The Journal of Experimental Medicine

Paul, John R.; Trask, James D.

doi: 10.1084/jem.58.5.513pmid: 19870212

1. Confirmation of the qualitative differences which exist between so called human and passage strains of poliomyelitis virus has been established by the following observations. ( a ) The experimental disease induced by two human strains usually failed to protect monkeys against a subsequent infection by a passage strain, and in the few instances in which the reverse experiment could be tried a similar lack of protection was observed. ( b ) In some human sera the neutralizing power for a human strain differed qualitatively from the neutralizing power for a passage strain. 2. The time interval between the intracerebral inoculation of heterologous strains has been found to be an important factor bearing upon the results of the reinoculation experiments reported. Within the intervals used, the greater the period between the original infection and the reinoculation with a heterologous strain, the less was the degree of cross-immunity observed. Footnotes Submitted: 27 June 1933

Trask, James D.; Paul, John R.

doi: 10.1084/jem.58.5.531pmid: 19870213

The neutralizing antibody content for poliomyelitis virus has been tested with both a human and a passage strain of the virus in serial samples of sera from five mild cases of abortive poliomyelitis, and an increase in this antibody content has been demonstrated in convalescent samples obtained within 4 weeks of the acute illness. Footnotes Submitted: 27 June 1933

Evans, Herbert M.; Simpson, Miriam E.; Austin, Paul R.

doi: 10.1084/jem.58.5.545pmid: 19870214

The hypophyseal substance—the synergic factor—which gives increased gonadotropic effects when combined with prolan has been shown to itself possess a definite though slight gonadotropic activity. It produces transitory follicular enlargement within 24–48 hours, which, however, regresses at once on cessation of treatment so that by the end of the 4th day the ovary again approximates its infantile weight. The synergic principle indeed provokes only moderate ovarian development when administered in 100 times the dose necessary to demonstrate the activation phenomenon. By means of isoelectric precipitation or by means of tryptic and ereptic digestion, fractions containing the synergic principle were freed of many contaminants, in particular of the antagonistic factor. The synergic principle has been shown to be unaffected by digestion with trypsin or trypsin followed by a short digestion with erepsin, but the action of pepsin inactivated the material. A preparation of the active substance has been obtained which is potent in a total dose of 27 gamma . Footnotes Submitted: 27 June 1933

Evans, Herbert M.; Simpson, Miriam E.; Austin, Paul R.

doi: 10.1084/jem.58.5.561pmid: 19870215

The synergism phenomenon has made possible the recognition of substances, which we have called "prolan-like," in a wide variety of conditions. Indeed, it has been possible to demonstrate a prolan-like material in the urine of normal men. The method has shown a wide distribution of prolan-like substances in sera and urines of non-primates without demonstrating, however, significant difference in the reactions secured from pregnant as contrasted with non-pregnant states, or in males as contrasted with females. The synergism phenomenon with pregnancy prolan can also be shown in the increased development of the seminal vesicles of immature male rats. However, such males cannot be advantageously employed in the detection of prolan-like gonadotropic substances occurring in the blood and urine in conditions other than pregnancy, for the prolan-like substances usually do not effect appreciable development of the seminal vesicles. Footnotes Submitted: 27 June 1933

Evans, Herbert M.; Gustus, Edwin L.; Simpson, Miriam E.

doi: 10.1084/jem.58.5.569pmid: 19870216

The gonadotropic hormone of the blood of the pregnant mare has been greatly concentrated by adsorption on active aluminum hydroxide followed by elution. The preparations so obtained gave demonstrable gonadotropic effects within 100 hours in 21 day old female mice following three subcutaneous injections of 0.001 mg. in 1 cc. of physiological saline. As is well known, other gonadotropic substances do not cause conspicuous development of the male gonads but injections of comparatively large doses of these preparations into immature male rats caused marked development of the testes, which in 10 days were trebled in weight. An astonishing increase in the weight of the seminal vesicles resulted, for these organs were approximately 75 times heavier than in controls. Footnotes Submitted: 27 June 1933

Baker, Lillian E.

doi: 10.1084/jem.58.5.575pmid: 19870217

Monocytes from blood and from spleen have been cultivated in fluid medium in Carrel flasks for over 2 months. Diluted serum supplied all the essential nutritive substances. Cultivation in fluid was made possible by adjusting the initial pH of the fluid to 7.4, and not allowing it to fall below 7.0 or 6.8. The cells remained in good condition when the pH was adjusted with either lactic acid, hydrochloric acid, or carbon dioxide. Adjustment with carbon dioxide was found to be more convenient and also more practical, since it does not destroy the buffer action of the medium. After 2 months of cultivation, the monocytes were in excellent condition and still proliferated actively. They gave every indication that indefinite multiplication could be maintained under the conditions of these experiments. It is hoped that this method of cultivation, with some modifications, will prove useful in studying the metabolism of these cells. Footnotes Submitted: 12 July 1933

Rhoads, C. P.; Miller, D. K.

doi: 10.1084/jem.58.5.585pmid: 19870218

1. By the feeding of a particular diet, apparently lacking a substance closely associated with vitamin B 2 G, a chronic disease may be produced irregularly in dogs. 2. The disease is characterized by atrophic glossitis, diarrhea, loss of weight, and anemia. 3. The disease can be prevented and relieved by materials rich in vitamin B 2 G. Footnotes Submitted: 13 July 1933

Shope, Richard E.; Hurst, E. Weston

doi: 10.1084/jem.58.5.607pmid: 19870219

A papilloma has been observed in wild cottontail rabbits and has been found to be transmissible to both wild and domestic rabbits. The clinical and pathological pictures of the condition have been described. It has been found that the causative agent is readily filtrable through Berkefeld but not regularly through Seitz filters, that it stores well in glycerol, that it is still active after heating to 67°C. for 30 minutes, but not after heating to 70°C., and that it exhibits a marked tropism for cutaneous epithelium. The activities and properties of the papilloma-producing agent warrant its classification as a filtrable virus. Rabbits carrying experimentally produced papillomata are partially or completely immune to reinfection and, furthermore, their sera partially or completely neutralize the causative virus. The disease is transmissible in series through wild rabbits and virus of wild rabbit origin is readily transmissible to domestic rabbits, producing in this species papillomata identical in appearance with those found in wild rabbits. However, the condition is not transmissible in series through domestic rabbits. The possible significance of this observation has been discussed. The virus of infectious papillomatosis is not related immunologically to either the virus of infectious fibroma or to that of infectious myxoma of rabbits. Footnotes Submitted: 18 July 1933

Miller, Benjamin F.

doi: 10.1084/jem.58.5.625pmid: 19870220

Native and reversed horse serum albumin are indistinguishable when tested immunologically by means of the precipitin reaction. Footnotes Submitted: 13 July 1933

Rivers, Thomas M.; Ward, S. M.

doi: 10.1084/jem.58.5.635pmid: 19870221

A dermal strain of vaccine virus has been passed through 99 successive culture passages. This procedure led to a diminution in the pathogenicity of the active agent for the rabbit. By repeated testicular passages in rabbits, however, the virus regained its pathogenicity for that host. New cultures were initiated with the revived virus. A culture strain of virus that has been twice revived in this manner has remained fairly stable for the rabbit through 60 culture passages and it produces mild, yet effective vaccinal reactions in man. Virus in early cultures was not attenuated for man, but later cultures of the original strain and cultures of the 2nd and 3rd revived strains produced mild reactions without fever and discomfort to the patients. Intradermal vaccinations with the culture virus are safe and satisfactory. With the culture virus 118 infants and children have been inoculated and in 100 of them a positive reaction occurred. The culture virus produced a refractory state to a standard dermal strain of calf lymph and vice versa . Culture virus stored in 50 per cent neutral glycerol at –10°C. or at +3°C. maintained a considerable amount of its activity for at least 1 year. Desiccated culture virus sealed in tubes maintained some of its activity when stored at 37°C. for 5 weeks. Fresh cultures can be initiated without difficulty from desiccated virus or from virus that has been stored with or without glycerol. Footnotes Submitted: 25 July 1933