Radioisotope scans in the evaluation of metastatic bronchogenic carcinoma. In this study, we evaluated the accuracy of radioisotope scans in detecting metastatic lesions in patients with bronchogenic carcinoma. To be included in the study, the patient had to have undergone liver, brain, and/or bone scanning within 10 weeks of autopsy. Other means of evaluating these organs for metastatic involvement were used as well. The liver was checked by palpation and by determination of enzyme levels. A history, physical examination, and neurologic examination were used to establish the possibility of brain metastases. For studying bones, a history, physical examination, and conventional x-ray films were employed. Results of the scans and other tests were compared with findings at autopsy, and accuracy rates for each method of study were determined.


Intrapulmonary balloon for temporary relief of pulmonary hypertension. In this report, we shall describe a case of interventricular septal defect with severe cardiac and respiratory insufficiency unresponsive to clinical treatment. The critical condition of the patient prompted us to introduce an obstructive balloon into the pulmonary artery with the objective of reducing pulmonary flow and improving respiratory insufficiency. The mean pressure was reduced from 45 to 19 mm. Hg, and the infant's cardiopulmonary status improved dramatically. After 36 hours, during which the clinical picture stabilized, a banding operation was performed with success.


Acute respiratory failure. Survival following ten days' support with a membrane lung. An 11-year-old boy with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in remission developed a bilateral pneumonia which rapidly progressed to acute respiratory failure. During 9 days of intensive therapy the patient's respiratory status progressively deteriorated. When it became impossible to maintain the arterial oxygen tension (PAO2) above 40 mm.Hg by conventional means, extracorporeal blood-gas exchange with a membrane lung was begun. After 5 days of bypass the patient's respiratory function began to improve, and he was weaned from the membrane lung on the tenth day. Seven days later he was discharged from the hospital and is currently in excellemt health 23 months after bypass. This perfusion, the longest successful effort to provide respiratory assist with a membrane lung, attests to the efficacy of this therapeutic modality.


A wandering bullet. Successful removal and a simple technique to prevent its migration. Bullet migration toward and within the pulmonary circulation occurred in a case of gunshot wound to the right upper abdominal quadrant. Difficulties in locating the missile were encountered during surgical attempts to remove it. Finally, a Swan-Ganz catheter was used for pulmonary angiography. The balloon of the catheter was inflated to prevent further migration of the missile until it could be surgically removed.


Postoperative chylothorax. Six cases in 2,500 operations, with a survey of the world literature. We have systematically reviewed the literature concerning iatrogenic chylothorax and shall report our personal observations on the subject. Despite an increasing number of thoracic operations, injuries to the thoracic duct are infrequent. Cardiovascular and esophageal procedures are the most frequent causes of chylothorax. Malformations of the thoracic duct and other organs of the mediastinum have often been involved in lymphatic injury. Consequently, we believe that a complicating chylothorax may result from varied causes rather than solely from a surgical error.


The histamine amides of Acacia longifolia. Extracts of Acacia longifolia yielded two major histamine aldaloiks which were separated by tlc.  Nmr, ms, uv, ir and other physical measurements led to structural assignments of the compounds as N-(2-imidazol-4-yl-ethyl)-trans-cinnamamide and N-(2-imidazol-4-yl-ethyl)-deca-trans-2, cis-4-dienamide.  Confirmation of these structures was by comparison of literature data in the case of the cinnamamide and by synthesis of the new decadienamide.  Dowex-50 ion exchange resin (H+ form) was found to be highly efficient in the isolation of these compounds from crude plant extracts.


Antimicrobial agents from higher plants.  The antimicrobially inactive components of Ptelea trifoliata L. From the weakly antibacterial non-quaternary alkaloidal fractions from Ptelea trifoliata L. (Rutaceae), ten tertiary quinol-2-one and quinol-4-one alkaloids were isolated and identified. In addition, beta-sitosterol, beta-sitosteryl-beta-D-glucoside and bergapten were isolated. None of these compounds possessed perceptible antimicrobial activity. The weak antimicrobial activity of the neutral and alkaloidal fractions was traced to small amounts of pteleatinium chloride which had not been completely separated by bulk processes. Alkaloids previously known to be present in P. trifoliata which were found in this study ptelefoline methyl ether, pteleine and skimmianine. Alkaloids previously known but new to this plant were lunidoine and isomaculasidine. Alkaloids newly found in nature were neohydroxylunine, hydroxylunidonine, 6-methoxylunidoine, 6-methoxylunineand 6-methoxy-hydroxylunidine. The structure of the latter three bases is proposed tentatively.


The production of antraquinones in callus cultures of Cassia tora. Callus cultures were extablished from the seedlings of Cassia tora on a chemically defined medium supplemented with 2, 4-D and kinetin.  A phytochemical investigation of callus tissues demonstrated the presence of chrysophanol, emodin, physcion, and an unidentified pigment, all of which are contained in the seeds of the original plant.  The maximum content of antraquinones on a fresh weight basis was 0.334 percent, which is higher than the content of total anthraquinones in the dry seeds.  Furthermore, it was shown that the production of these compounds is influenced by the concentrations of auxin and cytokinin supplied to the culture medium.


Oxidative desaturation of alpha-linoleic, linoleic, and stearic acids by human liver microsomes. The desaturation of stearic, linoleic, and alpha-linolenic acids by human liver microsomes were studied. The microsomes were isolated from liver biopsies obtained during operation. It was shown that human liver microsomes are able to desaturate 1-14-C-alpha-linoleic acid to octadeca-6,9,12,15,-telraenoic acid: 1-15-C-linoleic acid to gammalinolenic acid; and 1-14-C-stearic acid to oleic acid in the same system described in the rat. However, the desaturation activity obtained was low compared to other mammals. This effect was attributed to fasting, pre-medication, or the anaesthesia.


Biotransformation of tryptophan by Phaseolus vulgaris suspension culture. The carboline alkaloids, harman and norharman, detected in the culture filtrate of Phaseolus vulgaris suspension culture are the two major products of the biotransformation of tryptophan by this culture.  The peak concentration of harman and norharman in the medium was reached between the second and fourth day of fermentation, depending on the size of the inoculum.  A supplement of 0.1 mg of tryptophan per ml of 67V medium (with a low basal concentration of 15 to 20 mug of tryptophan per ml medium) increased the peak concentration of harman by an average of 2.1 times and of norharman by an average of 4.7 times in medium.


Attraction of ethyl ether extracts of 232 botanicals to oriental fruit flies, melon flies, and Mediterranean fruit flies. The Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), the melon fly, Dacus cucurbitae Coquillett, and the oriental fruit fly, D. dorsalis Hendel, three Hawaiian tephritids of economic importance, were exposed to traps each containing one of 232 ethyl ether extracts of air-dried botanicals.  The principal concern was to establish which extracts were attractive judged on the basis of an index determined by the number of times more flies were attracted to the trap baited with water and extract than were attracted to traps baited with water only.  Female Mediterranean fruit flies were attracted to 61 extracts and melon fly females to 31 extracts.  Female oriental fruit flies were not much attracted.  Many extracts were attractive to males of the three species.  The extract of Coffea robusta Linden (Family Rubiaceae) was the only material attractive to both sexes of all three species.


Purification and properties of aortic cholesteryl ester hydrolase. The enzyme(s) present in acetonedried powder of rat and rabbit aortas, which catalyzes the synthesis and hydrolysis of cholesteryl ester, was purified partially by acid precipitation, acetone fractionation, O-(diethylaminoethyl) cellulose chromatography, and Sephadex G-100 filtration. The synthetic activity was purified by 120-fold (rat) and 140-fold (rabbit). Purification of hydrolytic activity was 90-fold (rat) and 103-fold (rabbit). Cholesteryl ester hydrolase activity was separated from nonspecific esterase by column chromatography. Both synthetic and the hydrolytic activities are apparently the functions of one enzyme. The mol wt of the enzyme was estimated to be 140,000 dalton as determined by Sephadex G-200 gel filtration. The extracts of the acetone-dried powders of aortas of both species contained an inhibitor of synthetic activity. The inhibitor was nondialyzable and was precipitated at pH 5.7. Both activities were found to be fairly nonspecifc with regard to sterol and fatty acids. With oleic acid, the relative rates of sterol ester synthesis were: cholesterol, 100; cholestanol, 94; desmosterol, 35; coprostanol, 24; ergosterol, 20; and beta-sitosterol, 19. Epicholesterol was not esterified. Oleic acid was most active in cholesteryl ester synthesis, the relative rates being: oleic greater than linoleic greater than arachidonic greater than palmitic greater than stearic greater than butyric. The rate of hydrolysis was maximum with cholesteryl linoleate followed by oleate, linolenate, palmitate, stearate, and laurate in decreasing order.


Erucic acid metabolism by rat heart preparations. Rat heart preparations metabolized erucic acid at much slower rates than palmitic acid. This applied for activation reaction, for the conversion of acyl-CoA to acylcarnitine, and for the utilization of acyl group for oxidation. As compared to palmityl-CoA, erucyl-CoA exhibited a lower affinity for carnitine palmityltransferase (EC 2.3.1.23), the respective apparent Michaelis constants were 43 and 83 muM. Presence of erucyl-CoA or erucyl-carnitine slowed the mitochondrial oxidation of palmityl groups apparently because of the slower oxidation of erucyl groups. However, presence of erucate did not inhibit the activation of palmitate. Heart mitochondria obtained from rats fed rapeseed oil (50 cal %) or corn oil diet for 3 days showed similar abilities for the coupled oxidation of various substrates and similar carnitine palmityltransferase activities. Thus, a suggestion of gross mitochondrial malfunction following rapeseed oil consumption was not confirmed.


Identification and quantitation of cholanoic acids in hepatic and extra-hepatic tissues of rat. Tissues of rats were examined for the presence of cholanoic acids. Quantitation of extraction, deconjugation, and isolation were verified by use of radioactive standards. Identification was made by thin layer and gas liquid chromatographic comparison to standards and mass spectrometry. All tissues examined were found to contain several conjugated cholanoic acids. Liver contained primarily cholic acid and peripheral tissues primarily dihydroxy compounds, mainly hyodeoxycholic acid.


Dietary and hormonal effects upon activity of "soluble" protein and particulate fraction of fatty acid desaturation system of rat liver microsomes. Rat liver microsomes were extracted with a buffered 0.15 M KCl and 0.25 M sucrose solution and fractionated by centrifugation into a particulate component and a supernatant containing a protein factor necessary for fatty acid desaturation. The delta 6 fatty acid desaturation activity of the extracted microsomes was reduced significantly, and the readdition of the supernatant restored the enzymatic activity to the original value of the whole microsomes. A protein diet or a fat-free diet increased the delta 6 desaturation activity of the whole microsomes. The activating effect was evoked upon the particulate components of the enzymatic desaturation system and not upon the protein factor present in the supernatant. Fasting, refeeding, and refeeding plus glucagon and theophylline treatments of rats also modified the delta 6 desaturation activity of whole liver microsomes. The effect also was evoked on the delta 6 desaturation system tightly bound to the microsomal membrane but not on the protein factor of the supernatant. Accordingly, the protein factor of the supernatant is considered to be different from the cyanide sensitive factor and the desaturase.


Saururaceae.  V. Composition of essential oil from foliage of Houttuynia cordata and chemo  systematics of Saururaceae. The chemical composition of the essential oil from the aerial parts of Houttuynia cordata was examined by ir, glc and gc-ms, as a part of the study of the Saururaceae whose members have rich folkloric medicinal history.  The analysis indicate that the essential oil from H. cordata is very rich (81.4 percent v/v) in lipid compounds.  A comparision of the composition of the essential oils from three members of the Saururaceae, namely Anemopsis californica, Saururus cernuus and H. cordata from a chemosystematic point of view shows that each species investigated hitherto has its own characteristic type essential oil.  While from the morphological and anatomical point of view, Saururus seems to represent the least specialized genus, the presently available chemical evidence does not clearly assign such a status to Saururus.


Nonsteroidal secondary and tertiary amines: inhibitors of insect development and metamorphosis and delta-24-sterol reductase system of tobacco hornworm. Several new branched and straight chain secondary and tertiary amines were shown to have inhibitive effects upon development and metamorphosis and the delta-24-sterol reductase system in larvae of the tobacco hornworm similar to those previously observed with a number of azasteroids. Certain of the amines which are related structurally to compounds with juvenile hormone activity in insects also blocked development and metamorphosis in three other species of insects. These compounds are lethal or inhibit development in all larval stages and thus differ in action from compounds with juvenile hormone activity where the principal effect is to block the penultimate or ultimate molt.


Adaptive changes in delta 9 desaturase activity in rat liver. The delta 9 desaturase activity and the 14-C radioactivity of the de novo synthesized fatty acids incorporated into microsomal lipids and serum triglycerides were measured under different nutritional conditions. The results obtained indicate a correlation between the values of the three parameters studied after starvation or after refeeding Purina chow or either a high carbohydrate or a high protein diet. These data suggest that liver lipogenesis and delta 9 desaturase activities respond to the same regulatory factors.


Investigation of Erythrina spp.  VII. Chemical constituents of Erythrina variegata var. orientalis bark. The petroleum ether extractive of the bark of Erythrina variegata var. orientalis was fractionated and shown to be composed of wax alcohols and wax acids, alkyl ferulates, alkyl phenolates, stigmasterol, sitosterol, campesterol and possibly citrostadienol/24-methylenelophenol.  The ethanol extractive yielded chloroform-soluble and water-soluble bases, identified as erysovine and stachydrine, respectively.


Mental health problems among university students, and their relationship to academic failure and withdrawal. Two obvious forms of student "wastage" are academic failure and withdrawal from university. In this prospective cohort study of 2,041 first-year students at Monash University, the relationship of these two events to mental health, university life-stress and other variables is examined. Four factors found to be strongly related to first-year academic failure are mental illness at university a high level of life-stress, poor secondary school academic record, and an extroverted personality. Withdrawal from university during first year is frequently preceded by poor mental health, high life-stress and loneliness. Withdrawal during second year is strongly associated with first-year academic failure and mental illness. The significance of these findings is discussed, and comparisons are made with overseas studies.


Peripheral gangrene as the initial manifestation of polycythaemia vera. Peripheral gangrene is an uncommon initial manifestation of polycythaemia vera, especially if it is not associated with occlusive disease of larger vessels of the limbs. A 57-year-old Chinese male with polycythaemia vera presenting with recurrent gangrene of the toes is described. Absence of occlusive arterial disease of larger vessels was shown by the presence of peripheral pulses. The digital gangrene was due most probably to impaired perfusion resulting from hyperviscosity. Correction of hyperviscosity in this case by venesection and treatment with the cytotoxic drug, busulphan, not only corrected the polycythaemia vera, but also cured the digital gangrene.


[Increasing frequency of surgical closure of the incompetent cervix (author's transl)]. In the years 1960-1972 an increase of the frequency in the surgical closure of the incompetent cervix is observed. Primarily a cerclage, described by Shirodkar, in a modification of McDonald was used; a closure, described by Szendi was performed very rare. An exact explication of the pregnancy of 304 patients from the last 6 years shows, that in 87% the operation was successful, in 13% the pregnancy ended as an abortion. The purpose is to reach a time for a delivery of a child alive if possible mature. From 269 newborn infants 22,3% had a birthweight of less than 2500 g and 79,6% more than 2500 g; 1,1% were stillborn. The increase of the frequency we deduce on the one hand in an enlarged indication for a surgical closure and on the other hand in an improved intensive care during pregnancy, especially in high risk patients.


[Micro-molecular plasmocytoma: case report (author's transl)]. The histological diagnosis of an apparently solitary destructive bone lesion revealed a plasmocytoma, being suspected of generalized spreading. Thereupon performed radiological examination demonstrated multiple radiolucent skeletal lesions and supported this diagnosis. Although specific hematological and proteinchemical findings were not indicative in the first instance, a second scrutiny of protein rates succeeded to demonstrate Bence-Jones-Kappa and consequently this case could be classified as a multiple micro-molecular plasmocytoma.


[Analgesic nephropathy].

[Analgesic nephropathy]. Analgesic nephropathy is characterized by poor clinical symptoms.  Abnormal urinary findings are rare.  The disease is usually discovered if advanced renal damage has occurred with elevated serum creatinine, papillary necrosis, microhematuria and renal colics.  There is abundant evidence, that abuse of phenacetin leads to analgesic nephropathy.  Aspirin may have only an additive effect with phenacetin in causing renal damage.  The primary medullary changes caused by phenacetin or one o  f its metabolites are: Interstitial fibrosis, thickening of tubular basement membrane, loss of tubular epithelium and finally destruction of the loops of Henle.  The consequence of these histological changes is a loss of urinary concentrating ability, one of the earliest findings in analgesic nephropathy.  Inflammatory cell infiltration and involvement of the renal cortex with corresponding functional defects are secondary.  Intravenous pyelography reveals in this stage of the disease symmetrically shrunken kidneys with a smooth wavy outline, whereby in contrast to the pyelonephritic changes the prtrusions correspond with the renal calyces.  Papillary necrosis with the typical "halo shacow" in the pyelogramm rarely leads to the discovery of the disease.--Cessation of phenacetin consumption is usually associated with stabilization of renal funciton in patients with serum creatinine levels below 1.5 mg percent; with elevated serum creatinine there is a slow progression of the disease.--Analgesic nephropathy may be prevented by high fluid intake and avoidance of more than 150 g phenacetin per year respectively 0.5 g per day.  Coffein, a constituent of many preparations, has a protective effect only with sufficient fluid intake.--The socio-economic importance of the analgesic nephropathy is given by the fact, that in the German Federal Republic 10 percent and in Australia even 20 percent of the patients requiring recurrent dialysis suffer from analgesic nephropathy.  The following measures have been found to be effective in order to reduce phenacetin abuse: 1. Preparations containing phenacetin subject to prescription.  2. No advertising in newspapers and television.  3. Detailed information about kidney damaging effect of phenacetin on each packaging.


[Effect of Bencyclane on regional cerebral circulation.  Quantitative local measurement of cerebral circulation in healthy persons and patients with cerebrovascular insufficiency, awake or in light general anesthesia]. The effect of intravenous continuous drip infusion of Bencyclan (8mg/min) on regional cerebral blood flow was investigated in 30 adult patients, using the intraarterial 133-Xe-clearance-method and a 10-detector-equipment.  The application of Bencyclan in 5 persons with normal cerebral circulation entailed no significant change of rCBF.  In 5 from 15 patients with cerebrovascular disease in the awake state continuous drip infusion of Bencyclan caused a decrease of global and regional cerebral blood flow with reduction of the regional flow values about 15.3 to 28.4 p.c.  In 10 patients there was seen no statistical significant change of regional cerebral blood flow as compared with the flow values in the resting state.  In 10 patients rCBF-examinations were performed prior and after intravenous injection of Bencyclan in a state of a very light nitrous-oxide-halothan analgesia.  In all patients Bencyclan caused an overall decrease of cerebral blood flow about 8.8 p.c. to 24.3 p.c. which in 5 cases achieved statistical significance.


Metaldehyde poisoning in three horses.

Metaldehyde poisoning in three horses. Three horses exhibited nervous and cardiopulmonary signs after ingestins small amounts of metaldehyde, and 2 died in 3 to 5 hours.  A colt given 0.1 mg/kg was similarly affected and died.


Aspects of long-chain acyl-COA metabolism. 1. Long-chain acid: CoA ligase (AMP-forming) (trivial name acyl-CoA synthetase; EC 6.2.1.3) is located at the membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum and the outer membrane of the mitochondria. The latter membrane has by far the highest specific activity. 2. GTP-dependent synthesis of acyl-CoA has a very low activity in liver mitochondria (about 5% of the activity measured with ATP). CTP, ITP, UTP and GTP may all provide energy for fatty acid activation in sonicated mitochondria by formation of ATP from endogenous ADP and AMP. 3. In rat liver palmitoyl-CoA: L-carnitine O-palmitoyltransferase (trivial name carnitine palmitoyltransferase; EC 2.3.1.21) is located at the microsomal membranes and in the inner membrane of the mitochondria. Its activity is increased, in both membranes, during fasting and in thyroxine-treated rats. The extramitochondrial carnitine palmitoyltransferase may capture part of the acyl CoA formed at the endoplasmic reticulum as acyl-carnitine, especially during fasting and other metabolic conditions of high fatty acid turnover. This transport form of activated fatty acid can penetrate the inner mitochondrial membrane (the acyl-CoA barrier) where it can be reconverted to acyl-CoA, providing the substrate for beta-oxidation in the inner membrane-matrix compartment. The small part of the mitochondrial carnitine palmitoyltransferase, described to be present at the external surface of the mitochondrial inner membrane, may have the same function in the transport of acyl-CoA formed at the mitochondrial outer membrane. 4. Isolated rat liver mitochondria can oxidize high concentrations of palmitate or oleate in the absence of carnitine. In this case the fatty acids are activated in the inner membrane-matrix compartment of the mitochondria, probably by a medium-chain acyl-CoA synthetase with wide substrate specificity. Because this enzyme is less active in heart and absent in skeletal muscle, these tissues oxidize long-chain fatty acids in an obligatory carnitine-dependent fashion. Also the liver oxidizes long-chain fatty acids in a carnitine-dependent way if lower fatty acid concentrations are used. In this tissue carnitine stimulates specifically the partial oxidation of fatty acids to beta-hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate. 5. The activities of acyl-CoA: sn-glycerol-3-phosphate O-acyltransferase (trivial name glycerophosphate acyltransferase; EC 2.3.1.15) and carnitine palmitoyltransferase change in opposite directions during fasting. These activity changes, together with the measured kinetic properties of the enzymes in mitochondria and microsomes, allow a switch (relatively) from lipid synthesis to ketogenesis during fasting. This switch may occur at the level of long-chain acyl-CoA both in the endoplasmic reticulum and in the mitochondria.


The steady state activity of succinate dehydrogenase in the presence of opposing effectors. 1. The effect of L malate and CoQH2 on the enzymic activity. Succinate dehydrogenase is subjected to positive and negative modulation. The negative modulators oxaloacetate and D- or L-malate transform the enzyme into a nonactive complex in which oxaloacetate is bound. The deactivation by malate involves its oxidation by the succinate dehydrogenase which then deactivates the enzyme. In the present study we measured the activity of succinate dehydrogenase in the presence of two opposing effectors,L-malate as deactivator and CoQH2 as an activator. With these opposingeffectors present, the catalytic activity of succinate dehydrogenase assumes a steady state, the level of which is a function of the concentration of the two effectors. At lowconcentration of L-malate all of the succinate dehydrogenase activity is protected by CoQH2, while at saturating malate concentrations only 60-70% of activity is protected. Kinetic analysis of the approach to the steady state indicates that the protective effect of CoQH2 is not due to its activator property but due to its ability ofreduce the enzyme. This was verified by carrying out a radox titration of succinatedehydrogenase activity in the presence of L-malate. A redox active component was characterized with E = +25 mV and n = 1.8. When this component is reduced, L-malate cannot deactivate the succinate dehydrogenase, but when in the oxidized state the enzyme is susceptible to such deactivation. It is proposed that this group participates in the regulation of the activity of succinate dehydrogenase in the mitochondria.


The uptake of glucose and gluconate by Pseudomonas putida. The uptake of glucose and gluconate is under inductive control in Pseudomonas putida. Glucose, gluconate, and 2-ketogluconate were each good nutritional inducers of these transport abilities. Glucose and gluconate uptake obeyed saturation kinetics: the apparent Km for glucose was 6 mM and that for gluconate was 0.5 mM. Therefore, transport of both substrates appears to be mediated by enzyme-like carriers. Glucose and gluconate are parallel inhibitors for their uptake9 Strains selected for their inability totransport glucose were found to be deficient in gluconate uptake. The reverse was alsotrue: mutations affecting gluconate entry also blocked the uptake of glucose. These results demonstrate that a common carrier is involved in the uptake of both glucose and gluconate by P. putida cells.


Mutations induced by X-radiation in the yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Experiments on strains of yeast with different genetic backgrounds were done to evaluate the kinetics of inactivation and mutation induction by X-radiations. A system of forward mutation induction in five loci was used as a specific mutation rate of 0.14-10-minus 8 times locus times rad was evaluated for the wild type. From a comparison of observations with wild type and radiation-sensitive strains, it may be assumed that, in this yeast, mutations are mainly the result of a repair-active process. The range of genotypic and phenotypic influence upon the specific locus mutation rate was evaluated with appropriate biological material and experiments.


X-ray and UV-induced chromatid aberrations: evidence for polynemic chromosomes? Ikushima and Wolff have recently interpreted both their observation of chromatid aberrations in second and third mitoses following X-irradiation and the production of chromatid type chromosomal aberrations by UV light administered during the G1 phase of the cell cycle in terms of a polyneme model of eukaryote chromosome structure. They were led to do so, however, largely because of their X-ray data, which the interpreted as evidence for the induction of sub-chromosomal lesions (by G1 irradiation; sub-chromatid for G2 irradiation) which appear as chromatid type aberrations only in later divisions. We here report data from similar X-ray experiments in which synchronized Chinese hamster tissue culture cells were irradiated in either G1 or G2 and then scored for chromatid aberrations in their first, second and third post-irradiation mitoses. Our results do not show the effect reported by Ikushima and Wolff. We conclude that all of the data available of aberration production is compatible with a simple mononeme model of eukaryote chromosome structure.


Does repair or stage sensitivity determine the shape of time-effect curves in radiation mutagenesis? Seedlings of Crepis capillaris were irradiated after pulse-labelling with tritiated thymidine ([3-H]TdR), and both chromosomal aberrations and presence of silver grains were recorded in the same metaphase cells at various intervals throughout the whole mitotic cycle. The following results were obtained: (a) irradiated roots were homogeneous with respect to the number of aberrations, and heterogenous with respect to labelling index (LI); (b) time--effect curves for labelled (L) and unlabelled (U) cells showed no significant difference from one another; (c) no significant quantitative difference of aberration spectra produced in S and G2 stages was found. These results support the view that the major factor which determines both quantitative and qualitative variation in the production of chromosomal aberrations by radiation is the time lapse between irradiation and fixation rather than relation of the time of irradiation to the time of DNA synthesis. In addition, it was found that labelling with [3-H]TdR modifies the effect of radiation on chromosomes.


Mutations to azaguanine resistance induced in cultured diploid human fibroblasts by the carcinogen, N-acetoxy-2-acetylaminofluorene. The ability of the carcinogen, N-acetoxy-2-acetylaminofluorene (N-AcO-AAF), to induce mutations to azaguanine resistance in diploid human cells was quantitatively investigated and shown to be dose-dependent. The 8-azaguanine (AG) resistance was shown to be heritable in the absence of mutagen or selective agent and the cells of the mutant clones were shown to retain normal sensitivity to N-AcO-AFF.


Ploidy level and mutation to hypoxanthine-guanine-phosphoribosyl-transferase (HGPRT) deficiency in Chinese hamster cells. The X-ray induction of 8-azaguanine (AG) resistent mutants in two sets of diploid and tetraploid Chinese hamster cells (DON and V79) was investigated. It was found that (i) the induced mutant frequencies in diploid and tetraploid cells appeared to be of the same order of magnitude and (ii) all mutants showed almost complete loss of hypoxanthine-guanine-phosphoribosyl-transferase (HGPRT) activity except that in the tetraploid V79 cells 50--100% of activity was retained. The gene--dosage effect for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) in these cells make it possible to determine the number of chromosomes bearing the HGPRT-gene in mutants by measuring the G6PD activity per cell. The results show that the spontaneous and induced mutants from the diploid V79 and DON as well as the tetraploid DON cells retained the G6PD activity of the parental cells, whereas the induced mutants from the tetraploid V79 cells had about 35% of the parental G6PD activity. With 6-thioguanine (TG) as selective agent, the induced mutant frequencies in diploid and tetraploid DON cells and in diploid V79 cells appeared to be of the same order of magnitude but no mutants could be recovered from tetraploid V79 cells in a single step. TG-resistant tetraploid V79 cells could only be obtained from the AG-resistant mutants after a second selection. The HGPRT activity was lost in these mutants and some of them showed an increase in G6PD activity. The combined data cannot be explained on the basis of a single genetic mechanism.


Radiation-sensitive pyrimidine auxotrophs of Ustilago maydis. I. Isolation and characterization of mutants. The relationship between UV sensitivity and pyrimidine auxotrophy has been examined. Fourteen pyrimidine-requiring mutants have been classified on the basis of genetic complementation and utilization of biosynthetic intermediates and have been assigned to at least four loci. All the mutants studied were sensitive to UV, although the degree of sensitivity varied both between loci and amongst alleles at the same locus. A double mutant strain carrying pyrimidine mutants at two loci was only as sensitive to UV as the more sensitive of the singles. This suggests that both mutants are deficient in the same repair mechanism. Suppressor mutations which restored endogenous pyrimidine biosynthesis were isolated. These suppressors restored UV resistance in the presence of the original mutation. The results indicate that the UV sensitivity of these mutants is a direct result of pyrimidine auxotrophy and not to any secondary properties of the mutants.


Radiation-sensitive pyrimidine auxotrophs of Ustilago maydis. II. A study of repair mechanisms and UV recovery in pyr I. Two mutants at the pyr I locus have been used to study the radiation sensitivity of pyrimidine auxotrophs of U. maydis. The mutant pry I-I has a reduced level of thymidine nucleotides, and this is a likely basis of the sensitivity. This strain is able to excise pyrimidine dimers from its DNA and is cross-sensitive to gamma-rays and nitrosoguanidine (NG) as well as to UV. A diploid heteroallelic at the pyr I locus was UV-sensitive but not deficient in UV-induced mitotic recombination. The results suggest that the UV sensitivity may be due to the failure of a repair DNA polymerase to fill post-excision single-strand gaps in the DNA. The mutant pyr I-I exhibits the property of UV recovery, and this is shown to be dependent on the presence of dimers in the DNA. A mechanism for UV recovery is proposed in which a repair system, possibly involving recombination, is induced by the UV irradiation.


6-mercaptopurine, an inducer of cytogenetic and dominant-lethal effects in premeiotic and early meiotic germ cells of male mice. Dominant-lethal effects of 6-mercaptopurine on male mice were studied using eight doses, ranging from 150 to 482 mg/kg. Effects of the 150-mg/kg dose were studied over the entire spermatogenic cycle, and those of the higher doses for matings made between days 28.5 and 41.5 after treatment. It was found that, with low doses, there was only one period in which clearcut increases in induced dominant-lethal mutations were detected, namely in matings that occurred 32.5 to 35.5 days after treatment. With higher doses, effects could be detected beyond that period through day 39.5. Spermatozoa utilized for matings during the period of greatest response were presumably derived from germ cells that were in late differentiating spermatogonial and early meiotic spermatocyte stages at the time of treatment. These results are similar to those of Ray and Hyneck. To date, 6-mercaptopurine is unique in inducing dominant lethality only at these particular stages. A study of chromatid aberration induction in the treated males themselves was carried out for 150 and 250 mg/kg doses of 6-mercaptopurine over the period of 9 to 16 days after treatment. A considerable increase in ischromatid and chromatid deletions was observed in diakinesis-metaphase-I spermatocytes on days 14 and 15 after treatment. For reasons discussed, the cells sampled at this may be assumed to have been in early meiosis (preleptotene), with some in late differentiating spermatogonial stages, at the time of treatment. The rough agreement in sensitive cell type for dominant lethality and chromatid aberration induction suggests that chromatid deletions are the cause of dominant lethality in this study. Conservative estimates of the frequency of dominant lethality expected from the chromatid aberration frequencies tend to substantiate this suggestion.


Cytogenetic study on individuals occupationally exposed to DDT. Workers from three insecticide plants in direct contact with 2,2-bis (beta-chlorophenyl)-I,I,I,-trichloroethane (DDT) did not differ significantly in the frequencies of cells with chromosomal aberrations when compared with controls from the same plants but not in direct contact with the drug. The same was true when a group of workers from one plant was compared with a control group from the Instituto Butantan, with no history of occupational exposure to DDT. Yet, when the control group from one of the three plants, which showed high DDT plasmic levels, was added to the group in direct contact with the insecticide, the frequency of cells with chromatid aberrations was significantly higher, suggesting that DDT causes chromatid lesions. A positive correlation was found between DDT levels and times of exposure, but being in direct or indirect contact with DDT was not always correlated with the degree of contamination.


Assessing the hemodynamic severity of acute aortic regurgitation due to infective endocarditis. Nine patients who underwent aortic-valve replacement for acute aortic regurgitation due to infective endocarditis were studied for clinical features that may be useful in assessing the severity of this condition. The traditional physical signs of a wide pulse pressure were absent. As compared to a group of patients with chronic aortic regurgitation, the mean (plus or minus S.D.) pulse pressure (55 plus or minus 7 vs. 105 plus or minus 22 mm Hg), left ventricular end diastolic volume (146 plus or minus 28 vs. 264 plus or minus 64 ml per square meter) and stroke volume (89 plus or minus 22 vs. 163 plus or minus 57 ml per square meter) were significantly smaller in the acute group (P less than 0.01). Left ventricular pressure exceeded left atrial pressure in late diastole, causing premature closure of the mitral valve, and the degree of early closure reflected the increase in left ventricular end diastolic pressure. Premature closure of the mitral valve was demonstrated by echocardiography in all patients. Those with echocardiographic signs of very early mitral-valve closure have severely volume-overloaded ventricles and are candidates for early valve replacement.


A comparison of effectiveness of screening for phenylketonuria in the United States, United Kingdom and Ireland. A study of the effectiveness of screening for phenylketonuria in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the United States indicated that the diagnosis is more likely to be missed in the latter two countries because of the earlier age at which infants are screened. Furthermore, in the United States, diagnosis and treatment are delayed as compared with Ireland and the United Kingdom. Because test most commonly used to detect phenylketonuria is identical in all three countries, the differences in effectiveness are attributable to the way in which it is applied. In the United Kingdom, personnel and facilities have clearly defined roles and responsibilities. There is co-ordination between in-hospital and extra-hospital health care, and follow-up care of young infants in the community is assured. Greater effectiveness of screening in the United States will require a more rational organization of health services.


Trends in survival rates of patients with cancer. Reports on survival of patients with cancer issued by the National Cancer Institute indicate marked improvement for almost all forms of cancer from the 1940's to 1950's. Subsequently, prognosis for patients with forms of cancer accounting for approximately 42 per cent of all cancers continued to improve, although at a slower rate. For cancers of the lung, colon, rectum, stomach and pancreas, little improvement in patient survival during the 1960's was observed, and for women with invasive cervical cancer, survival rates decreased slightly. One-year survival results for patients with diagnoses made during 1970-71 suggest that improvement in five-year survival observed during the 1960's for many forms of cancer will be sustained. Continued reporting of survival of patients treated in the 1970's would ultimately demonstrate the degree of effectiveness of recently introduced therapeutic procedures.


Family medicine in perspective.

Family medicine in perspective. Family medicine is part of the process by which medicine adjusts itself to the changing needs of society. Family physicians have in common the fact that they obtain fulfillment from personal relations more than from the technical aspects of medicine. Their commitment is to a group of people more than to a body of knowledge. Their experience gives them a distinctive perspective of illness that includes its personal and social context. Medical knowledge includes information, skill and insight. Medical education has tended to emphasize the former: to concentrate on foreground rather than background. In the training of family physicians the education setting and the role of instructors are of crucial importance.


Solving chemical problems with pattern recognition. Pattern Recognition is becoming established as a general data analysis tool which has widespread applications in chemistry. Whenever something must be learned from objects (elements, compounds, and mixtures) and a chemical/physical theory has not been sufficiently developed, pattern recognition may provide a solution. Materials production problems, screening applications, source identification and structure analysis are important areas of current interest. It is expected that many more areas of application will open up in the years to come. In short, the "educated guess" is being supported by the computer; at least that is our educated guess.


[Allergy to house-dust as a model of nonspecific hypersensitivity]. A general survey is given of the chemistry and properties of the allergens causing bronchial asthma, eczema, and hay fever in "atopic" patients. The carrier molecules of, for example, the ubiquitous house-dust allergens are chemically unrelated structurally, though various allergens incorporate common structural sites of lysine--sugar conjugation. These sites probably activate a multi-enzyme system mediating allergic reactions and involving components of human complement. This process is non-immunological; the proposal is made that this mediator system is intrinsically more sensitive to nonspecific stimulation in allergic persons.


Analytical characterization of urinary proteins by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in renal disease. Clinical and histopathological correlations. Sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis is a method allowing the separation of proteins according to their molecular sizes. For this reason this method is rather useful for the classification of proteinurias as tubular, glomerular, or mixed. In the present study a good correlation was observed between the results of urine electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel and both clinical and histopathological data from 32 patients with different forms of renal disease.


Excretion urography toxicity studies in experimental acute renal failure. Studies have been carried out on the toxicity of large doses of contrast medium (Hypaque 45%) given to rats with acute renal failure induced both by mercuric chloride and by glycerol. No increase in the expected mortality of the experimental models was observed following infusion of twice the maximum clinical dose of contrast medium.


Hypocalcemic tetany due to sodium phosphate ingestion in acute renal failure. The ingestion of a sodium phosphate laxative preparation (Phosphosoda, Fleed) in a patient who had acute renal failure resulted in hypocalcemic tetany primarily due to severe hyperphosphatemia. Hypernatremia and a marked anion gap were present and attributable in part to the sodium phosphate ingestion of this preparation in the presence of renal failure.


Sodium and water retention in experimental glomerulonephritis. The urinary natriuretic material. A material with a molecular weight comprised between 10,000 and 50,000 has been extracted from the urine of normal and glomerulonephritic (GN) rats submitted to high or normal salt diet. When injected into the renal arteries of normal rats, the material isolated from the urine of normal salt-loaded rats induced a significant natriuresis; on the contrary, the material isolated from GN rats or from normal non-salt-loaded rats induced only a slight natriuresis which did not exceed control values. Injection of natriuretic material in GN rats did not induce any significant natriuresis. The results demonstrate the presence of a natriuretic material in the urine of salt-loaded normal rats; this material is absent in the urine of GN animals; moreover, they demonstrate that the sodium retention by the GN kidney is due to the inability of this organ to respond to the determinants of saline natriuresis such as natriuretic factor(s) as well as non specific changes in blood composition, i.e. blood dilution. Several possibilities could be deduced from these results: a natriuretic material of extrarenal origin could be inactive on the GN kidney which could destroy it; natriuretic material of renal origin could disappear during experimental glomerulonephritis and be absent in the urine of these animals.


Effects of renal nerves on renal hemodynamics. II. Renal denervation models. The effect of acute renal denervation on renal blood flow (RBF) and intrarenal distribution of blood flow (microsphere method) was studied in dogs using three standard denervation models. Surgical denervation, by stripping renal vascular nerves and autoperfusing the kidney through a large bore plastic catheter, caused RBF and glomerular filtration rate to decrease. Also, intrarenal distribution of blood flow became asymmetric, that is, perfusion changes in the two halves of the kidney were not similar. Denervation by stripping away the neural tissue and infiltrating the hilum with 0.5% procaine and 50% ethanol produced no adverse effects on RBF, but distributional changes were asymmetric. Denervation by this method was probably incomplete as evidenced by decreased RBF following bilateral carotid occlusion. Intrarenal arterial infusion of 10 mug/kg/min phenoxybenzamine caused renal perfusion to change asymmetrically and did not abolish the decrease in RBF normally seen following nerve stimulation. Present results demonstrate denervation studies must be interpreted cautiously; because the denervation model may cause renal damage and asymmetric perfusion, and denervation may not be complete.


A new end-to-end anastomosis formed without sutures for haemodialysis arteriovenous fistulas. Carrying out vascular sutures is often a serious trouble during the surgical preparation of arteriovenous fistulas for haemodialysis. A new technique is suggested to perform an end-to-end anastomosis by inserting the artery 5-6 mm into the vein and then cementing the vessels by means of a cyanoacrilic tissue adhesive. The duration of the surgical procedure is reduced to half and this technique is much more simple than the usual ones. In 6 patients thus treated no troubles could be found either immediately or afterwards.


Dynamic, temperature-sensitive association of 125-i-nerve growth factor in vitro with ganglionic and non-ganglionic cells from embryonic chick. 125-I-NGF was found to associate with embryonic chick dorsal root ganglia (DRG) through two processes. A time-saturable process included the binding of NGF to surface receptors with an apparent affinity constant in the range of 10(-7)M minus 1 and at a level of 4 f moles/mug tissue protein. The second process was time-linear, temperature-sensitive, and included both bound and non-competable NGF. While metabolic inhibitors had little effect, histone and insulin considerably increased the uptake. A comparison of 125-I-NGF and 125-I-peroxidase uptake suggested that the time-linear uptake of 125-I-NGF must include only bound NGF and incubation medium. Sequestration of the proteins taken up was indicated by the lack of release of radiolabeled material at 4 degrees C, even in the presence of native proteins. All these characteristics are consistent with an interpretation that DRG cells can take up NGF and other proteins by a pinocytotic process. Similar NGF binding and uptake properties were found to occur in cells from a variety of other embryonic chick tissues.


Increased activity of choline acetyltransferase and acetylcholinesterase in developing cultures of chick spinal cord: a correlation with morphological development. Explants of 10-12-day-old embryonic chick spinal cord were cultured for up to 20 days by the "coverslip-roller" method. Morphological development of neurons as shown by the presence of mature neurons, myelinated axons and synaptic structures, was demonstrated by light and electron microscopy. Two important enzymes associated with acetylcholine transmitter metabolism, choline acetyltransferase (ChAc) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE), were assayed in cultures at selected time intervals. The activity of ChAc and AChE exhibited an increase of 60 per cent and 80 per cent, respectively, over a 20-day period. It is concluded that organotypic cultures of embryonic chick spinal cord show differentiation not only in morphological aspects, but also in biochemical terms through progressive development of ChAc and AChE.


Scanning electron microscope observations of the outgrowth from embryonic chick dorsal root ganglia in culture. Cultures of chick dorsal root ganglia were examined with the scanning electron microscope. Fibroblasts, Schwann cells and neurites with their characteristic terminal filamentous growth cones were identified and their surface ultrastructure and inter-relationships described. Although exploratory filopodia of nerve growth cones were observed to pass both over and underneath the edges of wandering fibroblasts present at the periphery of the outgrowth, it was noted that the nerve bundles ultimately came to overlie sheets of fibroblasts. The neurites appeared generally bare along their lengths but were sometimes attached to the substrate or underlying fibroblastic sheet by small lateral projections. Some Schwann cells were observed to migrate freely between the neurites whilst others appeared to have wrapped around the nerve bundles in a manner suggestive of early myelination.


Effect of L-dopa on plasma TSH levels in primary hypothyroidism. Plasma TSH responses after an i.v. injection of 100 mg of L-dopa were evaluated by radioimmunoassay in 4 normal euthyroid subjects and in 8 patients with primary hypothyroidism. In agreement with previous results, no variations to plasma TSH  levels were observed in the euthyroid subjects. In contrast, in primary hypothyroidism L-dopa induced a biphasic response in plasma TSH. In fact, we observed a transitory increase witha maximum at 30 min (mean plus or minus SEM equals 54 plus or minus 18%) followed by a decrease reading a minimum level of plasma TSH basal values at 90 min (mean plus or minus SEM equals 15 plus or minus 6%). Thesefindings demonstrate that the plasma TSH response to L-dopa in primary hypothyroidism is time-dependent . Some speculation on the possible mechanism of this action is presented.


Further evidence of a central alpha-adrenergic inhibitory influence on the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis in the rat. It has previously been shown that stimulation of an adrenergic system in the central nervous system (CNS) will depress the increase in plasma corticosterone (B) following surgical stress. Two aspects of hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal function, namely adrenal compensatory hypertrophy (ACH) and plasma B response to ether stress, were studied to determine the influence of this adrenergic component. Phenoxybenzamine, an gamma-adrenergic blocking agent, chronically implanted into the lateral ventricle produced an augmented response to ether stress, whereas norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA), and propranolol did not. The augmented response was similar to that observed following the daily administration of reserpine (0.25 mg/kg, s.c.). The response to this dose of reserpine was blocked by the simultaneous administration of a low dose of dexamethasone (14 mu-g/kg, s.c.). Augmentation of the stress response was not produced by larger doses of reserpine but did occur with lower doses. The effects of the treatments on ACH were not consistent with those observed on the stress response, suggesting that different mechanisms are involved. The data support the concept of an gamma-adrenergic component in the CNS which serves to inhibit the plasma B stress response.


Multiple unit activity patterns of neuronal populations in gonadotropic areas of the quail hypothalamus: spontaneous and photically-induced firing. Multiple-unit activity (MUA) was obtained from neuronal pools in the gonadotropic hypothalamus of quails. A special device allowed for exploration of various hypothalamic structures in unanesthetized birds. All recording sessions were made in the dark. Spontaneous and flash light-evoked MUAs were recorded from both tuberal and dorsal gonadotropic areas, either in the morning or in the afternoon, and were compared to extragonadotropic firing patterns. Firing rates (spikes/10 sec) and integrated MUA (200 addresses) provided distinctive spontaneous neuronal activities for various cell clusters. These spontaneous salient features appeared to be changeable throughout the photoperiod. Flash stimulations resulted in a marked increase in MUA recorded from the gonadotropic regions of the hypothalamus.


[The lacto-complex in the therapy of gastroesophageal reflux. Clinical and endoscopic evaluation]. The activity and therapeutic efficacy of a micro-dispersed lacto-complex in the management of patients with gastro-oesophageal regurgitation were evaluated in terms of the clinical and endoscopic data observed before and 40-60 days after treatment. The results were more than satisfactory. Endoscopic assessment was also made of the stratification and residence time of the preparation in the normal and pathological oesophageal and gastric mucosa. There was a significant increase in residence times in the case of lesion of the mucosae themselves.


[Anticoagulants in therapy of patients with heart valve prostheses]. Thrombosis in subjects with valvular prostheses is primarily attributable to the tendency of platelets to adhere to non-natural surfaces. In addition, the release of ADP and serotonin leads to their clumping. Anticoagulant management is based on the employment of dicumarols, which inhibit the synthesis of factors VII, IX & X, and anti-clumping substances. When using the former, care must be taken to prevent unwanted side-effects and to watch for possible interactions with drugs that may enhance or diminish their effectiveness. Among the latter, a preference should be shown for those that act on the release of endogenous ADP; these are free from toxicity and significant side-effects. The main remedy, however, remains that elaborating prostheses coated with protein material to prevent adhesion by platelets and so obtain a non-thrombogenic surface.


[Plastic widening of the aorta associated with implantation of valvular prosthesis]. Widening of the supravalvular aorta by means of a lozenge-shaped dacron patch was performed in 9 cases of stenosis and/or aorta insufficiency. Marked improvement was noted in the 8 patients followed up: the transvalvular gradient was not significant and neither haemolytic anaemia nor hyperhaemolysis were present. This expedient is both useful and indicated in cases where the calibre of the descending aorta is small.


[A technical procedure in the Blalock operation for Fallot's tetrad to facilitate the radical intervention]. It is proposed that when carrying out subclavian-pulmonary anastomosis as a palliative measure in Fallot's tetralogy, a cord or open tourniquet clamp should be left round the subclavian. When radical operation comes to be carried out, some years later, this device will enable the fistula to be closed easily and quickly.


[Coronary risk factors in 287 cases of myocardial infarct treated in a coronary unit]. The main coronary risk factors were estimated in a series of 287 myocardial infarct patients admitted to a coronary unit. Particular attention is drawn to smoking, arterial hypertesion, diabetes and hypercholesterolaemia in this respect. 24 cases in patients under 40 yr where cigarette smoking was by far the most important factor are examined more closely.


Transillumination ophthalmoscopy: i. Instrumentation and technique. We have developed a scleral-indentor-illuminator which, when combined with indirect ophthalmoscopy, gives better visualization of some choroidal lesions than conventional ophthalmoscopy. The thin, angulated probe tip allows for extreme posterior placement.


A surgical stereo-video microscope.

A surgical stereo-video microscope. In our lifetime, electronic photography, that is television, has replaced optical film photography in many areas and has opened new fields in other areas. The surgical optical microscope is a closed, limited system. Television can revolutionize this by converting the optical picture into an electronic picture which can be sent down a cable, through the air, or recorded on magnetic tape to be seen now or at a later time. The Stereo-Video Microscope offers a new surgical instrument which provides the surgeon with greater ease of viewing and other numerous advantages over optical microscopy.


Trabeculectomy: a re-evaluation after three years and a comparison with Scheie's procedure. Seventy-one patients with glaucoma needing surgical correction had either a peripheral iridectomy with a thermal sclerostomy or a trabeculectomy utilizing a modification of Watson's technique in which the scleral flap was closed tightly with sutures. Results of surgery were analyzed at intervals up to and including three years following the surgical procedure. The success of the operations was judged both in terms of the effect on intraocular pressure as well as on the visual ability of the eye. Since the surgeon's aim is to lower intraocular pressure to a particular level, not simply to an arbitrary level that facilitates statistical analysis, the control of the disease was graded in terms of how completely the operative procedure fulfilled the goal set by the surgeon at the time the decision to operate was made. While this method of grading success introduces a subjective element, a more valid assessment of the true value of the surgery may be obtained. The results suggest that the Scheie procedure lowers pressure to a lower level and for a longer duration than does the trabeculectomy (mean intraocular pressure three years postoperatively was 12.3 mm Hg in cases of primary glaucoma treated with a Scheie procedure and 16 mm Hg in those with trabeculectomy with a sutured scleral flap). In this study the long-term visual result was apparently no different with the Scheie procedure and trabeculectomy. Trabeculectomy causes fewer flat anterior changes than the Scheie procedure. The degree of pressure lowering in trabeculectomy is directly related to the amount of postoperative filtration. The relative indications for trabeculectomy include: (1) malignant glaucoma in the other eye; (2) chronic angle closure glaucoma where an iridectomy is considered insufficient; (3) "high pressure glaucoma" where pressure below 20 mm Hg is not essential; (4) low inflow glaucoma in which persistent flat anterior chambers may be expected following routine filtration surgery; and (5) cases where endophthalmitis is a real concern, as in the very young, those remote from medical care and those with poor personal hygiene. Trabeculectomy gives such poor results in secondary glaucoma that the procedure is probably relatively contraindicated. Trabeculectomy is a valuable operation, but not the final solution to glaucoma surgery. It should be chosen with full recognition of its specific advantages and disadvantages.


The use of Polyglactin 910 in muscle surgery. This study represents the clinical evaluation of a newly developed snythetic absorbable suture, Polyglactin 910, in 5-0 and 6-0 sizes as used in muscle surgery. In 240 cases, Polyglactin 910 has spoken very well for itself. It possesses extremely high tensile strength and wound tensile strength retention, excellent handling characteristics and a predictable absorption rate, while the amount of tissue reaction it produces is consistently less than that of comparably sized sutures of Chromic Catgut. Polyglactin 910 is both versatile and reliable, and reflects important progress toward the development of "the perfect" absorbable suture. This article details Polyglactin 910's shortcomings as well as its strong points, and provides a recommended handling technique for its use.


[Specific pathological findings in trabeculectomy]. A quick embedding method for trabeculectomy specimens is desirable. It allows a comparison between the observations made during surgery and the histological material as long as the facts are remembered by the surgeon. Embedding by butoxy-ethanol-glycol-methacrylate proved to be adequate. It allows 1- to 2-mu thick sections. 39 trabeculectomy specimens were investigated in regard of topographical origin. In 26 of them, an exact localization was possible. Only 8 pieces contained Schlemm's canal or major parts of it. The others where cut more anteriorly and contained cornea and parts of the trabecular meshwork. The different topographical localization of the ectomized pieces did not influence the regulation of the intraocular tension in the early follow-up period. It is suggested that trabeculectomy does not give direct access to the aqueous to the cut ends of Schlemm's canal and to collector channels but rather by letting filter the aqueous externally along the scleral openings.


[Our further experiences with pathogenesis of pterigia]. Description of three pterygia in a patient, two of them on temporal side. In neighbourhood of the latters large prominent concrements were present in Meibaumian glands which were rubbing conjunctiva and cornea at each eye movement. They were thought to be the cause of these pterygia. On further examinations of pterygia and their surroundings it was found that besides hairs on caruncle and eyelashes in inner canthus also other pathological changes on eyelids may be the cause. Basing on findings in further 253 pterygia it may be accepted that pterygia occur after permanent microtrauma of conjunctiva and cornea. Those microtrauma may be due to pathological hairs on caruncle or in inner canthus and rarely due to concretion of Meibaumian glands, granulomas, Meibaumian cysts, lacrymal points, cysts and warts. In this way all the doubts about origin of pterygia may be explained. Knowledge of the causal factors may help prophylaxis and therapy of pterygium.


Stagnation thrombosis: an iris fluorescein angiography study. Two cases of central retinal venous thrombosis with gross involvement of the arterial supply to the retina are described. The iris fluorescein angiography showed massive leakage of dye into the anterior chamber. The iris angiographic findings in 48 cases of central venous thrombosis are compared with those of 19 patients with central retinal artery occlusion. In venous obstruction pupillary and extrapupillary vessels leak both in recent and in long-standing cases, whereas in arterial occlusions extrapupillary leakage occurs exclusively in recent cases. Comparatively, the 2 cases of stagnation thrombosis appear to show an exaggerated arterial type of response, and seem to form a distinct clinical entity as opposed to the basically venous insufficiency of central retinal vein thrombosis of the usual type.


[Intraocular pressure measurements in infants without glaucoma under halothane anesthesia]. In infants without glaucoma measurements of the intraocular pressure were performed with the Draeger tonometer and the Schiotz tonometer. Our measurements indicate, that by use of the applanation tonometer the results are more reliable. The average intraocular pressure readings were 10.68 plus or minus 6.0 mm Hg (x plus or minus 2 s).


[Prescription of mydriatics in the treatment of dosed-angle glaucoma]. The indication for the use of mydriatics in the treatment of dosed-angle glaucoma are discussed. The value of their use consists in the elimination of pupillary block and in an antiphlogistic action. This claimed that these effects prevent the formation of posterior and peripheral anterior synechiae and thus prevent the condition from becoming chronic.


Comparability of two methods of estimating real-depth acuity. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a motor adjustment (method of average error) and a verbal response (method of constant stimuli) procedure would yield comparable estimates of depth acuity using the classic Howard apparatus. The findings were that: (1) thresholds derived from the two procedures were not significantly correlated under either binocular or monocular viewing conditions; (2) essentially equivalent thresholds were derived from the two procedures under the binocular viewing condition; (3) thresholds derived from the verbal procedure were significantly higher than those derived from the motor adjustment procedure under monocular viewing conditions.


Tendon transfers to improve grasp in patients with cervical spinal cord injury. Patients with cervical spinal cord injury can gain useful hand function from a good rehabilitation programme and non-operative hand care. Effective prehension can usually be achieved by proper positioning, exercises, and splinting but when grasp is poor, tendon transfers are very effective in furthering the goal of independence. These patients have been reviewed extensively and classified into groups according to remaining neurological function. Group I patients have weak elbow flexion and weak shoulder function or less. No tendon transfers were done. Group II patients have shoulder control, elbow flexion and weak wrist extensors. Some of these patients can be improved by transferring the brachioradialis to the radial wrist extensor. Group III patients have the above and good to normal brachioradialis and two radial wrist extensors. Transferring the brachioradialis to restore opposition and the extensor carpi radialis longus to the flexor digitorum profundi provides strong and effective prehension. Group IV patients have the above plus pronator teres and flexor carpi radialis which can be used for transfer. Opposition and finger flexion can be restored by a variety of transfers. In groups III and IV tendon transfers were done only when automatic grasp was poor or absent. If finger grasp was good and thumb function ineffective only opponens transfers were done in order to achieve key pinch. Group V patients have all muscles functioning but with varying degrees of intrinsic weakness. Opponens transfer is useful for these patients. Indications and contraindications to surgery are given. All the patients have improved function and strength following their tendon transfers. No patient has regretted having had surgery.


Care of spinal cord in the armed forces of India. Development of Spinal Cord Injuries Centre in the Armed Forces of India has been discussed. Starting from a 30-bedded unit in 1965 we have now a 100-bedded spinal cord injury centre, a major rehabilitation centre managed by trained medical staff for these patients. A 25-bedded paraplegic home for ex-servicemen has been recently built with modern facilities and amenities. Medical rehabilitation and vocational services are now available to paraplegics in a radius of one kilometre at this centre.


Passive transfer of acquired resistance to Schistosoma mansoni in laboratory mice. Serum taken from mice 12-15 weeks after a primary infection of Schistosoma mansoni transfers to normal recipients a partial resistance to subsequent schistosome challenge. The transfer of immunity is evident not only in the reduced recovery of mature parasites from the liver, but also in the diminished numbers of invading schistosomula recovered of resistance equivalent on average to 47% of that found in actively immunized animals, the results suggest that humoral factors play a major role in the effector mechanism of schistosome immunity.


Immune expulsion of Trichuris muris from mice during a primary infection: analysis of the components involved. Immune serum accelerated the expulsion of Trichuris muris when transferred into normal mice on days 0 and 3 after infection, but had no effect when the recipient mice had been immunosuppressed by sublethal irradiation or by cortisone treatment. Delaying serum transfer until days 7 and 8 in normal mice failed to accelerate expulsion, although immune mesenteric lymph node cells (MLNC) accelerated expulsion whether transferred early or late in infection. Expulsion from NIH mice, normally complete by 12 days, was prevented by sublethal irradiation given as late as 9 days after infection, but could be restored by subsequent transfer of immune MLNC or, to a lesser degree, non-immune MLNC. Immune MLNC were unable to restore worm expulsion in mice irradiated before infection. These results are interpreted as showing that the immune expulsion of T. murius from mice during a primary infection requires the sequential activities of antibody-mediated and lymphoid cell-mediated components.


The chronically reserpinized rat as a possible model for cystic fibrosis. II. Comparison and cilioinhibitory effects of submaxillary saliva. Submaxillary saliva from reserpine-treated rats was found to have alterations in composition similar to those reported in the same secretion from patients with cystic fibrosis. Changes included elevated concentrations of Na+, Ca++, protein, and carbohydrate. In addition, this saliva was found to have ciliotoxic properties similar to those of CF serum. The similarities in cilioinhibitory effects salivary composition, and histologic appearance justify the use of the chronically reserpinized rat as a model for cystic fibrosis.


Glucaric acid excretion as index of hepatic glucuronidation in neonates after phenobarbital treatment. The urinary excretion of glucaric and glucuronic acid was investigated in neonates receiving phenobarbital intramuscularly or orally. Whereas there was no significant difference from the control-subjects in glucuronic acid elimination, the increase in glucaric acid excretion was significantly higher in the intramuscularly treated neonates. Infants with orally administered phenobarbital showed only insignificantly greater glucaric acid elimination. The decrease of serum bilirubin levels was more pronounced in the intramuscularly treated than in the orally treated group. The determination of glucaric acid may be an important reflection of hepatic microsomal induction of the enzymes of the glucuronic acid pathway.


Diamino acid transport into granulocytes and liver slices of patients with lysinuric protein intolerance. Uptake of diamino acids by isolated granulocytes and by liver slices was studied in patients with LPI and in control subjects. 14-C-Labeled lysine, arginine, and ornithine were used in the granulocyte assay and a nonmetabolizable diamino acid analog, l-homoarginine, in the liver assay. Kinetic studies on diamino acid uptake by the granulocytes were consistent with the existence of one transport system common to the three diamino acids. The maximal velocity of uptake was approximately equal for the three amino acids and similar in patients and control subjects. In the liver slices, at least two transport systems became apparent as substrate concentration was varied from 4.0-0.025 mM. A low concentration system with high affinity and very small capacity for transport was similar in patients and control subjects. A high concentration system was also present in both groups, but in the patients had only 1/7 of the maximal capacity observed in the control subjects. This defect grossly incapacitated the diamino acid uptake of the liver. In LPI, the observed defect, in conjunction with the deficient absorption in the kidneys and intestine, explains the lack of ornithine at the site of urea synthesis, which is evident from the impaired and ornithine-correctable urea production.


Rural perinatology.

Rural perinatology. An evaluation of perinatal care practices in Iowa community hospitals is presented. Seventy-two hospitals were visited by a University-based perinatal care team. After an initial assessment, educational programs aimed at correcting deficient care practices were carried out in the community hospitals. A review of the data indicates an improvement in the care of the perinatal patient. The authors feel the methodology employed can be utilized in other rural areas to improve basic perinatal care.


An analysis of air transport results in the sick newborn infant: Part I. The transport team. Regionalization of neonatal intensive care has necessitated air transport of the critically ill infant in sparsely populated areas. All newborn air transports to four Denver area newborn intensive-care units over a 14-month period were reviewed. An emergency-care nurse and a neonatal intensive-care nurse provided the basic transport team with physician assistance in selected cases. Infants were evaluated and stabilized at the referring hospital before moving the infant. The transports were analyzed for the type of air craft utilized, reason for referral, and mortality. The results indicate that prior planning will permit the use of the most appropriate aircraft and transport team. When using well-trained transport personnel, the presence of a physician may be limited to specific situations without adversely affecting overall neonatal mortality.


Intrauterine rubella, head size, and intellect. The assumption that congenital rubella is commonly associated with microcephaly and mental retardation was examined. Among a rubella clinic population of 111 children, 92 children had vision sufficient to allow testing by the Leiter International Scale. The mean IQ for this group was 99.46 (SD, 19.5). Head circumference in this group correlated well with stature but poorly with intellect. The authors conclude that children with intrauterine rubella should be viewed as small children rather than children with small heads and that such children are poorly served if mental subnormality is assumed without careful study.


Subcutaneous calcium deposition in the neonate associated with intravenous administration of calcium gluconate. Nine infants who had severe local manifestations following intravenous administration of calcium gluconate are presented. The lesions appeared at the intravenous sites as firm subcutaneous nodules or areas of areas of inflammation with central softening and fluctuation. The interval between appearance of the lesion and calcium administration was 13 plus or minus 2.5 (mean plus or minus SEM) days. Five infants were treated with antibiotics and three of the five had incision and drainage. Roentgenographic evidence of subcutaneous calcification was seen in all cases at the time the lesions were first noticed. In two infants the entire cephalic vein was calcified. Induration and inflammation completely subsided in six infants, four of whom had follow-up roentgenograms showing complete resolution of calcification. A conservative approach in management is recommended.


Pulmonary hypersensitivity associated with pancreatin powder exposure. A 25-year-old woman with obstructive, reversible pulmonary and nasal hypersensitivity apparently induced by casual, repeated inhalation of pancreatin powder (desiccated pork pancreas) is described. The powder was being employed as a dietary supplement for the patient's son, diagnosed as having cystic fibrosis. Two challenges of the diagnosed as having cystic fibrosis. Two challenges of the patient by reproducing home use of the powder resulted in repetition of a hypersensitivity symptom complex on both occasions. Vitalometry demonstrated an immediate and late response. Avoidance of pancreatin powder exposure resulted in subsidence of symptoms. Immunologic mechanisms are suggested but not proven.


Pharmacokinetics of acetaminophen in the human neonate: formation of acetaminophen glucuronide and sulfate in relation to plasma bilirubin concentration and D-glucaric acid excretion. The purpose of this study was to determine if certain physiologic parameters (plasma bilirubin concentration and urinary excretion rate of D-glucaric acid) can be used to predict a newborn infant's ability to eliminate a phenolic drug, and particularly to predict the ability to conjugate that drug with glucuronic acid. Tweleve healthy 2- to 3-day-old full-term infants with plasma bilirubin concentrations of 1.0 to 11.6 mg/100 ml and D-glucaric acid excretion rates of 0.131 to 0.345 mg/kg/day received a single oral dose of acetaminophen, 12 mg/kg. Urine was collected serially for 48 hours and analyzed for acetaminophen, acetaminophen glucuronide, acetaminophen sulfate, and D-glucaric acid. The biologic half-life of acetaminophen was 3.5 plus or minus 0.85 hours (average plus or minus SD) as compared to average values of 1.9 to 2.2 hours observed in five reported studies on a total of 39 adults. The rate constant for acetaminophen glucuronide formation in neonates was considerably smaller, on the average, than in adults but the average rate constant for acetaminophen sulfate formation was somewhat larger than in adults. There is not statistically significant colucaric acid excretion. The results of this study suggest that the limited ability of neonates to conjugate phenolic drugs with glucuronic acid is compensated to a degree by a well-developed capability for sulfate conjugation.


Intestinal lymphagiectasia: a reappraisal. Intestinal lymphangiectasia (IL) may vary widely in its manifestations and severity. Fifteen children seen between 1960 and 1974 with histologically proven IL are analyzed by clinical, laboratory, radiologic, and histologic criteria. Remissions occurred in most patients and none died. Exacerbations occurred in five children. Diarrhea was present in 14 patients and in 13 appeared before the age of 3 years. Vomiting occurred in nine patients and growth retardation in seven. Four children had associated peripheral lymphedema and two of these had a family history of lymphedema, both had affected fathers and one had affected siblings and paternal cousins. Seven had hypoproteinemic edema, and of these, four suffered from hypocalcemic seizures. Chylous effusions were present in five. Hypoproteinemia was present in 12 although five had no hypoalbuminemic edema. Six had lymphopenia which was related to the severity of the disease and was the last abnormality to disappear after clinical remission. Lymphopenia may first appear years after the protein loss begins. Upper gastrointestinal tract series were performed in 13 children and had diagnostic supportive value in seven. Six children had two or more small-intestinal biopsies done. They all showed great variation from one examination to the other, ranging from a normal appearance to severe changes. Lymphatic block may occur at different sites-in the lamina propria only, generalized (lamina propria, submucosa, serosa, and mesentery), or conversely in the mesentery alone with minimal changes in the lamina propria. In three patients intravenous hyperalimentation was necessary. Specific treatment with a high-protein, low-fat diet with added medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) is valuable. Surgical resection was of benefit in one patient, and anastomosis of mesenteric to para-aortic lymph nodes in another.


Special devices as aids in the management of child self-mutilation in the Lesch-Nyhan syndrome. The Lesch-Nyhan syndrome is a rare inborn error of purine metabolism associated with hyperuricacidemia, mental retardation, and an insatiable urge for self-mutilation, especially of the extremities. Insensitivity to pain and severe muscle spasms create very difficult management problems, especially for children being cared for at home. Fortunately this syndrome is rare (1 per 380,000 live births). Four known patients are under treatment in Manitoba, of which two brothers are the subject of this study. In general, the medical management of these patients has been unsuccessful, especially in controlling self-mutilation. It therefore was decided to manage these children by the use of mechanical aids. Through the utilization of custom-designed seating devices control of the self-mutilation has been obtained, reducing the burden of family care. It is now possible for the children to attend regular school on a half-day basis. They are also able to engage in community activities without the fear that a mishap will occur when not under the vigilance of the immediate family.


Probable neonatal propoxyphene withdrawal: a case report. A baby with neonatal withdrawal from propoxyphene as evidenced by severe diarrhea, flapping tremors, shrill cry, diaphoresis, hypertonicity, and seizures is presented. Propoxyphene and its metabolites were identified in the patient's serum and urine. We express concern about the wide use of propoxyphene and its proposed use in substitution programs for detoxifying and maintaining heroin addicts in view of the possibility of neonatal complications.


Chromosome investigation of Danish A. I. beef bulls. In 1973 all Danish A.I. beef bulls were tested by chromosome analysis, in order to eliminate bulls with Robertsonian translocation (centric fusion translocations). From abroad it has been reported that this aberration reduced fertility. Of 65 bulls none was affected. The literature concerning chromosome investigation of populations of A.I. bulls are summarized. It is proposed that all imported bulls should be tested by chromosome banding methods, before the bulls are used.


Observations on teat stenosis.

Observations on teat stenosis. The article deals with 665 cases of teat stenosis observed over the period 1968--73 in the area covered by the Field Station of the College of Veterinary Medicine, Hautjarvi. The main attention is to the occurrence of the syndrome and the aspects associated with the clinical picture. The results are shown in Figs. 1--4. Only 12.7% of the stenoses were recorded during the pasture season. An examination of the point of time of the diagnosis revealed that 46.2% of all cases fell during the first month after calving. Of all cases of stenosis, 59.8% were found in the rear teats and, correspondingly, 50.2% in the fore teats. The location of the stenosis in the teat was known in 526 cases: 79.5% in the streak canal and tip of the teat, 8.5% in the mid-section of the cistern, 3.3% in its upper section and 8.7% affecting the entire cistern. Of the 477 cases treated surgically, 24.3% required renewed treatment. Of the 174 cases treated without surgery, 20.7% had to be treated several times. On the basis of the observations made, conclusions were drawn with regard to ethiological factors and the results examined in the light of some other studies.


Acute pulmonary edema and seizures in hunting dogs. The clinical and radiographic appearance of acute pulmonary edema in three hunting dogs are reported. The etiology is discussed. The conclusion was drawn that the cause of pulmonary edema was probably neurogenic, probably induced by hypoglycemia. Prevention and treatment are discussed.


[Influence of semen collection on breeding efficiency of a.i. boars (author's transl.)]. Based upon semen records and 30-60 days non-return percentages from 171 boars of Danish Landrace the influence of frequency of semen collection on semen production and breeding efficiency was investigated. Semen production was expressed by the number of doses of 2.0 times 10-9 motile sperms per ejaculate.


[A.I. in pigs: breeding efficiency of one and two inseminations per heat (author's transl.)]. Breeding efficiency as expressed by the 30-60 days non-return percentage by one and two inseminations per heat was compared. Sows and gilts in a good heat (heat detection by stockmen) received only one insemination per heat, whereas females with a moderate/weal heat received two inseminations with an interval of approx. 24 hours, provided they were still in heat at the 2nd visit. The results have been set out in the tables I and II. A total of 89.1 and 90.8 percent non-returns by one and two inseminations per heat have been obtained (table I). The difference of 1.7 percentage units in favour of two inseminations is significant, (P less than 0.001). A variation within technicians of percentage of one insemination per heat from 10-97 was found, table II. 11 technicians had significant better results with two inseminations, one technician with one insemination, and by the rest of technicians no significant differences were found between one and two inseminations per heat. It is concluded that: 1) By effective heat detection, the breeding efficiency which can be obtained by one insemination per heat, is only two percentage lower than the breeding efficiency obtained by two inseminations per heat. 2) This loss in breeding efficiency is probably compensated by the economical advantage of one insemination per heat.


[Determination of progesterone in peripheral blood-plasma as a diagnostic aid in female swine (author's transl.)]. The determination of the peripheral plasma level of progesterone was evaluated as a clinical aid in the gynaecological diagnosis of female pigs. The normal cyclic variation of the peripheral plasma level of progesterone was determined in six cross bred gilts (Swedish Landrace times Swedish Yorkshire Breed) which were examined daily for the stages of oestrus. The results of this investigation are given in fig. 1. Peripheral plasma levels of progesterone were determined in 16 gilts with the clinical diagnosis of "silent heat". Despite all 16 gilts being sexually mature none of them had shown clinical signs of heat. The gilts belonged to 3 different farms, on all of which there was a high incidence of "silent heat". At least two blood samples were drawn 7 days apart from each of the gilts. Of the gilts examined 12 had variations in peripheral plasma level of progesterone. Of these 12 animals only 5 had clinical signs of heat, although the farmer had been advised, from the progesterone analysis, on the probable day of occurrence of heat. In 3 of the gilts, treatment with hormones (PMSCG) elicited the standing reflex when they were placed with a boar. In Table I is given some examples of the relationship of clinical signs of heat and the peripheral plasma level of progesterone. The peripheral plasma level of progesterone was also used as an early pregnancy diagnosis test in gilts. The gilts used in this investigation were all artificially inseminated with deep frozen boar semen. The expected pregnancy rate after insemination was 50%. Blood samples were drawn 17-25 days after insemination of 84 gilts. Peripheral plasma level of progesterone equal to or higher than 7.5 ng/ml were considered to indicate pregnancy. All gilts were slaughtered 4 weeks after the insemination and the number of fetuses were counted. A correct pregnancy diagnosis by the estimation of peripheral plasma level of progesterone was obtained in 95.2% of the gilts. The incorrect diagnoses were all false positives, viz. non-pregnant gilts were diagnosed as pregnant.


[The hazard of lead-accumulation in domestic animals fed on hay from fields nearby highways in Norway (author's transl.)]. In 1971 hay was harvested from an area nearby a highway (E18) at Sande in Vestfold (Norway). On an average 9,400 cars passed this place each day during the summer season. The lead pollution of the hay was moderate. Hay taken at a distance of 2 m from the roadside contained 6.6 mu-g Pb/g dry weight. There was found no increase in the lead concentration in blood, liver, kidney, muscle, urine, or bone tissue in the experimental sheep compared with the control group. In faeces, however, a higher lead concentration was found in the experimental group compared with the control group, on an average 6.3 and 1.6 mu-g Pb/g, respectively. No increase in the lead content could be demonstrated in bone tissue from cattle which since birth had been fed on grass and hay originating from areas adjacent to the highway.


[Emergency occlusion of the inferior vena cava in thrombo-embolic disease. Value in the critical patient]. On the basis of eight cases, the authors report the good results obtained by ligation of the I.V.C. carried out as an emergency procedure in patients under intensive care following recurrent pulmonary emboli, in whom life was threatened and in whom anti-thrombotic agents had failed or were contraindicated.


[Significance of pruritus during pregnancy. Relations with the hepatic disorders of gestation]. The principal clinical and biological characteristics and the origin of pruritus of pregnancy (p.p.) which occurs in a little more than two pregnancies per thousand are considered in the light of 7 cases. As with recurrent jaundice of pregnancy (r.j.p.), of which pruritus represents a minor analogue, the symptoms occur solely during pregnancy and disappear after delivery. In p.p. signs of cholestasis are seen, more marked than in a normal pregnancy coming to term but less than in icterus gravidarum. The increase in transaminases seen in p.p. and r.j.p. does not occur in normal pregnancy. The two conditions, which may be grouped together under the term hepatogestosis, are benign as far as the mother is concerned but represent a definite and significant risk of prematurity for the child. It is possible to establish a relation between p.p. and/or r.j.p. and the hepatic manifestations associated with oral contraceptives. In both instances a genetic predisposition seems to favour the development of a cholestatic syndrome. A past history of p.p. represents a contraindication to the use of oral contraceptives. Cholestyramine, a bile salt chelator, gives excellent results in persistent p.p.


[March hemoglobinuria. One case with erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase deficiency]. A new case of march haemoglobinuria seen in a 21-year-old man is reported. A deficiency in two erythrocytic enzymes (glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxydase) was observed. Treatment with riboflavin corrected the glutathione reductase deficiency. The march haemoglobinuria and glutathione peroxydase deficiency persisted. Several months after resolution of the march haemoglobinuria, a new estimation of glutathione peroxydase showed that the deficiency had disappeared. The possible role of a transient deficiency in erythrocyte glutathione peroxydase in the pathogenesis of march haemoglobinuria is discussed.


Characteristics of White Leghorn chickens selected for heat tolerance. A series of studies was conducted to identify and delineate factors associated with responses of chickens to high ambient temperatures. Two populations of birds were used which had been selected divergently for tolerance to stress at 40.6 degrees C. and 75% R.H. and at 5 weeks of age. After four generations of selection for survival time the lines had separated by 28 minutes: 58 vs. 86 minutes for the low and high, respectively. Egg production, hatchability, Haugh units and specific gravity did not differ between lines. Egg weight was greater in the low line. The body temperature of chicks at 30 minutes of heat stress was correlated (r = -0.454; P less than 0.05) to survival time. Body weight was correlated (r = -0.325) with resistance to heat stress while loss of body weight during heat stress was correlated (r = +0.478) with resistance. There was no apparent difference between lines in respect to resistance of 16-day old embryos to heat stress.


The effects of elevated levels of sodium chloride on ascites and related problems in turkeys. The response of young poults to diets containing 0.7, 1.2, 1.7 and 2.7 per cent sodium chloride was studied.  Water intake, feed intake and wieght gain were not significantly influenced by treatment.  Only the highest level caused a significant increase in mortality.  Ascites was not a consistent finding even on high levels of salt.  A straight line best described the response but confidence limits were large and this was also true for heart, kidney and lung lesions.  Lesions showing myocardial distension with pericardial adhesions, severe congestion of the lungs and enlarged pale kidneys seemed more indicative of salt intoxication than classic ascites.  Microscopically heterophilic (eosinophilic) lung and meningeal infiltrates accompanied by myocardial degeneration and adhesions were suggestive, but not specific, of salt intoxication.


Characteristics of the absorptive surface of the small intestine of the chicken from 1 day to 14 weeks of age. The epithelial surface of the intertine of chicks 1 day to 14 weeks of age was examined with both scanning and transmission electron microscopes.  Most of the intestinal villi were seen to be plate-like structures.  During the first week post-hatch, goblet cell orifices were easily seen.  Goblet cell pores were not readily apparent in the older birds.  During this stage of early development discontinuity was seen among some epithelial cells.  The villi of birds one week or older showed a more convoluted mucosal surface than the younger birds.  Areas of cell extrusion were observed at the tips of some villi.  The three dimensional cylindrical structure of the microvilli was shown with the scanning electron microscope.


Imidazole in organs of inbred chickens selected for resistance or susceptibility to lymphoid leukosis or Marek's disease. Total and soluble imidazole was determined on samples of liver and kidney and soluble imidazole was determined on blood from eight strains of chickens selected at three locations for resistance or susceptibility to lymphoid leukosis and/or Marek's disease.  Liver and kidney total and soluble imidazole was not different between strains classed as resistant or susceptible to lymphoid leukosis and/or Marek's disease.  The weighted average of soluble blood imidazole was higher (P smaller than 0.01) in strains classed as resistant to lymphoid leukosis.  A similar difference (P smaller than 0.01) was observed with strains classed as resistant or susceptible to Marek's disease when the selections from one location were not included in the weighted average.


Pleiotrophic effects of the sex-linked delayed feathering gene, K-n, in the chicken. In several series of comparative measurement studies the effect that the sex-linked delay feathering (K-n) gene had on comb and uropygial gland development was measured in chickens from two to 60 weeks of age.  The gene's effect on heart, adrenal gland and reproductive organ weights were also determined.  The comb and uropygial gland size differences were very dramatic throughout the whole age range.  Combs of mutant birds were greatly reduced in size while the uropygial glands were greatly hypertrophied.  Heart and adrenal gland weights were also significantly increased in the mutant birds.  Gonad weights however showed no difference.  Responsiveness of mutant chick's combs to injections of testosterone propionate was also tested and shown to have a response similar to that of non-mutant chicks.


Fertility from natural matings influenced by social and physical environments in multiple-bird cages. Various social and physical environments were tested for effects on fertility using three White Leghorn strains in multiple-bird cages.  Familiarizing breeder males with the cage environment before introducing females had no appreciable effect.  Area per bird (560 vs. 1130 cm.-2) and cage height (40 vs. 80 cm.) were not detected as significant variables.  Firmer wire flooring and previous mating experience of males appeared to confer advantages in establishing fertility.


Reproductive performance of three strains of chickens in colony-cage and floor-pen environments. Genetic strains, ages, and housing environments were studied for their effects of egg production, gains in weight and fertility over an eight-week interval.  Rate of egg production in small floor pens was clearly superior to that in high-density, commercial type colony cages.  Fertility was influenced by all major variables and by interactions among some of them.  One genetic stock was clearly superior to two others.  Differences between strains were more clearly evident in the rigorous colony-cage environment than in floor pens.  Fertility in colony cages was lower than in floor pens over the eight-week test, but the difference decreased with time.  Young males had higher fertility than older ones.


Activity of eight enzymes of chicken seminal plasma in the eluent from agarose gel chromatography. Chromatography of seminal plasma from fresh, untreated chicken semen on Bio-Rad A1.5m agarose gel yielded five major peaks of ultraviolet absorbancy at 280 nm.  Two peaks with 280/260 absorbancy ratios less than unity suggested the presence of free nucleotides.  Enzyme assays on the eluent fractions resulted in substantial single peaks of lactic dehydrogenase, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, phosphohexose isomerase, acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase activity.  Acetylcholinesterase and aminopeptidase assays produced multiple peaks of activity.  No trypsin-like enzyme activity was detected, suggesting the presence of a seminal plasma trypsin-like enzyme inhibitor.  Molecular weight estimates were obtained for all enzyme activity peaks.