Sex differentiation of t-e circadian system in the golden hamster

The effect of estradiol benzoate (EB) on free-running circadian activity rhythms was studied in gonadectomized hamsters maintained in constant dim illumination. EB shortened the period (tau) of the female, but not of the male circadian activity rhythm. Responsiveness of the circadian system to EB was subject to sexual differentiation. The circadian period of wheel running by female hamsters given a single injection of testosterone propionate on the day of birth did not shorten in response to EB in adulthood. This failure to respond to EB also was observed in normal male hamsters, and was different from the response shown by normal females. Preliminary data suggest that tau of the activity rhythm of males castrated on the day of birth is shortened during EB treatment in adulthood. The differential effects of estradiol on tau are related to anatomic differences between the sexes in neural connections of the substrate for circadian rhythms.     

Histochemical, biochemical and ultrastructural studies on the liver of fasted rats

The subjection of rats with body weight 150 +/- 10 g to complete starvation for a period of four days leads to a diminution of total protein, total lipids, blood sugar, body weight and liver weight. Lipid dystrophy develops in the liver, as well as deposition of lipofuscin-like pigment and atrophy. Lipid dystrophy and desposition of pigment increase during the first three days and abruptly decrease during the fourth. Atrophy is a progressive process. The delineation of three phases in the atrophic - dystrophic process is possible with the application of histological, enzyme-histochemical, morphometric, biochemical and electron microscopic methods: Phase I (first 24 hours) - a common adaptive phase. It engages both the liver, which must utilize the increased nutrients from the organism depots and the homeostatic mechanisms of the organism as a whole. Phase II - (second and third 24 hours) - alterative-restorative, manifested markedly at the liver parenchimal level and especially by autophagic lysosome function. Phase III - (fourth 24 hours) - alterative. Exhaustion of adaptive-restorative liver process (and the hepatocyte in particular), and the organism as a whole as well.     

Effect of introducing parts of the rye genome into barley

Tardyferon was administered to 51 patients with iron deficiency anaemia. The drug was very well tolerated and even after administration to fasting patients it was tolerated well by 92% of patients. The iron absorption curve was on the average twice as high after 1 hour and increased up to 3 hours. A significant therapeutic effect with raised haemoglobin level by 10--27% was obtained after 4--6 weeks of treatment in 44 patients (86%). In the remaining cases the improvement was less pronounced.