Partial starvation, and "in vitro" contractions of rat uterine smooth muscle. Levels of glycogen and triglycerides.

The effects of a restricted-diet (50% of the normal intake during 25 days) on the isometric developed tension (IDT) of uterine horns isolated from diestrous non-cycling rats, were explored. After 60 minutes following isolation and mounting the IDT of controls suspended in glucose containing solution was higher than in preparations from underfed animals but this was no the case in the absence of glucose. Glycogen levels of controls at 60 minutes were smaller in substrate-free than in the presence of glucose whereas no change was detected in horns from restricted-diet rats.

Studies on the binding of IgG and F(ab) anti-A to adult and newborn group A red cells.

The values of the functional affinity constants for the binding of human IgG anti-A and its F(ab) derivative with adult and newborn group-A red cells have been determined. The values obtained for both monovalent and bivalent antibody with both types of cells were of the same order (about 1 X 10(8) M-1), indicating that IgG anti-A binds to red cells only by one of its F(ab) arms.

Plasma fibrinogen concentration in ABO-hemolytic disease of the newborn.

Plasma fibrinogen and total serum proteins were measured in infants affected by ABO-hemolytic disease and in normal infants' cord blood and blood taken 48 h after birth. The average plasma fibrinogen concentrations in the blood of infants with ABO-hemolytic disease was 447.36 mg/dl as compared with 267.

Complement fixation by Rh blood group antibodies.

Rh blood group antibodies normally do not fix complement. Rh positive intact red blood cells treated with papain do not lyse when incubated with corresponding antibody and complement. This study was done to determine if complement fixation occurs when antibodies were combined with Rh positive red blood cell ghosts untreated or treated with papain.

Is there a physiological intravascular coagulation in obstetrical cases?

The concentrations of plasmatic fibrinogen and its degradation products (FDPs), and the paracoagulation test using serial dilution of protamine sulphate (SDPS) were determined during the third trimester of pregnancy, labor, and puerperium. Singificant increases in the concentrations of fibrinogen and FDPs were observed throughout the process of pregnancy and birth, combined with both positive and negative SDPS tests. We suggest that these findings do not indicate a process of physiological DIC.

Antibody-coated bacteria and pregnancy.

A study is made of 158 pregnant patients, between 3 and 9 months pregnant, in order to determine, by means of urine culture and ACB, the index of subclinical infections during pregnancy involving the renal parenchyma. The conclusion is reached that these infections occur in 4.42% of cases and out of those cases 57.

Number of B sites generated on group O red cells from adults and newborn infants.

When red cells from the group O blood of adults and newborn infants (cord blood) were incubated with UDP-galactose and group B serum, over 200,000 B sites per cell were generated on adult O cells but only 40,000--70,000 sites per cell on cord cells. It is concluded that smaller amounts of substrate for the B transferase are present on cord cells.

Intravascular coagulation in obstetrics: Serial dilution protamine sulfate test throughout labor.

Serial dilution protamine sulfate tests (SDPS) were performed in 191 women during labor. It was found that 27 per cent of women with uncomplicated pregnancies and 42 per cent with complicated pregnancies had positive SDPS tests, the highest incidence being between three and six hours of labor. These findings support the previous report of a physiologic disseminated intravascular coagulation in pregnancy but make the SDPS test of little value in obstetric cases.

Kaolinite: synthesis at room temperature.

To obtain kaolinite at low temperature and pressure from the system Si(OH)(4)-Al(3+)-H(2)O, the sixfold coordination of aluminum is a necessary prerequisite. Kaolinite was synthesized at pH values from 2 to 9 and with a ratio of SiO(2) to Al(2)O(3) in solution from 1 to 10 by means of the complexation of Al(3+) and fulvic acid.