Hugo Krueger

Alteration of Activity of Thyroid Gland of Beef Cattle with Testosterone.

Summary and Conclusions 1. Testosterone injected intramuscularly at the rate 1 mg/kg of body wt per week in beef heifers and steers from 500 to 800 lb live wt had the following effects: a) Increased average daily gain and decreased feed requirements per unit gain, b) Increased weight of the thyroid glands, c) Increased secretory activity of the thyroid gland, d) Decreased stores of thyroxine in the thyroid gland. 2. Correlations between thyroid gland activity and growth rate are suggested as indicating a possible mode of the action of testosterone in affecting growth of beef cattle. 3. A method is described using the time of asphyxiation of thiouracil-treated mice as a measure of thyroxine content of the thyroid gland.

Effects of Low Oxygen Pressure on Respiratory Phenomena.

Eight per cent oxygen mixtures were administered for a period of approximately 30 minutes to 3 dogs anesthetized with morphine and urethane. Such administration produced an initial decrease in oxygen consumption which was followed by an increase slightly in excess of normal. This excess oxygen consumption was ascribed to the increased muscular effort of augmented ventilation. The augmented ventilation increased the elimination of carbon dioxide considerably above normal. On readministration of room air there was a decrease in pulmonary ventilation, a relative retention of carbon dioxide and an oxygen consumption above normal. In one experiment the expiratory quotient rose to 2.86 during the period of oxygen lack and fell on readministration of room air to 0.24. During oxygen lack there was a substantial decrease in the carbon dioxide capacity of the blood which was promptly followed by an increase approaching or exceeding the initial carbon dioxide capacity. There was a similar increase and decrease in blood lactic acid. The blood lactic acid content at the end of the period of oxygen lack was only moderately increased. The lactic acid changes occurred earlier than and were smaller than the changes in blood carbon dioxide capacity. The lactic acid content of the testicle and the rectus femoris muscle before and after the period of oxygen lack was determined. The tissue was dropped in liquid air and a satisfactory suspension was obtained by sectioning in the frozen state with a rotary microtome. The lactic acid content of the testicle and of the muscle was increased during the period of oxygen lack. The amount of lactic acid in the muscle was greater than in the blood. In the testicle it was less than in the blood.

Radiation and responses of rabbit ear artery to xylene, alcohol, and epinephrine.

When measured 4 months after 100 R of whole-body X-irradiation, there was no difference between the diameters of ear arteries of irradiated or nonirradiated New Zealand, Flemish Giant, or Polish rabbits. The responses of the ear arteries to xylene, alcohol, and epinephrine were similar in irradiated and nonirradiated rabbits. After 300 R all three breeds responded more slowly than controls to xylene, alcohol, and epinephrine, and the time for reaching a maximal response was longer. However, in the physiologically balanced New Zealands there was no difference in the magnitudes of the responses of the central ear arteries to xylene, alcohol, and epinephrine between irradiated and nonirradiated rabbits. The arteries of the Flemish Giant and Polish, already dilated by 300 R, responded to xylene and alcohol with marked additional dilation beyond the magnitude of the dilation induced in controls. Epinephrine produced more constriction of the central ear artery in the irradiated Flemish Giant and Polish rabbits ...

Acute Edema of the Pancreas, Gallbladder and Stomach in Serum Anaphylaxis

As far as we are aware, the occurrence of acute edema of the gallbladder, pancreas and stomach has not been described as a consequence of serum anaphylaxis in the dog. Incidence. In 21 dogs, we observed edema of the pancreas 8 times; edema of the gallbladder-mucosa and adventitia 15 times; and edema of the stomach-submucosa 8 times. Degree of Edema. This varied considerably; in the pancreas the entire gland could be involved so that the lobules were separated by a clear, watery fluid; or the edema was largely limited to that portion closely adherent to the duodenum and antrum. The lymph glands between the pancreas and stomach were generally black, hard and gorged with blood. Other lymph glands of the viscera appeared normal. In the gallbladder the edema of the mucosa and adventitia varied between 1 and 3 mm in thickness; the fundus was chiefly involved and the edema was less on the body and apparently absent on the neck of the bladder. In the stomach, the edema was found chiefly in the submucosa of the antrum and especially of the preantrum, and was most marked along the lesser curvature; the fundus generally showed no edema. In several instances, however, the fundus showed limited areas of edema at least 5 mm in thickness and this edema was associated with definite thickening of the mucosal rugae. The duodenal submucosa never showed any appreciable edema. The edema fluid in all instances was water-clear and not bloody. A few petechial hemorrhages into the gastric mucosa of the fundus were observed in only one dog. Duration. Some evidence is available indicating that the edema becomes less and disappears as the animal recovers. It is conceivable that this acute edema of the gallbladder, pancreas and stomach may serve as the starting point of pathological processes or exacerbate existing abnormal conditions in the involved organs.

Accidental Air Embolism and Fibrin Formation in the Heart of Rabbit

Summary 1. In barbitalized rabbits subjected to operations on the spinal column, cord and skull, air embolism is not a negligible danger; 14 out of 37 rabbits showed air bubbles in the pulmonary artery. Acute death after such operations in the rabbit must not be diagnosed as “vascular shock,” tacitly implying a nervous component, until a careful autopsy has excluded air embolism. 2. Air bubbles were observed entering and coursing through exposed sections of the diploic veins of the parietal bone during inspiration. 3. Absence of air bubbles in the right heart and pulmonary artery does not exclude air embolism for the air may have been absorbed. The diagnosis of air embolism may still be made if fibrin is found in the heart. Fibrin formation in the heart, especially the right ventricle, was seen 6, possibly 7, times when no air bubbles were detectable anywhere. Occasionally a slight amount of fibrin may also be detected in the left ventricle. Here apparently some air bubbles passed through the pulmonary circuit and entered the left ventricle. Fibrin may occur only in the left ventricle; this was seen once when artificial respiration rupitured lung aveoli and air entered the left heart and arterial system only. 4. No definite evidence of pulmonary infarction was seen in the lungs on macroscopic and microscopic examination. It seems probable that pulmonary infarction would have occurred had some of the animals been allowed to survive for longer periods of time. 5. Pulmonary edema was slight in the majority of our experiments.

Motor Analysis of Anti-Peristalsis in the Descending Colon of Rabbit:

As far as we are aware, antiperistalsis of the descending colon of rabbit has never been studied by direct inspection, yet this can be readily accomplished. The rabbit is narcotized by the subcutaneous injection of 150 mg sodium barbital per kilo; after 45 minutes the descending colon is exposed by a cut through the linea alba from the ensiform cartilage to the pubis; a segment of the descending colon is selected and prepared by making two cuts about 9 cm apart; these cuts sever 60% to 80% of the gut, opposite to the mesenteric border; the segment and adjacent portions of the colon are milked clear of scybala. Now by introducing dry, normal scybala either at the oral or aboral cut, peristaltic and antiperistaltic waves may be produced. Sluggish motor activity is readily improved by subcutaneous injection of 0.1 to 0.3 mg of physostigmine sulfate per kilo. Results. The introduction of a dry scyba-lum 1 to 2 cm into the segment at the oral or aboral end generally produces a peristaltic contraction after a short period of time. If the progress of the scybalum is prevented by a gentle digital compression of the segment, the peristaltic wave of contraction sooner or later relaxes and the formerly relaxed, compressed area contracts, the scybalum now moves antiperistaltically and may be expelled at the oral cut or enter the colon oral to the cut. The antiperistaltic wave shows the following characteristics: 1. A contraction wave of the circularis 0.5 to 1 cm long, produces a grayish-white bloodless cord, while its surface longitudinal layer appears pink. The length of the progressing contraction remains more or less constant. The contraction wave passes without noticeable pause through the cut to the oral colon.

Inhibition of Gastric and Cecal Peristalsis in Rabbit by CO2 + O2 Inhalations

The effect of carbon dioxide gas upon the motility of the gastro-intestinal canal has been studied chiefly on excised sections of the gut1-4 or by the ingestion of water saturated with CO2 or by the intragastric injection of the gas itself. 5 As far as we know the effect of CO2 + O2 inhalations upon gastric and cecal motility induced by the intragastric injection of air or by the subcutaneous injection of pilocarpine or physostigmine has not been reported. Furthermore, it may be emphasized that the results to be reported were obtained without opening the peritoneal cavity or the use of balloons but simply by inspection of the intact abdomen. The method is a slight modification of one described sometime ago: 6 preliminary narcotization to reduce or abolish the inhibitory effects of external stimuli; to accomplish this 150 mg sodium barbital per kilo were injected subcutaneously about 30 minutes before the test; after cutting the abdominal hair, which is readily done with a blunt-pointed scissors curved on the flat, both the cecum and most of the stomach including the preantrum may be easily observed through the intact abdominal wall; the antrum itself is not visible, but its contraction is readily indicated by a bulging of the preantrum. If the stomach was not well-filled, 60-120 cc air were injected into this viscus through a hypodermic needle plunged through the abdominal wall. The gas mixtures were 50% each CO2 and O2 delivered from tanks at a rate of 150-300 cc per minute each; this gas mixture was administered to the rabbit through a funnel held at such a distance over the nose or the tracheal tube that the respirations were definitely deepened. All observations were 5 minutes long: before, during and after the gas administration.

Acute Edema of the Pancreas, Gallbladder and Stomach After Histamine Injections

Since acute serum anaphylaxis produced well marked edema of some abdominal organs in the dog, 1 it became desirable to test the effect of histamine in this direction, especially as a search of the literature gave no information on this question. Incidence. In 14 dogs, edema of the pancreas occurred 6 times; edema of the gallbladder 14 times; of the stomach 7 times. Degree of Edema. This varied as has been described in serum anaphylaxis; 1 on the whole, it seemed not as strong as in the serum dogs, yet it must be noted that occasionally degrees of edema were seen in the pancreas, gallbladder and stomach that were equal to those observed in serum anaphylaxis. The location of edema was the same as in serum anaphylaxis. The edema fluid in all instances was clear and not bloody. The lymph glands between the pancreas and duodenum were brown red in color, and showed red areas on section; they were never black and hard as in serum anaphylaxis. The dogs were males and weighed between 6 and 8 kg; the histamine hydrochloride was infused into a jugular vein in a 0.1% solution using a Mariotte burette; the dose ranged between 2 and 6 mg per kg. Biopsy was performed within 30 minutes after the fall of blood pressure. Ether was discontinued as soon as the blood pressure had reached a low level.