International Standardized Nomenclature for Outbred Stocks of Laboratory Animals.

In accordance with the «Aims of ICLA¼ (ICLA Bulletin No. 26, March 1970) the Governing Board established in 1969 a Working Party to prepare an International Nomenclature System for Outbred Animals. The members were: Professor, Dr. A. Spiegel, Federal Republic of Germany, chairman.Dr. M. Festing, United KingdomDr. K. Kondo, JapanDr. R. Loosli, SwitzerlandMr. S. Poiley, U.S.A. The nomenclature rules, completed and approved by the ICLA Governing Board on 8 December 1971, are published herewith. I am convinced that this system will bring order out of the existing chaos. The system is an offer to the world laboratory animal science, particularly the breeders and users. Editors of scientific journals, catalogues, and indices all over the world are also encouraged to require and use animal stock identification by this system for outbred animals used in experimentation. The ICLA Governing Board would have preferred to have seen an international centralization of symbol registration. However, the ICLA Secretariat has not got the capacity necessary for such a task and some practical solution to the registration problem will have to be found by the Governing Board. A final aim should then be for ICLA to publish a comprehensive world list of breeder symbols at intervals. Oslo, January 1972 Stian Erichsen  Secretary-General.

Epidemiology of atrazine.

Chronically exposed workers in chemical plants have revealed no increased incidence of benign or malignant disease attributable to atrazine. Some case-control studies showed a slight increase of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) incidence while others were negative. Weighted evidence supports no causal association of malignant changes in farming populations with atrazine. Two studies on a rural population suggested an increase of ovarian tumors in exposed women. Neither statistics nor exposure data are satisfactory, however, and no other studies present supporting evidence. New studies under clearly defined conditions are desirable. Very high doses of atrazine ingested in suicidal attempts had no acute clinical effect, suggesting that atrazine is virtually innocuous to humans. Sporadic reports on suspected acute poisoning leave too many questions open to be convincing: they reflect coincidence rather than causality. The tolerance of ruminants to triazine is limited. Severe poisoning in case of accidental intake of concentrated products is to be expected. Poisoning through ingestion has been controlled with activated charcoal. Adsorption on fodder enhances tolerability of triazines. Suspected poisoning through spray-contaminated fodder requires differential diagnosis to avoid confusion with other pasture toxins, electrolyte problems, or gastrointestinal infection.

Toxicology of monocrotophos.

Monocrotophos is a water-soluble organophosphate insecticide with high oral and moderate dermal toxicity. The toxicologically relevant mode of action is the inhibition of ChE activities. The toxicity of organophosphate metabolites of monocrotophos is comparable with the parent compound. Glycol conjugation in plant metabolism decreased the acute toxicity significantly. Dephosphorylated metabolites showed no demonstrable acute toxicity. Repeated exposure to the compound leads to initial cumulation of the single-dose effects. At moderate dose levels, the adverse effects are counteracted by an increase of tolerance through adaptation. A study in humans demonstrated no relevant ChE depression over a 30-d period at daily dose levels of up to 0.006 mg/kg. Lifetime chronic feeding studies in rodents again indicated ChE inhibition as the only specific effect. Body weight reduction was limited to high doses. No gross or microscopic specific lesions were demonstrable; especially, there was no evidence of oncogenic effects. Genotoxicity was evident in vitro, whereas comprehensive assessment of the in vivo tests indicates no toxicologically relevant mutagenic potential in mammals. This conclusion is supported by the absence of oncogenic effects in chronic feeding trials. Findings in reproduction studies were limited to secondary fetal reactions that were triggered by maternal toxicity. Acute and repeated administration studies in hens revealed no delayed (degenerative) neurotoxic potential. Monocrotophos showed no significant potentiation with 24 other ChE inhibitors. Poisoning signs after heavy doses were controlled by therapeutic doses of atropine, preferably in combination with an oxime.

Monocrotophos--worker safety.

Monitoring data on field-worker exposure studies show that prolonged or continued use of monocrotophos in plant protection may lead to significant dermal exposure with an impact on cholinesterase activity. Although oral uptake (suicide) is more hazardous than dermal exposure (spray work), both exposure routes may be potentially fatal. On the other hand, prompt therapy is successful even after a heavy oral dose. The epidemiological review did not reveal a prominent risk scenario. Justification of monocrotophos use depends on agricultural need and appropriate safety measures. Eighteen cases of monocrotophos poisoning have been identified in the literature and from the manufacturer's case file. Seven cases were occupational, and nine resulted from suicide attempts. One case was a nonprofessional accident, and one was recorded without details. Further monocrotophos poisoning cases may be concealed in the unspecified data on poisoning among tropical farming communities. However, the fact remains, that only a small number of reliably reported poisoning cases are attributable to monocrotophos products, and the reports confirm the efficacy of basic medical attention to poisoning. This is in contrast to the high hazard classification and to the high perceived hazard of the products in question. Safetywise, monocrotophos appears to be better than its reputation. A level of safety precautions normally recommended for pesticide work is sufficient, even under large-scale professional use conditions, to utilize monocrotophos safely.

[Treatment of sequelae of burns on the trunk]. / Die Behandlung von Spätfolgen nach Verbrennungen im Bereichedes Rumpfes]

The management of burn scars of the trunk is discussed, in respect of the specific problems related to different areas such as the axilla, thorax and back, the female breast and the perineum as well as the external genitalia. Special emphasis is placed on the different aspects of burn sequelae of the female breast with regard to pre- and postpuberty age. The prevention and therapy of the burn scar carcinoma are dealt with.

[Selective neurectomies in hemifacial spasm: an anatomo-pathologic discovery]. / Neurectomies sélectives pour spasme hémifacial: une découverte anatomo-pathologique.

Today the treatment of choice in hemifacial palsy is selective neurectomy of the branches of the facial nerve. Palliative surgery has improved experience in the treatment of facial palsy. An anatomical finding is reported which could contribute to a better understanding of the etiology of facial spasm.

[Surgical treatment of malignant skin epitheliomas. Principles, methods, results]. / Operative Behandlung maligner Epitheliome der Haut. Grundsätze, Methoden, Ergebnisse

From personal experience in the treatment of 655 patients with malignant epitheliomas of the skin, treated from 1966 to 1973 at the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the University Hospital, Innsbruck, the basic principles, methods, and results of treatment are reported. An adequate resection and a primary reconstruction is the method of choice. The clinical data and follow-up observations are analyzed and special types of treatment and indications are discussed. With it the 5-year-cure-rate of basal-cell carcinomas was 92%, of squamous-cell carcinomas 83%.

Detection of recurrence of large-bowel carcinoma by radioimmunoassay of circulating carcinoembryonic antigen (C.E.A.).

The usefulness and limitations of the carcinoembryonic antigen (C.E.A.) radioimmunoassay for the evaluation of tumour resection and for the detection of tumour relapse were studied in patients with large-bowel carcinoma. The level of plasma-C.E.A. was determined before any treatment in a group of 101 patients with histologically proven adenocarcinoma of the colon and rectum. 71% of all patients and 63% of cases with localised tumour (Dukes A and B) had a preoperative C.E.A. value of 5 ng. per ml. or higher. This limit was reached by only 1 of 90 apparently healthy, non-smoking blood-donors. Among 45 patients for whom a complete tumour resection was reported, all patients except 5 showed a drop of C.E.A. to normal values after surgery. The 5 patients whose C.E.A. did not fall to below 5 ng. per ml. showed a subsequent rise in C.E.A. level and were all found later to have a tumour relapse. The results indicate that an incomplete drop of circulating C.E.A. level one month after surgery has a bad prognostic significance. 22 of these patients were followed up by repeated C.E.A. radioimmunoassay for several months after surgery. 8 showed a progressive increase in C.E.A. levels preceding clinical diagnosis of tumour relapse by two to ten months. 6 other patients showed a moderate increase in C.E.A. levels, suggesting a tumour relapse not yet clinically detectable. The remaining 8 patients showed no increase in C.E.A. level above 5 ng. per ml. and no clinical symptoms of relapse. The results demonstrate that relapses of colon and rectum carcinoma can be detected by increased C.E.A. levels months before the appearance of any clinical evidence.