Relationship of calcium-binding protein containing neurons and projection neurons in the rat basolateral amygdala

Two-laser and two-color approaches were used to observe the colocalization of the calcium-binding proteins, calbindin D28k and parvalbumin, and the retrograde tracer, Fluoro-Gold (FG) in the basolateral amygdala of the rat. The study was performed on five adult rats into which FG was injected to the frontal association cortex. Then, the localization of the retrogradely labeled neurons in the basolateral amygdala was compared with the localization of the neurons labeled by calcium-binding proteins. The present study showed that most of the retrogradely labeled neurons in the posterior part of the basolateral amygdala are also calbindin-positive. Even though a lot of parvalbumin-positive endings were present at the surface of the retrogradely labeled cells, we did not observe the colocalization of the parvalbumin and projective neurons.     

Effect of endurance and sprint exercise on the sensitivity of glucose metabolism to insulin in the epitrochlearis muscle of sedentary and trained rats

Summary The effects of two types of acute exercise (1 h treadmill running at 20 m· min^–1, or 6 × 10-s periods at 43 m · min^–1, 0° inclination), as well as two training regimes (endurance and sprint) on the sensitivity of epitrochlearis muscle [fast twitch (FT) fibres] to insulin were measured in vitro in rats. The hormone concentration in the incubation medium producing the half maximal stimulation of lactate (la) production and glycogen synthesis was determined and used as an index of the muscle insulin sensitivity. A single period of moderate endurance as well as the sprint-type exercise increased the sensitivity of la production to insulin although the rate of la production enhanced markedly only after sprint exercise at 10 and 100 U· ml^–1 of insulin. These effects persisted for up to 2 h after the termination of exercise. Both types of exercise significantly decreased the muscle glycogen content, causing a moderate enhancement in the insulin-stimulated rates of glycogen synthesis in vitro for up to 2 h after exercise. However, a significant increase in the sensitivity of this process to insulin was found only in the muscle removed 0.25 h after the sprint effort. Training of the sprint and endurance types increased insulin-stimulated rates of glycolysis 24 h after the last period of exercise. The sensitivity of this process to insulin was also increased at this instant. Both types of training increased the basal and maximal rates of glycogen snythesis, as well as the sensitivity of this process to insulin at the 24^th following the last training session. It was concluded that in the epitrochlearis muscle, containing mainly FT fibres, both moderate and intensive exercise (acute and repeated) were effective in increasing sensitivity of glucose utilization to insulin. Thus, the response in this muscle type to increased physical activity differs from that reported previously in the soleus muscle, representing the slow-twitch, oxidative fibres in which sprint exercise did not produce any changes in the muscle insulin sensitivity.     

Effect of sound source position on learning and performance of auditory delayed matching-to-sample task in dogs

Spatial adjacency of stimulus source and response site has been proven important for learning of simple behavioural tasks, including auditory quality and location discrimination. We investigated effect of sound source position (adjacent or not adjacent to manipulanda) on learning and performance of a complex auditory recognition memory task. Spatial adjacency of stimuli and manipulanda improved learning of a simple auditory directional task, which was an intermediate stage of training. In contrast, no improvement of learning and performance of the recognition task was found.     

Invasive aspergillosis in autopsy material of patients treated at the Institute of Tuberculosis and Chest Diseases during the years 1993-2000

The aim of this paper is an analysis of clinical documentation and results of autopsy of 21 patients (pts) who died of invasive aspergillosis (IA) in the Institute of Tuberculosis and Chest Diseases in years 1993-2000 and the assessment of predisposing factors for IA. In 17 pts IA was the main and in other 4 only an accessory cause of death. All pts were treated with corticosteroids and/or cytostatic drugs--because of lung cancer (11 pts), cancer in other site (2 pts), haematologic disorders (2 pts), Wegener's granulomatosis (1 pt), polymyositis (1 pt), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (1 pt) and other diseases (3 pts). In 15 out of 21 pts granulocytopenia was revealed (from 0.008 x 10(9)/L to 0.82 x 10(9)/L) on an average one month before death. In 15 pts IA was limited to the lungs, in 6 others there were also fungal lesions in brain, kidneys, liver, spleen and heart. Pts with disseminated form of IA had significantly lower granulocyte count and were treated with higher doses of corticosteroids than others. Immunosuppressive drugs and granulocytopenia can be regarded as predisposing factors. Fatal course of IA depended also on the late diagnosis.     

Palmitic acid metabolism in the soleus muscle in vitro in hypo- and hyperthyroid rats

The aim of this study was to establish whether the rate of fatty acid (FA) incorporation and its utilization by the isolated soleus muscle is modified under conditions of thyroid hormone deficit or excess. The rate of palmitic acid (PA) uptake, oxidation and incorporation into intramuscular lipids with increasing PA concentration (0.5–1.5 mM) in the incubation medium were determined. In hypothyroid rats intramuscular triacylglycerol (TG) synthesis was increased, while the rate of PA oxidation to CO₂ and incorporation into mono- and diacylglycerols (MG/DG) and phospholipids (PL) remained unchanged. In rats with triiodothyronine (T₃) excess the rate of all processes studied was enhanced, although the percentage incorporation of PA into different classes of intramuscular lipids was fairly constant and, independently of thyroid state and FA concentration in the medium, was 56–66% for TG, 9-14% for MG/DG and 24–32% for PL. Our results thus indicate that even short-term T₃ excess accelerates the rate of FA uptake and metabolism in the oxidative soleus muscle, whereas in hypothyroid rats only intramuscular TG synthesis is affected.     

Guinea-pig peritoneal macrophage receptor for IgG--II. Purification of the receptor and its partial characterization

The Fc gamma receptor of guinea-pig peritoneal macrophages was purified by affinity chromatography by using rabbit IgG or guinea-pig IgG2 coupled to Sepharose. Lysates prepared by treatment of 125I-labeled macrophages with NP-40 were first applied to BSA-Sepharose and then to IgG-Sepharose and eluted with 0.5 M acetic acid containing 1% NP-40. The specific binding was determined by interaction of the 125I-labeled receptor with IgG-Sepharose in the presence and absence of soluble IgG. The specific binding of the purified receptor was 42-82%. Interactions of the purified receptor with IgG-Sepharose were equally well inhibited by soluble rabbit IgG or guinea-pig IgG2, but not by F(ab')2 fragments. Inclusion of NP-40 in the buffer used in the assay reduced nonspecific binding of the receptor to the affinity gels. The purified receptor can be stored for 20 days at 4 degrees C without a significant loss of the specific binding activity. Analysis of the receptor by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, under nonreducing and reducing conditions, revealed two major peaks of radioactivity corresponding to mol. wts of about 50,000 and 25,000, and one very minor peak corresponding to a mol. wt of about 30,000. The results obtained suggest that the protein of the second major peak is a product of the dissociation of the protein of the first major peak rather than a product of its reduction by 2-mercaptoethanol.     

Effect of IFN-gamma on expression of HLA in bare-lymphocyte syndrome-like cell line HAJ

We compared HLA antigen expression on new B-lymphoblastoid cell line (B-LCL) HAJ with that on B-LCLs expressing normal HLA levels as well as on B-LCLs derived from bare lymphocyte syndrome (BLS) patients and in vitro mutated B-LCLs of BLS-like phenotype. HAJ cells had no expression of HLA class II and low expression of class I antigens similarly to some of BLS B-LCLs, although HAJ cell line was derived from lymphocytes of HLA class I- and class II-normally expressing donor. HAJ cells displayed B lymphocyte markers, surface immunoglobulin and CD19. Culture of HAJ cells in the presence of interferon y resulted in HLA class I antigen upregulation, but did not restore class II expression. The cell line HAJ may prove useful for studies on factors influencing HLA class I cell surface expression.     

Phosphopyridoxal complexes with histamine and histidine (5) the kinetics of cyclic compound formation between histamine and pyridoxal-5′-phosphate in the presence of pig kidney diamine oxidase and rat intestinal histaminase

Pig kidney diamine oxidase (DAO) and rat intestinal histaminase (Hi-are) activities are inhibited in vitro by high concentrations of both a substrate (histamine) and a coenzyme (pyridoxal-5-phosphate). This inhibition may be at least partially associated with the formation of a cyclic compound between histamine (Hi) and pyridoxal-5-phosphate (PLP).The dynamics of this cyclic compound formation in the presence of both enzymes has been examined. In an incubation mixture containing partially purified pig kidney DAO, the rate of cyclization decreased slightly as compared with a buffer. On the contrary, in the presence of crude rat intestinal histaminase, the rate of cyclization was inhibited significantly; this inhibition was proportional to the amount of enzyme preparation present in the incubation mixture. The possible mechanism of the influence of enzyme protein on the rate of cyclic compound formation, and its possible biological significance, are discussed.     

Ultrastructural changes in the optic nerves of rodents with experimental Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease (GSS) or scrapie

This report describes the ultrastructural changes in the optic nerves of (1) hamsters infected with the Echigo-1 strain of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), (2) hamsters infected with the 263K or 22C-H strain of scrapie, and (3) mice infected with the Fujisaki strain of Gerstmann-Str?ussler-Scheinker disease (GSS). Vacuolation of myelinated fibres was present in the myelin sheaths, with splitting of myelin lamellae. These vacuoles contained typical secondary vacuoles and curled membrane fragments. Myelinated fibre vacuolation was also accompanied by an exuberant cellular reaction consisting of macrophages containing numerous mitochondria, abundant rough endoplasmic reticulum, and secondary lysosomes filled with digested myelin debris and other electron-dense material. Within macrophages, myelin fragments undergoing active digestion, lyre-like bodies and paracrystalline inclusions were frequently noted. Astrocytes and their processes were prominent; glial filaments and many mitochondria were readily detected. Proliferation of inner mesaxons was observed. Cross-sectional profiles of innumerable myelinated fibres contained membranous organelles continuous with the inner lamellae of the oligodendroglial cells. The proliferations of inner mesaxons formed whorls and loops, and intrusion of the membranous tongue of the inner mesaxon into the axoplasm was occasionally observed; dystrophic neurites were relatively numerous. In mice infected with the Fujisaki strain of GSS, fibres had undergone demyelination with stripping of the myelin lamellae, while others showed vesicular myelin degeneration.