Comparison of human and hamster mitochondrial transfer RNA. Physical properties and methylation status

In a comparative study, the effective of intraventricularly or intraperitoneally injected p-chloroamphetamine (p-CA) and some chloroindoles on cerebral levels of serotonin was evaluated. 5-Chloroindole depressed 5-HT levels in the brainstem and telencephalon for three days, 6-chloro-2-methylindole (6-CMI) only during the first day. 5-Chloroindazole had no effect at all. p-CA was more toxic to guinea pigs than to rats. p-CA and 5-chloro-2-methylindole (5-CMI) had no effect on cerebral 5-HT in chicks. Apparently, none of these compounds represented or was converted to a metabolite possibly responsible for the neurotoxic effects of p-CA.     

Sparganosis in the United States. Report of a case

A 20-year-old Philadelphia woman (recently moved from South Carolina) had sparganosis of her lower anterior abdominal wall. In the United States sparganosis occurs when man enters the life cycle of dog or cat tapeworms of the genus Spirometra. Most of the American cases have been reported from the southeastern United States, and the most probable source of infection is contaminated drinking water. Sporadic cases have also been seen in other parts of the country. If the pathologist is familiar with the morphology of spargana, the gross and histologic features are sufficient for identification of genus Spirometra.     

Antilipidemic drugs. Part 4: The metabolic fate of the hypolipidemic agent isopropyl-[4'-(p-chlorobenzoyl)-2-phenoxy-2-methyl]-protionate (LF 178) in rats, dog and man

The excretion and plasma concentrations of radioactivity and chromatographic patterns of radioactive components in plasma and excreta have been compared in rats, dogs and man after oral doses of the hypolipidemic agent isopropyl-[4'-(p-chlorobenzoyl)-2-phenoxy-2-methyl]-propionate (LF 178; procetofene; Lipanthyl?). 2. In rats, 48.1% of a single dose of 25 mg/kg was excreted in the urine, and 48.6% in the faeces. In dogs, 23.1% of a single dose at the same level was excreted in the urine, and 71.8% in the faeces, but 88.1% of a dose of 300 mg to man was excreted in the urine, and only 5.1% in the faeces. Peak levels of radioactivity in the plasma of all three species studied were similar (20--30 mug/ml) after doses at these levels and concentrations declined thereafter with half-lives of 7--24 h in rats and dogs, and 7 h in man. The half-life of radioactivity concentrations in rat plasma was not altered by repeated daily doses for 7 days. 3. Whole-body autoradiography of rats showed that radioactivity was largely associated with the liver, kidneys and gut, which are the organs of biotransformation and excretion, although relatively high levels were present in lungs and blood, and small amounts of radioactivity had a widespread distribution into some peripheral tissues during 2--7 h after dosing. 4. The available chromatographic evidence indicated that the most important biotransformation pathway appeared to be ester hydrolysis to LF 178 acid and formation of water soluble conjugates of this acid. This pathway appeared similar to that of the related drug clofibrate (ethyl p-chlorophenoxyisobutyrate).     

Clinical experience using a small-gauge needle for arterial puncture

The present study was undertaken to ascertain the feasibility of using a 25-gauge needle for arterial punctures. A total of 11,500 arterial punctures were performed over the past four years by this technique without any major complication. Repeated arterial punctures were well tolerated by all patients, and the necessity for indwelling arterial catheters was almost totally eliminated during this period of study.     

Frequency of the carrier state for X-linked chronic granulomatous disease among females with lupus erythematosus

Carriers for chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) and patients with lupus erythematosus (LE) share several characteristics: They are mostly females, they reduce nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) poorly in their neutrophils, and, in some cases, they have similar skin lesions. We thus investigated 19 female LE patients for the presence of laboratory findings characteristic of the carrier state for CGD. None of these patients turned out to have the combined abnormality of neutrophil bactericidal activity and neutrophil NBT-reduction that is diagnostic of CGD carrier state in the X-linked form. An increased frequency of CGD carriers among female LE patients thus appear to be unlikely. Why some CGD carriers develop skin lesions typical of LE remains unexplained.     

An evaluation of procedures used in staging carcinoma of the cervix

A review of 227 cases of invasive carcinoma of the cervix was undertaken to determine the efficacy of procedures using in the staging of this disease. All patients had a pretreatment chest radiography and intravenous pyelogram. 96.5% had pretreatment cystoscopy, 98.6% had pretreatment proctoscopy, and 92% had a pretreatment barium enema. These patients were retrospectively staged on the findings of physical examination only. Each additional procedure was then evaluated by comparison with the initial staging. Cystoscopy and chest film findings each would have changed the clinical stage in fewer than 1% of cases, barium enema in 1.4%, and proctoscopy in 2.2%. No patient had a positive barium enema without a positive proctoscopy, while two patients had positive proctoscopies with negative barium enemas. The overall yield of positive findings by pretreatment intravenous pyelography was 7.3%. Lymphangiography, although inconsistently done, yielded positive findings in all stages. Chest radiographs, intravenous pyelography, proctoscopy, and lymphangiography are recommended as part of the pretreatment workup of patients with carcinoma of the cervix. Routine barium enema is no longer recommended, and cystoscopy is only recommended in patients with clinical stage IIB disease or greater.     

The effect of caffeine on the serum insulin level during intravenous glucose tolerance test in patients with chemical diabetes

A small but significant number of tritiated thymidine labelled cells were found, by autoradiography, in the glomeruli of rats with Masugi nephritis or chronic serum sickness nephritis. There were no labelled glomerular cells in sections of untreated animals. The findings favour the contention that in proliferative glomerulonephritis, glomerular hypercellularity is due to infiltration of monocytic cells into the tufts where they divide.     

Food for inefficient thought

Sixty Sprague-Dawley rats were fed diets containing 0, 10, 100, 1,000, and 10,000 ppm of methoxychlor for 16 weeks under ad libitum- and restricted-feeding regimens. Methoxychlor at 10,000 ppm was lethal to some rats, reduced food consumption and growth, and increased liver weight relative to body weight. Methoxychlor at 1,000 ppm reduced food consumption and growth of rats fed ad libitum but did not reduce growth of restricted-fed rats. Reduced hepatic storage of vitamin A was detectable when methoxychlor was fed at levels of 100 ppm or higher.