Successful modified Senning operation for the repair of Taussig-Bing malformation

Surgical correction was carried out successfully in a severely cyanotic 3-year-old boy with Taussig-Bing malformation. The cardiac anomaly was associated with semilunar valves side by side, and at the same height, a bilateral conus without pulmonary-mitral continuity and subpulmonary ventricular septal defect, on which pulmonary valve overode. The surgical correction consisted of the closure of the VSD by a right atrial approach and modified Senning procedure under profound hypothermic cardiac arrest with surface cooling and limited cardiopulmonary bypass. The patient survived operation and was doing well 10 months after surgery. To our knowledge, no other identical case with Taussig-Bing malformation has been corrected successfully by this procedure nor has previously been reported.

The effect of hypofunction on the mechanical properties of the periodontium in the rat mandibular first molar

The right maxillary molars of male rats were removed under ether anaesthesia to eliminate occlusal contact with the mandibular molars. Groups of rats were killed at 1, 2, 4, 8 and 16 days after the experimental procedure. The dissected mandibles were radiographed and length of erupted portion of the tooth, height of alveolar crest and length of tooth were measured. The tensile strength of the periodontal ligament was measured by extracting the first molar from its socket. A marked and progressive decrease of the load required to extract the tooth was found in the first few days after the removal of the opposing teeth. No significant difference in extracting loads was found between the 8- and 16-day groups. Radiography showed that the teeth had erupted, that the height of alveolar crest had decreased and that the length of the root had increased during the experimental period. These changes were detectable only on the 8th or 16th day following the experimental procedure. It is suggested that the reduction in the mechanical strength of the hypofunctional rat molar periodontal ligament is closely associated with the progressive atrophy of the periodontal ligament and that normal functional activity of the teeth is important not only for maintenance of the structural integrity of the periodontal ligament but also to maintain the mechanical strength of the supporting tissues.

Effect of experimental tooth movement on the mechanical strength of the periodontium in the rat mandibular first molar

A 474 microns thick latex elastic band was inserted between the mandibular first and second molars to cause tooth movement. The mechanical strength of the periodontium was measured by extracting the first molar from the socket in the dissected jaw. From the 1st to the 4th day, the ultimate extraction loads decreased markedly, while the inter-dental spaces remained about 300 microns. About 5 min after the elastic insertion, the ultimate load was not significantly changed and the inter-dental space was 61 microns. Restoration of the mechanical strength of the periodontium occurred gradually after the removal of the band. On the 4th day, recovery was complete. Restoration of the original inter-dental space was most marked in the initial 24 h. The forces exerted on the teeth by the bands were of the order of several tens of newtons initially and became reduced to a few newtons after the tooth movements. It is suggested that decreases in the ultimate extraction loads were caused by changes in constitution of the periodontal collagen, by the disorganization of the periodontium and by the loosening of the attachment of the periodontal fibres to the bone.

Effects of storage of jaws in saline and of velocity of loading on the force required to extract the rat mandibular first molar

Storage of jaws in cold saline for up to 32 h did not cause significant changes in the ultimate loads required to extract the rat mandibular first molar. The mean ultimate loads were 33.05, 34.91 and 36.38 newtons at the extension rates 1, 5 and 25 mm/min respectively, though the differences were not significant between groups. The force required to extract the tooth would be fairly constant even after the storage of the dissected jaws in cold saline for longer periods of time. Changes in the force required were not detectable within the range of the velocities of loading employed.

Characterization of structural properties for morphological differentiation of melanosomes: II. Electron microscopic and SDS-PAGE comparison of melanosomal matrix proteins in B16 and Harding Passey melanomas

This study compared the qualitative and quantitative differences of the melanosomal matrix proteins between the ellipsoidal-lamellar melanosomes of B16 melanoma and the spherical-granular melanosomes of Harding Passey (HP) melanoma by electron microscopy and SDS (sodium dodecyl sulfate)-PAGE (polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis). The purity of the melanosomes at each step of the sample preparations was assayed by % distribution of cytoplasmic marker enzymes and proteins. Characterization of the melanosomal matrix was carried out in material purified by the 2 steps of sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation and membrane dissociation with BRIJ-35. Eighty-three percent of the matrix proteins were solubilized from both B16 and HP by guanidine HCl (GH), which also caused marked ultrastructural changes in different ways. The inner matrix of HP completely disintegrated into fine grains whereas the matrix of B16 showed a great loss in electron density and was degraded, though its basic framework remained unchanged. Under SDS-PAGE, the melanosomal matrix was dissociated into 14 polypeptide bands with respect to size and charge density, 10 of which (63-85% of total proteins solubilized by GH) were common to both B16 and HP. A significant quantitative difference was noted in the relative amounts of these common proteins. The remaining 4 were unique in molecular weight to each form of melanosome though their relative amounts were low. It is suggested that these chemical differences, i.e., quantitative and qualitative, of the matrix proteins are responsible for the ultrastructural differentiation of melanosomes.

Characterization of structural properties for morphological differentiation of melanosomes: I. Purification of tyrosinase by tyrosine affinity chromatography and its characterization in B16 and Harding Passey melanomas

To characterize how structural properties are related to the morphological differentiation of melanosomes, two forms of melanosomes, commonly seen in mammals, were isolated from B16 and Harding Passey (HP) mouse melanomas. From these morphologically different melanosomes, tyrosinase was solubilized by BRIJ-35 and purified by affinity chromatographies substituted with tyrosinase substrates. We found that tyrosine ethyl ester (TEE) and dopa are effective and specific in retaining tyrosinase as an affinity media and that enzyme retrieval with approximately 100% recovery is possible by a substrate, TEE, or a competitive inhibitor, N-acetyl L-tyrosine. The purified tyrosinase of B16 and HP melanosomes possessed a common antigenic site and revealed little difference in size and the Mikaelis constant for dopa utilization. It is likely that tyrosinase is involved in melanosome morphogenesis only through melanization, and that it is not directly related to the architecture, i.e., lamellar and granular patterns, of the inner matrix.

Human colonic intraepithelial and lamina proprial lymphocytes: cytotoxicity in vitro and the potential effects of the isolation method on their functional properties

Colonic mucosal lymphoid cells, selectively enriched for intraepithelial (IEL) or lamina proprial lymphocytes (LPL), were isolated by sequential EDTA-collagenase treatment of resected human colons. Cytotoxic activities of colonic and peripheral blood lymphoid cells (PBL) were tested in three different assays, using chicken erythrocytes (CRBC) and Chang cells as targets. Antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) and PHA-induced cytotoxicity (MICC) for both targets were shown by all the isolates of PBL, as was spontaneous cell-mediated cytotoxicity (SCMC) for Chang cells. However, no SCMC or ADCC for Chang cells was found with LPL, and IEL showed minimal or no activity in either assay. PBL, LPL and IEL demonstrated MICC for Chang cells but, contrasting with PBL and LPL, IEL showed no MCC for CRBC. No significant differences were found between the cytotoxic capabilities of colonic lymphoid cells from patients with inflammatory bowel disease and those from patients with other colonic diseases. Importantly, control studies with PBL showed that SCMC for Chang cells and ADCC for CRBC and Chang cells were reduced by collagenase treatment used in the isolation, of LPL. Also, SCMC for Chang cells was reduced by the treatment of PBL with EDTA. In contrast, neither EDTA nor collagenase reduced MICC for CRBC or Chang cells. Both forms of treatment induced variable degrees of cell losses in the PBL. By analogy, it can be implied that the isolation of intestinal mononuclear cells using EDTA and collagenase may influence some of their cytotoxic activities in vitro. This raises an important caveat in the interpretation of such studies.

Further observations of the digital plethysmography in response to auditory stimuli and its clinical applications

Further observations of the digital plethysmography with auditory stimuli and its clinical applications were performed in patients with vibration disease and heart diseases. The responsive pattern to the auditory stimuli in the digital plethysmogram could be faithfully reproducible if it elapses more than 5 minutes apart between the first stimulus and the second one. The responsive patterns were divided into four types: normal (N), hyperreactive (I and D) types and hyporeactive (P) type. The values of urinary catecholamine increased in parallel to the activity level of the autonomic nerve. The hyperreactive type (D) had the highest value of urinary catecholamine, and vice versa. With regard to the age, the elderly was prone to show hyporeactive (P) type, and the young tended to be hyperreactive (D) type. Psychologic factors were examined by Cornell medical index. Neurosis was not necessarily related to the hyperreactive type. In clinical applications, it was observed by this method that the autonomic imbalance in patients with vibration disease, angina pectoris, or hypertension was recovered by the treatment, and the abnormal types of the response recovered to N type. In conclusion, the digital plethysmography with auditory stimuli as one of the autonomic nerve function tests would be much useful and non-invasive method for observation of clinical course and decision of the severity.

High performance liquid chromatographic method for simultaneous determination of residual benomyl and methyl 2-benzimidazole carbamate on apple foliage without cleanup

A simple HPLC method has been developed to individually determine residues of benomyl and MBC on apple leaves without cleanup. Sample leaves in a Mason jar are freeze-dried and tumbled for extraction in CHCl3 containing 5000 microgram n-propyl isocyanate/mL at 1 degree C. n-Butyl isocyanate is added to the extract of 5000 microgram/mL, and 20 microL of the mixture is injected into the HPLC system. A brownlee LiChrosorb silica gel column with a guard column is operated with a mixed mobile phase of chloroform--hexane (4 + 1) saturated with water. MBC, present as a degradation compound of benomyl, is identified as methyl 1 - (n - propylcarbamoyl) - 2 - benzimidazole carbamate (MBC-n-PIC derivative). At 280 nm, both benomyl and MBC-n-PIC can be detected with a UV detector at a level of 0.2 ppm in apple leaves.

Effect of tin on porphyrin biosynthesis

Certain disturbances in porphyrin biosynthesis were examined in rabbits administered with either tin or lead. Stannous chloride treatment increased the concentrations of coproporphyrin in blood and urine, as did lead acetate treatment. No effect of tin on 5-aminolevulinic acid concentration was observed in blood and urine, whereas lead treatment increased it markedly in both. Tin profoundly inhibited the activity of 5-aminolevulinate dehydratase in blood, but did not alter it in liver although tin content in liver was considerably higher than that in blood. In contrast to a prolonged inhibition of erythrocyte 5-aminolevulinate dehydratase by lead, tin inhibition of erythrocyte 5-aminolevulinate dehydratase activity was rapidly reversed after the cessation of the metal treatment.

Isolation and characterization of colonic intraepithelial and lamina proprial lymphocytes

A technique is described, involving sequential treatment of the human colonic mucosa with EDTA in calcium-magnesium-free medium, and with collagenase, to isolate lymphoid cells enriched for intraepithelial (IEL) or lamina proprial lymphocytes (LPL). The IEL and LPL isolates also contained small numbers of eosinophils, mast cells, neutrophils, and macrophages. Plasma cells were present in the LPL but not in the IEL. The IEL isolates contained approximately equal proportions of T, B, and null cells. In contrast, the LPL suspensions contained 52% of T cells, 22% of B cells, and 26% of null cells. The most prevalent membrane immunoglobulin in the two colonic lymphoid cell suspensions was IgA (IEL--53%; LPL--71%). In colonic tissue sections, the percentages of immunoglobulin-containing cells as well as the proportions of cells containing IgA, both in the epithelial layer and the lamina propria, were similar to those found in the suspensions of lymphocytes stained for membrane immunoglobulin. These and other morphologic and characterization data support the contention that the two colonic lymphoid cell populations, obtained by the isolation procedures, were selectively enriched for intraepithelial or lamina proprial lymphocytes, respectively. Thus, this technique provides an important tool for further studies of the functional properties of the gut-associated lymphoid tissues.