Effects of Several Denervation Procedures on Distribution of Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide and Substance P Immunoreactive in Rat Stomach

The effect of chemical deafferentation, vagotomy(VGX), and gangliosympathectomy (GSX) on the density offibers containing calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)and substance P (Sub.P) in the rat gastric wall was studied. Chemical deafferentation bycapsaicin abolished the density of CGRP-immunoreactive(IR) fibers, not Sub.P-IR fibers. Ten days after VGX,the density of CGRP-IR or Sub.P-IR fibers in the mucosa was largely reduced, while no reductionof CGRP-IR and Sub.P-IR fibers was seen in submucosaland muscular layers. GSX significantly reduced thedensity of CGRP-IR fibers in the mucosa and caused a moderate decrease in the fibers in submucosaland muscular layers. Pretreatment with6-hydroxydopamine, a neurotoxin for noradrenergicnerves, did not affect the density of CGRP-IR fibers inthe gastric wall. The density of Sub.P-IR fibers in thegastric wall was not affected by GSX. These studiesindicate that the CGRP-IR and Sub.P-IR fibers in themucosa are susceptible to extrinsic nerve denervation compared with those in the submucosa and musclelayers, that a major portion of the CGRP-IR fibers inthe mucosa is of both vagal and spinal origin, and thata major portion of the Sub.P-IR fibers in the mucosa is of vagal origin. Furthermore, thepresent results support that CGRP-IR fibers, notSub.P-IR fibers, in the rat stomach arecapsaicin-sensitive.     

海风藤及其代用品药理作用的比较研究

选择经典的实验指标，对海风藤及其３种代用品山Ｊｕ，石楠藤有毛Ｊｕ的药理作用进行了比较研究，结果表明海风藤，山Ｊｕ和毛Ｊｕ在抗炎，镇痛和抗血小板聚集方面均有效，其中海风藤作用最强，其次为山Ｊｕ，毛Ｊｕ石楠藤没有明显的抗炎作用，其抗血小板聚集及止痛作用稍强于毛Ｊｕ。     

Lärm auf Intensivstationen Ein Beitrag zur Lärmreduktion durch Modifikation der Atemgasbefeuchtung

Today, noise pollution is an evident and ubiquitous problem even in intensive care units. Noise can disturb the physiological and psychological balance in patients and staff. Especially intubated patients and those breathing spontaneously through a T-piece are exposed to the noise emitted by the nebuliser used to humidity the respiratory gas. This may make patients feel uncomfortable. To reduce noise pollution in the ICU a modified T-piece has been developed and investigated. In order to heat and humidity the respiratory gas a Conchaterm III unit (Kendall company) and a thermo flow cylinder (De Vilbiss company) is necessary. While respiratory gas is flowing, water is sucked out of the heated thermoflow cylinder and nebulised according to the Venturi-Bernoulli principle. To adjust the oxygen concentration of the respiratory gas a plastic ring must be turned to either close (98% oxygen) or open a valve allowing room air to mix (40% oxygen). Noise pollution of the unit varies with admixture of room air. With a new device – a special oxygen – air mixing chamber – the oxygen concentration of the respiratory gas can be adjusted outside the thermoflow cylinder, hardly producing any noise pollution. Therefore the principle of nebulisation could be changed to humidification. A thermoflow cylinder without the nebulisation unit allows the respiratory gas to flow through the thermoflow cylinder over heated and evaporating water, hardly causing any noise pollution. In both types of T-pieces the temperature of the respiratory gas is controlled and corrected by the Conchaterm unit. As the result of these modifications, noise pollution has been reduced from 70?dB(A) to 55?dB(A). In the modified T-piece, the quality of humidification has been evaluated with a fresh gas flow of 22?l/min and at a gas temperature of 37°?C, not only collecting condensed water but also lost water. The modified T-piece allows a physiological humidification of the respiratory gas. The modified T-piece is a simple and efficacious substitute. Patients and staff are protected from adverse noise effects and patient well-being might be improved.     

α-L-岩藻糖苷酶测定的临床应用

研究结果表明AFU测定对肝癌的诊断具有较高的敏感性和特异性，其价值优于AFP，两项指标联合检测可提高阳性检出率。动态监测有利于肝癌的早期诊断、鉴别诊断，并可作为转移、复发的指标，也可用于白血病及卵巢癌的诊断。     

TSG-6基因在3T3-L1脂肪细胞诱导分化中表达水平的变化

[目的] 探讨TSG-6基因在3T3-L1脂肪细胞诱导分化中表达水平的变化。[方法] 采用细胞培养和RT-PCR技术，检测细胞诱导分化不同时段脂肪细胞中TSG-6基因的表达水平。[结果] ①随着脂肪细胞逐渐分化成熟，TSG-6基因mRNA表达水平逐渐升高；②TSG-6基因表达水平除在细胞分化第0-2d、第3-5d和第7-10d各时段内差异无显著性(P＞0.05)外，其余各时段之间表达水平差异均有显著性(P＜0.05)。[结论] TSG-6基因与细胞分化以及脂原形成可能相关。     

The isolated spinal cord-skin preparation of the newborn rat and effects of some algogenic and analgesic substances

We have developed an isolated spinal cord-skin preparation of the newborn rat. The spinal cord together with a piece of skin connected to the cord by the saphenous nerve was isolated from 1- to 4-day-old rats and separately superfused with artificial cerebrospinal fluid in two neighbouring chambers. Potentials were recorded extracellularly from the third lumbar ventral root. Application of capsaicin (0.5-2 μM) or KCl (60–350 mM) with brief pressure pulses to the perfusion bath of the skin evoked a depolarizing response of 20- to 40-s duration in the ventral root. The response was depressed by [Met⁵]enkcphalin (0.03–3 μM). morphine (0.1–2 μM) and a tachykinin antagonist, [D-Arg¹,D-Trp^7,9,Leu¹¹] substance P (spantide), 1–10 μM), applied to the spinal cord by superfusion, whereas the response was augmented by centrally administered calcitonin gene-related peptide (0.1–0.2 μM) or bicuculline (0.5–1 μM).     

Integration of new regulatory strategies into the network of an endocrine control system: limitation of androgen secretion by rat testis is achieved by substrate-dependent modulation of P450XVII enzyme concentration and catalytic efficiency.

In addition to the well-known control circuits involved in the regulation and adaptation of testicular androgen biosynthesis, it is proposed that two new control strategies are involved in the maintenance of steady-state testosterone secretion rates by testicular Leydig cells. Cytochrome P450XVII (steroid-17 alpha-monooxygenase/steroid-17,20-lyase), one key enzyme in steroid hormone biosynthesis, responds to external human choriogonadotropin stimulation with an oxygen-dependent and substrate flux-dependent inactivation and decomposition, and increased substrate availability decreases the efficiency of androgen formation in favour of abortive intermediate leakage. These results are discussed as a paradigm of substrate-dependent modulation of cytochrome P450 activities.     

Molecular breakpoint analysis and relevance of variable mosaicism in a woman with short stature,primary amenorrhea,unilateral gonadoblastoma,and a 46,X,del(Y)(q11)/45,X karyotype

Congenital hydrocephalus associated with aqueductal stenosis and/or agenesis of the corpus callosum has been described in newborn males with mutations in L1CAM, a gene that encodes a neural cell adhesion molecule. These males usually have severe mental retardation and may have spastic paraplegia and adducted thumbs. In contrast, Hirschsprung disease, or absence of ganglion cells in the distal gut, has rarely been described in such individuals. We report a male infant who had severe hydrocephalus identified in the prenatal period with evidence of aqueductal stenosis and adducted thumbs at birth. He developed chronic constipation, and rectal biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of Hirschsprung disease. Molecular testing of the L1CAM gene revealed a G2254A mutation, resulting in a V752M amino acid substitution. A common polymorphism in RET, but no mutation, was identified. Our patient represents the third example of coincident hydrocephalus and Hirschsprung disease in an individual with an identified L1CAM mutation. We hypothesize that L1CAM‐mediated cell adhesion may be important for the ability of ganglion cell precursors to populate the gut, and that L1CAM may modify the effects of a Hirschsprung disease–associated gene to cause intestinal aganglionosis. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.