Right-heart echocontrast in the anesthetized dog after i.v. administration of a new standardized sonographic contrast agent. 1st communication: dose-response relationship

The newly developed standardized sonographic contrast agent SH U 454, which consists of pure galactose microparticles, was examined for opacification of the right heart by 2 D echocardiography in 10 anesthetized female beagle dogs (6.8-12.7 kg) following i.v. administration. The right ventricular contrast of SH U 454 was investigated in 4 concentrations: 100, 150, 200 and 300 mg microparticles/ml suspension. With a 5-min interval between injections each animal was given 3 injections of 2 ml of each formulation in random order using an injection speed of approximately 2 ml/s. The echocardiographic pictures were recorded on videotape and the contrast assessed blind, using a visual score system (ratings 0-5), by two investigators working independently and also by a videodensitometer which measured 3 additional parameters. The contrast obtainable with SH U 454 is dose-dependent. SH U 454 containing 300 mg microparticles/ml was in every case significantly superior (p less than 0.05) to the suspension containing 100 mg/ml. All the videodensitometer values revealed a significant difference (p less than 0.05) between the 200 and 100 mg/ml concentrations. Only the concentration containing 300 mg/ml yielded contrast adequate for diagnostic purposes in respect of every parameters after every injection and in every dog.     

Neurogenin 1 Null Mutant Ears Develop Fewer, Morphologically Normal Hair Cells in Smaller Sensory Epithelia Devoid of Innervation

The proneuronal gene neurogenin 1 (ngn1) is essential for development of the inner-ear sensory neurons that are completely absent in ngn1 null mutants. Neither afferent, efferent, nor autonomic nerve fibers were detected in the ears of ngn1 null mutants. We suggest that efferent and autonomic fibers are lost secondarily to the absence of afferents. In this article we show that ngn1 null mutants develop smaller sensory epithelia with morphologically normal hair cells. In particular, the saccule is reduced dramatically and forms only a small recess with few hair cells along a duct connecting the utricle with the cochlea. Hair cells of newborn ngn1 null mutants show no structural abnormalities, suggesting that embryonic development of hair cells is independent of innervation. However, the less regular pattern of dispersal within sensory epithelia may be caused by some effects of afferents or to the stunted growth of the sensory epithelia. Tracing of facial and stato-acoustic nerves in control and ngn1 null mutants showed that only the distal, epibranchial, placode-derived sensory neurons of the geniculate ganglion exist in mutants. Tracing further showed that these geniculate ganglion neurons project exclusively to the solitary tract. In addition to the normal complement of facial branchial and visceral motoneurons, ngn1 null mutants have some trigeminal motoneurons and contralateral inner-ear efferents projecting, at least temporarily, through the facial nerve. These data suggest that some neurons in the brainstem (e.g., inner-ear efferents, trigeminal motoneurons) require afferents to grow along and redirect to ectopic cranial nerve roots in the absence of their corresponding sensory roots.     

Conditional and inducible gene recombineering in the mouse inner ear

Genetically engineered mice have greatly improved our understanding of gene functions and disease mechanisms. Nevertheless, the traditional knock-out approach has limitations in the overall viability of mutants. The application of the Cre/loxP system in the inner ear can help bypass this difficulty by generation of conditional gene recombineering. However, to do so requires an expression system that allows ear-specific temporally inducible, gene abrogation of one or more of the increasingly available floxed genes. To date, three approaches have been successfully used to create murine inner ear-specific Cre lines: conventional transgenesis, BAC transgenesis, and gene knock-in. Unfortunately, timing of conditional Cre activity does not extend beyond the regulatory range of the gene controlling Cre expression. Rectification of this problem requires the generation of tamoxifen or tetracycline inducible systems in the inner ear. Examination of integrase expression at different loci will facilitate studies on the expression of exogenous transgenes. These genetic applications for the mouse genome will dramatically advance in vivo gene function studies.     

Incomplete segregation of endorgan-specific vestibular ganglion cells in mice and rats

The endorgan-specific distribution of vestibular ganglion cells was studied in neonatal and postnatal rats and mice using indocarbocyanine dye (DiI) and dextran amines for retrograde and anterograde labeling. Retrograde DiI tracing from the anterior vertical canal labeled neurons scattered throughout the whole superior vestibular ganglion, with denser labeling at the dorsal and central regions. Horizontal canal neurons were scattered along the dorsoventral axis with more clustering toward the dorsal and ventral poles of this axis. Utricular ganglion cells occupied predominantly the central region of the superior vestibular ganglion. This utricular population overlapped with both the anterior vertical and horizontal canals' ganglion cells. Posterior vertical canal neurons were clustered in the posterior part of the inferior vestibular ganglion. The saccular neurons were distributed in the two parts of the vestibular ganglion, the superior and inferior ganglia. Within the inferior ganglion, the saccular neurons were clustered in the anterior part. In the superior ganglion, the saccular neurons were widely scattered throughout the whole ganglion with more numerous neurons at the posterior half. Small and large neurons were labeled from all endorgans. Examination of the fiber trajectory within the superior division of the vestibular nerve showed no clear lamination of the fibers innervating the different endorgans. These results demonstrate an overlapping pattern between the different populations within the superior ganglion, while in the inferior ganglion, the posterior canal and saccular neurons show tighter clustering but incomplete segregation. This distribution implies that the ganglion cells are assigned for their target during development in a stochastic rather than topographical fashion.     

A complete screening of the IL4 gene: novel polymorphisms and their association with asthma and IgE in childhood

BACKGROUND: IL-4, a cytokine with immunomodulatory functions, is involved in the upregulation of IgE production characteristic of asthma and allergy. Thus far, 2 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the promoter (C-589T) and 5' untranslated region (C-33T) of the IL4 gene have been identified. Polymorphism C-589T was reported to influence total serum IgE levels and bronchial hyperresponsiveness. However, no study has investigated the putative existence of further SNPs in exons, introns, and flanking regions of the IL4 gene. OBJECTIVE: A complete screening of the IL4 gene and its flanking regions for new polymorphisms was performed. Large-scale association studies in 1120 German schoolchildren were conducted to determine the effect of all polymorphisms present in the IL4 gene on the phenotypic expression of atopic diseases. METHODS: Denaturing HPLC and standard sequencing techniques were performed to detect novel polymorphisms in 33 unrelated subjects unselected for atopic diseases. Linkage disequilibrium was assessed for all polymorphisms in the IL4 gene, and association studies were performed. RESULTS: A total of 16 polymorphisms were identified in the IL4 gene, 14 of which were not reported previously. The pattern of linkage disequilibrium observed in IL4 could not be explained by physical distance. A significant association between a cluster of polymorphisms in strong linkage disequilibrium with each other and a physician's diagnosis of asthma and total serum IgE levels was found. CONCLUSION: These results indicate a possible involvement of SNPs in the IL4 gene in the development of asthma and the regulation of total serum IgE.     

Contraluminal para-aminohippurate (PAH) transport in the proximal tubule of the rat kidney

In order to study the characteristics of contraluminal para-aminohippurate transport into proximal tubular cells the stopped flow capillary perfusion method was applied. The disappearance of³H-paraaminohippurate from the capillary perfusate at different concentrations and contact times was measured and saturation type behaviour was found with aK _m of 0.08±0.01 (SE) mmol/l,J _max of 1.1±0.1 pmol·s^–1·cm^–1 andr, the final extracellular/intracellular distribution ratio of 0.93±0.03. Omission of Na⁺ from the capillary test perfusate caused a small reduction of contraluminal PAH uptake at small transport rates (0.1 mmol/l PAH in the test perfusate) but not at high transport rates (1.0 mmol/l PAH in the test perfusate). Change of K⁺ between 0 and 40 mmol/l and pH between 6.0 and 8.0 did not influence contraluminal PAH uptake. Isotonic replacement of chloride by gluconate, nitrate, sulfate, phosphate, methanesulfonate or increase in bicarbonate to 50 mmol/l did not influence PAH uptake at small transport rates. But isotonic sulfate and phosphate, as well as 50 mmol/l HCO ₃ ^– and 25 mmol/l Hepes in isotonic solutions reduced PAH uptake at high transport rates. Addition of 5 mmol/l Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Mn²⁺, Ba²⁺, Cd²⁺ to isotonic Na⁺-gluconate solution did not influence PAH uptake except for Mg²⁺ and Mn²⁺ which inhibited uptake at small transport rates only. Preperfusion of the peritubular capillaries with rat serum, Na⁺ gluconate (Ca²⁺-+Mg²⁺-free), Na⁺ gluconate (Ca²⁺-+Mg²⁺-free) plus 10 mmol/l lactate or pyruvate or 0.1 mmol/l 2-oxoglutarate did not influence PAH uptake at small PAH transport rates, but inhibited at high transport rates. Preperfusion of the capillaries for 10 s with Na⁺-, Ca²⁺- and Mg²⁺-free solutions reduced PAH uptake in the presence of Na⁺ at both transport rates. A second 10 s preperfusion — after the first 10 s Na⁺-, Ca²⁺-, Mg²⁺-free preperfusion — with serum or solutions which contained Na⁺ and Ca²⁺ or Mg²⁺ restored the PAH fluxes to control values. The data are compatible with the hypothesis that contraluminal PAH uptake occurs by a saturable transport mechanism in exchange for other intracellular anions rather than in cotransport with Na⁺ ions. It was, however, not possible to identify the type of counteranions involved. The large effect of cation replacement on para-aminohippurate transport, which was reported in many previous studies with kidney slices, is not a direct effect on the para-aminohippurate transporter, but is rather caused indirectly via cell metabolism and/or changed ion gradients.     

NOD1 variation, immunoglobulin E and asthma

Asthma is a familial inflammatory disease of the airways of the lung. Microbial exposures in childhood protect against asthma through unknown mechanisms. The innate immune system is able to identify microbial components through a variety of pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs). NOD1 is an intracellular PRR that initiates inflammation in response to bacterial diaminopimelic acid (iE-DAP). The NOD1 gene is on chromosome 7p14, in a region that has been genetically linked to asthma. We carried out a systematic search for polymorphism in the gene. We found an insertion-deletion polymorphism (ND(1)+32656) near the beginning of intron IX that accounted for approximately 7% of the variation in IgE in two panels of families (P<0.0005 in each). Allele*2 (the insertion) was associated with high IgE levels. The same allele was strongly associated with asthma in an independent study of 600 asthmatic children and 1194 super-normal controls [odds ratio (OR) 6.3; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4-28.3, dominant model]. Differential binding of the two ND(1)+32656 alleles was observed to a protein from nuclei of the Calu 3 epithelial cell line. In an accompanying study, the deletion allele (ND(1)+32656*1) was found to be associated with inflammatory bowel disease. The results indicate that intracellular recognition of specific bacterial products affects the presence of childhood asthma.     

Disruption of fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 signaling results in defects in cellular differentiation, neuronal patterning, and hearing impairment.

Deletion of fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (Fgfr3) leads to hearing impairment in mice due to defects in the development of the organ of Corti, the sensory epithelium of the Cochlea. To examine the role of FGFR3 in auditory development, cochleae from Fgfr3(-/-) mice were examined using anatomical and physiological methods. Deletion of Fgfr3 leads to the absence of inner pillar cells and an increase in other cell types, suggesting that FGFR3 regulates cell fate. Defects in outer hair cell differentiation were also observed and probably represent the primary basis for hearing loss. Furthermore, innervation defects were detected consistent with changes in the fiber guidance properties of pillar cells. To elucidate the mechanisms underlying the effects of FGFR3, we examined the expression of Bmp4, a known target. Bmp4 was increased in Fgfr3(-/-) cochleae, and exogenous application of bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) onto cochlear explants induced a significant increase in the outer hair cells, suggesting the Fgf and Bmp signaling act in concert to pattern the cochlea.