Lethal infection of newborn mice, caused by hepatitis C virus

Intracerebral infection of mice aged 2-3 days with hepatitis C virus (HCV) from chronically infected suckling mouse brain cultures and porcine embryo cells resulted in the death of animals after 12-14 days. Repeated passages of HCV in animals decreased the incubation period to just 3-4 days. Blood serum of surviving mice collected during the 4th week postinfection contained antiHCV antibodies detected by enzyme immunoassay and hemagglutination inhibition test. The results are proof of creation of a new in vivo model of experimental HCV infection.     

The effect of a preparation from the horns of the saiga antelope on the goal-directed drinking behavior of rats

We analyzed 79 consecutive patients with aneurysms and found a patient who lacked type III collagen. Collagen was extracted from the skin, and the lack of type III collagen was determined by means of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Only 1 of the 79 patients was found to lack type III collagen. This patient was a 55-year-old man who had sustained an abdominal aortic aneurysm and aortic dissection. He did not show any of the typical clinical symptoms of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome type IV, such as hyperextensible skin and joints. He had none of the usual risk factors nor any clear family history of the syndrome. Furthermore, his collagen fibrils demonstrated a homogeneous appearance. This case may represent a new form of type III collagen deficiency.