[Effect of various vagal functional conditions on the blood flow of abdominal organs]

In 21 mongrel dogs blood flow was measured in different gastrointestinal organs under fasting conditions, vagal stimulation with 2-desoxy-D-glucose and vagotomy. The examinations were performed in anaesthesia with the microsphere method. Basal blood flow was found in corpus, fundus and antrum below 0,5 ml/g X min, whereas in the region of the small curvature values of 0,7 ml/g X min were observed. Vagotomy decreases flowrates especially in the mucosa of the stomach except in the region of the antrum. There a significant increase was measured. The stimulated bloodflow shows a similar effect by a vagotomy, but on an elevated lovel. Observations over the time of 3 weeks revealed that bloodflow changes due to vagotomy are not long lasting over that time. Only a decrease can be observed in the region of the antrum. Also in the other abdominal organs bloodflow changes due to vagotomy are terminated to a short time interval. Except the bloodflow changes in the gallbladder lasts longer than 4 weeks. From this investigation the conclusion can be drawn that vagotomy does not cause long lasting and radical bloodflow changes in the abdomen.

Antibodies against synthetic peptides as a tool for functional analysis of the transforming protein pp60src

To study the function of pp60src, the transforming protein encoded for by Rous sarcoma virus, we have raised antibodies against synthetic oligopeptides corresponding to the primary structure of pp60src. All eight investigated peptides were immunogenic in rabbits, and four induced pp60src-specific antibodies. We screened tumor-bearing rabbit (TBR) sera for antibodies against the peptides; this revealed that five out of six of the peptides, chosen according to a high hydrophilicity plot, were related to epitopes of native pp60src, in contrast to two peptides of low hydrophilicity, which contained a cleavage site for protease. Antibodies against three of the peptides appeared to react with the kinase-active site of pp60src, as these antibodies were phosphorylated in their heavy chain upon immune precipitation. Antibodies against two of the peptides, in contrast to the others, did not precipitate pp60src when this molecule was complexed with two cellular proteins, pp50 and pp90. This observation allows speculation about the location of the pp60src site involved in the formation of this complex.

Effector mechanisms against Rous sarcomas in quail

The inhibitory effect on tumor growth of thymus-derived cells in the avian virus system has been demonstrated by several investigators. Here we report two kinds of experiments performed to test the role of various potential effector cells in the immune response against Rous sarcomas. In vivo experiments in Japanese quail using the antimacrophage agent silica implicate the macrophage as a further mechanism in the defense against Rous sarcoma virus-induced tumors. Induction of a nonspecific inflammation at the site of tumor development led to reduced tumor growth.

[Treatment of the polytraumatized patient in a hospital with basic care]

Severe traumatized patients with multiple injuries (polytrauma degree III according to Schweiberer [11]) can be treated also in a peripheral communal hospital, if some personal and technical suppositions are guaranteed. Preclinical treatment by an emergency doctor (surgeon or anaesthesist) on the accident place should as well be possible as the admission of the patient and diagnosis and treatment in all functional important fields by experienced personal for 24 hours daily. The therapeutic principle must be the stabilization of the patient after emergency operations making survival possible in a treatment schedule, planned by the surgeon and the anaesthesist in a cooperating team. Definitive treatment and rehabilitation can be performed in a special clinic or center, if necessary. The problems observed in a peripheral communal hospital in treatment of multiple injured patients are demonstrated in a series of 49 consecutive cases of polytrauma degree III.

[Effect of metoclopramide following selective proximal vagotomy with pyloroplasty]

In the early postoperative period after selective proximal vagotomy, there is often a delayed emptying of solid food. We examined the contraction of the antrum by intraluminal manometry in duodenal-ulcer-patients prior to (n = 20), 14 days after (n = 20) and 1--2 years after SPV with pyloroplasty. The motility was tested before and after i.v. injection of 20 mg metoclopramide. Preoperatively metoclopramide effected a significant rise of contraction in the antrum. 14 days after operation the motility was significantly reduced (85,7%--90,7%). Metoclopramide stimulated again the intraluminal pressure waves. Compared with the preoperative effect the metoclopramide induced motility also was reduced by 89,9% 1--2 years after operation the antral motility with or without metoclopramide injection had returned to preoperative values.

Monoclonal antibody against the carboxy terminal peptide of pp60src of Rous sarcoma virus reacts with native pp60src

A monoclonal mouse antibody has been prepared against a synthetic peptide corresponding to the six carboxy-terminal amino acids (C' peptide) of the src gene product pp60v -src of Rous sarcoma virus (RSV). The antibody was able to precipitate pp60v -src and to bind pp60v -src kinase activity in a competition test, indicating that this peptide can serve as an antibody-binding site (epitope). Furthermore, the finding that three out of 28 pp60src-specific tumor-bearing rabbit (TBR) sera contained antibody against the C' peptide argues for an in vivo role for the carboxy terminus of pp60src. C' peptide-specific IgG was purified from one TBR serum using affinity chromatography, and was shown to precipitate significant amounts of pp60src, and bind most of the pp60src kinase activity from SRA, PrA, and B77-C strains of avian sarcoma virus (ASV), but not endogenous pp60c -src, a cellular homologue to the viral pp60v -src. Similar results were obtained with IgG isolated from a C' peptide immune rabbit serum. None of the three C' peptide-specific IgGs could serve as a phosphate acceptor in an immune complex protein kinase reaction.

Correlations of inheritance and expression between a tumor gene and the cellular homolog of the Rous sarcoma virus-transforming gene in Xiphophorus

Neoplastic transformation of pigment cells in the teleostean fish Xiphophorus is mediated by a cellular oncogene (Tu). Normally. Tu is suppressed by multiple regulating genes (R). Depending on impairment and loss of R genes, Tu is permitted to express itself phenotypically. In the pigment cell system, different degrees of Tu expression lead to small spots of transformed cells or to benign or malignant melanoma. All neoplastic and nonneoplastic cells of all Xiphophorus genotypes tested thus far appear to contain the cellular homolog (c-src) of the avian sarcoma virus oncogene (v-src). The evidence for this stems from the detectability of a Mr 60,000 phosphoprotein with associated kinase activity (pp60c-src) that reacts with antiserum against viral pp60src. We followed the inheritance of Tu (identified by spots and melanomas) compared to the expression of c-src identified by the pp60c-src-associated protein kinase). By quantitative determination of kinase activity in immunoprecipitated pp60c-src from fish showing different degrees of Tu expression, we have investigated whether there exists a correlation between the expression of c-src and Tu. In genotypes with the same genetic background, cells from Tu-containing fish express more pp60c-src than do cells from fish lacking Tu. In genotypes carrying a Tu gene and which show differences in the amount of gene expression due to a different extent of repression by regulating genes, analysis of kinase activity revealed that an increase of Tu expression is correlated with an elevated level of pp60c-src-associated kinase activity. Our findings may indicate that c-src activity in Xiphophorus is modulated by the Tu gene product or that Tu and c-src are regulated coordinately.

[Carpal tunnel syndrome and gout (author's transl)]

Bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome was observed in a 39-year-old female with gout. Until now carpal tunnel syndrome caused by gout has not been observed in females. Due to marked clinical symptoms neurolysis on the right side had to be performed. The course of the left hand affection was observed while on conservative treatment with a xanthine oxidase inhibitor. As such therapy is possible and successful, it is mandatory to diagnose carpal tunnel syndrome early in gout. Histology showed the cause of carpal tunnel syndrome to be uric acid tendovaginitis.

Japanese quail embryo cell line persistently infected with erythroblastosis virus

A Japanese quail embryo cell line transformed by avian retrovirus, designated QERC-31F, was further characterized in virological and cytological aspects. Infectious virus produced by this cell line was found to belong to subgroup A. The virus failed to transform quail embryo cells, whereas it induced erythroblastosis by injection into neonatal quails. Injection of QERC-31F cells into neonatal quails resulted in the induction of solid tumors which morphologically diagnosed as undifferentiated sarcoma. Mitosis of pro-erythrocytic cells with also detected in the peripheral blood of the tumor bearing animals. Antiserum to chicken erythrocyte histone V fraction which was also shown to react specifically with the nucleus of quail erythrocytes stained the nucleus of QERC-31F cells. These results suggested that this cell line maintains characteristics of the erythroblast and possibly produces avian erythroblastosis virus as well as helper virus of subgroup A.

Half-life of the Rous sarcoma virus transforming protein pp60src and its associated kinase activity

The half-life of metabolically labeled pp60src of the Prague A strain of Rous sarcoma virus and of several transformation-defective, temperature-sensitive mutants was investigated by pulse-labeling infected cells with [35S]methionine, chasing for different times, and immunoprecipitating pp60src with tumor-bearing rabbit serum. These experiments showed that pp60src has a short half-life of approximately 60 min under normal physiological conditions and that the mutant pp60src proteins have similar half-lives to the wild type, irrespective of whether the cells are kept at the nonpermissive (42 degrees C) or permissive (35 degrees C) temperature. The half-life of the pp60src -associated kinase activity was determined by monitoring its decay by the immunoglobulin G heavy chain assay after the cells had been treated with several inhibitors of protein synthesis. In these experiments the kinase half-life was much longer than expected from the half-life of pp60src. The apparent contradiction between the half-lives of the kinase activity and the [35S]methionine-labeled pp60src protein could be resolved by the observation that treatment of cells with inhibitors of protein synthesis stabilized pp60src, resulting in a greatly extended half-life. Inhibitors of protein synthesis also extended the half-life of the gag precursor polypeptide, Pr76, suggesting that a host factor(s) may be required for the efficient intracellular processing of this polypeptide to the gag proteins.

[Cerebrospinal fluid passage of therapeutic immunoglobulins of the IgG class in infectious inflammatory disease of the CNS]

Immunoglobulins are often used as an optimizing therapy in cases of infectious diseases of the central nervous system. To clarify the question of whether or not an intravenously administered compound of the IgG class is able to penetrate the cerebrospinal fluid barrier despite its high molecular weight, 12 anti-HBs negative patients received 20 ml each of a beta-Propiolacton treated IgG compound with a high anti-HBs titre (1 : 115 000) used as a marker. Four patients having an inconspicuous fluid condition were consulted for control. Five patients were suffering from slight disturbances and three other patients had severe disorders of the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier function resulting from inflammatory diseases of the central nervous systems. Cerebrospinal fluid was produced by way of lumbar puncture resp. drainage for the determination of anti-HBs. Simultaneously, the concentration of antibodies in serum was determined. In all patients having barrier disturbances, anti-HBs was evident in the cerebrospinal fluid, the transfer of intravenously administered immunoglobulins to cerebrospinal fluid increasing in correlation with the degree of the barrier disorder. The therapeutical importance of immunoglobulin therapy in treating infections of the central nervous system is pointed out.

[Cell membrane characteristics and biological behavior of virus transformed cells (author's transl)]

The transformation of a normal into a tumor cell is not caused by a single molecular event, but is the consequence of several simultaneous or consecutive molecular processes, which lead to a variety of changes in the structure and the metabolism of the cell. Investigations with the Rous sarcoma virus show that a single gene is primarily responsible for these changes that is coding for a phosphoprotein which, however, is multifunctional. The biochemical and biologic events which initiate and maintain the transformed status of the cell involve mainly the cytoplasma membrane. At both the outer and the inner surface of the cell membrane dramatic changes occur which influence the cell structure, permeability of the cytoplasma membrane, and the intracellular metabolic pathways. Most probably, these transformation-associated events are also involved in cell proliferation under physiologic conditions. In the tumor cell, however, they are not further regulated physiologically, with the consequence of an uncontrolled and incessant cell division.

Pathologic fracture of odontoid process secondary to amyloid deposition

Immunocyte dyscrasias have increasingly been reported in patients with gammopathy-associated systemic amyloidosis. In "primary" amyloidosis, deposits occur in heart, smooth and skeletal muscle, bones and joints, skin, lungs and peripheral nerves. The formation of amyloid fibrils appears related to the lambda light chains in these monoclonal gammopathies. A 72-year-old white man is reported who developed massive deposits of amyloid in joints and bones, as well as other tissues. Twenty percent of his bone marrow population was comprised of plasma cells in various maturational stages, without forming solitary masses diagnostic of myeloma. Lambda light chains were the sole contributors to a selective increase in IgD, with a concomitant reduction of IgA, IgG, and IgM. The patient sustained a pathologic fracture through a deposit of amyloid in the odontoid. While he suffered severe posterior nuchal and occipital pain, no clinical features of compression myelopathy were evident. Postmortem examination revealed a minor degree of posterior column degeneration and an axonal reaction of anterior horn cells of the C-1 spinal cord segment. This case represents the second to be reported with amyloidosis of the vertebral column, pathologic fracture, and a spinal cord lesion.