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With the purpose to study sideroblasts as a means of diagnosing blood diseases and to pursue the metabolism of non-hemin iron in erythroblasts we investigated sideroblasts (erythroblasts containing iron granules stainable by Prussian blue) under various erythropoietic conditions in the human and rabbits, and obtained the following results: 1. In blood diseases the proportion of sideroblasts in the case of low erythropoietic condition is higher and in the case with accelerated erythropoietic condition and of iron deficiency it tends to be lower than that in normal persons. Further, obtaining sideroblastogram and sideroblast ratio (S. r.) from the classification of Types I, Ⅱ, and Ⅲ according to the iron granule content, it has been proven that abnormal conditions can be clearly distinguished from the normal, indicating that sideroblasts are closely associated with erythropoietic function. This is proven to be a far superior method for the diagnosis as well as for the prognosis of blood diseases than the determination of serum iron. 2. In experimental anemic rabbits the relationship of sideroblasts to the condition of erythropoietic function is still more clearly recognized, and it has been found that variations in the sideroblast count is dependent upon the condition of the equilibrium between the iron supply from serum iron and the iron utilization controlled by the erythropoietic function. 3. In addition, in the iron-treated rabbits under various erythropoietic conditions we have been able to confirm that there are a certain mechanism and a limitation to the iron intake by erythroblasts, and that erythroblasts take essentially three steps of metabolic processes, namely, intake, retention, and utilization of iron almost simultaneously, in the latter half of the maturation stage.

Using the granuloma pouch technique of SELYE, effect of modification in local histamine on the inflammatory tissue reactions was examined in rats. The increase in the weight of pouch wall and histological inflammatory changes were distinctly inhibited in either case of histamine depletion by sinomenine and of desensitization to histamine by repeated injections of histamine. In rats injected with aminoguanidine, the skin and local histamine contents increased in similar degree as those in rats receiving histamine injection, but the inflammatory tissue reactions were severer than in the control. The total histamine of the pouch wall during inflammation reached the maximum four days after the injection of croton oil and decreased thereaftcr. The prcliferative processes indicating the recovery of injured tissues in later stages of the inflammation were the most vigorous in rats treated with histamine and this was in contrast to the extreme weakness of this tendency in animals in which the local histamine had been depleted. These observations not only suggests the fairly close relationship of histamine to carly reaction of inflammation but also indicates the role of histamine in its recovery processes.

In the foregoing our methods of the grafting of tendon in finger used recently are presented. Namely, the proximal ends of tendon to be grafted are at first sutured by the embedding method of BUNNELL, and then the distal ends are fixed with our method we get the benefits of giving just appropriate tension to the tendon and also of reliable fixation. Finally the findings before and after operation on the two cases treated by our method are pictorially presented in Figs. 12 and 13.

We have recently operated on 56 cases of claw hand and described the method of tendon transfer in Hansen's disease which occupied the majority of the cases, and several problems have been discussed from our experiences.

According to the method presented in the first report the author mixed ferric iron solution and serum with the various proportions of serum and iron, limiting the pH level of the media wihin 5.4 to 8.3. It was found there was a certain level exceeding which the iron could no longer move with protein on the paperelectrochromatography. The maximum level was found to be81, 500γ% in the case of ferric chloride and 77, 200γ% in ferric ammonium sulfate, when the bovine serum was used as a protecting colloid. The iron added in excess of this level was found retarding at the starting line suggesting the formation of gross iron hydroxide colloid.

Die Autoren haben mit Hilfe des Szirmaischen Myographen auf Grund der Messung vor und nach der Behandlung den Reaktions-Index aus den Myogrammen erhalten. Mit dieser Methode laβt sich in einer sehr kurzen Zeit bei verschiedenen Krankheiten die gunstigste Therapie auswahlen und deren Wirksamkeit in Prozenten auswerten.

An abnormal glucose tolerance is often found in patients with psychiatric or neurologic diseases, and the problem is then, what does this abnormal glucose tolerance mean and what is the relation between this and the patient's psychic state.

1. α-Aminoadipic acid and lysine are increased in the urine of thyroidectomized dog. 2. Pipecolic acid is increased in the urine of rat treated with thyroid extract. 3. Relation between thyroid function and lysine metabolism is discussed.

By mixing ferric iron with serum protein, 20 cc of serum and 1 cc of ferric chloride or ferric ammonium sulfate (l0 mg ferric iron/cc in each), in the range of pH 5.4 to 8.2, a transparent brownish red colored solution can be obtained. Paperelectrochromatography proved the iron can mainly be detected in β-globulin fraction in bovine serum and in &#945-globulin and albumin fractions in human and rabbit sera. But the absorption spectrum proved that there is no formation of any new compound, giving almost the same absorption curve as in the serum protein itself. And by lowering the pH of media below 5.4, the solution gives immediately the positive reaction of ferric iron. From these rerults it is suggested that iron will be maintained in a colloidal state keeping the stability of this state in the presence of protein molecules. Freezing and drying are the procedures quite useful for keeping this material for a long period of time without changing the chemical characteristics.

New histochemical and cytochemical methods for the demonstration of cytochrome c oxidase and of cytochrome c-cytochrome oxidase system are described, using neotetrazolium chloride in the presence of p phenylenediamine with or without additional cytochrome c. These enable the cytochemical visualization of the sites of enzyme activity at the intracellular level in fresh cell suspensions and in fresh tissue blocks under aerobic conditions, and permit the histochemical visualization of the distribution of the enzyme activity in various tissues in frozen tissue sections. The colorimetric estimation of the enzyme activity is also possible in the combination of the methods previously described.

1. Considering an imaginable important role of histamine in inflammations or allergic reactions, some clinical and experimental studies were made for the purpose of findings the relationship of the pathological changes of A. P. to local histamine. 2. Gingivae in the case of A. P. showed a remarkable quantitative increase of histamine, compared with those in the case of normal healthy controls. It could be noticed that this increase had an increasing tendency in proportion to the degree of inflammatory pathologic changes in the gingiva. 3. In the gingivae of A. P. an increase of mast cells and their morphologic changes, particularly disintegration, were seen and the grade of changes was almost parallel to an increase of histamine. 4. When a histamine solution was repeatedly injected into the mucobuccal folds of animals, a remarkable increase of histamine and mast cells in the injected gingivae were recognized with inflammatory changes. An increase of gingival histamine could be hardly recognized by means of a simple mechanical stimulation or local anaphylaxis alone. However, in the combination of two, the increase of histamine was seen and relatively remarkable inflammatory changes suggestive of A. P. were macroscopically and microscopically noticed. 5. Topical applications of the ointment mixed with sinomenine, histamine-liberating substance, and benadryl, antihistamine substance, repeated every other day in the gingival pockets, showed favorable effects in slight or early cases of A. P. 6. These observations suggest the existence of both possible role of histamine in the development of local pathologic condition of A. P. and allergic processes in etiologic factors of the disease.

New colorimetric methods for the estimation of the activities of cytochrome c oxidase and of cytochrome c-cytochrome oxidase system in tissue homogenates are described, using neotetrazolium chloride in the presence of p-phenylenediamine with or without additional cytochrome c. Optimal time of incubation, optimal concentration of the incubation medium and amounts of tissue, and simple method for the extraction of the reduced neotetrazolium chloride were determined. The reduction of neotetrazolium chloride was proportional to the amount of enzyme. Using this method, colorimetric estimations of cytochrome c-cytochrome oxidase system activity in the kidney, heart, liver, brains, and skeletal muscle were made. The procedures of these methods are very simple, and they are considered to be feasible in the combination with histochemical demonstrations of these enzyme activities.

The iron introduced into vein in the form of the serum iron colloid is rapidly incorporated into ferritin and hemoglobin in a markedly high level with the increase in their amounts, without showing any ill effects. Experiments also show that there is another course of iron metabolism for the incorporation into ferritin and hemoglobin than the physiologic course by the aid of metal combining protein. This is true, however, only in the case in which the normal function of RES is retained. The incorporation of iron into ferritin and hemoglobin is accelerated in anemic animals and delayed in those having RES whose function is disturbed. From these results the author would suggest that the anemic patients may be given a quantity of iron in the form of serum iron colloid directly into vein without causing any side effects.

Electron microscopic observations revealed that the serum ferric chloride mixture prepared in the range of pH 5.4 and 8.2 is of colloidal solution whose particles are composed of electron-dense iron colloid nuclei surrounded by protein cortex formed by the absorption around the iron colloid particles. The elevation of pH over 9.0 or the lowering below pH 3 in media results in the loss of the protein cortex enhancing the growth of each molecule to longer ones and to coagulate with each other. Ferritrat proved to have almost the same cortex surrounding the iron colloid as that of serum ferric chloride mixture, but the colloid particles were larger than those of the latter. Both Ferrobalt and the gelatin ferric chloride mixture are of colloid solution but the colloid particles are heterogenous both in size and shape and have no cortex part. Glufericon will be true solution of organic iron complex.

The effect of 6-hydroxydopamine on repeated nicotine-induced tail-tremor was investigated in rats. Tail-tremor induced by nicotine (0.5 mg/kg/day, subcutaneously) became more pronounced in intensity with daily administration for 9 days. Rats pretreated with 6-hydroxydopamine (250 micrograms, intracerebroventricularly) showed almost the maximum degree of tail-tremor during the whole experimental period. However, in rats pretreated with 6-hydroxydopamine plus desipramine, enhancement of tail-tremor was slight in the beginning but increased with the daily nicotine administration. Fourteen-day administration of nicotine did not result in significant changes in noradrenaline and dopamine levels in the cortex, hypothalamus, striatum and nucleus accumbens. These results suggest that nicotine-induced tail-tremor is associated with the supersensitivity of postsynaptic catecholaminergic receptors in the central nervous system, and that the noradrenergic system may be more important than the dopaminergic system in this phenomenon.

Affinity electrophoresis of human alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in amniotic fluid from pregnant women between 6 to 42 weeks of gestation and in the serum of a yolk sac tumor was performed with concanavalin A (Con A), lentil lectin (LCA), erythroagglutinating phytohemagglutinin (E-PHA) and Allomyrina dichotoma lectin (allo A). Separated AFP bands were detected by sensitive antibody-affinity blotting. In the first trimester, amniotic fluid AFP showed elevated percentages of Con A-nonreacting AFP (AFP-C1) and LCA weakly-reacting AFP (AFP-L2) as previously reported. Additionally, high percentages of E-PHA strongly-reacting AFP (AFP-P5) and E-PHA-reacting AFP (AFP-P4) were observed. E-PHA-nonreacting AFP (AFP-P1), E-PHA weakly-reacting AFP (AFP-P3f), allo A-nonreacting AFP (AFP-A1) and asialo-AFP, AFP-A1 s, were present only in amniotic fluids from 6 to 17 weeks of gestation. With advancing gestation, percentages of AFP-C1, AFP-P4 and AFP-P5 decreased and AFP-L2, AFP-P3f, AFP-A1, and AFP-A1 s disappeared by the end of 18 weeks. The glycoforms of serum AFP of the yolk sac tumor resembled those of amniotic fluid AFP in the early gestational stages.

There are few reports on skeletal reconstruction using the bone transport technique to repair bone defects caused by resections of tumors associated with osteosarcoma. We attempted to reconstruct a 23 cm bone defect after resection of an osteosarcoma of the left femur, and succeeded in gaining 17 cm by bone transport. Five years after surgery, this patient remains alive without metastasis or local recurrence.

Mast cells in osteoarthritic and rheumatoid arthritic synovial tissues of the human knee.

The fibrous components of the metacarpophalangeal (MP) joint including the palmar plate, the collateral ligament and the dorsal plate were studied with particular attention paid to the fibrous structure of the fibrous tendon sheath and the deep transverse metacarpal ligament. The tough fibrillar structure around the MP joint, especially the force nucleus, consisted of three types of mixed fibers: the fibrous tendon sheath of the A1 pulley, the deep transverse metacarpal ligament, and the palmar plate. The tendon sheath was located on the ulnar side in the index and middle fingers, on the central position in the ring finger, and on the radial side in the little finger. These fibrous connections among the fingers formed a transverse arch in the hand. The palmar plate of the MP joint was relatively rigid and appears to function as a cushion when flexed. A fold-like protrusion of the synovial layer of the palmar plate of the MP joint had a meniscoid function, which was larger than that of the proximal interphalangeal joint. The capsule of the MP joint was thicker at the dorsal area, forming a dorsal plate, which is a sliding floor of the extensor mechanism and has a meniscoid function for joint congruity. The main lateral stabilizer consisted of collateral ligaments and accessory collateral ligaments anchored to the palmar plate. These structures act together as a "phalangeal cuff", connecting the proximal phalanx to the metacarpal head and sta