The trypanocidal drug suramin, an impermeant polyanion, has been shown to be a powerful inhibitor of the calcium uptake and calcium-stimulated ATPase activity of sarcoplasmic reticulum (Fortes et al., 1974). In view of this finding, an attempt was made to investigate the effect of suramin on $Ca^{++}$ transport in resealed red cells and on $Ca^{++}$-activated ATPase in red blood cell membrane fragments (RBCMF). The results obtained are summarized as follows. 1. $Ca^{++}$ outflux from the resealed RBC was inhibited by suramin and the inhibitory action of suramin is proportional to the concentration of drug added inside the RBC preparation. When suramin is added both inside and outside the RBC preparation simultaneously, the magnitude of the inhibitory effect was more pronounced, suggesting that suramin inhibits both active $Ca^{++}-^{45}Ca$ exchange diffusion across the RBC membrane. 2. Suramin inhibits the $Ca^{++}$-activated ATPase of the RBCMF and the effect of inhibition by the drug was also concentration dependent. From the above results, it may be concluded that suramin inhibits $Ca^{++}$ transport across RBC membrane by inhibiting $Ca^{++}$-activated ATPase activity which has been known to be linked with active $Ca^{++}$ transport.

The Present study was conducted to investigate the effects of Ginseng extract on the tension-area curve for stearic acid monolayer. At the same time, the effects of Ginseng extract on osmotic and mechanical fragility of human red cells and histamine release from rabbit leukocytes were studied, The results are summarized as follows. 1. The Ginseng alcohol extract was found to expand liquid expanded phase of stearic acid monolayer, thus it is speculated that this agent may be acting as a surface active substance. 2. Osmotic hemolysis was inhibited by the Ginseng alcohol extract and the same effect was also observed in the presence of Ginseng saponin. However, the Ginseng alcohol extract was found to decrease hematocrit ratio of the RBC suspension, therefore, the inhibition of the osmotic hemolysis by this agent may be secondary effect to the reduced cell volume. 3. The mechanical hemolysis was also inhibited by the Ginseng alcohol extract but the inhibition was independent of changes in hematocrit ratio. 4. Histamine release from rabbit leukocytes was significantly increased in vitro in the presence of the Ginseng alcohol extract.(p<0.05)

The action of aconite on the sodium plus potassium activated ATPase activity in the rabbit red cell membrane has been investigated and the experiments were also designed to determine the mechanism of action of aconite on the ATPase activity. The following results were observed. 1. The activity of the NaK ATPase from red cell membrane is stimulated by aconite, and the concentration of aconite for maximal activity is about 80 mg%. The pH optimum for the aconite sensitive component is 8.0. 2. The activating effect of aconite on the ATPase, with a given concentration of sodium in the medium, is increased by raising the potassium concentration but activity ratio is decreased. 3. The activating effect of aconite on the ATPase, with a given concentration of potassium in the medium, is increased by raising the sodium concentration but activity ratio is decreased. 4. The action of aconite on the ATPase activity is inhibited by calcium ions and the effect of inhibition is increased by small amounts of calcium but decreased by larger amounts. 5. The activating effect of aconite on the ATPase was not related to the sulfhydryl group of cysteine, the amino group of lysine, the hydroxyl group of threonine or the imidazole group of histidine. 6. The action of aconite on the ATPase activity is due to carboxyl group of the enzyme of NaK ATPase.

The action of serotonin on the sodium plus potassium activated ATPase activity in the rabbit red cell membrane has been investigated. The experiments were also designed to determine the mechanism of action of serotonin on the ATPase activity. The following results were obtained. 1) The NaK ATPase activity of rabbit red cell ghosts is stimulated by low concentration of serotonin but inhibited by higher concentration, and the concentration of serotonin for maximal activity is about 2mM. The pH optimum for the serotonin sensitive component is 8.0. 2) The activating effect of serotonin on the ATPase, with a given concentration of sodium in the medium, is increased by raising the potassium concentration but the ratio of activity is decreased. 3) The activating effect of serotonin on the ATPase, with a given concentration of potassium in the medium, is increased by raising the sodium concentration but the ratio of activity is decreased. 4) The ATPase activity is increased by small amounts of calcium but inhibited by larger amounts and the ratio of activity by serotonin is decreased by small amounts of calcium but increased by larger amounts. 5) The action of serotonin on the ATPase activity was not related to the amino group of lysine, the hydroxyl group of threonine, the carboxyl group of aspartic acid, or the imidazole group of histidine. 6) The action of serotonin on the ATPase activity is due to sulfhydryl group of the enzyme of NaK ATPase.

In an attempt to examine the effect of ginseng on sodium transport across the biological membrane, we have studied effects of ginseng alcohol extract on the short-circuit current(SCC) and the $Na^+-K^+$-activated ATPase activity in isolated frog skin preparations. 1. Ginseng alcohol extract applied to the mucosal surface of the frog skin significantly increased SCC at low concentration($1{\sim}10mg%$) but decreased SCC at higher concentration($50{\sim}250mg%$). 2. Similarly, when the drug was added to the serosal bathing medium, the SCC was stimulated at low doses($5{\sim}25mg%$) and inhibibited at high doses($50{\sim}250mg%$). 3. $Na^+-K^+$-activated ATPase activity of the frog skin epidermal homogenate was significantly inhibited by ginseng alcohol extract, the effect being proportional to the concentration of the drug in the incubation mixture. These results may suggest that a low dose of ginseng alcohol extrat enhances the transepithelial sodium transport probably by increasing the permeability of outer membrane of the transporting cell to sodium ion, whereas a high dose of drug reduces the sodium transport primarly by inhibiting $Na^+-K^+$ ATPase mediated active transport step.

Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is the purified active principle responsible for tetrodon (Puffer-fish) poisoning which has long been known in the Orient. The pharmacological actions of TTX have been rather extensively investigated. Two of the most prominent effects of intravenousely administered TTX are severe hypotension and respiratory paralysis resulting from its depressant actions on tissues. This depressant actions of TTX in turn result from the selective inhibition of sodium-carrying mechanism which is essential to generation of the action potential. TTX differs from local anesthetics in that it does not affect potassium conductance. Although the mechanism of the hypotensive action of TTX remains a subject of controversy, most investigator agree that TTX-induced hypotension is caused by alteration in the blood vessels rather than the heart. Not only the study on the effects of TTX on cardiac function is meager but the results of reported works are often contradictory. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of TTX on the electrocardiogram of the rabbit and to compare them with well known electrocardiographical characteristics found in digitalis and quinidine intoxicated animals. The results obtained from the present study are summarized as follows. 1. No changes were found in P-R interval and QRS duration after i.v. administration of $1.0\;{\mu}g/kg\;to\;1.5\;{\mu}g/kg$ TTX to the animals. It is obvious that there were no conduction disturbance between atria and ventricles as well as in the ventricular tissue. 2. In $1.0\;{\mu}g/kg$ TTX group, S-T interval and T-P segment were not changed whereas marked changes were observed in $1.5\;{\mu}g/kg$ TTX group. 3. The first and second degree A-V blocks appeared in the $2.0\;{\mu}g/kg$ TTX group. 4. TTX differs from digitalis and quinidine in that it does not cause S-T interval depression and T-wave inversion. In contrast with digitalis, TTX caused Q-T interval prolongation.

The change of heart rates during Flack Test was observed in the pregnant women, $24{\sim}48$weeks, of gestational age, to analyze mechanical and neural regulatory factors in responses to the positive lung inflation. The results obtained were summarized as followings: 1) Endurance tine of Flack Test was 37.6 sec, in the nonpregnant women, and 25.1 sec. in the pregnant women. 2) When Flack Test was employed, heart rate was decreased in early stage of Flack Test in the pregnant women, while heart rate was increased in the nonpregnant women. 3) In the pregnant women bradycardia due to abdominal mechanical intervention in early stage of Flack Test was prominent, while tachycardia was found in the nonpregnant women. 4) During Flack Test, tachycardia due to sympathetic central reflex activation was observed immediately after bradycardia in early stage of Flack Test. 5) It may be noted that Flack Test employed in the present study is a useful model to evaluate and analyze the neural and mechanical abdominal intervention factor in response to the positive inflation of lung in pregnant women.

Most investigators have come to stress two different concepts of mechanism controlling renin release; intrarenal baroreceptor theory and the macula densa theory(Vander 1967, Thurau and Masson 1974). In the macula densa theory, the specific macula densa parameter, most commonly suggested as a possible signal, is either the osmolality or the concentration of sodium in the tubular fluid (Thurau 1964, Vander and Miller 1964, Reeves and Sommers 1965). It has been shown that sodium plays an important role in the release of renin either in vivo (Thurau 1964, Vander and Miller 1964, Thurau et al 1972) or in vitro experiments(Oelkers et al 1970, Hammerson et al 1971, Michelakis 1971). On the other hand the osmolality appears to have no effect on the release of renin in vivo (Vander 1967, Thurau and Masson 1974). However, there has been little attempt to study the effect of osmolality on in vitro renin release. We therefore undertook the present investigation to elucidate the effect of osmolality on renin release and to further test the sodium influence upon the release of renin from isolated kidney slice preparations. Isolated renal cortical slices were washed with normal Krebs-Hensenleit bicarbonate buffer solution and incubated for 30 minutes in a medium containing an appropriate concentration of sodium and osmolality. The renin released into the medium was measured by the method of radioimmunoassay(Haber et al 1969). The results obtained are as follows; 1. The release of renin from renal cortical slices was progressively inhibited as the sodium concentration in the medium increased. 2. No significant alteration in renin release was observed when osmolality of the medium was changed. These results suggest that the release of renin from the renal cortical slices is directly affected by the changes in sodium concentration in the medium, but is not influenced by the alterations in osmolality.

Rectal temperature, skin temperature and oxygen consumption were measured in five women divers during diving under two conditions a) wearing a cotton bathing suit and b) wearing a diving suit and the following results were obtained. 1. The duration of the diving period was 30 min with the cotton bathing suit whereas it was above 120 min with the diving suit. 2. The average rectal temperature fell to $34.5^{\circ}C$ after 30 min of diving with the cotton bathing suit. On the other hand, with the diving suit, immediately after submersion, the rectal temperature rose about $3^{\circ}C$ and remained at about $39^{\circ}C$ throughout the diving period of 120 min. 3. Average mean skin temperature during diving was $11^{\circ}C$ and $21^{\circ}C$ with cotton bathing suit and with the diving suit, respectively. The mean body temperature fell to $25^{\circ}C$ with the cotton bathing suit while it reached $32^{\circ}C$ with the diving suit at the end of each diving period. 4. Oxygen consumption during diving was three fold of the pre-dive level with the cotton bathing suit but it was two fold with the diving suit. 5. Total extra heat loss was 323 kcal during 120 min of diving with the diving suit. On the contrary, with the cotton bathing suit, it was 528 kcal for 30 min, These results may suggest that the prolongation of the diving period with the diving suit is primarily due to maintenance of core temperature at more or less physiological level as a result of reduction in conductive heat loss from the body surface to the water and the Preferential distribution of blood in the core area.

Effect of Electro Convulsion Therapy (ECT) on the Human Growth Hormone (HGH) response was observed in 32 cases of various mental illness. The patients were fasting overnight and ECT was induced in the morning by application of $90{\sim}120V$ for a period of $0.1{\sim}0.5\;sec$. In all patients, venous blood samples were taken prior to simultaneously with 1 and 4 hours after the ECT. Plasma was immediately seperated and stored in $-20^{\circ}C$ refrigerator. HGH concentrantion was determined by means of radioimmunoassay Results were as follows: 1. Application of electric current was not followed by a significant change in mean plasma HGH of 52 cases. 2 Increases of plasma HGH following ECT were observed in about half cases showing low initial level but in 20 other cases with high initial level of plasma HGH, reasonable decreases after therapy were not found. 3. Plasma concentration of HGH one hour after application of current were always higher than just after the current. 4. There were no differences between HGH responses to a 1st, 2nd or 5th ECT. 5. Discussions were made on the possible modification of HGH response following ECT by the autoregulatory control mechanism.