Projections from the ventral tegmental area and mesencephalic raphe to the dorsal raphe nucleus in the rat

Summary The origins of the dopaminergic innervation of the rat dorsal raphe nucleus (NRD) have been investigated using a combination of fluorescent retrograde tracing and fluorescence histochemistry. Stereotaxic microinjections of True Blue were placed in the central, caudal and lateral portions of the NRD, and after 6–12 days survival the brains were processed for fluorescence histochemical detection of catecholamines. Retrogradely labeled neurons were searched for in the diencephalic A11 and A13 dopaminergic cell groups, substantia nigra, ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the linear, central superior and dorsal raphe nuclei. The various NRD injections consistently resulted in retrograde labeling of a small number of catecholamine-containing, presumed dopaminergic cell bodies, confined mainly to three regions: the VTA, the linear and central superior raphe nuclei and the NRD itself. The present findings indicate that not only dopaminergic neurons in the VTA but also the system of catecholamine-containing cells, extending dorsally and caudally from the VTA within the midline raphe area, project to the NRD. Although often similar in size, shape and distribution to the catecholaminergic neurons the majority of retrogradely labeled cells in these regions were, however, found to be non-catecholaminergic.Abbreviations 3 Principal oculomotor nucleus - 4 Trochlear nucleus - Aq Cerebral aqueduct - cp cerebral peduncle - cst cortico-spinal tract - dscp decussation of the superior cerebellar peduncle - DTg Dorsal tegmental nucleus - fr fasciculus retroflexus - IF Interfascicular nucleus - IP Interpeduncular nucleus - LL nucleus of the lateral lemniscus - ml medial lemniscus - mlf medial longitudinal fasciculus - mNV mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus - NLC Nucleus linearis caudalis - NLR Nucleus linearis rostralis - NRD Dorsal raphe nucleus - PAG Periaqueductal grey - PN Pontine nucleus - PRN Pontine raphe nucleus - R Red nucleus - RCS Nucleus raphe centralis superior - SN Substantia nigra - VTA Ventral tegmental area - VTg Ventral tegmental nucleus     

Branching neurons in the cervical spinal cord: a retrograde fluorescent double-labeling study in the rat

Summary Branching neurons giving rise to ascending and descending collaterals were studied in the cervical spinal cord of the rat. After unilateral injection of two retrograde fluorescent tracers, i.e. DY.2HCl at T2 or more caudal levels and TB at C1 or more rostral levels, many DY-TB double-labeled neurons were found in C3 to C8. These neurons were located bilaterally throughout the spinal grey matter, as well as in the lateral spinal nucleus (LSN). However, no double-labeled neurons could be detected in the laminae I and II on either side. The double-labeled neurons must represent branching neurons giving rise to a collateral ascending to the rostral injection-site or above, and another collateral descending to the caudal injection-site or below. The descending collaterals were found to extend to various spinal levels, including the lumbosacral cord. However, most of them terminated at shorter distances from their parent cell bodies; thus 20% of the C3–C8 neurons projecting to C1 or above had a descending collateral reaching T2, 8% had a collateral reaching T9, and 3% a collateral reaching L2/L3. The ascending collaterals of the majority of the branching neurons passed into the most caudal part of the medulla oblongata, and about half of these collaterals reached the level of the rostral part of the inferior olive. In regard to the neurons located in the segments C5–C8, about 13% of those projecting to T2 or below distribute an ascending collateral restricted to C2–C4, while 29% of those had an ascending collateral to C1 or above.     

The cerebellar corticonuclear and nucleocortical projections in the cat as studied with anterograde and retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase

Summary The cerebellar parafloccular corticonuclear and nucleocortical connections were studied in the cat by means of anterograde and retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase.Previous investigations have given evidence that the cortex of the paraflocculus can be subdivided into three zones. These zones are recognized as C₂, D₁ and D₂. The material presented is compatible with the findings from previous reports with other methods that each of these zones sends its Purkinje axons to separate regions within the cerebellar nuclei. These terminal fields are the lateral part of nucleus interpositus posterior (the alleged nuclear zone C₂) and the dentate nucleus and its transition area with nucleus interpositus anterior (the supposed nuclear D zones). The parafloccular corticonuclear fibres appear to terminate along a continuous mediolateral band extending from the NL through the NL-NIA transition area into the lateral NIP. This observation is in concordance with our previous findings concerning the termination of the cerebellar corticonuclear fibres (Dietrichs and Walberg 1979, 1980; Dietrichs 1981). Within the NL and NL-NIA transition area the Purkinje axons from the ventral paraflocculus terminate ventral to those from the dorsal paraflocculus.The nucleocortical projection shows the same zonal arrangement as the corticonuclear connection, indicating the presence of a corticonuclear-nucleocortical reciprocity.The findings are discussed with reference to previous studies on the parafloccular corticonuclear and nucleocortical connections, and some comments are made concerning the cerebellar zonal subdivision of this cortical area.     

A time-dependent loss of retrograde transport ability in distally axotomized rubrospinal neurons

Studies on the effect of axotomy on adult intrinsic central projection neurons have generally assumed that the severed proximal axonal stumps were still capable of retrogradely transporting tracer at varying times after injury. Failure of transport was interpreted as neuronal death, which is at odds with current understanding that central projection neurons survive distal axotomy. We used lumbar spinal cord-projecting rubrospinal neurons of the rat as a model to evaluate the ability of injured neurons to transport tracer retrogradely at different times after distal axotomy. We examined only the caudal part of the red nucleus, since rubrospinal neurons are concentrated here. In control animals, tracer applied to the rubrospinal tract at the T10 vertebral level labeled ventrolateral rubral neurons, while C3 application marked all rubral neurons. From 3 days after a T10 axotomy and tracer application, most ventrolateral neurons were no longer labeled by another tracer application at the C3 vertebral level via an axonal cut. The phenomenon was not caused by tracer toxicity, since a T10 tractotomy without tracer application also prevented these axotomized neurons from being labeled when treated similarly. Thus, neuronal retrograde transport capability was seriously retarded 3 days after a distal axotomy. Loss of retrograde transport may merely suggest that a mechanism no longer in service has been switched off, or perhaps it may insulate injured neurons from the effect of lesion site-derived factors. Using this property, we were able to localize cervical spinal cord-projecting rubrospinal neurons in the caudal red nucleus. Results show that although they concentrate in the dorsomedial region, some neurons were found to extend into the ventrolateral part of the nucleus.     

Dysphagia lusoria: proposal of a new treatment

Summary Recent observation of one patient suffering from dysphagia lusoria has suggested critical review of treatment of the symptomatic aberrant right subclavian artery. Surgical correction of such an anomaly is difficult and may produce serious complications, and is not always successful. Endoscopic dilatation of the oesophageal stricture, even though it might only produce temporary relief of dysphagia, represents a valid therapeutical alternative because of its favourable cost/benefit ratio, low incidence of complications and patient acceptability.     

超声内镜与胃镜检查对上消化道黏膜下肿瘤的诊断效果分析

目的探讨超声内镜与胃镜对上消化道黏膜下肿瘤的诊断效果。方法选择2015年3月至2018年2月确诊的60例上消化道黏膜下肿瘤患者,均行胃镜检查和超声内镜检查,分析其与病理检查的符合率以及超声内镜检查的回声特点,并记录超声内镜检查的敏感性和特异性。结果以病理检查结果为标准,超声内镜检查的符合率为90.00%,明显高于胃镜检查的73.33%(P <0.05)。超声内镜检查对黏膜肌层肿瘤诊断的敏感性为90.32%,特异性为93.55%;对黏膜下层肿瘤诊断的敏感性为93.33%,特异性为93.75%;对固有肌层肿瘤诊断的敏感性为85.71%,特异性为97.87%。结论与胃镜检查相比,超声内镜在上消化道黏膜下肿瘤中的诊断价值更高,能够对病变的性质、部位及来源作出准确的诊断。     

经皮内镜下胃造瘘术的临床应用

目的 :进一步总结经皮内镜下胃造瘘术 (PEG)的临床应用 ,强调PEG是内镜治疗学中可以完全替代传统剖腹胃造瘘术的成功典型。方法 :采用非剖腹经皮内镜下胃造瘘术 38例操作过程及注意事项进行了分析总结。结果 :PEG成功率高 ,38例中 37例成功 ,并发症少 ,放置时间较长。结论 :PEG安全、便捷、有效、经济 ,为患者提供了一个不需剖腹手术旋转胃造瘘管的新方法 ,颇具推广价值     

内镜粘膜切除术在结直肠肿瘤诊治中的临床应用价值

目的：探讨内镜粘膜切除术（Endoscopic Mucosal Resection:EMR)在结直肠肿瘤诊治中的临床应用价值。方法：对1996年6月－1998年2月间电子肠镜检出的34例38个病变行EMR,并比较EMR标本与普通活检标本对早期癌的检出率。结果：对34例38个病变施行EMR成功37次,失败1次,成功率97．4％（37／38）。成功的37次中包括分割切除（Endoscopic Picemeal Mucosal Resecton;EPMR)9次。EPMR术中并发少量出血2例（5．4％）。病理检查发现多发息肉癌变率（100％）高于单发息肉（29．41％）,P＝0．001,肿瘤最大径＜1．5cm腺瘤癌变率为36．37％（8／22）、≥1．5cm为73．33％（11／15）,P＝0．045;EMR标本与普通活检标本对早期癌的检出率分别是52％和26％（P＜0．001）,而且普通活检的漏检率达50％（8／16病变）。结论：内镜下大肠粘膜切除术能够对常规圈套法不能摘除的肿瘤样病灶切取活检,以达到病理学诊断定性质、定范围、定深度的理想要求,且对早期大肠癌的检出率优于普通活检。     

犬逆行灌注心不停跳心脏手术中血浆心钠素变化

目的 :探讨经冠状静脉窦逆行灌注心脏不停跳方法对体外循环术中心肌保护的效果。方法 :16只健康杂种犬随机分为实验组 (浅低温逆行灌注心不停跳组 )与对照组 (中度低温心停跳组 ) ,每组 8只。体外循环 (CPB) 15 0分钟。于 6个时点采静脉血 ,检测血浆心钠素 (ANP)。结果 :两组CPB期间ANP及CGRP与CPB前比较均有不同程度升高 ,实验组ANP较对照组升高快 ,ANP在再灌注 30分钟达峰值 ,实验组与对照组ANP在CPB中各时点均有非常显著性差异 (P <0 0 1)。结论 :ANP可作为CPB过程中检测心肌保护效果的敏感指标 ;心脏不停跳法有利于ANP的合成和释放 ,具有较佳的心肌保护效果。     

NT-3、NT-4和BDNF在面神经逆行转运的动力学比较

目的　研究神经营养素 3(NT- 3)、神经营养素 4(NT- 4)和脑源性神经营养因子 (BDNF)在面神经中的逆行转运动力学特点。方法　将新西兰兔一侧面神经干横切断后置入硅胶再生室 ,再将 1 2 5I标记的 NT- 3或NT- 4或 BDNF或人血清白蛋白 (HSA) (10μl/只 ,约 3.7MBq)注入再生室 ,在注药后于不同时刻取兔面神经干和脑干面神经运动核 ,测定其摄取率。利用 3P87动力学处理程序分析计算各标记物在面神经的动力学参数。结果　面神经逆行转运神经营养素的转运量 :NT- 3>BDNF>NT- 4(P <0 .0 5 ) ,转运速率 :NT- 4>NT- 3>BDNF (P <0 .0 5 )。结论　研究结果提供了神经营养素在面神经逆行转运的动力学特点。