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PubMed1996

[The HIV-epidemic among drug addicts in Norway].

Up to 1996, 368 persons in Norway (population 4.3 million) had been reported as being HIV-infected because of intravenous drug use. 72 of these had developed AIDS and 59 had died from AIDS. HIV-testing is very common among drug users in Norway and new cases are rarely detected at treatment centres or at autopsy. Some 15-30 cases may still be undiagnosed. HIV spread very rapidly among drug users in Norway in 1984 and 1985, by around 100 new cases per year. Since then, the annual incidence has decreased from 30-40 cases in 1986 to 10-15 in 1995. Although the drug users seldom shared syringes even before the advent of the HIV epidemic, we believe that the public rehabilitation programmes, needle exchange programmes and health information have contributed to control HIV in this group. We expect an annual incidence of 10-15 cases the next five years.

Female↗
PubMed1997

[Health effects of climatic changes--possible consequences for Norway].

In the year 2100 a global mean temperature increase of 2 degrees C, and a 50 cm rise in sea level are expected. An escalation in the intensity and duration of heat waves will increase mortality, whilst higher temperatures in cold regions may reduce it. On a global scale, vector-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, yellow fever and some types of viral encephalitis are likely to increase. 50 to 80 million more cases of malaria could occur annually. Elevated temperatures and more frequent floods could cause an increase in salmonellosis, cholera and giardiasis. Indirectly, shortages of freshwater and foods may cause serious health problems. The world may see more environmental refugees. For Norway a temperature increase of 3-4 degrees C during winter and 2 degrees C in summer is expected, with more precipitation, especially in western parts. The possibility of the Gulf Stream turning at 40 degrees N and causing a temperature decrease of 10 degrees C, is not very likely. Malaria could reestablish itself in Europe, but hardly in Norway. The most harmful arthropod vector in Norway, the tick Ixodes ricinus, might extend its range into the most populated parts of the country. Marine algal blooms might increase the risk of cholera. Health problems caused by greater floods, poisonous algae and certain freshwater cercaria might increase.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

[The use of tobacco and smoking habits--is Norway lagging behind?].

A comparative analysis of smoking habits, based on data from three different sources, shows that the present level of tobacco consumption in Norway is at a mid-Nordic level, but lower in a European perspective. There has been a 25% decline in per capita consumption of tobacco since the mid-1970s, and the decrease has been most pronounced during the 1990s. The current rate of decline is the same as in the other Nordic countries. The prevalence of smoking among men is at present lower in Norway than in most European countries outside the Nordic ones. Since the mid-1950s, the prevalence of daily smoking among Norwegian men has decreased from approximately 70% to 35% in 1997. However, within the last ten years the decline has levelled out and smoking among men has been stable in recent years. Smoking among women is more widespread in Norway than in most European countries. The number of female smokers reached a peak around 1970. Since the 1970s, the prevalence of smoking among women has been stable. The prevalence of daily smoking in the age-group 16-24 years is currently at a mid-European level. However, the decline observed during the late 1970s and the first half of the 1980s does seem to have levelled out during the 1990s.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Cloning in Escherichia coli of genes involved in the synthesis of proline and leucine in Desulfovibrio desulfuricans Norway.

A library of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans Norway genomic DNA was constructed in Escherichia coli with pBR322 as vector and plasmids able to complement the proA and leuB mutations of the host were screened. It was observed that all the plasmids studied were highly unstable, the insert DNA being rapidly lost under non-selective growth conditions. A 2.75 kb DNA fragment of D. desulfuricans Norway was found to complement E. coli ProA, ProB and ProC deficiencies. From the results of restriction analysis and Southern hybridizations, it is proposed that the genes involved in proline and leucine biosynthesis are clustered on the chromosome of D. desulfuricans Norway.

Cloning, Molecular↗
PubMed2003

The dibenzodioxocin lignin substructure is abundant in the inner part of the secondary wall in Norway spruce and silver birch xylem.

A specific condensed lignin substructure, dibenzodioxocin, was immunolocalized in differentiating cell walls of Norway spruce ( Picea abies (L.) H. Karsten) and silver birch ( Betula pendula Roth) xylem. A fluorescent probe, Alexa 488 was used as a marker on the dibenzodioxocin-specific secondary antibody. For the detection of this lignin substructure, 25-microm cross-sections of xylem were viewed with a confocal laser-scanning microscope with fluorescein isothiocyanate fluorescence filters. In mature cells, fluorescence was detected in the S3 layer of the secondary wall in both tree species, but it was more intense in Norway spruce than in silver birch. In silver birch most of the signal was detected in vessel walls and less in fiber cell walls. In very young tracheids of Norway spruce and vessels and fibers of silver birch, where secondary cell wall layers were not yet formed, the presence of the dibenzodioxocin structure could not be shown.

Betula↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The effect of aging on stress responsiveness and central corticosteroid receptors in the brown Norway rat.

The present study examined the stress responsiveness of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in relation to the properties of corticosteroid receptors in the brain and pituitary of old (30 months) and young (3 months) male Brown Norway rats. Adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone (B) were measured following exposure to novelty and to a conditioned emotional stimulus in blood samples sequentially obtained from chronically cannulated animals. Mineralocorticoid (MR) and glucocorticoid (GR) receptors were quantified by radioligand binding assay and in situ hybridization. The receptor binding constants were determined in tissue of rats that were adrenalectomized 24 hours previously, whereas gene expression was measured in the brain of intact animals. Aged Brown Norway rats showed a small but significant elevation in basal circulating ACTH level. The conditioned emotional stimulus, rather than the exposure to novelty, triggered a more than two-times higher ACTH response in the aged compared to the young rat. The termination of the stress-induced ACTH response seemed to proceed more efficiently in the aged rat. Basal and stress-induced total plasma B level did not differ in the young and old rats. The latter showed a 65% lower binding capacity of corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG). Interestingly, in the aged rat the stress-induced rise in free circulating plasma B level was not elevated, but only prolonged. The hippocampus of aged rats displayed a decrease of maximally 44% in the apparent Bmax of MR, but no change in GR number. The Bmax of GR showed a 40% reduction in the hypothalamus and a 50% reduction in the anterior pituitary. GR affinity was considerably increased in the anterior pituitary, but was unchanged in the hippocampus and hypothalamus. Old age affected MR and GR gene expression differentially. GR mRNA was significantly reduced in cell field CA3 (-42%), CA4 (-41%) and the dentate gyrus (-26%) of the dorsal hippocampus, but did not change either in hippocampal cell field CA1 or in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the old rat. There was no significant difference in MR mRNA between young and aged rats in the different cell fields of the hippocampus. The aged rat, therefore, is characterized by site- and receptor-specific changes in binding constants as well as by changes in receptor transcription and translation. The data demonstrate that in the old Brown Norway rats, a conditioned emotional stimulus results in enhanced pituitary ACTH release.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adrenal Glands↗
PubMed1985

Subsidizing pharmaceutical prescriptions: the experience of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden.

In 1980, drug consumption per capita was 455 Swedish crowns (SEK) in Sweden, SEK 452 in Denmark, SEK 384 in Finland and SEK 382 in Norway; actual figures for Denmark, Finland and Norway being converted into Swedish crowns using the mean 1980 exchange rates. To what extent can these differences be explained by differences in the drug reimbursement programmes of these four Nordic countries? For instance, is it the greater generosity of the Swedish system--in Sweden, the share of drug reimbursement expenditures to total drug consumption is 57%, as against 33% in Norway, 38% in Finland and 34% in Denmark--that makes drug consumption per capita so much higher in Sweden? If the demand for drugs were elastic and if all other influencing factors, besides the reimbursement system, were the same in all the four Nordic countries, then a definite conclusion would, obviously, be fairly easy to reach. However, a number of factors do differ: for instance, income per capita, physician remuneration schemes (and, hence, maybe, physician behaviour) and consumer charges for inpatient and outpatient care; and other factors such as morbidity and patterns of illness may differ. A complete analysis has to take all these factors into account. Too many factors seem to vary to make the sole use of cross-section data meaningful in this case. Time-series data are available and will be used in future analyses.

Cost Control↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Role of laminin autoantibodies on the embryo toxicity of sera from mercuric chloride treated brown Norway rats.

In previous studies, antilaminin antibodies were found to be toxic to cultured rat embryos. In order to extend these studies, Brown Norway rats were treated with mercuric chloride, which led to the production of laminin autoantibodies. Sera samples from brown Norway rats treated with mercuric chloride were found to be teratogenic as well as lethal to cultured rat embryos. This embryotoxicity was not associated with sera mercury levels, but was related to the levels of antilaminin antibodies in sera. Affinity purified laminin antibodies from these mercuric chloride treated Brown Norway rats, when added to control sera, were found to be teratogenic but not lethal. These antibodies were found to bind to the laminin sequences IKVAV (A chain) and YIGSR (B1 chain), but not RGD (A chain) or YD (B1 chain). These observations suggested the possibility that an environmental pollutant such as mercury could cause the formation of embryotoxic autoantibodies that could persist in the body as embryotoxic factors for extended periods of time.

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The effect of irradiation dose and storage time on the ESR signal in the cuticle of different components of the exoskeleton of Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus).

This paper examines the potential of ESR spectroscopy to determine if Norway lobsters have been irradiated. Ninety samples, each containing 3 whole Norway lobsters, were prepared, thirty were used as controls while the remaining sixty were given irradiation doses of approximately either 1 or 3 kGy. Following irradiation the samples were stored at 1 degree C for 0, 7, 14, 21 or 28 d. After each storage period the cuticle of the tail, carapace, claws and walking legs was removed, freeze-dried and ground prior to analysis using ESR spectroscopy. The control spectra were subtracted from their respective irradiated spectra thereby leaving the radiation-induced signal. Peak heights of the signals were measured. The ESR signals derived from the different components of the exoskeleton were similar in shape and varied only in their intensities. The claw samples gave the most intense signal while that from the walking legs was the weakest. There was a significant decay in the signal intensity over the storage period with the signal derived from cuticle of the claws showing the greatest diminution (44%) and that of the tail the least (17%). The signal intensities of the walking legs and carapace decreased by 22% and 30% respectively. In conclusion ESR spectroscopy is a useful technique for the qualitative detection of irradiated Norway lobster and shows considerable potential for quantification of dose received.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Temporal profile of forced expiratory lung function in allergen-challenged Brown-Norway rats.

The Brown-Norway rat is often used to study the allergic pulmonary response. However, relatively little is known about the delayed phase reactions after allergen challenge in this species. To evaluate the temporal changes in lung function and elucidate the mechanisms involved in the delayed phase response, Brown-Norway rats were sensitized and challenged to aerosolized ovalbumin and lung functions were measured by forced expiratory maneuvers and forced oscillation for up to 10 days after a single antigen challenge. Statistically significant (P < 0.05) reductions in inspiratory capacity, forced vital capacity, functional residual capacity, peak expiratory flow and maximum mid-expiratory flow and increases in respiratory system resistance and elastance were seen by 1 to 3 days after ovalbumin challenge that returned to baseline by 10 days. The reductions in lung function after ovalbumin challenge were blocked by the corticosteroid, betamethasone (1 mg/kg, p.o.). Histological evaluation of lung tissue of sensitized rats demonstrated evidence of interstitial pulmonary edema, an increase in tissue eosinophils and an increase in Periodic Acid Schiff-positive cells in the airway epithelium. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples showed large numbers of eosinophils and increased mucin content up to 6 days after antigen challenge. There was also an increase in wet-to-dry lung weight ratio in the lungs of sensitized rats after antigen. These results demonstrate that prolonged reductions in lung function occur after a single antigen challenge in Brown-Norway rats that is probably due to inflammatory processes producing interstitial pulmonary edema, mucus secretion and cellular influx into the lungs.

Allergens↗
PubMed1998

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity in the inbred Brown Norway and Fischer 344 rat strains.

We have examined the basal and the stress-induced secretion of corticosterone in relation to the expression of adrenal steroid receptors in the pituitary, hypothalamus and hippocampus of the inbred Brown Norway and Fischer 344 rat strains. Our data indicated that plasma transcortin and integrated plasma corticosterone levels were significantly higher in Fischer 344 compared to Brown Norway rats. Fischer 344 hypersecrete corticosterone during the dark phase of the diurnal cycle and during the phase of recovery following a 20 min period of restraint stress compared to Brown Norway rats. This hypersecretion of corticosterone was negatively correlated with the size of the adrenal gland but might be related to the higher density of mineralocorticoid receptors in the hippocampus of Fischer 344 rats.

Adrenal Glands↗
PubMed2001

PCBs, TEQs and plasma retinol in grey heron (Ardea cinerea) hatchlings from two rookeries in Norway.

Fish-eating birds are particularly subject to accumulation of persistent organic pollutants, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been shown to constitute a major hazard for this group of birds. Grey heron (Ardea cinerea) hatchlings from two rookeries were applied as sentinel species to study PCB burdens in coastal ecosystems in mid Norway and north Norway, and plasma retinol and dioxin-equivalencies (sigmaTEQ) were applied to assess toxic effects of the PCB-burdens. The results show that grey herons appear to be amongst the fish-eating birds in Norway that are accumulating PCBs to the largest extent. There were no differences in sigmaPCB or sigmaTEQ in the yolk of grey heron hatchlings from the two rookeries and, accordingly, none in plasma retinol concentrations either. Furthermore, plasma retinol concentrations could not be related to sigmaPCB or sigmaTEQ. Thus, it seems that exposure levels are below the threshold for gross retinoid-related effects in grey heron hatchlings. There are also indications that the grey heron could be relatively insensitive to retinoid-related effects of PCBs. In the hatchlings with the highest pollutant levels, sigmaTEQs were in the lower range of levels that have been associated with reduced hatching success in other fish-eating bird species.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Ozone exposure-response relationships for biomass and root/shoot ratio of beech (Fagus sylvatica), ash (Fraxinus excelsior), Norway spruce (Picea abies) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris).

Current-year seedlings of beech, ash, Norway spruce and Scots pine were exposed during one growing season to different, but moderate, ozone (O(3)) scenarios representative for Switzerland (50, 85, 100% ambient, 50% ambient+30 nl l(-1)) in open-top chambers (OTCs) and to ambient O(3) concentrations in the field. Biomass significantly decreased with increasing O(3) dose in all species except for spruce. Losses of 25.5% (ash), 17.4% (beech), 9.9% (Scots pine) were found per 10 microl l(-1) h accumulated O(3) exposure over a threshold concentration of 40 nl l(-1) during daylight hours (AOT40). Ratios of root/shoot biomass (RSR) also significantly decreased with increasing AOT40 levels in beech and ash, but not in Norway spruce and Scots pine. The data show that the deciduous species beech and ash were more susceptible to O(3) with respect to RSR and biomass than the coniferous species Norway spruce and Scots pine.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1996

Long-range air pollution and its impact on heavy metal accumulation in dippers Cinclus cinclus in Norway.

Heavy metals such as cadmium, lead and zinc are deposited in Norway as long-range transported air pollution, while copper deposition is of mainly local origin. This study examined whether the deposition influences the metal concentrations in dippers Cinclus cinclus. The lead concentration in dippers reflected the deposition pattern of long-range air pollution, with higher concentrations in Southern Norway than Central Norway and a significant decrease (>/=40%) between 1987 and 1994. For cadmium, copper and zinc there were no geographical or temporal variations in metal concentrations. For zinc, this lack of geographic and temporal variation probably reflects the fact that it is a homeostatically regulated metal. For both cadmium and copper, local sources are probably more important than long-range sources. Zinc and copper was at higher level in livers of females than in males during the egg laying period. The concentrations of zinc and copper in livers were positively correlated.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1997

Nerve growth factor, central nervous system apoptosis, and adrenocortical activity in aged Fischer-344/brown Norway F1 hybrid rats.

During aging there is a progressive loss of neuronal function in the basal forebrain that results in cognitive impairment and cholinergic deficits. While altered neurotrophin (NT)-mediated signal transduction may account for some age-associated deficits, there are differences in the extent of NT responsiveness among different laboratory rat strains. Here we measured nerve growth factor (NGF) protein levels and fragmented DNA in the CNS, and basal and NGF-stimulated activity levels of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical axis (HPAA) in 3-, 18-, and 30-month-old Fischer-344/Brown Norway rats. Our results show that while there is no age-associated differences in NGF protein levels, in aged Fischer-344/Brown Norway rats, there are increases in levels of immunoreactive fragmented DNA in the CNS and in adrenocortical responses to the peripheral administration of NGF. These data contribute to the characterization of the Fischer-344/Brown Norway F1 hybrid rat and provide baseline values useful for future studies on aged CNS.

Aging↗
PubMed2004

A novel pectenotoxin, PTX-12, in Dinophysis spp. and shellfish from Norway.

Two novel pectenotoxins (PTXs) were detected by LC-MS in solid phase extracts of net hauls taken at Flødevigen, Norway, in June 2002 that were dominated by Dinophysis acuminata and Dinophysis norvegica. The new compounds were isolated as minor components from a large collection of a Dinophysis acuta-dominated bloom obtained from Skjer, Sognefjorden, Norway, in October 2002. LC-MS and NMR analyses revealed that the new components, 36S-PTX-12 and 36R-PTX-12, occurred as a pair of equilibrating diastereoisomers differing from PTX-2 in that they contained an exocylic olefinic methylene rather than a methyl group at C-38. Analyses of shellfish extracts revealed that PTX-12 accumulated in Norwegian blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) and cockles (Cerastoderma edule), along with PTX-12 seco acids occurring as a complex mixture of diastereoisomers. LC-MS analysis of algal cells picked from the net haul from Flødevigen revealed that PTX-12 predominated in D. acuta and D. norvegica, whereas PTX-2 was the predominant pectenotoxin in D. acuminata. Preliminary observations indicate that the relative contents of PTX-2 and PTX-12 vary between sites and years in Norway, even within a single species of Dinophysis. Our data also suggest that heterotrophic dinoflagellates may accumulate toxins from their prey.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Drought stress alters the concentration of wood terpenoids in Scots pine and Norway spruce seedlings.

Drought is known to have an impact on the resistance of conifers to various pests, for example, by affecting resin flow in trees. Little is known, however, about the quantitative and qualitative changes in resin when trees are growing in low moisture conditions. We exposed Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) seedlings to medium and severe drought stress for two growing seasons and analyzed the monoterpenes and resin acids in the main stem wood after two years of treatment. In addition to secondary chemistry, we measured the level of nutrients in the needles and the growth response of seedlings. After the first year of treatment, drought stress did not affect the growth of seedlings, but in the second year, shoot growth was retarded, especially in Scots pine. In both conifer species, severe drought increased the concentrations of several individual monoterpenes and resin acids. Total monoterpenes and resin acids were 39 and 32% higher in severe drought-treated Scots pine seedlings than in the controls, and 35 and 45% higher in Norway spruce seedlings. In Scots pine needles, the concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus increased, while magnesium and calcium decreased compared to controls. In Norway spruce needles, nutrient concentrations were not affected. The results suggest that drought stress substantially affects both the growth of conifers and the chemical quality of the wood. We discuss the potential trade-off in growth and defense of small conifer seedlings.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed2000

Delineation of genetic zones in the European Norway spruce natural range: preliminary evidence.

We applied geostatistics to previously reported chloroplast simple sequence repeats (cpSSR) haplotype frequency data from 95 European Norway spruce populations to provide preliminary evidence about the following issues: (i) delineation of genetically homogeneous regions ('genetic zones'); (ii) prediction of their haplotype frequencies and definition of related criteria to be applied for provenance identification and certification of seedlots; (iii) identification of putative allochthonous stands; and (iv) construction of a continental-scale 'availability map' of the intraspecific biodiversity for Norway spruce. Direct evidence of large-scale geographical structure over the European natural range was obtained, detecting both geographical clines and stationary patterns. The increase of the mean genetic divergence by geographical distance (up to approximately 1800 km apart) provided a strong hint that geographical distance is a major factor of differentiation in Norway spruce. Haplotype frequency surfaces were obtained by applying ordinary kriging to sampling frequency data. Cluster analysis carried out on haplotype frequency surfaces revealed a fair discrimination among 16 genetic zones, with an accuracy of 0.916. Dendrogram analysis carried out on the predicted mean haplotype frequency confirmed a fairly good separability of the genetic zones detected. Reclassification of populations by discriminant analysis confirmed the robustness of the genetic subdivision obtained. Combining the information from discriminant analysis and cross-validation of sampling points, three populations likely to be of nonlocal origin were identified. The application of geostatistical analysis to genetic marker data is discussed in relation to breeding activities and to the formulation of appropriate conservation strategies.

Cluster Analysis↗