Magnetic resonance imaging findings in schizophrenia and atypical psychoses.

The differences among MRI findings were studied in schizophrenic psychoses. The schizophrenics and atypical psychotics had significant reductions in bilateral hippocampal volumes compared to controls, but the two patient groups did not differ from each other. As for ventricle volume, the schizophrenics showed significantly larger temporal horns and third ventricle than normal controls, whereas atypical psychotics did not. Moreover, the left temporal horn in the schizophrenics was significantly larger than that seen in the atypical psychotics. By cluster analysis, schizophrenics and atypical psychotics were found to have a tendency to be distributed in different groups. These results might be considered to support the classification of schizophrenic psychoses into schizophrenia and atypical psychoses.

Male fertility in rats treated with etretinate for 4 weeks.

The toxicity of Etretinate, a retinoid compound, on the male reproductive system was studied in male rats. The drug was administered for four weeks at the dose levels of 0 (control: Vehicle, Peanut oil), 5 and 25 mg/kg/day. The animals were then allowed to mate, and their male reproductive functions and organs were examined in detail. No significant changes due to toxicity were observed in male reproductive functions and organs in the 5 mg/kg/day group after the 4-week treatment. In contrast, males in the 25 mg/kg/day group showed drug-related changes in their reproductive performance (decrease of mating ability and fertility rate), testosterone blood level, sperm head counts, sperm viability and number in the caudal epididymis, organ weight and in the histopathology of their reproductive organs (atrophy of seminiferous tubules, necrosis of spermatocytes and spermatids, vacuolation of nuclei of spermatocytes and spermatids). Even though Etretinate belong to the retinoid group of compounds, the changes seen in the 25 mg/kg/day group were almost the same as those observed in Vitamin A-deficient animals. In conclusion, there is a correlation between changes due to toxicity observed for parameters of male fertility and for histopathological evaluation of the testis of rats that receiving high dose, treatment with Etretinate for 4 weeks.

Effect of etretinate (aromatic retinoid) treatment during gestation and lactation periods on viability and somatic growth in F1 rats.

When female SD rats were continuously treated with Etretinate throughout pre-mating, gestation, and lactation periods, the resulting F1 pups exhibited low viability and inhibition of somatic growth after birth (Hummler et al., 1981). Nevertheless, these pups showed no notable change in body weight and external appearance at birth. We used the cross-fostering (between control and treated groups) method and investigate the neonatal viability and the growth hormonal changes in order to assess which treatment period of gestation or lactation was mainly involved in these effects and what changes were actually induced in the F1 pups. The results showed that low viability and inhibition of somatic growth after birth were mainly related to treatment during the gestation period, and these effects were augmented by treatment during the lactation period. Serum GH and IGF-I levels were increased on day 21 in F1 pups groups in which inhibition of somatic growth was observed. These results indicated that treatment with Etretinate during the gestation period might induce a decrease in the number of receptors of GH and IGF-I or other changes, such as a poor-response in target tissues due to a down-regulation, with an increase of serum GH and IGF-I levels.

Developmental changes in mouse placental cells from several stages of pregnancy in vivo and in vitro.

Developmental changes in mouse placentae from the 6th to the 18th day of pregnancy were studied in vivo and in vitro. Placental volume increased from the 6th to the 18th day of pregnancy; however, the total number of cells per placenta reached a plateau on the 14th day. Decidual cells were predominant in the placenta on the 6th day. Placentae obtained from the 10th to the 18th day contained decidual cells, trophoblastic (labyrinth and spongiotrophoblast) cells, and trophoblast giant cells. Decidual cells increased in number from the 6th to the 10th but decreased on the 14th day, whereas trophoblastic cells increased linearly until the 14th day. Two types of placental cells were distinguished in vitro: small fibroblast-like cells and large flattened cells containing 2-3 nuclei. The large cells reacted to anti-desmin antibody, indicating their decidual character. The small cells reacting to anti-keratin antibody appeared to be trophoblastic cells. Decidual cells from all days of gestation were nonproliferative, regressing with time in culture. 17 beta-Estradiol (E, 10(-9) and 10(-8) M), progesterone (P, 10(-10), 10(-9), and 10(-8) M), and a combination of E and P (10(-9) M each) stimulated proliferation of the trophoblastic cells only from the 6th and the 10th days. Keoxifene (2 x 10(-7) M), but not tamoxifen, significantly inhibited the E-induced proliferation of the trophoblastic cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)