The role of cytokines during rejection of foetal pig and foetal mouse pancreas grafts in nonobese diabetic mice

Senile dementia of Alzheimer's type is frequently an underlying cause of accidental death of elderly persons. Neuropathological diagnosis of dementia is therefore crucial to assess the contribution of dementia to the cause of accident. The authors applied two conventional neuropathological criteria described by Khachaturian and Mirra, et al. to three forensic autopsy cases of dementia-related accidental death. In all cases, the number of neocortical senile plaque, a hallmark of dementia, could not fulfill both criteria. This result indicates that foregoing neuropathological criteria derived from fully developed dementia are hardly applicable to elderly persons who died in an early stage of dementia in forensic settings. Further investigation will be required to establish a diagnostic criterion of early stage of dementia.     

The relative growth of internal organs in light and heavy breeds

The relative weights of the gastro-intestinal segments and of some other internal organs from light and heavy breed chicks from hatching to 21 days of age were compared. 2. The relative weight of the duodenum and jejunum was higher in the light breed than in the heavy one, the reverse relationship was found for the ileum and caecum. 3. The relative growth of the pancreas, heart, cerebrum and cerebellum was greater in the light breed.     

Heterogeneous zonal distribution of sulfotransferase isoenzymes in rat liver

By employing dual-digitonin-pulse perfusion technique, the cytosolic fractions were prepared from periportal (PP) and perivenous (PV) hepatocytes of male and female rat livers. Sulfotransferase (ST) activities toward 2-naphthol (2NAP) (at pH 5.5 and 7.4), 4-nitrophenol, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and cortisol were measured in each fraction. DHEA-ST activity was mainly localized in PP fraction in males, while in females it was slightly higher in PP fraction than in PV samples. In contrast, phenol ST activities were higher in PV fraction in both sexes. With anti-HS-ST and anti-P-ST antisera, the levels of immunoreactive ST polypeptides were compatible with the levels of ST activities except that in female PP fraction the level of immunoreactive P-ST polypeptide was low in spite of comparatively high levels of P-ST activities. Chromatofocusing of PP and PV fractions separated P-ST activities into three major fractions (I-III), which have distinct catalytic and electrochemical properties. Fraction I was localized only in the PP samples in both sexes and revealed ST activities toward 2NAP at pH 5.5 and 7.4, while fraction II was localized in the PP and PV samples in both sexes with 2NAP-ST activity only at pH 7.4. Fraction III which had ST activities at pH 5.5 and 7.4 was present only in the PV samples in female rats, whereas in male rats it was present in both PP and PV samples. With anti-P-ST antiserum, the immunoreactive polypeptide was present in fraction III, but no immunoreactive band was detected in fractions I and II, suggesting the presence of immunochemically and electrochemically different P-ST(s) in these fractions.     

Effects of maternal ethanol consumption on hepatic lipid biosynthesis in foetal and neonatal rats

Effects of prolonged maternal ethanol consumption were studied on hepatic lipid content, on the rates of fatty acid synthesis and on the activities of enzymes involved in fatty acid synthesis in the livers of foetal and suckling neonatal rats. Prolonged maternal ethanol consumption resulted in a significant increase in the contents of hepatic total lipids, triacylglycerols and plasma unesterified fatty acids in foetal and neonatal rats. Studies in vitro with 3H2O showed that maternal ethanol consumption did not result in a significant change in its rate of incorporation into lipid fractions of foetal and neonatal livers. The rates of fatty acid synthesis showed a pronounced decrease immediately after birth, compared with the foetal stage, but increased in the adult animals. On the other hand, the highest rates of lipid oxidation were observed in the neonatal stage. Maternal ethanol consumption resulted in a significant decrease in the rates of [14C]palmitate oxidation to 14CO2 by both the foetal and neonatal livers. Maternal ethanol consumption did not result in an increase in the activities of any of the lipid-synthesizing enzymes tested throughout the period of development. Although increased fatty acid synthesis does not seem to be the mechanism for the accumulation of these lipids, decreased oxidation of the lipids may be partly responsible for the lipid accumulation.     

Fibroblast precursors in normal and irradiated mouse hematopoietic organs

Using the in vitro colony assay, clonogenic fibroblast precursor cells (CFU-F) were detected in the bone marrow, spleen and thymus from adult mice. The survival curve for CFU-F of mouse bone marrow irradiated in vitro has a D0 of 220 r. Regeneration of bone marrow CFU-F after whole-body irradiation with 150 r is characterized by a marked secondary loss and post-irradiation lag and dip, lasting 6 days, followed by return to normal values by about the 25th day. This pattern of post-radiation recovery of CFU-F is similar to that of the CFU-s. In addition, during the first 6 hours following irradiation the number of CFU-F increased approximately twofold.     

Induction and suppression of reagins in the neonatal mouse

Neonatal SWR mice are capable of synthesizing reagins when immunized with a mixture of concanavalin and ovalbumin or a mixture of Bordetella pertussis, alum and ovalbumin. Reaginic antibody-forming cells can be found in the spleen, lymph nodes, bone marrow and Peyer's patches. Tolerance with respect to IgE can be induced by the injection of deaggregated ovalbumin into neonatal mice.     

Effect of gamma radiation on the foetal haemopoietic system in the mouse

In this study, the wall motion of the common carotid artery was characterized by measuring wall-motion velocity (Wv) with tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) in 78 male and female subjects (16-75 y) with no history of cardiovascular disease. The near and far arterial wall showed essentially different Wv patterns. To assess the vascular systolic distension, the Wv of the near and far arterial walls were measured and a Wv index was calculated by subtracting the far Wv from the near Wv. Aging was associated with a 2.0-2.5-fold decrease of peak Wv index. Corrected for carotid diameter and blood pressure, the peak Wv index and mean systolic acceleration to the peak Wv correlated highly with arterial distensibility (r = 0.81 resp. r = 0.75) and compliance (r = 0.73 resp. r = 0.68). This study demonstrates the feasibility of TDI in the characterization of wall motion patterns and in the assessment of common carotid artery stiffness.     

Essential role of mouse telomerase in highly proliferative organs

We have investigated the role of the enzyme telomerase in highly proliferative organs in successive generations of mice lacking telomerase RNA. Late-generation animals exhibited defective spermatogenesis, with increased programmed cell death (apoptosis) and decreased proliferation in the testis. The proliferative capacity of haematopoietic cells in the bone marrow and spleen was also compromised. These progressively adverse effects coincided with substantial erosion of telomeres (the termini of eukaryotic chromosomes) and fusion and loss of chromosomes. These findings indicate an essential role for telomerase, and hence telomeres, in the maintenance of genomic integrity and in the long-term viability of high-renewal organ systems.     

Influence of conceptus number and weight on the amount of foetal fluid in the mouse

The relation of extra-embryonic fluid weight to litter number and foetal and placental weight was studied in mice on the 18th day of pregnancy, in litters both of experimentally reduced and of normal number. Partial regression analysis showed that litter number and foetal weight both exerted a negative effect on fluid weight; placental weight had no significant effect. Increased foetal weight reduced weight locally; on the other hand the effect of litter number was exerted systemically, throughout both horns of the uterus.     

Ontogeny of memory in the neonatal mouse.

Conducted 4 experiments with Swiss-Webster mice (N = 488) to examine the development of memory of an escape response between 3-11 days of age. Ss were given 25 training trials in a straight-alley escape task and then retested at various retention intervals. Results show that 5- and 7-day-old Ss had a retention capacity of less than 6 hr. At 9 days of age, however, retention capacity greatly increased to at least 96 hr., suggesting that a period of maturational development critical to long-term memory processes occurs at 9 days of age in the neonatal mouse. (15 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Chiasma frequency, distribution and interference maps of mouse autosomes

Chiasma frequencies were analysed and chiasma positions measured in diakinesis/metaphase I autosomal bivalents from oocytes and spermatocytes of F1 hybrid C3H/HeHx101/H mice. Twenty chromosome size ranks, including the presumptive X bivalent, could be distinguished in oocytes, and nineteen autosomal ranks plus the XY pair spermatocytes. Overall, mean cell chiasma frequencies of the two sexes did not differ significantly once the contribution of the presumptive X bivalent and the XY pair were taken into account. Sex related differences in chiasma distribution patterns were evident, however. In monochiasmate bivalents, the chiasma was most commonly located interstitially in oocytes while in spermatocytes it could be either interstitial or distal. In dichiasmate bivalents, the chiasmata tended to be more centrally located in oocytes than in spermatocytes. Minimum inter-chiasma distances did not appear to show any great variation in chromosome pairs of different sizes, however, mean inter-chiasma distances did increase with the bivalent length. The minimum-inter chiasma distance data suggest that chiasma interference is complete over a chromosomal segment equating to approximately 60Mb. Measurement of the positions of chiasmata along chromosome arms open up the possibility of producing chiasma-based genetic maps for all the autosomes of the mouse.     

Modifications induced by neonatal steroids in reproductive organs and behavior of male rats.

112 3-day-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were injected neonatally with .01, .1, 1, 10, 100, or 1,000 μg of estradiol benzoate (EB), 10,000 μg of testosterone propionate (TP), or sesame oil; they were subsequently examined for testicular, penile, and accessory organ development. Sexual behavior was evaluated during therapy with fluoxymesterone (FM) and then with TP. EB in dosages greater than 1.0 μg delayed testicular descent, reduced the size and hormone responsiveness of reproductive organs, and decreased sexual behavior in a dose-dependent manner. The 10,000 μg dosage of neonatal TP delayed testicular descent and reduced sexual behavior to levels near those of the 10–200 μg EB groups, but it produced no significant penile or accessory organ changes. Neither reduced peripheral organ development nor inhibited neonatal testicular secretions fully explain reductions in male behavior following large dosages of neonatal TP. Neonatal androgen may reduce the responsiveness of CNS neurons governing male sexual behavior after being converted to estrogen or by directly altering steroid receptor systems. (32 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Identification, distribution, and myosin subunit composition of type IIX fibers in mouse muscles

The purpose of the present investigation was to study the distribution and subunit composition of type IIX fibers in mouse muscles. The existence of a population of type IIX fibers in fast-twitch muscles of the mouse was shown by mean of immunohistochemistry and gel electrophoresis. In the hindlimb muscles, tibialis anterior (TA) and extensor digitorum longus (EDL), type IIX fibers account for approximately one third of the total fiber number, with the superficial portion of the TA (TAS) being composed exclusively of type IIB and IIX fibers. A similar proportion of IIX fibers was found in diaphragm (DIA) while in tongue muscles approximately 40% of the fibers were IIX. Single fiber gel electrophoresis revealed a significant number of fibers in TAS that contain both IIB and IIX myosin heavy chain (MyHC). This was confirmed with immunohistochemistry, which revealed the presence of fibers with various degrees of staining intensity. This suggests that there may exist a degree of plasticity which results in the conversion of IIX fibers to IIB fibers and vice versa. Analysis of myosin light chain (MyLC) composition of type IIX fibers revealed that the ratio of MyLC3f to MyLC1f was significantly lower than in type IIB fibers.     

Production of hematopoietic regulatory factors in cultures of adult and fetal mouse organs: measurement by specific bioassays

Factor-specific cell line bioassays were used to monitor the production in vitro by adult and fetal mouse organs of GM-CSF, G-CSF, M-CSF, Multi-CSF (IL-3), IL-6 and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF). No tissue was observed to produce Multi-CSF. Highest producers of the other regulators were lung, muscle, thymus, heart and bone shaft and all tissues producing detectable growth factors produced all five with the same rank order of activity. Adult tissues produced more GM-CSF than G-CSF and less M-CSF than either, no differences being observed between male, female and pregnant female tissues. In contrast, the pregnant uterus produced high levels of M-CSF as did the fetal membranes and tissues with only low GM-CSF and no G-CSF production. Pre-irradiation did not alter the pattern of regulator production by adult tissues. The intravenous injection of endotoxin elevated serum levels of GM-CSF, G-CSF, M-CSF and IL-6 but the dominant rise was in G-CSF levels. The data indicating that multiple organs produce the regulators monitored in a common rank order suggest some overall linkage in their production with major differences between adult and fetal tissues.     

The relative distribution of soluble and insoluble cholinesterases in rat excitable tissues

Three ratios were studied here: bound to free AChE (R1), bound to free BChE (R2), and the ratios between these two (R3). The first one proved relevant in that it contributed to the division of the cholinergic tissues into 3 classes: high values (nicotinic tissues: skeletal muscle), low values (muscarinic tissues: small intestine, uterus, heart), and middle values (mixed, nicotinic and muscarinic cholinergic innervation: brain). The third ratio (R3) showed different values in the muscarinic tissues studied; no significant differences could, however, be found between the ratios of brain and skeletal muscle. Further exploration of this ratio should indicate whether it is of some importance for the characterization of excitable tissues.     

Atypical antipsychotics. Part I: Pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and efficacy

OBJECTIVE: To compare the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and efficacy of the newer atypical antipsychotics with those of conventional agents and existing atypical agents. DATA SOURCES: Information was retrieved from a MEDLINE English-literature search from July 1986 to June 1998 and by review of references. Indexing terms included neuroleptics, atypical antipsychotics, clozapine, risperidone, olanzapine, sertindole, quetiapine, and ziprasidone. STUDY SELECTION: Comparative studies were selected when possible; placebo-controlled studies were included when data were limited on newer atypical antipsychotics. DATA EXTRACTION: Emphasis was placed on properly designed clinical trials that assessed dosage, expanded efficacy, enhanced adverse effect profile, and cost. DATA SYNTHESIS: Like other atypical antipsychotics, the newer agents have an enhanced 5-hydroxytryptophan/dopaminergic receptors (5-HT2/D2) affinity ratio and undergo extensive biotransformation. Risperidone and olanzapine demonstrate more favorable efficacy/adverse effect ratios than clozapine, sertindole, and conventional antipsychotics in nonrefractory and refractory schizophrenics. Future studies will more clearly define the role of quetiapine and ziprasidone in antipsychotic therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Data from controlled trials on efficacy and extrapyramidal side effects support risperidone or olanzapine as first-line agents for the treatment of schizophrenia. Pharmacologic and pharmacokinetic factors do not distinguish between agents sufficiently for drug selection.     

Nitric oxide synthase-, N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-, glutamate- and aspartate-immunoreactive neurons in the mouse arcuate nucleus: effects of neonatal treatment with monosodium glutamate

Glutamate-, aspartate-, N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR1 and 2 subunits)-, and nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-immunoreactive neurons were studied in the arcuate nucleus (AN) of mice treated neonatally with monosodium glutamate (MSG) which is known to cause extensive neuronal loss in this hypothalamic nucleus. It was found that intensely stained glutamate- and aspartate-immunoreactive neurons present in the AN of control mice were completely absent in the MSG-lesioned AN as well as the ventromedial nucleus lateral to the AN. Similarly, NMDAR1-immunoreactive neurons were mostly absent in the MSG-lesioned AN but remained intact in the ventromedial nucleus. There was also a substantial loss of NMDAR2 immunoreactivity within the AN. In contrast, NOS-immunoreactive neurons in the AN survived the neonatal glutamate treatment, although they appeared to be less intensely stained.     

The prevalence, relative abundance and site distribution of nematodes of the subfamily Cyathostominae in horses killed in Britain

International findings and our own results in gerohygienic sociogerontological, geriatric, medical epidemiological and psychogerontological research have positively confirmed the need for preparing for old age. Demographic data in the GDR has brought to light the growing need to put the preparation for an active old age into practive making use of research data and of the existing resources. The means of implementing the programme life in the overall resources of our developed socialist society, in our laws, in our well-organized public health system and above all in the industrial health protection service. It is shown that the society's potentials and the industrial health protection service, which operates on a country-wide scale, can have a positive influence on ageing and on life of old people. The ways in which this can be achieved are described. These ways are based on the main medical, psychological and social aspects of preparaing for old age. The existing limits must be taken into account when translating the schemes of preparation for old age into practice of socialist health protection. It is indispensable to concentrate on problems of focal importance. The preparation must first benefit factory workers exposed to health hazards. Medical preparation should come first, followed by psychological and social preparation. In the long term, preparation for old age must be integrated into the overall process of education and it must start at school, where it should be integrated into biology and civics classes. Such a process corresponds to the life-long process of ageing, to socialist principles and to the efforts of the public health system to preserve health, working capacity and joy of living up to a ripe old age.