By86RbCl-extraction method, the effects of tetrandrine (Tet), verapamil (Ver) and propranolol (Pro) on myocardial blood flow of mice were studied. Both I.P. Tet 100 mg/kg and Ver 5 mg/kg increased the blood flow, whereas I.P. Pro 30 mg/kg did not. Pro counteracted significantly the increase of myocardial blood flow by isoproterenol, while Tet and Ver failed. On the other hand, Tet and Ver markedly antagonized the increase of myocardial blood flow by CaCl2, but Pro did not.
The results indicate that unlike the β-receptor blocking agent Pro, Tet may be a calcium antagonist similar to Ver.
The isolated rat uterus contraction induced by oxytocin and Ca+ + after high-K depolarization were markedly inhibited by tetrandrine (Tet). The depression was immediately reversed by addition of Ca++ to the bath fluid. Tet and verapamil (Ver), which shifted the cumulative dose-response curves to the right and depressed the maximal responses to CaCl2 acted as non-competitive antagonists. The oxytocin-induced Ca++-dependent contractions were depressed by 4.8 and 30 μM Tet. Tet 30 μM also inhibited the Ca++o-dependent component of the contraction.
The effect of Ver on isolated rat uterus was stronger than that of Tet. But up to 0.05 μM, it showed no effect on Ca+ +-dependent oxytocin contraction.
These results indicate that Tet is an effective Ca+ +-antagonist very similar to Ver on isolated rat uteri.
Acute poisoning was induced in rats by single and repeated exposures to the decoction of the root bark of Lei Gong Teng. Pathologic changes in the vital organs were studied by light and electron microscopy, and histochemically. The relatively specific and consistent pathologic changes following poisoning were observed in the lymphoid organs. Varying degrees of degeneration and necrosis in the parenchymatous cells existed in the heart, liver and kidney. The mechanism of toxicological pathologic changes and the relation between clinic and pathology were approached, and we postulate that the decoction possesses cytotoxic action which is analogous to that of immunosuppressive agent.
Effects of dauricine (Dau) on the physiologic properties of myocardium were studied in cat papillary muscles. Dau (32 μM) decreased the force of contraction to 72 ±3 % (P<0.01) and depressed markedly the excitability as well as epinephrine-induced automaticity, even in lower concentration (5 μM). It also prolonged the functional refractory period from 315±13 ms to 362±18 ms (P< 0.05). The results obtained indicate that Dau possesses calcium antagonistic effect as well as an inhibitory action on Na+ current in cat papillary muscles.
Our previous reports described the anti-arrhythmic and hypotensive actions of dauricine (Dau), an alkaloid isolated from Menispermum dauricum DC. In the present paper we made a study of its effects on isoproterenol and calcium-mediated dose-response relationships and on the electro-mechanical activity in cat papillary muscles, and compared its actions with those of tetrandrine and/or verapamil, propranolol, quinidine. The results obtained are summarized as follows.
| 1. | Dau 8 x 10-5 M shifted the isoprenaline dose-response curve to the right with decrease of its maximum effect, in which it resembled tetrandrine 10-5 M, verapamil 5 x 10-7 M, but differed from propranolol. |
| 2. | Dau, like tetrandrine and verapamil, showed dualism in calcium antagonism. |
| 3. | Effect of Dau on the electro-mechanical activity: It depressed and widened the R wave, prolonged R-T interval of the surface electrogram of cat papillary muscles, and its inotropic action was analogous to that of tetrandrine. Dau seemed to possess not only calcium antagonistic, but also “quinidine-like” action. |
This paper is a preliminary report of the results of a specific, quantitative method of rapid (4.5 h) βhCG-RIA of urine voided at any time for diagnosing early pregnancy. This method was performed in 50 cases. In all of them neither false positive nor false negative reactions were noticed. The βhCG-RIA showed positive results as early as on the 25th day of the menstrual cycle. This method has also been proved to be helpful in the early diagnosis of suspected ectopic pregnancies with negative pregnancy tests, in the detection of incomplete abortion and in the follow-up examination of treated patients with hydatidiform mole or choriocarcinoma. The urine voided at any time could be used as specimen for the rapid βCG-RIA which could be completed in 4.5 hours in our laboratory. The assay was clinically useful because of its shorter incubation time and the possibility of taking the urine as sample in the test instead of the serum specimen.
A comparative study of two-dimensional echocardiography with ECG was performed in 52 patients with myocardial infarction. Based on Sun’s ECG criteria for diagnosing ventricular aneurysm, the sensitivity of two-dimensional echocardiography (2-DE) to diagnosing ventricular aneurysm was found to be 73% and the specificity, 98 %. This article proposes the following 2-DE criteria for diagnosing ventricular aneurysm: (l) a localized bulge of the ventricular chamber throughout the cardiac cycle, (2) akinesia or paradoxical motion of the bulging ventricular wall. 2-DE can not only define the site of ventricular aneurysm but also furnish information on the size of ventricular aneurysm, the motion situation of the ventricular wall and left ventricular function, etc. Therefore, 2-DE is more valuable for diagnosing ventricular aneurysm than ECG.
A series of immunological studies has been carried out on various types of viral hepatitis B. The positive cell-mediated immunity to HBsAg and LSP and positive HBsAg immune complex accompanied with a reduction in ER positive lymphocytes and abnormal ADCC were observed in chronic active hepatitis, fulminant hepatitis and subacute liver necrosis. The patients studied also showed reduced suppressor cell activity, positive E rosette inhibitory factor and serum inhibitory factor of interferon induction. Temporary positive findings of these immune responses were detected in convalescent patients of acute hepatitis. On the contrary, asymptomatic carriers showed minimal or negative specific cell-mediated immunity and normal suppressor cell activity. Therefore, a classification of immune response in viral hepatitis B has been suggested.
Durch Abspaltung der endständigen Phosphatgruppe durch ein in Katecholaminspeichervesikeln vorhandenes Enzym wird ATP zu ADP umgewandelt. Dieses gereinigte Enzym (Fraktion I) ist ein Protein mit einem Molekulargewicht von etwa 45 000. Das Ziel dieser Untersuchung war der immunhistochemische Nachweis von F I außer in chromaffinen Zellen der Paraganglien auch in verschiedenen aminergen Geweben. Es zeigte sich, daß F I nicht auf die chromaffinen Zellen der Paraganglien beschränkt ist, sondern auch in Zellen vom System der Paraneurone, z.B. in den Zellen des Pankreasinselorgans, in enteroendocrinen Zellen und in Zellen des Plexus myentericus und Plexus submucosus des Magen-Darm-Traktes vorhanden ist. Die funktioneile Bedeutung von F I wird diskutiert.
The thyroid stimulating effect of tissue extracts was studied in rats. The serum levels of T4, T3 and cAMP content of thyroid increased significantly at 2–4th hour and then returned to the initial values at 6th hour after injection of spleen extract. After injection of placenta extract, the same levels increased markedly as well. Their stimulating effects on the thyroid system were probably independent of the response of the adrenal system. Administration of morphine prior to injection of tissue extracts blocked their stimulating effects on serum levels of T4, T3 and the cAMP content of thyroid.
The above results demonstrate that tissue extracts of spleen and placenta are capable of stimulating hypothalamo-pituitary-thyroid axis possibly via hypothalamus.
M-mode echocardiograms were studied in 40 patients with myocardial infarction. The results we obtained indicate that both EPSSa and EPSSb are very valuable indices for evaluating LV function in patients with myocardial infarction. Accuracy of EPSSb attained in this study is identical with that of EPSSa, and, in addition, the measurement of the former is simpler. Therefore, we recommend to use EPSSb instead of EPSSa in clinical practice
This paper presents our study on the composition and morphology of 56 upper urinary tract calculi with infrared spectroscopy and polarizing microscope, and our observation of the ultramicroscopic structure of calculi with scanning electron microscope. In 5 urinary calculi the nuclei were at first found to be pure calcium oxalate by X-ray diffraction and even verified by infrared spectroscopy, but later it was found that none of these 5 calculi was pure oxalate, and most of the 56 nuclei were mixed with apatite. Our preliminary viewpoint is, therefore, that at the initial stage of oxalate calculus formation the nucleation might be not homogeneous, in which apatite might play an important role.