Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and vitamin D-binding protein levels and mineral metabolism after partial and total gastrectomy

The effects of gastrectomy, especially total gastrectomy, on the serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and vitamin D-binding protein and on mineral metabolism were examined. The serum 25-hydroxy-vitamin D levels were markedly decreased in patients with total gastrectomy and Billroth II gastrectomy. Decreased levels of serum vitamin D-binding protein and serum calcium, and increased levels of serum alkaline phosphatase were observed in both patients with partial gastrectomy and patients with total gastrectomy. The results show that vitamin D deficiency could develop in high frequency patients with total gastrectomy and Billroth II gastrectomy, and that deranged mineral metabolism could develop in patients with any type of gastrectomy with or without vitamin D deficiency. The decreased levels of serum vitamin D-binding protein in postgastrectomy patients may be a sensitive reflection of the failure of hepatic protein synthesis.

Resistance of human bone marrow CFUC to high-dose methotrexate cytotoxicity

We have studied the susceptibility of human bone marrow cells to the high-dose methotrexate (MTX) cytotoxicity by the in vitro cultures of the granulocyte precursor cells (CFUC) in a medium containing various concentrations of MTX. Cultures of cells were exposed to 10(-9) to 10(-2) M MTX for 2, 6, 24 h and 10 days. About 50% of CFUC were killed by a 10-day exposure to 10(-7) M MTX or more. However, there was no loss of CFUC even at a drug concentration of 10(-3) M MTX if the exposure time was kept for 24 h or less. Within a 2 h exposure time, CFUC was resistant to MTX at the concentration of 10(-2) M. Such a strong resistance of bone marrow cells to MTX may warrant clinical usefulness of the high-dose and short-time MTX therapy with leucovorin rescue, which has widely been used in the treatment of various malignant diseases.

Induction of autogamy by treatment with trypsin in Paramecium caudatum

Firmly united conjugant pairs of P. caudatum were easily separated by treatment with trypsin, 0.025–1.0 mg/ml in 2 mM phosphate buffer at pH 7.2. Cytological observations showed that pairs separated by this means undergo normal meiosis and subsequent prezygotic divisions. Microspectrophotometric comparisons of G1 micronuclei in the parent with those in clones derived from prematurely separated conjugants indicate usually the same DNA content in both. The stock dm −13, heterozygous for mating type gene loci, showed the definite ratio of segregation to 2 mating types in clones derived from prematurely separated conjugants. Those results suggest that the prematurely separated cells usually undergo autogamy.

alpha-glucosidase activity in human leucocytes: choice of lymphocytes for the diagnosis of Pompe's disease and the carrier state

alpha-Glucosidase activity was assayed in polymorphonuclear cells and lymphocytes from human peripheral blood with 4-methylumbelliferyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside as substrate in the presence of sodium taurocholate. The pH vs. activity curve of the alpha-glucosidase indicated that differential estimation between acid and neutral alpha-glucosidases was difficult to perform with polymorphonuclear cells, but easily accessible with lymphocytes. The use of peripheral blood lymphocytes for the enzymatic diagnosis of Pompe's disease seemed to be more reliable than the use of whole leucocytes; this also the case with a classical Pompe's patient. The lymphocytes from the parents had normal or low normal activity of acid alpha-glucosidase in the freshly isolated state, but when cultured with phytohaemagglutinin for 72 h, the stimulated lymphocytes of both parents showed about half the enzyme activity of the cultured controls. It was deemed possible in all probability to identify the carrier state by assay of the enzyme activity in phytohaemagglutinin-stimulated lymphocytes.

Surgical treatment of annuloaortic estasia: experience in 7 consecutive patients

Seven patients with annuloaortic ectasia were treated according to the method described by Bentall and De Bono. A Björk-Shiley valve in a composite graft was the prosthesis of choice and was used in all patients except 1, who received a Starr-Edwards valve. Profound topical cooling without selective coronary perfusion was applied in 5 patients for myocardial preservation during aortic occlusion. The was 1 operative death and 1 late death, the latter from cerebral thromboembolism. Five survivors have been followed from 1 year 5 months to 2 years 10 months with an average follow-up of 2 years. Excellent results were obtained in all survivors, their physical capabilities putting them in Class I of the New York Heart Association Functional Classification. Postoperative aortograms showed no signs of kinking or compression of vascular prostheses nor abnormalities of prosthetic calves. A modified technique to secure graft fixation is discussed.

The maintenance of kappa during macronuclear reorganization in Paramecium tetraurelia

Kappa particles were injected into stock-51 sensitives (KK) of Paramecium tetraurelia to investigate the maintenance of kappa by gene K during macronuclear reorganization. Injection into exconjugants and autogamous cells followed by macronuclear regeneration, induced by microsurgical removal of macronuclear Anlagen, resulted in maintenance of kappa particles by a considerable proportion of the clones descended from the recipient paramecia. Injection into animals that underwent normal reorganization however usually failed to yield particle-maintaining paramecia.

Cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme activity and cytochrome P-450 content in adrenal mitochondria of a patient with congenital lipoid adrenal hyperplasia (Prader disease)

An autopsied case with congenital lipoid adrenal hyperplasia (Prader disease) was presented. The cholesterol side-chain cleavage (SCC) enzyme activity in adrenal mitochondria of this case was assayed with [3H]cholesterol as substrate, combined with purified bovine adrenodoxin and adrenodoxin reductase, by measuring the amount of [3H]pregnenolone formed. The cytochrome P-450 content was also measured by recording the difference absorption spectra of carbon monoxide-complexed P-450. The cholesterol SCC enzyme activity in adrenal mitochondria of Prader disease was 0.81 nmol pregnenolone/nmol P-450 per min, which was approximately 10% of that in normal tissue. The content of cytochrome P-450 was 0.074 nmol/mg protein, which was about half of that in controls. These results indicate that there is a cholesterol SCC enzyme deficiency in adrenal mitochondria in this disease.

Surgical treatment of large ventricular septal defect with pulmonary hypertension in the first 24 months of life

A total of 74 patients under 24 months of age with large ventricular septal defects (VSD) and pulmonary hypertension were subjected to surgical treatment from 1969 through 1975. Emergency pulmonary artery (PA) banding was performed in 13 patients during the first year of life with 1 death from postoperative respiratory failure. Primary closure of the VSD was performed in 61 patients using simple hypothermia and short-term coronary perfusion, with an operative mortality of 1.6%. There were no late deaths or neurological disturbances. Normal hemodynamic data were obtained in all 7 patients who underwent postoperative cardiac catheterization from one month to five years after the primary correction. It is concluded that primary closure of a VSD in infancy is reasonable and that PA banding is indicated only for those patients less than 6 months old with a complicated defect or in an emergency situation.

A study on the mate-killer toxin by microinjection in Paramecium

The killing action by mu toxin, which is contained in the cytoplasm of stock 540,Paramecium primaurelia, was demonstrated against the various stocks of paramecia by means of microinjection. Most of the toxin is present in the soluble fraction of the host cytoplasm. The toxin was precipitated by ammonium sulphate at 50–80% saturation, and was almost completely inactivated by incubation at 60 °C for 30 min. Pre-autogamous paramecia were more sensitive than post-autogamous ones to the toxin. Paramecia which bear endosymbionts were generally resistant to the mate-killer toxin.