Fragmentation of biliary calculi by means of extracorporeally generated piezoelectric shock waves

A new extracorporeal piezoelectric lithotripter was tested for its gallstone disintegration capability. A total of 177 surgically removed gallbladder stones were submitted to piezoelectric shock-wave treatment. Prior to shock-wave application, the diameter, weight, and volume of all the stones and CT density and MR signal intensity of selected stones were determined. After shock-wave application, the chemical composition of the stones was investigated by x-ray diffractometry and/or infrared spectrometry. All the stones (maximum diameter 6-30 mm) were successfully fragmented; calculi with a maximum diameter of 17 mm, a maximum weight of 1800 mg, and a maximum volume of 2 cc were regularly disintegrated into fragments less than or equal to 4 mm. The number of shock waves required correlated most closely with volume (r = 0.82, P less than 0.001), weight (r = 0.81, P less than 0.001) and, to a somewhat lesser degree, diameter (r = 0.62, P less than 0.001). No correlation was found between the chemical composition, CT density, or MR intensity of the calculi and the number of pulses needed for fragmentation.

Tissue reactions under piezoelectric shockwave application for the fragmentation of biliary calculi

The tissue reactions that occurred during piezoelectric shockwaves for the fragmentation of biliary calculi were investigated in 10 surgically removed stone containing human gall bladders and in acute (six dogs) and chronic (six dogs) animal experiments. Before and after shockwave (500, 1500 or 3000) in the anaesthetised dogs, computed tomography (CT), magnetic imaging (MRI) and laboratory tests were done; treatment was carried out under continuous ultrasonographic control. Shockwave applications to the human gall bladders resulted in disintegration of the stones with no macroscopically or microscopically detectable tissue changes. In acute animal experiments, small haematomas were observed in all six animals at surfaces, but also inside the liver and gall bladder (max diameter 25 mm). Perforation or intra-abdominal or pleural bleeding did not occur. In chronic experiments, no macroscopic, and only slight microscopic residual lesions (haemosiderin deposits) were seen three weeks after shockwave. In almost all instances, the lesions were detected by CT, MRI, and ultrasonography, while laboratory tests were negative.

Functional morphology of the ommatidia in the compound eye of the moth, Antheraea polyphemus (Insecta, Saturniidae)

The fine structure of the superposition eye of the Saturniid moth Antheraea polyphemus Cramer was investigated by electron microscopy. Each of the approximately 10,000 ommatidia consists of the same structural components, but regarding the arrangement of the ommatidia and the rhabdom structure therein, two regions of the eye have to be distinguished. In a small dorsal rim area, the ommatidia are characterized by rectangularly shaped rhabdoms containing parallel microvilli arranged in groups that are oriented perpendicular to each other. In all other ommatidia, the proximal parts of the rhabdoms show radially arranged microvilli, whereas the distal parts may reveal different patterns, frequently with microvilli in two directions or sometimes even in one direction. Moreover, the microvilli of all distal cells are arranged in parallel to meridians of the eyes. By virtue of these structural features the eyes should enable this moth not only discrimination of the plane of polarized light but also skylight-orientation via the polarization pattern, depending on moon position. The receptor cells exhibit only small alterations during daylight within the natural diurnal cycle. However, under illumination with different monochromatic lights of physiological intensity, receptor cells can be unbalanced: Changes in ultrastructure of the rhabdomeres and the cytoplasm of such cells are evident. The effects are different in the daytime and at night. These findings are discussed in relation to the breakdown and regeneration of microvilli and the influence of the diurnal cycle. They are compared with results on photoreceptor membrane turnover in eyes of other arthropod species.

[The history of pharmaceutical science. 15. Development of pharmacy at the University of Greifswald between 1903 and 1968]

The paper is the first part of an extensive investigation about the development of pharmaceutical science at a university. The major purpose of this research is to show separately aspects of scientific organisation, the personel structure, the material-technical premise, teaching and research. Studies of the development of scientific organisation structures have carried out about several centuries, from the first teaching in the medical faculty in 1559, from the establishment of the section of pharmaceutical chemistry in the chemical institute in 1903, the foundation of the Institute of pharmaceutical chemistry in 1946 up to the "Department of Pharmacy Greifswald" in 1968.

Structural reactions to polarized light of microvilli in photoreceptor cells of the moth Spodoptera

Intact armyworm moths (Spodoptera exempta, Fam. Noctuidae) were illuminated by polarized monochromatic light to induce structural changes in the rhabdomeres of the compound eyes. The degree of distortion of their microvilli depends on the light energy absorbed per time unit. Under polarized light, the number of quanta absorbed varies with the position of the plane of polarization relative to the axis of the microvilli (intrinsic dichroism). Therefore, in Spodoptera, different degrees of deformations could be demonstrated in differently oriented rhabdomeres of both types of ommatidia. Moreover, in rhabdoms of the lobed type with fan-like arranged microvilli, different reactions were regularly seen in differently oriented microvilli of one rhabdomere. This indicates that microvilli may react to light individually.