Narrowings of the synaptic cleft in myoneural junctions

Zusammenfassung In motorischen Endplatten der quergestreiften inneren Augenmuskulatur des Huhnes und multipel innervierter Muskelfasern der äusseren Augenmuskeln der Ratte werden Verengungen des synaptischen Spaltes beschrieben. Die Plasmamembranen der terminalen Nervenfaser und der Muskelfaser nähern sich an diesen Stellen auf ca. 160 å und die für die motorische Endplatte typische Basalmembranschicht fehlt im verengten synaptischen Spalt.     

TSH-receptor antibodies, HLA B8 and thyroid autoantibodies in patients with Graves' disease in therapeutically induced euthyroidism.

The prevalence of TSH-receptor antibodies and of thyroid autoantibodies was studied in 48 HLA-typed patients with Graves' disease, who were in an euthyroid state after antithyroid therapy with methimazole. TSH-receptor antibodies, which were found in 35% of the patients, did not correlate with the positivity of HLA B8. By contrast the persistence of thyroid microsomal antibodies was significantly associated with HLA B8.     

Age-G staining, a rapid technique for producing combined silver staining and Giemsa banding in mammalian chromosomes

A combination of the silver staining method with a Giemsa banding technique is described for mammalian chromosomes. This double staining simultaneously shows silver-stained NORs and a G-band pattern, and thus allows a rapid identification of the NOR-bearing chromosomes.     

Sequence variants in IL10, ARPC2 and multiple other loci contribute to ulcerative colitis susceptibility

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) typically manifests as either ulcerative colitis (UC) or Crohn's disease (CD). Systematic identification of susceptibility genes for IBD has thus far focused mainly on CD, and little is known about the genetic architecture of UC. Here we report a genome-wide association study with 440,794 SNPs genotyped in 1,167 individuals with UC and 777 healthy controls. Twenty of the most significantly associated SNPs were tested for replication in three independent European case-control panels comprising a total of 1,855 individuals with UC and 3,091 controls. Among the four consistently replicated markers, SNP rs3024505 immediately flanking the IL10 (interleukin 10) gene on chromosome 1q32.1 showed the most significant association in the combined verification samples (P = 1.35 x 10(-12); OR = 1.46 (1.31-1.62)). The other markers were located in ARPC2 and in the HLA-BTNL2 region. Association between rs3024505 and CD (1,848 cases, 1,804 controls) was weak (P = 0.013; OR = 1.17 (1.01-1.34)). IL10 is an immunosuppressive cytokine that has long been proposed to influence IBD pathophysiology. Our findings strongly suggest that defective IL10 function is central to the pathogenesis of the UC subtype of IBD.     

Lectin-induced lymphocyte stimulation in pigs — a kinetic study of NORs

Summary Early reactions of rRNA-cistrons in lectin-stimulated PBL cultures of domestic pigs are shown. Interphases showing 3 or more clusters of stained areas were attributed mainly to cells after first division. Clear differences are shown between PHA-and ConA-induced NOR-expression patterns compared to the patterns in PW-stimulated cultures.We thank Dr W. Gratze for valuable techniqual assistance, Dr M. Kundi from the Institute of Environmental Health of the University of Vienna for the statistical treatment of our data and the Ludwig Boltzmann Society for financial support.     

Detection of nucleolus organizer regions (NOR) in the chromosomes of the domestic pig (Sus scrofa domestica L.)

Summary In the domestic pig (Sus scrofa domestica L.) nucleolar organizer regions (NOR) were detected by a combined silver-Giemsa method (Ag-G). The main sites of NORs are the secondary constrictions of chromosomes 8 and 10. Sometimes an additional NOR was observed near the centromere of 1 homologue of chromosome 11. Associations of NORs were seen only between chromosomes 10 and at a very low frequency.     

The silver-staining technique—a tool for characterizing lymphocyte populations in mammalian peripheral blood

Summary Nucleolus organizer regions (NORs) of the peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) of 9 mammalian species were analyzed by means of a silver-staining procedure. Species-specific NOR patterns were demonstrated. The number of NOR chromosomes was positively correlated with the nucleolar coefficient, and negatively correlated with the relative frequencies of uninucleolar cells in PBL interphase.Acknowledgment. The authors thank Professor Dr E. Groll-Knapp, of the Institute of Environmental Hygiene at the University of Vienna, for statistically evaluating the data provided.     

Axoplasmic organelles: Quantitative differences between ventral and dorsal root fibres of the rat

Zusammenfassung Motorische und sensible Nervenfasern lassen sich im Bereich der Rückenmarkswurzeln (Ratte, L₅) aufgrund der Mengenverteilung der Axonorganellen unterscheiden. Bei vergleichbarem Faserkaliber haben Vorderwurzelfasern signifikant mehr Neurotubuli und axoplasmatisches Retikulum als Hinterwurzelfasern.

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This investigation was supported by the Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung in Österreich.

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The authors gratefully acknowledge the excellent technical assistance of MissL. Henning and MissB. Fritsche.