Ruth E. Rumery

Studies on the mucosa of postmenopausal oviducts: surface appearance ciliary activity and the effect of estrogen treatment.

The epithelial lining of the human oviduct is known to be responsive to the fluctuating hormonal levels of the normal menstrual cycle, but its response to the changes in hormonal climate at the time of the menopause is not clearly defined. In this study the oviducts of nine postmenopausal patients were obtained at the time of abdominal hysterectomy, and the lining epithelium was studied by scanning electron microscopy. The activity of cilia on the fresh tissue was assessed by their ability to transport particulate matter applied to the epithelial surface. The fimbriae of oviducts from women who had received little or no estrogen treatment before surgery showed a significant deciliation of the epithelium, compared with specimens from premenopausal patients, and even showed some sloughing of cells from the surface. The secretory cells appeared inactive. However, the specimens from patients who had been treated with estrogen for periods of 1 year or more showed a remarkable maintenance of the epithelium, with the proportion of ciliated cells remaining almost as high as in premenopausal oviducts, even as late as 25 years after the menopause. The ampullar and isthmic portions showed less obvious changes. Cilia in oviducts from the former group (short-term or no treatment) were incapable of transporting 15-mum microspheres or lycopodium spores applied to the epithelial surface, whereas the oviductal cilia obtained from patients under long-term estrogen therapy showed efficient transport of particulate matter. The results are discussed in relation to earlier conflicting reports on the postmenopausal oviduct.

Effects of dietary cholesterol and voluntary exercise on histopathology, plasma and hepatic lipids of the male rat

SummaryTo avoid the stress of imposed activity, male weanling rats were allowed to exercise voluntarily in individual activity wheels. The exercising animals, which were compared to sedentary controls, ran over 26 km/wk (over 2 miles/day). Half of the animals in each group were fed a 10% coconut oil diet; the other half were fed the same diet with 1% added cholesterol.Plasma cholesterol was monitored throughout the 23-week regime. Consistently lower plasma cholesterol values were shown by the exercising animals during the first weeks of the study, the differences being statistically significant at the end of the 8th week. Dietary cholesterol sharply elevated plasma cholesterol, which reached a peak at the 5th week, then declined to basal levels by the 10th week.Both neutral glycerides and cholesterol levels of the livers were elevated considerably by the addition of cholesterol to the diet. Exercising, however, had a lowering effect on both liver cholesterol and neutral glycerides. The weights of the hearts of the exercising rats were increased, while those of the other organs selected were unchanged.Histologic examination of sections of livers showed fat infiltration of hepatic cells varying in severity, depending on the diet. Greater damage to liver cells was noted when cholesterol was added to the basal diet. Fat infiltration was lessened considerably in exercising rats on the basal diet; exercising partially overcame the effects of added cholesterol.

The effects of graded dietary levels of cholesterol and cholic acid on plasma and hepatic lipids and histopathology of the young male rat

SummaryYoung male rats were maintained on a basal diet containing 20% coconut oil with cholesterol added at 0, 0.25, 1 or 4% and cholic acid at 0, 0.25 or 0.5% weight. Determinations were made of plasma cholesterol and neutral glyceride levels throughout the regimen. After 10 weeks, the rats were killed and their livers, hearts, testes and adrenal glands were weighed. Histologic preparations were made from sections of livers, hearts and aortae. Analyses were made of liver lipids.A decrease in food intake with concomitant lessening in body weight gain occurred when both cholesterol and cholic acid were added to the diet; simultaneously relative liver and adrenal weights were increased. A definite interaction was observed between the dietary cholesterol and cholic acid as evidenced by a considerable elevation in plasma cholesterol levels which showed a peak of 67–110% above the initial values at the 3rd week. No consistent alteration was seen in plasma neutral glyceride values. Both hepatic cholesterol levels and relative liver weights were increased as a result of feeding cholesterol and cholic acid. Liver cells sustained severe injury from fat infiltration. Myocardial cells, which were little affected from added cholesterol, became somewhat vaeuolated with areas of fiber degeneration when cholic acid was in the diet.