Immune activation during pregnancy in mice leads to dopaminergic hyperfunction and cognitive impairment in the offspring: a neurodevelopmental animal model of schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Maternal viral infection is associated with increased risk for schizophrenia. It is hypothesized that the maternal immune response to viruses may influence fetal brain development and lead to schizophrenia. METHODS: To mimic a viral infection, the synthetic double strand RNA polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidilic acid (poly I:C) was administered into pregnant mice. Behavioral evaluations (thigmotaxis, methamphetamine [MAP]-induced hyperactivity, novel-object recognition test [NORT]), sensorimotor gating (prepulse inhibition [PPI]), and biochemical evaluation of the dopaminergic function of the offspring of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS)-treated dams (PBS-mice) and that of poly I:C-treated dams (poly I:C-mice) were examined. RESULTS: In juveniles, no difference was found between the poly I:C-mice and PBS-mice. However, in adults, the poly I:C-mice exhibited attenuated thigmotaxis, greater response in MAP-induced (2 mg/kg) hyperlocomotion, deficits in PPI, and cognitive impairment in NORT compared with the PBS-mice. Cognitive impairment in the adult poly I:C-mice could be improved by subchronic administration of clozapine (5.0 mg/kg) but not haloperidol (.1 mg/kg). Increased dopamine (DA) turnover and decreased receptor binding of D2-like receptors, but not D1-like receptors, in the striatum were found in adult poly I:C-mice. CONCLUSIONS: Prenatal poly I:C administration causes maturation-dependent increased subcortical DA function and cognitive impairment in the offspring, indicating a neurodevelopmental animal model of schizophrenia.     

Inhibitory effect of moricizine on reperfusion induced tachyarrhythmias in rats--a comparison study with disopyramide and mexiletine.

Acute ligation of proximal left coronary artery was performed on forty male Sprague-Dawley rats. Five min later, occlusion was released in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the 3 antiarrhythmic drugs in eliminating reperfusion ventricular arrhythmias. The drugs evaluated were moricizine (5 mg/kg), disopyramide (DSP) (5 mg/kg) and mexiletine (MXT) (5 mg/kg), which were administered intravenously 5 min before ligation of the coronary artery. Compared to control rats that underwent identical experimental procedures, all 3 drugs significantly lowered the mortality rate from 90% of the control group to 20, 20 and 0% for moricizine, DSP and MXT groups. The incidence of ventricular fibrillation (Vf) was also decreased significantly by these drugs. The duration of ventricular tachycardia (VT) and Vf of surviving rats in drug groups were 111.7 +/- 35.0 sec, 71.6 +/- 29.4 sec and 32.9 +/- 14.6 sec for moricizine, DSP and MXT, respectively. Many of the drug treated rats could be restored to the normal sinus rhythm and survived. All 3 drugs slowed the heart rate significantly, but as for the blood pressure only MXT showed significant suppressing effect. In conclusion, moricizine has the same significant preventive effect on reperfusion induced ventricular tachyarrhythmias as DSP and MXT.     

Dual energy emission computed tomography with 99mTc pyrophosphate and 201T1 in evaluating coronary reperfusion therapy in patients with acute myocardial infarction

To evaluate the clinical significance of scintigraphic overlap of thallium-201 (201T1) and technetium-99m pyrophosphate (99mTc), we observed 28 patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in whom coronary reperfusion was attempted. All patients underwent dual energy emission computed tomography (D-ECT) on the third post AMI day which facilitated comparing 99mTc and 201T1 images from identical slices simultaneously. The scintigraphic results of the 28 patients were as follows: (table, see text) In conclusion, (1) significant 201T1 and 99mTc overlap on D-ECT suggest very early and successful reperfusion, and (2) none of the patients with unsuccessful reperfusion exhibits overlap.     

Cytomegalie der Kopfspeicheldrüsen bei SIDS

Zusammenfassung Es erfolgte eine retrospektive mikromorphologische Analyse der Glandula parotis und/oder der Glandula submandibularis von 180 plötzlichen Kindstodesfällen in Berlin und 75 Fällen in Hamburg. Erfaßt wurden Fälle der letzten 10 Jahre mit einem Alter zwischen 2 Wochen und einem Lebensjahr. — Typische CMV-Einschlußkörper wurden im Berliner Material in 18 Fällen (10%; Mädchen mehr als Jungen) und im Hamburger Material in 6 Fällen (7%; Jungen mehr als Mädchen) diagnostiziert. Während die meisten SIDS-Fälle sich im zweiten und dritten Lebensmonat ereigneten, war bei den CMV-Infektionen kein Altersgipfel festzustellen. Virusmaterial war mit immunhistochemischen Unterschungen sowie in-situ-Hybridisierung auch in histologisch unauffälligen Zellen nachzuweisen. — Unter Berücksichtigung der bekannten klinischen und epidemiologischen Daten zur Cytomegalie stellt die Diagnose einer lokalisierten Infektion der Kopf-speicheldrüsen keine befriedigende Erklärung für den plötzlichen Tod der Säuglinge dar; diese Befunde sind jedoch besonders beachtenswert als Hinweis auf eine Schwäche des Immunsystems.     

Late-onset hemorrhagic infarction in patients with patent foramen ovale: reports of two cases]

We presented here two patients with hemorrhagic infarction occurred during subacute phase of brain embolism. The patients were 71-year-old and 73-year-old men who suffered from brain infarction of the left posterior cerebral artery and right middle cerebral artery territory, respectively. Both of them were diagnosed as having cryptogenic stroke and patent foramen ovale. After transferred to rehabilitation hospitals taking aspirin for a secondary prevention of stroke, they developed hemorrhagic infarction at day 17 and day 19, respectively. Their blood pressure remained within normal range throughout acute and subacute phase. Although most of hemorrhagic infarction occurs within 24 hours of stroke onset, some patients develop symptomatic hemorrhagic infarction even after 10 days. We need to be careful about late-onset hemorrhagic infarction, because many patients are now transferred early to rehabilitation hospitals to facilitate dedicated systematic rehabilitation.     

Approach through the temporal horn of the lateral ventricle for clipping of large dorsal type basilar bifurcation aneurysms

Summary The authors describe an approach through the temporal horn of the lateral ventricle which proved to be useful for clipping of a large dorsal type basilar bifurcation aneurysms. It facilitates the preservation of the perforating arteries behind the aneurysm, because it gives sufficient working space to move the aneurysm dome. Furthermore this approach avoids many of the disadvantages of other approaches, especially the risk of iatrogenic injuries of the Sylvian or Labe's vein.     

Angiographic study of induced cerebral aneurysms in primates

Five cynomolgus monkeys treated with unilateral carotid ligation, renal hypertension, and beta-aminopropionitrile feeding were studied repeatedly by cerebral angiography to clarify the growth process of saccular cerebral aneurysms. Repeated angiography demonstrated saccular cerebral aneurysms in three of five monkeys; two aneurysms were found 15 months and a third 12 months after the operation. At autopsy, one saccular aneurysm was found to be bilocular in shape, and the others were unilocular. Fusiform aneurysms were also observed in four monkeys. Microscopic studies revealed the walls of the saccular aneurysms were very thin and consisted of fibrous tissue. In one aneurysm, the aneurysmal sac was almost obstructed by a well-organized thrombus. No evidence of intramural hemorrhage was found in any of the saccular cerebral aneurysms. The conversion of early aneurysmal changes into saccular aneurysms was found to occur abruptly, and no consistent growth rate was noted. The multiloculation of saccular aneurysms was closely related to the size of an aneurysm. The present study indicates that a saccular cerebral aneurysm may grow abruptly from one of several different kinds of early aneurysmal changes.     

Effects of blood coagulation factor XIII on the development of experimental cerebral aneurysms in rats

Pathological and experimental studies have shown that cerebral aneurysms develop in part as a result of injury to the blood vessel wall. One of the peculiar aspects of aneurysm development is a defective proliferative or healing response to such injury. To examine this phenomenon, blood coagulation Factor XIII, which is known to enhance the healing process of wounds in general, was given to rats to induce experimental cerebral aneurysms. The rats were subjected to ligation of one common carotid artery and induction of hypertension, and were fed beta-aminoproprionitrile. Two weeks thereafter, Factor XIII was injected intravenously daily for 5 days (10 U/100 gm body weight/day). Twelve days after the start of Factor XIII injections, the rats were sacrificed and examined under light and electron microscopy. In seven of 12 bifurcations which developed small aneurysms, prominent intimal thickening was observed in the aneurysm lumen. In the most advanced cases, the aneurysm lumen was completely filled with proliferated smooth-muscle cells and collagen. In five of nine bifurcations that showed no aneurysm development, apparent intimal thickening was found at the site where aneurysms might be expected to grow. In the group of rats studied for induction of cerebral aneurysms but not given Factor XIII, none of 11 bifurcations with or without aneurysms showed such intimal thickening. The results indicated that the proliferative response at the sites of aneurysm development was modified by exogenous Factor XIII.