1. Radioactivity and its distribution in the neonatal mouse brain following subcutaneous administration of ^<14>C-labeled monosodium glutamate (MSG) were studied by means of radiometry and freezing autoradiography. 2. The. brain level of radioactivity proportionally increased and peaked at 3 hours after the injection of radiolabeled MSG, then gradually decreased, whereas the blood level of radioactivity rapidly increased, peaking at 50 minutes, and rapidly decreased thereafter. 3. The radioactivity on the brain autoradiograph was less than in other head tissues, but marked accumulation of radioactivity was observed in the retina, lens, preoptic area, hippocampus, dorsal surface of thalamus, arcuate nuclear region, and choroid plexus of lateral and third ventricles at 15 minutes to 24 hours. These areas, except lens and choroid plexus, correspond to the sites of MSG-induced lesions.

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Forty cases of outer adrenal cortical cysts were observed in approximately 300 newborn and infant autopsies. The cases were divided into three groups, A, B and C. Group A consisted of 19 cases showing pulmonary atelectasis and or hemorrhage of the central nervous system. Group B consisted of 15 cases of various kinds of malformation including four cases of anencephalus. Group C consisted of 6 cases showing some kinds of damage to the central nervous system and a case of congenital necrotic peritonitis. The cycts were produced by retrogressive lesion due to the hormonal imbalance of placenta and pituitary which occurred in the individual adrenal glands. This is often seen physiologically in the baby between 1500 to 2500g and 3500 to 4000g body weight, and the cyst is thought to have the highest incidence among cases with pathological damage to the central nervous system. The origin of the cyst is probably hyperfunction of the outermost layer of the adrenal cortex and hypofunction of the inner layer of the adrenal cortex. Some of the cysts were probably produced from preexisting adrenal hemorrhage. Increase of the adrenal weight is related to the thickened x-zone, and a heavy adrenal gland does not mean that hyperfunction exists. The adrenal cortical nodules are seen frequently among cases with malformation. Finally, a case of adrenal rest tumor in the testis was found in each of the three groups, and all of them showed outer adrenal cortical cysts in their adrenal glands.

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A male sympodial (dipus) fetus born to a third gravida of 30 years age is described. This is the second case in the literature to display a hypoplastic urinary bladder with rudiments of the kidney and ureter. It is pointed out that the sympodial monsters are, as a rule, accompanied by a high type of the single umbilical artery which is capable of producing a wide variety of abnormalities. That the type of the resultant abnormality depends on the degree of replacement of the abdominal aorta by the umbilical artery, and on the attendant predisposing factors is discussed.

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1. F_1 female mice obtained from the cross between C57BL females (+/+) and MC males (mic/mic) were backcrossed to MC males or to C57BL males. Half of pregnant females were treated with trypan blue on day 7 of pregnancy. F_1 male mice obtained from the cross between C57BL females and MC males were backcrossed to MC females. The offspring were examined for eye abnormalities on day 18 of gestation. 2. When F_1 females were backcrossed to MC males, the incidence of microphthalmia was lower than expected from the genotype, and when the females were treated with trypan blue, the incidence increased as expected. When F_1 females were backcrossed to C57BL males, there was no difference in the incidence of microphthalmia between the trypan blue-treated and untreated groups. When F_1 males were backcrossed to MC females, the incidence of microphthalmia was as expected. 3. Trypan blue treatment increased the incidence of microphthalmia, suggesting a combined action of trypan blue and mic gene. The maternal genotype also influenced the manifestation of mic microphthalmia.

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