Status of the electrolyte balance of the gastric juice during stimulation of secretion by histamine

The content of electrolytes (Na+, K+, Ca2+) in human basal secrete has been determined before and after injection of histamine in gastric juice and insoluble mucus in healthy people. Electrolytes in the mucous membrane of the stomach, gastric juice and insoluble mucus have been determined in dogs with stomach fistula after Basow. Species peculiarities have been marked in electrolyte content change during gastric secretion.     

Protein, RNA and DNA synthesis in skin fibroblast cultures from healthy donors and patients with rheumatic diseases

Synthesis of protein, RNA and DNA was studied in skin fibroblast cultures of healthy donors and patients with systemic scleroderma (SSD) and in those with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with the use of 14C-protein hydrolyzate, 14C-uridine and 14C-thymidine, respectively. A study was also made of the stimulation of 14C-proline incorporation in protein fibroblasts upon addition to serum-free media of 5% bovine embryonic serum. The stability of RNA in fibroblasts was tested. It was shown that the rate of protein synthesis was 11 times higher in fibroblasts of RA patients and 6 times higher in those of SSD patients as compared to the rate of protein synthesis in fibroblasts of normal subjects. The rate of DNA synthesis in skin fibroblasts of RA patients was 15 times higher and in those of SSD patients 4 times higher than normal. In both RA and SSD patients, the synthesis of short-labeled RNA was 2-3 times higher than normal. The addition of embryonic serum increased 2-3 times the incorporation of 14C-proline in protein skin fibroblasts of SSD patients. It was found that all RNA in skin fibroblasts was represented by long-living molecules and that 30-40% of short-labeled RNA in skin fibroblasts of healthy donors and SSD patients underwent degradation within 1-2 hours. The data obtained indicate that fibroblasts of the two pathologies under study are characterized by considerable differences in the synthesis of DNA and the activity of the protein-synthesizing system.     

Public Beliefs on Antibiotics and Symptoms of Respiratory Tract Infections among Rural and Urban Population in Poland: A Questionnaire Study

Introduction

General public views and expectations around the use of antibiotics can influence general practitioners'' antibiotic prescribing decisions. We set out to describe the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about the use of antibiotics for respiratory tract infections in adults in Poland, and explore differences according to where people live in an urban-rural continuum.

Material and Methods

Face to face survey among a stratified random sample of adults from the general population.

Results

1,210 adults completed the questionnaire (87% response rate); 44.3% were rural; 57.9% were women. 49.4% of rural respondents and 44.4% of urban respondents had used an antibiotic in the last 2 years. Rural participants were less likely to agree with the statement “usually I know when I need an antibiotic,” (53.5% vs. 61.3% respectively; p = 0.015) and reported that they would consult with a physician for a cough with yellow/green phlegm (69.2% vs. 74.9% respectively; p = 0.004), and were more likely to state that they would leave the decision about antibiotic prescribing to their doctor (87.5% vs. 85.6% respectively; p = 0.026). However, rural participants were more likely to believe that antibiotics accelerate recovery from sore throat (45.7% vs. 37.1% respectively; p = 0.017). Use of antibiotic in the last 2 years, level of education, number of children and awareness of the problem of developing antimicrobial resistance predicted accurate knowledge about antibiotic effectiveness.

Conclusions

There were no major differences in beliefs about antibiotics between urban and rural responders, although rural responders were slightly less confident in their knowledge about antibiotics and self-reported greater use of antibiotics. Despite differences in the level of education between rural and urban responders, there were no significant differences in their knowledge about antibiotic effectiveness.     

Effect of carbidine on the content and storage of adrenergic neurotransmitter in the synaptic vesicles]

The influence of carbidine, an original psychotropic drug, on the adrenergic neurotransmitter content and storage in the sympathetic nerves was studied with the use of cytochemical electron microscopy. The influence of carbidine on the uptake of the exogenous noradrenaline (NA) in the synaptic vesicles was also studied. Carbidine was found to be capable to decreasing the NA storage in the synaptic vesicles and failed to block the accumulation of the exogenous NA in the synaptic vesicles.     

New method of quantitative analysis of seminiferous epithelium in male guinea pigs

The aim of the study was the comparison of a newly developed method of quantitative analysis of the seminiferous epithelium (SE) cells with the traditional method based on stage classification according to Clermont. In 4000 sections of seminiferous tubules the following parameters have been evaluated: in procedure I--the frequency of cells at the particular stages of the SE cycle, in procedure II--the frequency of particular cell types forming SE. In the two procedures, 17,726 and 14,670 cells were assessed, respectively. In both procedures, the mean values of the studied cells per animal (I--886.3 +/- 15.4; II--733.5 +/- 96.9) and the distribution of the particular types of cells were similar. The new method of quantitative analysis is less laborious and cheaper. It may be applied instead of the method used so far.     

Genetic counselling in carriers of reciprocal chromosomal translocations involving short arm of chromosome X

A central concept in genetic counselling is the estimation of the probability of occurrence of unbalanced progeny at birth and other unfavourable outcomes of pregnancy (miscarriages, stillbirths and early death). The estimation of the occurrence probability for individual carriers of four different X-autosome translocations with breakpoints at Xp, namely t(X;5)(p22.2;q32), t(X;6)(p11.2;q21), t(X;7)(p22.2;p11.1), and t(X;22)(p22.1;p11.1), is presented. The breakpoint positions of chromosomal translocations were interpreted using GTG, RBG and FISH-wcp. Most of these translocations were detected in women with normal phenotype, karyotyped because of repeated miscarriages and/or malformed progeny. A girl with very rare pure trisomy Xp22.1-->pter and a functional Xp disomy was ascertained in one family and her clinical picture has been described in details. It has been suggested that not fully skewed X chromosome inactivation of X-autosome translocation with breakpoint positions at Xp22 (critical segment) could influence the phenotype and risk value. Therefore, the X inactivation status was additionally evaluated by analysis of replication banding patterns using RBG technique after incorporation of BrdU. In two carriers of translocations: t(X;5)(p22.2;q32) and t(X;7)(p22.2;p11.1), late replication state of der(X) was observed in 5/100 and 10/180 analysed cells, respectively. In these both cases the breakpoint positions were clustered at the critical segment Xp22.2. In two other cases, one with the breakpoint position within [t(X;22)(p22.1;p11.1)] and one outside the critical region [t(X;6)(p11.2;q21)], fully skewed inactivation was seen. Therefore, we suggest that neither the distribution of the breakpoint positions nor fully skewed inactivation influenced the phenotype of observed t(X;A) carriers. The occurrence probabilities of the unbalanced progeny were calculated according to Stene and Stengel-Rutkowski along with application of updated available empirical data. In the studied group the values of occurrence probability for unbalanced offspring at birth ranged from 2.1% to 17%. Information on the magnitude of the individual figures may be important for women carrying a reciprocal X;A translocation when deciding upon further family planning.