SUMMARY1. The rat hypothalamus (containing the supra-optic nuclei, paraventricular nuclei, median eminence and proximal pituitary stalk) has been incubated in vitro and shown to be capable of releasing the neurohypophysial hormones, oxytocin and arginine vasopressin, at a steady basal rate about one twentieth that of the rat neural lobe superfused in vitro.2. The hypothalamus and neural lobe in vitro released both hormones in a similar arginine vasopressin/oxytocin ratio of about 1P2: 1. However, when release was expressed relative to tissue hormone content, the hypothalamus was shown to release about three times as much arginine vasopressin and six times as much oxytocin as the neural lobe.3. Dopamine in a concentration range of 10-13-10-9 M caused graded increases in hormone release from the hypothalamus in vitro to a maximum fivefold increase over preceding basal levels. The demonstration that apomorphine also stimulated hormone release whereas noradrenaline was relatively ineffective suggested that a specific dopamine receptor was involved. A separate cholinergic component in the release process was indicated by the finding that acetylcholine stimulated release to a maximum fivefold increase in concentrations of 1O-13-1O-9M.4. The fact that the isolated hypothalamus can be stimulated by dopamine and acetylcholine to release increased amount of oxytocin and * Present address and address for reprints:

Intra-coronal bleaching of root-filled teeth has been associated with invasive cervical root resorption. It is considered that during bleaching hydrogen peroxide diffuses through the tooth structure into the cervical periodontium, resulting in periodontal tissue destruction and initiating a resorptive process. Hydrogen peroxide is capable of generating hydroxyl radical, an oxygen-derived free radical, in the presence of ferrous salts. Hydroxyl radicals are extremely reactive and have been shown to degrade components of connective tissue, particularly collagen and hyaluronic acid. The aim of the present study was to determine whether hydroxyl radicals are generated during the bleaching of root-filled teeth which have been discoloured by blood. Forty extracted human premolar teeth were root-filled with gutta-percha and AH26 sealer cement. Twenty of the teeth were experimentally discoloured by blood. All teeth were then thermo-catalytically bleached using 30% hydrogen peroxide while tooth roots were seated in a test solution of sodium salicylate. Hydroxyl radical generation was determined by the detection of reaction products of this radical with salicylate using high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC-ECD). The presence of hydroxyl radicals was detected in twenty-five of the teeth. There was a significant association between the production of hydroxyl radicals and the presence of tooth discolouration caused by blood components. Greatest yields of hydroxyl radicals occurred in teeth in which EDTA had been used to clean the pulp chamber prior to bleaching. It was concluded that hydroxyl radicals are generated during the thermo-catalytic bleaching of root-filled teeth. Generation of this toxic chemical species may be one mechanism underlying periodontal tissue destruction and root resorption after intra-coronal bleaching.

SUMMARY Intracarotid injection of 0·25 ml of a hyperosmotic (1 m) sodium chloride solution into hydrated rats was an effective stimulus for vasopressin release. The effects of autonomic blocking drugs on this stimulus and on the release of vasopressin by intracarotid injections of acetylcholine were studied. Anti-adrenergic compounds (reserpine and phenoxybenzamine), ganglion-blocking agents (pempidine and pentolinium) and atropine were shown to be effective in preventing the vasopressin release caused by hyperosmotic stimulation. Acetylcholine-induced release of vasopressin was inhibited by pempidine but not reserpine. Based on these findings the nervous pathway(s) involved in the release of vasopressin induced by hyperosmolarity of the plasma is discussed.

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Single-rooted premolar teeth, stained with blood utilizing the technique devised by Freccia & Peters (1981), were subjected to traditional and non-peroxide bleaching agents. Colour changes were recorded over a period of 7 days using a Speedmaster R75-CP Reflection Densitometer. The most efficient removal of staining occurred after the application of 30% hydrogen peroxide, with sodium perborate being 75% as effective. All bleaching agents realized their optimum efficacy within the first 3 days. A combination of three enzymes (amylase, lipase and trypsin) with disodium edetate was not as effective as the routine bleaching agents; however, the combination did have a modifying effect on the blood stains. It is suggested that other non-peroxide agents should be investigated to determine their efficacy in removing staining from experimentally induced blood-stained teeth.