Restoration of impaired immunoresponse by germanium in mice

An organogermanium was given to young and aged C3H/HeJ mice sensitized by sheep red blood cells, and plaque-forming cells (PFC) in the spleens from the animals were measured. PFC decreased markedly in the aged mice. The organogermanium at an appropriate dose significantly increased the PFC in the aged mice, whereas it did not increase PFC in the young mice. Thus, germanium is considered to restore to some extent the impaired immunoresponses in aged mice.

[A radioimmunoassay for plasma parathyroid hormone (PTH) using N-terminal PTH antiserum (author's transl)]

In order to investigate plasma bioactive PTH, we tried to assay the N-terminal portion of PTH by RIA. The antiserum to PTH was prepared by immunizing rabbits with a bovine 1-34 PTH conjugate BSA. A preparation of labeled PTH was radioiodinated by the chloramine-T or lactoperoxidase method. Labeled PTH was purified by means of adsorption by Quso G-32 powder or a sephadex G-50. The separation of the free and bound labeled hormone was performed by the dextran-coated charcoal method. The assay was carried out as follows: 0.2 ml diluted buffer (0.05 M, pH 8.6, veronal buffer), 0.1 ml standard PTH or sample to be tested, and 0.1 ml anti-PTH serum were mixed. After the first incubation at 4 degrees C for 4 days, 0.1 ml labeled PTH were added. After a second incubation at 4 degrees C for 12 hours, the assay tubes were centrifuged at 2,000 rpm for 30 min and the precipitates were counted. Various hypothalamic, pituitary and thyroid hormones did not interfere with the RIA for PTH. A dose response curve was obtained in a range from 100 pg to 5,000 pg per ml of standard PTH in this assay system. The serum immunoreactive PTH in healthy subjects values less than 290 pg per ml.

Ultrastructural changes of the nerve elements following disruption of the organ of Corti. II. Nerve elements outside the organ of Corti

Various stages of changes in the nerve fibers, spiral ganglion cells, and satellite cells from the guinea pig cochlea 3 to 137 days after perilymphatic perfusion with streptomycin solution (2 and 20%) were observed electron microscopically. Initially, the axoplasms of the cochlear nerve fibers became swollen or pyknotic. Then, the axons disappeared and myelin lamellae disrupted. The Schwann cells shrank and degenerated, though their basement membranes survived for a time. Regeneration of the cochlear nerve fibers began with extension of axonal sprouts into the tube of the basement membrane and surviving Schwann cells, which still contained myelin debris. Only one of the axonal sprouts matured for myelination. These regenerating cochlear nerve fibers were found in the osseous spiral lamina, modiolus and internal auditory meatus, but these fibers atrophied and disappeared afterward. Retrograde degeneration occurred in the olivo-cochlear bundle. Some of the efferent myelinated fibers also showed temporary regeneration.

Enterotoxigenic Staphylococci of canine origin

Enterotoxigenic staphylococci were isolated from cecum and rectum from 26 (5.8%) of 451 dogs. Of the 30 enterotoxigenic staphylococci isolated, 14 (46.7%) belonged to biotype E, which has been considered to be of canine origin (Baird-Parker's classification modified by Hájek and Marsálek). They produced exclusively enterotoxin type C. This is the first evidence of enterotoxigenic staphylococci of canine origin.

Clinical studies of "big ACTH": its physico-chemical characteristics

The big ACTH fractions available from human plasma and pituitary glands and from porcine pituitary glands were physico-chemically characterized by gel filtration, disc electrophoresis and isoelectric separation. In the case of healthy human subjects, big ACTH fractions were isolated by gel filtration from plasma samples taken during states of acute ACTH hypersecretion such as the lysine-8-vasopressin, insulin or metopyrone tests though none of these fractions were isolated from plasma sampled under normal conditions. Even with no stimulation of ACTH secretion, patients with Cushing's disease gave plasma samples that contained an isolable big ACTH fraction, but such a fraction was hardly isolated from plasma taken from patient with Addison's disease. Both human pituitaries and porcine pituitaries contained an isolable big ACTH fraction. By a gel filtration analysis the molecular weight of the big ACTH was estimated to be higher than 20 000. Disc electrophoresis with an acrylamide gel indicated that big ACTH is strongly basic while small ACTH is more acidic than pH 8.3. Isoelectric separation revealed that the isoelectric point of human big ACTH is higher than pH 10.0 while that of small ACTH is about pH 6.8.

Simultaneous helium and nitrogen single-breath washout: lung model simulation

By use of a model, simultaneous bolus and resident N2-washout curves are simulated to examine the effects of inhomogeneous lung elasticity and unequal critical airway closing pressure. Pathological conditions are divided into A, B, and C, where dominant lesions involve the upper, entire vertical, and lower regions, respectively. In elastic inhomogeneity, the He plateau (phase III) is upward, flat, or downward in conditions A, B, and C, respectively, depending on the vertical location of the lesion. Conversely, the N2 plateau is upward in three conditions, reflecting overall interregional and intraregional inhomogeneity. The terminal He rise (phase IV) has a clear relationship to the airway closure than the terminal N2 rise. The present study supports the previous prediction that the simultaneous bolus and N2-washout study provides additional information. This analysis will improve the means for assessing mechanical disorders in diseased lungs.

Airway obstruction in pulmonary sarcoidosis

To determine the physiological basis of airway obstruction, we studied mechanical properties of the lung in 21 patients with various stages of pulmonary sarcoidosis. Forced expiratory flow at 50% vital capacity (VC) was significantly decreased in nine patients. Determining factors of the flow reduction factors of the flow reduction in addition to the decreased VC were: 1) low peripheral airway conductance in four patients; 2) loss of elastic recoil in three patients; 3) combination of 1) and 2) in two patients. These findings could be explained by a concept that in pulmonary sarcoidosis the lungs are a composite of inhomogeneously distributed normal, granulomatous, or fibrotic tissue, with or without hyperinflated tissue in various proportions.