Testosterone dependent regulation of growth and DNA synthesis in rat prostate

The prostate of the adult rat is dependent on a continuous supply of androgen to maintain its normal growth and function. In the present study it was found that the weight of the prostate was significantly reduced to 38.2% of the control weight at 7 days after castration, and reached 22.9% of the control weight after 4 weeks of castration. As early as one week after castration, the strong activity of alkaline phosphatases, normally observed, showed an apparent irregular decrease. With more advanced period, the enzyme activity continues to decrease to be apparently weak, two weeks of castration. It was found that the total prostatic DNA was reduced to 34% of the control after two weeks in castrated rats and reached 22.5% of the control after 4 weeks of castration. With commencement of testosterone treatment, the prostatic weight started to be restored, reaching 83.7% of the normal weight after two weeks of treatment. Furthermore, DNA content started to increase with testosterone treatment, reaching 93% of the control after one week and exceeded the control after two weeks. These results suggested that DNA is mostly regulated by testosterone, and hence playing an important role in the regulation of prostatic cellular proliferation

Listeriosis in an Egyptian dairy cow herd inseminated with infected frozen semen with Listeria monocytogenes

An Egyptian dairy farm [557 cows] located in lower Egypt in Sharkia governorate was subjected to clinical and laboratory investigation following a continuous complain, represented mainly in low fertility rate. This farm used infected frozen semen with L. monocytogenes in artificial insemination. Listeriosis was diagnosed in different cows showed the typical reproductive and septicaemic form of the disease, also pigeons bred in the farm showed the typical nervous signs of circling disease. L. monocytogenes was isolated from 3 out of 12 soil samples taken from different areas from the farm. In addition, L. monocytogenes was isolated from the intestinal contents of apparently normal cows. Fourty isolates from cows, pigeons and soil, along with imported frozen semen were serotyped and all of them belonged to serovar 4 b and all isolates were pathogenic for white mcie