Association of crescentic glomerulonephritis with membranous glomerulonephropathy: a report of three cases

Association of membranous glomerulonephropathy with crescentic glomerulonephritis is apparently extremely rare. We report three patients who had this combination. One patient had biopsy-proven membranous glomerulonephropathy thirteen months prior to sudden and rapid decline in renal function necessitating hemodialysis. A repeat renal biopsy showed a superimposed crescentic nephritis and antiglomerular (GBM) antibodies were demonstrable in the serum. A second patient had proteinuria of unknown duration and then developed renal failure. Renal biopsy showed crescentic nephritis with a fine granular glomerular immunofluorescence for IgG typical of membranous glomerulonephropathy. Anti-GBM antibodies were present in this patient's serum. The third patient presented with acute renal failure of moderate severity. A renal biopsy revealed crescentic nephritis, granular deposits of immunoglobulins, and epimembranous electron-dense deposits typical of membranous glomerulonephropathy. Although his creatinine clearance improved spontaneously, nephrotic syndrome has persisted and a repeat renal biopsy showed a progression of the membranous glomerulonephropathy with the disappearance of the crescentic lesions. The reason for this peculiar association of membranous glomerulonephropathy and crescentic glomerulonephritis is unclear. It is possible that deposition of immune-complexes along glomerular basement membrane may render the glomerulus more susceptible to additional injury from a variety of other agents. Alternatively, depostis formed in one disease could initiate release of normal or altered basement membrane material and lead to formation of anti-GBM antibodies and subsequent development.     

Cholinergic innervation of vessels of the base of the brain

Distribution and activity of acetylcholinesterase in the intramural nerve apparatus of vessels of the base of the bran have been studied with the histochemical method of Koelle-Gomori. On the whole, 268 arteries have been examined. The activity of the ferment is detected in the effector nerve fibers in the wall of all cerebral vessels constituting the system of the circle of Willis. The periarterial nerve apparatus of cerebral arteries of the anterior and posterior regions of the circle of Willis consists of two cholinergic plexuses - superficial and deep plexus forming a multilayered neural cover. The terminal parts of cholinergic nerve fibres at the border with the muscular coat show a granular structure. Moreover, nerve cells rich in active ferment are found in the cholinergic plexuses. Difference in the character of cholinergic innervation of vessels of the internal carotid and the vertebrobasilar region has been shown. The obtained data indicate that the vessels of the circle of Willis possess a reliable cholinergic system of nerve regulation which along with other systems, such as that of adrenergic nerve fibers, maintains the homeostasis of the cerebral blood flow.     

The effect of nitrate and nitrite on the respiration and cytochrome system of Rhizobium lupini]

Chromosome replication has been analysed in four species of Chilocorus. In C. ORBUS Csy., C. tricyclus Smith, and C. hexacyclus Smith, centric regions of all chromosomes are last to replicate, preceded in order by heterochromatic arms and euchromatic arms. In C. stigma Say, very late replication of centric regions can be detected only in otherwise wholly euchromatic chromosomes (= monophasics); in chromosomes with one arm heterochromatic ( = disphasics), these arms are last to replicate. Based on pachytene bivalent morphology and chromosome banding patterns, and supported by autoradiographic data, models are presented for the general organisation of Chilocorus chromosomes. All chromosomes in the first three species are subdivided into euchromatic arm, centric heterochromatin, and either a second euchromatic are (monophasics) or a heterochromatic arm (diphasics). Chilocorus stigma diphasics apparently lack distinct centric organisation, and are therefore divided into euchromatic and heterochromatic arms only.