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Objective To determine the incidence, etiology, prognosis, and treatment of vocal cord paralysis (VCP) after surgery for thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA). Study design Retrospective study performed between 1989 and 1995. Setting Academic, tertiary care, referral medical center. Patients Seventy-one TAA patients underwent surgery at the Kameda Medical Center between 1989 and 1995. Results Sixty-two of 71 patients were examined postoperatively for voice quality. Twenty patients (32%) had hoarseness develop caused by VCP, as confirmed by laryngoscopy. The left recurrent laryngeal nerve had been sacrificed in 1 patient during surgery, but it was preserved in the remaining 19 patients. Unilateral left VCP was noted in 19 patients, and bilateral VCP occurred in 1 patient. The incidence of VCP was higher in those patients who underwent surgery for type I aneurysms (9 of 14 patients, 64%). In 16 of the 19 patients (84%) who received follow-up for > 6 months, vocal cord movement did not return to normal. Surgery to improve voice quality, arytenoid adduction in five patients and intracordal injection in two patients, was performed with success. Conclusions Our results indicate that surgery for TAA is associated with a relatively high incidence of VCP. VCP occurred despite preservation of the recurrent laryngeal nerve, and the paralysis did not show a spontaneous recovery even 6 months after surgery.

We report a case of metastasis of renal cell carcinoma to the posterior paranasal sinuses. A 75-year-old man who had had a left nephrectomy six months previously due to a renal cancer, visited our hospital with a complaint of severe nasal bleeding. On examination, he had a mass in the left olfactory cleft. CT and MRI showed an abnormal shadow occupying the bilateral sphenoid sinuses with extension to the left posterior ethmoid cells. A biopsy revealed a metastatic clear cell carcinoma from the renal cancer. The patient underwent selective intraarterial embolization of bilateral maxillary arteries and left ascending pharyngeal artery, followed by the removal of the tumor using a complete rhinotomy approach. He has remained well for 15 months postoperatively without evidence of recurrence.

The main issue in laryngotracheal trauma is the difficulty of treatment created by the multi-functionality of the larynx. We report the case of a 34-year-old male whose airway was cut from the second tracheal ring to the thyroid cartilage by a knife. Although he was left untreated for 11 hours, the wound was sutured, preserving the larynx and adequate voice function. There is said to be a‘golden period’ for the healing of a wound, but even after that period, there is still a good possibility of preserving the larynx. This fact suggests that in the treatment of laryngeal injuries, proper anti-infection therapies may extend the ‘golden period. ’ During the first stage of treatment, a silicone tube placed within the damaged laryngotracheal frame was very effective for the prevention of laryngeal stenosis.

Effects of intracervical administration of PGE2-gel were studied in pregnant Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata fuscata) near term. Administration of PGE2-gel induced cervical ripening and an increase in maternal plasma PGE2 but no change in PGF2 alpha. Ultrastructural observations of the connective tissue of the cervix after PGE2-gel treatment revealed a decrease in the number of collagenous fibers. These results show that intracervical administration of PGE2-gel induces cervical ripening without induction of labor in the Japanese monkey.

Summary. The effects of artificial manipulation of photoperiod on annual reproductive cyclicity of the Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata fuscata) were examined. Four sexually mature female monkeys were exposed to alternating four-month periods of short days (8L16D) and long days (16L8D) during the period from September 1984 through April 1986. The ambient temperature was fixed at 22 Ž throughout the study. Blood samples were collected twice a week, and changes in serum levels of progesterone were monitored as an indicator of ovulatory cyclicity. Results showed that artificial manipulation of photoperiod had no effect on the manifestation of annual reproductive cyclicity: They exhibited cyclic ovulations in approximate synchrony with natural breeding season (autumn and winter) regardless of the light schedule. It is suggested that photoperiod may not be a critical environmental variable influencing the seasonal reproduction of Japanese monkeys.

A copper intrauterine device (Cu-IUD) was inserted transabdominally into the uterine cavity of eight Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata fuscata) for 4 to 6 months, and effects on various organ functions were examined. Results showed no significant effects on the menstrual cycle length, serum levels of LH, estradiol-17 beta, progesterone or clinical biochemical data such as serum copper, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, glutamic pyruvic transaminase, lactic dehydrogenase, and blood urea nitrogen. Histology revealed edema and infiltration of eosinophilic leukocytes in the endometrium treated with a Cu-IUD.

Changes in immunoreactive (ir-) inhibin concentrations in serum throughout pregnancy and early lactation up to one month after parturition were characterized in 6 Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata fuscata) by a heterologous radioimmunoassay (RIA) based on a bovine RIA. Serum levels of FSH, LH/monkey chorionic gonadotropin (mCG), estradiol-17 beta, and progesterone were also monitored for the entire period. Ir-inhibin levels in the serum were low (under 0.5 ng/ml) before conception. Three marked increases in serum ir-inhibin levels were found during pregnancy. The first increase was noted during early pregnancy, with a peak (2.2 +/- 0.2 ng/ml) at Day 22 of pregnancy (Day 0 = day of LH surge). The second increase was noted after Day 38 until Day 72 of pregnancy, when a peak value was noted (19.0 +/- 1.4 pg/ml). Plateau levels were maintained until late pregnancy, and a final rise was evident near the term with a peak (36.7 +/- 3.8 ng/ml) at Day 158 of pregnancy, 5 days before parturition. After parturition, ir-inhibin levels in the serum plummeted to nonpregnant levels within one day, and were maintained during early lactation. The first rise in serum inhibin during pregnancy was parallel to the rise of mCG and estradiol-17 beta, and the second and third rise were well correlated with serum estradiol-17 beta. Serum FSH was maintained at low levels throughout pregnancy, followed by a slight increase after parturition when serum inhibin decreased abruptly. Both bioactivity and immunoreactivity of inhibin were detected in the placental homogenates obtained at 120 days of pregnancy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Using the avidin-biotin-peroxidase immunohistochemical method, we studied the distributions of somatostatin (SOM)-, cholecystokinin-8 (CCK-8)- and substance P (SP)-like immunoreactivities in the cerebellum of macaque monkeys at embryonic day 120 (E120), E140, newborn, postnatal day 60 (P60) and adults. During the embryonic stages, there were many SOM-, CCK- and SP-immunoreactive structures in the external granular layer, Purkinje cell layer and white matter. SP-immunoreactive mossy fibers and their terminals were distributed in the granular layer and white matter. During these stages, there were SOM-immunoreactive Purkinje cells, Golgi cells and a few cells in the molecular layer, and CCK-immunoreactive Purkinje cells and cells in the molecular layer. At the newborn stage, all of the immunoreactivities in the external granular layer decreased and the number of immunoreactive fibers increased in the white matter. At P60 stage, SOM- and CCK-immunoreactive fibers were observed around Purkinje cells, which seem to be the fiber terminals of basket cells. Many SOM, CCK and SP fibers were distributed in the white matter. In the adult stage, we observed little neuropeptide-immunoreactivity in the cerebellum. The high concentration of the neuropeptide-immunoreactive fibers and cells in the earlier stages suggests that the neuropeptides may be involved in the development of the primate cerebellar cortex.

This tape demonstrates the application of endoscopy, stroboscopy, and transillumination to the study of laryngeal function in speech. Stroboscopy involves intermittent illumination of the vibrating glottis using short flashes of light with a frequency of slightly less than that of the glottal vibrations. Thus it has the effect of apparently slowing down the vibrations so that they can be visualized and measured. It has to be remembered, however, that one vibratory cycle recorded using stroboscopy is the composite of several actual glottal cycles. Recordings can be made using either a rigid endoscope or a flexible fiberscope; the latter allows analysis of running speech. Images are recorded on video tape for subsequent processing. Transillumination records the amount of light passing through the glottis and thus variations in the size of the glottal opening. The light is provided by a fiberscope and a transducer is placed on the neck. Transillumination is particularly useful for recording glottal abduction and adduction for voiceless consonants. Stroboscopic recordings using both rigid and flexible endoscopes are demonstrated. Applications are discussed, and the usefulness of simultaneously recording transillumination with other signals is exemplified. [Work supported by NIH.]

In this paper tongue activity during Japanese speech production was examined. Of interest was the identification of potential neural control strategies and biomechanical contributions underlying speech production by evaluating, separately and in combination, kinematic and electromyographic (EMG) activity of the tongue at normal and fast speaking rates. Three normal adult Japanese speakers (three male) served as subjects for this investigation. Hooked‐wire electrodes were placed in three tongue muscles; two extrinsic (genioglossus anterior [GGA] and genioglossus posterior [GGP]) and one intrinsic, and two facial muscles (orbicularis oris inferior [OOI] and depressor labii inferior [DLI]). The two‐dimensional movement data were recorded electromagnetically on the midsagittal plane using an EMMA system [Perkell et al. (1992)]. Upper lip, lower lip, tongue tip, and tongue body movement were recorded simultaneously with the EMG data. Though a variety of speech tasks were recorded, the present report will focus on three syllable words, /poteto/, in a carrier sentence, /ii−desu/ at a normal speaking rate and a subject‐determined fast rate. It was found that EMG and movement characteristics were maintained for both normal and fast rate. Although at a fast speaking rate, movement amplitude were reduced, EMG amplitude were either maintained or somewhat increased.

To examine the mapping from acoustics to articulation, simultaneous articulatory and acoustic measurements were made of 90 vowel‐to‐vowel transitions produced by a Swedish speaker. Articulator positions were measured using an electromagnetic midsagittal articulometer that tracked seven receiver coils placed on the lips, jaw, and tongue. The vocal tract transfer function associated with each articulator position was estimated using cepstral analysis on short windows (25.6 ms) of the acoustic signal. The transfer functions were then vector quantized, giving each articulator configuration a corresponding vector quantization code. Given an acoustic signal and its corresponding vector quantization code (code 1 for example), an estimate of the position of any coil during the production of a speech signal can be made by averaging all the positions the coil assumed during the production of sounds labeled with vector quantization code 1. This produces a codebook that allows articulator positions to be estimated from acoustic signals. On a data set not used for training, correlations between estimated and actual receiver coil positions vary strongly with the place of attachment, but correlations above 0.9 are common for coils on the tongue. [Work supported by NIH.]

This video demonstrates the application of electromyography (EMG) to the study of speech production. The origin of the electromyographic signal is the passage of the depolarization wave when a muscle fiber or nerve is stimulated. The particular merit of EMG in speech research is that it can provide information about the speech gesture in its natural units and that it directly reflects the motor command from the central nervous system carried by neural impulses. In other words, it is not merely a substitute for direct‐viewing techniques but carries one a step farther back in the chain of speech events. Three general types of electrodes have been used in speech research: surface, needle, and hooked wire electrodes. Of these, surface and hooked wire electrodes have been the most useful for recording from the human articulatory muscles. A number of steps must be taken to deal with such signals, including rectification and integration. Applications and instrumentation are discussed, and the simultaneous recording of the EMG with other signals will be presented. [Work supported by NIH Grants DC‐00121 and DC‐00865 to the Haskins Labs.]

This study examined the clinical utility of instrumental studies of the speech of neurologically impaired persons, as well as documented the particular articulatory patterns of one individual, a right‐handed 36‐yr‐old female, 5‐yr post onset of TBI, with right hemiparesis. Communicative impairments included relatively mild cognitive deficits and moderate‐to‐severe hypokinetic dysarthria. The speech sample included repetitions of isolated sustained continuant consonants, of VCV disyllables, and of sentences containing consonant clusters. The articulatory data were electropalatographic (EPG) signals recorded using a RION soft artificial palate with a sampling rate of 64 fps. The acoustic signals were recorded simultaneously with the EPG signals and subjected to spectral analysis. Vowel environment was found to have a strong influence on lingual contact patterns for /s/. In general, within vowel height groups, the extent of lingual contact for /s/ was greater in the VCV context than in words produced in sent...

Aminotripeptidase [EC 3.4.11.4] was purified from monkey brain by a five-step procedure comprising extraction from brain homogenate, ammonium sulfate fractionation, DEAE-cellulose chromatography, hydroxylapatide chromatography, and Sephadex G-200 gel filtration. A purification of 1,100-fold over the homogenate was achieved and the yield was 12%. The purified enzyme appeared to be homogeneous on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis at pH 8.9. The amino acid composition of the enzyme resembled that of the pig kidney enzyme. The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated to be about 65,000 by gel filtration on Sephadex G-200 and 70,000 by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The pH optimum for L-leucyl-glycyl-glycine was about pH 7.5. The enzyme hydrolyzed only tripeptides to yield the NH2-terminal residues as free amino acids and the residual dipeptides. The enzyme did not show activities of arylamidase or carboxypeptidases A and B. The enzyme was inhibited by PCMB, o-phenanthroline, and bestatin. The inhibition by bestatin was competitive and the K1 value was calculated to be 5 X 10(-7) M.

Summary The developmental changes of substance P (SP), somatostatin and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) were studied in chick embryonic brain tissue by radioimmunoassays. In the cerebellum, SP and somatostatin were present initially (day 10) at high levels, and then rapidly declined to a minimum at hatching. In the cerebrum, VIP was first detectable on day 16, and the level increased through to hatching. The content of somatostatin gradually increased from day 10, while the SP content was constant until day 16 and then increased up to hatching. The SP immunoreactivity of the cerebellum from 10-day-old chicks chromatographed as two peaks on a Sephadex G-50 Superfine column. Most of the activity (75%) eluted at the zone indicating a 13 Kdalton protein; the other peak co-eluted with synthetic SP. The SP immunoreactive materials in the cerebrum chromatographed as a single peak which co-migrated with synthetic SP. In contrast, somatostatin immunoreactive materials in both the cerebrum and cerebellum from 10-day-old chick embryos eluted as three peaks. The major immunoreactivity (over 80%) eluted with synthetic somatostatin and two larger molecules showed molecular weights of 13 and 3 Kdaltons.

The concentrations of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, somatostatin and substance P were determined in various cerebral subdivisions of adult and foetal Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata fuscata) by specific radioimmunoassays. In adult tissues, the highest level of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide was found in the somatosensory cortex and the lowest level in the occipital cortex. A high level of somatostatin was found in the association cortex (prefrontal, parietal and temporal cortex); the lowest level was noted in the occipital cortex. Substance P was found to be high in prefrontal and temporal cortex. The highest levels of substance P and somatostatin were obtained in the amygdala. Between embryonic 4 and 5.5 months, concentrations of peptides increased dramatically, and in the adult, all neuropeptides in cortical subdivisions significantly decreased. By the gel filtration method, only one immunoreactivity which coeluted with substance P and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide was demonstrated in extracts of 4-, 5.5-month-old and adult monkey cerebral cortex. In contrast, somatostatin immunoreactivity eluted as 3 peaks. Almost 80% of the immunoreactivity co-eluted with synthetic somatostatin, regardless of the age of the tissue. The molecular weights of two larger molecules were determined to be 13 and 3 kdaltons.

I. Purpose:Individual differences in effects of acupunctual anesthesia during uterine endometrial biopsy were tested by means of the modified methods of Cornell Medical Index (CMI-test).II. Methods:Two hundred forty eight patients were examined for this tests for three years since Dec. 1982. Needles for acupuncture were applied into Ashisanri (Zusanli) and Saninko (Sanyinjiao.) After careful recognition of sufficient Tokkuki (The chih) following acupuncture, stick-points of needles were lead to Neurometer NAJ.After approximately 30 minutes of electrical induction, biopsical operation were started. Anesthetical effectiveness of acupuncture were confirmed as follows:(1) During biopsy, facial features what to speak, body movements, sweating, and condition of anesthesia of patients were observed and checked on the specialized score table in order from zero to 28 points. Acquired points less than 11 were indicated as effective anesthesia.(2) Following operation the inquires about grade of pain feeling during biopsical procedures were carried out and then they were classified into four ranks: no pain, slight pain. moderate pain and strong one. The last two were considered as no effective.(3) In addition to the above mentioned two, CMI-test was performed.III. Results:From score points; The effectiveness was as follows, normal type group, 79%; subnormal, 77%; breaking down of autonomic nerve system, 44%; neurosis, 86%; psychosomatic type, 68%.On the other hand, from inquires the following were obtained: normal 65%; subnormal 50%; autonomic nervous disorder, 19%; neurosis, 41% and psychosomatic type, 37%.There is no critical differences between both results from score points and inquiry system.It is concluded from results that acupunctual anethesia were not much effective in patients who have disorders of autonomic nervous system and psychosomatic system, while much effective in patients with neurosis.

Oxytocinase (cystyl-aminopeptidase) [EC 3.4.11.3] was isolated from monkey placenta in a purified form by a six-step prodedure comprising extraction from monkey placenta homogenate, ammonium sulfate fractionation, repeated chromatography on hydroxylapatite, chromatography on a column of DEAE-cellulose and gel filtration on a column of Sephadex G-200. The purified enzyme showed a single band on polyacrylamide disc electrophoresis. Oxytocin was inactivated by this enzyme preparation. The enzyme hydrolyzed several aminoacyl-beta-naphthylamides. A terminal amino group was required for enzyme activity. The molecular weight of the purified enzyme was estimated to be 87,000 by gel filtration and 83,000 by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. Other properties of the enzyme, the effects of metal ions and various chemical reagents on the enzyme activity, the pH optimum, and Km values for a number of aminoacyl-beta-naphthylamides were also examined.

Arylamidase [EC3.4.11.2] was isolated from monkey brain extract and purified about 2100-fold in approximately 11% yield by a six-step procedure comprising extraction from monkey brain homogenate, ammonium sulfate fractionation, first hydroxylapatite chromatography, DEAE-cellulose chromatography, Sephadex G-200 gell filtration and second hydroxylapatite chromatography. The enzyme showed a single band on polyacrylamide disc electrophoresis and consisted of a single polypeptide chain, as judged by disc electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. The enzyme was strongly inhibited by PCMB, TPCK, and puromycin. Puromycin competitively inhibited the enzyme and the Ii value was about 5 x 10(-7)M. Treatment with EDTA resulted in a loss of enzyme activity. The enzyme activity was restored by addition of Zn2+, Co2+, Mn2+. Among various amino acid beta-naphthylamides, L-alanine beta-naphthylamide was most rapidly hydrolyzed and N-carbobenzoxyl-L-leucine beta-naphthylamide was not hydrolyzed by this enzyme preparation. The molecular weight of the enzyme was 92,000 as determined by gel filtration on Sephadex G-200.

The smooth muscle stimulating activity of a new PGE1 analog, 16, 16-dimethyl- trans delta2 -PGE1 methyl ester (ONO-802) was evaluated by simultaneously recording the EMG of the uterus and intestines, along with urinary bladder pressure, and blood pressure in pregnant and non-pregnant Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata fuscata). Single intravenous injections of ONO-802 in increasing dosages (0.2-5 microgram/kg) were found to be 50-100 times or more effective in inducing uterine contraction than PGF2alpha and PGE1. A mild, transient gastrointestinal muscle stimulating activity was observed, but change in urinary bladder pressure and blood pressure was not evident. ONO-802 induced uterine contractions in the pregnant animals were 10 times greater than in the non-pregnant animals. These results suggest that ONO-802 may be a suitable clinical prostaglandin for use in therapeutic abortion.

Three sets of experiments are described, all based on the electrical responses recorded in the olfactory bulb of salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha and O. kisutch) when various natural waters, or modified natural waters, were infused into the nostril.In the first experiments it was found that, generally, the most vigorous response was evoked by the home spawning area water and relatively less vigorous responses were evoked by waters in which the tested salmon had never been. However, an exceptional situation was found in which a strange water (Issaquah River) evoked olfactory responses in Soos Creek and University of Washington salmon that could not be distinguished from the home water response.Chinook salmon that had been reared in a freshwater hatchery for 2 years and then placed in sea water for 2 weeks retained their home water response in sea water. Placing chinook salmon in a small volume of fresh water, which had previously evoked only a slight bulbar electroencephalographic (EEG) response, rendered the water highly stimulatory. Keeping coho salmon under the same conditions did not make the water as stimulatory.Two-year-old adult chinook salmon placed in a new environmental water that was relatively weakly stimulatory at first developed a bulbar EEG response to the novel water in 3 days that was not distinguishable from the home water response.

By infusing various natural waters into noses of homing salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha and O. kisutch) and recording electroencephalographic (EEG) patterns from the olfactory bulb, data were collected showing responsiveness to waters along the freshwater migratory route. The largest responses always were evoked by the home water for each of the three spawning groups. Generally, the responses to various waters along the migrating route were equivalent, or did not vary in any recognizable progression. Accordingly, it does not seem that homing salmon are following a single olfactory clue in increasing concentration. Instead, they appear to be responding olfactorily to individual loci along the route.

A total of sixty 2.5-year-old rainbow trout ( Salmo gairdnerii ) were used. About half of them had been radiothyroidectomized by I 131 injections that began when the animals weighed 2–3 g, and continued for 6 months. Accordingly, they were without thyroids for more than two years, and fed a low iodine diet. Heart rate was 26% lower in thyroidectomized than in control trout. It was increased in both groups by low dosages of thyroxine, but decreased by a higher dose. Thyroidectomized trout had a differentiated (from normal) pattern of spontaneous EEG from the olfactory bulb, they had a higher stimulus threshold for evoking an electrical response in the olfactory bulb, and the magnitude of the response at any particular stimulus strength was inferior to the control. Thyroxine lowered the threshold in thyroidectomized trout and increased the size of the electrical response. Most of the these measured parameters of nervous function varied biphasically with thyroxine dose. That is, they were stimulated at lower doses, but beyond a certain dose most often they were progressively inhibited. Measuring the evoked olfactory response in these animals after section of the olfactory tract or of the midbrain-diencephalon connection showed that a complex series of inhibitory or stimulatory (depending on thyroid state) regulatory influences move centrifugally from the hindbrain and from the forebrain to modify the olfactory response.

Evoked olfactory electrical responses in the olfactory bulbs of young adult goldfish were studied after administration of different dosages of estradiol. The magnitudes of the olfactory responses were augmented in estrogenized goldfish up to a dose of 8.0 μg of estradiol. Beyond this dose less augmentation occurred, and higher doses (32.0 μg, 64.0 μg) of estradiol actually inhibited the responses to values below the control. Olfactory responses in estrogenized goldfish after olfactory tract section (freeing the bulbs from centrifugal control) also were biphasic with respect to dose, but mirror image to the dose-response relation in intact goldfish. These data are interpreted to mean that estrogens influence olfactory-evoked nervous responses in the bulb and elsewhere in the nervous system in a complex manner related to dose. Different parts of the central nervous system, at particular doses of estradiol, may respond simultaneously quite differently in terms of inhibition or facilitation.

In the olfactory buld and telencephalon of normal goldfish typical electrical responses may be observed after infusion into the olfactory sac of weak salt solutions. These patterns are altered after section of the olfactory tract in such a way as to indicate facilitation of the bulbar olfactory response by centrifugal influences from the more posterior parts of the brain. Thyroxine tends to inhibit telencephalic centrifugal action upon the NaCl-evoked bulbar response, but it appears to have a local facilitatory action in the olfactory bulb itself.

In the frog, over a period of up to 12 days, the effects of a single injection of steroid hormone were measured on potentials evoked in the olfactory lobe and telencephalon after electrical stimulation of the olfactory nerve. Response amplitudes in the olfactory lobe and telencephalon were depressed by 10 μg doses of progesterone whether given alone, or in combination with 10 μg of oestradiol. In the olfactory lobe the change in response induced by progesterone was significant by 2 days and reached a peak by 6 to 8 days after injection. In the telencephalon the peak effect of progesterone was also at about 6 days, but no significant change from the control could be found before 4 days. In contrast, oestradiol, when given alone, augmented the response to olfactory stimulation detected in the olfactory lobe and telencephalon. The time relations were about the same as for progesterone. Effects of the two hormones on stimulus threshold were relatively modest and in general were correlated with the effects on response amplitude. Similarity in time course of effects of progesterone and oestradiol, and the dominance of the progesterone effect over that of oestradiol suggests that despite their opposite actions, at least part of their influence is on the same elements in the olfactory response system.

In the pars intermedia of frogs in the dark two types of spontaneously firing neuronal units have been found; one can be inhibited by and the other is indifferent to increases in illumination. The receptor for the light-inhibited units appears to be the pineal organ. Transection experiments indicate that the axons to the two kinds of units in the pars intermedia are separately grouped in the floor.

R5020(17,21-dimethyl-19-nor-4,9-pregnadiene-3,20-dlone)-binding components with sedimentation coefficient of 8S were detected in sexual skin cytosols from estrogen-primed ovarlectomized Japanese monkey ( Macaca fuscata fuscata ). In contrast, little 8S binding was found In similar preparations from the abdominal skin. The dissociation constants and the number of binding sites of the components were l.6×10−10M and 36 fmoles/mg cytosol protein, respectively. The 8S binding components were specific for progestational compounds. Incubation with pronase abolished the 8S binding. Thermal experiments revealed the thermolabile nature of the components. Moreover, the concentration of the R5020-binding components was markedly increased by estradiol-17β 3-benzoate injections. We conclude from these results that the cytosols from the sexual skin of estrogen-primed female monkeys contain progesterone receptors.

Concentration of cholecystokinin-8 and the activity of glutamic acid decarboxylase were determined in the various cerebral cortical subdivisions of Japanese monkey (Macaca fuscata fuscata) at three different ages (embryonic 4 months, full-term and adult). The CCK-8 immunoreactive material extracted with 90% methanol from the cerebral cortex of the adult and foetal monkey were shown to be identical with synthetic cholecystokinin-8 by the criterion of co-elution on gel filtration chromatography (Sephadex G-50). The peptide concentration increased dramatically by about 30-80 fold (in terms of protein) and 17-28 fold (in terms of wet weight) between embryonic 4-month-old and full-term monkeys, while the level decreased 1/6-1/16 (protein) and 1/4-1/10 (wet weight) between full-term and adult monkeys. In adults, the highest levels of the peptide was observed in the association cortex, orbital prefrontal cortex and posterior parietal cortex. Glutamic acid decarboxylase activity, on the other hand, gradually increased about 4-10 fold (protein) between embryonic 4-month-old and adult animals and there was little variation in the increase rate among the cerebral subdivisions. In contrast to cholecystokinin-8, no reduction in the enzyme activity occurred between full-term and adult animals. The high level of cholecystokinin-8 in the embryonic period suggests that the peptide may participate in the regulation of the development of primate cerebral cortex.

Twenty-seven sexually mature Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata fuscata) weighing 6 to 8 kg were used to evaluate and characterize the local and systemic effects of a T-shaped progesterone-releasing system (UTS) following transabdominal insertion into the uterus. None of five experimental animals conceived, while four of five sham-operated control animals and all intact animals conceived. The general physical appearance, behavior, and clinical blood chemical titer of animals receiving the UTS were comparable with those of the sham-operated group. The UTS also had no significant effect on the cyclic vaginal smear pattern and serum luteinizing hormone (LH) surge during the ovulatory interval. The time course of radioactivity, determined in serum obtained serially following intrauterine insertion of a tritiated UTS, revealed the immediated appearance of 3H in serum, and the levels increased rapidly and remained high for 1 to 1.5 months. The LH release pattern in peripheral blood induced by the intravenous injection of 100 mug of LH-releasing hormone was not affected by the device in utero. The UTS did not appear to interfere with systemic function; when placed in the uterine cavity, the UTS appears to release steroid locally and to exert its antifertility effect without affecting the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis. A characteristic of the UTS is its effectiveness, since it has both mechanical and hormonal contraceptive properties.The local and systemic effects of a T-shaped progesterone-releasing system (UTS) inserted transabdominally into the uteri of 27 sexually mature Japanese monkeys (Macca fuscata fuscata) were studied. The system used was designed to release 30 mcg of progesterone every 24 hours for over a year. Residual progesterone was found in the devices after 52 weeks. None of the 5 animals wearing the UTS conceived after 1 year, while 4 of 5 sham-operated and all of 5 intact control animals conceived. The general physical appearance, feeding habits, and social behavior were similar to control animals. Menstrual cycle length and duration were unchanged. Vaginal cytology patterns were normal. Serum luteinizing hormone (LH) during the ovulation period was unchanged. The LH release pattern in peripheral blood, induced by the iv injection of 100 mcg of LH-RH, was not affectd. Other blood chemical determinations were similar to those of controls. The time course of radioactivity, following intrauterine insertion of a tritiated UTS, showed the immediate appearance of tritiate in serum and gradually increasing levels which remained high for over a month. The hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis seemed unaffected. This method had mechanical and hormonal contraceptive properties and was considered effective.

Distribution of somatostatin-immunoreactive cells in the cerebral cortex of macaque monkeys at embryonic day 120 (E120), E140, newborn, postnatal day 60 (P60) and adult stages were studied by the avidin-biotin-peroxidase immunohistochemical method. At all stages, there existed 3 types of cells in the gray matter: bipolar, multipolar and small-sized cells which stained only in perikaryon. Somatostatin-immunoreactive cells were observed from E120. The cell number increased between E120 and E140 and decreased until P60. At the newborn stage, a high density of cells was distributed in layer II of the prefrontal and parietal cortices (areas FD and PE). In layer I of the postcentral, parietal, temporal and preoccipital cortices (areas FA, PC, PE, TA, TE and OA), small numbers of horizontal cells were detected only at the embryonic and newborn stages. In adulthood, the number of somatostatin cells was much smaller than at the early stages (E140 and newborn). Compared to other cortical areas, in occipital cortex (area OC), there was little change in cell number during development. In occipito-temporal cortices, there were increases in cell number from posterior to anterior portion at all the stages. The large number of somatostatin cells in all layers of the cerebral cortex during the early stages indicates that somatostatin plays a role in the development of the monkey cerebral cortex.

Three different types of discharge patterns of single cells were observed in the glomerular and subglomerular layers of the olfactory bulbs of normal goldfish, and these patterns were studied also in hormone-treated fish. The Type I pattern is a series of small spikes of relatively higher discharge rate seen in control and thyroxine-treated fishes with the recording electrode in the subglomerular layers of the bulb. Thyroxine treatment elicited a remarkable increase in the “spontaneous” Type I firing rate. Type B, also recorded from the subglomerular zone, a discharge pattern characterized by bursts of spikes, was obtained mostly after sex steroid treatment. Type G is a pattern of somewhat large action potentials, regularly firing, recorded from cells in the glomerular layer of all animals studied. Observations were made of the changes in rate and pattern of firing during infusion of 0.06 M NaCl into the olfactory sac. Estradiol pretreatment produced a strong facilitatory effect on the NaCl response of cells exhibiting the Type G pattern, but it did not alter the responses of cells of the Type B pattern. In contrast, testosterone did not affect the responsiveness of cells of the Type G pattern, but it facilitated NaCl-evoked changes in the firing rate of cells initially presenting the type B pattern. Progesterone and thyroxine were similar in their tendency to inhibit NaCl-evoked changes in rates of these single unit discharges. However, there was a pattern difference in the altered Type I and B firing, after NaCl infusion, between the progesterone and the thyroxine-treated fishes.

Sites in the frog's optic tectum, diencephalon, and telencephalon were found to yield evoked patterns of electrical response to light flashes. In frogs treated with estradiol, testosterone, or progesterone in different doses, the amplitudes and latencies of these electrical responses were altered, each hormone having a particular and different action in different parts of the brain. It was concluded that the loci of hormonal responsiveness for each hormone are, at least in part, different and characteristic for the type of hormone. Furthermore, the optically evoked forebrain potentials varied greatly during the year, arguing for a natural cycle of humoral control over this phenomenon.

To clarify the functional relation between the ovulation blocking-effect and the central depresant action of progesterone, electrophysiological studies were done, using unanesthetized curarized albino rats under artificial respiration, additionally using rabbits and cats, and the following results were obtained:(1) After the administration of progesterone (10-20mg/kg), EEG of the hippocampus and neocortex showed sleep patterns, lasting 1 hr.(2) Activation threshold of posterior hypothalamic stimulation upon the hippocampus and neocortex was markedly elevated after the administration of progesterone.(3) The threshold voltage of desynchronizing the hippocampal regular slow waves by anterior hypothalamic stimulation remained almost unchanged.(4) The threshold voltage of the recruiting response of the neocortex by stimulation of nucleus centrum medianum almost unchanged.From these results it is concluded that progesterone seems to suppress the activity level of the posterior hypothalamus as well as that of the limbic-midbrain area (Nauta, 1958) by which the blockade of ovulation may take place.

Radioactive (11- 3 H) prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ) levels in plasma of non-pregnant Rhesus and Japanese monkeys were determined by radioimmunoassay. The amounts of PGE 2 in plasma increased gradually and reached a peak 90 minutes after oral administration. Comparatively low levels were detected 24 hours after oral administration. Plasma PGE 2 levels increased rapidly and disappeared within 5 minutes when 5 μg/kg of PGE 2 was administered intravenously. Uterine contractile sensitivity to PGE 2 and F 2α was measured by the threshold of a venous dosage required to evoke an elevation of uterine contractility in non-pregnant and pre- and post-labor Japanese monkeys. Uterine sensitivity to PGE 2 in the non-pregnant monkey appear to vary in accordance with the sexual life span. At term of pregnancy, PGE 2 was much more potent in causing uterine contraction than PGF 2α . During labor and at postpartum period with lactation, effectiveness of PGE 2 appear to be less than that of PGF 2α . The non-pregnant and pregnant uterus of the third trimester are more sensitive to PGE 2 than the laboring and postpartum uterus. The long latency of the elevation of uterine contractility induced by the intravenous administration of PG suggests that the PG compounds have potent actions on the central nervous system.

Homing salmon were injected intracranially with puromycin, actinomycin D, or cycloheximide. From 4 to 7 hours after such treatment these agents markedly inhibited olfactory bulbar discrimination between home water and other natural waters, including spawning sites for other groups of salmon. At longer intervals after treatment there was a partial restoration of olfactory memory-based discrimination. The dosages of the inhibitors used could be shown to have depressed incorporation of H 3 -leucine into protein by 78 percent or of H 3 -uridine into RNA by 41 percent in the salmon brains 4 hours after intracranial injection. These findings suggest that acute blockage of RNA synthesis or protein synthesis can interfere with long-term olfactory memory in anadromous salmon, at least as this function can be analyzed by electrophysiological methods. This implies that long-term olfactory memory depends upon continued metabolism of RNA and continued protein synthesis.