Physico-chemical properties of a protein-inhibitor of serine proteinases from the potato]

Serine proteases inhibitor with pl-7.3, isolated from potatoe tubers by isoelectric focusing procedure as described previously (V.V. Mosolov et al., Bioorganic Chem., 1, 1449, 1975), was homogeneous under ultracentrifugation, having sedimentation coefficient S20,w 2.8S. Its molecular weight, investigated by sedimentation equilibrium and gel filtration through Sephadex G-100, was found to be 32500 and 31500 respectively. The Stokes radius R and frictional ratio f/fo were found to be 24 A and 1.14. The molecular weight of the inhibitor as determined by sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide electrophoresis was twice as low as determined in ultracentrifuge and by gel filtration procedure. It is suggested that the inhibitor is dimer and consists of two protomers of equal molecular weight.     

Clinical experience with technetium-99m stannous polyphosphate for myocardial imaging

Myocardial imaging with technetium-99m stannous polyphosphate was performed on 46 patients. Eleven patients had no cardiac disease, 22 had acute myocardial infarction, and 13 had stable arteriosclerotic heart disease. Distinct patterns of myocardial activity were noted: (1) the patients with no obvious cardiac disease showed no cardiac activity; (2) stable arteriosclerotic heart disease showed faint, ill-defined cardiac activity, primarily in the anterior or inferior aspect of the left ventricle; (3) acute myocardial infarction showed intense, focal, well-defined activity, with a shape that characterized the location of the infarct.     

Space flight effects on skeletal bones of rats (light and electron microscopic examination)

In the light and electron microscopes, long tubular bones of Wistar rats that were flown for 22 d onboard the Cosmos-605 biosatellite and were exposed to a ground-based simulation experiment were examined. About half of the flight rats showed osteoporosis of metaphyses which was usually combined with a decrease of the mass of the primary spongiosa in the vicinity of the epiphyseal cartilaginous plate. This gives evidence that the growth of the bones could have been inhibited in flight. The light and electron microscopy of bones of flight rats revealed wide osteocyte lacunae which could have been produced by perilacunar osteolysis. In the simulation experiment, reduction in the metaphyseal spongiosa occurred only in one-third of the rats and was less pronounced than in flight rats; no decrease of the mass of the primary spongiosa near the cartilaginous plate was noted. Histological investigation of bones 27 d postflight demonstrated that that time period was not enough to eliminate all the changes in the bones tested.     

Determination of fibrin and fibrinogen split products by their anticoagulant activity

A new diagnostic method to determine fibrinogen and fibrin splitting products is based on the fact that high-molecular fragments acting as specific inhibitors of fibrin self-assembly compose these products. Fibrinogen and fibrin splitting products are detected and determined quantitatively by prolongation of coagulation time in the test with the standard monomeric fibrin. The number of units of anticoagulating activity in the studied urine are the results of the determinations. Sensitivity of the method if necessary may be increased by adding of a certain amount of the fibrinogen and fibrin splitting products to the test that makes a favourable background for the action of the products. The method is rather sensitive, reliable and simple. It may be used in ordinary clinical laboratories. The method proved to be quite satisfactory when testing renal diseases at the clinic. It is of great significance for early detection of the transplanted kidney rejection. The new method is compared with the known immunological method which consist in determination of the inhibitory effect of the fibrinogen and fibrin splitting products on agglutination of erythrocytes of specific antibodies; the erythrocytes being subjected to "tanning" and "loading" with fibrinogen. A satisfactory correlation is found between the results of two methods.     

The lower cervical spine in trauma: a study of false-negative and false-positive findings

Evaluation of roentgenographic studies of the lower cervical spine may be complicated by posttraumatic immobility, certain body types, and technical factors which produce equivocal findings. False-positive and false-negative findings are reported, with suggestions for additional views and more diagnostic evaluation.     

The effect of epidural anesthesia on uterine activity and blood pressure

Because of the unresolved controversy regarding the effect of epidural anesthesia upon uterine contractility, it was decided to study its effect on a small number of patients. Intrauterine and intra-arterial continuous pressure, continuous fetal heart rate, and maternal heart rate recordings were obtained from at least 20 minutes before administration of the epidural anesthic until complete dilatation in these patients. Nineteen patients were in spontaneous labor, and 18 had labor stimulated with oxytocin. Plain lidocaine, 1 or 1.5%, was used in 12 patients (30 observations), and lidocaine with epinephrine, 1:200,000 was used in 26 patients (51 observations). Uterine contractions were calculated in Montevideo units for 60 minutes following the epidural anesthetic. The changes, if any, were compared in both groups. There was a significant decrease in uterine activity when epinephrine was added to the anesthetic solution, mainly a lessening of intensity. There were comparable decreases in systolic/diastolic blood pressure in both groups and compensatory tachycardia. In one case, severe hypertension was observed following administration of lidocaine epinephrine. It was concluded that the addition of epinephrine to the anesthetic solution predictably produces diminution of uterine activity, and it does not give "cardiovascular support" to the laboring patient.     

Localisation of proteins in coated micropinocytotic vesicles during transport across rabbit yolk sac endoderm

Rabbit yolk sac splanchnopleur exposed in utero to IgG-HRP and IgG-ferritin conjugates, rabbit and bovine anti-HRP antibodies, free HRP, ferritin and human IgG, was examined ultrastructurally in an attempt to determine whether or not coated micropinocytotic vesicles are involved in selectively transporting immunoglobulins across yolk sac endodermal cells. Human, rabbit and bovine IgG-HRP conjugates, rabbit anti-HRP antibodies, free HRP and human IgG, all become localised in coated micropinocytotic vesicles. Differences were observed in that only human IgG and rabbit anti-HRP antibodies could be located in the intercellular space and bovine IgG-HRP conjugate could not be detected in coated micropinocytotic vesicles in confluence with the lateral and basal plasmalemma. Bovine anti-HRP anti-bodies, IgG-ferritin conjugates, and free ferritin, could not be observed in coated micropinocytotic vesicles. All proteins were detected in macropinocytotic vesicles, and dense bodies resembling phagolysosomes. Results are discussed in the light of a proposal that selection occurs at the cell surface during formation of coated micropinocytotic vesicles and is not linked to intracellular proteolysis.