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Biomedical subjects

L D Anderson

Publications and source records attributed to L D Anderson.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Integrating hearing and deaf preschoolers: an attempt to enhance hearing children's interactions with deaf peers.

In this study, an attempt was made to modify hearing preschoolers' frequent and persistent refusal to interact with profoundly deaf peers. Half of the hearing children involved in a low-key mainstreaming program participated in a special 3-week training program that included discussions about the meaning of deafness, an opportunity to practice communication techniques effective with deaf children, and free-play interactions with deaf children. Prior to the intervention, no differences were found in the treatment and control children's interaction frequencies and duration or in the types of acts used to initiate interactions. Significant differences were found, however, following the heightened involvement. Hearing treatment children began interacting significantly less with the deaf children than did hearing control children. Hearing treatment children also became less responsive to the deaf children's attempts to interact than were hearing control children. While it was hypothesized that increased exposure would result in hearing treatment children using more gestures, touches, and messages incorporating multiple modalities, they came to use significantly fewer of these acts than did the hearing control children. The deaf children remained relatively unaffected by the intervention. These results are discussed in terms of their relevance for other mainstreaming programs and for research on the growth of social competence in general.

Child Behavior↗

Porcine granulosa and cumulus cell properties. LH/hCG receptors, ability to secrete progesterone and ability to respond to LH.

In order to compare the properties of isolated cumulus and granulosa cells, granulosa cells and cumulus cells surrounding oocytes were harvested from small (1-2 mm), medium (3-5 mm) and large (6-12 mm) porcine antral follicles and the number of LH/hCG receptors was measured by the binding of [125I]hCG. The ability of the cells to secrete progesterone in culture was examined in the presence and absence of hCG and LH. In 3 separate experiments of 1-h incubations at 37 degrees C using cells harvested from medium-sized follicles, granulosa cells bound 10--15-fold more iodinated hCG than an equivalent number of cumulus cells. During a 2-day culture period, cumulus cells secreted less progesterone than granulosa cells from medium- and large-sized antral follicles (p less than 0.01). The potential of both cumulus and granulosa cells to secrete progesterone in culture increased as the follicle progressed from small to large size. Also, the ability of the oocyte to mature in culture increased with antral follicle size. Concurrently the ability of cumulus-oocyte complexes to form monolayers in culture decreased as the follicle matured. Cumulus and granulosa cells harvested from small- and medium-sized follicles responded similarly to LH and hCG with a stimulation in progesterone secretion after 2-6 days in culture.

Animals↗

Possible existence of a long-loop feedback system between FSH and inhibin in female rats.

Experiments were designed in which peripheral plasma inhibin levels were presumably altered in an attempt to investigate an interdependency between pituitary follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and ovarian inhibin secretion. In the first study, unilateral ovariectomy (ULO) was performed on 4-day cycling female rats under ether anesthesia at 0800 h on diestrous day 1 (D1). Inhibin-like activity [FSH-inhibiting activity(FSH-IA)] in untreated ovarian venous plasma (OVP) collected from the remaining ovary was assessed by an in vitro pituitary bioassay system. Both plasma FSH levels and FSH-IA significantly increased between 4 and 12 h after ULO. Thereafter, plasma FSH declined between 12 and 32 h after ULO, whereas FSH-IA remained elevated during this same time interval. Compared to sham-operated rats, plasma FSH was significantly elevated 4, 12, and 24 h after ULO, whereas FSH-IA was statistically higher only at 32 h after ULO. In a second experiment, rats were injected with charcoal-treated porcine follicular fluid (PFF) on proestrus and estrus. Control rats received saline. The data indicate that increased plasma FSH levels on D1 in PFF-treated rats (FSH rebound) may be a consequence of reduced endogenous inhibin secretion on estrus. As well, return of FSH to control levels on D2 in PFF-treated rats may have resulted from an FSH-associated increase in FSH-IA on D1 and D2.

Animals↗

Ovarian follicular and luteal physiology.

Follicular maturation and development is a complex process of interrelated intra- and extraovarian events that ultimately lead to ovulation of a mature oocyte and transformation of the ruptured follicle into a corpus luteum. The primordial follicle consists of an immature oocyte arrested in the dictyate stage of meiosis, surrounded by a single layer of relatively undifferentiated granulosa cells. The oocyte remains in the immature state because of many factors, one of which is the oocyte maturation inhibitor (OMI) secreted by granulosa cells. The oocyte subsequently increases in size, and as the antrum forms it becomes surrounded by cumulus cells. The cumulus cells may be intimately involved in the action of O,I to arrest the oocyte in the immature state within the follicle, as well as the resumption of meiosis during the LH surge. The compartments of the follicle that change most dramatically during follicular maturation are the cells lining the follicle--the granulosa and thecal cells. Under the influence of estrogen and FSH, the granulosa cells proliferate and also acquire FSH receptors. At this time, the thecal compartment differentiates and surrounds the granulosa cells, but remains separated from them by a basement membrane. Steroid secretion by the antral follicle involves the interplay of androgens, estrogens, and progestins. Both the granulosa and thecal cell compartments contribute to follicular fluid and serum levels of steroids; the interaction of both cell types may be necessary for estrogen and progesterone secretion in some species. As a consequence of the presence of an elevated number of FSH receptors, the granulosa cells of the small antral follicle are able to respond to FSH in many ways, including increased cyclic AMP accumulation, activation of the aromatase system, and induction of LH receptors, which permits the granulosa cells to later respond to LH. The mechanism by which thecal cells acquire their LH receptors is presently unknown. The granulosa cells of the follicle may indirectly control their own maturation and the number of follicles maturing through the secretion of follicular inhibin, which decreases the pituitary output of FSH. Even though the granulosa cells have acquired large numbers of LH receptors, they are prevented from luteinizing prematurely by factors in follicular fluid, including estrogen and a luteinizing inhibitor (LI). As serum LH levels increase during the preovulatory LH surge, a number of events occur: resumption of oocyte meiosis, transformation of the steroid enzyme complex from estrogen to progesterone secretion, follicular rupture, and formation of the corpus luteum. Granulosa cells form the bulk of the corpus luteum, which secretes elevated amounts of progesterone for a fixed time period depending on the species. Before ovulation the preovulatory follicle must be exposed to and respond to adequate LH and FSH levels in order for the eventual corpus luteum to secrete elevated amounts of progesterone for its normal lifespan...

Animals↗

Effects of follicular development on the ability of cultured porcine granulosa cells to convert androgens to estrogens.

Porcine granulosa cells from different stages of follicular development were examined for their ability to convert androgens to estrogens and their ability to secrete progesterone. Granulosa cells from all stages of follicular development can convert androgens to estrogens, and the addition of exogenous androgen is required for estrogen secretion. Granulosa cells obtained from medium and large follicles have a greater capacity to convert androgens to estrogens than do granulosa cells obtained from small follicles. The addition of FSH brought about an increase in estrogen secretion in the presence of androgen only in granulosa cells from large follicles. LH attenuated estrogen secretion in granulosa cells from medium follicles treated with testosterone. Granulosa cells from medium follicles were unable to secrete estrogen from days two to four irrespective of treatment. Androgens augment FSH stimulated progesterone secretion in granulosa cells from medium follicles from days two to four, and the addition of follicular fluid from small follicles stimulates progesterone secretion in the presence of FSH and androgens.

Androgens↗

Inhibitory effect of charcoal-treated porcine follicular fluid upon serum FSH levels and follicular development in the rhesus monkey.

Injection of charcoal treated porcine follicular fluid into 4 intact, 4 long term castrate and 2 postmenopausal rhesus monkeys brought about a selective decline in serum FSH levels. Luteinizing hormone levels were not significantly decreased. Intraperitoneal injection of 4 ml porcine follicular fluid every 8 hours for the first 4 days of the menstrual cycle led to a decrease in follicle and granulosa cell growth observed at that midcycle. Treatment with porcine serum did not exert this effect.

Animals↗

Evidence that the pituitary gland is the site of inhibitory action of porcine follicular fluid upon FSH secretion in the rat.

This study has examined the effects of porcine follicular fluid (PFF) on the adenohypophyseal secretion of LH and FSH following LHRH treatment. The animal model selected for study the the proestrous rat in which preovulatory LH and FSH surges were blocked with phenobarbital. To elicit the release of gonadotropins from this preparation, two different i.v. LHRH infusion protocols were used. The first elicited a proestrous-like LH and FSH surge while the second infusion schedule evoked the predominant release of FSH with only minor changes in LH. PFF suppressed LHRH-induced FSH secretion in both preparations but had only negligible effects on LH secretion. Interestingly, the suppressive effects of PFF were variable and depended upon the mode in which LHRH was presented.

Animals↗

Orthodontic attitudes toward national health insurance.

Data were obtained by surveying North Carolina orthodontists by means of a mailed questionnaire. Their responses were coded to make possible analysis by computer and were compared to responses from a national sample of dentists in the 1975 Survey of Dentists. Both North Carolina orthodontists and dentists nationwide agreed that some form of dental care should be provided if a national health insurance system were established. Compared to the dentists surveyed nationwide, the orthodontists favored a wider range of coverages but advocated providing a narrower scope of dental services. They indicated more strongly their general belief that a government health program would lead to regulation outside the private sector. The orthodontists disagreed more strongly with the claim that government health programs could provide more people with high-quality dental care. Both groups anticipated that comprehensive dental care in a national health insurance system would result in fixed fees set by the government. Only 62 percent of the orthodontists polled were familiar with HMOs. Of this group, nearly 90 percent chose not to contract with these organizations.

Attitude↗

Suppression of pituitary secretion of follicle-stimulating hormone by porcine follicular fluid during pro-oestrus and oestrus in the rat: effects on gonadotrophin and steroid secretion, follicular development and ovulation during the following cycle.

In this study, we have examined whether the suppression of raised plasma FSH concentrations at pro-oestrus and/or oestrus by porcine follicular fluid (PFF) affected the development of follicles for ovulation in the next cycle. Adult, 4-day-cyclic rats were injected with PFF or pig serum at various hours of pro-oestrus and oestrus. Plasma FSH levels were suppressed following PFF treatment at any time of pro-oestrus and oestrus. Furthermore, this suppression was always followed by a 'rebound' increase in plasma FSH. In contrast, plasma LH concentrations were unaffected by PFF treatment and neither gonadotrophin was altered by treatment with pig serum. When rats treated with PFF or pig serum were allowed to complete one additional cycle, plasma LH and FSH concentrations at the pro-oestrus and oestrus after treatment were not significantly different among groups regardless of treatment or time of treatment. All ovaries of rats treated with PFF or pig serum on the next pro-oestrus morning before ovulation were histologically similar. Furthermore, all animals ovulated a normal complement of ova at the next oestrus regardless of whether preovulatory, secondary or both increases of plasma FSH had been blocked by PFF treatment during the previous cycle. However, animals given PFF during the preceding cycle, plasma oestradiol and progesterone concentrations were significantly altered on the morning and afternoon of pro-oestrus respectively. These results suggest that increased plasma FSH concentrations at pro-oestrus and oestrus may not be essential for folliculogenesis and ovulation in the subsequent cycle. Alternatively, the 'rebound' of FSH on day 1 of dioestrus after the suppression of both phases of FSH secretion at pro-oestrus and oestrus may be sufficient to provide ovulatory follicles for the next pro-oestrous day.

Animals↗