A new approach to measure restlessness.

A new method to measure restlessness is described. It consists mainly of recording thoracic electrical impedance and measuring the amount of movement artifacts appearing in the pneumographs. Technical equipment and data evaluation are described; an example of typical data is given together with proposals as to how the method may be automated. Potential applications in different fields of interest are described.

Bleomycin: effect on satellite DNA in mouse fibroblasts.

The effect of Bleomycin on the semiconservative replication of mouse nuclear DNA has been studied. When asynchronously dividing mouse fibroblasts (L-cells) were grown in the presence of 5-bromodeoxyuridine (25 mg/l medium) for 18 h, three hybrid DNA bands with densities of 1.722, 1.752, and 1.761 kg/l appeared after caesium chloride density gradient centrifugation of nuclear DNA. In cells exposed to Bleomycin (100 mg/l) however, replication of satellite DNA is more strongly inhibited than is the replication of the main band DNA; preferentially the thymidinerich hybrid duplex at 1.761 kg/l could no longer be detected.

Effect of Vaporub and petrolatum on frequency and amplitude of breathing in children with acute bronchitis.

Transthoracic impedance pneumographs from sixty children suffering from acute bronchitis were studied to investigate the effect of Vaporub on the amplitude and frequency of breathing. The experimental technique consisted of an observation period of 70 minutes after a 3-minute treatment with Vaporub or petrolatum as a control. Before the treatment, after an adaptation period of 20 minutes, the pneumogram was recorded for 10 minutes, after the treatment pneumograms were recorded for 70 minutes. The pneumograph data demonstrated an early increase in amplitude up to 33.0%, with subsequent return to slightly above control for the remaining test period. Such an increase was not observed in the Petrolatum-treated group. Breathing frequency demonstrated a progressive decrease to 19.4% of the pre-treatment value at the end of the test period, while the Petrolatum controls were between + 3.6 to - 4.2% difference. It is concluded that Vaporub treatment results in a change in breathing patterns. This, together with the clinical observation of the children suggests a condition of 'easier breathing'.

Effect of Vaporub and petrolatum on skin and rectal temperature in children with acute bronchitis.

Fifty-six children, suffering from acute bronchitis were studied. Skin temperature and rectal temperature were simultaneously recorded over a period of 90 minutes after 3-minute rub therapy on chest and back with either Vaporub or its base Petrolatum. A statistically significant increase in skin temperature as compared to the pre-treatment was observed; with Vaporub, however, the increase was 1.1 degrees C on average at the highest point of a large plateau reaching from 30 to 90 minutes after the treatment. Rubbing Petrolatum alone showed 0.2 degrees C on average on the top of the temperature plateau. Rectal temperature did not show significant changes with either therapy. On comparing temperature data of the same type in healthy children, the time course of the temperature elevation (which also was observed in healthy children after Vaporub treatment), was different from that of bronchitic children. In the bronchitic children the temperature rise was still 0.9 degrees C 60 minutes after treatment. In the healthy children after 60 minutes, the temperature elevation was only 0.4 degrees C above the pre-treatment value.

Effect of Vaporub on the restlessness of children with acute bronchitis.

In this study pneumographs of children with acute bronchitis treated with Vicks Vaporub or Petrolatum were used. Movement artifacts were used as a measure of the so-called "restlessness" of the children. The experimental schedule consisted of a 10-minute phase of recording before a 3-minute treatment with Vaporub or Petrolatum, followed by a 70-minute observation period, during which time pneumograms were also recorded. Thirty-four Vaporub-treated children showed an increase in periods without movement artifacts of up to 213.8%, the Petrolatum controls, twenty-six children, up to 62.4% as compared to the corresponding pre-treatment values. It is concluded that Vaporub is effective in decreasing restlessness in children suffering from acute bronchitis. This effect is quite marked and cannot be due solely to psychological effects of the rub therapy, or to effects of petrolatum without aromatics.

[Experiments on the biosynthesis of UDP-Glucuronyltransferase and UDP-Glucosyltransferase under the influence of eucalyptol (author's transl)]. / Untersuchungen zum Wirkungsmechanismus von Eucalyptol auf die Biosynthese der UDP-Glucuronyltransferase und UDP-Glucosyltransferase

To elucidate the reaction mechanism of the increased elimination rate of bilirubin in the blood of newborns under the influence of Eucalyptol, we performed a study on young mice. The following results were obtained: UDPGA-T activity is increased 33%, if measured with 4-MU as substrate after a single injection (i.p.) of Eucalyptol (0.3 mg/g body weight), with bilirubin as substrate the increase is 112%. UDPG-T activity increases 29%. The enhancement of enzyme activities can be inhibited by Actinomycin D (1 MUg/g body weight) 30% (bilirubin), 48% (4-MU) respectively in the case of UDPGA-T. Under cycloheximide (2 mug/g body weight) the increase of the activity of UDPGA-T is suppressed by 59% (bilirubin) or 99% (4-MU) as compared to the corresponding controls. No significant difference in the activity of UDPG-T by actinomycin or cycloheximide can be observed between the controls and the Eucalyptol-treated group. We conclude that the increase of enzyme activity of UDPGA-T is mainly due to enzyme induction, while in the case of UDPG-T activation of enzyme molecules might be the underlying mechanism. The effect of Eucalyptol on the bilirubin level in the blood of newborns is comparable to the effect of phenobarbital.

[Tubular and intestinal phosphate transport in vitamin D-resistant (hypophosphatemic) rickets (author's transl)]. / Tubulärer und intestinaler Phosphattransport bei der Vitamin D-resistenten Rachitis (Phosphatdiabetes)

Renal clearance and intestinal absorption studies were performed to investigate the renal and intestinal handling of phosphate under various conditions in two female patients with VDRR. The two types of transepithelial phosphate transport in the renal proximal tubule and intestinal mucosa are discussed. The defective parathormone sensible transport mechanism is slightly depressed under the influence of parathormone and activated after treatment of vitamin D in one patient, in the other no further inhibition by PTH could be observed. Electrolyte excretion in urine remains stable during treatment with vitamin D 3. Therapy consists of administration of oral phosphate and of pharmacologic doses of vitamin D.

The effect of bleomycin on mitochondrial DNA.

Covalently closed circular mitochondrial DNA (mt-DNA) from mouse fibroblasts (L-cells) forms a separate band from nicked circular or linear DNA molecules in ethidium bromide-cesium chloride byoyant density gradient analysis. The conversion of covalently closed circular mt-DNA to nicked circular or linear DNA may serve as a sensitive method of detecting DNA strand breaks induced by bleomycin (BLM). At a very high concentration BLM induces the conversion of closed circular mt-DNA to nicked circular or linear DNA, however even after 24 h of exposure to BLM at a high concentration a considerable amount of closed circular mt-DNA molecules remains intact.

The effect of hyperthermia on DNA repair.

In the past there were many individual observations on the value of hyperthermia in the treatment of human neoplasia but most of the information about the value of hyperthermia as a single agent or in the combined modality approach has come from laboratory investigations. Dose response curves for cell survival after exposure to heat are similar in shape to cell survival curves obtained after irradiation or treatment with some cytostatic agents. The shoulder in such curves suggests that repair of sublethal or potentially lethal damage takes place after hyperthermic treatment. On the level of molecular biology the process of cellular repair should correspond to repair of damage inflicted on deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). We have shown by means of the BUdR assay that such DNA-repair synthesis does take place upon exposure to heat. Many investigations have provided evidence of a synergism between hyperthermia and ionizing irradiation or some cytostatic agents. It was suggested that such synergism might be caused by the inhibition of repair of sublethal damage by heat. After inflicting DNA damage by a strong alkylating agent (NA-AAF) we could demonstrate DNA-repair synthesis by means of the BUdR-assay during exposure to heat. At the present time results obtained by assaying DNA repair on the basis of cell survival and by means of the BUdR-assay are difficult to reconcile.

Effect of bleomycin on the fine structure of mouse fibroblasts.

Asynchronously dividing mouse fibroblasts (L-cells) treated with the antitumour antibiotic Bleomycin show various rather specific morphological alterations. Many of the cells exposed to bleomycin assume a more or less epitheloid cell shape and are larger than untreated cells; in addition to an increase in nuclear size these cells often contain multiple nuclei. In most of the cells nuclei show an almost complete loss of peripheral condensed chromatin. The nucleolar hypertrophy initially observed is followed by a shrinkage and segregation of the nucleolar components. The cytoplasmic alterations include dilatation of the cisternae of the rough endoplasmic reticulum as well as an increase of free, non membrane attached ribosomes, often arranged in spiral- and rosette-shaped polysomes; they are not specific for bleomycin.

Experimental investigations into the pathogenesis of endocarditis due to shock.

Generalized Shwartzman reaction (GSR) was induced in rabbits by two intravenous injections of endotoxin 24 hours apart. Consumption coagulopathy was found in all cases. Histological investigations showed an abacterial endocarditis (thrombotica or verruccosa simplex), comparable to the one seen in humans after shock, in 69% of the treated animals. Biopsies of mitral valve were investigated by electron microscopy. In the early stage of GSR the valvular alterations were characterized by an oedema of the entire valve, an increase in the number of microvesicles in the endothelial cytoplasm, and a marked enlargement of endothelial cell surface by numerous cytoplasmic projections. At a later stage autophagic vacuoles, often showing a destruction of their membranes, and degenerative changes in cytoplasmic organelles occurred in many cells of the valve. On the other hand there were cells in the endothelium, which presented a distinctly increased number of Golgi complexes and of cisternae of rough endoplasmic reticulum. In other regions ruptures of endothelial plasmalemma, as well as hemorrhages into the valvular stroma were observed. Thus predestined loci for thrombogenesis were formed. In conjunction with these structural changes three factors may be involved in the formation of endocarditis due to shock: 1. hypercoagulability in the course of consumption coagulopathy, leading to precipitation of fibrin and platelets in the circulating blood; 2. turbulences of the blood flow, which are produced by the closure of the heart valves, and favour thrombogenesis on valves: 3. direct changes of the endocardium during endotoxemia. Quantitative changes in the different compartments of intracytoplasmic organelles in many cells of the endothelium during the later stage of GSR are discussed.

[Effect of insulin and glucagon on the anomeric composition of D-glucose in blood (author's transl)]. / Einfluss von Insulin und Glukagon auf die Anomeren der D-Glukose im Blut

The effect of insulin and glucagon on the anomeric composition of D-glucose in blood of children in the timecourse of tolerance tests has been investigated. Employing an improved enzymatic micromethod, specific for the anomers of D-glucose, insulin could be shown to raise the percentage of the alpha-anomer of the total serum glucose, whereas glucagon has no direct effect on the anomeric composition. However, an insulin-like effect could be observed in the second part of the glucagon tolerance test, e.g. alpha-D-glucose increased relatively to total glucose in serum and erythrocytes.