1-6
Vascular access to the arterial side of the pancreas in the Syrian hamster
by DR Sørensen & R Seljelid

In order to establish a new approach to the treatment of tumours of the exocrine pancreas of humans, this work was aimed at gaining vascular access to the arterial side of the pancreas in the Syrian hamster. There is to our knowledge no information available in the literature concerning the catheterisation of the arterial side of the pancreas in the Syrian hamster. Preliminary anatomical studies revealed that the coeliac artery could be a possible vascular access to the different lobes of the pancreas in the Syrian hamster. The lumen of the splenic artery is too small to be catheterised. Injection of Evan´s blue and plastic beads in different sizes into the coelic artery demonstrated distribution to the different lobes of the pancreas as well as to the spleen, the stomach, the duodenum, and the omentum. This opens up the possibility of a treatment, using biodegradable plastic beads coated with immunomodulators injected on the arterial side of the pancreas, as well as alginate beads harbouring transfected cells, capable of delivering various substances in the area of interest.

7-13
Effects of protein deficiency on testosterone levels, semen quality and testicular histology in the developing male rat
by F. Karaca, H. H. Dönmez & M. A. Karslı

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of protein deficiency on plasma testosterone levels, epididymal sperm characteristics and testicular histology in the developing male rat. Twenty four Wistar albino rats were used in the study and were fed with a diet variously containing 3 %, 10 % and 20 % protein. Plasma testosterone levels were significantly lower in rats fed 3 % protein when compared to rats fed 10 % and 20 % protein (P<0.05). Testicular weight in protein deficient rats (rats fed 3 % and 10 % protein) was significantly lower than that of a control group (20 % protein) (P<0.05). No sperm was present in the epididymal duct lumen, but germ cells were observed in some duct lumens in rats fed 3 % protein. Epididymal weight decreased significantly in rats fed 3 % protein compared to rats fed 10 % and 20 % protein (P<0.05). The results of this study clearly show that protein deficiency in developing male rats adversely affects gonadal endocrine function, testicular histology and spermatogenesis.

15-22
Cheese-induced body weight gain is not accompanied by an increase of gastric cells producing leptin, ghrelin, gastrin, or pancreastatin in mice
by Camilla Waldum, Chun-Mei Zhao, Helge L.Waldum, Jostein Halgunset& Duan Chen

The stomach is a source of several circulating peptides/hormones, such as gastrin, pancreastatin, leptin and ghrelin, which are thought to play important roles in the regulation of food intake and body growth. The present study was undertaken in mice in order to examine the effects of diet composition on the body weight gain and the gastric cells that produce these peptides/hormones. Both young and adult female mice (BALB/cABBom strain) were given a standard pelleted dry diet, with or without cheese ad libitum, during a 7 week period. The diet supplement consisted either of carbohydrate-free white cheese containing 27% fat or sweet-tasting but sucrose-free Norwegian “brown cheese” containing 29% fat and 39% carbohydrate, mainly lactose. The total intake of the various types of food and the change in body weight were recorded. At the end of the observation period, blood samples were obtained for determination of gastric hormone levels by radioimmunoassay, and the stomachs were removed for examination of hormone producing cells by immunohistochemistry. The young mice increased their body weight more than the adult mice. In the groups offered white cheese, both young and adult mice increased their body weight more than the animals kept on the standard diet alone. In contrast, the “brown cheese” supplement led to a relative overweight only in adult mice. Despite the changes in body weight gain, there were no differences with respect to the circulating levels of gastrin, leptin or ghrelin, and to the numbers of cells stained with antibodies to pancreastatin (including ECL cells and G cells), leptin (subpopulation of chief cells) and ghrelin (A-like cells) in all groups. Body weight gain was increased in both young and adult mice by a white cheese diet supplement, whereas ‘brown cheese’ produced overweight only in adult mice. The increased body weight gain was not accompanied by an icrease of gastric cells producing leptin, ghrelin, gastrin, or pancreastatin.

41-44
Report on the 53rd American Association for Laboratory Animal Science Meeting
by Theresa K A Langford