A quantitative light and electron microscopic analysis of taurine-like immunoreactivity in the dorsal horn of the rat spinal cord.

Taurine has been proposed as an inhibitory neurotransmitter or neuromodulator in the vertebrate central nervous system. Within the spinal cord, taurine has been shown to have a direct inhibitory effect on spinal neurons and to have a selective antinociceptive effect on chemically induced nociception. Although sufficient data exists to suggest that taurine plays a neurotransmitter or neuromodulatory role in the spinal cord, it is not known whether this amino acid is present in axon terminals nor if this amino acid has a unique pattern of distribution within spinal tissue. To address these questions a monoclonal antibody against taurine was employed to localize taurine-like immunoreactivity in the dorsal horn of the rat spinal cord by using both light and electron microscopic techniques. Taurine-like immunoreactivity was most dense and most prominent in laminae I and II of the dorsal horn. A moderate amount of immunoreactivity was also present in laminae VIII and IX and X while the remaining laminae were only lightly stained. In laminae I and II taurine-like immunostaining was evident within neuronal cell bodies, dendrites, myelinated and unmyelinated axons, axon terminals, and astrocytes and their processes. Cell counts of these two laminae indicated that approximately 30% of neuronal perikarya at the C2 level, 52% of neuronal perikarya at the T6 level, and 18% of neuronal perikarya at the L2 level of the cord exhibited taurine-like immunoreactivity. With preembedding diaminobenzidine staining, approximately 20% of the axons examined in laminae I and II were found to be immunoreactive for taurine. Using postembedding immunogold staining in combination with quantitative procedures, the highest densities of gold particles were found in axon terminals containing pleomorphic vesicles and forming symmetrical synapses (36.8 particles/micron2), in a subpopulation of myelinated axons (34.2 particles/micron2), in a subpopulation of neuronal dendrites (32.6 particles/micron2), and in capillary endothelial cells (39.8 particles/micron2). Moderate labeling occurred in astrocytes (20.9 particles/micron2) and neuronal perikarya (18.7 particles/micron2). The localization of taurine to presumptive inhibitory axon terminals provides anatomical support for the hypothesis that taurine may serve an inhibitory neurotransmitter role in the superficial dorsal horn of the spinal cord. On the other hand, its localization to astrocytes and endothelial cells within both the dorsal ventral horns implies that it serves other nonneuronal functions as well.     

Phase I Study of Paclitaxel by Three-hour Infusion: Hypotension Just after Infusion Is One of the Major Dose-limiting Toxicities

The primary objectives of this study were to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of paclitaxel administered by 3-h infusion to patients with solid tumors, and to characterize the pharmacokinetics of a 3-h infusion in comparison with those of a 24-h infusion. Twenty-seven patients each received one of six levels of paclitaxel, 105, 135, 180, 210, 240 and 270 mg/m², with premedication. Two patients given 240 mg/m² and one patient given 270 mg/m² unexpectedly had grade 3/4 hypotension just after finishing the paclitaxel infusion. Peripheral neuropathy was also dose-limiting at 270 mg/m². Although granulocytopenia was significantly less severe than with a 24-h infusion, more than half of the patients experienced grade 4 toxicity at doses of 240 or 270 mg/m². Severe hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs) were not observed. Pharmacokinetic studies using high performance liquid chromatography demonstrated proportionally greater increases in the peak plasma concentration and area under the curve, and decreases in clearance and volume of distribution with increasing dose, suggesting non-linear pharmacokinetics of paclitaxel when given by 3-h infusion. The MTD of paclitaxel given as a 3-h infusion was determined to be 240 mg/m² with dose-limiting toxicities of granulocytopenia, peripheral neuropathy and hypotension. Hypotension just after infusion, induced by 3-h infusion of paclitaxel, is a new observation which has not been reported previously. The recommended dose for phase II study is 210 mg/m². Although hypotension was observed as an unexpected toxic effect, paclitaxel could be administered safely over 3 h with premedication and proper monitoring, resulting in reduced myelotoxicity and with no increase in the incidence of HSRs as compared with a 24-h infusion.     

Ontogenetic Development of 5-HT1D Receptors in Human Brain: An Autoradiographic Study

The pattern of pre- and postnatal appearance of 5-HT_1D receptors throughout the different areas of the human brain was studied by quantitative in vitro autoradiography, using [¹²⁵I]GTI (serotonin O -carboxymethyl-glycyl-[¹²⁵I]tyrosinamide) as a ligand. The anatomical distribution of 5-HT_1D receptors in neonatal, infant and children's brain was in good agreement with that observed in the adult, the basal ganglia and substantia nigra being the most intensely labelled areas. The development of these receptors throughout the human brain was mainly postnatal: low densities of [¹²⁵I]GTI binding sites were observed at the fetal/neonatal stage in most regions analyzed, in contrast with the high levels of labelling found in infant and children's brains. Indeed, in a number of regions, including the globus pallidus, substantia nigra and visual cortex, a peak of overexpression of 5-HT_1D receptors was observed in the first decade of life. Such overexpression could support a regulatory role for 5-HT_1D receptors in advanced periods of the CNS developmental process. Our results also indicate that the administration of drugs acting on 5-HT_1D receptors during the early postnatal period of life could result in modifications of their properties, as these receptors are already functional in this period.     

枳鳖胶囊抗大鼠肝纤维化形态学及肝组织Ⅲ型胶原mRNA表达的实验研究

目的:观察枳鳖胶囊抗肝纤维化形态学和Ⅲ型胶原mRNA表达的变化。方法:选择66只健康清洁级SD大鼠,雌雄各半,随机分为:正常对照组,模型组,秋水仙碱组,枳鳖胶囊大、中、小剂量组。以40%四氯化碳花生油皮下注射结合高脂饲料、酒水饮料复合因素诱导大鼠肝纤维化模型。造模结束后,除正常组不予处理外,其他组分别以蒸馏水,秋水仙碱混悬液,高、中、低浓度枳鳖胶囊溶液灌胃,疗程36d。疗程结束后,观察大鼠新鲜肝脏的表面情况、色泽、质地等大体形态,测定肝组织Ⅲ型胶原mRNA的表达,光镜观察肝组织HE染色和网状纤维染色的病理形态学改变。结果:模型组大鼠肝细胞损害、肝脏脂肪变性和胶原纤维增生的程度最显著,Ⅲ型胶原mRNA的表达最强。枳鳖胶囊组上述改变明显减轻,且可抑制Ⅲ型胶原mRNA的表达,疗效优于秋水仙碱组。结论:枳鳖胶囊可较好地保护肝细胞,并能阻止肝纤维化进程甚或逆转肝纤维化病理改变,抑制胶原基因表达,抑制胶原基因表达可能是其抗肝纤维化的作用机理之一。     

Osteogenesis imperfecta: A clinical study of the first ten years of life

Summary One hundred twenty-seven children with osteogenesis imperfecta (O.I.) were studied during the first 10 years of life. According to Sillence, 40 patients were assigned to type I, 39 to type III, and 48 to type IV O.I. Centiles for height, weight, and the annual number of fractures could be established for the different types of O.I. The development of the skeletal changes could be documented for the different forms of the disease. At birth, the skeletal changes were significantly more severe in type III than in type IV patients. During the first 10 years of life the number of fractures, extent of skeletal deformities, and growth retardation did not differ between types III and IV. Only fracture nonunion, dentinogenesis imperfecta, and congenital cardiac malformations were more frequent in type III than in type IV. Papillary calcifications of the kidney and kidney stones were diagnosed in 4 type III and 2 type IV patients. Hemihypertrophy of the body developed, in 2 type I patients. Although types III and IV patients suffered from severe short stature, serum insulin-like growth factor (IGF) I was in the normal range.     

Detection of liver fibrosis with magnetic cross-relaxation

The utility of MRI using magnetization transfer (MT) enhanced pulse sequences to diagnose hepatic cirrhosis in a rat model was investigated. Hepatic T₁ was measured with and without MT off-resonance RF pulses in 17 treated and six control rats. The livers were evaluated histologically, and the hydroxyproline content quantitatively measured. We did not find a statistically significant linear correlation between the MR relaxation times and the degree of tissue injury. However, the MR measurements performed with MT were superior to those without differentiating the treated and control groups. Specifically, the T₁ times were 695 ±76 ms for the treated group, versus 748 ± 61 ms in the controls; P= 0.095. The T_1sat times were also lower in the treated group, with statistical significance: 367 ± 51 ms versus 421 ± 38 ms, P = 0.016. Finally, the change in the relaxation rates (the inverse of the relaxation times) with and without saturation were 1.31 ± 0.22 s^?1 (treated group) versus 1.05 ± 0.12 s^?1 (controls), which differed significantly, P= 0.001.     

Region-specific constitutive gene expression in the adult porcine meniscus.

The knee meniscus exhibits extensive spatial variations in native healing capacity, biochemical composition, and cell morphology that suggest the existence of distinct phenotypes for meniscus cells. Constitutive gene expression levels of appropriate extracellular matrix proteins may serve as useful molecular markers of cellular phenotypes; however, relatively little is known of variations in the gene expression for meniscus cells of different regions of the tissue. The objective of the present study was to evaluate constitutive differences between radial inner and outer regions in gene expression for extracellular matrix proteins relevant to the meniscus. A secondary objective was to determine if these region-specific differences in gene expression are maintained after periods of monolayer culture. The innermost regions of the meniscus were found to constitutively express higher mRNA levels for proteins highly expressed in articular cartilage, including aggrecan, type II collagen, and NOS2. In contrast, the outer meniscus was found to contain higher gene expression for proteins associated with fibrous tissues including type I collagen, and the proteases MMP2 and MMP3. Isolated inner and outer meniscus cells maintained these region-specific gene expression patterns for collagens and proteoglycans during short-term monolayer culture. The results provide new information that suggests the utility of constitutive gene expression levels as molecular markers to distinguish tissue and cells of the inner and outer meniscus.     

人参二醇组皂甙对精索静脉曲张大鼠的保护作用及其机制

把56只成年Wistar大鼠分为如下3组:①精索静脉曲张组(VG)30只;②精索静脉曲张人参二醇组皂甙组(VPG)8只;③假手术组(SOG)18只。实验结果表明,人参二醇组皂甙可显著提高精索静脉曲张大鼠睾丸ACE活力并降低睾丸LPO含量,但3组动物睾丸的SOD水平无明显差异。作者认为人参二醇组皂甙可能是通过减少LPO产生以提高ACE活力,从而实现对精索静脉曲张大鼠的保护作用。     

突触蛋白-Ⅰ在胚胎干细胞体外神经分化过程中的表达变化

目的探讨突触蛋白-I（synapsin-I）在胚胎干细胞（ESCs）体外神经分化过程中的表达变化及作用。方法采用“五步法”和维甲酸（RA）法两种途径体外诱导ESCs向神经细胞分化，并以另一种可向神经细胞分化的肿瘤细胞-PC12细胞的诱导过程作参照，从不同的途径、不同的细胞进行比较．通过免疫组织化学、RT-PCR、Western blot方法观察这一过程中synapsin-I的表达变化．找出synapsin-I在ESCs向神经细胞分化过程中表达变化的共同规律。结果结合形态学和其它神经特异性指标的变化，synapsin-I在ESCs和PC12细胞向神经细胞分化的过程中具有早期即有表达，后逐渐升高，至分化成熟阶段达最高，后期又逐渐下降的变化规律。结论在ESCs的分化过程中，synapsin-I的表达存在特定的时空规律，并与ESCs的形态学改变相关，提示synapsin-I可能对ESCs在神经分化过程中的形态分化起着重要的作用。