In order to determine the effects of the difference in resting metabolism resulting from the intracellular anatomical architecture the active transport and the dissociating movement of radioisotopic Na and Ca ions from the cell portion and from the fibre portion were comparatively investigated in the ganglion-root preparation of which cell portion is morphologically and hence metabolically different from the fibre portion. The ion movement was studied by washout experiments of²²Na and ⁴⁵Ca from the ganglia and the roots, and the intracellular amount of Na ions was determined in each portion by flamephotometry. Both the spinal ganglia and the root fibres were used as a whole either to soak with test solutions or to label with radioactive ions, and then divided into the ganglion portion and the fibre portion for the purpose of performing washout experiments of radioisotopes from each portion or of determining Na content within each portion. 1. The effluxes of ²²Na or ⁴⁵Ca were not so uniform not only in resting efflux but in responsive efflux between the cell portion and the fibre portion even under the same experimental condition. ²²Na effluxes from the ganglion and the root behaved in a manner which was qualitatively different from each other, whereas ⁴⁵Ca effluxes from both portions did in a manner which was quantitatively similar, the discrepancy, particularly in the former, being dependent on the difference in intracellular morphological architecture and hence in biochemical nature between two portions.2. The depressive effect of K free Ringer on ²²Na efflux was more marked in the cell portion than in the fibre portion. Similarly, ouabain was difficult to demonstrate its inhibitory effect on ²²Na efflux from the fibre portion but caused a decrease in it in the cell portion. Cyanide showed a reduction of ²²Na efflux only in the cellular portion but demonstrated the same effect on ⁴⁵Ca dissociation similarly in both portions. With regard to ²²Na and ⁴⁵Ca efflux, the difference in resting efflux between the cellular portion and the fibre portion was not significant but the change in responsive efflux was markedly discrepant between two portions. The more active the resting metabolism the more intense is the change in responsive efflux of Na ions.3. The effect of decalcification on internal Na content and its change was similar in both portions, whereas both K free Ringer and ouabain Ringer known to affect selectively membrane or intracellular metabolism via the activity of membrane ATPase demonstrated Na accumulation more markedly in the cellular portion than in the fibre portion. The effect of K free Ringer on ⁴⁵Ca efflux and that of ouabain on it were in the opposite direction. There is a difference in responsive Na extruding mechanism between the cellular portion and the fibre portion, and the difference reflects the quantitative difference in intracellular resting metabolism between two portions. On the contrary, the movements of ⁴⁵Ca which were similar in both portions under the same condition represent that the dissociation of Ca⁺⁺ is a superficial phenomenon at the plasma membrane of the tissue and is relatively independent of intracellular metabolism.

View full abstract

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) is present in many tissues and is thought to play some important role in the physiological function. It has been also proposed that the effects of some drugs, such as lysergic diethylamide or reserpine, might be mediated through an alteration in endogenous 5-HT. The several reports regarding to assay method of 5-HT in tissues have been presented. Firstly, 5-HT was determined by bioassay procedure but this method was found to be inadequate owing to its non-specificity. Udenfriend et al have applied the fluorometric method to the estimation of 5-HT in the brain by a procedure involving its extraction step into butanol. The method, however, was not sensitive enough to examine a single rat brain. They also used the direct method in which the extraction procedure was not involved, but this method is not suitable to the brain because relatively large amounts of unknown fluorescence substances are present. Although it has become later possible to examine 5-HT of a single rat brain by reducing proportionately the volumes of the various reagents which are used in the fluorometric procedures, its sensitivity may not still suffice to determine tissue 5-HT. Therefore, in order to assay of 5-HT in the mouse brain, the tissues from 2 or 3, or 5 mice are currently pooled. However, the determination of 5-HT should be done in more detail for the purpose of evaluating a role of 5-HT involved in the physiological function or pharmacological actions. For example, the assay of 5-HT in several parts of the brain separated according to those function, or subcellular distribution of 5-HT in some tissues have been become the subject of investigation. The more sensitive assay method, therefore, is to be awaited with interest. The present study was performed with a view to determining the more sensitive and simple assay method of 5-HT, and the fluorometric procedure described by Bogdanski et al was modified.

View full abstract

During May to August of 1967, aseptic meningitis was prevalent chiefly in Kyushu. It was revealed that this was an epidemic of ECHO virus type 9.The present paper reports the results of study of this epidemic.The study is divided into the following parts:(1) Laboratory data from aseptic meningitis cases.(2) Distribution of cases according to age, sex, geography and season.

View full abstract

So-called lungworms belong to the Metastrongylidae and pulmonic parasites very difficult to remove in the field of clinical veterinary medicine. Particularly, swine lungworms are regarded as important parasites affecting the swine industry in Japan. It is also difficult to kill these worms with any type of chemical agent. It was reported by Swartzwelder et al. in 1957 that dithiazanine iodide (DI) had a rather remarkable anthelmintic effect upon various species of nematode harbored in the intestinal canal. At present, studies are widely conducted on the anthelmintic effect of DI upon nematodes and trematodes parasitic to internal organs, other than the digestive tract. It is expected that new findings will be obtained from these studies in near future. The authors applied DI experimentally to swine lungworm infection and recognized its therapeutic effect on it. The present paper deals with the results of experimental treatment with DI.

View full abstract

Recently, transmission of Myc, leprae to mice which had been established by Shepard, have been employed for immunological and chemotherapeutic studies. In these experiments, effects of drugs tested are estimated by reduction of solid form in bacilli stained under the definite condition. In the case of Myc. lepraemurium, stained properties of the bacilli are very variable and subtle depending upon staining conditions. The present paper describes factors influencing morphological index of acid fast bacilli, in order to contribute to the studies on a relationship between staining quality and vitalities of Myc. leprae and lepraemurium.

View full abstract

In the animal experiments, arboviruses are usually inoculated intracerebrally to susceptible animals such as mice. However, other inoculation routes, for instance, intranasal or intraperitoneal inoculation are sometimes used depend upon the experimental purposes. Although it is obvious that the virus inoculated by intraperitoneal or intranasal routes finally must reach the nerves of brains, it is not yet clear whether the virus goes directly to the central nerveous system or not.In the present paper, an intrabulbar inoculation of arbovirus which has not been used, so far, is described and the results obtained are compared to the data of routine inoculation route of arboviruses.

View full abstract