In the guinea-pig ileum, pretreatment with 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) (5 microM) for 4-5 min inhibited both 5-HT- and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-induced cholinergic contractions without ...consistently altering those induced by electrical field stimulation. Cisapride (1 micron) antagonized 5-HT-induced cholinergic contractions but left those induced by GABA or twitch responses unchanged. These results indicate that the 5-HT action in inhibiting GABA-induced cholinergic responses may arise at the interneuronal level, thus suggesting that GABA may also indirectly activate cholinergic terminal neurons. These findings rule out the possibility of 5-HT acting as an intermediate transmitter in this type of response.
Pretreatment of the guinea-pig ileum with capsaicin resulted consistently in depression of the neurogenic cholinergic contractions induced by the GABAA receptor agonists 3-aminopropane sulphonic acid ...(3-APS) and muscimol. Since capsaicin acts mainly by releasing and depleting substance P from its stores in intestinal nerves, it is likely that substance P plays a role in the response caused by GABAA-mimetic compounds, On the whole, our results suggest that excitatory responses to 3-APS and muscimol result from both direct and indirect activation of intrinsic intestinal cholinergic neurons innervating smooth muscle cells.
In the irrigated zones of North-eastern region of Afghanistan malaria transmission is sustained by A. pulcherrimus and A. hyrcanus despite many years of DDT spraying. A. hyrcanus is an exophilic and ...exophagic mosquito, strongly resistant to DDT. A. pulcherrimus is still largely susceptible to the insecticide but seems to be deterred from entering houses when these are sprayed with DDT. Entomological and parasitological studies in an area of the province of Kunduz where DDT has not been applied for 2 consecutive years have clearly indicated that the insecticide still plays an important role in reducing malaria transmission in the area though, as expected, it cannot interrupt transmission. A deterioration of the epidemiological situation in the area can be expected if the insecticide is withdrawn. The technical problems now existing in the irrigated zones of the North-eastern region of Afghanistan cannot be solved by routine attack measures. Malaria in the area can be eradicated only with the introduction of new attack measures which are very expensive and for which, at present, the necessary funds are not available.
A research project was supported by Italian Ministry of Health on standardisation and harmonisation of diagnostic of GMO derived food products, in order to overcome the difficulties related to the ...implementation of National and European legislation. The project has been technically leaded by Italian National Institute for Health and was developed in cooperation with the Official Control Laboratories (Istituti Zooprofilattici Sperimentali) selected among the most experienced in PCR techniques applied to food analysis. In the framework of the project, a collaborative trial has been carried out with the aim of harmonising the quality assurance methodologies for the screening method developed by the JRC-EC (Joint Research Center - Ispra) for the detection of GM soybean and corn. The overall results obtained from the participating laboratories were satisfactory, even though a higher percentage of false positive results was obtained with respect to the validation study carried out by the JRC. Further studies are ongoing at National level to evaluate and validate methods for the determination of GMOs in finished products
A supporto del complesso quadro normativo relativo alla commercializzazione degli alimenti GM, il Ministero della Sanita', in collaborazione con il Laboratorio Alimenti dell'Istituto Superiore di Sanita' e con alcuni Istituti Zooprofilattici Sperimentali, ha promosso un progetto di ricerca relativo alla standardizzazione di metodologie analitiche per il rilevamento di alimenti e mangimi GM. Nell'ambito di questo progetto e' stato effettuato uno studio collaborativo mirato sia alla verifica e all'ottimizzazione dell'affidabilita' dei laboratori preposti al controllo ufficiale degli alimenti, sia alla verifica dell'applicabilita' del metodo di screening per la rivelazione di soia e mais GM, validato dal Joint Research Center europeo (JRC - UE) di Ispra. Allo studio collaborativo hanno aderito otto laboratori, comprendenti sia le strutture partecipanti al progetto di ricerca sopra indicato, sia altri laboratori preposti al controllo degli alimenti GM sul territorio nazionale. Dall'esame dei risultati ottenuti si puo' osservare che l'andamento generale e' paragonabile a quello relativo allo studio collaborativo effettuato per la validazione del metodo, anche se, soprattutto per la soia, e' stata ottenuta una piu' elevata percentuale di risultati falsi positivi. Sono attualmente in fase di programmazione e di realizzazione altri studi al fine di individuate e standardizzare le procedure analitiche piu' idonee a differenti tipologie di intermedi di lavorazione e di alimenti finiti
