Mesenteric venous thrombosis. Diagnostic and therapeutic approach.

Mesenteric venous thrombosis is an infrequent but distinct form of intestinal ischaemia. We report a case of acute mesenteric venous thrombosis diagnosed by computed tomography. Laparoscopy permitted to establish the extent of the ischaemia. Initially, high doses streptokinase were administered for 6 hours, followed by heparinotherapy for 10 hours, with the aim to reduce the length of bowel to be resected. One day later, intestinal resection was carried out, followed by postoperative anticoagulation.

Chromosomal localization of the human Thy-1 gene.

We have isolated the gene coding for human Thy-1. Introduction of this gene into HeLa cells by DNA-mediated transfer results in the expression of Thy-1 antigen on the cell surface. Chromosomal mapping of the Thy-1 gene by hybridization to metaphase chromosomes and Southern blots of DNA from hybrid cells indicate that the Thy-1 gene is located on the long arm of chromosome 11.

Evidence for the presence of calmodulin in fish mucus.

Partly purified mucus collected from the skin of three species of fish contains a protein that, on sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, comigrates with bovine brain calmodulin and shows the same calcium-dependent shift in electrophoretic mobility as calmodulin. Fish mucus contains a heat-stable activator of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase; activation is concentration dependent and sensitive to the specific calmodulin inhibitor calmidazolium (R 24571). The presence of calmodulin in fish mucus is further indicated by means of a specific radioimmunoassay. A drop in the calcium concentration of the water induces an increase in the immunoassayable calmodulin concentration of mucus, which indicates that the function of calmodulin in mucus is related to control of permeability of the skin epithelium to water and ions.