Pulmonary hypertension in infants with congenital heart defects: are leukotrienes involved?

The circulating levels of leukotriene E4 in infants with congenital heart defects, increased pulmonary blood flow and pulmonary arterial hypertension, were determined and compared with infants with decreased pulmonary blood flow (Tetralogy of Fallot). There was no correlation (r=0.38) between the pulmonary arterial pressure (56+/-4 mmHg) and the leukotriene E4 levels (1.37+/-0.67 ng/ml blood) measured in peripheral blood samples from the hypertensive group prior to surgery. There was considerable variation in the detectable leukotriene E4 levels in blood samples from different patients. The levels detected in the blood samples between the two groups of patients was similar. These data suggest that neither the surgical repair during cardiopulmonary bypass nor the pulmonary hypertension appeared to modify the leukotriene E4 blood levels in the small number of patients studied.     

Adventitious shoot regeneration from leaf explants of an African clone of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) and analysis of the conformity of regenerated plants

A protocol for regeneration of adventitious shoots from immature leaf lobes from in vitro plants of cassava has been developed. Induction occurred in the presence of 2,4-D for ten days which was followed by transfer onto the regeneration medium containing 23 μM zeatin. Induction for more than 10 days in 2,4-D resulted in reduced regeneration and delayed shoot formation. A friable callus developed after a longer induction phase. A shorter induction resulted in the formation of foliar structures which did not develop further. Following subculture calluses produced shoots with improved frequency: 1.0 shoot/explant after 4 subcultures and 1.8 shoots/callus after 14 subcultures. When transplanted into soil, the regenerated plants were apparently normal and similar to the stock plants. A sample of 203 regenerants was examined for isozymes and DNA content using flow cytometry. Glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) banding pattern was identical to that of the stock plants. Small changes were however detected in the phosphoglucomutase (PGM) pattern for 3.4% of regenerated plants, showing an additional band in the fast migration zone. The DNA content of the regenerated plants was homogeneous and was similar to that of the stock plants. The ploidy level was unchanged (2n = 36 chromosomes). This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.