Herbert S. Kupperman

Anomalous offspring and growth of Wistar rats maintained on a deficient diet.

Summary Gross anatomical malformations can be induced in approximately one-third of the offspring of Wistar rats, if they are fed a deficient diet after maturity. In agreement with previous reports, immature Wistar rats reared on the same diet grow poorly and give little evidence of reaching adult stature and sexual maturity. It has been demonstrated in the literature, however, that immature female rats of either the Sprague-Dawley or Baltimore strains, reared on this diet, attain sexual maturity and produce litters with anomalous young. It is suggested that the strain differences of rats reared on this diet is expressed rather in the growth and the attainment of sexual maturity than in the production of anomalous offspring.

The control of menorrhagia by prolactin

Summary 1. Menorrhagia, either functional or organic in nature, was favorably influenced by administration of lactogenic preparations extracted from the pituitary gland. Menorrhagia associated with uterine fibromyomas, cystic ovaries, or chronic pelvic inflammatory disease was suppressed in the majority of patients by administration of prolactin. Those patients, however, in the latter two categories were more resistant to therapy. Normal cyclic bleeding followed cessation of prolactin therapy in many of the patients receiving one or more courses of treatment. This permanency or semipermaneney in the effect of prolactin afforded a sufficient interval to enable the patient to undergo a more strenuous regime to correct the underlying cause of the excessive uterine bleeding. 2. Some success was obtained in mitigating dysmenorrhea by prolactin therapy when it was associated with excessive uterine bleeding. :3. In addition, the signs and symptoms of threatened abortion were alleviated by administering prolactin to 3 of 6 patients giving a history of previous abortive interruptions of pregnancy. 4. Administration of lactogenic preparations to normal cyclic women did not have an appreciable effect upon the length of cycle, menstrual bleeding or morphologic appearance of the endometrium. 5. It is suggested that the effectiveness of laelogenic hormone in coutrolling uterine bleeding is probably linked with its luteotrophic properties. 6. In view of the innocuous effect of prolactin upon the normal menstrual cycle and corrective action in metropathic menorrhagia, we find its use is warranted in the control of excessive uterine bleeding.

Premature Sexual Development

When a child matures sexually before eight or nine, physicians should try to ferret out a cause. In about 75 percent of girls and 40 percent of boys no cause will be found, even after x-rays, electroencephalograms, blood and urine hormone assays, and thyroid studies. But in the other children, lesions affecting the hypothalamus, ovarian or testicular tumors, or adrenal disorders will usually be found.

A RAPID IRON HEMATOXYLIN TISSUE STAIN FOR ROUTINE LABORATORY USE

ether mixture and then stored for various periods of time in a dry ice box before removal of the brains and analysis for lactic acid. There is a statistically significant though variable increase in lactic acid content in the stored normal brain while no significant change was noted in the stored poliomyelitis brain. This experiment requires confirmation before speculation on the mechanism would be advisable. Summary: Lactic acid content of the brain is significantly decreased in mice infected with the virus of poliomyelitis. This appears to be additional evidence for the view that the virus may interfere in a specific manner with cell metabolism. HERMAN KABAT DOROTHY ERICKSON CARL EKLUND MARGARET NICKLE DEPARTMENT OF PHYSIOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA, AND DIVISION OF PREVENTABLE DISEASES, MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH