Intracellular pH measured in isolated normal human leucocytes, by using 5,5-dimethyl-2,4-oxazolidinedione under conditions of varying extracellular PCo 2 NS BICARBONATE

1. Leucocytes were separated from human peripheral blood and incubated under conditions of constant extracellular pH (about 7·40) but variable extracellular Pco2 and bicarbonate concentration. Intracellular pH of leucocytes was measured by the 5,5-dimethyl-2[14C],4-oxazolidinedione procedure.

2. At Pco2 40 mmHg, the intracellular pH was 7·104 ± 0·115 (mean±SD). At Pco2 15 mmHg, intracellular pH was 7·567 ± 0·084, and at Pco2 72 mmHg it was 7·098 ± 0·063.

The cellular transport of magnesium in rat liver

The bidirectional transport of Mg in rat liver was studied using slices labeled with (28)Mg in a closed two-compartment system under steady-state conditions. The influx (K(bs)) and efflux (K(sb)) transfer coefficients governing transport between the extracellular phase and a rapidly exchanging cell fraction were 0.074 and 0.019 per min, respectively. An increased extracellular concentration of Mg(++) caused a 30% decrease in K(bs) and a 31% increase in K(sb). A decreased extracellular Mg(++) had an opposite effect. At 0 degrees C, both transfer coefficients were reduced by 65%. Increased pH and NaCN increased transport, whereas Ca(++) reduced transport. Reduced pH, altered Na(+):K(+) ratio, Sr(++), glucose deletion, iodoacetate, ethanol, and lactate had no significant influence. Dinitrophenol reduced K(sb) but had no effect on K(bs). These data support the thesis that the intracellular concentration of Mg is in part regulated by a reciprocal change in the influx transfer coefficient and a parallel change in the efflux transfer coefficient in response to altered extracellular concentrations of Mg(++). The qualitative and quantitative similarities of Mg and Ca transport in this system suggest that Mg and Ca share a common transport mechanism which is primarily dependent upon the binding of these divalent cations to macromolecular ligands within the cell membrane or within the cell.

The effect of unilateral E.C.T. on schizophrenic delusions and hallucinations

Unilateral E.C.T. applied to the non-dominant hemisphere has been tried by several workers in cases of depressive illness. Although Levy (1968) has pointed out that the evidence is not sufficient to recommend unilateral E.C.T. as a routine procedure, its main advantages over bilateral E.C.T. have been demonstrated as reduction of post-E.C.T. memory disturbances (Zinkin and Birtchnell 1968 and Valentine et al., 1968), and diminution of post-E.C.T. confusion (Halliday et al., 1968). The present investigation studies the effect of unilateral E.C.T. on schizophrenic delusions and hallucinations with a view to testing the hypothesis that the apparent superiority represented by the diminished side-effects with the unilateral technique might be therapeutically disadvantageous where treatment of patients with delusions and hallucinations is concerned. According to this hypothesis memory impairment may be part of the therapeutic mechanism responsible for the disruption of delusions and hallucinations and their ultimate amelioration or disappearance. If this hypothesis is correct patients treated with bilateral E.C.T. should do better than those treated with the unilateral technique.