Intense immunoreactivity for Mn-superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) in cholinergic and non-cholinergic neurons in the rat basal forebrain

The immunohistochemical localization of manganese (Mn)-superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) was studied in the rat basal forebrain using polyclonal antibodies to Mn-SOD. Neurons of the basal forebrain exhibit a high density of Mn-SOD immunoreactivity. Double immunostaining with a monoclonal antibody to choline acetyltransferase demonstrated that both cholinergic and non-cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain are intensely immunoreactive for Mn-SOD.     

Prevalence and correlates of depressive symptoms among former prisoners of war

Studies of former prisoners of war (POWs) provide valuable insights into posttraumatic adaptation because they gather information from a large population who survived the traumatic experiences of military captivity. Previous studies of POWs have shown elevated rates of psychiatric symptoms and disorders. This report presents evidence from a longitudinal study of three large, representative, national samples of former POWs. The study finds that depressive symptomatology, as measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, is elevated in World War II POWs from the Pacific and European theaters and in Korean conflict POWs. Decades later, depressive symptomatology is found to be strongly associated with prior treatment in captivity. Differences in depressive symptomatology among the three POW groups can be attributed to captivity-related factors and to buffering factors, such as age at capture and education.     

Integrity of perforant path fibers and the frequency of action potential independent excitatory and inhibitory synaptic events in dentate gyrus granule cells.

Whole-cell voltage clamp recordings in 400 microns thick hippocampal slices revealed discrete excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic currents which persisted at synapses on granule cells following abolition of action potentials with 1 microM tetrodotoxin (TTX). The conductances associated with excitatory amino acid and GABAA receptor mediated events had mean peaks of 200 and 800 pS, and decayed monoexponentially with time constants of 5.6 and 5.3 ms. At a holding potential close to the normal resting membrane potential of granule cells (-80 to -90 mV), the frequency of glutamate/aspartate mediated spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs) was decreased from 2.04 Hz in slices cut parallel to the plane of the perforant path to 0.87 Hz in slices cut in a plane that disrupted the distal perforant path fibres, suggesting that presynaptic integrity influences the rate of action potential independent neurotransmitter release. The orientation of the slicing had no effect on the frequency of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs).     

Ubiquitin in motor neuron disease: study at the light and electron microscope.

Several neurodegenerative diseases, including motor neuron disease (MND), are characterized by formation of abnormal cytoskeleton-derived inclusions which contain ubiquitin (Ubq). We have studied the distribution of Ubq in 26 cases of MND with light and electron microscopic immunocytochemistry. Ubiquitin-positive inclusions were found in neurons of anterior horns in most cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) but were not present in other forms of MND. Ubiquitin immunoreactivity was observed in 10-15 nm intraneuronal filaments, which were not stained by antibodies to neurofilaments, and on dense bodies of dystrophic neurites throughout the neuropil of anterior horns and pyramidal tracts. Data analysis showed a trend toward lower percentage of Ubq-positive neurons in cases with longer duration of illness or lower number of neurons. A high percentage of Ubq-positive inclusions occurred in cases with an aggressive clinical course, suggesting that ubiquitination takes place at early stages of the disease.     

Significance of the studies of urinary syndrome in clinical practice]

The study of urinary sediment is essential in laboratory diagnosis. Conventional clinical methods are now used in line with computer-aided techniques and additional microscopy of the sediment elements. The paper provides a brief analysis of clinical situations characterized by appearance in the urine of abnormal numbers of leukocytes, erythrocytes, casts; provides clinical assessment of additional microscopic methods able to accentuate qualitative characteristics of the urinary syndrome; considers possibilities of application of the urinary sediment data in follow-up to improve diagnosis and control on-going treatment.     

A nursing approach to the management of type IIA hyperlipidemia: case study of a young adult

This case study illustrates the chronic nature of hyperlipidemia type IIa and the important contribution of the nurse in helping the client adjust life style, manage complex health regimes, and cope with the uncertainty of disease progression and its associated risks.     

Ultrastructure of aberrant serotonin-immunoreactive fibers in the caudate putamen complex of the aged rat

Degeneration of neurons in the central nervous system is associated with morphological changes. Previous observations made at the light microscopical level indicated degeneration of serotonin-immunoreactive (IR) fibers in the aged rat brain. In this study, a comparison at the ultrastructural level was made between serotonin-IR normal thin and aberrant swollen varicose fibers in the caudate-putamen complex of the aged rat. Ultrastructural features such as the size and content of the thin varicose fibers resembled those in the caudate-putamen complex of the young rat as reported by others. The aberrant profiles were swollen, reaching a size of 6 microns. Their vesicles varied in size and were no longer uniformly round. Moreover, distorted mitochondria and membrane-filled vacuolelike structures were a common feature of the aberrant profiles. These changes are indicative of a degenerative process and give further evidence that, whereas many serotonergic fibers are preserved at high age, other serotonergic fibers are degenerating in the caudate-putamen complex of the aged rat.