Specific-impedance measurements of brain tissues

A technique that allowsin vivo measurements of the specific impedance of brain structures is analysed and implemented. This technique uses the 4-electrode method. The system includes an optically isolated current source and an interchangeable electrode module. Tests on the measuring system, including the electrodes and calibration procedures, are presented. Experiments in media of known resistivity and in cat brains define the present limits of the spatial resolution.     

光化学诱导的血栓形成性脑缺血及其代谢改变

本文用光化学法激发大鼠局部脑血栓形成，以组织病理学、局部脑血流量、皮层水含量、三磷酸腺苷、二磷酸腺苷，一磷酸腺苷、能量负荷、肌酸及乳酸为指标，探讨局部脑血栓形成后５天ｒＣＢＦ明显增高的可能机理。结果表明，血栓形成后局部脑组织ＡＴＰ水平进行性减少（Ｐ＜０．０１）、ＡＤＰ／ＡＴＰ及ＡＭＰ／ＡＴＰ比值明显升高（Ｐ均＜０．０１），ＬＡ及脑水含量显著增加（Ｐ＜０．０１）。这些因素既是能量衰竭、无氧酵解的结果     

Tacrine restores cholinergic nicotinic receptors and glucose metabolism in alzheimer patients as visualized by positron emission tomography

Three patients with Alzheimer's disease, a 68-year-old woman with mild dementia and 2 men (aged 64 and 72 years) with moderate dementia were treated orally with the cholinesterase inhibitor tacrine (tetrahydroaminoacridine), 80 mg daily, for several months. The patients were investigated using positron emission tomography (PET) prior to, and after 3 weeks and 3 months of treatment. The PET studies involved a multi-tracer system consisting of [¹⁸F]-fluoro-deoxy-glucose (¹⁸F-FDG) (tracer for glucose metabolism); ¹¹C-butanol (cerebral blood flow) and (S)(−)- and (R)(+)-[N-¹¹C-methyl]-nicotine (nicotinic receptors; cholinergic neural activity). Tacrine treatment increased the uptake of ¹¹C-nicotine to the brain. Significant reduced difference in uptake between the two enantiomers (S)(−)- and (R)(+)¹¹C-nicotine was observed in the frontal and temporal cortices after tacrine treatment in all three patients. The kinetic analysis indicated increased binding of (S)(−)¹¹C-nicotine in brain compatible with a restoration of nicotinic cholinergic receptors. The most pronounced effect was observed after 3 weeks and 3 months treatment in the patient with mild dementia. An increase in cerebral glucose utilization was found in the 68-year-old patient with mild dementia but also slightly in the 64-year-old man with moderate dementia when treated with tacrine for 3 months. Tacrine administration did not affect cerebral blood flow. The PET data obtained after 3 weeks of tacrine treatment was paralleled by improvement in neuropsychological performance. This study shows in vivo by PET neurochemical effects induced in brain by treatment with tacrine to Alzheimer patients. Intervention with tacrine in the early course of the disease might be necessary for clinical improvement.     

Permanent brain ischemia induces marked increments in hsp72 expression and local protein synthesis in synapses of the ischemic hemisphere

Transient focal ischemia induced in rat brain by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCAo) elicits a generalized induction of the 72 kDa heat-shock protein (hsp72) heralding functional recovery. As this effect implies activation of protein synthesis, and local systems of protein synthesis are present in brain synapses, and may be analyzed in preparations of brain synaptosomes, we evaluated hsp72 expression and protein synthesis in synaptosomal fractions of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) subjected to permanent MCAo. SHRs were randomly divided in ischemics and sham controls, anaesthesia controls and passive controls. Focal ischemia was induced under chloral hydrate anaesthesia by unilateral permanent MCAo. Protein synthesis was determined by [³⁵S]methionine incorporation into synaptosomal proteins from ischemic and contralateral cortex/striatum, and from cerebellum. Hsp72 expression was measured in the same fractions by immunoblotting. Our data demonstrate that under these conditions synaptic hsp72 markedly increases in the ischemic hemisphere 1 and 2 days after MCAo, progressively declining in the following 2 days, while no significant change occurs in control rats. In addition, in the ischemic hemisphere the rate of synaptic protein synthesis increases more than two-fold between 1 and 4 days after MCAo, without showing signs of an impending decline. The present data provide the first demonstration that synaptic protein synthesis is massively involved in brain plastic events elicited by permanent focal ischemia.     

Effects of intracerebral implants of steroid hormones on scent marking in the ovariectomized female gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus)

The effects of intracerebral implants of steroid hormones on scent marking in the female gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) were studied in two experiments. In Experiment 1 various steroids were implanted alone or in combination into the preoptic and anterior hypothalamic area of ovariectomized females. Unilateral implants of testosterone + estrogen, estrogen, estrogen + progesterone, testosterone and testosterone + progesterone stimulated a significant level of marking when compared to controls. Experiment 2 utilized bilateral implants of estrogen dissolved in paraffin in order to explore the distribution hormone sensitive areas in the brain which might be important in the regulation of scent marking in the female gerbil. Pellets of estrogen-paraffin were implanted stereotaxically into either the anterior hypothalamus, preoptic area, septum, hippocampus, thalamus, amygdala or anterior olfactory nucleus of ovariectomized females. Total dosage of hormone implanted was 8.2–8.4 μg. A significant level of marking resulted in animals receiving implants into the anterior hypothalamus, preoptic area and septum when compared to controls. Marking appeared at about the same rate in each of these groups; however, the level of marking attained differed. By the last trial, anterior hypothalamic implanted animals were marking significantly more often than animals in either the preoptic or septum groups. Although there was no evidence of ieakage from the brain, the data suggested that some rapid diffusion of hormone, largely restricted to the brain, was taking place or that the three areas were differentially responsive to the hormone. The data do indicate that some localization of function does exist with respect to regulation of scent marking in the female.     

灯盏花素对大鼠脑缺血后细胞间粘附分子-1及其mRNA表达的影响

目的:灯盏花素对大鼠脑缺血后细胞间粘附分子-1(ICAM-1)及其mRNA表达的影响。方法:复制大鼠大脑中动脉闭塞/再灌注模型,应用RT-PCR及免疫组织化学的方法,观察各组大鼠脑缺血后细胞间粘附分子-1 mRNA及其蛋白的表达。结果:ICAM-1在假手术组大鼠脑组织呈低表达;单纯缺血组(缺血90 min)ICAM-1表达上调(P＜0.05);缺血再灌注组(缺血90 min再灌24 h)脑组织ICAM-1表达显著高于假手术组和单纯缺血组(P＜0.01);灯盏花素治疗组于相同时限ICAM-1表达与单纯缺血、缺血再灌注组相比显著下调(P＜0.01)。大鼠脑组织ICAM-1 mRNA在假手术组呈低表达;单纯缺血组ICAM-1 mRNA水平显著上调(P＜0.01);药物治疗组于相同时限ICAM-1 mRNA水平显著低于单纯缺血组及缺血再灌注组(P＜0.01)。结论:灯盏花素下调细胞间粘附分子-1mRNA及其蛋白的表达,减轻缺血后再灌注损伤,从而发挥脑保护作用。     

Transient expression of osteopontin mRNA and protein in amoeboid microglia in developing rat brain

To investigate a potential role of osteopontin (OPN) in developing rat brain, the expression of OPN mRNA and protein in the developing rat brain relative to the distribution of brain macrophages was investigated using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, and the phagocytic capability of OPN-expressing cells was accessed using rhodamine isothiocyanate (RhIc) as a tracer. OPN-expressing cells appeared from embryonic day 16. During the first week of postnatal life, OPN-labeled cells increased markedly, and peaked around P7, then declined and had completely disappeared by the end of the second postnatal week. The spatiotemporal distribution pattern of OPN mRNA closely matched that of OPN protein. Their morphology and localization were compared with those of cells expressing the established microglial marker OX-42 in adjacent sections, and double-labeling studies demonstrated that OPN was localized to the amoeboid microglia which stain with the lectin GSI-B₄, another marker for microglia. Furthermore, OPN-labeled cells were confirmed to be active phagocytes emitting RhIc fluorescence indicating that the tracer into the brain tissues was engulfed by phagocytosis. Therefore, these results provide the first evidence that OPN is transiently expressed in active brain macrophages in the embryonic and early postnatal brain, and suggest that OPN may contribute to the migration and phagocytic function of brain macrophages in the developing brain.This work was supported by a Korea Research Foundation grant (KRF-2002-015-EP0106)     

大鼠脑干神经元型一氧化氮合酶免疫阳性神经元的分布

目的　观察大鼠脑干神经元型一氧化氮合酶 (nNOS)免疫阳性神经元的分布 ,为探讨nNOS的作用提供形态学资料。方法　用ABC免疫细胞化学方法显示脑干nNOS免疫阳性神经元。结果　大鼠脑干nNOS免疫阳性神经元以中脑和脑桥分布丰富 ,延髓较稀少 ;在中脑 ,nNOS免疫阳性神经元主要分布于中脑水管周围灰质的背侧部、被盖背外侧核、中缝背核、上下丘灰质等部位 ;在脑桥 ,主要分布于被盖背外侧核、脑桥中缝核、被盖脚桥核、蓝斑、臂旁核、斜方体核 ,以及脑桥网状结构 ;与中脑和脑桥相比 ,延髓nNOS免疫阳性神经元较少 ,主要分布于延髓网状结构、三叉神经脊束核和孤束核等核团。结论　分布于脑干内丰富的nNOS免疫阳性神经元可能通过其生成的NO调节其他神经递质的分泌 ,共同参与内脏活动、感觉和运动的传导 ,以及睡眠和觉醒等脑的高级整合功能的调节。     

Consequences of large interindividual variability for human brain atlases: converging macroscopical imaging and microscopical neuroanatomy

In human brain imaging studies, it is common practice to use the Talairach stereotaxic reference system for signifying the convergence of brain function and structure. In nearly all neuroimaging reports, the studied cortical areas are specified further with a Brodmann Area (BA) number. This specification is based upon macroscopic extrapolation from Brodmann’s projection maps into the Talairach atlas rather than upon a real microscopic cytoarchitectonic study. In this review we argue that such a specification of Brodmann area(s) via the Talairach atlas is not appropriate. Cytoarchitectonic studies reviewed in this paper show large interindividual differences in 3-D location of primary sensory cortical areas (visual cortex) as well as heteromodal associational areas (prefrontal cortical areas), even after correction for differences in brain size and shape. Thus, the simple use of Brodmann cortical areas derived from the Talairach atlas can lead to erroneous results in the specification of pertinent BA. This in turn can further lead to wrong hypotheses on brain system(s) involved in normal functions or in specific brain disorders. In addition, we will briefly discuss the different ‘Brodmann’ nomenclatures which are in use for the cerebral cortex.     

Hyperpolarizing current of the Na/K ATPase contributes to the membrane polarization of the Purkinje cell in rat cerebellum

 The contribution of the Na/K ATPase (pump) current to the polarization of the Purkinje cell has been studied using slices of the rat cerebellum by blocking the pump with dihydro-ouabain (DHO) while recording the membrane potential with microelectrodes in the somata. From our recordings, it appeared that blocking the pump depolarized the Purkinje cells more rapidly than might be expected from shifts in Na⁺ and K⁺ concentrations, suggesting the removal of a hyperpolarizing current. Application of DHO, in the presence of tetrodotoxin (TTX), led to calcium spike firing and plateau-like discharges suggesting activation of voltage-dependent calcium channels in the dendrites. Adding 2 mM Co²⁺ to the medium did not prevent the depolarizations. Removing calcium from the bathing medium containing 2 mM Co²⁺ blocked the spiking activity but DHO application still produced a depolarization. Experiments to measure the current inhibited by DHO indicated that the Na/K pump supplies a constant current of 240 pA. Substitution of the sodium with choline produced a hyperpolarization, during which DHO had no effect on the membrane potential. Substitution of the sodium with lithium produced only a slowly developing depolarization. It is concluded that in the cerebellar Purkinje cell, a continuous sodium ion influx activates the pumps which produce a current that directly contributes to the membrane polarization. Possible pathways for this sodium influx are discussed. Received: 3 April 1997 / Received after revision and accepted: 12 May 1997