Non-Lethal Detection of in Fish.

Emergent infectious diseases have an increasing impact on both farmed animals and wildlife. The ability to screen for pathogens is critical for understanding host-pathogen dynamics and informing better management. is a pathogen of concern, associated with disease outbreaks worldwide, affecting a broad range of fish, amphibian, and reptile hosts, but research has been limited.

Copper toxicosis in non-COMMD1 Bedlington terriers is associated with metal transport gene ABCA12.

Wilson's disease, caused by a mutation in the ATP-ase 7B gene, is the only genetically characterised human disease with inhibition of biliary copper excretion and toxic copper accumulation in liver and occasionally brain. A similar copper toxicosis occurs in Bedlington terriers (CT) with liver damage only. Although CT has been associated with a defect in the COMMD1 gene (COMMD1 (del/del)), Bedlington terriers with CT and lacking this mutation are also recognised (non-COMMD1 (del/del)).

High-magnesium calcite dissolution in tropical continental shelf sediments controlled by ocean acidification.

Increases in atmospheric CO2 cause the oceanic surface water to continuously acidify, which has multiple and profound impacts on coastal and continental shelf environments. Here we present the carbonate mineral composition in surface sediments from a range of continental shelf seabed environments and their current and predicted stability under ocean acidifying conditions. Samples come from the following four tropical Australian regions: (1) Capricorn Reef (southern end of the Great Barrier Reef), (2) the Great Barrier Reef Lagoon, (3) Torres Strait, and (4) the eastern Joseph Bonaparte Gulf.

Fourth meeting of the European Network of Research Tissue Banks - future strategy to increase collaborations in the supply of human tissue for biomedical research.

This report records the Fourth meeting of the European Network of Research Tissue Bank (Brussels, 18th March 2004) which was attended by Mel Read MEP. The existing membership of this informal group represents European Human Research Tissue Bankers, biomedical researchers seeking access to human tissue and allied groups including animal welfare representatives. This Fourth meeting provided a forum to update members on individual activity in this area.

The establishment of a network of European human research tissue banks.

This is a report of a workshop held on the establishment of human research tissue banking which was held in Levi, Finland 21-24 March 2002. There were 21 participants from 7 European countries. This meeting was attended by representatives from academia, research tissue banks and from the Biotech and Pharmaceutical Industries.

The establishment of the UK Human Tissue Bank.

The UK Human Tissue Bank (UKHTB) was established in 1998, to provide biomedical researchers with an effective, transparent and ethical supply of human tissues. The UKHTB collects and processes non-transplantable human tissue from cadaveric brain stem dead donors and surgical tissues surplus to diagnostic requirements, and distributes to researchers working in UK universities, medical institutions and the pharmaceutical industry. The UKHTB has gained approval from UK National Health Service Ethical Committees for the receipt of human tissues and transfers donated tissues to researchers with allied approval, who additionally agree to the scrutiny of the end-use of tissue by the UKHTB.

Copper toxicosis in the Bedlington terrier: a diagnostic dilemma.

Diagnosis of copper toxicosis (CT) in Bedlington terriers by the quantitative and qualitative assessment of copper (Cu) in, and pathology of, biopsies has been largely superseded by a DNA-based assay which uses a microsatellite marker (C04107) linked to the CT disease allele. A retrospective study was conducted comprising 154 liver biopsies from Bedlington terriers with 22 matched DNA markers to compare the two methods in the diagnosis of CT. For the biopsy method, three categories (phenotypes) were identified based on analytical and morphological criteria: 'unaffected' in 83 samples (54 per cent), where Cu was much less than 400 microg/g, and there was an absence of visual Cu or liver damage; 'intermediate' in 18 samples (12 per cent), where Cu was less than 400 microg/g, and there was limited histochemical Cu and no/equivocal damage; and 'affected' in 53 samples (34 per cent), where Cu was greater than 400 microg/g, there was histochemical Cu and liver damage was poorly related to Cu content.

Response of digital arteries to endothelium dependent and independent vasodilators in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon.

The cause of the digital artery spasm seen in Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) is unclear. A dysfunction of endothelium-dependent vasodilation might contribute to the development of this spasm. We studied the digital artery responses to endothelium-dependent and independent vasodilators in eight Raynaud's phenomenon patients and eight sex-matched controls.

Digital artery calibre measurement--a new technique of assessing Raynaud's phenomenon.

This study evaluated the use of a high frequency A-mode ultrasound scanner (CUTECH DM70) for monitoring the digital artery vasospasm of Raynaud's Phenomenon (RP). The technique was evaluated on 12 RP patients and 12 age and sex matched controls. The diameter of a single digital artery was measured in these subjects over a range of finger temperatures between 14-35 degrees C.

The protective role of metallothionein in copper-overload: II. Transport and excretion of immunoreactive MT-1 in blood, bile and urine of copper-loaded rats.

The regulation of copper homeostasis in copper overloaded animals occurs by excretion of excess of the metal in bile and urine, which may be facilitated by metallothionein (MT) a copper binding protein. The role of MT in the mobilisation and excretion of copper excess has been studied in copper-loaded rats during the development of tolerance. Young male Wistar rats were fed a high copper (1 g/kg) diet for 16 weeks during which period they were killed after prior collection of bile, blood and urine for analysis for copper and immunoreactive MT-1.

The protective role of metallothionein in copper overload: I. Differential distribution of immunoreactive metallothionein in copper-loaded rat liver and kidney.

The cytotoxicity of copper is probably determined by its molecular association and subcellular localisation rather than its concentration within tissues. Metallothionein (MT) is a copper binding protein distributed between the particulate and soluble cellular components. The role of MT in conferring protection to the copper-loaded rat has been investigated by comparing the distribution of the immunoreactive protein between the soluble and particulate fractions of liver and kidney during the development of copper tolerance.

Ultrasound imaging of digital arteries.

This study assessed the use of high frequency ultrasound (CUTECH DM70) in the measurement of digital artery diameters. The accuracy of the technique was assessed using a model. Four silicone tubes of different diameters were embedded in opaque agar.

Histochemical and immunocytochemical evaluation of copper and metallothionein in the liver and kidney of copper-loaded rats.

Histochemical methods do not always show a good correlation with analytical measurement of copper content and consequently immunoreactive staining techniques for metallothionein (MT) have recently been employed for the differential diagnosis of copper-associated diseases. This study compares histochemical with immunocytochemical methods for the assessment of copper status. Male rats were fed a high copper (1 g/kg) diet for 16 weeks and killed sequentially during this period.

Chronic dialysis in patients with multiple myeloma and renal failure: a worthwhile treatment.

Severe renal failure is a life-threatening complication of multiple myeloma. Aggressive treatment can reverse acute renal failure in many cases but the prognosis for those who require chronic renal replacement therapy is not clear. We have reviewed the treatment of these patients in the Brighton, Dulwich and Guy's Hospitals renal units.

Raised ankle/brachial pressure index in insulin-treated diabetic patients.

The ankle/brachial blood pressure index (A/B PI) is important in the vascular laboratory assessment of peripheral vascular disease. However it is falsely elevated in diabetes, hence underestimating the true severity of disease. We have therefore examined the influence of diabetes on the A/B PI in 2092 patients, 538 with diabetes, all referred for evaluation of peripheral vascular disease.

Variations in the intralobular distribution of copper in the livers of copper-loaded rats in relation to the pathogenesis of copper storage diseases.

There are differences in the hepatic intralobular distribution of copper in copper storage related diseases which may be of pathogenetic significance. Male rats fed a high copper diet (1500 ppm) for 16 weeks were killed at intervals in an attempt to compare copper distribution in their livers with those in human, canine and ovine copper toxicosis. Copper was found to accumulate almost exclusively in the periportal and mid-zones of the rat liver lobules and was associated with progressive pathological changes which included focal and periportal degeneration and necrosis.

A multi-centre, placebo controlled comparative study between 200 mg and 400 mg celiprolol in patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension.

A two-centre, double-blind, placebo controlled, randomized 3-way crossover study was undertaken to assess the efficacy, tolerability and safety of celiprolol in mild to moderate essential hypertension. A 4-week single-blind placebo run-in/screening period, during which no antihypertensive medication was given, was followed by 3 consecutive 4-week treatment periods with placebo or celiprolol (200 mg or 400 mg daily). At the end of the 4-week placebo run-in/screening period, 26 hospital out-patients with a seated mean blood pressure (systolic/diastolic) of 161.

An epidemiological survey of Raynaud's phenomenon.

A questionnaire was sent to 1000 patients with Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) and an equal number of controls in order to accumulate one of the largest patient data banks currently available. Five-hundred and seventy-one correctly completed paired returns were processed so as to investigate the association between Raynaud's phenomenon and other factors suspected of influencing the condition. The involvement of female sex hormones in RP was indicated by the predominance of women (93%), a 6% (P less than 0.

Thermal entrainment methods for studying Raynaud's phenomenon.

Entrainment occurs when an externally applied periodic temperature stimulus forces the peripheral bloodflow component of thermoregulation to oscillate at the same frequency. This phenomenon can be demonstrated using frequency transforms to analyse the spectral content of the bloodflow, and can be used as a diagnostic test for Raynaud's phenomenon. Correlations were performed between the clinical diagnosis and the objective tests.

A study of the decrease of skin collagen content, skin thickness, and bone mass in the postmenopausal woman.

The skin collagen content, skin thickness, metacarpal index, and forearm bone mineral content in postmenopausal women showed a similar decline of between 1-2% per year after the menopause. All four parameters showed a decline that was significant when compared with the years from the menopause. Significant correlations between all four parameters suggest that a similar pathology causes the decrease in bone mass and skin thickness--a decline in the connective tissue element that is common to both bone and skin.

Evaluation of histochemical methods for the detection of copper overload in rat liver.

Histochemical methods have invariably shown a good correlation with copper analysis by absorption spectrophotometry in the identification of canine copper storage diseases. But, in Wilson's disease (WD) in humans no such correlation exists and similar discrepancies have also been observed in copper-loaded rats. This study attempts to quantify stainable copper in the livers of copper-loaded rats and relate this to the hepatic copper concentrations.