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Biomedical subjects

G D Potter

Publications and source records attributed to G D Potter.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Nitrogen metabolism in mature horses at varying levels of work.

Nitrogen metabolism was measured in five mature geldings performing varying levels of work that simulated race training. Following an initial maintenance period without forced exercise, workload was increased in succeeding 18-d periods by doubling the distance the horses were galloped in each period from period 2 through 4. A 4-d N balance experiment was conducted at the end of each 18-d period. The maximum distance galloped daily, which was in period 4, was repeated in period 5. Then, workloads were decreased through period 7. Nitrogen balance was determined in two additional periods, 8 and 9, while the geldings were at maintenance with no forced exercise. Geldings were fed diets containing similar protein-to-calorie ratios in all periods. Nitrogen retention increased (P less than .05) as workload increased from period 1 to period 3 and remained elevated throughout the rest of the experiment. Nitrogen retention did not (P greater than .05) decrease from highest values, observed at maximum workload during periods 4 and 5, until period 9, which was 34 d postexercise during a maintenance period. Nitrogen retention was higher (P less than .05) following training than before training.

Animals↗

Lower gastrointestinal bleeding.

Lower gastrointestinal bleeding remains an important medical emergency. Most lower gastrointestinal bleeding is now known to come from angiodysplasia or diverticular disease. Accurate angiographic and colonoscopic diagnosis may lead to a better focus for treatment and improved survival.

Arteriovenous Malformations↗

Taurodeoxycholate and the developing rabbit distal colon: absence of secretory effect.

Failure to absorb bile acids by the ileum leads to fluid secretion by the colon and diarrhea in adults. The infant ileum, however, does not actively transport bile acids. Therefore, we investigated the effect of taurodeoxycholic acid (TDCA) on ion transport in the colon of rabbits 7-10 days old. We mounted distal colon from infant and adult rabbits in modified Ussing chambers and exposed the mucosal or serosal surfaces to TDCA. In the adult, 50 microM TDCA produced an increase in short-circuit current (delta Isc = 1.0 +/- 0.3 mu eq . h-1 . cm-2, P less than 0.05) and Cl secretion. In the infant, the effect was different, Isc was reduced (delta Isc = -1.1 +/- 0.2 mu eq . h-1 . cm-2, P less than 0.01) and ion flux was not altered. Microscopy demonstrated that the infant epithelium was not significantly damaged by exposure to TDCA at these concentrations. The infant colon was, however, capable of a secretory response to a variety of agonists including theophylline, carbachol, bradykinin, serotonin, and 12,13-dibutyryl phorbol ester. The infant rabbit distal colon lacks a secretory response to TDCA during that period when the ileum cannot transport bile acids.

Animals↗

Use of different nonglycolysable sugars to maintain stallion sperm viability when frozen or stored at 37 degrees C and 5 degrees C in a bovine serum albumin medium.

Bovine serum albumin (BSA) diluents containing lactose, raffinose or sucrose were not different (P greater than 0.05) in their ability to maintain stallion sperm viability, as determined by percentage motile spermatozoa (PMS) and their rate of forward movement (RFM), when stored at 37 or 5 degrees C for 24 h. These diluents did promote a higher (P greater than 0.05) PMS and RFM, when compared with BSA diluents containing arabinose or galactose. The BSA-arabinose and BSA-galactose diluents did not differ (P less than 0.05) in their ability to support sperm viability and were detrimental to spermatozoa. The fertility of freshly collected and diluted spermatozoa was not different (P greater than 0.05) when extended in BSA diluents containing lactose, raffinose or sucrose. There was no difference (P greater than 0.05) in PMS and RFM of frozen-thawed stallion spermatozoa when the spermatozoa were frozen, thawed and incubated at 37 degrees C for 180 min in BSA diluents containing lactose, raffinose or sucrose. Spermatozoa from 6 of 8 stallions did not survive the freezing process. A one-cycle conception rate of 32% was obtained from frozen-thawed spermatozoa extended in BSA diluents containing lactose, raffinose or sucrose. This rate was 78% of the conception rate obtained when the same mares were inseminated with fresh semen in a subsequent study (41%).

Animals↗

Fine structure of the follicular oocyte of the horse.

Oocytes recovered by follicular aspiration were evaluated by light and transmission electron microscopy. Of the 22 oocytes, 4 exhibited characteristics of degeneration, and the remaining 18 were in various stages of meiotic development. Of the non-degenerate oocytes, 14 were in the germinal vesicle stage, 2 had undergone nuclear membrane disintegration, 1 displayed chromosomes in late metaphase I-early anaphase I, and 1 oocyte was in the process of extrusion of the first polar body. Although some oocytes retained complete cumulus cell investments, oocytes were predominantly enclosed only by the corona radiata. Ultrastructural evaluation revealed that follicular oocytes of the horse are similar to those of other mammals. An abundance of vesicular agranular endoplasmic reticulum in horse oocytes was the most obvious difference. Variation in intracellular organization seemed to be primarily dependent upon stage of meiotic development.

Animals↗

Ultrastructure of cryopreserved horse embryos.

Embryos were recovered non-surgically at about Day 6 after ovulation from 15 Quarter horse-type mares and were evaluated for morphological changes which may occur because of exposure to the cryoprotectant and/or cryopreservation. Electron microscopy was used to elucidate the fine structure of intracellular organelles which, if damaged, could cause cellular death. The horse embryo does not totally re-expand in the 10% glycerol freezing medium, nor will it completely re-expand in the isotonic holding medium following glycerol removal whether or not the embryo has been frozen. Embryos in this study were frozen by the same protocol which had resulted in a 30% pregnancy rate for similarly frozen embryos. Junctional complexes between trophoblast cells, as well as the plasma and nuclear membranes of trophoblast and inner cell mass (ICM) cells, were intact after treatment in all embryos. Changes in lipid droplets and some mitochondrial degeneration were observed in the ICM cells of the glycerol-treated embryos. The change in the lipid was not observed in the frozen-thawed embryos, but mitochondrial changes were evident in the trophoblast and ICM cells, with the most extensive mitochondrial damage in the ICM cells.

Animals↗

Exogenous hormone regimens to utilize successfully mares in dioestrus (days 2-14 after ovulation) as embryo transfer recipients.

Two hormone regimens were utilized for recipient mares which were 2-14 days after ovulation at the time of non-surgical embryo transfer. In Exp. I, 20 embryos were transferred non-surgically into recipient mares which had been given 22 mg altrenogest daily starting the day of recipient ovulation. Higher (P less than 0.05) pregnancy rates (50% vs 0%) were obtained in mares which were 2-6 days after ovulation at the time of transfer compared with mares which were 7-12 days after ovulation. In Exp. II, on the day the donor mare ovulated (Day 0), 10 mg PGF-2 alpha were given to the recipient mare at 0 h, 20 mg oestradiol cypionate at 12, 24 and 36 h, 500 mg progesterone in oil at 48 h and then 22 mg altrenogest at 60, 72 and 96 h. Altrenogest (22 mg/day) was continued until Day 28 (fetal heart beat). The pregnancy rate (58% vs 10%) was higher (P less than 0.05) for the 12 recipient mares which were 10-14 days after ovulation than for the 10 mares that were 5-8 days after ovulation when treatment began. Early embryonic loss was detected in 4/8 pregnant recipient mares between Days 21 and 28 of gestation. We suggest that mares which are 2-14 days after ovulation and not in ovulation synchrony with the donor may be used as embryo transfer recipients; mares which are in early dioestrus can be given altrenogest while those in mid- to late dioestrus can be placed on the more complex hormone regimen.

Animals↗

Motility and fertility of equine spermatozoa extended in bovine serum albumin and sucrose.

Inclusion of either 1 or 3% (w/v) bovine serum albumin (BSA) in 8.6, 10, or 12% sucrose enhanced the maintenance of equine sperm motility in vitro at 38 degrees C for 8 h. There was a trend toward higher percent motile spermatozoa (PMS) at 16 and 24 h of incubation in semen samples containing BSA than in those that did not. The highest concentration of sucrose (12%) was slightly less effective in supporting PMS than either of the lower concentrations. However, sucrose concentrations had no apparent effect on rate of forward movement (RFM) of spermatozoa. Pregnancy and foaling rates were similar for mares inseminated with semen extended in either cream gel or 3% BSA-10% sucrose.

Journal Article↗

Historical perspectives on selected health and safety aspects of nuclear weapons testing.

This paper presents a general review of public safety standards as adapted by the nuclear weapons testing program in the United States, and the impact of these changing standards on the nuclear testing program itself. The review notes the importance of improvements in diagnostic instrumentation and methodologies from a relatively simple degree of sophistication to their current high level. Use of the improved methodologies uncovered a serious oversight affecting human exposure, namely, that of not recognizing the relative importance of all potential transport/dosimetric pathways for risk assessment. The testing program, from its inception in the Pacific in 1946 to the present time in Nevada, is viewed from the perspective of providing improved radiation protection to the general public.

Health Physics↗

Glucose-coupled sodium absorption in the developing rat colon.

The developing mammalian colon is lined by villi and is capable of glucose and amino acid absorption at birth in the rat. Neither the point at which this capacity is lost nor the effect of the capacity for glucose transport on Na absorption has been studied. We have now applied a system for perfusion of the lumen of in vitro segments of colon from 20-day-old fetal rats, and pups between 6 and 8 days old, to measure Na transport and transepithelial potential difference (PD). The lumens of colons from animals at both ages were perfused with solutions containing glucose or mannitol and 22Na. Net Na transport was 164 +/- 37 mu eq X h-1 X g dry weight tissue perfused-1, as determined by the difference between lumen-to-bath and bath-to-lumen flux in fetal rat colons at day 20. Glucose increased the lumen-to-bath flux by 90 +/- 35 mu eq X h-1 X g-1. PD was immediately increased from -1.7 +/- 0.16 to -8.0 +/- 0.96 mV (lumen with respect to bath) by the addition of glucose, and the change in PD was inhibited by 10(-4) M phlorizin. The PD response to glucose was lost at day 2 of life, but the villus epithelium persisted. Amiloride, 10(-4) M, did not alter PD or Na transport at either age. We conclude that the fetal rat colon exhibits glucose-dependent Na flux at birth but that this property is lost by 6-8 days.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Absorption↗

Ion transport by neonatal rabbit distal colon.

The neonatal small intestine is characterized by electrical conductance and permeability to ions higher than in the corresponding adult intestine. To investigate whether this property of the neonate is limited to the small intestine, or extends to the colon, a modified Ussing chamber for determination of transmucosal potential difference (PD), short-circuit current (Isc), transepithelial conductance (Gt), and ion fluxes in the neonatal rabbit distal colon was constructed. After care to reduce edge damage, Gt for the neonatal colon was found to be 8.4 +/- 0.3 mS . cm2 and for adult colon in the same chamber, 7.4 +/- 0.5 (P greater than 0.05). Net Na and Cl fluxes under short-circuit conditions were similar to those obtained in adult colon. Unidirectional ion fluxes were also similar to those of the adult. Net Na flux (JNanet) was incompletely inhibited by 10(-4) M of amiloride. Response to replacement of Na, Cl, and HCO3-, respectively, in the bathing solutions was not different from that expected in adult rabbit colon. Thus differences between adult and neonatal rabbit colon were small, and the increased conductance and unidirectional ion fluxes characteristic of the neonatal small intestine were not evident in the neonatal rabbit distal colon.

Aging↗

Inclusion of bovine serum albumin in semen extenders to enhance maintenance of stallion sperm viability.

Semen from seven mature stallions was used to test the motility response of sperm cells when 3% bovine serum albumin (BSA) was added to seminal plasma and skim milk diluents. A total of 45 ejaculates was collected by artificial vagina and immediately evaluated for percent motile spermatozoa (PMS), rate of forward movement (RFM) and sperm cell concentration. Aliquots (four from each ejaculate) of raw semen containing 500x10(6) sperm cells were exposed to each of the following treatments: (1) seminal plasma (SP), (2) SP+BSA, (3) skim milk (SKM), (4) SKM+BSA; and incubated in 50-ml tubes at 37 C. The sperm cell characteristics, PMS and RFM, of each treatment suspension were reevaluated at 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 6, 12, 18 and 24 hr post-treatment. Inclusion of BSA and the type of extender, either seminal plasma or skim milk, significantly (P<0.05) affected the PMS and RFM of spermatozoa. Analysis of means within evaluation times showed that PMS maintenance was enhanced (P<0.05) when BSA was included in extenders at all incubation intervals except 24 hr. SKM+BSA maintained the highest (P<0.05) PMS for the first 2 hr with SP+BSA sustaining the highest (P<0.05) PMS from 12 to 24 hr. Skim milk alone sustained higher (P<0.05) PMS than the SP diluent for the first 6 hr of incubation, whereas SP maintained a higher (P<0.05) PMS than SKM from 18 to 24 hr. The RFM of spermatozoa was greatest (P<0.05) for the first 6 hr of incubation when exposed to SKM+BSA. Seminal plasma + BSA sustained a higher (P<0.05) RFM for the first 6 hr of incubation than SP alone, but not higher than SKM at this interval. Skim milk sustained a higher (P<0.05) RFM of spermatozoa for the first 6 hr of incubation than SP. These data support the hypothesis that BSA protects spermatozoa from the harmful effects of lipid peroxidation. Including this substance in semen extenders may prolong maintenance of sperm motility.

Journal Article↗

CT in the evaluation of the vestibulocochlear nerves and their central pathways. Evaluation of neurotologic disorders.

CT has evolved to become an important technique for the diagnosis of neurotologic disorders. By obtaining thin sections, the central pathway of the vestibulocochlear nerve can be rather properly evaluated with satisfactory clinical correlation when pathology exists. The validity of central vestibular and audiometric signs can be best substantiated with CT. The functional neuroanatomy of the vestibulocochlear and vestibulo-oculomotor systems is discussed. Results of the assessment of endocranial lesions involving the vestibulocochlear system are presented.

Adolescent↗

Glucose absorption by in vitro perfused colon of the fetal rat.

The anatomic configuration of fetal rat colon resembles that of the small bowel. Accordingly, glucose and amino acid absorption were measured in order to see whether the fetal rat colon resembled the small bowel functionally. In vitro luminal perfusion of the fetal rat colon at 20 days of gestation was employed to measure the rate of glucose and L-alanine absorption and the unidirectional flux rates of 3-O-methylglucose (3-O-MG). The colon was mounted between pipettes in a heated oxygenated bath and perfused with the solute to be studied dissolved in buffered physiological solution and polyethylene glycol with average molecular weight of 4,000 (PEG) as a nonabsorbable marker substance. The PEG was not transported and did not diffuse across fetal colon. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy of perfused and control colon showed the presence of villi and the preservation of mucosal anatomy during perfusion. Glucose was absorbed at 173 +/- 16 mumol . h-1 . g-1 (8) and absorption was abolished in Na-free solution. 3-O-MG flux was 40 +/- 7 mumol . h-1 . g-1 (8) from lumen to bath and 7 +/- 1 mumol . h-1 . g-1 (8) from bath to lumen. L-Alanine flux was 130 +/- 15 mumol . h-1 . g-1 (8) from lumen to bath and 18 +/- 4 mumol . h-1 . g-1 (5) from bath to lumen, and the lumen-to-bath flux was only partially abolished by Na-free solutions.

Alanine↗