Mechanical and morphometric approaches to body mass estimation in rhesus macaques: A test of skeletal variables

OBJECTIVES

Estimation of body mass from skeletal metrics can reveal important insights into the paleobiology of archeological or fossil remains. The standard approach constructs predictive equations from postcrania, but studies have questioned the reliability of traditional measures. Here, we examine several skeletal features to assess their accuracy in predicting body mass.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Antemortem mass measurements were compared with common skeletal dimensions from the same animals postmortem, using 115 rhesus macaques (male: n = 43; female: n = 72). Individuals were divided into training (n = 58) and test samples (n = 57) to build and assess Ordinary Least Squares or multivariate regressions by residual sum of squares (RSS) and AIC weights. A leave-one-out approach was implemented to formulate the best fit multivariate models, which were compared against a univariate and a previously published catarrhine body-mass estimation model.

RESULTS

Femur circumference represented the best univariate model. The best model overall was composed of four variables (femur, tibia and fibula circumference and humerus length). By RSS and AICw, models built from rhesus macaque data (RSS = 26.91, AIC = -20.66) better predicted body mass than did the catarrhine model (RSS = 65.47, AIC = 20.24).

CONCLUSION

Body mass in rhesus macaques is best predicted by a 4-variable equation composed of humerus length and hind limb midshaft circumferences. Comparison of models built from the macaque versus the catarrhine data highlight the importance of taxonomic specificity in predicting body mass. This paper provides a valuable dataset of combined somatic and skeletal data in a primate, which can be used to build body mass equations for fragmentary fossil evidence.

Quantifying the relationship between bone and soft tissue measures within the rhesus macaques of Cayo Santiago

OBJECTIVES

Interpretations of the primate and human fossil record often rely on the estimation of somatic dimensions from bony measures. Both somatic and skeletal variation have been used to assess how primates respond to environmental change. However, it is unclear how well skeletal variation matches and predicts soft tissue. Here, we empirically test the relationship between tissues by comparing somatic and skeletal measures using paired measures of pre- and post-mortem rhesus macaques from Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Somatic measurements were matched with skeletal dimensions from 105 rhesus macaque individuals to investigate paired signals of variation (i.e., coefficients of variation, sexual dimorphism) and bivariate codependence (reduced major axis regression) in measures of: (1) limb length; (2) joint breadth; and (3) limb circumference. Predictive models for the estimation of soft tissue dimensions from skeletons were built from Ordinary Least Squares regressions.

RESULTS

Somatic and skeletal measurements showed statistically equivalent coefficients of variation and sexual dimorphism as well as high epiphyses-present ordinary least square (OLS) correlations in limb lengths (R2  >0.78, 0.82), joint breadths (R2  >0.74, 0.83) and, to a lesser extent, limb circumference (R2  >0.53, 0.68).

CONCLUSION

Skeletal measurements are good substitutions for somatic values based on population signals of variation. OLS regressions indicate that skeletal correlates are highly predictive of somatic dimensions. The protocols and regression equations established here provide a basis for reliable reconstruction of somatic dimension from catarrhine fossils and validate our ability to compare or combine results of studies based on population data of either hard or soft tissue proxies.

Multiregion transcriptomic profiling of the primate brain reveals signatures of aging and the social environment

Aging is accompanied by a host of social and biological changes that correlate with behavior, cognitive health and susceptibility to neurodegenerative disease. To understand trajectories of brain aging in a primate, we generated a multiregion bulk (N = 527 samples) and single-nucleus (N = 24 samples) brain transcriptional dataset encompassing 15 brain regions and both sexes in a unique population of free-ranging, behaviorally phenotyped rhesus macaques. We demonstrate that age-related changes in the level and variance of gene expression occur in genes associated with neural functions and neurological diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. Further, we show that higher social status in females is associated with younger relative transcriptional ages, providing a link between the social environment and aging in the brain. Our findings lend insight into biological mechanisms underlying brain aging in a nonhuman primate model of human behavior, cognition and health.

Microstructure and energy dispersive diffraction reconstruction of 3D patterns of crystallographic texture in a shark centrum

Purpose: Tomography using diffracted x-rays produces reconstructions mapping quantities such as crystal lattice parameter(s), crystallite size, and crystallographic texture, information quite different from that obtained with absorption or phase contrast. Diffraction tomography is used to map an entire blue shark centrum with its double cone structure (corpora calcerea) and intermedialia (four wedges). Approach: Energy dispersive diffraction (EDD) and polychromatic synchrotron x-radiation at 6-BM-B, the Advanced Photon Source, were used. Different, properly oriented Bragg planes diffract different x-ray energies; these intensities are measured by one of ten energy-sensitive detectors. A pencil beam defines the irradiated volume, and a collimator before each energy-sensitive detector selects which portion of the irradiated column is sampled at any one time. Translating the specimen along X , Y , and Z axes produces a 3D map. Results: We report 3D maps of the integrated intensity of several bioapatite reflections from the mineralized cartilage centrum of a blue shark. The c axis reflection's integrated intensities and those of a reflection with no c axis component reveal that the cone wall's bioapatite is oriented with its c axes lateral, i.e., perpendicular to the backbone's axis, and that the wedges' bioapatite is oriented with its c axes axial. Absorption microcomputed tomography (laboratory and synchrotron) and x-ray excited x-ray fluorescence maps provide higher resolution views. Conclusion: The bioapatite in the cone walls and wedges is oriented to resist lateral and axial deflections, respectively. Mineralized tissue samples can be mapped in 3D with EDD tomography and subsequently studied by destructive methods.

Social connections predict brain structure in a multidimensional free-ranging primate society

Reproduction and survival in most primate species reflects management of both competitive and cooperative relationships. Here, we investigated the links between neuroanatomy and sociality in free-ranging rhesus macaques. In adults, the number of social partners predicted the volume of the mid-superior temporal sulcus and ventral-dysgranular insula, implicated in social decision-making and empathy, respectively. We found no link between brain structure and other key social variables such as social status or indirect connectedness in adults, nor between maternal social networks or status and dependent infant brain structure. Our findings demonstrate that the size of specific brain structures varies with the number of direct affiliative social connections and suggest that this relationship may arise during development. These results reinforce proposed links between social network size, biological success, and the expansion of specific brain circuits.

The ontogeny of sexual dimorphism in free-ranging rhesus macaques

Objective

Reconstructing the social lives of extinct primates is possible only through an understanding of the interplay between morphology, sexual selection pressures, and social behavior in extant species. Somatic sexual dimorphism is an important variable in primate evolution, in part because of the clear relationship between the strength and mechanisms of sexual selection and the degree of dimorphism. Here, we examine body size dimorphism across ontogeny in male and female rhesus macaques to assess whether it is primarily achieved via bimaturism as predicted by a polygynandrous mating system, faster male growth indicating polygyny, or both.

Methods

We measured body mass in a cross-sectional sample of 364 free-ranging rhesus macaques from Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico to investigate size dimorphism: 1) across the lifespan; and 2) as an outcome of sex-specific growth strategies, including: a) age of maturation; b) growth rate; and c) total growth duration, using regression models fit to sex-specific developmental curves.

Results

Significant body size dimorphism was observed by prime reproductive age with males 1.51 times the size of females. Larger male size resulted from a later age of maturation (males: 6.8-7.8 years versus females: 5.5-6.5 years; logistic model) and elevated growth velocity through the pre-prime period (LOESS model). Though males grew to larger sizes overall, females maintained adult size for longer before senescence (quadratic model).

Discussion

The ontogeny of size dimorphism in rhesus macaques is achieved by bimaturism and a faster male growth rate. Our results provide new data for understanding the development and complexities of primate dimorphism.

Shark centra microanatomy and mineral density variation studied with laboratory microComputed Tomography

Centra of shark vertebrae from three species of Lamniformes (Alopias vulpinus, Carcharodon carcharias and Isurus oxyrinchus) and three species of Carcharhiniformes (Carcharhinus plumbeus, Carcharhinus obscurus and Prionace glauca) were imaged with laboratory microcomputed Tomography (microCT) using volume element (voxel) sizes between 16 and 24 µm. Linear attenuation coefficients were the same in the corpus calcarea (hour-glass-shaped cone) and intermedialia of the lamniforms but were smaller in the intermedialia than in the corpus calcarea of the carcharhiniforms. All centra contained growth bands which were visible as small changes in linear attenuation coefficient. In all six cases, the cross-sections of the cones were close to circular, and the cone angles matched those reported in the literature. Cartilage canals were a prominent structure in the intermedialia of all species, 3D renderings of centra of C. obscurus and I. oxyrinchus diameters showed these canals ran radially outward from the cone walls, and canal diameters were consistent with the limited numerical values in the literature. Somewhat higher calcification levels around the periphery of cartilage canals and of outer surfaces of the intermedialia and corpus calcerea suggest microstructural variation exists at scale below that which can be resolved in the present data sets.

Sex estimation of the subadult ilium prior to acetabular fusion

Previous studies evaluating sexual dimorphism in subadult pelvic features present variable, and at times conflicting, conclusions. As a result, there is yet to be a consensus on whether the subadult pelvis can be used in sex estimation methods. This study aims to assess the forensic utility of ilium shape and greater sciatic notch morphology in sexing subadult pelves prior to acetabular fusion. A sample of 397 modern U.S. individuals with unfused acetabula (i.e., tri-radiate cartilages) aged birth to 14 years was queried from a larger sample of postmortem computed tomography scans. Elliptical Fourier analyses were performed on ilium and greater sciatic notch outlines and resultant PCs were evaluated for significant effects of sex and age. Greater sciatic notch metrics were also collected. Stepwise linear discriminant function analyses with leave-one-out cross-validation were performed on the PCs and metric variables. Analyses were performed on pooled samples, on age-specific cohort samples, and on samples that iteratively removed the youngest one-year cohort. Cross-validated correct classification rates ranged from 57% to 65% and no patterns were observed to support an appearance and/or consistent expression of sexually diagnostic traits. Based on the results, sex estimation using these features is not recommended in pelvic remains prior to acetabular fusion, although the sample sizes of individuals over 5 years of age were limited in this study. Future studies should focus on the sexually diagnostic ability of pelvic traits in subadult samples post-fusion of the acetabulum.

Age and sex-associated variation in the multi-site microbiome of an entire social group of free-ranging rhesus macaques

BACKGROUND

An individual's microbiome changes over the course of its lifetime, especially during infancy, and again in old age. Confounding factors such as diet and healthcare make it difficult to disentangle the interactions between age, health, and microbial changes in humans. Animal models present an excellent opportunity to study age- and sex-linked variation in the microbiome, but captivity is known to influence animal microbial abundance and composition, while studies of free-ranging animals are typically limited to studies of the fecal microbiome using samples collected non-invasively. Here, we analyze a large dataset of oral, rectal, and genital swabs collected from 105 free-ranging rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta, aged 1 month-26 years), comprising one entire social group, from the island of Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico. We sequenced 16S V4 rRNA amplicons for all samples.

RESULTS

Infant gut microbial communities had significantly higher relative abundances of Bifidobacterium and Bacteroides and lower abundances of Ruminococcus, Fibrobacter, and Treponema compared to older age groups, consistent with a diet high in milk rather than solid foods. The genital microbiome varied widely between males and females in beta-diversity, taxonomic composition, and predicted functional profiles. Interestingly, only penile, but not vaginal, microbiomes exhibited distinct age-related changes in microbial beta-diversity, taxonomic composition, and predicted functions. Oral microbiome composition was associated with age, and was most distinctive between infants and other age classes.

CONCLUSIONS

Across all three body regions, with notable exceptions in the penile microbiome, while infants were distinctly different from other age groups, microbiomes of adults were relatively invariant, even in advanced age. While vaginal microbiomes were exceptionally stable, penile microbiomes were quite variable, especially at the onset of reproductive age. Relative invariance among adults, including elderly individuals, is contrary to findings in humans and mice. We discuss potential explanations for this observation, including that age-related microbiome variation seen in humans may be related to changes in diet and lifestyle. Video abstract.

Standardizing ordinal subadult age indicators: Testing for observer agreement and consistency across modalities

Skeletal and dental data for subadult analyses obtained from dry bones or various types of medical images, such as computed tomography (CT) scans or conventional radiographs/x-rays, should be consistent and repeatable to ensure method applicability across modalities and support combining study samples. The present study evaluates observer agreement of epiphyseal fusion and dental development stages obtained on CT scans of a U.S. sample and the consistency of epiphyseal fusion stages between CT scans and projected scan radiographs/scout images (U.S. CT sample), and between dry bones and conventional x-rays (Colombian osteological sample). Results show that both intra- and interobserver agreements of scores on CT scans were high (intra: mean Cohen's kappa=0.757-0.939, inter: mean Cohen's kappa=0.773-0.836). Agreements were lower for dental data (intra: mean Cohen's kappa=0.757, inter: mean Cohen's kappa=0.773-0.0.820) compared to epiphyseal fusion data (intra: mean Cohen's kappa=0.939, inter: mean Cohen's kappa=0.807-0.836). Consistency of epiphyseal fusion stages was higher between dry bones and conventional x-rays than between CT scans and scout images (mean Cohen's kappa=0.708-0.824 and 0.726-0.738, respectively). Differences rarely surpassed a one-stage value between observers or modalities. The complexity of some ossification patterns and superimposition had a greater negative impact on agreement and consistency rates than observer experience. Results suggest ordinal subadult skeletal data can be collected and combined across modalities.

Combined computed tomography and position-resolved X-ray diffraction of an intact Roman-era Egyptian portrait mummy

Hawara Portrait Mummy 4, a Roman-era Egyptian portrait mummy, was studied with computed tomography (CT) and with CT-guided synchrotron X-ray diffraction mapping. These are the first X-ray diffraction results obtained non-invasively from objects within a mummy. The CT data showed human remains of a 5-year-old child, consistent with the female (but not the age) depicted on the portrait. Physical trauma was not evident in the skeleton. Diffraction at two different mummy-to-detector separations allowed volumetric mapping of features including wires and inclusions within the wrappings and the skull and femora. The largest uncertainty in origin determination was approximately 1.5 mm along the X-ray beam direction, and diffraction- and CT-determined positions matched. Diffraction showed that the wires were a modern dual-phase steel and showed that the 7 × 5 × 3 mm inclusion ventral of the abdomen was calcite. Tracing the 00.2 and 00.4 carbonated apatite (bone's crystalline phase) reflections back to their origins produced cross-sectional maps of the skull and of femora; these maps agreed with transverse CT slices within approximately 1 mm. Coupling CT and position-resolved X-ray diffraction, therefore, offers considerable promise for non-invasive studies of mummies.

Reconsidering osteoarthritis as a skeletal indicator of age at death

OBJECTIVES

Osteoarthritis (OA) generally increases with age, but it is a complex, multifactorial disease. This study investigated whether obesity, physical activity, and antemortem trauma preclude the use of OA for skeletal age estimation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and all appendicular joints were scored for skeletal indicators of OA in 408 modern European-Americans (Bass Collection, TN). Binomial generalized linear models (GLMs) assessed the contributions of self-reported demographic data to OA, including: age; body mass index (BMI); and metabolic values for physical activities. Repeated resampling tested whether observed mean OA scores for joints with trauma consistently exceeded mean scores for unaffected joints. Single-variable GLM probit models were generated for OA presence/absence data in relevant joints.

RESULTS

Age was the only statistically significant predictor of OA in most multivariable GLMs. Occupation and age were both significant predictors of male hand OA; BMI was the only significant predictor of female ankle OA. Trauma significantly affected OA in most joints. Age cut-offs calculated from the single-variable probit models (representing ages of transition to "OA present") ranged from 29.7 to 77.3 years (90%) and 32.7 to 96.6 years (95%), but were problematic for the male TMJ.

DISCUSSION

Ankle OA should not be used to age females; TMJ OA should not be used to age males. For other joints, using OA to inform age estimates appears valid (in absence of antemortem trauma). While skeletal evidence of OA is not a primary age indicator, its presence can refine age ranges and provide essential age data in fragmentary cases.

Estimating Sex Using Metric Analysis of the Scapula by Postmortem Computed Tomography

Postmortem computed tomography (CT) has been extensively used in the last decade for identification purposes and in various anthropologic studies. Postmortem CT measurements of scapulae, analyzed using logistic discriminant function developed in this study, showed 94.5% accuracy in estimating sex. Data analyzed using the Dabbs and Moore-Jansen (2010) discriminant function and the discriminant function generated in this study provided nearly identical results with disagreement in only one case. Height and weight were not statically significant in sex prediction. The results of this study show that data obtained from volume rendered postmortem CT images can be considered reliable and treated as a practical option to standard anthropological methods, especially in mass fatalities as a rapid triage tool for sex determination.

Skeletal Indicators of Shark Feeding on Human Remains: Evidence from Florida Forensic Anthropology Cases

This research examines a series of six Florida forensic anthropology cases that exhibit taphonomic evidence of marine deposition and shark-feeding activities. In each case, we analyzed patterns of trauma/damage on the skeletal remains (e.g., sharp-force bone gouges and punctures) and possible mechanisms by which they were inflicted during shark predation/scavenging. In some cases, shark teeth were embedded in the remains; in the absence of this evidence, we measured interdental distance from defects in the bone to estimate shark body length, as well as to draw inferences about the potential species responsible. We discuss similarities and differences among the cases and make comparisons to literature documenting diagnostic shark-inflicted damage to human remains from nearby regions. We find that the majority of cases potentially involve bull or tiger sharks scavenging the remains of previously deceased, adult male individuals. This scavenging results in a distinctive taphonomic signature including incised gouges in cortical bone.

The Utility of Advanced Imaging in Forensic Anthropology

Imaging technologies play an integral role in forensic anthropology cases. Advances in digital photography allow the anthropologist to photo-document the scene and skeletal remains in exceptional detail. Traditionally, radiographs have been used to document remains, potential trauma, and any individualizing characteristics such as healing trauma and frontal sinus morphology. Given technological advances, some forensic anthropologists have begun to incorporate more advanced imaging methods in their case analyses and research, such as computed tomography and three-dimensional (3D) surface scans. These advanced imaging technologies provide a means to document skeletal remains and trauma, and can be used to create 3D replicas of the elements for archival and illustrative purposes. Researchers have begun to develop novel methods for estimating biological parameters from these 3D virtual models, using new variables such as surface areas and volumes, and advanced statistical methods (e.g., geometric morphometric analyses) to quantitatively analyze skeletal variation for sex and ancestry estimation. The use of these technologies in forensic anthropology remains somewhat limited, however, due to required costs, expertise, and the time involved in collecting and processing the data. Newly developed methods require further validation, and some areas of advanced imaging, such as photogrammetry, remain relatively unexplored in the field. Interdisciplinary collaborations between forensic anthropologists and other medicolegal professionals can help alleviate some of these resource constraints and facilitate advancements in forensic case analysis and research.

Relocation during incubation of endothelial nuclei in the chick chorioallantois

Early in incubation the nuclei of the chick chorioallantoic capillaries are randomly distributed around the capillary lumen; later most of them are located on the portion of the capillary surface opposite the inner shell membrane. This is one of the complex of processes that results in progressive thinning of the diffusion pathway for gases between the external environment and the blood of the embryo. The present study quantified this nuclear "relocation". Our data show a progressive relocation of the endothelial nuclei from the tenth through the sixteenth day at an average rate of 6% per day.

Prenatal oxidative stress: I. Malondialdehyde in hypoxic and hyperoxic chick embryos

Evidence suggests a positive correlation between metabolic rate (VO2), or ambient oxygen (O2) tension, and the rate of formation of free radicals from O2. We have previously demonstrated that the rates of growth, VO2, protein and DNA accumulation, and the activity of cytochrome oxidase (a key mitochondrial respiratory enzyme), are increased significantly by exposing the chick embryo to 72 h of hyperoxia (60% O2) late in incubation. To test the hypothesis that the chick embryo responds to a prenatal alteration in O2 availability in such a way as to protect its tissues from oxidative damage, we have used the thiobarbituric acid assay to estimate lipid peroxidation (a major form of free radical damage) in selected organs from chick embryos exposed to altered O2 availability. We found significantly higher concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA, a secondary product of lipid peroxidation) in liver than in chorioallantoic membrane, brain, or heart. However, embryos exposed to brief (72 h) hypoxia (15% O2) or hyperoxia (60% O2) late in incubation, or 48 h of such exposure followed by 24 h of incubation in pure O2, exhibited no significant difference in MDA levels compared to normoxic (21% O2) controls in any of the tissues examined. We conclude that the increase in aerobic metabolism induced in the chick embryo by 3 days of hyperoxia is not accompanied by an increase in lipid peroxidation. We postulate that the chick embryo adapts to hyperoxia in such a way as to escape additional free radical damage, perhaps by increasing the capacity of its antioxidant defenses to compensate for a potential increase in the rate of free radical generation.

O2 effect on composition of chick embryonic heart and brain

Heart ventricles from chick embryos incubated in 60% O2 (hyperoxia) on the 16th through the 18th days of incubation were 21% heavier than those from control embryos maintained in 21% O2 (normoxia). Heart ventricles from embyros incubated in 15% O2 (hypoxia) were 8% lighter than controls. Changes in ventricular weight were accompanied by proportional changes in protein content (21% more in hyperoxic ventricles; 8% less in hypoxic ventricles). Ventricular tissue DNA content showed a significant increase in hyperoxia. Tissue protein/DNA ratios were significantly higher in hyperoxia and lower in hypoxia. These data suggest that increased O2 availability led to hypertrophy of chick embryo ventricular cells and an increase in the level of DNA synthesis. Cytochrome oxidase activity per mg DNA was 15-25% higher in hyperoxic ventricles than in hypoxic ventricles. This result is consistent with our previous findings that alterations in O2 availability affect the O2 consumption rate of the chick emryo in ovo, and it provides direct evidence that a phenomenon repeatedly observed in vitro is of importance in vivo. In contrast to the heart, O2 availability did not affect the wet weight, protein or DNA contents, or cytochrome oxidase activity of the chick embryo brain.

Matching of maternal and fetal flow ratios in the sheep placenta

Local interaction of maternal and fetal placental blood flows was studied in two groups of unanaesthetized near-term sheep. Five sheep were exposed to a simulated dive to 100 feet of seawater (4.03 atmospheres) for 25 min. Six fetuses received an infusion of noradrenaline (6.8 micrograms/[kg x min]). Radioactive microspheres were administered simultaneously to mother and fetus before (control) and after (test) the experimental manipulation. Maternal and fetal relative activities, defined as % of total placental radioactivity divided by % of total placental weight, were calculated for 1-g pieces of cotyledonary tissue under control and test conditions. Pieces of cotyledons were defined as matched if the direction of change in relative activity from control to test was the same for mother and fetus. In the absence of an interaction between the maternal and fetal placental circulations, the probability of a piece of cotyledon being matched is 0.5. In each series of experiments the proportion of all cotyledon pieces having maternal and fetal relative activities that changed in the same direction was significantly greater than 0.5. Thus, the majority of the placental mass responds to a physical or chemical perturbation of the fetus in such a way that changes in relative perfusion are qualitatively matched in the adjacent maternal and fetal placental circulations.

Stimulatory and persistent effect of acute hyperoxia on respiratory gas exchange of the chick embryo

The hypothesis that oxygen availability limits growth of the normal chick embryo late in development predicts that an increase in oxygen availability would accelerate the rate of growth and, therefore, metabolism. We tested the prediction concerning metabolism by comparing the oxygen consumption (VO2) and carbon dioxide production (VCO2) of 14-18 day embryos acutely exposed to either 50% or 100% O2 with those of normoxic (21% O2) controls. Two hours of hyperoxia produced increases in both VO2 and VCO2; however, repeated measurements over time in normoxia also demonstrated a significant increase in gas exchange, presumably due to normal growth of the embryos. After correcting for the increase in VO2 due to growth, there was no effect of 60% O2 on day 14. Thereafter the stimulatory effect of 60% O2 increased gradually, reaching 6.1% on day 18. VCO2 was 4 to 6% higher in embryos acutely exposed to 60% O2 than in normoxic controls throughout the observation period, although the difference was significant only on day 18. The VO2 of embryos acutely exposed to 100% O2 was not significantly different from that observed in 60% O2, and was still significantly elevated 3 h after the eggs were returned to 21% O2. We conclude that acute hyperoxia late in incubation elicits an increase in embryonic VO2 and VCO2, with little or no effect on the respiratory exchange ratio, and that the stimulation of gas exchange by 100% O2 persists after the embryo is returned to normoxic conditions. These findings support the hypothesis that oxygen availability limits growth and metabolism of the normoxic chick embryo late in development.

Monosaccharide uptake by erythrocytes of the embryonic and adult chicken

Rates of monosaccharide uptake by adult and 10-18 day old embryonic chicken erythrocytes were quantitated. The rate of carrier-mediated, stereospecific transport decreased 28% from day 10 to day 14 of incubation and was unchanged thereafter. At no time, however, did the rate of carrier-mediated transport by embryonic erythrocytes differ significantly from that of the adult cells. The rate of transfer by simple diffusion was 3-5 fold faster in embryonic than in adult erythrocytes. Uptake by simple diffusion decreased slightly as the embryo developed. Chronic hyperoxic incubation (70% O2) had little influence on total monosaccharide uptake by embryonic erythrocytes.

Stimulation of growth of the chick embryo by acute hyperoxia

We have previously demonstrated that continuous incubation in elevated concentrations of ambient oxygen leads to accelerated growth of the chick embryo. We now report that a similar growth response is elicited by acute (72 h) exposure beginning on the 16th day of incubation. White Leghorn eggs were paired by initial weight and incubated in air for 15 days in forced-draft incubators. Embryos were sampled on days 11, 13 and 15 (experiments 1, 2, 3) or 13, 14 and 15 (experiment 4), freed of all extra-embryonic membranes and weighed. On day 16 the experimental group was switched to 60% O2. The control group was maintained in air. A portion of the remaining eggs from each group was opened on days 16, 17 and 18 (experiment 4), or alternatively all the remaining eggs were opened at the end of the 18th day of incubation (experiments 1, 2, 3). Linear regression analysis of growth curves obtained by plotting log wet embryo weight (g) vs log incubation age (d) showed a significantly greater rate of growth (slope) for days 15-18 in embryos exposed to 60% O2. These results support the hypothesis that growth of the chick embryo is normally limited by the availability of oxygen.

Cardiovascular effects of induced decompression sickness in sheep fetus

Ten chronically catheterized near-term sheep fetuses were used to study the effect of induced intravascular bubbling on fetal placental vascular dynamics and fetal regional blood flows. Fetal blood pressure and heart rate were measured, and radioactive microspheres were administered to fetuses before and 5, 10, 15, and 20 min after a simulated no-decompression dive to 100 fsw (4 ATA) for 25 min. A decrease in brain blood flow was the only effect observed 5 min after decompression. Fifteen minutes later arterial hypertension was evident. Eight fetuses displayed arrhythmia, but there was no significant change in heart rate, myocardial blood flow, or resistance. There was a reduction in blood flow, and a concomitant increase in vascular resistance, in the gut, kidneys, placental membranes, and skeletal muscle, as well as in the brain. Total placental blood flow was unchanged throughout the postdive period, although placental vascular resistance was elevated 20 min after surfacing. Analysis of the placental blood flow at the cotyledonary level in 6 animals revealed no uniform response to decompression. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that the instrumented fetus suffers widespread vascular embolization and disruption of organ blood flows. We conclude that the observed changes in the fetal cardiovascular system, however, are not precipitated by an initial effect of decompression on the fetal placental circulation.

Organ growth in chick embryos incubated in 40% or 70% oxygen

Incubation of eggs in 60% oxygen has been shown to enhance growth of the chick embryo. To determine whether oxygen accelerates growth over a range of concentrations, eggs were incubated in 40% or 70% O2. Control eggs, pair-matched by initial weight, were simultaneously incubated in room air (21% O2). Embryo and organ weights from matched pairs of eggs were compared on incubation days 14, 16 and 18 (40% O2) or 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 (70% O2). Embryos incubated in 40% O2 displayed a pattern of growth enhancement similar to that previously reported for 60% O2. Accelerated embryonic growth was maintained through day 18. The heart showed the greatest percentage increase in weight over control, exceeding that of the whole embryo on days 16 and 18. The brain displayed significant enhancement only on day 16. Weight of the liver was unaffected by hyperoxia. Embryos in 70% O2 exhibited accelerated growth in all of the tissues examined early in incubation. Growth rate of the hyperoxic embryos then declined, so that embryo weight on day 18 did not differ from control. The brain, heart, eye, and proventriculus plus gizzard from 70% O2 embryos weighed significantly less than controls on day 18. Growth inhibition was most striking in the heart; heart/body weight ratio of 70% O2 embryos was significantly less than control throughout the observation period. The results confirm the growth accelerative effect of oxygen and suggest that the degree of growth enhancement is proportional to the ambient oxygen concentration. Accelerated growth cannot be maintained, however, in 70% O2.

Placental vascular responses to 6-keto-prostaglandin E1 in the near-term sheep

6-Keto-prostaglandin E1 (6-keto-PGE1) is a biologically active, stable metabolite of prostaglandin I2 (PGI2). It has vasoactive properties similar to those of PGI2 and it has been shown to decrease the resistance of the renal, mesenteric, and pulmonary vascular beds. PGI2 is synthesized by the pregnant uterus and is vasoactive in the ovine placenta. The effects of 6-keto-PGE1 on uterine and placental blood flow in pregnant ewes were determined for comparison with those of PGI2. Near-term ewes and their fetuses were chronically catheterized to permit the measurement of regional blood flow by the radioactive microsphere method. In six sheep a 5-minute maternal jugular infusion of 3.25 micrograms/kg/min of 6-keto-PGE1 decreased mean arterial blood pressure from 89 +/- 4.8 to 63 +/- 7.1 mm Hg. Uterine vascular resistance decreased from 0.55 +/- 0.11 to 0.35 +/- 0.05 peripheral resistance units (PRU), but maternal cotyledonary resistance increased from 0.19 +/- 0.04 to 0.27 +/- 0.03 PRU. In five sheep a fetal intravenous infusion of 18 micrograms/min of 6-keto-PGE1 decreased mean fetal blood pressure from 43 +/- 2 to 29 +/- 2 mm Hg. Cotyledonary vascular resistance increased from 0.30 +/- 0.02 to 0.55 +/- 0.09 PRU . kg-1. In these sheep there were no significant changes in maternal uterine, renal, or cotyledonary blood flows. These results indicate that 6-keto-PGE1 is similar to PGI2 in that it produces maternal cotyledonary vasoconstriction, hypotension, and vasodilation in other organs.

Effect of PGI2 on the response of the ovine placenta to norepinephrine

We have examined the effects of PGI2, 50 microgram/kg, on norepinephrine induced placental vasoconstriction in 6 chronically catheterized near-term sheep. Regional blood flows were measured with radioactive microspheres. Control flows were measured. Norepinephrine was than infused at 50 microgram/min throughout the experiment. After 15 min the blood flows were again measured and PGI2 was then added to the infusate at 50 microgram/min. In 15 min regional blood flows were again measured and the PGI2 infusion was stopped. Regional blood flows were measured for the last time 15 min later. The renal and nonplacental uterine vasculatures behaved in a predictable manner. There was constriction with norepinephrine but PGI2 opposed the effects of norepinephrine and decreased the resistance towards the normal levels. The placenta did not behave as did the other organs. Norepinephrine increased placental resistance but PGI2 did not decrease the resistance and severely depress the placental blood flows. PGI2 does not appear to oppose norepinephrine induced placental vasoconstriction.

Vascular response of the fetal placenta to local occlusion of the maternal placental vasculature

Local regulation of fetal placental blood flow was studied in 6 near-term sheep. Maternal blood flow was reduced or eliminated to 6-17% of the placenta by ligation or embolization with non-radioactive microspheres. Maternal and fetal placental blood flows were measured, using radioactively-labelled microspheres, before and after vascular occlusion. The change in fetal placental blood flow was significantly different in the occluded as compared to the non-occluded cotyledons. Occlusion of the maternal placental vasculature was associated with a 40% decline in the adjacent fetal placental flow after 24 h. These data support the concept of a local regulatory interaction between fetal and maternal placental circulations wherein fetal placental blood flow is dependent upon the adjacent maternal flow.

Responses of fetal sheep to simulated no-decompression dives

The effect of simulated standard no-decompression dives to 60 and 100 ft of seawater was tested in 12 near term sheep carrying 16 fetuses. In the immediate postdive period there were no significant changes in fetal blood pressure or fetal placental or renal blood flow, but the maternal blood pressure was elevated and the maternal placental blood flow was depressed. Six surgically prepared fetuses were dived to 100 ft. Five died within 20 min of ascent and the sixth suffered severe cardiac arrhythmia and hypotension. At autopsy all fetuses were observed to have massive bubbling in the arterial system and heart. Five fetuses were dived to 100 ft without surgery. Two were alive 3 h later and no bubbles were present at autopsy, and three were born alive at term. With the 60-ft dives, three fetuses were subjected to surgery and all suffered massive bubbling. Two fetuses were dived to 60 ft without surgery; one was alive after 3 h and the other was born alive at term. We conclude that surgery and monitoring result in the formation of postdive gas bubbles that would not otherwise appear.

Fetal heart rate and umbilical blood flow

It has been suggested previously that norepinephrine does not change fetal placental vascular resistance but does change placental blood flow by changing fetal heart rate. We have tested the hypothesis that fetal heart rate is a determinant of fetal placental blood flow by observing changes in placental vascular resistance in 10 chronically catheterized near-term sheep fetuses. Pressures and flow were observed in the control condition and 150 s after the initiation of infusion of norepinephrine at 50 micrograms/min. The fetuses were then given 1.5 mg of atropine and control observations were again made. The norepinephrine infusion was repeated and pressures and blood flows were measured after 150 s. Atropine increased the fetal heart rate from 168 +/- 6 to 205 +/- 12 beats/min. Placental vascular resistance did not change. Norepinephrine resulted in bradycardia, hypertension and an increased placental vascular resistance. After pretreatment with atropine, norepinephrine resulted in tachycardia, hypertension and an increased placental vascular resistance. We conclude that fetal heart rate is not a major determinant of blood flow and that high doses of norepinephrine cause vasoconstriction of the placental vascular bed of the near-term sheep fetus.

Placental transfer of dexamethasone in near-term sheep

The placental transfer of 3H-dexamethasone was studied in six near-term sheep. The placental clearance of 3H-dexamethasone was 18.8 +/- 3.5 ml/min per kg of fetal weight. The clearance of dexamethasone by the fetal tissues was 9.3 +/- w.5 ml/min per kg. The maximum placental clearance was 285 +/- 24 ml/min and the degree of diffusion limitation to the placental transfer of dexamethasone was 78 +/- 4%. The placental transfer of dexamethasone is therefore limited primarily by the nature of the placental barrier.