Glucocorticoid dependency of surgical stress-induced FosB/DeltaFosB expression in the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei of the rat hypothalamus

FosB is a member of the Fos family transcription factors. To determine whether FosB expression is regulated by glucocorticoids (GCs) in the hypothalamus, rats underwent sham adrenalectomy (sham-ADX) or bilateral ADX, and FosB/DeltaFosB (DeltaFosB, a truncated splice variant of FosB)-immunoreactivity (ir) was determined in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and supraoptic nucleus (SON). In the parvocellular division of the PVN (paPVN) and SON, FosB/DeltaFosB-immunoreactivity (ir) increased significantly following sham-ADX compared to naive rats, which was suppressed with either corticosterone (CORT) or dexamethasone (DEX). Following ADX, the increase in FosB/DeltaFosB-ir was much more prominent than that in the sham-ADX group, and the ADX-induced robust increase was suppressed by CORT or DEX, but not by aldosterone. Stressless removal of CORT from drinking water did not induce FosB/DeltaFosB-ir in either the PVN or SON, and thus the up-regulation of FosB/DeltaFosB-ir following ADX was dependent on the systemic stress associated with surgery. In the paPVN, the majority of corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) neurones co-expressed FosB/DeltaFosB-ir following ADX, whereas, in the magnocellular division of the PVN, vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OXT) neurones did not express FosB/DeltaFosB-ir. In the SON, approximately 40% of the AVP neurones co-expressed FosB/DeltaFosB-ir following ADX, but the OXT neurones were devoid of FosB/DeltaFosB-ir. In concert with these results obtained in vivo, DEX suppressed the forskolin-induced increase in FosB gene promoter activity in a homologous hypothalamic cell line. These results suggest that GCs may be a potent regulator of FosB/DeltaFosB expression, which is induced by stress, in hypothalamic neuroendocrine neurones.

Assessment of contraceptive services in a maternity unit of a district general hospital in the UK

A survey was undertaken to assess the quality of contraceptive services provided to women delivering in a District General Hospital. Separate questionnaires were given to the women and the midwives giving the contraceptive advice. Response rate of the survey was 87%. Thirty eight per cent of women reported having some discussion on contraception during antenatal period. All the women had received contraceptive advises during the postpartum period. Eighty one per cent of women felt that sufficient information and enough time was given to discuss contraception. However analysis of questionnaires indicated that most received information only on short-term contraceptive methods. Out of 64 midwives surveyed, 52 had attended a family planning course. However 37 of them had attended the course at least 3 years earlier. Thirty eight midwives felt that they have adequate knowledge to give advice but all of them reported that they should receive further training. There should be provision for comprehensive discussion regarding contraceptive options during both antenatal and postpartum periods. Midwives require regular training in family planning.

Multiple-input single-output FIFO optical buffers with controllable fractional delay lines

Optical buffering is a major challenge in realizing all-optical packet switching. In this paper we propose a new buffer called a multipleinput single-output FIFO (MISO-FIFO) optical buffer that supports several functions normally associated with electronic RAM. Our structure reduces the physical size of a buffer by up to an order of magnitude or more by allowing reuse of its basic optical delay line (ODL) elements. Moreover, by using controllable fractional delay lines (CFDLs) as the basic building block we are able to reduce t size and frequency of voids in the output of the buffer. We develop a Markov Chain (MC) model for the performance of our new buffering scheme, and demonstrate the advantages of our structure over buffer structures that use ODLs in terms of throughput and link utilization.

Hypovitaminosis D among healthy adolescent girls attending an inner city school

AIMS

To determine the prevalence of hypovitaminosis D among healthy adolescent schoolgirls attending an inner city multiethnic girls' school.

METHODS

Fifty one (28%) of 182 girls (14 white, 37 non-white; median age 15.3 years, range 14.7-16.6) took part in the study. Biochemical parameters, dietary vitamin D intake, muscle function parameters, duration of daily sunlight exposure (SE), and percentage of body surface area exposed (%BSA) were measured.

RESULTS

Thirty seven (73%) girls were vitamin D deficient (25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) <30 nmol/l) and 9 (17%) were severely deficient (25OHD <12.5 nmol/l). The median (range) 25OHD concentration of white girls (37.3 nmol/l (18.3-73.3)) was higher than that of non-white girls (14.8 nmol/l (5.8-42.8)). The median (range) concentration of parathyroid hormone in white girls (2.8 pmol/l (1.0-3.7)) was lower than that of non-white girls (3.4 pmol/l (1.7-34.2)). Serum Ca, inorganic phosphate, alkaline phosphatase, and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D were not different in white and non-white girls. For the whole group, 25OHD concentration was related to the estimated SE and %BSA, but not to estimated intake of vitamin D. In white girls, the estimated SE and %BSA were significantly higher than that of non-white girls. The median times taken to complete the Gower's manoeuvre and grip strength were not different in the two groups; these variables were not related to serum 25OHD.

CONCLUSIONS

Hypovitaminosis D is common among healthy adolescent girls; non-white girls are more severely deficient. Reduced sunshine exposure rather than diet explains the difference in vitamin D status of white and non-white girls.

Study of association between p53 mutation and tamoxifen therapy in women with hormone receptor positive invasive ductal cancer

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Background: ERα promotes cell proliferation in breast tumors whereas p53 impedes cell cycle progression. We have reported direct link between these two opposing pathways. Our preclinical studies have demonstrated that ERα binds directly to p53 and negatively regulates its function and that anti estrogens disrupted the ERα- p53 interaction. Previous retrospective studies by us and others in advanced breast cancer patients had shown presence of wild type p53 in ER+ve breast tumors is associated with better response to endocrine therapy. Objective: To demonstrate women with hormonal receptor(ER) +ve non-metastatic invasive ductal cancer (IDC) with wild type p53 in the tumor tissue will have better DFS and/or OS with tamoxifen compared to those with abnormal p53. Methods: Tissue micro array (TMA) from archival tumor tissue of patients with IDC seen at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) between 1992 and 2001 was made. The p53 status was assessed by IHC staining of the TMA, was considered positive (abnormal) if ≥10% nuclear staining was noted. Only those patients in TMA with the following criteria were included for this report; non-metastatic IDC treated at RPCI, patients who received adjuvant tamoxifen (for ER+ve tumors), p53 IHC data available. Results: 83 patients in the TMA with ER+ve tumors who were treated with tamoxifen met the study criteria to test our hypothesis. 35 patients with ER-ve tumors were analyzed to evaluate p53 effect unrelated to p53-ER interaction. Median follow up was 5 years. 16/83 (19%) ER+ve tumors and 11/35 (31%) ER-ve tumors had abnormal p53. 14 (17%) ER+ve and 11(31%) ER-ve patients experienced recurrence. 16(19%) ER+ve and 6(17%) ER-ve patients died (all causes) during the follow up period. Univariate analysis with respect to p53 for OS and DFS were undertaken. No significant OS or DFS difference were noted between patients with tumor tissue wild type and abnormal p53, for both ER+ve or ER-ve tumors. Conclusions: This study does not show any difference in outcome with tamoxifen therapy between tumors with wild type and abnormal p53. A Study with larger sample size involving sequence analysis and IHC is required to conclusively demonstrate the effect of the two common occurrences (ER+ve and abnormal p53) and tamoxifen.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Coexistent partial anodontia and supernumerary tooth in the mandibular arch: a rare case

Coexistent partial anodontia and supernumerary tooth in the lower jaw is a very uncommon condition. Very few cases have been reported in the literature of this condition, etiology of which is still obscure. Presented here is a rare case of simultaneous presence of single supernumerary tooth together with missing permanent central incisor teeth in the lower jaw without any associated systemic condition or syndrome.

Reduction of Theileria annulata infection in ticks fed on calves immunized with purified larval antigens of Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum

Larval antigen of Hyalonmma anatolicum anatolicum, the vector of Theileria annulata, was purified by two-step affinity chromatography using anti-tick gut-specific rabbit IgG and IgG from immunized cattle. The purified antigen showed the presence of a single polypeptide of 37 kDa (GHLAgP) on SDS-PAGE. Two groups (I and II) of naive crossbred calves (Bos taurus x B. indicus) were immunized with I mg of GHLAgP in three divided doses. Immunized calves of group I were also infected with a sublethal dose of T annulata along with a group of non-immunized calves (group III). Animals in groups I, II, III as well a control group (group IV) were challenged with live nymphs of H. a. anatolicum on the 10th day of immunization. There was a significant reduction in the number of emerging adults of 56.9% +/- 1.67%, in calves of group I (p < 0.01) and 63.09% +/- 1.26% in calves of group II (p < 0.001) compared to the controls. The calves of groups I and II showed antibody responses to tick antigen up to day 70 post immunization. Infection with T. annulata was determined in the salivary glands of adult ticks that developed from the nymphs used for challenge infection. In ticks taken from group I calves, there was a 75.0% +/- 0.00% infection compared with only 85.0 +/- 2.88% infection in ticks taken from calves of group III. Using PCR, a lower infection (83.33% +/- 3.33%) was detected in ticks that developed from calves of group I compared with calves from group III (90.00% +/- 2.88%). The ground-up tick supernatants (GUTS) of the ticks taken from calves of group III yielded higher infection rate and exhibited higher infectivity titre in in vitro infection assay of bovine mononuclear cells than the GUTS of the ticks taken from calves of group I. The results suggest a partial reduction in growth rate of T. annulata in ticks feeding on calves immunized with GHLAgP.

Evidence for a role of initiation factor 3 in recycling of ribosomal complexes stalled on mRNAs in Escherichia coli

Specific interactions between ribosome recycling factor (RRF) and elongation factor-G (EFG) mediate disassembly of post-termination ribosomal complexes for new rounds of initiation. The interactions between RRF and EFG are also important in peptidyl-tRNA release from stalled pre-termination complexes. Unlike the post-termination complexes (harboring deacylated tRNA), the pre-termination complexes (harboring peptidyl-tRNA) are not recycled by RRF and EFG in vitro, suggesting participation of additional factor(s) in the process. Using a combination of biochemical and genetic approaches, we show that, (i) Inclusion of IF3 with RRF and EFG results in recycling of the pre-termination complexes; (ii) IF3 overexpression in Escherichia coli LJ14 rescues its temperature sensitive phenotype for RRF; (iii) Transduction of infC135 (which encodes a functionally compromised IF3) in E.coli LJ14 generates a ‘synthetic severe’ phenotype; (iv) The infC135 and frr1 (containing an insertion in the RRF gene promoter) alleles synergistically rescue a temperature sensitive mutation in peptidyl-tRNA hydrolase in E.coli; and (v) IF3 facilitates ribosome recycling by Thermus thermophilus RRF and E.coli EFG in vivo and in vitro. These lines of evidence clearly demonstrate the physiological importance of IF3 in the overall mechanism of ribosome recycling in E.coli.