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Eleven patients with idiopathic pituitary dwarfism were treated with KABI human growth hormone (HGH), and clinical effects on a linear growth and HGH antibodiesduring a course of a treatment were studied. The growth rate was 2.8 to 13.4cm/year in individual cases, and it was less than 5cm/year in 3 cases. One of them had a marked hypothyroidism and later thyroid replacement therapy increased a growth rate definitely. In other 2 cases, HGH antibodies were thought to be the cause of ineffectiveness. HGH antibodies with high titers were found in 4 cases before starting KABI HGH. All of those 4 cases had received Raben's HGH for 1 to 4years just preceding to KABI HGH. Antibody titers decreased after switching to KABI HGH in 3 of 4 cases and the restoration of growth was noted in 2 of them. On the contrary, in the rest of the cases, who were treated only with KABI HGH, no antibody developed in 3 cases and antibody of low titer developed in 4 cases. In these 4 cases no attenuation of growth was observed. From the above observations it is concluded that KABI HGH is clinically effective and much less antigenic than Raben's HGH.

The secretion of endogenous insulin was investigated through the effect of the infused exogenous bonito insulin on dogs. The systemic infusion of small doses of exogenous bonito insulin (0.3mu/kg) which proved inert on the blood sugar levels, resulted in an inhibition of endogenous insulin secretion. The prolonged infusion of exogenous bonito insulin inhibited both the basal insulin secretion and the biphasic pattern in glucose-induced insulin release. The mean level of endogenous insulin in the pancreatic vein decreased significantly (p

The effect of plasmapheresis on thyroid hormone secretion was studied in the dog. Approximately 10% of body weight volume of blood was exchanged with red blood cells suspended in dextran solution over a period of 10-30 min. A striking increase in thyroid hormone release was observed within 2 hr. Addition of thyroid hormone to the blood cell suspension, however, did not prevent this response. Although the increase in thyroid hormone release was not universally seen in hypophysectomized dogs, in decerebrate dogs and in some hypophysectomized dogs a moderate response was observed. These results suggested the possibility that some mechanism other than pituitary-thyroid feedback might be involved. Since no marked change was observed local perfusion of the thyroid with blood cell suspension, extrathyroidal humoral factors were probably involved in this response. (Endocrinology 86: 1281, 1970)

IN RECENT years the relationship between hormones and the mechanism of pigmentation has come to the fore. In this report it will be shown that the pituitary gland elaborates a melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) which affects melanin pigmentation in man. The “peculiar change” in skin color described by Addison in patients with adrenocortical insufficiency, the decreased pigmentation of panhypopituitarism, and the melasma of pregnancy seem to depend in large part upon the activity of MSH. Because the developments leading to this conclusion have involved many people and many aspects of research, it is worthwhile to review the historical background of this problem. In 1916 Smith and Allen, two biologists working independently, almost simultaneously reported that removal of the pituitary gland of tadpoles was followed by loss of skin color (1–4). Three years later Atwell showed that when tadpoles were immersed in pituitary extracts their skin became darker (5). Atwell, Smith, Swingle, and later Zondek found ...

Summary The responses of plasma HGH during psychiatric shock therapies were investigated, and the mechanisms of HGH secretion and of shock therapies were discussed. 1. The response following a sinall dose of i.v. insulin administrotion. a) The plasma HGH following 0.1 U/kg of i.v. insulin in schizophrenic patients showed marked elevation in six out of seven cases. It reached to the peak value of 30.4±9.2 mμg/ml between 60 and 90 minutes after i.v. insulin. b) This type of response was not affected by the various psychotropic drugs that were administered orally in controlling the mental symptoms of the patients. c) Intramuscular injection of chlorpromazine (30–50 mg) did not alter the pattern of the plasma HGH response. 2. Insulin coma therapy a) A marked elevation of plasma HGH level was observed in all cases of schizophrenia during insulin coma therapy. The peak value was 9–32 mμg/ml (average 22.6±8.1 mμg/ml). b) A tendency of delay in reaching the peak value was observed in the determination performed in the second week of coma days as compared to the initial determination in the early days of insulin coma. A tendency was observed that better therapeutic results were correlated with the absence of or decrease in the delay in reaching the peak value in the course of insulin coma therapy. c) The protracted insulin coma was associated with the marked decrease in the magnitude of the peak value of plasma HGH as compared to the initial determination, suggesting the presence of a fatigued state of the central mechanism regulating the secretion of HGH. 3. Electroshock therapy a) Elevation of the plasma HGH level was observed after electroshock therapy in five of six cases of schizophrenia. A non-responsive case was found to be moderately obese. A case of depression and a case of atypical psychosis lacked HGH response after EST in the absence of obesity. b) The peak value after the electroshock therapy was lower than the one during insulin coma therapy or after administration of a small dose of i.v. insulin. The average peak value after EST was 8.1±6.8 mμg/ml. c) The responsivity of plasma HGH was found to be unrelated to the various prernedications, such as i.v. thiopental and succinylcholine chloride. It was also concluded that the presence or absence of generalized convulsion was not related to the responses of HGH following EST. d) No correlation was found between the changes of blood sugar level and the type of plasma HGH responses following the EST. It was suggested that the elevation of HGH at the time of electroshock therapy was induced by the direct electric stimulation of the hypothalamic center, but the effect of stimulating the HGH secretion was much lower than that induced by the insulin coma or i.v. insulin administration.

The effect of an acute reduction of thyroid hormone level in the circulating blood on thyroid function has been studied in the dog. PBI and free thyroxine index in the blood of a recipient dog were decreased to approximately 70% of their previous levels by means of exchange transfusion from a thyroidectomized-hypophysectomized dog. Thyroid hormone secretion was estimated by determination of PB l31I concentration in thyroid venous blood. No increase in thyroid hormone secretion was observed within 4 hr in either chloralose anesthetized dog or curare immobilized dog. A long-term observation revealed that peripheral blood PBI recovered significantly 2 weeks after exchange transfusion, and free thyroxine index 5 days after. These results suggest that the feedback mechanism does not respond to a moderate reduction of circulating thyroid hormone in the dog immediately, but rather sluggishly over a period of days. (Endocrinology 84: 1161, 1969)

The serum ChE level in the normal persons and the patients of various disease was determined manometrically. The value was expressed in terms of CO2cmm. per 1 min. per 1 cc. serum freed from the Ringer's solution of 0.015M acetylcholine chloride (Roche). 1) Average value of serum ChE in normal persons is 65.4. The variation is from 50 to 90. 2) The serum ChE level in the patients of liver- and neoplastic diseases is low. The decrease of the value is remarkable in the cases of serious damage of the liver and in gastric cancer. The decrease of serum ChE can occur despite the negative results of many liver function tests. The serum ChE level correlates with the results of bromsulfaleine test better than those of other liver function test. 3) In pulmonary tuberculosis, the variation of the serum ChE level is in a very wide range. Serious cases showed very low value, while in others normal or higher level was found. 4) In the cases of the endocrine disturbance, nervous disease or other various diseases, no characteristic change of the serum ChE level was found. However, regardless of the sort of disease, the serum ChE level is low in the serious cases.

A study was made, of 14 acromegalic patients, to correlate the fasting plasma HGH (Human Growth Hormone) concentrations with other indices of activity, such as plasma inorganic phosphorus level, BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), glucose tolerance test, and clinical impressions. Neither plasma inorganic phosphorus level nor BMR had a correlation with the plasma HGH concentrations. Clinical impressions of activity were in relatively close agreement with the plasma HGH concentrations. Association of diabetes mellitus was not related to either fasting plasma HGH concentrations or the duration of disease. The results of urinary HGH excretion and non-suppression of plasma HGH concentrations following 100 gram glucose administration are also discussed.

Calcium tolerance test and calculation of “Parathyroid Index” was carried out on 8 hyperthyroid and 10 euthyroid subjects. Abnormal parathyroid response to hypercalcemia was observed in hyperthyroid subjects. Functional relationship between thyroid and parathyroid glands was briefly reviewed.

Growth hormone content in the pituitary gland was measured by radioimmunoassay in 48 human fetuses at various gestational stages. None of the fetuses of 6 weeks gestation contained detectable amounts of growth hormone. However, growth hormone was measurable in some fetuses starting at the 7th week, and by the 9th week it was detected in all fetuses studied. Thereafter, growth hormone content increased in excess of the body weight gain. Growth hormone concentration in cord blood was also studied in 7 fetuses. It ranged from 18 ng/ml in a 10-week-old to 120 ng/ml in a 4-month-old fetus. It was concluded that human fetuses synthesize and store growth hormone as early as the 7th gestational week.

ALTHOUGH periodic paralysis is a rare disorder, its association with hyperthyroidism has been reported by several investigators (1–15). In reviewing the literature, it was found that only about 30 such cases have been reported from the United States and Europe, whereas more than 70 cases have been reported from Japan. Possibly the association of these two disorders is less rare in Japan. As the Japanese reports were all concerned with relatively small numbers of patients with hyperthyroidism, the incidence of the association of these two disorders in Japan could not be estimated. In order to obtain a fairly good estimate, the incidence of periodic paralysis among 6,333 cases of hyperthyroidism operated upon in three thyroid hospitals in Japan was studied. These hospitals were located in different parts of country—Noguchi Hospital in Beppu, Kyushu (southern part of Japan), Kuma Hospital in Kobe (central part of Japan) and Ito Hospital in Tokyo (eastern part of Japan), so the study provided data on a cross ...

A study of total exchangeable potassium, sodium and total body water was undertaken in 8 normal subjects, 7 patients with thyrotoxicosis without periodic paralysis, 8 patients with idiopathic periodic paralysis and 7 patients with thyrotoxic periodic paralysis. Our findings show that total exchangeable potassium is modestly but significantly reduced in idiopathic periodic paralysis, but within normal limits in thyrotoxic periodic paralysis.

In order to observe the alterationsin intrathyroidal iodine metabolism which occur in response to chronic iodide administration, iodine metabolism in rats given 500 µg of iodide/ day (iodide group) was compared to that in rats given 10 μg of iodide/day (control group). Ratswere given 126I with 127I in their drinking water for 4 weeks until the time of sacrifice. Rats were also injected with 131I and killed at various time intervals up to 48 hr after 131I. In the 2 groups, thyroidal 127I content and serum iodothyronine- 127I concentrations did not differ significantly from each other, while absolute iodine uptake calculated from thyroidal clearance of 131I multiplied by the serum 127I concentration was 2.5 times greater in the iodide group than in the control. With respect to both m I and 131I, the. proportion of iodothyronines as a per cent of total thyroidal organic iodine did not differ greatly in the 2 groups. This indicated the apparently contradictory results that the iodide group took up 2.5 times a...

SINCE 1926, sporadic reports have appeared on the presence of the melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) in mammalian urine and blood. Because many of these studies were performed with inadequate techniques, and because present-day methods make possible the quantitative detection of MSH in minute amounts with an in vitro bioassay method, it was decided to clarify this problem by determining the MSH in the urine and blood of patients with various disorders. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE Urinary MSH. Collin and Drouet (1) observed the color change of intact frogs after the injection of human urine. Darkening was produced with urine from patients with pituitary tumors, hyperthyroidism, migraine, and retinal hemorrhage. Positive results also were obtained with the urine of normal females, which was obtained the day prior to, or on the first day of menstruation. Konsuloff (2) used hypophysectomized frogs and found that urine from 9 pregnant women contained large amounts of MSH. He suggested that the demonstration of ...

Experiments were performed to determine the effects of graded chronic doses of iodide on thyroid hormone synthesis. Rats were given a low iodine diet for a week and were then given a diet supplemented with graded doses of iodide (5-3645 μg of iodide in 20 g of diet) for 10 days until the time of sacrifice. Rats were also given a single intravenous injection of 131I 1 hr before sacrifice. 127I content of thyroid and plasma was determined by the method of Baker. Thyroidal total 127I uptake per unit of time was measured as thyroidal total 131I divided by the mean of the concentrations of inorganic 131I in plasma collected 2 min and 1 hr after the injection of 131I and multiplied by the concentration of inorganic m I in plasma collected 1 hr after 131I. Thyroidal organic 131I formed per unit of time was calculated from thyroidal organic 131I instead of thyroidal total 131I. These calculations could be expressed as thyroidal 131I clearance multiplied by plasma inorganic 127I or thyroidal 131I multiplied by the...

EEG, pulse rate, respiration and eye movement were polygraphically recorded throughout the night in 10 normal adult male subjects. Blood was collected every 20 min throughout the night by means of an indwelling venous catheter without disturbing the natural course of sleep. Human growth hormone (HGH) and blood sugar were measured in these plasma samples. Depth of sleep was classified into 5 stages by EEG. A marked elevation of plasma HGH was constantly observed coincident with the onset of sleep. Following the initial large HGH peak, additional peaks of HGH, with a decrease in the size of subsequent peaks, were observed. Shifting the time of the onset of sleep by 3 hr before or after the usual bedtime did not change the elevation of plasma HGH coincident with the onset of sleep. When a state of full wakefulness was maintained at night, plasma HGH did not rise. The secretion of plasma HGH was inhibited during paradoxical sleep. It is concluded that nocturnal sleep is a potent stimulator for the se...

From 1955 to 1963, 159 cases of Grave's disease were treated with antithyroid drugs for more than 6 months. This report concerns the outcome of these cases in 1969. Among 159 patients treated with antithyroid drugs, the present status could be studied in 86 cases. In these 86 cases, 24 were in remission for more than 2 years after the discontinuance of antithyroid drug therapy, 4 were in remission less than 2 years after the discontinuance of antithyroid drug therapy, 1 case was still hyperthyroid, 9 cases were still receiving antithyroid drugs, 6 underwent an operation because of recurrence, and 24 underwent 131t therapy because of recurrence. Remission rate after the administration of antithyroid drug for less than one year was 24%. In recurrent cases after further administration for 2 to 6 years, 10-20% of the patients experienced prolonged remission. In order to find out the factors related to permanent remission, 42 patients with permanent remission and 40 patients who failed permanent remission were compared in several factors.From these studies, the incidence of permanent remission seems to be high in the following cases. 1) small goiter 2) short duration of symptoms 3) reduction in the size of the goiter during the treatment 4) positive suppression by thyroid suppression test at the conclusion of treatment. It was also observed that in cases in which antithyroid drug therapy was not effective after one year, further treatment for 2 to 5 years led to permanent remission in some cases. However, such a possibility is very small after more than 6 years of treatment.The authors have 9 patients who have been taking small doses of antithyroid drugs for 5 to 12 years and working well in euthyroid conditions. Considering the shortcomings of surgery and 131I therapy, this kind of treatment might be appropriate in some cases.

By means of the technique of cannulation of the thyroid veins of dogs, the present experiments were undertaken to investigate the nature of nonhormonal iodine released from the thyroid during chronic iodide supplementation and to observe the change of the release rate of such compounds in response to acute or chronic iodide administration. In the thyroid venous plasma of dogs maintained on a regular diet or a diet supplemented with 1 mg of iodide/ day, iodothyronines, iodide and nonhormonal PBI, but not iodotyrosines, were found. However, nonhormonal PBI present in plasma was not released from the thyroid and the nature of nonhormonal iodine released from the thyroid in response to chronic iodide supplements was suggested to be iodide. In both dietary groups of dogs, absolute iodine uptake (AIU) was significantly greater than the net uptake of iodide, suggesting that iodide was actually released from the thyroid. As serum iodide was increased bychronic iodide supplements, AIU increased but the net uptake ...

Since 1961, 14 patients with pituitary dwarfism were treated with human growth hormone (HGH). In this report, the result of long term treatment for more than 2 and a half years in five patients is reported. The dose of HGH was 2-4 mg three times a week. In the first six months, a marked increase in height was observed in all cases. The increase declined gradually and in some cases HGH became almost ineffective. In such cases anti-HGH antibody was observed in the patient's blood. Bone age/height age progress ratio was less than one in most cases. No side effect was observed except pain at the site of injection. In two cases, height reached to the level above-2-D of the height of normal adult.

In 1919 Atwell showed that extracts from mammalian pituitary glands darkened the skin of hypophysectomized tadpoles. Since then the active principle, considered a hormone, has been known as intermedin, melanophore dilating principle, melanophore hormone, etc., with reference to its source in the intermediate lobe of the pituitary gland or its site of action, the melanophores of amphibia. Because the term melanocyte (Fitzpatrick and Lerner, 1953, Gordon, 1953) recently was adopted as the name for the melanin forming cell in all animals, and because mammalian as well as amphibian melanocytes are affected by the pigment-cell activating principle of the pituitary gland, the latter has been designated as melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH). Most of the early methods for determining MSH consisted of observing in vivo darkening of frogs or fish injected with the hormone. Recently Friedin, Fishbein, and Hisaw (1948) described an in vitro assay in which the darkening of isolated frog

Quantitative studies of iodine metabolism were carried out in iodide-treated hyperthyroid patients in order to observe the alterations of iodine metabolism which occur in response to clinical improvement and to the recurrence of symptoms. Twelve hyperthyroid patients were given 10 mg of iodide as KI t.i.d. and several thyroid function tests were performed at intervals of 2 weeks thereafter. Serum PBI and T3-resin sponge uptake decreased to the normal range within 2 weeks in all patients and these normal values continued until recurrence of thyrotoxicity. One, 2 and 24 hr thyroidal 131I uptakes decreased from 57.4 to 22.6%, from 68.0 to 24.4%, and from 75.1 to 19.9%, respectively, within 2 weeks of the iodide treatment. However, these values were considerably higher than those obtained from similarly treated euthyroid subjects (2.6, 2.5 and 3.4%, respectively). Thyroidal absolute iodine uptake (AIU), calculated from thyroidal clearance of 131I multiplied by serum inorganic 127I, increased about 3-...

Canine growth hormone (CGH) from dog pituitary extract has been purified by a procedure involving alcohol precipitation or ammonium sulfate fractionation, and successive chromatographies on Sephadex G-100 and diethylaminoethyl-Sephadex. The purified CGH preparation showed growth hormone (GH) activity approximately 3 times that of the NIHGH-B12 standard as determined by the tibia test. Its elution patterns obtained in the chromatographic analyses using a Sephadex G-100 column usually showed 2 main peaks. These peaks possessed GH activity similar to that of the material applied on the column. Furthermore, the amino acid compositions of these peaks were essentially the same, in that the content of leucine and glutamic acid was characteristically dominant. The minimal molecular weight of the CGH fractions obtained was estimated to be approximately 24,000 ± 1000 by the chromatographic analysis using Sephadex G-100 and 22,700 ± 200 from the amino acid composition, respectively. The experimental results indicate...

An approach to the comparison of the affinity of thyroxine-binding-globulin (TBG) in normal and hyperthyroid sera was described. The method was based on the measurement of free thyroxine fraction (FT4F) of sera at a fixed level of thyroxine (T4) and TBG-capacity. In normal and hyperthyroid sera, the concentration of T4 was measured with Murphy's method and TBG-capacity with reverse-flow paper electrophhoresis. The TBG-capacity was brought to a fixed level by diluting the sera to be tested with TBGdeficient serum. T4 was added to the sera at a final concentration of 50μg/100ml. FT4F in sera pretreated as described above was measured with a modification of Sterling's Mgprecipitation method employing barbital buffer, minimizing the effect of TBPA on FT4F.Thus, FT4F of normal and hyperthyroid sera was compared at essentially the same concentration of T4 and TBG-capacity. Therefore, the difference of FT4F must reflect the affinity of T4-TBG binding. With the method described, TBG-affinity of 6 hyperthyroid sera was compared with that of age-sex matched normal subjects. No significant difference of TBG-affinity was detected.

Effects of electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve on the content of PB131I in thyroid venous blood were studied in dogs. After stimulating the nodose ganglion on either side, the concentration of the PB131I in thyroid venous blood and the PB131I output from the thyroid increased in all 14 cases. Unilateral nodose ganglion stimulation facilitated the secretion of PB131I bilaterally, the increase on the stimulated side being always more pronounced than the other. The PB13lI response to nervous stimulation was characterized by a prompt increase within 15 min. Effects of stimulation of the vago-accessory myelencephalic rootlets of the vagus nerve were also investigated to ascertain the pathway through which the nervous stimulus was transmitted to the thyroid for secretion of its hormone.The results indicate that regulation of thyroid hormone secretion by the vagus nerve depends mainly on fibers passing through the main stem of the vagus among its original rootlets. A significant increase in thyroid blood f...

To examine the hypothesis that LATS-protector may cause thyroidal hyperfunction in Graves' disease, the effect of LATS-protector on the intracellular colloid droplet formation in human thyroid tissue was studied in vitro. The IgG's from 9 untreated patients with Graves' disease, 4 thyrotoxic patients who were being treated hut were still thyrotoxic, and 4 normal subjects not showing LATS were chosen to study the presence of LATS-protector and its human thyroid stimulating activity. LATS-protector was assayed as described by Adams with slight modifications. LATS-protector was demonstrated in the IgG's of 6 out of 9 untreated patients with Graves' disease. Their IgG significantly inhibited the inactivation of LATS by the thyroid extract, recovering approximately 30% of the LATS-potency. The IgG from the treated, but thyrotoxic patients or from the normal individual did not show such an inhibition. When sliced normal human thyroid tissue was incubated with the IgG from thyrotoxic patients, an obvious elevati...

SummarySerial plasma glucose, NEFA, and HGH concentrations were measured in normal male subjects following saline injection (Group 1, 9 cases), nicotinic acid injection (Group 2, 5 cases), and nicotinic acid plus heparin injection (Group 3, 4 cases) for 180 minutes. There was no appreciable change of plasma glucose in all groups. In Group 1 there was no significant change of plasma, NEFA and HGH. In Group 2, plasma NEFA showed an initial decrease followed by the secondary rise at 180 minutes, and plasma HGH showed a marked rise at 120 minutes and/or at 180 minutes. In Group 3, plasma NEFA did not show significant reduction and plasma HGH showed no significant changes. From the results obtained, it was suggested that the lowering of plasma NEFA levels by nicotinic acid administration can stimulate the secretion of HGH, and an assumption was made that plasma NEFA could be at least one of the factors in regulating HGH secretion. It was also suggested that plasma HGH may, at least in part, participate in indu...

The levels of plasma ACTH and GH were simultaneously measured in normal subjects every 30 min for 4 nr after an oral administration of metyrapone, either 1.0g or 1.5g. Both doses of metyrapone caused a significant decrease in plasma cortisol levels 90min later, when the mean values of plasma cortisol levels were not significantly different between both groups. An administration of 1.0g of metyrapone raised plasma ACTH levels in 2 out of 6 subjects within 90min, while an increase in plasma GH levels of 5.0ng/ml above the base line levels was observed in 2 subjects. In one of the subjects in whom the levels of plasma GH increased, plasma GH peak was preceded by that of plasma ACTH, but no rise in plasma ACTH levels was observed in another subject. When 1.5g of metyrapone was given, plasma ACTH levels increased in all 6 subjects. The response of plasma ACTH was quite different in each individual and there appeared one or two peaks within 240 min. The mean value of plasma ACTH was 69±17 pg/ml at 0 time and increased to 165±18 pg/ml at 60min (p

Glipizide, a new anti-diabetic agent, in a dose of 5μg/ml stimulated insulin release promptly in the perfused rat pancreas in vitro. The pattern of insulin release was close to that of tolbutamide reported by others and in this experiment. This result suggests that the pharmacological action of glipizide might be similar to that of D 860.

SummarySerial plasma HGH concentrations were measured, in 18 normal subjects, following continuous intravenous glucose infusion performed for periods of 3, 10, 20 and 30 minutes. In 5 of 8 cases infused for 3 minutes, no rise of plasma HGH was observed in spite of the rapid fall of blood glucose with (4 cases) or without (1 case) its reduction below the fasting level. The 3 other cases infused for 3 minutes and all 10 cases of 10, 20 and 30 minutes'infusion showed definite rise of plasma HGH at 90-180 minutes following the infusion. From the results obtained, it appears that the falling blood glucose per se is not a direct stimulus, and the reduction of blood glucose below the fasting level is not necessarily a stimulus to HGH secretion.

Stimulation of the amygdaloid nuclear complex, the posterior orbital surface and the hippocampal formation was induced in anesthetized dogs previously labeled with J131 In each of 4 cases in which the posterior orbital surface and the amygdaloid nuclear complex were stimulated, there was no significant increase in the concentration of PBI131 and inorganic I131 in the thyroid venous blood. In 10 cases in which the hippocampal formation was stimulated, a definite increase was observed with no significant change in the thyroid vein blood flow. Significant increases in the TSH content of the jugular vein blood, assayed in 4 animals by McKenzie’s method, occurred in all cases within 30 min. Hypophysectomy prevented the response of the thyroid to hippocampal stimulation.

Summary 1. We are reporting here a case of spinal lues, which showed clinically an attack of gastric crisis (peristaltic unrest and abdominal distress) accompanied simultaneously with hypersensibility (girdle pain sensation). 2. The autopsy findings revealed that the pathological changes are found in the spinal cord, meninges and spinal root fibers extending between the 5.-10. thoracic segments. Nerve fibers in the sglanchnic nerve are also found partly degenerated. These findings correspond exactly to the clinical symptoms of motor and sensory disturbances. 3. There is no change in the vagus nerve, so the cause of the gastric crisis can not be attributed to lesion of the vagus nerve. We would rather ascribe the crisis symptom to the lesin of the posterior root of the spinal cord. We believe that the lesion of the Fosterior roots causes simultaneous appearance of sensory irritation (girdle pain) and peristaltic unrest of the stomach.

Up to the present, 4 methods applicable to study of the electrical properties of skin have been proposed for the diagnosis of thyroid diseases: constant-current resistance, capacitance with audio-frequency current, impedance angle, and impedance. However, accurate correlation of these parameters with the histologic structure of the skin has not been possible. In this study, the initial capacity of the skin to resist a constant current was measured by a new electrical method in 75 untreated subjects with suspected thyroid disease. It was found that: 1) the correlation coefficient between the initial capacity and the basal metabolic rate was 0.90 in 19 males and 0.74 in 56 females, and between the initial capacity and the 24-hour thyroidal I131 uptake was 0.88 in 13 males and 0.61 in 33 females; 2) the initial capacity was normal or higher in 15 hyperthyroid patients and the lower than normal in 5 hypothyroid patients, whereas in 17 euthyroid subjects with nontoxic goiter and in 17 subjects with nonthyroid ...

The hypotriglycedemic action of ACTH was investigated in the hyperlipemic patients of various diseases. This effect was apparent within 30 min after intravenous injection of the hormone and lasted up to 96 hr when it was administered intramuscularly. ACTH had no effect on the serum cholesterol or phospholipid concentration. As possible causes of this effect of ACTH, fatty acids mobilization and lipoprotein lipase activation were excluded and hepatic involvement was suggested.