Eph/ephrin interactions modulate vascular sympathetic innervation.

Ephs and ephrins are membrane-bound proteins that interact to modulate axon growth and neuronal function. We tested the hypothesis that eph/ephrin interactions affected the growth and function of vascular sympathetic innervation. Using RT-PCR analyses, we detected both classes of ephs (A and B) and both classes of ephrins (A and B) in sympathetic ganglia from neonatal and adult rats.

Vascular-derived artemin: a determinant of vascular sympathetic innervation?

Vascular sympathetic innervation is an important determinant of blood pressure and blood flow. The mechanisms that determine vascular sympathetic innervation are not well understood. The present study tests the hypothesis that vascular-derived artemin promotes the development of sympathetic innervation to blood vessels by promoting sympathetic axon growth.

Dibromoacetic acid, a commonly occurring water disinfection by-product, does not affect follicular populations in neonatal rats.

To investigate whether the mechanism of dibromoacetic acid (DBA) toxicity involves disruption of primordial germ cell migration and/or follicular formation, pregnant and lactating female Sprague-Dawley rats were gavaged daily with 0, 1, 5, or 50 mg DBA/kg body weight beginning on gestation day 17 and continuing through postnatal day 7. Reproductive parameters in 4 groups (n = 10 per group) of female neonatal rats exposed to DBA were examined. Maternal weight, litter size, and gender ratio did not differ across treatment groups, and major organ weights (spleen, liver, kidneys, uterus, and ovary) did not differ from control.