Symposium: ethical considerations in HIV preventive vaccine research: examining the 18 UNAIDS guidance points. The 18 UNAIDS guidance points

Here are the 18 guidance points contained in the UNAIDS document on Ethical Considerations in HIV Preventive Vaccine Research, reproduced by kind permission of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).     

Comparison and validation of novel pyrogen tests based on the human fever reaction

The Limulus amoebocyte lysate (LAL) test has replaced about 80% of the use of the rabbit pyrogen test. Ideally, human-based in vitro tests are needed, to replace the remaining use of the rabbit test and the use of the LAL test. The progress of an EU-funded project is described, in which a number of in vitro tests, based on the human fever reaction are passing through a prevalidation study on the way to evaluation in a formal validation study.     

Effects of cod liver oil on tissue antioxidant pathways in normal and streptozotocin-diabetic rats

Lipid disorders and increased oxidative stress may exacerbate some complications of diabetes mellitus. Previous studies have implicated the beneficial effects of some antioxidants, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the protection of cells from the destructive effect of increased lipids and lipid peroxidation products. This study, therefore, was designed to investigate the effects of cod liver oil (CLO, Lysi Ltd. Island), which comprises mainly vitamin A, PUFAs, EPA and DHA. Effects were monitored on plasma lipids, lipid peroxidation products (MDA) and the activities of antioxidant enzymes, glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) and catalase in heart, liver, kidney and lung of non-diabetic control and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced-diabetic rats. Two days after STZ-injection (55 mg kg(-1) i.p.), non-diabetic control and diabetic rats were divided randomly into two groups as untreated or treated with CLO (0.5 ml kg(-1) rat per day) for 12 weeks. Plasma glucose, triacylglycerol and cholesterol concentrations were significantly elevated in 12-week untreated-diabetic animals; CLO treatment almost completely prevented these abnormalities in triacylglycerol and cholesterol, but hyperglycaemia was partially controlled. CLO also provided better weight gain in diabetic animals. In untreated diabetic rats, MDA markedly increased in aorta, heart and liver but was not significantly changed in kidney and lung. This was accompanied by a significant increase in both GSHPx and catalase enzyme activities in aorta, heart, and liver of diabetic rats. In kidney and lung, diabetes resulted in reduced catalase while GSHPx was significantly activated. In aorta, heart, and liver, diabetes-induced changes in MDA were entirely prevented by CLO treatment. In the tissues of CLO-treated diabetic animals, GSHPx activity paralleled those of control animals. CLO treatment also caused significant improvements in catalase activities in every tissue of diabetic rats, but failed to affect MDA and antioxidant activity in control animals. The current study suggests that the treatment of diabetic rats with CLO provides better control of glucose and lipid metabolism, allows recovery of normal growth rate, prevents oxidative/peroxidative stress and ameliorates endogenous antioxidant enzyme activities in various tissues. Because CLO contains a plethora of beneficial compounds together, its use for the management of diabetes-induced complications may provide important advantages.     

Mutation analysis of the coding sequence of the MECP2 gene in infantile autism

Mutations in the coding region of the methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 ( MECP2) gene cause Rett syndrome and have also been reported in a number of X-linked mental retardation syndromes. Furthermore, such mutations have recently been described in a few autistic patients. In this study, a large sample of individuals with autism was screened in order to elucidate systematically whether specific mutations in MECP2 play a role in autism. The mutation analysis of the coding sequence of the gene was performed by denaturing high-pressure liquid chromatography and direct sequencing. Taken together, 14 sequence variants were identified in 152 autistic patients from 134 German families and 50 unrelated patients from the International Molecular Genetic Study of Autism Consortium affected relative-pair sample. Eleven of these variants were excluded for having an aetiological role as they were either silent mutations, did not cosegregate with autism in the pedigrees of the patients or represented known polymorphisms. The relevance of the three remaining mutations towards the aetiology of autism could not be ruled out, although they were not localised within functional domains of MeCP2 and may be rare polymorphisms. Taking into account the large size of our sample, we conclude that mutations in the coding region of MECP2 do not play a major role in autism susceptibility. Therefore, infantile autism and Rett syndrome probably represent two distinct entities at the molecular genetic level.     

近金线属的分类地位及金线属的鉴别特征(鲤形目:鲤科:亚科)

本文根据系统学原理,提出了建立新类元的依据;并据此从分类和系统发育上论证了近金线属ＡｎｃｈｉｃｙｃｌｏｃｈｅｉｌｕｓＬｉｅｔＬａｎ独立成属的可能性,认为应将近金线属归于金线属;修订了金线属ＳｉｎｏｃｙｃｌｏｃｈｅｉｌｕｓＦａｎｇ的鉴别特征。     

Ang Ⅱ 对培养新生大鼠心肌成纤维细胞增殖及丝裂素活化蛋白激酶的影响

本研究目的在于探讨丝裂素活化蛋白激酶（ＭＡＰＫ）是否在ＡｎｇⅡ（１０－８ｍｏｌ／Ｌ）诱导的培养新生大鼠心肌成纤维细胞（ＦＢ）的增殖反应中起重要作用。实验以ＦＢ数目和ＤＮＡ合成速率（３Ｈ－胸腺嘧啶掺入率）为增殖指标,［γ－３２Ｐ］ＡＴＰ掺入法和免疫印迹法分别测定ＦＢＭＡＰＫ的活性和含量,结果发现（１）ＡｎｇⅡ处理ＦＢ２４ｈ后,ＤＮＡ合成速率和细胞数比对照组分别增加６０％和３９％;（２）ＡｎｇⅡ处理ＦＢ５ｍｉｎ后,ＭＡＰＫ活性比对照组增高２０３％;（３）培养新生大鼠ＦＢ含有两个ＭＡＰＫ同型体－ｐ４４ｍａｐｋ和ｐ４２ｍａｐｋ,其中ｐ４４ｍａｐｋ含量高于ｐ４２ｍａｐｋ,分别为总量的５８％和４２％。ＡｎｇⅡ处理５ｍｉｎ后,ＭＡＰＫ蛋白含量（ｐ４４＋ｐ４２〕增高４２９％,其中ｐ４４ｍａｐｋ的增加明显大于ｐ４２ｍａｐｋ的增加,分别比相应对照增高４８６％和３４９％。以上结果表明,ＡｎｇⅡ诱导的ＭＡＰＫ活性和含量的增加,参与了ＦＢ的增殖反应,其中ｐ４４ｍａｐｋ的作用较为显著     

Trichosanthin inhibits T cell activation by interfering with the recruitment of ZAP-70 to CD3 ζchain

INTRoDUCTIONThichosanthin(Tk),aplantproteinisolatedfromaChinesemedicinalherbTh-1.Correspondenceaddress:Dr.KuangYenCHoU,ShanghaiInstituteofImmunology,Shang-haiSecondMedicalUniversity28oSouthChongqingRoad,Shanghai2ooo25,China.Fax:(8621)63846383,E-mail:my@sh…