Circulatory events following spontaneous muscle exercise in normotensive and hypertensive rats

In previous studies we have shown that spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) develop a running behaviour and, secondary to the running behaviour, develop an endorphin-mediated analgesic effect. In the present study the role of the central endorphin system in the cardiovascular responses to spontaneous exercise in normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY) and SHR was investigated. The experimental design allowed us to record mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) continuously for more than 1 week without interfering with the daily activities of the animals. They were active in running wheels during the dark period (19.00-07.00 h) and the activity was accompanied by a marked rise in HR. In SHR, a clear depression of blood pressure lasting for about for about 50 min was noted following each running period. The MAP during the post-running depression was 131.4 +/- 1.6 mmHg which was significantly lower than the pre-running control value (145.2 +/- 2.3 mmHg, P less than 0.01). In contrast, MAP in the post-running period in WKY was not significantly different from the pre-running values. In addition, the depression period of SHR had a mean post-running length of 49.7 +/- 3.4 min, which is significantly longer than in the WKYs (37.8 +/- 3.5 min, P less than 0.05). In control rats, naloxone infusion had no effect on blood pressure but a marked bradycardia was observed. In nine running SHR receiving a naloxone infusion, their MAP during the depression period was not different from the control pressure. Our study indicates that endorphin systems are involved in the regulating of blood pressure and HR during muscle exercise in SHR. These systems trigger the transient depression of blood pressure observed immediately after a running period in the SHR.     

Maxillary reconstruction for a huge odontogenic keratocyst

A range of different entities may be responsible for cystic lesions in the maxillary region. However, sometimes an accurate diagnosis cannot be made based on clinical or radiologic presentation. In this case, the surgeon should evaluate the clinical situation so that a comprehensive surgical plan that addresses the patient's complaints can be made. We present a 25-year-old female patient with a huge maxillary cyst causing obvious cheek protrusion. For cosmetic concern, she received surgical excision of the cystic lesion and reconstruction of anterior maxillary defect. No recurrence was seen at 18 months' follow-up, and the patient was quite satisfied with the aesthetic result. We reported the case to provide an effective procedure for benign maxillary cysts that result in cosmetic concerns with simple excision and reconstruction.     

Properties of single neurons in the cat midsuprasylvian gyrus

Summary Responses of cells in the midsuprasylvian gyrus (MSSG) of cats were investigated following electrical stimulation of the central lateral nucleus (CL) of the thalamus and tooth pulp, low-threshold cutaneous or visual afferents. Electrical stimulation in CL induced excitation in many cells located in cortical areas 5 and 7. Cells in these areas also received input from somato-sensory and visual afferents. Cells in MSSG showed a wide convergence from tooth pulp, low-threshold cutaneous afferents and from the CL. The majority of wide convergent cells in area 5 were found in layers IV and V, while cells excited by CL and tooth pulp were found in layers II and III. Similarities were found between CL and tooth pulp evoked responses with regard to the excitation-inhibition pattern. The excitation evoked from CL and tooth pulp was less often followed by a hyperpolarizing potential compared to that seen after low-threshold lip, paw and visual afferent stimulation. Stimulation sites in the lateral parts of CL-evoked responses with the shortest latencies in area 5. In this part of the cortex, short latency synaptic potentials were found in cells in superficial layers. In the same area, synaptic potentials of short latency were also evoked by electrical stimulation of tooth pulp, lip and paw. Light-flash stimulation evoked responses with the shortest latencies in area 7. The results of this study demonstrate that putative nociceptive information reaches the parietal association cortex and that part of this input may be relayed via CL. We suggest that the excitatory influences of nociceptive and CL stimulation is related to behavioral arousal and attention mechanisms.Abbreviations AV anteroventral nucleus - CL central lateral nucleus - CM centre median nucleus - GL lateral geniculate nucleus - LD lateral dorsal nucleus - LP lateral posterior complex - MD mediodorsal nucleus - MSSG midsuprasylvian gyrus - OT optic tract - PAC paracentral nucleus - PF parafascicular nucleus - Po posterior thalamic nuclei - PP pes pedunculi - STT spinothalamic tract - VB ventrobasal complex - VA ventroanterior nucleus - VL ventrolateral complex - VMB basal ventromedial nucleus - VMH ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus - VPL ventroposterolateral nucleus - VPM ventroposteromedial nucleus - C.Max contralateral maxillary canine tooth - I.Max ipsilateral maxillary canine tooth - C.Mand contralateral mandibular canine tooth - I.Mand ipsilateral mandibular canine tooth - C.Lip contralateral upper lip - I.Lip ipsilateral upper lip - C.F.Paw contralateral forepaw - I.F.Paw ipsilateral forepaw - C.H.Paw contralateral hindpaw - I.H.Paw ipsilateral hindpaw - AP anteroposterior plane (in mm anterior to the interauricular plane) - ML mediolateral plane (in mm lateral to the midline)     

刺果甘草化学成分的研究

从刺果甘草(Glycyrrhiza pallidiflora Maxim)的根和根茎中分离到五种化合物,经理化性质和光谱方法鉴定,化合物P-2为4-羟基-2,4’-二甲氧基查尔酮,为一新的化合物,命名为刺果甘草查尔酮(glypallichalcone,P-2)。其它分别为4'-O-methyl-coumestrol(P-1),谷氨酸乙酰化物(N-acetylglutamicacid,P-3)和芒柄花素(formononetin,P-4),均为首次从该植物中获得。此外还得到β-谷甾醇(β-sitos-terol,P-5)     

柴胡皂甙m和柴胡皂甙n的结构鉴定

从黑柴胡(Bupleurum smithii Wolff)根中分得二个新三萜皂甙。根据理化性质和波谱数据,分别鉴定为3β,23,28-三羟基齐墩果烷-11,13(18)-二烯-3-O-β-D-吡喃葡萄糖基-(1→3)-β-D-吡喃呋糖甙,命名为柴胡皂甙m(saikosaponin m,IV),和3β,16β,23,28-四羟基齐墩果烷-11,13(18)-二烯-3-O-β-D-吡喃葡萄糖基-(1→6)-[α-L-吡喃鼠李糖基-(1→4)]-β-D-吡喃葡萄糖甙,命名为柴胡皂甙n(saikos-aponinn,IX)。     

Caregiver self‐efficacy for managing behavioural problems of older people with dementia in Taiwan correlates with care receivers’ behavioural problems

Aims and objective. To investigate the relationship between family caregivers’ self‐efficacy for managing behavioural problems of older people with dementia and their behavioural problems in Taiwan. Background. Older people with dementia commonly have at least one behavioural problem, which caregivers complain is difficult to handle. To provide interventions that can help caregivers more effectively manage the behavioural problems of care receivers with dementia, caregivers’ self‐efficacy on managing behavioural problems must be assessed. However, it is not clear yet how these behavioural problems of older people with dementia may influence caregivers’ self‐efficacy for managing behavioural problems. Design. A prospective, correlational study. Method. Eighty dyads of older people with dementia and their family caregivers were recruited from neurological clinics of a medical centre in Taiwan. Care receivers were assessed for behavioural problems using the Chinese version of Cohen‐Mansfield Agitation Inventory, community form. Caregivers’ self‐efficacy for managing care receivers’ agitation was measured by the research team‐developed Agitation Management Self‐Efficacy Scale. Results. Caregiver self‐efficacy for managing behavioural problems was significantly and positively associated with more caregiver education, greater duration of caregiving and with care receivers’ less physically non‐aggressive behaviours. When caregiver characteristics were controlled for in hierarchical regression analysis, physically non‐aggressive behaviours explained 6% of the variance in caregiver self‐efficacy. Conclusions. Results of this study contradict the general belief that physically aggressive behaviours of elders with dementia are more difficult for family caregivers to handle than other behavioural problems. Clinicians need to address physically non‐aggressive problem behaviours. Relevance to clinical practice. Nurses could assess older patients with dementia for physically non‐aggressive behaviours and train less educated caregivers to improve their self‐efficacy for managing problem behaviours, thus enhancing the quality of life for both caregivers and care receivers.     

Reconstruction of calvarial defect using a tricalcium phosphate-oligomeric proanthocyanidins cross-linked gelatin composite

A biodegradable GTP composite which was composed of oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs) cross-linked gelatin mixed with tricalcium phosphate was developed as a bone substitute. The subcutaneous implantation in rats was examined to determine the in vivo degradation and biocompatibility of the GTP composites with various cross-linking densities. Experimental results indicated that the rate of in vivo degradation was markedly attenuated as the concentration of OPCs increased above 5.0 wt%. Furthermore, this study examined the biological response of rabbit calvarial bone to GTP composite to evaluate its potential for use as an osteoconductive bone substitute. Bone defects (10 mm in diameter) in New Zealand white rabbits were filled with the GTP composite. The de-protenized bovine cancellous bone matrix was employed as the control material. The results of radiographic analyses demonstrated obviously greater new bone ingrowth in the GTP composite than in the de-proteinized bovine bone at the same implantation time. Progressive replacement of the GTP composite by new bone proceeded by a combination of osteoconduction and biodegradation. The biodegradable GTP composite thus has great potential for improving bone repair.     

Spatiotemporal organization and thalamic modulation of seizures in the mouse medial thalamic-anterior cingulate slice

Purpose: Seizure‐like activities generated in anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) are usually classified as simple partial and are associated with changes in autonomic function, motivation, and thought. Previous studies have shown that thalamic inputs can modulate ACC seizure, but the exact mechanisms have not been studied thoroughly. Therefore, we investigated the role of thalamic inputs in modulating ACC seizure‐like activities. In addition, seizure onset and propagation are difficult to determine in vivo in ACC. We studied the spatiotemporal changes in epileptiform activity in this cortex in a thalamic–ACC slice to clearly determine seizure onset. Methods: We used multielectrode array (MEA) recording and calcium imaging to investigate the modulatory effect of thalamic inputs in a thalamic–ACC slice preparation. Key Findings: Seizure‐like activities induced with 4‐aminopyridine (4‐AP; 250 μm ) and bicuculline (5–50 μm ) in ACC were attenuated by glutamate receptor antagonists, and the degree of disinhibition varied with the dose of bicuculline. Seizure‐like activities were decreased with 1 Hz thalamic stimulation, whereas corpus callosum stimulation could increase ictal discharges. Amplitude and duration of cingulate seizure‐like activities were augmented after removing thalamic inputs, and this effect was not observed with those induced with elevated bicuculline (50 μm ). Seizure‐like activities were initiated in layers II/III and, after thalamic lesions, they occurred mainly in layers V/VI. Two‐dimensional current‐source density analyses revealed sink signals more frequently in layers V/VI after thalamic lesions, indicating that these layers produce larger excitatory synchronization. Calcium transients were synchronized after thalamic lesions suggesting that ACC seizure‐like activities are subjected to desynchronizing modulation by thalamic inputs. Therefore, ACC seizure‐like activities are subject to desynchronizing modulation from medial thalamic inputs to deep layer pyramidal neurons. Significance: Cingulate seizure‐like activities were modulated significantly by thalamic inputs. Repeated stimulation of the thalamus efficiently inhibited epileptiform activity, demonstrating that the desynchronization was pathway‐specific. The clinical implications of deep thalamic stimulation in the modulation of cingulate epileptic activity require further investigation.     

Liver transplantation in tyrosinaemia type 1: the dilemma of timing the operation

Four children with tyrosinaemia type 1 received liver transplants. The metabolic disorder was corrected and all four had normal liver function on an unrestricted diet. Two children, transplanted at age five and seven years, proved to have occult hepatocellular carcinoma and both subsequently developed pulmonary metastases. One child was well 32 months after removal of a single pulmonary metastasis but the other child died with multiple metastases. The two younger children, transplanted at age 19 and 21 months, were well 28 and 44 months after operation, one after a second liver transplant. Our experience confirms the high risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in this disease and the potential value of early liver transplantation.