Sodium channels accumulate at the tips of injured axons

The axolemmal distribution of voltage-gated sodium channels largely determines the regions of axonal electrical excitability. Using a wellcharacterized anti–sodium channel antibody, we examined peripheral nerve fibers focally injured by exposure to the neurotoxic agent, potassium tellurite (K₂TeO₃). Immunocytochemical and radioimmunoassay data showed a focal accumulation of sodium channels within the tips of injured axons. The major increase in sodium channel concentration occurred between 7 and 11 days after toxin exposure; however, immunocytochemically, excess sodium channels persisted in several axonal endings for a much longer time. The accumulation of sodium channels at injured axonal tips may be responsible, in part, for ectopic axonal excitability and the resulting abnormal sensory phenomena (especially pain and paresthesias) which frequently complicate peripheral nerve injury in humans. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

A ring electrode to record extraocular muscle activities during skull base surgery

Summary A ring-shaped electrode was developed and used in 20 patients to record evoked electromyographic responses directly from the extraocular muscles during skull base surgery. Intra-operative monitoring with this electrode helps the surgeon to localize the nerves that innervate the extraocular muscles precisely and to refrain from disturbing important neural structures during operations. Such monitoring also provides some insight into the pathophysiology of the dysfunction of these nerves resulting from skull base lesions.     

THE EFFECT OF ACUPUNCTURE ON PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF ISCHEMIC ARRHYTHMIA AND THE RELATION BETWEEN EFFECT OF ACUPUNCTURE AND CHOLINERGIC MUSCARINE-LIKE RECEPTORS

For investigating the effect of acupuncture on ischemic arrhythmia and its mech-anism, adult albino rats with ligated anterior descending branch of coronary artery as experimentalmodel were treated with or without acupuncture, and others with imitative operation but without bothcoronary artery ligation and acupuncture treatment were used as control. It was found in acupuncturegroup that the fibrillation-liability of ischemic myocardium was efficiently decreased, the affinity ofAch-M receptors on membranes of ischemic myocardium was markedly increased, and the tolerance ofischemic myocardium to atropine was elevated in the experiment of atropine inducing fibrillation.These results indicate that acupuncture may play a therapeutic role on ischemic arrhythmia throughactivating the activity of muscarine-like receptors of cholinergic nervous system.     

Changes in hepatic lymph vessels in endotoxaemia.

This study was undertaken into rats to investigate changes in the hepatic lymph vessels and the space of Disse in endotoxaemia and to examine their relationship with the development of endotoxin-induced hepatic injury. Lymph stasis, namely dilatation of the lymph vessels and oedema, developed rapidly in the medium-sized portal canals, the large portal canals, and the liver hilum after endotoxin injection, but not in the small portal canals. Such changes reached their maximum 4-8 h after endotoxin injection and had recovered markedly by 16 h after the injection. The space of Disse remained within normal limits during this period. These findings suggest that the intrahepatic lymph stasis in endotoxaemia may be caused by a reduction in the pumping activity of the extrahepatic and the intrahepatic large lymph vessels rather than by an increase of lymph formation in the liver lobules. There was no evidence suggesting a direct relationship between the disturbance of hepatic lymph flow and the development of hepatic injury in endotoxaemia.     

The treatment of sulphur mustard burns with laser debridement.

The chemical warfare agent, sulphur mustard (SM), is a potent blistering agent in man. Skin exposure can produce partial-thickness burns which take up to three months to heal. The aim of this study was to investigate the use of early laser ablation as a means of accelerating this exceptionally slow rate of healing. Four circular partial-thickness SM burns were induced on the dorsum of nine large white pigs (under general anaesthesia). At 72 h post-exposure, three burns per animal were ablated with a single pass of an UltraPulse 5000C CO(2) laser, at a fluence of 5-6 J cm(-2). All the burns were dressed with silver sulphadiazine and a semi-occlusive dressing. At one, two and three weeks post-surgery three animals were culled and all lesions excised for histological analysis. Burn depth was confirmed and measurements of the radii of regenerative epithelium were performed allowing the area of the zone of re-epithelialisation in each lesion to be calculated. Laser-treated lesions showed a significant increase (350%) in healing rates compared to controls (p<0.005). At two weeks, the laser-treated sites were 95% healed in comparison with control sites (28% healed). These data suggest that laser ablation may be effective in the treatment of partial-thickness SM-induced skin injury.     

严重肺挫伤早期肺泡灌洗液表面活性蛋白变化与肺功能及形态学改变的关系

目的探讨严重肺挫伤及缺血再灌注后早期肺泡灌洗液（BALF）中表面活性蛋白（SP）-A、B、C、D动态变化与肺功能及肺形态学改变的关系。方法75只兔随机分为对照组（A）、肺挫伤组（B）及缺血再灌注组（C）。每组均为25只。检测各组0，1，2，3，4h肺功能变化及BAIF中SP—A、B、C、D含量百分比，进行组织病理学及电镜检查。结果与A组比较，B、C组sSP—A、B、C、D含量百分比明显减少（P〈0．01）；肺功能出现明显的损害且呈持续下降（P〈0．05）；肺泡Ⅱ型细胞电镜及病理学检查呈不同程度的炎症及变性改变。结论严重肺挫伤BALF中SP—A、B、C、D动态变化与肺功能及肺组织病理学改变一致。     

NGF对小脑皮质细胞凋亡影响的实验研究

目的　探讨神经生长因子 (NGF)对小脑皮质神经细胞凋亡的影响 ,为临床治疗小脑变性疾病提供新的措施。方法　以原代培养的新生SD乳鼠小脑皮质细胞建立谷氨酸诱导的神经细胞凋亡模型。为观察NGF对受损细胞的保护作用 ,应用MTT法测定细胞的存活率和细胞代谢情况 ;利用光学显微镜技术观察细胞凋亡的形态学改变。结果　Glu (5 0 0 μmol/L)作用 5min可诱导小脑神经细胞凋亡。MTT法计数结果显示 ,NGF高剂量治疗组细胞存活率显著高于模型组 (P <0 0 1) ,光学显微镜观察发现受损细胞的形态学变化也得到明显改善。结论　外源性NGF能够减轻大鼠小脑皮质神经细胞凋亡。     

Fatal encephalitis in a patient with refractory celiac disease presenting with myorhythmia and carpal spasm.

We report the case of a woman with refractory celiac disease who developed abnormal spontaneous movements of the extremities and face consistent with myorhythmia. Investigation led to a diagnosis of encephalitis, confirmed by postmortem examination. The movements were likely caused by nonparaneoplastic encephalitis associated with refractory celiac disease. Etiologic and diagnostic considerations and treatment options are discussed.     

Pharmacologic preconditioning effects: Prostaglandin E1 induces heat-shock proteins immediately after ischemia/reperfusion of the mouse liver

Prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) has several potential therapeutic effects, including cytoprotection, vasodilation, and inhibition of platelet aggregation. This study investigates the protective action of PGE1 against hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury in vivo using a complementary DNA microarray. PGE1 or saline was continuously administered intravenously to mice in which the left lobe of the liver was made ischemic for 30 minutes and then reperfused. Livers were harvested 0, 10, and 30 minutes postreperfusion. Messenger RNA was extracted, and the samples were labeled with two different fluorescent dyes and hybridized to the RIKEN set of 18,816 full-length enriched mouse complementary DNA microarrays. Serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels at 180 minutes postreperfusion were significantly lower in the PGE1-treated group than in the saline-treated group. The cDNA microarray analysis revealed that the genes encoding heat-shock protein (HSP) 70, glucose-regulated protein 78, HSP86, and glutathione S-transferase were upregulated at the end of the ischemic period (0 minutes postreperfusion) in the PGE1 group. Our results suggested that PGE1 induces HSPs immediately after ischemia reperfusion. HSPs might therefore play an important role in the protective effects of PGE1 against ischemia/reperfusion injury of the liver.     

成年男性舌下神经在舌根部的定位研究

目的:探讨成年男性舌根部舌下神经解剖走行特点,指导临床舌根部射频温控减容术治疗阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停低通气综合征(OSAHS)时针形电极刺入舌根部的部位及深度,以避免损伤舌下神经。方法:选择10具成年男性的舌标本,定型后在冰冻状态下作冠状切面,通过计算机图像处理与测量系统行舌下神经定位测量,并进行相关的统计学分析。结果:(1)两侧舌下神经呈对称性分布。(2)成年男性舌下神经舌内部分的主干(本实验为舌盲孔前后15mm范围内)其垂直向解剖走行基本恒定,距舌表面(22.21±2.22)mm;水平向走行中,舌盲孔后一般位于舌中内(近中线侧)(28.61±2.66)％处,舌肓孔前为(21.89±1.93)％处。结论:本实验为舌根部射频温控减容术治疗OSAHS提供了一个相对安全的范围:在不超过(22.21±2.22)mm深度且舌盲孔后避开中内(近中线侧)(28.61±2.66)％区域、舌盲孔前避开中(内近中线侧)(21.89±1.93)％区域,基本不会损伤舌下神经。