(C) 2011 Elsevier B.V.

All rights reserved.”
“Pavania setiformis Loghmani & Hajiqanbar sp. nov. (Acari: Heterostigmatina: Dolichocybidae) associated with Onthophagus (Palaeonthophagus) vitulus (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) is described from northeastern Iran. This remarkable new species represents a new setiformis species group characterized by seta-like sc(1), instead of capitate trichobothria. The genus Pavania is thus divided into three species groups: the LY3023414 fusiformis group (15 species), the gymnopleuri group (3 species) and the setiformis group (1 species). We also found P. sabzevarensis Hajiqanbar & Khaustov, 2010 and P. onthophagi Hajiqanbar & Khaustov, 2010 phoretic on Gymnopleurus mopsus (Pallas) and Onthophagus (Euonthophagus) amyntas alces (Fabricius), respectively.”
“The buy Geneticin aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of single and combined administrations of GnRH

and hCG with and on the 12th day after artificial insemination (AI). Total 75 cows ranging from 2 to 3 years old were used as materials. All animals were divided into five groups randomly and inseminated in the first estrous period between days 40 and 80 after parturition. The first group received 10 mu g buserelin acetate both during AI and on the 12(th) day of AI. The second group was treated with 10 mu g buserelin acetate during AI and 1.500 IU hCG on the 12(th) day after AI. In the third group, 1.500 IU hCG was injected immediately and on the 12(th) day after AI. Cows in the fourth group was administered 1.500 IU hCG immediately and 10 mu g buserelin acetate on the 12(th) day after AI. The last group was left as control. The pregnancy was diagnosed with rectal examination between days 45 and 60 following AI. The proportion of cows diagnosed as pregnant was 40.0% (6/15) for group 1, 4 and 5, 46.7% (7/15) for group 2 and 3. GSK3326595 As a result of current study, it is identified

that GnRH and hCG administration during and at the 12(th) day after AI failed in increasing pregnancy rate and caused no statistically significant alteration in progesterone levels.”
“We demonstrate that polymer tandem photovoltaic cells can be fabricated by transferring a polymer:fullerene layer of the top subcell onto the bottom subcell using a thin-film transfer technique. A cross-sectional transmission electron micrograph reveals that a molecularly intimate interface is formed between the transferred layer and a MoO3 layer. Consequently, a tandem cell whose subcells consist of an identical polymer:fullerene layer has an open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 1.23 V that is equal to the summation of the subcell Voc’s, with its fill factor reaching 62%. This technique allows one to fabricate tandem cells with materials dissolved in miscible solvents, thereby expanding the range of materials that can be used for photoactive layers and interlayers in solution-processed tandem photovoltaic cells. (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

HBM data demonstrated that (a) the use if the restricted isomer di-n-butylphthalat decreased while di-i-butylphthalate levels remained constant and (b) human bisphenol A exposure might be overestimated without monitoring data.\n\nThe decrease of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-exposure proves the success

of German environmental policy after German re-unification.\n\nIn addition to GerES and ESB UBA is involved in different co-operation networks, the two most prominent of which are (1) the harmonization of AZD9291 HBM in Europe (ESBIO; Expert Team to Support Biomonitoring in Europe, COPHES/DEMOCOPHES; Consortium to Perform Human Biomonitoring on a European Scale/Demonstration of a study to Coordinate and Perform Human Biomonitoring on a European Scale) and (2) the co-operation between BMU and the German Chemical Industry Association (VCI). In the latter project emphasis will be placed on substances with a potential relevance for health and on substances to which the general population might potentially be exposed to a considerable extent and for which HBM methods are not available up to now. (C) 2011 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.”
“Objective: To

investigate the regulation of the cerebral renin angiotensin system and the effect of angiotensin II receptor type 1 inhibition on secondary brain damage, cerebral inflammation, and neurologic outcome after head trauma.\n\nDesign: The expression of renin angiotensin system components was determined at 15 mins, 3 hrs,

Selleckchem AC220 6 hrs, 12 hrs, and 24 hrs after controlled cortical impact in mice. Angiotensin II receptor type 1 was inhibited using candesartan (0.1, 0.5, 1 mg/kg) after trauma to determine its effect on secondary brain damage, brain edema formation, and inflammation. The window of opportunity was tested by delaying angiotensin II receptor type 1 inhibition for 30 mins, 1 hr, 2 hrs, and 4 hrs. The long-term effect was tested by single and daily repeated treatment learn more with candesartan for 5 days after controlled cortical impact.\n\nSetting: University research laboratory.\n\nSubjects: Male C57BI/6N mice.\n\nInterventions: Brain trauma by use of a controlled cortical impact device.\n\nMeasurements and Main Results: Expression of angiotensin II receptor type 1A decreased by 42% within 24 hrs after controlled cortical impact, whereas angiotensin II receptor type 1B expression increased to 220% between 6 and 12 hrs. Blockage of angiotensin II receptor type 1with 0.1 mg/kg candesartan within 4 hrs of injury significantly reduced secondary brain damage (30 mins: 25 mm(3) vs. vehicle: 41 mm(3)) and improved neurologic function after 24 hrs but failed to reduce brain edema formation. Daily treatment with candesartan afforded sustained reduction of brain damage and improved neurologic function 5 days after traumatic brain injury compared with single and vehicle treatment.

“
“In

a selleck inhibitor variety of bacteria, the phosphotransferase protein IIA(Glc) plays a key regulatory role in catabolite repression in addition to its role in the vectorial phosphorylation of glucose catalyzed by the phosphoenolpyruvate: carbohydrate phosphotransferase system (PTS). The lactose permease (LacY) of Escherichia coli catalyzes stoichiometric symport of a galactoside with an H+, using a mechanism in which sugar- and H+-binding sites become alternatively accessible to either side of the membrane. Both the expression (via regulation of cAMP levels) and the activity of LacY are subject to regulation by IIA(Glc) (inducer exclusion). Here we report the thermodynamic features of the IIA(Glc)-LacY interaction as measured by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). The studies show that IIA(Glc) binds to LacY with a K-d of about 5 mu M and a stoichiometry of unity and that binding is driven by solvation entropy and opposed by enthalpy. Upon IIA(Glc) binding, the conformational entropy of LacY is restrained, which leads to a significant AZD6738 mouse decrease in sugar affinity. By suppressing conformational dynamics, IIA(Glc) blocks inducer entry into cells and favors constitutive glucose uptake and utilization. Furthermore, the studies support the notion that sugar binding involves an induced-fit mechanism that

is inhibited by IIA(Glc) binding. The precise mechanism of the inhibition of LacY by IIA(Glc) elucidated by ITC differs from the inhibition of melibiose permease (MelB), supporting the idea that permeases can differ in their thermodynamic response to binding

IIA(Glc).”
“Statins have proven efficacy in inhibiting the onset and progress click here of atherosclerosis. The effectiveness of pitavastatin in reversing carotid atherosclerosis associated with hypercholesterolemia (HC) is unknown. To explore the simultaneous effects of pitavastatin calcium on brachial arterial flow-mediated vasodilatation (FMD), carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), and arterial stiffness (beta), three surrogate markers of atherosclerosis were studied in HC patients. A randomized, double-blind trial was performed with 40 HC subjects who fulfilled the inclusion/exclusion criteria. Patients were given pitavastatin calcium 1 mg/d (Group 1) or 2 mg/d (Group 2) for 8 weeks. There were 20 patients in each group, and 30 gender- and age-matched healthy subjects as controls were recruited. FMD of the brachial artery, carotid IMT, and arterial stiffness indicated by beta were measured at baseline and at 8 weeks after starting pitavastatin calcium therapy using ultrasound techniques. Biochemical tests were also made on all subjects. At baseline, higher total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), reduced FMD, and increased beta and IMT were observed in HC patients (P smaller than 0.001 for all) compared with controls.

(C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“A series of potent piperidine-linked cytosine derivatives were prepared as inhibitors of deoxycytidine kinase (dCK). Compound 9h was discovered to be a potent inhibitor of dCK and shows a good combination of cellular potency and pharmacokinetic parameters. Compound 9h blocks the incorporation of radiolabeled cytosine into mouse T-cells in vitro, as well as in vivo in mice following a T-cell challenge. (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier Ltd.”
“Persistent infection of hepatitis C virus (HCV) can lead to a high risk for hepatocellular carcinoma

(HCC). HCV core protein plays important roles in HCV-related hepatocarcinogenesis, because mice carrying the core protein exhibit multicentric HCCs without Selonsertib chemical structure hepatic inflammation and fibrosis. However, the precise mechanism of hepatocarcinogenesis in these transgenic mice remains unclear. To evaluate whether the core protein modulates hepatocyte proliferation and apoptosis in vivo, we examined these parameters in 9- and 22-month-old transgenic mice. Although the numbers of apoptotic hepatocytes and hepatic

caspase 3 activities were similar between transgenic and nontransgenic mice, the numbers S63845 mw of proliferating hepatocytes and the levels of numerous proteins such as cyclin D1, cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and c-Myc, were markedly increased in an age-dependent manner in the transgenic mice. This increase was correlated with the activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR alpha). In these transgenic mice, spontaneous and persistent PPAR alpha activation occurred heterogeneously, which was different from that observed in mice treated with clofibrate, a potent peroxisome proliferator. We further demonstrated that stabilization of PPAR alpha through a possible interaction with HCV core protein and an increase in nonesterified fatty acids, www.selleckchem.com/products/bgj398-nvp-bgj398.html which may serve as endogenous PPAR alpha ligands, in hepatocyte nuclei contributed to the core protein-specific PPAR alpha activation. In

conclusion, these results offer the first suggestion that HCV core protein induces spontaneous, persistent, age-dependent and heterogeneous activation of PPAR alpha in transgenic mice, which may contribute to the age-dependent and multicentric hepatocarcinogenesis mediated by the core protein. (C) 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.”
“Coronary artery disease and cancer may sometimes co-exist in elderly patients. For patients who require surgery, treatment strategy is always an issue. Prompt attention to the cancer is a high priority, while implementing the least invasive way to treat both diseases, if possible. We report a case of a 79-year-old woman with gastric cancer and multi-vessel coronary artery disease, where gastric cancer was successfully treated with perioperative use of intra-aortic balloon pumping (IABP), followed by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents (DES).

The phenol-sulfuric acid method Selleckchem VX 770 was used to quantify polysaccharides, and the monosaccharide composition of the polysaccharides was determined by gas chromatography. Stepwise discriminant analysis was used to differentiate among the five closely related species based on the chemical composition analysis. This proved to be a simple and accurate approach for discriminating among these species. The results also showed that the polysaccharide content, the amounts of the four low molecular weight compounds, and the mannose to glucose ratio,

were important factors for species discriminant. Therefore, we propose that a chemical analysis based on quantification of naringenin, bibenzyl, and polysaccharides is effective for identifying D. officinale.”
“Objective. The authors performed phase I/II clinical trial to evaluate the toxicity and efficacy of carbon ion radiotherapy (C-ion RT) for locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix.\n\nMethods. Between April 2000 and January 2006, 22 patients for Protocol 9902 were treated with C-ion RT.

The number of patients with stage IIB, selleck IIIB, and IVA diseases was 1, 18, and 3, respectively. All patients had bulky tumors measuring 4.0-12.0 cm (median 6.2 cm). The whole pelvic dose was fixed at 39.0 GyE for 13 fractions, and additional 15.0 GyE for 5 fractions was given to the gross tumor volume (GTV) and surrounding tissues.

With regard to local boost, a dose-escalation study was planned for 2 fractions to GTV. Total selleck chemicals llc dose to the cervical tumor was 64.0-72.0 GyE for 20 fractions.\n\nResults. All patients completed the scheduled therapy and no patient developed Grade 2 or higher acute toxicity. There was no Grade 3 or higher late complications at each dose. The 5-year overall survival rate and local control rate were 50.0% and 68.2%, respectively. Seven out of the 16 patients who received 64.0-68.0 GyE developed local recurrences, but all patients who received 72.0 GyE maintained local control.\n\nConclusions. There were no severe acute or late complications in this trial. C-ion RT has the potential to improve the treatment for locally advanced bulky cervical cancer by applying a total dose of 72.0 GyE, with the results lending incentive to further investigations to confirm the therapeutic efficacy. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.”
“We studied the dose-dependent cardiotoxic effect of propranolol. Intraperitoneal injection of propranolol in doses of 1 and 2 mg/100 g body weight produced a potent effect on central hemodynamics and myocardial contractility, impaired diastolic relaxation, and caused damage to cardiomyocyte membranes due to activation of free radical oxidation.

However, a spectacular difference appears: the density of states in flow displays a single mode at another frequency scale omega(min) << omega* governing the divergence of the viscosity.”
“Strigolactones (SLs) are carotenoid-derived phytohormones with diverse roles. They are secreted from roots as attractants for arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and have a wide range of endogenous functions, such as check details regulation of root and shoot system architecture. To date, six genes associated with SL synthesis and signaling have been molecularly identified

using the shoot-branching mutants more axillary growth (max) of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and dwarf (d) of rice (Oryza sativa). Here, we present a phylogenetic analysis of the MAX/D genes to clarify the relationships of each gene with its wider family and to allow the correlation of events in the evolution of the genes with the evolution of SL function. Our analysis suggests that the notion of a distinct SL pathway is inappropriate. Instead, there may be a diversity of SL-like compounds, the response to which HDAC inhibitor requires a D14/D14-like protein. This ancestral system could

have been refined toward distinct ligand-specific pathways channeled through MAX2, the most downstream known component of SL signaling. MAX2 is tightly conserved among land plants and is more diverged from its nearest sister clade than any other SL-related gene, suggesting a pivotal role in the evolution of SL signaling. By contrast, the evidence suggests much greater flexibility upstream of MAX2. The MAX1

gene is a particularly strong candidate for contributing to diversification of inputs upstream of MAX2. Our functional analysis of the MAX1 family demonstrates the early origin of its catalytic function and both redundancy and functional diversification associated with its duplication in angiosperm lineages.”
“Background Ventricular assist device WAD) implantation has become an effective option for patients with severe heart failure. However, device-related infections remain a significant Alvocidib mw problem. The aim of this study was to describe the incidence and microbiological aetiology of bacteraemia in patients with VADs, and to assess the impact of bacteraemia on clinical outcomes.\n\nMethods A retrospective study was conducted of patients having VAD implantation at the Alfred Hospital (Melbourne, Australia) from October 1990 to July 2009. Medical records and microbiology databases were reviewed. Patients who were supported with a VAD for 72 h or more were evaluated for demographic data, VAD type, the occurrence of bacteraeinia and clinical outcomes.

(C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.”
“Study design A retrospective single-center study. Summary and background

We routinely have used C1-C2 transarticular and cervical pedicle screw fixations to reconstruct highly destructed unstable rheumatoid arthritis (RA) cervical lesions. However, there is little data on midterm results of surgical reconstruction for rheumatoid cervical disorders, particularly, cervical pedicle screw fixation. Objectives The purpose of this study was to evaluate the mid-term surgical results of computer-assisted cervical reconstruction for such lesions. Methods Seventeen https://www.selleckchem.com/products/azd8186.html subjects (4 men, 13 women; mean age, 61 +/- 9 years) with RA cervical lesions who underwent C1-C2 transarticular screw fixation or occipitocervical fixation, with at least 5 years follow-up were studied. A frameless, stereotactic, optoelectronic,

CT-based image-guidance system, was used for correct screw placement. Variables including the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, Ranawat class, EuroQol (EQ-5D), atlantodental interval, and Ranawat values before, and at 2 and 5 years after surgery, were evaluated. Furthermore, screw perforation rates were evaluated. Results The lesions GS-9973 solubility dmso included atlantoaxial subluxation (AAS, n = 6), AAS + vertical subluxation (VS, n = 7), and AAS + VS + subaxial subluxation (n = 4). There was significant neurological improvement at 2 years after surgery, as evidenced by the JOA scores, Ranawat class, and the EQ-5D utility weight. However, at 5 years after surgery, there was a deterioration of this improvement. The Ranawat values before, and at 2 and 5 years after surgery, were not significantly different. Major screw perforation rate was 2.1 %.

No neural and vascular complications associated with screw ATM/ATR tumor insertion were observed. Conclusions Subjects with rheumatoid cervical lesions who underwent C1-C2 transarticular screw fixation or occipitocervical fixation using a pedicle screw had significantly improved clinical parameters at 2 years after surgery. However, there was a deterioration of this improvement at 5 years post surgery.”
“Filterability is an essential quality parameter of barley malt and significantly impacts productive efficiency and quality of beer. In the study, differences of metabolic capability, rather than of initial contents of macromolecules in barleys, were found to be the main reason for malt filterability gap between the widely used cultivars Dan’er and Metcalfe in China. Comparative proteomics based on fluorescent difference gel electrophoresis (DIGE) was employed to quantitatively analyze proteins of four commercial malts belonging to the two cultivars, and 51 cultivar-differential spots were identified to 40 metabolic proteins by MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry, mainly including hydrolases and pathogen-related proteins.

We show that BEAF32

is able to bind DNA specifically and with high affinity, but not to bridge long-range interactions (LRI). In contrast, we show that CP190 and Chromator are able to mediate LRI between specifically-bound BEAF32 nucleoprotein complexes in vitro. This ability of CP190 and Chromator to establish LRI requires specific contacts between BEAF32 and their C-terminal domains, and dimerization through their N-terminal domains. buy Androgen Receptor Antagonist In particular, the BTB/POZ domains of CP190 form a strict homodimer, and its C-terminal domain interacts with several insulator binding proteins. We propose a general model for insulator function in which BEAF32/dCTCF/Su(HW) provide DNA specificity (first layer proteins) whereas CP190/Chromator are responsible for the physical interactions required for long-range contacts (second layer). This network of organized, multi-layer interactions could explain the different activities of insulators as chromatin barriers,

enhancer blockers, and transcriptional regulators, and suggest a general mechanism for how insulators may shape the organization of higher-order chromatin during cell division.”
“To Selleck ON-01910 gain insight into the pathogenesis of hepatic fibrosis related to insulin resistance, we have examined the effects of euglycemic hyperinsulinemia on three matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-2, MMP-9, and MT1-MMP) and on two major tissue inhibitors of MMPs (TIMP-1 and TIMP-2) in liver

of insulin-sensitive and insulin-resistant rats. Four hours of insulin infusion (4.8 mU.kg(-1).min(-1)) without or with lipid-heparin infusion (to Ilomastat cost produce insulin resistance) decreased hepatic MMP-2 mRNA (by RT-PCR), pro-MMP-2, MMP-2, MMP-9, and MT1-MMP (all by Western blots) and the gelatinolytic activity of MMP-2 (by gelatin zymography) by similar to 60-80%. Hyperinsulinemia (similar to 1.6 mmol/l) increased TIMP-1 and TIMP-concentrations (by ELISA) in insulin-sensitive and insulin-resistant rats. Phosphoinositide 3-kinase was activated by insulin in insulin-sensitive rats and inhibited in insulin-resistant rats. Extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2) were activated by insulin in insulin-sensitive rats and partially inhibited in insulin-resistant rats; c-jun NH2-terminal kinase-1 (JNK1), JNK2/3, or p38 MAPK were only activated by lipid but not by insulin. We conclude that hyperinsulinemia, whether or not associated with insulin resistance, shifts the MMP/TIMP balance toward reduction of extracellular matrix degradation and thus may promote the development of hepatic fibrosis.

Genotyping was performed in 199 subsequent kidney graft recipients from deceased donors without induction therapy based on polymerase chain reaction method using sequence-specific primers for TNF-alpha (-308A/G), IL-10 (-1082A/G, -819T/C and -592A/C), IL-6 (-174G/C),

IFN-gamma (+874T/A) and TGF-beta 1 (in codons 10T/C selleck products and 25G/C). Genotypes were grouped according to the strength of cytokine expression. During a 5-year follow-up period, 14 patients died with functioning graft and 33 developed graft failure. The analysed polymorphisms were not associated with the incidence of DGF. The frequency of early episodes of AR was significantly associated only with TGF-beta 1 genotype. There was an association between -174G/C IL-6 gene polymorphism and the death-censored kidney graft survival. The risk of graft loss during 5-year follow-up period was greater by 57% for GG or GC (higher IL-6 production) than for CC carriers. None of the other analysed polymorphisms significantly influenced both patients Selleckchem Copanlisib and kidney graft survival, also in the analysis of the subgroup with human leucocyte antigen-DR mismatch. -174G/C IL-6 genotype of the kidney graft recipient could modulate the rate of graft excretory function deterioration and the risk of graft loss by influencing their constitutional

expression.”
“Purpose: The accuracy of predicting conversion from early-stage age-related macular degeneration CH5424802 concentration (AMD) to the advanced stages of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) or geographic atrophy (GA) was evaluated to determine whether inclusion of clinically relevant genetic markers improved accuracy beyond prediction using phenotypic risk factors alone.\n\nDesign: Cohort study.\n\nParticipants: White, non-Hispanic subjects participating in the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) sponsored by the National Eye Institute consented to provide a genetic specimen. Of 2415 DNA specimens available, 940 were from disease-free subjects and 1475 were from subjects with early

or intermediate AMD.\n\nMethods: DNA specimens from study subjects were genotyped for 14 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes shown previously to associate with CNV: ARMS2, CFH, C3, C2, FB, CFHR4, CFHR5, and F13B. Clinical demographics and established disease associations, including age, sex, smoking status, body mass index (BMI), AREDS treatment category, and educational level, were evaluated. Four multivariate logistic models (phenotype; genotype; phenotype + genotype; and phenotype + genotype + demographic + environmental factors) were tested using 2 end points (CNV, GA). Models were fitted using Cox proportional hazards regression to use time-to-disease onset data.

(c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.”
“Genetic mutation is one of the causative factors for idiopathic progressive hearing loss. A patient with late-onset, moderate, and high-frequency hearing loss was found to have a novel, heterozygous KCNQ4 mutation, c.806_808delCCT, which led to a p.Ser260del located between S5 and the pore helix (PH). Molecular modeling analysis suggested that the p.Ser269del mutation could cause structural distortion and change in the electrostatic surface potential of the KCNQ4 channel protein, which may impede K+ transport. The present study supports the idea that a non-truncating mutation

around the N-terminus of PH may be related to moderate hearing loss. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.”
“Double-strand breaks (DSBs), a common type of DNA lesion, occur daily in human cells as a result of both endogenous and exogenous damaging agents. DSBs are selleck kinase inhibitor repaired in two general this website ways: by the homology-dependent, error-free pathways of homologous recombination (HR) and by the homology-independent, error-prone pathways of nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ), with NHEJ predominating in most cells. DSBs with compatible ends can be re-joined in vitro with DNA

ligase alone, which raises the question of whether such DSBs require the more elaborate machinery of NHEJ to be repaired in cells. Here we report that chromosomal DSBs with compatible ends introduced by the rare-cutting endonuclease, ISceI, are repaired by precise ligation nearly 100% of the time in human cells. Precise

ligation depends on the classical NHEJ components Ku70, XRCC4, and DNA ligase IV, since siRNA knockdowns of these factors significantly reduced the efficiency of precise ligation. Interestingly, knockdown of the tumor suppressors p53 or BRCA1 showed similar effects as the knockdowns of NHEJ factors. ASP2215 price In contrast, knockdown of components involved in alternative NHEJ, mismatch repair, nucleotide excision repair, and single-strand break repair did not reduce precise ligation. In summary, our results demonstrate that DSBs in human cells are efficiently repaired by precise ligation, which requires classical NHEJ components and is enhanced by p53 and BRCA1. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.”
“Plasticity of sensory function has become an object of study because of its proposed role in the recovery of function after central nervous system damage. Normal pregnancy may provide a useful in vivo model to study the effects of progressive reduction in the abdominal skin receptor density. As such changes are confined to abdominal skin, other parts of the body are only moderately affected by pregnancy and therefore can provide a control for other changes during pregnancy. The two-point discrimination test (TPDT) of the skin is a simple test of the sensory function. We conducted the TPDT in a pregnant population longitudinally studied at different pregnancy stages and in different skin regions.