Effect of three pFSH doses on superovulation and embryo quality in goats during two breeding seasons in north-eastern mexico.

The aim of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of three pFSH doses (80 mg; 145 mg and 215 mg) on ovarian response and on quantity and quality of transferable embryos of goats during the breeding and the non-breeding seasons. Ovary structures were exposed (laparatomy under general anaesthesia) and numbers of follicles and corpora lutea were registered. Surgical embryo flushing was conducted to count and classify embryos. There were more follicles (3.4 ± 1.1) in does administered 80 mg of pFSH (p < 0.05) than in goats administered 145 mg of pFSH (2.2 ± 1.1) and 215 mg of pFSH (0.9 ± 0.6). Numbers of corpora lutea, blastocysts, and recovered and transferable embryos of goats administered 145 mg pFSH (13.4 ± 3.7, 2.42 ± 1.0, 3.4 ± 1.2 and 3.2 ± 1.1, respectively) and those of goats administered 215 mg pFSH (11.6 ± 2.6, 3.2 ± 0.9, 5.7 ± 1.5, and 5.6 ± 1.5) were greater (p < 0.05) than values obtained from goats administered 80 mg pFSH (4.0 ± 1.5, 0.5 ± 0.3, 1.0 ± 0.5, and 0.8 ± 0.5). Numbers of morula of does administered 80 and 145 mg pFSH (0.4 ± 0.4 and 0.8 ± 0.3) were lower (p < 0.05) than those obtained from animals treated with 215 mg pFSH (2.4 ± 0.9). There was no effect of season upon the analyzed variables. In conclusion, under the prevalent conditions in north-eastern Mexico, administration of 145 or 215 mg pFSH in a decreasing dose schedule over 3.5 days to bred goats provided a satisfactory superovulatory result.

Time course of cardiac performance in hypertensive patients after verapamil assessed by nuclear ventriculography.

The effects of oral verapamil monotherapy (320 mg/day) given to a group of essential hypertensive patients (n = 16) on blood pressure, electrocardiogram (ECG) and ventricular function measured by means of nuclear ventriculography (NV) were investigated. Verapamil significantly lowered systolic (SP) (p less than 0.001) and diastolic (DP) (p less than 0.001) blood pressure. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and ejection rate (LVER) were reduced from 61.61 +/- 6.34 to 54.16 +/- 6.09% (p less than 0.001) and from 255.6 +/- 58.9 to 217.4 +/- 56.03% (p less than 0.02), respectively. On the other hand, in the right ventricle, the drug only reduced the right ventricular filling rate (RVFR) from 225.2 +/- 60.02 to 167.5 +/- 43.7% (p less than 0.05). Total blood volume (TBV) was also significantly diminished (p less than 0.05). Variations in LVEF (delta LVEF) and RVEF (delta RVEF) correlated with variations in blood pressures and TVB (delta TVB). The results indicate that the hypotensive action mechanism of verapamil could be explained at least in part by a reduction in LVEF and systemic vasodilatation.

Relationships between verapamil plasma concentrations and its antihypertensive action.

Twenty-seven hypertensive outpatients were studied to evaluate the efficacy of verapamil after a single oral dose as well as following a short-term treatment and also in combination with oxprenolol. Blood pressure was significantly reduced (p 0.01) after verapamil monotherapy and the combined treatment. PR interval was lengthened from 30 min to 4 h during acute testing, and also after short-term treatment. QT was only prolonged after the verapamil monotherapy. Systolic time intervals (STIs) were not modified, except left ventricular ejection time (LVETc). Direct correlations were found among verapamil plasma concentrations and changes provoked on blood pressure and PR interval. The mean side effects found were disturbance of atrioventricular conduction in two patients without ulterior complications. The results suggest that verapamil monotherapy or in combination with oxprenolol could be useful in the treatment of essential hypertension.