Acta Medica Okayama volume19 issue4

As is generally known, the energy transducing reaction in mitochondria is of highly complicated one. Free energy produced by transferring electrons from substrate to oxygen, where many dehydrogenases and respiratory chain of mitochondria are concerned, is transduced to ATP formation or utilized for the ion accmulation reaction, synthesis of various substances, reversal electron transport and the mechanochemical changes of mitochondria. The mechanism of these energy trasducing reactions which is supposed to be closely related with each other, has not yet been clarified. The authors tried to solve these biological energy transducing mechnism by applying physical circuit theory in electronics and elucidate that the energy transduction occurring in mitochondria can be explained theoretically. And some unknown but possible reaction have been postulated from such a physical consideration.

1. For the purpose to clarify the role of reticuloendothelial cells in the center of erythroblastic islet, the medullary and extramedullary erythropoietic foci in convalescence of phenylhydrazine arternia were observed by light and electron microscopies, and the mode of development of anemia in rabbit having blocked RES. 2. Light microscopic observations revealed the stimulated formation of erythroblastic islet in phenylhydrazine anemia. Electron microscopic observations revealed the rhopheocytotic vesicles in the membrane of erythroblast, some of which contained ferritin particles. 3. Repeated India ink injections induced anemia with RES damage by being heavily laden with soot particles. Color index of these animals was not reduced to the state of hypochromic anemia. Anemia is due to the damage of erythroidcell reproduction, but not due to the disturbed hemoglobin metabolism by the inhibited iron uptake. 4. From the results obtained the author concludes that the role of reticuloendothelial cell in islet is not to transfer ferritin to erythroblast but the reproduction of erythroid cells.

Adenovirus 12-induced tumor has been so far considered to be an undifferentiated sarcoma, but in the present study it has been possible to obtain such electronmicroscopic findings that substantiate well the theory of the neuro-ectodermal supporting cell origin as suggested by the observation at optical level. In other words, a specific clinging picture of cellular membranes and the presence of desmosomes have been demonstrated. In addition, though only in rare instances, the presence of virus-like particles have been verified, and some comments have been made about the relation between tumor and the appearance of virus as well as about carcinogenic mother cell.

From the histochemical study on the vascular distribution of limb muscles of cats and rats, the following results were obtained. 1. The red, white and intermediate fibers of the soleus and gastrocnemius individually present dissimilar patterns of the vascular distribution. In the transverse section of the muscle, most of the capillaries are found preferentially assembled around the small red fiber. Usually the red fibers are supplied with 4-6 capillaries, while the intermediate fibers 3-4 capillaries and the white 1-2 capillaries. 2. In the longitudinal section, the capillaries run parallel with the muscle fiber. Occasionally, these capillaries branching out for anastomoses cross the fiber almost at right angle. These anastomoses are more frequently observed on the red fibers. 3. The soleus muscle is better supplied with capillaries than is the gastrocnemius, because this muscle is composed only of two types of capillary rich fibers, namely, the red and intermediate fibers. 4. The mean capillary-fiber ratio of the cat gastrocnemius proves to be 0.6 and that of the soleus 1.4. 5. From these observations, it is considered that there is an intimate relationship between the capillary distribution pattern and the type of individual muscle fibers. 6. The red fibers being with a high oxidative enzyme activity and rich in mitochondria may require an abundant supply of oxygen and have a greater number of capillaries. In contrast to this, the white fibers with a lower enzyme activity and a fewer mitochondria need not to consume so much oxygen and are supplied with a fewer capillaries, because they participate only in phasic contraction. The intermediate fibers, with a moderate enzyme activity, may be considered to have a moderate number of capillaries.

From the histochemical study of the intercostal muscles of cat, the following results were obtained. 1. Three different types of muscle fibers have been clearly distinguished in intercostal muscles by histochemical demonstration of succinic dehydrogenase; namely, the white fibers are stained faintly, while the red fibers deep blue and the intermediate fibers purple or bluish purple. 2. The difference in these stains is due to the degree of the enzyme activity, i. e., the areas of high SDH activity are stained deep blue while those of relatively low SDH activity are stained purple. 3. At oil immersion magnification, the differences among the three types of fibers are clearly distinguishable by the amount, size, distribution pattern and subsarcolemmal precipitation of Nitro-BT formazan particles. 4. Concerning the spatial distribution of these three types of fibers in each intercostal muscle, the muscles in the cranial and caudal parts of thorax (I-IV, VIII-XII) show a higher proportion of red fibers, while those in the middle thorax show a higher proportion of white fibers. 5. The vertebral portion of the first internal intercostal muscle is composed of only two types of fibers, red and intermediate ones, and their diameters are almost the same in size as in soleus muscle. In the middle intercostal muscle (V-VII), an intimate relationship can clearly be observed between the size and the enzyme activity of muscle fibers as in the gastrocnemius muscle. 6. In comparison with the anatomy of thorax and the distribution of muscle fibers, it may be presumed that there is a close relationship between the distribution and the scope of thorax movements, however, no definite relation between the distribution pattern and respiratory participation of muscle fibers. 7. Hence, it appears that the intercostal muscles in the cranial and caudal parts of thorax perform original respiratory movements, while the muscles in the middle thorax mainly perform voluntary respiratory movements, perhaps display their function during forced breathing. The intermediate fibers may usually have some tonus and carry out the role of resisting ribs from falling inside by negative pressure of the thoracic cavity.