Training for excellence in the inner city: an interview with Richard Savage and Clare Vaughan. Interview by Douglas Carnall.

Recruitment to general practice is at its lowest level for 30 years, and many vocational training schemes report difficulty in attracting new trainees. Spurred on by the aging population of south London, and with the advantage of pounds 1.3m of development money resulting from the Tomlinson report, the south London organisation of vocational training schemes (SLOVTS) has perhaps been able to cope better than most. Its chair, Richard Savage, a general practitioner and course organiser, and Clare Vaughan, an assistant adviser, have devised and implemented many innovative training posts for general practice over the past two years, and their approach seems to be bearing fruit: most of the doctors who have finished the training scheme are now entering practice in south London. They talked to Douglas Carnall about the causes of the crisis and the measures they have implemented to counter it. Clare Vaughan died in the week following the interview (see obituary, p 555).     

Early-replication DNA patterns in a derivative chromosome in a syrian hamster with only 42 chromosomes

From crosses within a 2n = 43 line of Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) lacking one derivative (der 11) of an 11;20 reciprocal translocation we have obtained homozygotes with only 42 chromosomes These animals are homozygous deficient (nullisomic) for the centromere and short arm of chromosome 11 and for the bulk of the long arm of chromosome 20. — During cytogenetic studies, we investigated the frequency patterns of early-replicating bands in the surviving derivative (der 20) at two cytologically defined sub-phases of S using short-term fibroblast cultures. These patterns were compared with those observed in the component, untranslocated arms in normal 2n = 44 cells at the same two sub-phases. — Very close agreement was found, indicating that neither the nullisomy, nor the new arm combination has interfered detectably with the pattern or programme of early band replication.     

Internalization and degradation of peptides of the bombesin family in Swiss 3T3 cells occurs without ligand-induced receptor down-regulation.

The binding of [125I]gastrin releasing peptide ([125I]GRP) to Swiss 3T3 cells at 37 degrees C increases rapidly, reaching a maximum after 30 min and decreasing afterwards. The decrease in cell-associated radioactivity at this temperature is accompanied by extensive degradation of the labelled peptide. At 4 degrees C equilibrium binding is achieved after 6 h and [125I]GRP degradation is markedly inhibited. Extraction of surface-bound ligand at low pH demonstrates that the iodinated peptide is internalized within minutes after addition to 3T3 cells at 37 degrees C. The rate of internalization is strikingly temperature-dependent and is virtually abolished at 4 degrees C. In addition, lysomotropic agents including chloroquine increase the cell-associated radioactivity in cells incubated with [125I]GRP. The binding of [125I]GRP to Swiss 3T3 cells was not affected by pretreatment for up to 24 h with either GRP or bombesin at mitogenic concentrations. Furthermore, pretreatment with GRP did not reduce the affinity labelling of a Mr 75,000-85,000 surface protein recently identified as a putative receptor for bombesin-like peptides. These results demonstrate that while peptides of the bombesin family are rapidly internalized and degraded by Swiss 3T3 cells, the cell surface receptors for these molecules are not down-regulated.     

The endocrinology of puberty and reproductive functioning in female cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus) under varying social conditions

Sexual maturation and fertility were assessed in fourteen cotton-top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus) females under various social conditions. Six tamarin females (20-28 mo of age) showed a suppression of fertility while living with their families. Hormonal profiles demonstrated low, acyclic levels of urinary luteinizing hormone (LH) and estrone-conjugates (E1C). A rapid onset of ovarian and pituitary cyclicity occurred when four of the six females were removed from their families and paired with an unrelated male. In one female, an ovulatory LH peak occurred as early as eight days after pairing and resulted in conception and full-term pregnancy. Two of the six females were housed in total isolation for 30 days following their removal from the family and prior to pairing. Gradual increases in hormone concentrations occurred during isolation; however, there was no ovarian cyclicity until each female was paired with an unrelated male. In all six females, conception occurred before or as a result of the third ovulatory cycle. Partial isolation of a 36-mo-old female resulted in elevated LH and E1C levels, but cyclicity was not observed until the female was paired with an unrelated male. These findings indicate that removal of a female from the family alone does not initiate ovarian cycling. Sexual maturation, or puberty, occurs in female tamarins living with their families between 15 and 17 mo of age when mean LH and E1C levels began to increase. However, when a female is removed and paired at 9 mo of age with an unrelated male, elevated levels of LH and E1C may be seen by 10 and 11 mo of age. Our findings indicate that a suppression of fertility occurs in cotton-top tamarins living with their families, but that reproductive suppression does not affect the process of sexual maturation. Both removal from the family environment and stimulation by an unrelated male tamarin were necessary to induce normal reproductive activity. An acceleration of puberty occurred when a female tamarin was removed from her family early in development and paired with a male.