Preliminary study of ovarian activity in fillies treated with a GnRH vaccine

Objective To investigate the effects of two doses (200 and 400 mg) of a water-soluble gonadotrophin-releasing hormone vaccine on the ovarian activity of 2-year-old fillies.
Design A controlled vaccination dose rate experiment.
Animals Six 2-year-old Australian Stock Horse fillies were randomly allocated to three treatment groups: unvaccinated controls, those receiving 200 mg of the vaccine and those receiving 400 mg of the vaccine.
Results Ovarian activity of the treated fillies was suppressed at the peak of the breeding season while that of the untreated controls continued normally. The control fillies displayed oestrous activity and behaviour. Suppression of ovarian activity occurred for 25 and 30 weeks in the 200 and 400 mg groups, respectively. These differences were not significant. Ovarian activity ceased 2 to 3 weeks after primary vaccination. Antibody titres were low (330) until after the booster immunisation when they rapidly peaked at 22,000 and 28,000 in the 200 mg and 400 mg groups, respectively. Plasma progesterone concentrations of the treated fillies remained below 3.18 nmol/L while GnRH was suppressed. The vaccine had no significant effect on plasma androstenedione concentrations. Recovery from the effect of the vaccine was associated with development of ovarian follicles, normal oestrous behaviour and ovulation. Three of the four treated fillies and one of the controls conceived during the next breeding season and foaled normally. All the treated fillies conceived and produced normal foals in the following two breeding seasons.
Conclusion Both dose rates suppressed ovarian function and prevented oestrous behaviour. These effects were reversible and the subsequent fertility of the vaccinated fillies was normal.     

Dose–Response Studies for Pituitary and Testicular Function in Male Dogs Treated with the GnRH Superagonist, Deslorelin

We tested the effect of dose of GnRH superagonist on pituitary and testicular function in a study with four groups of four male dogs. The Controls received blank implants and the other three groups received implants containing 3, 6 or 12 mg deslorelin (d ‐Trp⁶‐Pro⁹‐des‐Gly¹⁰‐GnRH ethylamide). In all deslorelin‐treated groups, there was initially an acute increase in plasma concentrations of LH and testosterone, followed by declines such that both hormones became undetectable after approximately 12 days. There was a dose–response in some of these early aspects of the hormone profiles. With respect to long‐term effects of treatment, the 12‐mg dose had significantly greater effects than the smaller doses for the duration of minimum testicular volume [366 ± 77, mean ± SEM (3 mg), 472 ± 74 (6 mg), and 634 ± 59 (12 mg) days], absence of ejaculate [416 ± 88 (3 mg), 476 ± 83 (6 mg), and 644 ± 67 (12 mg) days], undetectable plasma concentrations of LH and testosterone [367 ± 64 (3 mg), 419 ± 72 (6 mg), and 607 ± 69 (12 mg) days], the delay until complete recovery of LH and testosterone secretion [394 ± 65 (3 mg), 484 ± 72 (6 mg) and 668 ± 47 (12 mg) days], and the delay until testes had regrown to normal volume [408 ± 77 (3 mg), 514 ± 74 (6 mg), 676 ± 59 (12 mg) days]. The time taken to restore full ejaculates was also longest for the 12‐mg dose: 716 ± 67 (12 mg) days vs 440 ± 66 (3 mg) and 538 ± 83 (6 mg) days after implantation. There was no correlation between delay to recovery of normal ejaculate quality and body mass. We conclude that the dose–response relationship with deslorelin implants is not expressed with respect to the degree of suppression of reproduction, but on the maximum duration of suppression and thus to delay until recovery.     

Polymers with Very Low Polydispersities from Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization

A radical polymerization process that yields well-defined polymers normally obtained only through anionic polymerizations is reported. Atom transfer radical polymerizations of styrene were conducted with several solubilizing ligands for the copper(I) halides: 4,4'-di-tert-butyl, 4,4'-di-n-heptyl, and 4,4'-di-(5-nonyl)-2,2'-dipyridyl. The resulting polymerizations have all of the characteristics of a living polymerization and displayed linear semilogarithmic kinetic plots, a linear correlation between the number-average molecular weight and the monomer conversion, and low polydispersities (ratio of the weight-average to number-average molecular weights of 1.04 to 1.05). Similar results were obtained for the polymerization of acrylates.     

Signals controlling renin release in aglomerular toadfish

The toadfish,Opsanus tau, lacks renal glomeruli and macula densa, but has high renal renin activity and abundant granulated cells in renal arteries and arterioles. Reduction of blood pressure (BP) or blood volume by hemorrhage or vasodilatory drugs causes renin release, indicating that an intrarenal or extrarenal pressure- or volume-sensitive mechanism exists for controlling renin release in the toadfish. Thus, we examined whether 1) β-adrenergic receptor-mediated activation of renin release, and 2) calcium influx which may underlie the baroreceptor mechanism are involved in the cellular control of renin release. Acute injection of isoproterenol (1 μg/kg, n = 6) decreased BP and increased plasma renin activity (PRA) 4–5 fold in unanesthetized toadfish. Propranolol abolished both effects, but did not decrease basal PRA levels.In vitro superfusion of renal slices with bicarbonate Ringer's solution showed a steady secretion of renin, and addition of 50 mM K⁺ (K⁺ methylsulfate replacing NaCl, n = 10) to the superfusate markedly suppressed renin secretion. Nifedipine (10⁻⁵ M, n = 8) completely restored the high K⁺-induced inhibition of renin secretion from renal slices, whereas isoproterenol (10⁻⁴ M, n = 6) neither increased basal renin secretion nor restored K⁺-induced renin suppression. These results suggest that calcium influx may mediate inhibitory messages for renin secretion, while the β-adrenoceptor-mediated activation of granulated cells appears absent in toadfish.     

Nearly singular magnetic fluctuations in the normal state of a high-Tc cuprate superconductor

Polarized and unpolarized neutron scattering was used to measure the wave vector- and frequency-dependent magnetic fluctuations in the normal state (from the superconducting transition temperature, Tc = 35 kelvin, up to 350 kelvin) of single crystals of La1.86Sr0.14CuO4. The peaks that dominate the fluctuations have amplitudes that decrease as T-2 and widths that increase in proportion to the thermal energy, kBT (where kB is Boltzmann's constant), and energy transfer added in quadrature. The nearly singular fluctuations are consistent with a nearby quantum critical point.     

Phosphorus supplements and fluorosis in cattle—a northern Australian experience

SUMMARY Chronic fluoride toxicosis caused lameness, dental lesions and illthrift in an extensive beef cattle herd in northern Australia. Up to 15% of the herd was lame and the disease forced the culling of large numbers of cows. The source of fluoride was fertiliser-grade monoammonium and diammonlum phosphate fed as part of a mineral supplement. Large quantities of mineral supplement were provided to the cattle because lameness was attributed to phosphorus deficiency, which is endemic in the area. Most lameness developed in the late dry season in the post-lactation phase. Severe lameness was caused by fractured pedal bones.     

KINETICS OF DICHLOBENIL DEGRADATION IN SOIL

Summary. The rates of degradation of dichlobenil (2,6-dichlorobenzonitrile) in soil were determined at 67 and 267°C. The degradation followed first-order kinetics but at 67°C this occurred after an initial lag period of 10 weeks. The half-lives were 28 weeks (+ 10 weeks lag) at 6.7°C and 19 weeks at 26.7°C. The activation energy for the decomposition was the relatively low value of 3.57 kcal/mole, indicating that the degradation of dichlobenil is not as markedly affected by temperature as that of many other herbicides. The only detectable metabolite was 2,6-dichlorobenzamide, a compound that should have a substantially lower vapour pressure and a higher affinity for surfaces than the parent compound. Cinétique de la dégradation du dichlobénil dans le sol Résumé. Les taux de dégradation du dichlobénil (2,6-dichlorobenzonitrile) dans le sol ont été détermines à 6,7 et 26,7°C. La déSgradation suivit une loi cinétique du premier ordre, mais à 6,7°C ceci se produisit aprés une période initiate de latence de 10 semaines. Les demi-vies furent de 28 semaines (plus 10 semaines de latence) a 6,7°C et 19 semaines à. 26,7°C. L'énergie d'activation pour la décomposition s'établit à la valeur relativement faible de 3,57 kcal/mole; ceci indique que la dégradation du dichlobénil n'est pas aussi profondément affcctée par la température quc celle de beaucoup d'autres herbicides. Le seul métabolite detectable fut le 2,6-dichlorobenzamide, composé qui devrait avoir une pression de vapeur notablement plus faible et une affinité plus grande pour les surfaces que le composé apparenté. Kinetik des Dichlohenil-Abbaus im Boden Zusammenfassung. Es wurde die Abbaugeschwindigkeit von Dichlobenil (2,6-Dichlorbenzonitril) im Boden bei 6,7°C und 26,7°C bestinimt. Der Abbau entsprach einer Reaktion erster Ordnung. Bei 6,7°G setzte der Abbau nach einer lag-Phase von 10 Wochen ein. Die Halbwertzeiten betrugen 28 Wochen (+10 Wochen lag-Phase) bei 6,7°C und 19 Wochen bei 26,7°C. Die Aktivierungsenergie war verhältnisniässig niedrig und betrug 3,57 Kcal/Mol und zeigt, dass der Abbau von Dichlobenil durch Temperatur nicht so stark beeinflusst wird wie bei vielen anderen Herbiziden. Der einzige nachweisbare Metabolit war 2,6-Dichlorbenzamid, der einen wcsentlich nieddgeren Dampfdruck und eine grössere Affinität gegenüber Oberfiächen haben dürfte als die ursprüngliche Verbindung.     

Isolation,Culture and Identification of Testis Sertoli Cells in Mongolian Horses in vitro

To study a simple and rapid separation of testis Sertoli cells in Mongolian horses and ensure their activity,the testis tissue of two-year-old Mongolian horses was mechanically isolated under a low temperature environment in this experiment,and 1-3 g of testis tissue was chopped,the free red blood cells and interstitial cells were removed by gravity precipitation method.0.1% collagenase Ⅳ and 0.25% trypsin-EDTA were used for tissue digestion, and cells were cultured in medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum.After inoculation,the purified Sertoli cells were isolated and purified by differential sticking method,and the impurity cells were removed by Tris-HCl infiltration method,and were identified by alkaline phosphatase (AKP) staining,HE staining and Real-time quantitative PCR.The results showed that most of the cells began to adhere to the wall after culture 24 h,and the shape of the cells was oval.After culture 48 h,the cytoplasm increased and the refraction became stronger.After culture 3-4 d,the cytoplasm of the cells expanded into tight junction.At this time,the cells were triangular with obvious nucleoli.After culture 6-7 d,the cells entered the stable phase.Real-time quantitative PCR results showed that the expression of GATA4 and GDNF genes were extremely significantly expressed in cultured cells (P<0.01).AKP staining supported the negative expression in Sertoli cells,indicating that the isolated cultured cells were indeed Sertoli cells.In this experiment,tissue was treated by mechanical separation and two-step enzyme digestion,and testicular support cells were obtained quickly and efficiently,the method of culturing Sertoli cells in Mongolian horses testis in vitro was successfully constructed.