The Rotterdam Study: 2012 objectives and design update

The Rotterdam Study is a prospective cohort study ongoing since 1990 in the city of Rotterdam in The Netherlands. The study targets cardiovascular, endocrine, hepatic, neurological, ophthalmic, psychiatric, dermatological, oncological, and respiratory diseases. As of 2008, 14,926 subjects aged 45 years or over comprise the Rotterdam Study cohort. The findings of the Rotterdam Study have been presented in over a 1,000 research articles and reports (see www.erasmus-epidemiology.nl/rotterdamstudy). This article gives the rationale of the study and its design. It also presents a summary of the major findings and an update of the objectives and methods

The expression of human α-like globin genes in transgenic mice mediated by bacterial artificial chromosome

After screening a bacterial artificial chromosome of human genomic DNA library with human HS-40, ζ-, α-, and θ-globin probes, a 110-kb clone bearing the whole human α-globin gene cluster was obtained and rare restriction endonuclease mapping was performed. The bacterial artificial chromosome DNA was isolated, and transgenic mice were generated. Three founders were detected from 35 newborn mice. The copy numbers were 1, 2, and 2, and the expression of human α-globin genes in various tissues at different developmental stages in the transgenic mice was assayed. The human α-globin mRNA can be detected in bone marrow, kidney, liver, brain, but not in muscle, testis, or thymus. The human ζ-globin genes were switched off, and the α-globin genes were switched at day 11.5 in mouse embryo, indicating that developmental stage-specific expression of the α-like globin genes was properly regulated. The human α-globin mRNA ranged between 17–68% of the endogenous mouse α-globin, suggesting that the expression of human α-globin genes is integration site-dependent in transgenic mice. The ratio of human α(2)- and α(1)-globin gene expression in adult transgenic mouse is about 2.5:1 similar to the expression in human

Stability study of azithromycin in ophthalmic preparations

A stability study of azithromycin in ophthalmic preparations was developed by submission to different types of light, temperature and pH, using the biodiffusion assay (cylinder 3 x 3) for the quantifications. Bacillus subtilis, ATCC 9372, was used as test organism. The used concentration range was of 50 to 200 µg/mL. The study demonstrated that the drug suffered degradation when submitted to the ultraviolet light, germicide light, solar luminosity, acid solution, basic solution and hydrogen peroxide solution. The results were analyzed by the analysis of variance (ANOVA).<br>O estudo de estabilidade de azitromicina em preparações oftálmicas foi realizado após exposição a diferentes tipos de luz, temperatura e pH, utilizando o método de difusão em ágar (cilindros 3 x 3) para as quantificações. A faixa de concentração foi de 50 a 200 µg/mL. O estudo demonstrou que o fármaco sofreu degradação quando submetido às luzes ultravioleta, germicida e solar, e a soluções ácida, alcalina e de peróxido de hidrogênio. Os resultados foram analisados através da análise da variância (ANOVA)