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At least 505 records · Page 28Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Carbon dioxide laser laparoscopy by means of a 3.0-mm diameter rigid wave guide.

Rigid carbon dioxide wave guides measuring 300 to 500 mm in length and 3.0 mm in diameter were evaluated in rabbits and humans. The wave guide provided an effective laser delivery system for operative laparoscopy. The tested guide was introduced into the abdominal cavity alternatively via the operating channel of a 9-mm operating laparoscope, through the central channel of a smoke evacuation/irrigation cannula, or via a 3.25-mm second puncture trocar. In contrast to previously tested flexible guides, the rigid device transmitted a visible helium-neon aiming beam, power up to 50 watts, and a beam diameter of less than 1 mm. The hollow guide was kept free of smoke by-products by continuous purging with carbon dioxide gas flowing at 800 to 1000 cc per minute. All wave guides could be sterilized by ethylene oxide gas or Cidex (Surgikos, Arlington, TX) soaking. Fourteen women with a variety of reproductive disorders underwent laser laparoscopy. The rigid wave guide was fired at distances ranging from less than 1 mm to 30 mm from the target and performed with maximal impact at distances of 3 to 5 mm. Perhaps the greatest advantage of this system is its ability to focus-defocus while directly coupling to the handpiece of standard lasers and requiring no special alignment procedures.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Occupationally related disorders.

Occupational disease is responsible each year in the United States for 50,000 to 70,000 deaths and for approximately 350,000 new cases of illness. Occupational diseases affect all organ systems and include pulmonary disease, musculoskeletal injuries, occupational cancer, traumatic injuries, occupationally induced cardiovascular disease, disorders of reproduction, neurotoxic disorders, noise-induced hearing loss, dermatologic conditions, and psychological disorders. Occupational diseases may be very difficult to diagnose. Pathognomonic signs and symptoms are rare; most occupational diseases are clinically indistinguishable from disease of other etiologies. Diagnosis is complicated further by the long latency typical between a toxic occupational exposure and the appearance of illness. Further, there is widespread lack of information on the toxicity of most chemical substances in use in American workplaces, and workers frequently are not informed of the nature or the hazards of the materials with which they work. The occupational history is the principal clinical instrument for the diagnosis of occupational disease. All patients should undergo at least a brief occupational history that inquires about the current job, including both industry and occupation, the longest-held previous jobs, and any toxic occupational exposures to chemicals, fumes, gases, dust, noise, or radiation. Proper diagnosis of occupational disease permits proper treatment of the affected patient and also provides a basis for recognition of other similarly employed persons who may also be at risk of toxic exposure. Occupational diseases are highly preventable. Prevention is most efficiently achieved by removing hazardous materials from the workplace and replacing them with less hazardous substances. Other approaches to prevention include ventilation, alteration in work practices, and use of personal protective equipment. Physicians in the United States are for the most part not well trained to recognize occupational illness. At the same time, there is a great lack of qualified specialists in occupational medicine. The majority of care of patients with occupational disease will therefore continue to be the responsibility of primary care physicians, and these physicians must become more highly attuned to the possibility that their patients may have diseases induced by toxic exposures encountered at work. The development of a heightened sensitivity of primary care providers to occupationally induced disease is an urgent priority.

Humans↗
PubMed2003

Regulation of gene expression by PRA-910, a novel progesterone receptor modulator, in T47D cells.

Progestins play an important role in women's health and are used in oral contraception, hormone therapy, and treatment of reproductive disorders. The effects of progestins upon gene expression in breast epithelium are poorly understood. In an attempt to characterize the molecular mechanism of progestin action, we used a gene expression profiling approach to examine the action of a novel progestin in the T47D cell model, a human breast cancer cell line. PRA-910 is a novel, nonsteroidal progesterone receptor modulator (PRM) with species-specific activities identified in a screen for selective PRMs. To understand the mechanism of action for PRA-910 in T47D cells, we compared its gene regulation to progesterone (P4) and RU486 through Affymetrix U95A GeneChip analysis and TaqMan RT-PCR. PRA-910, P4, and RU486 regulated 50, 108, and 16 genes by threefold or greater versus vehicle, respectively, with 18 genes having similar regulation for P4 and PRA-910. These data confirm and extend previous findings for T47D cells. We also obtained time course, concentration-response, cyclohexamide sensitivity, and PR-specificity data for two progestin-regulated genes, ATP1A1 and CLDN8. Our data demonstrate that PRA-910 has a unique gene regulation profile distinct from both P4 and RU486. Further investigation of the underlying mechanism for these differences is ongoing.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗
PubMed2003

Endocrine disruption in brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) exposed to leachate from a public refuse dump.

Lake Molnbyggen was previously found to harbour a large number of sexually immature female perch (Perca fluviatilis) suffering from endocrine disruption. In an attempt to pin-point the source of the endocrine-disrupting substance(s) (EDSs), brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) from Vadbäcken, a stream contaminated by leachate from a public refuse dump and which empties into Lake Molnbyggen, were investigated. In addition, female perch from Lakes Yxen and Kvarntjärn, located up-stream and down-stream of Lake Molnbyggen, were investigated. Only 16.7% of the adult female brook trout in Vadbäcken were sexually mature, associated with decreased gonadosomatic index, lower brain aromatase activity, and lower circulating levels of testosterone and 17beta-oestradiol, in comparison to female brook trout from the reference stream Björntjärnsbäcken. Male brook trout showed decreased gonadosomatic index, in addition to bile duct hyperplasia in the liver, which was also found in female brook trout livers from Vadbäcken. In Lake Molnbyggen, 57.6% of the female perch were found to be sexually immature with high frequencies of skin lesions, such as sores and fin erosion, significantly decreased gonadosomatic index, lower aromatase activity, and lower levels of testosterone and 17beta-oestradiol. No signs of reproductive disorders or endocrine disruption were seen in female perch from Lakes Yxen and Kvarntjärn compared to female perch from the reference lake, Lake Djursjön. Since brook trout of both sexes from Vadbäcken displayed the same kind of serious adverse impairment of gonad development and endocrine disruption as perch from Lake Molnbyggen, very strong evidence are provided that the refuse dump is the source for the responsible EDS(s), since both Vadbäcken and Lake Molnbyggen are known to be contaminated by leachate from that dump. The low levels of PAHs and PCBs in the surface sediments of Lake Molnbyggen suggest that these pollutants are not the responsible EDS(s).

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Corpus luteum development: lessons from genetic models in mice.

The corpus luteum is a transient endocrine gland that produces essentially progesterone, a required product for the establishment and maintenance of early pregnancy. In the absence of pregnancy, the corpus luteum will cease to produce progesterone, and the structure itself will regress in size over time. The life span and function of the corpus luteum is regulated by complex interactions between stimulatory (luteotrophic) and inhibitory (luteolytic) mediators. Although the process of luteal formation and regression has been studied for several decades, many of the regulatory mechanisms involved in loss of function and involution of the structure are incompletely understood. In rodents, prolactin is the major luteotrophic hormone by maintaining the structural and functional integrity of the corpus luteum for several days after mating. Other factors involved in steroidogenesis, control of cell cycle, apoptosis, and tissue remodeling have been shown to play a role in corpus luteum development and maintenance. Especially, PGF2alpha seems to be the most potent luteolytic hormone. One of the most important advances in the study of mammalian genes has been the development of techniques to obtain defined mutations in mice. These tools enable us to target specific genes and to analyze the impact of their loss on cell fate and function. With these approaches, several receptors, transcription factors, enzymes, and other factors have been linked to corpus luteum development and maintenance. These models are helping to define mechanisms of reproductive function and to identify potential new contraceptive targets and genes involved in the pathophysiology of reproductive disorders.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Use of a moderated international Internet information exchange in the study of male reproduction.

It is clear that modern information technology is having a profound impact on the way researchers and clinicians exchange information. Use of the Internet is one example of how such change can be translated into scientific progress and improved patient care. Androlog, a moderated international information exchange, has proven to be very useful in the transfer of information pertaining to the study and treatment of male reproductive disorders. Allowing instantaneous dispersal of messages to members in 27 countries, this system has become a valuable source of scientific information, as well as an excellent forum for the discussion of a broad range of clinical and laboratory topics. Moderated-user groups such as Androlog are highly applicable to many other areas of urology. Establishment of such an information exchange requires only a modest investment in computer hardware and software and moderators who are willing to perform the necessary tasks of system administration and message review. Given the unique advantages provided by this method of communication, there is little doubt that systems such as Androlog will flourish in the future, providing a valuable tool in the advance of medical science.

Computer Communication Networks↗
PubMed2001

The maternal legacy to the embryo: cytoplasmic components and their effects on early development.

RNA molecules and proteins are accumulated in the oocyte cytoplasm during its growth phase and are used to sustain the early phases of embryonic development before embryo DNA transcription begins. This makes the oocyte a very special cell, quite different from somatic cells where RNA and proteins usually undergo a rapid turnover. To enable the storage and timely use of such stored molecules, various mechanisms are effective in the oocyte and are gradually being elucidated. Our understanding of such mechanisms is important for constantly improving therapy for human and animal reproductive disorders as well as for understanding the process of nuclear reprogramming during cloning procedure or stem cell generation. This review focuses on the various aspects of these regulatory processes in an attempt to give an overview of the present knowledge on post-transcriptional and post-translational mechanisms taking place during oocyte maturation and early development. Mechanisms such as cytoplasmic regulation of the poly(A) tail, RNA localization and protein phosphorylation are described in some detail. Because most data are available from lower species these are presented together with appropriate reference to the mammalian oocyte when data are known, or when important differences have been described.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Detection of porcine teschoviruses and enteroviruses by LightCycler real-time PCR.

Porcine picornaviruses comprising at least 23 serotypes grouped into six species were described as causative agents of neurological disorders, reproductive failure, and aphthae-like dermal lesions of swine. Other viruses such as classical swine fever virus (CSFV), African swine fever virus, pseudorabies virus (PRV), vesicular stomatitis virus, vesicular exanthema virus, porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus, and porcine parvovirus (PPV) may cause diseases with similar clinical symptoms. Therefore, rapid and reliable PCR detection of the most frequent porcine picornaviruses is of interest. A real-time RT-PCR protocol employing LightCycler technology to detect all known serotypes of the three porcine enterovirus (PEV) cytopathic effect (CPE) groups was established. It uses three sets of primer pairs and group-specific hybridisation probes. The primer pairs were designed to amplify highly conserved sequences of the 5'-non-translated region (5'-NTR) of the relevant virus species. The one-step real-time PCR based on the LightCycler technology is more rapid and less contamination-prone than the nested RT-PCR and allows the precise quantitation of the virus load in the tested specimens. All acknowledged serotypes of the three PEV CPE groups and all tested field strains isolated from clinical specimens were detectable. Viruses of the PEV CPE group III can be distinguished from the closely related swine vesicular disease virus (SVDV).

5' Untranslated Regions↗
PubMed2002

Physiological, biochemical and morphological studies of Baltic salmon yolk-sac fry with an experimental thiamine deficiency: relations to the M74 syndrome.

Sea-run Baltic salmon (Salmo salar) populations are suffering from the M74 syndrome, a reproduction disorder affecting both broodfish and their progeny. The syndrome is usually manifested during the middle part of the yolk-sac fry stage and has been shown to be associated with a thiamine (vitamin B(1)) deficiency. Development of the disease is reversible by thiamine treatments of broodfish or progeny. This study aimed at investigating the ability of the thiamine antagonist pyrithiamine, administered by microinjections 3 days after hatch, to cause M74-like signs i.e. typical clinical symptoms, high mortality rates and histopathological changes. Furthermore, the effects of pyrithiamine on hepatic activities of the thiamine-dependent enzyme transketolase (TK), the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) and the cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) were evaluated. Six family groups with differing thiamine status were sampled on three occasions during the yolk-sac fry stage. All pyrithiamine exposed groups, with the exception of the one with the highest thiamine concentration, showed M74-like symptoms and suffered from high mortality. Enzyme activities were not different in pyrithiamine groups as compared with controls. However, the TK-activities were strongly associated with the thiamine concentrations. The G6PDH-activity demonstrated small variations with the highest activities in the M74-groups. The [TK]/[G6PDH]-ratios were considerably lower in the M74-groups than in the healthy controls, indicating an imbalance between the oxidative and the non-oxidative part of the pentose-phosphate shunt due to a deficit in thiamine. The pyrithiamine-injections induced several M74-like symptoms including incoordination, lethargy, whitened liver and yolk-sac precipitates. They also caused high mortality rates, in addition to lowered glycogen levels and increased prevalence of necrotic brain cells. Moreover, the study demonstrates that the TK, G6PDH and CYP1A-activities are associated with the thiamine content.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

The production system and disease incidence in a national random longitudinal study of Swiss dairy herds.

A prospective longitudinal observational study based on a stratified random sample of 113 Swiss dairy farms was conducted between April 1993 and July 1994 with the following objectives: (i) to provide statistically valid estimates of disease frequency in the Swiss dairy cow population, and (ii) to evaluate the feasibility and quality of an intensive farm-based data recording system. During the 15-month study period, farmers were asked to record every health and management event related to their cattle herd. This information was mailed back to the study centre at fortnightly intervals. Additionally, farms were visited regularly to verify received data and to discuss specific problems. During these farm visits, management data were recorded using questionnaires. A complete data set of individual animal events with a total observation time of about 1740 cow-years and 275 calf-years was collected and disease-incidence measures were calculated. The most frequent events were reproductive disorders and udder diseases, followed by lameness and metabolic disorders. Experience with the data collection technique used in this study suggests that a farm-based system is effective and reliable, as long as good contact with the farmers is maintained, and incentives to stimulate their motivation are provided.

Animal Husbandry↗
PubMed2002

Differential xenoestrogen-sulfating activities of the human cytosolic sulfotransferases: molecular cloning, expression, and purification of human SULT2B1a and SULT2B1b sulfotransferases.

Environmental xenoestrogens have been implicated in human reproductive disorders and an increased incidence of breast cancer. Sulfation, a Phase II detoxification mechanism involving the cytosolic sulfotransferases (STs), may be an important mechanism in vivo for fending off these compounds. In this study, we report on the molecular cloning, expression, and purification of two human cytosolic STs, SULT2B1a and SULT2b1b. The activities of these two enzymes, as well as the other eight known human cytosolic STs previously prepared, toward representative environmental xenoestrogens were examined. Activity data showed that P-form (SULT1A1) PST displayed the highest activity toward these compounds, while SULT1C ST #2 also showed considerable activity, indicating that these enzymes may play a more important role in detoxification of environmental xenoestrogens. SULT1C ST #1, SULT2B1a ST, SULT2B1b ST and NST showed negligible or undetectable activity toward these compounds. The other four enzymes, M-form (SULT1A3) PST, SULT1B2 ST, SULT2A1 ST and SULT1E ST showed intermediate levels of activity toward some of these compounds. Kinetic studies on the sulfation of xenoestrogens by P-form (SULT1A1) PST were performed. The results are interpreted in the context of the endocrine-disrupting nature of these xenoestrogens.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed1997

Plasma luteinizing hormone levels in response to gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist and clonidine in Trypanosoma congolense-infected female goats.

Trypanosomiasis, a parasitic disease of humans and animals, occurs over a wide area of Africa and imposes a large socioeconomic burden on the people. In the present study, we investigated whether trypanosomiasis-induced reproductive disorders were due to pituitary or hypothalamic dysfunction by determining plasma luteinizing hormone (LH) response to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist or clonidine in Trypanosoma congolense-infected female goats. With GnRH agonist administration, the total amount of LH secreted over a 140-min sampling period on day 23 and day 60 postinfection was consistently higher (71 and 21%, respectively) in infected goats compared to controls. In contrast, clonidine administration to infected goats on day 28 and day 69 postinfection failed to significantly alter the LH pulse frequency or the mean LH pulse amplitude over a 80-min sampling period. The results, especially the lack of response to clonidine, indicate that trypanosomiasis impairs GnRH release from the hypothalamus.

Activity Cycles↗
PubMed1995

Epidemiology of bovine viral diarrhea virus.

Prevalence studies around the world show that BVDV is widespread in most cattle raising countries. There are significant differences, however, in prevalence between areas, probably the result of differences in cattle population structure and management practice. Direct contact with PI animals is probably the most important method of transmission of infection; however, field studies have shown that some limited spread of infection also occurs in the absence of PI animals. This may be due to contact with acutely infected animals or contact with other species infected with BVDV. Different ways of indirect transmission such as contaminated needles and equipment have been proven experimentally, and indirect transmission is considered to have some importance. If a PI animal is introduced directly into a dairy herd, most animals will be infected within a few months. On many occasions, however, a herd gets infected by other means than direct introduction of PI animals. In these cases, the infection is often spread to only a few animals after which the infections stops. The infection is then reinforced when PI animals are born. Slow and hence prolonged spread of infection in herds without PI animals also has been described, but the mechanism is not fully understood. Family lines of PI animals delivering PI calves are fairly common and can cause the infection to continue for several years. The clinical manifestations, acute BVDV, reproductive disorders, birth of malformed, weak and undersized calves, unthrifty PI animals, and mucosal disease often appear within certain periods. Large variation, however, can occur between herd outbreaks due to variation in virulence of the BVDV strain, housing of the cattle, and variation in transmission patterns. The extensive transmission of infection from PI animals makes different surveillance methods possible. Thus testing of a screening sample of a few young stock of antibodies and determination of antibody titer in bulk milk will often give good indication of presence of PI animals in herds not using BVDV vaccines. In herds using killed vaccine, determination of antibody titers among few young stock can show the presence of PI animals. The high incidence of infection combined with all the different damages that are seen after BVDV infection cause huge economical losses, which on a national level in the UK and Denmark (i.e., areas with widespread occurrence of infection) has been calculated as between 7 and 27 million pounds (between $11 and $42 million) per million calvings. Epidemiologic studies are important as a basis for selection of control strategy. Because of the variation in epidemiology between geographic areas, evaluation of a control strategy in an area preferentially should be based on epidemiologic studies in the same area.

Age Distribution↗
PubMed1993

Nutrition and mastitis.

Increasing evidence presents a relationship between nutrition and mammary resistance to infection. The role of nutrition in mammary resistance has been best defined for antioxidants. To optimize this interaction, rations should be balanced and formulated for lactational stage. Although supplementation of nutrients with antioxidant function may enhance immune resistance against infections, therapeutic roles for nutritional management of clinical mastitis, as yet, are not well documented. The need to monitor herd antioxidant status as part of a mastitis control program is critical because (1) antioxidant supplementation improves mammary resistance to infectious disease during the most critical period for enhanced resistance, the dry and early postpartum periods; and (2) dry cows and heifers often are on a marginal plane of Se supplementation, particularly during periods of risk for mastitis and reproductive disorders. In areas where forages contain less than 0.1 ppm Se (dry matter) because of low soil availability, herds should be tested for Se status and, if found to be below optimum levels, increased dietary supplementation or sustained-release Se boluses should be considered. Similarly, vitamins A (or beta-carotene) and E status should be monitored in herds, especially confined herds receiving a large proportion of ensiled forages.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed2001

Diabetes prevalence and risk factors in polycystic ovary syndrome.

Polycystic ovary syndrome is a reproductive disorder with a significant impact on fertility. It is secondarily, and perhaps for the individual primarily, a disorder with a marked increase risk for diabetes and glucose intolerance. Physicians need to be aware that women who have PCOS are at high risk for impaired glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes. In the author's opinion, they should be screened for these abnormalities. Minority women with PCOS may have higher prevalence rates of glucose intolerance, and further study of minority groups is indicated. The author's data indicate that fasting glucose levels are inadequate for such screenings. Fasting glucose levels are relatively poor predictors of type 2 diabetes as determined by glucose challenge testing in PCOS. These findings may have substantial clinical relevance. They strongly suggest that all PCOS women should be screened for glucose intolerance, and that basal and 2-hour, glucose-stimulated levels rather than fasting glucose levels alone are required for such screening. Further study is necessary to document conversion rates to worsening glucose tolerance over time, as well as the cardiovascular risk associated with glucose intolerance in PCOS.

Diabetes Mellitus↗
PubMedDate not supplied

An optimized approach for the assessment of sexual behavior in male rats.

The improvement and optimization of methods used to detect reproductive disorders in experimental animals are among the main challenges facing researchers in this field. The conventional method for testing male sexual behavior uses ovariectomized females rendered sexually receptive by injection of estradiol benzoate and progesterone prior to testing. The receptive females are then mated with exposed male rats during the dark phase of the cycle under dim red light followed by direct visual and momentary observation of the mating activity. The ovariectomized females may respond differently to hormonal injection (individual differences), leading to variations in the intensity of lordosis. Additionally, the data obtained by the direct visual and momentary evaluation of copulatory activity are very subjective and may produce inaccurate results. In the optimized method, the sexual cycles of female rats are determined, and only those in estrus are selected and mated with sexually experienced male rats. The mating activity is videotaped, enabling the correct observation and evaluation of the different components of mating behavior. This method fosters animal welfare by avoiding surgical intervention and enables the videotape to be kept as permanent documentation.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Relative binding affinity does not predict biological response to xenoestrogens in rat endometrial adenocarcinoma cells.

The possible adverse effects of the so-called environmental estrogens have raised considerable concern. Developmental, endocrine and reproductive disorders in wildlife animals have been linked to high exposure to persistent environmental chemicals with estrogen-like activity (xenoestrogens); yet, the potential impact of environmental estrogens on human health is currently under debate also due to lack of data. A battery of in vitro assays exist for identifying compounds with estrogenic activity, but only a few models are available to assess estrogenic potency in a multiparametric analysis. We have recently established the endometrial adenocarcinoma cell line RUCA-I; it enables us to compare estrogenic effects both in vitro and in vivo as these cells are estrogen responsive in vitro and grow estrogen sensitive tumors if inoculated in syngeneic animals in vivo. Here we report in vitro data concerning (a) the relative binding affinity of the selected synthetic chemicals Bisphenol A, nonylphenol, p-tert-octylphenol, and o,p-DDT to the estrogen receptor of RUCA-I cells and (b) the relative potency of these compounds in inducing increased production of complement C3, an endogenous estrogen-responsive gene. Competitive Scatchard analysis revealed that xenoestrogens bound with an at least 1000-fold lower affinity to the estrogen receptor of RUCA-I cells than estradiol itself, thereby exhibiting the following affinity ranking, estradiol>>>nonylphenol>bisphenol A approximately p-tert-octylphenol>o,p-DDT. Despite these low binding affinities, bisphenol A, nonylphenol and p-tert-octylphenol increased production of complement C3 in a dose dependent manner. Compared with estradiol, only 100-fold higher concentrations were needed for all the compounds to achieve similar levels of induction, except o,p-DDT which was by far less potent. Northern blot analyses demonstrated that the increased production of complement C3 was mediated by an increased transcription. In summary, cultured RUCA-I cells represent a valuable endometrial derived model system to assess the relative potencies and the molecular mode of action of environmental estrogens in vitro. Our results further show that no intimate correlation exists between the relative binding affinity and the biological response of these compounds. Therefore, data obtained from single-parametric analyses may result in misleading conclusions. On the other hand, the presented in vitro data will provide us with tools to study the activity of xenoestrogens in vivo and thus carry risk assessment one step further.

Adenocarcinoma↗