Guidelines for reporting experiments involving animals: the ARRIVE guidelines

British Journal of Pharmacology (BJP) is pleased to publish a new set of guidelines for reporting research involving animals, simultaneously with several other journals; the ‘ARRIVE’ guidelines (Animals in Research: Reporting In Vivo Experiments). This editorial summarizes the background to the guidelines, gives our view of their significance, considers aspects of specific relevance to pharmacology, re-states BJP''s guidelines for authors on animal experiments and indicates our commitment to carrying on discussion of this important topic. We also invite feedback via the British Pharmacological Society website.     

Hantaviruses in small mammals and humans in the coastal region of Zhejiang Province,China

To gain more insights into the epidemiology of hantaviruses in the coastal region of Zhejiang Province, China, the morbidity and mortality of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) were analyzed in two coastal areas: Cixi (hilly terrain) and Wenzhou (mountainous terrain). More HFRS cases have been reported in Cixi than in Wenzhou. Annual incidence rate of HFRS in Cixi had been on the level of approximately 1.5/100,000 from 1968 (when the first HFRS case was reported) to 2007, with the highest incidence rate of 8.54/100,000 in 1999. The annual incidence rate in Wenzhou has been relatively low, less than 0.5/100,000 since the first HFRS case was reported in 1981. A total of 461 rodents and 199 shrews were captured in these two areas. Hantavirus antibodies were detected in 16 of 241 (6.64%) Rattus norvegicus and 13 of 122 (10.66%) R. flavipectus. Interestingly, hantavirus antigens were identified in 6 of 196 (3.06%) Suncus murinus. Genetic analysis showed that partial M and S segment sequences recovered from rats in the two regions belong to Seoul virus (SEOV) and can be assigned into two genetic lineages. SEOV variants that belong to these two lineages of viruses are distributed widely in China and have been found outside China. As most trapped rodents were rats and SEOV was the only hantavirus detected, these results suggested that SEOV plays an important role in human hantavirus infections. They also reinforce the need for vigilance in preventing HFRS caused by hantaviruses in the coastal region. J. Med. Virol. 82:987–995, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Fcgamma receptor-dependent effector mechanisms regulate CD19 and CD20 antibody immunotherapies for B lymphocyte malignancies and autoimmunity

Immunotherapy using Rituximab, an unconjugated CD20 monoclonal antibody, has proven effective for treating non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and autoimmune disease. CD19 antibody immunotherapy is also effective in mouse models of lymphoma and autoimmunity. In both cases, mouse models have demonstrated that effector cell networks effectively deplete the vast majority of circulating and tissue B lymphocytes through Fcγ receptor-dependent pathways. In mice, B cell depletion is predominantly, if not exclusively, mediated by monocytes. CD20 mAbs rapidly deplete circulating and tissue B cells in an antibody isotype-restricted manner with a hierarchy of antibody effectiveness: IgG2a/c > IgG1 > IgG2b >> IgG3. Depending on antibody isotype, mouse B cell depletion is regulated by FcγRI-, FcγRII-, FcγRIII-, and FcγRIV-dependent pathways. The potency of IgG2a/c mAbs for B cell depletion in vivo results from FcγRIV interactions, with likely contributions from high-affinity FcγRI. IgG1 mAbs induce B cell depletion through preferential, if not exclusive, interactions with low-affinity FcγRIII, while IgG2b mAbs interact preferentially with intermediate-affinity FcγRIV. By contrast, inhibitory FcγRIIB-deficiency significantly increases CD20 mAb-induced B cell depletion at low mAb doses by enhancing monocyte function. Thus, isotype-specific mAb interactions with distinct FcγRs contribute significantly to the effectiveness of CD20 mAbs in vivo. These results provide a molecular basis for earlier observations that human FcγRII and FcγRIII polymorphisms correlate with the in vivo effectiveness of CD20 antibody therapy. That the innate monocyte network depletes B cells through FcγR-dependent pathways during immunotherapy has important clinical implications for CD19, CD20, and other antibody-based therapies for the treatment of diverse B cell malignancies and autoimmune disease.     

A father of four consecutive trisomic pregnancies with elevated frequencies of associated aneuploid sperm

A couple with normal somatic karyotypes had four consecutive trisomic pregnancies, each involving a different chromosome, of which two children were liveborn with confirmed paternal-origin trisomies. The apparently healthy father produced abnormally high frequencies of disomic sperm for each of the four chromosomes involved in the trisomic pregnancies (P< 0.003, by sperm fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)). His elevated sperm aneuploidies persisted over a 2-year period and affected all chromosomes evaluated, suggesting that he had a genome-wide defect in meiotic disjunction. He also had the highest frequencies of aneuploid sperm reported for any healthy man to date. His frequencies of aneuploid sperm were comparable to the peak frequencies of the transient responses reported in some cancer patients after receiving aneugenic chemotherapies. These findings indicate that apparently healthy men can produce abnormally high frequencies of sperm aneuploidies that suggest that this condition may contribute to recurrent trisomic pregnancies.     

Distribution of the alleles at loci D16S539, D7S820, and D13S317 in hydatidiform mole genome from Chinese women and its relationship with clinical prognosis

Using polymerase chain reaction and denaturating polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic techniques, we studied 53 cases of hydatidiform moles. Of these, 41 cases were genetically complete hydatidiform moles (g-CHM) whose genome were totally paternally derived. We investigated the distribution of the alleles in the short tandem repeat sequences at loci D16S539, D7S820, and D13S317 in these cases. In particular, we analyzed the allelic distribution and potential significance in cases with traceable benign and invasive moles (i.e., persistent trophoblastic tumor [PTT]). Among 41 g-CHM cases, there were six alleles at D16S539, five alleles at D7S820 (the frequencies of alleles 9 and 10 were respectively lower and higher than those in Beijing population), and seven alleles at D13S317; the heterozygosity of loci D16S539, D7S820, and D13S317 was 0.0732, 0.0976, and 0.0732, respectively. Among 23 benign cases, there were six alleles at D16S539, four at D7S820, and six at D13S317; among 11 PTT cases, there were five alleles at D7S820 and four alleles each at D16S539 and D13S317. The frequencies of allele 9 at D16S539 and allele 10 at D7S820 were higher than in benign cases (P < 0.05). There were significant differences in frequencies of alleles 9 and 10 at D7S820 between the cases and the Beijing population, and heterozygosity at the three loci was lower in the cases than in the population. In addition, invasiveness of hydatidiform mole correlated to the frequency of allele 9 at loci D16S539 and allele 10 at D7S820.     

Increase of CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T-cells in the liver of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The immune response to tumor-specific antigens is typically unable to control the growth and spread of malignant cells. Accumulating evidence indicates that the suppressive effects of CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T-cells are at least partially responsible for the failure of immune-mediated elimination of tumor cells. METHODS: We have studied 25 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The liver tissues with HCC were separated into the marginal region of tumor (peri-tumor region) and the non-tumor region distant from the tumor. CD4+ CD25+ T-cells were quantified in the blood and the liver by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry, and their effect on T-cell proliferation and activation was determined. RESULTS: We found a significant increase in both the proportion and absolute numbers of CD4+ CD25+ T-cells in the peri-tumor regions, but not in unaffected areas (9.5 +/- 4.5 vs. 4.6 +/- 2.8%, P = 0.011). CD4+ CD25+ T-cells isolated from peri-tumor regions displayed phenotype markers characteristic of regulatory T-cells, and expressed Foxp3 mRNA. CD8+ T-cells in peri-tumor regions were inversely proportional to CD4+ CD25+ T-cells in the same region (P < 0.001). Moreover, isolated CD4+ CD25+ T-cells inhibited autologous CD8+ T-cell proliferation. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that CD4+ CD25+ T-cells in the marginal region of HCC may play a critical role in controlling CD8+ cytotoxic T-cell activity and, thereby, contribute to the progression of HCC.     

HPLC法测定甲状旁腺激素(1-34)原料药的含量

目的:建立以高效液相色谱法测定甲状旁腺激素(1-34)原料药含量的方法。方法:色谱柱为Spherisorb ODS;流动相A为甲醇,流动相B为0.05mo·lL-1 Na2SO4水溶液(磷酸调节至pH2.5),A∶B=30∶70;流速为1.0mL·min-1;检测波长为215nm;柱温为室温;进样量为20μL。结果:甲状旁腺激素(1-34)检测浓度线性范围为0.06～0.90mg·mL-1(r=0.99997),平均回收率98.6%,RSD=0.15%。结论:本方法简便、准确、灵敏度高,可用于甲状旁腺激素(1-34)原料药含量的测定。     

阿奇霉素分散片的处方工艺研究及质量考察

目的 制备阿奇霉素分散片并考察处方工艺和质量.方法 以崩解时限、可压性和分散均匀性为指标因素,选择适宜的崩解剂、稀释剂、黏合剂、润滑剂;以崩解时限为指标,从正交设计中确定最佳处方,并进行工艺优化和制剂稳定性考察.结果 根据处方制成的分散片的质量符合中国药典要求,加速实验表明各项指标均无明显变化.结论 阿奇霉素分散片的处方工艺成熟稳定、可控性好,溶出好.