Mean Day Of Onset Research Articles

Placenta Accreta Spectrum Prophylactic Therapy for Hyperfibrinolysis with Tranexamic Acid.

To report on prophylactic therapy for hyperfibrinolysis with tranexamic acid (TXA) during expectant management (EM) in the placenta accreta spectrum (PAS). This is a monocentric retrospective study of women with PAS presenting at our hospital between 2005 and 2021. All data were retrospectively collected through the departmental database. 35 patients with PAS were included. EM was planned in 25 patients prior to delivery. Complete absorption of the retained placenta was seen in two patients (8%). Curettage was performed in 14 patients (56%). A hysterectomy (HE) was needed in seven (28%) patients; 18 patients (72%) underwent uterus-preserving treatment without severe complications. The mean duration of EM was 107 days. The mean day of onset of hyperfibrinolysis and beginning of TXA treatment was day 45. The mean nadir of fibrinogen level before TXA was 242.4 mg/dL, with a mean drop of 29.7% in fibrinogen level. Our data support EM as a safe treatment option in PAS. Hyperfibrinolysis can be a cause of hemorrhage during EM and can be treated with TXA. To our knowledge, this is the first cohort of patients with EM of PAS in whom coagulation monitoring and use of TXA have been shown to successfully treat hyperfibrinolysis.

Age-related Increase in Incidence of Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation Following Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) Surgery

Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is one of the common arrhythmias after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) mostly occurs within 2 to 4 days. The advanced age is one of the important risk factors. Objective: To determine the frequency of Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation (POAF) in patients age between 30-65 years who underwent elective CABG Surgery. Methods: One hundred and thirty-seven Adult patients of either sex between age of 30 to 65 years with three vessel coronary artery disease underwent elective CABG surgery were included in our study. It was descriptive cross-sectional study, conducted at Tabba Heart Institute, Karachi, from December 2021 to June 2022. Postoperatively daily EKG was performed for the evidence of POAF. Results: One hundred and thirty-seven patients, between age group of 30-65 years among them 115 (84%) were male & 22 (16%) were females with mean age of patients 55.91years were included in our study. Post-Operative Atrial Fibrillation (POAF) was observed in 12.4%, out of whom 76.5% were male while 23.5% were female. The mean day of onset of POAF was 2.38 days. The relationship between increasing age groups and AF was found to be statistically significant i.e. p-value 0.04. There is significant difference between age groups and maximum incidence of POAF were found in above 60 years. Conclusions: In our study frequency of POAF was found in 12.4 %with mean age of participants was found to be 55.91 ± 6.5 years. Objective: To determine the frequency of Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation (POAF) in patients age between 30-65 years who underwent elective CABG Surgery. Methodology: One hundred and thirty seven Adult patients of either sex between age of 30 to 65 years with three vessel coronary artery disease underwent elective CABG surgery were included in our study. It was descriptive cross-sectional study, conducted at Tabba Heart Institute, Karachi, from December 2021 to June 2022. Postoperatively daily EKG was performed for the evidence of POAF. RESULT: One hundred and thirty seven patients, between age group of 30-65 years among them 115 (84%) were male & 22 (16%) were females with mean age of patients 55.91years were included in our study. Post-Operative Atrial Fibrillation (POAF) was observed in 12.4%, out of whom 76.5% were male while 23.5% were female. The mean day of onset of POAF was 2.38 days. The relationship between increasing age groups and AF was found to be statistically significant i.e. p-value 0.04. There is significant difference between age groups and maximum incidence of POAF were found in above 60 years. CONCLUSION: In our study frequency of POAF was found in 12.4 %with mean age of participants was found to be 55.91 + 6.5 years.

Clinical Evaluation of Corridor Disease in Bos indicus (Boran) Cattle Naturally Infected With Buffalo-Derived Theileria parva.

Corridor disease (CD) is a fatal condition of cattle caused by buffalo-derived Theileria parva. Unlike the related condition, East Coast fever, which results from infection with cattle-derived T. parva, CD has not been extensively studied. We describe in detail the clinical and laboratory findings in cattle naturally infected with buffalo-derived T. parva. Forty-six cattle were exposed to buffalo-derived T. parva under field conditions at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Kenya, between 2013 and 2018. The first signs of disease observed in all animals were nasal discharge (mean day of onset was 9 days post-exposure), enlarged lymph nodes (10 days post-exposure), and pyrexia (13.7 days post-exposure). Coughing and labored breathing were observed in more than 50% of animals (14 days post-exposure). Less commonly observed signs, corneal edema (22%) and diarrhea (11%), were observed later in the disease progression (19 days post-exposure). All infections were considered clinically severe, and 42 animals succumbed to infection. The mean time to death across all studies was 18.4 days. The mean time from onset of clinical signs to death was 9 days and from pyrexia to death was 4.8 days, indicating a relatively short duration of clinical illness. There were significant relationships between days to death and the days to first temperature (chi2 = 4.00, p = 0.046), and days to peak temperature (chi2 = 25.81, p = 0.001), animals with earlier onset pyrexia died sooner. These clinical indicators may be useful for assessing the severity of disease in the future. All infections were confirmed by the presence of macroschizonts in lymph node biopsies (mean time to parasitosis was 11 days). Piroplasms were detected in the blood of two animals (4%) and 20 (43%) animals seroconverted. In this study, we demonstrate the successful approach to an experimental field study for CD in cattle. We also describe the clinical progression of CD in naturally infected cattle, including the onset and severity of clinical signs and pathology. Laboratory diagnoses based on examination of blood samples are unreliable, and alternatives may not be available to cattle keepers. The rapid development of CD requires recognition of the clinical signs, which may be useful for early diagnosis of the disease and effective intervention for affected animals.

Clinical and biochemical profile of neonatal seizures admitted in neonatal intensive care unit of a tertiary care hospital

Background: Several factors contribute to seizures among neonates. To avoid complications from under recognition of clinical seizures and the adverse effects of medications administered, the diagnosis and management of neonatal seizures necessitate an interprofessional approach. Present study was done to study the clinical and biochemical profile of neonates with seizures admitted to a tertiary care hospital, Chennai.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted where all the neonates from birth to 28 days of life who got admitted in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of a tertiary care hospital-Shri Sathya Sai medical college and research institute were included in the study. Baseline characteristics of all the babies were noted on the prescribed proforma. Thorough physical examination was done and seizures were diagnosed by clinical observation. Clinical details of each seizure episode were recorded like age at onset of seizures, duration of seizure, number and type of seizure.Results: In the present study, 50 neonates satisfying the inclusion and exclusion criteria were included in the study. The main mode of delivery was normal vaginal delivery (50%) followed by LSCS (40%) and assisted delivery (10%). 54% were male and 46% were female and majority of babies were delivered at term i.e., 72% and 28% were pre term babies. The mean day of onset of seizures in the present study was 3.18±2.09. Based on day of onset of seizures, with in 24 hrs (28%), 24 hrs to 72 hrs (46%), 4th day to 1 week (22%), more than 1 week (4%). Based on type of seizure 64% had subtle type, 26% had tonic type and 10% had clonic type of seizures. In this study, 24% had hypoglycemia, and 10 (20%) had hypocalcemia, 14% in the present study had hyponatremia, and 2 (4%) had hypomagnesemia, 2 (4%) had hypernatremia, 6% had combination of hypocalcemia and hypoglycemia.Conclusions: Hypocalcemia, hypoglycemia, hyponatremia were the common biochemical abnormalities observed in our study. Subtle seizures were the common type of seizures observed among both pre term and term infants.

The effect of Hangeshashinto on Oral Mucositis Caused by Induction Chemotherapy in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer.

Oral mucositis (OM) is a side effect of chemotherapy in head and neck cancer. Severe OM often has a large impact on quality of life. Therefore, the treatment of OM during chemotherapy is very important. It was recently reported that Hangeshashinto (TJ-14), a Japanese traditional medicine (Kampo), is effective for OM caused by fluorinated pyrimidine-based agents used in colon cancer. We investigated the efficacy of TJ-14 for OM. We enrolled patients with head and neck cancer who were treated with induction chemotherapy between September 2014 and March 2016. In this double-blind trial, patients were randomly assigned to the TJ-14 group or placebo group. Patients were instructed to dissolve 2.5 g of TJ-14 or placebo in 100 ml of drinking water, rinse their mouths with the solution for 30 s and then spit it out. They were not allowed to eat anything for 30 minutes before or after using the mouthwash. The incidence of ≥ grade 2 OM was 37.5% (three patients) in the TJ-14 group and 50.0% (four patients) in the placebo group, with no significant difference between the two groups. The mean day of onset was 9.7 in the TJ-14 group and 6.7 in the placebo group. The mean duration of ≥ grade 2 OM was 1.3 days in the TJ-14 group and 3.7 days in the placebo group. Thus TJ-14 significantly reduced the duration of ≥ grade 2 OM. Treatment of OM with TJ-14 was associated with a statistically significant reduction in the duration of ≥ grade 2 OM compared to placebo. Gargling with TJ-14 is a safe and effective method of administering the drug to patients with head and neck cancer.

3M Cavilon No-Sting Barrier Film or topical corticosteroid (mometasone furoate) for protection against radiation dermatitis: A clinical trial

Evidence on the prevention of radiation dermatitis is lacking. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of 3M Cavilon No Sting Barrier Film and topical corticosteroids on irradiated skin. Thirty-nine postoperative breast cancer patients were randomized into three groups for intraindividual comparison (skin to be irradiated was divided into 2 parts): (1) 3M No Sting Barrier Film versus no treatment; (2) corticosteroid versus no treatment; and (3) corticosteroid versus 3M No Sting Barrier Film. The primary end points monitored were the time to first occurrence of grade 1 pruritus, pain score of 3 and grade 2 radiation dermatitis. The secondary end points studied were the incidence of grade 3 radiation dermatitis and total pain scores. Data analysis was done using the SPSS software version 10. Skin given the 3M barrier film experienced a later occurrence of pruritus compared to both corticosteroids and untreated, although this was statistically insignificant. Corticosteroids delayed the time to occurrence of grade 2 dermatitis compared to both untreated skin and 3M barrier film, (mean day of onset = corticosteroid: 52 vs. untreated: 43, p = 0.092; corticosteroid: 53.4 vs. 3M barrier film: 44.5, p = 0.002, t test). Skin given corticosteroids had the lowest incidence of grade 3 dermatitis among all three conditions, although the differences were statistically insignificant. No statistically significant differences were noted in total pain scores. The 3M barrier film may be helpful against dermatitis associated pruritus. Corticosteroids may delay the time of onset of severe skin reactions and also reduce the incidence of severe radiation dermatitis.

Accelerated Course of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis in PD-1-Deficient Central Nervous System Myelin Mutants

It is assumed that the onset and course of autoimmune inflammatory central nervous system (CNS) disorders (eg, multiple sclerosis) are influenced by factors that afflict immune regulation as well as CNS vulnerability. We challenged this concept experimentally by investigating how genetic alterations that affect myelin (primary oligodendrocyte damage in PLPtg mice) and/or T-cell regulation (deficiency of PD-1) influence both the onset and course of an experimental autoimmune CNS inflammatory disease [MOG(35-55)-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE)]. We observed that double pathology was associated with a significantly earlier onset of disease, a slight increase in the neurological score, an increase in the number of infiltrating cells, and enhanced axonal degeneration compared with wild-type mice and the respective, single mutant controls. Double-mutant PLPtg/PD-1(-/-) mice showed an increased production of interferon-gamma by CNS immune cells at the peak of disease. Neither PD-1 deficiency nor oligodendropathy led to detectable spread of antigenic MHC class I- or class II-restricted epitopes during EAE. However, absence of PD-1 clearly increased the propensity of T lymphocytes to expand, and the number of clonal expansions reliably reflected the severity of the EAE disease course. Our data show that the interplay between immune dysregulation and myelinopathy results in a stable exacerbation of actively induced autoimmune CNS inflammation, suggesting that the combination of several pathological issues contributes significantly to disease susceptibility or relapses in human disease.

Baicalin reduces the severity of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi is one of the important medicinal herbs widely used for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases in Asia. Baicalin (BA) is a bioactive anti-inflammatory flavone found abundantly in Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. To explore the therapeutic potential of BA, we examined the effects of systemic administration of the flavone (5 and 10 mg/kg, ip) on relapsing/remitting experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) induced by proteolipid protein 139-151 in SJL/J mice, an experimental model of multiple sclerosis. The mice treated with PBS or BA at day -1 and for 3 consecutive days were observed daily for clinical signs of disease up to 60 days after immunization. In the PBS-EAE group, neurological scores were: incidence (100%), mean day of onset (8.0 +/- 0.73), peak clinical score (3.0 +/- 0.4), and cumulative disease index (141.8 +/- 19.4). In the BA-EAE group (5 or 10 mg kg(-1) day(-1), respectively), incidence (95 or 90%), mean day of onset (9.0 +/- 0.80 or 9.2 +/- 0.75; P = 0.000), peak clinical score (2.2 +/- 0.3 or 2.0 +/- 0.3; P = 0.000), and cumulative disease index (75.9 +/- 10.1 or 62.9 +/- 8.4; P = 0.000) decreased, accompanied by the histopathological findings (decrease of dense mononuclear infiltration surrounding vascellum) for the spinal cord. Additionally, the in vitro effects of BA (5, 10, and 25 microM) on mononuclear cells collected from popliteal and inguinal lymph nodes of day-10 EAE mice were evaluated using an MTT reduction assay for cell proliferation, and ELISA to measure IFN-gamma and IL-4 cytokines. Compared with the control group, BA caused an increase in IL-4 (EAE-DMSO: 3.56 +/- 0.42 pg/mL vs EAE-BA (5, 10, and 25 microM): 6.03 +/- 1.1, 7.83 +/- 0.65, 10.54 +/- 1.13 pg/mL, respectively; P < 0.001); but inhibited IFN-gamma (EAE-DMSO: 485.76 +/- 25.13 pg/mL vs EAE-BA (5, 10, and 25 microM): 87.08 +/- 9.24, 36.27 +/- 5.44, 19.18 +/- 2.93 pg/mL, respectively; P < 0.001) and the proliferation of mononuclear cells (EAE-DMSO: 0.73 +/- 0.021 vs EAE-BA (5, 10, and 25 microM): 0.41 +/- 0.015, 0.31 +/- 0.018, 0.21 +/- 0.11, respectively; P < 0.001) in a concentration-dependent manner. The results suggest that BA might be effective in the treatment of multiple sclerosis.

The use of milk progesterone to monitor reproductive function in beef suckler cows

Milk progesterone analysis was used to monitor reproductive function in 134 autumn calving cross-bred suckler cows. Progesterone was measured in milk samples collected three times per week from around 4 week post-calving to around day 60 of pregnancy during 1st and 2nd lactation. The mean day of onset of luteal activity (OLA) was 40.7 ± 1.1 with the distribution skewed towards a later return. Once cyclicity had been initiated the incidence of reproductive cycle problems (6.5%) was low, though animals with such problems ( n = 14) exhibited a delayed interval to first service ( P < 0.05), lower conception and calving rates ( P < 0.001), increased services per pregnancy ( P < 0.001) and a higher ( P < 0.10) barren rate (14.3% versus 4.0%) compared to animals with normal cycles ( n = 201). In conclusion, using milk progesterone analysis we found a relatively low incidence of reproductive cycle problems in beef × dairy suckler cows. However, while the incidence of cycle problems was low, those animals with problems showed significantly impaired reproductive function.

Illness and injuries at summer camp.

Children at summer camp are at risk of injury and illness. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Camping Association have specific guidelines for the medical care of children in summer residential camps. This report describes the types of illnesses and injuries seen in 730 children attending camp for 2 weeks, use of the infirmary, and difference in the onset of infectious diseases compared with injuries during the camp session. During the month studied, there were 921 infirmary visits. The most common diagnoses were injuries and infectious disease. Girls and boys were equally likely to be seen in the infirmary and had the same distribution of diagnoses. Infectious disease (gastroenteritis) had a later mean day of onset during the camp session than did injuries and was increasing in frequency at the end of each session. Potential common camp medical problems (sunburn, otitis externa) were prevented by simple medical preventive care.

Reduced susceptibility to collagen-induced arthritis in mice deficient in intercellular adhesion molecule-1.

Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) plays an important role in the firm adhesion of leukocytes to venular endothelium and facilitates leukocyte extravasation from the vasculature into inflamed tissue. In addition, ICAM-1 is an important costimulatory molecule during Ag presentation to lymphocytes. Using mice deficient in ICAM-1, we have investigated the role of this molecule in the development of collagen-induced arthritis. After immunization with type II collagen, 71% of wild-type mice developed arthritis compared with 50% of ICAM-1 heterozygote mutants and 18% of ICAM-1 homozygous mutants. In those ICAM-1 mutants that developed arthritis, the mean day of onset, the mean number of involved paws, and the severity of paw inflammation were not significantly different from those in wild-type mice. The reduced incidence of arthritis in the ICAM-1 homozygous mutant mice was not due to lack of immunity to type II collagen, since these mice developed similar levels of anti-type II collagen IgG compared with wild-type mice and had a positive delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction to type II collagen. The reduction of arthritis in heterozygous as well as homozygous deficient mice indicates that expression of ICAM-1 can be a pivotal variable in the pathogenesis of collagen-induced arthritis in mice. The results suggest that naturally occurring genetic variation in the expression of ICAM-1 or related inflammatory cell adhesion molecules might influence susceptibility to the complex disease of rheumatoid arthritis in humans and support the concept that pharmacologic approaches to chronic reduction in the expression or the function of ICAM-1 may be of therapeutic value.

Antibody response of ewes and does to chimeric sheep-goat pregnancy.

Antibody production was evaluated in 62 recipients of blastomere-aggregation sheep-goat embryos, including 23 multiparous ewes, 21 multiparous does, 16 primiparous does, and 2 virgin does. The reactivity of sera collected weekly after the embryo transfer surgery was compared to that of sera collected prior to the embryo transfer by means of 1) complement-dependent cytotoxicity tests against peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) from the parents of the embryo(s) and from random-bred sheep and goats, 2) hemagglutination and hemolytic assays with red blood cells (RBCs) from the two sires of the embryo(s), and 3) assays with PBLs and RBCs following absorptions with RBCs and PBLs from the parents and offspring. Although cross-reactivity to ovine and caprine PBL antigens was present in the control sera of some recipients, xenogeneic immunization during pregnancy was detected in 20 of 30 recipients that experienced term pregnancy. The xenogeneic response involved the production of antibody that reacted with both PBLs and RBCs. Allogeneic responses to RBCs were not observed, but allogeneic responses to PBLs occurred frequently, beginning after the onset of the xenogeneic response in most recipients (98 +/- 28 vs. 57 +/- 15 days in ewes; 93 +/- 23 vs. 46 +/- 7 days in does; mean day of onset +/- SD). The onsets of the responses were examined in conjunction with data collected on fetal and placental chimerism to evaluate possible routes of immunization. The onsets of the allogeneic responses and the limited serum reactivity to third-party PBLs suggested that fetal lymphocytes leaking across the placenta immunized the recipients to parentally inherited polymorphic antigens. The xenogeneic responses were associated with placental chimerism and appeared to involve the recognition of a species-specific monomorphic antigen shared by PBLs and RBCs. Neither of the responses appeared to affect continuation of pregnancy to term.

Effect of estradiol valerate on ovarian follicles, emergence of follicular waves and circulating gonadotropins in heifers

An experiment was designed to examine the effect of estradiol valerate (EV) on the growth and regression of follicles of a wave and on the emergence of the next follicular wave. Twenty-six beef heifers were xamined daily by ultrasonography and randomly allocated to 1 of 4 treatment groups at the time of ovulation (Day 0): unterated control heifers and those that received 5 mg EV intramuscularly on Day 1, Day 3 or Day 6. Maximum diameter of the dominant follicle was greater (P<0.05) in control heifers than in heifers treated on Day 1 or Day 3. Mean day of onset of regression of the dominant follicle was later (P<0.05) in control heifers than in heifers treated on Day 1 but was not different from heifers treated on Day 3. In heifers treated on Day 6, cessation of growth, maximum diameter and onset of regression were not different from that of control heifers. The emergence of the next follicular wave was earlier (P<0.05) in heifers treated on Day 1 than in control heifers, whereas wave emergence was delayed (P<0.05) in heifers treated on Day 3 or Day 6. The mean day of maximum concentration of FSH prior to the emergence of the next wave was earlier in heifers treated with EV on Day 1 and later in heifers treated on Day 3 or Day 6 compared with that of the controls (P<0.05). Treatment on Day 1 or Day 3 resulted in a significant LH surge in 8 13 heifers, whereas no LH surges were detected in control heifers or in heifers treated on Day 6. The hypothesis that EV suppresses the growth of the dominant follicle, was supported. Estradiol valerate treatment resulted in early emergence of the next follicular wave in heifers treated on Day 1, but treatment on Day 3 or Day 6 resulted in delayed emergence of the next follicular wave.

Dydrogesterone to oppose the 100 mg oestradiol implant

Ten non-hysterectomised, post-menopausal women received the 100 mg oestradiol implant which was opposed by 20 mg dydrogesterone (nocte) for 14 days each 28-day cycle, for 6 cycles. Plasma oestradiol was measured at baseline and on three further occasions over 6 cycles. Endometrial biopsies were taken 5 weeks after implant, during the unopposed oestrogen and at week 24 during the progestogenic phase (sampling failed on both occasions in one patient). Secretory endometrium was seen in all women at the end of treatment. Cycle control was good and the mean day of onset of bleeding occurred on or after day 11 of the dydrogesterone dosage by the 5th cycle. Dydrogesterone 20 mg for 14 days every 28 days seemed to be sufficiently potent to counteract the proliferative effects of the high dose oestrogen implant.

The role of oil and agalactosyl IgG in the induction of arthritis in rodent models

The proportion of agalactosyl IgG [Gal(O)] is raised in human rheumatoid arthritis and tuberculosis. We report here that injection of pristane into the peritoneal cavities of mice on days 0 and 50, which is known to induce plasmacytomas and arthritis, also induced a rise in the proportion of Gal(O), correlating with a simultaneous rise in the level of IgG antibody binding to the 65-kDa heat-shock protein of Mycobacterium bovis (hsp65). Arthritis developed in a proportion of those CBA/Igb mice with the highest percentage of Gal(O). Pretreatment with 50 micrograms of recombinant mycobacterial hsp65 intraperitoneal (i.p.) on day -10, or with 500 rad irradiation on day -2 before the first of the two injections of pristane reduced the incidence of arthritis from 24% in control animals, to 5.3% and 0.4%, respectively. The reduced incidence of disease correlated with smaller rises in the % Gal(O) at 50-75 days, although levels at 150-200 days were not affected. The arthritogenic effect of oil was not confined to the pristane model, since a single i.p. injection of oil 21 days before immunizing DBA/1 mice with type II collagen reduced the mean day of onset of this arthritis, [which we have previously shown to correlate with raised % Gal(O)], from 38 to 15 days (p less than 0.001). One interpretation is that an autoimmunogenic stimulus, given when % Gal(O) is raised, is more likely to evoke disease. Since oil granulomata are known to secrete interleukin 6, which has B cell-regulatory properties and is secreted by rheumatoid synovial cells, we tested sera from interleukin 6-transgenic mice, and found a strikingly raised percentage of Gal(O). We suggest, therefore, that the role of oil in the induction of arthritis is the dysregulation of cytokine release of which a raised percentage of Gal(O) may be a direct or indirect consequence, associated with an increased susceptibility to autoimmunogenic stimuli.

Ovarian follicular dynamics in heifers during early pregnancy.

Daily ultrasonic monitoring of individual follicles was used to compare follicular wave characteristics of nonbred (n = 6) and pregnant heifers (n = 6). The dominant follicle of the first wave (Wave 1) did not differ significantly between reproductive statuses for any endpoint. The dominant follicle of Wave 2 was the ovulatory follicle in all nonbred heifers. The maximum diameter of the dominant follicle of Wave 2 was greater (p less than 0.05) for the nonbred heifers (14.8 mm) than for the pregnant heifers (13.0 mm). The dominant follicle of Wave 3 was detected later (p less than 0.003; Day 19.7 vs. Day 17.3) and reached a greater diameter (p less than 0.05; 16.6 mm vs. 12.0 mm) in the nonbred than in the pregnant heifers. On the mean day of onset of luteolysis (Day 15.2) in the nonbred heifers, the dominant follicle was similar in diameter for the two groups. Within a few days, the follicle began to regress in the pregnant heifers but maintained or increased in diameter in the nonbred heifers so that a greater maximum diameter was attained. During Days 0 70 of pregnancy, the interval from emergence of a wave to the emergence of the next wave was constant (not significantly different; mean intervals, 8.5 9.8 days). The mean maximum diameter attained by the dominant follicles differed significantly among the first 6 follicular waves; diameter was greatest for Wave 1 (15.7 mm), smallest for Waves 2 (13.1 mm) and 3 (12.6 mm), and intermediate for Waves 4 (14.0 mm), 5 (13.7 mm), and 6 (14.5 mm).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effects of 6-mercaptopurine on susceptibility of guinea pigs to experimental allergic encephalomyelitis.

SummaryGuinea pigs injected with both antigen (homologous brain plus Freund's complete adjuvant) and 6-MP showed a slightly higher incidence of urinary incontinence and rapid weight loss but no definite difference in incidence of paralysis than did animals given only antigen; no change in mean day of onset of symptoms was evident. While antigen alone increased the number of circulating neutrophils (but not of lymphocytes), antigen and 6-MP together and 6-MP alone produced similar leukocyte patterns: delayed but marked neutropenia, and a marked rapid decline in lymphocytes. In animals given both 6-MP and antigen, a left shift in the Arneth Index of neutrophils occurred, in spite of the reduced level of circulating neutrophils.