To investigate the effect of diazepam on fetal development in pregnant rats, this experiment was performed in eighty Sprague-Dawley female rats which were 8 weeks old and grouped into two according to different diazepam treatment period during 5-9 days of gestation and 10-14 days of gestation. Both experimental groups were included by saline treated groups (control) and diazepam-treated groups (6mg, 12mg and 24mg), respectively. Diazepam was injected to pregnant rats subcutaneously, which were wacrified on 20 days of gestation and mean litter size, fetal body weight, fetal crown-rump length (CRL) and pathological findings were examined. 1. Concerning mean litter size, diazepam-treated groups showed lower mean litter size than control in both 5-9 days and 10-14 days of gestation groups(p0.05) without difference according to dosage of diazepam and day of gestation. 2. Concerning fetal body weight, diazepam-treated groups during 5-9 days of gestation showed lower fetal body weight than control and the other treated group during 10-14 days(p0.01) without difference according to dosage of diazepam. Diazepam-treated group during 10-14 days of gestation showed no difference among experimented groups. 3. Concerning fetal crown-rump length (CRL), diazepam-treated groups during 5-9 days of gestation showed shorter CRL than control and the other treated group during 10-14 days of gestation(p0.01) without difference according to dosage of diazepam. 4. Reduction of mean litter size, fetal body weight and CRL was shown from when treated by the dosage of 6mg/kg of diazepam. 5. Maternal mortality according to dosage of the 20mg/kg of diazepam were 30% and 20% in the treated group during 5-9 days and 10-14 days of gestation, respectively. These results indicated that diazepam treatment in pregnant rats caused considerable reduction of mean litter size, fetal body weight and fetal crown-rump length when treated during 5-9 days of gestation.

Twenty-one dogs(male 11 heads, female 10 heads) which were about 16 months (16.3+_3.5) old and 10kg(10.1+_2.0) body weight, were allotted randomly into four groups as follows. Group I consisted of five dogs whose muscles were operated for sham muscle injuries. Group II consisted of seven dogs treated for cystic duct obstruction. Group III consisted of five dogs treated for the union fracture model. Group IV consisted of five dogs treated for the nonunion fracture model. Radiographical and histological observations were carried out to determine bone alkaline phosphatase(BALP) and total alkaline phosphatase(TALP) values of each group for 20 weeks after the treatments with the condition of new bone formation. And also the applicability of percentage of BALP values to TALP (B/T) was studied after BALP was compared respectively with TALP. The level of TALP was increased without any relation to bone formation in group II, and all levels of BALP and B/T were increased in group III. The mean of B/T was high in statistical significance, due to varied levels of B/T and BALP. The changes of rates of B/T were significantly increased only in the case of the active new bone formation in group III, union fracture model. It was recognized that the mean values of B/T were statistical significant of the high applicability of the B/T ratio as and index of bone formation.

Cordyceps is a fungus used as a traditional medicine in China, Japan, and Korea. Paecilomyces (P.) japonica is a new cordyceps that was recently cultivated on silkworm pupae in Korea. The present study evaluated the toxicological effects of P. japonica in rats. Forty rats were treated with oral doses of P. japonica (0, 20, 100, or 500 mg/kg/day) for 4 weeks. Twenty additional rats were treated with 0 or 500 mg/kg/day of P. japonica for 4 weeks and then maintained for 2 weeks without treatment. Clinical signs, body weight, food and water consumption, and organ weight as well as hematology, serum biochemistry, and histopathology data were examined. Body weight gain of the group treated with 500 mg/kg/day was significantly reduced. Microscopically, karyomegaly, single cell necrosis, and mitosis were observed in the renal tubular epithelium of all treated groups. In conclusion, P. japonica caused a reduction of body weight and renal injury in rats. The no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of P. japonica was less than 20 mg/kg/day.

Japanese black bears, Ursus thibetanus japonicus, have been classified as a vulnerable species so that data on reproduction are needed to maintain and/or extend their population. They are known to have a peculiar style of reproduction, giving birth to their neonates and raising them during denning, a period of complete fasting. In this study, we investigated the metabolic rate and milk composition of mother bears raising neonates, and the changes in body weight of the neonates under captive conditions. Seven female bears kept in dens were weighed once a month, and the amount of energy they used was calculated. From birth, cubs were also weighed and their growth rate was determined. In addition, the milk composition was analyzed to investigate its characteristics. As a result, it was found that mother bears used 34% more energy than did solitary females. There was no significant difference in the energy used for nursing whether they had single or twin cubs. On the other hand, the body weight gain of single cubs was significantly higher than that of twin cubs, suggesting that the growth of the cubs was highly affected by the suppression of mother's energy consumption during the fasting period. The milk had high fat and low sugar concentrations. This indicates that mother bears used the fat accumulated prior to denning for their main energy source when raising cubs. Considering all results together, Japanese black bears showed remarkable efficiency in the use of energy for reproduction during the fasting period.

Atotal of twenty four LargeWhite Yorkshireweaners nearly of same body weight were selected for the present study.The prediction equations were constructed to estimate the body weight of pigs indirectly from different body measurements of 24 pigs. The body weight was highly correlated (PO.OI)with body length, heart girth and height at withers. Accuracy for the measurement of body weight with prediction equation using one or two independent variables shifting from heart girth to height at withers with increase in body weight. Coefficient of multiple determination (R2)increases gradually as the number of independent variables increased in the prediction equation and the best prediction equation was observed when all the 3 body measurements were included in the equation. orrelationcoefficientof body weightwith body measurementswere also foundto be highly correlated.