Spontaneous waves in the dentate gyrus of slices from the ventral hippocampus

Spontaneous negative-going potentials occurring at an average frequency of 0.7 Hz were recorded from the dentate gyrus of slices prepared from the temporal hippocampus of young adult rats. These events (here termed "dentate waves") in several respects resembled the dentate spikes described for freely moving rats during immobile behaviors and slow-wave sleep. Action potentials were observed on the descending portion of the in vitro waves and, as expected from this, whole cell recordings established that the waves were composed of depolarizing currents. Dentate waves appeared to be locally generated within the granule cell layer and were greatly reduced by antagonists of AMPA-type glutamate receptors or by lesions to the entorhinal cortex. Simultaneous recordings indicated that the waves were often synchronized in the inner and outer blades of the dentate gyrus. Knife cuts through the perforant path and the commissural/associational system did not eliminate synchronization, leaving electrotonic propagation via gap junctions as its probable cause. In accord with this, cuts that separated the two blades of the dentate eliminated synchronization between them, and a compound that inhibits gap junctions reduced wave activity. Dentate waves were regularly accompanied by sharp waves in field CA3 and were reduced in size by the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, physostigmine. It is hypothesized that dentate waves occur when spontaneous glutamate release from dentate afferents produces action potentials in neighboring granule cells that then summate electrotonically into a population event; once initiated, the waves propagate, again electrotonically, and thereby engage a significant portion of the granule cell population.     

Immunohistochemical analysis of centromere protein F expression in buccal and gingival squamous cell carcinoma

Centromere protein F (CENP-F) expression (localization and characteristics) in relation to tumor clinicopathological parameters was immunohistochemically examined and evaluated in 47 archival biopsy specimens of buccal and gingival squamous cell carcinomas (SCC). Centromere protein F expression was detected in 79% of the samples. An increase in the labeling index (LI) with WHO grading was obtained ( P  < 0.05). Correlations were obtained between the CENP-F LI and tumor size ( P  < 0.05). Immunoelectron microscopy showed CENP-F nuclear staining as punctate or fine dots. The present study shows that CENP-F expression and detection of a more specific cell subpopulation presents a theoretical advantage for the analysis of the precise cell cycle of G₂ to M cells, compared to Ki-67.     

Springer Link及其收录的医学期刊分析

目的：向图书馆员和用户介绍Springer Link，对其收录的医学期刊进行深入分析，使该数据库得到更好的利用。方法利用《外国报刊目录》和美国《医学索引》(IM)的《引用期刊一览表》等对Springer Link收录的英文医学期刊从权威性、出版地分布、学科分布和收藏年限等方面进行考查。结果86％的期刊被IM引用，欧洲——尤其是德国的期刊较多，医学各学科都有相应的期刊被收录，但数量分布不均，有所偏重，72．7％的期刊可以保证至少近5年或自创刊以来的文献。结论Springer Link所提供的全文医学期刊服务质量较上乘，并有自己的特色。     

小鼠下颔下腺中肥大细胞异质性研究

取小鼠下颌下腺,用甲苯胺蓝染色、Alcian蓝一藏红染色及免疫组织化学ABC法显示肥大细胞的异质性.结果表明;肥大细胞主要分布于间质的小血管、小叶间导管及神经节周围.此外还发现有些肥大细胞沿腺实质表面排列,有些肥大细胞伸出突起与相邻的神经元或肥大细胞接触.肥大细胞呈降钙素基因相关肽免疫反应阳性,但仅为相邻切片甲苯胺蓝染色的14 %.提示下颌下腺中肥大细胞的存在可能与腺体分泌活动及血流调节有关.     

Comparison of immunohistochemical markers in the differential diagnosis of adrenocortical tumors: immunohistochemical analysis of adrenocortical tumors.

Most adrenocortical tumors (ACTs) can be diagnosed directly by a combination of morphologic features and clinical findings. However, sometimes it may be difficult to distinguish ACTs from other neoplasms such as pheochromocytomas and some metastatic tumors, particularly for small biopsy specimens because they may be morphologically similar. Expression of calretinin has recently been suggested as a valuable immunomarker for the differential diagnosis between ACTs and other tumors; however, its diagnostic value is still under debate. To determine the diagnostic value of calretinin in Chinese patients with adrenocortical and non-ACTs, we employed both polyclonal and monoclonal anticalretinin to characterize the expression of calretinin in adrenal tissues and compared its expression with that of inhibin alpha, Melan-A, cytokeratin, or CD99 by immunohistochemistry in tissue microarrays and standard tissue sections of 414 specimens. Our results revealed that calretinin was expressed by adrenocortical cells, but not by the other cells tested and the percentage of calretinin-positive ACTs reached 99% when stained with polyclonal antibodies, which was higher than that with monoclonal anticalretinin (91.3%), anti-Melan-A (90.3%), antiinhibin alpha (81.6%). In addition, our results also revealed that ACTs were stained by cytokeratin (AE1/AE3) with variable degrees (58.7%). Furthermore, unlike anti-Melan-A that stained all metastatic malignant melanoma, anticalretinin did not recognize other tested tumors. Therefore, immunohistologic staining with polyclonal anticalretinin is more sensitive than other antibodies tested for the diagnosis of ACTs. However, monoclonal anticalretinin appeared to be more specific. Importantly, our data suggested that the fried-egg-like staining pattern, but not the mere cytoplasmic staining, was characteristic of anticalretinin staining in adrenocortical tissues. Notably, a few anticalretinin negative-ACTs were stained by other immunomarkers that we tested. Thus, the combinational characterization of calretinin (either by polyclonal or monoclonal antibody), inhibin alpha, and Melan-A expression is of great significance in the differential diagnosis of ACTs.     

In vitro degradation of silk fibroin

A significant need exists for long-term degradable biomaterials which can slowly and predictably transfer a load-bearing burden to developing biological tissue. In this study Bombyx mori silk fibroin yarns were incubated in 1mg/ml Protease XIV at 37 degrees C to create an in vitro model system of proteolytic degradation. Samples were harvested at designated time points up to 12 weeks and (1) prepared for scanning electron microscopy (SEM), (2) lyophilized and weighed, (3) mechanical properties determined using a servohydraulic Instron 8511, (4) dissolved and run on a SDS-PAGE gel, and (5) characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Control samples were incubated in phosphate-buffered saline. Fibroin was shown to proteolytically degrade with predictable rates of change in fibroin diameter, failure strength, cycles to failure, and mass. SEM indicated increasing fragmentation of individual fibroin filaments from protease-digested samples with time of exposure to the enzyme; particulate debris was present within 7 days of incubation. Gel electrophoresis indicated a decreasing amount of the silk 25 kDa light chain and a shift in the molecular weight of the heavy chain with increasing incubation time in protease. Results support that silk is a mechanically robust biomaterial with predictable long-term degradation characteristics.     

大鼠孤束迷走复合体儿茶酚胺能神经元向杏仁核的直接投射—HRP与免疫组织化学双标记研究

将HRP注入大鼠杏仁中央核(Ce)和基底外侧核(BL),发现在孤束迷走复合体(Sol/dmnx)尾段出现较多的逆行标记细胞。将WGA-HRP注入Sol/dmnx,在Ce和BL见到标记终末。用HRP逆行追踪和抗酪氨酸羟化酶(TH)抗体进行的免疫组化染色相结合的双重标记方法,发现从锥体交叉平面到最后区(AP)吻端平面,Sol/dmnx内有恒定的HRP逆行标记、TH样阳性和HRP/TH样双重标记的三种阳性神经元。双标记细胞主要分布于连合核(solC)、内侧亚核(solM),少量的位于间位核(solI)、背侧亚核(solD)及dmnx的背侧缘等。闩至最后区平面较多。阳性细胞皆以小型为主,多为圆形、三角形,soll中的则为长梭形。双重标记细胞占TH样免疫阳性细胞总数的18.8%,占HRP逆标细胞总数的90%,同侧为主,对侧偶见。本文对其功能意义作了探讨分析。     

聚甲基丙烯酸羟乙酯水凝胶人工晶状体材料的合成与性能

以甲基丙烯酸羟乙酯为原料,过硫酸铵/偏重亚硫酸钠为引发体系,二甲基丙烯酸三乙二醇酯为交联剂,采用溶液聚合法制备了聚甲基丙烯酸羟乙酯水凝胶(PHEMA)人工晶状体材料。系统考察了聚合反应时间、温度及引发剂和交联剂的用量等对该水凝胶材料机械强度、平衡水含量(EWC)的影响,并对PHEMA水凝胶的结构和光学性能进行了表征。实验结果表明,PHEMA水凝胶的最佳合成条件为:引发剂0.5wt%,交联剂1.0wt%,反应温度40℃,反应时间36h。在此条件下制备的PHEMA水凝胶的拉伸强度达到0.57MPa,邵氏A硬度为23.0,平衡含水量超过40%,透光率≥97%。     

4E-binding protein phosphorylation and eukaryotic initiation factor-4E release are required for airway smooth muscle hypertrophy

The molecular mechanisms of airway smooth muscle hypertrophy, a feature of severe asthma, are poorly understood. We previously established a conditionally immortalized human bronchial smooth muscle cell line with a temperature-sensitive SV40 large T antigen. Temperature shift and loss of large T cause G1-phase cell cycle arrest that is accompanied by increased airway smooth muscle cell size. In the present study, we hypothesized that phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor-4E (eIF4E)-binding protein (4E-BP), which subsequently releases eIF4E and initiates cap-dependent mRNA translation, was required for airway smooth muscle hypertrophy. Treatment of cells with chemical inhibitors of PI 3-kinase and mammalian target of rapamycin blocked protein synthesis and cell growth while decreasing the phosphorylation of 4E-BP and increasing the binding of 4E-BP to eIF4E, consistent with the notion that 4E-BP1 phosphorylation and eIF4E function are required for hypertrophy. To test this directly, we infected cells with a retrovirus encoding a phosphorylation site mutant of 4E-BP1 (AA-4E-BP-1) that dominantly inhibits eIF4E. Upon temperature shift, cells infected with AA-4E-BP-1, but not empty vector, failed to undergo hypertrophic growth. We conclude that phosphorylation of 4E-BP, eIF4E release, and cap-dependent protein synthesis are required for hypertrophy of human airway smooth muscle cells.