Effect of injection ofCryptococcus heteropolysaccharide injection into bone marrow donors and recipients on structure of a heterotopic focus of hematopoiesis

Academician I. P. Pavlov First Leningrad Medical Institute. Leningrad Pharmaceutical Chemical Institute. Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 105, No. 3, pp. 352–353, March, 1988.     

Splenic haematopoiesis in patients with cirrhosis of the liver

Summary Hitherto it has generally been assumed that splenic haematopoiesis in adult humans occurs very infrequently and is predominantly associated with haematological disorders. In the present study of patients with cirrhosis of the liver, a marked splenic haematopoiesis was a constant finding. Moreover, low-level splenic erythro- and granulopoiesis was highly prevalent even in haematologically normal controls, while splenic thrombopoiesis was conspicuously absent in both groups. We suggest that splenic haematopoiesis results from entrapment and proliferation of circulating haematopoietic precursor cells in the splenic red pulp. This would account for the presence of splenic haematopoiesis in normal controls as well as in patients with cirrhosis of the liver. In the latter, stimulation of bone marrow haematopoiesis and increased splenic pooling of haematopoietic precursor cells may contribute to the marked increase of splenic haematopoiesis observed.     

Respiratory response to CO2 by controlled alveolar hypercapnia

A method of assessing the respiratory response to a hypercapnic stimulus after an increase in alveolar pCO₂ in accordance with an assigned program is suggested. The results are independent of the metabolic level, resistance to respiration, and other factors. Unlike the widely used rebreathing method, this new method enables the ventilatory sensitivity to CO₂ to be compared at rest, during muscular work, when the resistance to respiration is changed, and so on. It can also be used for both clinical and experimental investigations.Respiratory Physiology Group, I. P. Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Leningrad. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR V. N. Chernigovskii.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 89, No. 1, pp. 6–7, January, 1980.     

Ultrastructural studies on the localization of IgG in the aortic endothelium and subendothelial intima of atherosclerotic and nonatherosclerotic rabbits

Immunoelectron microscopy with peroxidase-conjugated Fab fragments of anti-IgG was used for studying the localization of IgG in the aortic endothelium and subendothelial intima of atherosclerotic and nonatherosclerotic rabbits. Small amounts of IgG were found in the cell coat, in caveolae and vesicles, and also in intercellular clefts of endothelial cells from normocholesterolemic rabbits. Injured endothelial cells exhibited prominent accumulations of IgG in the cytoplasmic matrix, possibly due to leakage through plasma membrane defects. In atherosclerotic lesions from hypercholesterolemic rabbits, there was a striking increase in the amount of IgG-reactive material in the cell coat and vesicles of intact endothelial cells. Also in these animals, injured endothelial cells were characterized by a cytoplasmic IgG accumulation. There were prominent IgG depositions in the subendothelial zone of the lesions. IgG was adhering to collagen fibers, and also coating the surfaces of subendothelial foam cells. The pathophysiological significance of an interaction between such intimal IgG and phagocytes is discussed.     

The early phase of experimental acute renal failure

Experiments were conducted to establish whether diminished solute reabsorption in the loop of Henle during acute renal failure could explain the loss of urinary concentration and participate in generating a tubuloglomerular feedback-mediated reduction in filtration rate. The electrolyte content of the fluid in the ascending limb of the loop of Henle was determined in situ by monitoring its electrical conductivity after propulsion into the distal tubule with a sudden burst perfusion. The value of the minimum electrolyte concentration decreased exponentially with increasing equilibration time, reaching a steady-state value equivalent to 27±9 mM NaCl in normal kidneys, 34±15 mM in mercuric chloride kidneys and 53±22 mM following ischaemia. A mathematical model was derived to describe the process of sodium chloride dilution from which it was possible to calculate both the permeability and transport velocity of the cortical thick ascending limb. In the normal kidney, the transport velocity was calculated to be 4.65±0.92 ·10^–5 cm/s, a value not significantly different from that of the mercuric chloride or ischaemic kidneys, and the estimated permeability was 1.13±0.52·10^–5 cm/s, not different from that of the mercuric chloride kidneys but significantly lower than that calculated for the ischaemic kidneys. It is concluded that for the more severely damaged ischaemic model, the loss of urinary concentrating ability was accompanied by a reduction in diluting ability of the ascending limb of the short loop of Henle, which appears to be due, at least in part, to an elevation of the passive permeability to sodium chloride in this segment.     

Psychosis as a predictor of response to lithium maintenance treatment in bipolar affective disorder

Sixty-six bipolar I lithium clinic patients were studied for a history of psychotic symptoms at some time during the course of their illness. Agreement between different sources of information was calculated, and the patient population was divided into psychotic and non-psychotic subgroups. Probability of remaining well on lithium for the different subgroups was analyzed by the life table method. Psychosis during mania appeared to be associated with especially good early lithium prophylaxis.     

Structural studies of murine I-E and human DR antigens.

The structures of murine I-E antigens from two strains of mice were compared to each other and to human DR antigens. Murine and human antigens were isolated by using allo- and xenoantiserum, respectively, and purified by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The murine I-E and human DR antigens consist of two polypeptide chains designated α and β. The E_α and DR_α chains display a high degree of amino acid sequence homology as do the E_β and DR_β chains, provided a gap is inserted at position 1 of the DR_β chain. Comparison of N-terminal sequences reveals several differences between the β chains of I-E antigens from the two strains of mice. In contrast no sequence differences between the two α chains are observed. In addition, comparison of tryptic peptides examined by isoelectrofocusing reveals several differences between the two E_β chains, but not between the two E_α chains. Thus, the polymorphism of murine I-E antigens and by analogy human DR antigens, may result from structural differences in the smaller (β) chain.     

Inheritance of ocular dominance

Evidence for an inherited component in the determination of the preferred eye in sighting dominance is presented that replicates the earlier findings by Merrell (1957). Significantly more left-sighting-preferent individuals were found in the progeny of R×L and L×L matings than in the R×R matings.The preparation of this study was supported by National Institute of Mental Health Grant MH-21989.     

The location and distribution of type A and type B atrial endings in cats

Summary In the attempt to explain the difference in discharge pattern of atrial endings, 131 endings were localized by punctate stimulation, 44 were type A, 77 type B and 10 of an intermediate type. All were located on the dorsal wall of the atria with none on the ventral wall or in the appendage. On the right side, 74% of type A were located in the atria and 63% of type B in or near the veins. On the left side, 67% of type A and 94% of type B were located in or near the veins. Thus, there appeared to be some difference in the location of type A and type B endings on the right side, but on the left side both types of endings were for the most part confined to the venous region. Further, on both right and left sides, these endings were present both in the central part of the atria and in or adjacent to veins. This leads to the suggestion that the difference in discharge patterns is not caused by the location but may be due to some other reasons, e. g. difference of arrangement in the atrial wall with respect to the contractile elements.