Serotonergic interhemispheric asymmetry: Neurochemical and pharmaco-EEG evidence

1. Postmortem neurochemical investigations revealed interhemispheric asymmetry in the mediofrontal region of human brain. Significantly higher right hemisphere serotonin metabolite (5HIAA) content as well as increased maximal imipramine binding (IB) were found in the right hemisphere than in the left side.

2. IB did not show a gender difference in the mediofrontal area. However, women had higher IB in the right orbital frontal cortex than did men.

3. In vivo pharmaco-EEG results tend to support the postmortem neurochemical data. Intravenous chlorimipramine resulted in an asymmetric topographic distribution of the P300 auditory evoked potential, peak amplitudes were shifted to the right hemisphere.     

Widespread serum amyloid P immunoreactivity in cortical amyloid deposits and the neurofibrillary pathology of Alzheimer's disease and other degenerative disorders

Amyloid P (AP) component is present in all types of systemic amyloid deposits. Recently, it has been shown to be also present in cerebral amyloid lesions of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this study, we used immunocytochemical methods to extend these findings at the electron microscope level and characterize the spectrum of AP immunoreactivity in neurofibrillary pathology (NFP) of AD and other neurodegenerative disorders including Down's syndrome (DS), Creutzfeldt-Jakob, Parkinson's, Pick's and diffuse Lewy body diseases and progressive supranuclear palsy. In AD and DS, AP immunoreaction product was evident in all the classical amyloid lesions and NFP in a large sample of all cortical areas examined. The distribution and relative intensity of immunostaining was similar to that of thioflavin S staining in serial sections. In many cases, however, plaques and vessels stained by anti-AP serum were not apparent with thioflavin S. Serial sections immunostained with antiserum to amyloid A, C-reactive protein or to other proteins involved in systemic amyloidoses and the acute phase response showed no evidence of staining in any of the cerebral lesions. Electron microscopy confirmed that AP immunoreactivity was associated with the abnormal filaments characteristic of NFP as well as amyloid fibrils found in plaques and vessels showing congophilic amyloid angiopathy. Plaques of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Pick bodies of Pick's disease, tangles and Lewy bodies in Parkinson's disease and a subpopulation of Lewy bodies in the diffuse Lewy body disease coexistent with AD were also stained. With the exception of vessels in two of the five cases, AP was not detected in age-matched controls. Our observations indicate AP to be a consistent feature of cerebral NFP and amyloid deposits.     

Multiple sclerosis patients have reduced HLA class II-restricted cytotoxic responses specific for both measles and herpes virus

It has been previously demonstrated that the generation of measles virus (MV)-specific cytotoxicity (CTL) is reduced in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). By contrast, CTL specific for influenza virus (FLU) and mumps virus is normal. It is uncertain if reduced CTL is limited to MV in MS patients, or if reduced CTL may be found to other viruses as well. Since MV-specific CTL is predominantly restricted by HLA class II molecules, while FLU-specific and mumps-specific CTL have large HLA class I-restricted components, reduced MV-specific CTL may reflect a broader reduction in HLA class II-restricted CTL in patients with MS. To examine this question we studied the generation of CTL specific for herpes simplex virus type I (HSV). HSV-specific CTL, like MV-specific CTL is predominantly restricted by HLA class II molecules. We found that patients with MS had reduced generation of CTL to both MV and HSV. Most, but not all patients who had reduced generation of CTL to one virus also had a similar impairment with respect to the second virus. Some patients, however, had a reduction in the generation of CTL only to MV or to HSV. These findings extend our earlier observations regarding reduced MV-specific CTL in patients with MS to a second HLA class II-restricted virus, HSV. Such a reduction may reflect discrete impairments in immune function to separate viruses, possibly those that are associated with viral persistence, or may reflect a more generalized defect in HLA class II-restricted CTL.     

ASSOCIATION OF PLASMA HOMOCYSTEINE LEVEL AND N^5,N^10—METHYLENETETRAHYDROFOLATE REDUCTASE GENE POLYMORPHISM WITH CEREBRAL INFARCTION

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship of plasma homocysteine (Hcy) level to stroke and genetic factor to elevated plasma Hcy level. METHODS: The plasma Hcy level was measured by capillary electrophoresis-ultraviolet detection and the gene polymorphism of N5,N10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) was studied with PCR-RFLP assay in 43 patients with cortical cerebral infarction and 42 healthy control. RESULTS: The plasma Hcy level of the patients (19.3 +/- 6.0 micromol/L) was markedly higher than that of the controls (13.7 +/- 5.4 micromol/L) (t = 4.16, P < 0.001). There are 3 genotypes, C/C, C/T and T/T, about base-variation of MTHFR gene at locus 677. The plasma Hcy level of the subjects with T/T genotype was higher than that of subjects with other genotypes. However, the frequencies of each genotype and allele were not significantly different between the patients and the controls. CONCLUSIONS: The elevated plasma Hcy level is a risk factor for atherothrombotic cerebral infarction, and is related to the C-->T mutation at locus 677 of MTHFR gene.     

PGA指数和透明质酸在诊断慢性乙肝肝纤维化中的价值

目的：寻找一种简便实用的诊断慢性乙型肝炎纤维化的方法。方法：以78例经肝穿刺病理证实的慢性乙型肝炎为对象，测定并比较了由PT、GGT、ApoA1组成的PGA指数和HA、LN、PⅢP、C－IV与肝内纤维化程度(S)和炎症活动度（G）的关系。结果：（1）LN、PⅢP、C－IV在轻度慢性乙肝时无明显升高，在中度慢性乙肝时明显高于正常，但与轻度慢性乙肝无差异，而PGA指数和HA不仅在轻度慢性乙肝时显著升高，而且在轻中度间差异明显.因重度慢性乙肝和活动性肝硬化时，五项指标均显著增高。（2）在G2－4期，HA、LN、PⅢP、C－IV均明显高升，但在G1期，只有PGA指数高于正常，且各期间差异显著。（3）在S1－2期，只有PGA指数、HA、C－IV明显上升，但C－IV的上升幅度远低于PGA指数和HA。（4）加以PGA＞4．5或HA＞200μg／L作为判断临界值，则两者判断肝纤维化的敏感性均＞94％，精确性＞91％，特异性＞86％，如两者结合，则分别达到98．3％、95．2％和96．4％。结论：PGA指数和HA均是反映慢性乙型肝炎患者肝内纤维化程度的良好指标，两者联合检测则可达到最大的价值效益比。     

强直性脊柱炎患者外周血CD62P的表达

目的探讨剖宫产指征的变化情况，分析影响剖宫产率的因素。方法 回顾性分析1393例剖宫产患者的临床资料。结果2年的平均剖宫产率为66．7％，其中2004年的剖宫产率为59．9％，2005年的剖富产率为72．2％，差异有统计学意义（P〈0．05）。剖宫产率的主要影响因素依次为社会因素（29．43％）、胎儿宫内窘迫（25．13％）、胎位异常（9．62％）、巨大胎儿（7．25％）、中至重度妊娠高血压综合征（6．25％）。结论剖宫产率的上升不只是一个纯医学问题，社会因素使剖宫产指征相对扩大，只有合理掌握剖宫产指征，通过医患双方、社会的共同努力，才能更好地降低剖宫产率。     

Effect of Coenzyme Q10 and green tea on plasma and liver lipids, platelet aggregation, TBARS production and erythrocyte Na leak in simvastatin treated hypercholesterolmic rats

This study was conducted to investigate the hypocholesterolemic effect of simvastatin (30 mg/kg BW) and antioxidant effect of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10, 15 mg/kg BW) or green tea (5%) on erythrocyte Na leak, platelet aggregation and TBARS production in hypercholesterolemic rats treated with statin. Food efficiency ratio (FER, ADG/ADFI) was decreased in statin group and increased in green tea group, and the difference between these two groups was significant (p<0.05). Plasma total cholesterol was somewhat increased in all groups with statin compared with control. Plasma triglyceride was decreased in statin group and increased in groups of CoQ10 and green tea, and the difference between groups of statin and green tea was significant (p<0.05). Liver total cholesterol was not different between the control and statin group, but was significantly decreased in the group with green tea compared with other groups (p<0.05). Liver triglyceride was decreased in groups of statin and green tea compared with the control, and the difference between groups of the control and green tea was significant (p<0.05). Platelet aggregation of both the initial slope and the maximum was not significantly different, but the group with green tea tended to be higher in initial slope and lower in the maximum. Intracellular Na of group with green tea was significantly higher than the control or statin group (p<0.05). Na leak in intact cells was significantly decreased in the statin group compared with the control (p<0.05). Na leak in AAPH treated cells was also significantly reduced in the statin group compared with groups of the control and CoQ10 (p<0.05). TBARS production in platelet rich plasma was significantly decreased in the groups with CoQ10 and green tea compared with the control and statin groups (p<0.05). TBARS of liver was significantly decreased in the group with green tea compared with the statin group (p<0.05). In the present study, even a high dose of statin did not show a cholesterol lowering effect, therefore depletion of CoQ10 following statin treatment in rats is not clear. More clinical studies are needed for therapeutic use of CoQ10 as an antioxidant in prevention of degenerative diseases independent of statin therapy.     

胃癌组织中P16、Cyclin D1、Rb表达及其生物学行为的研究

目的研究P16、Cyclin、D1Rb基因在胃癌中的表达及其与胃癌生物学行为的关系.方法采用免疫组化方法检测10例正常胃黏膜、30例胃癌组织中P16、Cyclin D1、Rb蛋白的表达,并结合其临床资料进行分析.结果P16、Cyclin D1、Rb蛋白阳性表达,正常胃粘膜分别为90%、10%、90%;胃癌分别为36.67%、53.33%、50%,胃癌纽与正常对照组间差异均有显著性(P＜0.05),P16、Cyclin D1蛋白与胃癌分化程度、淋巴结转移与否、远处转移与否呈一定的相关性.结论P16、Cyclin D1、Rb基因与胃癌发生有关,P16、Cyclinp蛋白检测有助于胃癌预后的判断.     

Neurofilament M and calbindin D28k are present in mutually exclusive subpopulations of enteric neurons in the rat submucous plexus

Immunocytochemical methods have been used to examine the localisation of 3 neurofilament proteins and the calcium binding protein, calbindin D_28k, in whole mount preparations of the submucous plexus in the Wistar rat. Neurofilament-M (160 kDA protein) was present in 40% of the submucosal neurons, staining fine filaments in the soma and the axonal processes. Calbindin D_28k was present in 40% of the submucosal neurons staining both the soma and nerves within the plexus. The neurofilament proteins and calbindin D_28k were never observed within the same neurons. Neurofilament-M was co-localised with substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide but not somatostatin or the other neuropeptides investigated. Calbindib D_28k was co-localised with vasoactive intestinal polypeptide and neuropeptide Y. Galanin- and somatostatin-immunoreactive neurons did not contain either the neurofilament proteins or calbindin D_28k. The results demonstrate the presence of subsets of submucosal neurons that can be distinguished by the presence of neurofilament-M or calbinsin D_28k.     

红细胞调控白细胞免疫功能新的自然实验研究体系

目的用血液免疫反应路线图实验体系评估红细胞在白细胞免疫活性中的作用。方法将0·3ml血浆加入0·2ml全血细胞悬液(全血细胞组)或0·2ml白细胞悬液(白细胞组)中,37℃温育1h,用免疫酶联法测定IL-8和IL-12水平,流式细胞仪测定白细胞膜CD4、CD8、CD35和CXCR4表达量。结果全血细胞组IL-8和IL-12水平(分别为5·96±4·26、9·84±2·23ρB·pg-1·ml-1)明显低于白细胞组(分别为15·09±9·86、13·59±3·69ρB·pg-1·ml-1,P<0·05),淋巴细胞CD4、CD35、CXCR4表达量(分别为37·79±12·00、154·66±70·00、34·40±20·45)明显高于白细胞组(分别为18·54±11·32、83·26±35·99、16·69±11·09,P<0.01),粒细胞CD35表达量(603·63±257·64)明显高于白细胞组(384·86±174·16,P<0.01)。成人全血细胞组淋巴细胞和粒细胞CD35和CXCR4表达量明显高于脐血全血细胞组(P<0·05或P<0·01)。结论红细胞是白细胞(包括T淋巴细胞、B淋巴细胞、NK细胞、树突状细胞、粒细胞等)免疫功能的调控者和指导者,脐血红细胞免疫调节功能明显下降;本研究为红细胞免疫调控活性测定提供了新的近似自然的方法。