Occurrence and character of a putative causative virus of enterically-transmitted non-A, non-B hepatitis in bile.

The present investigation confirms the possibility that the etiological agent of enterically-transmitted non-A, non-B (ET-NANB) hepatitis (type E hepatitis), multiplied in hepatocytes, is excreted into the feces via bile. The fecal extract was inoculated into 7 cynomolgus monkeys. Bile juice was collected directly from the gallbladder by needle puncture after abdominal operation 3 to 6 times during the experimental course.

Myelopathy due to osteochondroma: MR and CT studies.

A 9-year-old boy with multiple osteochondromas developed progressive transverse myelopathy. Magnetic resonance imaging and CT demonstrated an exostosis at C7-T1 with cord compression.

Enzymatic determination of bilirubin fractions in serum.

Novel enzymatic methods using bilirubin oxidase from Myrothecium verrucaria are described for the determination of bilirubin fractions in serum. These fractions include an unconjugated form (Bu), a conjugated form (Bc), and a delta fraction of bilirubin that reacts with direct diazo reagent and is irreversibly bound to serum albumin (B delta). The determination is based on the different reactivities of the enzyme to bilirubin fractions at different pH in the presence or absence of anionic detergent such as sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) or sodium cholate.

Effect of maternal urethane administration on the manifestation of cleft lip and palate in CL/Fr mice.

To determine whether the administration of urethane also decreases the associated cleft palate in CL/Fr mice, pregnant CL/Fr mice (30% of their offspring have spontaneous cleft lip with associated cleft palate [CL/P]) were treated with various doses of urethane on different days of pregnancy. In the groups treated with 250, 500, and 750 mg/kg urethane on day 9 of pregnancy, the frequency of CL/P decreased with the dose to 18%, 14%, and 11% of term fetuses, respectively. In the group treated with 1,000 mg/kg urethane on day 9, the frequency of CL/P decreased to 6%, but isolated cleft palate (CP) was observed in 23% of term fetuses.

Amino acid modulation of glucose-induced insulin and glucagon release in diabetic patients.

In order to determine whether amino acids have a beneficial effect on glucose tolerance in diabetes, the effect of intravenous infusion of mixed amino acids on plasma insulin, glucagon, and blood glucose responses to oral glucose loading was studied in patients with mild to moderate diabetes. Intravenous infusion of mixed amino acids over a period of 30 min which was started 30 min or immediately before oral glucose loading significantly augmented the insulin response but did not improve the blood glucose curve, probably due to excessive glucagon response. However, amino acid infusion over a period of 60 min started immediately before oral glucose loading evoked a sustained rise of plasma insulin associated with a lesser degree of glucagon secretion, thus causing significant improvement of the blood glucose curve.

Localization of cell groups sensitive to parathyroid hormone and calcitonin in rat skeletal tissue.

The level of cyclic AMP in various fractions of rat skeletal tissue was measured after in vitro or in vivo administration of parathyroid hormone and calcitonin. Incubations of bone fractions prepared from young (5 weeks of age thyroparathyroidectomized rats revealed that both parathyroid hormone and calcitonin increased the cyclic AMP level in fractions of epiphysis, metaphysis and marrow cells. Cyclic AMP accumulation in incubated perisoteum and diaphysis were induced solely by parathyroid hormone.

Effect of porcine calcitonin on the metabolism of calcium and cyclic AMP in rat skeletal tissue in vivo.

Infusion of 50 mU/100 g body wt of calcitonin induced a rapid and marked increase of cyclic AMP in calvaria as well as in plasma of thyroparathyroidectomized rats. These changes preceded the decrease in plasma calcium concentration seen after hormone administration. The possible relationship of this stimulation of cyclic AMP accumulation to the hypocalcemic effect of calcitonin was examined under several experimental settings.

The hypercalcemic effect of parathyroid hormone and skeletal cyclic AMP.

The effects of parathyroid hormone (PTH) on bone mineral mobilization are thought to involve the second messenger cyclic AMP. Intravenous administration of 10 U PTH induced rapid and marked accumulation of cyclic AMP in calvaria and plasma of thyroparathyroidectomized rats. The changes in cyclic AMP concentrations were not sustained, but returned to near-baseline values before the rise in plasma calcium concentration was manifest.