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MafB is a transcription factor that induces myelomonocytic differentiation. However, the precise role of MafB in the pathogenic function of macrophages has never been clarified. Here we demonstrate that MafB promotes hyperlipidemic atherosclerosis by suppressing foam-cell apoptosis. Our data show that MafB is predominantly expressed in foam cells found within atherosclerotic lesions, where MafB mediates the oxidized LDL-activated LXR/RXR-induced expression of apoptosis inhibitor of macrophages (AIM). In the absence of MafB, activated LXR/RXR fails to induce the expression of AIM, a protein that is normally responsible for protecting macrophages from apoptosis; thus, Mafb-deficient macrophages are prone to apoptosis. Haematopoietic reconstitution with Mafb-deficient fetal liver cells in recipient LDL receptor-deficient hyperlipidemic mice revealed accelerated foam-cell apoptosis, which subsequently led to the attenuation of the early atherogenic lesion. These findings represent the first evidence that the macrophage-affiliated MafB transcription factor participates in the acceleration of atherogenesis.

Key Message: An efficient protocol of transformation and selection of transgenic lines of Micro-tom, a widespread model cultivar for tomato, is reported. RNA interference silencing efficiency and stability have been investigated and correlated with the number of insertions. Given its small size and ease of cultivation, the tomato (Solanum lycopersicon) cultivar Micro-tom is of widespread use as a model tomato plant. To create and screen transgenic plants, different selectable markers are commonly used. The bar marker carrying the resistance to the herbicide glufosinate/Basta, has many advantages, but it has been little utilised and with low efficiency for identification of tomato transgenic plants. Here we describe a procedure for accurate selection of transgenic Micro-tom both in vitro and in soil. Immunoblot, Southern blot and phenotypic analyses showed that 100 % of herbicide-resistant plants were transgenic. In addition, regeneration improvement has been obtained by using 2 mg/l Gibberellic acid in the shoot elongation medium; rooting optimisation on medium containing 1 mg/l IAA allowed up to 97 % of shoots developing strong and very healthy roots after only 10 days. Stable transformation frequency by infection of leaf explants with Agrobacterium reached 12 %. Shoots have been induced by combination of 1 mg/l zeatin-trans and 0.1 mg/l IAA. Somatic embryogenesis of cotyledon on medium containing 1 mg/l zeatin + 2 mg/l IAA is described in Micro-tom. The photosynthetic psbS gene has been used as reporter gene for RNA silencing studies. The efficiency of gene silencing has been found equivalent using three different target gene fragments of 519, 398 and 328 bp. Interestingly, silencing efficiency decreased from T0 to the T3 generation in plants containing multiple copies of the inserted T-DNA, while it was stable in plants containing a single insertion.

Monopterus albus, a swamp eel inhabiting the freshwaters of South East Asia, relies on an extensive vascularisation of the buccal cavity, pharynx and anterior oesophagus for gas exchange, while the gills are much reduced. In the present study we describe the macro-circulation in the cephalic region and the vascularisation of the buccal cavity of M. albus using vascular fillings and micro-computed tomography (μCT). We also show that M. albus has the capacity to use the buccal cavity for aquatic gas exchange, being able to maintain normal arterial blood gas composition, blood pressure, heart rate and cardiac output throughout 10h of forced submergence. M. albus therefore can be characterised as a facultative air-breather. Because M. albus aestivates for many months in moist mud during the dry season we characterised in vivo cardiovascular function during exposure to anoxia as well as the effects of anoxia on in vitro contractility of strip preparations from atria and ventricle. Both studies revealed a low anoxia tolerance, rendering it unlikely that M. albus can survive prolonged exposure to anoxia., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Cervical cancer is preventable but continues to cause the deaths of more than 270,000 women worldwide each year, most of them in developing countries where programs to detect and treat precancerous lesions are not affordable or available. Studies have demonstrated that screening by visual inspection of the cervix using acetic acid (VIA) is a simple, affordable, and sensitive test that can identify precancerous changes of the cervix so that treatment such as cryotherapy can be provided. Government partners implemented screening and treatment using VIA and cryotherapy at demonstration sites in Peru, Uganda, and Vietnam. Evaluations were conducted in the three countries to explore the barriers and facilitating factors for the use of services and for incorporation of screen-and-treat programs using VIA and cryotherapy into routine services. Results showed that use of VIA and cryotherapy in these settings is a feasible approach to providing cervical cancer prevention services. Activities that can help ensure successful programs include mobilizing and educating communities, organizing services to meet women's schedules and needs, and strengthening systems to track clients for follow-up. Sustainability also depends on having an adequate number of trained providers and reducing staff turnover. Although some challenges were found across all sites, others varied from country to country, suggesting that careful assessments before beginning new secondary prevention programs will optimize the probability of success.

Ten compounds, including soulameanone (1), isobruceine B (2), 9-methoxy-canthin-6-one (3), bruceolline F (4), niloticine (5), octatriacontan-1-ol (6), bombiprenone (7), α-tocopherol (8), inosine (9), and apigenin 7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (10), were isolated from the leaves, stems, and roots of Brucea mollis Wall. ex Kurz. Their structures were determined using one-and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. All compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic activity against KB (human carcinoma of the mouth), LU-1 (human lung adenocarcinoma), LNCaP (human prostate adeno-carcinoma), and HL-60 (human promyelocytic leukemia) cancer cell lines. Compound 2 showed significant cytotoxic activity against KB, LU-1, LNCaP, and HL-60 cancer cells with IC50 values of 0.39, 0.40, 0.34, and 0.23 μg/mL, respectively. In addition, compounds 3 and 5 showed significant cytotoxic activity against KB, LU-1, LNCaP, and HL-60 cancer cells with IC50 values around 1-4 μg/mL. Compounds 9-methoxycanthin-6-one (3) and niloticine (5) have been discovered for the first time from the Brucea genus.

State transitions are an important photosynthetic short-term response that allows energy distribution balancing between photosystems I (PSI) and II (PSII). In plants when PSII is preferentially excited compared with PSI (State II), part of the major light-harvesting complex LHCII migrates to PSI to form a PSI-LHCII supercomplex. So far, little is known about this complex, mainly due to purification problems. Here, a stable PSI-LHCII supercomplex is purified from Arabidopsis thaliana and maize (Zea mays) plants. It is demonstrated that LHCIIs loosely bound to PSII in State I are the trimers mainly involved in state transitions and become strongly bound to PSI in State II. Specific Lhcb1-3 isoforms are differently represented in the mobile LHCII compared with S and M trimers. Fluorescence analyses indicate that excitation energy migration from mobile LHCII to PSI is rapid and efficient, and the quantum yield of photochemical conversion of PSI-LHCII is substantially unaffected with respect to PSI, despite a sizable increase of the antenna size. An updated PSI-LHCII structural model suggests that the low-energy chlorophylls 611 and 612 in LHCII interact with the chlorophyll 11145 at the interface of PSI. In contrast with the common opinion, we suggest that the mobile pool of LHCII may be considered an intimate part of the PSI antenna system that is displaced to PSII in State I.

Phytochemical study of the methanol extract of Artocarpus altilis resulted in the isolation of a new prenylated aurone, artocarpaurone (1), together with eight known compounds including two prenylated chalcones (2 and 3), three prenylated flavanones (4-6), and three triterpenes (7-9). The structure of 1 was elucidated as 6-hydroxy-2-[8-hydroxy-2-methyl-2-(4-methyl-3-pentenyl)-2H-1-benzopyran-5-ylmethylene]-3(2H)-benzofuranone by spectroscopic methods including 1D and 2D NMR spectra and FT-ICR-MS. Compound 1 showed moderate nitric oxide radical scavenging activity, whereas 2 and 3 had moderate 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging effect, compared with the positive control (+)-catechin.

Context: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a severe pandemic disease especially prevalent in poor and developing countries. Thus, developing specific, potent antiviral drugs that restrain infection by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), a major cause of AIDS, remains an urgent priority., Objective: This study evaluated 32 extracts and 23 compounds from Vietnamese medicinal plants for their inhibitory effects against HIV-1 ribonuclease H (RNase H) and their role in reversing the cytopathic effects of HIV., Materials and Methods: The plants were air-dried and extracted in different solvent systems to produce plant extracts. Natural compounds were obtained as previously published. Samples were screened for RNase H inhibition followed by a cytopathic assay. Data were analyzed using the Microsoft Excel., Results and Discussion: At 50 μg/mL, 11 plant extracts and five compounds inhibited over 90% of RNase H enzymatic activity. Methanol extracts from Phyllanthus reticulatus and Aglaia aphanamixis leaves inhibited RNase H activity by 99 and 98%, respectively, whereas four extracts showed modest protection against the cytopathic effects of HIV., Conclusion: The screening results demonstrated that the butanol (BuOH) extract of Celastrus orbiculata leaves, methanol (MeOH) extracts of Glycosmis stenocarpa stems, Eurya ciliata leaves, and especially P. reticulatus leaves showed potential RNase H inhibition and protection against the viral cytopathic effects of HIV-1. Further chemical investigations should be carried out to find the active components of these extracts and compounds as potential anti-HIV drug candidates.

A cohort of Japanese encephalitis (JE) survivors in Cambodia and Viet Nam were assessed at least 4 months after hospital discharge in order to understand the extent of disability after JE. We used a simple assessment tool which focuses on the impact on daily life. In total, 64 disability assessments were conducted: 38 in Cambodia and 26 in Viet Nam. In Cambodia, 4 (11%) children had severe sequelae, suggesting the children would likely be dependent, 15 (39%) had moderate sequelae and 17 (45%) had mild sequelae. In Viet Nam, two (8%) persons had severe sequelae, five (19%) had moderate sequelae and eight (31%) had mild sequelae. In many JE-endemic areas there are no multi-disciplinary teams with sophisticated equipment to assess patients after JE disease. This assessment tool can assist with patient management and generate data to support the need for programmes to prevent disease and improve outcomes for survivors.

Five new steroidal compounds, including an unusual glucoside, along with several known steroids were isolated from the starfish Archaster typicus collected in shallow waters of Quang Ninh province (Vietnam). Three new compounds are 27-nor-cholestane derivatives and the other two are 24,26-dihydroxycholestane derivatives. A biogenesis pathway for the unusual side chain of 27-nor-cholestane derivatives is proposed. Isolated compounds presented moderate toxic effects in the sperm- and 8-blastomere tests on embryonal development of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotusintermedius., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Previously, Plasmodium knowlesi was not considered as a species of Plasmodium that could cause malaria in human beings, as it is parasite of long-tailed (Macaca fascicularis) and pig-tailed (Macaca nemestrina) macaques found in Southeast Asia. A case of infection by P. knowlesi is described in a Spanish traveller, who came back to Spain with daily fever after his last overseas travel, which was a six-month holiday in forested areas of Southeast Asia between 2008 and 2009. His P. knowlesi infection was detected by multiplex Real time quantitative PCR and confirmed by sequencing the amplified fragment. Using nested multiplex malaria PCR (reference method in Spain) and a rapid diagnostic test, the P. knowlesi infection was negative. This patient was discharged and asymptomatic when the positive result to P. knowlesi was reported. Prior to this case, there have been two more reports of European travellers with malaria caused by P. knowlesi, a Finnish man who travelled to Peninsular Malaysia during four weeks in March 2007, and a Swedish man who did a short visit to Malaysian Borneo in October 2006. Taken together with this report of P. knowlesi infection in a Spanish traveller returning from Southeast Asia, this is the third case of P. knowlesi infection in Europe, indicating that this simian parasite can infect visitors to endemic areas in Southeast Asia. This last European case is quite surprising, given that it is an untreated-symptomatic P. knowlesi in human, in contrast to what is currently known about P. knowlesi infection. Most previous reports of human P. knowlesi malaria infections were in adults, often with symptoms and relatively high parasite densities, up to the recent report in Ninh Thuan province, located in the southern part of central Vietnam, inhabited mainly by the Ra-glai ethnic minority, in which all P. knowlesi infections were asymptomatic, co-infected with P. malariae, with low parasite densities and two of the three identified cases were very young children under five years old.

New asterosaponins archasterosides A (1), B (2), and the known regularoside A (3) were isolated from the Vietnamese starfish Archaster typicus and structurally elucidated by extensive NMR techniques and chemical transformations. Compounds 1-3 showed moderate cytotoxic activities against HeLa and mouse JB6 P(+) Cl41 cell lines. The most active, 2, induced basal AP-1- and p53-, but not NF-kappaB-transcriptional activations in JB6 Cl41 cells., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The new pyrano-pyrone, (+)-8-epi-9-deoxygoniopypyrone (1) and (+)-9-deoxygoniopypyrone (2) were isolated from a chloroform extract of Goniothalamus tamirensis leaves. Their absolute stereostructures were discussed and confirmed by using infrared (IR), Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS), one (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra, Mosher's method, and comparison with the known compounds leiocapin A (3), deoxygoniopypyrone A (4), and (-)-8-epi-9-deoxygoniopypyrone (5). At concentrations of 2.67 microM, compounds 1 and 2 significantly increased the growth of osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells and caused a significant elevation of collagen content, alkaline phosphatase activity, and nodule mineralization in the cells (p<0.05). Our data suggest that the enhancement of osteoblast function by 1 and 2 may result in the prevention of osteoporosis.

The non-essential VTS1 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is highly conserved in eukaryotes and encodes a sequence- and structure-specific RNA-binding protein. The Vts1 protein has been implicated in post-transcriptional regulation of a specific set of mRNAs that contains its-binding site at their 3'-untranslated region. In this study, we identified VTS1 as a multi-copy suppressor of dna2-K1080E, a lethal mutant allele of DNA2 that lacks DNA helicase activity. The suppression was allele-specific, since overexpression of Vts1 did not suppress the temperature-dependent growth defects of dna2Delta405N devoid of the N-terminal 405-amino-acid residues. Purified recombinant Vts1 stimulated the endonuclease activity of wild-type Dna2, but not the endonuclease activity of Dna2Delta405N, indicating that the activation requires the N-terminal domain of Dna2. Stimulation of Dna2 endonuclease activity by Vts1 appeared to be the direct cause of suppression, since the multi-copy expression of Dna2-K1080E suppressed the lethality observed with its single-copy expression. We found that vts1Delta dna2Delta405N and vts1Deltadna2-7 double mutant cells displayed synergistic growth defects, in support of a functional interaction between two genes. Our results provide both in vivo and in vitro evidence that Vts1 is involved in lagging strand synthesis by modulating the Dna2 endonuclease activity that plays an essential role in Okazaki fragment processing.

Six indirubin derivatives have been synthesized and their inhibitory effects on the growth of HL-60 human promyelocytic leukemia cells investigated. Cell viability was determined using the trypan blue exclusion method. Indirubin-3'-oxime (I-1) inhibited the growth of HL-60 cells with a GI50 value of 36.6 microM, whereas I-0, I-2, I-3, I-4 and I-6 showed only weak cytotoxic activities against HL-60 cancer cells with GI50 values in the range of 97.3 to over 100 microM. These results indicate that indirubin derivatives might be useful candidate agents for exploring potential antileukemic drugs.

Nine compounds, including six phenylethanoid glycosides: acteoside (1); bioside (2); echinacoside (3); poliumoside (4); phenylethyl glycoside (5); salidroside (6) and three flavonoids; linarin (7); apigenin (8); isorhoifolin (9), were isolated from the flowers of Buddleja officinalis MAXIM. (Buddlejaceae). Chemical structures were confirmed by (1)H-, and (13)C-NMR, and MS spectral methods and compared with those reported in the literature. Antioxidant activities of the methanol and water extracts, and all isolated compounds were evaluated using the total oxidant scavenging capacity (TOSC) assay against peroxynitrite. Results of the assay showed that the phenylethanoid glycosides, a major class of compounds of the flowers of B. officinalis, possess strong antioxidant activity. Of these, acteoside, echinacoside and poliumoside have 9.9-, 9.8- and 9.5-fold TOSC value, respectively, compared with the positive control, Trolox.

Chrysoeriol (1) was isolated as the main constituent from the methanol extract of the dried leaves of Eurya ciliata Merr. To investigate the bioactivities of 1 on bone metabolism, its effects on the function of osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells were studied. Compound 1 significantly increased the growth of MC3T3-E1 cells and caused a significant elevation of alkaline phosphatase activity, collagen content, and nodule mineralization in the cells (P < 0.05). Our data indicate that the enhancement of osteoblast function by 1 may be useful in the prevention of osteoporosis.

From the methanol extract of Dracaena cambodiana roots two unusual 22S-spirostane steroids (1beta,3beta,14alpha,20R,22S,25R)-spirost-5-ene-1,3,14-triol (1) and (lbeta,3beta,14alpha,15alpha,20R,22S,25R)-spirost-5-ene-tetrol (2) have been isolated, together with a known 22R-spirostane compound, namogenin B (3). Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic and spectrometric methods, including HRMS and extensive 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy. Compound 1 showed significant antimicrobial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Fusarium oxysporum, with MIC values of 45.0, 25.0 and 50.0 microg/mL, respectively.

From the methanolic extract of the roots of Clerodendrum philipinum, a new rearranged abietane diterpene (1) and eight known compounds were isolated by various chromatography methods. Their structures were identified by means of spectroscopic methods, including 1D- and 2D-NMR, as 17(15-->16),18(4-->3)-bisabeo-11,12,14,16-tetrahydroxy-3,5,8,11,13,15-abietahexaen-7-one (1), binankadsurin A, clerodenoside A, martynoside, acteoside, isoacteoside, astragalin, p3-sitosterol, and daucosterol. Binankadsurin A was found for the first time from a Clerodendrum species.

Arsenate is one of the most poisonous elements for living cells. When cells are exposed to arsenate, their life activities are immediately affected by various biochemical reactions, such as the binding of arsenic to membranes and the substitution of arsenic for phosphate or the choline head of phospholipids in the biological membranes. The effects of arsenate on the life activities of algae Chlorella vulgaris were investigated at various concentrations and exposure times. The results demonstrated that the living activities of algal cells (10(10)cells/L) were seriously affected by arsenate at a concentration of more than 7.5mg As/L within 24h. Algal cells and the artificial membranes (liposomes) were exposed to arsenate to evaluate its effects on the membrane fluidization. In the presence of arsenate, the membranes were fluidized due to the binding and substitution of arsenate groups for phosphates or the choline head on the their membrane surface. This fluidization of the biological membranes was considered to enhance the transport of toxicants across the membrane of algal cells.

A new coumaric acid derivative called acancifoliuside (1) and six known compounds as acteoside (2), isoacteoside (3), acanthaminoside (4), (+)-lyoniresinol 3a-O-beta-glucopyranoside (5), (-)-lyoniresinol (6), and alpha-amyrin (7), were isolated from the methanolic extract of the leaves of Acanthus ilicifolius L. (Acanthaceae). Their structures were determined by spectroscopic methods and a comparison with the spectral data reported in the literature. The effects of the compounds on the function of osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells were tested. Compounds 2, 3, and 5 (30 microM) increased the growth and differentiation of osteoblasts significantly (P<0.05), indicating that A. ilicifolius leaves may help prevent osteoporosis.

This case-control study detected and characterized Shigella and diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) types among Vietnamese children less than 5 years old. In 249 children with diarrhea and 124 controls, Shigella spp. was an important cause of diarrhea (P < 0.05). We used multiplex PCR and DNA probes to detect enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC), enteroaggregative E. coli (EAggEC), enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), attaching and effacing E. coli (A/EEC), verocytotoxin-producing E. coli (VTEC), and enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC). The prevalences of DEC in the diarrhea and control groups were 25.7 and 10.5%, respectively. In 62 children with diarrhea, 64 DEC strains included 22 EAggEC (8.8%), 2 EIEC (0.8%), 23 A/EEC (9.2%), 7 EPEC (2.8%), and 10 ETEC strains (4.0%). Among controls, 13 DEC strains included 5 EAggEC strains (4.0%), 7 A/EEC strains (5.6%), and 1 EPEC strain. The characterization of DEC by serotypes, antimicrobial susceptibility patterns, virulence genes, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis showed the occurrence of many different and highly heterogenic DEC subtypes, but common serotypes were found among ETEC, EIEC and EPEC, respectively. Serotyping was used to distinguish between A/EEC and EPEC. However, A/EEC, EPEC, and EAggEC were isolated at high frequency from both cases and controls. Further in-depth studies are needed to better understand important virulence factors of DEC, especially A/EEC, EPEC, and EAggEC.

To investigate Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) infection in Vietnamese children under the age of 5 years, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from patients with meningitis were screened for Hib, and isolates were subjected to evaluation of susceptibility to 12 antibiotics, biotyping, and genotyping with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The major biotype was type II (68.3%), followed by type I (22.8%). Among 79 Hib isolates, 45 (57%) were beta-lactamase-producing and ampicillin-resistant (44 and 1 isolates produced TEM-1- and ROB-1-type beta-lactamases, respectively), and 34 isolates (43%) were beta-lactamase-nonproducing and ampicillin-sensitive. No beta-lactamase-nonproducing and ampicillin-resistant isolates were found. The PFGE patterns of Hib isolates were highly divergent, but most could be classified into three clusters. We also investigated Hib colonization in household contacts of patients, and found that Hib isolates from the CSF of patients and from nasopharyngeal cavities of household contacts showed the same PFGE patterns. This observation suggested that household contacts of patients are a possible reservoir of Hib.

Background: Despite the availability of antitoxin and antibiotics, the mortality rate for diphtheria remains high, mostly because of cardiac complications., Methods: During 1 year, 154 Vietnamese children with diphtheria admitted to a referral hospital were studied prospectively with clinical examination, including a simple pseudomembrane score, 12-lead and 24-hour electrocardiography, measurement of serum cardiac enzyme levels, and estimation of troponin T levels., Results: Thirteen children had diphtheritic cardiomyopathy on admission, and 19 developed it subsequently. Twelve children (8%) died. The combination of pseudomembrane score of >2 and bull neck predicted the development of diphtheritic cardiomyopathy, with a positive predictive value of 83% and a negative predictive value of 93%. Administration of 24-hour electrocardiography on admission improved the ability to predict diphtheritic cardiomyopathy by 57%. Fatal outcome was best predicted by the combination of myocarditis on admission and a pseudomembrane score of >2. Of the cardiac enzyme levels measured, an elevated aspartate aminotransferase level was the best predictor. The presence of troponin T identified additional children with subclinical cardiac damage., Conclusions: The development of diphtheritic cardiomyopathy can be predicted by means of simple measures.

We assessed whether fish that tolerate higher levels of Cu exposure have a higher capacity to induce metallothionein (MT) synthesis than other, more sensitive, fish species. Furthermore, we examined if a correlation could be found between tissue Cu accumulation and MT levels. Cu accumulation and MT concentrations in gill, liver, kidney and muscle of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and gibel carp (Carassius auratus gibelio) were measured during a 1 week exposure to a sublethal Cu (1 microM). Different patterns were observed for the three species regarding Cu accumulation as well as MT induction. Virtually no Cu accumulation was seen in rainbow trout gill, while in both cyprinid species gill Cu levels increased three- to four-fold. Cu accumulated fast in common carp (within the first day), but slow in gibel carp (1 week). Gill MT induction was obvious in gibel carp only, with an increase of 156% after 1 week of exposure. Liver accumulated most Cu in rainbow trout (235% increase) and common carp (144% increase), with Cu levels in liver being significantly higher in rainbow trout compared to the carp species from the start. MT induction was pronounced in common carp liver only (138% increase). In gibel carp liver, there was no clear Cu accumulation or MT induction. In contrast, gibel carp was the only species to show Cu accumulation in kidney after 3 days of exposure (83% increase), after which levels returned to normal. Concomitantly, gibel carp kidney was also the only kidney tissue to show MT induction (192-195% increase after 3 and 7 days). In common carp, a significant decrease of kidney MT levels was observed from day 1 onwards. In muscle, Cu accumulation was clear for the two cyprinid species (three- to four-fold increase) but not for rainbow trout. Of the species studied, gibel carp is the most resistant to copper polluted environments, and showed a positive significant relationship between tissue copper concentrations and MT levels in gill, liver and muscle tissues. Common carp showed an intermediate response, with significant correlations in liver and muscle tissue. In contrast, we found low MT induction in rainbow trout, the most sensitive species, and no correlation at all between MT concentrations and tissue copper contents. Possibly, the regulatory capacity for copper homeostasis was exceeded in rainbow trout, and MT synthesis inhibited.

Three cases of Dandy-Walker syndrome associated with congenital heart defects are reported, and their management is described. The various theories concerning the aetiology of the Dandy-Walker syndrome are discussed and it is suggested that the theory of primary developmental atresia of the foramina of Magendie and Luschka is still acceptable. If the child with Dandy-Walker syndrome requires treatment by extracranial CSF drainage it is proposed that a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt is preferable when there is any suspicion of cardiac anomaly. The proximal catheter should be placed in the posterior fossa cyst (dilated fourth ventricle) rather than in the lateral ventricle.

A cytogenetic investigation was conducted in 18 self-poisoned pregnant and 16 self-poisoned non-pregnant women and in 31 pregnant and non-pregnant controls. Blood samples for analysis of chromosomal aberrations and SCEs were collected from women who were at different early stages of pregnancy. The difference between self-poisoned women and controls was very highly significant in the case of chromatid-type and unstable chromosome-type aberrations and highly significant in the case of SCEs. Further, the frequency of chromatid aberrations in pregnant women relative to non-pregnant ones was significantly lower suggesting a possible protective effect of pregnancy.