OBJECTIVE: Atherosclerosis is a fibroproliferative disease which has been attributed to several factors including genetic and molecular alterations. Initial studies have shown genetic alterations at the microsatellite level in the DNA of atherosclerotic plaques. Extending our initial findings, we performed a microsatellite analysis on cerebral atherosclerotic plaques. METHODS: Twenty-seven cerebral atherosclerotic plaques were assessed for loss of heterozygosity (LOH) and microsatellite instability (MI) using 25 microsatellite markers located on chromosomes 2, 8, 9 and 17. DNA was extracted from the vessels as well as the respective blood from each patient and subjected to polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Our analyses revealed that specific loci on chromosomes 2, 8, 9 and 17 exhibited a significant incidence of LOH. Forty-six percent of the specimens showed loss of heterozygosity at 2p13-p21, 48% exhibited LOH at 8p12-q11.2, while allelic imbalance was detected in 47% of the cases. The LOH incidence was 39%, 31% and 27% at 17q21, 9q31-34 and 17p13, respectively. Genetic alterations were detected at a higher rate as compared to the corresponding alterations observed in plaques from other vessels. DISCUSSION: This is the first microsatellite analysis using atherosclerotic plaques obtained from cerebral vessels. Our results indicate an elevated mutational rate on specific chromosomal loci, suggesting a potential implication of these regions in atherogenesis.

Chromosomes, Human, Pair 1↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Characterisation of cannabis plants phenotypes from illegal cultivations in Crete.

In the present study samples of cannabis plants presented to us by the Drug Enforcement Units were characterised, based on the analysis of active substances. The fresh samples were dried in a dark room were they were kept until analysis. The samples included leaves, flowers roots and trunks. The analysis was performed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Gas Chromatography (GC) using standard solutions of cannabidiol, D-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, D-8 tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabinol. Chemical analysis of the flowers revealed that 80% of the plants were classified as resinous phenotype while the remaining 20% were found to be of the textile phenotype (low concentration of active cannabinoids). The concentration of D-9 tetrahydrocannabinol in the flowers and leaves ranged from 0.014 to 21.06 mg/g, of cannabinol from 0.0002 to 0.350 mg/g and of cannabidiol from 0.03 to 29.6 mg/g. Roots and trunks contained very small quantities of active substances and should not be used for phenotype identification. No delta-8 THC was detected in any sample. Leaves gave less resinous phenotypes than flowers. The use of either mathematical formula, A or B produced the same phenotype character for each separate part of the plant.

Cannabinoids↗