Antituberculosis immunity in adult thymectomized mice

Thymectomy performed in adult animals 6 months and more before the inoculation of mycobacteria H37Rv reduced the resistance to tuberculosis infection considerably. This reduction was the greater, the more time passed after the operation. There also developed immunity disturbances mainly connected with the damage of the thymus-dependent cells (depletion of thymus-dependent zones, reduction of tuberculin sensitivity of the skin and of the cytotoxic effect of lymphocytes on antigen-containing target cells).     

Therapeutic use of carminomycin in soft tissue sarcomas

Under endoscopic control, biopsy specimens were taken from the oxyntic gland area of the stomach before and after administration of pentagastrin, synthetic secretin, and 13-norleucine motilin (13-nle-motilin), respectively. In 29 volunteers, the basal rate of 14C-leucine incorporation into mucosal protein averaged 41.2 +/- 7.7 X 103 cpm/mg protein (mean +/- S.D.). One and 4 hours after s.c. administration of pentagastrin (6 mug/kg body weight), values were significantly increased (p less than 0.05) by 18.9 and 21.8%, respectively, with respect to the basal level. One hour after an intravenous shot of 2 CU per kg body weight of secretin, gastric mucosal protein synthetis was not substantially inhibited, whereas a 1-hour continuous i.v. infusion of 13-nle-motilin (0.4 mug/kg body weight, hr) significantly decreased 14C-leucine incorporation rates by 17.5% (p less than 0.05). In contrast to rats, 1 hour after s.c. pentagastrin, protein synthesis in human duodenal mucosa was not altered. From these results it may be concluded that pentagastrin has a trophic influence on gastric mucosa in man. Moreover, the data presented are compatible with the hypothesis that gastrin and motilin may be involved in the regulation of human gastric mucosal protein synthesis.     

Team approach to total parenteral nutrition

The organization, function, and results of a total parenteral nutrition (TPN) team consisting of a surgical staff physician, a senior surgery resident, a nurse and a pharmacist are described. The TPN team has treated 160 patients. The incidence of septicemia as a complication of TPN has been less than 1% and the rate of serious metabolic derangements of TPN has been 2.7% for electrolyte aberrations and 5% for significant glycosuria in this series. It is recommended that hospitals that cannot provide such a team should refer patients requiring TPN to a center with a TPN team.     

Typifying foci of tick-borne encephalitis in the pre-Baikal

The existence of tick-borne encephalitis foci of several landscape types was revealed in the Prebaikalye. Of particular interest were foci of the forest-steppe type, in which virus strains of the Western serological type circulated along with the Eastern serological type strain of the tick-borne encephalitis virus. It was shown that infection of man was possible not only by transmissive, but also by the almientary route--through cow milk.