The tissue content of cyclic AMP in rats after microwave irradiation in vivo

When anesthetized rats were exposed to microwave (power output 1.3 kw, frequency 2,450 MHz), the cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity showed a rapid decline in the skeletal muscle, heart, trachea and lung; no activity essentially could be detected after a 30 sec irradiation. Cyclic AMP levels in these tissues also decreased rapidly to constant values within 30 sec. Concentrations of cyclic AMP in the heart, skeletal muscle, trachea and lung measured by the tissue fixation with liquid nitrogen were approximately 3, 3, 4 and 4 times higher than those after microwave irradiation, respectively. The intravenous injection of procaterol (1 mu mol/kg), a beta 2-adrenoceptor agonist, caused a 6-fold increase in the trachea cyclic AMP level when measured after microwave fixation but only a 2-fold increase when measured after liquid nitrogen fixation. It is concluded that rapid tissue fixation by microwave irradiation may provide a useful means for obtaining reliable values of the tissue cyclic AMP content.

Study on histogenesis of pelvic endometriosis

The histogenesis of pelvic endometriosis can not be sufficiently accounted for by a single theory. Thus it may be necessary to pressure plural theories for the explanation of their histogenesis. On collected 253 cases of endometriosis, some clinical and pathological studies were carried out and classified to adenomyosis (A) 37%, ovarian and pelvic endometriosis (O.P) 17%, and others (A+O.P) 45%. Age of the group O.P adenomyosis (A) 37%, ovarian and pelvic endometriosis (O.P) 17%, and others (A+O.P) 45%. Age of the group O.P tended to be younger, as compared with other groups. Pathological study revealed that in group (A+O.P), the lesion tended to be younger, as compared with other groups. Pathological study revealed that in group (A+O.P), the lesion in uterine wall was extensive and deep proliferation in many cases, and it was frequently more at least than group A. Especially, it is necessary to distinguish from each other two different cases which showed endometriosis in the ovary and pelvic peritoneum, that is, to distinguish them by the presence or absence of adenomyosis. In the case of group O.P complicated by A, it is thought highly probable that discrete dissemination may take place from the foci of adenomyosis. In the case of group O.P there may be sufficient room for the application of the Sampson's theory or metaplastic theories. In view of conspicuous trait in the age, however, the possibility of lymphogenous dissemination of endometriosis may be valuable.

Studies on B-cell memory. II. T-cell independent antigen can induce B-cell memory

Both athymic nude mice and normal mice primed with a T-cell independent antigen, i.e. dinitrophenylated dextran (DNP-DE), at a sub-immunogenic dose, produced very poor anti-DNP responses to a later challenge with the same antigen. B-cell memory was expressed, however, as an enhanced IgM response after the challenge of the DNP-DE-primed mice with the T-cell dependent antigen (dinitrophenylated haemocyanin, DNP-KLH) in the presence of functional T-cells. Moreover, DNP-DE-primed spleen cells also revealed an enhanced IgM response after adoptive transfer into irradiated recipients and challenge with DNP-DE. The injections of DNP-DE-primed nude mouse serum into unprimed mice resulted in the reduction of anti-DNP response to the immunization with DNP-DE. These results indicate that (a) T-cell independent DNP-DE causes the differentiation of B cells not only into antibody-forming cells but also into memory cells, (b) these memory cells can be triggered in situ by the T-cell dependent DNP-KLH in the presence of helper T cells but not by T-cell independent antigen, and (c) some humoral factor(s) induced by DNP-DE-priming seems to interfere with the expression of B-cell memory only when challenged with T-cell independent DNP-DE.

Studies on B-cell memory. I. Generation and exhaustion of B-cell memory by thymus-dependent antigen in T-cell depleted mice

Mice depleted of T cells by adult thymectomy, X-irradiation and reconstitution with syngeneic bone marrow cells, either untreated or treated with anti-Thy-1 serum and complement, were immunized intensively with alum-precipitated bovine serum albumin (AP-BSA) along with or without bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), but no significant anti-BSA antibody response was detected. Priming of the T-cell depleted mice, however, either by a single injection of AP-BSA plus LPS or by multiple injections of AP-BSA without LPS, resulted in the generation of immunological memory. A single injection of AP-BSA without LPS was ineffective. The memory required the aid of syngeneic T cells to be recalled by the challenge with AP-BSA plus LPS. On the other hand, multiple injections of AP-BSA plus LPS did not cause the generation of memory and the response of these mice to the challenge was lower than that of unprimed control mice. These results suggest that (1) the anti-BSA response is highly dependent on the helper function of T cells, (2) the degree of T-cell requirement for the memory generation is very low, and (3) priming with too much strong stimulation in the absence of functional T cells leads to the suppression or abortion of previously generated immunological memory.

Alterations in blood levels of carbohydrate and lipid metabolites and of cyclic AMP mediated by beta1- and beta2-adrenoceptors in beagle dogs: effects of procaterol, a new selective beta2-adrenoceptor agonist

The intravenous injection of isoprenaline (10 nmole/kg) into conscious beagle dogs caused significant increases in the blood level of lactate, glucose, FFA, insulin and cyclic AMP. These metabolic alterations induced by isoprenaline were blocked completely by pretreatment of the dog with propranolol (1 mg/kg). Butoxamine (10 mg/kg) antagonized isoprenaline-induced increases in glucose, lactate and insulin, but not the increases in FFA. Practolol (10 mg/kg) diminished the increase in blood FFA very strongly. Salbutamol, which is known to be an agonist of the beta 2-subtype in its bronchomotor and cardiovascular actions, produced marked increases in the blood concentrations of lactate, glucose and insulin but were without effect on the FFA level. Thus metabolic responses of conscious beagle dogs to beta-adrenoceptor agonists appeared to depend differentially on two types of beta-adrenoceptors: beta1-adrenoceptors are largely involved in lipolysis while beta2-adrenoceptors are involved in the regulation of blood glucose metabolism and insulin secretion. A new beta-adrenoceptor agonist, 5-(1-hydroxy-2-isopropylaminobutyl)-8-hydroxycarbostyril hydrochloride hemihydrate (Procaterol), was classified as a beta 2-agonist, because it markedly increased plasma concentrations of glucose, lactate and insulin but increased the plasma level of FFA to a lesser degree. The order of potency of beta2-agonists was procaterol greater than salbutamol greater than trimetoquinol. Metabolic responses of beagle dogs would be useful for appreciating the selectivity and potency of beta-adrenoceptor agonists and antagonists.

Gigahertz stroboscopy with the scanning electron microscope

The application of the stroboscopic scanning electron microscope to gigahertz Gunn effect devices is discussed. Two modes of operation, the deflection mode and the bunching mode, are considered. In the bunching mode, using 1.5 ps beam pulses, two-dimensional voltage contrast in a Gunn effect device triggered at 1 GHz has been observed. A powerful technique for a device in pulsed operation is also presented. With this technique, the nonuniform domain propagation in the three-dimensional-structure Gunn device in pulsed operation has been clearly observed. The duty cycle of the pulsed operation has been 4x10(-3).

Influence of tracheal muscular tone on the initiation of cough reflex

We devised a canine blood-perfusion preparation which made feasible administration of drugs directly at the local tracheal site. The hypothesis of Salem and Aviado on cough mechanism that a local airway constriction induced by stimuli may be a trigger in stimulating cough receptors was investigated using this preparation. Close intraarterial injections of acetylcholine (ACh) and histamine did not elicit a cough although intense tracheal constrictions were evident. The cough reflex elicited by electrical stimulation of the mucosa of isolated upper trachea in situ was accompanied by a slight systemic hypotension, tracheal vasodilatation and tracheal muscular constriction. The latter two changes occurred after a time lag following coughs. Close intraarterial infusions of isoproterenol and papaverine caused a prominent tracheal dilatation, but did not suppress the coughs. Pretreatment with atropine sufficiently inhibited cholinergic tracheoconstriction but had no effect on the electrically induced coughs. Furthermore, an augmentation of the tracheal muscular tone produced by an infusion of ACh did not enhance the cough reflex. In light of our observations, the aforementioned hypothesis should be reconsidered.

Generation and measurement of subpicosecond electron beam pulses

The generation and measurement of subpicosecond electron beam pulses by the transverse-longitudinal combination gate system is described. The temporal property of the pulse gate is analyzed with the help of the longitudinal emittance diagram. Close agreement has been obtained between the calculated pulse width and the observed one which was measured by the Lissajous's figure method. A beam pulse of 0.2 ps (FWHM) was produced.

An involvement of alpha-adrenergic stimulation in exercise-induced hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia developed in fasted rats during forced swimming. This hypoglycemia was mostly abolished by phentolamine, an alpha-adrenolytic agent, or by hexamethonium; was potentiated by propranolol, a beta-adrenolytic agent, of by 5-methoxyindole-2-carboxylic acid, a gluconeogenic inhibitor; and was not affected by anti-insulin serum. The turnover rate of blood glucose estimated from the decay curve of blood [14C]glucose increased significantly during exercise. There was a slight but significantly increase during exercise in the transfer of 3-O-methyl-[14C]glucose into muscle and adipose tissues, when it was corrected for by [3H]mannitol transfer to the same tissues. It is concluded that the alpha-receptor-mediated action of endogenous catecholamine stimulates peripheral glucose utilization leading to hypoglycemia during exercise. The action of alpha- and beta-adrenergic mechanisms, directly on peripheral tissues or via insulin secretion, in fine regulation of blood glucose level is discussed.

[Conditioning of emotional behavior caused by hypothalamic stimulation (4). Effects of drugs on conditioned avoidance and escape behavior]

In the present study, effects of psychotropic drugs were analyzed by observing avoidance and escape behavior or rabbits under hypothalamic electrical stimulation. In avoidance behavior, chlorpromazine (CPZ) and diazepam (DZP) depressed avoidance response and extended avoidance response latency and head movement latency. Autonomic behavior such as opening of palpebral fissure and pupil size were also delayed. The locus of movement and count of head movement were depressed by the administration of each drug. On the other hand, unlike CPZ, DZP extended escape response latency. On escape behavior, effects of CPZ and DZP were apparently different. Unlike CPZ, DZP induced avoidance behavior and increased locus of movement. With methamphetamine, no avoidance behavior was observed, but under conditional stimulation, the behavior and the escape response latency were decreased. Chlordiazepoxide induced avoidance behavior.

[Conditioning of emotional behavior caused by hypothalamic stimulation (3): The learned behavior caused by hypothalamic stimulation in rabbits]

In the present study, the learned behavior caused by hypothalamic electrical stimulation was examined in order to determine the effects of psychotropic drugs. Subjects were albino male rabbits with electrodes chronically implanted in the hypothalamic area. A shuttle box, which was adjusted for behavioral pharmacological estimation of drugs in rabbits, was used. A buzzer sound (85dB) and electrical stimulation of hypothalamus (100 HZ, 1 msec, 1.2-2.0V) were used as the conditional stimulation (CS) and unconditional stimulation (UCS), respectively. The same animal was trained in habituation to a buzzer sound as the CS. For avoidance conditioning in a two-compartment situation, the animal was placed in a shuttle box divided by a hurdle situated at the middle of two-compartments. After the CS was presented for 10 sec, the UCS was given. The animals were subjected to 15 conditioning trials per day. The avoidance and escape behavior model became as distinct by hypothalamic stimulation as by UCS. After termination of the experiments, extinction trials were carried out after which the animals were sacrificed, and localization of the stimulating electrodes was determined histologically.

[Pharmacological studies on the cough reflex]

The artificially induced cough reflex in experimental animals should necessarily be similar to the cough which occurs naturally in humans. The curve demonstrated during a cough of each patient with respiratory disease was characteristic. Compared with the curve of a cough-like reflex (CLR) induced by DMPP, the curve of a cough induced by electrical stimulation of the tracheal mucosa was similar to that of a cough in humans. In dogs and cats anesthetized with alpha-chloralose (80 similar to 100 mg/kg i.p.), the number of CLR with DMPP was dose dependent. Tachphylaxis did not occur despite repeated administration of DMPP. DMPP (5 similar to 10 mug/kg i.v.) did not affect airway resistance. CLR with DMPP was depressed not only by morphine, codeine, oxymethebanol, picoperidamine, piclobetol and hexacol but also by hexamethonium. Thus, it appears that the mechanism of CLR with DMPP is different from that in the cough reflex. This CLR may be utilized for determining the physiology of cough reflex and the site of action of antitussives.

Effect of ascofuranone on serum lipids of rats fed a cholesterol rich diet

Ascofuranone, a fungal metabolite, significantly reduced serum lipid levels, when orally administered to male Wistar rats fed a cholesterol rich diet. The treatment also resulted in a marked reduction of hepatic and cardiac cholesterol contents without affecting the body weight gain. The serum albumin/globulin ratio increased significantly in the treated rats. This increase is presumably due to the decrease of beta-lipoprotein. The mode of action differentiates from clofibrate in so far as the former effectively prevents hepatic and cardiac cholesterol deposits in the cholesterol feeding rats.