Adenohypophyseal function in bitches treated with medroxyprogesterone acetate

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of treatment with medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) on canine adenohypophyseal function. Five Beagle bitches were treated with MPA (10mg/kg, every 4 weeks) and their adenohypophyseal function was assessed in a combined adenohypophyseal function test. Four hypophysiotropic hormones (CRH, GHRH, GnRH, and TRH) were administered before and 2, 5, 8, and 11 months after the start of MPA treatment, and blood samples for determination of the plasma concentrations of ACTH, cortisol, GH, IGF-1, LH, FSH, prolactin, alpha-MSH, and TSH were collected at -15, 0, 5, 10, 20, 30, and 45 min after suprapituitary stimulation. MPA successfully prevented the occurrence of estrus, ovulation, and a subsequent luteal phase. MPA treatment did not affect basal and GnRH-induced plasma LH concentrations. The basal plasma FSH concentration was significantly higher at 2 months after the start of MPA treatment than before or at 5, 8, and 11 months after the start of treatment. The maximal FSH increment and the AUC for FSH after suprapituitary stimulation were significantly higher before treatment than at 5, 8, and 11 months of MPA treatment. Differences in mean basal plasma GH concentrations before and during treatment were not significant, but MPA treatment resulted in significantly elevated basal plasma IGF-1 concentrations at 8 and 11 months. MPA treatment did not affect basal and stimulated plasma ACTH concentrations, with the exception of a decreased AUC for ACTH at 11 months. In contrast, the maximal cortisol increment and the AUC for cortisol after suprapituitary stimulation were significantly lower during MPA treatment than prior to treatment. MPA treatment did not affect basal plasma concentrations of prolactin, TSH, and alpha-MSH, with the exception of slightly increased basal plasma TSH concentrations at 8 months of treatment. MPA treatment did not affect TRH-induced plasma concentrations of prolactin and TSH. In conclusion, the effects of chronic MPA treatment on adenohypophyseal function included increased FSH secretion, unaffected LH secretion, activation of the mammary GH-induced IGF-I secretion, slightly activated TSH secretion, suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis, and unaffected secretion of prolactin and alpha-MSH.     

Effects of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide on cardiac remodeling in coronary atherosclerotic rabbits

AIM:To study the intervention effects of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) on cardiac remodeling during the development of rabbit coronary atherosclerosis. METHODS:60 male New Zealand rabbits were equally divided into 3 groups randomly: control group (C group), atherosclerosis model group (A group) and PACAP intervention group (P group). At the 4th, 8th and 12th week, 5-6 cases of rabbits in each group were sacrificed, cardiac tissue with coronary arteries were harvested to make paraffin sections. The sections were stained with hematoxylin-eosin and van Gieson separately. The qualitative observation and/or quantitative analysis were made by light microscope. RESULTS:（1）There was no lesion in C group. For A group and P group, there were plaques in large epicardial coronary arteries and small coronary arteries; an impressive accumulation of collagen was also observed in myocardium. In P group, the lesions of small coronary arteries were less serious, and the degrees of perivascular and myocardial fibrosis also appeared to be less.（2）For A group, the wall-to-lumen ratios in small coronary arteries were significantly greater at the 12th week (2.58±1.54) than C group (1.34±0.58) and P group (1.39±0.48) （P<0.05）； and the width of cardiomyocyte (13.85 μm±2.27 μm) was already remarkably narrower than C group (14.68 μm±2.40 μm) at the 8th week (P<0.05) and narrower significantly than C group and P group at the 12th week. （3）There were not difference significantly between the above-related parameters of P group and C group (P>0.05). CONCLUSION:Structure changes exist in coronary arteries and myocardium during the development of rabbit coronary atherosclerosis, PACAP can inhibit the cardiac remodeling.     

High-resolution fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging findings of a pituitary microtumor in a dog

A 16-year-old, castrated, male English cocker spaniel dog was presented due to generalized alopecia. Routine clinical pathology, endocrine and abdominal ultrasonography results were consistent with a diagnosis of pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism. The adenohypophyseal lesion was clearly visualized on both 3 T and 7 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the pituitary gland. Although biochemical and MRI findings were consistent with a functional pituitary microtumor, a pituitary lesion was not detected using ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET). This report firstly describes the application of high-resolution FDG-PET to a spontaneous pituitary microtumor in a dog.     

银狐垂体细胞系构建研究

分别采用组织块法和消化法2种接种方法进行银狐垂体细胞系构建研究。在消化法中使用不同浓度的胰蛋白酶来检验效果,同时在原代培养期使用反复差速贴壁法纯化,传代培养期结合使用反复差速贴壁以及两步消化法进行处理。结果表明：组织块法接种后成纤维细胞生长明显,原代培养后期成纤维细胞已为主要细胞;降低胰蛋白酶浓度能降低对细胞损伤,但消化时间会增长;采用消化法接种在抑制成纤维细胞生长方面效果好于组织块法。纯化效果上,结合反复差速贴壁法与两步消化法处理后获得了较好的效果,在原代培养时期能较好去除成纤维细胞并通过持续使用该方法可在传二代后获得较高纯度的细胞,纯度能达到80%以上,能够建立细胞系。