Identification of bilge oil with lubricant: Recent oil spill case studies.

Oil spills have many adverse effects on the marine environment. Bilge oil spills occur frequently in the sea as a result of maritime accidents or illegal discharge. It is difficult to unambiguously identify the specific sources of such spills because bilge oil contains a mixture of fuel oil and lubricant.

Chronic valproate attenuates some, but not all, facets of mania-like behaviour in mice.

Bipolar disorder (BD) mania is a psychiatric disorder with multifaceted symptoms. Development of targeted treatments for BD mania may benefit from animal models that mimic multiple symptoms, as opposed to hyperactivity alone. Using the reverse-translated multivariate exploratory paradigm, the behavioural pattern monitor (BPM), we reported that patients with BD mania exhibit hyperactivity as well as increased specific exploration and more linear movements through space.

Dopamine receptor mediation of the exploratory/hyperactivity effects of modafinil.

Modafinil (2-((diphenylmethyl)sulfinyl)acetamide) is described as an atypical stimulant and is a putative cognition enhancer for schizophrenia, but the precise mechanisms of action remain unclear. Receptor knockout (KO) mice offer an opportunity to identify receptors that contribute to a drug-induced effect. Here we examined the effects of modafinil on exploration in C57BL/6J mice, in dopamine drd1, drd2, drd3, and drd4 wild-type (WT), heterozygous (HT), and KO mice, and in 129/SJ mice pretreated with the drd1 antagonist SCH23390 using a cross-species test paradigm based on the behavioral pattern monitor.

Abortion incidence and access to services in the United States, 2008.

Context: The incidence of abortion has declined nearly every year between 1990 and 2005, but this trend may be ending, or at least leveling off. Access to abortion services is a critical issue, particularly since the number of abortion providers has been falling for the last three decades.

Methods: In 2009 and 2010, all facilities known or expected to have provided abortion services in 2007 and 2008 were contacted, including hospitals, clinics and physicians' offices.

Epidemiology of high-level parvovirus B19 viraemia among Dutch blood donors, 2003-2009.

Background And Objectives: Plasma derivatives and blood components with low levels of parvovirus B19 (B19) seem not infectious, but recently infected, highly viraemic donors may transmit B19. We studied the incidence of high-level B19 viraemia (B19 DNA>10(6) IU/ml) in 6.5 million Dutch blood donations.

miRNA analysis in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia: proliferation centres characterized by low miR-150 and high BIC/miR-155 expression.

Several miRNAs have been reported to be associated with immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) mutation and ZAP-70 expression status in blood samples of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (B-CLL/SLL). In the bone marrow and lymphoid tissues, proliferation centres (PCs) represent an important site of activation and proliferation of the neoplastic cells, suggesting that these tissues better reflect the biology of CLL than circulating blood cells. We collected 33 lymph nodes and 37 blood CLL samples and analysed IgH mutation status and ZAP-70 expression status.

Viral elements sense tumorigenic processes: approaching selective cancer therapy.

Viruses can produce viral oncoproteins that drive multiple genetic alterations as the consequence of neoplastic transformation. Viral proteins encoded by onco-related viruses such as polyomavirus SV40 or Epstein-Barr virus are involved in cellular processes resulting in imbalance between proliferation and cell death, knowledge of which continues to be crucial for combating cancer. On the other hand, viruses also generate viral components that, from a cold viral protein, can become a tumor-selective killer by sensing cellular tumorigenic hallmarks.

Activation of the tumor-specific death effector apoptin and its kinase by an N-terminal determinant of simian virus 40 large T antigen.

Apoptin, a viral death protein derived from chicken anemia virus, displays a number of tumor-specific behaviors. In particular, apoptin is phosphorylated, translocates to the nucleus, and induces apoptosis specifically in tumor or transformed cells, whereas it is nonphosphorylated and remains primarily inactive in the cytoplasm of nontransformed normal cells. Here, we show that in normal cells apoptin can also be activated by the transient transforming signals conferred by ectopically expressed simian virus 40 (SV40) large T antigen (LT), which rapidly induces apoptin's phosphorylation, nuclear accumulation, and the ability to induce apoptosis.

TT virus-derived apoptosis-inducing protein induces apoptosis preferentially in hepatocellular carcinoma-derived cells.

TT virus (TTV) is widespread among the global population. Its pathogenic nature is still unclear but TTV seems to be more prevalent in cases of hepatitis than in healthy individuals. TTV harbours similarities to chicken anaemia virus (CAV).

Bcl-xL inhibits p53- but not apoptin-induced apoptosis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell line.

Nonfunctional p53 and especially upregulation of Bcl-x(L) result in advanced disease and poor prognosis of patients suffering head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Aberrancies of Bcl-x(L) and/or p53 in HNSCC lead to inability of anticancer drugs to induce apoptosis. Bcl-x(L) and/or mutated p53 inhibit the apoptotic process by preventing the mitochondrial release of cytochrome c and/or activation of execution caspases.

Recombinant Apoptin multimers kill tumor cells but are nontoxic and epitope-shielded in a normal-cell-specific fashion.

Apoptin, a protein derived from chicken anemia virus, induces apoptosis in human transformed or tumor cells but not in normal cells. When produced in bacteria as a recombinant fusion with maltose-binding protein (MBP-Apoptin), Apoptin forms a distinct, stable multimeric complex that is remarkably homogeneous and uniform. Here, using cytoplasmic microinjection, we showed that recombinant MBP-Apoptin multimers retained the characteristics of the ectopically expressed wild-type Apoptin; namely, the complexes translocated to the nucleus of tumor cells and induced apoptosis, whereas they remained in the cytoplasm of normal, primary cells and exerted no apparent toxic effect.

High expression of B-cell receptor inducible gene BIC in all subtypes of Hodgkin lymphoma.

In a search for genes specifically expressed in Reed-Sternberg (RS) cells of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), we applied the serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) technique on the HL-derived cell line DEV. Genes highly expressed in DEV were subjected to an RT-PCR analysis to confirm the SAGE results. For one of the genes, a high expression was observed in DEV and other HL-derived cell lines but not in non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL)-derived cell lines and normal controls, suggesting an HL-specific expression.

Clonal relation in a case of CLL, ALCL, and Hodgkin composite lymphoma.

Large cell lymphomas and Hodgkin disease may develop during the course of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). In some cases the transformed cells are Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive and not clonally related to the CLL cells. In other cases the transformed cells have the same clonal rearrangements as the CLL cells.

Growth factors can activate ATF2 via a two-step mechanism: phosphorylation of Thr71 through the Ras-MEK-ERK pathway and of Thr69 through RalGDS-Src-p38.

Transcription factor ATF2 regulates gene expression in response to environmental changes. Upon exposure to cellular stresses, the mitogen-activated proteinkinase (MAPK) cascades including SAPK/JNK and p38 can enhance ATF2's transactivating function through phosphorylation of Thr69 and Thr71. How ever, the mechanism of ATF2 activation by growth factors that are poor activators of JNK and p38 is still elusive.

Autocrine growth and anchorage independence: two complementing Jun-controlled genetic programs of cellular transformation.

Cellular transformation can be achieved by constitutive activation of growth-regulatory signaling pathways, which, in turn, activate nuclear transcription factors thought to execute a transformation-specific program of gene expression. Members of the dimeric transcription factor family AP-1 are at the receiving end of such growth-regulating pathways and the viral form of the AP-1 subunit Jun establishes one important aspect of transformation in chick embryo fibroblasts (CEFs): enhanced growth in agar and in low serum. Enhanced Jun activity is likely to target several different genetic programs as Jun forms heterodimers with one of several members of the Fos and ATF2 subfamilies, resulting in transcription factors with different sequence specificities.

EO9: a novel bioreductive alkylating indoloquinone with preferential solid tumour activity and lack of bone marrow toxicity in preclinical models.

EO9 is a novel and fully synthetic bioreductive alkylating indoloquinone. Although structurally-related to mitomycin C, EO9 exhibits a distinct preclinical antitumour profile and there are also differences in its biochemical activation. In this study, EO9 was found to demonstrate preferential cytotoxicity against solid tumours in vitro as compared to leukaemia cell lines both in the Corbett two-tumour assay and in the disease-oriented human tumour cell line panel of the U.

Pharmacokinetics, distribution, and metabolism of the novel bioreductive alkylating indoloquinone EO9 in rodents.

The indoloquinone EO9 is a novel and potent bioreductive agent related in structure to mitomycin C but differing in many aspects of its antitumor activity, toxicity, and enzymatic activation. Because it is about to undergo clinical trial, we have investigated the pharmacokinetics of EO9 in mice and rats. At the highest tolerated dose in male C3H/He mice (12 mg/kg iv) the initial plasma concentration (Co) was 1.

Toxicity of intrathecally administered cytotoxic drugs and their antitumor activity against an intrathecal Walker 256 carcinosarcoma model for meningeal carcinomatosis in the rat.

Meningeal carcinomatosis in humans is refractory to most attempts at therapy and has a grave prognosis. As part of a search for new agents to treat meningeal carcinomatosis, the toxicity of a series of antitumor agents administered through an implanted catheter directly into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of the lumbar spinal cord of 200-g rats has been examined. The highest non-toxic dose (HNTD) of the agents producing no signs of histological damage, motor dysfunction, or neurobehavioral changes was bleomycin (80 micrograms), cytarabine (640 micrograms), dacarbazine (1 microgram), doxorubicin (20 micrograms), 5-fluorouracil (150 micrograms), methotrexate (1000 micrograms), mitomycin C (10 micrograms), and triethylene phosphoramide (800 micrograms).

New xenograft model for assessing experimental therapy of central nervous system tumors: human glioblastoma in the intrathecal compartment of the nude mouse.

Ten congenitally athymic "nude" mice and 10 immunocompetent mice underwent intrathecal inoculation with a human glioblastoma cell line (U87MG) via percutaneous lumbar puncture (5 x 10(5) cells/animal). All of the nude mice developed paraplegia with or without incontinence at 2 weeks and routinely died of inanition 3 weeks postimplantation. Histological examination confirmed extensive proliferation of neoplastic cells within the intrathecal space.

Activity of phthalocyanine photosensitizers against human glioblastoma in vitro.

In vitro studies utilizing an established human glioblastoma cell line (U87MG) were undertaken to compare the light absorption spectra and photocytotoxicity characteristics of hematoporphyrin derivative (HpD), metal-free phthalocyanine tetrasulfonate (PcS), and aluminum phthalocyanine tetrasulfonate (AlPcS). The peak absorption wavelengths for the compounds studied were: HpD = 630 nm, PcS = 630 nm, AlPcS = 677 nm. Seven different concentrations of each compound (0 to 20 micrograms/ml) were subjected to five different energy levels (40 to 640 joules/cm2) of broad band light (wavelength = 650 +/- 40 nm).

Effect of inhalation anesthetics on antipyrine pharmacokinetics of mice.

The effects of the volatile anesthetics, enflurane, isoflurane and halothane, on the pharmacokinetics of antipyrine were examined in mice. The administration of 0.75% isoflurane or 1.

Doxorubicin-induced hair loss in the Angora rabbit: a study of treatments to protect against the hair loss.

An animal model for anticancer drug-induced hair loss has been developed using the Angora rabbit given i.v. doxorubicin, 2 mg/kg, twice weekly for 3 weeks.

Gas chromatographic assay for the new antitumor agent pyrazine-2-diazohydroxide (diazohydroxide) and its stability in buffer, blood and plasma.

Diazohydroxide is a new antitumor agent being considered for clinical trial. A sensitive and specific assay for diazohydroxide in physiological media, plasma and blood has been developed based on conversion of diazohydroxide to 2-chloropyrazine in the presence of strong hydrochloric acid. The 2-chloropyrazine is extracted into the ethyl acetate and separated by capillary gas chromatography with nitrogen-phosphorus detection.

Increased toxicity of the antitumor drug cyclophosphamide in mice in the presence of the volatile anesthetic agent halothane.

Exposure of mice to 0.5% halothane in air, which is close to a maintenance concentration in man, after an IP dose of cyclophosphamide produced an increase in the lethality of cyclophosphamide. The LD50 (30 day) for cyclophosphamide without halothane was 251 mg/kg; with 2 h subsequent exposure to halothane it was 152 mg/kg; and with 20 h subsequent exposure to halothane it was 158 mg/kg.

Development of experimental models for meningeal neoplasia using intrathecal injection of 9L gliosarcoma and Walker 256 carcinosarcoma in the rat.

Two models for meningeal neoplasia have been developed in rats using intrathecal injection of 9L gliosarcoma and Walker 256 carcinosarcoma cells. Tumor cells were injected in unanesthetized animals through an indwelling catheter inserted at the cisterna magna to the level of the lumbar enlargement of the spinal cord. Survival of rats was dependent on the number of tumor cells injected.