Effect of long-term L-dopa administration on the dopaminergic and cholinergic (muscarinic) receptors of striatum in 6-hydroxydopamine lesioned rats

L-Dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-Dopa) (200 mg/kg/day) was administered for 30 days to the rats whose nigrostriatal dopamine pathway was lesioned unilaterally with 6-hydroxydopamine and the receptor binding of ³H-spiperone and ³H-quinuclidinyl benzilate (³HQNB) was measured in the dopaminergic and muscarinic cholinergic receptors of the striatum. ³H-spiperone binding increased by 73% and ³HQNB binding decreased by 14% in the lesioned side when compared to the control side of L-Dopa-non-treated rats. ³H-spiperone binding was measured in the lesioned sides of L-Dopa-treated and L-Dopa-non-treated rats and was found to have decreased by 21% in the former. In the control side of the L-Dopa-treated lesioned rats, however, ³H-spiperone binding increased by 27% when compared to the opposite striatum of the same rats. ³HQNB binding in the lesioned side of L-Dopa-treated rats was not significantly different from that of the control side statistically. These results suggest that changes in functional equilibrium between the dopaminergic and cholinergic mechanisms influence the muscarinic cholinergic receptors and that supersensitivity of dopamine receptors after lesion of the nigrostriatal pathway also remains after long-term L-Dopa treatment.     

The influence of sex and gonadectomy on the growth hormone and corticosterone response to hexarelin in the rat

The present study is designed to investigate the role of sex and gonadal status in the growth hormone (GH) and corticosterone response to hexarelin (HEXA), a GH-releasing peptide, which also causes a stimulatory action on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. HEXA (80 microg/Kg) was administered intracarotid to anesthetized intact or gonadectomized male (ORC) and female (OVX) middle-aged rats. The GH stimulatory response to HEXA was gender-related since the GH increase was significantly (p < 0.001) higher in intact males (area under the curve, AUC= 12560 +/- 1784 ng/ml.45 min) than in females (AUC= 4628 +/- 257 ng/ml.45 min). This sex difference does not depend on circulating gonadal steroids since it persists in ORC (AUC = 11980 +/- 1136 ng/ml.45 min) and OVX (AUC = 5539 +/- 614 ng/ml.45 min) rats. The different effects of HEXA on corticosterone secretion detected in male and female rats are probably dependent on the prevailing activity of the HPA axis. In fact, in male rats that have low basal corticosterone levels, HEXA caused an increase in corticosterone secretion, which was significantly (p< 0.05) higher in ORC than in intact rats. The increase in corticosterone secretion by HEXA both in intact and OVX females was delayed, probably due to the elevated initial corticosterone levels, which could have activated the glucocorticoid negative feedback. We suggest that gender-specific patterns in the regulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary function could be responsible for the GH and corticosterone sexually differentiated responses to HEXA.     

Deterioration of male sexual behavior in rats by the new prolactin-secreting tumor 7315b

The effects of hyperprolactinemia on male copulatory behavior in adult male and female rats were studied. Hyperprolactinemia was induced by the transplantable purely prolactin-secreting tumor 7315b. Male rats were castrated and received testosterone-filled capsules of different sizes which induced normal and subnormal testosterone levels. After sexual training the rats of the experimental groups were inoculated with tumor 7315b. Three weeks after tumor-inoculation high prolactin levels (2000-30000 ng/ml) were found. During this hyperprolactinemia ejaculation latency increased significantly, while the mount frequency and intromission frequency remained unchanged. Only 9 out of 22 rats ejaculated 19 days after inoculation. Moreover, it appeared that the inhibitory effect of the tumor was as strong in the presence of normal (2.33 +/- 0.07 ng/ml) as in the presence of low (0.35 +/- 0.01 ng/ml) testosterone levels. The inhibitory effect of tumor 7315b on copulatory behavior was not influenced by adrenalectomy. In gonadectomized female rats bearing testosterone-filled capsules tumor 7315b induced prolactin levels of about 2000 ng/ml and an almost complete cessation of mounts and intromission patterns 4 weeks after tumor-inoculation. It was concluded that tumor 7315b causes a strong inhibitory effect on male copulatory behavior in male and female rats and that this effect is not influenced by the presence of normal or low testosterone levels or removal of the adrenals, suggesting a direct effect of prolactin on brain functions.     

Increase in pulsatile secretion of growth hormone during failure of catch-up growth following glucocorticoid-induced growth inhibition

The pattern of growth hormone (GH) secretion was determined in rats injected with cortisone acetate, 5 mg/rat/day subcutaneously, or with an equivalent volume of saline for 4 days from age 40 days. Cortisone injections resulted in inhibition of growth of body weight and tail length. During recovery the rats resumed a normal rate of growth but failed to show catch-up growth acceleration. From 17 to 27 days of recovery, plasma was sampled at 15-min intervals through the lights-on period, 06:00 to 18:00, via a catheter chronically implanted in the superior vena cava. During sampling each rat was housed singly in an insulated chamber, unrestrained, and with food and water ad lib. Cortisone-treated animals had a normal periodicity of GH plasma concentration, but they showed a reduction in values in the range of 50 to 99 ng/ml (P less than 0.01) and an increase of values in the range of 200 to 499 ng/ml (P less than 0.025) and above 1000 ng/ml (P less than 0.05). The area under the GH concentration curve of the cortisone-treated rats was significantly greater than that of the controls, 100.9 +/- 18.7 (mean +/- SE) units vs 55.3 +/- 7.4 (P less than 0.025). Thus, increased growth hormone secretion during the light phase persisted in spite of failure of catch-up growth acceleration. The findings indicate that the mechanism involved in GH release is linked to the catch-up growth control.     

Abolition of the seasonal release of luteinizing hormone and testosterone in Alpine male goats (Capra hircus) by short photoperiodic cycles.

This study was performed to determine whether rapid alternation between long and short days abolished seasonal variations in the activity of the hypothalamo-pituitary-testis axis observed normally in Alpine and Saanen male goats during the year. Three groups of 6 males were used: group 1 remained in open sheds under the natural annual change in daylength from 16 h of light (long day) to 8 h of light (short day). Group 2 was exposed to 1 month of long days alternated with 1 month of short days; and group 3 to 2 months of long days alternated with 2 months of short days. In group 1, blood samples were taken in December, February and June; in groups 2 and 3, samples were obtained once during short and long days for the melatonin assay. For luteinizing hormone and testosterone determinations monthly samples from group 1 were obtained from September to August while, in groups 2 and 3, blood samples were taken on 4 occasions during long and short days. Weekly blood samples were taken from all groups during the whole of the experiment to measure prolactin and testosterone concentrations. Melatonin profiles indicated that secretion by the pineal gland of male goats from the treated groups adapted to rapid changes in daylength: duration of nocturnal secretion was close to that of the dark period. Treated goats were also able to transduce this signal adequately and always responded to long days by increasing their prolactin concentration (mean +/- s.e.m.; group 2: 62.4 +/- 6.8 ng/ml; group 3: 102.3 +/- 15.7 ng/ml) and to short days with a decrease in prolactin concentrations (35.0 +/- 3.6 and 46.1 +/- 9.5 ng/ml, respectively). In the treated groups, luteinizing hormone pulse frequency varied with day length. In group 2, it was higher in long days (1.1 +/- 0.3 pulses in 8 hours) than in short days (0.7 +/- 0.3) while, in group 3, this frequency was higher in short days (1.9 +/- 0.3) than in long days (0.5 +/- 0.2). Testosterone secretion also varied with daylength; in group 2, the testosterone concentrations were maximum during long days (5.8 +/- 1.4 ng/ml) while in group 3 the maximum testosterone concentrations occurred during short days (6.4 +/- 1.2 ng/ml). These results lead to the conclusion that rapid alternation of long and short days either attenuated (group 3) or prevented (group 2) seasonal changes in the activity of the hypothalamo-pituitary axis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Effects of chronic D-Leu6, des-Gly10-gonadotropin releasing hormone ethylamide on male sex tissues

The chronic administration of superactive agonists of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH-A) have been reported to have a direct inhibitory effect on the sex tissues of the male rat. In an attempt to confirm or refute this statement, adult male rats were either left intact or were castrated and then treated daily for 14 days with either testosterone (T), dihydrotestosterone (DHT) or sesame oil (vehicle). Half of the intact and castrate animals also received daily injections of 200 ng of the GnRH agonist, D-Leu6, des-Gly10-GnRH ethylamide for 14 days. Twenty-four hours after completing treatment, blood levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and T were measured by radioimmunoassay and the ventral prostate gland (VP), seminal vesicle (SV) and penis were weighed. After 2 weeks of GnRH-A treatment, the plasma T level was reduced from 2506 +/- 170 (pg/ml +/- SEM) in the intact, nontreated animals to 907 +/- 69 in the intact, GnRH-A-treated group, indicating that the dosage of GnRH-A used in this study had an inhibiting effect on T secretion. No differences were observed in the VP, SV and penile weights between the castrate, GnRH-A and the castrate, nontreated groups. When exogenous T or DHT was given for 14 days to these castrated animals, the concomitant administration of GnRH-A did not appear to have any effect on the plasma T levels or the sex accessory tissue weights. These data suggest that GnRH-A itself does not appear to have a direct inhibitory or stimulatory effect on the sex tissues of the adult male rat.     

Dynamics of circulating osteocalcin in rats during growth and under experimental conditions.

Osteocalcin is the most abundant non-collagenous protein produced in the process of bone formation. A specific radioimmunoassay has been developed using a rabbit antiserum raised against osteocalcin extracted from rat bone. The sensitivity of the assay was tested in male and female rats under different experimental conditions: ovariectomy led to a mild increase in circulating osteocalcin (70.6 +/- 6.9 vs 51.6 +/- 6.3 ng/ml; p < 0.05) and deprivation of dietary calcium elevated plasma levels further (119 +/- 6.3 ng/ml; p < 0.01). As expected, pharmacological enhancement of bone turnover with calcitriol produced a significant increase in plasma osteocalcin (296 +/- 24.1 vs 89.5 +/- 5.1 ng/ml; p < 0.01), whereas prednisolone, a steroidal compound known to inhibit osteoid mineralization, significantly reduced circulating concentrations of this protein (70 +/- 7.4 vs 100 +/- 6.3 ng/ml; p < 0.05). Plasma kinetics recorded in female rats between birth and the 100th week revealed a highly significant (p < 0.001) elevation peaking at the third week (231 +/- 70.6 ng/ml) and slowly declining to reach values measured at birth (41.3 +/- 9.2 ng/ml) at the 16th week (47 +/- 4.6 ng/ml). Subsequently, a small but significant (p < 0.05) decline towards senescence was recorded. The osteocalcin surge preceded the period of rapid growth (weeks 3 to 11) estimated by vertebral length progression, showing a tendency to stabilize as growth spurt slowed down. A moderate but significant (p < 0.01) increment was observed after mating (87.8 +/- 5.1 vs 69.5 +/- 4.0 ng/ml). Although plasma osteocalcin remained stable during lactation, average levels were elevated in comparison with age-matched non-pregnant controls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Immunoreactive LHRH in chronic starved rats

The effects of chronic starvation (1/4 of ad libitum food intake) for 21 or 30 days were studied on the hypothalamic and serum concentrations of LHRH, the pituitary and serum concentrations of LH, and the weights of the anterior pituitary, ovary and uterus in adult female Wistar rats (chronic starved group, CSG). Control female rats were fed ad lib. for the same periods (control group, CG). On day 22 or 31, half of the rats of each group were weighed and sacrificed by decapitation. Since there were no difference on above parameters between the experiments on 22nd and 31st day, the results were combined for each parameters. At the time of sacrifice, the body weight of CSG was on the average 44% lower than that of CG rats, and also marked reduction in anterior pituitary (44%), ovarian (61%) and uterine weights (69%) was observed. Serum LH concentrations (mean +/- SE; 5.67 +/- 0.67 versus 33.30 +/- 6.00 ng/ml, P less than 0.001) and pituitary LH content (286.7 +/- 19.4 vs 451.0 +/- 32.8 micrograms, P less than 0.001) were significantly decreased in CSG than in CG rats. However, pituitary LH concentration was not reduced because of the proportional reduction to the pituitary weight of CSG rats. Hypothalamic immunoreactive LHRH (IR-LHRH) content in CSG showed a significant increase as compared to CG rats (5.77 +/- 0.52 vs 4.41 +/- 0.27 ng/hypothalamic extract, P less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Temporal changes in prolactin and corticosterone response during chronic treatment with d-fenfluramine

In order to elucidate the mechanism of development of tolerance to the anorectic effect during chronic treatment with d-fenfluramine (d-F), we examined the temporal changes induced by d-F in food intake and prolactin (PRL) and corticosterone secretion. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated for 14 days with d-F (2.5 mg/kg i.p.) or saline twice daily and were given free access to food and water. Groups of 8 rats were sacrificed 30 min after d-F or saline injection at days 1, 4 and 14 for measurements of serum PRL and corticosterone. Food intake and weight gain were reduced significantly by d-F during the first 2-3 days of treatment but not thereafter. Compared with saline, d-F initially increased PRL (57 +/- 9 vs. 7 +/- 0.7 ng/ml) and corticosterone (42 +/- 2 vs. 14 +/- 3 micrograms/dl) serum concentrations. At 4 days, PRL was still significantly increased (43 +/- 5 vs. 10 +/- 4 ng/ml) but corticosterone returned to basal levels. At 14 days, PRL and corticosterone concentrations in the d-F group were not different from corresponding values in the saline group. To verify whether the loss of corticosterone and PRL responses to d-F was not due to a depletion of hormone stores, direct stimulation of corticosterone with corticotrophin and of PRL with metoclopramide were made at days 4 and 14, respectively. Corticotrophin (0.25 mg/kg i.p.) increased corticosterone concentrations similarly in d-F-treated (45 +/- 8 micrograms/dl) and in saline-treated rats (51 +/- 7 micrograms/dl).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Feedback regulation of gonadotropic hormone secretion in neonatal pigs

The effect of castration and of administration of charcoal-treated porcine follicular fluid (pFF) containing inhibin-like activity on plasma concentration of gonadotropic hormones was studied in neonatal pigs. Plasma follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) concentration averaged 25.1 +/- 1.5 ng/ml (mean +/- SEM) in 1-wk-old females and gradually declined to 20.2 +/- 0.7 ng/ml 6 wk later. Ovariectomy did not significantly influence plasma FSH concentration. In males, concentration averaged 8.0 +/- 0.7 ng/ml before castration but rose significantly within 2 days after castration. Injection of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) did not influence plasma FSH concentrations in intact males, but did in females and in 7-wk-old males castrated at 1 wk. Plasma luteinizing hormone (LH) concentrations in 1-wk-old females (2.2 +/- 0.4 ng/ml) gradually declined and were not influenced by castration. Concentrations of plasma LH in 1-wk-old male piglets (2.8 +/- 0.7 ng/ml) were not significantly influenced by castration within 2 days but were significantly higher 6 wk later. LHRH induced a significant rise in plasma LH concentrations in all animals. Injection of pFF resulted in a decline of plasma FSH concentrations in intact and castrated males and in intact females, but did not influence plasma LH concentrations. These data demonstrate a sex-specific difference in the control of plasma FSH, but not in plasma LH concentration in the neonatal pig. Plasma FSH concentrations, but not plasma LH concentrations, are suppressed by testicular hormones in 1-wk-old piglets. Plasma FSH concentrations can be suppressed in both neonatal male and female pigs by injections of pFF.     

Effects of age and luteinizing hormone antiserum on human chorionic gonadotropin-stimulated testosterone secretion in young male rats

The steroidogenic capacity of young male rats of different ages was studied. Two days prior to sacrifice at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 days of age, the rats in treatment groups were given intramuscularly either human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) at 20 I.U. twice daily/rat or luteinizing hormone (LH) antiserum (AS) at 0.25 ml twice daily/rat. Either saline or normal sheep serum (NSS) was given to control rats. The serum and testicular testosterone concentrations in the control rats averaged 0.85 +/- 0.03 ng/ml and 1.35 +/- 0.06 ng/mg testicular protein, respectively. At day-15 the serum and testicular testosterone concentrations in the HCG-treated rats had significantly increased to 9.30 +/- 0.85 ng/ml and 11.92 ng/mg of testicular protein, respectively. At the same age, the HCG-induced higher levels of serum and testicular testosterone concentrations were significantly reduced to 2.80 +/- 0.70 ng/ml and 6.02 +/- 1.00 ng/mg protein by concomitant administration of LH/AS and HCG. Our results suggest that the testosterone production in response to HCG stimulation is age-related. It was also determined that neutralization of circulating gonadotropin in LH/AS-treated rats decreased the sensitivity of Leydig cells to gonadotropin stimulation. This in vivo model should provide an excellent opportunity for the investigation of the testicular function in developing young males.     

Effects of relaxin on systemic arterial hemodynamics and mechanical properties in conscious rats: sex dependency and dose response.

We previously showed that chronic administration of recombinant human relaxin (rhRLX; 4 microg/h) to conscious female, nonpregnant rats to reach serum levels corresponding to early to midgestation (approximately 20 ng/ml) increases cardiac output (CO) and global arterial compliance (AC) and decreases systemic vascular resistance (SVR), comparable to changes observed in midterm pregnancy. The goals of this study were to test whether chronic administration of rhRLX (4 microg/h) to conscious male rats will yield similar changes in CO and systemic arterial load and to determine whether higher infusion rates of rhRLX (50 microg/h) administered to nonpregnant female rats yielding serum concentrations corresponding to late pregnancy ( approximately 80 ng/ml) will further modify CO and SVR and global AC comparable to late gestation. CO and systemic arterial load, as quantified by SVR and AC, were obtained by using the same methods as in our previous studies. With respect to baseline, chronic rhRLX administration to male rats over 10 days at 4 mug/h increased both CO (20.5 +/- 4.2%) and AC (19.4 +/- 6.9%) and reduced SVR (12.7 +/- 3.9%). These results were comparable to those elicited by the hormone in nonpregnant female rats. In contrast, neither acute (over 4 h) nor chronic (over 6 days) infusion of the higher dose of rhRLX administered to conscious female rats resulted in significant changes in CO, AC, or SVR from baseline. We conclude that 1) rhRLX increases CO and AC and reduces SVR irrespective of sex, and 2) the rhRLX dose response is biphasic insofar as significant alterations in CO and systemic arterial load fail to occur at high serum concentrations.     

Somatomedin levels in the diagnosis and therapy of growth hormone deficiency

Serum somatomedin-C (SM-C) and somatomedin (SM) concentrations were measured by, respectively, radioimmuno (SM-C RIA) and radioreceptor assays (SM RRA) in 3 groups of children with short stature. The patient population was different from previously reported series in that it was urban Brazilian, low income, and significantly older. Group A consisted of 6 male and 3 female children, aged 7.7-16.0 years, whose average peak plasma immunoreactive growth hormone (GH) was above 10 ng/ml. Group B contained 8 male and 5 female untreated GH-deficient patients, ranging in age from 9.5 to 21.0 years. In Group C there were 4 male and 1 female GH-deficient subjects treated with I.M. injections of GH (0.1 U/kg) from 1 month to 7 years. The mean +/- SE basal RIA SM-C (ng/ml) concentrations were significantly lower in groups B (34.2 +/- 8.8) and C (43.8 +/- 13.7) than A (214.3 +/- 42.7): A X B, P less than 0.001 and A X C, P less than 0.02. Likewise the mean +/- SE basal RRA SM (ng/ml) concentrations were significantly lower in groups B (78.9 +/- 17.6) and C (90.8 +/- 19.3) than group A (316.3 +/- 43.0): A X B, P less than 0.001 and A X C, P less than 0.002. A significant linear correlation was observed between RIA and RRA in group B (r = 0.84; P less than 0.001) and C (r = 0.96; P less than 0.01), but not for A (r = 0.61; P greater than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Effects of a simulated microgravity model on cell structure and function in rat testis and epididymis.

A tail-suspension (TS) rat model used to simulate microgravity was tested for its effects on the anatomy, cell structure, and function of the testis and epididymis in sexually mature male rats. Rats suspended for 7 days without inguinal canal ligation exhibited a significant (P less than or equal to 0.05) reduction in testis weight compared with controls (1.55 +/- 0.04 to 1.1 +/- 0.02 g). Except for the liver, epididymis, and adrenals of TS rats and TS rats allowed to recover for 7 days, no significant (P less than or equal to 0.05) change was observed in the weight of other body and accessory sex organs. A histological examination of the testes and epididymides of model animals revealed disorganized seminiferous tubules and accumulation of large multinucleated cells and spermatids in the lumen of the epididymis. A significant (P less than or equal to 0.05) increase in serum luteinizing hormone (53.1 +/- 6.7 to 66.2 +/- 10.1 ng/ml) and follicle-stimulating hormone (257 +/- 25 to 305 +/- 38 ng/ml) was observed in TS nonligated rats, whereas serum prolactin and testosterone levels were observed to decline from 8.3 +/- 1.3 to 5.1 +/- 0.29 and 7.1 +/- 1.3 to 3.8 +/- 0.25 ng/ml, respectively. Decreases in testis protein content and testosterone levels of the testis, interstitial fluid, and epididymis were also observed in model animals. These data demonstrate that the suspension procedure used in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration TS model results in the testis and epididymis translocating into the abdominal cavity, causing cellular degeneration and organ dysfunction.     

The effects of testosterone and estrogen on the pituitary growth hormone response to growth hormone-releasing factor

The effects of testosterone and estrogen on the pituitary growth hormone response to hypothalamic growth hormone-releasing factor (GRF) were evaluated in vivo using male and female rats and in vitro using a pituitary cell monolayer culture system. In vivo the increase in plasma growth hormone (GH) concentration in response to a 500 ng/kg dose of GRF was similar in gonadectomized male and female rats. Pretreatment of intact and gonadectomized male rats with testosterone caused significant enhancement of the pituitary GH response to GRF, whereas pretreatment of gonadectomized female rats with 17 beta-estradiol did not alter the response. The GH response to GRF was not different between prepubertal (i.e., 30-day-old) male and female rats. However, following puberty (i.e., by 60 days of age), the response in male rats was significantly greater than that observed in female rats. The in vitro preincubation of anterior pituitary cells with either testosterone or 17 beta-estradiol did not cause any shift in the dose-response curve between GRF and GH. These results demonstrated that androgens play an active role in modulating the pituitary response to GRF in vivo.     

Growth hormone and prolactin content of hyperplastic anterior pituitary of dehydroepiandrosterone treated rats.

30 days after implantation of 80 mg dehydroepiandrosterone (androst-5-en-3betaol-17-one) hyperplastic enlargement of the anterior pituitary has been observed in about 80 per cent of the female rats. There was an important increase of prolactin content, growth hormone content remained unchanged. The mentioned alterations were found to be reversible, since regression was observed after DEA treatment exceeding 30 days. In females developing no hyperplasia pituitary growth hormone contentration and content has been decreased, prolactin content remained unchanged. In male rats on identical treatment no change of pituitary weight, growth hormone and prolactin concent has been found. The results suggest that, under physiological conditions, DEA does not affect pituitary growth hormone and prolactin content, however response to pharmacological doses was different in male and female rats.     

Gonadal dysfunction in the spontaneously diabetic BB rat: alterations of testes morphology, serum testosterone and LH

Serum testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), testicular histology and ultrastructure were examined in 91 spontaneously diabetic BB, semi-starved, and control Wistar rats. Between 80-120 days of age serum testosterone was decreased (1.67 +/- .25 vs. 2.95 +/- .48 ng/ml; P less than .05) in the BB rats compared to controls but not different from semi-starved rats. LH values were similar in control and BB rats (49.4 +/- 10.9 vs. 46.8 +/- 6.2 ng/ml). Abnormal lipid droplets were noted within Leydig cells at this period. From 121-150 days of age serum testosterone was lower in BB (1.38 +/- .23 vs. 3.42 +/- .45 vs. 2.94 +/- .81 ng/ml; P less than .05) than controls or semi-starved rats. Serum LH was not significantly higher in controls than in BB rats (63.2 +/- 7.4 vs. 36.6 +/- 12 ng/ml; P = NS). Between 151-200 days of age, there was further lipid accumulation in Leydig cells in the BB rat and occasional epithelial disorganization. After 200 days, serum testosterone decreased (P less than .05) to similar levels in both control and BB rats (1.42 +/- .87 vs. 1.22 +/- .25; P = NS) and was similar in BB rats after 250 days (1.02 +/- .2 ng/ml). After 250 days of age Leydig cell morphology appeared relatively normal but marked alterations were apparent in Sertoli cells, germ cells and morphology of the tubule wall.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Atrial natriuretic factor is a circulating hormone

The radioimmunoassay of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) has been applied for determination of immunoreactive ANF (IR-ANF) in rat plasma. Immunoreactive ANF has been extracted from rat plasma by immunoaffinity column on Sepharose-4B anti-ANF or by Vycor glass. The mean concentrations of IR-ANF in ether anesthetized rats were found to be 1.61 +/- 0.14 ng/ml in female and 1.25 +/- 0.21 ng/ml in male rats when extracted on Sepharose-4B anti-ANF, and 1.21 +/- 0.10 ng/ml in females and 1.02 +/- 0.11 ng/ml in males when extracted by Vycor glass. A close linear correlation has been observed between the plasma IR-ANF concentrations in aorta and jugular vein. The described results indicate that atrial cardiocytes secrete atrial natriuretic factor into plasma. The heart is, therefore, an endocrine organ.     

Morphological characteristics of the kidney and lung in the neonatal rats observed after 16 days spaceflight.

The aim of this study is to examine the structural development in kidney and lung macroscopically which relate with cardiovascular system in rats raised in space. Twenty three nine-day old rats and six fifteen-day old rats, which were launched at these ages and nursed by their dams in the Space Shuttle Colombia for 16 days (STS-90; Neurolab). Seventeen animals of the nine-day old rats were defined as the nine-day group, and the rest was defined as the re-adaptation group, which were reared on the ground for 30 more days after landing. The organs were weighed and the ratio of the organ weight to the body weight (body weight ratio) was calculated. Both of lung and kidney in flight rats were significantly heavier than ground controls in the body weight ratio. We found that the kidney in the nine-day and the fifteen-day group tended to extend of dorsal-ventral length in macroscopic observations. However, this difference was not observed in the re-adaptation group. These results suggest that space environment may affect in kidney development. On the other hand, the lung had no differences in macroscopic structure among flight and control groups.