In our previous paper, a marking effect of several metals on the calcium deposition (lithiasis) was demonstrated (1). Innumerable studies on the lithiasis, have been made so far from every point of view, but its cause is yet unknown. Many interesting problems still remain to be studied in the field of the calcium metabolism; the metabolism on the lithiasis has recently attracted our attention. This is the reason why the authors have undertaken to find out the state of calcium metabolism by the intravenous administration of calcium. The purpose of this experiment is an attempt to measure the amount of calcium and phosphorus in urine through the renal excretion and to compare the results between the normal and the lithiasis.

View full abstract

The activity of the cutaneous thermoreceptors in a certain area was investigated by an indicator of the afferent impulses in one nerve bundle.Thermal stimulus was applied to a skin-nerve preparation consisted of the dorsal skin and a dorsal cutaneous nerve of frogs with the thermal stimulator deviced by the author. The change of response shown by the manifestation of afferent impulses was analyzed. The following results were obtained.(1) The thermoreceptor responsible for the change in environmental thermal condition was recognized.(2) This type of receptor was less than the receptor of touch or pressure in number.(3) The distribution of one dorsal cutaneous nerve bundle was approximately 10mm in radius.(4) The extent of the indifferent temperature of the thermoreceptors moved in parallel with the atomospheric temperature. The extent of the indifferent temperature in 15 to 25°C of the room temperature became ±3°C wider than the latter extent.(5) The thermoreceptors responded to the thermal stimulation from about 5 to 40°C.(6) Thermal stimulation higher than the indifferent temperature caused the small impulses, and that lower than the indifferent temperature resulted in the large impulses. These impulses tended to increase with departing from the indifferent temperature.(7) Even at the same temperature the response varied by the direction of the increased or decreased intensity of stimulus.The author wishes to express the gratitude to Professor K. Suenaga, M. D. for the direction and advice, and also to all members of Department of Physiology for their various helps during the course of the study.

View full abstract

In a previous paper (1) the experiments were performed from the point of view that the hyperpolarization following the S. J. P. (small-nerve junctional potential) was an essential component of an S. J. P. In fact, most of S. J. P.'s obtained were followed by the phase of hyperpolarization, but in very infrequent cases no hyperpolarization of which causes remain obscure can be observed. As its cause someone considers the effect of injury. The upper S. J. P. with a hyperpolarization in Figure 1 was obtained, in spring, from a muscle which showed a typically intensive spike potential, however, the lower S. J. P. without a hyperpolarization, in Figure 1, was, in summer, recorded from a muscle from which a relatively lower spike potential was taken. But this correlation does not be exactly. Moreover, in that paper (1) it was described that the process for the depolarization of S. J. P. and that for its hyperpolarization existed independently. This fact may be supported by the description of Stephenson (2) that potassium accumulation and membrane potential change are not significantly correlated.The present paper focuses on the process determining the hyperpolarization (always outside-positive after potential) capable of observing in the S. J. P. Because the synaptic potential such as E. P. P. decays monophasically or recovers without a positive after potential, suggesting the passive recovery of the active membrane, S. J. P. may be not a simple synaptic potential.It is probable that. S. J. P. is the synchronized activity of non-conducted responses at a few small-nerve junctions in a tonic fiber, however, if these unitary non-propaga-table responses have no positive after potential it can not be considered that S. J. P. has a following hyperpolarization.

View full abstract

The erythirocyte of eel (Anguilla japonica) was fixed with bufferd osmium tetroxide solution and observed under an electron microscope; and the following findings were made.1. In erythrocyte of eel, an oval nucleus bounded by the nuclear membrane of distinct double membrane structure was observed. In places, the nuclear membrane had pores of 500-1, 000 A diameter and karyoplasm at those positions were homogeneous and varied from other granular parts.2. The cell body was bounded by the cell membrane of approximately 80 A thick. The cytoplasm as a whole showed uniformed a fine reticular structure and probably it was filled with hemoglobin.3. In the cell body a few rod shaped mitochondria were recognized and they were as usually consisted of limiting membrane, matrix and cristae.4. In the cell body, the tubular smooth surfaced endoplasmic reticulum was observed and it made a contact with the nuclear membrane in one place and with the cell membrane in another place. Also, it showed the gathering in a certain place and formed a reticular cluster, which could be considered as the Golgi apparatus.5. Those findings suggested that this cell was similar to the immature erythrocyte of mammal in several aspects.

View full abstract

The intersitial cell in the ovary has been studied extensively with a light microscope, morphologically and histochemically.There are much discussions, however, about its physiological function, especially the inner secretory activity. The literatures up to the recent years were reviewed by Watzka (11). In this paper, the interstitial cell in the mouse ovary is studied with an electron microscope and its fine structure including possible functional changes is described.

View full abstract

Summarizing the above mentioned experimental results, in the inhalation group of BHC powder, the rats showed symptoms of temporary excitability, eye hemorrhage and excess secretion of nasal mucous. Except a youngest and smallest of the 6 rats which died of convulsions, the remaining 5 rats survived and were not poisoned.The symptoms of mice were the same toxic symptoms accompanying each administration as was described in the first report. Slight tremors were observed and remarkable convulsions caused the younger ones to die early.In the DDT group, the symptoms of the mice showed the same results as the foregoing administrations. Severe tremors appeared and at last death resulted with convulsions.According to these results, it was shown that the inhalation of BHC and DDT powder was toxic to laboratory animals.Concerning the dust inhalation tests, the first problem is to be undeniable about the injurious effects of the inhaled powder dust itself.On the effects of powder or dust for living bodies are reported too many to enumerate, but in short they are: (1) intoxications or allergic diseases, (2) mucous diseases, (3) pulmonary diseases, (4) dissemination of infectious diseases and (5) der-matological diseases.The conditions which control the noxiousness of the dust are: (1) the size of the dust particles, (2) number, (3) hardness, (4) shape, (5) solubility, (6) electric chargeabilty, (7) deep-reaching action, and (8) chemical reaction and ingredient. Under these conditions the influences to living body varies greatly in degree.The atmospheric dusts enter into the body through the nose, mouth and throat. However, the skin and the mucous membrane are also concerned with that.When the dusts are inhaled, by the filtering function or self protective function of the body the dusts are discharged out of the body. When the bodies are forced to inhale an excessive quantity of dust, these self-protective functions gradually decline and the influence of the dust increases.Thus the results are that when the powder is inhaled into the lungs the soluble particles are dissolved into the humours of the surface of the alveoles and insoluble ones are stuck on the surface or are caught by the cells and entered into the organs, stimulated them, and caused inflammations and other changes.According to the author's experiments, in the inhalion test of BHC and DDT powder, remarkable specific toxic symptoms of BHC and DDT were caused by the inhalation and the changes were confirmed histopathologically. That is, the changes of the lung due to the inhalation of both powders were alveolar pneumonia and catarrhal pneumonia, in addition to emphysema, atelektasis, and hemorrhage.The effects of various dusts upon the lung and its histologic.al findings are agreed to by many research workers in the past. The changes of the lung in this test and the effects of the dust itself are not denied.As to the histological findings about the effects upon other organs than the lungs, both BHC and DDT powder showed toxicological changes in the liver and the spleen. Thus it is understood that these changes are not caused by the dusts alone. Each constituent of BHC and DDT, the organic compounds contained in the dust, are absorbed and the toxicity appears.Létard and Sacy (1945) reported that when the powder containing 3% BHC was sprinkled over the cornea of rabbits eye for 5 days, eye mucous membranes and nose mucous membranes did not show any symptom nor were tears recognized.According to the author's experiment, many lacrimations and eye hemorrhages were noticed in the rats exposed to the dusts. Consequently these symptoms seem to depend on the stimuli to eye mucous membranes.Moreover, Uruno et al. (1949) did a minute physical examination of the workers (male 94, female 41) of the DDT manufacturing industry and found that about 1/3 of the workers suffered from functional disorders of the liver.

View full abstract

The histopathological findings about the administrations of gamma-BHC and BHC-mixture are almost the same, and no differences of disorders in each administrations were observed.In the lungs, the congestion of blood vessels was clear, and hemorrhage, atelektasis, or catarrhal pneumonia were observed. These disorders were the same ones, as shown in the second report (2), in the dust inhalation tests of BHC and DDT powders. In the inhation test, it was not completely denied that these were caused merely by the mechanical obstacle of dust. The tests of toxicity by administering only fat or oil solution containing these two compoundss howed the same results. Therefore the above-mentioned pulmonary disorders can be inferred to be caused by BHC compound.In the liver, the cells of the middle part of the lobule were swollen and became transparent, the middle parts were infiltrated by fat and the peripheral parts had degenerated with fatty or fine vacuolation. It was evident that these were the toxic disorders of the liver.

View full abstract