Gender, apolipoprotein E genotype, and mesial temporal atrophy: 2-year follow-up in patients with stable mild cognitive impairment and with progression from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to examine the relationship between gender, apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype, and mesial temporal atrophy in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) with and without progression to Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: We evaluated 236 MCI patients with (n = 121) and without (n = 115) AD progression. Longitudinal MRI-based hippocampal volumes (HV) and entorhinal cortex (ERC) thickness were obtained. The Clinical Dementia Rating Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB) score was used to assess disease severity. RESULTS: We found a significant effect of APOE, gender, and clinical course (stable MCI versus MCI-AD progression) on HV. There was a significant effect of clinical course and APOE, but not gender, on ERC. Baseline HV and APOE4 status predicted MCI-AD progression in women. Baseline ERC and APOE4 status predicted MCI-AD progression in men. There were significant differences in CDR-SB scores between patients with and without MCI-AD progression, but not between males and females, or APOE4 carriers and non-carriers. CONCLUSIONS: HV, but not ERC, is strongly influenced by gender in MCI. The effects of gender and APOE4 on neuroimaging biomarkers have potentially important implications in the prediction of MCI-AD progression and should be taken into account in clinical trials.

Maternal serum metabolites during prolonged starvation in pregnant pigs.

Pregnancies in pigs were sustained during periods of prolonged starvation in spite of maternal body weight losses exceeding 40 kg. Maternal stores of protein were made available for feto-placental development during starvation of the dam. Concentrations of maternal serum proteins, urea nitrogen, electrolytes, and iron were determined in sequential blood samples of healthy Yorkshire pigs during a prolonged period of 40 days inanition (water only) in either the middle third (days 30-70) or last third (days 70-110). Serum protein levels remained similar to full-diet controls throughout these two periods, whereas serum concentrations of albumin and urea N increased primarily during the last third of gestation in starved dams. Serum Na+ levels declined during prolonged inanition while Ca2+ increased and K+ remained unchanged. It was only near term that Fe2+ levels decreased in those dams starved during a period of 40 days in the last third of pregnancy. These results indicated that maternal serum components were sustained at adequate levels to maintain normal development of conceptuses during prolonged starvation in either the middle third or last third of pregnancy in the pig.

Postnatal changes in concentrations of serum and urinary thyroxine and 3,3',5-triiodothyronine in the pig.

Urine and serum obtained from piglets at birth (0 hr), 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 and 240 hr postpartum were assayed for thyroxine (T4) and 3, 3', 5-triiodothyronine (T3) concentrations. Urine was also quantified for total iodine. Piglet body weights and hematocrits were also recorded at each sampling time. Serum T4 concentrations were higher (P < .05) at birth (0 hr) than at any other time. By 24 hr, serum T4 decreased (P < .05) to a concentration similar to that observed at 240 hours. In contrast, serum T3 concentrations were lowest (P < .01) at birth but doubled (P < .01) within 6 hours. At 12 and 24 hr, T3 concentrations were lower (P < .05) than they were at 6 hours. By 48 and 72 hr, serum T3 concentrations increased to values similar (P < .05) to those observed at 6 hr; they then decreased (P < .05) slightly by 240 hours. Urinary concentrations of T4 and T3 were lowest (P < .05) at birth and increased (P < .05) by 12 hours. Urinary T4 concentration at 72 hr decreased (P < .05) to values observed at birth (0 hr), while T3 concentrations at 72 hr remained similar to values observed at 12 hours. T4 and T3 concentrations at 72 hr remained similar to values observed at 12 hours. T4 and T3 iodine accounted for only .16 +/- .025% of the total iodine in the urine. Hematocrits (PCV percentage) decreased (P < .01) during the first 24 hour of the pigs's life. High (P < .005) linear relationships existed among serum T3, body weights and serum T4.

Serum and urine concentrations of protein, urea, sodium, and potassium during the immediate postnatal period of the suckling pig.

Serum and urine concentrations of protein, urea, Na and K were monitored between birth and 72 h in neonatal pigs. Serum protein increased (p less than 0.05) 37 mg/ml after suckling, while urinary protein temporarily increased (p less than 0.05) to 14.7 +/- 0.98 mg/ml by 12 h but declined (p less than 0.05) to birth values by 72 h. Urinary urea levels tripled (p less than 0.05) by 12 h and remained elevated. The ratio of urea of urea in the urine to that in the serum ranged from 17 to 29. Serum Na concentrations were stable (141--146 mEq/l) during the 72 h, and urinary Na levels were low (9--4 mEq/l) and decreased (p less than 0.05) by 72 h. Serum K fluctuated and was highest (p less than 0.05) at birth (6.4 +/- 0.26 mEq/l) and lowest by 72 h (4.4 +/- 0.26 mEq/l). Levels of K excreted in the urine were high (20.0--7.6 mEq/l) compared to blood levels. Colostral concentrations of Na were low (81--73 +/- 3.8 mEq/l) while K levels were high (24.3--28.8 +/- 1.39 mEq/l) compared to piglet serum levels.

Distribution and development of embryos in the pig.

The distribution and development of pig embryos were determined in relation to the number of embryos and their positions within the uterine horn between Days 14 and 34 after mating. The observed distribution of 1-11 embryos within a uterine horn was highly correlated (r = 0-96) with the theoretical expected distribution. Embryo spacing was uniform regardless of the number of embryos within the horn. Nitrogen content of the embryo in relation to its position within the uterine horn indicated that development was similar for embryos located at the utero-tubal end or cervical end and comparable to those located in the middle portion of the horm. Placental development, as indicated by nitrogen content, was similar regardless of location within the horn.

Histological structure of the thyroid gland in the neonatal pig.

The histological structure of the thyroid glands from 115 piglets that were stillborn or slaughtered at 0, 6, 12, 24, 48 or 72 h of age were examined. Thyroid follicle diameter decreased (p < 0.05) after birth and then increased (p < 0.05) through 72 h. Thyroid glands from stillborn piglets contained follicles whose diameters were similar to those oberved in 72-hour piglets. Thyroid follicles at all stages of development contained colloid and were surrounded by mainly cuboidal-columnar epithelium.

Postnatal development of cardiac distribution in the pig.

Distribution of cardiac output was measured in 0- and 12-hour-old piglets using 103Ruthenium-labelled microspheres, 15 +/- 3 micrometer in diameter. The 12-hour-old piglets had remained with the sow and had suckled. Coronary and bronchial fractions of cardiac output were high in piglets at birth. The coronary fraction remained high at 12 h but the bronchial fraction decreased significantly (p less than 0.05). Percent cardiac output to the liver and upper gastrointestinal tract, pancreas and salivery gland in 12-hour-old piglets was significantly increased (p less than 0.01) by 138, 156, 85 and 109%, respectively, compared with piglets at birth. Preferential blood flow occurred to the lungs, adrenals, heart, thyroid and spleen at 0 h and to the adrenals, thyroid, heart, lungs and diaphragm at 12 h.

Uterine and fetal growth following unilateral hysterectomy-ovariectomy in ewes.

The left uterine horn and ovary (UHOX; n = 25) or just the left ovary (UOX; n = 18) were excised from mature ewes to investigate growth capabilities of the uterus and uterine capacity effects on fetal growth in sheep. The remaining right uterine horns were excised from 5 UHOX ewes on day 13 of the second successive estrous cycle following initial surgery and were compared to 11 left uterine horns previously obtained from UHOX ewes during the midluteal phase of the estrous cycle. Uterine and endometrial content of DNA, RNA, protein, and number of myometrial nuclei indicated that removal of the left uterine horns resulted in hypertrophy of the right uterine horns. The conception rate of the remaining 20 UHOX ewes was lower than of the 18 UOX ewes. However, at 140 days of gestation, there appeared to be no uterine capacity effects on fetal growth.