Scent marking and the maintenance of dominant/subordinate status in male golden hamsters

Since it is thought that flank marking communicates dominance status, experiments were designed to look at changes in aggression and flank marking behaviors in pairs of male hamsters with intact flank glands (Experiment One) or when one (Experiment Two) or both (Experiment Three) members of a pair had their flank glands surgically removed. In Experiment One the dominant members of twelve pairs of hamsters had a mean daily frequency of flank marks that was over two-fold greater than their subordinate partners, F(1,11) = 17.59, p less than 0.001. Over the course of five consecutive daily tests there was a significant decrease in the aggression index of both the dominant, t(44) = 4.49, p less than 0.01, and subordinate, t(44) = 3.33, p less than 0.01, hamsters. Accompanying the decrease in aggression was a significant increase in the flank marking of both dominant, t(44) = 7.8, p less than 0.01, and subordinate, t(44) = 3.59, p less than 0.01, hamsters. In Experiment Two, six out of eleven flank glandectomized hamsters were dominant over their sham operated partners while the remaining five were subordinate. Unlike Experiment One there was no significant difference in the flank marking between dominant and subordinate hamsters, in fact, in seven pairs the subordinate hamsters flank marked more than their dominant partners. In Experiment Three both hamsters had their flank glands removed, and as in Experiment Two, there was no significant difference in flank marking between dominant and subordinate hamsters, neither was there any significant change in their aggression and flank marking behaviors over the course of the five test periods.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Studies on the origin of redox enzymes in seminal plasma and their relationship with results of in-vitro fertilization

Glutathione (GSH), GSH peroxidase (GPX), GSH reductase (GRD), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase-like enzyme activity were quantified in seminal plasma from normozoospermic patients, men with known distal ductal occlusion, proven fathers and male partners of couples receiving in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment for both male and female causes. Glutathione was non-detectable (< 2.5 microM) in seminal plasma. None of the enzyme activities per unit volume were lower in semen from vasectomized men, suggesting that they did not originate substantially from the testis or epididymis. The strongest relationships between enzyme activities and accessory gland markers were between zinc and GRD (r = 0.678), SOD (r = 0.602) and GPX (r = 0.548), suggesting a largely prostatic origin of these enzymes. Only weak relationships between accessory gland markers and catalase-like activity suggested a multi-glandular source of this enzyme. There was no relationship between the activity of any of the enzymes in the IVF patients with their fertilization rates in vitro or the establishment of pregnancy after IVF. Nor was there any correlation of enzyme activity with the morphology and percentage of motile spermatozoa in semen or with the percentage motility of spermatozoa immediately after swim-up or after overnight incubation. These findings suggest that the protective enzymes in the seminal plasma are contributed largely by the prostate and little by the epididymis, and that in most cases of IVF, they have no major influence on the outcome.      

Acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia in children treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia with an intensive regimen including teniposide.

Some cases of conversion from acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) to acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia (ANLL) at relapse have been reported recently. We report three cases initially diagnosed as having ALL and showing morphological, cytochemical, and immunophenotypic features of ANLL at relapse (lineage switch). Conversion was observed among 14 patients who developed bone marrow relapse while undergoing intensive treatment with our ALL protocol, which includes teniposide, and that had been administered to 62 patients. The three cases converted at first relapse, with a mean time of 20 months (13-29 months). Clinical and immunologic characteristics of T-cell leukemia were present in one patient. Changes documented in cytogenetic studies are discussed. The underlying mechanisms for the lineage switch remain unclear as does its relation with mixed lineage leukemias, but we believe that drugs employed in our therapy protocol could have had an influence on this conversion.     

Differential diagnosis and clinical assessment of patients with severe Alzheimer disease

Alzheimer disease (AD) is a progressive degenerative disease that manifests as gradual deterioration in memory and cognition, behavior, and the ability to perform activities of daily living. Accurate diagnosis and continued evaluation of these aspects of AD can help guide therapy for patients in the late stage of the disease. Assessment tools specific for patients with severe AD are available for use in clinical studies.