Because of reports that derivatives of Rauwolfia serpentina may cause severe mental depression when used in the treatment of hypertension, the depressive reactions and possible contributing factors were studied in a group of 387 hypertensive patients. Some of the patients received no specific antihypertensive medication; some were treated with Rauwolfia derivatives alone and some with Rauwolfia...

I examined the histology and ultrastructure of Rathke’s glands in hatchling, juvenile, and adult snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina). This species possesses four pairs of Rathke’s glands (i.e., one axillary and three inframarginals) that are embedded beneath marginal bones and are named primarily according to the anatomical location of their orifices. These integumentary glands are similar a...

Turtles are useful for studying bioaccumulative pollutants such as mercury (Hg) because they have long life spans and feed at trophic levels that result in high exposure to anthropogenic chemicals. We compared total Hg concentrations in blood and toenails of three species of turtles (Chelydra serpentina, Sternotherus odoratus, and Graptemys geographica) with different feeding ecologies from loc...

Purpose: Rauwolfia serpentina (L.) Benth, from the family, Apocynaceae, is an important medicinal plant due to the alkaloid content of its root. The purpose of this study was to obtain roots directly from leaf explant using growth regulators. Methods: The leaf explant was inoculated on MS (Murashige and Skoog) medium supplemented with single and combinations of growth regulators. Root growth wa...

Maternal transfer of nutrients, including steroid hormones, to embryos during gestation in viviparous amniotes is well known, but the concordant process in oviparous amniotes is poorly understood. Recent evidence suggests that steroid hormones are present in freshly laid eggs of archosaurs and that their concentrations may influence offspring phenotypes. This process might be especially importa...