Hand and finger skin temperatures in convective and contact cold exposure

The present study aimed at investigating the spatial variability of skin temperature (T _sk) measured at various points on the hand during convective and cold contact exposure. A group of 8 subjects participated in a study of convective cooling of the hand (60 min) and 20 subjects to contact cooling of the finger pad (5 min). Experiments were carried out in a small climatic chamber into which the hand was inserted. For convective cold exposure,T _sk was measured at seven points on the palmar surface of the fingers of the left hand, one on the palmar surface and one on the dorsal surface of the hand. The air temperature inside the mini-chamber was 0, 4, 10 and 16°C. With the contact cold exposure, the subjects touched at constant pressures an aluminium cube cooled to temperatures of –7, 0 and 7°C in the same mini-chamber. ContactT _sk was measured on the finger pad of the index finger of the left hand. TheT _sk of the proximal phalanx of the index finger (on both palm and back sides), and of the middle phalanx of the little finger was also measured. The variation ofT _sk between the proximal and the distal phalanx of the index finger was between 1.5 to 10°C during the convective cold exposure to an air temperature of 0°C. Considerable gradients persisted between the hand and fingers (from 2 to 17°C at 0°C air temperature) and between the phalanges of the finger (from 0.5 to 11.4°C at 0°C air temperature). The onset of cold induced vasodilatation (CIVD) on different fingers varied from about 5 to 15 min and it did not always appear in every finger. For contact cold exposure, whenT _sk on the contact skin cooled down to nearly 0°C, the temperature at the area close to the contact skin could still be 30°C. Some cases of CIVD were observed in the contact skin area, but not on other measuring points of the same finger. These results indicated that local thermal stimuli were the main determinents of CIVD. Representative hand skin temperature may require five or more measuring points. Our results strongly emphasised a need to consider the large spatial and individual variations in the prediction and modelling of extremity cooling.     

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.     

大鼠脊髓向中央颈核和外侧颈核的投射——PHA-L顺行追踪研究

将菜豆白细胞凝集素(PHA-L)分别注入下颈髓、胸髓、腰髓和骶髓等不同脊髓节段,顺行追踪脊髓向中央颈核和外侧颈核的投射。观察结果表明,脊髓不同节段注入PHA-L,在中央颈核和外侧颈核均可见到标记末梢;比较各节段脊髓的投射分布,未能发现明显的定位关系。一侧脊髓灰质注入,在两侧中央颈核均观察到标记末梢,但主要见于同侧;外侧颈核的标记末梢仅见于同侧。结果提示,各节段脊髓均发出纤维投射到同侧中央颈核和外侧颈核。     

一种股骨头假体个性化设计方法研究

为解决人工髋关节置换手术后假体无菌松动等并发症,适应假体个性化快速设计和制造的需求,对假体设计方法进行研究.采用医用CT技术、计算机辅助设计和有限元计算分析相结合的方法,依据患者股骨髓腔解剖形状和置换要求设计髋关节假体;用有限元软件ANSYS建立股骨的三维有限元模型,并自主开发计算机程序计算得到股骨的材料参数,在股骨有限元模型中实现股骨材料的非均匀及各向异性描述;用计算机仿真植入了定制髋假体的股骨--假体系统后的接触问题;分析对比股骨在术前术后的应力、应变大小及分布,检验假体设计的合理性;定量地确定股骨在手术后所产生的应力遮挡效应的程度,研究结果表明这种假体设计和分析方法更为合理、可靠,为优化设计假体和评估假体植入后的长期稳定性提供了基本方法.     

猫阴部神经传入传出成分在脊髓内的定位分布—HRP逆行及跨越神经节追踪研究

向猫阴部神经及其分支注入HRP溶液,观察并分析了逆行和跨节追踪的结果。 1.证实阴部神经为含躯体传出、传入,内脏传出、传入纤维的混合神经,其内脏性传出、传入成分仅存在于阴茎背神经中。 2.逆行标记细胞出现于L_7—S_3前角Onuf核和S_(1-3)的中间带外侧核。本文结果表明,Onuf核是支配盆底横纹肌的运动核,但它和其它前角运动核在细胞形态和活性物质的分布上都明显不同。特别是它的一部分神经元的树突形成树突束到达中间带外侧核。本文结合排尿、排便功能从形态学上较详细地讨论了Onuf核和中间带外侧核的关系。 3.本文证明阴部神经领域的内脏初级传入(来自阴茎背神经)和躯体初级传入纤维都向骶髓后连合核区有浓密的投射。结合以往的工作讨论了盆腔脏器、外生殖器的内脏传入和坐骨神经、阴部神经的躯体传入在骶髓后连合核区汇聚的现象及机能意义,推测这种汇聚可能是产生牵涉痛和针刺镇痛机制的形态学基础。     

家兔躯体(坐骨神经)和内脏(膀胱)初级传入神经元向骶髓后连合核区的投射—HRP跨越神经节追踪观察

本文作者研究了膀胱(内脏)及坐骨神经(躯体)初级传入纤维向脊髓的投射。发现内脏传入纤维和躯体本体觉粗纤维都向S_2—S_4节段后连合核区投射,两者的投射区有重叠。推测内脏传入和躯体本体觉传入的纤维在后连合核可能有汇聚。另外,根据躯体本体党纤维在髓内跨节段分布的范围和位置以及盆腔脏器初级传入的投射位置,结合文献分析和讨论了脊髓后连合核的位置和形态。提出在脊髓内存在着一个和脑部的孤束核在形态及功能上酷似的脊髓后连合核的见解。它在吻侧以对称的狭细细胞带起于胸髓下段,向尾侧逐渐扩大位于Ⅵ层内侧部,到骶髓成为位于中央管背外方的核团,S_3以下两侧者合并形成位于中央管背侧后连合区的较大核团,一直可追踪到尾髓。     

成年大鼠基底前脑隔-斜角带复合体的巢蛋白免疫阳性神经元至海马的纤维投射

目的 观察大鼠基底前脑巢蛋白(nestin)免疫阳性神经元的纤维投射。方法 先用荧光素逆行追踪法显示基底前脑内投射至海马的荧光素标记神经元，观察摄片后再进行nestin免疫组织化学染色。对比荧光照片和免疫组织化学染色照片，辨认荧光素和nestin双标神经元。结果 在基底前脑注射侧的内侧隔核(MS)和斜角带核的垂直支(vDB)和水平支(hDB)均存在荧光素标记细胞，其中一部分为nestin免疫阳性。在MS、vDB和hDB，双标细胞占逆行标记细胞的比例分别为21．3％、25％和20．6％；占nestin阳性细胞的比例分别为26．6％、15．7％和16．3％。结论 大鼠基底前脑的nestin免疫阳性神经元发出神经纤维向海马投射。提示在基底前脑有一个平行于隔-海马胆碱能投射和GABA能投射的第3条通路。     

Mast cell–derived IL-13 downregulates IL-12 production by skin dendritic cells to inhibit the TH1 cell response to cutaneous antigen exposure

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大鼠终纹床核向结合臂旁核的投射 Ⅲ.神经降压肽、促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子肽能通路研究

用荧光金逆行束路追踪结合免疫荧光双标记技术及HRP逆行束路追踪结合免疫细胞化学双标记技术证明,在大鼠终纹床核投射至结合臂旁核的神经元中,位于前外侧区卵圆核及其腹侧邻近区中的部分为神经降压肽及促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子免疫反应阳性,双标记细胞分别约占这个部位逆行标记细胞总数的40％及20％;在前腹侧区的梭形核及大细胞核中,部分为促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子免疫反应阳性。     

Ultrastructural features of mast cells in picryl chloride (PCL)-induced contact dermatitis in IQI/Jic mice

Mast cells are one of the major effector cells in the pathogenesis of allergic diseases such as contact dermatitis. In the present study, ultrastructural features of mast cells in contact dermatitis were examined. Namely, the ear of IQI/Jic mice was topically applied with picryl chloride (PCL) at 4 (1st), 11 (2nd), 18 (3rd) and 25 days (4th) after the sensitization with PCL to the abdominal skin. The changes in the ear swelling responses, total serum IgE levels and histology including mast cell numbers were similar to those of previous reports by our research group (Ikeda et al. 2000; Jung et al. 2001). Ultrastructurally, after the 1st application, a close spacial relationship between mast cells and neutrophils and phagocytosis of mast cell granules by neutrophils were observed. Mast cells generally contained non-fused swollen granules filled with altered contents with low electron density and showed an extrusion of membrane-free granules through membrane pores. In addition, interestingly, a few mast cells secreted membrane-bound granules into the dermis without leaving cell membrane damage. After the 4th application when the number of mast cells prominently increased and the total serum IgE level was greatly elevated, in addition to mast cells showing typical anaphylactic degranulation, many mast cells probably in the recovery process from degranulation and several immature mast cells characterized by well-developed Golgi apparatus, many ribosomes and a few electron-dense secretory granules in the peripheral cytoplasm were also observed at the same time. The present results clarified the ultrastructural features of mast cells in the course of PCL-induced contact dermatitis in IQI/Jic mice.