The risk of lymphoma in AKR/J mice does not rise with chronic exposure to 50 Hz magnetic fields (1 microT and 100 microT)

Some epidemiological studies suggest that exposure to 50 or 60 Hz magnetic fields might increase the risk of leukemia, especially in children with a comparable high residential exposure. To investigate this possibility experimentally, the influence of 50 Hz magnetic-field exposure on lymphoma induction was determined in a mouse strain that is genetically predisposed to this disease. The AKR/J mouse genome carries the AK virus, which leads within 1 year to spontaneous development of thymic lymphoblastic lymphoma. Beginning at an age of 4-5 weeks, groups of 160 female mice were sham-exposed or exposed to 50 Hz magnetic fields at 1 or 100 microT for 24 h per day, 7 days per week, for 38 weeks. Animals were checked visually daily and were weighed and palpated weekly. There was no effect of magnetic-field exposure on body weight gain or survival rate, and lymphoma incidence did not differ between exposed and sham-exposed animals. Therefore, these data do not support the hypothesis that chronic exposure to 50 Hz magnetic fields is a significant risk factor for developing hematopoietic malignancy.     

The contrasting effects of ad libitum and restricted feeding of a diet very high in saturated fats on sex ratio and metabolic hormones in mice

Skewing of the sex ratio towards males occurs among pups born to mice fed a very high saturated fat (VHF) diet. In the present study, we tested whether the fat content of the VHF diet rather than the number of calories consumed is responsible for this effect. Eight-week-old NIH Swiss mice were placed on the VHF diet either ad libitum (VHF) or in a restricted manner (VHF-R). The VHF-R mice gained weight at a similar rate to controls fed a standard chow diet. Mice were bred at 15 wk and subsequently at 26 wk and 35 wk of age. Overall, the VHF, VHF-R, and control groups delivered 244, 242, and 274 pups, respectively, with male proportions of 0.60, 0.43, and 0.48, respectively. The pup sex ratios of the VHF group (favoring males) and VHF-R group (favoring females) each differed from 0.5 (P < 0.01). The sex ratios also differed (P < 0.0001) between the VHF and control groups, and between the VHF and VHF-R groups. Within the diet groups, maternal body weight had no effect on sex ratio. Serum leptin concentrations among the dams were similar in the VHF and VHF-R groups but higher than in the control group, while the IGF1 and corticosterone levels were comparable in all three groups. Therefore, the atypical sex ratios of offspring born to dams on the VHF diet seem to be influenced by the amount of fat consumed. Since males fed the VHF diet had neither more Y-sperm nor sired more sons than daughters, the dietary effects are manifested exclusively through the female.     

Analysis of breeding and pathology helps refine management practices of a large-scale N'-ethyl-N'-nitrosourea mouse mutagenesis programme

N'-ethyl-N'-nitrosourea (ENU) is a powerful germline mutagen used in conjunction with phenotype-driven screens to generate novel mouse mutants. ENU also induces genetic lesions in somatic cells and dosage requires optimization between maximum germline mutation rate versus induced sterility and tumourigenesis that compromise the welfare and fecundity of the ENU-treated males. Here, we present our experience with BALB/cAnNCrl and C57BL/6J mice in terms of the pathology induced by ENU and its impact on breeding. In both mouse strains, morbidity and mortality rises with ENU dose. In more than 75% of C57BL/6J males, morbidity and mortality were attributable to the development of malignant T-lymphoblastic lymphoma. Approximately 50% of ENU-treated BALB/cAnNCrl males develop early malignant T-lymphoblastic lymphoma, but the cohort that survives develops late-onset lung carcinoma. Within strains, the latency of these clinically important tumour(s) was not dosage-dependent, but the proportion of mice developing tumours and consequently removed from the breeding programme increased with ENU dosage. The median number of offspring per ENU-treated C57BL/6J male in standard matings with C3H/HeH females decreased with increasing dosage. The two most important underlying causes for lower male fecundity were increased infertility in the highest dosage group and reduced numbers of litters born to the remaining fertile C57BL/6J males due to a higher incidence of morbidity. These findings have allowed us to refine breeding strategy. To maximize the number of offspring from each ENU-treated male, we now rotate productive males between two cages to expose them to more females. This optimizes the number of mutation carrying offspring while reducing the number of ENU-treated males that must be generated.     

Parental responsiveness is feminized after neonatal castration in virgin male prairie voles, but is not masculinized by perinatal testosterone in virgin females

We previously found a large sex difference in the parental responsiveness of adult virgin prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) such that most males are spontaneously parental, whereas most females are not. Because this sex difference is independent of the gonadal hormones normally circulating in adult virgin voles, the present study examined whether perinatal hormones influence the development of this sex difference. Males were treated prenatally (via their pregnant dam) with both the androgen receptor blocker flutamide (5 mg/day/dam) and the aromatase inhibitor ATD (1 mg/day/dam), or oil, for the last 2 weeks of gestation. Half of the subjects from each group were castrated on the day of birth and the other half received a sham surgery. As adults, intact males were castrated and all males received a silastic capsule filled with testosterone. Prenatal treatment with flutamide and ATD had no effect on males' behavior toward pups, but neonatal castration significantly reduced the percentage of males acting parentally. In a second experiment, females were exposed to testosterone propionate (TP; 50 microg/day/dam) or oil via their dam during the last 2 weeks of gestation. For the first neonatal week, half of the females from each group were injected with TP (1 mg/day) and the other half oil. As adults, females were ovariectomized and half from each group received a testosterone-filled capsule and the other half received an empty capsule. None of the perinatal TP treatments increased females' parental responsiveness, although females from all groups that received testosterone capsules as adults were highly parental. Therefore, although postnatal testicular hormones are necessary for high parental responsiveness in males, the behavior of females is not influenced by perinatal exposure to testosterone.     

Effects of low-frequency magnetic fields on fetal development in CBA/Ca mice

Effects of alternating magnetic fields (MFs) on the embryonic and fetal development in CBA/Ca mice were studied. Mated females were exposed continuously to a sinusoidal 50 Hz (13 μT or 0.13 mT root mean square) or a sawtooth 20 kHz (15 μT peak-to-peak) MF from day 0 to day 18 of pregnancy for 24 h/day until necropsied on day 18. Control animals were kept under the same conditions without the MF. MFs did not cause maternal toxicity. No adverse effects were seen in maternal hematology and the frequency of micronuclei in maternal bone marrow erythrocytes did not change. The MFs did not increase the number of resorptions or fetuses with major or minor malformations in any exposure group. The mean number of implantations and living fetuses per litter were similar in all groups. The corrected weight gain (weight gain without uterine content) of dams, pregnancy rates, incidences of resorptions and late fetal deaths, and fetal body weights were similar in all groups. There was, however, a statistically significant increase in the incidence of fetuses with at least three skeletal variations in all groups exposed to MFs. In conclusion, the 50 Hz or 20 kHz MFs did not increase incidences of malformations or resorptions in CBA/Ca mice, but increased skeletal variations consistently in all exposure groups. Bioelectromagnetics 19:477–485, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Detection of oxidative DNA damage, cell proliferation and in vivo mutagenicity induced by dicyclanil, a non-genotoxic carcinogen, using gpt delta mice

To ascertain whether measurement of possible contributing factors to carcinogenesis concurrently with the transgenic mutation assay is useful to understand the mode of action underlying tumorigenesis of non-genotoxic carcinogens, male and female gpt delta mice were given dicyclanil (DC), a mouse hepatocarcinogen showing all negative results in various genotoxicity tests, at a carcinogenic dose for 13 weeks. Together with gpt and Spi(-) mutations, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and bromodeoxyuridine labeling indices (BrdU-LIs) in the livers were examined. Whereas there were no changes in TBARS levels among the groups, significant increases in 8-OHdG levels and centrilobular hepatocyte hypertrophy were observed in the treated mice of both genders. In contrast, BrdU-LIs and liver weights for the treated females, but not the males were significantly higher than those for the controls. Likewise, the gpt mutant frequencies (MFs) in the treated females were significantly elevated, GC:TA transversion mutations being predominant. No significant alterations were found in the gpt MFs of the males and the Spi(-) MFs of both sexes. The results for the transgenic mutation assays were consistent with DC carcinogenicity in terms of the sex specificity for females. Considering that 8-OHdG induces GC:TA transversion mutations by mispairing with A bases, it is likely that cells with high proliferation rates and a large amounts of 8-OHdG come to harbor mutations at high incidence. This is the first report demonstrating DC-induced genotoxicity, the results implying that examination of carcinogenic parameters concomitantly with reporter gene mutation assays is able to provide crucial information to comprehend the underlying mechanisms of so-called non-genotoxic carcinogenicity.     

Cause of death and neoplasia in mice continuously exposed to very low dose rates of gamma rays

Four thousand 8-week-old SPF B6C3F1 mice (2000 of each sex) were divided into four groups, one nonirradiated (control) and three irradiated. The irradiated groups were exposed to (137)Cs gamma rays at dose rates of 21, 1.1 and 0.05 mGy day(-1) for approximately 400 days with total doses equivalent to 8000, 400 and 20 mGy, respectively. All mice were kept until natural death, and pathological examination was performed to determine the cause of death. Neoplasms accounted for >86.7% of all deaths. Compared to the nonirradiated controls, the frequency of myeloid leukemia in males, soft tissue neoplasms and malignant granulosa cell tumors in females, and hemangiosarcoma in both sexes exposed to 21 mGy day(-1) were significantly increased. The number of multiple primary neoplasms per mouse was significantly increased in mice irradiated at 21 mGy day(-1). Significant increases in body weights were observed from 32 to 60 weeks of age in males and females exposed to 1.1 mGy day(-1) and 21 mGy day(-1), respectively. Our results suggest that life shortening (Tanaka et al., Radiat. Res. 160, 376-379, 2003) in mice continuously exposed to low-dose-rate gamma rays is due to early death from a variety of neoplasms and not from increased incidence of specific neoplasms.     

50 Hz magnetic fields of 1 mT do not promote lymphoma development in AKR/J mice

Some epidemiological studies suggest that exposure to power-frequency magnetic fields increases the risk of leukemia, especially in children with high residential exposures. In contrast, most animal studies did not find a correlation between magnetic-field exposure and hematopoietic diseases. The present study was performed to investigate whether chronic, high-level (1 mT) magnetic-field exposure had an influence on lymphoma development in a mouse strain that is genetically predisposed to thymic lymphoblastic lymphoma. Three groups of 160 unrestrained female AKR/J mice were sham-exposed or exposed to sinusoidal 50 Hz magnetic fields beginning at the age of 12 weeks for 32 weeks, 7 days per week, either for 24 h per day or only during nighttime (12 h). Exposure was carried out in a blind design. Exposure did not affect survival time, body weight, lymphoma development or hematological parameters. The resulting data do not support the hypothesis that exposure to sinusoidal 50 Hz magnetic fields is a significant risk factor for hematopoietic diseases, even at this relatively high exposure level.     

Sex and estrous cycle differences in the behavioral effects of high-strength static magnetic fields: role of ovarian steroids

Advances in magnetic resonance imaging are driving the development of higher-resolution machines equipped with high-strength static magnetic fields (MFs). The behavioral effects of high-strength MFs are largely uncharacterized, although in male rats, exposure to 7 T or above induces locomotor circling and leads to a conditioned taste avoidance (CTA) if paired with a novel taste. Here, the effects of MFs on male and female rats were compared to determine whether there are sex differences in behavioral responses and whether these can be explained by ovarian steroid status. Rats were given 10-min access to a novel saccharin solution and then restrained within a 14-T magnet for 30 min. Locomotor activity after exposure was scored for circling and rearing. CTA extinction was measured with two-bottle preference tests. In experiment 1, males were compared with females across the estrous cycle after a single MF exposure. Females circled more and acquired a more persistent CTA than males; circling was highest on the day of estrus. In experiment 2, the effects of three MF exposures were compared among intact rats, ovariectomized females, and ovariectomized females with steroid replacement. Compared with intact rats, ovariectomy increased circling; estrogen replacement blocked the increase. Males acquired a stronger initial CTA but extinguished faster than intact or ovariectomized females. Thus the locomotor circling induced by MF exposure was increased in females and modulated by ovarian steroids across the estrous cycle and by hormone replacement. Furthermore, female rats acquired a more persistent CTA than male rats, which was not dependent on estrous phase or endogenous ovarian steroids.     

The effects of early and late androgen treatments on the behavior of Sarotherodon mossambicus (Pisces: Cichlidae)

Groups of Sarotherodon mossambicus were treated with androgen by immersion or oral treatment at various stages of development. Fish were allowed to mature and the effects of treatment on gonadal and behavioral differentiation were examined. The effects of treatment on gonadal differentiation were assessed by determining the sex ratio for each group. Three treatments resulted in sex ratios significantly different from the 1:1 sex ratio obtained in untreated fish. Behavioral differences were detected between groups of males in three measures of territorial defense and aggression, and differences were detected between groups of females in two measures of male-female courtship interaction. A second experiment determined that early-treated females were more sensitive to a second androgen treatment later in life than females not exposed to androgen during development. A number of sex-reversed genetic females functioning as males were detected in two treatment groups with predominantly male sex ratios. There were no differences in the behavior of sex-reversed and non-sex-reversed male fish from the same treatment group. This study establishes that hormone treatments administered during development influence behavioral differentiation in a teleost.     

Effects of magnetic fields on mammary tumor development induced by 7, 12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene in rats

A series of epidemiological studies have indicated associations between exposure to magnetic fields (MFs) and a variety of cancers, including breast cancer. In order to test the possibility that MF acts as a cancer promoter or copromoter, four separate experiments have been conducted in rats in which the effects of chronic exposure to MFs on the development of mammary tumors induced by 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA) were determined. Female rats were exposed in magnetic coils for 91 days (24 h/day) to either alternating current (AC; 50 Hz)-MF or direct current (DC)-MF. Magnetic flux density of the DC-MF was 15 mT. Two AC-MF exposures used a homogeneous field with a flux density of 30 mT (rms); one used a gradient field with flux density ranging from 0.3–1 μT. DMBA (5 mg) was administered orally at the onset of MF exposure and was repeated thrice at intervals of 1 week. In each experiment, 18–36 animals were exposed in 6 magnetic coils. The same number of rats were used as sham-exposed control. These control animals were treated with DMBA and were placed in dummy coils in the same room as the MF-exposed rats. Furthermore, groups of age-matched rats (reference controls) were treated with DMBA but housed in another room to exclude any MF exposure due to the magnetic stray field from the MF produced by coils. At the end of the exposure or sham-exposure period, tumor number and weight or size of tumors were determined at necropsy. Results were as follows: In sham-exposed animals or reference controls, the tumor incidence varied between 50 and 78% in the 4 experiments. The average number of mammary tumors per tumor-bearing animal varied between 1.6 and 2.9. In none of the experiments did MFs significantly alter tumor incidence, but in one of the experiments with AC-MF exposure at 30 mT, the number of tumors per tumor-bearing animal was significantly increased. Furthermore, exposure to a DC-MF at 15 mT significantly enhanced the tumor weight. Exposure to a gradient AC-MF at 0.3–1 μT exerted no significant effects. These experiments seem to indicate that MFs at high flux densities may act as a promoter or copromoter of breast cancer. However, this interpretation must be considered only a tentative conclusion because of the limitations of this study, particularly the small sample size used for MF exposure and the lack of repetition of data. © 1993 Wiley-Liss. Inc.     

Effects of exposure of spontaneously leukemic mice (AKR mice) to an electric field

Spontaneously leukemic AKR mice were exposed from 6 weeks age to a 50 kV/m electric field 12 hrs./day. In this study, carrying on 50 exposed and 50 sham-exposed mice, like in the two preceding experiments, the exposed group mortality is lightly retarded, and reaches 100% only 10 weeks after the sham-exposed group. These differences are not however statistically significative.     

The influence of gender on cardiac fibrosis induced by sympathetic stimulation

We examined the influence of sex steroids on cardiac effects of sympathetic agents in mice. The mice were divided into four groups: males, neutered males (N-males), females, and neutered females (N-females). Dobutamine (DOB; 2.5, 5.0, 10 microg/kg/min) or isoproterenol (ISO; 0.01, 0.02, 0.04 microg/kg/min) were given intravenously to compare the fractional shortening (FS). These mice received isoproterenol twice daily at a dose of 7.5 microg/g/day for 3 weeks. The rate of cardiac fibrosis was evaluated pathologically with Azan stain after 3 weeks of ISO. DOB and ISO significantly increased the FS in the male group, compared with other groups. There was no significant difference in FS between the female and N-female groups. Cardiac fibrosis significantly increased in the male group, compared with the N-male group. The female and N-female groups had increased cardiac fibrosis, compared with the male and N-male groups. These findings suggest that testosterone is one of the factors of modulation of the response to the sympathetic nervous system. Further study is needed to clarify the relationships between female sex steroids and cardiac fibrosis.     

Study on potential effects of "902-MHz GSM-type Wireless Communication Signals" on DMBA-induced mammary tumours in Sprague-Dawley rats

The aim of the study was to detect whether long-term exposure to "902-MHz GSM-type Wireless Communication Signals" ("radio-frequency (RF)-exposure") would affect 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA)-induced mammary tumours in female Sprague-Dawley rats. Five hundred female rats were each given a single oral dose of 17 mg DMBA per kg body weight (bw) at an age of 46-48 days. Three groups of 100 animals each were RF-exposed (902 MHz; crest factor 8; pulse width=0.57 ms) from the next day onwards to normal whole-body averaged doses (expressed as specific absorption rate, SAR) of 0.4, 1.3 or 4.0 W/kg bw (low/mid/high-dose group) for 4h/d, 5d/week, during 6 months. A sham-exposed and a cage-control group remained without RF-exposure (<0.01 mW/kg). Animals were weekly weighed and palpated for mammary tumours; all mammary glands were examined histopathologically. There were several statistically significant differences between RF-exposed groups and the sham-exposed group, as follows: All RF-exposed groups had, at different times, significantly more palpable tissue masses. There were fewer animals with benign neoplasms, but more with malignant tumours in the high-dose group. In addition, there were more adenocarcinomas in the low-dose group, more malignant neoplasms in the low- and high-dose groups, more animals with adenocarcinomas in the high-dose group, and fewer animals with fibroadenomas in the low- and mid-dose groups. The cage-control group had, when compared with the sham-exposed group, statistically significantly more palpable tissue masses, more benign and also more malignant neoplasms. The cage-control group had in most aspects the highest incidence and malignancy of neoplasms among all groups. None of the above findings in RF-exposed animals produced a clear dose-response relation and the responses of the cage-control group were either similar to or stronger than those of any of the RF-exposed group. The significant differences between the sham-exposed animals and one or more RF-exposed groups may be interpreted as evidence of an effect of RF-exposure. In the context of the results of the cage-control group, in the light of controversial results reported in the literature, and given the fact that the DMBA-mammary tumour model is known to be prone to high variations in the results, it is the authors' opinion that the differences between the groups are rather incidental ones.     

Relationship between field strength and arousal response in mice exposed to 60-Hz electric fields

White-footed mice, Peromyscus leucopus, were exposed to 60-Hz electric fields to study the relationship between field strength and three measures of the transient arousal response previously reported to occur with exposures at 100 kV/m. Five groups of 12 mice each were given a series of four 1-h exposures, separated by an hour, with each group exposed at one of the following field strengths: 75, 50, 35, 25, and 10 kV/m; 8 additional mice were sham-exposed with no voltage applied to the field generator. All mice were experimentally naive before the start of the experiment, and all exposures occurred during the inactive (lights-on) phase of the circadian cycle. The first exposure produced immediate increases in arousal measures, but subsequent exposures had no significant effect on any measure. These arousal responses were defined by significant increases of gross motor activity, carbon dioxide production, and oxygen consumption, and were frequently recorded with field strengths of 50 kV/m or higher. Significant arousal responses rarely occurred with exposures at lower field strengths. Responses of mice exposed at 75 and 50 kV/m were similar to previously described transient arousal responses in mice exposed to 100-kV/m electric fields. Less than half of the mice in each of the field strength groups below 50 kV/m showed arousal responses based on Z (standard) scores, but the arousals of the mice that did respond were similar to those of mice exposed at higher field strengths. Polynomial regression was used to calculate the field strength producing the greatest increases for each of the arousal measures. The results show that the amplitude of the transient arousal response is related to the strength of the electric field, but different measures of arousal may have different relationships to field strength.     

Intra-group home ranges in a female-biased group of sex-changing fish

Simultaneous loss of multiple males from large, multi-male social groups of the coral reef fish, Anthias squamipinnis, induces an equivalent number of females to change sex. One-to-one replacement could be produced in large groups if the group was organized according to either of two hypotheses. The group could consist of an aggregation of single-male, multi-female units with the home ranges of particular females falling within the home ranges of each male, and with sex change controlled separately within each unit. Alternatively, females might range freely throughout the group, with sex change controlled by differential interaction rates among males and females. In the latter case, female home ranges would overlap substantially with the home ranges of several males. To choose between these hypotheses, the three-dimensional, intra-group home ranges of five males and five adult females were measured in a group containing five males and 32 adult females. All 10 fish had definable home ranges. Home ranges of females were larger than home ranges of males. All females ranged much farther outside of the home range of individual males than inside, and most females spent most of the observation time outside of the home range of any one male. These results effectively disproved the hypothesis of spatially-defined, single-male, multi-female units. Rather, large groups consist of females ranging freely over the discrete home ranges of several males.     

The influence of females on the initiation of female-to-male sex change in a coral reef fish

In the protogynous coral reef fish Anthias squamipinnis (Peters), all males are sex-reversed females. A sexually mature female can be induced to change sex by removing a male from her social group. The influence of non-sex-changing females on the initiation of sex change was evaluated in 109 social groups in the Gulf of Eilat. When the male and largest female were removed from each of 12 single-male groups, the second-largest female changed sex in 9 groups. This result distinguished between two behavioral hypotheses suggested by previous work and made it tenable that a particular behavioral measure, the profile of behavior-received, that depends on adult females, is critical to the initiation of sex change. This species forms all-female groups as well as bisexual groups. All-female groups can be expected to have some mechanism for the production of a male. The removal of the largest female from each of 8 all-female groups failed to induce sex change in any group. The dominant female in these groups thus does not function in the same way as does the male in bisexual groups, at least in terms of the initiation of sex change. Following the removal of the male from each of 8 bisexual groups containing five or fewer adult females, a female changed sex in only 4 groups. This 50% incidence of sex reversal was lower than the 77–80% incidence in control groups containing more than five adult females. Data suggest that a minimum of four adult females is probably required for the probability of sex change after male removal to equal 75%.     

Studies of the induction of dominant lethals and translocations in male mice after chronic exposure to microwave radiation

Male C3H mice were exposed to 100 W m-2 of 2.45 GHz continuous-wave microwave radiation for 6 h per day for a total of 120 h over an 8-week period. The exposure level was chosen so that the specific energy absorption rate (SAR) would be approximately equal to the level of 4 W kg-1 which is considered by a number of organizations to be a threshold for adverse biological effects. At the end of the treatment period the mice were mated with a different group of (C3H x 101) F1 hybrid females each week for the following 8 weeks. There was no significant reduction in pregnancy rate, preimplantation survival or postimplantation survival in the exposed group compared to sham-exposed controls. At the end of the mating period a cytogenetic analysis was carried out of meiotic chromosome preparations of testicular tissue, thus sampling cells that were stem cell spermatogonia during the treatment regime. The results showed no difference in the frequency of reciprocal translocations between the sham and treated groups, or in the frequency of cells with autosome or sex chromosome univalents. Low levels of fragments and exchanges were found in both groups. It is concluded that there is no evidence in this experiment to show that chronic exposure of male mice to 2.45 GHz microwave radiation induces a mutagenic response in male germ cells. This conclusion is in agreement with the observations of Berman et al. (1980), who reported a lack of male germ cell mutagenesis after repetitive or chronic exposure of rats to 2.45 GHz.     

Movement and reproductive behavior of solitary male redtail guenons (Cercopithecus ascanius)

Adult male redtail guenons (Cercopithecus ascanius) live as resident males in heterosexual groups or as nonresident males outside groups. Data are reported here on movement and temporary intrusions by nonresident males in heterosexual groups. These data further elucidate the reproductive strategies of this class of individual. Observations of three radiocollared males provided data on the details of their movement relative to groups. Regular sampling of three heterosexual groups provided data on patterns of nonresident males' intrusions. During peak mating months, nonresident males formed loose affiliations with groups. The males affiliated with one group at a time, with each affiliation lasting several weeks. Nonresident male intrusions in groups were unevenly distributed and were not correlated with the number of potentially fertile females in each group. Estimates of male density indicate that there were about two nonresident males per group, which suggests an adult sex ratio of three females per male within the study area. Nonresident male redtail guenons apparently do not spread their reproductive efforts over several groups at once, but instead each male tends to direct his attention toward the group offering the best opportunity for reproductive payoffs. Factors that determine which groups they attempt to infiltrate may include the characteristics of resident males, female choice, or both, but the number of fertile females probably has no effect. The male low density and female-biased sex ratio among adults should facilitate resident males' attempts to monopolize fertilizations in groups; however, resident males were unable to prevent copulations by nonresident males even when only one nonresident was intruding in a group.     

Behavioral dysfunction, brain oxidative stress, and impaired mitochondrial electron transfer in aging mice

Behavioral tests, tightrope success, and exploratory activity in a T maze were conducted with male and female mice for 65 wk. Four groups were defined: the lower performance slow males and slow females and the higher performance fast males and fast females. Fast females showed the longest life span and the highest performance, and slow males showed the lowest performance and the shortest life span. Oxidative stress and mitochondrial electron transfer activities were determined in brain of young (28 wk), adult (52 wk), and old (72 wk) mice in a cross-sectional study. Brain thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were increased by 50% in old mice and were approximately 15% higher in males than in females and in slow than in fast mice. Brain Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was increased by 52% and Mn-SOD by 108% in old mice. The activities of mitochondrial enzymes NADH-cytochrome c reductase, cytochrome oxidase, and citrate synthase were decreased by 14-58% in old animals. The cumulative toxic effects of oxyradicals are considered the molecular mechanism of the behavioral deficits observed on aging.