Urinary steroids in the periparturient and postpartum periods through early pregnancy in llamas

Urinary steroids were determined daily in the periparturient and postpartum periods, including early pregnancy, in the female llama. Estrone sulfate (E(1)S) and pregnanediol glucuronide (PdG) concentrations were determined by enzyme immunoassay with values corrected for variations in urine concentration by creatinine. Estrone sulfate concentrations, elevated during the last 20 days of gestation through 12 hours before parturition, were declining at the time of delivery. Pregnanediol glucuronide concentrations followed a pattern similar to that of estrone sulfate except that values began to decrease 5 days before parturition. Values for both E(1)S and PdG were basal by 24 hours after delivery. The first significant elevation of estrone sulfate, indicative of initial follicle development, was observed 5 days after parturition. Pregnanediol glucuronide concentrations were low during the postpartum period until 4 to 5 days after breeding. The PdG values rose steadily following copulatory-induced ovulation, which was initiated at about 2 weeks postpartum; values continued to increase through the first 15 days of pregnancy.     

Permethrin-impregnated bednet effects on resting and feeding behaviour of lymphatic filariasis vector mosquitoes in Kenya

The impact of permethrin-impregnated bednets on resting and feeding behaviour of mosquito vectors of Wuchereria bancrofti, causing human lymphatic filariasis was studied in six pairs of villages (treated and untreated) before and after intervention. The study villages were in Kwale District, near the coast of Kenya, where Bancroftian filariasis is highly endemic, transmitted by a combination of both anopheline and culicine mosquito vectors. Mosquitoes were collected weekly in each village, indoors (using pyrethrum spray catches) and outdoors (using pit traps) during 3–4 months following the long rainy season. Of the filariasis vector species of mosquitoes collected in 1994 before intervention, 33.6% were members of the Anopheles gambiae complex, 30% were An. funestus and 36.4% were Culex quinquefasciatus. PCR analysis of the An. gambiae complex species collected in 1995 demonstrated that 98.5% were An. gambiae sensu stricto, 1% An. arabiensis and 0.5% An. merus. Introduction of impregnated bednets in 1995 significantly reduced the number of indoor-resting An. gambiae s.l. by 94.6% and An. funestus by 96.7%, but there was no change in the number of Cx quinquefasciatus collected indoors. The number of outdoor-resting An. gambiae s.l. was significantly reduced, whereas densities of An. funestus and Cx quinquefasciatus remained unaffected outdoors. ELISA analysis of mosquito bloodmeals showed a shift from human to animal feeding after the introduction of treated nets. The human blood index (HBI) for indoor resting Cx quinquefasciatus was reduced from 93.1% to 14.4%. Vector potential based on the HBI and mosquito density was estimated to be reduced by 99% for An. gambiae s.l., 98% for An. funestus and 97% for Cx quinquefasciatus and vectorial capacity would be suppressed even more by the impact on the vector survival rates (not measured). These results suggest that permethrin-impregnated bednets give effective personal protection against transmission of W. bancrofti by An. gambiae, An. funestus and Cx quinquefasciatus in East Africa.     

Identification of proteins related to the stress response in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Enterococcus faecalis</Emphasis> V583 caused by bovine bile

Background  

Enterococcus faecalis is an opportunistic pathogen and one of the most important causes of hospital infections. Bile acids are a major stress factor bacteria have to cope with in order to colonize and survive in the gastro-intestinal tract. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of bile acids on the intracellular proteome of E. faecalis V583.     

Studies on the endocrinology of parturition: relative steroidogenesis in coexisting genetically dissimilar ovine fetuses, concomitant with the temporal patterns of maternal C18 and C19 steroids and prostaglandin F2 alpha release

Ovine embryos collected from two breeds of ewes possessing different gestational periods [Finnish Landrace (Finn), 145.5 +/- 1.4 days; Rambouillet (Ra), 150.7 +/- 1.3 days] were transferred to common, randomly selected recipients. Fetal plasma samples were collected from mixed-breed (MB, one Finn and one Ra; n = 6) and single-breed (SB, single Finn, n = 3; single Ra, n = 3) chronic fetal preparations during the last trimester. In the MB pregnancy, the Ra sibling had temporal patterns of androstenedione similar to those observed in the Finn co-twin; however, these particular changes were greatly accelerated in comparison to the same day of gestation in SB Ra fetuses. Similarly, temporal patterns of change in unconjugated estrone, estrone sulfate, and 17 beta-estradiol were accelerated by as much as 4.6 to 5 days in Ra fetuses of MB pregnancies when compared to Ra fetuses in the SB pregnancies (P less than 0.001), with no difference noted between Ra and Finn co-twins. Maternal progesterone concentrations changed from 8 to 2 ng/ml, androstenedione from 200 to 400 pg/ml, estrone from 65 to 250 pg/ml, and 15-keto-13,14-dihydroprostaglandin F2 alpha from 200 pg/ml to 6000 pg/ml over the last 4 or 5 days of gestation. Chronic fetal manipulation accelerated parturition, with mean gestational lengths in MB, SB Finn, and SB Ra pregnancies being 141.5 +/- 0.7, 141.7 +/- 0.7, and 149.3 +/- 0.9 days, respectively. In this study fetal endocrine changes were largely controlled in the MB pregnancy by the fetal co-twin exhibiting a shorter gestational period.     

Clinical findings, pathological changes and endocrinological secretory patterns in mares with ovarian tumours.

The clinical, structural and functional characteristics of ovarian tumours were studied in 10 mares. Proliferation of the granulosa cells of large and small follicles and the presence of various numbers of Leydig-like cells in the theca interna were the predominant microscopic findings in 9 of the mares. All 9 of these animals had higher than normal (P less than 0.005) concentrations of testosterone in the peripheral plasma; 2 animals which exhibited male behaviour had testosterone concentrations greater than 100 pg/ml and the largest number of Leydig-like cells in the theca. Mares with lower testosterone concentrations (7/9) exhibited anoestrus or intermittent oestrous behaviour. The predominant microscopic changes in the other mare involved the proliferation of Sertoli-like cells; oestrogen concentrations were highest in this mare. Testosterone values were normal when no Leydig-like cells were observed in the theca. The unaffected ovary of all 10 mares was small and inactive. Eight mares resumed normal cyclic ovarian activity between 115 and 393 days after the removal of the affected ovary.     

Estradiol levels near the time of ovulation in the bonnet monkey (Macaca radiata)

Plasma estradiol-17beta and total progestins were determined to delineate the relationship between preovulatory estradiol-17beta peak and ovulation in the bonnel monkey (Macaca radiata). 6 monkeys were studied for 15 menstrual cycles. In subsequent cycles, serial laparotomy was performed in 5 of the 6 monkeys to correlate ovarian morphology to plasma estradiol-17beta. In 11 of the 15 cycles, estradiol-17beta peaks were 3- to 7-fold above baseline levels near the time of expected ovulation (Cycle Days 7-12). Plasma progestin rose significantly from follicular phase levels of .5 ng/ml to 2.6 ng/ml the day of the estradiol-17beta peak with peak levels of 4.5 ng/ml on the following day. Ovarian morphology in 4 of the 5 observed by laparotomy demonstrated ovulation within 48 hours following an estradiol-17beta peak of approximately 300 pb/ml.     

Plasma progesterone concentrations derived from the administration of exogenous progesterone to ovariectomized mares.

Six ovariectomized mares were divided into 3 groups to determine the effects of exogenous progesterone in oil and repositol progesterone on plasma progesterone concentrations. Progesterone in oil was administered in 7 daily injections in Exp. I. Progesterone concentrations were not maintained greater than 1.0 ng/ml for 24 h with 50 mg/day. However, they remained greater than 1.0 ng/ml during the last 4 days of 100 mg/day and greater than 1.5 ng/ml throughout the injection sequence of 200 mg/day. Repositol progesterone was administered on Days 1 and 7 in Exp. II. At 500 mg, progesterone concentrations peaked in 6 h but returned to near 1.0 ng/ml in 2 days. At 1000 mg and 2000 mg, plasma progesterone was maintained at approximately 2.0 and 4.0 ng/ml respectively for 7 days after injection on Day 1 and was 1.5 and 3.5 ng/ml respectively, 11 days after injection on Day 7. An indication of a cumulative effect on plasma progesterone was observed following repeated dosages of both progesterone in oil and repositol progesterone.