The effect of epidural anesthesia on uterine activity and blood pressure

Because of the unresolved controversy regarding the effect of epidural anesthesia upon uterine contractility, it was decided to study its effect on a small number of patients. Intrauterine and intra-arterial continuous pressure, continuous fetal heart rate, and maternal heart rate recordings were obtained from at least 20 minutes before administration of the epidural anesthic until complete dilatation in these patients. Nineteen patients were in spontaneous labor, and 18 had labor stimulated with oxytocin. Plain lidocaine, 1 or 1.5%, was used in 12 patients (30 observations), and lidocaine with epinephrine, 1:200,000 was used in 26 patients (51 observations). Uterine contractions were calculated in Montevideo units for 60 minutes following the epidural anesthetic. The changes, if any, were compared in both groups. There was a significant decrease in uterine activity when epinephrine was added to the anesthetic solution, mainly a lessening of intensity. There were comparable decreases in systolic/diastolic blood pressure in both groups and compensatory tachycardia. In one case, severe hypertension was observed following administration of lidocaine epinephrine. It was concluded that the addition of epinephrine to the anesthetic solution predictably produces diminution of uterine activity, and it does not give "cardiovascular support" to the laboring patient.     

Varices with thrombosis in the cervix and uterus of a mare

Cervical and uterine varices with thrombosis were observed at the necropsy of a virgin 16-year-old Peruvian Paso that had previous episodes of hemorrhage from the uterus. Practitioners and pathologists should be alert to the possibility of ruptured varices in mares with hemorrhage into the uterus or from the vulva.     

The influence of some perinatal variables on neonatal blood pressure

Adult hypertension has been linked to fetal growth. This study investigates whether this link is evident in the newborn. We measured blood pressure by oscillometry in 248 healthy neonates on day 3/4 of life. Antenatal data and neonatal measurements were obtained from hospital records. Elevated neonatal blood pressure correlated with higher birthweight. There was no correlation between placental weight and blood pressure. Babies born by caesarean section had lower systolic blood pressure. Babies of maternal smokers had higher diastolic blood pressure, but their mothers (45% of this study) had lower blood pressure than non-smokers. Thus, smoking was associated with a significant change in both maternal and neonatal blood pressure, and may be an important influence on the developing cardiovascular system.     

Sex differences in sensitivity of food intake, body weight, and running-wheel activity to ovarian steroids in rats

The effects of sex and experimental androgenization on the responsiveness of food intake and running-wheel activity to exogenously administered ovarian hormones were investigated in adult, gonadectomized rats. Food intake was found to be analogous to lordotic behavior in that males and neonatally androgenized females were relatively insensitive to the influences of either estradiol benzoate (EB) or progesterone (P). Running-wheel activity, however, could be differentiated from food intake in that males responded the same as females to the effects of EB and P. Androgenized females (500-mug testosterone propionate on the third day of life) showed a response to EB quantitatively equivalent to that of nonandrogenized females, but they had a longer latency to respond. The estrogen-antagonistic effects of P were confirmed for both of these behaviors, and there was a positive correlation between the magnitude of the responses to EB and P.     

Doppler ultrasound investigation of uterine and ovarian blood flow in infertility and early pregnancy

This review describes the current use of Doppler ultrasound to examine blood flow in the uterus and ovaries in infertile patients and during early pregnancy. The basics of Doppler ultrasound and the different methods of measuring blood flow are discussed from the viewpoint of the clinician who may be unfamiliar with Doppler physics and terminology. Normal values in the menstrual cycle and the relationship of uterine and ovarian blood flow to infertility and to implantation following in-vitro fertilization are presented. Normal values for uterine blood flow in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy and the effect of sex steroids and ovulation induction on their values are described. The possible relationship of defective uterine blood flow to recurrent abortion is examined. New areas of investigation, such as the effect of standing on blood flow, and the effect of drugs are explored. The findings of this review indicate that Doppler blood flow studies may provide significant information about possible causes of some disorders of infertility and early pregnancy and methods of treatment for the same.     

Psychological development and blood levels of sex steroids in male identical twins of divergent sexual orientation

Despite differences in psychological development and personality structure, blood levels of testosterone and estradiol were equivalent in two monozygotic male twins of divergent sexual orientation.     

The in vivo relationship between blood flow, contractions, pH and metabolites in the rat uterus

Little is known about the relationship between smooth muscle contractile activity and its blood supply. We have therefore investigated this in the rat uterus, using laser-Doppler flow measurement and intra-uterine pressure recordings. We found an inverse linear relationship between flow and contractile activity. There was no evidence for a critical level of flow, above which function is maintained and below which it declines; even small reductions in blood flow decreased uterine force. Force was rapidly restored upon reperfusion. Reactive hyperaemia was absent from all but 6 of the 41 preparations studied. We used 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to measure concentrations of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), phosphocreatine (PCr), inorganic phosphate (Pi) and intracellular pH (pHi) simultaneously with force and flow. Reductions in flow were associated with significant reductions in [ATP], [PCr] and pHi, and an increase in [Pi]. These changes were related to flow significantly and linearly and their effects on force may be additive. These data show that uterine smooth muscle is closely dependent upon its blood supply for maintaining both normal force production and metabolite levels. Consequently, even small decrements in flow may have deleterious functional effects.     

The effect of ovarian steroids on epithelial ciliary beat frequency in the human Fallopian tube

Using a method that detects variations in light intensity we have studied the effect of ovarian steroids on human Fallopian tube epithelial ciliary beat frequency in vitro. We have found that baseline ciliary beat frequency averages between 5-6 Hz. Cilia from ampullary segments of the Fallopian tube beat significantly faster (5.4 Hz+/-0.2) than those from fimbrial segments (4.8 Hz+/-0.2). There was no significant difference in baseline ciliary beat frequency at any other anatomical site in the Fallopian tube. Incubation with progesterone (10 micromol/l) suppresses human Fallopian tube epithelial ciliary beat frequency by 40-50%. This inhibition was observed at similar magnitudes in all Fallopian tubes studied irrespective of anatomical site. Progesterone-induced reductions in ciliary beat frequency were concentration dependent and prevented by the progesterone receptor antagonist mifepristone (RU486). Oestradiol alone (10 micromol/l) had no effect on ciliary beat frequency at any anatomical site in the Fallopian tube but did prevent the reduction in ciliary beat frequency seen with progesterone when tissues were incubated with these two steroids together.     

Monoamine oxidase activity in the uterine and mesenteric arteries, vessels of ovarian pedicle and myometrium of pigs during the oestrous cycle

Activities of total monoamine oxidase (MAO-T) and of both subtypes: MAO-A and MAO-B were examined in the uterine artery, vessels of ovarian pedicle (subovarian veno-arterial network), mesenteric artery and myometrium on the 0-2nd, 13-14th and 16-18th days of the oestrous cycle of pigs. It was found that in the uterine artery MAO-T, MAO-A and MAO-B activities were the highest on the 0-2nd days (100%); on day 13-14 they were lower by 85.4, 84.8 and 87.4% (p < 0.01), respectively, and on days 16-18 they were lower by 52.4, 57.5 and by 54.1% (p < 0.01) in comparison with the value on the 0-2nd days of ovarian cycle. The activities of MAO-T, MAO-A and MAO-B in the vessels of ovarian pedicle on the 0-2nd days were the lowest, whereas on days 13-14 they were the highest (p < 0.01), MAO-T by 445.3%, MAO-A by 315.6%, MAO-B by 344.7%, and they were higher on days 16-18 by 133.8% (p < 0.01), 85.9 (p < 0.05) and by 281.5% (p < 0.01) in comparison with the value on the 0-2nd day of ovarian cycle, respectively. The activities of examined enzymes in mesenteric artery were higher on 0-2nd and 16-18th days, whereas MAO-T and MAO-B they were lower by 39.0% and MAO-A by 22.3% (p < 0.05) on 13-14th days of oestrous cycle. In myometrium the activities of MAO-T, MAO-A and MAO-B on the 0-2nd days (100%) were the lowest, whereas on days 13-14 the activities were the highest (p < 0.01), MAO-T by 326.3%, MAO-A by 363.3% and MAO-B by 364.1%, and on days 16-18 the MAO-T and MAO-B activities were also higher by 99.4% and 150.7% (p < 0.01) respectively, whereas MAO-A activity was similar to the value on the 0-2nd days. The high MAO activity in the vessels of pig ovarian pedicle may be a significant factor in the ovarian vasotone decrease and increase in the ovarian blood flow during the luteal phase of ovarian cycle.     

The influence of some compounds commonly used in biochemical studies of mitochondria on the activity of monoamine oxidases

It was previously described that low concentrations of sodium azide monoamine oxidase (MAO) B assayed by spectrophotometric measurement of benzaldehyde or by hydrogen peroxide accumulation. We failed to confirm this effect using radiometric determination of MAO activity. Tris or dinitrophenol inhibit MAO. The data suggest that some "regulatory effects" depend on the assay of MAO activity.     

The influence of thermomechanical treatment on the transformation behaviour of steels

The effect of thermomechanical treatment on the γ – α-transformation in steel has been reviewed. It has been shown that the thermo-mechanically conditioned austenite significantly influences the kinetics of transformation due to the differences in the formation of product phases. An enhanced nucleation during the diffusion controlled transformation, as a result of austenite grain refinement and/or austenite strengthening, leads to a substantial refinement of the microstructure (ferrite grains, pearlite nodules). The deformation substructure of austenite may strongly affect the shear mechanism of the diffusionless transformation, which leads to finely fragmented martensite crystals. Such differences in the transformation characteristics result in different formation temperatures of transformation products and so to the changes in CCT diagrams.     

The effects of ovariectomy and stretch on the regulatory profile and activity of the uterus

Following ovariectomy of five New Zealand white rabbits at day 25 of pregnancy, the intrauterine pressure (IUP) and uterine progesterone (P) and prostaglandin (PG) levels were measured sequentially at days 25, 26 and 27. At day 25, when the uterine P and PGE and PGF were high, massive intrauterine treatment with 500 microng PGF2alpha provoked only a sustained contracture on which only low level oscillation in IUP was superimposed. At day 26, when the P levels had decreased significantly (P less than 0.001) and the PG levels had not changed significantly, 50 microng PGF2alpha significantly increased cyclic IUP as compared with the day 25 value (P less than 0.001). At day 27, when the P levels decreased further, as little as 5 microng PGF2alpha provoked still higher cyclic IUP, in spite of a significant reduction in PG levels (P less than o.05). Stretching the uterus of six post partum and six 26 days pregnant rabbits (after removing the uterine contents) significantly increased the uterine PGF levels (P less than o.001). However, stretch increased only cyclic IUP of the post partum uterus and was without effect on the pregnant uterus, which still had high P levels. These results indicate that the myometrium is activated by exogenous PG or stretch, regardless of whether the uterine PG levels increase, remain unchanged or even moderately decrease, provided that the uterine P levels are reduced to a critical value.     

The influence of fungi on the long-term behaviour of radiocaesium in Norwegian sheep

Results from 11 years of live monitoring of sheep from a grazing area in Norway formed the basis for a study of the importance of ingested fungal fruit bodies in determining radiocaesium activity concentrations in sheep grazing freely on mountain pasture. The 137Cs activity concentration due to ingested vegetation decreased with an estimated effective ecological half-life of 7.0 +/- 2.6 years. The contribution from ingested fungal fruit bodies to radiocaesium activity concentrations in the sheep was up to 75-85% in the years when fruit bodies were most abundant. The study demonstrates that using a simple exponential function in assessments of long-term consequences of radiocaesium fallout for grazing sheep may be inappropriate.     

The effect of diazoxide on uterine blood flow in pregnant sheep

Diazoxide, a labor inhibiting agent, was administered intravenously at various rates to seven pregnant, near-term sheep to evaluate its effect on cardiovascular and uterine hemodynamics. Uterine blood flow was measured with electromagnetic flow transducers. Rapid administration of diazoxide resulted in a profound maternal tachycardia with hypotension, an increase in uterine vascular resistance, and a significant decrease in uterine blood flow. With slow infusion of the drug, the changes in heart rate and blood pressure were minimized, uterine vascular resistance was decreased, and uterine blood flow was maintained. Therefore, slow infusion appears to be the preferred method for inhibiting labor with diazoxide.     

The reproducibility of the results of transvaginal sonography of the uterus in patients with abnormal uterine bleeding

Our objectives were to determine the reproducibility, or interobserver agreement, of transvaginal sonographic imaging of the uterus in patients with abnormal uterine bleeding and to identify the effect of observer experience. Transvaginal ultrasound findings of 235 patients with abnormal uterine bleeding were recorded systematically on videotape. Recordings were reviewed by three observers who had different levels of experience, and who were asked to judge the endometrium/uterine cavity and myometrium separately as being normal, abnormal or inconclusive, according to predefined criteria. Reproducibility was expressed by the observed rates of interobserver agreement and by kappa statistics. The differences in agreement between observer pairs were analyzed by means of McNemar's chi 2 test. The observed rates of agreement for the judgement of the endometrium/uterine cavity varied from 0.85 to 0.89, with a kappa value ranging from 0.70 to 0.78 between observers. The judgment of the myometrium resulted in agreement rates of 0.86-0.91 and kappa values of 0.67-0.80. Although the effect of experience was evident, the differences in agreement between observers were not significant (p > 0.01). The reproducibility of the results of transvaginal sonography of the uterus in patients with abnormal uterine bleeding was good. Observations of the endometrium/ uterine cavity with a normal appearance were the most highly reproducible, with the smallest effect of observer experience. This may reduce the need for invasive diagnostic procedures in patients with abnormal uterine bleeding.     

Rainfall, activity and social behaviour in the lizard, Anolis aeneus

The effects of drought periods on the behaviour of a tropical lizard (Anolis aeneus) were measured. The number of lizards active at study sites and display frequencies varied inversely with days since rainfall. Animals that were artificially watered during a drought drank and showed an immediate recovery to prior, non-drought display levels. Rainfall records indicate that drought periods of the duration studied here are frequent in the natural habitat.     

The influence of lymphocytes on blood proteins in vitro

The authors report of some results of a clinical follow-up study of 76 schizophrenic patients in psychosis observed during the puerperal period. Two types of the process were distinguished: a recurrent type and attack-like progressive. Some diffrential diagnostical criteria are given permitting to differ recurrent schizophrenia from somatogenic and infectious psychoses.     

The influence of some factors on the permeability of porous materials

Summary A study was made of porous permeable materials from powders with spherical particles and from granulated powders. A relationship is shown to exist between the compressibility of powders and the uniformity of porosity and permeability distribution in porous materials.From the point of view of uniformity of porosity distribution in components, granulated powders occupy an intermediate position between powders with spherical particles and nongranulated powders.For the manufacture of porous materials, granulated powders may in many cases successfully replace powders with spherical or equiaxial particles.