Structural white matter abnormalities in patients with idiopathic dystonia

We investigated whether structural white matter abnormalities, in the form of disruption of axonal coherence and integrity as measured with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), constitute an underlying pathological mechanism of idiopathic dystonia (ID), independent of genotype status. We studied seven subjects with ID: all had cervical dystonia as their main symptom (one patient also had spasmodic dysphonia and two patients had concurrent generalized dystonia, both DYT1‐negative). We compared DTI MR images of patients with 10 controls, evaluating differences in mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA). ID was associated with increased FA values in the thalamus and adjacent white matter, and in the white matter underlying the middle frontal gyrus. ID was also associated with increase in MD in adjacent white matter to the pallidum and putamen bilaterally, left caudate, and in subcortical hemispheric regions, including the postcentral gyrus. Abnormal FA and MD in patients with ID indicate that abnormal axonal coherence and integrity contribute to the pathophysiology of dystonia. These findings suggest that ID is not only a functional disorder, but also associated with structural brain changes. Impaired connectivity and disrupted flow of information may contribute to the impairment of motor planning and regulation in dystonia. © 2006 Movement Disorder Society     

UVA对人角质形成细胞的氧化损伤作用

①目的　探讨紫外线A(UVA)对人角质形成细胞氧化损伤的机制。②方法　用 5J/cm2 UVA照射角质形成细胞 ,酶生化法检测活性氧 (ROS)的含量及超氧化物歧化酶 (SOD)、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶 (GSH PX)活性的变化 ,流式细胞仪测定紫外线对角质形成细胞凋亡的影响 ,原位杂交技术观察 p2 1mRNA的变化 ,并与非照射组比较。③结果　与对照组比较 ,UVA照射组ROS含量升高 (t =113.6 8,P <0 .0 0 1) ,SOD、GSH PX活性下降 (t =5 7.2 3、19.0 4 ,P <0 .0 0 1) ,细胞凋亡率升高 (t=5 3.2 8,P <0 .0 0 1) ,p2 1mRNA表达增强。④结论　UVA对人角质形成细胞的损伤与氧自由基生成增多及细胞抗氧化能力抑制有关     

次声90 dB和130 dB致大鼠肝细胞损伤的超微结构改变

目的：探讨相同频率(16 Hz)不同声压水平(90 dB与130 dB)次声作用下大鼠肝细胞超微结构损伤特点及意义．方法：将雄性SD大鼠66只，随机分为对照组(6只)、实验1(90 dB)和实验2(130 dB)组．根据次声作用时间，实验1，2组各分为1，7，14，21和28 d时间组，每组6只．在相同频率不同声压水平次声环境下每日暴露1次，每次2 h；取肝左右叶两个部位组织用戊二醛和锇酸固定，透射电镜下观察肝超微结构变化．结果：1 d组：90 dB环境作用下肝超微结构无明显损伤变化，130 dB环境作用下肝细胞内有脂滴出现；7，14和21 d组不同环境和天数次声作用后肝损伤出现脂滴逐渐增多和肝细胞部分变性坏死改变，发现肝细胞内的各种结构随次声作用次数增多其损伤程度逐渐加重；28 d组其损伤程度均有一定程度恢复．结论：次声下可以对肝细胞超微结构造成不同程度损伤，28 d后肝细胞对次声的损伤作用存在着一定适应现象．     

细胞移植用于心肌修复--细胞心肌成形术的研究进展

由于心肌细胞的增殖能力很低，细胞移植作为一种新的治疗方法用于改善心功能及心肌活力已受到广泛的关注。目前已有胚胎干细胞、骨髓间充质干细胞和内皮干细胞在体外诱导分化为心肌细胞；动物实验中用于心肌移植的细胞有胚胎心肌细胞、造血干细胞、骨髓间充质干细胞、骨骼肌成肌细胞、内皮干细胞、肝干细胞和神经干细胞。其中成肌细胞移植用来改善心肌梗死后的心脏功能，已有临床报道，并取得成功。     

深部脑白质缺血影像表现与MTHFR基因多态性关系的探讨

目的：探讨MTHFR的纯合突变TT型基因是否为诱发皮层下深部脑白质缺血的危险因子，并证实皮层下深部脑白质缺血影像表现与MTHFR基因C／T多态性的关系。资料与方法：选择影像表现符合皮层下深部脑白质缺血诊断标准者30例，对照组30例为影像表现正常者，运用多聚酶链反应－限制性内切酶片段长度多态性技术（PCR－RFLP）检测两组MTHFR基因多态性。结果：采用χ^2检验，得出MTHFR基因纯合突变TT型在病变组与对照组比较差异有显著性（χ^2=5.0794,P＜0．05），病变组TT型较对照组显著升高，说明MTHFR的纯合突变TT型可能是诱发深部脑白质缺血的危险因素。运用成组设计两样本比较的秩和检验，得出TT型和非TT型患者在影像表现的分级程度上有差别，携带TT型基因者影像表现分级重。结论：MTHFR纯合突变TT型基因是深部脑白质缺血发病的危险因子，且TT型基因与深部脑白质缺血的易感性和影像表现呈明显正相关。     

硒抑制镍诱导的人肺成纤维细胞的DNA损伤

目的　探讨三氧化二镍(Ni2O3)对人肺成纤维细胞(human lung fibroblasts,HLF)的DNA损伤作用以及Na2SeO3的保护作用。方法　应用单细胞凝胶电泳(single cell gel electrophoresis,SCGE)检测DNA损伤。结果　Ni2O3 处理HLF细胞4 h,SCGE检测出DNA损伤程度高于对照组,差异有显著性(P<0.01)。而Ni2O3 Na2SeO3 处理组DNA损伤程度低于Ni2O3 组,差异有显著性(P<0.01)。结论　硒可抑制镍诱导的人肺成纤维细胞的DNA损伤。     

Brain tissue microarrays in dementia research: White matter microvascular pathology in Alzheimer's disease

Tissue microarrays (TMA) consist of up to 1000 cylindrical tissue cores from different donor paraffin blocks relocated into one recipient block, allowing for efficient histopathological studies by fluorescence in situ hybridization, RNA in situ hybridization or immunohistochemistry. On the background of the increasing interest of the TMA technique in cancer research and the suggestion of its application also in studies of non‐neoplastic intracranial disorders, the technique was applied to pathologic white matter in AD brains. Eight cases with AD and concomitant white matter pathology were neuropathologically diagnosed on whole brain coronal slides. The TMA technique was used to grade severity of white matter pathology and to quantify small vessels with traditional staining and immunohistochemical markers. These measurements were compared with the whole brain neuropathological assessment. The technique produced good results with preserved tissue structures as confirmed by the whole brain evaluation. Severity of white matter pathology evaluated on the TMA cores correlated negatively with small vessel quantities, and statistically significant differences in vessel quantities paralleled different grades of white matter pathology. It is concluded that the TMA technique could be further utilized in studies of dementing disorders, and may have its advantages in large, clinically well‐characterized materials (e.g. in quantitative mapping of white matter changes).     

强噪声引起豚鼠听器损伤的实验研究

本文将豚鼠暴露于120dBSPL强噪声2小时后第2、10和20天,分别行听性脑干反应(ABR)和光镜电镜内耳结构观察。结果声暴露后ABR反应闽与正常动物差异十分明显(P<0.01)。光镜电镜观察发现实验组动物内耳血管纹毛细血管淤血,细胞变性。外毛细胞听毛及表皮板明显受损。说明急性噪声性损伤后内耳微循环障碍,所引起听器缺氧性损伤的形态学特点。     

Neuroprotection with felbamate: a 7- and 28-day study in transient forebrain ischemia in gerbils

The use of glutamate antagonists and GABA agonists may protect neurons from the effects of transient ischemia. Felbamate is a new antiepileptic drug with glutamate antagonist and GABA agonist properties, We tested the efficacy of felbamate in a gerbil model of transient forebrain ischemia. Damage assessment was done with silver staining at 7 and 28 days after 5 min of bilateral carotid occlusion, Cerebral cortex, hippocampus (CA1 and CA4), thalamus and striatum were evaluated on a 4-point scoring system, The animals sacrificed at 28 days were also tested in a water-maze task to assess recovery of function, The initial dose of felbamate (300 mg/kg) was given 30 min before the ischemic insult in one set of animals and 30 min after the insult in another set of animals. There were 8 animals tested per group (total: 48 animals). There was significant neuronal protection with the use of felbamate, both before and after ischemia in all regions of the brain. Protection was seen in animals sacrificed at 7 and 28 days, Protection was moderate when felbamate was used before ischemia. It was highly significant when felbamate was given 30 min after the insult. Behavioral studies however did not show any difference in the felbamate treated animals versus the saline treated controls. The structural protection with felbamate was very significant when used in the post-ischemic period. This window for protection merits further evaluation in relation to the clinical setting of stroke.     

The long-term effect of pinealectomy on the crypts of the rat gastrointestinal tract

Abstract: Previously it has been found that rat small bowel crypt cell hyperplasia occurred several weeks after pinealectomy. To determine if this effect was longer-lasting (because of the possible role of the pineal in bowel malignancy) the crypt cell proliferation rate was determined in rat small bowel and colon 6 months after pinealectomy, using a stathmokinetic technique. Although the hyperproliferative effect of pinealectomy was well maintained in the small bowel crypts after 6 months, the hyper proliferative effect in the colonic crypts was much less marked. There is no obvious explanation for these findings, although it is possible that regional differences in levels of gut neuropeptides or melatonin are involved. The mechanism of the effect of pinealectomy on the crypts remains unexplained—in particular, why the effect is so prolonged.