Since Schwartz et al, reported that 6-mercaptopurine suppresses antibody formation, many papers appeared reporting on inhibition of immune response by purine analogues. In the field of experimental tuberculosis, Arima et al. stated that sensitization of rabbits by killed tubercle bacilli was suppressed by 6-mercaptopurine. In contrast to the above papers reporting effectiveness of purine analogues, Tsukamura et al. reported that adenine itself is able to modify infection of mice with tubercle bacilli. It was thus desirable to obtain further informations on biological effects of nucleic acid precursors. The purpose of the present paper is to report on the effect of orotic acid and 4-amino-5-imidazolecarboxamide orotate on infection of mice with tubercle bacilli.

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It has been reported that the hepatic functional disorders induced by pyrazinamide (PZA)or ethionamide (TH) are observed frequently, and that TH causes a fatty liver in rat experimentally. To investigate the mechanism of fatty liver formation caused by TH, the following studies were made in regard to the changes of the factor of fatty acid synthesis and of the oxidative decomposition of fatty acid in rat liver.
Male Donryu rats weighing 100 to 150g w ere used. They were sacrificed at a fixed timeafter the administration of TH (60 to 200 mg/kg/day), PZA (60 to 200 mg/kg/day), CC1₄ (0.1ml/kg) and ethanol (5 g/kg). As regards the factors of fatty acid synthesis, the spec ific activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PDH), malic enzyme (ME) and isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICDH) in the soluble fraction of liver were measured spectrophotometrically by increase of NADPH₂ at wave length 340μ p. For the study of the fatty acid oxidation, on theother hand, the respiration and oxidative phosphorylation of mitochondria isolated from liver were examined by using a polarographic oxymeter with a rotating platinum electrode. The results obtained were as follows.
Fatty accumulation w a s remarkable in TH, CCl₄ or ethanol administered rat liver.
Among the NADPH₂ generating enzymes examined, the activity of G-6-PDH of TH administered rat liver increased two to three fold in comparison with the control, as well as in CCl₄ administered rat liver. The activities of ME and ICDH in the liver of TH administered rat s showed no remarkable change. G-6-PDH activity was enhanced also in the liver of fastedrefed rats or in the liver of rats fed with a low protein-high carbohydrate diet.
There was no greate differance in the activities of respiration or oxidative phosphorylation. between the mitochondria from TH (60 mg/kg/day for a week) administered rat liver and those from normal rat liver. But in the mitochondria from rats given 400 mg TH/kg at a. time, R. C and P: O ratios were decreased temporarily.
From the results mentioned above, it is suggested that the remarkable increase of fatty acid synthesis in liver may cause the fatty liver of TH administered rats.

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In order to elucidate the mode of calcification and ossification of the human rib-cartilage appeared on the routine X-ray film, the histologica investigations of the human rib-cartilage were made.
The rib-cartilage of 40 cadavers covering from the fetus to 76 years of age were examined radiologically, and fixed with 10% formalin. Decalcification was carried out using 10% formic acid-ion exchange resin method. The paraffin section, 5μ in thickness, was stained by Hematoxylin-Eosin, Azan, Weigert's Elastica, Silver impregnation and PAS stainings. On some sections, Gomori's staining and von Kóssa's staining were also carried out.
First, the effect of decalcification procedure on the stainability of cartil a g e tissue was studied. As to Hematoxylin-Eosin, Weigert's Elastica, Azan and Silver-impregnating stainings, no difference in the stainability was observed between the sections before and after the decalcification procedure; while, the stainability of ground-substance became less in PAS staining and stainability was lost in von Kóssa's staining after the decalcification procedure. These findings indicate that the choice of the staining method is important when observing the decalcified section.
Consecutive sections, 7μ in thickness, of the cartilage of the 1st rib of a new-born baby were projected on a paper by using microscopy, and cross-sections of the vessels on each section were traced on each paper. Following vessels on each cross section from paper to paper, three-dimensional structure of the vessels were re-constructed.
This reconstruction procedure of the vessels w as made as the anatomical structure of the vessels is considered to be an in- and export ways of calcium ion, thus playing an important role in the calcification and ossification of the rib-cartilage.
The rib-cartilage vein, which was called as the sinusoid by the author, was lined by a layer of cuboidal cells, and has a markedly large space as compared with the accompanying arterioles. Complicated branching and joining were observed, which were similar to the sinus of the spleen. The measurement of the sinusoid was carried out by using micrometer.
Several interesting findings concerning calcification of the groundsubstance of the ribcartilage were observed. Histological changes of the area surrounding the sinusoid and the stainability of the ground-substance were discussed.
Finally, the mode of ossification and ca l cification of the rib-cartilage was classified into the following 4 types:
Type I: Ossific a tion which occurs from perichondrium and progresses into the center of the cartilage, centripetally. This type was observed in the 1st rib-cartilage.
Type II: Ossification which arises from the upper or lo w er edge of the osteochondrous junction of ribs and stretches along both edges of the rib-cartilage, showing thorn likc- shadows This type was observed in the rib-cartilages except the 1st rib car tilage. Type
III: Calcification of the ground-substance of the rib-c. iirtila g e. This type was also found in the rib-cartilages excluding the 1st rib-cartilage, showing mr. riye or spotted shadows.
Type IV: Mixed type of the Types II and III.

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