SummaryThree kinds of variable number of tandem repeat DNA probes (VNTR: pYNZ22, pYNH24, and pYNZ2) showing hypervariable polymorphisms were studied. Allelic frequencies and their confidence intervals among Japanese individuals were obtained. Co-dominant segregation of the polymorphism was confirmed in family studies. Two a priori probabilities were calculated for each VNTR locus: exclusion probabilities for an alleged father/mother/child trio and for an alleged parent/child duo, and probabilities of matching of genotyped two unrelated individuals or two siblings. Availability as well as highly discriminating polymorphic pattern of VNTR loci makes it potentially very useful for forensic and human genetic purposes.

To investigate the role of oxygen-derived free radicals in the pathogenesis of tourniquet shock, the authors present an experimental animal model. Two groups of rats were fastened with rubber tubes on both thighs (1.5 kg/cm2) for 6 h under pentobarbital anaesthesia. One group was administered liposomal superoxide dismutase (L-SOD 30,000 U/kg body weight), and the other liposome as a control 3 h prior to tourniquet removal. No rats in the control group (n = 20) survived more than 24 h after reperfusion, whereas 55% of animals treated with L-SOD (n = 20) survived for 24 h or more, and two recovered completely (P less than 0.005). Blood samples were obtained from the abdominal aorta after laparotomy of anaesthetized rats of both groups at different time intervals. Changes in the hematocrit value and blood urea nitrogen during the early periods after reperfusion were attenuated by prior administration of L-SOD, and the total plasma SOD activity of the control animals decreased promptly and continuously throughout the experimental period. This experimental model was very useful to study the pathogenesis of tourniquet shock with respect to reproducibility, induction of the shock stages and mortality. It is thought that oxygen-free radicals are involved in the induction of tourniquet shock, and L-SOD was, to a certain extent, effective against reperfusion injury in the early stages of shock.

Four kinds of DNA probes that recognize hypervariable regions (HVR) were studied for parentage testing and individual identification. Allele frequencies and their confidence intervals among unrelated Japanese individuals were obtained. Codominant segregation of the polymorphism was confirmed in family studies. Two a priori probabilities were calculated for each HVR locus: the exclusion probabilities for an alleged father/mother/child trio and for an alleged parent/child duo, and the probabilities of matching of genotypes of two unrelated individuals or two siblings. The ease of availability of the probes and their highly discriminating polymorphic patterns mean they could be very useful for forensic purposes.

SummarySeven kinds of DNA probes which recognize hypervariable loci were applied for paternity test. The putative father was decreased and unavailable for the test. The two legitimate children and their mother (the deceased's wife) and the four illegitimate children and their mother (the deceased's kept mistress) were available for analysis. Paternity index of four illegitimate child was investigated. Allelic frequencies and their confidence intervals among unrelated Japanese individuals were previously reported from our laboratory, and co-dominant segregation of the polymorphism was confirmed in family studies. Cumulative paternity indices of four illegitimate children from 16 kinds of standard blood group markers were 165, 42, 0.09, and 36, respectively. On the other hand, cumulative paternity indices from 7 kinds of DNA probes are 2, 363, 4,685, 57,678, and 54,994, respectively, which are 14, 113, 640, 864, and 1,507 times higher than that from standard blood group markers. The DNA analyses gave nearly conclusive evidence that the putative father was the biological father of the children. Especially, the paternity relation of the third illegitimate child could not be established without the DNA analyses. Accordingly, DNA polymorphism is considered to be informative enough for paternity test.

Seven DNA probes which recognize single-locus hypervariable region (HVR) were applied to a paternity test in which the putative father and his wife were deceased. Three legitimate children, an illegitimate child and her mother were available for analysis. The cumulative paternity index of the illegitimate child derived from 15 conventional blood group markers was 18.71 and from 7 DNA probes 92,572.08, that is, 4,948 times higher than the former. Thus the DNA analyses gave nearly conclusive evidence that the putative father was the biological father of the child. The application of highly discriminating polymorphisms of DNA which recognize single HVR loci is considered to be extremely informative in cases of disputed parentage.