ABSTRACT
The teratogenic and neurologic effects of lead acetate on fetal rat development were investigated. Thirty-six female hooded rats were assigned to 4 treatment groups (0, 50, 75, and 100 mg/kg) and given daily oral doses of lead acetate. Animals were treated for 3 weeks prior to breeding and continuing throughout gestation. Rats were euthanized at day 20 of gestation. Blood sampling indicated that maternal blood lead concentrations in treated dams were maintained during gestation. Lead exposed groups had significant (at least p less than .01) maternal kidney and liver as well as fetal kidney lead content. Conceptus weight was significantly reduced in treatment groups. It was concluded that although significant amounts of lead crossed the placenta, as exemplified by fetal kidney values, no teratogenic response or reduction in fetal brain DNA content was produced in the rat.
Subject(s)
Fetus/drug effects , Lead Poisoning/physiopathology , Animals , Brain Chemistry/drug effects , DNA/analysis , Female , Kidney/analysis , Lead/adverse effects , Lead/analysis , Liver/analysis , Male , Maternal-Fetal Exchange , Pregnancy , RatsABSTRACT
Concentrations of plasma amino acids in nine patients with Huntington's chorea and nine control patients were studied while diet and drug therapy were controlled. Significantly low values for threonine, alanine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine and histidine were found in the Huntington's chorea patients. However, since different investigators have failed to establish a consistent pattern of abnormality, it is considered that the findings are probably due to non-specific factors.
Subject(s)
Amino Acids/blood , Huntington Disease/blood , Diet , Drug Administration Schedule , Female , Humans , Huntington Disease/therapy , Male , Middle AgedABSTRACT
Seven squirrel monkeys were systematically exposed to dieldrin (C12H10DC16) at two oral doses: 0.10 and 0.01 mg/kg-day. Two zero-dose controls were included. After 55 days of exposure dose assignments were shifted and continued for an additional 54 days. The higher dose group was shifted to zero exposure and lower dose group was shifted to high-dose exposure. Controls continued at zero exposure. The monkeys were presented with a visual nonspatial successive discrimination reversal task. During the first 55 days (preshift), control and low-dose monkeys learned the task; high-dose monkeys did not (p less than 0.001). During the subsequent 54 days (postshift), all groups performances remained at the approximate level achieved at the end of the preshift period. It was concluded that the high dose disrupted learning acquisition. This effect is speculated to be attributed to disruption of hippocampal activity. The low dose had no effect on task acquisition or maintenance.
Subject(s)
Dieldrin/pharmacology , Discrimination, Psychological/drug effects , Animals , Body Weight/drug effects , Dieldrin/toxicity , Discrimination Learning , Haplorhini , Male , Saimiri , Time FactorsABSTRACT
Some hitherto undetected differences in chemical and macromolecular structure between both dermatan sulphates and heparan sulphates excreted in the Hurler and Hunter syndromes are demonstrated. 1. Of Hunter dermatan sulphate, 37-43% is resistant to periodate oxidation, as opposed to 25% of the corresponding Hurler material. It is likely that the resistance is conferred by the presence of sulphate groups on carbon atoms 2 or 3 of the iduronate residues, correlating with the recently established deficiency of a sulphoiduronate sulphatase in Hunter fibroblasts. 2. Two distinct electrophoretic species of dermatan sulphate are found in Hunter urine, but only one in Hurler preparations. 3. Ion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration reveal that Hurler dermatan sulphate is more heterogeneous with respect to molecular weight distribution than the other. The dermatan sulphates were degraded by hyaluronidase to a limited extent. 4. Hurler heparan sulphate contains a higher proportion of sulphoamino-glucose than material from Hunter urine. Similar high levels in Sanfilippo patients, representing 65-78% of the total glucosamine suggest a direct correlation with mental deficiency.
Subject(s)
Glycosaminoglycans/urine , Mucopolysaccharidosis II/urine , Mucopolysaccharidosis I/urine , Child , Dermatan Sulfate/urine , Female , Galactosamine/analysis , Glucosamine/analysis , Glycosaminoglycans/analysis , Humans , Male , Sulfuric Acids/analysis , Uronic Acids/analysisABSTRACT
A light, sturdy, and inexpensive metabolism cage for use with the squirrel monkey (saimiri sciureus) is described. The design allows for efficient urine and feces separation, ease of maintenance, and little interference with individual and social behavior patterns. Standard laboratory procedures for reduction of sampling error are presented, as well as results of a pilot study using the described apparatus. The design of the cage is such that, with minor modifications, it can be utilized by other small primates.