Role of cyclic AMP in glucagon-induced stimulation of hepatic glucose output in man

The interrelationship between glucagon action on splanchnic glucose output and cyclic AMP production was studied in healthy volunteers after hepatic venous catheterization. Glucagon was infused according to four different protocols to achieve arterial levels ranging from 300 to 9000 ng/I. Infusion of glucagon which resulted in arterial levels of the hormone of 4000-9000 ng/1 was associated with a marked increase in net splanchnic cyclic AMP production and in the arterial levels of the cyclic nucleotide. The rise in cyclic AMP efflux from the splanchnic area was transient but an augmented splanchnic production was still evident after 30 min of glucagon infusion. Splanchnic glucose output rose 3-5 fold. Infusion of glucagon at lower rates, resulting in arterial levels of 300-900 ng/I, did not measureably stimulate the efflux of cyclic AMP from the splanchnic area. In spite of this, splanchnic glucose output rose 2-3 fold and the blood glucose level increased 20-50% during glucagon infusion at these lower rates.

It is concluded that (1) factors other than cyclic AMP are rate limiting in the stimulation of hepatic glucose production, and (2) although cyclic AMP is an established 'second messenger' of glucagon action, other factors may also be of importance in mediating the physiological response of this hormone.     

Assessing consumer profiles of ‘ideal’ assistive technologies in ten categories: An integration of quantitative and qualitative methods

This paper focuses on two trends in the field of disability and rehabilitation: (a) the desire to conserve resources and yet provide consumers with the highest quality assistive technologies that they find personally appealing and useful; and (b) the involvement of the consumers of rehabilitation services in key decisions regarding the products and services they receive. The Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Technology Evaluation and Transfer (Buffalo, NY, USA) has endeavoured to accomplish both by employing a mixed methods approach to consumer-identified needs and preferences regarding several categories of assistive technology. The purpose of this paper is to describe the methods used in sufficient detail for replication by other researchers.     

柴连口服液药理作用研究

柴连口服液对大鼠及家兔发热模型有明显退热作用；对急性渗出性炎症有显著抑制作用；对小鼠及豚鼠咳嗽反应有明显止咳作用。该口服液体内、体外抑菌作用明显，对副流感、流感病毒所致小鼠体内外感染有明显治疗作用     

The mechanism of action of leukotrienes A4, C4 and D4 on human lung parenchymain vitro

Indomethacin (20μg.ml⁻¹), a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, and OKY-1581 (50 ug.ml⁻¹), a thromboxane synthetase inhibitor, did not affect contractions of the superfused human lung parenchymal strips induced by histamine, leukotriene C₄ (LTC₄) and leukotriene D₄ (LTD₄). Indomethacin but not OKY-1581 reduced by 50% the myotropic activity of leukotriene A₄ (LTA₄) on the human lung strips. Injections of LTD₄ (100 ng; 0.2 n mole) in the circulation of perfused specimens of human lung did not stimulate the release of prostaglandins (PGs) and thromboxanes (TXs) whereas they produced a large release of these icosanoids from perfused guinea-pig lungs. Perfused human lung specimens almost completely inactivated intraarterial injections of PGE₂ (50 ng) and released PGs and TXs upon mechanical stimulation. It is concluded that the actions of leukotrienes C₄ and D₄ in human lung (parenchymal strips and perfused specimens) are not mediated by the release of PGs and TXs.     

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell therapy in ischemic stroke：mechanisms of action and treatment optimization strategies

Animal and clinical studies have conifrmed the therapeutic effect of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells on cerebral ischemia, but their mechanisms of action remain poorly understood. Here, we summarize the transplantation approaches, directional migration, differentiation, replacement, neural circuit reconstruction, angiogenesis, neurotrophic factor secretion, apoptosis, immunomodulation, multiple mechanisms of action, and optimization strategies for bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of ischemic stroke. We also explore the safety of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation and conclude that bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation is an important direction for future treatment of cerebral ischemia. Determining the optimal timing and dose for the transplantation are important directions for future research.     

Whole plantar nerve conduction study with disposable strip electrodes

Introduction: A new method to evaluate whole plantar nerve conduction with disposable strip electrodes (DSEs) is described. Methods: Whole plantar compound nerve action potentials (CNAPs) were recorded at the ankle. DSEs were attached to the sole for simultaneous stimulation of medial and lateral plantar nerves. We also conducted medial plantar nerve conduction studies using an established method and compared the findings. Results: Whole plantar CNAPs were recorded bilaterally from 32 healthy volunteers. Mean baseline to peak amplitude for CNAPs was 26.9 ± 11.8 μV, and mean maximum conduction velocity was 65.8 ± 8.3 m/s. The mean amplitude of CNAPs obtained by our method was 58.2% higher than that of CNAPs obtained by the Saeed method (26.9 μV vs. 17.0 μV; P < 0.0001). Conclusions: The higher mean amplitude of whole plantar CNAPs obtained by our method suggests that it enables CNAPs to be obtained easily, even in elderly people. Muscle Nerve 53: 209–213, 2016     

Motor imagery of hand actions: Decoding the content of motor imagery from brain activity in frontal and parietal motor areas

How motor maps are organized while imagining actions is an intensely debated issue. It is particularly unclear whether motor imagery relies on action‐specific representations in premotor and posterior parietal cortices. This study tackled this issue by attempting to decode the content of motor imagery from spatial patterns of Blood Oxygen Level Dependent (BOLD) signals recorded in the frontoparietal motor imagery network. During fMRI‐scanning, 20 right‐handed volunteers worked on three experimental conditions and one baseline condition. In the experimental conditions, they had to imagine three different types of right‐hand actions: an aiming movement, an extension–flexion movement, and a squeezing movement. The identity of imagined actions was decoded from the spatial patterns of BOLD signals they evoked in premotor and posterior parietal cortices using multivoxel pattern analysis. Results showed that the content of motor imagery (i.e., the action type) could be decoded significantly above chance level from the spatial patterns of BOLD signals in both frontal (PMC, M1) and parietal areas (SPL, IPL, IPS). An exploratory searchlight analysis revealed significant clusters motor‐ and motor‐associated cortices, as well as in visual cortices. Hence, the data provide evidence that patterns of activity within premotor and posterior parietal cortex vary systematically with the specific type of hand action being imagined. Hum Brain Mapp 37:81–93, 2016. © 2015 The Authors. Human Brain Mapping Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.