Acta Medica Okayama volume22 issue4

The changes of rat muscle fiber structure and fiber types after the reunification of the nerve and cross-innervation between the nerve to M. soleus (SOL) and M. extensor digitorum longus (EDL) were cytologically studied and the following results were obtained: 1. After the reunification of the nerve, the tendency toward grouping to a single fiber type was observed, although in normal muscle, the red, white and intermediate fibers were distributed in mosaic pattern. 2. After the cross innervation, the changes of fiber types occurred; namely, in SOL, normally composed of red and intermediate fibers, the three types of fibers appeared after the cross- innervation with the nerve to EDL, which originally was composed of the red, white and intermediate muscle fibers, and vice versa. These changes were observed not only in histochemical sections, but also in the ultrastructural level by electron microscope.

1. In order to obtain direct evidence for the enzymatic identification of the head-pieces of the elementary particles in the inner mitochondrial membrane, the head-pieces were detached by sonication from the isolated inner membrane of beef heart mitochondria, purified by pursuing the particles with the electron microscope, and analyzed for enzymatic properties. 2. Electron microscope examination revealed that the isolated headpieces are the spherical particles about 90À in diameter which are quite similar in appearance to the head-pieces of the elementary particles lining the inner mitochondrial membranes. 3. The head-pieces are identified as ATPase sensitive to oligomysin when attached by stalks to the membrane, and become insensitive when detached or purified from the membrane. 4. The head-piece is labile to cold with respect to ATPase activity and morphology.

When cultured cells are used in experiments, It is very important to know from what kinds of cells the cultured cells are originated, and what characteristics the cultured cells maintain continuously in vitro Some properties of rat liver cells in long-term cultivation were examined for the purpose of identifying the cultured cells with parenchymal liver cells by investigating their functions. The production of rat serum albumin and α-globulin which is regarded as specific functions of liver parenchymal cells was detected in these cultured rat liver cells with the method of immunoelectrophoresis. Histochemically, acid phosphatase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, succinic dehydrogenase, lactic dehydrogenase, and adenosine triphosphatase were demonstrated in the cultured rat liver cells which were morphologically epithelial. Alkaline phosphatase showed little activity in these cells. Glycogen was recognized by the periodic acid-Schiff technique, when bovine serum concentration in the culture fluid was reduced to 5 per cent. These histochemical findings of cultured rat liver cells were identical with those of parenchymal liver cells in vivo. These facts suggest that there is a possibility of the continuous cultivation of liver cells by the present methods and of the identification of the cultured cells with the parenchymal liver cells from their functions.

Changes of basophil leucocyte counts of the peripheral blood in bronchial asthma were investigated mainly by our improved method of KOVACS (4). The results are as follows. I) The basophils in bronchial asthma generally show a higher count than in healthy controls. 2) During the interval of repeated asthmatic attacks the basophil count is higher than in the asymptomatic period. 3) Particularly in an episode of asthmatic attack, the basophils increase immediately before the attack and decrease to the normal level or lower after the attack has begun. 4) During asthmatic attacks it may be possible to expect another attack, if the basophil count again tends to increase from the previous low count. 5) This counting method of basophils is easy enough for the routine examination like calculation of peripheralleucocytes. 6) Observation of the changes of peripheral basophils appears to be a useful laboratory aid for the diagnosis and therapeutic evaluation of bronchial asthma, making possible an early detection of the next attack. A discussion is given of the behavior of the basophils in bronchial asthma.

Human thyroid cancer cells in the pleural effusion were serially cultivated in vitro. Three kinds of cell lines were established from the same primary culture and were designated as PS, TS and TR lines, respectively. These three have been cultured for 574 days up to May 1, 1968. The cells of PS and TR lines were epithelial-like, whereas those of TS line revealed fibroblastic character. The chromosome numbers of PS and TR lines exhibited the modes near the hypertetraploid region, while TS line showed the mode of hypo-triploid number. Eosinophilic particles which were stained metachromatically by toluidine blue were present in the cytoplasm of these cells. The histochemical findings of the cells of each line were identical with those of thyroid cancer cells in vivo. The cells aggregated by the gyratory culture showed epithelial characters under microscopic observation of the sectioned specimens. The tumors produced in conditoned hamsters demonstrated undifferentiated cancer, which resembled the metastatic thyroid cancer of the patient. Neither collagen nor argentaffine fibers were detected with Van Gieson staining or silver impregenation.

The changes in muscle fibers after the crush injuries of the nerve were studied with rat sciatic nerve, and the following results were obtained. 1. After a severe crushing, the tendency of grouping of a single muscle fiber type was observed, although this scarcely occurred after slight injuries. 2. The muscle function and structure recovered better after crush injuries of the nerve than after the nerve reunification.