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A plant was isolated from the progeny of a cross between a translocation heterozygote mother and disomic pollen donor which carried an additional chromosome (2x+ 1) in all cells of the root tip and sporogenous tissue. The chromosome was unlike any in the standard chromosome complement. The nature and synaptic behaviour of this chromosome suggest that the aneuploid is a tertiary trisomic. The posible mode of origin of the extra chromosome and the aneuploid plant have been discussed.

Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is the fourth most common cause of end-stage renal disease and the most common potentially lethal inherited disease in humans. Early identification of carriers of dominant PKD in the absence of genetic markers is problematic in both humans and the Han:SPRD-cy/+ rat, a model of PKD that shares many features of human disease. We undertook a proton magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study of young Han:SPRD-cy/+ and unaffected Han:SPRD(-)+/+ animals to determine whether carrier status could be identified based upon image appearance or signal characteristics. Affected animals demonstrated significant prolongation of longitudinal relaxation time (T1) and transverse relaxation time (T2) in both cystic renal cortex and noncystic renal medulla. Both of these measurements correlated significantly with whole kidney section tubular luminal space measurements, a correlate of water space, in the renal cortex, but only T1 in renal medulla showed a relationship to tubular luminal volume measured throughout the kidney. Urine and perchloric acid kidney extracts were studied using proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) spectroscopy to test the hypothesis that imaging differences implied specific urinary and tissue biochemical differences between affected and normal animals. 1H-NMR spectra of urine from cy/+ animals showed significantly increased excretion of alanine, citrate, succinate, and, 2-oxoglutarate but not methylamine compounds compared with +/+ animals. 1H-NMR spectra of aqueous perchloric acid kidney extracts confirmed reduced concentrations of the above ions and others involved in the citric acid cycle, as well the osmolytes betaine, taurine, and glycerophosphocholine PKD in the Han:SPRD-cy/+ rat is associated with distinct early MRI changes and alterations in urinary and tissue levels of organic anions and osmolytes.

Purpose: We developed a measurable metastatic disease model of murine neuroblastoma.Materials and Methods: Murine neuroblastoma cells (C 1300) were cotransfected with plasmids encoding for neomycin resistance and beta-galactosidase. Transfected cells were selected by culture in media containing gentamicin. Monoclonal and polyclonal transfected cell lines were selected from surviving colonies. Three cell lines (M1, P1 and P2) were cultured and inoculated into female A/J mice. A control group was included for analysis. Animals were sacrificed on day 18 after injection, and primary tumors and organs were assayed for beta-galactosidase activity by chemoluminescence assay. Animal livers were stained with hematoxylin and eosin for histological assessment.Results: Transfected primary tumor tissue demonstrated beta-galactosidase activity. Livers from control mice had no beta-galactosidase activity. Of the 3 cell tested M1 showed the highest levels of beta-galactosidase activity in liver and lung, suggesti...

Polycystic kidney disease is the most common potentially lethal single- gene inherited disease in man. There is no specific therapy. Previous studies in the pcy mouse model of polycystic kidney disease have shown amelioration of cystic change by reduction in dietary protein intake. The Han:SPRD-cy rat is a model of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease that closely resembles human disease in its histology and clinical course. We compared the morphometric assessment of cystic change and standard laboratory measures of renal function in heterozygous Han: SPRD-cy rats that received isocaloric diets containing either 8% or 20% protein as casein. This level of dietary protein restriction was associated with a significant reduction of mean body weight in the 8% protein group (358 g) compared with 20% protein (490 g; P = 0.027). Mean renal volume, adjusted for the difference in body weight, was significantly lower in the 8% protein group (6.2 mL/kg) compared with the 20% protein group (11.6 mL/kg; P = 0.016). The major component in this reduction was a reduction in total cyst volume to a mean 0.47 mL in the 8% protein group from 2.68 mL in the 20% protein group (P0.0001). All 8% protein diet animals survived to 6 months of age, but 3 of 11 20% protein diet animals died between 5 and 6 months of age. Mean serum creatinine and urea levels were significantly lower in the 8% protein group (118 mmol/L and 15.6 mmol/L) compared with the 20% protein group (272 mmol/L, P = 0.0033, and 81.5 mmol/L, P = 0.0002, respectively). Dietary protein restriction is a potent method for modifying the course of polycystic kidney disease in the Han:SPRD-cy/+ rat. These findings emphasize the potential for diet to alter the physiology of the renal tubulointerstitium.

Apical mislocation of the ubiquitous transport enzyme Na,K-ATPase has been implicated as a feature of cyst development in in vitro studies of human polycystic kidney disease (PKD) epithelia. We undertook an immunohistochemical study of murine glucocorticoid-induced PKD, the pcy mouse, the cpk mouse, and the diphenylthiazole (DPT)-induced rat models of PKD to determine if this feature was common to these models of cyst development. Distribution of Na,K-ATPase was determined with a polyclonal anti-Na,K-ATPase antibody and a nickel-silver-enhanced peroxidase color development system. Results were documented objectively with densitometric techniques. Control animals appropriate to the age, strain, and species of the experimental groups demonstrated the expected polar distribution of Na,K-ATPase to the basolateral surface. This distribution was more marked in mature animals. Tubular dilatation and cystic change, however, were associated with increased apical Na,K-ATPase in all models. The murine models demonstrated decreased basolateral staining for Na,K-ATPase compared with controls, although this was not a feature of the DPT rat model. Abnormal location of Na,K-ATPase is a shared feature of a variety of animal models and human PKD. This may contribute to abnormal fluid and electrolyte flux favoring cyst formation or may represent expression of a less differentiated renal tubule epithelial phenotype.

Diazonium salt of substitute 2-aminobenzothiazole (1) has been reacted with 1-phenyl-4,4,4-trifluorobutan-1,3-dione (2) to give compound 3 which on reaction with different hydrazines gives 1-sul)stituted-5-phenyl-3-trifluoromethyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-(substituted-benzothiazol-2-yl)-diazene (4). These compounds have heen devaluated for their antifungal activity. The structures of all these compounds have been confirmed by IR, 1 H NMR, Mass spectral, 19 F NMR and elemental analysis. All the synthesized compounds showed significant antifungal activity against selected plant pathogenic fungi.

Trisomics for two chromosomes have been isolated in the progeny of cross between disomic and aneuploid individual in Plantago lanceolata L. The karyotypic analysis and meiotic studies has revealed their primary nature and identification as Triplo-1 and Triplo-4. Attempt has been made to study impact of trisomy on plant phenotype and fertility. Due to the phenotypic plasticity within the species even at disomic level, the morphological variations induced by trisomy do not become vivid.

This study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of yoga in management of pain in patients with chronic pancreatitis. Thirty patients with chronic pancreatitis who were experiencing difficulties with pain, anxiety, and weight loss underwent a 12 week yoga programme. Twenty four patients completed the programme and comparison of the pain, weight, diet, and pain medication before and after the yoga programme was done. Findings suggest that yoga is effective in decreasing self perceptions of pain and anxiety in this population and reducing their usage of pain medication. Patients also had significant improvement in their diet and gained weight. Limitations of the study and recommendations for future research and practice are discussed. The pain that develops in chronic pancreatitis can be severe, chronic, often aggravated by meals, and may be present continuously, including at night. At our centre, we offer a comprehensive approach to pain from pancreatic …

The role of iron-loaded transferrin in xanthine–xanthine oxidase (X–XO) induced cardiac injury in isolated perfused rat hearts was examined. X (2 mM) – XO (10 U/L) perfusion resulted in contractile failure, a rise in resting tension, an increase in lipid peroxidation, and myocardial cell damage. The addition of transferrin (2.4 μM) into the X–XO medium had a protective effect, as indicated by an increase in time to contractile failure, a lesser rise in resting tension, a decrease in MDA values, and lesser damage compared with the X–XO perfused controls. Ultrastructural studies revealed localization of transferrin along the capillary basement membrane. In contrast, addition of transferrin and Desferal (desferrioxamine mesylate, 3 mM, an iron chelator) into X–XO medium caused a rapid contractile failure as well as a rise in resting tension, and in these hearts transferrin was localized inside the myocytes. These findings suggest that a vascular supply of iron protein chelators may have a beneficial effect against myocardial cell injury caused by a vascular source of oxygen radicals.Key words: oxy-radical injury, myocardial failure, lipid peroxidation, heart cell damage, iron binding proteins.