Detection of HBsAg in newborns

Cord blood samples collected from 150 newborns were tested for HBsAg using micro ELISA technique. Only 8 (5.3 per cent) out of 150 samples were found to be positive for HBsAg in variable titres. It is important to identify these HBsAg positive newborns so that appropriate measures could be adopted at the earliest to prevent the complications of HBsAg carriage.     

Histological observations on the anterior olfactory nucleus in human

Aim: Localization of isolated clusters of anterior olfactory nucleus (AON) in a human olfactory bulb and tract. Materials and methods: This investigation was done on human olfactory bulbs and their tracts, collected from the freshly donated cadavers, before embalming, in the Department of Anatomy, IPGMER, Kolkata. H&E stained histological slides were prepared along the whole length of specimens and examined under a Leica DM 2000 microscope and with a Leica Quin image analyzer. Results: The anterior olfactory nucleus was detected in the form of a major cluster and in two smaller clusters of neurons. The major cluster was located at the caudal pole of the bulb and was composed of medium-sized triangular cells which had an average diameter of 13.92 ± 3.43 μm. Out of the two minor clusters, one was detected at the beginning and another at the middle of the olfactory tract. Here neurons were little larger in size and their diameter ranged approximately 15–17 μm. Olfactory striae also accommodated some neurons in a scattered manner. Conclusion: This observation will be helpful in exploration of the complex role of AON in the organization and function of the olfactory system and its clinical significance in human.     

Alcohol exposure in utero perturbs retinoid homeostasis in adult rats

Background

Maternal alcohol exposure and adult alcohol intake have been shown to perturb the metabolism of various micro- and macro-nutrients, including vitamin A and its derivatives (retinoids). Therefore, it has been hypothesized that the well-known detrimental consequences of alcohol consumption may be due to deregulations of the metabolism of such nutrients rather than to a direct effect of alcohol. Alcohol exposure in utero also has long-term harmful consequences on the health of the offspring with mechanisms that have not been fully clarified. Disruption of tissue retinoid homeostasis has been linked not only to abnormal embryonic development, but also to various adult pathological conditions, including cancer, metabolic disorders and abnormal lung function. We hypothesized that prenatal alcohol exposure may permanently perturb tissue retinoid metabolism, predisposing the offspring to adult chronic diseases.

Methods

Serum and tissues (liver, lung and prostate from males; liver and lung from females) were collected from 60-75 day-old sprague dawley rats born from dams that were: (I) fed a liquid diet containing 6.7% alcohol between gestational day 7 and 21; or (II) pair-fed with isocaloric liquid diet during the same gestational window; or (III) fed ad libitum with regular rat chow diet throughout pregnancy. Serum and tissue retinoid levels were analyzed by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Serum retinol-binding protein (RBP) levels were measured by western blot analysis, and liver, lung and prostate mRNA levels of lecithin-retinol acyltransferase (LRAT) were measured by qPCR.

Results

Retinyl ester levels were significantly reduced in the lung of both males and females, as well as in the liver and ventral prostate of males born from alcohol-fed dams. Tissue LRAT mRNA levels remained unchanged upon maternal alcohol treatment.

Conclusions

Prenatal alcohol exposure in rats affects retinoid metabolism in adult life, in a tissue- and sex-dependent manner. We propose that the alcohol-induced perturbations of vitamin A metabolism may predispose to detrimental consequnces on adult health.