食管胸段前鄰器官的定位研究

本文测量了58具成年尸体食管胸段的长度,用内外相关和自身比例的方法,着重对食管胸段前邻器官的占位及其在胸骨上的投影作了定位研究,并结合临床应用进行了讨论。     

Effect of low-frequency electric stimulation on in vivo release of cholecystokinin-like immunoreactivity in medial thalamus of conscious rat

Release of cholecystokinin-like immunoreactivity (CCK-LI) in the medial thalamus of conscious rats was measured by brain dialysis and enzyme immunoassay. Analgesia caused by low-frequency electric stimulation of the tibial muscle, the tsusanli acupuncture point, was judged by change of pain threshold due to the stimulation. Medical thalamic CCK-LI released was increased by peripheral electric stimulations of both the acupuncture point and the non-acupuncture point. Results suggest that CCK acts as a neurotransmitter in the medial thalamus, a part of the analgesia inhibitory system.     

培养大鼠皮层神经元NMDA受体蛋白单分子原子力显微镜定位研究

为在纳米尺度对 NMDA受体蛋白分子进行神经细胞膜表面原位定位和探讨原子力显微镜在生物单分子操纵和调控中的应用 ,本研究应用原子力显微镜分别对分布在云母表面的膜 NMDA受体蛋白分子标记物抗 NMDAR1Ig G-葡萄球菌蛋白 A-胶体金复合物分子和结合标记物分子后的神经元膜进行扫描 ,三维形貌测定 ,通过颗粒度分析结果 ,明确标记物分子的特征性三维形貌 ,对比确定经过免疫胶体金结合后的 NMDA受体蛋白单分子在神经元膜表面的定位。结果显示 ,空白云母表面标记物分子为分散均匀的平均粒径为 49nm的球形颗粒 ,在神经元膜表面结合 NMDA目的受体蛋白分子后 ,免疫复合物分子呈现出粒径为 5 3 nm的散在分布球形或短棒状颗粒 ,长径约为宽径的 2倍 ,长轴截面可见典型的双峰三维结构。上述结果表明 ,NMDA受体蛋白单分子可以结合 1个或 1个以上的胶体金标记物分子 ;原子力显微镜可以在纳米尺度对神经元膜 NMDA受体蛋白进行标记和其免疫复合物的三维形貌测定。胶体金颗粒标记 ,原子力显微镜测定是免疫细胞化学新方法。     

损毁单侧黑质-纹状体通路的大鼠SVZ、纹状体和黑质神经前体细胞的变化

研究成年大鼠脑室下区 (SVZ)神经前体细胞 (neural precursors)在黑质 -纹状体通路损伤后的反应 ,本研究用 6-羟多巴胺单侧纹状体注射以损毁黑质 -纹状体通路 ,损毁 10 d后腹腔注射 Brd U ,连续 4d,每日两次 ;在 SVZ、纹状体和黑质部位用免疫组化方法检测 Brd U、nestin以及 GFAP阳性细胞。结果显示 :(1) 6-羟多巴胺损毁黑质 -纹状体通路后 ,伤侧 SVZ的 Brd U阳性细胞数明显增多 ,并成簇分布 ;nestin和 GFAP阳性细胞数也增多 ,但以 GF AP阳性细胞增多明显 ;(2 )伤侧纹状体可见大量 Br-d U、GFAP以及少量 nestin阳性细胞分布 ,而健侧只有少量 GFAP阳性细胞 ;(3 )伤侧可见 Brd U阳性细胞在 SVZ和纹状体之间呈条带样分布 ;(4 )伤侧黑质除酪氨酸羟化酶阳性神经元减少外 ,未见 Brd U、GFAP和 nestin阳性细胞表达。上述结果表明 ,6-羟多巴胺损毁黑质 -纹状体通路后 ,SVZ神经前体细胞活动增强 ,有向纹状体迁移的趋势。     

局灶性脑缺血大鼠皮质和尾壳核神经干细胞增殖分化与nNOS的表达

本研究旨在探讨局灶性脑缺血再灌注大鼠皮质和尾壳核神经干细胞的增殖分化与nNOS表达的关系。大脑中动脉线栓法制作大鼠局灶性脑缺血再灌注模型,5溴脱氧尿核苷(BrdU)标记分裂增殖细胞,免疫组化单标和双标记技术检测各组大鼠缺血侧皮质和尾壳核BrdU阳性细胞和nNOS的表达。模型组大鼠皮质和尾壳核BrdU阳性细胞再灌注后3d开始增多,14d达高峰,nNOS阳性细胞再灌注后7d表达增强,28d达高峰,BrdU/nNOS双标细胞在14d达高峰,占皮质BrdU阳性细胞数的42.95%,尾壳核内占42.56%。新生细胞分化组BrdU阳性细胞和BrdU/nNOS双标细胞显著多于模型组(P<0.05),皮质双标细胞占BrdU阳性细胞数的54.08%,尾壳核内占47.84%。提示局灶性脑缺血可增强大鼠皮质和尾壳核的增殖能力,部分增殖细胞分化为nNOS阳性神经元,参与神经网络的重建。     

Long-term accumulation of amyloid-beta, beta-secretase, presenilin-1, and caspase-3 in damaged axons following brain trauma

Plaques composed of amyloid beta (Abeta) have been found within days following brain trauma in humans, similar to the hallmark plaque pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we evaluated the potential source of this Abeta and long-term mechanisms that could lead to its production. Inertial brain injury was induced in pigs via head rotational acceleration of 110 degrees over 20 ms in the coronal plane. Animals were euthanized at 3 hours, 3 days, 7 days, and 6 months post-injury. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot analyses of the brains were performed using antibodies specific for amyloid precursor protein (APP), Abeta peptides, beta-site APP-cleaving enzyme (BACE), presenilin-1 (PS-1), caspase-3, and caspase-mediated cleavage of APP (CCA). Substantial co-accumulation for all of these factors was found in swollen axons at all time points up to 6 months following injury. Western blot analysis of injured brains confirmed a substantial increase in the protein levels of these factors, particularly in the white matter. These data suggest that impaired axonal transport due to trauma induces long-term pathological co-accumulation of APP with BACE, PS-1, and activated caspase. The abnormal concentration of these factors may lead to APP proteolysis and Abeta formation within the axonal membrane compartment.     

Chip-based mtDNA mutation screening enables fast and reliable genetic diagnosis of OXPHOS patients.

PURPOSE: Oxidative phosphorylation is under dual genetic control of the nuclear and the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Oxidative phosphorylation disorders are clinically and genetically heterogeneous, which makes it difficult to determine the genetic defect, and symptom-based protocols which link clinical symptoms directly to a specific gene or mtDNA mutation are falling short. Moreover, approximately 25% of the pediatric patients with oxidative phosphorylation disorders is estimated to have mutations in the mtDNA and a standard screening approach for common mutations and deletions will only explain part of these cases. Therefore, we tested a new CHIP-based screening method for the mtDNA. METHODS: MitoChip (Affymetrix) resequencing was performed on three test samples and on 28 patient samples. RESULTS: Call rates were 94% on average and heteroplasmy detection levels varied from 5-50%. A genetic diagnosis can be made in almost one-quarter of the patients at a potential output of 8 complete mtDNA sequences every 4 days. Moreover, a number of potentially pathogenic unclassified variants (UV) were detected. CONCLUSIONS: The availability of long-range PCR protocols and the predominance of single nucleotide substitutions in the mtDNA make the resequencing CHIP a very fast and reliable method to screen the complete mtDNA for mutations.     

Optimal time for obtaining peak and trough theophylline levels in 12-hour and 24-hour products in children

A direct relationship between bronchodilator efficacy and toxicity by the measurement of serum theophylline concentrations is well established. This study evaluated, in children receiving either 12-hour (Theo-Dur) or an experimental 24-hour (Theo-Beads) preparation, the most common time to reach peak and trough levels in the serum. Twenty-three children with chronic asthma between the ages of 7 and 12 years participated in the study. Twelve received theophylline every 12 hours at a dose ranging from 400 to 800 mg per 24 hours. Eleven children received a 24-hour preparation at a dose ranging between 400 and 1000 mg per 24 hours. The results demonstrated no relationship between dosing interval and the appearance of peak or trough levels with Theo-Dur. Theo-Beads reached its peak in 9 to 11 children between six and eight hours and for 10 to 11 children the trough value was at the end of the dosing interval.     

Pentoxifylline attenuates the development of hyperalgesia in a rat model of neuropathic pain

Pentoxifylline, a non-specific cytokine inhibitor, has shown to be beneficial in inflammatory pain in both experimental and clinical studies. The present study demonstrates for the first time, to our knowledge, the antihyperalgesic effect of pentoxifylline in the neuropathic pain using L5 spinal nerve transection rat model. In a preventive paradigm, pentoxifylline (12.5, 25, 50, or 100 mg/kg intraperitoneally) was administered systemically daily, beginning 1 h prior to nerve transection. Pentoxifylline (50, or 100 mg/kg i.p.) produced significant decrease in the mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia. However, pentoxifylline (100 mg/kg i.p.) did not influence the paw pressure thresholds and paw withdrawal latency in sham-operated rats. In order to understand the possible antinocicieptive effect of pentoxifylline in neuropathic pain, we examined the level of TNFα, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-10 protein in the contralateral brain on day 7 post-transection. Pentoxifylline administration resulted in a dose-dependent reduction of the production of proinflammatory cytokines like TNFα, IL-1β and IL-6, and enhancement of IL-10. Furthermore, we investigated the activity of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) in the contralateral brain on days 7 after surgery. In accordance with the change of proinflammatory cytokines, Pentoxifylline (50 or 100 mg/kg) significantly inhibited the activation of NF-κB in the brain. This research supports a growing body of literature emphasizing the importance of neuroinflammation and neuroimmune activation in the development of neuropathic pain states, and the potential preventive value of pentoxifylline in the treatment of neuropathic pain.     

Troponin C regulates the rate constant for the dissociation of force-generating myosin cross-bridges in cardiac muscle

It is well known that cardiac troponin C (cTnC) regulates the association of force-generating myosin cross-bridges. We report here evidence for an additional role for cTnC. This hypothesis states that Car²⁺ binds more strongly to cTnC when force-generating myosin cross-bridges are attached to actin and that removal of this bound Ca²⁺ accelerates the dissociation of force-generating myosin cross-bridges. Intact Fura-2-loaded rat papillary muscles and skinned (permeabilized) ventricular preparations were used. The preparations were mounted in the Guth Muscle Research System which is capable of measuring simultaneously fluorescence and force in response to length perturbations. All mechanical perturbations of muscle length (isotonic shortening, quick stretches and releases, and length vibrations) which cause dissociation of force-generating myosin cross-bridges during a twitch resulted in Ca²⁺ being released from troponin as judged from changes in the Ca²⁺ transients (Fura-2 (340/380) fluorescence ratio). Thus dissociation of force-generating myosin cross-bridges cause Ca²⁺ to be released from cTnC. Conversely, it would be expected that removal of strongly bound Ca²⁺ from cTnC would result in an increase in the rate of dissociation of force-generating myosin cross-bridges. To test this hypothesis actomyosin ATPase (NADH fluorescence change) and isometric force were measured in skinned cardiac preparations. The ratio of the ATPase/Force is proportional to the rate constant (g_app) for the dissociation of force-generating myosin cross-bridges. The data showed that decreasing the amount of Ca²⁺ bound to cTnC in skinned cardiac fibers caused an increase in the ratio of ATPase/Force, the rate of dissociation (g_app) of force-generating myosin cross-bridges.