Early neoplastic and metastatic mammary tumours of transgenic mice detected by 5-aminolevulinic acid-stimulated protoporphyrin IX accumulation

A photodynamic technique for human breast cancer detection founded upon the ability of tumour cells to rapidly accumulate the fluorescent product protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) has been applied to transgenic mouse models of mammary tumorigenesis. A major goal of this investigation was to determine whether mouse mammary tumours are reliable models of human disease in terms of PpIX accumulation, for future mechanistic and therapeutic studies. The haeme substrate 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) (200 mg kg−1) was administered to mouse strains that develop mammary tumours of various histological subtypes upon expression of the transgenic oncogenes HRAS, Polyoma Virus middle T antigen, or Simian Virus 40 large T antigen in the mammary gland. Early neoplastic lesions, primary tumours and metastases showed consistent and rapid PpIX accumulation compared to the normal surrounding tissues, as evidenced by red fluorescence (635 nm) when the tumours were directly illuminated with blue light (380–440 nm). Detection of mouse mammary tumours at the stage of ductal carcinoma in situ by red fluorescence emissions suggests that enhanced PpIX synthesis is a good marker for early tumorigenic processes in the mammary gland. We propose the mouse models provide an ideal experimental system for further investigation of the early diagnostic and therapeutic potential of 5-ALA-stimulated PpIX accumulation in human breast cancer patients

Personality and Reconviction in Crime: A Three-year Follow-up Study of Male Criminal Recidivists

Item does not contain fulltextThe objective of the present study was to identify personality characteristics associated with reconviction and reimprisonment in severely criminal male subjects. A further objective was to assess whether personality traits are useful for identifying those offenders who cease versus continue a criminal career. Using KSP, EPQ-I and SSS inventories, self-reported personality traits were investigated in 100 incarcerated male recidivists (age range 30–38 years) and non-criminal male comparisons. Follow-up data were obtained three years after release from prison. The subjects were grouped according to reconviction level, yielding four groups: Ss totally free of convictions (FC), Ss convicted but not imprisoned (CNP), Ss with one to three prison convictions (TCP), and Ss with four or more prison convictions (FCP). Results indicated that the study group differed markedly from the non-criminals with regard to most personality traits, while there were few significant differences between the conviction groups. However, the FC Ss had lower scores than the FCP Ss on the EPQ Psychoticism and SSS Disinhibition scales when previous time spent in prison and age at the first examination session were controlled for. They also had higher scores on KSP Guilt. Furthermore, logistic regression analysis indicated that the higher the extraversion and psychic anxiety, the less likely it was for the individual to have been reimprisoned at follow-up. In contrast, the higher the irritability and monotony avoidance the more likely it was for the person to have been reimprisoned