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B A Neilan

Publications and source records attributed to B A Neilan.

77 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Development of thermotolerance in CHO cells: modification by procaine.

We have tested the reported ability of procaine to inhibit the induction and the development of thermotolerance in Chinese hamster ovary cells. Thermotolerance was induced either by hyperthermia alone (10 min, 45 degrees C) or by combining hyperthermia and procaine (5 min, 45 degrees C + 10 mM procaine) with heating times adjusted to yield similar cell survival after the conditioning treatments. Both the kinetics of thermotolerance development in fresh medium without procaine and the magnitude of thermotolerance 6 h after heat conditioning were similar for the two treatment groups. Development of thermotolerance in the presence of procaine was tested by adding the drug at 5 or 10 mM to culture medium between, but not during two fractionated heat treatments. Thermotolerance development was observed even in the presence of 10 mM procaine, but only if cell survival was corrected for the 37 degrees C-procaine toxicity. Complete survival curves of cells incubated for 6 h at 37 degrees C in 7.5 mM procaine between heat conditioning and test heating showed a D0 that was only 35 per cent lower than that of thermotolerant controls. The data are consistent with the reported sensitization to heat killing by procaine, but show that thermotolerance induction and development were only minimally perturbed by procaine.

Animals↗
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Exploiting biological materials in forensic science.

One of the important problems in forensic science is the limited availability of biological samples left behind at the scene of the crime. Research in the area of obtaining DNA data from such limited biological samples has resulted in successful court convictions. The ability to carry out DNA fingerprinting from such minute sources relies both on the successful extraction of DNA as well as its subsequent characterisation and analysis. Improved techniques designed to obtain DNA from such samples combined with a small-volume polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and highly informative genetic markers will mean that law enforcement agencies will increasingly be better equipped to deal with violent crime. This review describes some of the sources from which DNA is obtained as well as the techniques used to derive from them valuable genetic information.

DNA Fingerprinting↗