Prenatal diagnosis of a 45,X male with a SRY-bearing chromosome 21

Male phenotype associated with a 45,X karyotype is an infrequent finding. We present a case diagnosed prenatally on amniocentesis performed for maternal age. The male phenotype was associated with a translocation of a distal part of Yp including the pseudoautosomal SHOX gene and SRY gene on the short arm of a chromosome 21. By DNA analysis we could show that the X chromosome was of maternal origin and that the breakpoint was in interval 3 of the Y chromosome. Mechanisms and genetic counselling are discussed based on a review of published cases of 45,X and XX males. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

口服纳米银对大鼠的生物有效性及其体内分布的研究

由于独特的抗菌特性，纳米银(AgNP)在诸多领域得到广泛应用，但是其生物有效性、动物组织分布及排出尚不清楚。将聚乙烯吡咯烷酮包被的AgNP溶液按照10 mg kg^-1给雌性SD大鼠灌胃，采用ICP-MS检测SD大鼠组织、粪便及尿液中总银浓度。实验结果表明，AgNP通过小肠吸收后，可以通过血液循环快速分布在肝、肾、脾、肺、脑等靶器官。灌胃后1 h，大鼠各组织中总银浓度达到最大值(肝、肾、脾、肺、脑中银浓度分别为0.29 ± 0.13 mg kg^-1、0.23 ± 0.04 mg kg^-1、0.17 ± 0.05 mg kg^-1、0.11 ± 0.01 mg kg^-1、0.06 ±0.02 mg kg^-1)，之后银浓度随时间降低直至和对照组无显著性差异。在灌胃途径下，AgNP对SD大鼠的有效性为8.5%，且73%的AgNP是通过粪便的途径排出体外。     

赤霉酸暴露对SD大鼠青春期发育的影响

赤霉酸是目前国内外使用极其广泛的一种植物生长调节剂,但是针对其发育毒性的数据依然较少。本文探讨了赤霉酸暴露对SD大鼠青春期发育的影响。参考国内外环境内分泌干扰物危害的评价方法,将144只初断乳SD大鼠按体重随机分为4组,分别为对照组和1、10、100 mg·kg-1bw剂量组,采用经口灌胃方式对雄鼠连续染毒28 d,雌鼠连续染毒21 d。暴露结束后检测大鼠的体重、食物利用率、雄鼠包皮分离时间/雌鼠阴道开口时间、血清生化指标、脏器系数及组织病理学的变化。研究结果表明,与对照组相比,仅10和100 mg·kg-1bw剂量组雄鼠的肌酐水平显著升高(P<0.01),100 mg·kg-1bw剂量组雌鼠谷丙转氨酶水平有显著升高(P<0.01)。而与对照组相比,所有剂量组均未观察到大鼠的体重、食物利用率、雄鼠包皮分离时间/雌鼠阴道开口时间、脏器系数等指标有显著性差异的改变(P>0.05),组织病理学结果亦显示大鼠重要器官无损害性改变。因此,在本试验给予的剂量范围内赤霉酸染毒不会对SD大鼠青春期发育产生显著影响。     

Macrophage activity and histopathology of the lymphohematopoietic organs in male Wistar rats orally exposed to single or mixed pesticides

The noxious effects of low or effective dose exposure to single or mixed pesticides on macrophage activity and the lymphohematopoietic organs were investigated. Male Wistar rats were orally exposed to dichlorvos, dicofol, endosulfan, dieldrin and permethrin, either as single or combined mixtures during a 28-day study containing eight groups: one group received a semipurified diet (non-treated); two groups received a semipurified diet containing low dose mixture (dieldrin 0.025 mg/kg, endosulfan, 0.6 mg/kg, dicofol 0.22 mg/kg, dichlorvos 0.23 mg/kg, permethrin 5 mg/kg) or an effective dose mixture (dichlorvos 2.3 mg/kg, dicofol 2.5 mg/kg, endosulfan 2.9 mg/kg, dieldrin 0.05 mg/kg and permethrin 25.0 mg/kg), respectively; the other five groups received a semipurified diet containing each single pesticide in effective doses. At sacrifice, the thymus, spleen, mesenteric lymph nodes, Payer's patches and bone marrow were removed for histological analysis. Peritoneal macrophages were obtained to determine the phagocytosis and spreading indexes and tumoral necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), nitric oxide (NO) and H₂O₂ production. Exposure to pesticide mixtures did not alter the percentage of macrophage phagocytosis and spreading, TNF-α production or the NO and H₂O₂ release when compared to the non-treated group. Neither was there any apparent evidence that a pesticide mixture at low or effective doses altered the histological structure of the lymphohematopoietic organs. The findings indicate that short-term treatment with pesticide mixtures did not induce an apparent immunotoxic effect in male Wistar rats.     

Sexual selection on mature male parr of masu salmon (Oncorhynchus masou): does sneaking behavior favor small body size and less-developed sexual characters?

In many salmonid species, males exhibit morphological dimorphism associated with alternative mating behaviors. ”Precocious males” have a small body size with little or no development of sexual characters and adopt sneaking to gain access to females, while ”migratory males” of large body size and well-developed secondary sexual characters fight. We quantified selection on precocious male parr of masu salmon (Oncorhynchus masou) under simulated natural conditions to examine the contribution of morphology to sneaking success. In contrast to the prediction that sneaking behavior favors small body size, we detected selection favoring relatively large body size for sneaking success. This selection pressure was caused by the dominance hierarchy within parr and may have been facilitated by indifference of dominant migratory males to parr. Unlike the secondary sexual characters exhibited by migratory male salmon, such as the hooked snout and humped back, no morphological characters other than body size contributed to the reproductive success of masu salmon parr. This non-contribution may have been responsible for the lack of development of sexual characters in precocious males. Received: 15 November 1999 / Accepted: 20 May 2000     

Spawning behaviour and sex hormone levels in adult and precocious brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) males and the effect of anosmia

Summary. In the present experiment the behaviour and endocrine status of males of the brown trout, Salmo trutta L., (Salmoniformes: Salmonidae) were studied when males were kept in a stream tank with a nest digging female. Groups of mature adult males and precocious intact or anosmic male parr were placed with the nesting female so that the group resembled a natural spawning situation with big anadromous fish acting as dominant males and precocious parr acting as “sneakers”. A control experiment was also run with only males without a female present. In intact parr there were significant positive correlations between the per cent of the total observation time spent with a female, milt volume, and plasma concentration of 17α, 20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one. Anosmic parr had significantly lower volumes of strippable milt and gonadal steroid hormone levels compared with intact parr. However, no differences were found in the control experiment. Significantly fewer anosmic parr attended and courted the nesting female and those anosmic fish that attended the female had significantly lower plasma levels of gonadal hormones. Intact parr also displayed a greater number of agonistic acts against other parr without any difference in fighting ability. No differences in aggression occured in the control experiment. In adult males together with a female, post-experimental gonadal steroid hormone levels were higher than pre-experimental levels. Positive correlations between aggression and androgen hormone levels were observed in adult males. No differences in plasma hormone levels were observed between adult males and intact precocious males. The results show that olfactory occlusion results in low steroid hormone levels and milt volumes in precocious males placed in a spawning situation. The courting behaviour was also affected by anosmia. Odours from the nesting female may have caused the enhanced plasma hormone levels and stimulated the males to attend the female. Received 15 May 1997; accepted 29 June 1997.     

Influence of hypothyroidism on oxidative stress,c-Fos expression,cell cycle,and apoptosis in rats testes

The molecular basis of male reproduction for cross-regulation between androgen and thyroid hormone axes is still rudimentary. This study aims to define a possible mechanism of hypothyroidism-induced reproductive influence with respect to sex hormone, mineral, sperm motility, oxidative stress, c-Fos expression, cell cycle, and apoptosis in rat testes. The Wistar rats were randomly divided into control group (NS) and hypothyroidism group [1 ml/100g BW/day, 0.1% propylthiouracil (PTU)] by intragastric gavage for 60 days. Blood samples were collected to measure the serum levels. The epididymis was excised to measure sperm motility and testes were excised to measure mineral, oxidative stress, c-Fos expression, cell cycle, and apoptosis. After 60 days, body weight, relative testes weight, triiodothyronine, and total thyroxine were all significantly decreased, whereas thyroid stimulating hormone was increased in the hypothyroidism group. A significant increase in sex hormone level of estradiol (E2) and significant decreases in testosterone (T) and T/E2 ratio were observed following PTU treatment. And sperm quality was also significantly changed. There were significant decreases in the contents of calcium (Ca²⁺) and zinc (Zn²⁺). On the other hand, malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide contents significantly increased, whereas the activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase and nitric oxide synthase and nitric oxide content significantly decreased in hypothyroid rats. The mRNA and protein expressions of c-Fos decreased significantly. The cell percentage in G0/G1 phase increased significantly, whereas decreased significantly in S and G2/M phases. Also, a significant increase in testicular cell apoptosis was observed in hypothyroid-treated rats. These results suggested that hypothyroidism could affect reproductive function in the form of changed sex hormone levels, sperm motility and testicular Ca²⁺ and Zn²⁺, and enhanced oxidative stress leading to c-Fos abnormal expression and increased apoptosis.     

Geographic Variation in the Seasonal Reproductive Strategy of the Mite Varroa jacobsoni in the Honeybee Nest

Variation in the reproduction of Varroa jacobsoni mite was studied in relation to the expansion of the range of its parasitism on the honeybee. Geographic differences in the seasonal dynamics of mite reproduction in the nests of bee families were revealed. Variation in the sex ratio of mites and the factors inhibiting their reproduction at the northern boundary of the honeybee range are considered. The forms of parthenogenetic reproduction in V. jacobsoni are discussed.     

"川中岛"白桃雄性不育小孢子发育的细胞形态学

“川中岛”白桃是 2 0世纪 90年代初期从日本引进的优良晚熟品种 ,系日本长野县池田正元以“上海”ד白桃”杂交育种 .在生产中发现该品种花粉少、无发芽力 ,需配置授粉树 ,属于雄性败育品种[1～ 3 ] .关于“川中岛”白桃花粉败育的途径、机制尚未见报道 ;因此 ,对其小孢子发生发育细胞学特征进行观察研究 ,以揭示其雄性败育的途径 .1　材料与方法1.1　材料2年生盆栽”川中岛”白桃和对照品种庆丰 .1.2　方法为了避免早春低温等不适的环境因子对桃花器官发育造成不良的影响 ,试验在控制环境条件下进行 ,即在人工生长箱内对 2年生盆栽庆丰 …