The neurologist's use of rating scales, EEG, and tranquilizers in dealing with hysterical symptoms

This article is the result of an effort to help the neurologist deal with the hysterical patient on both a diagnostic and therapeutic level. The conclusion reached is that use of major tranquilizers may be needed to keep hysterical symptomatology under control while diagnostic investigation is proceeding and, if the diagnostic studies are negative, may be used to help ameliorate symptoms in patients unwilling to see a psychiatrist.

Fate of corticotrophins in an isolated adrenal-cell bioassay and decrease of peptide breakdown by cell purification

1. The fate of corticotrophins in a trypsin-dispersed rat adrenal-cell assay system was investigated with a view to establishing whether differences in the rate of inactivation might contribute to potency differences observed between analogues. 2. Corticotrophin-(1-24)-tetracosapeptide and to a lesser extent synthetic 1-39 corticotrophins were found to be inactivated during incubation with cell suspension. 3. Peptide fragments were isolated by using [[(3)H(2)]Tyr(23)]corticotrophin-(1-24)- tetracosapeptide as a marker. The fragments indicate a peptidase with a predominantly tryptic specificity. 4. The peptidase is present in the extracellular fluid and is released from cells when they are damaged. 5. Cells were fractionated on an albumin gradient. Cells from the zona fasciculata and the zona intermedia or reticularis were present in fractions which produced fluorogenic steroids in response to corticotrophin. 6. Purification of the cells by centrifugation through albumin decreased degradation by peptidases, so that if the assay is carried out with a dilute suspension of purified cells peptide breakdown should not affect the observed potencies of adrenocorticotrophin analogues. 7. No binding of [[(3)H(2)]Tyr(23)]corticotrophin-(1-24)- tetracosapeptide to cells could be detected at low concentrations of the peptide. This indicated that less than 120 receptors/cell are occupied during stimulation by a dose that would elicit approx. 80% of the maximal response.

Properties of a simplified bioassay for adrenocorticotrophic activity using the steroidogenic response of isolated adrenal cells

A reproducible method for isolating intact cells from the adrenal glands of a small number of rats (four to six) is described. The incubation conditions and fluorometric corticosteroid assay were modified to enable a large number of incubations to be carried out with each batch of cells. Linear regression analysis of log-dose—response curves for adrenocorticotrophin (ACTH) analogues yields potency ratios with 95% confidence limits which are usually less than ± 20%. The ED50 of the assay is about 50 pg/ml for natural ACTH and 7 pg/ml for corticotrophin-(1–24)-tetracosapeptide. Insulin and prostaglandin E2 had no effect on the steroidogenic response to ACTH while cyclic AMP at high doses was steroidogenic but gave a much steeper log-dose—response curve than ACTH. α- and β-melanocytestimulating hormone (MSH) were both agonists but only at concentrations 1 × 106 times higher than those of ACTH. Cells isolated from rabbit adrenals were similar to those from the rat in their responsiveness to ACTH but were unresponsive to amounts of MSH sufficient to stimulate rat adrenal cells.

Intracellular enzymes and protein synthesis in rabbit skin after thermal injury

1. The concentrations of several intracellular enzymes in rabbit skin have been measured 5 min, 2, 6 and 24 h after thermal injury.2. At 5 min and 2 h after a burn (60 degrees C for 1 min) there was a significant fall in the enzyme activities whereas at 6 h their activities were higher than control.3. It appears that the increase in enzyme concentrations in the lymph during the first few hours after thermal injury is associated with a fall in the enzyme concentrations in the tissues and therefore might be the result of leakage of enzyme from storage sites in the injured cells.4. The second increase in enzyme concentrations in the lymph which has been observed 6-18 h after thermal injury occurs at a time when there is also an increase in the enzyme concentrations in the tissue.5. It seems unlikely that these increased activities are due to new synthesis since there was no apparent correlation between tissue enzyme concentrations and protein synthetic activity, and the changes still occurred after administration of cycloheximide.6. There was a change in the LDH isoenzyme pattern after injury towards a predominance of LDH-1. This change did not occur immediately after the burn, but was present at 2 and 6 h, and returned to normal 24 h later.

Tolerancing the Components of an Assembly for Minimum Cost

Based on the contributions of the work of A. Gladman and of R. Cave´, a comprehensive study is made of the different possibilities of distributing the tolerances between the components of an assembly in order to achieve the minimum cost requirement, taking into account the process variability and the costs of the components. Sample tables and graphs of practical value are presented.