Effect of feed restriction on the peripheral blood and bone marrow cell counts of Wistar rats

The effects of 33% and 66% restricted feeding on body and organ weights, and hematological and bone marrow cellular findings in rats were investigated. The body weight gains were suppressed by restriction of feed amount and the body weights of 66% restricted-feeding groups were almost unchanged for three months (110 g in males and 80 g in females). Marked organ weight reduction (both absolute and relative) was found in the liver and thymus of rats of both sexes. Neutrophils and lymphocytes in the peripheral blood were reduced. Reticulocytes in the 66% restricted groups were decreased to 1/4 of the control values at one month, but recovered slightly thereafter. Nucleated cell counts in bone marrow in the 66% restricted groups were decreased to 1/3 of the control values after three months. Thus, the most important effect of feed restriction seemed to be on bone marrow cells rather than on peripheral blood cells except for the reticulocytes. There was no significant difference between males and females.     

Correction to: Resistance Mechanism in a Terbinafine-Resistant Strain of Microsporum canis

Mycopathologia - In the initial online publication, the name of author Hock Siew Han was given incorrectly as Han Hock Siew. The original article has been corrected.     

31P-MRS study of change in intracellular pH during sustained static contractions in human

31P-MRS spectra were obtained from human first dorsal interosseous muscle during and after the voluntary static abduction of the index finger. Endurance tasks were performed at randomly assigned contraction levels of 15, 20, 30 and 40% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). Muscle pH was calculated according to Taylor et al. (1983) using chemical shift between inorganic phosphate (Pi) and phosphocreatine (PCr) on the 31P-MRS spectra. Mean values of endurance times of static contractions were 7.25, 5.33 and 3.08 minutes for 20, 30 and 40% MVC, respectively. At 15% MVC, all of the four subjects maintained contraction for 30 minutes, and the contractions were terminated at 30 minutes. Muscle pH at the onset of contractions were 7.12, 6.98, 7.01 and 7.08 for 15, 20, 30 and 40% MVC, respectively. At the end of contractions when the subject could not maintain the force level, muscle pH were 6.07, 5.97 and 5.94 for 20, 30 and 40% MVC, respectively. There was no significant difference in muscle pH at the end of contractions between three conditions by one-way ANOVA. In conclusion, there was a critical muscle pH of about 6.0 where static contractions could not be maintained.