Vascular endothelial cell factor VIII/von Willebrand factor antigen (FVIII/vWF Ag) of normal and disordered gastric tissues was studied with staphyloceocus protein A-gold (PAG) labelling followed by photochemical silver reaction. FVIII/vWF Ag was localized clearly in the tissue fixed with various common fixatives and embedded in paraffin without enzyme treatment. The most satisfactory staining and the least nonspecific background were observed in the tissues fixed with Zamboni’s and Bouin’s solutions. The staining reaction could be enhanced, if the sections were preteateed with trypsin and subtilisin. Under the electron microscope, the gold particles were found over the Weibel-Palade bodies of vascular endothelial cells in the tissues fixed either in Zamboni’s solution or in Zamboni’s solution-osmium tetroxide, and embedded either with Lowicryl K₄M or With Epon 812. It has been proved to be a better technique in investigation of FVIII/vWF Ag in vascular endothelial cells.

To investigate HBV infection in anti-HBe positive Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis, demonstration of intrahepatocellular HBV-DNA was performed by in situ hybridization technique, coupled with detection of intrahepatic HPcAg and HBsAg. Eased on the presence or absence of HBV-DNA, HEcAg and HEsAg of 15 cases, three subgroups were identified; 1) 4 cases with HBV active replication characterized by intrahepatic HBV-DNA, HBcAg and HEsAg copositive; 2) 8 cases with HBV incomplete replication or antigen expression defined as positivity of both intrahepatic HBV-DNA and HBsAg; 3) 3 cases with HBV inactive replication described as absence of intrahepatic HBV-DNA, HBcAg and HBsAg. All findings strongly suggest that different HBV infection status could be distinguished among Chinese patients with seroconversion from HBeAg to anti-HBe positivity: a small number of cases had stopped replication; but part of the cases was still undergoing HBV active replication; on the other hand, HBV infection status in half of the remaining cases seemed to stay in an intermediate phase from active virus replication to inactive replication.

A biolin-labeled DNA probe specific for hepatitis B virus (HBV) nucleotide sequences was hybridized in situ to liver tissue of 129 cases with liver disease. It was found that HBV DNA was predominantly visualized in cytoplasm of hepatocytes in three patterns: cytoplasmic compact, discrete and inclusion pattern. Its distribution in parenchyma in the sections of specimens may be defined as lobular, focal and spotty. The detection of intrahepatic HBV DNA depended on two factors, at least in the present study: 1) liver disease activity; chronic active hepatitis (CAH) group had a significant higher prevalence (81%) as compared to cirrhosis, chronic lobular hepatitis (CLH), acute hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) groups; 2) HBV infection state: HBV DNA was more easily detected in HBeAg positive or intrahepatic HBcAg positive patients than in single HEsAg positive or anti-HBc cases. The findings that hepatocytes expressing HBV DNA, particularly in focal distribution, were closely related to hepatic necrosis sites suggested that HBV replication might occur in conjunction with hepatic necrosis.

Intracellular recordings were made to investigate the responses of membrane potential to acetylcholine (ACh) on neurons in isolated toad dorsal root ganglion (DRG). In the 73 neurons examined, 67 were of type A, and the remaining 6 of type C cell. The resting membrane potential of these two types of cells was −67.5±1.3 mV (× ±SE). During the application of ACh (4 × 10^-4–6 × 10^-4 mol/L), the changes in membrane potential were as follows: 1) hyperpolarization, with amplitude of 9.1±3.0 mV (X ± SE; n = 23); 2) depolarization, with amplitude of 12.9 ±2.2 mV (X ±SE; n = 20); 3) biphasic response, i.e., hyperpolarization with amplitude of 8.0±2.4 mV (X±SE) followed by depolarization with amplitude of 10.9±2.1 mV (X±SE) (n=24); no effect (n=6).

The hyperpolarization induced by ACh was blocked by superfusion with atropine (1.3 × 10^-5 mol/L; n = 23), while ACh depolarization was blocked by the mixture of d-tubocurarine (1.4 × 10^-5 mol/L) and hexamethonium (1.4 ×10^-5 mol/L) (n = 18). When ACh caused hyperpolarization, the membrane conductance wascin reased by 13.8% and the reversal potential was about -96 mV (n=3). TEA (20 mmol/L) superfusion enhanced ACh depolarization amplitude by 48.2 ±3.2 % (× ± SE;n = 6), and depressed ACh hyperpolarization amplitude by 79.4 ±4.3 % (× ± SE; n= 8).MnCl₂ (4 mmol/l) superfusion decreased the amplitudes of ACh depolarization and hyperpolarization by 54.2 ±7.2 % (X ±SE; n= 5) and by 69.2±6.4 % (X±SE; n = 14) respectively. These results suggest that the depolarization and hyperpolarization induced by ACh are mediated by nicotinic and muscarinic receptors on the soma of toad DRG neurons separately, and it seems that ACh hyperpolarization involves activation of calcium-activated potassium conductance.

The chemical nature of the spinal ganglionic neuron with peripheral processes projecting divergently to the somatic and visceral areas, has been identified by means of tri-labeling method of combining fluorescein tracing with immunocytochemistry. 10 rats were used. First, 2 μ1 of 2% fast blue(FB) were injected into the left coeliac ganglion. Two days later, 2% nuclear yellow (NY) was injected into left 9–11 intercostal nerves, 1 μ for each. On the 4th day, the animal was perfused with 10% formal in in 0.1 mol phosphate buffer. The left T_9–11 spinal ganglia were removed and cut into sections by cryostat. The sections were observed under fluorescence microscope and photographed. The results showed that there were three kinds of neurons in the spinal ganglia; 1) single FB labeled cells with blue fluorescent cytoplasm accounted for 38.8% of total cells; 2) single NY labeled cells with yellow fluoresceent nuclei accounted for 52.796; 3) FB and NY double-labeled cells, mostly small or medium in size, accounted for 8.5%. Then, the sections containing doublelabeled cells were further processed by substance P-demonstrating PAP immunocytochemical staining. The photographs with immunostaining and fluorescein labelings in the same section were compared. We found that the labeling ratio of SP/NY was 1.4%, SP/FB was 7%, and SP/NY+FB was 28.8%. The present study detected not only the convergence of somato-visceral sensation in the spinal ganglia but also the chemical nature of these neurons containing substance P (SP) for the first time. In addition, these results may provide a morphological basis for the mechanisms of referred pain and somato-visceral reflection.

This study investigated the role of prostaglandins (PGs) and leukotrieres (LTs) in hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV) and in cigarette smoking-induced changes in hemodynamics and HPV in Wistar rats. Selective LTD₄-LTE₄ receptor antagonist LY-171883 (LY) inhibited HPV by 71.8%, while cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin (IND) augmented HPV. The results indicate that LTs mediate HPV in Wistar rats. Smoking increased the level of TXB₂ over control by 143.6% in plasma and 69.2% in lung tissue, concomitantly, pulmonary and systemic vascular resistance (PVR and SVR) were increased by 38.7% and 46.7%, respectively. Eoth LY and IND prevented the smoking-induced increase of PVR and SVR. After smoking HPV increased twofold. The increase of HPV was abolished by LY, but not by IND. Our results suggest that smoking leads to pulmonary and systemic vasoconstriction partly mediated by TXA₂ and LTS; smoking also leads to an augmentation of HPV, and LTs. play an important role in it.

Karyotypes and in vitro cultures of bone marrow cells from eleven patients with acute myelogenous leukemia M₂ type were performed. 8/21 translocation was found in 5 patients. In all of them the cultures in vitro shared one characteristic, i.e., clusters were small and less in number. These patients could relatively easily obtain complete remission. The similarity of CFU-GM in patients with t (8;2l) may be another important biological phenotype.

Hemorrheological studies carried out on 14 recipients of cadaveric kidney transplant regularly before and after transplantation showed very significant differences in plasma viscosity in the period of stable function after successfully transplanted kidney, dialysis before transplantation, and renal rejection (P<0.00l). Significant difference was observed in fibrinogen level in cases with stable normal function and rejection (P<0.05,). Significant positive correlation was found between plasma viscosity and fibrinogen level in patients on dialysis as well as after transplantation. The results in this series showed that abnormal changes in hemorrheology respond to the development of rejection episode and deterioration of renal function in patients after receiving cadaveric renal allografts.

This article presents a further description on the background, significance, and structure characteristics of Quantitative Medicine Simulation and Opeation by Computer (QMSOC). Also some basic operators were recommended for calculations of biomedical events such as estimation of substance concentrations, exploration of etiology, evaluation of biomedical effects, etc. At last some differences of QMSOC from other artificial intelligent systems in the medical field were discussed.

The role of lipoxygenase and cyclooxygeriase metabolites in acute hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV) was studied in piglets, it has been found that acute alveolar hypoxia induced remarkable pulmonary vasoconstrion, associated with an increase in cardiac output. The hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction response was insignificantly attenuated after infusion of DEC. indomethacin potentiated mar kedly the increase in pulmonary artery pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance and thus augmented HPV. It is inferred that hypoxic pulmonary vsaoconstriction in piglet may be mediated by other important mediators in addition to leukotrienes, but modulated by prostaglandins to prevent an excessive rise in pulmonary artery pressure.

Murine immunocytoma cell line, NS-1, was fused with spleen cells of Balb/C mice which had been stimulated by tolerogenic disaggregated human gamma globulin and immunized by purified serum IgM from the patient with chronic B cell leukemia (B-CLL). 10 hybridoma cell lines secreting monoclonal anti-idiotype (anti-Id) antibodies to human CLL were obtained. The McAbs were subclasses belonging to IgM and of IgG mouse. Specificity and biologic characters of the monoclonal anti-Id antibodies from culture fluid or ascites were assayed by ELISA, indirect mixed ELISA sandwich, ELISA inhibition, immunofluorescence (IF) and IF inhibition. The study also proved that monoclonal anti-Id antibodies could react with homologous IgM, but not with Ig from normal donors or a panel of patients with myeloma. The results of IF and IF inhibition assay showed that monoclonal anti-Id antibodies were bound to lymphocytes of patient with B-CLL. Their reactivity was inhibited by homologous IgM, but not by lymphocytes of patients with ALL or lymphoma. Monoclonal anti-Id antibodies were heterogenous reactive patterns with cell lines in vitro.

Extracelluar recording method was used to examine the effect of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) on 71 unit discharges of pain-excited neurons (PEN) in mesencephalic reticular formation (MRF) in 58 rats. Intracerebroventricular (icv) injection of TRH (10 Hg/10 μ) produced significant decrease of pain discharge rate of PEN. TRH potentiated the inhibitory effect of el elctroacupuncture (EA) on nociceptive discharges when application of EA at bilateral “Zusanli” was coupled with icv injection of TRH. Both of these inhibiting effects of TRH were completely offset or strikingly decreased by icv preinject ion of the cholinergic M-receptor blocker atropine. The results mentioned above and the mechanism of the inhibitory effect of TRH on pain discharges were discussed in this paper.