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Biomedical subjects

C Lutwak-Mann

Publications and source records attributed to C Lutwak-Mann.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Passage of chemicals into human and animal semen: mechanisms and significance.

This review will begin with a brief account of the secretory mechanisms operating in the male reproductive tract. The entry of the different chemicals will be dealt with; with separate reference to testicular fluids, epididymal plasma, prostatic and vesicular secretions, and whole semen. Examples will be given of a number of chemical substances capable of passing into the secretions of the male reproductive tract and semen, in man and in animals--antispermatogenic and antiandrogenic agents, industrial chemicals, chemotherapeutic drugs, food additives, etc. The review will end with a critical appraisal of the methods involved and the results obtained from analyses of various chemicals in semen.

Adsorption↗

Evaluation of the functional state of male accessory glands by the analysis of seminal plasma.

In man, the seminal vesicles, together with the ampuls, constitutes the main source of seminal fructose. The human prostate produce citric acids, acid phosphatase and other enzymes. The exceeding high content of prostaglandins probably derives from the seminal vesicles. A combined analysis of fructose and citric acid in the ejaculate is desirable to state morphologic alterations or functional disturbances of the accessory glands. The well-known split ejaculate method enables to decide whether the ejaculatory process is normal, slight or heavily disturbed. Variations in the morphology and secretory function of the accessory glands in different mammalian species are pointed out. The influence of testosterone on the secretory function of the accessory glands is described and discussed in detail.

Animals↗

D(--)-lactic acid and d(--)-lactate dehydrohgenase in octopus spermatozoa.

The spermatozoa of Octopus dofleini martini produce anaerobically D(-)-lactic acid and possess a very active D(-)-lactate dehydrogenase. In this respect, while resembling certain microorganisms, they differ strikingly from mammalian spermatozoa which produce L(+)-lactic acid and contain L(+)-lactate dehydrogenase.

Anaerobiosis↗

Calcium transport in the early conceptus and associated maternal tissues in the rabbit.

1. The kinetics of calcium transport were studied in unmated (oestrous) and pregnant rabbits in the first half of gestation, with the aim of establishing evidence of hormonal (ovarian) influence on the pattern of transport. 2. The following tissues were examined at short- (45min and 2h) and long-duration (4, 16 and 48h) intervals after parenteral administration of (45)Ca or (47)Ca: maternal blood plasma, endometrium, uterine fluid, placental tissues, two developmentally disparate stages of rabbit conceptus, namely the unattached blastocyst and the early post-implantation foetus, and bone (femur). 3. Marked variability in calcium content characterized rabbit tissues and body fluids. 4. Compartmental analysis was applied to measurements of specific radioactivity. Oestrous endometrium had the largest rapidly exchanging calcium fraction (turnover time of 12min) and the highest value for calcium flux (500mug of Ca exchanged/h per g fresh wt. of tissue). A marked downward gradient in values of flux existed between the progestational endometrium, uterine fluid and blastocyst; there was a similar gradient between placental tissues and foetus. 5. An hormonal influence on calcium transport was evident in (i) the decrease in specific radioactivity of rabbit blood plasma with advancing pregnancy, (ii) the extraordinarily rapid calcium transport between blood plasma and endometrium, especially in the oestrous stage, and (iii) the effectiveness of ovarian hormone substitution in ovariectomized rabbits. 6. The very low specific radioactivity recorded for bone indicated that only a minute fraction of its calcium was exchanging with that of blood plasma under the experimental conditions examined. 7. The rate of uptake of (45)Ca by rabbit blastocysts growing in vitro was one-tenth of that of (22)Na, or that recorded for calcium in vivo. 8. Inhibition of carbonic anhydrase activity with acetazolamide in vivo, in maternal erythrocytes, endometrium and placental tissues, produced no appreciable changes in calcium uptake in these tissues or other systems examined as a routine on either day 6 or days 12-14 of gestation.

Acetazolamide↗

Zinc transport in rabbit tissues. Some hormonal aspects of the turnover of zinc in female reproductive organs, liver and body fluids.

1. To investigate the influence of hormonal conditions upon the kinetics of zinc transport, specific radioactivity of (65)Zn was determined in certain tissues and fluids from unmated or pregnant rabbits during the first half of gestation. 2. Compartmental analysis was used to find the simplest mathematical model that simulated satisfactorily tracer behaviour. Models were fitted to experimental results by a numerical procedure using a computer. 3. The kinetics of zinc exchange in most tissues investigated could adequately be described by a three-compartment model, in which total tissue zinc content was divided into a rapidly exchanging pool, with a turnover time of about 1h, and a slowly exchanging pool, the turnover time of which was in liver 15h, in peak-stage corpus luteum 8h, and in the other tissues 30-70h. 4. In rabbit endometrium zinc transport varied with hormonal conditions, the turnover rate being higher in non-pregnant than pregnant endometrium. 5. Uptake of (65)Zn by uterine fluid was slow, and in the free-lying embryos (blastocysts) slower still, in keeping with uterine fluid acting as carrier of zinc into the unimplanted embryos. 6. In placental tissue zinc transport varied with gestational stage. Foetal placenta exchanged zinc with blood plasma four times faster than maternal placenta. In foetuses zinc turnover time and flux equalled that of the slow zinc compartment in foetal placenta. 7. Corpus luteum on days 5-6 of gestation showed peak specific radioactivity and zinc flux values, which exceeded those of all other tissues. 8. In liver the slow zinc compartment had a higher rate of turnover than corresponding compartments in tissues other than peak-stage corpus luteum, but no hormone-dependent changes were observed. 9. Zinc uptake by erythrocytes was the slowest of all examined.

Animals↗