Neurodevelopment of children exposed in utero to treatment of maternal malignancy

Cancer is the second most common cause of death during the reproductive years, complicating approximately 1/1000 pregnancies. The occurrence of cancer during gestation is likely to increase as a result of a woman's tendency to delay childbearing. Improved diagnostic techniques for malignancies increases detection of cancer during pregnancy. Malignant conditions during gestation are believed to be associated with an increase in poor perinatal and fetal outcomes that are often due to maternal treatment. Physicians should weigh the benefits of treatment against the risks of fetal exposure. To date, most reports have focused on morphologic observations made very close to the time of delivery with little data collected on children's long-term neurodevelopment following in utero exposure to malignancy and treatment. Because the brain differentiates throughout pregnancy and in early postnatal life, damage may occur even after first trimester exposure. The possible delayed effects of treatment on a child's neurological, intellectual and behavioural functioning have never been systematically evaluated. The goal of this report was to summarize all related issues into one review to facilitate both practitioners' and patients' access to known data on fetal risks and safety. © 2001 Cancer Research Campaign http://www.bjcancer.co

Merkel Cells as Putative Regulatory Cells in Skin Disorders: An In Vitro Study

Merkel cells (MCs) are involved in mechanoreception, but several lines of evidence suggest that they may also participate in skin disorders through the release of neuropeptides and hormones. In addition, MC hyperplasias have been reported in inflammatory skin diseases. However, neither proliferation nor reactions to the epidermal environment have been demonstrated. We established a culture model enriched in swine MCs to analyze their proliferative capability and to discover MC survival factors and modulators of MC neuroendocrine properties. In culture, MCs reacted to bFGF by extending outgrowths. Conversely, neurotrophins failed to induce cell spreading, suggesting that they do not act as a growth factor for MCs. For the first time, we provide evidence of proliferation in culture through Ki-67 immunoreactivity. We also found that MCs reacted to histamine or activation of the proton gated/osmoreceptor TRPV4 by releasing vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP). Since VIP is involved in many pathophysiological processes, its release suggests a putative regulatory role for MCs in skin disorders. Moreover, in contrast to mechanotransduction, neuropeptide exocytosis was Ca2+-independent, as inhibition of Ca2+ channels or culture in the absence of Ca2+ failed to decrease the amount of VIP released. We conclude that neuropeptide release and neurotransmitter exocytosis may be two distinct pathways that are differentially regulated

Drought Stress and Alfalfa Production in a Mediterranean Environment

Many experimental results have shown a close relationship between total dry matter (DM) yield of alfalfa and annual evapotranspiration (ET). However, this relationship may differ from harvest to harvest (Metochis and Orphanos, 1981), indicating that water use efficiency (WUE) may vary during the growing season, particulary as it is adversely affected by high temperature (Sammis, 1981). Water for irrigating alfalfa is often scarce during the dry Mediterranean summer in Israel. Under such conditions, water is withheld for approximately two months, at a relatively advanced stage of maturity, and the crop is allowed to go to seed, after which irrigation is resumed. Little information is available on the response of alfalfa to declining soil water con­tent where irrigation is stopped for periods longer than two months and the crop is subjected to cutting and regrowth cycles. Therefore, in a case where the timing and the duration of drought can be controlled, it is important to know when, during the season, reduction in crop yield is minimal, and whether a management strategy which ensures rapid recovery from drought could be adopted