The distribution of Catecholamine- and neuropeptide-containing nerve fibers was examined immunohistochemically in the human palatine tonsil. Frozen sections of immersion-fixed palatine tonsils were immunostained for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), neuropeptide Y (NPY), somatostatin (SOM), substance P (SP) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP).
Fine nerve fibers with a varicose profile which contained distinct immunoreactivity to each marker substance were found localized to the tonsillar hilus, connective tissue, septum and/or blood vessel wall in the interstitial spaces. In the germinal center and the extranodular lymphatic tissue of the tonsil, TH-, VIP-, NPY- and SOM-immunoreactive nerves were seen to travel for a short distance over lymphocytes. VIP-immunoreactive fibers were also distributed densely around the glandular mucous cells situated adjacent to the tonsil. In regard to the chemical innervation of other lymphatic tissues reported previously, both autonomic inflow systems and peripheral afferents were found to contribute directly to the neuro-immune communications in the lymphatic areas and the interstitium of the palatine tonsil.

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In the previous report (40) a method of preparing fluorescent antibody to gonococcus and the results of tests for its specific activity were described. Fluorescent antibody labelled with two or three fluorescein molecules was shown to be most useful in view of its specificity and staining potency. Among stock strains of genus Neisseria and of several gram-positive cocci, only meningococcus strains (Group A, B, C, and D) were found strongly cross reactive with the fluorescent antibody solution, although, because of the natural antibody involved, a strain of staphylococcus (209P) was stained to some extent. Further studies carried out thereafter on strains which were isolated from uretheritis and cystitis patients, and revealed that the unfavourable staining of microorganisms indigenous to urethral membrane would not be likely to occur, so far as the present fluorescent antibody solution was concerned.
The present studies were undertaken to make a clinical appraisal of fluorescent antibody technique (FAT) for the detection of gonocucci in specimens taken from patients. Specimens from 126 patients were examined by both gram and fluorescent antibody staining. One hundred and twelve males were suspected of gonorrhea and 14 females were mostly the sextual partners of male patients. Cultural examinations were carried out on 86 out of 126 cases. Gram staining demonstrated the presence of gramnegative diplococci in 85 cases (67.5%), as compared to that of specifically by FAT stained diplococci in 79 cases (62.0%).
Cultural examinations of 86 patients detected the presence of gonococci in 46 cases (88.5%) on the first trial. FAT-positive, culture-negative six cases were treated with placebo and subjected to cultural examination again on the next day. With this procedure five more positive cases were detected, making in total 51 positive cases (98.1%). The isolates were identified as gonococci by oxidase reaction as well as by fermentation tests when necessary. Thus, FAT and cultrual method gave nearly identical results in both positive and negative cases. This fact led the author to believe that the FAT is as much accurate and sensitive as cultural examination. About one fourth of the patients were examined by both direct and delayed methods of FAT. Both results agreed quite well in all of the cases tested.
Eighty-five gram-negative diplococci found by gram staining probably included nine microorgainsms other than gonococci, as revealed by FAT and cutrural examination. The causes of discrepancies between the results obtained by gram staining, FAT and cultural examination were discussed in detail. The specificity, sensitivity, simplicity and rapidity of FAT in demonstrating gonococci in specimens indicated the usefulness of this procedure as a diagnostic tool for gonococcus infections.

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癌細胞の分化誘導療法は, 白血病の治療法として最初開発され, その有用性が示唆されている。一方, 固形癌の分化誘導療法では神経芽腫, 消化器癌, 唾液腺癌において臨床試験あるいは前臨床試験の報告がなされている。
本稿においては, ヒト唾液腺癌細胞を用いて従来我々が行っている唾液腺における細胞分化の制御機構と唾液腺癌の分化誘導療法に関する研究について概括する。

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