Gastric lesser curve superficial seromyotomy: an experimental study in dogs

Lesser curve superficial myotomy has been investigated in the dog. The anatomical basis for the operation is discussed. The operation has the advantage of being easily performed and the risk of damage to the nerve of Latarjet or ischemic necrosis of the lesser curvature is obviated. Acid studies in the dogs confirmed that the operation was capable of producing secretory inhibition in keeping with vagotomy of the parietal cell area. The experiment needs further investigation in animals and in man, for assessment of the potential of the operation to replace other forms of vagotomy in patients with duodenal ulcer.

Asthma as a cause for, rather than a result of, gastroesophageal reflux

Five patients who had nocturnal asthma attacks associated with clinical symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux were studied to determine if antiasthma therapy could also benefit the reflux symptoms. The patients were treated in a randomized double blind fashion with either ephedrine or identical appearing placebo. During the treatment periods, the subjects maintained a daily record of asthma and reflux symptoms. Both asthma and reflux symptoms improved with active therapy. These results suggest that treatment of asthma may lessen the occurrence of gastroesophageal reflux.

Antiepileptic potential of cannabidiol analogs

In audiogenic seizure (AGS) susceptible rats, the acute (intraperitoneal and intravenous) dose-response effects of (--)-cannabidiol (CBD) for preventing AGS and for causing rototod neurotoxicity (ROT) were determined. Also, the anti-AGS and ROT effects of 10 CBD analogs, given in intravenous doses equivalent to the AGS-ED50 (15 mg/kg) and ROT-ID50 (31 mg/kg) of CBD, were ascertained. Compared to CBD, (--)-CBD diacetate and (--)-4-(2'-olivetyl)-alpha-pinene were equally effective whereas (--)-CBD monomethyl ether, (--)-CBD dimethyl ether, (--)-3'-acetyl-CBD monoacetate, (+)-4-(2'-olivetyl)-alpha-pinene, (--)-and (+)-4-(6'-olivetyl)-alpha-pinene, (+/-)-AF-11, and olivetol were less effective anticonvulsants. Except for (--)- and (+)-4-(2'-olivetyl)-alpha-pinene and olivetol, all analogs showed less ROT than CBD. Also, CBD and all analogs were not active in tetrahydrocannabinol seizure-susceptible rabbits, the latter a putative model of cannabinoid psychoactivity in humans. These data suggest anticonvulsant requirements of 2 free phenolic hydroxyl groups, exact positioning of the terpinoid moiety in the resorcinol system and correct stereochemistry. Moreover, findings of separation of anticonvulsant from neurotoxic and psychoactive activities, notably with CBD diacetate, suggest that additional structural modifications of CBD may yield novel antiepileptic drugs.

Floral organogenesis of Limnocharis flava

Besides a trimerous calyx and corolla, the mature flower exhibits a polyandric androecium and an apocarpous gynoecium consisting of a whorl of carpels. Yet the primary pattern of the flower is completely trimerous and tetracyclic. After the inception of three sepals and three petals, three antesepalous primary androecial primordia are initiated each of which forms three stamens (i.e. secondary androecial primordia). Opposite these three groups of three stamen primordia, three groups of three carpels are initiated, possibly on three extremely inconspicuous primary gynoecial primordia. Additional carpel primordia are formed in varying numbers between the original three groups. Even before carpel inception, the three primary androecial primordia merge laterally thus forming an androecial ring. Additional stamen primordia arise on this ring first between the three groups of three stamen primordia and then in centrifugal direction as the androecial ring broadens basally. Eventually four whorls of stamens and two to three whorls of staminodia are formed secondarily on the androecial ring which arose from the primary primordia. Morphogenesis and construction of the flowers of Limnocharis flava differs in two major respects from those of all other taxa of the Alismatales studied thus far: (1) there are no stamen pairs primarily associated with the petals, and (2) the first-formed carpel primordia do not alternate with the stamen primordia of the preceding whorl, thus violating Hofmeister's rule of alternation.

Floral development of Aponogeton natans and A. undulatus

The primordia of the floral appendages are initiated in an acropetal succession. Members of the same whorl appear nearly simultaneously. The gynoecial whorl and the two staminal whorls are trimerous, whereas the perianth consists only of two anteriolateral tepals. However, the posterior (adaxial) tepal may be present as an extremely reduced buttress whose growth becomes arrested immediately after its inception. If this somewhat questionable tepal rudiment is included we have a perfectly trimerous and tetracyclic flower with alternation of successive whorls. Subtending bracts of the flowers are completely missing in all developmental stages. While the tepal primordia are dorsiventral from their inception, the stamen and pistil (carpel) primordia originate as hemispherical mounds which become dorsiventral in subsequent stages of development. Each pistil (carpel) primordium becomes horseshoe shaped. As the margins grow up and contact they fuse postgenitally. No cross zone is formed. Placentation is submarginal. In A. natans eight ovules are formed and in A. undulatus only two arise; all ovules are bitegmic. The floral apices have a two-layered tunica up to the stage of pistil formation. The inception of all floral appendages (including the ovules) occurs by periclinal cell division in the second tunica layer. The third layer (corpus) may contribute to the formation of the stamens and pistils. Each appendage primordium receives only one procambial strand which begins to differentiate after the inception of the primordium. The questionable rudimentary tepal buttress lacks a procambial strand. Apparently it does not reach the developmental stage at which procambial induction occurs. From the point of view of floral development, the two species of Aponogeton differ drastically from members of the Alismatales studied so far. Among the Helobiae, the Aponogetonaceae appear to be most closely related to the Scheuchzeriaceae and the Juncaginaceae (Triglochinaceae).

Development of the inflorescence and flower of Sagittaria cuneata

The reproductive region of Sagittaria cuneata is basically trimerous. This trimery is exhibited in the arrangement of the bracts, sepals, petals, pairs of stamens in the male flower, and pairs of staminodia in the female flower. In the male flower after the inception of three sepal primordia, each of the three petal primordia arises with one pair of stamen primordia on an alternisepalous bulge of the floral apex, i.e., a petal–stamen (CA) primordium. Subsequent stamen primordia are formed in alternation with the six first-formed primordia. If, for convenience sake, the first six primordia are referred to as the first whorl of stamens up to four additional whorls may be produced. Depending on the size of the floral bud, the third and fourth whorls (if present) consist of two to six stamen primordia, whereas the fifth whorl (if present) contains one to five stamen primordia. Finally, primordia of pistillodes are formed in varying numbers. In the female flower the presence of CA primordia could not be as clearly established as in the male flower. However, again each petal primordium is definitely associated with a pair of antepetalous primordia. The latter primordia develop into staminodia. In alternation with the first six staminodia six additional staminodia are formed and then again in alternation many whorls of pistils (carpels). Even in the mature flower the basic trimery is reflected in the triangular shape of the globose and massive gynoecium. From a developmental point of view, the male and female flowers are primarily trimerous. The polyandric androecium and the large pleiomerous gynoecium are superimposed on the primary trimery. It appears quite possible that this developmental modification also reflects a phylogenetic derivation. This means that the pleiomerous gynoecium and androecium are not primitive but rather advanced. There is no indication of a spiral arrangement of stamens and carpels.Whereas the foliage leaves, bracts, and sepals are initiated as dorsiventral primordia, the petals, stamens, staminodia, pistils, and pistillodes arise as more or less hemispherical mounds and become dorsiventral thereafter. The vegetative apices, inflorescence apices and the floral apices have a two-layered tunica over a massive corpus. Foliage leaves, bracts, sepals, petals, stamens, staminodia, carpels, and pistillodes are initiated by periclinal divisions in the second tunica layer. In the case of the stamens and staminodia the corpus may also contribute. Ovules are initiated by periclinal divisions of the second layer of the carpel primordium.