Islet-1 (Isl-1) is a LIM domain/homeodomain-type transcription regulator that has been originally identified as an insulin gene enhancer binding protein. Isl-1 is also expressed by subsets of neurons in the central nervous system of rat and chick embryos. We have cloned the Isl-1 cDNA from zebrafish and examined its expression pattern using in situ hybridization to whole-mount embryos. Isl-1 mRNA first appears immediately after gastrulation in the polster, the cranial ganglia, and in Rohon-Beard neurons and ventromedial cells of the spinal cord. The expression by the ventromedial cells is segmentally repeated and becomes restricted to the one or two cells slightly anterior to the segment borders. Double staining by in situ hybridization and an antibody which stains most axons suggested that these segmentally distributed cells may be either the rostral primary motoneuron (RoP) or middle primary motoneuron (MiP). This raises a possibility that Isl-1 may be involved during determination of subtype identities of the primary motoneurons. Furthermore, the specific Isl-1 mRNA expression in the spinal cord is under the control of the somites, since mutant embryo with defective somite failed to maintain this pattern.

These findings demonstrate that facial biofeedback rehabilitation with a mirror after administration of a single dose of botulinum A toxin is a long-lasting treatment of established facial synkinesis in patients with chronic facial palsy.

Perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) are a series of environmental contaminants that have received attention because of their possible adverse effects on wildlife and human health. Although many toxicological studies have been performed on perfluorooctanoic acid with carbon chain length C8, available toxicity data on PFCAs with longer chains are still insufficient to evaluate their hazard. A combined repeated dose and reproductive/developmental toxicity screening study for perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA; C12) was conducted in accordance with OECD guideline 422 to fill these toxicity data gaps. PFDoA was administered by gavage to male and female rats at 0.1, 0.5, or 2.5 mg/kg/day. The administration of PFDoA at 0.5 and 2.5 mg/kg/day for 42-47 days mainly affected the liver, in which hypertrophy, necrosis, and inflammatory cholestasis were noted. Body weight gain was markedly inhibited in the 2.5 mg/kg/day group, and a decrease in hematopoiesis in the bone marrow and atrophic changes in the spleen, thymus, and adrenal gland were also observed. Regarding reproductive/developmental toxicity, various histopathological changes, including decreased spermatid and spermatozoa counts, were observed in the male reproductive organs, while continuous diestrous was observed in the females of the 2.5 mg/kg/day group. Seven of twelve females receiving 2.5 mg/kg/day died during late pregnancy while four other females in this group did not deliver live pups. No reproductive or developmental parameters changed at 0.1 or 0.5 mg/kg/day. Based on these results, the NOAELs of PFDoA were concluded to be 0.1 mg/kg/day for repeated dose toxicity and 0.5 mg/kg/day for reproductive/developmental toxicity.

-Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) are environmental contaminants that have received attention because of their possible effects on wildlife and human health. In order to obtain initial risk information on the toxicity of perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUA), we conducted a combined repeated dose toxicity study with the reproduction/developmental toxicity screening test (OECD test guideline 422). PFUA was administered by gavage to rats at 0 (vehicle: corn oil), 0.1, 0.3 or 1.0 mg/kg/day. At 1.0 mg/kg/day, body weight gain was inhibited in both sexes, and there was a decrease in fibrinogen in both sexes and shortening of the activated partial thromboplastin time in males. An increase in blood urea nitrogen and a decrease in total protein in both sexes and increases in alkaline phosphatase and alanine transaminase and a decrease in albumin in males were observed at 1.0 mg/kg/day. Liver weight was increased in males at 0.3 mg/kg/day and above and in females at 1.0 mg/kg/day, and this change was observed after a recovery period. In both sexes, centrilobular hypertrophy of hepatocytes was observed at 0.3 mg/kg/day and above and focal necrosis was observed at 1.0 mg/kg/day. In reproductive/developmental toxicity, body weight of pups at birth was lowered and body weight gain at 4 days after birth was inhibited at 1.0 mg/kg/day, while no dose-related changes were found in the other parameters. Based on these findings, the no observed adverse effect levels (NOAELs) for the repeated dose and reproductive/developmental toxicity were considered to be 0.1 mg/kg/day and 0.3 mg/kg/day, respectively.

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