Protective effect of RH-3 with special reference to radiation induced micronuclei in mouse bone marrow

Effect of pre-irradiation administration of different doses of RH-3, the herbal preparation of an Indian medicinal plant Hippophae rhamnoides, 30 min before 10 Gy whole body gamma irradiation was studied. Doses between 25 to 35 mg/kg body wt. were found to render > 80 % survival in mice. In order to investigate whether RH-3 protected against radiation induced genotoxicity, mice were administered different doses of RH-3, 30 min before 2 Gy dose and compared with untreated, RH-3 treated and irradiated controls. The bone marrow cells were collected at different time intervals following various treatments and processed for scoring micronuclei (MN). Administration of RH-3 alone did not enhance the MN frequency as compared to the control, and radiation dose of 2 Gy significantly enhanced the MN frequency (3.1 %, P < 0.01). Pre-irradiation treatment with RH-3, however, reduced the radiation induced MN frequency in a drug dose dependent manner suggesting its radioprotective efficacy. The protective effect of RH-3 on radiation induced perturbations in cell cycle progression was studied flowcytometrically in mouse bone marrow cells. RH-3 treatment (30 mg/kg body wt.) enhanced DNA synthesis (S-phase) in unirradiated controls and also countered radiation induced depression of S-phase to facilitate replenishment of cells lost due to radiation injury.     

Study of symptoms in middle life with special reference to the menopause.

In an attempt to clarify the nature of the "menopausal syndrome" a survey of symptoms was carried out by means of postal questionnaires in a population sample of 1120 women and 510 men. Special care was taken to avoid letting the participants know that the survey was mainly concerned with the menopause. Response rates were 72% for women and 68% for men. Analysis of patterns of symptoms by age and sex showed that peaks of prevalence of flushing and sweating were closely associated with the mean age of menopause, coinciding with it or occurring a little after it. Less impressive peaks of prevalence of a group of minor mental symptoms were associated with an age just preceding the mean age of menopause. Complaints about aching breasts, irritability, and low backache diminished after the menopause. No association with the menopause was found for various other symptoms. The results of this study support the view that the menopausal syndrome exists but do not, of course, provide any evidence concerning the effectiveness (or safety) of hormone treatment.     

Brains of Vespertilionids II. Vespertilioninae with special reference to Tylonycteris

As shown in Part I, the Vespertilioninae have on the average the lowest encephalization index (EI) of all the Vespertilionid subfamilies available, and the average size indices (Sis) of most of their brain parts are also lowest. There are, however, clear differences between the genera. The highest indices for the total brain and for many brain parts (OBL, DIE, TEL, PAL, SEP, STR, SCH) were found in Myotis, the highest Sis for NEG and MES in Scotophilus, for CER in Lasiurus, for BOL in Rhogeessa, and for HIP in Cbalinolobus. The lowest values for all brain parts except BOL were found in Tylonycteris (for BOL in Glauconycteris). The average EI of the flat-headed bamboo bats Tylonycteris pachypus and T. robustula was 60, i. e., ²/₅ less than that of the non-Tylonycteris Vespertilionids, which, as the reference group, have an average EI of 100. The brain size reduction may well be related to the adaptation to extreme flat-headedness. The amount of reduction in the various brain parts differs: it is strongest (about ¹/₂) in higher but more dispensable brain parts (STR, HIP, NEO) and distinctly lower (about ¹/₄) in structures closely involved in the fundamental vegetative functions (OBL, MES). Genera with conservative skull characteristics may have derivative characteristics of the brains, and vice versa.