Leydig cell types in primary testicular disorders

Ultrastructural study of testicular biopsy specimens from 67 adults with primary testicular disorders (Klinefelter's syndrome, XX male syndrome, Del Castillo's syndrome, and cryptorchidism) revealed the following four Leydig cell types: 1) normal or nearly normal Leydig cells with abundant smooth endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria with tubular cristae, lipid droplets, and Reinke's crystals; 2) abnormally differentiated Leydig cells without either lipid droplets or Reinke's crystals but with altered mitochondria, concentric unfenestrated cisternae of smooth endoplasmic reticulum, and both paracrystalline and filamentous inclusions; 3) multivacuolated Leydig cells containing abundant lipid droplets; and 4) immature Leydig cells with scarce development of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria, and numerous cytoplasmic microfilaments. Abnormally differentiated Leydig cells might represent dysgenetic cells, whereas immature, normal, and vacuolated Leydig cells might represent three progressive stages in the Leydig cell cycle (undifferentiated, mature, and old involuting Leydig cells). An inverse correlation between the proportion of abnormal Leydig cells and testosterone levels was observed in each of these testicular disorders.     

Sister chromatid exchanges in patients with retinoblastoma

Spontaneous and mitomycin C(MMC)-induced sisyer chromatid exchanges were studied in 11 patients with retinoblastoma and 7 normal controls. Spontaneous rates were similar in patients and in controls. The MMC-induced rate was found to be significantly higher in bilaterally affected patients than in controls. It is suggested that this increase may be due to a DNA repair deficiency. However, it is not possible to clarify wether this abnormality is associated with the retinoblastoma gene or with another factor acting on the degree of expressivity of the disease in gene carriers.     

Initiation of mouse-killing behavior following amygdaloid lesions in the rat(author's transl)]

Long-Evans hooded rats were tested for emotionality and observed by pairs in an open field for 6 consecutive days. Postoperative observations indicated that both emotionality and social cohesiveness were dramatically altered by ventromedial and anterolateral hypothalamic lesions. Tegmental, interpeduncular and habenular lesions were shown to have no effect on these behaviors. Alterations in behavior observed following hypothalamic ablations were related to septal and amygdaloid effects, and the possibility of separate projection systems for emotionality and social cohesiveness was discussed.     

Cell-mediated immunity in leprosy and transfer of delayed hypersensitivity reactions

Eighty-nine patients with leprosy, 65 classified as lepromatous and 24 as tuberculoid, were examined in this study. Skin test responses to protein antigens and dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) were depressed in lepromatous patients compared to controls. Tuberculoid patients did not exhibit a significant depression to microbial antigens, but they showed a definite depression in the ability to be sensitized with DNCB. The transfer of delayed hypersensitivity reactions to tuberculin, trichophytin, and lepromin (Fernandez and Mitsuda reactions) was accomplished in lepromatous and indeterminate leprosy patients using viable lymphocytes from donors presenting positive reactions to these antigens. The lepromin reaction was also transferred to patients with South American blastomycosis and cutaneous leishmaniasis. The positive reactions of adoptive immunity were confirmed by histologic examination of skin biopsies.     

Factors that affect genetic interaction during mixed infection with temperature-sensitive mutants of simian rotavirus SA11

A number of factors that affect genetic interaction during mixed infection with temperature-sensitive mutants of simian rotavirus SA11 have been examined. (1) Statistical analyses of recombination frequency (RF) indicated that (a) the variability noted in RF was not related to variations in experimental conditions and (b) a linear map of the mutations could not be drawn. (2) The wild phenotype of recombinant progeny was stable on passage. (3) Aggregates of progeny virus or heterozygous progeny virus particles did not contribute significantly to the observed RF. (4) RF increased in parallel with multiplicity of infection. (5) A maximal, or near maximal, RF was obtained at the earliest time significant recombinants could be detected. (6) Recombination was efficient at nonpermissive temperature. (7) Complementation did not occur or was inefficient. (8) Mutants from all recombination groups interfered with the growth of wild-type virus at both permissive and nonpermissive temperatures.     

Influence of a monotonous food on body weight regulation in humans

Four human subjects were fed ad lib with a bland diet for a period of 3 weeks. Their body weight decreased by 3.13 kg during this period. It was observed that the shift of the palatability response to sucrose solutions induced by a gastric glucose load (alliesthesia) was not affected by such a reduction of body weight. This result was compared to a previous experiment showing a decreased alliesthesia after a body weight loss due to the restriction of a palatable diet. These results confirm the role of the palatability of the diet on the maintenance of a body weight level and provide evidence for an interaction between the two factors in determining the oral satiation process.     

Encuesta nacional sobre valoración de la actividad de los médicos internos residentes en los servicios de urgencias españoles

Introduction

The care activity of internal resident doctors is common to practically all medical and surgical training programs; however, there are no national data available regarding the situation of this activity from the perspective of the resident. The present study has sought to collect the opinion of the resident internal physicians on the health care performance and the teaching character that links them to their corresponding emergency departments, in the following areas: overall training value, appreciation of the workload, characteristics of the morning rotation, supervision or tutoring, etc.

Chromosome 1q terminal deletion resulting fromde novo translocation with an acrocentric chromosome

Summary Distal deletion of chromosome 1q has been reported in nearly 30 patients, all being associated with a deletion ranging from the 1q42 or q43 band to 1qter region. Here, we describe a girl with 1q terminal deletion resulting from an unbalancedde novo translocation t(1;D or G)(q44; p11), as revealed by the presence of a satellited feature and an NOR-stained region at the tip of 1q. We suggest that most of the phenotypic abnormalities seen in patients with 1q distal deletion are attributable to the monosomy for band 1q44.