Searching for Serum Antibodies to Neuronal Proteins in Patients With Myalgic Encephalopathy/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

PurposeA role for the immune system in causing myalgic encephalopathy/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is long suspected, but few studies have looked for specific autoantibodies that might contribute to the symptoms. Our aim was to look for evidence of antibodies to neuronal proteins in patients with ME/CSF.MethodsSera samples from 50 patients and 50 healthy individuals were sent coded to the Neuroimmunology Laboratory in Oxford. Screening for antibody binding to neuronal tissue was performed on brain tissue and neuronal cultures. Specific serum antibodies were assessed by antigen-specific cell-based assays and radioimmunoassays. After antibody testing, the associations between seropositive status and clinical data were investigated.FindingsOverall, 8 patients and 11 participants were found to have some serum immunoreactivity toward neuronal or neuromuscular junction proteins, but only 1 patient and 2 participants had specific serum antibodies. Nevertheless, seropositive status in patients with ME was associated with shorter duration since onset and a more severe disease.ImplicationsThe results indicate no overall increased frequency of antibodies to neuronal proteins in ME/CSF and no evidence of a specific antibody that might be causative or contribute to clinical features in patients. However, the association of seropositive status with shorter duration of disease and more severe symptoms suggests a possible role of antibodies at onset in some patients and should be the focus of future studies.     

Enhancing medical radiation science education through a design science research methodology

Recently, there has been a call for research-informed and research-developed practice in health sciences education. This prompts the consideration of alternative suitable research approaches that could be used to enhance health sciences education practice, including medical radiation sciences education (MRSE) practice. In this discussion paper, the authors uphold design science research (DSR) methodology as a suitable research approach to enhance MRSE practice and research. An overview of the DSR methodology and an example of a project that used DSR methodology are presented to demonstrate the application of this methodology in MRSE practice and research. The paper concludes that the use of DSR methodology could be instrumental in addressing practice related challenges while developing a theoretical contribution to the discipline.     

Responses of CDKs and p53 in Delayed Ischemic Neuronal Death

Stroke is a debilitating disease that affects millions each year.While in many cases cerebral ischemic in jury can be limited by effectivw resuscitation or thrombolytic treatment,the injured neurons wither in a process known as delayed neuronal death(DND).Mounting evidence indicates that DND is not simply necrosis played out in slow motion but apoptosis is triggered.Of particular interest are two groups of signal proteins that participate in apoptosis-cyclin dependent kinases(CDKs) and p53-among a myriad of signaling events after an ischemic insult.Recent investigations have shown that CDKs,a family of enzymes initially known for their role in cell cycle regulation,are activated in injured neurons in DND.As for p53,new reports suggest that its up-regulation may represent a failed attempt to rescue in jured neurons,although its up-regulation was previously considered an indication of apoptosis.These observations thus rekindle an old quest to identify new neuroprotective targets to minimize the stroke damage.In this review,the author will examine the evidence that indicates the participation of CDKs and p53 in DND and then introduce pre-clinical data to explore CDK inhibition as a potential neuroprotective target.Finally,using CDK inhibition as an example,this paper will discuss the pertinent criteria for a viable neuroprotective strategy for ischemic in jury.     

Topography of median eminence somatostatinergic innervation

Somatostatin (SRIF) in the central nervous system is mostly concentrated in the median eminence (ME). Immunocytochemical methods have revealed high densities of SRIF-positive perikarya between the preoptic area and the periventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (NPE). The aim of the present study was to define more precisely the specific pathways of SRIF neurons from NPE to the ME. SRIF levels were measured by radioimmunoassay, following various hypothalamic transections. Frontal periventricular sections decreased SRIF-ME content by 70% (P less than 0.01), when located at the anterior end of the ME but no diminution was observed when the cuts were located anteriorly or posteriorly. Parasaggital transections decreased SRIF-ME levels by 50% (P less than 0.05) when located at the outer border of the ventromedial and premammillary nucleus, but the decrease was not significant when cuts were located anteriorly. Taken together, our data indicate that most SRIF-containing neurons, originating in the NPE, do not reach the ME directly along the border of the 3rd ventricle; instead they form a loop across the medial forebrain bundle before re-entering the mediobasal hypothalamus at the ME level.     

Characteristics of neuronal activity in prefrontal cortex during performance of spatial delayed reactions in monkeys

Several types of neurons were differentiated on the basis of a study of neuronal activity in various parts of the cortex near the sulcus principalis during the execution of spatial delayed reactions by monkeys. It was established that the different types of neurons are represented in different numbers in. different parts of the cortex near the sulcus principalis. The determination of several factors influencing the activity of these neurons and the comparison of data on their quantitative representation in the anterior, middle, and posterior parts of the cortex near the sulcus principalis with the existing behavioral data obtained after local ablations of identical regions of the brain made it possible to postulate that neurons belonging to the different types are involved in the analysis of different processes and represent different functional units.Translated from Fiziologicheskii. Zhurnal SSSR imeni I. M. Sechenova, Vol. 71, No. 12, pp. 1488–1494, December, 1985.     

犬梭形动脉瘤生物膜包裹的远期血流动力学对照研究Ⅱ——组织形态学观察

目的分析犬梭形动脉瘤（FFA）模型在采用生物膜包裹后1年期的血流动力学与组织学变化，探讨生物膜包裹的远期效果。方法对10只犬采用显微手术制作双侧梭形动脉瘤模型20枚。左侧用生物膜完全匹配包裹。右侧未包裹以作为对照，行DSA、彩色多普勒超声动态检测，对照观察两组的血流动力学变化特征。术后1年时行活体解剖取标本。对照观察组织学变化。结果所有模型均制作成功。FFA腔内为涡流，多普勒超声具有特征性的双相涡流频谱，造影剂滞留明显；对照侧术后1年膨胀性增大，并具有自发破裂的趋势。手术侧包裹后瘤腔消失。血流恢复为层流，超声频谱与颈总动脉一致，未见造影剂滞留，血管顺应性、弹性及舒缩状态与颈总动脉基本匹配；瘤腔与吻合口处的血流动力学参数差异有统计学意义（P〈0．05）。组织学改变与血流动力学变化相符。结论犬FFA模型是研究包裹治疗的理想动脉模型，采用生物膜完全匹配包裹，远期效果良好。     

Stress und Grundregulation – Wirkungsweise von Akupunktur und Neuraltherapie

Stress is a general reaction to any burden on the body. If such a process becomes chronic, stress-based diseases develop which are hard to treat. The stress cycle in the hypothalamus-hypophysis-suprarenal glands disturbs the bio-psycho-social circuit, which is in a feedback loop with controlled and uncontrolled stress converting processes. This is coupled with the reactivity of the extracellular matrix (ECM) embedded in this circuit. Two “breaks” are installed in the ECM to keep stress reactions under control: The non neuronal acetylcholin system (NNAChS) and the system of endogenous endocannabinoids. Both systems have a limiting effect on pathological increased sympathetic effects raised by stress. Acupuncture stimulates the parasympathicus and NNAChS while neural therapy augments the endocannabinoid system, resulting in slower sympathetic actions.