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Biomedical subjects

J G Shepherd

Publications and source records attributed to J G Shepherd.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

Pulmonary sclerosing hemangioma with lymph node metastases.

Pulmonary sclerosing hemangioma is an unusual benign tumour of uncertain histogenesis. In the past 50 years, hundreds of cases have been described. A case of sclerosing hemangioma with some unusual features, including a false-positive fine needle aspiration biopsy and histological evidence of lymph node metastases, is described.

Adult↗

Comparison of O-antigen gene clusters of Escherichia coli (Shigella) sonnei and Plesiomonas shigelloides O17: sonnei gained its current plasmid-borne O-antigen genes from P. shigelloides in a recent event.

Escherichia coli Sonnei has an O antigen identical to that of Plesiomonas shigelloides O17, and its O-antigen gene cluster is located on a plasmid. By sequencing the chromosomal O-antigen gene cluster of P. shigelloides O17 and comparing it with that of Sonnei, we showed that Sonnei gained its O-antigen genes recently.

Base Sequence↗

Neoplastic transformation of propagable cultured rat pancreatic duct epithelial cells by azaserine and streptozotocin.

The role of duct cells in the histogenesis of pancreatic carcinoma was studied using a propagable cultured pancreatic duct epithelial cell line derived from a Fischer-344 rat. Tumorigenic transformation was induced by treatment with two experimental pancreatic carcinogens, azaserine and streptozotocin, or spontaneously using a 'selective' culture condition. Tumors arising from spontaneously transformed cells were anaplastic carcinomas, while those from streptozotocin-transformed cells were well or moderately differentiated ductal adenocarcinomas. Azaserine-treated cells produced moderately to poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas. Ultrastructural evidence of acinar or endocrine differentiation was absent. The biochemical phenotypes of representative tumor cell lines established from these tumors were studied. As compared to the parental cell line which expressed high activity of carbonic anhydrase (CA) and negligible activity of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), the tumor cell lines displayed variably increased levels of GGT, and a diminution or loss of CA activity. The tumor cell lines also showed heterogeneity in proto-oncogene and growth factor/receptor expression. The transforming growth factor-alpha mRNA expression was increased in all tumor cell lines, especially in those induced by azaserine. In contrast, mRNA expression of epidermal growth factor receptor was markedly down-regulated in all tumor cell lines. All chemically induced tumor cell lines showed marked overexpression of the c-myc and c-Ki-ras mRNAs, whereas the spontaneously transformed tumor cell line showed only a significant overexpression of the c-Ki-ras. Point mutation of this proto-oncogene at codons 12, 13 or 61 was absent. The results show that azaserine and streptozotocin are potent carcinogens in vitro for cultured rat pancreatic duct epithelial cells, and the phenotype of the tumors is modulated by the method or agent used for their transformation.

Animals↗

The identification of critical groups and its application to fish and shellfish consumers in the coastal area of the North-East Irish Sea.

Control of radioactive waste disposal to the environment, based on the recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), necessitates an identification of the critical group of members of the public exposed from a given practice. Criteria for identification of critical groups based mainly on ICRP recommendations are discussed. Methods existing up to 1974 are briefly reviewed in the light of these criteria. Two more recent methods are described and compared on the basis of previous data; these methods, which are complementary, are based on homogeneity considerations and satisfy the criteria generally rather better than do the earlier methods. The application of the newer techniques to recent surveys of fish and shellfish consumption in the coastal area of the North-East Irish Sea is described, in relation to discharges from the Windscale reprocessing plant. The results of this survey are presented, and estimates are given of the effective dose equivalent to members of these critical groups in recent years, to show the effect of liquid discharges from Windscale in terms of public radiation exposure.

Animals↗