Distended oesophagus as a cause of bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy

We report an unusual case of bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy caused by gross oesophageal distension due to achalasia.     

Report of the 1966-67 cholera vaccine field trial in rural East Pakistan. 2. Results of the serological surveys in the study population--the relationship of case rate to antibody titre and an estimate of the inapparent infection rate with Vibrio cholerae

The 1966-67 cholera vaccine field trials in East Pakistan tested 1- and 2-dose schedules of a commercial cholera vaccine in 40 000 children aged 3 months to 14 years. Randomsample serological surveys, made prior to the inoculations and 3 months and 6 months after the inoculations, demonstrated that there was a rise in the vibriocidal titres of the vaccinated children during the first 3 months after inoculation and a subsequent fall by the end of the second 3 months. The antibody response to 2 doses of cholera vaccine was better than the response to a single dose in children under 5 years of age. In children aged 5-14 years, the antibody response was similar for both inoculation schedules. Since the majority of the older children had vibriocidal antibodies before inoculation, the data suggest that the single dose acted as a booster, and this effect was not enhanced by a second inoculation.     

Effects of oestradiol benzoate (OeB) and human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) on the testes and accessory sex glands of the rat

It has been suggested that treatment of intact male rats with oestradiol benzoate (OeB) causes an interference with testosterone (T) production by the testes by a direct inhibitory effect on steroidogenesis. To test this hypothesis, different doses (5, 10 or 25 IU) of hCG were administered concomitantly with 50 microgram of OeB to adult intact or hypophysectomized male rats. The testicular and plasma testosterone, and serum hCG levels were determined. The sex accessory weights were recorded. In the intact OeB-treated group of animals, hCG stimulated both the secondary sex organs and plasma testosterone levels above the intact control group. However, in hypophysectomized animals, although plasma testosterone levels increased above that of intact controls, their secondary sex organ weights did not. Moreover, inspite of high circulating hCG levels, the testicular testosterone content and concentration remained suppressed in OeB-treated animals. The reason for such dichotomy of hCG action on OeB-treated animals is not clear at present.     

The influence of psychotropic drugs on aldolase, mitochondrial malic dehydrogenase and Mg++Na+K+ adenosine triphosphatase

1. The experiment investigated the effects of psychotropic drugs on enzymes in vitro.2. Chlorpromazine inhibits mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase in concentrations of 1.4x10(-4)M and above. No effect was observed below this concentration.3. A sharp inflection in the [unk]/drug plot was also seen with chlorpromazine (1.4 x 10(-4)M), trifluoperazine (1 x 10(-5)M), prochlorperazine (1 x 10(-4)M), and amylobarbitone (8 x 10(-3)M) acting on rat brain (Na(+)-K(+)-) Mg(++)-ATPase and with chlorpromazine (10(-4)M) and imipramine (3 x 10(-4)M) acting on aldolase.     

Distribution and concentration of zinc in the subcellular fractions of benign hyperplastic and malignant neoplastic human prostate

Zinc content was markedly increased in benign hyperplastic and decreased in malignant neoplastic prostate. The pattern of distribution of the metal in the subcellular fractions (nuclear mitochondria microsomes supernatant) was, however, found to remain unaltered, except that in the malignant neoplastic tissue the concentration in the nuclear and the mitochondrial fractions was virtually equal. The implication of these observations is discussed.     

Effects of ox bile on the growth and organogenesis ofHymenolepis microstoma in vitro

Hymenolepis microstoma has been cultured in vitro from 4 to 11 days of age using Eagle's medium (BME) supplemented with horse serum, lamb's liver extract and ox gall (dehydrated bile) in five different concentrations (0.025%, 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.5% and 1% all in BME) including a control without the added ox gall. The results of these experiments demonstrated that growth is related inversely to the concentration of ox gall in the media. However, the number of proglottids containing fertilized ova in the lateral sacs becomes higher in worms grown in the medium containing 0.025% ox bile than in those grown in the control medium. This number increases with the bile concentration up to 0.2%. It is concluded that bile stimulates oogenesis and in higher concentrations retards the growth of worms.