Development of specificity in corticospinal connections by axon collaterals branching selectively into appropriate spinal targets

Corticospinal projections in adult rodents arise exlusively from layer V neurons in the sensorimotor cortex. These neurons are topographically organized in their connections to spinal cord targets. Previous studies in rodents have shown that the mature distribution pattern of corticospinal neurons develops during the first 2 weeks postnatal from an initial widespread pattern that includes the visual cortex to a distribution restricted to the sensorimotor cortex. To determine whether specificity in corticospinal connections also emerges from an intially diffuse set of projections, we have studied the outgrowth of corticospinal axons and the formation of terminal arbors in developing hamsters. The sensitive fluorescent tracer 1, 1′, dioctadecyl-3, 3, 3′, 3′-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorat (DiI) was used to label corticospinal axons from the visual cortex or from small regions of the forelimb or hindlimb sensorimotor cortex in living animals at 4–17 days postnatal. Initially axon outgrowth was imprecise. Some visual cortical axons extended transiently beyond their permanent targets in the pontine nuclei, by growing through the pyramidal decussation and in some cases extending as far caudally as the lumbar enlargement. Forelimb sensorimotor axons also extended past their targets in the cervical enlargement, in many cases growing in the corticospinal tract to lumbar levels of the cord. By about 17 days postnatal these misdirected axons or axon segments were withdrawn from the tract. Despite these errors in axon trajectories within the corticospinal tract, terminal arbors branching into targets in the spinal gray matter were topographically appropriate from the earliest stages of innervation. Thus visula cortical axons never formed connections in the spinal cord, forelimb sensorimotor axons arborized only in the cervical enlargement, and hindlimb cortical axons terminated only in the lumbar cord at all stages of development examined. Corticospinal arbors formed from collaterals that extended at right angles from the shafts of primary axons, most likely by the process of interstitial branching after the primary growth cone had extended past the target. Once collaterals extended into the spinal gray matter, highly branched terminal arbors formed within 2–4 days, beginning at about 4 and 8 days postnatal for the cervical and lumbar enlargements, respectively. These results show that specificity in connectivity is achieved by selectivty growth of axon collaterals in to appropriate spinal targets from the beginning and not by the later remodeling of intially diffuse connections. In contrast, errors occur in the initial outgrowth of axons in the corticospinal tract, which are subsequently corrected. Copyright © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Inheritance of monoclonal rheumatoid factor cross-reactive idiotypes in primary Sjogren''s syndrome (pSS). Comparative studies of a rabbit polyclonal anti-idiotype and 17109 monoclonal anti-idiotype

Abstract. A comparison of the presence of two idiotypes, one identified by a rabbit polyclonal anti-idiotypic antibody, first found on a cryoprecipitable IgM.± rheumatoid factor (RF) from an SS patient (3rd SS) and the 17109 idiotype, identified by a monoclonal antibody was performed in 106 sera and eight minor salivary gland biopsies of Sjögren's syndrome (SS) patients and 125 sera from age-sex matched normal controls. Of 106 of SS patients' sera 36 had immuno-globulins positive for the 3rd SS idiotype. 17109 activity was more prevalent in SS patients positive for the polyclonal anti-idiotype 3rd SS, than those with negative idiotype (9/36 VS 2/70 times2= 12.53 P <0.005). Cross inhibition studies, however, revealed that the polyclonal anti-idiotype binding was not inhibited by the 17109 moAb. 3rd SS and 17109 anti-idiotypes were reacted with immunoglobulins in the serum of 3–5% and 1.7% of normal human sera respectively. Immu-nohistologic studies demonstrated that 4/8 and 2/6 minor salivary gland biopsies had infiltrating plasma cells containing immunoglobulins bearing the 3rd SS and the 17109 idiotypes, respectively. The inheritance of both idiotypes was investigated in sera of 4 SS kindreds. In two kindreds with 3rd SS positive pro-bands, the idiotype was detected in 3 first degree relatives of the same generation. 17109 activity was detected in the serum of a sister of the positive proband who had a high RF titer. These results suggest that the 17109 moAb recognizes a different epitope of that of the 3rd SS. The idiotypes of monoclonal RFs are not inherited and probably are produced by plasma cells infiltrating the labial minor salivary glands of SS patients.     

Interactions between epidermal growth factor-mediated autocrine regulation and linoleic acid-stimulated growth of a human prostate cancer cell line.

Human prostate cancer (PC) cell lines possess epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptors and secrete EGF-related polypeptides. We used an EGF receptor-blocking antibody (anti-EGF.R) to demonstrate a functional autocrine loop, as well as the interaction between this and the effects of linoleic acid (LA), an omega-6 fatty acid, on PC cell growth. The anti-EGF.R competed effectively with [125I]EGF for receptors on DU145 PC cells, and on a high-passage DU145 variant (DU145M); when added to the culture medium, it suppressed both DU145 and DU145M cell growth in a dose-dependent manner. LA, a precursor for eicosanoid synthesis, had little effect on DU145 cell growth rate but stimulated DU145M growth in a concentration-related manner over a range of 0.25-2.0 micrograms/ml. anti-EGF.R (10(-9) M) caused suppression of LA-stimulated growth of DU145M cells in serum-free medium, which was prevented by the addition of 2 nM EGF. We conclude that an EGF.R-mediated autocrine loop is involved in PC cell growth regulation and that at least one site of action may be the synthesis of eicosanoids from their LA precursor.     

小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞C_3b受体

用酵母补体花环试验检测小鼠腹腔M_φ的C_3b受体,结果看到不同品种小鼠腹腔M_φ的YC花环率不同,杂种昆明小鼠明显高于纯种BALB/c及C_(57)BL/6小鼠。不同年龄小鼠M_φ的YC花环率不同,青年小鼠明显高于老年小鼠。用糖元或黄芪给小鼠腹腔注射后,M_φYC花环率及吞噬率均比对照组明显升高,用免疫抑制剂氢化可的松注射后,M_φ的YC花环率及吞噬率均比对照组明显降低,以上结果表明M_φ的C_3b受体与M_φ的功能有密切关系。     

Bacterial superantigen enhances cytokine production by T-helper lymphocyte subset-2 cells and modifies glomerular lesions in experimental immunoglobulin a nephropathy

Background The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of bacterial suporantigens, which can derange the immune response and contribute to the renal lesions of immunoglobulin A (lgA) nephropathy. Methods Twenty-five micrograms of a bacterial superantigen, staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB), was injected into IgA nephropathy-prone ddY mice intrathymically when they reached 6 weeks of age. Evaluation included measurement of albumin excretion in urine, immunoglobulin concentration, and lymphokine production in vitro, as well as analysis of T-cell receptor expression in splenic T-cell subsets and examination of renal histology by light and fluorescence microscopy. Results At 40 weeks of age, the serum level of IgA in these mice was substantially increased and the number of Vβ8⁺ CD4⁺splenic T-cells was significantly decreased compared with measurements in untreated controls. Both control and SEB-treated mice excreted less than 30 μg/mL of urinary albumin. In mice given SEB, the amount of interleukin 2 (IL-2) and tumor necrosis factor-α (T helper 1 [Th1]-type cytokines) produced by the in vitro-stimulated lymphocytes significantly decreased. whereas that of interleukin 4 (IL-4) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) (Th2-type cytokines) markedly increased compared with measurements in control mice. At 40 weeks of age, mice given SEB showed marked glomerular hypercellularity and enhanced glomerular C3 deposition by renal histology, compared with control mice. Conclusion These results suggest that bacterial superantigen SEB may modify glomerular lesions through activating Th2 cells, while inducing deletion of Th1 cells in this experimental model.     

多发性硬化患者血清和脑脊液中sIL-2R及sIL-6R的研究

目的　探讨可溶性白细胞介素 2受体 (sIL 2R)和可溶性白细胞介素 6受体 (sIL 6R)在多发性硬化(MS)发病过程中的作用。方法　采用双体夹心ELISA法对 2 9例MS急性期患者及 2 0例炎性神经病患者、39例非炎性神经病患者、2 0例健康对照者脑脊液和血清中sIL 2R和sIL 6R的含量进行检测。结果　MS患者血清和脑脊液中sIL 2R、sIL 6R含量明显高于非炎性神经病组 (P <0 .0 5 )及健康对照组 (P <0 .0 1) ;MS组sIL 2R和血清sIL 6R含量与炎性神经病组比较 ,无显著性差异 ,但脑脊液中sIL 6R水平明显低于炎性神经病组 (P <0 .0 1)。结论　sIL 2R和sIL 6R在MS急性期患者体内明显升高 ,进一步证实了MS有关免疫学的发病机制 ,并为临床诊断MS提供了具有参考价值的实验室指标     

杀菌性通透性增强蛋白对失血性休克的保护作用及其机理

分别在失血和复苏开始即刻ｉｖ杀菌性／通透性增强蛋白（ＢＰＩ）１．５和３．５ｍｇｋｇ－１，观察ＢＰＩ对大鼠失血性休克转归的影响．结果显示，ＢＰＩ治疗能明显改善失血性休克大鼠肝肾功能，提高休克动物存活率（ＢＰＩ组８１％ｖｓ休克对照组４４％，Ｐ＜０．０５），ＢＰＩ组大鼠复苏后与休克前的血浆内毒素（０．２０±０．０４ｖｓ０．２４±０．０５ｋＵＬ－１）水平无明显变化，血浆肿瘤坏死因子α和白介素６水平较休克前明显升高，但均显著低于休克对照组．提示ＢＰＩ对失血性休克大鼠具有一定的保护作用，其机理可能与ＢＰＩ拮抗休克时内源性内毒素活性，抑制细胞因子反应有关．     

牛初乳复合细胞营养因子（CHF）的体内,外抗菌作用研究

牛初乳复合细胞营养因子（ＣＨＦ）对伤寒杆菌、大肠杆菌、白色葡萄球菌、变形杆菌、绿脓杆菌、福氏痢疾杆菌６种肠道常见致病菌均有一定的正常凝集效价，其中对大肠杆菌和绿脓杆菌的凝集效价与人γ－球蛋白相同。体外试验表明ＣＨＦ对白色葡萄球菌和福氏痢疾杆菌有一定的抑菌作用，且这种抑菌作用不依赖补体的参与。ＣＨＦ可促进小鼠体内抗绿脓杆菌的免疫保护作用，当绿脓杆菌的攻击量达２．８×ＬＤ５０时，就有非常显著的作用，且强度与人γ－球蛋白相似。