Prenatal ethanol exposure has sex-specific effects on hippocampal long-term potentiation.

Alcohol consumption during pregnancy is deleterious to the developing brain of the fetus and leads to persistent deficits in adulthood. Long-term potentiation (LTP) is a biological model for learning and memory processes and previous evidence has shown that prenatal ethanol exposure (PNEE) affects LTP in a sex specific manner during adolescence. The objective of this study was to determine if there are sex specific differences in adult animals and to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms that contribute to these differences.

Antiviral activities of extracts of Euphorbia hirta L. against HIV-1, HIV-2 and SIVmac251.

The antiretroviral activities of extracts of Euphorbia hirta were investigated in vitro on the MT4 human T lymphocyte cell line. The cytotoxicities of the extracts were tested by means of the MTT cell proliferation assay, and then the direct effects of the aqueous extract on HIV-1, HIV-2 and SIV(mac251) reverse transcriptase (RT) activity were determined. A dose-dependent inhibition of RT activity was observed for all three viruses.

Alkaloids from Leucojum vernum and antiretroviral activity of Amaryllidaceae alkaloids.

Three alkaloids, lycorine, homolycorine and 2- O-acetyllycorine, were isolated from the bulbs of Leucojum vernum (Amaryllidaceae) and identified by means of NMR analysis. The alkaloids obtained from L. vernum and from other Amaryllidaceae species were studied in vitro for HIV-1 replication inhibitory activity on MT4 cells.

Attenuation of diabetic retinopathy by the molecular chaperone-inducer amino acid analogue canavanine in streptozotocin-diabetic rats.

The effect of canavanine treatment on the electroretinograms of healthy and streptozotocin-diabetic rats was studied. The characteristic amplitudes of the a-wave, W2 and W3 oscillatory potentials were markedly diminished in the 2-week streptozotocin-diabetic rats compared with those of the control rats. In contrast, the amplitudes of all the responses of the canavanine-pretreated streptozotocin-diabetic rats were practically indistinguishable from those of the control animals.

The importance of incision-planning and operation technique during organ-preserving and radical operations in the case of patients with mammary cancer.

The authors place a great deal of emphasis on the application of plastic surgery principles in the course of all their operations, especially mammary operations: the incision planning respecting the lines of strength, the atraumatic operation technique (sharp preparation, high-frequency electrocoagulation, tensionless wound closure, and suction drainage from a separate opening). In their organ-preserving operations the radial incision recommended by Veronese is avoided, and the axilla is exposed separately. They do not perform their radical mammary operations according to the customary method (Auchincloss, Patey) either.