Flip side of synaptic plasticity: Long-term depression mechanisms in the hippocampus

There is growing interest in the phenomenon of long-term depression (LTD) of synaptic efficacy that, together with long-term potentiation (LTP), is a putative information storage mechanism in mammalian brain. In neural network models, multiple learning rules have been used for LTD induction. Similarly, in neurophysiological studies of hippocampal synaptic plasticity, a variety of activity patterns have been effective at inducing LTD, although experimental paradigms are still being optimized. In this review the authors summarize the major experimental paradigms and compare what is known about the mechanisms of LTD induction. Although all paradigms appear to initiate a cascade of events leading to an elevated level of Ca²⁺ postsynaptically, the extent to which these paradigms involve common expression mechanisms has not yet been tested. The authors discuss several critical experiments that would address this latter issue. Numerous questions about the properties and mechanisms of LTD(s) in the hippocampus remain to be answered, but it is clear that LTD has finally arrived, and will soon be attracting attention equal to its flip side, LTP. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

兔心肌挫伤心功能障碍与心肌细胞内Ca2+和线粒体ATP酶的变化

目的：探讨心肌细胞内游离钙([Ca^2 ]i)和心肌ATP酶变化在心肌挫伤（MC）后心功能障碍发生机制中的意义。方法：随机选取兔36只，分为6组：正常对照、伤后2、4、8、12、24h，每组6只。经右颈总动脉插管至左心室测左室压力。采用BIM-II型生物撞击机致成MC模型。在上述时相点测定左室压力，并测定心肌细胞内[Ca^2 ]i和心肌匀浆组织及线粒体ATP酶活力。结果：心脏收缩/舒张功能受到损害，心肌细胞内[Ca^2 ]i升高，心肌匀浆组织及线粒体ATP酶下降，相关分析表明心功能障碍与心肌细胞内[Ca^2 ]i含量升高呈明显负相关，与ATP酶活性降低呈明显正相关。结论：MC后心脏功能下降，心肌细胞内[Ca^2 ]i含量升高和ATP酶活性下降可能是其原因之一。     

Sialic acid concentrations in the urine of men with and without renal stones

Summary It has been suggested that urinary sialidase may play a role in the formation of renal stones. The present study was therefore undertaken to compare spectrophotometrically the different types of sialic acid concentrations and sialidase activities in fresh first morning urine specimens of men (21–65 years) with (13) and without (9) calcium oxalate renal stones. Although the free urinary sialic acid concentrations of the two groups of men were statistically about the same (P=0.0614), the total (P=0.003) and bound (P=0.0012) urinary sialic acid concentrations differed significantly. Both the total and bound sialic acid concentrations were lower in the urine specimens of the stone patients than in their healthy counterparts. This decrease in urinary sialic acid concentrations was firstly thought to be the result of elevated breakdown enzymes of sialic acid, which would favour the production of pyruvate. However, spectrophotometric determinations of the endogenous pyruvate concentrations of the two types of urine specimens did not differ significantly (P=0.0708). Secondly, the decrease in total urinary total sialic acid concentration of stone patients, could be attributed to less sialic acid synthesis or less renal excretion. Therefore, the same experiments were repeated using serum of 13 patients and 9 healthy men. Conversely, the total (P=0.4425) and bound (P=0.2850) serum sialic acid concentrations were found to be similar in the two types of subjects. However, the free serum sialic acid concentration of stone patients was significantly lower than in the healthy subjects (P=0.0062). This phenomenon is also reflected in the average ratio for serum free: bound sialic acid in healthy and stone patients, 1:7.9 and 1:18.7 respectively (P=0.0009). The lower free serum sialic acid concentration may lead to lower renal excretions of sialic acid. This may explain the decrease in total urinary sialic acid concentration in stone patients. The lower bound urinary sialic acid concentrations in patients was also reflected in the urinary free: bound sialic acid ratio for healthy (1:2.3) and stone patients (1:1.3). The difference between these two groups of men was highly significant (P=0.0001). This phenomenon might be explained by the urinary sialidase activities, which was spectrophotometrically determined at 334 nm at 37°C of 11 patients with stones and 17 healthy men. The ages of both groups of men were the same (P=0.326). An increase in urinary sialidase activity was observed with the stone patients (P=0.00001) when compared to specimens of healthy men. This might explain the decrease in urinary bound sialic acid concentration of the stone group. It seems from these results that the urinary concentration of sialic acid and the activity of urinary sialidase, may play a role in the pathogenesis of the multifactorial disease, urolithiasis.     

子宫肌瘤患者外周静脉与子宫静脉血管内皮细胞生长因子水平测定及临床意义

目的:探讨血管内皮细胞生长因子(VEGF)在子宫肌瘤发生和肌瘤生长中的作用。方法:手术中暴露子宫静脉后,抽取子宫静脉血3ml,同时抽取非输液肢体外周静脉血3ml。抽取配对正常妇女外周静脉血3ml。ELISA法测定VEGF水平。测量子宫重量、肌瘤总重量、肌瘤数目和最大肌瘤最大径线值。结果:子宫肌瘤患者子宫静脉血和外周静脉血VEGF水平分别为159.38±25.63pg/ml和76.35±26.61pg/ml,对照人群外周静脉血VEGF水平为42.53±29.47pg/ml。子宫静脉血中的VEGF水平明显高于外周静脉血(P=0.019),子宫肌瘤患者外周静脉血中的VEGF水平明显高于对照人群外周静脉血的VEGF水平(P=0.013)。子宫重量、肌瘤总重量、肌瘤数目、最大肌瘤最大径线都与子宫肌瘤患者子宫静脉和外周静脉VEGF呈显著正相关。结论:VEGF可能参与了子宫肌瘤的生长和病情发展。     

黄芪对SHR心肌SERCA表达及血管平滑肌钙离子水平影响的初步探讨

目的:探讨黄芪注射液对SHR心肌SERCA的表达及血管平滑肌钙离子含量的影响.方法:将19只自发性高血压大鼠(SHR)与16只Wistar-kyoto大鼠(WKY)随机各分为空白对照组、低黄芪剂量组、中黄芪剂量组、高黄芪剂量组四组,分别每天腹腔注射0.9ml生理盐水和0.9ml、1.2ml、1.8ml的黄芪注射液共8周,再测量大鼠心肌中SERCA的表达和血管平滑肌钙离子含量.结果:SHR生理盐水组心肌SERCA在蛋白水平的表达,较WKY生理盐水组明是下降;SHR大剂量黄芪组心肌SERCA在蛋白水平的表达,较SHR生理盐水组明显升高.SHR生理盐水组血管平滑肌钙离子水平明显高于WKY组:SHR大剂量黄芪组血管平滑肌钙离子水平较SHR生理盐水组明显降低.结论:大剂量黄芪注射液能显著增加SHR心肌SERCA在蛋白水平的表达,能明显的减少SHR血管平滑肌钙离子的水平.     

体外反搏治疗血清对培养内皮细胞基因表达的影响

目的探讨经体外反搏治疗的冠心病患者血清对血管内皮细胞基因表达的调控效应。方法分别取接受体外反搏治疗的冠心病患者1、24和36h时间点的血清，用于培养人脐静脉血管内皮细胞。用cDNA基因芯片检测3个治疗时点反搏前、后血管内皮细胞基因表达谱。结果反搏前后比较，有10个基因（核转录因子、真核转录启动因子-4、平滑肌的肌球蛋白重链、α2-肌动蛋白、微管蛋白β肽链、组织相容蛋白G、黑色素黏附分子、神经介素B受体、蛋白激酶4K2、血小板凝血酶敏感蛋白-1）的表达在3个治疗时点上出现显著改变。在1h点均为上调，在24h、36h时点均为下调。结论体外反搏治疗冠心病患者血清对血管内皮细胞的炎症反应、细胞凋亡相关基因表达有调效应，并随体外反搏治疗时间的增加早抑制其表达的趋势。     

Prevalence of silent myocardial ischemia in asymptomatic individuals with subclinical atherosclerosis detected by electron beam tomography

BACKGROUND: Electron beam tomography coronary calcium imaging is an evolving technique for the early detection of coronary atherosclerosis, and recent studies have established its prognostic value in asymptomatic individuals. The relationship of coronary artery calcium scores (CAC) to obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) has been poorly studied but is clinically relevant because it determines which individuals are likely to benefit from revascularization procedures. Hence, we prospectively evaluated the prevalence of myocardial ischemia in asymptomatic patients with cardiovascular risk factors and subclinical atherosclerosis. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied 864 asymptomatic patients with no previous CAD but with cardiovascular risk factors, referred for electron beam tomography coronary calcium imaging to our institution over an 18-month period. From this group, 220 consecutive patients (85% men; mean age, 61 +/- 9 years; age range, 31-84 years) with moderate to severe atherosclerotic disease (coronary calcium score > or =100 Agatston units) were prospectively evaluated by technetium 99m sestamibi single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Patients were followed up (mean follow-up, 14 months) and data regarding their subsequent clinical management recorded. Of the 220 patients, 119 had moderate atherosclerosis (CAC score of 100-400 Agatston units) and 101 had severe atherosclerosis (CAC score > or =400 Agatston units). Abnormal SPECT findings were seen in 18% of patients with moderate atherosclerosis (n = 21) and 45% of patients with severe atherosclerosis (n = 45). Increasing severity of atherosclerosis was related to increasing ischemic burden (summed difference score = 1 +/- 0.2 for CAC score of 100-400 Agatston units and 3.2 +/- 0.5 for CAC score > or =400 Agatston units). In a multivariate linear regression model incorporating risk factors, CAC was the only predictor of silent ischemia. CONCLUSION: In comparison to previously published data, we detected a higher prevalence of silent ischemia even in patients with moderate coronary atherosclerosis (18%). This may reflect the differing risk factor profile of our patient population. When coronary calcium screening is used to preselect asymptomatic patients with cardiovascular risk factors for myocardial perfusion imaging, the optimum coronary calcium score threshold will depend on the population prevalence of risk factors and asymptomatic obstructive CAD.     

Naturally occuring antibodies against nerve growth factor in human and rabbit sera: comparison between control and herpes simplex virus-infected patients

Antibodies against nerve growth factor (NGF) in sera were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), by their isolation after passage of sera through NGF immunoadsorbent columns and by their specificity to bind and immunoprecipitate mouse NGF as well as to stain by immunohistochemical methods cellular sites of NGF synthesis. Increased levels of anti-NGF antibodies were found in sera of herpes simplex virus (HSV)-infected patients but not in HSV-inoculated rabbits. As HSV latency is known to be promoted by NGF in vitro, these results may suggest that anti-NGF antibodies modulate the cytokine function of NGF and thus might play a role in HSV infection. The biological function of circulating antibodies against NGF, in general, is now open to future investigation.     

不同分级肝硬化患者血清甲状腺素水平的意义

目的探讨肝硬化患者血清中甲状腺素水平的变化与肝硬化病变程度及其临床实验室检查之间的相关性。方法用放免法测定肝硬化患者血清FT3、FT4、PC-Ⅲ、Ⅳ-C、LN及HA，并按Child—Pugh方法将肝功能分为A、B、C三级。结果随着肝硬化病变程度的加重，血清肝纤维化指标逐渐增高，甲状腺素呈下降趋势，同时血清甲状腺素水平与肝硬化的低蛋白血症、腹水及凝血酶原时间密切相关。结论肝硬化患者体内存在不同程度的甲状腺素水平紊乱，紊乱程度与肝功能受损程度有明显相关性，联合检测血清FT3、FT4、PC-Ⅲ、Ⅳ—C、LN及HA对估计肝硬化病变程度及判断预后有十分重要的临床价值。     

Ca^＋＋对链霉素抗原—抗体反应的抑制作用

为探讨临床中使用钙制剂抢救链霉素过敏休克病人有良好效果的原因,由被动血凝试验、被动皮肤过敏试验和ELISA法证实,Ca~( )可以抑制链霉素抗原-抗体的反应。这种抑制作用是通过Ca~( )链霉素抗原结合,封闭链霉素抗原决定簇来加以实现的。