PGE2 and LTC4 syntheses in Ehrlich ascites cells were measured by radioimmunoassay. Hypotonic swelling results in stimulation of the leukotriene synthesis and a concomitant reduction in the prostaglandin synthesis. If the cells have access to sufficient arachidonic acid there is a parallel increase in the synthesis of both leukotrienes and prostaglandins following hypotonic exposure. PGE2 significantly inhibits regulatory volume decrease (RVD) following hypotonic swelling in Na-containing medium but not in Na-free media, supporting the hypothesis that the effect of PGE2 is on the Na permeability. PGE2 also had no effect on RVD in Na-free media in the presence of the cation ionophore gramicidin. Since the Cl permeability becomes rate limiting for RVD in the presence of gramicidin, whereas the K permeability is rate limiting in its absence, it is concluded that PGE2 neither affects Cl nor K permeability. Addition of LTD4 accelerates RVD and since the K permeability is rate limiting for RVD this shows that LTD4 stimulates the K permeability. Inhibition of the leukotriene synthesis by nordihydroguaiaretic acid inhibits RVD even when a high K conductance has been ensured by the presence of gramicidin. It is, therefore, proposed that an increase in leukotriene synthesis after hypotonic swelling is involved also in the activation of the Cl transport pathway.

The hypothesis that renal sodium handling is controlled by changes in plasma sodium concentration was tested in seated volunteers. A standard salt load (3.08 mmol/kg body wt over 120 min) was administered as 0.9% saline (Isot) or as 5% saline (Hypr) after 4 days of constant sodium intake of 75 (LoNa+) or 300 mmol/day (HiNa+). Hypr increased plasma sodium by ∼4 mmol/l but increased plasma volume and central venous pressure significantly less than Isot irrespective of diet. After LoNa+, Hypr induced a smaller increase in sodium excretion than Isot (48 ± 8 vs. 110 ± 17 μmol/min). However, after HiNa+the corresponding natriureses were identical (135 ± 33 vs. 139 ± 39 μmol/min), despite significant difference between the increases in central venous pressure. Decreases in plasma ANG II concentrations of 23–52% were inversely related to sodium excretion. Mean arterial pressure, plasma oxytocin and atrial natriuretic peptide concentrations, and urinary excretion rates of endothelin-1 and urodilatin remained unchanged. The results indicate that an increase in plasma sodium may contribute to the natriuresis of salt loading when salt intake is high, supporting the hypothesis that osmostimulated natriuresis is dependent on sodium balance in normal seated humans.

This paper refines a "four-lane" physical model for CMOS devices, first published in 1994. The growth of threshold voltage as a function of radiation dose in a very wide range of Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) devices, all the way from low (kilorad) to very high (gigarad) doses. The parameters of four LANE-LIKE OR CORRIDOR-LLKE REGIONS on the growth curve diagram are extracted. The resulting FOUR-LANE CLASSIFICATION is useful in selecting CMOS technologies and offers a new terminology for describing the radiation tolerance of ICs and could form the basis of a "league table", used to assess the performance of "hardening laboratories" around the world

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A coagglutinating reagent has recently been developed and utilized in capsule typing of pneumococci. The reagent consists of stabilized staphylococci coated with specific antibody via the gamma globulin Fc-protein A reaction thereby orienting the antibody molecules with the antigen-reactive Fab parts outwards. Reagent staphylococci coated with antibodies directed against streptococcal group-specific antigens have been used in the present investigations. Overnight cultures of streptococci were treated with trypsin and then directly tested for coagglutination of selected reagent staphylococci on glass slides. In all, 179 strains of streptococci were analyzed by the method described. The results were compared with grouping by using Lancefield extracts in counter-immunoelectrophoresis and were shown to agree completely. The coagglutination method described proved to be accurate, rapid, and simple.

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