Chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the rat sciatic nerve, which within 3 days induces thermal and mechanical hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia, is used as a model for pain resulting from nerve injury. Involvement of nerve growth factor (NGF) in the development of this hyperalgesia is suggested by the increase in the level of mRNA encoding NGF in cells in the injured area and in dorsal root ganglia at the level of the lesion and the greatly increased NGF levels (determined by ELISA) in the ganglia ipsilateral to the CCI. Application of anti-serum to NGF at the site of CCI delayed the appearance of hyperalgesia, whereas pre-immune serum appeared to enhance it. These results are consistent with the view that NGF is an important factor in the appearance of hyperalgesia associated with unilateral mononeuropathy.

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The effects of l-thyroxine and of surgical thyroidectomy upon the survival of blastocysts have been studied in 200 albino rats. These rats were ovariectomized on the 3rd day of pregnancy, and maintained on progesterone in order to delay implantation. Delay of implantation was confirmed by laparotomy on the 8th day of pregnancy. Subsequent implantation was accomplished by giving 1 \ g=m\ g oestrone daily from the 9th day of pregnancy. At autopsy on the 14th day of pregnancy hyperthyroid rats and hypothyroid rats which had been maintained on daily injections of 2\m=.\0 mg progesterone did not differ from their respective control groups in the number of surviving blastocysts. However, hyperthyroid rats which had been maintained on daily injections of 0\m=.\4mg progesterone possessed more implantation sites than controls. Similarly, the hypothyroid rats maintained on daily injections of 0\m=.\3 mg progesterone had fewer implantation sites than controls. The experiments suggest that the level of hyperthyroidism tested is beneficial to the maintenance of implantation of delayed blastocysts when low amounts of progesterone are available, while hypothyroidism tends to be detrimental to this process during low progesterone availability.