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A cell line named BBdF-1, established from the caudal fin of hill stream fish Barilius bendelisis, has been subcultured for more than 52 passages and is being maintained in L-15 media containing 20% FBS. Species origin of the cell line was confirmed using amplification of partial region of 16S and COI mitochondrial gene sequences. The optimum temperature for growth of BBdF-1 cell line was found to be 28°C. Karyotyping revealed diploid chromosome number as 50. Cells exhibited strong binding for cytokeratin marker and thus were found to be epithelial-like. Strong green fluorescence was observed in BBdF-1 cells transfected with phrGFP-II-N vector, indicating its suitability for utilization in gene expression and manipulation studies. Successful assessment of cytotoxicity of two heavy metals, viz. mercury and chromium, was performed. The cell line can serve as a useful resource material for early toxicity screening of pesticides/pollutant and gene expression.

Plasma fibronectin was determined in 29 patients with decompensated cirrhosis (7 patients had bacterial infection) and 23 patients with malignant liver disease. The obtained values were compared with the fibronectin values in 20 healthy subjects belonging to the control group in order to determine the possible diagnostic value of this dimer glycoprotein of high molecular weight whose role in the organism has not been completely explained. Fibronectin was determined on nephelometer with the use of specific antiserum by Behringwerke. The results expressed as mean values and SD were compared with monofactorial variance analysis (method One-way ANOVA). Fibronectin values in patients with liver cirrhosis were statistically significantly lower than in the control group (p < 0.01), which is also the case with correlation with malignant liver disease (p < 0.01). The fibronectin values in patients with malignant diseases were almost the same as the control group values (p < 0.01). In 7 patients with liver cirrhosis and bacterial infection the fibronectin values were statistically significantly higher in relation to those in the remaining 22 patients with cirrhosis but without bacterial infection (p < 0.001). The investigation in this study indicated that the decrease of mean fibronectin values is related to hepatic failure which is of diagnostic value, while normal values in malignant diseases do not favor the opinion on fibronectin as a tumor marker. Higher fibronectin values in infection in patients with liver cirrhosis are not clear, which indicated the total complexity of the relation between fibronectin as a dimer glycoprotein and chronic liver diseases including malignant.