Penile reflexes (PRs) were monitored in chronic spinal cord-transected rats by identifying them visually, and at the same time they were recorded as the electromyographic activity of bulbospongiosus muscles. Intraperitoneal injection of the agonist muscarine (10 lg) produced a facilitation of PRs. A decrease in the latency, an increase in the number of clusters and often an increase in the duration of cups were found after muscarine. In addition, 66% (six out of nine) of the animals ejaculated after muscarine. These results suggest that cholinergic receptor stimulation may be involved in erectile and ejaculatory mechanisms mediated by the spinal cord.
The development of dominant follicles requires the parallel growth of a vascular network, regulated by VEGF and its receptors VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2. Here, we demonstrate the presence of mRNA for the soluble forms of VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2 by RT-PCR and the respective proteins by Western blot, in bovine dominant follicles. The 3' end of the mRNA coding region and the deduced C-terminal amino acid sequence of the bovine VEGFR soluble forms were similar to those previously described in human and mice. The relative abundance of sVEGFR-1 was higher in dominant follicles of day 4, decreasing on day 6 and further on day 9 of the cycle. In contrast, sVEGFR-2 expression was low on day 4 follicles and increased as the cycle advanced, becoming greater on day 9. The changes of sVEGFR-1 and sVEGFR-2 with the age of the bovine dominant follicle indicate a physiological role in its growth and atresia.
The activity of PSPF was studied in 38 normal newborns. The production of 6-keto-PGF1 (PGI2 stable metabolite) after stimulation with cord blood plasma, 0.72 +/- 0.50 pmol/10(5) cells, was lesser than after stimulation with plasma from 2-3 years old children, 3.00 +/- 0.89 pmol/10(5) cells (p less than 0.01), or from adults, 7.74 +/- 5.00 pmol/10(5) cells (p less than 0.001). No differences were shown during neonatal period. The presence of a circulating inhibitor factor in newborns was dismissed by mixed cultures. The behaviour of neonatal plasma after consecutive stimulations with AA was similar to adult plasma response. We proved that newborns show a deficient capacity to stimulate PGI2, which is not due to circulating inhibitor factor, and we think that this deficiency is due to a weaker action of stimuli, rather than to an immaturity.
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