Isolation of mouse hepatitis virus from infant mice with fatal diarrhea

An epizootic of fatal diarrhea occurred in mice which were approximately 10 days of age. The enteric lesions were similar to those reported in lethal intestinal virus of infant mice, but many diseased mice also had necrotic hepatitis. Mouse hepatitis virus antigen was demonstrated in the affected intestine and liver, and a virus that produced syncitium formation in mouse brain tumor cell culture was isolated from the intestines, livers, and brains. The virus was capable of producing intestinal and hepatic lesions similar to the naturally occurring disease after inoculation into suckling mice. Electron microscopy revealed viral particles within affected intestinal epithelial cells of the inoculated mice.

N4-Behenoyl-1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine as a potential new antitumor agent

N4-Acyl-1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosines, which are lipophilic antitumor analogs of 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine, were dissolved by the use of a detergent, HCO-60, and the differences in the antitumor activities when the drugs were administered in the forms of solution or suspension were compared. N4-Stearoyl-1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (NSC 201290), which was the most active compound when administered as an aqueous suspension, diminished in its activities after it had been dissolved into a clear solution, whereas N4-behenoyl-1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (NSC 239336) exhibited activities superior to those of the parent compound 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine when administered as a solution. Moreover, the high efficacy of this compound was long lasting in the host animal, regardless of the treatment schedules or the presence of the 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine-inactivating enzyme, cytidine deaminase.

Lipid cell tumor of the ovary: an ultrastructural study

An ovarian lipid cell tumor without Reinke's crystalloids in a woman with secondary amenorrhea, minimal hirsutism, and elevated 17-ketosteroid excretion was studied by light and electron microscopy. Tumor cells were found in small clumps or scattered singly within a collagenous matrix. The cytoplasm of the tumor cells contained abundant smooth endoplasmic reticula, numerous mitochondria with tubular cristae, lipid droplets, lysosomal dense bodies, and concentric membranous whorls, characteristic of steroidogenic cells. In addition, "peripheral canalicular systems" were found at the outer margins of the nests of the tumor cells. These "peripheral canalicular systems" were bordered by the cell membranes and the surrounding collagenous stroma into which microvilli projected. Since the intercellular canalicular system present between the tumor cells was continuous with the "peripheral canalicular system," both systems probably have a common function related to steroid metabolism. The intercellular and "peripheral" canalicular systems and cytoplasmic microfilaments found in this tumor suggest that this ovarian lipid cell tumor was derived from the ovarian stroma.

Antitumor activities of newly synthesized N4-acyl-1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine

New derivatives of 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine were synthesized and their antitumor activities were tested against mouse leukemia L1210. Among the 50 compounds investigated, a series of N4-acyl derivatives with long-chain saturated fatty acids were found to be highly active. The most active derivatives were N4-stearoly-1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine, which was administered in the form of suspension, and N4-behenoyl-1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine given in the form of solution. They were superior to the parent compound, 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine, in that smaller dosages exhibited strong activities regardless of the treatment schedule, and they were also resistant to cytidine deaminase.

Direct inhibitions of basal and arginine-induced plasma gastrin secretion by somatostatin in anesthetized dogs

Effect of somatostatin on plasma gastrin levels was investigated in anesthetized dogs. Somatostatin was infused into the right gastroepiploic artery and plasma gastrin levels in the right gastroepiploic, superior pancreaticoduodenal and peripheral veins were measured by radioimmnuoassay. Somatostatin suppressed basal gastrin level promptly in the right gastroepiploic vein and impaired the normal gastrin secretion in response to intravenous infusion of arginine. The inhibitory effect of somatostatin on the plasma gastrin secretion was quite clearly demonstrated in the right gastroepiploic vein. It appears likely that the inhibition of gastrin secretion by somatostatin resulted in direct action on the gastrin secretory cell.

A malignant tumor of the vagina resembling synovial sarcoma: a light and electron microscopic study

A malignant tumor arising in the upper lateral vaginal mucosa in a 24-year-old white woman, hitherto undescribed in the literature, was studied by light and electron microscopy. The main part of the tumor was epithelioid, forming a tubular or acinar pattern. At the periphery, the tumor cells were more spindly and formed sheets resembling fibrosarcoma. The tumor cells contained occasional material positive for mucicarmine, alcian blue, and PAS stains, and the nests of the cells forming acini were surrounded by reticulin fibers. The tumor ultrastructure consisted of a single type of cell with large cytoplasmic vacuoles and occasional perinuclear intracytoplasmic filaments. Slender long microvilli projecting into the lumina were also characteristic. Basal laminae were occasionally present around the acini. The findings suggested that the tumor was of mesenchymal origin, closely related to synovial sarcoma.

Gonadoblastoma: ultrastructural evidence for testicular origin

A gonadoblastoma arising in the dysgenetic gonad of a virilized 17-year-old Caucasian with a female phenotype and with a 45,X0/46, X-ring-Y genotype was studied by light microscopic histochemistry, electron microscopy, and ultrastructural histochemistry. The gonadoblastoma was composed of nests of cells containg large germ cells and small "granulosa-Sertoli-like cells," and stromal tissue containing "Leydig-like cells." The germ cells were identical to those found in normal fetal gonads and in germ cell tumors. Charcot-Böttcher crystalloids present in the "granulosa-Sertoli-like cells" strongly suggest that they are, in fact, Sertoli cells. Multilayered basal laminae located in the periphery of the tumor nests and in "hyaline bodies" were identical to those surrounding the seminiferous tubules of the adult testis. The "Leydig-like cells" present in the stroma contained occasional dense bodies and crystalloids which characterize the Leydig cells of the fetal testis. Delta 5-3 beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity was demonstrated in the periphery of lipid droplets and lysosome-like dense bodies of the Leydig cells, and in some Sertoli cells. The findings support the theory that gonadoblastoma arises in a dysgenetic testis rather than in a dysgenetic ovary.

Analysis of powder diffraction patterns of monoclinic and triclinic crystals

Based upon the published methods of indexing powder data of triclinic crystals, a systematic method of computerizing the procedures is devised and the ways of conveniently treating various errors are discussed. For monoclinic crystals, a new function, R'(i,h,k), is introduced and its efficacy of deriving lattice parameters is shown. The merits and demerits of the present methods are compared with those of methods previously reported.

Correlation of isotope effects with molecular forces, I. The diatomic molecule

The convergence properties of the individual terms in the finite orthogonal polynomial expansion of the partition function of a harmonic oscillator are examined as a function of the energy of the oscillator and the temperature of the system (u = epsilon/kT). The convergence of each term depends on the number of terms in the polynomial and the variable u. The jth term approaches within 1% of its asymptotic value when the order of the polynomial, n, equals (u/pi) + j + 1.These favorable convergence properties of the finite polynomials are used to relate the partition function of an oscillator and the difference in chemical properties of isotopes directly to molecular and intermolecular forces. A detailed discussion is given for the diatomic molecule. In this case it is possible to treat the quantum corrections of any order in terms of a single particle function multiplied by kinetic energy-coupling factors. The latter are formulated as simple mass ratios of the order of unity.