Giant multinucleated hepatocytes in an adult with chronic active hepatitis

A case of an adult with chronic active hepatitis associated with giant multinucleated liver cells is presented. The giant liver cells in this case are widespread and the picture resembles neonatal hepatitis. The morphology, pathogenesis, and epidemiology of giant hepatocytes found in human neonates and adults and in experimental animals is discussed. Because the proliferative phase of giant hepatic cells is transient, this reaction may be more common than generally believed.

Playgroups-their effects on the language and socialization of children

This paper attempts to evaluate the effects of pre-school playgroups on child development by reporting the views of first year infant school teachers.

Gastrointestinal side effects of clindamycin and ampicillin therapy

Hospitalized patients who received clindamycin or ampicillin were evaluated for gastrointestinal side effects for a period of up to six weeks after therapy was discontinued. Of 104 patients receiving clindamycin therapy, 31 (29.8%) developed diarrhea, and two (1.9%) developed pseudomembranous colitis (PMC). Of 138 patients receiving ampicillin, 24 (17.3%) developed diarrhea, and one (0.7%) developed PMC. Diarrhea persisting for three days or more was noted in 13 (12.5%) of the patients receiving clindamycin and in seven (5.1%) of those receiving ampicillin. The tendency to develop diarrhea was positively correlated with serious illness, abdominal or pelvic sepsis, and total dosage of clindamycin. Examination of stools from a patient with PMC that was associated with clindamycin therapy showed a decrease in the number of anaerobic bacteria from the numbers found in stool cultures of normal controls. Those patients who did not develop diarrhea also had fewer anaerobic bacteria and coliform organisms. Lymphocytes from the patient with PMC were hyporeactive to phytohemagglutinin and hyperreactive to clindamycin.

Observations on the diagnosis and treatment of schistosomiasis in an endemic area

This article attempts to evaluate the criteria used in the diagnosis of schistosomiasis in an endemic bilharzial area. The discussion deals with the possible value of criteria such as egg recovery, rectal biopsy specimens, eosinophilia, hepatomegaly, and serological and skin tests. A rational approach to the treatment of patients with schistosomiasis is proposed and features such as probability of re-infection are taken into account.

Metabolism and transport of galactose by rat intestine

Intestinal uptake and metabolism of galactose were examined in everted jejunal rings from fasted adult rats using 0.2-28 mM sugar. After 60-min incubations, the total uptake (free tissue plus amount metabolized) of galactose ranged from 1.75 mumol/g at 0.2 mM to 21 mumol/g at 28 mM. Free tissue galactose was 17% of the former and 73% of the latter amount while that oxidized to 14CO2 represented only 6-16% of amount taken up. Compared to glucose, similar amounts of galactose are taken up at 0.2-2.0 mM, however, gllcose rtween 0.2 and 2 mM similar amounts of both sugars are metabolized, although a greater portion of the glucose is oxidized to 14CO2. Above 2.0 mM, 2-3 times more glucose is metabolized than galactose. Both uptake and metabolism showed saturability and kinetic analysis revealed two limbed Linweaver-Burk plots, suggesting operation of a high affinity low Km and a low affinity high Km system for sugar transport. In a series of in vivo studies, to assess the role of the intestine in the total body metabolism of galactose, 14C-labeled galactose injected intraperitoneally at a dose of either 50 or 300 mg into fasted normal, sham operated and enterectomized rats, no observable difference in 14CO2 production resulted in between the groups. It would thus appear that although extensive metabolism of galactose may take place in intestinal tissue in vitro, the intestine does not play a significant role in galactose disposition in vivo.

Observations on the intestinal protozoa infecting man in Rhodesia

Humans in Rhodesia harbour a wide range of intestinal protozoa. Of the species included, Entamoeba histolytica, Entamoeba coli and Giardia lamblia have previously been recorded. Other species which are either rarely reported or which have previously never been reported from this country, include Trichomonas hominis, Chilomastix mesnili, Enteromonas hominis, Retortamonas intestinalis, Balantidum coli,Entamoeba hartmanni,Entamoeba histolytica Laredo. Endolimax nana, Dientamoeba fragilis and Isospora belli. The importance in Rhodesia of these species, and especially of E. histolytica, is discussed.

Pathologic changes in the liver and kidney produced by immunization with intestinal antigens

Rabbits were immunized with intestinal antigens derived from rabbits, guinea pigs, and germfree rats. Inflammatory changes throughout the portal tracts of the liver were found in 55% (16 of 29) of the immunized rabbits. Interstitial nephritis was present in 7 of 23 rabbits evaluated. These changes did not occur when nonintestinal antigens were used for immunization. Antigen shared by liver, kidney, duodenum, ileum, and colon were found in each of the species used for immunization. An immune response to the antigen shared by the various tissues may be a factor in the pathogenesis of disease in this experimental system. In man, chronic active hepatitis and interstitial nephritis are found in association with inflammatory bowel disease. A similar mechanism of pathogenesis may be a factor in these extraintestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease in man.

Studies on the diagnosis and treatment of human filariasis in Rhodesia

Experiences in Rhodesia with various recovery techniques available for the laboratory diagnosis of infections with Dipetalonema perstans and Wuchereria bancrofti are discussed. A diagnostic laboratory regimen for routine filarial investigations is suggested. Included are preliminary observations on the use of mebendazole (Vermox) for the treatment of D. perstans infections.

Unsuccessful trial of gene replacement in arginase deficiency

The Shope virus following cutaneous inoculation produces skin papillomas in rabbits and induces a virus-coded arginase in the squameous epithelium of these papillomas. The only discernible effect of the virus inoculated intravenously in rabbits and other animals was a decrease of the serum arginine concentration. Intravenous injection in 3 hyperargininemic patients, however, did not influence the underlying metabolic disease.

Developmental aspects of galactose-1-phosphate uridylytransferase in rat intestine

Kinetic and developmental characteristics of rat jejunal galactose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase have been examined. Km values for the substrates galactose-1-phosphate and uridine diphosphate (UDP) glucose were the same for both the newborn and adult rat enzymes, although the Vmax of the enzyme in newborns was about threefold higher than that of the adult rat. Equal enzyme activity was present in the villus, crypt cells and the muscularis of adult jejunum. The specific activity of the enzyme remained relatively uniform (V about 20 nmoles/min/mg protein) until 18 days of age when the velocity of the reaction began to decrease. The adult value at 42 days of age is about one fifth of that in the young. The pattern of change of specific activity was compared with that for galactokinase and UDP-galactose-4-epimerase, and the observations suggest separated regulatory factors for each enzyme. The total activity of the galactose-metabolizing enzymes in jejunum was also calculated. In the young, transferase has the highest activity, but in the adult, epimerase activity is highest. Jejunal galactokinase activity is low throughout the developmental period which suggests that phosphorylation of galactose may be the limiting step in intestinal metabolism of the sugar.

Some evidence for the existence of turgor pressure gradients in the sieve tubes of willow

Sieve tube sap was collected either from the severed stylets of Tuberolachnus salignus (Gmelin) or via incisions made into the phloem of small willow trees or potted cuttings. Measurements of the osmotic potential (O.P.) of sap samples showed a gradient to exist in the presumed direction of assimilate transport, ie from apex to base of the stem.In most experiments samples of phloem tissue were taken after the collection of sieve tube sap, the water potential of these pieces of tissue being measured in a psychometer. Although a water potential gradient existed in the opposite sense to the O.P. gradient in the sap (lowest water potential at the apex of the stem), the difference between O.P. and W.P. indicated the turgor of the sieve tubes to be higher at the apex than at the base of the stem. The magnitude of the turgor gradient measured in this way lay between 0.5 and 2.7 atm m(-1).In other experiments severed stylets only were used to determine whether a hydrostatic gradient can exist in willow sieve tubes. After measurement of flow rates from stylets sited at the apex and base of willow stems, the Poiseuille expression was used to calculate the pressure at the point of stylet puncture. These experiments gave values for the pressure gradient (in the presumed direction of assimilate flow) of between 1.9 and 4.7 atm m(-1).