Neurotensin immunoreactive neurons in the human infant diencephalon

Neurotensin-like immunoreactive (NT-IR) neurons are present in discrete subregions of the anterior, medial and lateral thalamic nuclear groups of the human infant brain. The pulvinar is notably rich in such cells. Smaller numbers of cells are present in the ventral group, centromedian nucleus, reticular nuclei and intralaminar nuclei. Neurotensin immunoreactive axons accumulate dorsally in the thalamus and cross the deep white matter. The cerebral cortex contains a rich network of NT-IR axons. The subthalamic nucleus is rich in NT-IR neurons. Within the hypothalamus NT-IR perikarya are present in parts of the lateral and tuberal regions and in the lateral mammillary area. NT-IR axons are widespread being particularly prominent in parts of the tuberal region and the mammillary body.     

Sixty-four-MSCT in the characterization of porcine acute and subacute myocardial infarction: determination of transmurality in comparison to magnetic resonance imaging and histopathology

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of MSCT in characterizing myocardial infarction (MI) and, thereby, determine the extent of early perfusion defect (ED), microvascular obstruction (MO) and transmural depth of late enhancement (LE) in comparison to MRI and histology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seven pigs were studied with MSCT (Somatom Sensation 64) and MRI (Magnetom Sonata) a median 1 and 21 days following temporary occlusion of a diagonal branch and creation of small reperfused infarction. For depiction of ED, CT images were acquired in the early arterial phase and following 35 s; LE and MO were evaluated on images obtained at 3, 5, 10 and 15 min. Thereby, a bolus/low-flow contrast injection protocol was used. Triphenyltetrazolium-chloride (TTC) stain and histology were obtained. Volumes of enhancement patterns were assessed as percentage of the ventricle and compared by Bland-Altman analysis. Segmental co-localization and graded transmurality was evaluated with weighted-kappa-test. RESULTS: Close spatial agreement was observed for MRI-MO and MSCT-MO (bias=0.55; CI=-1.49 to 2.60 at 5 min MSCT), TTC and MSCT-LE (bias=-1.28; CI=-3.76 to 1.19) or MRI-LE and MSCT-LE (bias=-0.79; CI=-4.19 to 2.60). There was good segmental co-localization for MO (weighted kappa=0.93) and high agreement for transmural extent of TTC, MRI-LE and MSCT-LE (weighted kappa=0.84 TTC versus MSCT; 0.86 MRI versus MSCT). Arterial and 35s ED significantly underestimated infarct size and showed poor segmental or transmural agreement (weighted kappa=0.33; 0.44). CONCLUSIONS: MSCT late-scans not only reliably depict size of MO and LE in acute or subacute infarct phases but, moreover, allow for accurate determination of LE transmurality.     

Life satisfaction and active coping style are important predictors of recovery from surgery

OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this study were to investigate the influence of psychological factors on the recovery of surgical patients and to explore whether there are any psychological variables other than anxiety that have a significant influence on recovery from surgery. METHODS: The participants were 112 adult patients undergoing a variety of surgical procedures. On the day prior to surgery, the Freiburg Personality Questionnaire, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, a coping schedule and the Questionnaire of Social Support were used to measure psychological parameters including personality, anxiety, coping and social support. The quality of the surgical outcome was rated by two independent and blinded surgeons by the length of hospital stay and analgesia and sedation requirements. The ratings controlled for the diagnosis, type of operation, intraoperative complications, postoperative medical problems and health limitations independent of the surgical procedure. RESULTS: Patients who had a complicated recovery were found to have reduced life satisfaction and lower situation-specific self-control expectations. Structural equation modeling revealed direct relationships between recovery from surgery and personality dimensions with the strongest correlations to life satisfaction, extraversion and attainment orientation. CONCLUSION: The data from this study suggests that valid predictions of the course of postoperative recovery need to take into account personality and coping behaviour orientated data as well as clinical variables. No direct influence on recovery could be predicted from preoperative state anxiety, but it seems likely that state anxiety may influence coping behaviour and that it is this that appears to have a significant impact to surgical recovery.     

Ethnopharmacological in vitro studies on Austria's folk medicine—An unexplored lore in vitro anti-inflammatory activities of 71 Austrian traditional herbal drugs

Ethnopharmacological relevance

In Austria, like in most Western countries, knowledge about traditional medicinal plants is becoming scarce. Searching the literature concerning Austria's ethnomedicine reveals its scant scientific exploration.Aiming to substantiate the potential of medicinal plants traditionally used in Austria, 63 plant species or genera with claimed anti-inflammatory properties listed in the VOLKSMED database were assessed for their in vitro anti-inflammatory activity.

Material and methods

71 herbal drugs from 63 plant species or genera were extracted using solvents of varying polarities and subsequently depleted from the bulk constituents, chlorophylls and tannins to avoid possible interferences with the assays. The obtained 257 extracts were assessed for their in vitro anti-inflammatory activity. The expression of the inflammatory mediators E-selectin and interleukin-8 (IL-8), induced by the inflammatory stimuli tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and the bacterial product lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was measured in endothelial cells. The potential of the extracts to activate the nuclear factors PPARα and PPARγ and to inhibit TNF-α-induced activation of the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) in HEK293 cells was determined by luciferase reporter gene assays.

Results

In total, extracts from 67 of the 71 assessed herbal drugs revealed anti-inflammatory activity in the applied in vitro test systems. Thereby, 30 could downregulate E-selectin or IL-8 gene expression, 28 were strong activators of PPARα or PPARγ (inducing activation of more than 2-fold at a concentration of 10 µg/mL) and 21 evoked a strong inhibition of NF-κB (inhibition of more than 80% at 10 µg/mL).

Conclusion

Our research supports the efficacy of herbal drugs reported in Austrian folk medicine used for ailments associated with inflammatory processes. Hence, an ethnopharmacological screening approach is a useful tool for the discovery of new drug leads.     

Effect of hirudin versus heparin on hemocompatibility of blood contacting biomaterials: an in vitro study

Hirudin serves as an alternative anticoagulant for extracorporeal blood circulation. Comparing anticoagulation with hirudin (2.5 or 5.0 microg/mL) and heparin (2.0 or 4.0 IU/mL) human blood was circulated in a modified 'Chandler System' using PVC-tubes for 2 hours at 37 degrees C. Activation of coagulation (thrombin-antithrombin III-complex, prothrombin fragment 1+2 and D-Dimer), platelet (platelet factor 4 - PF4) and complement systems was analyzed. Both heparin concentrations and 5.0 microg/dL hirudin led to as significantly less activated plasmatic coagulation as 2.5 microg/dL hirudin. Decreased levels of PF4 and anaphylatoxin C5a (p<0.05) as well as terminal complement complex demonstrated improved hemocompatibility after anticoagulation with heparin in contrast to hirudin. Because initial coagulation cascade, platelet activation and complement activation is less influenced by hirudin than by heparin, hemocompatibility is more dependent on the characteristics of the biomaterials used. This predestines hirudin as anticoagulant for in vitro studies analyzing hemocompatibility of biomaterials or surface modifications.     

Clearance of Chlamydia pneumoniae infection in H-2 class I human leucocyte antigen-A2.1 monochain transgenic mice

CD8+ T cells have been suggested to play an important role in protective immunity against pulmonary Chlamydia pneumoniae infection in mice. Moreover, several classical major histocompatibility complex class I - restricted cytotoxic CD8+ T lymphocytes (CTL) specific for C. pneumoniae- derived peptides have been identified. Here, we studied the outcome of C. pneumoniae infection in human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-A2.1 transgenic mice (HHD mice) that are only able to express a classical human class I molecule (HLA-A2.1). C. pneumoniae infection was self-restricted in HHD mice which were able to develop specific immune responses and a protective immunity against a subsequent rechallenge in a manner comparable to wildtype mice. Furthermore, accumulation of functional and C. pneumoniae-specific T cells to the site of infection was detected after challenge. Antigen processing and HLA-A2.1-dependent presentation was studied by immunizing the HHD mice with chlamydial outer protein N (CopN). Isolation of a peptide-specific CTL line from the CopN-immunized mice suggests that the HLA-A2.1 molecule can support the development of CTL response against a chlamydial protein in mice. These findings suggest that the transgenic mouse model can be used for further characterization of the HLA-A2.1-restricted CD8+ T-cell response during C. pneumoniae infection and for identification of CD8 epitopes from chlamydial antigens.