Progesterone as a neurosteroid: Actions within the nervous system

Summary 1. Some progesterone is synthesized within both the central and the peripheral nervous systems, where it regulates neurotransmission and important glial functions, such as the formation of myelin. Progesterone can thus be designated a neurosteroid.2. Steroids act not only on the brain, but also on peripheral nerves, which offer many advantages to study the biological significance of locally produced neurosteroids: their remarkable plasticity and regenerative capacity and their relatively simple structure.3. By using the regenerating mouse sciatic nerve as a model, we have shown that progesterone synthesized by rat Schwann cells promotes the formation of new myelin sheaths. Progesterone also increases the number of myelinated axons when added at a low concentration to cocultures of Schwann cells and sensory neurons.4. These findings show a function on myelination for locally produced progesterone and suggest a new pharmacological approach of myelin repair.     

Directional bias as a component of social behaviour with special reference to the Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos

Three types of "shake", given by male Mallards, Anas platyrhynchos, during Social Display, exhibit a crious "directional bias" in that the first sideways turn of the head tends to be made towards one of the females present. An investigation of the phenomenon by means of film suggests that directional bias reliably reflects a male's "interest" in a particular female. Evolutionary implications and the possible role of directional bias in social communication are briefly discussed.     

Inosine diphosphatase as a histochemical marker of retinal microvasculature,with special reference to transformation of microglia

Summary Nucleoside diphosphatase (IDPase), localized using inosine diphosphate as substrate, allows the selective staining of blood vessels and cells of vascular origin, such as macrophages and microglia, whereas the neuroglial, the neuronal and the pigment epithelial cells remain unstained. The staining pattern observed in the retina of mouse, rat, cat and monkey are similar; some apparent quantitative differences reflect species differences in the distribution of retinal microvasculature. At the electron-microscopic level, most of the enzyme activity in the blood vessels appears to be located along the outer wall. The cell membrane, parts of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum and the nuclear membrane in the microglial perikarya appear positive; profiles of microglial processes are intensely stained.In the developing eyes of rats and mice, the blood vessels are stainable from the earliest stage of their appearance. An array of amoeboid cells precede the growing blood vessels and spread out over the future vascularized part of the retina. These cells eventually develop characteristic microglial features, and extend many elongated and branched processes between the neuroepithelial cells while remaining in contact with, or in close proximity to, the blood vessels. Intense IDPase activity in the microglial cells, in contrast to the absence of the enzyme in the neuroglial Müller cells, suggests that microglia are involved in phosphate metabolism and indicates functional compartmentalization within the glial tissue lying between the blood retinal barrier and the retinal neurons.     

Progesterone signaling mediated through progesterone receptor membrane component-1 in ovarian cells with special emphasis on ovarian cancer

Various ovarian cell types including granulosa cells and ovarian surface epithelial cells express the progesterone (P4) binding protein, progesterone receptor membrane component-1 (PGRMC1). PGRMC1 is also expressed in ovarian tumors. PGRMC1 plays an essential role in promoting the survival of both normal and cancerous ovarian cell in vitro. Given the clinical significance of factors that regulate the viability of ovarian cancer, this review will focus on the role of PGRMC1 in ovarian cancer, while drawing insights into the mechanism of PGRMC1's action from cell lines derived from healthy ovaries as well as ovarian tumors.Studies using PGRMC1siRNA demonstrated that P4's ability to inhibit ovarian cells from undergoing apoptosis in vitro is dependent on PGRMC1. To confirm the importance of PGRMC1, the ability of PGRMC1-deplete ovarian cancer cell lines to form tumors in intact nude mice was assessed. Compared to PGRMC1-expressing ovarian cancer cells, PGRMC1-deplete ovarian cancer cells formed tumors in fewer mice (80% compared to 100% for controls). Moreover, the number of tumors derived from PGRMC1-deplete ovarian cancer cells was 50% of that observed in controls. Finally, the tumors that formed from PGRMC1-deplete ovarian cancer cells were about a fourth the size of tumors derived from ovarian cancer cells with normal levels of PGRMC1. One reason for PGRMC1-deplete tumors being smaller is that they had a poorly developed microvasculature system. How PGRMC1 regulates cell viability and in turn tumor growth is not known but part of the mechanism likely involves the regulation of genes that promote cell survival and inhibit apoptosis.     

Paleophytocoenogenesis as the basis of a detailed stratigraphy with special reference to the Carboniferous of the Karaganda basin

The study of phytocoenoses in the Carboniferous section of the Karaganda basin served as the basis for the establishment of three types of Carboniferous vegetation: (a) swampy-silvan with the domination of lycopsids; (b) near-shore silvan with the dominant of arthrophytes; and (c) wood-shrub with the domination of pteridosperms on the uplands. The indicated types of vegetation could coexist simultaneously; the participation of each was unequal, it depended on paleolandscape settings. The dynamics of these correlations is a diagnostic feature of definite intervals of section in the volume of suites, parts of suites or even intervals of separate coal beds.