The effect of sodium lauryl sulphate on the expression of cytokeratin mRNA in hamster cheek pouch epithelium

The effect of sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) on cytokeratin (CK) gene expression in hamster cheek pouch epithelium was studied with a hybridohistochemical technique. Using specific human anti-sense RNA probes, the plausible hamster mRNA counterparts for these human CK mRNAs were localized by detection of heterologous hybrids. In comparison with normal epithelium, the expression and distribution pattern of CK mRNAs in the hamster cheek pouch were obviously changed after application of SLS. There was a decreased expression of CK mRNAs in the hyperplastic basal layer, and increased expression in the hypertrophic granular layer. Strikingly, hybridization with the human CK 18 cRNA probe revealed an additionally expressed CK mRNA in the SLS-treated epithelium that was not found in the untreated epithelium. The present study indicates that cRNA probes for human CK mRNAs can be used successfully, not only to distinguish between different hamster CK mRNAs but also to investigate changes in CK gene expression upon the induction of non-neoplastic and neoplastic alterations in the hamster cheek pouch model. This may help elucidate the molecular changes involved in epithelial pathologies.     

Insulin-like growth factor I promotes leiomyoma cell growth in vitro

Objective: Our purpose was to determine whether insulin-like growth factors I and II preferentially stimulate uterine leiomyoma cells versus myometrial cells in monolayer culture.Study design: Leiomyomas and normal myometrium were obtained at hysterectomy from five premenopausal women. Specimens were enzymatically digested for use in primary monolayer cell cultures. By use of serum-free media, insulin-like growth factor I or II was added in 1, 10, and 100 ng/ml concentrations to both cell types with the patient serving as her own control. Cell number, prolactin production, and proliferative index values were measured on day 15 of cell culture.Results: Significant increases in cell number were found in the leiomyoma cultures (p < 0.05) treated with 10 and 100 ng/ml insulin-like growth factors I but not with insulin-like growth factos II. Neither factor exerted a stimulatory effect on myometrial cells.Conclusion: Insulin-like growth factor sI preferentially stimulates leiomyoma cells in monolayer culture. These results suggest an autocrine-paracine role in vivo for this factor in conjuction with gonadal steroids in promoting leiomyoma growth.     

The Results of Water Fluoridation in Ireland

The visit of Dr. Trendley Dean to Dublin in the mid-1950s helped accelerate the decision to introduce water fluoridation as a public health measure in the prevention of caries in the Republic of Ireland. A challenge to the constitutional validity of the Health (Fluoridation of Water Supplies) Act 1960 failed and in 1964 the water supplies of Dublin city were fluoridated. Over the next seven to eight years all the major urban communities in the Republic of Ireland were fluoridated. Currently, 67 percent of the 3.5 million people in the country reside in fluoridated communities. Studies conducted over the last 20 years show that residents of fluoridated communities have better dental health than those in nonfluoridated communities—the mean dmft is lower in children and the number of natural teeth present in adults is higher.     

介绍一种不加盖玻片的核酸原位杂交改良法

核酸原位杂交程序中探针和靶基因的加热变性和杂交为整个程序中最重要的环节,目前国内外最常用的方法是在切片上滴加DNA探针溶液后用盖玻片复盖组织,并加胶泥或其他封固剂封闭玻片四周,变性杂交后需拆除盖玻片,这一操作过程易损坏组织切片或出现干片、脱片。作者针对上述情况,对传统的核酸原位杂交方法中的部分程序加以改良,采用不加盖玻片直接在蒸汽中变性方法,经多次实验证明此方法稳定、可靠、简便,结果满意。     

城乡学龄前儿童视觉运动整合发育比较分析

为了探讨城乡学龄前儿童视觉运动整合发育的特点,本文采用视觉运动整合发育测试(VMI)对597名城乡集体及散居学龄前儿童进行测查。结果显示:3岁段各组VMI得分比较无差异,而其它年龄段均显示散居儿童低于集体儿童(P相似文献   

小鼠经口投镉的慢性毒性研究——病理形态学改变的探讨

选用昆明种小鼠60只,体重18～24克,随机分成三组,每组20只,雌雄各半。通过饮水染毒。一组正常对照,饮自来水,二组饮30ppm含镉水,三组饮300ppm含镉水,染毒时间三个半月。观察指标:体重增长速度、脏器系数、肝肾中镉含量、重点病理形态学改变(光镜和电镜)。结果,30ppm组小鼠肝肾组织有一定病变,300ppm组小鼠的光镜和电镜的病理形态学改变更为明显。提示,小鼠长期摄入镉可引起一定的损害。     

Subclinical pulmonary oedema and intermittent haemodialysis

It has been postulated that patients with chronic renal failure,even in the absence of cardiopulmonary symptoms, accumulateinterstitial pulmonary fluid, which is removed by haemodialysis.To test this hypothesis we used the indocyanine green (ICG)-heavywater double indicator dilution method to measure lung water,cardiac output, and central blood volume in relation to haemodialysis.Ten uraemic patients, without cardiopulmonary symptoms, wereinvestigated at the beginning and end, and 2 h after, a regulardialysis session. A group of 18 surgical patients about to undergoelective abdominal surgery served as controls. Despite normalgas exchange, central blood volume, and cardiac output at thestart of dialysis the mean (SD) lung water was significantlyhigher than in the control group [4.8 (0.9) compared with 3.6(0.7) ml/kg, P<0.001]. There was no correlation between weightgain between sessions of dialysis and the magnitude of lungwater at the start of dialysis. Lung water decreased (P <0.001)to the level of the control group in response to dialysis. Therewas no correlation between weight loss and reduction in lungwater induced by dialysis. In conclusion, we have verified thepresence of subclinical pulmonary oedema which was removed bydialysis in a group of patients with established renal failure.The variations in lung water cannot be explained by hydrostaticmechanisms alone.     

Structure-acute toxicity relationship of aromatic hydrocarbons in mice

The structure-acute toxicity relationship of aromatic hydrocarbons was examined in mice. In all test compounds, the acute toxicity was determined under 2 conditions: control LD₅₀ (LD₅₀-cont) and carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)-pretreated LD₅₀ (LD₅₀-CCl₄). The CCl₄-pretreatment was done in order to evaluate the toxic potency of compound itself without the influence of metabolism. Both log (1/LD₅₀-cont) and log (1/LD₅₀-CCl₄) were functions of the log P, n-octanol/water partition coefficient, i.e., log (1/LD₅₀-cont) = 0.080 log P − 1.532 and log (1/LD₅₀-CCl₄) = −0.040(log P)² + 0.157 log P − 1.373. Both equations were statistically significant (P < 0.01). The ratio of LD₅₀-cont/LD₅₀-CCl₄ indicated that metabolic activation is more evident in hydrophobic compounds than in hydrophilic compounds. The results suggest that hydrophobicity of the aromatic hydrocarbons plays an important role in determining their acute toxicity.