Worcester Foundation for Biomedical Research

About: Worcester Foundation for Biomedical Research is a based out in . It is known for research contribution in the topics: Estrone & Estrogen. The organization has 2195 authors who have published 2646 publications receiving 115809 citations. The organization is also known as: Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology.

Effects of Certain 19-Nor Steroids on the Normal Human Menstrual Cycle

Abstract: Preliminary trials of 17alpha-ethinyl-19-nortestosterone (norethynodrel) 17alpha-ethinyl-5(10)-estraeneolone (norethisterone) and 17alpha-ethyl-19-nortestosterone in 50 infertile women are described. Patients were 22-39 years old (mean 29) ovulating and menstruating regularly but infertile for 1.5-6 years. They took 5-50 mg of one of the progestagens from Cycle Days 5-25 for a total of 112 cycles. Cycle length endometrial biopsies basal temperature vaginal smears and pregnanediol excretion were monitored. In only 2 cycles with norethisterone were any 2 of these criteria suggestive of ovulation but pregnediol remained .1 mg/day (an ovulatory range). In most respects norethynodrel and norethisterone had identical effects; fo r example endometria showed stimulated stromal but retarded glandular development and exhibited menstruallike bleeding between cycles. Ethyl-19-nortestosterone however permitted only breakthrough bleeding in 8 of 16 women. All 3 compounds inhibited ovulation in doses above 10 mg daily. 7 (15%) women conceived within 5 months after the trial including 5 who had been infertile for 3-6 years.

Tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactive neurons and fibers in the olfactory system of the hamster

Abstract: Tyrosine hydroxylaselike immunoreactivity is associated with several different classes of neurons in the main olfactory bulb of the hamster. Most of the tyrosine hydroxylaselike immunoreactive (THLI) neurons are located in the glomerular layer and in the outer two-thirds of the external plexiform layer. The majority of THLI neurons in the glomerular layer have somal sizes and dendritic features which correspond to those of external tufted cells. A small population of THLI periglomerular cells also is present. The majority of THLI neurons in the external plexiform layer have the morphological characteristics of middle tufted cells. A small population of THLI neurons which appear to be Van Gehuchten cells is distributed throughout the external plexiform layer and in the mitral body layer. Small populations of THLI deep short-axon cells are distributed throughout the mitral body, internal plexiform, and granule cell layers. Tyrosine hydroxylase-positive fibers of central origin also are observed in the main olfactory bulb. They may originate from THLI neurons in the anterior olfactory nucleus, ventral hippocampal rudiment, dorsal peduncular cortex, septal and basal portions of the vertical limb and nucleus of the horizontal limb of the diagonal band, lateral and dorsal hypothalamus, ventral tegmental area and substantia nigra, dorsal and median raphe nuclei, and locus ceruleus. The frontal neocortex, infralimbic and anterior cingulate cortex, and medial amygdaloid nucleus also contain THLI neurons. In contrast to the widespread distribution of tyrosine hydroxylaselike immunoreactivity in the main olfactory bulb, substance P-like immunoreactivity is restricted to external tufted cells and to centrifugal afferents which may originate in the dorsal and median raphe nuclei. Both types of immunoreactivity appear to be present in centrifugal afferents to the accessory olfactory bulb, but THLI neurons are extremely rare and no neurons with substance P-like immunoreactivity have been observed in the accessory olfactory bulb. Intraventricular injections of colchicine which were expected to enhance the labeling of neuronal somata did not alter the relative incidences of labeling among the various classes of neurons in the olfactory bulbs. These findings provide immunocytochemical evidence that populations of superficially situated tufted cells in the main olfactory bulb are functionally distinct from the deeper-lying output neurons and from output neurons in the accessory olfactory bulb, that populations of catecholami-nergic neurons are present within several olfactory and related cortical structures in addition to the olfactory bulbs, that the medical septum-diagonal band complex also contains catecholaminergic neurons, and that a substantial population of neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus is capable of vatechol synthesis.

A New Biological Rhythm Mutant of Drosophila Melanogaster That Identifies a Gene with an Essential Embryonic Function

Abstract: To identify components of a circadian pacemaker output pathway, we have sought Drosophila mutations that alter the timing of eclosion but do not perturb circadian period or the expression of the activity rhythm. A mutant named lark has been identified, for which daily peaks of eclosion occur abnormally early while populations are synchronized to either light/dark or temperature cycles. The temporal phasing of locomotor activity in lark mutants, however, is entirely normal, as is the free-running period of the circadian pacemaker. The lark strain carries a single P-element insertion which, interestingly, has a dominant effect on the timing of eclosion, but is also associated with a recessive embryonic lethal phenotype. The analysis of excision-generated alleles suggests that the lark gene encodes an essential function. This function is apparently mediated by a transcription unit that is interrupted by the P-induced lark mutation. A combination of in situ hybridization analysis and reporter (beta-gal) staining indicates that this transcription unit expresses mRNAs throughout the embryonic central nervous system and in a defined subset of cells in the nervous system of pharate adults. RNAs are first detected at about embryonic stage 11, just prior to the stage at which lethality occurs in lark homozygotes. Based primarily on the observed mutant phenotypes, a function is proposed for the LARK product(s) that is consistent with the pleiotropic nature of lark mutations.