Experimental evaluation of atrial function in right atrium--pulmonary artery conduit operation for tricuspid atresia

Right ventricular bypass operations were performed in dogs by right atrium--pulmonary artery (RA-PA) conduits with closure of the tricuspid valve. Atrial fibrillation (AF) was induced in prebypass (control) and postbypass (postconduit) studies. Six dogs tolerated the procedure and had postoperative sinus rhythm (SR). In the postconduit studies, AF resulted in significant decline in both mean arterial pressure (73 +/- 2 to 65 +/- 2 mm Hg [mean +/- SEM], p less than 0.05) and pulmonary blood flow (1,050 +/- 160 to 880 +/- 110 ml/min, p less than 0.05). However, there were no significant differences between the magnitude of these changes and those during control studies. Mean right atrial pressure was markedly elevated (17.3 +/- 1.3 mm Hg) during SR after the conduit operations, but it did not increase significantly with AF. In volume load studies, pulmonary blood flow increased in proportion to rises between 15 and 30 mm Hg in mean right atrial pressure. The results suggest that right atrial contraction is not critical to the maintenance of pulmonary blood flow following RA-PA conduit operations.

[Effects on the mouse epididymis of juvenile ligation of the ductuli efferentes or proximal epididymal duct: qualitative and quantitative histological studies (author's transl)]

The ductuli efferentes or the epididymal duct between the head and body were ligated in young mice aged 20-30 days, and effects of the ligation on the epididymis were histologically examined by means of qualitative and quantitative procedures at the age of 50-60 days. As reported previously (Takano, 1980), the epididymal duct of the mouse can be divided into five regions (regions I-V). On the morphometric basis, the five regions can be divided into two major portions, proximal and distal. The proximal portion consists of regions I, II and III which form the head of the epididymis. The distal portion is composed of regions IV and V which form the body and tail of the organ. The results of the qualitative and quantitative analysis in the previous study suggested that the proximal portion is functionally related with maturation of sperms and the distal portion is concerned with storage of sperms. Juvenile ligation of the ductuli efferentes or the epididymal duct between the proximal and distal portions caused the following changes in the epididymal duct. 1. Region I, "initial segment", was normally characterized by the lining of high columnar epithelial cells. Juvenile ligation of the ductuli efferentes impaired differentiation of region I, but not that of the remaining regions. Epididymal duct ligation between regions III and IV, on the other hand, exerted no influence on differentiation of the entire duct. Thus differentiation of region I is dependent upon the luminal contents transferred from the testis. 2. The luminal contents were stored in abundance in the distal portion after ligation of the ductuli efferentes, as were in the case of the normal control. On the other hand, the luminal contents were abundant in th proximal portion and scanty in the distal portion after epididymal duct ligation between the proximal and distal portions. These results suggest that the luminal contents may be produced in the proximal portion even after ligation of the ductuli efferentes, transported into the distal portion and stored there. 3. In region IV, the epithelium showed marked histological changes after ligation of the ductuli efferentes or the epididymal duct between regions III and IV. After ligation of the ductuli efferentes, PAS-positive granules and masses frequently appeared in the epithelial cells. After epididymal duct ligation between regions III and IV, clear vacuolated cells and large vacuole-like spaces frequently appeared within the epithelium. Thus it is likely that the epithelial cells of region IV are functionally related to the luminal contents stored.

Massive intestinal bleeding in hemangiomatosis of the duodenum

A 33-year-old male was admitted to Takano Hospital with fainting spell and diaphoresis due to massive terry stool. He had been working and in good health until 2 days before admission. Urgent duodenal endoscopy disclosed hemorrhage from an angiomatous lesion of the duodenum. A duodenal resection with duodenojejunostomy was performed. Pathologic examination revealed a cavernous hemangiomatosis of the duodenum. The patient had a good postoperative course. Hemangioma of the intestinal tract is rare. To our knowledge, the present case is the first case in which urgent endoscopy has succeeded in establishing the preoperative diagnosis of this lesion and ascertaining the bleeding point.

[Sexually transmissible diseases in the municipality of Londrina, Paraná, Brazil. III. Prevalence of gonorrhea in 1976-1977]

Estudou-se o problema das doenças sexualmente transmissíveis a nível local, a partir de informações colhidas em 4 grandes laboratórios da cidade. Estimou-se que a prevalência de gonorréia, para um ano compreendido entre 1976 e 1977, foi de 1993,0 casos por 100.000 habitantes, valores esses dezenas de vezes maior àqueles apresentados pelas estatísticas oficiais. Analisando os serviços existentes, concluiu-se que no município não existem condições atuais para um adequado controle da doença.

Types of myosin light chains present during the development of fast skeletal muscle in chick embryo

The types of myosin light chains in developing fast skeletal muscle of chick embryo were characterized in terms of their mobilities on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and their reactions with antisera against adult fast, slow, or cardiac myosin light chains. Breast and leg muscles of adult chicken mainly contain fast-type myosin, while at early developmental stages, these muscles contain four classes of light chain as judged by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoelectrophoresis; two of these light chains are of the slow and/or cardiac type and the other two are of the fast type. At late developmental stages, fast-type light chains are present in large amounts and slow and/or cardiac light chains exist only in small amounts. It is suggested that the qualitative changes in light chains during embryonic development are coordinated with those in heavy chains reported by Masaki and Yoshizaki (5).

Immunochemical comparison of myosin light chains from chicken fast white, slow red, and cardiac muscle

Antibodies were formed against the myosin light chains isolated from chicken fast skeletal, slow skeletal, and cardiac muscle and the antigenicities of the light chains were compared by double immunodiffusion and immunoelectrophoresis. It was shown that fast light chains are immunologically different from light chains of slow and cardiac myosin, while the slow and cardiac muscle light chains have similar immunological characteristics; that is, the light chains of apparent molecular weight about 27,000 daltons in SDS-acrylamide gel electrophoresis of slow and cardiac muscle are immunologically indistinguishable, and the other light chains of apparent molecular weight about 19,000 daltons of both muscles include a common antigenic site.