[Tick-borne relapsing fever : An unrecognized cause of fever in travellers]. / La fièvre récurrente à tiques : une cause méconnue de fièvre du voyageur.

INTRODUCTION: Tick-borne relapsing fever is a usual cause of fever in West Africa. Except relapsing febrile episodes, there are no pathognomonic signs and diagnosis is difficult because Borrelia density in patient's blood is low. CASE REPORTS: Tick-borne relapsing fever was revealed by the presence of spirochetes in a blood sample to search malaria in two men, 24 and 31 year-old, returned from Mali. CONCLUSION: This diagnosis should be evocated in patients having fever after a trip in infested area, as malaria, both infections can be associated.

Molecular dissection of developmental behavior of plant height in rice (Oryza sativa L.).

A doubled haploid population of 123 lines from IR64/Azucena was used to dissect the developmental behavior and genotype by environment interaction for plant height by conditional and unconditional quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping methods in rice. It was shown that the number of QTL detected was different at various measuring stages. Some QTL could be detected at all stages and some only at one or several stages. More QTL could be found on the basis of time-dependent measures of different stages. By conditional QTL mapping of time-dependent measures, it is possible to reveal dynamic gene expression for quantitative traits. Mapping QTL for genetic main effects and GE interaction effects could help us in understanding the nature of QTL x environment interaction for the development of quantitative traits.

Low doses of neurotensin in the preoptic area produce hyperthermia. Comparison with other brain sites and with neurotensin-induced analgesia.

High amounts of neurotensin (NT) are found in the preoptic area of the hypothalamus, an area known to be involved in the regulation of body temperature. It is generally believed that NT is a peptide that produces hypothermia, and several sites in the brain have been proposed to mediate NT-induced hypothermia, including the preoptic area. However, the doses of NT used in these experiments were always very high (microgram order) whereas, according to Goedert, the total brain content of NT in the rat does not exceed 10 ng. We therefore reinvestigated the effects of microinjections of NT in the brain, using high (5 micrograms) and low (50 and 5 ng) doses, into the preoptic area and other brain sites (cerebral ventricles, posterior hypothalamus, and nucleus accumbens), and we also studied, as a comparison, the effects of high and low doses of NT on pain sensitivity in the same sites. The results show that the preoptic area has unique properties in the regulation of body temperature: low doses of NT in the preoptic area produce a hyperthermic response, whereas high doses produce hypothermia. In comparison, NT produces hypothermia in the posterior hypothalamus whatever the dose, and NT has analgesic effects in the preoptic area only at high doses. Besides, NT has no thermic effect, but does have an analgesic effect, in the nucleus accumbens. The selectivity of the actions of high doses of NT, as well as the mechanism of action of NT (possibly an endogenous neuroleptic), are discussed.

Factors influencing regeneration from protoplasts of Asparagus densiflorus cv. Sprengeri.

This article describes conditions to optimize the yield of viable protoplasts from callus tissue of Asparagus densiflorus cv. Sprengeri and their subsequent regeneration into plantlets. Callus tissue was initiated by culturing spear sections (5-7 mm) on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 0.8% (wt/vol) Bacto agar, 3% (wt/vol) sucrose, 0.5 mg/l each of nicotinic acid, pyridoxine-HCl, and thiamine-HCl, 1 mg/l p-chlorophenoxyaceticacid (pCPA) and 1 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP). The maximum protoplast yield was obtained in a mixture of 1% (wt/vol) Cellulysin, 0.8% (wt/vol) Rhozyme HP 150 and 0.3% (wt/vol) Macerase, dissolved in cell protoplast wash salt solution with 7 mM CaCl2 .2H2O, 3 mM MES, 0.6 M glucose, and 0.1 M mannitol. First divisions were observed after 3-4 days of initial culture. The plating efficiency was highest (7.8%) in half-strength MS semisolid medium containing 1 g/l glutamine, 0.6 M glucose, 0.1 M mannitol, 0.5 mg/l folic acid, 0.05 mg/l biotin, 2 mg/l ascorbic acid, 1 mg/l α-naphthaleneacetic acid, 0.5 mg/l zeatin, and 0.1% (wt/vol) Gelrite. Protoplast-derived microcolonies and microcalli were cultured on the same medium on which the primary callus culture was initiated. After 10-12 weeks, calli were transferred to shoot regeneration medium containing MS salts, 1 mg/l BAP, 0.5 mg/l pCPA and 0.2% Gelrite. Shoots (3-4 cm) were then transferred to MS rooting medium with 2 mg/l indole-3-butyric acid, and 0.2% Gelrite. Plantlets were obtained within 4-5 weeks.

[Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency in Algeria]. / Le déficit en glucose-6-phosphate déshydrogénase en Algérie.

The normal level of G6PD activity of the red cells is 6.6 +/- 1.6 i.u/g Hb in men and 6.9 +/- 1.6 i.u./g Hb in women. The histogram of the distribution in the population is not symmetrical. G6PD deficiency is present in Algeria at the national level of 3% (+/- 0.5). The level is less high in the mountainous areas of arab culture, higher in the berber culture and in the Shara. Numerous new variants have been detected in Algeria. The G6PD deficiency predominating in Algeria is of Kabyle type, followed by Laghouat and El-Qued types. Types A-, A+ and Ibaden Austin of negro origin exist in the Sahara population. The Mediterranean type is not found in the Algerian population. The clinical manifestations are rare.

[Hemolytic anemia caused by glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency. Aprpos of 20 cases from 1969 to 1974]. / L'anémie hémolytique par déficit en glucose-6-phosphate déshydrogénase. A propos de 20 cas observés de 1969 à 1974.

Twenty hemolytic accidents due to G6PD deficiency in Algeria are reported: 13 cases of favism, 2 cases of neonatal jaundice, one drug accident (aspirin), 4 of unknown cause. These accidents concern above all children, were clinically severe and required transfusion.

Heterogeneity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency in Algeria. Study in Northern Algeria with description of five new variants.

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency was found in 3.2% of the male population living in the urban area of Algiers. The deficient subjects originated from multiple geographic regions of Northern Algeria, with prevalence of individuals of Berber-Kabyle origin. Red blood cell G6PD was partially purified and characterized in deficient males from 17 families, and six different variants were found. Among them, only one, the Gd(-) Kabyle variant, had been previously described. It was detected in nine families. The other five variants were new: Gd(-) Laghouat (four cases), Gd(-) Blida (one case), Gd(-) Thenia (one case), Gd(-) Titteri (one case), and Gd(-) Alger (two brothers). Strikingly, the common Mediterranean variant was not found. G6PD deficiency is heterogeneous in northern Algeria where autochtonous variants seem to prevail. The Kabyle variant may be common in this country.