Biomedical subjects

R L Collins

Publications and source records attributed to R L Collins.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1992

The effects of early experience on callosal development and functional lateralization in pigmented BALB/c mice.

A proportion of animals of the BALB/c inbred mouse strain have an unusually small (sometimes absent) midsagittal area of the corpus callosum (CC). In this study, we used a large sample of both males and females (total n = 198) from a pigmented congenic BALB/c line to investigate the relations among preweaning handling, area of CC, and direction and degree of lateralization as measured by Collins' paw preference task. Twenty litters were handled daily from the day after birth until day 25 (weaning) according to Denenberg's procedure and 18 litters were left undisturbed until weaning. All animals were tested for degree and direction of paw preference in a modification of Collins' apparatus at about 60 days and measures taken on CNS structures at 100 days of age. There were no handling or sex effects on degree or direction of paw preference or on the extent of CC defects, but for animals in the normal range (CC > or = 0.7 mm2), those which had been handled had significantly smaller callosa. No significant differences were detected between right and left hemisphere weights, and these measures did not appear to be related to the behavioural measures. There was no significant correlation between CC area and degree of paw preference nor was there any relationship between total agenesis and degree of handedness. This last result is particularly interesting in light of recent evidence that ILn/J mice, all acallosal, are exclusively ambilateral.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Confirmation of the influence of a chromosome 7 locus on susceptibility to audiogenic seizures.

Mouse strain differences in susceptibility to audiogenic seizures (AGS) are due to allelic differences at multiple genetic loci. Three loci that influence susceptibility to AGS have been mapped on Chromosomes (Chr) 12, 4, and 7 (Asp-1, Asp-2, and Asp-3, respectively). Here we report evidence that confirms linkage of Asp-3 to c on Chr 7 and parental effects on AGS susceptibility, but not genomic imprinting of Asp-3.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

PubMed1992

Improvement in pulmonary function following smoking cessation.

This study investigated improvement in pulmonary function following smoking cessation. It employed three indices of lung function that are sensitive to improvement following smoking cessation and that can be easily assessed within a clinical setting: maximum mid-expiratory flow (MMF), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), and forced vital capacity (FVC). Smoking status was verified by saliva thiocyanate analysis. Significant improvement in MMF was evident after 3 months of cessation and was maintained at the 6-month follow-up. This study demonstrates that significant improvement in at least one parameter of lung function occurs within the time span typically used in smoking cessation programs.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

Psychological aspects of donor insemination: evaluation and follow-up of recipient couples.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the utility of psychological screening for couples entering a donor insemination program. DESIGN: Each spouse completed questionnaires. A psychologist reviewed them and rated the psychological fitness of the couple for participation in the program. Follow-up questionnaires were sent to each couple at a mean of 11 months after entry into the program. SETTING: Applicants for donor insemination were studied in an infertility program in a large, tertiary referral center. PATIENTS, PARTICIPANTS: Consecutive applicants to enter the donor insemination program were required to participate in the initial evaluation. INTERVENTIONS: Couples judged by the psychologist to be at risk for a poor psychological outcome had an assessment and counseling interview with the psychologist before proceeding with insemination. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Initially, the Stress and Infertility Questionnaire measured specific anxieties related to donor insemination, marital and sexual impact, and attitudes about confidentiality; the Brief Symptom Inventory measured psychological distress; and the Dyadic Adjustment Inventory assessed marital satisfaction. At follow-up, 48% of couples returned a modified version of the Stress and Infertility Questionnaire and the other two questionnaires. RESULTS: The psychologist's rating was predictive of pregnancy rates (59% for excellent candidates, 41% for acceptable couples, and 14% for couples psychologically at risk). At-risk couples were more likely to drop out of the program (50% versus only 20% of other couples). Sexual problems were reported by 59% of women and 53% of men. Couples believed that a child should not be told of the donor insemination (74% of wives and 80% of husbands). Initially, 64% of wives and 70% of husbands chose total secrecy with families or friends, and these attitudes shifted little over time. CONCLUSION: This screening procedure is cost-effective and suggests that psychological intervention should be attempted with at-risk couples.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

The personality and motivation of semen donors: a comparison with oocyte donors.

Seventeen consecutively recruited candidates for semen donation were evaluated by a psychologist with testing and a structured interview. Most men (71%) were motivated by financial compensation. Only 29% would donate semen if records were open to potential offspring. Fifty-nine per cent of the men were rated as excellent candidates from a psychological perspective and 35% were rated as acceptable with slight reservations. One was excluded as a donor. Psychological testing revealed mildly abnormal subscale scores for 35% of donors. Forty-seven per cent had histories of minor depressive or anxiety episodes and 35% had had periods of heavy alcohol use. Compared to oocyte donors at the same institution, the men were less altruistic, more affluent, and more likely to have abused alcohol. Women had more traumatic family and reproductive histories. Psychological evaluation can be a valuable tool in gamete donor selection.

Confidentiality↗

PubMed1992

The Temptation and Restraint Inventory for measuring drinking restraint.

In the present study, the measurement of drinking restraint was broadened by developing new items that better characterized its cognitive nature as well as by testing a factor structure which represents restraint as including both the regulation and the failure to regulate alcohol intake. A previously observed (Collins, George & Lapp, 1989) three-component structure of the Restrained Drinking Scale (RDS; Ruderman & McKirnan, 1984) was confirmed. In addition, two factors were extracted from the new set of cognitive items, which when combined with the RDS clusters formed a new measure of drinking restraint, the Temptation and Restraint Inventory (TRI). The factor structure of the TRI matched the conceptualization of drinking restraint as involving successful and unsuccessful regulation of alcohol intake, and differentially predicted self-reported weekly consumption and alcohol-related problems.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

Outcome of laparoscopic versus traditional surgery for ectopic pregnancies.

OBJECTIVE: To compare pregnancy rates after three surgical procedures for ectopic pregnancy (EP) over a 9-year period for normal and infertility patients. DESIGN: In a retrospective analysis, we examined crude pregnancy rates and life-table analysis of cumulative pregnancy rates. A proportional hazard regression model was used to examine relative risk of type of surgery and fertility rates. PATIENTS, PARTICIPANTS: One hundred twenty-six cases of EPs were reviewed at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, a tertiary institution. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Comparisons of rates of viable term deliveries were calculated between three types of surgery and were stratified according to the status of infertility. Confidence intervals for relative risk of surgery and fertility status on future pregnancy were calculated. RESULTS: No difference in pregnancy rates was observed after the three procedures (P = 0.08). Normals had a significantly higher (4 times higher) pregnancy rate than infertility patients, independent of surgical procedure. CONCLUSION: Successful pregnancy after EP is related to history of infertility rather than type of surgery to treat ectopic event. More randomized study is needed to examine laparoscopic salpingostomy, especially in patients with other infertility problems.

Delivery, Obstetric↗

PubMed1991

Weak or missing paw lateralization in a mouse strain (I/LnJ) with congenital absence of the corpus callosum.

Ward et al. (Brain Research 424 (1987) 84-88) have reported that reduced size of the corpus callosum (CC) was associated with a lower degree of paw preference in the mouse strain 129/J but not in the strain BALB/cCF. Both strains show individually different degrees of development of the CC but mice completely lacking CC occur rarely. The mouse strain I/LnJ shows complete agenesis of the CC. Thus, we have compared the degree of paw lateralization by means of a food reaching task in two samples of I/LnJ mice (n1 = 81, n2 = 93) with that of two common mouse strains which show a normal CC (C57BL/6JIbm, n = 44; DBA/2JZur, n = 48). The two samples of I/LnJ mice were tested in different laboratories. The first sample of I/LnJ mice had a mean age of 36 weeks. As compared to the control mice, the males but not the females showed a significantly reduced degree of paw preference. Both, callosal and acallosal mice showed a preference for left choices. The replication sample of I/LnJ mice contained only animals between 6 and 8 weeks old. All of them were ambilateral. There was no side preference and no gender difference. We conclude that congenital absence of the CC is a factor which may substantially interfere with the development of paw lateralization. However, depending on age and gender, about half of the acallosal mice develop a paw preference.

Agenesis of Corpus Callosum↗

PubMed1991

Reimpressed selective breeding for lateralization of handedness in mice.

Eleven generations of bidirectional selection for lateralization produced 2 lines of mice that differ markedly in degree of asymmetry for hand preference. The foundation population was derived from 6 distantly related inbred strains and 2 stocks of wild mice, M. castaneus. HI line matings were made using mice that exhibited consistent right or left paw use in a food reaching task and LO line matings were made using mice with little overall paw preference. All matings were made without regard to the expressed directions of asymmetry. Line differences emerged at the third generation and increased thereafter. Selection was relaxed at generation 12 and the lines were maintained by random within-line mating. At generation 28 selective breeding was reimpressed for 3 generations. Results indicated that between-line divergence in degree of lateralization had remained high during 17 generations of relaxed selection. Mice of the HI line are more strongly lateralized than mice of the unselected HET population. Mice of the LO line are more weakly lateralized than controls. The selected lines may provide a useful mammalian genetic resource for studying the neurobiology of cerebral lateralization.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Genetic dissection of susceptibility to audiogenic seizures in inbred mice.

Mice of some inbred strains, such as 21-day-old DBA/2J mice, have generalized convulsions when exposed to intense auditory stimulation. Analysis of susceptibility to audiogenic seizures in BXD recombinant inbred strains has demonstrated the influence of at least three loci. One locus, Asp-1, is located on chromosome 12 between Ah and D12Nyu1; another locus, Asp-2, is on chromosome 4, tightly linked to b. Here we report evidence that Asp-2 is located within an 8-centimorgan segment distal to b and that Asp-3 is linked to Mtv-1 on chromosome 7. We also present evidence that these three loci account for most of the heritable variation in susceptibility to audiogenic seizures in crosses of DBA/2J and C57BL/6J mice and that susceptibility to audiogenic seizures is influenced by genomic imprinting. Thus, genomic imprinting may complicate linkage and mapping studies and should be considered in analyses of complex modes of inheritance.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Use of collagen film as a dural substitute: preliminary animal studies.

Cadaver grafts, laminated metallic materials, and synthetic fabrics have been evaluated as dural substitutes. Use of cadaver tissues is limited by fear of transmission of infectious disease while use of synthetic materials is associated with implant encapsulation and foreign body reactions. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the use of collagen film as a dural substitute. Collagen films prepared from bovine skin were used to replace the dura of rabbits and histological observations were made at 16, 28, 42, and 56 days postimplantation. Controls consisted of dura that was removed and then reattached. Control dura showed no signs of inflammation or adhesion to underlying tissue at 16 and 28 days postimplantation. By 56 days postimplantation, extensive connective tissue deposition was observed in close proximity to adjacent bone as well as pia arachnoid adhesions. Implanted collagen film behaved in a similar manner to control dura showing minimal inflammatory response at all time periods. At 56 days postimplantation collagen film appeared strongly infiltrated by connective tissue cells that deposited new collagen. The results of this study suggest that a reconstituted type I collagen film crosslinked with cyanamide acts as a temporary barrier preventing loss of fluid and adhesion formation. It is replaced after approximately 2 months with host collagen with limited inflammatory and fibrotic complications. Further studies are needed to completely characterize the new connective tissue formed as well as long-term biocompatibility and functioning of a reconstituted collagen dural substitute.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Methodological note: corroboration of self-reported smoking status using significant other reports.

Significant other reports (SORs) are commonly used in smoking cessation studies to verify self-reports of smoking status. This report focuses on factors related to the smoker and significant other, which can affect self-reported classification of smoking status when using SORs. Data used in this analysis were collected from a cohort of 107 smokers who participated in a smoking cessation program. Participants were contacted at 1, 3, and 6 months after quitting to obtain self-reports of smoking status. SORs also were obtained at each assessment period. The highest discrepancy rate between self-report and SOR was observed among slippers, followed by relapsers, and abstainers, respectively. In addition, corroboration of smoking status was influenced by the social context in which the significant other was likely to see the smoker.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Psychological follow-up of women evaluated as oocyte donors.

Forty-five women were evaluated as candidates to donate oocytes to an infertile couple. Twenty-four women completed a cycle as oocyte donors. Follow-up data on donor satisfaction were obtained for 23 women. Ninety-one per cent were moderately to extremely satisfied with the experience and 74% would donate for another cycle if given the chance. Transient adverse psychological symptoms were reported by two donors but were resolved with medical or psychological treatment. Two women became pregnant soon after donation, one unintentionally. Psychological risk factors predicted donor candidates' decisions to participate and their compliance but were not predictive (within the group that completed a cycle) of donor satisfaction as follow-up or recipient pregnancy.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Establishment of an oocyte donor program. Donor screening and selection.

IVF with donated oocytes, followed by embryo placement in the uterus of a recipient who has been primed with exogenous steroids, is a successful treatment for special cases of infertility. Preliminary results indicate that the success rate in this situation is even greater than that usually seen with normal IVF (with placement of the embryos back into the uteri of the women from whom the oocytes were recovered). Although different sources for donated oocytes have been identified, the use of "excess" oocytes from IVF cycles and the attempted collection of oocytes at the time of otherwise indicated pelvic surgery have ethical and practical problems associated with their use. We have herein described the establishment of a successful program relying on anonymous volunteers who go through ovarian stimulation, monitoring, and oocyte recovery procedures solely to donate oocytes. The potential donors go through an exhaustive screening and education process before they are accepted in the program. Psychological evaluation of our potential donors indicated a great degree of turmoil in their backgrounds and a wide variety of motivations for actually participating. Despite the extensive educational and screening process, a substantial percentage of the donors did not complete a donation cycle, having either voluntarily withdrawn or been dropped because of lack of compliance. Further investigation of the psychological aspects of participating in such a program is certainly warranted. The use of donated oocytes to alleviate specific types of infertility is quite successful, but the application of this treatment is likely to be limited by the relative unavailability of suitable oocyte donors.

Adult↗

PubMed1990

Path analysis of sex difference, forebrain commissure area and brain size in relation to degree of laterality in selectively bred mice.

Male and female mice from HI and LO lines selectively bred by Collins for strength of lateralization were tested for paw preference and then studied histologically to assess size of forebrain commissures and myelination of the corpus callosum. When compared to LO line mice, HI line mice were more strongly lateralized for paw preference and had larger brains as well as greater cross-sectional areas of the anterior commissure and corpus callosum. A substantial sex difference was found only for body size. Myelination of the corpus callosum did not differ consistently between the lines or sexes. Path analysis indicated that the line difference in the anterior commissure was a consequence of the difference in brain size, but corpus callosum size was actually smaller in the HI line than the LO line when brain size was taken into account. However, the size of the corpus callosum relative to brain size was not related to strength of paw preference, whereas brain size relative to corpus callosum size was positively correlated with strength of paw preference. These results support the hypothesis that the large difference in brain size between the Collins HI and LO lines is an important cause of the difference in strength of behavioral lateralization.

Animals↗

PubMed1990

Strain-dependent association between immune function and paw preference in mice.

The relationship between immune function and the preferred direction of behavioral asymmetry was examined in several mouse strains. Mixed leukocyte reaction, natural killer cell activity, cytotoxic T lymphocyte response and lymphoproliferation in response to mitogens were investigated in animals with left or right paw preference. From the 7 strains and substrains examined, it appeared that differences in immune function between left and right pawed mice, when present, vary in directionality. Thus, in C3H/HeJ and 129/J, left pawed mice had higher immune responses than right pawed mice, whereas in C3H/HeNCr MTV- and BALB/cJ animals, the reverse was found. In C3H/HeNCr MTV+, C57BL/6J and Collin's heterogenous control population for the high/low asymmetry lines, no differences between animals with left or right paw preference were found. The statistical significance of these differences were not uniform for all the immune parameters studied. These data indicate that the association between immune function and preference for using the left versus right paw is a strain-dependent phenomenon and may suggest that the inconsistent evidence for an association between immune deficiency and left-handedness could be due to genetic heterogeneity among subpopulations.

Animals↗

PubMed1990

Immune function in lines of mice selected for high or low degrees of behavioral asymmetry.

Cerebral lateralization has been suggested to play a regulatory role in immune function. In this study, several measures of immune function were evaluated in mice selectively bred for either a strong (HI) or weak (LO) degree of behavioral asymmetry (paw preference) and compared to an unselected control population (HET). Both HI and LO animals had fewer spleen cells but higher degrees of [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA (on a per cell basis) than HET mice. However, only HI mice had lower immune functions compared to HET controls manifest as reduced mixed leukocyte reaction (MLR), cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity, and natural killer (NK) cell activity. These findings indicate that although both extremes in the degree of paw preference may be associated with deviations from the norm, a high degree of behavioral lateralization is associated with decreased immune responsiveness in this animal model.

Animals↗

PubMed1990

Current concepts of beta-endorphin physiology in female reproductive dysfunction.

beta-Endorphin has a role in the regulation of the normal menstrual cycle and possibly in the onset of puberty. We have reviewed the evidence pointing to an alteration in this neuropeptide that may contribute to the pathogenesis of various reproductive dysfunctions. Elevated or high levels of beta-endorphin have been associated with exercise-associated amenorrhea, stress-associated amenorrhea, and polycystic ovarian syndrome. Depressed or low levels of beta-endorphin have been associated with PMS and menopause. Alterations in the levels of beta-endorphin may change the pulsatile release of GnRH via noradrenergic and/or dopaminergic pathways. We have primarily focused on beta-endorphin as representative of the endogenous opioid peptides, but other opioid peptides may also contribute to the pathogenesis of various types of reproductive dysfunction. Perhaps it will become possible to characterize and hone our understanding of the function of beta-endorphin and the other substances composing the endogenous opioid peptides. A better understanding of their role in physiological as well as pathophysiological processes may allow for the development of rational approaches to the treatment of specific disorders pertaining to reproduction. Many questions remain unanswered. Among the most relevant are: what is the precise mechanism of action by which beta-endorphin exerts its influence on pulsatile GnRH release? Is there a functional relationship between CNS and peripheral (serum) levels of beta-endorphin? Are the detected changes in beta-endorphin levels merely associated, or are they a cause of a particular disorder? Since it took almost 40 years between the time prostaglandins were first discovered and eventual realization of their clinical application, it may take some time before the beta-endorphin story is complete.

Female↗