Non-cholinergic, excitatory junction potentials in smooth muscle of chicken rectum

Muscle strips from the longitudinal or circular muscle of the chicken rectum were used to determine changes in membrane potential during field stimulation as recorded using the sucrose-gap method. Stimulation with single square pulses (0.1 msec duration) evoked junction potentials elicited by transmitter released from nerve endings. Facilitation in amplitude of excitatory junction potentials (EJPs) was seen during repetitive stimulation in the longitudinal muscle, but in the circular muscle, EJPs reduced. Neither atropine nor hyoscine (up to 10(-5) g/ml) reduced EJPs. These drugs abolished the depression of EJPs in the circular muscle produced by repetitive stimulation. Anticholinesterases (2 X 10(--8)-2 X 10(-6) g/ml) reduced the EJPs. The inhibitory effect was produced without affecting the membrane resistance of smooth muscle and was completely antagonized by atropine (1-(-6) g/ml). Drugs that abolish the adrenergic functions did not affect the EJPs. These results suggest that nerves involved in the EJPs are non-cholinergic and non-adrenergic in nature, and the motor transmission to the smooth muscle may be inhibited by cholinergic nerves, presumably presynaptically.

A case report of primary hepatic carcinoma with prolonged HB virus infection and mono-clonal gammopathy

A case of alpha-feto protein (AFP) positive hepatic cell carcinoma has been presented in which the appearance of a mono-clonal gammopathy can be explained by persistent infection with HB virus (HBV). The patient, a fifty year old male, developed acute jaundice with hepatitis in July, 1952, and died of an hepatic cell carcinoma in December, 1973. The interest of this case lies in the fact that during the seven months prior to be patient's demise, a mono-clonal gammopathy of IgG (L type), together with positive titeres for HBs Ag (adr) and AFP, was demonstrated.

Tissue localization of C1q in HBs antigen positive liver disease patients by direct immunofluorescent technique

Tissue localization of a subcomponent of the first component of complement (CLq) was examined in one postmortem case of HBs antigen (HBs Ag) positive hepatocellular carcinoma and in six cases of chronic hepatitis from liver biopsy specimens. The direct immunofluorescent method was used after fixation with 2% para-formaldehyde in concentrated ammonium sulfate. CLq localization was found in collagen fibers and the cytoplasm of fibroblasts in the connective tissues of specimens examined. The localization was particularly marked in the region of the fundal glands of the gastric wall. Apart from collagen fibers, other sites of localization included the surface membrane of lymphocytes, especially those cells of the mesenteric lymph nodes. In HBs Ag positive specimens, immune deposit-like substances appeared localized intra-hepatically and in the renal glomeruli. Since C3 and C4 were identified concomitantly, it indicates that these substances were indeed immune diposits. Despite the finding that C3 and C4 were identified together in the hepatic cell cytoplasm, C1q itself was not demonstrated in all hepatic cell cytoplasms.

An epidemiological study of viral hepatitis type B in Taichung, Taiwan based on detection of HBc antibody

The city of Taichung (Taiwan) can be considered as one of the areas contaminated by HB virus. Using, as a control group, the population of three districts in Japan, i.e. 2,820 residents of the cities of Kumayama (Okayama prefecture), Bizen (Okayama prefecture), and Aki (Kochi prefecture), the extent of this problem was investigated by reference to HB antigens detected in 350 patients who presented at the Taichung hospital. The Taichung detection rates for HBs antigen, HBs antibody and HBc-antibody were 20.3%, 45.3%, and 96.9% respectively. In contrast to this, the results for the Japanese control areas were, in order, 1.2-2.9%, 14.3-22.2%, and 28.6-94.3%. The HBs antigen subtype in Taichung was predominantly adw (87.3%) rather than adr. It became clear that Taichung is, indeed, an area heavily contaminated with HB virus and, at the same time, that the number of patients with viral hepatitis type B is large.

Detection of HBs antigen in routine paraffin embedded liver tissue by enzyme-labelled antibody technique

HB surface antigen (HBs Ag) was detected using the enzyme-labelled antibody technique on routinely processed liver biopsy material fixed in Bouin's fixative and embedded in paraffin. Of 85 examined specimens, 45 cases were HBs Ag positive by both the immunofluorescent test and the enzyme labelled antibody technique. The remaining 40 cases were negative by both techniques. The specificity of HBs Ag detected by the enzyme-labelled antibody technique was confirmed by the blocking test using guinea pig specific HBs antibody. The results indicate that the enzyme-labelled antibody technique may be useful for detecting HBs Ag on routine paraffin sections.

Detection of liver HBc antigen and its antibody in sera from viral hepatitis by the immunofluorescent complement technique

Hepatitis B core antigen (HBc Ag) and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBs Ag) were detected in the liver tissue of a patient with chronic aggressive hepatitis by the immunofluorescent complement technique. The presence of anti-HBc was examined by the same method in 67 human sera previously tested for HBs Ag, anti-HBs and s-GPT levels. HBc Ag was localized mainly in the nucleus and sometimes in the cytoplasm of the hepatic cells. HBs Ag was found only in the cytoplasm. The focal area of HBc Ag positive hepatic cells seemed to correspond to the HBs Ag positive cells. Double staining demonstrated the simultaneous presence of HBs Ag and HBc Ag in individual cells. Anti-HBc positive serum was found in 46 (68.7%) cases. Forty-eight (71.6%) indicated a combination of HBs Ag and anti-HBc.

The prophylactic use of thio-tepa and urokinase in transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder: a preliminary report

The prevention of recurrences of bladder cancer was attemped in 48 patients by means of the combined intravesical instillation of thio-tepa and urokinase and in 28 patients through the instillation of thio-tepa alone. The recurrence rates of both therapies for the postoperative 18 months were 7.9 and 32.6 per cent, respectively, indicating a significant drop in the recurrence rate in the group subjected to the combined therapy. No significant difference was found between the 2 instillation groups in terms of the blood transmission of 32-P thio-tepa. Serious leukopenia was found in 2 of the 48 patients receiving the combined instillation therapy but we concluded that this was not attributable to the use of urokinase.