Hemispheric asymmetry in the effects of substantia nigra lesioning on lymphocyte reactivity in mice.

Asymmetry in brain modulation of the immune system has previously been demonstrated at the neocortex level. In these experiments, the possibility of subcortical immunomodulation was investigated. In mice the substantia nigra was lesioned using the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine. Four and six weeks after left or right lesions of the substantia nigra, spleen lymphocyte mitogenesis was slightly depressed or enhanced respectively as compared to sham operated controls. Differences appeared when comparing left and right lesioned groups. However, natural killer cell activity was unaffected by unilateral lesions of the substantia nigra. These results show that asymmetrical brain modulation may occur at the sub-cortical level and suggest that central dopamine is involved in neuroimmunomodulation.     

Accommodation on downward gaze.

A study was conducted with the purpose of examining the possible effects of vertical and horizontal eye movements upon accommodation. A special Badal stimulator was made which was vertically rotatable around the center of an eye. The stimulator was attached to the Three-Dimensional Optometer III (TDOIII), which could measure accommodation, eye movement, and pupil diameter simultaneously. The reliability of the TDOIII measurements of accommodation was checked by comparing with a stigmatoscope measurement. Three young males served as subjects. A small but definite near accommodation was measured dynamically in association with vertical eye movement. We believe this to be the first report of this finding. The amount of near accommodation with downgaze showed a tendency to decrease when the target was brought near.     

The use of LHRH analogs in ovulation induction

The use of LH-RH agonists is appropriate for the stimulation of ovulation. In contrast, in the case of induction of ovulation in a patient with deficient ovulation, suppression of influences of the hypothalamo-pituitary axis does not modify the pathological condition responsible for the ovulatory anomaly.     

Interactions between sodium diethyl-dithiocarbamate and lysozyme during the immune response to a hapten-carrier complex

The effects of lysozyme and sodium diethyl-dithiocarbamate (DTC) were studied on antibody synthesis induced by immunization with a hapten-carrier complex. The immunomodulating effects of lysozyme could be partially reversed by DTC, a sulphur derivative which has been previously shown to modulate the immune response, probably at the macrophage level. The mechanisms whereby lysozyme and DTC modulated the immune response are discussed.     

Indications and results of dorsal sympathectomy in vascular syndromes of the upper limb (author's transl)]

The authors report 50 cases of dorsal sympathectomy followed up on the cardiovascular surgery unit of the Amiens University Hospital over a period of six years. The authors then formulate a number of reflexions concerning the clinical findings, the therapeutic indications, and the way of assessing the results of this operation in vascular syndromes of the upper limb. This is a plea in favour of this operation as, in most cases, no other treatment is comparable.     

GPLA antigens are not expressed on guinea-pig epididymal spermatozoa

The expression of guinea-pig major histocompatibility antigens (class I and II) has been investigated on guinea-pig epididymal spermatozoa. Specific alloantisera (anti-B1, anti-B3, anti-Ia2,4 and anti-Ia1,3,7) were obtained by cross-immunization of strains 2, 13 and BIO-AD animals with relevant spleen cell membranes. These sera were tested on spermatozoa from the same three strains by a protein A rosetting assay and by an indirect immunofluorescence test. The results obtained showed non-strain specific reactions of all the alloantisera tested on epididymal spermatozoa of the three strains. These non-strain specific reactions were absorbed by spermatozoa of any strain but they were not absorbed by the splenic cells of the same animals. On the other hand, the alloantisera specific reactivity on peripheral blood cells was not diminished after incubation of the sera with spermatozoa. Furthermore anti-B1 and anti-B3 antibodies eluted from guinea-pig platelets did not react with any spermatozoa but reacted with the relevant peripheral blood cells. These results indicate that the studied guinea-pig sera contained two types of antibodies: anti-MHC antibodies able to react with relevant blood cells but not with spermatozoa and sperm specific antibodies (also observed in untreated and DNP-BGG immunized guinea-pig sera) reacting with all spermatozoa but not with blood cells. They are not compatible with the expression of MHC antigens at the surface of guinea-pig epididymal spermatozoa.