scholarly journals Histomorphologic Analysis of the Late-term Rat Fetus and Placenta

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 158-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phanie L. Charest ◽  
Vanessa Vrolyk ◽  
Pauline Herst ◽  
Maryse Lessard ◽  
Deborah M. Sloboda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cutting Planes ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Serial Sectioning ◽  
Sprague Dawley ◽  
Rat Fetus ◽  
Rat Fetuses ◽  
Toxicological Studies ◽  
Hematoxylin Eosin ◽  
Gross Examination

Histological examination of the rat placenta and fetus is uncommon. Toxicological studies mainly rely on gross examination of the fetus and on fetal and placental weights. These are often insufficient to assess the fetal and placental toxicity of xenobiotics. The small size of the fetus makes its dissection labor-intensive. Thus, our objective was to develop a simple and accurate technique to evaluate the rat fetus and placenta. Sprague-Dawley rat fetuses at gestational day 19.5 ( n = 18) and their placentas ( n = 32) were fixed in formalin. Placentas were cut transversally in the center. Fetuses were cut following a freehand whole-body serial sectioning diagram adapted from Wilson’s method. Sections were stained with hematoxylin–eosin–phloxine–saffron, and histomorphometry was used to measure the area of the fetal placental region (27.2 ± 1.7 mm2), including the labyrinth (22.2 ± 1.0 mm2) and the basal zone (4.8 ± 0.8 mm2). Our whole-fetus serial sectioning technique resulted in 12 precise cutting planes that fit on 3 histological slides, enabling the examination of most organs without labor-intensive dissection. Quantitative analysis of placental areas improves the understanding of the pathogenesis of treatment-related changes. This technique provides a standardized method for future research in pertinent fields such as developmental biology and toxicology.

scholarly journals Mild DOCA-salt hypertension: sympathetic system and role of renal nerves

2011 ◽  
Vol 300 (5) ◽  
pp. H1781-H1787 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sachin S. Kandlikar ◽  
Gregory D. Fink
Keyword(s):  
Control Period ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Renal Nerves ◽  
Experimental Hypertension ◽  
Sympathetic Activation ◽  
Sprague Dawley ◽  
Sprague Dawley Rats ◽  
Salt Hypertension ◽  
Hypertension Development

Excess sympathetic nervous system activity (SNA) is linked to human essential and experimental hypertension. To test whether sympathetic activation is associated with a model of deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertension featuring two kidneys and a moderate elevation of blood pressure, we measured whole body norepinephrine (NE) spillover as an index of global SNA. Studies were conducted in chronically catheterized male Sprague-Dawley rats drinking water containing 1% NaCl and 0.2% KCl. After a 7-day surgical recovery and a 3-day control period, a DOCA pellet (50 mg/kg) was implanted subcutaneously in one group of rats (DOCA), while the other group underwent sham implantation (Sham). NE spillover was measured on control day 2 and days 7 and 14 after DOCA administration or sham implantation. During the control period, mean arterial pressure (MAP) was similar in Sham and DOCA rats. MAP was significantly increased in the DOCA group compared with the Sham group after DOCA administration ( day 14: Sham = 109 ± 5.3, DOCA = 128 ± 3.6 mmHg). However, plasma NE concentration, clearance, and spillover were not different in the two groups at any time. To determine whether selective sympathetic activation to the kidneys contributes to hypertension development, additional studies were performed in renal denervated (RDX) and sham-denervated (Sham-DX) rats. MAP, measured by radiotelemetry, was similar in both groups during the control and DOCA treatment periods. In conclusion, global SNA is not increased during the development of mild DOCA-salt hypertension, and fully intact renal nerves are not essential for hypertension development in this model.

scholarly journals Different blood pressure responses in hypertensive rats following chemerin mRNA inhibition in dietary high fat compared to dietary high-salt conditions

2019 ◽  
Vol 51 (11) ◽  
pp. 553-561 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Ferland ◽  
Emma D. Flood ◽  
Hannah Garver ◽  
Steve T. Yeh ◽  
Stanley Riney ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Antisense Oligonucleotides ◽  
Reduce Blood Pressure ◽  
High Salt ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Sprague Dawley ◽  
High Fat ◽  
Hypertensive Rats ◽  
Blood Pressure Responses ◽  
Antihypertensive Treatments

Chemerin is a contractile adipokine, produced in liver and fat, and removal of the protein by antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) lowers blood pressure in the normal Sprague Dawley rat. In humans, chemerin is positively associated with blood pressure and obesity so we hypothesized that in a model of hypertension derived from high-fat (HF) feeding, the chemerin ASO would reduce blood pressure more than a high-salt (HS) model. Male Dahl S rats were given a HF (60% kcal fat; age 3–24 wk) or HS diet (4% salt; age 20–24 wk to match age and blood pressure of HF animals). Scrambled control, whole body, or liver-specific ASOs that knock down chemerin were delivered subcutaneously once per week for 4 wk with tissue and blood collected 2 days after the last injection. Conscious blood pressure was measured 24 h/day by radiotelemetry. By the end of whole body ASO administration, blood pressure of HF animals had fallen 29 ± 2 mmHg below baseline, while blood pressure of HS-diet animals fell by only 12 ± 4 mmHg below baseline. Administration of a liver-specific ASO to HF Dahl S resulted in a 6 ± 2 mmHg fall in blood pressure below baseline. Successful knockdown of chemerin in both the whole body and liver-specific administration was confirmed by Western and PCR. These results suggest that chemerin, not derived from liver but potentially from adipose tissue, is an important driver of hypertension associated with high fat. This knowledge could lead to the development of antihypertensive treatments specifically targeted to obesity-associated hypertension.

scholarly journals Comparison of different techniques for estimating rates of protein synthesis in vivo in healthy and bacteraemic rats

1985 ◽  
Vol 226 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
J J Pomposelli ◽  
J D Palombo ◽  
K J Hamawy ◽  
B R Bistrian ◽  
G L Blackburn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protein Synthesis ◽  
Rectus Muscle ◽  
Stochastic Modelling ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Constant Infusion ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Sprague Dawley ◽  
Body Protein ◽  
To Receive

Previous studies have reported that use of a flooding dose of radiolabelled amino acid is a more precise technique than the constant infusion of tracer quantities for determining rates of protein synthesis in rapidly turning-over tissues in the rat. However, there has been little direct investigation comparing different methods under comparable conditions. Initially, 12 healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing approx. 100 g, were randomized to receive either a bolus intravenous injection of 100 mumol of L-leucine (containing 30 microCi of [1-14C]leucine)/100 g body wt., or a continuous 2 h tracer infusion of [14C]leucine. In the second phase of the experiment, 12 additional rats were intravenously injected with 1 × 10(8) colony-forming units of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and 16 h later randomized to receive one of two infusions described above. Total protein synthesis as well as fractional synthesis rates were determined in liver, rectus muscle and whole body. Synthesis rates measured in liver, muscle and whole body were significantly higher in bacteraemic rats than in healthy rats. The flooding-dose methodology gave significantly higher estimates of protein synthesis in the liver, skeletal muscle and whole body than did the continuous-infusion method using direct measurement of the acid-soluble fraction from the respective tissue. Indirect estimates of whole-body protein synthesis based on plasma enrichments and stochastic modelling gave the lowest values.

High-intensity training induces EIB in rats through neuron transdifferentiation of adrenal medulla chromaffin cells

2013 ◽  
Vol 304 (9) ◽  
pp. L602-L612 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruoxi He ◽  
Juntao Feng ◽  
Qiufen Xun ◽  
Qingwu Qin ◽  
Chengping Hu
Keyword(s):  
Adrenal Medulla ◽  
Chromaffin Cells ◽  
Cell Structure ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
Inflammatory Cells ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Moderate Intensity ◽  
Sprague Dawley ◽  
Exercise Interventions ◽  
Intensity Training

A high prevalence of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) can be found in elite athletes, but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Airway responsiveness, NGF and epinephrine (EPI) levels, and chromaffin cell structure in high- (HiTr) and moderate-intensity training (MoTr) rats with or without ovalbumin (OVA) sensitization were measured in a total of 120 male Sprague-Dawley rats. The expression of NGF-associated genes in rat adrenal medulla was tested. Both HiTr and OVA intervention significantly increased airway resistance to aerosolized methacholine measured by whole body plethysmography. HiTr significantly increased inflammatory reaction in the lung with a major increase in peribronchial lymphocyte infiltration, whereas OVA significantly increased the infiltration of various inflammatory cells with an over 10-fold increase in eosinophil level in bronchoalveolar lavage. Both HiTr and OVA intervention upregulated circulating NGF level and peripherin level in adrenal medulla, but downregulated phenylethanolamine N-methyl transferase level in adrenal medulla and circulating EPI level. HiTr + OVA and HiTr + ExhEx (exhaustive exercise) interventions significantly enhanced most of the HiTr effects. The elevated NGF level was significantly associated with neuronal conversion of adrenal medulla chromaffin cells (AMCC). The levels of p-Erk1/2, JMJD3, and Mash1 were significantly increased, but the levels of p-p38 and p-JNK were significantly decreased in adrenal medulla in HiTr and OVA rats. Injection of NGF antiserum and moderate-intensity training reversed these changes observed in HiTr and/or OVA rats. Our study suggests that NGF may play a vital role in the pathogenesis of EIB by inducing neuron transdifferentiation of AMCC via MAPK pathways and subsequently decreasing circulating EPI.

scholarly journals A Pathology Review of the Lower Gastrointestinal Tract in Relation to Ulcerative Colitis in Rats and Cynomolgus Macaques Treated With Ammonium Perfluorooctanoate

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 593-602 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sue Chang ◽  
George A. Parker ◽  
Sarah E. Kleinschmidt ◽  
Geary W. Olsen ◽  
Carol A. Ley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ulcerative Colitis ◽  
Gastrointestinal Tract ◽  
Laboratory Animals ◽  
Ohio River ◽  
Positive Trend ◽  
Sprague Dawley ◽  
Toxicological Studies ◽  
Chronic Inflammatory Condition ◽  
Cynomolgus Macaques ◽  
Rigorous Treatment

Among many short-term, subchronic, and chronic toxicology studies with ammonium perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), the gastrointestinal tract has not been identified as a target organ for PFOA-related toxicity in laboratory animals where the corresponding serum PFOA concentrations typically approach several orders of magnitude higher than the general human population. These lack of gastrointestinal tract-related findings were in direct contrast to an epidemiological observation where a positive trend was observed for ulcerative colitis, an idiopathic chronic inflammatory condition of the gut, in a Mid-Ohio River community whose drinking water contained higher levels of PFOA. This study was conducted to perform a histological reevaluation of large intestine sections in laboratory animals from 2 long-term toxicological studies: one was with Sprague Dawley rats that received ammonium PFOA in their diet for 2 years and the other one was with cynomolgus macaques that received daily capsules of ammonium PFOA for 6 months. In both studies, there was a lack of histological evidence of treatment-related inflammatory lesions that was suggestive of the occurrence of ulcerative colitis in these laboratory animals even under the most rigorous treatment schedules. These findings do not offer support for the biological plausibility of the epidemiological associations reported.

Short-term exercise improves myocardial tolerance to in vivo ischemia-reperfusion in the rat

2001 ◽  
Vol 91 (5) ◽  
pp. 2205-2212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haydar A. Demirel ◽  
Scott K. Powers ◽  
Murat A. Zergeroglu ◽  
R. Andrew Shanely ◽  
Karyn Hamilton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heat Stress ◽  
Maximum Rate ◽  
Treadmill Exercise ◽  
Ischemia Reperfusion ◽  
Left Ventricular ◽  
Antioxidant Defenses ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Sprague Dawley ◽  
Short Term

These experiments examined the independent effects of short-term exercise and heat stress on myocardial responses during in vivo ischemia-reperfusion (I/R). Female Sprague-Dawley rats (4 mo old) were randomly assigned to one of four experimental groups: 1) control, 2) 3 consecutive days of treadmill exercise [60 min/day at 60–70% maximal O2 uptake (V˙o 2 max)], 3) 5 consecutive days of treadmill exercise (60 min/day at 60–70%V˙o 2 max), and 4) whole body heat stress (15 min at 42°C). Twenty-four hours after heat stress or exercise, animals were anesthetized and mechanically ventilated, and the chest was opened by thoracotomy. Coronary occlusion was maintained for 30-min followed by a 30-min period of reperfusion. Compared with control, both heat-stressed animals and exercised animals (3 and 5 days) maintained higher ( P < 0.05) left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP), maximum rate of left venticular pressure development (+dP/d t), and maximum rate of left ventricular pressure decline (−dP/d t) at all measurement periods during both ischemia and reperfusion. No differences existed between heat-stressed and exercise groups in LVDP, +dP/d t, and −dP/d t at any time during ischemia or reperfusion. Both heat stress and exercise resulted in an increase ( P < 0.05) in the relative levels of left ventricular heat shock protein 72 (HSP72). Furthermore, exercise (3 and 5 days) increased ( P < 0.05) myocardial glutathione levels and manganese superoxide dismutase activity. These data indicate that 3–5 consecutive days of exercise improves myocardial contractile performance during in vivo I/R and that this exercise-induced myocardial protection is associated with an increase in both myocardial HSP72 and cardiac antioxidant defenses.

Exercise training attenuates diet-induced reduction in metabolic rate

1990 ◽  
Vol 68 (6) ◽  
pp. 2612-2617 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. L. Ballor ◽  
L. J. Tommerup ◽  
D. P. Thomas ◽  
D. B. Smith ◽  
R. E. Keesey
Keyword(s):  
Energy Expenditure ◽  
Exercise Training ◽  
Dietary Restriction ◽  
Food Restriction ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Daily Energy Expenditure ◽  
Sprague Dawley ◽  
Sprague Dawley Rats ◽  
Daily Energy ◽  
Whole Body Metabolism

The combined influence of exercise training and dietary restriction on daily energy expenditure was evaluated by exposing 48 male Sprague-Dawley rats to one of three food intake conditions [ad libitum (AL), moderately restricted (MR), or severely restricted (SR)] and to one of two exercise conditions [treadmill exercised (E) or cage confined (CC)]. After 10 wk of exercise and dietary restriction, the MR-CC and MR-E rats weighed 84 and 86%, respectively, of AL-CC, whereas the SR-CC and SR-E rats weighed 66 and 68% of AL-CC. Dietary restriction and subsequent weight loss produced significant reductions in both total and resting daily energy expenditure. Exercise partially reversed this effect, but the extent of this reversal diminished as the severity of dietary restriction was increased. These results raise the distinct possibility that inconsistencies in the current literature concerning the effects of exercise on whole body metabolism during periods of dietary restriction might be reconciled by an appreciation and an understanding of the influence that duration of exercise training and severity of food restriction have on this measure.

Effects of prenatal x-irradiation on motor performance in the rat

1961 ◽  
Vol 201 (4) ◽  
pp. 703-706 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack Werboff ◽  
Irving Goodman ◽  
Joan Havlena ◽  
Melvin R. Sikov
Keyword(s):  
Motor Performance ◽  
Motor Impairment ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Albino Rats ◽  
Sprague Dawley ◽  
X Irradiation ◽  
Motor Strength ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Almost All

Gravid albino rats of the Sprague-Dawley strain received either 25, 50, or 100 r whole-body X-radiation on either day 5, 10, 15, or 20 of gestation. Controls were sham-irradiated. Over 500 surviving offspring were evaluated on measures of motor maturation of the upright and righting responses, motor strength, and locomotor learning during the neonatal period. The results indicate that radiation exposure of 100 r on day 15 of gestation retards motor maturation of the upright and righting responses. Almost all of the radiation groups show a decrease in motor strength as compared to the control group with maximum deficits in the groups receiving 50 or 100 r on day 10 or 15 of gestation. On the locomotor learning measure, the results are not consistent, but the group receiving 100 r on day 15 of gestation is maximally affected. These deficits in motor performance are related to observable motor impairment. It is concluded that low levels of radiation received prenatally can have detrimental effects on the development of motor performances in the rat.

scholarly journals Addition of Fructooligosaccharides and Dried Plum to Soy-Based Diets Reverses Bone Loss in the Ovariectomized Rat

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine D. Johnson ◽  
Edralin A. Lucas ◽  
Shirin Hooshmand ◽  
Sara Campbell ◽  
Mohammed P. Akhter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bone Loss ◽  
Soy Protein ◽  
Synergistic Effects ◽  
Biomechanical Properties ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Standard Diet ◽  
Sprague Dawley ◽  
Mineral Density ◽  
Skeletal Health ◽  
Positive Effects

Dietary bioactive components that play a role in improving skeletal health have received considerable attention in complementary and alternative medicine practices as a result of their increased efficacy to combat chronic diseases. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the additive or synergistic effects of dried plum and fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and to determine whether dried plum and FOS or their combination in a soy protein-based diet can restore bone mass in ovarian hormone deficient rats. For this purpose, 72 3-month-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into six groups (n= 12) and either ovariectomized (Ovx, five groups) or sham-operated (sham, one group). The rats were maintained on a semipurified standard diet for 45 days after surgery to establish bone loss. Thereafter, the rats were placed on one of the following dietary treatments for 60 days: casein-based diet (Sham and Ovx), soy-based diet (Ovx + soy) or soy-based diet with dried plum (Ovx + soy + plum), FOS (Ovx + soy + FOS) and combination of dried plum and FOS (Ovx + soy + plum + FOS). Soy protein in combination with the test compounds significantly improved whole-body bone mineral density (BMD). All test compounds in combination with soy protein significantly increased femoral BMD but the combination of soy protein, dried plum and FOS had the most pronounced effect in increasing lumbar BMD. Similarly, all of the test compounds increased ultimate load, indicating improved biomechanical properties. The positive effects of these test compounds on bone may be due to their ability to modulate bone resorption and formation, as shown by suppressed urinary deoxypyridinoline excretion and enhanced alkaline phosphatase activity.

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