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Biomedical subjects

A Sahu

Publications and source records attributed to A Sahu.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Mitotic activity and its 24-hour rhythm in the ovarian follicles during the estrous cycle of a wild rat, Bandicota bengalensis.

Mitotic activity in ovarian follicles was studied in relation to the size of the follicles during a 24-hour period (10.00, 16.00, 22.00 and 04.00 h) throughout the estrous cycle of the wild bandicoot rat (Bandicota bengalensis) to ascertain the cell proliferation rate and its 24-hour rhythm in the follicular tissue. In the bandicoot ovary, mitotic activity in the granulosa and thecal cells was highest in the follicles ranging from 201 to 400 micron in diameter. During the estrous cycle, mitotic activity of the granulosa cells was highest at estrus in follicles less than 601 micron, and at diestrus in follicles greater than 600 micron; while the mitotic trough was at proestrus in all the follicles. Thecal mitosis was significantly lower than mitosis of the granulosa cells. In most of the follicles, mitotic activity in the thecal cells was highest at diestrus and lowest at metestrus. In both the granulosa and thecal cells, the timing of mitotic peaks and troughs varied according to the size of the follicles and the stages of the estrous cycle. In the granulosa cells mitotic peaks were maximal in the daytime (10.00 h, 16.00 h) and in some cases at night (04.00 h); and mitotic troughs were primarily during the night (22.00 h, 04.00 h) and in some cases in the day (10.00 h). In the thecal cells, however, mitotic activity in most of the follicles was distinctly higher in the daytime (16.00 h) than at night (22.00 h, i.e., evening). Thus, a prominent 24-hour mitotic rhythm was noticed in the ovarian follicles of the bandicoot rat.

Animals↗

Effect of long-term treatment of norethisterone on the ovary of the cycling albino rat.

The effects of long-term administration of norethisterone, a progestogen-only contraceptive, at a dose of 0.5 mg/rat daily for 75 days, were evaluated in the ovary of cycling rats using histomorphic and karyokinetic (by colchicine technique) techniques. Norethisterone induced follicular atresia, decreased the number of normal follicular population and altered the appearance of the interstitial gland. Atresia was markedly noticed particularly in the follicles less than 200 micron in diameter. In addition, fresh or old corpora lutea were not found in the ovary. Simultaneously the progestin also stimulated the mitotic activity in the granulosa and theca of the normal follicles, especially of 201-300 micron in diameter. The findings suggest that norethisterone causes antifertility mainly by preventing follicular development and inducing atresia, thereby inhibiting perhaps ovulation.

Animals↗

Leucocyte responses to fighting in the adult male bandicoot rat.

The effect of fighting stress on blood leucocyte count was studied in the adult male bandicoot rat. Exposure to fighting stress for 3 h induced neutrophilia, eosinopenia, lymphopenia and monocytopenia. The changes were more significant in the subordinate rat than in the dominant animal. It is suggested that leucocyte responses to fighting are perhaps mediated by the adrenal gland in these animals.

Aggression↗

Interaction of anti-leprosy drugs with the rat serum complement system.

Dapsone, clofazimine and rifampicin, the three most important constituents of multidrug therapy against leprosy, were studied with respect to their effects on the rat serum complement system, in vitro as well as in vivo. Of the three drugs only dapsone and clofazimine exhibited significant in vitro anti-complement activity and only at a very high, non-therapeutic dose of 0.24 mg/ml. On the contrary, rifampicin could not induce significant in vitro complement consumption. Furthermore, dapsone and clofazimine could reduce rat-serum-mediated rabbit erythrocyte haemolysis in the presence of Mg2+-EGTA, indicating that they could also affect the alternative pathway of complement activation. However, the latter pathway of complement consumption by these drugs seems to be insignificant because the factor-B-mediated complement-consumption system is minimal in rat sera. Immunoelectrophoretic study of mixtures of fresh rat sera and anti-leprosy drugs against specific anti-rat-C3 antisera demonstrated that dapsone and clofazimine could not cleave the C3 complement component. In a separate experiment we attempted to reconstitute the haemolytic complement activity consumed by dapsone and clofazimine by adding Crat-EDTA sera (a source of C3, C5, C6, C7, C8 and C9), but at most only 12% reconstitution of haemolytic activity could be achieved. We thus conclude that both dapsone and clofazimine could affect the complement system, predominantly through the earlier complement components and at very high, non-therapeutic doses. On the contrary, in-vivo experiments in rats showed that a combination of these three drugs, when given at a therapeutic dose or at 10 times the therapeutic dose for three months, did not affect the complement system.

Animals↗

Effects of neuropeptide Y, NPY analog (norleucine4-NPY), galanin and neuropeptide K on LH release in ovariectomized (ovx) and ovx estrogen, progesterone-treated rats.

We studied the effects on plasma LH levels of intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of neuropeptide Y (NPY), NPY analog (NPY-A), galanin (GAL) and neuropeptide K (NPK) in ovariectomized (ovx) and in ovx rats pretreated with estradiol benzoate (EB) and progesterone (P). Plasma LH levels were estimated in blood drawn from an intrajugular cannula before (0 min) and at 10, 20, 30 and 60 min after the ICV injection of either saline (3 microliter) or one of the neuropeptides in saline. The three classes of peptides elicited different LH responses in the two experimental paradigms. NPY and NPY-A (0.5 or 2 micrograms) decreased LH release in ovx rats and stimulated LH release in EBP ovx rats. However, GAL (0.5, 2 or 10 micrograms) failed to suppress LH release in ovx rats, but it readily increased plasma LH levels in a dose-related fashion in EBP ovx rats. In contrast, NPK readily decreased LH release in ovx rats in a time-related fashion for up to 60 min, but was mildly effective in EBP ovx rats as only a high dose of 10 micrograms produced a small significant increase. Collectively, our results show that (1) NPY can differentially effect LH release in ovx and EBP ovx rats but this property is not equally shared by the neuropeptides that have a similar anatomical disposition in the hypothalamus and (2) the excitatory effects of GAL are demonstrable in the steroid-primed rats and the inhibitory effects of NPK are apparent in the steroid-unprimed ovx rats. Since NPK induced a long-lasting marked suppression with little evidence of LH excitation at low doses, we speculate that either NPK alone or in conjunction with other peptides may mediate the suppression of LH release induced by gonadal steroids.

Animals↗