The European Society of Toxicologic Pathology (ESTP) offers every second year an award for a thesis in toxicological pathology, sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG.

Winners in 2004:

1. Dr. Nadja Herbach
   honored with EUR 5,000
   Dr. Nadja Herbach is awarded for her doctoral thesis entitled "Clinical and pathological characterization of a novel transgenic animal model of diabetes mellitus expressing a dominant negative Glucose-dependent Insulinotropic Polypeptide Receptor (GIPRdn)". With this thesis she describes comprehensively the clinical and pathological features of this model. The literature review introduces not only into the topic of diabetes mellitus, but gives also an overview of existing animal models of this disease, of the endocrine pancreas and the biology of the Glucose-dependent Insulinotropic Polypeptide (GIP). In the experimental part Dr. Herbach has applied a wide spectrum of techniques such as Polymerase Chain Reaction for identification of transgenic animals, clinical chemical analysis of blood and urine as well as histochemical, immunohistochemical and morphometrical investigations of pancreatic endocrine cells and renal glomeruli, among others. All experiments were adequately designed and conducted. Based on the appropriate choice of end points investigated, the results gave a comprehensive description of the GIPRdn mouse. They show that this transgenic mouse is a valuable model for investigations of the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus and diabetes-associated organ lesions. With its early onset of diabetes and the lack of non-diabetes related organ pathology this model is a valuable alternative to the existing models of diabetes.
   
   Reference:
   Herbach N. Clinical and pathological characterization of a novel transgenic animal model of diabetes mellitus expressing a dominant negative glucose-dependent Insulinotropic Polypeptide receptor (GIPRdn) [dissertation] Munich (Germany), Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 2002
   
   
2. Dr. Andreas Alfons Beineke
   honored with EUR 3,000
   Dr. Beineke is honored for his thesis entitled "Untersuchung des möglichen Einflusses von Umweltchemikalien auf die lymphatischen Organe von Schweinswalen aus der Nord- und Ostsee sowie dem Atlantik unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Zytokin-Expression". In this dissertation he describes in an exemplary manner the immunosuppressive effects of environmental contaminants on harbor porpoises.
   
   The clearly structured literature survey introduces into the subject. The own investigations were planned in a way which is fully compatible with the state of the art of current immunotoxicology and included morphological evaluations as well as functional tests. Most tests, particularly a large number of monoclonal antibodies, first had to be validated for this uncommon species. By histological and immunohistochemical investigations of the immune system he showed that specific lymphocyte subpopulations of thymus and spleen were affected. He demonstrated the functional importance of this depletion: The production of certain cytokines was impaired, as demonstrated by RT-PCR. These morphological and functional findings were set in relation to adipose tissue concentrations of various environmental contaminants indicating a highly significant correlation to the concentrations of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and PBDEs (polybrominated diphenylethers).
   
   The results were critically evaluated and confounding factors such as infectious diseases were considered. The issue of simultaneous effects of a large number of environmental contaminants was adequately considered by use of the internationally accepted concept of Toxicity Equivalents.
   
   Reference:
   Beineke AA. Untersuchung des möglichen Einflusses von Umweltchemikalien auf die lymphatischen Organe von Schweinswalen aus der Nord- und Ostsee sowie dem Atlantik unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Zytokin-Expression [Dissertation] Giessen (Germany), Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, 2003
   
   
3. Duangrudee Cherdwongcharoensuk BSc, MSc
   honored with EUR 2,000
   Mrs. Duangrudee Cherdwongcharoensuk is honored for her thesis entitled "Changes in the Respiratory System Caused by Exposure of Mice to Selenium or its Derivative". She introduces into sources of Selenium (Se) emission, exposure levels, incidents of human intoxication, and experimental investigation on Se toxicity with a clearly structured literature review.
   
   Her own investigations were well designed and conducted. Histological examinations revealed that single intratracheal instillation of dimethyl selenide caused reversible effects to the trachea, but led to irreversible pulmonary findings. With cytological and clinical chemical investigations of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid she demonstrated the time- and dose dependency of the inflammatory reaction. Immunostaining for different collagens revealed that dimethyl selenide caused only a transient increase in collagen I. Furthermore, she was able to demonstrate the clearance of selenium particles from the alveoli by macrophages and their transport into the interstitium by application of scanning electron microscopy coupled with X-ray elemental microanalysis.
   
   In her thesis Mrs. Cherdwongcharoensuk has investigated important aspects of the airway toxicity of Se and deimethyl selenide.
   
   Reference:
   Cerdwongcharoensuk D. Changes in the Respiratory System Caused by Exposure of Mice to Selenium or its Derivative. [dissertation] Porto (Portugal), Universidade do Porto, 2004
   
   

Lindau, September 29, 2004