Effect of daily parenteral injection of betamethasone on histamine concentration of gastric tissue in albino rats

Summary Gastric tissue histamine concentration was determined in albino rats following daily parenteral injection of betamethasone over a period of 12 days. The result shows a highly significant fall in gastric tissue histamine concentration in comparison with that in saline-treated albino rats over a similar period.This investigation was carried out as a part of a project supported by a research grant from Medical Research Centre, Bombay Hospital Trust, Bombay, India.     

Effect of bilateral adrenalectomy and parenteral betamethasone on gastric mucosal mast cell population in albino rats

Summary The histamine-laden mast cells gastric mucosa in albino rats are shown to degranulate on administration of Betamethasone, but they increase in number in adrenalectomized rats. It is concluded that Betamethasone, and also adrenal glucocorticoids incrase gastric secretion by liberating histamine from mast cells and histamine in turn acts on the gastric glands.     

Effect of bilateral adrenalectomy and parenteral betamethasone on gastric mucosal mast cell population in albino rats.

The histamine-laden mast cells of gastric mucosa in albino rats are shown to degranulate on administration of Betamethasone, but they increase in number in adrenalectomized rats. It is concluded that Betamethasone, and also adrenal glucocorticoids increase gastric secretion by liberating histamine from mast cells and histamine in turn acts on the gastric glands.     

Effect of pylorus ligation on gastric mucosal mast cell population in normal and adrenalectomised albino rats

Summary Pylorus ligation in normal albino rats acts like a stressor leading to degranulation of mast cells in gastric mucosa, thereby decreasing their number. This decrease is less pronounced when pylorus ligation is done in adrenalectomized rats. This implies that action of a stressor on gastric function involves the adrenal steroids which liberate the powerful gastric stimulant histamine from gastric mucosal mast cells.     

Effect of pylorus ligation on gastric mucosal mast cell population in normal and adrenalectomised albino rats.

Pylorus ligation in normal albino rats acts like a stressor leading to degranulation of mast cells in gastric mucosa, thereby decreasing their number. This decrease is less pronounced when pylorus ligation is done in adrenalectomized rats. This implies that action of a stressor on gastric function involves the adrenal steroids which liberate the powerful gastric stimulant histamine from gastric mucosal mast cells.     

Gastrin: obligatory intermediate in the postprandial mobilization of gastric histamine in the rat.

In unoperated fasted rats, feeding raised the serum gastrin concentration, reduced the gastric mucosal histamine content and activated the gastric histidine decarboxylase. The reduction of gastric histamine and activation of histidine decarboxylase was induced also by the injection of pentagastrin. In antrectomized rats, feeding failed to produce these effects. Injection of pentagastrin, however, still lowered gastric histamine and activated gastric histidine decarboxylase. Thus, antral gastrin seems to be an obligatory mediator of the postprandial activation of histidine decarboxylase and mobilization of histamine.     

Gastrin: Obligatory intermediate in the postprandial mobilization of gastric histamine in the rat

Summary In unoperated fasted rats, feeding raised the serum gastrin concentration, reduced the gastric mucosal histamine content and activated the gastric histidine decarboxylase. The reduction of gastric histamine and activation of histidine decarboxylase was induced also by the injection of pentagastrin. In antrectomized rats, feeding failed to produce these effects. Injection of pentagastrin, however, still lowered gastric histamine and activated gastric histidine decarboxylase. Thus, antral gastrin seems to be an obligatory mediator of the postprandial activation of histidine decarboxylase and mobilization of histamine.Acknowledgments. Grant support from the Swedish and Danish Medical Research Councils (14P-4822, 04X-1007, 17X-4144 and 512-2540).     

Essential fatty acids (EFA) deficiency and liver mitochondria

Summary 2 dietary fats, namely, hydrogenated coconut oil and safflower seed oil were fed at 20% levels to weanling male albino rats for a period of 2 months after which the animals were sacrificed and oxidative phosphorylation measured in liver mitochondria. This ratio was more in the unsaturated-fat-fed group of rats compared to the saturated-fed ones for glutamate and malate; in the case of succinate no such change was noticed.     

Effect of stimulation of vagus nerves on gastric tissue histamine concentration in albino rats.

2 different time schedules were applied in order to stimulate vagus nerves around the oesophagus at the region of the cardio-oesophageal junction. The result shows a significant reduction in gastric tissue histamine concentration following vagal stimulation, the reduction being more when the duration of stimulation was longer.     

Der Einfluss verschiedener Psychopharmaka auf den Bluthistamingehalt von Ratten

Summary The concentration of histamine in plasma of rats is changed by injection of psychopharmacons as follows: decreased by narcotics (ether, chloroform) and phantastics (LSD, mescaline), increased by tranquilizers (reserpine, chlorpromazine) a hypnotic (numal) and psychotomimetics (iproniacide, amphetamine).     

Circadian variation of diazepam acute toxicity in mice

Summary The LD₅₀ of i.p. injected diazepam was determined every 4 h over a 24-h period in albino mice adapted to a 12-h dark/12-h light programmed illumination cycle. Results show that diazepam is more toxic during the light phase of the cycle than during the dark phase and demonstrate circadian variation in the toxicity of the compound in mice.     

Comparison of the ototoxic effect of kanamycin on albino and pigmented rats, studied using an operant method.

A study was made of the effect of daily administration of kanamycin (400 mg kg-1) on the hearing of Wistar albino and Lister hooded (pigmented) rats, which had been conditioned to discriminate an acoustic signal. In all animals except one, the drug caused severe, permanent hearing impairment and there was no difference between albino and pigmented rats in onset or degree. Other work has suggested a mediatory role for melanin pigment in such drug ototoxicity but the significance of this must be questioned in view of the failure to find any differences in functional deficit.     

Sul comportamento della sostanza fondamentale in membrane connettivali di ratto albino durante il passaggio di una soluzione salina

Summary The author has studied some details of the passage of saline through connective membranes of normal albino young rats. A mucopolysaccharide is present in such membranes which can be removed soon after addition of hyaluronidase and, at a much slower rate, by the mere passage of fluids through the tissue. Such mucopolysaccharide, most likely hyaluronic acid, seems to be present in quantities not too different from one membrane to another and it appears to be bound to some other tissue microstructure by means of rather loose chemical bonds. Once the mucopolysaccharide removed, the hydration of some other substrate probably takes place, thus causing the free interstices to get narrower with consequent decrease in the flowing velocity of the saline.     

Die Speicherung von Blutproteinen in den Histiozyten nach vorhergehender Histamineinwirkung

Summary By means of their special histological method, the storage of plasma proteins in the histiocytes was studied by the authors in rats and mice. If injected subcutaneously, both homologous and heterologous serum proteins were stored to the same extent at the site of the injection by the histiocytes of the connective tissue.After smearing the skin with histamine or after subcutaneous injection of histamine, intensive storage of protein occurs locally in the histiocytes. Because of the effect of histamine increasing permeability, these cells accumulate in their body the plasma proteins abundantly escaping from the blood stream.Even under physiological conditions, plasma proteins are constantly taken up and destroyed by the reticuloendothelial cells and this function has a fundamental biological importance.     

Effect of stimulation of vagus nerves on gastric tissue histamine concentration in albino rats

Summary 2 different time schedules were applied in order to stimulate vagus nerves around the oesophagus at the region of the cardio-oesophageal junction. The result shows a significant reduction in gastric tissue histamine concentration following vagal stimulation, the reduction being more when the duration of stimulation was longer.The authors are grateful to Dr V. Srinivasan, Director, Sarabhai Research Centre, Baroda, India, for donating the animals required for carrying out this work.     

Further studies on the effect of 6-hydroxydopamine in retinal development.

Neonatal albino rats treated with 6-hydroxydopamine revealed depletion of rhodopsin and monoamine oxidase in their retinas.     

Alpha benzene hexachloride inhibition of aflatoxin B1-induced hepatocellular carcinoma. A preliminary report.

Alpha benzene hexachloride protected against the development of liver carcinoma in male albino Fisher rats ingesting aflatoxin B1.     

Comparison of the ototoxic effect of kanamycin on albino and pigmented rats,studied using an operant method

Summary A study was made of the effect of daily administration of kanamycin (400 mg kg^–1) on the hearing of Wistar albino and Lister hooded (pigmented) rats, which had been conditioned to discriminate an acoustic signal. In all animals except one, the drug caused severe, permanent hearing impairment and there was no difference between albino and pigmented rats in onset or degree. Other work has suggested a mediatory role for melanin pigment in such drug ototoxicity but the significance of this must be questioned in view of the failure to find any differences in functional deficit.This work was supported by a Fellowship toE. S. Harpur from the Department of Health and Social Services (Northern Ireland).     

The behavior of the homozygous and heterozygous sub-types of rats which are genetically-selected for diabetes insipidus: A comparison with Long Evans and Wistar stocks

Several aspects of spontaneous and conditioned behavior (food and water intake, locomotion and emotionality, passive and active avoidance acquisition and retention) of standard (albino and pigmented) rats, and rats heterozygous (HEDI) and homozygous (HODI) for diabetes insipidus, are reviewed. As would be expected, HODI rats have been repeatedly found to consume far more fluid than either HEDI or control rats. Pigmented rats appear to be more active than albinos. HODI rats exhibit less marked emotional responses than do control rats, among which the pigmented ones exhibit the highest emotionality. Light aversion is more evident in albino than in pigmented rats. No differences are found among HEDI, HODI and normal Long Evans rats. It is quite difficult to provide a clear-cut statement concerning inter-strain differences in passive avoidance behavior, possibly because of the variety of techniques employed. In any case, HODI rats do not perform worse than normal controls do. In one-way active avoidance paradigms, pigmented rats perform better than albinos, and the performance of HODI rats does not differ from that of controls. In two-way avoidance paradigms, albinos appear to outperform pigmented rats. Once again, there are no obvious differences between HODI and control animals.In addition to indicating that HODI rats may actually be less emotional than the other groups of rats reviewed here, the studies described once again fail to confirm the previously alleged functions of vasopressin in memory consolidation.     

The behavior of the homozygous and heterozygous sub-types of rats which are genetically-selected for diabetes insipidus: a comparison with Long Evans and Wistar stocks

Several aspects of spontaneous and conditioned behavior (food and water intake, locomotion and emotionality, passive and active avoidance acquisition and retention) of standard (albino and pigmented) rats, and rats heterozygous (HEDI) and homozygous (HODI) for diabetes insipidus, are reviewed. As would be expected, HODI rats have been repeatedly found to consume far more fluid than either HEDI or control rats. Pigmented rats appear to be more active than albinos. HODI rats exhibit less marked emotional responses than do control rats, among which the pigmented ones exhibit the highest emotionality. Light aversion is more evident in albino than in pigmented rats. No differences are found among HEDI, HODI and normal Long Evans rats. It is quite difficult to provide a clear-cut statement concerning inter-strain differences in passive avoidance behavior, possibly because of the variety of techniques employed. In any case, HODI rats do not perform worse than normal controls do. In one-way active avoidance paradigms, pigmented rats perform better than albinos, and the performance of HODI rats does not differ from that of controls. In two-way avoidance paradigms, albinos appear to outperform pigmented rats. Once again, there are no obvious differences between HODI and control animals. In addition to indicating that HODI rats may actually be less emotional than the other groups of rats reviewed here, the studies described once again fail to confirm the previously alleged functions of vasopressin in memory consolidation.