Effects of local nerve cooling on conduction in vagal fibres shed light upon respiratory reflexes in the rabbit

In ten vagus nerves the effect of local cooling on the compound action potential was studied in the temperature range of 34 to 0 °C in spontaneously breathing, anaesthetized rabbits. The mean temperature at which the myelinated (A) fibres were completely blocked, was 10.2±2.4 °C (mean ± S.D.). In nine nerves, local vagus cooling to 0 °C failed to block all non-myelinated (C) fibres. In one nerve, total blocking occurred at 2.0 °C. We conclude that in the rabbit, the earlier found increase in tonic activity of the diaphragm following lung inflation or deflation during bilateral local vagus cooling to a temperature between 8 and 0 °C is due to afferent impulses in vagal C fibres.     

Red cell flexibility,electrical resistance and viscosity of blood flowing through small glass capillaries

The influence of varying shear forces (4–10 N·cm^–2) generated by a pulsating flow of 4 cycles/min, on the longitudinal electrical resistance (R) of a blood perfused small glass capillary (I.D.=0.12 mm,l=30 mm) was determined. Red cells were stiffened by stepwise addition of bile or by sterile incubation during 24–48 h. The shear dependent changes in R were closely related to red cell flexibility and apparent blood viscosity. In normal defibrinized blood Rdecreased by about 3%, while more rigid cells evoked a shear dependentincrease in R of 1–5%. The measurements performed demonstrate that the typical shapes of the electrical signals provide more information of rheological significance of red blood cell flexibility than the results of viscosity determination alone.     

Entrainment of Intestinal Slow Waves with Electrical Stimulation Using Intraluminal Electrodes

The aim of this study was to investigate whether the intestinal stimulation would be feasible using a less invasive method: intraluminal electrodes. The study was performed in nine healthy hound dogs (15–26 kg). Four pairs of electrodes were implanted on the serosa of the jejunum at an interval of 5 cm with the most proximal pair 35 cm beyond the pylorus. An intestinal fistula was made 20 cm beyond the pylorus. Simultaneous recordings of intestinal myoelectrical activity were made for 2 h in the fasting state from both intraluminal and serosal electrodes. Various pacing parameters were tested. The frequency of the intestinal slow wave recorded from the intraluminal electrodes was identical to that from the serosal electrodes , p < 0.001), and so was the percentage of normal 17–22 cycles/min waves (95.8±33.9% vs 98.16±1.33%, r=0.96, p<0.01).p < 0.01). A complete entrainment of the intestinal slow wave was achieved in every dog with electrical stimulation using intraluminal ring electrodes. The effective pacing parameters were pulse width of 70 ms, amplitude of 4 mA and frequency of 1.1 IF (intrinsic frequency). The time required for the entrainment of the intestinal slow wave with intraluminal pacing was 25.0±2.1s. The maximum driven frequency was found to be 1.43±0.01 IF. The results reveal that intraluminal pacing is an effective and efficient method for the entrainment of intestinal slow waves. It may become a potential approach for the treatment of intestinal motor disorders associated with myoelectrical abnormalities. © 2000 Biomedical Engineering Society. PAC00: 8754Dt, 8719Ff, 8717Nn     

Demonstration of an inwardly rectifying K+ current component modulated by thyrotropin-releasing hormone and caffeine in GH3 rat anterior pituitary cells

 Reduction of an inwardly rectifying K⁺ current by thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) and caffeine has been considered to be an important determinant of electrical activity increases in GH₃ rat anterior pituitary cells. However, the existence of an inwardly rectifying K⁺ current component was recently regarded as a misidentification of an M-like outward current, proposed to be the TRH target in pituitary cells, including GH₃ cells. In this report, an inwardly rectifying component of K⁺ current is indeed demonstrated in perforated-patch voltage-clamped GH₃ cells. The degree of rectification varied from cell to cell, but both TRH and caffeine specifically blocked a fraction of current with strong rectification in the hyperpolarizing direction. Use of ramp pulses to continuously modify the membrane potential demonstrated a prominent blockade even in cells with no current reduction at voltages at which M-currents are active. Depolarization steps to positive voltages at the maximum of the inward current induced a caffeine-sensitive instantaneous outward current followed by a single exponential decay. The magnitude of this current was modified in a biphasic way according to the duration of the previous hyperpolarization step. The kinetic characteristics of the current are compatible with the possibility that removal from inactivation of a fast-inactivating delayed rectifier causes the hyperpolarization-induced current. Furthermore, the inwardly rectifying current was blocked by astemizole, a potent and selective inhibitor of human ether-á-go-go -related gene (HERG) K⁺ channels. Along with other pharmacological and kinetic evidence, this indicates that the secretagogue-regulated current is probably mediated by a HERG-like K⁺ channel. Addition of astemizole to current-clamped cells induced clear increases in the frequency of action potential production. Thus, an inwardly-rectifying K⁺ current and not an M-like outward current seems to be involved in TRH and caffeine modulation of electrical activity in GH₃ cells. Received: 15 May 1997 / Received after revision and accepted: 24 July 1997     

Sleep-related neurons in the central nucleus of the amygdala of rats and their modulation by the dorsal raphe nucleus

The amygdala (AMY) plays an important role in initiating appropriate neurobehavioral responses to emotionally arousing events. Its major efferents from the central nucleus (Ace) to the basal forebrain, hypothalamus and brainstem permit it to influence sleep mechanisms. To characterize further the neuronal activity of AMY during sleep and wakefulness, we recorded single neuronal activity in Ace across behavioral states in freely moving, normally behaving rats. Of the 49 neurons recorded from Ace, 24 neurons had firing patterns related to sleep-wakefulness (S-W). Of these, 50% (n = 12) had a high firing frequency during wakefulness (W) or both W and REM sleep (REM), 12% (n = 3) were non-REM (NREM)-related, 17% (n = 4) had a high firing rate in REM (REM-ON), and 20% (n = 5) fired at a low rate during REM. Because serotonin introduced into AMY during REM induces short-latency changes of state, we also studied the effects of low frequency (1 Hz) electrical stimulation of the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) on Ace neurons. All REM-ON neurons recorded from Ace were inhibited by DRN stimulation, and other cell types were unaffected. Thus, we found that the majority of cells in Ace related to S-W fired slowly during NREM and increased their discharge during W and/or REM, and that the DRN has the potential for modulating the spontaneous activity of REM-ON cells in rats.     

脊髓型颈椎病对周围神经传导的影响

目的：探讨颈脊髓损伤对周围神经功能的影响。方法：对３２例脊髓型颈椎病患者分别于术前、术后１～５天及３个月三次检测周围神经传导速度。结果：术前下肢远段感觉神经传导速度和波幅异常者占８１％，于术后３个月内复查发现已明显恢复。结论：颈脊髓损伤对下肢远段感觉神经传导功能有影响     

基于永磁磁场的电子胶囊定位系统

为了确定可吞服式电子胶囊在人体内的位置,基于矩形永磁体空间磁场解析式,设计了定位系统,提出了相应的定位算法,并进行了实验。系统中两个三轴磁传感器封装在胶囊内,由胶囊和永磁体的空间位姿关系模型,建立了与传感器输出和胶囊位姿变量相关的一组非线性方程。对方程进行了数值求解,并和期望值进行了比较,结果发现该方法是切实可行的。     

用于电刺激听神经方波刺激器的研制

本文主要介绍了用于电刺激听神经方波刺激器的基本设计原理 ,组成结构和三个主要性能指标 ,脉宽 相位 :2 5 μs phase、 5 0 μs phase、 10 0 μs phase ;电流强度 :5 0 μA～ 4 0 0 0 μA (每 5 0 μA一档上、下可调 ) ;频率 :30次 秒、 2 0 0次 秒、 4 0 0次 秒、 10 0 0次 秒、 12 0 0次 秒、 2 0 0 0次 秒 ,其特点有人机界面友好 ,性能稳定 ,安全性好 ,无需安装光电藕合器。为研究听神经兴奋性、优化电刺激听神经参数、以及评估电极的有效性和安全性提供实验仪器     

Duchenne muscular dystrophy and idiopathic hyperCKemia segregating in a family

A 7-month-old boy with gross motor delay and failure to thrive presented with rhabdomyolysis following an acute asthmatic episode. During hospitalization an electrocardiographic conversion to a Wolff-Parkinson-White type 1 (WPW) pattern took place. Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) was suspected based on elevated creatine kinase (CK) serum levels, muscle biopsy, and family history. The diagnosis was confirmed by molecular analysis, which documented a deletion corresponding to cDNA probe 1-2a in the dystrophin gene, in the propositus and in an affected male cousin of his mother. “Idiopathic” hyperCKemia was found in the propositus, his father, and 5 of his relatives. We suggest that the unusually early and severe manifestations of DMD in this patient may be related to the coincidental inheritance of the maternal DMD gene and of a paternal gene, causing hyperCKemia. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Nkx2.5‐negative myocardium of the posterior heart field and its correlation with podoplanin expression in cells from the developing cardiac pacemaking and conduction system

Recent advances in the study of cardiac development have shown the relevance of addition of myocardium to the primary myocardial heart tube. In wild‐type mouse embryos (E9.5–15.5), we have studied the myocardium at the venous pole of the heart using immunohistochemistry and 3D reconstructions of expression patterns of MLC‐2a, Nkx2.5, and podoplanin, a novel coelomic and myocardial marker. Podoplanin‐positive coelomic epithelium was continuous with adjacent podoplanin‐ and MLC‐2a‐positive myocardium that formed a conspicuous band along the left cardinal vein extending through the base of the atrial septum to the posterior myocardium of the atrioventricular canal, the atrioventricular nodal region, and the His‐Purkinje system. Later on, podoplanin expression was also found in the myocardium surrounding the pulmonary vein. On the right side, podoplanin‐positive cells were seen along the right cardinal vein, which during development persisted in the sinoatrial node and part of the venous valves. In the MLC‐2a‐ and podoplanin‐positive myocardium, Nkx2.5 expression was absent in the sinoatrial node and the wall of the cardinal veins. There was a mosaic positivity in the wall of the common pulmonary vein and the atrioventricular conduction system as opposed to the overall Nkx2.5 expression seen in the chamber myocardium. We conclude that we have found podoplanin as a marker that links a novel Nkx2.5‐negative sinus venosus myocardial area, which we refer to as the posterior heart field, with the cardiac conduction system. Anat Rec, 290:115–122, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.