银杏叶对小鼠海马神经元超微结构的影响及抗衰老作用

目的 研究银杏叶提取物对小鼠海马神经元超微结构的影响及抗衰老作用。方法 取小鼠海马作实验材料，用定量体视学方法观察两组小鼠在不同时期海马神经元胞体，胞核，核仁等形态参数的变化，然后对结果用逐步回归的方法进行分析。结果 随着鼠龄的增加，细胞核体积逐渐减少。神经元损失较多，而银杏叶组上述变化较不明显。结论 银杏叶提取物可以影响小鼠海马神经元的超微结构，具有抗衰老作用。     

Oxygen-Dependent Processes in Monocytes and Metabolic Risk Factors for Atherogenesis

Oxygen-dependent processes in peripheral blood monocytes were intensified in patients with metabolic cardiovascular syndrome. This was manifested in increased production of O(2)(*-) and NO. Among metabolic factors (cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triacylglycerols, glucose, etc.), products of glycosylation (fructosamine) and plasma triacylglycerols were most potent in modulating generation of O(2)(*-) and NO by monocytes.     

Attentional, emotional and hormonal data in subjects of different ages

The differences in attentional style among subjects of different ages and the influence of emotionality on the attentional components were studied for a limited experimental period. Variation in the hormonal data and its relation to behavioural parameters were also evaluated. The subjects enrolled in the study were divided into four age groups (A 18–29, B 30–45, C 46–59, D 60–77 years). The attentional tests involved different types of attention: alert, go/no-go, divided attention and working memory. Emotionality was assessed on the basis of skin conductance, heart rate and frontalis muscle tone. Testosterone (T), free testosterone (fT), non-specifically bound testosterone (NST), sex hormone binding globulin (sHBG), oestradiol, cortisol and adrenocorticotrophic hormone were determined in the plasma. The data were analysed to identify endocrine and behavioural differences related to sex and age. The results showed an influence of age on reaction time (RT) and RT variability. This was particularly evident for groups C and D with respect to A in the simple (alert) and complex RT tests (go/no-go and working memory). Divided attention, with the highest RT, showed a clear distinction between group A and the other groups. The difference in frontalis electromyography (EMG) (test vs control) increased with age, while the autonomic responses (skin conductance and heart rate) did not vary. In most attentional tests, the age-related reduction of RT was associated with increased T, fT and NST and decreased cortisol.     

bFGF对胚胎神经干细胞分化为神经元及神经胶质细胞的影响

本研究观察了碱性成纤维生长因子对胚胎神经干细胞生长和分化的影响。从孕 12 d大鼠胚胎神经管分离神经干细胞 ,进行体外培养 ,分为碱性成纤维生长因子组及对照组。培养过程中观察神经干细胞的生长 ,于培养第 3、5、10 d用免疫组化方法检测培养细胞神经元特异烯醇化酶和胶质纤维酸性蛋白的表达 ,以观察神经干细胞分化为神经元及神经胶质细胞的状况。碱性成纤维生长因子可明显地促进培养细胞的生长和分化。免疫组化细胞计数显示 ,培养第 3 d,特异烯醇化酶、胶质纤维酸性蛋白阳性细胞数均明显增加 ;培养第 5 d,特异烯醇化酶阳性细胞数是对照组的 1.9倍 ,胶质纤维酸性蛋白阳性细胞数为对照组的 1.6倍 ,前者表达增加明显 ;培养第 10 d,两者的阳性细胞数仍高于对照组 ,但增加不明显。不同培养时间的胞体最长突起长度也均高于对照组 ;胞体直径及表面积随培养时间延长而增大。说明 ,碱性成纤维生长因子既能促进胚胎神经干细胞的生长 ,也可促使其分化为神经元及神经胶质细胞 ,尤以神经元为明显     

成年大鼠去皮层血管引起前脑室下区祖细胞增殖迁移并形成迁移路至损伤部位(一)祖细胞增殖迁移的部位在背外侧脑室下区

成年哺乳动物脑室下区(SVZ)富有神经干细胞、神经细胞祖细胞和胶质细胞祖细胞,它们能生成新的神经细胞、星状胶质细胞和少突胶质细胞。SVZ中的神经细胞祖细胞能形成切线形式的嘴侧迁移流(RMS)到嗅球,在嗅球分化成成熟的中间神经元。近年来证明成年动物实验性脑损伤和变性疾病都能引起SVZ细胞增生并能向非嗅球区迁移。本研究将成年大鼠一侧大脑皮层血管去除,15d和30d后取前脑作冠状及矢状连续切片,用BrdU和PCNA抗体显示前脑室下区正在分裂的细胞;用Tuj1抗体显示神经元祖细胞;用GFAP和vimentin抗体显示胶质细胞祖细胞。结果证明去除一侧皮层血管引起术侧及其对侧的背外侧脑室下区(dl-SVZ)的上述免疫反应阳性细胞明显增多,并向胼胝体迁移,在胼胝体内形成放射形式迁移路至损伤部位。本研究表明背外侧脑室下区的范围应包括背外侧角、外侧伸展和侧脑室上壁的SVZ,它们是切线形式和放射形式两种不同方向的迁移路祖细胞的共同源地。     

Neuroprotective effects of IGF-I against TNFalpha-induced neuronal damage in HIV-associated dementia

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection often results in disorders of the central nervous system, including HIV-associated dementia (HAD). It is suspected that tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha) released by activated and/or infected macrophages/microglia plays a role in the process of neuronal damage seen in AIDS patients. In light of earlier studies showing that the activation of the insulin-like growth factor I receptor (IGF-IR) exerts a strong neuroprotective effect, we investigated the ability of IGF-I to protect neuronal cells from HIV-infected macrophages. Our results demonstrate that the conditioned medium from HIV-1-infected macrophages, HIV/CM, causes loss of neuronal processes in differentiated PC12 and P19 neurons and that these neurodegenerative effects are associated with the presence of TNFalpha. Furthermore, we demonstrate that IGF-I rescues differentiated neurons from both HIV/CM and TNFalpha-induced damage and that IGF-I-mediated neuroprotection is strongly enhanced by overexpression of the wt IGF-IR cDNA and attenuated by the antisense IGF-IR cDNA. Finally, IGF-I-mediated antiapoptotic pathways are continuously functional in differentiated neurons exposed to HIV/CM and are likely supported by TNFalpha-mediated phosphorylation of I(kappa)B. All together these results suggest that the balance between TNFalpha and IGF-IR signaling pathways may control the extent of neuronal injury in this HIV-related experimental setting.     

Allergic airway inflammation induces tachykinin peptides expression in vagal sensory neurons innervating mouse airways

BACKGROUND: Allergic airway inflammation has been shown to induce pro-inflammatory neuropeptides such as tachykinin peptides substance P (SP) and neurokinin A (NKA) together with related peptide like calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in nodose sensory neurons innervating guinea-pig airways. OBJECTIVE: The present study was designed to examine the effects of allergen sensitization and challenge on the SP/NKA expression in the jugular-nodose ganglion neurons innervating the murine airways. METHODS: Using retrograde neuronal tracing technique in combination with double-labelling immunohistochemistry, the expression of SP/NKA was investigated in a murine model of allergic airway inflammation. RESULTS: Allergic airway inflammation was found to induce the expression of SP/NKA (13.2+/-1.43% vs. 5.8+/-0.37%, P<0.01) in large-diameter (>20 microm) vagal sensory neurons retrograde labelled with Fast blue dye from the main stem bronchi. CONCLUSION: Based on the induction of tachykinins in airway-specific large-sized jugular-nodose ganglia neurons by allergic airway inflammation, the present study suggests that allergen sensitization and challenge may lead to de novo induction of tachykinins in neurons. This may partly contribute to the pathogenesis of airways diseases such as allergic airway inflammation.     

bFGF诱导人胚视网膜色素上皮细胞转分化的研究

目的 探讨bFGF体外诱导早期人胚视网膜色素上皮（RPE）细胞转分化现象及其分子机制,为视网膜发育的进一步基础研究和临床RPE细胞移植奠定基础.方法 取4～6代人胚（6 w～10 w）RPE细胞,bFGF（20 ng/ml）诱导培养（4 d～6 d）后观察RPE细胞形态学的改变,用免疫细胞化学作转分化RPE细胞鉴定.RT-PCR分析转分化RPE细胞小眼畸形基因（MITF）的表达.结果 bFGF诱导培养后的人胚RPE细胞呈现类神经样细胞表型,不仅表达自身上皮细胞标记物角蛋白（Keratin）,同时还表达多种神经视网膜上皮细胞标记物（MAP2、GS、GFAP、Peripherin、Opsin,但不表达NCAM）;用RT-PCR方法没有检测到转分化RPE细胞MITF-A mRNA表达.结论 早期人胚RPE细胞的发育具有一定的可塑性,bFGF可以诱导早期人胚RPE细胞表达多种神经视网膜上皮细胞标记物,可能是通过抑制MITF-A的分子信号通路.     

Sleep-related neurons in the central nucleus of the amygdala of rats and their modulation by the dorsal raphe nucleus

The amygdala (AMY) plays an important role in initiating appropriate neurobehavioral responses to emotionally arousing events. Its major efferents from the central nucleus (Ace) to the basal forebrain, hypothalamus and brainstem permit it to influence sleep mechanisms. To characterize further the neuronal activity of AMY during sleep and wakefulness, we recorded single neuronal activity in Ace across behavioral states in freely moving, normally behaving rats. Of the 49 neurons recorded from Ace, 24 neurons had firing patterns related to sleep-wakefulness (S-W). Of these, 50% (n = 12) had a high firing frequency during wakefulness (W) or both W and REM sleep (REM), 12% (n = 3) were non-REM (NREM)-related, 17% (n = 4) had a high firing rate in REM (REM-ON), and 20% (n = 5) fired at a low rate during REM. Because serotonin introduced into AMY during REM induces short-latency changes of state, we also studied the effects of low frequency (1 Hz) electrical stimulation of the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) on Ace neurons. All REM-ON neurons recorded from Ace were inhibited by DRN stimulation, and other cell types were unaffected. Thus, we found that the majority of cells in Ace related to S-W fired slowly during NREM and increased their discharge during W and/or REM, and that the DRN has the potential for modulating the spontaneous activity of REM-ON cells in rats.     

Bilateral Occlusion of Carotid Artery in Awake Hypertensive Rats (SHR-SP) as a Model of Global Cerebral Ischemia

Bilateral occlusion of carotid arteries in awake hypertensive rats (SHR-SP) was used as a model of global brain ischemia (duration of occlusion — until appearance of seizures). In normotensive rats (WKY), no seizures developed over 60 min. We revealed swelling of mitochondria in dendrites of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells, which was more pronounced in SHP-SP than in WKY rats. Blood pressure and heart rate in SHR-SP rats increased starting from the first minutes of occlusion, while in WKY rats these parameters remained unchanged. We proved that bilateral occlusion of the carotid arteries in awake SHR-SP rats can be used as an adequate model of global cerebral ischemia. Translated from Byulleten’ Eksperimental’noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 146, No. 12, pp. 627–630, December, 2008