Genotype and environment in the determination of minor skeletal variants and body weight in mice

Development ◽  
1967 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 283-292
Author(s):  
W. L. Howe ◽  
P. A. Parsons

Numerous minor skeletal variants have been described in the mouse (Grüneberg, 1963), other small mammals (Berry & Searle, 1963) and in man (Comas, 1960; Brothwell, 1963; Grüneberg, 1963). In genetically heterogeneous material such as man it is very difficult to sort out the factors causing these variants. However, in experimental animals such as the mouse the use of inbred strains and crosses derived from them permits a more detailed understanding of these factors, in particular the relative importance of heredity and environment. Grüneberg (1963) cites numerous references showing very great differences in the percentage incidence of many minor variants in mice between inbred strains and in some cases between hybrids. The conclusion is that much of this variation is genetic in origin. Even so, certain environmental factors have been shown to be of importance, such as maternal age, parity, maternal weight and maternal diet.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yue Chen ◽  
Ke Wan ◽  
Yunhui Gong ◽  
Xiao Zhang ◽  
Yi Liang ◽  
...  

AbstractThe relevance of pregestational body mass index (BMI) on adverse pregnancy outcomes remained unclear in Southwest China. This study aimed to investigate the overall and age-category specific association between pre-gestational BMI and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), preeclampsia, cesarean delivery, preterm delivery, stillbirth, macrosomia, and small-for-gestational age (SGA) or large-for-gestational age (LGA) neonates in Southwest China. Furthermore, it explores the relative importance of influence of pregravid BMI and maternal age on pregnancy outcomes. 51,125 Chinese singleton pregnant women were recruited as study subjects. Multiple logistic regression models were used to examine the influence of pre-pregnancy BMI on adverse pregnancy outcomes. Gradient boosting machine was used to evaluate the relative importance of influence of pregravid BMI and maternal age on pregnancy outcomes. It is found that women who were overweight or obese before pregnancy are at higher risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes except for SGA neonates, while pre-pregnancy underweight is a protective factor for GDM, preeclampsia, cesarean delivery, macrosomia and LGA, but not SGA. Younger mothers are more susceptible to GDM and macrosomia neonates, while older mothers are more prone to preeclampsia. Pre-pregnancy BMI has more influence on various pregnancy outcomes than maternal age. To improve pregnancy outcomes, normal BMI weight as well as relatively young maternal ages are recommended for women in child-bearing age.



1982 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 160-164
Author(s):  
Glenn L. Falkowski ◽  
Arthur M. Guilford ◽  
Jack Sandler

Utilizing airflow therapy, Schwartz (1976) has claimed an 89% success rate with stutterers following treatment and an 83% success rate at one year follow-up. Such claims have yet to be documented in the scientific literature. The purposes of this study were: (a) to investigate the effectiveness of a modified version of airflow therapy; (b) to examine the relative importance of its two main components—passive airflow and elongation of the first vowel spoken. The speech of two adult male stutterers with a lengthy history of stuttering, was assessed with spontaneous speaking and reading tasks. Results indicated marked improvement in both subjects' speech on the reading task was maintained at follow-up 10 weeks later. For spontaneous speech, results were generally weaker and less durable. Effects of the two treatment components were cumulative and did not allow determination of any differential effectiveness between components. Implications of these findings were considered and directions for future research discussed.



1984 ◽  
Vol 247 (1) ◽  
pp. E35-E40 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. B. Young ◽  
R. M. Rosa ◽  
L. Landsberg

The relative importance of sympathetic nerve (SNS) activity and adrenal medullary secretion in various physiological situations has generally been inferred from measurements of norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (E), respectively, in urine or plasma. Increasing evidence, however, indicates that under certain conditions the adrenal medulla may release substantial amounts of NE as well as E. In several of these circumstances, estimates of SNS activity based on the measurement of NE turnover in peripheral tissues of experimental animals indicate diminished SNS function, a reduction that is independent of adrenal medullary secretion. These reciprocal alterations in SNS and adrenal medullary activity fall into two patterns. First, when SNS activity is suppressed by fasting, adrenal medullary responses to various stimuli are enhanced. Second, for certain stimuli the SNS response is biphasic, with an initial suppression followed by subsequent stimulation; during the first phase adrenal medullary secretion is markedly increased. The physiological contribution of the adrenal medulla, therefore, would be particularly important under conditions of SNS suppression.



1983 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jouko Setälä

The investigation included experiments in which factors affecting the reliability of the nylon bag method were studied. The possibility of applying the feed protein degradabilities to practical feeding conditions was also examined. In the experiments concerning reliability, such factors as bag porosity, sample weight, sample treatment, washing procedure, diets, and differences between animals and incubation days were studied. The feed protein degradabilities were also determined by using as incubation periods the ruminal retention times for particulate matter of different feeds, evaluated as a function of DM intake/100 kg liveweight in different diets. A nylon bag, with a pore size of 40 µm and internal dimensions of 6 X 12 cm was selected for the degradability determinations. The sample weight used in incubations was 57 —60  mg DM/cm2. In the determination of feed protein degradability, when sheep are used as experimental animals, it is recommended that for routine determinations only one animal be used, analyzing the contents of two bags for each incubation period during two successive days. A control sample of which degradability is determined in advance in many sheep, should be used in all incubations in order to control the digestive processes in the rumen of the experimental sheep. The actual degradabilities analyzed by the bag method are applicable in practise, if they are determined using animals at similar feeding levels and on diets similar to those prevailing under the conditions in which the degradabilities are going to be used.



Author(s):  
Folashade Olaifa ◽  
Joseph O. Ayo ◽  
Suleiman F. Ambali ◽  
Peter I. Rekwot

Experiments were performed with the aim of investigating the effect of packing on erythrocyte osmotic fragility (EOF) and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration in donkeys, and the effect of ascorbic acid (AA). Twelve apparently healthy donkeys raised under the traditional extensive system served as experimental subjects. Six donkeys administered orally with AA (200 mg/kg) and subjected to packing were used as experimental animals, whilst six others not administered with AA served as controls. Blood samples were collected pre- and post-packing from all the donkeys for the determination of MDA and EOF. At 0.3% Sodium Chloride (NaCl) concentration, the percentage haemolysis was 93.69% ± 2.21% in the control donkeys and the value was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than the value of 71.31% ± 8.33%, recorded in the experimental donkeys. The post-packing MDA concentration obtained in the control donkeys was 39.62 µmol ± 4.16 µmol, and was not significantly different (P > 0.05) from the value of 35.97 µmol ± 2.88 µmol recorded in the experimental donkeys. In conclusion, the increase in haemolysis obtained in the donkeys suggested that packing induced oxidative stress, which was ameliorated by AA administration.



2015 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Ware ◽  
J.-P. Voigt ◽  
S. C. Langley-Evans

AbstractFetal exposure to maternal undernutrition has lifelong consequences for physiological and metabolic function. Maternal low-protein diet is associated with an age-related phenotype in rats, characterised by a period of resistance to development of obesity in early adulthood, giving way to an obesity-prone, insulin-resistant state in later adulthood. Offspring of rats fed a control (18 % casein) or low-protein (9 % casein; LP) diet in pregnancy were challenged with a high-fat diet at 9 months of age. To assess whether other maternal factors modulated the programming effects of nutrition, offspring were studied from young (2–4 months old) and older (6–9 months old) mothers. Weight gain with a high-fat diet was attenuated in male offspring of older mothers fed LP (interaction of maternal age and diet; P = 0·011) and adipose tissue deposition was lower with LP feeding in both males and females (P < 0·05). Although the resistance to weight gain and adiposity was partially explained by lower energy intake in offspring of LP mothers (P < 0·001 males only), it was apparent that energy expenditure must be influenced by maternal diet and age. Assessment of locomotor activity indicated that energy expenditure associated with physical activity was unlikely to explain resistance to weight gain, but showed that offspring of older mothers were more anxious than those of younger mothers, with more rearing observed in a novel environment and on the elevated plus-maze. The data showed that in addition to maternal undernutrition, greater maternal age may influence development and long-term body composition in the rat.



2009 ◽  
Vol 84 (2) ◽  
pp. 212-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fumio Kondo ◽  
Masanao Okumura ◽  
Hisao Oka ◽  
Hiroyuki Nakazawa ◽  
Shun-ichiro Izumi ◽  
...  


1976 ◽  
Vol 10 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 559-563 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert A. Diseker ◽  
James A. Chappell


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