Antifertility effect of sympathomimetic drugs on male rats when applied locally to the vas deferens.

Local application of collars containing 25% methoxamine, 50% or 75% tyramine or 50% norephedrine to both vasa deferentia of rats caused a reduction in fertility but not in their ability to mate. A gradual return to fertility was seen in those animals which received the lower dose of tyramine or norephedrine, while the other treatments caused a permanent reduction in fertility. The cause of sterility was production of azoospermic ejaculates resulting from either a block in sperm transport in the vas deferens or from a deficiency in the ejaculatory mechanism. Only methoxamine caused a mechanical obstruction of the vas deferens, but it is possible that the other drugs caused a sustained spasm. An emission defect could have been due to transmitter depletion, receptor-specific desensitization or presynaptic alpha-adrenoreceptor-mediated inhibition. Spermatozoa from the cauda epididymidis were immotile following the treatments.     

Relationship of life stress to injury in intercollegiate volleyball

The present study examined whether male and female National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I intercollegiate volleyball players with high life stress would be at greater risk for the occurrence of injury. Life stress was measured with the Social and Athletic Readjustment Rating Scale (SARRS) and the Athletic Life Experiences Survey (ALES). Regardless of how the data were analyzed (injured v noninjured, high stress v low stress, severity of injury), no relationship was found between life stress and injury, indicating that previous findings for football players were not duplicated for intercollegiate volleyball players. Also, different levels of coping resources among volleyball players did not mediate the life stress to injury rate but did differentiate injured from noninjured players.     

Potent selective inhibitors of protein kinase C

A series of potent, selective inhibitors of protein kinase C has been derived from the structural lead provided by the microbial broth products, staurosporine and K252a. Our inhibitors block PCK in intact cells (platelets and T cells), and prevent the proliferation of mononuclear cells in response to interleukin 2 (IL2).