Displaced retinal ganglion cells project to the accessory optic system in the chameleon ( Chamaeleo calyptratus)

Retinal ganglion cells were successfully labelled in the chameleon by retrograde axonal transport of dextran amines that were applied to the nucleus of the basal optic root (nBOR) in an in vitro preparation. Labelled ganglion cells were restricted to the contralateral eye. Many cells were completely stained including their dendritic trees. With few exceptions, all cells had displaced somata that were located at the inner margin of the inner nuclear layer. The labelled ganglion cells had two to six primary dendrites that branched frequently and formed large unistratified dendritic trees within sublamina 1 of the inner plexiform layer. There was extensive overlap of the dendritic trees of neighbouring cells leading to an estimated coverage factor of 2-4. The dendritic field areas varied in size according to the retinal position of the cells and were highest in the central retina around the fovea with a maximum of 0.14 mm(2) and reached a second maximum at the retinal margin with values of 0.08-0.1 mm(2). The smallest dendritic areas (0.04-0.06 mm(2)) were measured midway between the fovea and retinal margin. The size of the soma area was not correlated to the dendritic field size and increased from 100 to 150 microm(2) near the fovea to 150-300 microm(2) at the retinal margin. There was no evidence for a retinotopic organisation of ganglion cell fibres within the nBOR. All cells were of uniform morphology that was identical to the type of nBOR-projecting displaced ganglion cell (DGC) described previously for the bird retina. Similar to birds, the labelled DGCs were the only source of retinal projection to the nBOR. A small fraction of cells had orthotopic somata located in the ganglion cell layer but were otherwise identical to the labelled DGCs. The similarity of chameleon nBOR-projecting ganglion cells to those described in avian retinas mirrors the close phylogenetic relationship of birds and lizards.     

外伤性视神经损伤后视神经及视网膜形态的动态观察

目的:了解外伤性视神经损伤后的病理变化、溃变特点与时相间的关系。方法:参照Allen脊髓损伤法,造成视神经眶尖段间接600gcm力冲击、挤压伤。伤后对视神经和视网膜行形态学动态观察。结果:①伤后48h,视神经轻度肿胀和空泡反应;1周时损伤处视神经出现溃变,神经胶质细胞增生,视网膜神经节细胞(retinalganglioncells,RGCs)形态改变不明显;2周时神经纤维轴束间空泡样改变,局灶性坏死,RGCs核固缩和细胞数量减少。术后3月,视神经损伤部位直径缩小,形成胶质疤痕,RGCs数量明显减少,核固缩细胞增多。②RGCs数量于术后48h、1周、2周、1月和3月分别比正常对照组低3.35%、13.23%、19.74%、23.20%、29.28%。③视网膜细胞在48h内出现凋亡。结论:本实验模型可造成明确的视神经和视网膜损伤,神经元的损伤程度从节细胞、中间神经元、感光细胞的次序依次递减。视网膜和视神经损伤的严重程度与时间呈相关性。RGCs数量在48h至1周时下降速率最快。     

脑啡肽与生长抑素在鸡视网膜无长突细胞共存的免疫组织化学研究

本文介绍用免疫组织化学的单标和双标技术研究脑啡肽(ENK)和生长抑素(SOM)在鸡视网膜无长突细胞的定位和共存。单标的实验结果表明,一些SOM免疫反应阳性无长突细胞的形态、胞体在内核层的位置及其突起在内网层的分支式样与某些ENK免疫反应阳性无长突细胞相似,虽然其突起在内网层的第3、4亚层形成的丛网不象ENK免疫反应阳性突起那样丛密,在内网层的第5亚层也未见SOM免疫阳性突起。双标的实验结果表明,一些无长突细胞显示ENK和SOM两种免疫阳性反应,而另一些无长突细胞分别只显示ENK或SOM阳性免疫反应。文中还对视网膜神经多肽间或与经典神经递质的共存进行了讨论。     

基于电刺激的外层型人工视网膜的研究进展

外层型视网膜假体采用了MEMS技术,通过植入到视网膜相应部位的电极来刺激神经节细胞,并且能够在大脑皮层视觉区域引起对应的特征电位反应,最终部分恢复生物体的视觉.这种外层型视网膜植入装置可分为眼外和眼内部分.后者功能相对重要,设计也较为复杂.它是由包含MPDA和微电极的刺激芯片及附属装置组成.本篇文章主体包括四部分:首先是视网膜假体的概况;其次是视网膜生理基础和视网膜假体理论的简介;在第三部分,为设计理念和MPDA的制造过程;最后,是对难题的讨论和未来发展的展望.     

Response of X and Y cat retinal ganglion cells to moving stimuli

Summary Single optic tract fibers in the cat were classified as X or Y cells by a contrast reversal stimulus. A slit of light was then moved across the receptive field at velocities from 10–1000 ° /s. The preferred velocity was that velocity which elicited the strongest response from the cell. The maximum velocity was the highest velocity target to which a cell could respond. Y cells as a group both preferred and could follow faster targets than X cells, and were more broadly tuned to the preferred velocity.This study was supported by Public Health Service Grant EY 00701 and NEI Grant EY 00376     

Anatomosurgical study of the superficial and deep circumflex iliac arteries

Summary An anatomical study of the superficial and deep circumflex iliac arteries in 43 formalin-fixed cadavers is presented. The origin, calibre, course, branches, symmetry and variations of the vessels are pointed out as well as their special features related to surgical applications.

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Etude anatomochirurgicale des artères circonflexes iliaques superficielle et profonde: bases anatomiques de la confection du lambeau libre iliaque composé cutanéo-osseux

Résumé Une étude anatomique des artères circonflexes iliaque superficielle et profonde est effectuée sur 43 cadavres formulés. L'origine, le calibre, le trajet, les branches, la symétrie et les variations des vaisseaux sont mis en évidence ainsi que leurs caractères particuliers en vue d'une application chirurgicale.

     

Experimental rat model for therapeutic retinal pigment epithelium transplantation—unequivocal microscopic identification of human donor cells by in situ hybridisation of human-specific Alu sequences

Transplantation of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells is discussed as a possible therapeutic approach for retinal degeneration. Xenogeneic transplantation of human RPE cells in animal models has been studied extensively. Various methods have been used to identify the graft cells, but these methods interfere with cell behaviour so that the monitored physiological post-transplantation course may be influenced. In the present study, we applied a method for an unequivocal identification of the graft cells without interfering cell metabolism or behaviour using in situ hybridisation (ISH) of human specific Alu sequences. Visualisation of the strong extended nuclear signal of Alu sequences was much easier than that of the small nuclear signals of donor-specific sex chromosome probes. With Alu probe, even single graft cells can be identified and their development can be observed in short-term and long-term studies. With this procedure, we could prove that donor cells were injected correctly into the subretinal space by a special injection technique that we developed previously. In combination with immunohistochemistry, donor cells could be clearly discriminated from macrophages, which contained phagocytosed donor cell fragments. Application of these ISH methods for species-specific identification was valuable for follow-up-studies of RPE transplantation.     

自发性高血压大鼠的微血管改变及其与血管内皮细胞损伤的关系

目的：探讨自发性高血压大鼠（SHR）的微血管改变与血管内皮细胞（VEC）损伤的关系。方法：以10只成年Wistar－Kyoto大鼠（WKY）为正常对照组（WKY组）。观察、计数10只成年SHR的肠壁微动脉管径和分支数，同时测定血浆亚硝酸根（NO2－）和内皮素（ET）并与WKY组对照。结果：SHR组的肠壁各级微动脉管径较WKY组变细（P＜0．01～0．001）、各级微动脉总条数较WKY组减少（P＜0．001～0．0001）；SHR组的血浆NO2-水平和K值［10g（NO2－／ET）」较WKY组低（P＜0．05～0．001），而ET较WKY组高（P＜0．05）。血压和K值分别与肠壁微动脉管径和条数呈负相关和正相关（P＜0．005～0．001）。结论：高血压的微血管结构异常与VEC损伤有密切的关系。     

The interaction of conflicting retinal motion stimuli in oculomotor control

Summary Oculomotor response has been assessed in humans during the presentation of conflicting retinal motion stimuli. In the majority of experiments a background stimulus was made to move with a constant velocity ramp in one direction followed by rapid resets at regular intervals. In the absence of an adequate fixation target this ramp-reset stimulus induced a nystagmus with a slow-phase velocity and saccadic frequency which remained almost constant as reset frequency was increased from 2 to 5 Hz. Moreover, the induced eye velocity could be considerably increased if the subject attempted active matching of display velocity. During both active and passive responses eye velocity gain reached a peak when display velocity was between 2°/s and 5°/s. The presence of small stationary targets induced a suppression of the passive ramp-reset response which was modified by target eccentricity and by tachistoscopic target illumination. When subjects pursued a sinusoidally oscillating target against a stationary structured background, eye velocity gain was significantly less than for pursuit against a blank background. The degree of interaction between conflicting stimuli was found to be dependent on their relative size, peripheral location and velocity. However, it appears that the human observer is able selectively to enhance feedback gain from one particular source in order to dominate stimuli from other unwanted sources.     

Origin of impulse initiation in the slowly adapting stretch receptor of the crayfish

Summary Characteristic for the crayfish stretch receptor is a gradual decrease in axon diameter up to a stretch of axon about 350 m away from the soma-axon border. In response to depolarizing currents applied at different positions along the axon this stretch of axon can be localized as the most excitable membrane region. When depolarizing current steps of 10–25 nA intensity are injected into the soma the first impulse is always triggered in the soma (due to sudden rise in the membrane potential) while the second impulse originates at the axon region of highest escitability. As the intensity of the stimulus is increased the site of impulse initiation along the axon shifts nearer to the receptor soma. At a stimulus intensity of 50 nA the second impulse is suppressed and only the membrane potential at the axon hillock increases slightly. An analysis of the conductances for sodium and potassium ions as well as of the leakage current suggests that the molecular basis for the observed variations in excitability resides in a gradual decrease of the sodium conductance between the cell soma and the small-diameter region of the axon. However, the resting potential in this most excitable axon region is only some 3 mV more positive as compared to the receptor soma. A mathematical formulation is presented for the encoder mechanism in a soma-axon region with varying diameter. Using a slightly modified form of the Hodgkin-Huxley equations the experimentally observed changes in membrane potential and in the time course of the ionic currents can be adequately described by applying a nonlinear cable equation to the inhomogeneous axon.