Prenatal cocaine alters social competition of infant, adolescent, and adult rats

This series of experiments examined whether gestational cocaine exposure alters later social behavior exhibited during competition for biologically relevant stimuli. Rat offspring were derived from dams that received subcutaneous injections of 40 mg/kg/3cc cocaine HCl daily on gestational Days 8-20, pair-fed dams injected with saline, or nontreated control dams. Offspring competed with peers for access to a nipple in infancy, and to water in adolescence or adulthood. Prenatal cocaine exposure resulted in a decreased ability of cocaine-exposed infant rats to compete successfully for a nipple. Although adolescent and adult cocaine-exposed rats were no less successful than controls when competing for water, they exhibited a notable increase in aggression toward competitors during testing. Data provide evidence of alterations in social behavior and social competition as a result of prenatal cocaine exposure.     

Production of heparin-binding endothelial mitogens by bovine uterine fibroblastic and epithelial cells

This study was conducted to determine whether early-passage cultures of bovine endometrial fibroblastic (Fb, n = 7 uteri) and epithelial (Ep, n = 3 uteri) cells produce endothelial mitogens in vitro and to begin characterization of these mitogens. Confluent cultures of Fb and Ep were incubated for 72 h in serum-free media, and the resulting conditioned media (CM) were evaluated for effects on proliferation of bovine aortic endothelial cells. CM from these Fb cultures (n = 8) and Ep cultures (n = 4) stimulated (147 +/- 10% (mean +/- SEM), p < 0.01, and 124 +/- 8%, p < 0.10, respectively) proliferation of endothelial cells compared with control (unconditioned) media. Most of the mitogenic activity of a sample of Fb CM and a sample of Ep CM from one individual uterus bound to heparin-agarose, and each exhibited two major peaks of activity that eluted at 0.9-1.0 and 1.7-1.8 M NaCl; the Fb CM also exhibited an additional heparin-binding peak eluting at 0-0.1 M NaCl. Pooled Fb CM (n = 8 cultures from 7 animals) also contained mitogenic activity for endothelial cells that bound to heparin-agarose, but exhibited three major peaks, eluting at 0.6, 1.1, and 1.8 M NaCl. Pooled Ep CM (n = 4 cultures from 3 animals) showed only one peak of mitogenic activity, which eluted at 0.9 M NaCl. Further characterization indicated that heat treatment reduced the activity of all heparin-binding Fb CM and Ep CM peaks, except the Fb CM peak eluting at 1.7 M NaCl. Trypsin reduced the activity of all peaks except one. Protein-A-purified antibody against fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF-1) had no or only a slight effect on the mitogenic activity of the peaks. Mitogenic activity of the Fb CM peak eluting at 0.6 M NaCl was reduced by antibody against FGF-2. Activity of the Fb CM and Ep CM peaks that eluted at 1.7-1.8 M NaCl also was immunoneutralized by antibody to FGF-2. These data demonstrate that early passage cultures of endometrial Fb and Ep cells produce heparin-binding endothelial mitogens that appear to be immunologically related to FGF-2. These heparin-binding endothelial mitogens may influence endometrial vascular growth.     

A multifaceted approach to prevention of thromboembolism: a report of 529 cases

The morbidity and incidence of thromboembolic complications can be reduced by patient awareness, nursing staff concern, and physician responsibility using mechanical measures and drugs. Preoperative exercise instrutions, early ambulation, calf exercise, antiembolism hose, postoperative circle-bed turning and use of the Trendelenburg position, the use of intravenous dextran postoperatively and, in selected cases, low doses of sodium warfarin (Coumadin) form the foundation of our approach to the prophylaxis of thromboembolic phenomena. In the presence of thrombophlebitis, phenylbutazone (Butazolidin) is used. Dextran is used with caution in the presence of diminished biliary function. Heparin is avoided except in proven pulmonary embolism. No complications have resulted from this regimen.     

Population dynamics of the response of the genomic pattern of the mobile genetic element Dm412 in Drosophila on selection for a quantitative trait

In an isogenic line of Drosophila melanogaster carrying the Mendelian mutation radius incompletus, selection for the total length of two segments of the disrupted longitudinal wing vein was conducted. After gamma-irradiation at a dose of 13 Gy, positive and negative truncation selection became highly effective and was completed in 50 generations. The pattern of mobile genetic element Dm412 was almost completely fixed in the course of selection. In the positive direction of selection, fixations of mobile genetic element (MGE) sites exceeded losses; in the negative direction, this relationship was reversed. The number of MGE sites in the pattern increased from 23 to 33 and to 26 in the positive and negative directions, respectively. The mean heterozygosity of MGE sites decreased respectively ten and six times. The dynamics of some sites (6F, 43B, 66A, 69E, and others) corresponded to that expected with an adaptive response to selection. Two out of these sites (43B and 66A) were previously assigned to hot sites of Dm412 transposition induced by heat shock. Fixation and loss of sites continued on average for tens of generations. Four hypotheses describe the relationship between patterns of polygenes and MGE in the context of explanation of the above facts: (1) genetic drift; (2) the linkage of MGE and polygenes without modification of the latter (hitchhiking); (3) the linkage and modifying effect of MGE on polygenes linked with them; (4) the selection of the "champion" pattern of polygenes and a random or adaptive MGE pattern linked with it. Hypotheses 1 and 2 are unlikely, hypothesis 3 is possible in the case of other selection modes, whereas hypothesis 4 seems to be most plausible.