Evidence of central cholinergic mechanisms in the appearance of affective aggressive behaviour: Dissociation of aggression from autonomic and motor phenomena

Carbachol, muscarine, eserine and neostigmine injected into the cerebral ventricles of conscious cats evoked emotional behaviour with aggression, autonomic and motor phenomena as well as clonic-tonic convulsions. The main and the most impressive feature of the gross behavioural effects of intraventricular carbachol, muscarine, eserine and neostigmine in conscious cats was the affective type of aggression. However, neostigmine produced aggressive behaviour only in about one-quarter of the experiments. After intraventricular hemicholinium-3 and triethylcholine carbachol, muscarine, eserine and neostigmine elicited autonomic and motor phenomena. In these cats cholinomimetics and anticholinesterases evoked only slight hissing and snarling. Choline administered into the cerebral ventricles of hemicholinium-3- and triethylcholine-treated cats restored the emotional behaviour with aggression, autonomic and motor phenomena as well as clonic-tonic convulsions to intraventricular carbachol, muscarine, eserine and neostigmine. The restored gross behavioural changes to eserine were almost of the same intensity, while those to carbachol and muscarine were of lesser intensity than in control cats. From these experiments it is concluded that cholinergic neurones are involved in the appearance of the affective type of aggression resulting from intraventricular carbachol, muscarine, eserine and neostigmine.     

Resolution of hypertension after retroperitoneal removal of a solitary renal cyst

A case of a left simple renal cyst associated with hypertension is presented. Preoperative renin was elevated on the left renal vein. Hypertension disappeared after evacuation of the cyst. The possibility of renovascular hypertension in association with the cyst is considered.     

Experiment in infecting the green monkey Cercopithecus aethiops with a leukocyte virus isolated in hepatitis A

The virus isolated in hepatitis A had been previously shown to passage in primary phytohemagglutinin-stimulated leukocyte cultures. The virus designated as leukocyte hepatitis virus (LHV) causes chromosome aberrations in the infected cultures. Some physico-chemical properties of LHV and its capacity for reproduction in other cell systems were studied. In serological surveys of patients and in studies of cellular immunity reactions of them LHV was found in cases of hepatitis. The possibility of producing a laboratory model of hepatitis in green monkeys, morphological reaction to inoculation with LHV, as well as the presence of specific antigen in the inoculated animals by immunofluorescence test using rabbit immune serum to LHV and FITC-labelled gamma globulins from hepatitis A convalescents were investigated. LHV antigen was found in the lymph nodes, spleen and liver. Active morphological reaction of lymph nodes and spleen was observed 30 days after inoculation of monkeys. The results indicate that in green monkeys LHV possesses marked reticulotropic properties without producing clinical hepatitis, therefore African grivet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops), apparently, cannot be used as experimental models for LHV studies in vivo.     

Suppressive effect of low molecular weight fibrinogen degradation products on human and rat lymphocytes

Low molecular weight dialysable fibrinogen degradation products (LMW-FDP) at concentration of 25 to 50 μg/ml strongly inhibited spontaneous and phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) stimulated incorporation of ³H-thymidine into cultures of human pheripheral blood lymphocytes and of rat lymph node cells. Dialysable peptides derived during proteolysis of highly purified human factor VIII induced similar effect at concentration of 1000 μg/ml.     

Action of methylxanthines and imidazole on the contractility of the terminal ileum of the guinea pig

Methylxanthines (aminophylline and caffeine) and imidazole, substances with an opposite action on phosphodiesterase (PDE), were found to contract the terminal ileum and to potentiate nerve-mediated responses — contractions elicited by electrical stimulation (ES) at 3 Hz and 30 Hz. Imidazole-induced contractions which were partly reduced by atropine, potentiated both responses to ES to about the same extent, and enhanced contractility of the preparation to histamine and potassium. The action of imidazole on the terminal ileum could be related to its influence on PDE in the smooth muscle.The effects of aminophylline and caffeine were found to be more complex, possibly involving some mechanisms other than inhibition of PDE. They produced atropine-sensitive contractions of the terminal ileum, which were potentiated by physostigmine and strongly depressed by hemicholinium. In the presence of atropine, they potentiated ES-induced contractions, particularly those elicited by ES at 30 Hz, which are thought to be of adrenergic orig origin. Both actions appeared to be due to presynaptic effects—activation of cholinergic and adrenergic neurons in the intestinal wall, possibly by enhanced influx of calcium, and facilitated release of acetylcholine and noradrenaline. Aminophylline, in concentrations which potentiated nerve-mediated contractions elicited by ES, did not affect direct smooth muscle-contracting action of drugs. Higher concentrations of aminophylline, above 0.1 mM, were found to inhibit histamine- and noradrenaline-induced contractions presumbly due to inhibition of PDE in the smooth muscle and subsequent elevation of cAMP levels.     

Therapeutisches Vorgehen bei Blutungen in den Gastrointestinaltrakt bei Refluxkrankheit des Oesophagus

Zusammenfassung An der I. Chirurgischen Universitätsklinik in Olomouc wurden in den Jahren 1976–1978 158 Patienten wegen Haematemesis and Melaena aus dem oberen Magen-Darm-Trakt aufgenommen. Refluxkrankheit des Oesophagus (RKOe) und Hiatushernien (HH) waren in 8,3% der Fälle die Ursache der Blutungen. Die akute Attacke kann in der Regel konservativ unter Kontrolle gebracht werden, und die Operation wird erst nach Beruhigung der Situation durchgeführt. Nur in Ausnahmefällen ist eine dringliche Operation notwendig. Bei den wegen RKOe in den Jahren 1948 bis 1978 344 Operierten traten in 11,3% der Fälle Blutungen auf. Bei 32 Patienten war die Ursache eine schwere Oesophagitis und bei 7 ein Oesophagusgeschwür. Bei RKOe wird die Blutung durch Antirefluxeingriffe zum Stillstand gebracht — am häufigsten durch die Fundoplicatio nach Nissen-Rossetti. Bei gleichzeitigem Auftreten eines Duodenalgeschwürs oder hoher Magenhyperacidität, kombinieren wir Fundoplicatio mit superselektiver Vagotomie.

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Therapeutic procedures in hemorrhage into the gastro-intestinal tract in reflux-esophagitis

Summary From 1976 and 1978, 158 patients with hematemesis and melaena from the upper gastro-intestinal tract were hospitalized at the Surgical clinic of the University Hospital in Olomouc. In 8.3%, reflux-esophagitis (ROe) and hiatal hernias (HH) were the cause of the hemorrhage. As a rule, the acute attack could be controlled by conservative treatment, and the operation was performed after the situation had calmed down. Only in exceptional cases an urgent operation was necessary. In the years from 1948 to 1979, 344 patients were operated on for reflux-esophagitis — hemorrhage occurred only in 11.3%. In 32 patients the cause of the hemorrhage was a severe esophagitis and in 7 of them an esophageal ulcus. In reflux-esophagitis, hemorrhage is controlled by antireflex operations — mostly by application of the fundoplicatio according to Nissen-Rossetti. When a duodenal ulcer or hyperacidity occur simultaneously, we combine fundoplicatio with superselective vagotomy.