Retention Of Tissues Research Articles

Legal and regulatory update: Legal and regulatory update

The Human Tissue Act received royal assent on 15th November, 2004, but its provisions will not come into force until the Secretary of State makes relevant orders by statutory instrument, which is expected to happen after 1st April, 2006. The Act will repeal and replace the Human Tissue Act 1961, the Anatomy Act 1984 and the Human Organ Transplants Act 1989. Pressure to introduce new measures arose following the public scandal surrounding the retention and use of organs and tissues from children at the Bristol Royal Infirmary and the Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital, without proper consent. The purpose of the Act is to set up a framework that makes consent the foundation of all lawful activities involving whole body donation and the removal, storage and use of human organs and tissues for transplantation, anatomical examination, education, training and research. The Act does not cover gametes or embryos outside the human body, activities in relation to which are governed by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. Nor does the Act cover the removal of material from living persons, although it does cover the storage and use of such material. The current law relating to removal of material from living persons without their consent will continue to apply.

EFFECTS OF GIBBERELLIC ACID ON THE VASE LIFE OF CUT PATUMMA (CURCUMA ALISMATIFOLIA GAGNEP.) 'CHAING MAI' FLOWERS

Cutflowers of Patumma (Curcuma alismatifolia Gagnep.) ‘Chaing Mai’ were held in 50-200 ppm gibberellic acid (GA3) or distilled water (control) at 25°C with 75-80% relative humidity. GA3 at 100 ppm increased vase life by four days compared to the control (10 days). Increasing the concentration to 150-200 ppm did not correspondingly extend vase life despite improvement in weight retention, absorption capacity and water conductivity of stem tissues. The vase life of the flower held in 150-200 ppm GA3 was similar to that with 100 ppm GA3. GA3 did not generally affect respiration rate but significantly reduced ethylene production. At lower concentration of 50 ppm GA3, responses of the flowers were comparable to the control.

Selection for growth in brown trout increases feed intake capacity without affecting maintenance and growth requirements.

The correlated responses in feed intake and G:F ratio with selection for increased growth rate were evaluated by comparing selected (S) and control (C) brown trout (Salmo trutta) reared under conditions known to affect feed efficiency: feed restriction and periods of compensatory growth. Nitrogen and energy requirements for maintenance and growth were also measured. Trout were allotted at comparable BW (3.7+/-0.06 and 3.8+/-0.04 g, for C and S respectively) to triplicate groups per treatment. The experiment lasted a total of 198 d, during which animals were successively submitted to a 116-d feeding phase and fed 10, 30, 50, 70, 100, and 140% of their usual daily ration (UDR), a 35-d phase of food deprivation, and a 47-d refeeding phase. The G:F of C and S were comparable in all experimental conditions tested. During the feeding phase, S grew better than C only when fed 100 and 140% UDR (P < 0.001). This was explained by a higher feed intake capacity. The requirements for growth and maintenance were similar among the lines, which is in agreement with their comparable loss of weight (mean energy loss of -53 and -55 kJ/(kg x d) for C and S, respectively; P > 0.38) observed during the feed deprivation phase and the lack of differences in carcass composition (fat, P > 0.35; protein, P > 0.54). During the refeeding phase, growth performance and G:F were high in all groups. The daily growth coefficient was higher in S than in C (P < 0.001) because of a higher feed intake (P < 0.001). An increase in absolute individual variability in final BW and length was associated with the level of food restriction in both lines; however, it always remained lower in S than in C. In conclusion, fish selected for growth under ad libitum conditions will only exhibit growth superiority when fed diets close to ad libitum, and there was no evidence that selection was associated with an improvement in efficiency of maintenance nor in retention of body tissues.

The Human Tissue Bill: the death of pathology?

The Human Tissue Bill is now before the UK Parliament. We await the outcome and the codes of practice that will be drawn up following the deliberations of our politicians. The Bill is based upon proposals made by the Retained Organs Commission and the Department of Health following some three years of consultation. The proposals are wide ranging, encompassing retention of tissues removed at surgery as well as autopsy material. Among the proposals are the establishment of a human tissue authority to oversee the use of human tissue, the creation of new offences related to tissue retention, recommendations regarding the use or disposal of ‘unclaimed or unidentifiable human organs and tissue’ and, perhaps most important, the requirement for explicit consent from bereaved families for the use of organs and tissues. The proposals of the Human Tissue Bill are important and far-reaching and have huge implications for the future practice of pathology, for research, and for our understanding of disease, particularly diseases of the nervous system. However, will this Bill do anything to reverse the collapse of autopsy pathology as the benchmark for clinical medicine?

Necropsy practice after the “organ retention scandal”: requests, performance, and tissue retention

Aims: After the so called “organ retention scandal” in the UK this study set out to assess the impact on death certification and hospital (consent) necropsies, including the postmortem retention...

Effects of prenatal testosterone propionate on the sexual development of male and female rats: a dose-response study.

Testosterone plays a major role in male sexual development. Exposure of females to testosterone in utero can induce masculine characteristics such as anovulation, increased anogenital distance (AGD), absence of nipples, retention of male-like tissues, and agenesis of the lower vagina. In addition, high levels of androgens during fetal development can lead to toxic effects such as reduced litter size and viability. The study of the effects of testosterone administration during sexual differentiation provides a foundation for understanding the effects of environmental androgens on fetuses, a sensitive subpopulation. In the current study, we investigated the ability of a range of concentrations of testosterone propionate (TP) administered prenatally to masculinize female and alter male offspring, and measured maternal and fetal T levels. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were dosed by sc injection on gestational day (GD) 14-19 (GD 1= day of plug) with either corn oil (vehicle; 0.1 ml/rat) or with 0.1 ml of TP solution at 0.1, 0.5, 1, 2, 5, or 10 mg/0.1 ml. Parturition was delayed at 2, 5, and 10 mg TP, litter size was reduced at 5 and 10 mg TP, and pup weight was significantly reduced in both sexes at 0.5 mg TP and higher doses. Viability of offspring was unaffected at any dosage level. Androgenic effects seen at 0.5 mg TP in females included increased AGD at weaning and adulthood, reduced number of areolas and nipples, cleft phallus, small vaginal orifice, and presence of prostate tissue. This dose of TP elevated maternal T levels 10x but had no effect on fetal T levels. At 1 mg TP and above, female AGD on postnatal day (PND) 2 (or postcoital day 24 [gestation length = 22(1/2)]) was increased; areolas and nipples were virtually eliminated; levator ani muscle, bulbourethral glands, and seminal vesicles (2 mg TP and above) were present; none of the females developed a vaginal orifice and many females in the 1 and 2 mg TP dose groups developed a greatly distended, fluid-filled uterus after puberty. Maternal T levels at 1 mg TP were elevated 30x, and female fetal T levels showed an 80% increase. Male offspring displayed a reduced AGD and body weight on PND 2 at 0.5 mg TP and higher doses. These effects were not evident by weaning and male offspring displayed no malformations. We conclude that gestational administration of 0.5 and 1 mg TP masculinizes female offspring without greatly affecting pup viability or pregnancy of the dam. This study provides a useful model for in utero testing of environmental androgens for their potential to induce developmental abnormalities.

"Bones of Contention". The donation of temporal bones for dissection after the organ-retention scandals.

It is essential for the Otologist in training to become familiar with the anatomy of the temporal bone. Generations of trainees have acquired this knowledge, together with basic surgical skills and techniques by dissection of cadaver temporal bones. In recent years, however, the supply of temporal bones for dissection has become a contentious issue in many British hospitals. Media and public attention has recently focused on issues surrounding the retention of human tissues following post-mortem examinations. In response, the Chief Medical Officer, the Royal College of Pathologists in the UK, the Faculty of Pathology of the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland, the British Medical Association, and other bodies have issued new guidelines that are of relevance to the Otolaryngologist. This paper gives details of some of the UK guidelines and where they can be accessed. A copy of the Royal College of Pathologists preferred post-mortem consent form is presented. The authors' experience in Manchester is discussed and details of an information leaflet on the subject of temporal bone donation are given. It is concluded that, with knowledge of the existing guidelines and good communication with other hospital colleagues, as well as families of the deceased, it is still possible legally to obtain temporal bones for dissection.

Retention of organs and tissues following post mortem examination: RCN recommendations.

Retention of organs and tissues following post mortem examination: RCN recommendations.

Retention of organs and tissues following post mortem examination: RCN recommendations

Retention of organs and tissues following post mortem examination: RCN recommendations

Investigation of putative androgen-like activity of alpha 2u-globulin in castrated and estrogen-treated male rats.

alpha 2u-Globulin, a male sex-dependent protein of the rat, was tested for its ability to produce androgenic or anabolic responses. Castrated rats were injected with alpha 2u-globulin isolated from urine or kidney and the effects on urinary nitrogen excretion, body weight, and weight of ventral prostate, seminal vesicles, and levator ani muscle were studied. alpha 2u-Globulin had no effect but testosterone propionate gave the expected stimulation of nitrogen retention, body growth, and growth of androgen-responsive tissues. alpha 2u-Globulin injected into estrogen-treated male rats (animals with suppressed serum levels of alpha 2u-globulin, gonadotropins, and testosterone) was also found to be without effect on body weight and on the weight of ventral prostate, seminal vesicles, levator ani muscle, and testes. We conclude that the alpha 2u-globulin molecule, by itself, is incapable of producing, directly or indirectly, androgenlike responses.