Pyramidal cells in primary auditory cortex project to cochlear nucleus in rat

Recent work has demonstrated that the auditory cortex in rat sends direct projections to the auditory nuclei of the brainstem, including the cochlear nucleus and superior olive. To determine the cortical origin of the projections to cochlear nucleus, Fast Blue, a retrograde fluorescent tracer, was injected into the cochlear nucleus. Labeled cells in the forebrain were then studied with light microscopy and mapped. The projection was found to originate from large pyramidal neurons in layer V of primary auditory cortex. The projection was predominantly ipsilateral, and no labeled neurons were found in other cortical areas. These data imply that primary auditory cortex exerts influence over ascending auditory information at the earliest stages of the central auditory system.     

帕罗西汀对抑郁模型大鼠不同脑区环磷酸腺苷反应元件结合蛋白的影响

目的探讨帕罗西汀在不同用药时间对抑郁模型大鼠海马、前额叶皮质环磷酸腺苷反应元件结合蛋白（CREB）磷酸化（p-CREB）及总蛋白（t-CREB）水平的影响。方法成年雄性SpragueDawley大鼠36只，随机分为6组：对照组、抑郁模型组（以下简称模型组）、抑郁模型＋用药1d组（以下简称用药1d组）、抑郁模型＋用药1周组（以下简称用药1周组）、抑郁模型＋用药2周组（以下简称用药2周组）和抑郁模型＋用药4周组（以下简称用药4周组），每组各6只。抑郁模型的制作为强迫大鼠游泳4周，每天1次，每次15min。帕罗西汀的剂量为10m∥kg体质量，灌胃给药，时间分别为1d和1，2，4周，每天1次，于每次游泳前用药。采用Westernblot法检测各组大鼠海马及前额叶皮质的p-CREB和t-CREB水平。结果（1）模型组及用药1d、1周组大鼠海马p-CREB水平明显低于对照组（P〈0．01），用药2，4周组大鼠海马p-CREB水平与对照组的差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05）；模型组及各用药组海马t-CREB水平与对照组的差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05）。（2）模型组及用药1d和1，2周组大鼠前额叶皮质p-CREB水平均明显低于对照组（P〈0．05），用药4周组与对照组的差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05）。模型组及用药1d、1周组大鼠前额叶皮质t-CREB水平与对照组的差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05），用药2，4周组大鼠前额叶皮质t-CREB水平均明显高于对照组（P〈0．05或P〈0．01）。结论慢性强迫游泳导致大鼠海马及前额叶皮质CREB活性降低，长期使用帕罗西汀可逆转此效应，提高抑郁大鼠前额叶皮质的CREB水平。     

Elevation of cell adhesion molecule immunoreactivity in the anterior cingulate cortex in bipolar disorder.

BACKGROUND: Neuroimaging reports of increases in signal hyperintensities in white and deep gray matter and other work indicate that there might be an inflammatory response in affective disorders. METHODS: The microvascular immunoreactivity of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 was measured with image analysis in postmortem tissue from the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) from 15 unipolar and 15 bipolar subjects and compared with each other and with 15 subjects with schizophrenia and 15 control subjects. RESULTS: Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 immunoreactivity in gray and white matter of the ACC in bipolar subjects was increased compared with control subjects (gray: p =.001; white: p <.001) and schizophrenic subjects (gray: p =.016; white: p =.025) and modestly increased in white matter compared with unipolar subjects (p =.049). No such differences were found in the DLPFC. CONCLUSIONS: These findings are consistent with the presence of an inflammatory response in the ACC in bipolar disorder.     

Effects of glucocorticoids on declarative memory function in major depression.

BACKGROUND: Major depression has been associated with hypercortisolemia in a subset of patients with depression. Administration of exogenous cortisol and other glucocorticoids to healthy human subjects has been observed to result in a transient impairment in verbal declarative memory function. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of the glucocorticoid, dexamethasone, on verbal declarative memory function in patients with untreated unipolar major depressive disorder (MDD). METHODS: Fifty two men and women with (n = 28) and without (n = 24) MDD received placebo or dexamethasone (1 mg and 2 mg on 2 successive days) in a double-blind, randomized fashion. Declarative memory was assessed with paragraph recall at baseline (day 1) and day 3. RESULTS: There was a significant interaction between diagnosis and drug (dexamethasone vs. placebo) on paragraph recall. In the healthy subjects, memory improved from baseline to day 3 with placebo and was unchanged with dexamethasone, whereas in MDD patients memory function showed a pattern of decreasing with placebo and improving with dexamethasone from baseline to day 3. CONCLUSIONS: These findings are consistent with an altered sensitivity of declarative memory function in MDD to regulation by glucocorticoids. Possible explanations of the findings include alterations in glucocorticoid receptors in the hippocampus or other brain regions mediating declarative memory, or differential sensitivity to dexamethasone-induced reductions in cortisol, in patients with MDD.     

氟西汀对2型糖尿病合并抑郁症患者下丘脑-垂体肾上腺轴功能及临床疗效的影响

目的探讨氟西汀对 2型糖尿病合并抑郁症患者的下丘脑 垂体 肾上腺轴 (HPA)功能的影响及其临床意义。方法测定 98例 2型糖尿病患者和 3 4例正常对照组基础血皮质醇 (F ,0 8:0 0am、16:0 0pm)、小剂量地塞米松抑制试验 (DST)后血F、2 4h尿游离皮质醇 (UFC)。将 64例 2型糖尿病伴发抑郁症患者随机分成A组 (服用氟西汀组 ,3 2例 )和B组 (未服用氟西汀组 ,3 2例 )。予 6周治疗。分别于治疗前、后进行HAMD评分及代谢控制水平评估。结果 ( 1)血F( 0 8:0 0am、16:0 0pm)、2 4h尿UFC、DST脱抑制例数2型糖尿病患者较正常对照组增高 (P <0 .0 1) ,2型糖尿病伴抑郁症组 (DD组 )较无抑郁症组 (DM组 )增高(P <0 .0 5 ,P <0 .0 1)。 ( 2 )经 6周治疗后 ,服用氟西汀组 (A组 )较未服用氟西汀组 (B组 )糖皮质激素水平降低 (P <0 .0 1)、HAMD评分降低 (P <0 .0 1) ,糖脂代谢改善 (P <0 .0 5 ,P <0 .0 1)。 ( 3 ) 2 4h尿UFC与HbA1C呈正相关性 (r =0 .5 69,P <0 .0 1)、IR呈正相关 (r =0 .65 3 ,P <0 .0 1)、与HAMD评分呈正相关性 (r =0 .3 5 2 ,P <0 .0 5 )。结论 2型糖尿病及合并抑郁症患者HPA轴功能紊乱 ,加重了糖代谢紊乱和胰岛素抵抗 ;氟西汀干预治疗抑郁症可改善抑郁症和糖脂代谢。     

A sexually dimorphic ratio of orbitofrontal to amygdala volume is altered in schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Neuroanatomic sexual dimorphisms have been correlated with behavioral differences between healthy men and women. We have reported higher orbitofrontal cortex to amygdala ratio (OAR) in women than men. Although gender differences in schizophrenia are evident clinically and correlate with neuroanatomic measures, their relationship to OAR has not been examined. METHODS: Magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 31 neuroleptic-na?ve schizophrenic patients (16 men) and 80 healthy volunteers (34 men), aged less than 50 years. An automated tissue segmentation procedure was combined with expert-guided parcellation of orbitofrontal and amygdala volumes. RESULTS: Men with schizophrenia had increased OAR relative to healthy men, whereas women had decreased OAR. Increased OAR in men with schizophrenia reflected abnormally low amygdala volumes, whereas decreased OAR in women reflected abnormally low orbitofrontal volumes. Less severe negative symptoms were associated with increased OAR in men but with decreased OAR in women. In men, increased amygdala volume was associated with greater symptom severity, whereas in women higher volumes of both amygdala and orbitofrontal regions were associated with lesser severity of negative symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: These opposite OAR abnormalities, whereby men show feminization and women masculinization, suggest gender-mediated effects of the underlying neuropathologic processes. The correlations with symptom severity suggest that neuroanatomic abnormalities in OAR reflect compensatory brain changes.     

Organization of the callosal connections of visual areas V1 and V2 in the macaque monkey

The interhemispheric efferent and afferent connections of the V1/V2 border have been examined in the adult macaque monkey with the tracers horseradish peroxidase and horseradish peroxidase conjugated to wheat germ agglutinin. The V1/V2 border was found to have reciprocal connections with the contralateral visual area V1, as well as with three other cortical sites situated in the posterior bank of the lunate sulcus, the anterior bank of the lunate sulcus, and the posterior bank of the superior temporal sulcus. Within V1, callosal projecting cells were found mainly in layer 4B with a few cells in layer 3. Anterograde labeled terminals were restricted to layers 2, 3, 4B, and 5. In extrastriate cortex, retrograde labeled cells were in layers 2 and 3 and only very rarely in infragranular layers. In the posterior bank of the lunate sulcus, labeled terminals were scattered throughout all cortical layers except layers 1 and 4. In the anterior bank of the lunate sulcus and in the superior temporal sulcus, anterograde labeled terminals were largely focused in layer 4. Callosal connections in all contralateral regions were organized in a columnar fashion. Columnar organization of callosal connections was more apparent for anterograde labeled terminals than for retrograde labeled neurons. In the posterior bank of the lunate sulcus, columns of callosal connections were superimposed on regions of high cytochrome activity. The tangential extent of callosal connections in V1 and V2 was found to be influenced by eccentricity in the visual field. Callosal connections were denser in the region of V1 subserving foveal visual field than in cortex representing the periphery. In V1 subserving the fovea, callosal connections extended up to 2 mm from the V1/V2 border and only up to 1 mm in more peripheral located cortex. In area V2 subserving the fovea, cortical connections extended up to 8 mm from the V1/V2 border and only up to 3 mm in peripheral cortex.     

氨苯砜综合征诊治探讨——附6例报告

目的：探讨氨苯砜综合征的诊治要点：方法：对6例氨苯砜综合征患者的临床资料进行回顾性分析。结果和结论：6例氨苯砜综合征患者均为中青年，从服药到出现症状的时间较长，为9～55日.6例患者均以高热起病，起病急骤、凶险，病初均有麻疹紫癜样皮疹，皮疹多形，严重者出现尼氏征阳性或阴性的大疱和（或）全身性红皮病样皮疹；均有浅表淋巴结肿大；多数患者有血液系统损害；并均有肝损害：确诊后及时停氨苯砜，给予足量肾上腺皮质激素和（或）大剂量免疫球蛋白静脉注射，以及支持对症处理，住院12～80（中位数53）日，4例痊愈，1例病情得到控制，另1例因治疗第2日自动出院放弃治疗，死于肝功能衰竭？提示氨苯砜综合征需要及时、正确处理，否则预后不良.     

细胞内游离Ca2+在发育中大鼠皮层神经元无镁诱导惊厥性损伤中的作用

目的: 观察细胞内游离Ca2+([Ca2+]i)在培养的不同发育阶段皮层神经元无镁诱导惊厥性损伤中的作用,探讨惊厥性脑损伤年龄依赖性的可能机制.方法:体外培养6 d、17 d的胚胎大鼠皮层神经元用无镁细胞外液处理3 h,或于无镁处理前用NMDA(N-甲基-D-门冬氨酸)受体拮抗剂或Ca2+通道阻滞剂预处理,用MTT代谢率测定的方法检测神经元损伤,以Fluo-3作标记用激光共聚焦显微镜扫描的方法检测[Ca2+]i.结果:体外培养6 d、17 d的神经元单纯无镁组MTT代谢率较同期对照组降低.应用MK-801 10 μmol*L-1、AP-5 50 μmol*L-1、尼莫地平10 μmol*L-1预处理后再给无镁处理,培养6 d、17 d的神经元MTT代谢率均不同程度高于同期单纯无镁组.培养6 d、17 d的神经元相对荧光强度之间差异有显著性,两者与基线荧光强度比较差异亦有显著性.应用上述各种拮抗剂后,[Ca2+]i改变的峰值均明显低于同期单纯无镁组.结论: 在体外不同发育阶段的神经元,短暂无镁处理诱导惊厥样放电所引起的神经元线粒体功能损伤以及[Ca2+]i改变程度不同.这种[Ca2+]i改变的年龄依赖性可能是惊厥导致神经元损伤的年龄依赖性的机制之一.NMDA受体-Ca2+通道激活是导致这种[Ca2+]i改变及神经元损伤的关键环节.     

慢性束缚应激对大鼠行为及前额叶皮质细胞外信号调节激酶磷酸化的影响

目的 探讨慢性束缚应激模型大鼠的行为及前额叶皮质中磷酸化细胞外信号调节激酶（ERK1／2）表达的变化。方法 将雄性SD大鼠随机分为正常对照组和束缚应激组，每组8只。将束缚应激组大鼠放入特制的束缚器中限制其活动，6k／d，连续21d。比较应激前后大鼠旷场行为和Morris水迷宫行为学的改变，用蛋白免疫印迹技术和免疫组织化学方法观察应激后大鼠前额叶皮质P—ERK1／2表达的变化，并与正常对照组比较。结果 （1）行为学改变：应激后，束缚应激组大鼠的水平活动度[（4265±864）mm]少于正常对照组[（8562±502）mm]，中央停留时间[（39．1±4．3）s]长于正常对照组[（24．6±1．6）s]，均P〈0．01；束缚应激组大鼠在Morris水迷宫实验的目标象限活动时间[（57．2±1．7）s]和穿越站台次数[（2．0±0．8）次]均少于正常对照组[分别为（70．7±3．6）s和（6．2±1．0）次；均P〈0．01]。（2）p-ERK1／2蛋白水平：应激后束缚应激组吸光度（A）值[（0．767±0．006）]低于正常对照组[（0．813±0．015）；P〈0．05]。（3）p-ERK1／2阳性细胞数：应激后束缚应激组[（76±5）个]少于正常对照组[（110±14）个；P〈0．05]，且树突染色浅淡。结论 慢性心理应激明显影响动物的活动度和记忆能力；前额叶皮质中p-ERK1／2表达的减少，提示ERK信号转导通路可能参与了应激发生的机制。