Action des différentes formes actives de la vitamine A sur le mécanisme immunitaire chez le rat

Summary In this work, we have studied the role of different active forms of vitamin A considered as adjuvant of the immune mechanism in the rat. We also pointed out the adjuvant effect of retinol and retinal in comparison with the other active components of that vitamin with the bovine -globulin which is not an immunogenic antigen in itself in the control rat. Despite the fact that vitamin A has no antigenecity, it still possess an extrinsic adjuvanticity in presence of bovine -globulin. The degree of the immune response is increased.

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Action des différentes formes actives de la vitamine A sur le mécanisme immunitaire chez le rat

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Supporté par le C.N.R.S., Liban.     

Mutations in an oocyte-derived growth factor gene (BMP15) cause increased ovulation rate and infertility in a dosage-sensitive manner

Multiple ovulations are uncommon in humans, cattle and many breeds of sheep. Pituitary gonadotrophins and as yet unidentified ovarian factors precisely regulate follicular development so that, normally, only one follicle is selected to ovulate. The Inverdale (FecXI) sheep, however, carries a naturally occurring X-linked mutation that causes increased ovulation rate and twin and triplet births in heterozygotes (FecXI/FecX+; ref. 1), but primary ovarian failure in homozygotes (FecXI/FecXI; ref. 2). Germ-cell development, formation of the follicle and the earliest stages of follicular growth are normal in FecXI/FecXI sheep, but follicular development beyond the primary stage is impaired. A second family unrelated to the Inverdale sheep also has the same X-linked phenotype (Hanna, FecXH). Crossing FecXI with FecXH animals produces FecXI/FecXH infertile females phenotypically indistinguishable from FecXI/FecXI females. We report here that the FecXI locus maps to an orthologous chromosomal region syntenic to human Xp11.2-11.4, which contains BMP15, encoding bone morphogenetic protein 15 (also known as growth differentiation factor 9B (GDF9B)). Whereas BMP15 is a member of the transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta) superfamily and is specifically expressed in oocytes, its function is unknown. We show that independent germline point mutations exist in FecXI and FecXH carriers. These findings establish that BMP15 is essential for female fertility and that natural mutations in an ovary-derived factor can cause both increased ovulation rate and infertility phenotypes in a dosage-sensitive manner.     

Unborn children (protection) bill

Enoch Powell's Unborn Children (Protection) Bill passed a second reading in the British House of Commons on 22 February 1985. The authors contend that most informed scientists are dismayed because, if enacted into law, the bill would criminalize the in vitro fertilization of any human oocytes except for purposes of "embryo insertion," and many promising avenues of research would be blocked. While the pro-life lobby maintains that the development of possible methods to cure genetic diseases does not require research on human embryos, Evans and McLaren cite scientific data to argue that such research is necessary to insure that embryos chosen for implantation are chromosomally normal, to study the etiology of chromosomal disorders and eventually develop therapies for them, to improve IVF procedures, and to develop new contraceptive techniques.     

The 2007 Census Test: a major step towards the 2011 Census

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is planning a major Census field test in 2007. It will form part of the planning and testing programme leading to up the next Census of Population for England and Wales in 2011, which will also include a Rehearsal in 2009. The 2007 Test will be a large-scale test in five local authority (LA) areas selected to reflect a range of field conditions, covering some 100,000 households in total. Within England the Test will cover parts of Bath and North East Somerset, Camden, Liverpool and Stoke-on-Trent. In Wales the Test will take place in Carmarthenshire. The selected LAs have been chosen to provide a varied cross-section of the population and types of housing that would be covered in a full census. This article sets out the main aims for the Test and describes the design and location of the sampled areas and the basis for their selection. It goes on to detail the ways (previously reported in Population Trend 1251) in which the ONS Census team and the LAs involved are working in partnership in planning the census enumeration with the long-term view of improving overall census coverage and user confidence in the results. The article notes that decisions on the topics to be covered in the 2007 Test have only recently been decided, and concludes with an overview of the qustions to be included in the 2007 Test questionnaire.