Penetration of Schistosoma japonicum cercaria into host skin.

The anterior part of Schistosoma japonicum cercaria is a specialized head organ which can slightly stretch out and retract. There are three different types of large unicellular glands in cercarial body, consisting of one head gland, 2 pairs of pre- and 3 pairs of postacetabular glands. These glands differ in position, gross feature, histochemistry and functions. Both polysaccharase and protease activities are demonstrated in the secretions from these glands. Mode of cercarial penetration is described in detail and the penetration is effected by a combination of lytic secretions and mechanical movements. The schematic representation of the process of cercarial penetration is presented. The dynamic distributions of schistosomula in skin at different time intervals after skin penetration in various mammalian hosts are shown. Some newly transformed schistosomula die while penetrating into the skin of 7 mammalian species and the mortality rate varies with the host species, and that can also be affected by the age of cercariae following emergence from the snail. Some physiological aspects between cercariae and newly transformed schistosomula are compared. In contrast to cercariae, schistosomula are saline-adapted and water-intolerant. They were modified histochemically and antigenically.

     

Alterations of G-protein Coupling Function in Phosphoinositide Signalling Pathways of Rat Hippocampus by Ischaemic Brain Injury

The activation of membrane-associated phospholipase C is rapidly and transiently induced in the central nervous system by a variety of stimuli. Ischaemic brain injury is one of the situations that leads to a dramatic increase in polyphosphoinositide (PPI) turnover. In this study, stimulation of PPI hydrolysis by glutamate (500 μM) was measured in hippocampal slices from rats up to 21 days after an ischaemic insult of 30 min. Ischaemia was induced using the four-vessel occlusion method. PPI hydrolysis elicited by glutamate was significantly increased in the slices prepared from ischaemic rats 24 h after reperfusion, the accumulation of inositol phosphates (InsP_s) and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP₃) was 614±74% ( n = 8) and 182±11% ( n = 9) of the basal level respectively. This potentiation was also observed 21 days after ischaemia. Hyper-responsiveness to glutamate was also accompanied by an increase in AIF⁻₄-stimulated formation of [³H]inositol phosphates. In addition, global ischaemia did not change either high-affinity [³H]glutamate binding in hippocampal membranes or the stimulation of PPI hydrolysis by carbachol or noradrenaline in hippocampal slices. The present results suggest that the increased responsiveness to glutamate is the result, at least in part, of functional changes at the G-protein level, and may contribute to the pathophysiology of ischaemic brain injury or to the regenerative phenomena that accompany ischaemic damage.     

Chemical structure of plasticizers,compatibility of components and phase equilibrium in plasticized cellulose diacetate

The phase equilibrium of plasticized polymer systems on the basis of cellulose diacetate and ethylene glycol esters of dibasic aliphatic acids (from oxalic acid to 1,10-decanedicarboxylic acid) was studied and the solubility parameters and the thermodynamic interaction parameters of the components were calculated. It is shown that an increase in molecular weight of the plasticizers leads to a lower miscibility of the components, a fact which is reflected in a regular rise of the upper critical solution temperature (UCST), a tendency of the systems for gelation, a decrease of the solubility parameter of the plasticizer δ₁, and a growth of the interaction parameters χ_H and χ₁₂. The results are discussed in terms of the existing theories for polymer solutions.     

Thermafil热熔牙胶、Vitapex临床常用根管充填材料微渗漏比较研究

目的 :对比根充糊剂 牙胶尖、Vitapex 牙胶尖、Thermafil热熔牙胶三种根管充填材料对离体人牙根管的密封性能。方法 :将 5 0个新鲜拔除的人单根管牙 ,在釉牙骨质界处切除牙冠。将所有牙根随机分为 5组 ,每组 10个。 3个实验组分别用上述三种材料充填根管 ;剩余 2组 ,一组根管预备后不进行充填 ,另一组不进行根管预备 ,也不进行根管充填。用印度墨水染色法对比三种根管充填材料对离体人牙根管的密封性能 ,体视显微镜下测量染色线长度并进行统计学分析。结果 :根充糊剂 牙胶尖组、Vitapex 牙胶尖组和Thermafil热熔牙胶组的平均染色线长度分别为 3 .3 6± 0 .42mm、2 .0 9± 0 .19mm、1.0 5± 0 .3 7mm。Vitapex糊剂 牙胶尖或Thermafil热熔牙胶进行根管充填 ,产生的根管封闭性明显优于用根充糊剂 牙胶尖组根管充填 (P <0 .0 5 ) ;而Vitapex糊剂 牙胶尖和Thermafil热熔牙胶比较时 ,统计学无显著性差异 (P >0 .0 5 )。结论 :Thermafil热熔牙胶的密封性能最强 ,Vitapex糊剂 牙胶尖次之 ,根充糊剂 牙胶尖最弱。     

Effects of chronic amitriptyline administration on saliva from the parotid and submandibular glands of the rat

The effect of prolonged treatment with amitriptyline on the secretory activity of rat salivary glands evoked by parasympathetic nerve stimulation and isoprenaline administration has been studied. Low doses of amitriptyline (10 mg/kg per day for 2 or 4 weeks), did not significantly affect salivary flow evoked by either parasympathetic nerve or isoprenaline stimulation. Higher doses of amitriptyline (50 mg/kg/day for 2 or 4 weeks) however, markedly decreased parasympathetic-evoked salivary secretion (flow and volume) from both parotid and submandibular glands, while isoprenaline-evoked secretions were unaffected. Sodium, potassium, and calcium concentrations of nerve-elicited or isoprenaline-evoked saliva were not significantly altered by amitriptyline treatment. Protein concentration and amylase activity of nerve-elicited parotid saliva were, however, greatly increased by chronic amitriptyline administration. Possible mechanisms for drug-induced increase in nerveelicited salivary protein concentration include changes in cholinergic receptor binding, release of neuropeptides and variations in phosphatidylinositol turnover, which need further study.