Peak velocities of visually and nonvisually guided saccades in smooth-pursuit and saccadic tasks

 Smooth pursuit typically includes corrective catch-up saccades, but may also include such intrusive saccades away from the target as anticipatory or large overshooting saccades. We sought to differentiate catch-up from anticipatory and overshooting saccades by their peak velocities, to see whether the higher velocities of visually rather than nonvisually guided saccades in saccadic tasks may be found also in saccades in pursuit. In experiment 1, 12 subjects showed catch-up, anticipatory, and overshooting saccades to comprise 70.4% of all saccades in pursuit of periodic, 30°/s constant-velocity targets. Catch-up saccades were faster than the others. Saccadic tasks were run as well, on 19 subjects, including the 12 whose pursuit data were analyzed, with target-onset, target-remaining (saccade to the remaining target when the other three extinguish), and antisaccade tasks. For 17 of the 19 subjects, antisaccade velocities were lower than for either target-onset or target-remaining tasks. Velocities for the target-remaining task were near those for target onset, indicating that target presence, not its onset, defines visually guided saccades. Error and reaction-time data suggest greater cognitive difficulty for target remaining than for target onset, so that the cognitive difficulty of typical nonvisually guided saccade tasks is not sufficient to produce their lowered velocity. To produce reliably, in each subject, catch-up and anticipatory saccades with comparable amplitude distributions, nine new subjects were asked in experiment 2 to make intentional catch-up and anticipatory saccades in pursuit, and were presented with embedded target jumps to elicit catch-up saccades, all with periodic target trajectories of 15°/s and 30°/s. Velocities of intentional anticipatory saccades were lower than velocities of intentional catch-up saccades, while velocities of intentional and embedded catch-up saccades were similar. Target-onset and remembered-target saccadic tasks were run, showing the expected higher velocity for the target-onset task in each subject. Both experiments demonstrate higher peak velocities for catch-up saccades than for anticipatory saccades, suggesting that cortical structures preferentially involved in nonvisually guided saccades may initiate the anticipatory and overshooting saccades in pursuit. Received: 1 December 1995 / Accepted: 25 February 1997     

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.     

人心房肌细胞特殊颗粒的电镜酶细胞化学和免疫电镜研究

本研究应用电镜CMP酶细胞化学和心钠素免疫电镜胶体金,分别标记人心房肌细胞中初级溶酶体和心钠素,进行鉴别定位观察和定量分析。心钠素颗粒数量居多,占78.7～79.3％,大小均一,直径0.20±0.05μm(x±s),分布于整个细胞质内,多成簇,尤以肌膜下,核极区多见。而溶酶体大小不一,直径0.30±0.19μm(x±s),显著大于心钠素颗粒(P<0.001),一般在核极区成簇分布,也见肌原纤维之间和肌膜下单个散在分布。     

Overexpression of suppressor of cytokine signalling-5 augments eosinophilic airway inflammation in mice

BACKGROUND: Enhanced expression of the suppressor of cytokine signalling (SOCS)-5 might be of therapeutic benefit for T-helper type 2 (Th2) dominant diseases, as its expression is reported to result in a reduction of Th2 differentiation in vitro due to the inhibition of IL-4 signalling. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the regulatory role of SOCS-5 in vivo, we explored the phenotype of an experimental asthma model developed in SOCS-5 transgenic (Tg) mice. METHODS: The SOCS-5 Tg mice or wild-type (WT) mice were sensitized and repeatedly challenged with ovalbumin (OVA). We examined bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), lung specimens, and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) to methacholine. RESULTS: The production of IFN-gamma by CD4(+) T cells from unprimed SOCS-5 Tg mice was significantly increased in comparison with unprimed wild-type mice, indicating that SOCS-5 Tg mice have a Th1-polarizing condition under natural conditions. However, in an asthma model, significantly more eosinophils in the airways and higher levels of IL-5 and IL-13 in BALF were observed in the SOCS-5 Tg than the wild-type mice. AHR in the asthma model of SOCS-5 Tg was also more enhanced than that of wild-type mice. OVA-stimulated CD4(+) T cells from the primed SOCS-5 Tg mice produced significantly more IL-5 and IL-13 than CD4(+) T cells from wild-type mice. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that the overexpression of SOCS-5 does not inhibit Th2 response, but rather augments the phenotype of the asthma model in vivo. This finding throws into question the therapeutic utility of using enhancement of SOCS-5 expression for Th2-dominant disease.     

Synapses of cone horizontal cell axons in goldfish retina

The axon terminals of cone horizontal cells in the goldfish retina form typical chemical synaptic contacts in the middle of the inner nuclear layer. Approximately 60% of the identified postsynaptic elements were perikarya, axons and dendrites of bipolar cells. The other identified postsynaptic elements were perikarya and processes of interplexiform cells. We propose that the horizontal cell axon terminal contribute to the antagonistic surround responses of the bipolar cells and that they modulate inputs to the outer plexiform layer conveyed by interplexiform cells. Output synapses from horizontal cell axons to unidentified neuronal processes as well as occasional input synapses to the axons from interplexiform cell processes and unidentified perikarya were also observed in the same region of the inner nuclear layer.     

Effects of mycophenolic acid on IL-6 expression of human renal proximal and distal tubular cells in vitro.

BACKGROUND: Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a multifunctional cytokine which regulates immune responses and host defence mechanisms. IL-6 has been found to be increased in certain inflammatory conditions of the kidney, in which tubular epithelial cells play a pivotal role. Human renal tubular cells express IL-6. Until now no data about the effect of the immunosuppressant drug mycophenolic acid (MPA) on IL-6 expression were available. METHODS: Proximal and distal tubular epithelial cells (PTC/DTC) have been isolated immunomagnetically. Confluent monolayers were stimulated with interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta; 25 U/ml), IL-1beta+ MPA (0.25-50 micro M) or MPA alone for 48 h. Release of IL-6 protein into the supernatant was evaluated with an enzyme immunoassay, IL-6 mRNA expression was evaluated using the Quantikine mRNA kit. RESULTS: After IL-1beta stimulation, a highly significant 2.6- (PTC) and 3.8-fold (DTC) upregulation of IL-6 expression was detectable. IL-6 mRNA was upregulated by IL-1beta [1.57- (PTC) and 2.03-fold (DTC)]. MPA inhibited this cytokine-induced IL-6 expression in a dose-dependent manner. Incubation with the lowest MPA concentration had no effect on the stimulated upregulation, whereas all higher doses significantly decreased IL-6 expression. Dexamethasone significantly inhibited the cytokine-induced IL-6 protein release in PTC, but not in DTC. CONCLUSIONS: In this study we demonstrated for the first time an inhibitory effect of MPA on the stimulated IL-6 expression of renal tubular epithelial cells. In contrast to older data, which showed a synergistic upregulation of the expression of a CC-chemokine by a combination of cytokines and MPA, in the present study we could demonstrate an immunosuppressive effect of MPA on the expression of an important cytokine.     

乳猪肝细胞的分离、培养及功能检测

目的 为构建生物人工肝进行肝细胞的准备。方法 采用胶原酶半原位灌流法分离单个乳猪肝细胞,并对其活力及单层和聚集培养后的白蛋白、尿素合成功能进行检测。结果 采用本方法从每头乳猪中分离到的单个肝细胞数为(3.1±1.5)×10~(10),活性超过95％。在加入激素和生长因子的培养基中单层培养时,肝细胞功能良好,可维持2周左右。而在未加入激素和生长因子的培养中肝细胞虽能存活1周,但功能于24h后即丧失。球形聚集培养可实现肝细胞的大量培养,且生物学活性较单层培养显著提高。结论 采用胶原酶半原位灌注法所得单个乳猪肝细胞基本能满足构建生物人工肝对肝细胞数量的要求。聚集培养接种密度大,细胞生物学活性高,可用于构建生物人工肝。     

再生障碍性贫血造血细胞Fas抗原表达与T淋巴细胞功能的研究

目的 研究造血细胞凋亡与T淋巴细胞免疫在再生障碍性贫血(再障，Aplastic anemia，AA)发病机制中的作用及两者相关性。方法 采用流式细胞仪测定40例AA患者和15例非血液、免疫系统疾病对照者骨髓单个核细胞(BMMNC)的总CD34^ 、CD34^ Fas^ 、CD34^ Fas^-、CD3^ 、CD8^ 、CD3^ 、CD3^ CD25^ 标记值。结果 (1)与对照组比较，AA组总CD34^ 细胞％明显减少而其Fas表达率(以占总CD34^ 细胞％为计)明显增高。(2)AA组CD34^ 细胞％数与其Fas抗原表达率无明显负相关。(3)AA组T细胞％明显增多，且以CD8^ 细胞和CD3^ CD25^ 细胞增多为主。(4)AA组CD34^ 细胞％数与其T细胞活化状态无显著负相关。(5)AA组CD34^ 细胞Fas表达率与其T细胞活化状态无显著正相关。结论 AA骨髓存在着造血细胞数量减少和T淋巴细胞亚群数量、功能的异常，造血细胞数量减少还可能与Fas以外途径诱导的凋亡过度有关。骨髓造血细胞凋亡过度可能有活化T淋巴细胞免疫以外的途径诱导Fas途径或活化T淋巴细胞可以通过Fas之外的途径诱导造血细胞凋亡。     

生长激素、肝细胞生长因子和烟酰胺对人胎胰岛细胞的增殖作用

目的研究生长激素(GH)，肝细胞生长因子(HGF)和烟酰胺(NIC)对体外培养的人胎胰岛细胞的增殖作用及其交互作用。方法采用La(2^7)正交设计法在体外培养的人胎胰岛细胞的各组中分别加入不同浓度及组合的GH，HGF和NIC，培养48h后，收集各孔细胞，DTZ染色，计数。结果GH，HGF和NIC均起主要作用，HGF和NIC的交互作用不可忽视，最佳的生长因子组合及适配浓度为GH(100ng／ml)HGF(25ng／ml)NIC(100mmol／L)。结论GH，HGF和NIC均能促进体外培养的胰岛细胞的增殖，且组合GH(100ng／ml)HGF(25ng／ml)NIC(100mmol／L)的作用最大。