Glutamine-stimulated amino acid and peptide incorporation in Bacteroides melaninogenicus.

The uptake of a number of amino acids and dipeptides by cells and spheroplasts of Bacteroides melaninogenicus was stimulated by the presence of glutamine; 50 mM glutamine induced maximum uptake of glycine or alanine, and glutamine stimulated the uptake of glycine over a wide concentration range (0.17 to 170 mM). Glutamine stimulated the uptake of the dipeptides glycylleucine and glycylproline at significantly faster rates compared with glycine and leucine.

Surgical anatomy of the atrioventricular valve in the intermediate type of common atrioventricular orifice.

The intermediate type of common atrioventricular (AV) orifice is represented by a spectrum of anomalies lying between persistent ostium primum with cleft aortic leaflet of the mitral valve and the complete form of common AV orifice. This is a study of 81 such hearts. These hearts do not have a distinct cleft in the aortic leaflet of the mitral valve, nor do they have a common valve, as seen in the complete form of common AV orifice.

Cardiac pathology of Marfan's syndrome. Can dissection and rupture of aortic aneurysms be prevented?

A 10-year-old boy with Marfan's disease suffered an acute dissection of an aortic aneurysm. A dacron sleeve (extending from 3 cm above the sinuses of Valsalva to just distal to the left subclavian artery) was placed around the aorta. 2 years later the child succumbed to aortic dissection and rupture distal to the sleeve.

Infiltrative cardiomyopathy with conduction disease and ventricular arrhythmia: electrophysiologic and pathologic correlations.

Two cases are described, one of cardiac sarcoidosis and another of primary cardiac amyloidosis, in which correlation was made between electrophysiologic and postmortem conduction system studies. In Case 1 the electrocardiogram revealed right bundle branch block with first degree and intermittent third degree atrioventricular (A-V) block and recurrent unifocal paroxysmal ventricular tachycardia. Electrophysiologic studies disclosed normal sinus rhythm with prolonged A-H (175 ms) and H-V (60 MS) intervals and extrastimulus induction of repetitive ventricular firing.

Endocardial cushion defect associated with cor triatriatum sinistrum or supravalve mitral ring.

Clinical and angiographic or autopsy data, or both, on three children with a subdivided left atrium (cor triatriatum) and an associated endocardial cushion defect are reviewed. (One child had ostium primum defect, and two had complete atrioventricular [A-V] canal.) A fourth patient demonstrates the difficulties in differentiating subdivided left atrium from supravalve mitral stenosis in the presence of an endocardial cushion defect.

Failure of surgery in preexcitation. Correlation with pathologic findings.

A 37-year-old man with mitral stenosis and recurrent drug-resistant paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, and preexcitation, underwent two surgical attempts to ablate an anomalous pathway (AP). Electrophysiologic study demonstrated a left posterior AP with a short antegrade refractory period. Epicardial mapping at the time of mitral valve replacement (left lateral thoracotomy) suggested a posterior right AP.

Straddling and displaced atrioventricular orifices and valves.

This is an anatomic study of 96 hearts with straddling or displaced atrioventricular (AV) valves and orifices. In the complete form, both the annulus and the peripheral connections of either AV valve straddle a ventricular septal defect (VSD) and connect to both ventricles. In the annular form, only the annulus, and in the peripheral type only the peripheral connections of the valve are found in both ventricles.

Truncus arteriosus communis with intact ventricular septum.

This is the first documented case of truncus arteriosus communis with intact ventricular septum in which extensive clinical, haemodynamic, angiographic, and pathological data are available. Angiography suggested the presence of two discrete semilunar valves but necropsy showed a basically single semilunar valve. This case fills a gap in the spectrum of aorticopulmonary, truncal, and infundibular septal defects, and reinforces the belief that the essence of truncus arteriosus communis is a single semilunar valve, common to both ventricles, which need not be associated with the defects in the adjacent parts of the structural continuum.

Taussig-Bing anomaly with straddling mitral valve.

Five patients with the left-sided or intermediate type (Lev) of the Taussig-Bing anomaly were found to have an associated straddling of the mitral valve. In four patients the anomaly of the mitral valve was not recognized preoperatively, and all four died postoperatively. The persistent subpulmonic obstruction caused by the abnormal attachment of the anterior mitral leaflet is considered a significant factor in the poor operative outcome.

The conduction system in hypoplasia of the aortic tract complex.

This is a study of the course of the conduction system in two cases of hypoplasia of the aortic tract complex, one with mitral stenosis and the other with mitral atresia. In both there was a posterior atrioventricular (AV) node which formed the AV bundle. In case 1 the bundle was short and bifurcated early.

The relationship between single ventricle and small outlet chamber and straddling and displaced tricuspid orifice and valve.

This paper deals with the anatomic differences between single ventricle and small outlet chamber, straddling tricuspid orifice and valve, and displaced tricuspid orifice and valve. In single ventricle, both atrioventricular orifices enter a chamber which contains the sinuses of both definitive ventricles, while a small outlet chamber represents the definitive infundibulum of the right ventricle. In straddling tricuspid orifice and valve, the primitive left ventricle contains the sinus of the definitive infundibulum of the right ventricle.

Conduction system in two cases of sudden death two years after the Mustard procedure.

This report describes a serial section examination of the conduction system in two children who died suddenly 2 years following the Mustard procedure for complete transposition. The first child manifested sinus rhythm alternating with junctional rhythm in the last year of life. The second child, 2 months before death, had first-degree atrioventricular (AV) block which progressed to second-degree block with 2:1 conduction alternating with a junctional rhythm with AV dissociation.

Sphingolipid biosynthesis and vitamin K metabolism in Bacteroides melaninogenicus.

B. melaninogenicus provides a unique system for the study of the biosynthesis of an important group of lipids, the phosphosphingolipids. Sphingolipid biosynthesis can be repressed and induced by depletion and restoration of vitamin K.