Ergot alkaloids and cyclic nucleotides in the CNS

Ergotamine and dihydroergotamine show a higher blocking effect towards the dopamine-induced stimulation of adenylate cyclase activity than to the apomorphine-induced stimulation. This could reflect a possible specificity of the compound to dopaminergic receptor. Bromocriptine blocks in a more competitive way the activation of adenylate cyclase induced in vitro by dopamine, but increases the levels of cAMP in rat striatum in vivo. This effect is blocked by haloperidol and reserpine when given together with bromocriptine. On the base of the biochemical observation and various behavioral data the drug has been used in the treatment of parkinsonism with contrasting results and of Huntington's chorea. Moreover, bromocriptine induces a marked decrease of cGMP levels in cerebellum such as haloperidol and chloropromazine while apomorphine and other dopaminergic drugs increase the levels of cGMP. At the dose of 1 mg/kg, bromocriptine as well as DH-ergotoxine markedly reduces the levels of striatal DOPAC.

[Geometric-mathematical analysis of transition errors in the articulator and their practical effects]

In a computerized program based on the conditions in the Dentatus articulator, those errors were calculated and graphically represented which resulted from the inaccurate registration of the following parameters: Sagittal and caudal distance of incisal point to condyle axis, condyle dise put into relation to 2 mm laterotrusion of a molar point. In both the frontal and the horizontal plane, the individual parameters led to differently great errors which influenced the working and the balancing sides differently. The greatest errors occur when changing the angle of the inclination of the mandibular condyle path and the sagittal and caudal distance of incisal point to condyle axis. Errors of several tenths of a millimeter in the frontal plane are potential disturbing factors.

[Composition and residence of hospitalised oral-surgical patients of the University of Halle dental clinic during 1962-1972]

The present paper presents selected results from a statistical inquiry about the composition and the residence of the inpatients of the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery and Surgical Stomatology of the Clinic and Policlinic of the Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg during the years 1962-1972. Preference is given to those results that illustrate the general situation of oral surgery in the GDR and emphasize the importance of this specialty in the framework of medical care of the population. Special attention is focused on problems concerning the area catered for. It is shown that the possibilities of the inpatient sector and the size of the area catered for are out of proportion.

[Long-term results in electric pacemaker therapy]

It is reported on experiences and results in 317 patients with altogether 690 implantations of pacemakers from 1963 to 1974 and under comparison and with reference to the up to now existing long-term results published in literature state and tendency of the medical and technical development of the electric heart stimulation are discussed. The average age of outpatients was 62.9 years with a peak of age of 46% in the 7th decade of life. 60% were male patients, 40% female ones. With about 50% the constant total atrioventricular block was the most frequent indication. 63% of the familiar types of pacemakers were biotronic apparatuses, 36% of them with fixed frequency. The average duration of the function of all apparatuses was calculated with 20.1 months. Hereby the biotronic types had the longest average function times of 26.7 months (frequency fixed) or 26.3 months (regulated). In 373 reimplantations is shown that 2.17 apparatuses were implanted in each patient. The total number of complications was 21.2% related to the total number of implantations. With 8.9% breaks of the cable were in the first place in myocardial electrodes. Dislocations of transvenous electrodes were observed only in 4.5% of our cases. With 5.8% pressure necroses and infections were the cause of complications stood in the second place concerning frequency. The total lethality was 23.7% with an age peak of 38% in the 8th decade of life. 13.4% of the cases of death belong to an early lethality with a prevailing part of epicardial implantations. In our patients the cumulative survival rate was after 1 year 89.3%, after 5 years 62.3% and after 8 years 47.7%. The 50% survival rate was ca. 7.3 years. In comparison to the population of the same age the average expectance of life is transgressed by about 6 years. The prolongation of the survival time by electrostimulation compared with the conservative treatment of the total atrioventricular block with Adams-Stokes-syndrome is the essential result of the pacemaker therapy.

Response times to electrocutaneous stimulation

Response times were obtained from 9 Ss responding to DC electrocutaneous signals. Each S received a series of 160 signals varying randomly in inter-signal interval (response to onset of next signal) and location. The results indicated that of the 5 inter-signal intervals employed, those being 7, 10, and 12 sec. in duration produced faster mean response times than those of 2 and 4 sec. Response times to the locations, the left hand, left foot, right hand, and right foot, did not differ significantly from one another but significantly interacted with Ss.