scholarly journals Effect of Long-Term Simulated Microgravity on Some Sexual Traits of Male Japanese Quail

2012 ◽  
pp. 389-394 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. ŠKROBÁNEK ◽  
M. BARANOVSKÁ ◽  
B. ŠÁRNIKOVÁ ◽  
M. ZEMAN ◽  
M. OKULIAROVÁ
Keyword(s):  
Japanese Quail ◽  
Simulated Microgravity ◽  
Plasma Testosterone ◽  
Testis Weight ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Left Testis ◽  
Microgravity Conditions ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Right

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of long-term stay of Japanese quail in simulated microgravity on some sexual features of males. As a model for simulating microgravity exposure of birds in laboratory conditions was used hypodynamia. The mean left testis weight in males reared under hypodynamia from day 3 up to 180 days of age was lower than that of control (P<0.05), but the right testis weight differences between both groups were not significant. Also the area, volume and foam production of cloacal gland was not significantly decreased in hypodynamia birds at the end of experiment. By contrast, the plasma testosterone concentration of males living in hypodynamia was reduced about 50 % at 90 and 180 days of age in comparison to control (P<0.05) suggesting some negative effects on sexual development. Our results demonstrated that male quail kept under simulated microgravity conditions were sexually competent although their sexual efficiency was reduced especially in terms of plasma testosterone.

scholarly journals Effect of Simulated Microgravity on Sexual Development of Male Japanese Quail

2009 ◽  
Vol 78 (4) ◽  
pp. 563-569 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Škrobánek ◽  
Magda Baranovská ◽  
Božena Šárniková ◽  
Marian Juráni ◽  
Michal Zeman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Japanese Quail ◽  
Sexual Development ◽  
Growth And Development ◽  
Simulated Microgravity ◽  
Plasma Testosterone ◽  
Testis Weight ◽  
Simulated Weightlessness ◽  
Testosterone Concentration ◽  
Foam Production ◽  
Cloacal Gland

Hypodynamia can be used to simulate weightlessness in laboratory conditions. The objective of our study was to investigate the effects of chronic hypodynamia on the growth and development of the testes and cloacal gland, and plasma testosterone concentration in Japanese quail. The testis weight in males reared under hypodynamia was significantly lower compared to agematched control between 21 and 63 days of age (P < 0.05). The cloacal gland area of experimental birds calculated from its width and length was also smaller in comparison with control quail from 35 to 56 days of age (P < 0.05). The foam production was significantly lower in hypodynamia males at age 35, 42, 49 and 63 days (P < 0.05). The plasma testosterone concentration was significantly reduced in hypodynamia birds between 35 and 70 days of age (P < 0.05), with the exception of day 56. These results provide further evidence that although hypodynamia negatively affects the examined variables, the male Japanese quail is able to develop normally under conditions of simulated weightlessness.

scholarly journals Scalable Microgravity Simulator Used for Long-Term Musculoskeletal Cells and Tissue Engineering

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (23) ◽  
pp. 8908
Author(s):  
Alessandra Cazzaniga ◽  
Fabian Ille ◽  
Simon Wuest ◽  
Carsten Haack ◽  
Adrian Koller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tissue Engineering ◽  
Simulated Microgravity ◽  
Culture Media ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
C2c12 Cells ◽  
Equal Treatment ◽  
New Device ◽  
Microgravity Conditions ◽  
Validation Tests

We introduce a new benchtop microgravity simulator (MGS) that is scalable and easy to use. Its working principle is similar to that of random positioning machines (RPM), commonly used in research laboratories and regarded as one of the gold standards for simulating microgravity. The improvement of the MGS concerns mainly the algorithms controlling the movements of the samples and the design that, for the first time, guarantees equal treatment of all the culture flasks undergoing simulated microgravity. Qualification and validation tests of the new device were conducted with human bone marrow stem cells (bMSC) and mouse skeletal muscle myoblasts (C2C12). bMSC were cultured for 4 days on the MGS and the RPM in parallel. In the presence of osteogenic medium, an overexpression of osteogenic markers was detected in the samples from both devices. Similarly, C2C12 cells were maintained for 4 days on the MGS and the rotating wall vessel (RWV) device, another widely used microgravity simulator. Significant downregulation of myogenesis markers was observed in gravitationally unloaded cells. Therefore, similar results can be obtained regardless of the used simulated microgravity devices, namely MGS, RPM, or RWV. The newly developed MGS device thus offers easy and reliable long-term cell culture possibilities under simulated microgravity conditions. Currently, upgrades are in progress to allow real-time monitoring of the culture media and liquids exchange while running. This is of particular interest for long-term cultivation, needed for tissue engineering applications. Tissue grown under real or simulated microgravity has specific features, such as growth in three-dimensions (3D). Growth in weightlessness conditions fosters mechanical, structural, and chemical interactions between cells and the extracellular matrix in any direction.

scholarly journals A Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study on the Phonology-related Pathways in Cantonese-mandarin Bilinguals.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoyu Xu ◽  
Yuying Jin ◽  
Ning Pan ◽  
Muqing Cao ◽  
Jin Jing ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Phonological Processing ◽  
Diffusion Tensor ◽  
Mean Diffusivity ◽  
Imaging Study ◽  
Brain White Matter ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Right ◽  
Long Term Experience

Abstract Cantonese and Mandarin are logographic languages, and the phonology is the main difference between the two languages. It is unclear whether long-term experience of Cantonese-Mandarin bilingualism will shape different brain white matter structures of pathways related to phonological processing. 30 Cantonese-Mandarin bilinguals and 30 Mandarin monolinguals completed diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) scans and phonological processing tasks. The tractography and TBSS were used to investigate the structural differences in the bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF) and inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF) between Cantonese-Mandarin bilinguals and Mandarin monolinguals. Post-hoc correlation analysis was conducted to investigate the relationship between the different structures with phonological processing skills. Compared to the Mandarin monolinguals, the Cantonese-Mandarin bilinguals had higher fractional anisotropy (FA) along the left ILF, higher mean diffusivity (MD) in the clusters along the temporoparietal segment of SLF (tSLF), as well as higher axial diffusivity (AD) in the right tSLF, IFOF, bilateral ILF. The mean AD of the different voxels in the right IFOF and the mean FA of the different voxels in the left ILF were positively correlated with the inverse efficiency score (IES) of the Cantonese auditory and Mandarin visual rhyming judgment tasks respectively within the bilingual group. Long-term experience of Cantonese-Mandarin bilinguals shape different brain white matter structures including right tSLF, IFOF, bilateral ILF. The bilinguals’ white matter showed higher diffusivity, especially in the axonal direction, than the monolinguals. These changes were related to bilinguals’ phonological processing.

306. Testicular growth factor expression after hemicastration in the neonatal boar

2005 ◽  
Vol 17 (9) ◽  
pp. 130
Author(s):  
R. Wells ◽  
P. Scott ◽  
D. Harrison ◽  
R. Cameron ◽  
S. D. Johnston ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factor ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Testis Weight ◽  
Left Testis ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor Α ◽  
Testicular Growth ◽  
Fgf2 Expression ◽  
The Right ◽  
Testicular Hypertrophy

The molecular mechanisms associated with testicular hypertrophy after hemicastration are poorly understood. Sertoli cells in culture underwent increased proliferation when exposed to fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF2)1 and transforming growth factor-α (TGFα).2 To determine whether FGF2 and TGFα expression is upregulated during accelerated testicular growth after hemicastration in the boar animals were assigned to (a) control (n = 12), no treatment; (b) hemicastrated (n=14), left testis removed on Day 10 after birth. The right testis was removed from half the control and hemicastrated boars, respectively, on Days 15 and 20 after birth. RNA was extracted from sections of frozen testis, cDNA synthesised using TaqMan® Reverse Transcription, and real-time PCR performed. FGF2 expression was determined using forward (5′GTG TTA CAG ACG AGT GTT TCT TTT TTG3′), internal (5′acg act gga atc taa t3′) and reverse (5′TTC CTC GAC CGG TAA GTA TTG TAG T3′) primers. TGFα expression was similarly determined using forward (5′GGC TGT CCT CAT CAT CAC ATG T3′), internal (5′tgc tga tac act gct gc3′) and reverse (5′CGG CAC CAC TCA CAG TGT TT3′) primers. Data were analysed by ANOVA and LSD test (testis weight) and unpaired two-tailed t-tests assuming equal variance (FGF2, TGFα). There was no difference (P > 0.05) in testis weight between hemicastrated (3.9 ± 0.3 g; mean ± SEM) and control (3.6 ± 0.5 g) boars on Day 5 but on Day 10 hemicastrated boars had a greater (P = 0.01) testis weight (6.2 ± 0.8 g) than controls (4.3 ± 0.4 g). There were no differences (P > 0.05) between control and hemicastrated boars in TGFα or FGF2 expression on Days 5 and 10. It is concluded from the findings that upregulation of TGFα or FGF2 gene expression is not required for testicular hypertrophy subsequent to hemicastration in the neonatal boar. (1)Biol Reprod (1987); 37: 665–674.(2)Mol Cell Endocrinol (2001); 181: 221–227.

scholarly journals Doxorubicin induced histomorphometric changes in testes of albino rat

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Surendra Kumar Sah ◽  
Saroj Khatiwada ◽  
Deepak Chaudhary ◽  
Chandra Bhushan Jha ◽  
Soumya Bhattacharya
Keyword(s):  
Seminiferous Tubules ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Albino Rats ◽  
Testis Weight ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Albino Rat ◽  
Left Testis ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Experimental Group

Anticancer drugs like doxorubicin have been found to affect male gonads thereby leading to infertility. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of doxorubicin over short, mid and long term on testes of male albino rats. Sixty male albino rats aged 6-8 weeks were taken for study. The rats were randomly divided into 3 groups of experimental (each group containing 10 rats) and 3 groups of control (each group containing 10 rats). The experimental groups were given a single dose of doxorubicin i.e. 10 mg/kg body weight intra-peritoneally and sacrificed after 3 different duration for each group (second week, eighth week and sixteenth week). All rats under 3 control groups were given a single intra-peritoneal dose of 2.5 ml/kg body weight normal saline and sacrificed with their respective experimental groups. Significant difference in diameters (p=0.029) and cross-sectional area (p=0.028) of seminiferous tubules was observed between short term experimental and short term control rats. For both between midterm experimental and midterm control group, and between long term experimental and long term control group, a significant difference in right testis weight (p<0.001 for both), left testis weight (p<0.001 for both), volume of testis (p<0.001 and p=0.038), diameter (p<0.001 for both) and area (p<0.001 for both) of seminiferous tubules was observed. As compared to short term experimental group, midterm experimental group and long term experimental group had significantly lower right testis weight (p<0.001 for both), left testis weight (p<0.001 for both), diameter of seminiferous tubule (p<0.001 for both) and cross-sectional area of seminiferous tubule (p<0.001 both). Cross-sections of the seminiferous tubules of all the control groups had normal architecture. However, there was progressive destruction of seminiferous tubules structure across the experimental groups. Doxorubicin has deleterious effect on seminiferous tubules of albino rat testis.Nepal Journal of Biotechnology. Dec. 2015 Vol. 3, No. 1: 10-14

Surgery for Aortic Insufficiency Associated with Ventricular Septal Defect

2005 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chareonkiat Rergkliang ◽  
Vorawit Chittithavorn ◽  
Apirak Chetpaophan ◽  
Prasert Vasinanukorn
Keyword(s):  
Ventricular Septal Defect ◽  
Septal Defect ◽  
Aortic Insufficiency ◽  
Aortic Cusp ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Coronary Cusp ◽  
The Right ◽  
Right Coronary Cusp

Aortic valve repair in children is a challenge. We have adopted a technique of single aortic cusp extension with an autologous pericardial strip in patients diagnosed with severe aortic insufficiency (AI) associated with a ventricular septal defect (VSD). The purpose of this study was to report the short-term outcomes. Seven patients were operated on between January 2002 and December 2003. The mean age was 11.28 ± 2.1 years (range 8–14 years). The VSD was closed with a synthetic patch. Aortic cusp extension was performed at the right coronary cusp in 6 patients and the remainder had a non-coronary cusp extension. The mean diastolic arterial pressure increased from 35.71 ± 6.09 to 74.28 ± 7.31 mm Hg after the operation ( p < 0.001). The postoperative grade of AI was trivial in 4 patients, mild in 1 patient and non-existent in 2 patients. The mean follow-up period was 12.85 ± 6.12 months (range 2–20 months). This technique is very effective in patients with severe AI associated with a VSD. However, long-term durability will need to be carefully followed.

scholarly journals Vitamins and cardiovascular disease

2008 ◽  
Vol 101 (8) ◽  
pp. 1113-1131 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Honarbakhsh ◽  
M. Schachter
Keyword(s):  
Population Group ◽  
Western World ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Mortality And Morbidity ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Clinical Endpoints ◽  
Randomised Controlled ◽  
The Right ◽  
Β Carotene

CVD is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in the Western world. In recent years its importance has expanded internationally and it is believed that by 2020 it will be the biggest cause of mortality in the world, emphasising the importance to prevent or minimise this increase. A beneficial role for vitamins in CVD has long been explored but the data are still inconsistent. While being supported by observational studies, randomised controlled trials have not yet supported a role for vitamins in primary or secondary prevention of CVD and have in some cases even indicated increased mortality in those with pre-existing late-stage atherosclerosis. The superiority of combination therapy over single supplementation has been suggested but this has not been confirmed in trials. Studies have indicated that β-carotene mediates pro-oxidant effects and it has been suggested that its negative effects may diminish the beneficial effects mediated by the other vitamins in the supplementation cocktail. The trials that used a combination of vitamins that include β-carotene have been disappointing. However, vitamin E and vitamin C have in combination shown long-term anti-atherogenic effects but their combined effect on clinical endpoints has been inconsistent. Studies also suggest that vitamins would be beneficial to individuals who are antioxidant-deficient or exposed to increased levels of oxidative stress, for example, smokers, diabetics and elderly patients, emphasising the importance of subgroup targeting. Through defining the right population group and the optimal vitamin combination we could potentially find a future role for vitamins in CVD.

Eye Movements While Driving Cars around Curves

1977 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 683-689 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amos S. Cohen ◽  
Herbert Studach
Keyword(s):  
Eye Movements ◽  
Eye Movement ◽  
Vehicle Control ◽  
Eye Fixation ◽  
Eye Fixations ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Right

The eye fixations of 5 experienced and 4 inexperienced car drivers were analyzed while driving curves to the left and to the right. For experienced drivers in a curve to the left the mean duration of eye fixations was longer and the amplitude of the eye movements greater than in a curve to the right. No such difference was observed in inexperienced drivers who manifested neither uniformity within the same curves nor differentiation between the two types of curves. Mean duration of eye fixations of experienced subjects was shorter while driving in a curve to right, but their amplitude of eye movement was greater in a curve to left than those of inexperienced drivers. In Exp. 2, it was pointed out that there is already a change in the pattern of eye movements prior to entering a curve. Upon approaching the curve the mean duration of eye fixation decreased, and the fixations were mainly shifted toward the future driving path. Results are interpreted in terms of the adequacy of the eye fixations (supposedly influenced by prior long-term learning) for information at near distance for vehicle control and at longer distances for setting up proprioceptive forward programs for possible future sensomotoric activity.

Effects on differentiation of reproductive organs and sexual behaviour in Japanese quail by excessive embryonic ERα activation

2010 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Mattsson ◽  
Björn Brunström
Keyword(s):  
Japanese Quail ◽  
Oestrogen Receptor ◽  
Reproductive Tract ◽  
Reproductive Organs ◽  
Positive Control ◽  
Reproductive Organ ◽  
Testis Size ◽  
Left Testis ◽  
The Right ◽  
Copulatory Behaviour

Exposure of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) embryos to oestrogenic substances disrupts sexual differentiation of the reproductive tract of both sexes and impairs the copulatory behaviour of the adult male. To examine whether these effects can be induced by selective activation of oestrogen receptor α (ERα), Japanese quail eggs were injected with various doses of the selective ERα agonist 16α-lactone-oestradiol (16α-LE2). The natural oestrogen 17β-oestradiol (E2) was used as a positive control. Both 16α-LE2 and E2 induced formation of an ovary-like cortex in the left testis (ovotestis) and reduced the size of the right testis in male embryos. The asymmetry in testis size remained in sexually mature males. Both substances induced retention and malformation of the Müllerian ducts in embryos of both sexes and malformed oviducts in juveniles. Male copulatory behaviour was suppressed by embryonic exposure to E2 and the highest dose of 16α-LE2. However, the lower dose of 16α-LE2, which markedly affected development of the reproductive organs, was without effects on behaviour. It can therefore not be excluded that the behavioural demasculinisation at the 100-fold higher dose involved cross-activation of oestrogen receptor β (ERβ). In conclusion, our results suggest that oestrogen-induced disruption of reproductive organ development in Japanese quail can be mediated via ERα, whereas the role of ERα in demasculinisation of copulatory behaviour remains to be clarified.

scholarly journals Morphological study of the testis of adult Sudanese Chicken : gallus domesticus

2022 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Al-Bajuri Salwa Ismail Abd al-Qadir
Keyword(s):  
Morphological Study ◽  
Gallus Domesticus ◽  
Cold Weather ◽  
Seminiferous Tubules ◽  
Left Testis ◽  
Adult Chicken ◽  
Mean Diameter ◽  
Hot Season ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Right

Morphological study of the testis of adult Sudanese Chicken : gallus domesticus The adult chicken testes were two bean - shaped , large and soft , the left testis is usually higher in position and larger in size than the right one . The testis is active during cold weather with the mean diameter of the seminiferous tubules being 126^m in the chicken . it is less active during the hot season with the mean diameter of the seminiferous tubules being 135^m in the chicken. The non - breeding season seemed to be characterized by a decline in the spermatogenic activity only and not by complete spermatogenesis

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