In vitro comparison of fibrinolytic activity of plasminogen activators using a thrombelastographic method: in vivo evaluation of the B-chain-streptokinase complex in the dog model using pre-titered doses

Thrombelastography was used to quantitatively compare the clot-lysing efficiency of 6 different plasminogen activators, using human whole blood, pooled normal plasma, and platelet rich plasma. The activators compared were the B-chain-streptokinase complex, the plasmin-streptokinase complex, the mini-plasminogen-streptokinase complex, tissue plasminogen activator, streptokinase, and urokinase. The most efficient activator found was the B-chain-streptokinase complex. This complex was 4.0 times more effective than streptokinase, 3.0 times more effective than the plasmin-streptokinase complex, 1.3 times more effective than the mini-plasminogen-streptokinase complex, 2.3 times more effective than tissue plasminogen activator, and 16.0 times more effective than urokinase. Although there were differences in both the coagulation and fibrinolysis thrombelastographic patterns between plasma and whole blood, the comparative efficiencies of each activator were the same with either plasma or blood. The B-chain-streptokinase complex was evaluated as a thrombolytic agent in clot-lysis experiments in the jugular vein in the dog model, using a thrombelastographic method to determine the minimum dose of activator necessary for clot-lysis. With 6 dogs infused locally with 0.25 mg (8000 I.U.) of the plasmin-streptokinase complex, the cumulative clot-lysis was 18.0 +/- 3.0% with the first dose, 33.0 +/- 2.1% with the second dose, and 55.2 +/- 8.6% with the third dose. With 6 dogs infused locally with 0.03 mg (2000 I.U.) of the B-chain-streptokinase complex, the cumulative clot-lysis was 30.6 +/- 6.4% with the first dose, 54.4 +/- 9.6% with the second dose, and 80.2 +/- 9.0% with the third dose.

An electron microscopic study of terminals of rapidly adapting mechanoreceptive afferent fibers in the cat spinal cord

The intra-axonal horseradish peroxidase technique was used to examine the central terminals of 7 A beta primary afferent fibers from rapidly adapting (RA) mechanoreceptors in the glabrous skin of the cat's hindpaw. At the light microscopic level, labelled collaterals were seen to bear occasional boutonlike swellings, mostly (75-82%) of the en passant type. These swellings were distributed more or less uniformly from lamina III to a dorsal part of lamina VI in the dorsal horn, over a maximum longitudinal extent of about 4 mm. At the electron microscopic level, we observed that labelled boutons of RA afferent fibers were 1.0 to 3.3 micrometers in longest sectional dimension, and contained clear, round synaptic vesicles. They frequently formed asymmetric axospinous and axodendritic synapses and commonly appeared to receive contacts from unlabelled structures containing flattened or pleomorphic vesicles plus occasional large dense-cored vesicles. The examination of synaptic connectivity over the entire surface of individual boutons indicated that RA afferent boutons each made contacts with an average of one spine and one dendrite and, in addition, appeared to be postsynaptic to an average of two unlabelled vesicle-containing structures. This synaptic organization was, in general, more complex than that we had seen previously in Pacinian corpuscle (PC) and slowly adapting (SA) type I mechanoreceptive afferent fibers. Our findings indicate that RA, SA, and PC afferent terminals, while displaying some differential synaptic organizations, have many morphological and synaptological characteristics in common. These afferent terminals, in turn, seem to be generally distinguishable from the terminals of muscle spindle Ia afferents or unmyelinated primary afferents.

Spectral broadening of ultrashort pulses in a nonlinear medium

Spectral superbroadening of ultrashort-pulse propagation in a nonlinear medium is calculated by solving the nonlinear-wave equation more exactly. The effects of four-wave mixing and pulse deformation on phase modulation are included. The results yield an asymmetric Stokes-anti-Stokes broadening in fair agreement with the experimental observation.

Organization of the infraorbital nerve in rat: a quantitative electron microscopic study

The normal organization of the rat's infraorbital (IO) nerve was studied using conventional electron microscopic (EM) methods. Just caudal to the infraorbital foramen, at the level of the anterior superior alveolar foramen, the nerve was composed of 18-25 fascicles which ranged from 575 to 87,923 micron2 in cross-sectional area. Complete axon counts from thin sections taken at this level demonstrated that the IO nerve contained an average of 19,740 (S.D. = 2054) myelinated and 13,319 (S.D. = 1159) unmyelinated axons. The average diameter (including the myelin sheath) for medullated fibers was 4.42 micron (S.D. = 1.76) and that for unmyelinated axons was 0.60 micron (S.D. = 0.16). The fiber diameter distributions for both myelinated and unmyelinated axons were essentially unimodal.

An electron microscopic study of primary afferent terminals from slowly adapting type I receptors in the cat

Primary afferent fibers transmitting impulses from slowly adapting (SA) Type I receptors in the glabrous skin of the hind paw of the cat were injected intraaxonally in the spinal cord with horseradish peroxidase (HRP). At the light microscopic level, terminal arborizations were observed in the medial dorsal horn extending up to 6 mm rostrocaudally in and near the seventh lumbar segment. Boutonlike swellings labelled with HRP were distributed in clusters in Rexed's laminae III-VI. There was a tendency for the most dorsal clusters from an individual fiber to be located rostrally and for the most ventral clusters to be located caudally. At the electron microscopic level, a combination of morphometric analysis and serial reconstruction revealed the following: (1) All the boutons labelled with HRP contained predominantly clear, round synaptic vesicles, 40-50 nm in diameter. (2) Labelled boutons (n = 75) had cross-sectional longest dimensions of 1.72 +/- 0.53 micron (Mean +/- S.D.), perimeters of 4.95 +/- 1.52 micron, and areas of 1.18 +/- 0.59 micron 2. Their shapes in section varied from rounded to elongated forms. (3) The sizes of labelled boutons decreased significantly and linearly with depth from lamina IV to VI. The shapes of the bouton cross sections also became rounder with depth in the dorsal horn. (4) About 72% of synaptic contacts associated with HRP-filled boutons were with dendritic spines and shafts; most of these synapses were of the asymmetric type. (5) The remainder (28%) of the appositions were synapselike contacts between labelled boutons and unlabelled structures containing flattened or pleomorphic vesicles, and occasional dense-cored vesicles. (6) We observed no unequivocal axosomatic contacts made by labelled boutons. (7) The lengths of synaptic appositions with dendritic spines (0.46 +/- 0.20 micron) or with dendritic shafts (0.51 +/- 0.18 micron) were significantly greater than the synapselike contacts with vesicle-containing unlabelled structures (0.29 +/- 0.09 micron). (8) Complex neuropilar organization was occasionally seen with labelled boutons as central elements, although simpler organizations were much more common. In summary, HRP-labelled fibers ended predominantly in boutons containing clear, round vesicles forming axospinous and axodendritic synapses.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Enteral administration of agar as an effective adjunct to phototherapy of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia

Phototherapy increases the biliary excretion of unconjugated bilirubin. In this form, bilirubin would be subject to enterohepatic circulation, and the true efficacy of phototherapy would be blunted. We tested the hypothesis that sequestration of lumenal unconjugated bilirubin by enteral agar administration would enhance the efficacy of phototherapy in jaundiced infants. Fifty-two infants were studied, 21 control and 31 agar-supplemented. The birth weights, sex distribution, and postnatal age at onset of phototherapy did not differ between the two groups of infants; pre- and post-phototherapy bilirubin concentrations also did not differ between the groups. The bile acid concentrations and bilirubin saturation indices were also similar. The rate of declination of the plasma bilirubin concentrations after 24 h of phototherapy was greater and significantly more uniform in the agar-supplemented infants (-1.59 +/- 2.3 versus -2.51 +/- 1.44). Stool frequencies were greater in control infants (5.5 versus 4.3 per 24 h) whereas fecal bilirubin excretions were greater in agar-supplemented infants during the second day of phototherapy (1.32 versus 3.29 mg . kg-1 . 24 h-1). Agar supplementation reduced the duration of phototherapy by 23% (37.6 +/- 3.2 versus 48.1 +/- 5.0 h).

Studies of rhenium carboxylates as antitumor agents. Part II. Antitumor studies of bis (mu-propionato) diaquotetrabromodirhenium (III) in tumor-bearing mice

The neutral, dimeric complexes of rhenium, bis (mu-carboxalato)-diaquotetrahalodirhenium (III) (carboxalato = acetato, propionato, or butyrato and halo = chloro or bromo), were synthesized and survival studies were done on mice bearing P-388 leukemia or B-16 melanoma. The complex bis (mu-propionato) diaquotetrabromodirhenium (III) proved to be the most effective in increasing the life span of the mice. The complex showed some activity against B-16, but virtually none against P-388. The complexes are all quite non-toxic.

Reduction of interference by specific IgG with a modified microtiter solid-phase radioimmunoassay to measure honeybee venom IgE

By means of monoclonal mouse anti-human IgE antibody, the microtiter solid-phase radioimmunoassay (MSPRIA) was modified to measure honeybee venom (HBV) IgE. HBV IgG was measured by MSPRIA(G) using affinity column purified goat anti-human IgG antibody and correlated with results obtained with staphylococcal protein A-SPRIA. Nonlinear specific IgE dilution curves were associated with high HBV IgG content. By serial transfer and assay of the supernatant, the interference of IgE by specific IgG could be reduced. The degree of interference was correlated with the specific IgG content. The principle of serial supernatant transfer and assay was applied to the standardization of reference HBV IgE serum, and the quantitation of HBV IgE contents in patients and controls. HBV IgE levels in patients allergic to honeybee stings correlated with the skin-test endpoint titrations. While 75% of the allergic patients were skin-test positive, 83% of them were IgE positive by the MSPRIA and 67% were IgE positive by the RAST.

Honey bee venom specific immunoglobulin G4 in honey bee sting allergic patients and bee keepers

Honey bee venom (HBV) IgG4 antibody was studied in bee keepers and honey bee sting allergic patients on immunotherapy using mouse monoclonal anti-human IgG4 antibody in a modified microtiter solid phase radioimmunoassay (MSPIRA). The mean HBV IgG4 in bee keepers was 31 units/ml. In patients the mean HBV IgG4 pre- and post-immunotherapy were 2.9 and 11.6 units/ml, respectively, representing a mean rise of 7.3-fold as compared to a rise of 1.6-fold for total HBV IgG. The mean HBV IgG level in bee keepers was 14 micrograms/ml which was not significantly different from the mean level of 17 micrograms/ml in allergic patients at diagnosis. The percentage interference of HBV IgE detection in vitro correlated with HBV IgG but not with HBV IgG4. On the other hand, there was an inverse relationship between serum HBV IgE and HBV IgG4 levels while none was found for HBV IgE and IgG.

Studies on the relations of selenium and Keshan disease

Keshan disease is an endemic cardiomyopathy of unknown cause in The People's Republic of China that occurs most frequently in children under 15 years of age and women of child-bearing age. Studies of children 1-9 years old in Mianing County of Sichuan Province have indicated that Keshan disease is a selenium responsive condition. Incidence rates of 9.5-13.5/1000 in 1974-1975 were reduced to 1-2/1000 in children treated with a tablet weekly of 0.5-1 mg sodium selenite. During 1974-1977, only 21 cases of the disease occurred in 36,603 treated children, compared with 106 cases in 9430 untreated children, of whom 53 died and 5 still have insufficient heart function. Occurrence of the disease was invariably associated with a lower selenium content of cereals, and of hair (less than 0.12 ppm Se) in residents from affected, compared with non-affected, areas. The dose relationship between selenium and regional characteristics of Keshan disease suggests that it is probably a biogeochemical disease; other etiological factors have also been considered.