Influence of acetylcholine on neuronal activity of monkey amygdala during bar press feeding behavior

Single neuron activity in the monkey amygdala was investigated during cue signalled conditioned bar press feeding behavior and the effects of electrophoretically applied acetylcholine (ACh) and atropine were analyzed. ACh increased the firing rate of one third of the neurons tested; these excitatory responses were inhibited by the muscarinic receptor antagonist atropine. No characteristic location of ACh-sensitive neurons was found, cells were diffusely distributed throughout the amygdala. Activity of ACh-sensitive neurons did not correlate with any particular event during the bar press feeding task. However, continuous application of ACh at low current intensity during the task significantly enhanced the task-related excitatory firing patterns, or markedly attenuated the inhibitory responses. Continuous application of atropine elicited or enhanced inhibitory response patterns. These results suggest that the cholinergic system of the monkey amygdala facilitates neuronal excitation but attenuates inhibition related to various phases of feeding behavior, such as to cue recognition, food aquisition and rewarding process.     

Gene organization of HLA and its association with ocular disease]

It is now evident that the human major histocompatibility complex (MHC), human leucocyte-associated antigen (HLA), regulates the immune response through discrimination between autologous and non autologous substances thereby displaying a high degree of genetic polymorphism. In recent years, the three-dimensional structure of HLA has been clarified by crystal analysis and provides the attractive hypothesis, the so-called hotdog model, explaining the interactions of foreign antigens (or autologous antigens), HLA and T cell receptors and has a great impact on various studies on immunogenetic mechanisms underlying the development of many diseases. Thus, several HLA-associated ocular diseases such as Beh?et's disease and Harada's disease have also been analyzed from this point of view by means of recombinant DNA techniques, enabling elucidation of molecular mechanisms of susceptibility to these diseases. This paper describes a general outline of HLA, especially its genetical structure, as well as recent analysis of molecular mechanisms of the predisposition to representative ocular diseases.     

INTRAOPERATIVE BLEEDING IN ENDOSCOPIC SUBMUCOSAL DISSECTION IN THE STOMACH AND STRATEGY FOR PREVENTION AND TREATMENT

To control intraoperative bleeding is an important key to successful endoscopic submucosal dissection. The distribution of submucosal vessels encountered during the procedure differ in places in the stomach and are roughly categorized into three groups: those located in the antrum, those in the lesser curvature, and those on the anteroposterior corpus wall which consists of oblique muscle layers. Therefore, knowledge of a suitable setting of diathermy and adjusted depth of dissection in the submucosal layer for each site is imperative. The combination of utilizing the distal attachment forced or swift coagulation (trimming with coagulation mode) have enable the treatment with an insulation tipped knife safer.     

Yucca leaf protein (YLP) stops the protein synthesis in HSV-infected cells and inhibits virus replication.

Yucca leaf protein (YLP), an inhibitor of tobacco mosaic virus isolated from the leaves of Yucca recurvifolia Salisb., exhibited potent activity against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) with no cytotoxicity below 300 micrograms/ml. The inhibitory dose was varied with the time of addition; 50% effective concentrations (ED50) of YLP were 3, 19 and 95 micrograms/ml when YLP exposure was begun 3 h before virus infection, 0 h and 3 h after infection, respectively. This protein also inhibited the multiplication of herpes simplex virus type 2 and human cytomegalovirus. YLP has been shown to have a weak virucidal activity at higher concentrations. Analysis of early events following infection showed that YLP affected viral penetration in HeLa cells but did not interfere with adsorption to the cells. YLP was found to exert strong inhibition of protein synthesis in virus-infected cells but not in uninfected cells. This selective effect can be considered to attribute mainly to the antiviral activity of YLP.     

MANAGEMENT TO PREVENT BLEEDING DURING ENDOSCOPIC SUBMUCOSAL DISSECTION USING THE FLUSH KNIFE FOR GASTRIC TUMORS

The gastric vasculature responsible for intraoperative bleeding in endosocpic submucosal dissection (ESD) is the ramified vascular network occupying the middle of the submucosal layer and large vessels penetrating the muscle layer. Appropriate management for these vessels must be addressed. The trimming of the ramified vascular network can be safely performed with coagulation mode following shallow mucosal cutting. A large penetrating vessel usually requires precoagulation prior to dissection. These procedures are effectively performed with the water jet short needle knife (Flush knife).     

Dynamic Interaction of Craniofacial Structures during Head Positioning and Direct Laryngoscopy in Anesthetized Patients with and without Difficult Laryngoscopy

Background: We lack fundamental knowledge of the mechanisms of difficult laryngoscopy despite its clinical significance. The aim of this study was to examine how head positioning and direct laryngoscopy alter arrangements of craniofacial structures.

Methods: Digital photographs of the lateral view of the head and neck were taken at each step of head positioning and direct laryngoscopy in age- and body mass index-matched patients with (n = 13) and without (n = 13) difficult laryngoscopy during general anesthesia with muscle paralysis. The images were used for measurements of various craniofacial dimensions.

Results: Both simple neck extension and the sniffing position produced a caudal shift of the mandible and a downward shift of the larynx, resulting in an increase of the submandibular space. Direct laryngoscopy during the sniffing position displaced the mandible and tongue base upward and caudally, and the larynx downward and caudally, increasing the submandibular space and facilitating vertical arrangement of the mandible, tongue base, and larynx to the facial line. These structural arrangements in response to direct laryngoscopy were not observed in patients with difficult laryngoscopy, whereas head positioning produced similar structural arrangements in patients with and without difficult laryngoscopy.     

Dysferlin mutation analysis in a group of Italian patients with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy and Miyoshi myopathy

Mutations in the dysferlin gene (DYSF) on chromosome 2p13 cause distinct phenotypes of muscular dystrophy: limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2B (LGMD2B), Miyoshi myopathy (MM), and distal anterior compartment myopathy, which are known by the term 'dysferlinopathy'. We performed mutation analyses of DYSF in 14 Italian patients from 10 unrelated families with a deficiency of dysferlin protein below 20% of the value in normal controls by immunoblotting analysis. We identified 11 different mutations, including eight missense and three deletion mutations. Nine of them were novel mutations. We also identified a unique 6-bp insertion polymorphism within the coding region of DYSF in 15% of Italian population, which was not observed in East Asian populations. The correlation between clinical phenotype and the gene mutations was unclear, which suggested the role of additional genetic and epigenetic factors in modifying clinical symptoms.     

Internal and external information processing by lateral hypothalamic glucose-sensitive and insensitive neurons during bar press feeding in the monkey

Single neuron activities in the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) were recorded during bar press feeding task in the monkey. First registered neurons were sorted into 2 groups, glucose-sensitive (GS) and glucose-insensitive (GIS) neurons, depending on their glucose sensitivity. Then firing variations to feeding, electrophoretically applied catecholamines and opiate, and to odor and taste stimuli were investigated. GS neurons responded to dopamine, noradrenaline and morphine more often than GIS neurons. In feeding task GS neurons responded during bar press (BP) and reward (RW) periods with long-lasting inhibition of firing and at cue tone (CT) with transient inhibition, while GIS neurons responded during BP and RW periods mainly with excitation and at cue light (CL) with excitation. A majority of GS neurons responded to both odor and taste stimuli more often than GIS neurons. Data suggest that these two kinds of neurons in the LHA may be involved in different functional aspects of feeding: GS neurons, mainly in internal information processing and reward mechanism, and GIS neurons, in external information processing and motor aspects.