Hepatic expression of the human insulin gene reduces glucose levels in vivo in diabetic mice model.

Objectives: The objective of these studies was to evaluate human insulin gene expression following intraliver plasmid injection in diabetic mice as a potential approach to gene therapy for insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Methods: The fragment containing human proinsulin gene lacking its own promoter, was cloned into plasmids containing promoter and enhancer of cytomegalovirus or human hepatitis B virus. The resulting gene constructs were first tested in vitro using 3T3 fibroblast cell line and subsequently in vivo applying streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice.

[Development and survival of mouse embryos in intra- and interstrain transplants].

Survival rate and weight of embryos were studied in the Balb/c, CBA//ac and C57BL/6j mice, developed from several combinations of transplantation. The weight of allogenic fetus as well as syngenic fetus which developed together with allogenic ones was detected to increase. This increased weight does not result from survival of certain genotype embryos, but seems to be due to genetical differences in the mother-embryo system.

[Mono- and polymorphic blood protein loci in mink (Mustela vison Schr.)].

Heterogeneity of haemoglobin, albumin, transferrin, esterase, alkaline and acidic phosphatases, haptoglobin, post-albumin, ceruloplasmin, carboanhydrase was studied in 1501 standard and colour minks by means of starch gel electrophoresis. Only the last three proteins of the enumerated ones have hereditary variations. Frequencies of the "main" allels of these systems are not lower than 0.