Volume regulation of frog skin epithelium

Previous results (MacRobbie & Ussing 1961) in combination with published values for cellular chloride concentration and for intracellular potentials show that the chloride concentration in frog skin epithelium cells is higher than predicted for equilibrium with the inside bathing solution. Both the apical and the basolateral membrane of these cells are normally almost tight to chloride, so that the maintenance of the high chloride concentration requires little work. A basolateral permeability to chloride is, however, activated by cell swelling, and the cells lose KCI. It is now shown that the KCI thus lost cannot be regained neither in the absence of sodium in the inside bath nor in the presence of furosemide. The volume regulation reactions are, however, independent of the composition of the outside bath. It is concluded that the recovery of KCI by the epithelium is due to a basolateral co-transport of NaCl from medium to cells, combined with return of Na to the medium via the Na-K pump. The co-transport mechansism thus restores the high chloride concentration of the cells, but seems to be virtually dormant unless the cells have lost chloride.     

Reproducibility of gel-chromatography

We think it worthwhile to other experimenters to mention the following observations. Recently it was noted that gel chromatographic separations of the five fragments resulting from the degradation of cytochrome c by bromocyanogen became dependent on the batch number of the gel. This dependency concerns only separations of unprotected fragments, using 7% (v/v) formic acid as the eluent. The elution profile of protected compounds, which in turn run in 50% (v/v) formic acid, was unaffected.     

Postpartum Assessment The Psychological Component

The postpartum patient's emotional status plays a significant part in her recovery and her adjustment to her infant. Postpartum hospital stays are very brief, so nurses must make every encounter with the patient meaningful. Developing a systematic method of assessing the patient will save time and allow for quicker identification of patient needs. Assessment guidelines that focus on three aspects of the patient's psychological status are provided patient's reaction to the birth experience, patient's adaptation to the infant, and family's reaction to the infant.     

Hypertriglyceridemia—Acute Pancreatitis—Ischemic Heart Disease

ABSTRACT Hyperlipoproteinemia type V, with serum triglyceride concentrations of about 20 mmol/1, was detected in a pair of monozygotic, 40-year-old twin brothers. One of them had had recurrent attacks of pancreatitis, the other not. The endocrine and exocrine pancreatic functions were apparently normal, supporting that the pancreatitis was secondary to the hypertriglyceridemia. After successful lipid-lowering therapy the attacks of abdominal pain disappeared and remained absent during a 13-year follow-up period. The other twin died of ischemic heart disease nine years after the discovery of his lipid abnormality. The reduction of his lipid levels had been much less successful. His average “atherogenic index” (the ratio of cholesterol in low density to that in high density lipoproteins) was normal but increased to a very high value if cholesterol in very low density lipoproteins was also included together with the low density ones in the numerator. Lipoprotein particles modified in composition may have contributed to an increased uptake through a scavenger pathway and promoted atherosclerosis.     

Birch Pollen-Related Food Hypersensitivity: Influence of Total and Specific IgE Levels

Total IgE, RAST results with tree pollen allergens, and prick test results with birch, grass and mugwort, pollen allergens were correlated to 872 hay fever patients' reported food hypersensitivity (FH). A positive correlation was found between FH and the RAST and prick test results with birch pollen allergen. At each level of birch pollen sensitivity the incidence of FH was lower in patients with high total IgE than in those with lower total IgE. A negative correlation was found between grass pollen allergy and FH in birch pollen allergics. It is suggested that antigens in some foods have a specific ability to bridge anti-birch IgE molecules on mast cells. An explanation of the negative correlation between FH and total IgE and grass pollen allergy could be that a high number of non-birch-specific IgE molecules on the mast cells will reduce the probability that two anti-birch IgE molecules should bind on nearby sites.     

HYPERTENSIVE PEAKS IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF INTRAVENTRICULAR HEMORRHAGE IN THE NEWBORN. ABOLITION BY PHENOBARBITONE SEDATION

ABSTRACT. Mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) was measured continuously for 3 to 5 days after birth in 27 premature infants with a birth weight under 1500 g, and who required umbilical artery catheterisation. All had respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) occurred in 9 infants (33%), diagnosed by computered tomography (CT). IVH was more common in infants of lower gestational age, in infants delivered vaginally and in infants with perinatal asphyxia. Variable increases in MABP over the resting value occurred in all infants associated with increases in both active and passive motor activity. In 6 infant pairs matched for birth weight, gestational age, mode of delivery and severity of perinatal asphyxia, the infants who developed IVH had higher peak MABP valued compared to matched controls. Resting and minimum MABP values were not different in the two groups. We conclude that the large increases in arterial blood pressure which occur with both spontaneous motor activity and in association with nursing procedures, are an important cause of development of IVH in very low birth weight infants. An example is given to show that pressure peaks can be abolished by phenobarbitone sedation.     

Oedema-preventing mechanisms in subcutaneous tissue of normal pregnant women

Summary. Fluid transport between the plasma and interstitial fluid compartment is governed by the Starling forces, i.e. the capillary pressure (P_c). interstitial fluid hydrostatic pressure (P_i) and colloid osmotic pressure in plasma ( COP _i) and interstitial fluid ( COP _i). The COP _P , COP _i and P _i were measured in 10 normal pregnant women in the first and 10 women in the third trimester of pregnancy. Interstitial fluid was collected from subcutaneous tissue by implanted wicks and P _i was measured by the'wick-in-needle'technique. The COP _P was reduced from 23.2 mmHg in the first trimester to 21.1 mmHg in the third trimester. Concomitantly, COP _i decreased from 13.1 to 8.4 mmHg on the thorax and from 9.6 to 5.5 mmHg at the ankle. Only small changes in P _i were observed. The more marked fall in COP _i than in COP_P indicates that a rise in P _e, in addition to hypoproteinaemia, contributes to increased capillary fluid filtration in pregnancy. The reduction in COP _i opposes the increased filtration and thereby prevents a rise in interstitial fluid volume and oedema formation. These physiological changes imply a reduced safety margin against oedema formation in late pregnancy.     

Lumbar back muscle activity in relation to trunk movements during locomotion in man

The function of lumbar back muscles was studied by relating their activity patterns to trunk movements in 7 healthy adult males during normal walking (1.0–2.5 m/s) and running (2.0–7.0 m/s) on a treadmill. The movements of the trunk in the sagittal and frontal planes were recorded with a Selspot optoelectronic system using infrared light emitting diodes as markers. The electromyographic (EMG) activity from the two main portions of the lumbar erector spinae muscles (Multifidus and Longissimus) was recorded bilaterally with intramuscular wire electrodes. The angular displacements of the trunk showed regular oscillations, but their shape, magnitude and relation to the step cycle were different in the two planes (sagittal and frontal) and varied with speed and mode of progression. The EMG pattern in both muscles showed a bilateral cocontraction with two main bursts of activity per step cycle starting just before each foot was placed on the ground. Relating the EMG to the movements of the trunk indicated that the main function of the lumbar erector spinae muscles is to restrict excessive trunk movements. During walking this restricting action is most evident for movements in the frontal plane, whereas in running the lumbar back muscles mainly control the movements in the sagittal plane.     

Immunoglobulin Class of Sperm Antibodies in Cervical Mucus From Infertile Women

ABSTRACT: By immunoaffinity chromatography using anti-IgG, anti-IgM, and anti-IgA coupled to CNBr-activated sepharose 4B, the immunoglobulin class of sperm-agglutinating antibodies was investigated in cervical mucus from four infertile women. In all patients, it was found that the sperm antibodies in cervical mucus belonged to the IgA class, whereas in serum, which was studied in two of the patients, IgG sperm antibodies were demonstrated. Absorption of the four cervical mucus samples with anti-secretory component sepharose 4B revealed that the IgA antibodies in at least two of the samples were SC-IgA antibodies. Investigation of a third sample by sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation revealed that the IgA sperm antibodies were characterized by a sedimentation coefficient between 9S and 13S, strongly suggesting the presence of SC-IgA antibodies. Accordingly, the sperm-agglutinating antibodies were SC-IgA antibodies in at least three of the four samples studied.