Cortisol release, distribution and metabolism in induced oestrogenic deficiency

The biological half-life of exogenous [4-14C] cortisol in guinea pigs is approximately 105 min. After ovariectomy there is a tendency to a prolonged half-life (delayed metabolism) of cortisol. The plasma cortisol in guinea pigs is 314 ± 79 ng/ml with an ultrafiltrable fraction of 38 ± 15 ng/ml. Skin cortisol is 44 ± 12 ng/g tissue. After ovariectomy the plasma cortisol is decreased (195 ± 36 ng/ml) and there is a higher relative diffusible fraction, while the skin cortisol is decreased (23 ± 4 ng/g). During stress release there may be a parallel release of a cortisolbinding non-ultrafiltrable component or an elimination of a protein bound not fluorescent or separated steroid. The tissue cortisol is higher than would be expected from the values of diffusible cortisol in plasma. The low concentration of ultrafiltrable cortisol may explain the reduced rate of cortisol metabolism.

Studies on the glycolipids and phospholipids of immature soybeans

The lipid of immature soybeans was extracted with chloroform‐methanol and fractions containing the glycolipids and phospholipids were separated by column chromatography. Phosphatidyl choline (PC), phosphatidyl ethanolamine (PE), phosphatidyl inositol (PI), phosphatidic acid (PA) phosphatidyl glycerol (PG), n‐acyl phosphatidyl ethanolamine (APE) and sulfolipid (SL) were identified by thin layer chromatography (TLC). Sterol glucoside (SG), esterified sterol glucoside (ESG), digalactosyl diglyceride (DGDG) and cerebrosides (CE) were isolated by TLC and identified by color reactions, chemical degradation and spectral analysis.

Serum immunoglobulin levels in thymus-deficient pituitary dwarf mice

Hypopituitary dwarf Snell—Bagg mice have previously been shown to have a reduced capacity to produce antibody to sheep red cells and to reject foreign skin grafts. Their thymuses, spleens and lymph nodes are hypoplastic. However, quantitative estimation of their serum immunoglobulin levels reveals no significant difference from the values seen in normal litter-mates. Immunoelectrophoretic analysis shows no overall differences in immunoglobulin pattern between normal and dwarf mouse serum except a possible alteration in distribution of the IgG subtypes.

Kaposi's sarcoma in mainland Tanzania: a report of 117 cases

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Cardiac achalasia in childhood

Cardiac achalasia is a disorder not unknown in the paediatric age-group and may occur even in the neonatal period. This disorder should, therefore, be considered in all cases presenting with persistent vomiting, as well as in those with chronic respiratory disease in whom more common causes have been excluded.

It is almost universally accepted that the disorder results from a disturbed function of ganglion cells in the distal oesophagus, as the disease has been reproduced in laboratory animals by denervation of the distal oesophagus. The exact pathogenesis of this degenerative change is not well understood. However, in at least some of the cases congenital absence of the ganglion cells may be responsible for this functional disturbance. This is inferred from the fact that the disease may be found in association with Hirschsprung disease, in which there is a congenital absence of ganglion cells in the terminal colon. Moreover, the occurrence of the disease in the neonatal period itself favours a congenital lesion.

Surgery was preferred to other forms of treatment in the paediatric age-group in view of the reported equivocal response to mechanical dilatation and pre-disposition of children to respiratory complications. The results of surgery were satisfactory.