 59Fe-iron dextran clearance), serum albumin, fractional catabolic rates of albumin, and IgG and IgG synthesis rate. No correlation was found between serum orosomucoid and albumin synthesis rate or serum IgG. It is concluded that serum orosomucoid is a highly reliable indicator of disease activity in ulcerative colitis.


The long-term prognosis of ileorectal anastomosis and proctocolectomy in Crohn's disease. In a series of 226 patients with Crohn's disease admitted to the University Hospital at Leiden between 1934 and 1972, 21 of the 60 patients with almost total colonic involvement were treated by an ileo-rectal anastomosis between 1957 and 1973. Sixteen patients underwent a proctocolectomy between 1948 and 1972. Five of them have previously had an ileo-rectal anastomosis and are therefore included in both groups. The patients have been followed up for a mean period of 8.3 years. There was no surgical mortality in the group of ileo-rectal anastomosis, whereas in the group of proctocolectomy there have been one early and one late postoperative death. The recurrence rate after ileo-rectal anastomosis was 75 per cent, but 40 per cent of these cases responded well to conservative treatment and have not required further surgery. The recurrence rate after proctocolectomy was 31 per cent. The results concerning mortality, morbidity, and recurrence are compared with the series in the literature.


Nosography of X-ray negative dyspepsia.

Nosography of X-ray negative dyspepsia. The clinical pictures of 109 patients with X-ray negative dyspepsia (XND) are described, and a comparison is made with the clinical pictures of 39 gastric ulcer patients and 61 duodenal ulcer patients. In addition it has been attempted to subdivide XND into clinically relevant subgroups by means of a Venn diagram. The XND patients were characterized by an equal sex distribution and, in comparison with the ulcer patients, a shorter length of history. The upper abdominal pain was less frequently relieved by eating and more frequently provoked by eating in XND than in ulcer disease. The XND patients also suffered more frequently from irritable colon symptoms. Endoscopy only revealed an ulcer in 11 patients with XND, and the clinical pictures of these patients differed from those of patients with radiologically demonstrated ulcers. The clinical pictures of XND are further analysed in the context of current hypotheses, and it is concluded that Venn diagrams are useful for the analysis of heterogeneous clinical syndromes.


Gastroduodenal motor response to natural motilin and synthetic position 13-substituted motilin analogues: a comparative in vitro study. Motor effects of graded concentrations of pure natural porcine motilin (13-Met-M) and synthetic motilin analogues - the methionine in position 13 substituted with either norleucine (13-Nle-M) or leucine (13-Leu-M) - on the rabbit, guinea-pig, rat, and human gastrointestinal smooth muscle were examined in vitro. Congruent species specificity of the motor activity of the motilins under study could be demonstrated in that muscle strips from rabbit and man were highly sensitive, whereas guinea-pig and rat preparations proved refractory to the polypeptides. In rabbit duodenal muscle and fundic muscle of the human stomach, graded concentrations of 13-Met-M, 13-Nle-M, and 13-Leu-M, respectively, produced graded increases in the contractile responses. The concentration-response curves were superimposable. Calculated maximal contractile responses (CMR's) and polypeptide doses for one-half maximal responses (D50 values) were not significantly different between the three motilins. Moreover, pharmacological analysis revealed that the motor effects of 13-Met-M, 13-Nle-M, and 13-Leu-M are uniformly not mediated via nervous pathways: neither blockage of axonal conduction by tetrodotoxin nor anticholinergic action by atropine exerted any detectable influence. Viewing the data presented, one may conclude that in man and rabbit, 1) natural porcine motilin and its synthetic position 13-substituted analogues, 13-Nle-M and 13-Leu-M, are of equal efficacy for gastroduodenal motor activity, and 2) position 13 of the amino acid sequence of motilin (22-residue chain) is not pertinent to the active site of the molecule.


Serum lysozyme in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Serum lysozyme (muramidase) was determined in 72 patients with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. Serum lysozyme was elevated in both disease groups. The mean enzyme level was significantly higher in Crohn's disease than in ulcerative colitis, but there was a considerable overlapping between the groups, which makes serum lysozyme determination of dubious value in the differential diagnosis between Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. No correlation was found between the serum lysozyme concentration and the activity of the diseases.


Jejunal inhibition of pentagastrin-induced gastric acid secretion in man and Heidenhain pouch dogs. The administration of hypertonic glucose and saline and of fat intrajejunally in man caused a marked and almost identical inhibition of pentagastrin-stimulated gastric acid secretion. Hypertonic glucose administered intrajejunally in Heidenhain pouch dogs resulted in an equal inhibition of pentagastrin-induced acid secretion from the pouch and the main stomach, whereas hypertonic saline had no effect. The study demonstrates the existence of potent jejunal inhibitors of gastric secretion, which seem to operate independently of vagal innervation.


Estimation of aggregates of IgG and their effect on quantitation of IgG. I. A comparison of four quantitating methods. Four quantitating techniques - radial immunodiffusion (RID),electroimmunoassay (EIA), thin-layer Sephadex gel filtration (GF), and GF with an added, specific immunoprecipitation step, immuno-gel filtration (IGF) - are compared for their accuracy in quantitating IgG of various molecular sizes - that is, pure 7S IgG and aggregated IgG, from large polymers to dimeric 10S molecular size. The aggregate fractions differed and were stable with regard to their migration in thin-layer gel filtration, their electromobility in agar and agarose, and their diffusibility in agarose. All four methods quantitated the largest aggregates four to five-fold lower and the next largest at no better than half the Lowry ratings. Only GF and IGF quantitated the two fractions of smaller aggregates within 10% of the expected value. The presence of about 50% of the two larger aggregates in prepared mixes with 7S IgG reduced quantitation results by about half to two thirds with all four methods; the smaller aggregates at 50% concentration were estimated within 16% of the correct values. Twenty percent aggragated IgG about the mean amount found in commercial gamma-globulin preparations, influenced measurments with RID, GF and IGF by less than 10% and the results with EIA by less than 16%.


Serum creatine phosphokinase in epidemic influenza. Creatine phosphokinase (CPK) in serum was determined in the acute stage of 22 patients confined to bed with epidemic influenza and in the covalescence. Further, 21 healthy controls were investigated during bed rest and when ambulant. The activities of CPK were higher in the acute stage of influenza than during the convalescence out of bed, whilst the controls showed higher activities when ambulant than during bed rest. The findings are compatible with involvement of striated muscle in epidemic influenza.


Serological studies on Mycoplasma hominis: serotypic distribution of recent clinical isolates. Serotyping of strains of Mycoplasma hominis, freshly isolated from various sources, was conducted using the complement-independent growth agglutination (GA) test, using the 7 reference antisera prepared in our laboratory. Multiple isolates from a common source indicated that only a single serotype tends to be found, making it possible to serotype clinical isolates without further cloning. However, cultures collected at different times from the same individual may contain different serotypes. A total of 213 recent cultures were serotyping and a majority of these were assigned to the closely related serogroups 1, 2, and 3. Strains isolated during pregnancy, that were associated with various disorders of pregnancy, were serotypically diverse and no one strain seemed to be particularly likely to be associated with disorders of pregnancy.


Two fatal cases of meningoencephalitis associated with Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection. Two fatal cases of meningoencephalitis with serological indication of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection are reported. The patients were young boys, 13 and 17 years old. Attention is drawn to the risk of sequelae or of a fatal outcome in patients where this infection is associated with symptoms from the central nervous system.


Mitogen stimulation of lymphocytes from patients with epidemic influenza. The in vitro responses to PHA (phytohemagglutinin) of lymphocytes from 14 patients with influenza A and 4 patients with influenza B infection were found decreased as compared with the responses to the same mitogen demonstrated in lymphocytes obtained from the same patients after recovery. Lymphocytes from 6 of the patients with influenza A were examined for PWM (pokeweed mitogen) stimulability and a decrease was found during the influenza infection. The decrease of PHA response during the acute stage of the disease was observed in the presence of autologous as well as of fetal calf and allogeneic AB serum. Possible mechanisms causing this impaired function of lymphocytes are discussed.


[Pathophysiology and diagnosis of bradyarrhythmias in sick sinus syndrome]. The sick sinus syndrome (SSS) is a complex cardiac disturbance involving impulse formation and conduction. Anatomy and physiology of the sinus node and atrial conduction are reviewed and the pathophysiology of bradycardia and tachycardia in the SSS is discussed. Finally, a practical approach to diagnosis is outlined.