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T Wise

Publications and source records attributed to T Wise.

46 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Effects of neonatal sexual differentiation, growth hormone and testosterone on thymic weights and thymosin-beta 4 in hypophysectomized rats.

Experiments were conducted to analyze the effects of growth hormone and testosterone in conjunction with the effects of neonatal sexual differentiation (via castration of males at days 2 or 11 of age and androgenization of females at day 3 of age) on thymic weight and thymosin-beta 4 concentrations in hypophysectomized rats (day 30 of age). Ten days post-hypophysectomy, hormonal treatments were initiated on males, male castrates, females, and androgenized females. Growth hormone (25 micrograms daily), testosterone propionate (100 micrograms/day), and the combination of the two hormonal treatments were administered for seven days, then thymic weights and blood samples were collected. Administration of growth hormone to hypophysectomized rats increased thymosin-beta 4 concentration in a dose-dependent manner, but injection of testosterone had no effect on thymosin-beta 4 concentrations. Testosterone treatment decreased thymic weights whereas growth hormone increased thymic weights. Hypophysectomized males had increased thymosin-beta 4 concentrations compared with female and neonatally-androgenized female rats. However, hypophysectomy eliminated any thymic weight differences between males and females. The data support a possible endocrine role for the thymus gland and thymic peptides in that they are integrated into the control and support of other endocrine systems. Although differences in thymosin-beta 4 concentrations were noted between males and females, sexual differentiation of the immune system was unaltered by neonatal castration of males or testosterone treatment of females and may indicate sexual differences in immune function are established in utero.

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Characterization of thymosin alpha 1 and beta 4 during the bovine estrual period: effects of elevated estradiol and progestin.

At present, there is a renewed interest in thymic function and its secretions in relation to endocrine control and reproductive function. In an initial experiment, 60 crossbred heifers (18-20 mo) were detected in estrus and assigned to control or FSH superovulatory groups. On Days 7-14 of the subsequent estrous cycle, FSH was administered for 5 days and prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) was administered at 48 and 60 h after the initial FSH injection. Control animals received only PGF2 alpha injections between Days 9 and 15 of the cycle. Blood samples were collected from all animals at the time of PGF2 alpha injection and every 12 h thereafter to 72 h post PGF2 alpha injection. In a subsequent experiment, 103 crossbred heifers (16-18 mo) were superovulated with FSH and synchronized to estrus with PGF2 alpha administered 60 h after the initial FSH injection. Twenty-eight of the heifers received Norgestomet implants 12 h prior to the initial PGF2 alpha injection to inhibit the LH surge. Blood samples were collected from animals at 12-h intervals until the PGF2 alpha injection and every 6 h thereafter until 108 h post PGF2 alpha treatment. Although thymosin beta 4 concentrations did change over the estrual period, no differences were noted between control and superovulatory animals in the initial experiment even though estradiol concentrations were increased tenfold from the FSH stimulated ovary. In the second experiment, thymosin beta 4 and alpha 1 increased as the estrual period progressed and decreased (p less than 0.05) subsequent to the LH surge. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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Relationships of serum estriol, cortisol and albumin concentrations with pig weight at 110 days of gestation and at birth.

In polytocous species, animals with reduced birth weights are associated with reduced neonatal survival, which may be related to substandard placental function. At 110 days of gestation (n = 84) and at birth (approximately 114 days, n = 193), fetal pigs were bled and weighed, so that indexes of placental function (estriol), fetal stress (cortisol), and fetal growth (albumin) could be related to fetal development. Concentration of estriol at birth or 110 days of gestation was not linearly related to weight of pig. Pig serum albumin was linearly related to pig weight and increased as body weight increased (p less than 0.05). In blood from pigs sampled at birth, cortisol concentrations significantly decreased as body weight increased (p less than 0.05).

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Endocrine relationships of thymosin-alpha 1, thymosin-beta 4, and luteinizing hormone throughout the prepubertal period of development in heifers, ovariectomized heifers and ovariectomized heifers with estradiol implants.

To monitor the relationships of luteinizing hormone (LH) and thymosin-alpha 1 and -beta 4 in conjunction with possible gonadal feedback mechanisms that could alter thymic function (thymosin secretion), circulating thymosin-alpha 1 and -beta 4 and LH concentrations of control heifers (n = 6), ovariectomized heifers (n = 5) and ovariectomized heifers implanted with estradiol (n = 5) were determined during the prepubertal period (initiated at 266 days of age). Sequential blood samples were collected at 12-min intervals for 8 h before ovariectomy on day 0 and on days 8, 36, 50, 64, 78, 92, 106, 120 and 134 of the experiment. Thymosin-beta 4 concentrations were not different between treatments. Thymosin-beta 4 concentrations gradually decreased until day 92 of the study, then increased two-fold by day 134 of experimental sampling (400 days of age) when all control animals had attained puberty. Concentrations of thymosin-alpha 1 changed little as animals matured, but peak amplitude did increase over time (0.287 ng/ml at day 0 to 0.403 ng/ml at day 120; P less than 0.05). Mean concentration, number of episodic peaks and peak amplitude of thymosin-alpha 1 was increased in ovariectomized heifers in comparison to ovariectomized plus estradiol implants (P less than 0.05). Prior to cyclic ovarian function (prepuberty), changes in circulating thymosin-beta 4 concentrations seem to be independent of effects of gonadal steroids but thymosin-alpha 1 was responsive to estradiol.

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Biochemical analysis of bovine follicular fluid: albumin, total protein, lysosomal enzymes, ions, steroids and ascorbic acid content in relation to follicular size, rank, atresia classification and day of estrous cycle.

To investigate some biochemical changes during bovine follicle development, ovaries were obtained from cyclic heifers (7 to 11 heifers/d on each day of the 21-d estrous cycle; N = 152). Follicular fluid from the two largest follicles from both ovaries and a pool from small follicles (N = 30/cow) were collected from each animal and analyzed for ionic, enzymatic and endocrine changes in relation to day of the estrous cycle, follicle size, rank and atretic or growing status. Follicular fluid alkaline phosphatase activity and ascorbate concentrations were highest in all follicular sizes during the earlier portion of the estrous cycle (d 1 to 12; P less than .05), then decreased to the lowest levels (d 13 to 21). As follicular size (diameter) increased lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), acid and alkaline phosphatase activity was reduced in follicular fluid (P less than .05). Alkaline phosphatase and LDH activity tended to be increased in atretic follicles (P less than .10), and was correlated with increased progesterone and androgen concentrations of follicular fluid (r = .4, P less than .05). Both albumin and total protein concentrations decreased as follicular diameter increased (P less than .05). Sodium concentrations in follicular fluid were greater in growing-antral than atretic follicles, and increased with follicular enlargement (P less than .05). Follicular potassium concentrations increased as the estrous cycle progressed (P less than .05), and tended to be elevated in atretic follicles (nonsignificant). Both Ca and Mg concentrations increased with follicular enlargement (P less than .05). Dehydroepiandrosterone and testosterone were the predominant androgens in follicular fluid (androstenedione, the lowest concentration); their concentration decreased with follicle development (P less than .05), but were quite variable. Estradiol was increased in growing follicles (P less than .01). Estrone and estradiol concentrations increased as ovulation approached, particularly in small follicles (less than or equal to 4 mm diameter). Changes of biochemical components found in follicular fluid that relate to the growth and atresia process may provide a more sensitive and accurate method to classify follicle status, and thus aid in understanding the complexity of events associated with maturation of the bovine follicle and oocyte.

Androstenedione↗

Effects of immunization of heifers against estradiol on growth, reproductive traits, and carcass characteristics.

An experiment was performed to evaluate the effects of active immunization of heifers against estradiol on feedlot performance (growth and efficiency), carcass characteristics, and reproductive functions. Seventy-two crossbred heifers were divided into four equal treatment groups consisting of controls, ovariectomized heifers, and heifers actively immunized against keyhole limpet-estradiol antigen and bovine serum albumin-estradiol antigen. Heifers were fed ad libitum for 170 days. Both groups of heifers immunized against estradiol had higher (P less than 0.05) average daily gains than controls. Heifers immunized against bovine serum albumin-estradiol had increased feed efficiency (P less than 0.05) over controls. Ovariectomized heifers did not perform at levels sufficient to compensate for the initial setback from surgery. No differences were noted in carcass grade, quality, or concentration of water, fat, or protein. Uterine weights were increased in estrogen-immunized animals but were not significantly greater than controls. Ovarian weights and numbers of large follicles (greater than 9 mm diam) in immunized animals were significantly greater than in controls. Twenty-eight percent of the animals (n = 5) in the bovine serum albumin-estradiol-immunized group had cystic follicles (greater than 20 mm diam) and 50% (n = 9) of this group had no detectable corpus luteum. Low titer (1:100) systemic binding of estrogens may act as a steroid reservoir in which systemic estrogen clearance is decreased and availability to target tissues is increased.

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Effects of the embryo upon endometrial estrogen synthesis in the rabbit.

To analyze for the possible embryonic effects upon endometrial estrogen synthesis (estrone, estradiol, estrone sulfate and estradiol sulfate), endometrial samples from each horn of unilaterally tubal-ligated estrous, pseudopregnant and pregnant rabbits were incubated with [3H] progesterone or [3H] androstenedione on Days 0, and 3 to 8 postcoitum. No endometrial estrogen synthesis was detected on Day 0, or on Days 3 to 5 of pseudopregnancy but low levels of estrogens (less than 0.7 pg/g wet wt) were detectable from androstenedione metabolism when individual samples were pooled (n=4 per day) for Days 6, 7 and 8 of pseudopregnancy. Low levels of estrogen synthesized from the pseudopregnant endometrium may represent a latent capability without the required stimulation for active synthesis. In pregnant animals, incubation of the gravid horn endometrium with either substrate produced similar trends of estrogen synthesis, in that estrogen levels increased at Days 4 to 5 (P less than 0.01), stabilized until Day 7 when levels decreased and then further increased on Day 8 (P less than 0.05). Estrogen synthesis by the endometrium of the nongravid horn was generally lower (P less than 0.05) than the gravid horn and stabilized or decreased as pregnancy progressed. Increased estrogen synthesis by the endometrium from pregnant rabbits and particularly from the gravid horn denotes a possible relationship between the developing embryo and endometrial estrogen synthesis.

Androstenedione↗

Oestrogen metabolism in the endometrium, corpus luteum and ovarian residual tissue of the rabbit.

Reproductive tissues (uterine endometrium, corpus luteum and ovarian residual tissues) from pregnant and pseudopregnant rabbits were incubated with equimolar concentrations of [3H]oestrone and [3H]oestrone sulphate (0.375 pmol) to monitor the changes in oestrogen metabolism during the early stages of pregnancy (days 0, and 3-8 post coitum) and to investigate the embyonic effect upon maternal oestrogen metabolism. Oestradiol-17 beta was the major metabolite formed from oestrone and sulphoconjugation occurred in all tissues studied. Oestrone sulphate was converted primarily to oestradiol-17 beta-3-monosulphate. Endometrial 17 beta-oxidoreductase significantly decreased and sulphotransferase increased in activity during the preimplantation period, but no differences were noted between gravid and non-gravid horns in unilaterally pregnant animals, nor between pregnant or pseudopregnant animals. Significant decreases occurred in 17 beta-oxidoreductase and sulphotransferase activity in luteal tissue, but these were more than offset by increases in tissue weight. No differences in the activities in luteal tissues were detected between pregnant or pseudopregnant animals, nor between ovarian tissue adjacent to gravid or non-gravid uterine horns. The results show that significant changes occur in oestrogen metabolism in the rabbit endometrium and corpus luteum within 8 days after ovulation, and that these changes result from maternal factors expressed systemically rather than by the effects of the developing conceptus expressed locally.

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