A continuously monitored recirculating perfusion system for measuring intestinal absorption

A system was developed for the continuous and simultaneous measurement of water and nutrient (or electrolyte) absorption from the intestine. A recirculating loop (with a reservoir) was kept moving by means of two peristaltic pumps. Water was quantitated by means of a chromogenic nonabsorbed marker and a spectrophotometer. The nutrient (or electrolyte) was present in radiolabeled form and was quantitated by means of a gamma-ray detector. Use of the system was illustrated by the study of²²NaCl and⁷⁵Se-l-selenomethionine. By utilization of a suitable detector, beta-emitting radionuclides may also be used in the perfusing fluid.Supported by U. S. Public Health Service Grants CA06519 and AM09429.     

A study on the delivery practices in riverine & non-riverine blocks of the district of South 24-Parganas, West Bengal

A cross sectional study was undertaken in three riverine and two non-riverine blocks of South 24 Parganas district, West Bengal to study the delivery practices and compare between two locality. During the reference period of one year, of 3073 total deliveries, 89.36% were home deliveries. Home deliveries were higher in the riverine blocks (95.07%) compared to non-riverine blocks (81.64%). 'Dai' conducted 58.36% and 90.62% of home deliveries in riverine and non-riverine blocks respectively. Only 18.4% of the 'Dai' were trained.     

Localization of M2 muscarinic receptor protein in parvalbumin and calretinin containing cells of the adult rat entorhinal cortex using two complementary methods

We investigated parvalbumin (PV) and calretinin (CR) containing interneurons in the rat entorhinal cortex. RNA amplification following single cell dissection of immunohistochemically labeled cells from layers II to VI revealed that PV cells, in contrast to CR cells, express the m2 muscarinic receptor (M2AchR) protein. Double immunostaining to confirm the results of RNA amplification indicated that the majority of PV cells contain M2AchR protein, whereas only a small proportion of CR cells do. In contrast, a large number of layer I CR cells, which are mostly Cajal-Retzius cells, were positive for M2AchR. RNA amplification following dissection of these cells also revealed that they contain the M2AchR protein. These findings emphasize that there are significant differences in the expression of different proteins, even among similar neuronal types in the same brain region. This highlights the importance of accurately collecting single cells, and knowledge of anatomical details in molecular biological studies.     

The steroid hormone receptors in tumors of adipose tissue

The clinical evidence suggests that the steroid hormones may influence the biologic course of tumors of soft tissue. In an attempt to characterize the possible steroid hormone dependency of soft tissue, we studied the incidence and distribution of cytosolic receptors for the steroid hormones in benign and malignant tumors of adipose tissue origin. All specimens were assayed for the steroid hormone receptors by charcoal dextran technique and analyzed by the method of Scatchard. The results show a high incidence of cytosolic estrogen and glucocorticoid receptors in tumors of adipose tissue origin except in lipoma and well differentiated liposarcoma. The binding parameter of these receptors suggests that the receptors may be responsive to physiologic steroid hormonal milieu.     

Conductometric titrations of anionic polyelectrolytes with metachromatic dyes and effects of organic solvents

Metachromatic color change induced in a suitable dye by the polyanionic chromotrope involves (i) the formation of electrostatic bonds between the dye cations and polyanions and (ii) effective aggregation of the dye cations due to their occupying the adjacent sites on the polyanion. Parallel studies are made on the effects of reagents like ethanol, dioxane and urea on the destruction of metachromasia and the binding of the dye cations on the polyanion. Conductometric titrations of chondroitin sulfate with methylene blue indicate that the dye binding on the chromotropes is less susceptible to these reagents than the metachromasia of the dye as studied spectrophotometrically. This indicates that it is not the electrostatic bond that is responsible for the metachromatic spectral shift of the dye but rather the aggregation of dye ions; and these reagents preferably attack the bonds involved in the dye-dye interaction rather than the dye-polyanion electrostatic bond. Comparison of the equivalent weights of heparin as estimated from conductometric titrations with metachromatic dyes and estimated analytically indicates that all ionic sites in heparin, unlike chondroitin sulfate, are not occupied by dye ions; this may be due to the high charge density of heparin.