A platform for interrogating cancer-associated p53 alleles.

p53 is the most frequently mutated gene in human cancer. Compelling evidence argues that full transformation involves loss of growth suppression encoded by wild-type p53 together with poorly understood oncogenic activity encoded by missense mutations. Furthermore, distinguishing disease alleles from natural polymorphisms is an important clinical challenge. To interrogate the genetic activity of human p53 variants, we leveraged the Drosophila model as an in vivo platform. We engineered strains that replace the fly p53 gene with human alleles, producing a collection of stocks that are, in effect, 'humanized' for p53 variants. Like the fly counterpart, human p53 transcriptionally activated a biosensor and induced apoptosis after DNA damage. However, all humanized strains representing common alleles found in cancer patients failed to complement in these assays. Surprisingly, stimulus-dependent activation of hp53 occurred without stabilization, demonstrating that these two processes can be uncoupled. Like its fly counterpart, hp53 formed prominent nuclear foci in germline cells but cancer-associated p53 variants did not. Moreover, these same mutant alleles disrupted hp53 foci and inhibited biosensor activity, suggesting that these properties are functionally linked. Together these findings establish a functional platform for interrogating human p53 alleles and suggest that simple phenotypes could be used to stratify disease variants.

Cold oxygen plasma technology efficiency against different airborne respiratory viruses.

BACKGROUND: Respiratory infections caused by viruses are major causes of upper and lower respiratory tract infections. They account for an important mortality and morbidity worldwide. Amongst these viruses, influenza viruses and paramyxoviruses are major pathogens. Their transmission is mainly airborne, by direct transmission through droplets from infected cases. OBJECTIVES: In the context of an influenza pandemic, as well as for the reduction of nosocomial infections, systems that can reduce or control virus transmission will reduce the burden of this disease. It may also be part of the strategy for pandemic mitigation. STUDY DESIGN: A new system based on physical decontamination of surface and air has been developed. This process generates cold oxygen plasma (COP) by subjecting air to high-energy deep-UV light. To test its efficiency, we have developed an experimental device to assess for the decontamination of nebulized respiratory viruses. High titer suspensions of influenza virus type A, human parainfluenza virus type 3 and RSV have been tested. RESULTS: Different experimental conditions have been evaluated against these viruses. The use of COP with an internal device allowed the best results against all viruses tested. We recorded a reduction of 6.5, 3.8 and 4 log(10) TCID50/mL of the titre of the hPIV-3, RSV and influenza virus A (H5N2) suspensions. CONCLUSIONS: The COP technology is an efficient and innovative strategy to control airborne virus dissemination. It could successfully control nosocomial diffusion of respiratory viruses in hospital setting, and could be useful for the reduction of influenza transmission in the various consultation settings implemented for the management of cases during a pandemic.

Comparative gavage subchronic toxicity studies of o-chloroaniline and m-chloroaniline in F344 rats and B6C3F1 mice.

ortho-Chloroaniline (o-CA) andmeta-chloroaniline (m-CA) are chemical intermediates for pigment production in the textile industry. Comparative subchronic gavage studies were conducted to determine the effect of structure on toxicity.o-CA orm-CA was administered to 10 animals/sex/species in deionized water at dosages of 0, 10, 20, 40, 80, and 160 mg/kg for 13 weeks. Blood samples for clinical pathology were collected after 3 and 23 days in rats and at study termination (Day 93) in rats and mice. No mortalities occurred that could be directly attributed to treatment. Transient clinical signs of toxicity observed after dosing included cyanosis in rats and ataxia and tremors in mice. Methemoglobin formation was directly related to dosage (rats and mice) and duration of treatment (rats). At study termination, Heinz body formation in erythrocytes in association with decreased hemoglobin, hematocrit, and red blood cell count was a prominent treatment-related effect. Enlarged spleens (gross necropsy observation) and increased spleen weight were treatment effects of each chemical in both species. Microscopic lesions typical of increased red blood cell production were found in hematopoietic tissues (bone marrow, spleen, and liver), while lesions due to increased red cell destruction were found in these tissues and also the kidneys (rats). Microscopic changes were more frequently seen and severe, and involved more body organs, in rats than mice, and in m-CA-treated animals thano-CA-treated animals. Sex differences in lesion incidence/severity were not evident.

Hematological effects in F344 rats and B6C3F1 mice during the 13-week gavage toxicity study of methylene blue trihydrate.

Methylene blue trihydrate is used widely as a dye and therapeutic agent. Methylene blue was administered by gavage to 30 animals/sex/dose group in a 0.5% aqueous methylcellulose suspension at doses of 0, 25, 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg. Blood samples from 10 animals/sex/dose group were collected at the end of study weeks 1, 6, and 13. Methylene blue treatment resulted in methemoglobin formation and oxidative damage to red blood cells, leading to a regenerative anemia and a variety of tissue and biochemical changes secondary to erythrocyte injury. An early change was a dose-related increase in methemoglobin, where the response of rats and mice was similar in magnitude. Mice appeared to be more sensitive than rats to the formation of Heinz bodies and the development of anemia that was characterized by a decrease in hemoglobin, hematocrit, and erythrocyte count. Splenomegaly was apparent in all treated mice and in the 100 mg/kg (males only) and 200 mg/kg rats at necropsy. There was a dose-related increase in absolute and relative spleen weight for both species. Microscopic examination revealed increased splenic hematopoiesis in all mice treatment groups and in rats at the 50 mg/kg dose level and above. Splenic congestion and bone marrow hyperplasia were also observed in these rat-dose groups. Mice at the higher doses showed hematopoiesis in the liver and accumulation of hemosiderin in Kupffer cells. These gross and microscopic findings are consistent with the development of hemolytic anemia. A dose-related increase in the reticulocyte count during study weeks 6 and 13 suggested a compensatory response to anemia.

Lung tissue mechanics and extracellular matrix remodeling in acute lung injury.

UNLABELLED: This study was undertaken to test whether there is structural remodeling of lung parenchyma that could lead to tissue mechanical changes at an early phase of varying degrees of acute lung injury (ALI). Tissue resistance (R), dynamic elastance (E), and hysteresivity (eta) were analyzed during sinusoidal oscillations of rat lung parenchymal strips 24 h after intraperitoneal injection of saline (C) or paraquat (P [10, 15, 25, and 30 mg/kg]). These strips were also stained in order to quantify the amount of collagen and of three types of elastic fibers (elaunin, oxytalan, and fully developed elastic fibers) in the alveolar septa. E augmented progressively from C to P25, but the data from the P25 and P30 groups were not different (p < 0.0001). R and eta increased from C to P10 and from P15 to P25 (p < 0.001). Collagen fiber content increased exponentially with the severity of the injury. Elaunin and fully developed elastic fibers remained unchanged in the five groups, while oxytalan fibers increased only in the P25 and P30 groups. In conclusion, the pronounced mechanical changes at the tissue level and fibroelastogenesis happened at an early phase of the disease and even in mildly abnormal lung parenchyma. KEYWORDS: elastance; collagen fibers; elastin; paraquat

Lung tissue mechanics and extracellular matrix composition in a murine model of silicosis.

The dynamic mechanical properties of lung tissue and its contents of collagen and elastic fibers were studied in strips prepared from mice instilled intratracheally with saline (C) or silica [15 (S15) and 30 days (S30) after instillation]. Resistance, elastance, and hysteresivity were studied during oscillations at different frequencies on S15 and S30. Elastance increased from C to silica groups but was similar between S15 and S30. Resistance was augmented from C to S15 and S30 and was greater in S30 than in S15 at higher frequencies. Hysteresivity was higher in S30 than in C and S15. Silica groups presented a greater amount of collagen than did C. Elastic fiber content increased progressively along time. This increment was related to the higher amount of oxytalan fibers at 15 and 30 days, whereas elaunin and fully developed elastic fibers were augmented only at 30 days. Silicosis led not only to pulmonary fibrosis but also to fibroelastosis, thus assigning a major role to the elastic system in the silicotic lung.

The effects of noncontingent delivery of high- and low-preference stimuli on attention-maintained destructive behavior.

An adolescent with severe mental retardation and cerebral palsy who displayed attention-maintained destructive behavior was exposed to noncontingent reinforcer delivery (NCR) with either a high-preference or a low-preference stimulus while reinforcement for destructive behavior with attention remained in effect (i.e., NCR without extinction). NCR without extinction was effective only when the high-preference stimulus was available, suggesting that systematic assessment of stimulus quality may enhance the effectiveness of NCR with alternative stimuli.

Comparative absorption of lead from contaminated soil and lead salts by weanling Fischer 344 rats.

A 44-day dosed feed study was performed to compare the bioavailability of lead from contaminated soil versus two lead salts and the effect of soil on gastrointestinal absorption of ingested lead. Male Fischer rats (approximately 4 weeks of age) received lead, 17, 42, or 127 ppm, in the form of lead acetate, lead sulfide, lead-contaminated soil, or combinations thereof in the diet for 7, 15, or 44 days. Control soil was added to the diets of some animals to determine how it might alter lead bioavailability. Blood Delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (Delta-ALAD) and blood, bone, kidney, and liver lead were determined in groups of animals at each time-point. Blood Delta-ALAD was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner and to the greatest degree in the lead acetate and lead acetate/control soil groups, followed by the lead sulfide and lead-contaminated soil groups. Bone and tissue lead levels increased in a dose-dependent manner and were greatest in animals receiving lead acetate and significantly less in animals receiving lead sulfide and lead-contaminated soil. Blood lead levels were generally greatest by 7 days and stabilized at lower levels thereafter. Bone lead concentration-time patterns did not demonstrate the biphasic change seen with tissues and continued to increase in most treatment groups through the course of the study. The presence of soil in the diet clearly attenuated the absorption of lead acetate, but had little effect on the absorption of lead sulfide. Results of these studies confirm previous observations that lead absorption is highly dependent on the form of lead ingested and the matrix in which it is ingested. More important, these studies demonstrate that lead in soil may be significantly less available than estimated by current default assumptions and that the presence of soil may decrease the availability of lead from lead salts on which the default assumptions are based. Results presented here also demonstrate that the weanling rat may represent an appropriate model that could be used to obtain relatively rapid and economical estimates of the availability of lead in complex matrices such as soil.

The CTFA Evaluation of Alternatives Program: an evaluation of in vitro alternatives to the Draize primary eye irritation test. (Phase III) surfactant-based formulations.

The CTFA Evaluation of Alternatives Program is an evaluation of the relationship between data from the Draize primary eye irritation test and comparable data from a selection of promising in vitro eye irritation tests. In Phase III, data from the Draize test and 41 in vitro endpoints on 25 representative surfactant-based personal care formulations were compared. As in Phase I and Phase II, regression modelling of the relationship between maximum average Draize score (MAS) and in vitro endpoint was the primary approach adopted for evaluating in vitro assay performance. The degree of confidence in prediction of MAS for a given in vitro endpoint is quantified in terms of the relative widths of prediction intervals constructed about the fitted regression curve. Prediction intervals reflect not only the error attributed to the model but also the material-specific components of variation in both the Draize and the in vitro assays. Among the in vitro assays selected for regression modeling in Phase III, the relationship between MAS and in vitro score was relatively well defined. The prediction bounds on MAS were most narrow for materials at the lower or upper end of the effective irritation range (MAS = 0-45), where variability in MAS was smallest. This, the confidence with which the MAS of surfactant-based formulations is predicted is greatest when MAS approaches zero or when MAS approaches 45 (no comment is made on prediction of MAS > 45 since extrapolation beyond the range of observed data is not possible). No single in vitro endpoint was found to exhibit relative superiority with regard to prediction of MAS. Variability associated with Draize test outcome (e.g. in MAS values) must be considered in any future comparisons of in vivo and in vitro test results if the purpose is to predict in vivo response using in vitro data.

Behavioural training during acute brain trauma rehabilitation: an empirical case study.

Operant conditioning-based behavioural interventions are commonly used for the behavioural problems of individuals with mental retardation. There is also growing evidence of the benefits of these interventions for treating some of the behavioural problems of individuals with acquired cognitive deficits resulting from brain trauma. However, the effects of behavioural interventions on behavioural problems occurring during acute neurorehabilitation, when orientation and memory are most impaired, have not been studied. In this empirical case study, operant conditioning-based procedures were applied with an 8-year-old girl recovering from brain trauma and related neurosurgery. Screaming, non-compliance and aggression, which were disrupting rehabilitation therapies and follow-up neuroimaging, were treated using differential positive reinforcement techniques. Beneficial behavioural intervention effects were demonstrated using single-subject experimental methods. Aberrant behaviour during physical and occupational therapies was reduced, and cooperation with a computerized tomography (CT) scan without sedation was accomplished using operant behavioural intervention. Results support the use of operant interventions early in recovery from brain trauma, and highlight the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration for the implementation and further study of early behavioural interventions.

Carcinogenicity studies of oxazepam in mice.

Oxazepam is a benzodiazepine widely used as a sedative-hypnotic and antianxiety drug. In chronic studies, groups of 60 male and 60 female Swiss-Webster (SW) or B6C3F1 mice received oxazepam in feed at concentrations of 0,2500, or 5000 ppm. Additional groups of 60 male and female B6C3F1 mice received 125 ppm in feed to allow for study of mice with serum concentrations of oxazepam similar to those achieved in humans taking a therapeutic dose. At 57 weeks, treatment-related mortality of exposed SW mice caused the study to be terminated. Enhanced systemic amyloidosis contributing to heart failure was considered the principal cause of death. Hepatocellular adenomas and carcinomas were increased in exposed SW mice. Survival of B6C3F1 mice receiving 2500 and 5000 ppm oxazepam was also lower than that of controls. Early deaths were due to increased incidences of hepatoblastoma and hepatocellular carcinoma, and nearly all mice receiving 2500 or 5000 ppm developed hepatocellular neoplasia. An increase in follicular cell hyperplasia of the thyroid gland occurred in all exposed groups of B6C3F1 mice, and thyroid gland follicular cell adenoma was increased in exposed females. Further studies of the capacity of oxazepam to induce liver cell mitogenesis and an evaluation of the frequency of activated H- and K-ras oncogenes in the liver tumors of B6C3F1 mice has shown that many of the neoplastic and nonneoplastic responses of mice to oxazepam resemble those observed with phenobarbital.

A preliminary evaluation of empirically derived consequences for the treatment of pica.

Individualized treatment packages were developed for 3 children with high-rate severe pica using a discrimination training paradigm and a behavioral assessment-based procedure known as empirically derived consequences. Children received empirically derived reinforcers for eating under appropriate stimulus conditions (i.e., eating food only from a plate and placemat that served as a discriminative stimulus) and empirically derived punishers for attempts to engage in pica. This treatment package resulted in marked reductions in pica and an increase in appropriate eating for all 3 children in a "baited" analogue condition. In addition, low rates of pica were maintained for 9 months for all 3 children. These results suggest that treatment effectiveness may be enhanced when behavioral assessment data are used to identify potent consequences.

Comparative carcinogenicity of polybrominated biphenyls with or without perinatal exposure in rats and mice.

Chronic toxicity and carcinogenicity studies of a polybrominated biphenyl mixture (PBB) were conducted in F344/N rats and B6C3F1 mice of each sex. The major objective of the study was to determine if exposure to PBB during the perinatal period, in addition to conventional exposure of animals for 2 years, enhances the sensitivity of the bioassay to identify the carcinogenic potential of this chemical. The studies were designed to determine the toxic and carcinogenic effects of dietary PBB in rats and mice receiving (i) perinatal exposure up to 8 weeks of age followed by control diet for 2 years, (ii) exposure for 2 years beginning at the age of 8 weeks, and (iii) combined perinatal/adult exposure to PBB (perinatal exposure to 8 weeks of age followed by adult exposure for 2 years). During the perinatal period, rats were exposed to PBB at dose levels ranging from 1 to 10 ppm and adult exposure concentrations ranged from 3 to 30 ppm in the diet. In the mice, the dose levels ranged from 3 to 30 ppm in both perinatal and adult exposure portions of the chronic studies. A total of eight dose groups (including controls) were used with 60 animals in each group. Liver was the major target organ of PBB toxicity. Perinatal exposure alone (through dietary administration of 10 ppm PBB to the dams) had no effect on the incidences of neoplasms in female F344/N rats, but in male rats, perinatal exposure was associated with a marginally increased incidence of hepatocellular adenomas that may have been related to chemical administration. In male and female B6C3F1 mice, perinatal exposure to 30 ppm PBB resulted in significantly increased incidences of hepatocellular neoplasms. In adult-only dietary exposure studies, PBB was carcinogenic in male and female F344/N rats and male and female B6C3F1 mice based on increased incidences of hepatocellular neoplasms. Combined perinatal and adult dietary exposure to PBB confirmed the findings of the adult-only exposures for the increased incidences of hepatocellular neoplasms in rats and mice. In male rats, there were no enhancing effects of combined perinatal and adult exposure. However, perinatal exposure enhanced the susceptibility of female rats receiving adult exposure of 10 or 30 ppm to the induction of liver neoplasms. For male and female rats, a combined analysis of the incidences of leukemia in the adult-only, perinatal-only, and combined perinatal and adult exposure groups revealed an apparent association between increasing incidences of mononuclear cell leukemia and exposure to PBB.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Maltreatment and the school-aged child: school performance consequences.

Studies of the impact of abuse or neglect on children have focused largely on maltreated infants, toddlers, or preschool children. In this study a total of 139 school-age and adolescent children participated in a multi-model, multi-source assessment; 22 of the children had been physically abused, 47 had been neglected, and the remainder served as comparison subjects. Parent and child interviews, teacher ratings, and data from school records were used to comprehensively assess children's school performance; social and emotional development in school, at home, in the community, and with peers; and adaptive behavior in areas such as motor skills, personal care skills, and community orientation. With the effects of socioeconomic status covaried out, results showed that the abused children displayed pervasive and severe academic and socioemotional problems. Neglected children differed little from children who were neither abused nor neglected on measures of socioemotional development, but they displayed severe academic delays. Both groups of maltreated children showed unexpected strengths on measures of adaptive behavior.

Relationship of colonic luminal short-chain fatty acids and pH to in vivo cell proliferation in rats.

The mechanism by which fermentable fibers may stimulate colonic cell proliferation was tested using two types of fiber (highly fermentable pectin, and less fermentable wheat bran), measuring in vivo concentrations of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) in the cecum and the proximal and distal colon of rats and correlating these concentrations with cell proliferation indices at the same locations within the intestine. Pectin supplementation resulted in higher concentrations of propionate in proximal and distal colon as compared with fiber-free controls, whereas wheat bran resulted in a higher concentration of butyrate at every site. In the cecum, pH had the strongest correlation to indices of cell proliferation. The lower the pH the greater the number of cells per crypt column (P < 0.05), cells per crypt circumference (P < 0.01), and total number of cells per crypt (P < 0.001). Butyrate had the strongest correlation between a specific SCFA and indices of cell proliferation. In the distal colon, butyrate concentration was positively correlated with number of cells per crypt column (P < 0.05) and total number of cells per crypt (P < 0.05). This study shows that different fibers are fermented to different SCFA in different amounts and that the in vivo concentration of certain of these SCFA is significantly correlated with cell proliferation indices.

Comparative carcinogenicity of 5,5-diphenylhydantoin with or without perinatal exposure in rats and mice.

Chronic toxicity and carcinogenicity studies of 5,5-diphenylhydantoin (DPH), were conducted in F344/N rats and B6C3F1 mice of each sex. The major objective of the study was to determine if incorporating exposure to DPH during the perinatal period, in addition to conventional exposure of animals for 2 years, enhances the sensitivity of the bioassay to identify the carcinogenic potential of chemical. The studies were designed to determine the toxic and carcinogenic effects of dietary DPH in rats and mice receiving; (1) the perinatal administration including exposure of maternal animals prior to breeding, through gestation, lactation, weaning, and continued dietary exposure of offspring to the age of 8 weeks followed by control diet for 2 years, (2) exposure for 2 years beginning at the age of 8 weeks, and (3) of combined perinatal/adult exposure to DPH (perinatal exposure to 8 weeks of age followed by the adult exposure for 2 years). During the perinatal period, rats were exposed to DPH at dose levels ranging from 63 to 630 ppm and adult exposure concentrations ranged from 240 to 2400 ppm in diet. In the mice, the perinatal exposure ranged from 21 to 210 ppm in both males and females. In the adult exposure portion of the mouse studies, the dietary levels ranged from 30 to 300 ppm in males and 60 to 600 ppm in females. A total of eight dose groups (including controls) were used with 60 animals in each group. The only effect of perinatal exposure alone on tumor rate was a marginal increase in the incidence of hepatocellular neoplasms in female mice. The adult exposure to DPH significantly increased the incidence of hepatocellular neoplasms in female mice. There were also marginal increases in the incidence of liver tumors in male rats exposed to high DPH dietary concentrations during the adult-only regimen. Combined perinatal and adult dietary exposure to 5,5-diphenylhydantoin confirmed the findings for the increased incidences of hepatocellular neoplasms in male rats and female mice, although combined exposure did not enhance these effects. However, in male mice, perinatal and adult exposure resulted in an increase in the incidence of hepatocellular neoplasms that was not seen when dietary exposure was limited to the adult period only.

Functional assessment and treatment of life-threatening drug ingestion in a dually diagnosed youth.

Few data exist on operant mechanisms associated with drug overdose. In this investigation, a functional analysis indicated that life-threatening drug ingestion exhibited by a dually diagnosed youth was maintained by negative reinforcement. An operant intervention, derived from behavioral assessment data, reduced drug ingestion to near-zero levels.