Serotonin-induced increase in cAMP in ganglia isolated from the myenteric plexus of the guinea pig small intestine: Mediation by a novel 5-HT receptor

Serotonin (5-HT) is a mediator (through 5-HT_1P receptors) of slow EPSPs in myenteric ganglia of the small intestine. The effect of 5-HT can be mimicked by elevating cAMP; therefore, we tested the hypothesis that the slow EPSP-like response to 5-HT is cAMP-mediated. Guinea pig gut was enzymatically dissociated; myenteric ganglia remained intact and were collected by filtration. Neurons in the isolated ganglia retained their ability to manifest the slow EPSP-like response to 5-HT. Exposure to 5-HT raised the ganglionic level of cAMP (ED₅₀ 0.3 μM). This effect was not antagonized by the 5-HT_1P antagonist, N-acetyl-5-hydroxytryptophyl-5-hydroxytryptophan amide (100.0 μM), or mimicked by the 5-HT_1P agonist, 5-hydroxyindalpine (10.0 μM). Increases in cAMP were also evoked by the 5-HT₁ agonist, 5-carboxyamidotryptamine (10.0 μM), the 5-HT₂ agonist, (±)-1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl)-2-aminopropane (DOI; 1.0–10.0 μM), and by the 5-HT₄ agonists, renzapride (1.0–10.0 μM) and 5-methoxytryptamine (1.0–10.0 μM); however, neither the 5-HT₁/5-HT₂ antagonists, spiperone, methysergide, and methiothepin, nor the 5-HT₄ antagonist, tropisetron (ICS 205–930; 10.0 μM), were able to inhibit the rise in cAMP evoked by these compounds or by 5-HT (0.1–10.0 μM). The 5-HT-evoked elevation of cAMP was antagonized by ketanserin (10.0 μM), which also blocked the effects of 5-methoxytryptamine and DOI, but not those of renzapride. The effective concentration of DOI, however, was higher than that needed for activation of 5-HT₂ receptors, and Northern analysis using a cDNA probe encoding the rat 5-HT₂ receptor failed to reveal the presence of 5-HT₂ mRNA in myenteric ganglia, although it hybridizes with mRNA of the right size in the guinea pig brain. Compounds that failed to change levels of cAMP or to antagonize the action of 5-HT included 8-hydroxy-di-n-propylamino tetralin, R58639, R88226, and sumatriptan. It is concluded that the receptor responsible for the 5-HT-induced rise in cAMP in ganglia isolated from the guinea pig myenteric plexus is not a known subtype of 5-HT receptor. Since the pharmacology of this novel receptor is different from that of the slow EPSP-like response to 5-HT, the receptor probably does not mediate the slow EPSP. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Intratemporal vascular tumors: detection with CT and MR imaging

The diagnostic contributions of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging were compared in 12 patients with benign intratemporal vascular tumors (hemangioma or vascular malformation). The tumors included six in the internal acoustic canal and six in the geniculate ganglion region. Clinical and histologic correlations were made. Two of the six patients with tumors in the internal acoustic canal underwent CT, and both required gas cisternography to show the tumor. Five patients in that group underwent MR imaging, and all five studies showed the tumor. All six patients with geniculate ganglion tumors underwent CT. Results in one study were questionable, and five showed the tumor. Five patients in this group underwent MR imaging, but the MR findings were positive in only two cases. MR imaging should therefore be performed before CT in the evaluation of facial nerve dysfunction, as it demonstrated all tumors in the internal acoustic canal and some in the geniculate ganglion region. If MR findings are negative, CT should then be performed to rule out a possible geniculate ganglion lesion.     

Intracranial circulation: pulse-sequence considerations in three- dimensional (volume) MR angiography

The technique and feasibility of magnetic resonance (MR) angiography of intracranial vessels were studied in 35 healthy volunteers. Variations in image orientation, repetition time (TR), and flip angle were evaluated to determine their effects on flow-related enhancement. Gradient modifications--including echo time (TE), motion compensation, bandwidth, and field of view--were also studied in an effort to reduce motion-induced phase shifts. Results indicated that a FISP (fast imaging with steady precession) sequence with a TR of 50 msec, TE of 15 msec, velocity compensation in the read and section-select directions, acceleration compensation in the read direction, anisotropic volume, and a 1.25-mm partition thickness produced three-dimensional angiographic MR images that were accurate and reproducible in the depiction of the major intracranial vessels. Difficulties with field of view, persistent signal void secondary to higher-order motion, and spatial resolution remain major problems requiring additional study.     

Crossed anomic aphasia: mild naming deficits following right brain damage in a dextral patient.

A detailed case study is reported of crossed aphasia (CA) in a dextral patient, bearing upon such controversial issues as intrahemispheric localisation of language function and hemispheric reversal of nonverbal function. DA, a man aged 37, developed a mild naming problem due to right temporal lobe haematoma. Apart from a mild acquired stutter, his continuous speech was fluent and had a normal proportion of open to closed class lexical items. His naming deficit appears to originate in the 'blocking' or 'disconnection' of the phonological lexicon: he could usually give a functional definition of un-named items and retrieve them with the help of a phonemic cue. Lexical retrieval appears his only language deficit, as he had no comprehension or phonological discrimination deficits. DA showed no visuo-spatial or auditory-nonverbal deficits, suggesting the complete reversal of hemispheric specialisation.     

The relationship between reproductive state and "sexually" dimorphic brain areas in sexually reproducing and parthenogenetic whiptail lizards

The anterior hypothalamus-preoptic area and ventromedial hypothalamus are sexually dimorphic in the reproductively active whiptail lizard Cnemidophorus inornatus. The anterior hypothalamus-preoptic area, which is involved in the control of male-typical copulatory behaviors, is larger in males, whereas the ventromedial hypothalamus, which is involved in the control of female-typical receptivity, is larger in females. In the parthenogenetic whiptail lizard C. uniparens, which is a direct descendant of C. inornatus and exhibits both male-like and female-like pseudosexual behaviors, both brain areas are comparable in size to those of female C. inornatus. This study was conducted to determine whether these brain areas change in size in either species or sex during a time of year when these animals are reproductively inactive, or after removal of the gonads. In male C. inornatus both brain areas changed during reproductive inactivity (either seasonally or surgically induced) and became equivalent to the size characteristic of reproductively active female C. inornatus. When corrected for brain size, the anterior hypothalamus-preoptic area was significantly smaller in intact hibernating and castrated males than in intact males from the summer breeding season. Conversely, the ventromedial hypothalamus was significantly larger in intact hibernating and castrated males than in intact males from the summer breeding season. The two brain areas were not significantly different among the groups of female C. inornatus or parthenogenetic C. uniparens. These results suggest that 1) the brain of whiptail lizards may differentiate seasonally and 2) the female state may be a neutral one to which the male brain reverts during reproductive inactivity.