The complete genome of the hamster papovavirus (HaPV) which was isolated from virions found in multiple skin tumors of Syrian hamsters was cloned in Escherichia coli using the plasmid vector pBR322. The cloned viral DNAs were identified by digestion of the recombinant DNAs with various restriction enzymes followed by comparison of their electrophoretic mobilities in agarose gels with that of similarly digested uncloned DNAs. The cloned HaPV DNAs showed the same migration pattern as the corresponding fragments from the restricted uncloned DNAs, indicating that no major insertions or deletions occurred during cloning and plasmid propagation. The electrophoretic data were confirmed by Southern blot hybridization.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Changes in human serum alcohol dehydrogenase activity during retinoic acid treatment of cancer patients.

Retinoids can inhibit cell growth and induce cell differentiation in experimental tumour models. Human alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) exists as a group of enzymes that can be placed into five classes based upon structural and functional distinctions. Human class I ADH catalyses the oxidation of a wide variety of alcohols including ethanol and retinol, whereas human class II ADH does not catalyse the oxidation of retinol. Using specific fluorescent substrates, class I and class II ADH activity in human sera was determined. No significant changes in class I or II activity were observed after 4 weeks of treatment with cis-retinoic acid (cRA). While total ADH activity was increased from 84 +/- 78 mU/1 to 206 +/- 70 mU/1 (mean +/- SD, P < 0.02) after 1 week of treatment, there were no further significant changes after 4 weeks of treatment with cRA. Sex-related differences were observed on total ADH activity after 1 week of treatment with cRA. Although total ADH activity of patients with cancer of the cervix increased significantly after 1 week of treatment, there were no significant changes in total activity in head and neck cancer patients. This sex-related difference might be dependent on the stage of the menstrual cycle. The elimination of ethanol in women can be either faster or slower than in men depending on the stage of menstrual cycle. This study therefore suggests that the main ADH activity observed in serum belongs to class II, and not to class I ADH. The data from this study also suggest that retinoic acid has a positive feedback effect on total ADH activity after 1 week of treatment.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Integrated individual psychotherapy of adolescent and young adult enuretic patients--psychodiagnostic and psychosomatic aspects].

The subject of this paper are fundamental positions, concerning the contents, and empirical results of 15 years time, concerning the dynamic-orientated single psychotherapy for youth and young adult enuretics. It is supported by analyses of 15 years time in the medical-psychological practice. From a sample of, all in all, 250 patients, the results of a group of 55 patients at the age of 15-21 years are shown, who were treated with dynamic-orientated single-psychotherapy, and are discussed with an emphasis on the integrative, biopsychosocial character of this illness. Enuresis nocturna is being regarded consequently as a special psychomatic complex phenomenon, and the empiric results are being interpreted with orientation to theory. There have been applied several test-methods for the purpose of inter-groupal pre-post-analyses, before and after the treatment with a duration of katamnese of 6 months. Statements concerning the efficiency, as well as essential changes of parameters in the course of the psychotherapy are special subject of result-related discussions. The results certify, that contential-specific, age-differentiated emotional and social aspects of personality and reflexion are getting very significantly changed in the course of the successful or partly successful therapy, while in the cases of the non-successfully treated patients no changes in such manner could be obtained.

Adolescent↗