To study the pathogenesis of central nervous system abnormalities in Down syndrome (DS), we have analyzed a new genetic model of DS, the partial trisomy 16 (Ts65Dn) mouse. Ts65Dn mice have an extra copy of the distal aspect of mouse chromosome 16, a segment homologous to human chromosome 21 that contains much of the genetic material responsible for the DS phenotype. Ts65Dn mice show developmental delay during the postnatal period as well as abnormal behaviors in both young and adult animals that may be analogous to mental retardation. Though the Ts65Dn brain is normal on gross examination, there is age-related degeneration of septohippocampal cholinergic neurons and astrocytic hypertrophy, markers of the Alzheimer disease pathology that is present in elderly DS individuals. These findings suggest that Ts65Dn mice may be used to study certain developmental and degenerative abnormalities in the DS brain.

Interferon lambda 1 (IFN-k1) is a type III IFN that produces intracellular responses similar to those of IFN-a but in fewer cell types because of differences in the receptor distribution pattern, and this could potentially result in an improved safety profile. This was an open-label three-part study of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 infection. Part 1 evaluated single-agent pegylated interferon lambda (PEG-IFN-k) at 1.5 or 3.0 lg/kg administered every 2 weeks or weekly for 4 weeks in patients who had relapsed after previous IFN-a-based treatment. Part 2 evaluated weekly doses of PEG-IFN-k ranging from 0.5 to 2.25 lg/kg in combination with ribavirin (RBV) for 4 weeks in treatment-relapse patients. Part 3 evaluated weekly PEG-IFN-k at 1.5 lg/kg in combination with RBV for 4 weeks in treatment-naive patients. Fifty-six patients were enrolled: 24 patients in part 1, 25 patients in part 2, and 7 patients in part 3. Antiviral activity was observed at all PEG-IFN-k dose levels (from 0.5 to 3.0 lg/kg). Two of seven treatmentnaive patients (29%) achieved rapid virological response. Treatment was well tolerated with minimal flu-like symptoms and no significant hematologic changes other than RBV-associated decreases in hemoglobin. The most common adverse events were fatigue (29%), nausea (12%), and myalgia (11%). Six patients experienced increases in aminotransferases that met protocol-defined criteria for dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) or temporarily holding therapy with PEG-IFN-k. Most DLT occurred in patients with high PEG-IFN-k exposure. Conclusion: Weekly PEG-IFN-k with or without daily RBV for 4 weeks is well tolerated with minimal adverse events and hematologic effects and is associated with clear antiviral activity across a broad range of doses in patients with chronic HCV. (HEPATOLOGY 2010;52:822-832) T he World Health Organization estimates that 180 million people worldwide (3% of the world population) are infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), and 130 million of these are chronic HCV carriers. 1 Chronic HCV infection is responsible for 50% to 76% of all liver cancer cases, two-thirds of all liver transplants in the developed world, and considerable morbidity and mortality. Identifying effective treatments for chronic HCV infection is therefore a global health priority. 1

1 The role of a 2 -adrenoceptor (AR) subtypes in the modulation of acute nociception, motor behaviour and body temperature, has been investigated by determining the activity of the a 2 AR selective agonist dexmedetomidine (Dex) in mice devoid of individual a 2 AR subtypes through either a point (a 2A ) or null (a 2B /a 2C ) mutation (`knock-out').2 In a rodent model of acute thermal nociception, the mouse tail immersion test, Dex, in wild type (WT) control animals, produced a dose-dependent increase in the threshold for tail withdrawal from a 528C water bath with mean ED 50 values of 99.9+14.5 (a 2A ), 94.6+17.8 (a 2B ) and 116.0+17.1 (a 2C ) mg kg 71 , i.p. 3 In comparison to the WT controls, Dex (100 ± 1000 mg kg 71 , i.p.), was completely ine ective as an antinociceptive agent in the tail immersion test in the a 2A AR D79N mutant animals. Conversely, in the a 2B AR and a 2C AR knock-outs, Dex produced a dose-dependent antinociceptive e ect that was not signi®cantly di erent from that observed in WT controls, with ED 50 values of 85.9+15.0 (P40.05 vs WT control) and 226.0+62.7 (P40.05 vs WT control) mg kg 71 i.p., respectively. 4 Dex (10 ± 300 mg kg 71 , i.p.) produced a dose-dependent reduction in spontaneous locomotor activity in the a 2A , a 2B and a 2C AR WT control animals with ED 50 values of 30.1+9.0, 23.5+7.1 and 32.3+4.6 mg kg 71 , i.p., respectively. Again, Dex (100 ± 1000 mg kg 71 , i.p.) was ine ective at modulating motor behaviour in the a 2A AR D79N mutants. In the a 2B AR and a 2C AR knock-out mice, Dex produced a dose-dependent reduction in spontaneous locomotor activity with ED 50 values of 29.1+6.4 (P40.05 vs WT control) and 57.5+11.3 (P40.05 vs WT control) mg kg 71 , respectively. 5 Dex was also found to produce a dose-dependent reduction in body temperature in the a 2A , a 2B and a 2C AR WT control mice with ED 50 values of 60.6+11.0, 16.2+2.5 and 47.2+9.1 mg kg 71 , i.p., respectively. In the a 2A AR D79N mutants, Dex had no e ect on body temperature at a dose (100 mg kg 71 , i.p.) that produced a signi®cant reduction (76.2+0.58C; P50.01 vs vehicle) in temperature in WT controls. However, higher doses of Dex (300 and 1000 mg kg 71 , i.p) produced a small, but statistically signi®cant decrease in temperature corresponding to 71.7+0.48C and 72.4+0.38C (both P50.01 vs vehicle), respectively. In the a 2B AR and a 2C AR knock-out mice, Dex produced a dose-dependent reduction in body temperature with ED 50 values of 28.4+4.8 (P40.05 vs WT control) and 54.1+8.0 (P40.05 vs WT control) mg kg 71 , respectively. 6 In conclusion, the data are consistent with the a 2A AR being the predominant subtype involved in the mediation of the antinociceptive, sedative and hypothermic actions of Dex. This pro®le would appear to indicate that an a 2A AR subtype selective analgesic will have a narrow therapeutic window, particularly following systemic administration.

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The study reports an investigation of stress levels, gender and personality dimensions in a sample of school teachers. The Professional Life Stress Scale (PLSS) was used to assess teachers' stress levels and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) was used to define their personality dimensions (Extroversion-Introversion, Neuroticism-High Psychoticism-Low Psychoticism). The study sample consisted of 95 teachers, 51 females and 44 males. Results revealed that the majority of teachers sampled, 72.6 per cent, were experiencing moderate levels of stress, and 23.2 per cent serious levels. T-test results showed no significant difference between male and female teachers in stress levels. Correlation analysis between stress level and personality dimensions revealed significant positive correlation between stress and psychoticism. A significant negative correlation emerged between stress and extroversion, and a significant positive correlation between stress and neuroticism. A multiple regression analysis revealed that extroversion and neuroticism were the best predictors of stress levels. Overall, the results therefore indicated that personality dimensions appear to contribute more to stress levels than do the variables of either age or gender.

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