Functional synapse formation between cultured rat accessory olfactory bulb neurons and vomeronasal pockets

To investigate the interaction between vomeronasal receptor neurons and accessory olfactory bulb neurons during pheromonal signal processing and specific synapse formation, partially dissociated rat vomeronasal receptor neurons were co-cultured with accessory olfactory bulb neurons. Between 7 and 14 days in co-culture, a few bundles of fibers from a spherical structure, termed the vomeronasal pocket, of cultured vomeronasal receptor neurons extended to the accessory olfactory bulb neurons. An optical recording of the intracellular Ca(2+) concentration was used to monitor the synaptic activation of cultured accessory olfactory bulb neurons. Electrical stimulation of the vomeronasal pocket between 7 and 14 days in co-culture had no effects on most of the cultured neurons tested, although it occasionally evoked weak responses in a small number of neurons. In contrast, vomeronasal pocket stimulation after 21 days in co-culture evoked clear calcium transients in a substantial number of cultured accessory olfactory bulb neurons. These responses of accessory olfactory bulb neurons were reversibly suppressed by the application of 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione; the calcium transients disappeared in most of the neurons and were diminished in the others. The application of d-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid partially affected the calcium transients, but blocked spontaneous calcium increases, which were observed repeatedly in accessory olfactory bulb-alone cultures. The application of both 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione and d-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid completely blocked the evoked calcium transients. These results suggest that functional glutamatergic synapses between vomeronasal receptor neurons and accessory olfactory bulb neurons were formed at around 21 days in co-culture.     

Facial nerve paralysis following mandibular trauma: a case report

A strong posteriorly directed force applied to the mandible resulting in fracture, can also displace the mandibular condyle towards the external auditory canal or superiorly against the mandibular fossa, causing its penetration into the middle cranial fossa or even the fracture of the temporal bone. We report the case of a 30-year-old male patient victim of a bicycle accident that developed facial expression muscles paralysis on the left side soon after the trauma. On physical examination he presented left side postauricular ecchymosis, diminished muscular tonus of the left mouth angle and difficulty to close the left eye, he did not present clinical signs of facial fractures. The neurological and CT scan examination revealed fracture of the left temporal bone with total facial expression muscles paralysis. The patient was referred to the neurosurgical team for evaluation and they opted for a conservative treatment. After 3 months the patient showed a marked improvement with almost normal facial expression muscle movements. The trauma dynamics and treatment details are discussed.     

The efficiency assessment of rehabilitation with DBC method in low back pain patients

Rehabilitation in patients with low back pain is one of the crucial therapeutic and social problems. This work attempts to present therapeutic procedures according to DBC (Documentation Based Care) treatment concept. The aim of the research was to assess the efficiency of DBC method on the basis of spine mobility in frontal, saggital and transverse plane and also on the basis of patient's subjective feelings. The research was carried out among 50 patients (52,5 years on average) including 23 females and 27 males. All the patients participating in the research were chosen deliberately and suffered from chronic low back pain caused by degenerative changes. On the basis of research range of motion (ROM) improvement in all planes, decrease of pain and functional impairment were stated.     

The subcellular organelles of peroxisome, realization of biologic functions of trophology, homeostasis, endoecology and functional bond with mitochondrion: the lecture

The biologic role of peroxisomes in cells is that the organelles in respect to fatty acids, lipids and substrates synthesized from acetate implement the same fimnctions as the lysosomes exercise to proteins and polypeptides. The biologic role of peroxisomes is to optimize in vivo the exogenous fatty acids in hepatocytes under the realization of biologic functions of trophology, homeostasis, endoecology. About 800 individual fatty acids can penetrate into organism with food. At that, no more than thirty of them undergo the metabolic transformation in vivo. The rest hundreds of fatty acids are aphysiologic and have to be oxidized into peroxisomes under isochronic activation of alpha-, beta- and omega-oxydases without ATP formation. If in peroxisomes are formed fatty acids that can oxidize mitochondrions by beta-oxidation then the proteins of cytosol transfer fatty acids from peroxisomes to mitochondrions. The mitochondrions oxidize fatty acids in the Krebs cycle to form ATP. The oxidation in peroxisomes concerns the fatty acids with odd numbers of carbon atoms, the transforms of unsaturated fatty acids, the very long chain fatty acids, the fatty acids with carbon atoms side-chains, the dicarboxylic fatty acids, the fatty acids with benzene or indole rings in carbon atoms chains. The peroxisomes oxidize the surplus amount of exogenous palmitic saturated fatty acid too. The peroxisomes implement the biologic.function of endoecology on autocrine level supporting the "purity" of cells cytosol and interact functionally with mitochondrions. In the intercellular medium of paracrine cells coens the fimctions of endoecology are realized by the Toll-similar receptors by the "our-not our" principle concerning phospholipids, positional aphysiologic triglycerides and proteolipids. In the peroxisomes, under the simultaneous oxidation of very long chain fatty acids, the synthesis by primate cells is possible of some amount of essential unsaturated and polyene fatty acids. The limited formation by animal cells of glucose from fatty acids is possible in the sequence "acetoneacetol spirit-metilglyoxal-D-glucose. The mutations in primary structure of peroxisomes oxidases are the main in-herent pathology.     

MRI findings in pediatric neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder with MOG antibody: Four cases and review of the literature

Background

Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibodies (MOG Abs) are frequently detected in pediatric acquired demyelinating syndrome (ADS), and MOG-Ab-positive ADS differs from multiple sclerosis (MS) and aquaporin-4 (AQP4)-Ab-positive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) in terms of age distribution, therapeutic response, and prognosis.

Excitatory influence of the accessory olfactory bulb on tuberoinfundibular arcuate neurons of female mice and its modulation by oestrogen

The role of the accessory olfactory bulb in conveying pheromonal information to tuberoinfundibular arcuate neurons was examined electrophysiologically in chloral hydrate-anaesthetized, oestrogen (0.5 micrograms in silastic capsules)-treated and untreated ovariectomized Balb/c female mice. Electrical stimulation of the accessory olfactory bulb orthodromically excited part of tuberoinfundibular neurons which were antidromically stimulated from the median eminence and histologically verified as being located within the arcuate nucleus. No inhibitions followed accessory bulb stimulation. The excitatory response to accessory bulb stimulation was reversibly blocked by the local anaesthetic lignocaine infused into the amygdala. The percentage of tuberoinfundibular arcuate neurons responding to accessory bulb stimulation was significantly higher in oestrogen-treated than in untreated animals. There was no difference between the two groups for the antidromic activation threshold, spontaneous firing rate, absolute refractory period or frequency of successful antidromic propagation into the soma of tuberoinfundibular arcuate neurons. In oestrogen-treated preparations, tuberoinfundibular arcuate neurons responsive and unresponsive to accessory bulb stimulation could be distinguished by the frequency of successful antidromic propagation into the soma. These studies demonstrate that olfactory relay neurons in the accessory olfactory bulb act to enhance the activity of a subpopulation of tuberoinfundibular arcuate neurons via the amygdala and that this neural transmission is modulated by oestrogen.     

Differential expression of connexin43 and desmin defines two subpopulations of medial smooth muscle cells in the human internal mammary artery.

Upregulation of connexin43-gap junctions is associated with transition of contractile vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) to the synthetic state. To determine whether phenotypically distinct subpopulations of medial SMCs differentially express connexin43, we investigated the human distal internal mammary artery, a structurally heterogeneous vessel with features ranging from elastic to elastomuscular to muscular. Immunoconfocal microscopy combined with quantitative analysis and complemented by in situ hybridization showed that SMCs in the elastic medial regions expressed high levels of connexin43 but low levels of desmin, whereas those of muscular medial regions expressed low levels of connexin43 but high levels of desmin. Ultrastructurally, SMCs of both regions were of the contractile phenotype, but the former cells were irregular in shape with relatively prominent synthetic organelles whereas the latter were spindle shaped with fewer synthetic organelles. Vimentin, smooth muscle alpha-actin, calponin, h-caldesmon, and myosin heavy chains (SM1 and SM2) were equally highly expressed by most cells in both subpopulations. The connexin43/desmin expression pattern of SMCs in regions of intimal thickening resembled those of elastic medial regions. These findings refine the view suggested from previous studies that high levels of connexin43 expression are associated with SMCs of a less contractile/more synthetic phenotype. In the internal mammary artery, the 2 subpopulations of SMCs with markedly different connexin43 expression levels both represent a differentiated contractile phenotype, but the subpopulation showing high levels of connexin43-gap junctions is characterized by low levels of desmin and structural features that reflect a more synthetic tendency.