Electroconvulsive shock effects on food and water intake as a function of prior deprivational state

Two experiments, each using approximately 30 male and 30 female hooded rats, examined the effects of electroconvulsive shock (ECS) on water intake as a function of the water deprivation state of the animal and food intake and body weight as a function of food deprivation state. In Experiment 1, half the animals were subjected to water deprivation prior to ECS or sham ECS, and the other half were watered ad lib; in Experiment 2, food deprivation was the pre-ECS manipulation. As predicted, ECS produced a decrease in water intake in the ad lib watered animals but not in the deprived ones. A similar treatment by deprivation interaction was not found for food intake or body weight. In the males, food intake was decreased for one day by the treatment but recovered to a normal level two days following ECS; however, such an effect of ECS on food intake did not occur in the females. Since food and water intake was not differentially affected by ECS and sham ECS in deprived animals, previous cautions regarding ECS effects on motivational states may not be germane to many studies using appetitive conditioning paradigms.     

Detection of a 15q deletion in a child with Angelman syndrome by cytogenetic analysis and flow cytometry

A proximal 15q deletion, del(15) (q11:q13), was detected in a child with Angelman syndrome by cytogenetic analysis of peripheral lymphocytes. The chromosomes of both parents appeared normal. Flow karyotype analysis carried out on lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from the child and her parents confirmed the presence of a de novo 15 deletion. The estimated size of the deleted segment ranged from 6.1-9.5% of chromosome 15 (approximately 6-9.3 million base pairs). The parental origin of the deleted chromosome could not be resolved by flow cytometry, but cytogenetic evidence suggested that it was derived from the smaller chromosome 15 homologue in the mother.     

Null mutation in human ciliary neurotrophic factor gene confers higher body mass index in males

Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) administration reduces weight in leptin-resistant mice via the signalling pathway normally activated by leptin. A G>A null mutation in the CNTF gene results in complete absence of protein. We hypothesised that absence of CNTF could lead to diminished initiation of anorectic pathways, with consequent increase in body mass. In 575 Caucasian men aged 59-73 years, the A/A genotype (frequency 1.9%) was associated with a 10 kg increase in weight (P=0.03, 2 df) and 3 kg/m(2) greater BMI (P=0.02, 2 df). There was no effect in women. The CNTF G>A null mutation therefore confers a moderate effect on obesity in males of A/A genotype, who represent 1% of the general population.     

Recurrent melioidosis in patients in northeast Thailand is frequently due to reinfection rather than relapse

Human melioidosis is associated with a high rate of recurrent disease, despite adequate antimicrobial treatment. Here, we define the rate of relapse versus the rate of reinfection in 116 patients with 123 episodes of recurrent melioidosis who were treated at Sappasithiprasong Hospital in Northeast Thailand between 1986 and 2005. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis was performed on all isolates; isolates from primary and recurrent disease for a given patient different by one or more bands were examined by a sequence-based approach based on multilocus sequence typing. Overall, 92 episodes (75%) of recurrent disease were caused by the same strain (relapse) and 31 episodes (25%) were due to infection with a new strain (reinfection). The interval to recurrence differed between patients with relapse and reinfection; those with relapses had a median time to relapse of 228 days (range, 15 to 3,757 days; interquartile range [IQR], 99.5 to 608 days), while those with reinfection had a median time to reinfection of 823 days (range, 17 to 2,931 days; IQR, 453 to 1,211 days) (P = 0.0001). A total of 64 episodes (52%) occurred within 12 months of the primary infection. Relapse was responsible for 57 of 64 (89%) episodes of recurrent infection within the first year after primary disease, whereas relapse was responsible for 35 of 59 (59%) episodes after 1 year (P < 0.0001). Our data indicate that in this setting of endemicity, reinfection is responsible for one-quarter of recurrent cases. This finding has important implications for the clinical management of melioidosis patients and for antibiotic treatment studies that use recurrent disease as a marker for treatment failure.     

Detection of Haemophilus influenzae type b by real-time PCR

A real-time PCR assay targeting the capsulation locus of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) was developed. The linear detection range was from 1 to 10(6) microorganisms per reaction mixture. No H. influenzae other than Hib or any other control bacteria typically found in the upper respiratory tract was detected.     

Isolation of a new clathrin heavy chain gene with muscle-specific expression from the region commonly deleted in velo-cardio-facial syndrome

Velo-cardio-facial syndrome (VCFS) and DiGeorge syndrome (DGS) are developmental disorders characterized by a spectrum of phenotypes including velopharyngeal insufficiency, conotruncal heart defects and facial dysmorphology among others. Eighty to eighty-five percent of VCFS/DGS patients are hemizygous for a portion of chromosome 22. It is likely that the genes encoded by this region play a role in the etiology of the phenotypes associated with the disorders. Using a cDNA selection protocol, we isolated a novel clathrin heavy chain cDNA (CLTD) from the VCFS/DGS minimally deleted interval. The cDNA encodes a protein of 1638 amino acids. CLTD shares significant homology, but is not identical to the ubiquitously expressed clathrin heavy chain gene. The CLTD gene also shows a unique pattern of expression, having its maximal level of expression in skeletal muscle. Velopharyngeal insufficiency and muscle weakness are common features of VCFS patients. Based on the location and expression pattern of CLTD, we suggest hemizygosity at this locus may play a role in the etiology of one of the VCFS-associated phenotypes.      

METHYLATION STATUS OF BCL6 DISTINGUISHES DNA SAMPLES FROM BENIGN AND MALIGNANT LYMPHOPROLIFERATIVE DISORDERS

INTRODUCTION: Core biopsy of the breast has become the method of choice for tissue diagnosis of screen detected microcalcifications and some mass lesions in many breast assessment centres. Biopsy results are not available until the following day. Imprint cytology of fresh breast core samples allows same-day reporting and patient counselling.
AIM: To determine the accuracy of core imprint cytology when compared with core biopsy diagnosis when used in a breast assessment centre setting.
METHODS: Core imprints (CI) were prepared and reported on all fresh core biopsies (CB) performed at the Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital Breast Centre from May to December 2000. Fresh core samples were placed on a glass microscope slide. Core radiographs were taken for microcalcification lesions (MC). A laboratory technician gently and quickly rolled the cores on the slide with fine forceps. The cores were fixed in formalin, processed and reported next day. The imprint slide was air dried and stained with DiffQuik. CI were reported using four categories: Insufficient, Benign, Indeterminate and Malignant. Counselling and planning for management were possible on the same day in women with malignant diagnoses. Clinicians were advised not to discuss negative or indeterminate CI results with women and to defer to the final CB report.
RESULTS: Cores were performed on 381 lesions. There were 83 carcinomas (38 in MC and 45 in masses) and 56 were called malignant on CI (absolute sensitivity 67.5%; 78.9% for MC and 57.8% for masses). 3 malignancies on CB were negative on CI giving a false negative rate of 3.6%. There were no false positive diagnoses. The predictive value of a benign diagnosis was 95.3%. There were no adverse effects in the histology of CB.
CONCLUSION: CI was an accurate method of providing an immediate diagnosis of malignancy in two thirds of malignancies confirmed on CB.     

Epidemic typhoid in vietnam: molecular typing of multiple-antibiotic-resistant Salmonella enterica serotype typhi from four outbreaks

Multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi isolates from four outbreaks of typhoid fever in southern Vietnam between 1993 and 1997 were compared. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, bacteriophage and plasmid typing, and antibiotic susceptibilities showed that independent outbreaks of multidrug-resistant typhoid fever in southern Vietnam are caused by single bacterial strains. However, different outbreaks do not derive from the clonal expansion of a single multidrug-resistant serotype Typhi strain.     

Formaldehyde in cryoprotectant propanediol and effect on mouse zygotes

Cryopreservation of human zygotes and embryos has been routinely performed by in-vitro fertilization clinics for many years. Karran and Legge (1996) first reported that formaldehyde (FA) present in the cryoprotective solutions can have a deleterious effect on mouse oocytes. FA is a cytotoxic, carcinogenic and mutagenic chemical. The effect of FA on mouse zygotes was investigated. In addition, the concentrations of FA in propanediol (PROH) obtained from various sources were determined. Pooled 1-cell embryos were dispensed into droplets of modified Ham's F10 or human tubal fluid containing various concentrations of FA. Since bovine serum albumin (BSA) may minimize toxicity additional trials were done as above in the absence of BSA. FA concentration in the standard 1.5 M PROH, from different sources in water, was measured in the same assay using a standard curve of 0-100 microM FA. FA in a complex medium had a significant deleterious effect on embryo development and hatching but only at 1 mM concentration (P < 0.000001; see Tables I-III). There was no significant effect of FA at 100 microM. However, in a simple medium even 50 microM FA decreased embryo hatching. FA was present in 1.5 M PROH from different sources (range 1.0-35.3 microM concentration). It appears that FA concentrations do not increase with storage because FA concentrations were low even after opening and storage for 3 years on the shelf. This suggests that FA is a contaminant during the manufacturing process and may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and batch to batch. Until further studies are done to confirm the lack of toxicity to embryos during cryopreservation (with or without FA scavengers) it may be prudent to screen all batches of cryoprotectants for FA as part of quality control.