LTP but not seizure is associated with up-regulation of AKAP-150

We have used differential display to profile and compare the mRNAs expressed in the hippocampus of freely moving animals after the induction of long-term potentiation (LTP) at the perforant path-dentate gyrus synapse with control rats receiving low-frequency stimulation. We have combined this with in situ hybridization and have identified A-kinase anchoring protein of 150 kDa (AKAP-150) as a gene selectively up-regulated during the maintenance phase of LTP. AKAP-150 mRNA has a biphasic modulation in the dentate gyrus following the induction of LTP. The expression of AKAP-150 was 29% lower than stimulated controls 1 h after the induction of LTP. Its expression was enhanced 3 (50%), 6 (239%) and 12 h (210%) after induction, returning to control levels by 24 h postinduction. The NMDA receptor antagonist CPP blocked the tetanus-induced modulation of AKAP-150 expression. Interestingly, strong generalized stimulation produced by electroconvulsive shock did not increase the expression of AKAP-150. This implies that the AKAP-150 harbours a novel property of selective responsiveness to the stimulation patterns that trigger NMDA-dependent LTP in vivo. Its selective up-regulation during LTP and its identified functions as a scaffold for protein kinase A, protein kinase C, calmodulin, calcineurin and ionotropic glutamate receptors suggest that AKAP-150 encodes is an important effector protein in the expression of late LTP.     

Age-dependent loss of PTP and LTP in the hippocampus of PrP-null mice

We have investigated synaptic function in the hippocampus in mice of different ages carrying a null mutation in the PrP gene. Experiments carried out in vivo and in vitro in two laboratories revealed no differences in the ability of juvenile and young adult control and PrP-null mice to express long-term potentiation, paired-pulse facilitation, or posttetanic potentiation in either the dentate gyrus or in the CA1 region. However, we found a significant reduction in the level of posttetanic potentiation and long-term potentiation in the CA1 region of aged PrP-null mice. These results are discussed in relationship to reported increased levels of oxidative stress in older PrP-null mice.     

Ambulatory oxygen therapy, exercise, and survival with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (the Nocturnal Oxygen Therapy Trial revisited)

The NOTT study showed improved survival in COT patients who received LTOT for longer periods (mean 17.7 h/d, median 19.4 h/d) from an ambulatory oxygen system, compared with the survival of NOT patients who received oxygen for a mean of 11.8 h/d from a stationary system. The differences in survival could have been due to the method or the duration of oxygen therapy, or both. An increase in cardiac output and increased oxygenation of the arterial blood (oxygen content) results in increased tissue oxygen transport. In addition, COT was associated with better survival and reduced hospitalizations, compared with NOT patients who were unable to increase their walking level.     

Long-term potentiation of synaptic transmission in the hippocampus of the rat; effect of calmodulin and oleoyl-acetyl-glycerol on release of [3H]glutamate

The effect of calmodulin (CaM) and oleyl-acetyl-glycerol (OAG, a synthetic analogue of diacylglycerol, DAG) on K+-induced release of radiolabelled glutamate (Glu), was examined in synaptosomes prepared from area CA3 of control rats and rats in which long-term potentiation (LTP) had been induced in vivo by a brief train of high-frequency stimulation. Both CaM and OAG significantly enhanced release from control tissue in a dose-dependent manner. Release of preloaded L-[3H]Glu was significantly greater in synaptosomes prepared from potentiated tissue than from control tissue but neither CaM nor OAG further enhanced release in potentiated preparations. The occlusion of the two effects suggests that CaM and endogenous DAG are likely to be involved in control of Glu release and the enhancement of release associated with LTP.     

Chondroblastoma of a metacarpal. Report of a case and review of the literature

A 25-year-old white man had a tender mass on the dorsum of his hand. Routine examination and radiographs revealed a benign lytic neoplasm in the base of the ring metacarpal. The primary treatment consisted of curettage and cancellous bone grafting. The biopsy diagnosis was chondroblastoma. The patient is asymptomatic and has a normal radiograph after a follow-up period of one year. This unusual tumor has seldom been reported at sites distal to the wrist. The report of this chondroblastoma serves as a reminder that not all benign lytic processes in the hand are enchondromas.     

Cystic myxomatous degeneration of the femoral vein

We present a case of cystic myxomatous degeneration of the femoral vein. The features are similar to those found in the equivalent disease of arteries. It is suggested that it may occur in veins as an unusual and rare late sequel of venous thrombosis and recanalisation. A search of the literature has revealed only one previously reported case.     

Recent Developments in Health Care Law: Culture and Controversy

This article reviews recent developments in health care law, focusing on controversy at the intersection of health care law and culture. The article addresses: emerging issues in federal regulatory oversight of the rapidly developing market in direct-to-consumer genetic testing, including questions about the role of government oversight and professional mediation of consumer choice; continuing controversies surrounding stem cell research and therapies and the implications of these controversies for healthcare institutions; a controversy in India arising at the intersection of abortion law and the rights of the disabled but implicating a broader set of cross-cultural issues; and the education of U.S. health care providers and lawyers in the theory and practice of cultural competency.