The development of secondary sclerosing cholangitis in patients who have received long-term treatment in an ICU is a rare event of unknown pathophysiology, but patients demonstrate characteristic findings on ERCP. It is not known whether endotherapy can delay the progress of the condition in the long term.

It has been shown that segregational errors (SE) of chromosomes can be induced by olivetol and several halogenated inhalation anesthetics. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of natural cannabinoids - including delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabinol (CBN), and cannabidiol (CBD) - on chromosome segregation. Lymphocytes obtained from healthy adult males were incubated with various concentrations of natural cannabinoids for 72 hours. Anaphase preparations were made from these cultures. A statistically significant increase in the incidence of SE of chromosomes was observed in the lymphocytes exposed to THC at a concentration of 3.2 x 10(-6) M, but not to CBN or CBD. A greater incidence of bridge formations, anaphase lags, micronuclei, and unequal segregations in bipolar divisions and multipolar divisions were observed in THC-treated lymphocytes, compared with the controls. However, only anaphase lags and unequal segregations in bipolar divisions reached statistically significant levels. It appears that THC affects the formation of microtubules and spindles and may be considered as a mitotic poison. The value of examining SE as a part of cytogenetic studies on chemical mutagens is emphasized. A description of a classification system of SE developed in our laboratory is also presented. This system can be applied to studies using both normal human lymphocyte cultures and lymphoid cell lines.

The Flammable Fabrics Act of 1953 and its amendments established a need for flame-resistant fabrics. Tris-(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCPP) was briefly used in apparel fabrics to assist in the compliance with federal flammability standards, and continues to be used as a flame retardant in flexible polyurethane foams. A chronic toxicity and carcinogenicity bioassay was conducted in Sprague-Dawley rats to determine the toxicologic and carcinogenic potential of TDCPP after repeated exposure. Four groups of animals, each consisting of 60 male and 60 female rats, received via their diet a daily dose of either 0, 5, 20, or 80 mg TDCPP per kg body weight for up to 24 months. Diets were adjusted after each weekly (first 13 weeks) or biweekly (weeks 14 through 104) body weight and food consumption measurement to achieve and maintain the indicated doses. Ten animals per sex were taken from each group for interim sacrifice at the end of the 12th month. Body weights, food consumption, clinical signs, and hematological and clinical chemistry parameters were measured periodically, and ophthalmoscopic examinations were conducted on all animals. After complete postmortem examination of all animals, microscopic examination of all tissues was conducted for the control and high-dose animals. Liver, kidneys, testes, and adrenal glands were examined from all animals. Mortality was significantly higher and body weights were significantly lower in the high-dose group when compared to control animals. Certain hematology parameters, such as hemoglobin, hematocrit, and total erythrocyte values, were decreased in the high-dose animals. Ophthalmoscope examination revealed no treatment-related changes. Microscopic examination revealed a higher incidence of benign neoplasms and non-neoplastic alterations in several organs of the mid and high dose animals. The no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) for chronic toxicity and neoplastic activity was the dietary dose of 5 mg/kg/day.

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Screening of newly synthesized organic peroxides for tumor initiating/promoting activity would be greatly facilitated if predictive methodologies could be developed using topical exposures shorter than those required for definitive tumor assessment in mouse skin models. Nine organic peroxides [benzoyl peroxide (BZP), di-t-butyl peroxide (DTBP), t-butyl peroxybenzoate (TBPB), p-t-butyl isopropylbenzene hydroperoxide (TBIBHP), cumene hydroperoxide (CHP), dicetyl peroxydicarbonate (DPD), dicumyl peroxide (DCP), methyl ethyl ketone peroxide (MEKP) and O,O-t-butyl-O-(2-ethylhexyl) monoperoxycarbonate (TBEC)] were evaluated for their ability to increase biomarkers of tumor promotion in mouse skin, i.e. sustained epidermal hyperplasia, dermal inflammation and oxidative DNA damage. Evaluations were performed using SENCAR mice exposed topically for 4 weeks. The organic peroxides varied in their effects on these biomarkers. BZP, TBPB and TBIBHP exhibited significant increases in all three biomarkers associated with tumor promoting activity, CHP produced increases only in sustained epidermal hyperplasia and dermal inflammation, MEKP and DCP produced increases only in sustained epidermal hyperplasia and TBEC produced an increase only in dermal inflammation. DTBP and DPD had no effect on the three parameters studied. TBPB and TBIBHP were selected for further examination of their ability to produce mutations in codons 12, 13 and 61 of the c-Ha-ras protooncogene, i.e. those mutations known to be involved in the initiation of mouse skin tumors, because they were the only peroxides to exhibit significant positive results in all assays except the Ha-ras mutation following 4 weeks of exposure. Evaluations were performed using SENCAR mice dosed topically for 8 or 12 weeks in a complete carcinogenesis protocol or 16 weeks in an initiation/promotion protocol using 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene, urethane, benzo[a]pyrene and N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine as positive controls. Neither TBPB nor TBIBHP produced detectable mutations in the c-Ha-ras protooncogene, indicating that they are not likely to possess tumor initiating or complete carcinogenic activity.