It is not clear if rodents express inducible defenses in response to reptilian predators such as snakes. We tested the hypothesis that adult house mice Mus musculus decrease aspects of their reproductive effort upon 1...It is not clear if rodents express inducible defenses in response to reptilian predators such as snakes. We tested the hypothesis that adult house mice Mus musculus decrease aspects of their reproductive effort upon 1 hour of exposure every 48 hours for a 25-day period to the fecal material and shed skins of a euryphagous ophidian predator, the kingsnake Lampropeltis getula, that had been fed mice. We found no significant differences in the total number of offspring born, the number of pups per litter, and the mean weight of pups in litters born to male and female mice that were exposed to predator cues and those mice that were not exposed to such cues. The lack of an inducible response may be associated with the low cost of an effective defense, or the lack of an effective defense against a generalist snake predator [Current Zoology 59 （1）： 135-141, 2013].展开更多
The uterus is an indispensable organ for the development of a new life in eutherian mammals.The female mammalian reproductive capacity diminishes with age.In this respect,the senescence of uterine endometrium is convi...The uterus is an indispensable organ for the development of a new life in eutherian mammals.The female mammalian reproductive capacity diminishes with age.In this respect,the senescence of uterine endometrium is convinced to contribute to this failure.This review focuses on the physiological function of the uterus and the related influence of aging mainly in rodent models.A better understanding of the underlying mechanisms governing the process of uterine aging is hoped to generate new strategies to prolong the reproductive lifespan in humans.展开更多
We used the Chinese skink Eumeces chinensis as a model animal to study the effects of tail loss on reproductive in- vestment and offspring traits. A total of 147 wild-captured adult females were divided into four grou...We used the Chinese skink Eumeces chinensis as a model animal to study the effects of tail loss on reproductive in- vestment and offspring traits. A total of 147 wild-captured adult females were divided into four groups according to their tail con- ditions. Tail breaks occurred most frequently in the proximal portion of the tail and least frequently in the distal portion, with the middle portion in between. This finding suggests that tail breaks occurring in nature often entails substantial energetic costs in E. chinensis where the tail is a major site of energy storage. The proportion of females that laid eggs was higher in females with in- tact or completely regenerated tails than in those with broken tails. Following whole-tail autotomy, the clutch size was reduced by 17%, and the clutch mass was reduced by 14%. Females undergoing substantial tail autotomy reduced reproductive investment, and they did so by reducing the number but not the size of eggs produced. None of the egg and hatchling traits was affected by tail loss. Comparing our data with those reported for other oviparous and viviparous skinks allows us to draw two general conclu- sions： one is that fecundity （clutch or litter size） is affected by tail loss in all species so far studied, whereas offspring size is af- fected by tail loss in some species, but not in others; the other is that the reduction in fecundity following tail loss is more evident in species lacking abdominal fat bodies展开更多
OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether female sub-health conditions and reproductive diseases areassociated with pregnancies and labors.METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was performed by using a structured questionnaire. A...OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether female sub-health conditions and reproductive diseases areassociated with pregnancies and labors.METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was performed by using a structured questionnaire. A total of 1343 women aged 35 years or younger in six urban areas of Chengdu were included in the study.According to the Screening Criteria of sub-health conditions, these women were categorized into three groups: postpartum healthy group,sub-healthy group, and reproductive disease group. Data were double-entered using EpiData and the nanalyzed by SPSS.RESULTS: Pregnancy and labor were correlated with postpartum sub-health conditions. The number of pregnancies was negatively correlated with women's postnatal health but was positively correlated with the incidence of postpartum reproductive diseases.CONCLUSION: The number of pregnancies and labors is probably an important factor leading to sub-health conditions and the occurrence of reproductive diseases in women. Avoiding or reducing unwanted pregnancies and labors, enhancing the awareness of health among child bearing-age women are effective measures for preventing sub-health conditions.展开更多
文摘It is not clear if rodents express inducible defenses in response to reptilian predators such as snakes. We tested the hypothesis that adult house mice Mus musculus decrease aspects of their reproductive effort upon 1 hour of exposure every 48 hours for a 25-day period to the fecal material and shed skins of a euryphagous ophidian predator, the kingsnake Lampropeltis getula, that had been fed mice. We found no significant differences in the total number of offspring born, the number of pups per litter, and the mean weight of pups in litters born to male and female mice that were exposed to predator cues and those mice that were not exposed to such cues. The lack of an inducible response may be associated with the low cost of an effective defense, or the lack of an effective defense against a generalist snake predator [Current Zoology 59 （1）： 135-141, 2013].
基金supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant Nos. 2011CB944401 and 2010CB945002)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos. 30825015 and 81130009)
文摘The uterus is an indispensable organ for the development of a new life in eutherian mammals.The female mammalian reproductive capacity diminishes with age.In this respect,the senescence of uterine endometrium is convinced to contribute to this failure.This review focuses on the physiological function of the uterus and the related influence of aging mainly in rodent models.A better understanding of the underlying mechanisms governing the process of uterine aging is hoped to generate new strategies to prolong the reproductive lifespan in humans.
基金Acknowledgments This study was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation of China （Project No. 30670281） and the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Education （Project No. Y200908723）. We thank Lai-Gao Luo, Long-Hui Lin, Yan-Fu Qu, Xi-Dong Zhang, Hong Li and Hong-Xia Liu for their help during the research.
文摘We used the Chinese skink Eumeces chinensis as a model animal to study the effects of tail loss on reproductive in- vestment and offspring traits. A total of 147 wild-captured adult females were divided into four groups according to their tail con- ditions. Tail breaks occurred most frequently in the proximal portion of the tail and least frequently in the distal portion, with the middle portion in between. This finding suggests that tail breaks occurring in nature often entails substantial energetic costs in E. chinensis where the tail is a major site of energy storage. The proportion of females that laid eggs was higher in females with in- tact or completely regenerated tails than in those with broken tails. Following whole-tail autotomy, the clutch size was reduced by 17%, and the clutch mass was reduced by 14%. Females undergoing substantial tail autotomy reduced reproductive investment, and they did so by reducing the number but not the size of eggs produced. None of the egg and hatchling traits was affected by tail loss. Comparing our data with those reported for other oviparous and viviparous skinks allows us to draw two general conclu- sions： one is that fecundity （clutch or litter size） is affected by tail loss in all species so far studied, whereas offspring size is af- fected by tail loss in some species, but not in others; the other is that the reduction in fecundity following tail loss is more evident in species lacking abdominal fat bodies
基金Supported by The correlation research between maternal reproductive health and kidney,Sichuan Provincial Science and Technology Department of China(No.2006j13-003)
文摘OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether female sub-health conditions and reproductive diseases areassociated with pregnancies and labors.METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was performed by using a structured questionnaire. A total of 1343 women aged 35 years or younger in six urban areas of Chengdu were included in the study.According to the Screening Criteria of sub-health conditions, these women were categorized into three groups: postpartum healthy group,sub-healthy group, and reproductive disease group. Data were double-entered using EpiData and the nanalyzed by SPSS.RESULTS: Pregnancy and labor were correlated with postpartum sub-health conditions. The number of pregnancies was negatively correlated with women's postnatal health but was positively correlated with the incidence of postpartum reproductive diseases.CONCLUSION: The number of pregnancies and labors is probably an important factor leading to sub-health conditions and the occurrence of reproductive diseases in women. Avoiding or reducing unwanted pregnancies and labors, enhancing the awareness of health among child bearing-age women are effective measures for preventing sub-health conditions.
