Chlortetracycline and Oxytetracycline Residues in Poultry Tissues and Eggs

A pad-plate method of assaying residual amounts of chlortetracycline (CTC) and oxytetracycline (OTC) using Bacillus cereus 213 was used to determine amounts of antibiotic left in tissues and eggs of poultry fed 1,000 and 200 ppm of CTC and OTC in basal feed mixtures. The effects of various methods of cooking the tissues and eggs and the potentiating effect of terephthalic acid (TPA) were studied. It was found that normal methods of roasting, frying, and autoclaving poultry tissue destroyed all residual CTC and OTC, even with the potentiating effect of TPA. The largest amounts of residual antibiotic were found in the liver, then breast, and then thigh tissue when assayed for CTC. Tissue assays for CTC revealed that it was not taken up as extensively as CTC and the largest amounts were found in the liver, then breast. OTC residue was seldom found in the thigh tissue. Terephthalic acid in 0.5% concentration increased the concentration found in all cases. Cooking by poaching and scrambling eggs did not destroy the antibiotic in all cases.     

Consequences and treatment of ovarian failure after total body irradiation for leukaemia.

OBJECTIVE--To assess the incidence and severity of physical and psychosexual symptoms in young women due to ovarian failure caused by total body irradiation for leukaemia and the women''s response to hormone treatment. DESIGN--Postal questionnaire and interview. SETTING--Leukaemia unit of oncology hospital. PATIENTS--Consecutive series of 46 English speaking women who had developed ovarian failure after total body irradiation and bone marrow transplantation as treatment for leukaemia. RESULTS--Of the 36 responders, 33 reported some symptoms, vaginal dryness being the most common (29). This profoundly affected sexual function. Although 22 women had had sexual intercourse within six months after treatment, 16 were less interested in and 18 experienced difficulties with sexual intercourse. Anxieties about sterility, femininity, and appearance were common and reduced self confidence. Almost half reported that they had changed their social habits and restricted their social activities. Treatment seemed effective in abolishing symptoms in 24 women, but vaginal dryness remained a problem in three. Two women failed to respond and intercourse remained impossible. CONCLUSIONS--Such patients are vulnerable and access to gynaecologists and endocrinologists soon after treatment would be valuable. The optimal treatment regimen and the long term benefits of treatment have yet to be established.     

Acute phase induction of mouse serum amyloid P component. Correlation with other parameters of inflammation

Hepatic mRNA levels of the mouse major acute phase proteins serum amyloid P component (SAP) and serum amyloid A component (SAA) were monitored at timed intervals after i.p. injection of thioglycollate or s.c. injection of azocasein. Both mRNA increased dramatically in response to either inflammatory stimulus. The increase in SAA mRNA levels accompanied an abrupt change in mRNA size from 650 to 750 bases. Peak SAA mRNA concentrations were observed 18 h after either stimulus; by 72 h concentrations had returned to preinflammatory levels. Peak SAP mRNA concentrations were observed 8 h after thioglycollate and 12 to 18 h after azocasein injection; by 36 h concentrations were close to preinflammatory levels. All mRNA species studied (SAP, SAA and the complement components C3, C5 and factor B) were induced more rapidly by the thioglycollate stimulus and reached higher peak concentrations. SAP mRNA levels were correlated with other parameters of inflammation: infiltration of peritoneal exudate cells (PEC) into the peritoneum after thioglycollate injection, and serum concentrations of SAP after azocasein injection. Serum SAP concentrations rose 20-fold in response to the latter stimulus by 36 h, i.e., 18 to 24 h after the peak SAP mRNA levels. The highest numbers of PEC were present 24 h after the thioglycollate stimulus, i.e. 16 h after the maximum SAP mRNA concentration, indicating the continuation of an active local inflammation many hours after one aspect of the systemic response has ceased.     

Studies on the biosynthesis and metabolism of the phytoalexin lubimin and related compounds in Datura stramonium L.

Arachidonic acid, cellulase, CuSO₄, a sonicate of Phytophthora infestans mycelium and a spore suspension of Penicillium chrysogenum all elicited the formation of the sesquiterpenoid phytoalexins lubimin, 3-hydroxylubimin and rishitin in fruit cavities of Datura stramonium. 3-Hydroxylubimin was the predominant phytoalexin formed after treatment of the fruits with arachidonic acid, cellulase and the P. infestans preparation. Copper sulphate was a potent elicitor of lubimin but not 3-hydroxylubimin. The fungus P. chrysogenum metabolized lubimin and 3-hydroxylubimin to 15-dihydrolubimin and 3-hydroxy-15-dihydrolubimin respectively, both in fruit cavities inoculated with spores of this fungus and in pure culture. The 15-dihydrolubimin formed in the fruits by the fungus was further metabolized (by the fruits) to both isolubimin and 3-hydroxy-15-dihydrolubimin. The precursor-product relationships between all of the subject compounds was investigated by feeding experiments with ³H-labelled compounds. 2-Dehydro-[15-³H₁]lubimin was rapidly and efficiently incorporated into lubimin and may be the direct precursor of lubimin in planta. 3-Hydroxy[2-³H₁]lubimin was incorporated into the nor-eudesmane rishitin but 10-epi-3-hydroxy[2-³H₁]lubimin was not. An updated scheme for the biosynthesis and metabolism of lubimin and related compounds in infected tissues of solanaceous plants is presented.We thank Mr Vic Swetez for the provision of plant material, Mrs Margaret Huffee for technical assistance, Dr David Ewing for help with obtaining NMR spectra, and the Agricultural and Food Research Council for financial support.     

Consortships and conceptions in captive rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)

A captive group of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) was observed during the breeding season to determine if consortship behavior, rather than promiscuous matings, resulted in higher reproductive success for either partner. The 38 adult females in this group were observed “in consort” with the 5 adult or 4 subadult males on 179 occasions. Most of these consortships were short-term, lasting less than one day. Six females engaged in consortships with one male that spanned more than three days, but the majority of these long-term associations did not result in a pregnancy with that male. The term “consortship” has been traditionally accepted as a specific nonhuman primate mating pattern, but the exact nature of this behavioral pattern and its evolutionary importance have been less clearly understood. Consort behavior could be considered a precursor to a monogamous mating system if long-term exclusive sexual associations resulted in higher reproductive success for the participants. But this study demonstrates that for rhesus macaques, who exhibit both consort behavior and more promiscuous matings, there is no clear reproductive advantage to long-term consortships. In light of the inconsistent use of the term consortship, the possible adaptive significance of an exclusive male-female sexual association for the evolution of human mating patterns needs to be reevaluated.     

Synergy between Apc min and an activated ras mutation is sufficient to induce colon carcinomas.

Colon carcinomas appear to arise from the cumulative effect of mutations to several genes (APC, DCC, p53, ras, hMLH1, and hMSH2). By using novel colonic epithelial cell lines derived from the Immorto mouse, named the YAMC (young adult mouse colon) cell line, and an Immorto-Min mouse hybrid, named the IMCE (Immorto-Min colonic epithelial) cell line, carrying the Apc min mutation, we investigated the effect of an activated v-Ha-ras gene on tumor progression. The YAMC and IMCE cell lines are normal colonic epithelial cell lines which are conditionally immortalized by virtue of expression of a temperature-sensitive simian virus 40 (SV40) large T antigen. Under conditions which permit expression of a functional SV40 large T antigen (33 degrees C plus gamma interferon), neither the YAMC nor the IMCE cell line grows in soft agar or is tumorigenic in nude mice. In vitro, when the SV40 large T antigen is inactivated (39 degrees C without gamma interferon), the cells stop proliferating and die. By infecting the YAMC and IMCE cell lines with a replication-defective psi2-v-Ha-ras virus, we derived cell lines which overexpress the v-Ha-ras gene (YAMC-Ras and IMCE-Ras). In contrast to the parental cell lines, under conditions in which the SV40 large T antigen is inactive, both the YAMC-Ras and IMCE-Ras cell lines continue to proliferate. Initally YAMC-Ras cells do not form tumors; however, tumors are visible after 90 days of incubation. IMCE-Ras cells form colonies in soft agar under both permissive and nonpermissive culture conditions. Furthermore, IMCE-Ras cells form tumors in nude mice within 3 weeks. The phenotype of the IMCE-Ras cell line thus clearly demonstrates that a defective Apc allele and an activated ras gene are sufficient to transform normal colonic epithelial cells and render them tumorigenic.     

Embryonic survival in the uterus of ewes inseminated at the uterotubal junction on Day 32 post partum

Experiments were conducted to determine 1) if pregnancy initiated on Day 32 post partum would be maintained until lambing, 2) if there is a difference in the ability of the previously gravid or nongravid uterine horn to maintain pregnancy, and 3) if season has an effect on embryo loss. Estrus was induced in ewes on Day 32 post partum. At estrus, ewes were inseminated surgically at the uterotubal junction and assigned to the following groups: 1) inseminated at estrus and laparotomized on Day 3 to collect embryos for determination of fertilization rate (C), 2) inseminated in the previously gravid uterine horn (PG), 3) inseminated in the previously nongravid uterine horn (NG), and 4) inseminated when both horns were previously gravid (BG). Ewes pregnant in the PG, NG and BG groups were allowed to lamb. Conception rate in Group C at embryo collection was 70%. Embryo loss, based on concentrations of progesterone at Day 18 post insemination, was 43, 19 and 18% in the BG, NG and PG group, respectively. The high embryo loss in Group BG occurred only during the breeding season. Only 24% of the ewes that had been inseminated lambed. This was due to the prepartum loss of embryos and fetuses (47, 48 and 33% in Group BG, NG and PG, respectively. In conclusion, the detrimental effects of the uterus on embryo survival was evident within 18 d post insemination in Group BG (breeding season), and embryo loss prior to lambing was high in all the treatment groups (both seasons).     

Isolation and characterization of new polymorphic simple sequence repeat loci in grape (Vitis vinifera L.).

Four new simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci (designated VVMD5, VVMD6, VVMD7, and VVMD8) were characterized in grape and analyzed by silver staining in 77 cultivars of Vitis vinifera. Amplification products ranged in size from 141 to 263 base pairs (bp). The number of alleles observed per locus ranged from 5 to 11 and the number of diploid genotypes per locus ranged from 13 to 27. At each locus at least 75% of the cultivars were heterozygous. Alleles differing in length by only 1 bp could be distinguished by silver staining, and size estimates were within 1 or 2 bp, depending on the locus, of those obtained by fluorescence detection at previously reported loci. Allele frequencies were generally similar in wine grapes and table grapes, with some exceptions. Some alleles were found only in one of the two groups of cultivars. All 77 cultivars were distinguished by the four loci with the exception of four wine grapes considered to be somatic variants of the same cultivar, 'Pinot noir', 'Pinot gris', 'Pinot blanc', and 'Meunier'; two table grapes that are known to be synonymous, 'Keshmesh' and 'Thompson Seedless'; and three table grapes, 'Dattier', 'Rhazaki Arhanon', and 'Markandi', the first two of which have been suggested to be synonymous. Although the high polymorphism at grape SSR loci suggests that very few loci would theoretically be needed to separate all cultivars, the economic and legal significance of grape variety identification requires the increased resolution that can be provided by a larger number of loci. The ease with which SSR markers and data can be shared internationally should encourage their broad use, which will in turn increase the power of these markers for both identification and genetic analysis of grape. Key words : grape, Vitis, microsatellite, simple sequence repeat, DNA typing, identification.     

Maintenance of Weight Loss: A Needs Assessment

This study identified facilitators and obstacles to maintenance of weight loss following a very-low-calorie-diet and behavior modification program. A survey was mailed to a random sample of 178 program completers and received a 61% response rate; the most frequent follow-up period was more than 2 years. Twenty-nine percent reported weighing the same (within 10 lbs) or less than the end of their participation in the treatment program (maintainers), while 71% reported their present weight was a mean of 65% higher than their initial weight loss (regainers). Maintainers were significantly more likely to report engaging in regular aerobic exercise, attending a maintenance support group, and confidence in their ability to manage their weight in the future, while regainers were more likely to report stress and motivation as frequent weight management obstacles. Respondents consistently identified the need for low/no cost ongoing support. Maintainers and relapsers reported similar challenges in managing their weight, yet with different results, suggesting the need to identify subgroups for which different post-treatment support options could be applied.