国人男性椎管的测量与观察

本文对广西出土的113例男性干燥椎骨的椎孔,进行了矢径、横径的测量和形态观察。椎孔的矢、横径在壮族(30例),汉族(57例)间无显著差异(P>0.05)。在C_(3～6)椎骨水平,推管的矢径和形态与脊髓的外形不一致,矢径于该处形成生理性狭窄,以C_4处为最小(12.92mm)。除C_1外,椎管的形态可分为4型:Ⅰ型圆型;Ⅱ型三角型;Ⅲ型过渡型;Ⅳ型不整型。 C_(1,2)椎管的形状为圆型,向下至C_6,通过半圆形逐步过渡到三角形(C_6占81.31％);再向下至T_6,三角形通过蛤形和多边形又逐渐过渡为圆形(T_6占84.76％);再向下至L_5,又通过蛤形逐渐过渡为三角型(L_5占99％)。从L_3至L_5,三角形椎孔有逐步通过钟形向三叶形过渡的趋势。三叶形腰椎管占5.02％。本文结果支持Eisenstein的观点,认为三叶形结构是一种普通的、非病理性的现象,与年龄增长、骨赘或椎孔狭窄无关,这或许是一种正常的发育性变异。     

假鹰爪化学成分研究(Ⅱ)

目的：寻找番荔枝科假鹰爪属植物假鹰爪Ｄｅｓｍｏｓ ｃｈｉｎｅｎｓｉｓ抗肿瘤活性成分。方法：采用硅胶柱色谱分离化学成分。根据理化性质及波谱分析等方法鉴定结构。结果：从氯仿萃取物中分离鉴定了７个化合物,分别是ｕｎｏｎ－ａｌ（Ⅰ）,黄芩素－７－甲醚（Ⅱ）,去甲氧杜鹃花素（Ⅲ）,去甲氧杜鹃花素－７－甲醚（Ⅳ）,苯甲酸（Ⅴ）,β－谷甾醇（Ⅵ）和豆甾醇（Ⅶ）。结论：该种植中鉴定的黄酮类化合物均为β－环未取代,     

颈椎椎间盘与后部结构断层解剖及影像学研究

选用43具青年尸体,蛛网膜下腔注入铸型造影剂,低温冷冻,以椎间盘为中心制作断层标本,同时选取40例正常健康人进行超声、CT及MR扫描图像分析.发现同组中不同椎间盘水平测量数据的大小不同;解剖学与影像学各测量结果进行比较无显著性差异.     

Spatiotemporal distribution of dying neurons during early mouse development

Apoptosis is a critical cellular event during several stages of neuronal development. Recently, we have shown that biotinylated annexin V detects apoptosis in vivo in various cell lineages of a wide range of species by binding to phosphatidylserines that are exposed at the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane. In the present study, we tested the specificity by which annexin V binds apoptotic neurons, and subsequently investigated developmental cell death in the central and peripheral nervous system of early mouse embryos at both the cellular and histological level, and compared the phagocytic clearance of apoptotic neurons with that of apoptotic mesodermal cells. Our data indicate: (i) that biotinylated annexin V can be used as a sensitive marker that detects apoptotic neurons, including their extensions at an early stage during development; (ii) that apoptosis plays an important part during early morphogenesis of the central nervous system, and during early quantitative matching of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and neurotrophic factor 3 responsive postmitotic large clear neurons in the peripheral ganglia with their projection areas; and (iii) that apoptotic neurons are removed by a process that differs from classical phagocytosis of non-neuronal tissues.     

CAMs and FGF cause a local submembrane calcium signal promoting axon outgrowth without a rise in bulk calcium concentration

Binding of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and cell adhesion molecules to the nerve cell membrane promotes axon outgrowth. This response can be blocked by antagonists of voltage-gated calcium channels, yet no change of cytosolic calcium concentration in the growth cone can be detected upon binding of the growth factor bFGF or the cell adhesion molecule L1. Using barium as a charge carrier, we show that bFGF and L1 open a calcium influx pathway in growth cones of rat sensory neurons without changing the membrane voltage. L1 does not activate influx in cells expressing a dominant negative mutant of the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) tyrosine kinase. FGFR-activated influx is blocked by specific antagonists of L- and N-type voltage-gated calcium channels and by an inhibitor of diacylglycerol lipase. We propose that both L1 and bFGF act via the FGFR to generate polyunsaturated fatty acids which in turn cause calcium channels to flicker open and shut. Short-lived domains of raised calcium at the cytosolic mouth of open channels activate axon outgrowth without raising bulk cytosolic calcium concentration. In confirmation of this model, the rapidly-acting calcium buffer BAPTA is significantly more effective at blocking FGF-induced axon outgrowth when compared with the slower buffer EGTA. Generation of short-lived calcium domains may provide a crucial mechanism for axon guidance during development and for promoting regeneration of damaged axons.     

NMDA receptor-independent mechanisms responsible for the rate of rise of cumulative depolarization evoked by trains of dorsal root stimuli on rat spinal motoneurones

The mechanisms responsible for the rate of rise (RR) of cumulative depolarization induced by dorsal root stimulus trains were investigated with intracellular recordings from motoneurones of the rat isolated spinal cord. The NMDA receptor antagonists CPP or APV depressed the cumulative depolarization but not its RR which could still be fast enough to elicit action potential wind-up. RR size was correlated with a slow synaptic potential (detected in CPP or APV solution) with which it shared similar voltage dependence. The NK1 antagonist SR 140333 depressed cumulative depolarization, RR and slow synaptic potentials. It appears that the RR (and the ability to express wind-up) was determined by summation of slow synaptic potentials partly mediated via activation of NK1 receptors.     

Morphological analysis of the cervical spinal canal,dural tube and spinal cord in normal individuals using CT myelography

To verify the conventional concept of developmental stenosis of the cervical spinal canal, we performed a morphological analysis of the relations of the cervical spinal canal, dural tube and spinal cord in normal individuals. The sagittal diameter, area and circularity of the three structures, and the dispersion of each parameter, were examined on axial sections of CT myelograms of 36 normal subjects. The spinal canal was narrowest at C4, followed by C5, while the spinal cord was largest at C4/5. The area and circularity of the cervical spinal cord were not significantly correlated with any parameter of the spinal canal nor with the sagittal diameter and area of the dural tube at any level examined, and the spinal cord showed less individual variation than the bony canal. Compression of the spinal cord might be expected whenever the sagittal diameter of the spinal canal is below the lower limit of normal, that is about 12 mm on plain radiographs. Thus, we concluded that the concept of developmental stenosis of the cervical spinal canal was reasonable and acceptable.     

Cell Type-specific Effects of the Neural Adhesion Molecules L1 and N-CAM on Diverse Second Messenger Systems

We have previously shown that the neural adhesion molecules L1 and N-CAM influence second messenger systems when triggered with specific antibodies at the surface of the phaeochromocytoma PC12 cell line (Schuch et al., Neuron, 3, 13 - 20, 1989). To determine whether the two molecules are linked to the same intracellular signalling cascades, independent of the cell type expressing them, or whether different neural cell types respond with different signal transduction mechanisms, we have investigated the effects of antibodies to L1 and N-CAM, and the isolated molecules themselves, on second messenger systems in different neural cell types. We have investigated cultures of cerebellar and dorsal root ganglion neurons and transformed Schwann cells and related these results to those obtained with the PC12 cell line. Here we show that addition of L1 and N-CAM antibodies and the isolated molecules themselves elicit cell type-specific responses that can be modulated by the substrate on which the cells are maintained. Depending on the cell type, cells respond to the triggering of L1 and N-CAM with antibodies, or addition of the purified molecules, by either up-regulation or down-regulation of inositol phosphate turnover, by a rise in intracellular Ca2+ levels dependent on or independent of the opening of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels, or by an increase or decrease in intracellular pH. Moreover, cerebellar neurons expressing N-CAM respond to addition N-CAM, but not to N-CAM antibodies, in contrast to the other neural cell types studied, which respond to both triggers. Furthermore, cerebellar neurons were the only cells to show a rise in cAMP levels in response to any of the ligands tested. This stimulation of cAMP production by L1 antibodies depended on the cross-linking of L1 molecules at the cell surface, whereas the other responses did not depend on clustering of L1. Simultaneous addition of L1 and N-CAM antibodies either elicited an additive or more than additive effect on the intracellular responses which, for cerebellar neurons, depends on the substrate on which the cells are maintained. These observations indicate that L1 and N-CAM or their antibodies activate cell type-specific intracellular signalling systems and that the two molecules can act interdependently or independently of each other.     

Developmentally Regulated Expression of HDNF/NT-3 mRNA in Rat Spinal Cord Motoneurons and Expression of BDNF mRNA in Embryonic Dorsal Root Ganglion

Northern blot analysis was used to demonstrate high levels of hippocampus-derived neurotrophic factor/neurotrophin-3 (HDNF/NT-3) mRNA in the embryonic day (E) 13 - 14 and 15 - 16 spinal cord. The level decreased at E18 - 19 and remained the same until postnatal day (P) 1, after which it decreased further to a level below the detection limit in the adult. In situ hybridization revealed that the NT-3 mRNA detected in the developing spinal cord was derived from motoneurons and the decrease seen at E18 - 19 was caused by a reduction in the number of motoneurons expressing NT-3 mRNA. The distribution of NT-3 mRNA-expressing cells in the E15 spinal cord was very similar to the distribution of cells expressing choline acetyltransferase or nerve growth factor receptor (NGFR) mRNA. Moreover, a striking similarity between the developmentally regulated expression of NT-3 and NGFR mRNA was noted in spinal cord motoneurons. A subpopulation of all neurons in the dorsal root ganglia expressed brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA from E13, the earliest time examined, to adulthood. These results are consistent with a trophic role of NT-3 for proprioceptive sensory neurons innervating the ventral horn, and imply a local action of BDNF for developing sensory neurons within the dorsal root ganglia.