Late Prenatal Immune Activation in Mice Leads to Behavioral and Neurochemical Abnormalities Relevant to the Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia

Based on the human epidemiological association between prenatal infection and higher risk of schizophrenia, a number of animal models have been established to explore the long-term brain and behavioral consequences of prenatal immune challenge. Accumulating evidence suggests that the vulnerability to specific forms of schizophrenia-related abnormalities is critically influenced by the precise timing of the prenatal immunological insult. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis whether late prenatal immune challenge in mice may induce long-term behavioral and neurochemical dysfunctions primarily associated with the negative symptoms of schizophrenia. We found that prenatal exposure to the viral mimic polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidilic acid (Poly-I:C; 5 mg/kg, i.v.) on gestation day (GD) 17 led to significant deficits in social interaction, anhedonic behavior, and alterations in the locomotor and stereotyped behavioral responses to acute apomorphine (APO) treatment in both male and female offspring. In addition, male but not female offspring born to immune challenged mothers displayed behavioral/cognitive inflexibility as indexed by the presence of an abnormally enhanced latent inhibition (LI) effect. Prenatal immune activation in late gestation also led to numerous, partly sex-specific changes in basal neurotransmitter levels, including reduced dopamine (DA) and glutamate contents in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, as well as reduced γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glycine contents in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, respectively. The constellation of behavioral and neurochemical abnormalities emerging after late prenatal Poly-I:C exposure in mice leads us to conclude that this immune-based experimental model provides a powerful neurodevelopmental animal model especially for (but not limited to) the negative symptoms of schizophrenia.     

Alpha-thalassemia in two Mediterranean populations

We used restriction endonuclease analysis to determine the incidence of alpha-thalassemia in two Mediterranean islands. In a random population sample, the gene frequency of deletion-type alpha-thalassemia-2 (- alpha) was 0.18 in Sardinians and 0.07 in Greek Cypriots. All cases were the rightward crossover type. From these frequencies and the known incidence of hemoglobin-H disease in these populations, we calculated the frequency of the alpha-thalassemia-1 genotype (--) and determined that it was low. We also found that beta-thalassemia homozygotes in sardinia have a higher incidence of alpha-thalassemia than normals and beta thalassemia heterozygotes because a significantly greater number of these homozygotes are also homozygous for the alpha-thalassemia-2 lesion. These findings support the theory that coinheritance of alpha- thalassemia mitigates the severity of beta-thalassemia and suggest that the protection is most pronounced when two alpha-globin genes are deleted.     

仓鼠与大鼠脂代谢的比较研究

通过肝灌流方法比较研究了仓鼠与大鼠脂代谢的异同及仓鼠对高胆固醇饲料的反应。结果发现大鼠血浆VLDL中的apoB_(48)具有肝和肠两个来源,而仓鼠血浆VLDL的apoB_(48)则仅来源于肠。两种动物的肝新生VLDL进入血浆后,均发生载脂蛋白和脂质组分的转移或交换。仓鼠肝胆汁中胆固醇、胆汁酸和磷脂的相对浓度(分别为3.4±0.5mol%、78.9±1.8mol%和17.7±1.6mol%)不同于大鼠(P<0.05、P<0.01和P<0.05)而与人类相似。喂饲胆固醇可使仓鼠肝的胆固醇脂产率显著增加(由0.14±0.02增至0.57±0.12μg/g肝/分钟,P<0.001)而并不增加自胆道的排出。与大鼠相比,仓鼠似更适宜用于复制实验性动脉粥样硬化的动物模型。     

Survival of a 30-week baby with congenital myotonic dystrophy initially ventilated for 55 days

In previous reports, duration of initial ventilation exceeding 1 month almost always predicts non-survival of babies with congenital myotonic dystrophy. However, a baby with this condition survived beyond infancy after 55 days' ventilation. We describe this case in detail, explain why the baby survived and highlight the importance of individualized assessment, in addition to applying general prognostic terms described in the literature.     

豚鼠胃平滑肌毒蕈碱受体的多样性

从豚鼠胃平滑肌收缩实验测得,胃底、体部纵、环肌的乙酰胆碱pD₂约为6.5和4.0,阿托品的pA₂约为10和8.5。实验结果提示胃平滑肌上存在高、低两种不同亲和力的毒蕈碱受体,分别与胃底、体部的纵、环肌收缩有关。又用Yamamura法对豚鼠胃平滑肌组织中的毒蕈碱受体进行了检定,测得解离常数KD值约为1.8和18 nm的两种组分。由于作用不同的蛋白质修饰剂,对这两种组分与标记配体结合的影响不同,故认为它们是亲和力不同的两种特异结合部位。     

中药材龟板和鳖甲中DNA的提取与扩增

中药材龟板和鳖甲中ＤＮＡ的提取与扩增王亚明，周开亚，吴平，徐珞珊（南京师范大学生物系，南京２１００９７；中国药科大学生药学研究室，南京２１０００９）龟鳖类药材在我国使用历史悠久，具补阴益气的功效。《中国药典》（１９９０年版）规定龟甲（龟板）的原动物为...     

DNA vaccination using bacillus Calmette-Guerin-DNA as an adjuvant to enhance immune response to three kinds of swine diseases

In order to enhance the immune efficacy of DNA vaccination, experiments were conducted to investigate the regulating effects of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin （BCG）-DNA as an adjuvant on immune responses of mice against foot-and-mouth disease （FMD）, Aujeszky＇s disease （AID） and classical swine fever （CSF）. BCG-DNA was purified from BCG by ion-exchange chromatography. Three DNA vaccines （pVSG, pVgD and pVE2） against the respective infection were constructed, and BCGDNA was coimmunized to mice by muscle injection. The results showed that titres of specific immunoglobulin （Ig）G to the vaccines mounted remarkably in the sera of the adjuvant covaccinated mice （P〈0.01）. Antibody isotype IgG2a and IgG1 also increased, respectively, in mice coimmunized with BCG-DNA compared with those of the control groups （P〈0.01）. Cellular immune cytokine interferon-gamma and cytotoxic T lymphocytes were detected in coimmunized BCG-DNA groups （P〈0. 05）. Whereas interleukin-4, humoral immune cytokine, was not significant （P〉 0. 05）. These results suggest that codelivery of BCG-DNA with DNA vaccines against FMD, AjD and CSF can enhance the induction of antigen-specific, especially, cell-mediated immunity.     

Characteristics associated with falls among the elderly within aged care wards in a tertiary hospital: a retrospective case-control study

Background Falls are the most frequently reported adverse events in inpatient settings. We conducted a retrospective case-control study of inpatient falls within aged care wards in a tertiary hospital to investigate the associated characteristics of elderly patients suffering from falls and fall-related characteristics.Methods Consecutive retrospective cross-sectional design spanned July 2006 to December 2008. Patient group: Information on all aged care inpatients who suffered from 1 or more falls was extracted from Incident information Management System (IIMS). Further details about the particular admission(s) were obtained from patients' medical records, e.g., patients' characteristics and circumstances surrounding the falls. Randomly selected aged care patients who did not suffer from a fall and who were discharged from the hospital in the same period served control group. Characteristics among patients with single fall and recurrent falls, as well as non-fallers were compared. Results Of the 438 falls evaluated, 71.9% occurred in patients' room and 18.9% in patients' bathroom/toilet. The common activities were moving/transferring and taking shower/toileting, respectively, 70.3%, 12.1% while occurring falls; and time of falls had a high peak during 9:00-11:00 a.m. Many were unassisted while falling. The common contributing factors for fall were intrinsic factors. Patients with recurrent falls were more likely to have lower Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score. Logistic regression analysis showed length of stay longer than five weeks, dementia and stroke were independent risk factors for recurrent falls; and living in hostel/nursing home preadmission, needing assistance with mobility, cognitive impairment, stroke, incontinence and arthritis/osteoporosis were independent risk factors for fall.Conclusions In an aged care ward, falls are independently associated with recurrent factors. Cognitive impairment/dementia was a strong risk factor for falls, and main causes leading to fall were intrinsic factors. For patients with cognitive impairment/dementia and behavioral disorder providing special and effective interventions is of paramount importance for reducing the incidence of fall in an aged care ward in hospital settings.