The role of the adrenal in the rat varicocele model.

Sexually mature male Nb rats were subjected to left sided unilateral varicocele ligation. A control (sham surgery) group and experimental groups of concomitant ipsilateral adrenalectomy or delayed ipsilateral nephrectomy were constructed. Sperm motility, intratesticular testosterone concentration, testicular temperature and light microscopic histologic changes were ascertained eight weeks after the surgical procedure. Marked depression of intratesticular testosterone and sperm motility were noted in the varicocele and the varicocele plus nephrectomy groups. The varicocele plus ipsilateral adrenalectomy group showed no statistical changes in these parameters from the control (Sham) group. No significant alterations in testicular histology were noted between groups. These data tend to implicate an alteration in adrenal function or blood flow as an etiologic agent in the testicular alterations induced by the rat varicocele model.

Radiotherapy and concomitant chemoradiotherapy in the NB rat prostate adenocarcinoma model.

The NB Rat Prostate Adenocarcinoma Model has been utilized to evaluate the effect of radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and the combination of these two modalities on growth of the androgen insensitive Nb AI-3 prostate tumor. These studies have demonstrated tumor regression in animals treated with Cyclophosphamide in combination with Cisplatin (p less than 0.05). Tumor regression was also seen in the groups treated with radiation therapy at doses of 600 cGy, twice weekly, for three weeks (p less than 0.05), 500 cGy, three times weekly, for three weeks (p less than 0.05), and 300 cGy, three times weekly, for three weeks (p less than 0.05). Complete tumor regression was seen in groups receiving 500 cGy, three times per week, for three weeks, concomitantly with fractional dose Cyclophosphamide and Cisplatin (p less than 0.001). Complete tumor regression was also seen in rats treated with radiation therapy at a dose of 300 cGy three times per week for three weeks concomitantly with fractional dose Cyclophosphamide and Cisplatin (p less than 0.001). Another group treated with radiation therapy alone at a dose of 750 cGy, one time weekly, for four weeks, demonstrated progression of tumor growth. All control and treatment groups demonstrated metastatic lesions with the exception of the group receiving 600 cGy twice weekly.

Comparative Resistance of Selected Acala 1517 Cotton Cultivars to Meloidogyne incognita Race 3.

Little information is available regarding the levels of Meloidogyne incognita race 3 resistance in Acala 1517 cotton cultivars compared with cultivars grown outside the southwestern United States. Levels of M. incognita egg production were compared among commercial Acala cultivars 1517-E2, 1517-SR1, 1517-75, 1517-77BR, and SJ-5, resistant and susceptible standards Auburn 634 and M-8 and breeding lines Acala 5701-W and N6072 grown for 45 days in the greenhouse. The Acala 1517 cultivars all performed similarly, demonstrating moderate nematode resistance. Egg production on the 1517 cultivars was less than on SJ-5 and less than one-fifth that on M-8. Auburn 634 was most resistant, followed by N6072. Total egg production per plant and egg production per gram dry root were not correlated but proved to be reliable indicators of relative resistance to M. incognita.