Evidence for a NO synthase in porcine platelets which is stimulated during activation/aggregation

Abstract: We tried to characterize the porcine platelet nitric oxide (NO) synthase and its L-arginine (L-arg)/NO metabolism. Using RT-PCR we could show a constitutive endothelial NOS (ecNOS) and an inducible NOS (iNOS) similar mRNA in platelets. The NOS protein could be evidenced by an ecNOS specific antibody which also bound in platelets. This finding could be confirmed by Western blot showing an ecNOS in the membrane but not the cytosolic fraction; iNOS protein could not be detected. Using NADPH-diaphorase staining we could show NO synthase in preactivated platelets but not in resting platelets, indicating that the platelet NOS may be activated during platelet activation/aggregation. Porcine L-arg plasma levels (9.31 × 10^–5 mol/l ± 10%) could be shown to be in the same range as human plasma levels. Moreover, we could show that the NO precursor L-arg and hydroxy-L-arginine (OHarg) concentration dependently inhibited collagen induced platelet aggregation. Summarizing these results confirm the existence of and further characterize porcine platelet NO synthases.     

Congenital healed cleft lip

Congenital “healed” cleft lip (CHCL) is an unusual anomaly including a paramedian “scar” of the upper lip, which appears as if a typical cleft lip has been corrected in utero. The CHCL is frequently associated with an ipsilateral notch in the vermilion, and “collapsed” nostril. Twenty-five CHCL cases are presented, eighteen of which were an isolated malformation found among the 3,950,715 births examined in two similar birth defect registries: ECEMC in Spain and ECLAMC in Latin America. Like open cleft lip, of which it seems to be a variant, CHCL is most frequently seen among males (14/18 isolated cases), it preferentially affects the left side (10/18 cases), and it segregated together with cleft lip in one family. The five CHCL cases with other congenital anomalies included: two cases with hydrocephalus, two VACTERL associations, and one atypical oblique facial cleft infant with single umbilical artery. CHCL may result from a defective fusion of the frontonasal and maxillary processes (before week 7 of embryonic life), or from a spontaneously repaired open cleft lip, later on. In either way, these cases heal with a visible scar, and the pre-occurrence of CHCL in two families suggests a familial predisposition to this phenomenon. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Striatal cells containing the Ca2+-binding protein calretinin (protein 10) in ischemia-induced neuronal injury

The present study concerns the vulnerability of striatal interneurons immunopositive for the Ca²⁺-binding protein calretinin to ischemic neuronal injury. An immunohistochemical study was carried out on the striata of rats which had undergone transient middle cerebral artery occlusion. Two weeks after the ischemia, there was a marked reduction in the number of calretinin-positive neurons in the ipsilateral ischemic lesion, although the striatal interneurons positive for parvalbumin, which are a neuronal population distinct from the calretinin-immunoreactive cells in the striatum, were spared in the insulted areas. The present data indicate that the striatal calretinin-positive neurons are less resistant to transient ischemia, suggesting that there may exist vulnerability differences among the striatal interneurons in ischemia-induced neuronal injury.     

Effects of monoamine uptake inhibitors given early postnatally on monoamines in the brain stem,caudate/putamen and cortex,and on dopamine D1 and D2 receptors in the caudate/putamen

Summary Rats were treated with desipramine 5mg/kg, nomifensine 10mg/kg, zimelidine 25 mg/kg or with 0.9% sodium chloride once a day during the second and third weeks after birth, and brain stem, caudate/putamen and cortical monoamines, and caudate/putamen dopamine D₁ (³[H]SCH 23390) and D₂ (³[H]spiroperidol) receptor binding were measured when rats were at two months of age. In the brain stem, the concentration of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy-phenyl glycol was increased in nomifensine rats and the ratio of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid to 5-hydroxytryptamine was increased in zimelidine rats. In the caudate/putamen, the concentrations of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and homovanillic acid and the ratio of homovanillic acid to dopamine were increased in desipramine rats; neither³[H]SCH 23390 nor³[H]spiroperidol binding were affected by any of the three monoamine uptake inhibiting antidepressants studied. In the cortex, the ratio of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid to 5-hydroxytryptamine was increased in desipramine and zimelidine rats. The findings suggest that desipramine but not nomifensine increases the metabolism of dopamine in the caudate/ putamen and nomifensine but not desipramine increases the metabolism of norepinephrine in the brain stem, and furthermore that the metabolism of serotonin is affected by desipramine as well as by zimelidine. It is possible that also treatment of women with these drugs during late pregnancy causes long-lasting changes in the brain of human fetus.     

胃癌D17S261和D17S799位点二核苷酸重复序列不稳定性的意义

目的研究二核苷酸重复序列不稳定性〔ＤＲＳＩ〕在胃癌发生中的作用及其临床意义．方法采用ＰＣＲ方法检测了Ｄ１７Ｓ２６１和Ｄ１７Ｓ７９９位点二核苷酸重复序列不稳定性．结果胃癌总ＤＲＳＩ发生率为３４％（１７／５０），其中高中分化腺癌ＤＲＳＩ阳性率（６６７％，１０／１５）显著高于低分化癌（１９４％，６／３１，Ｐ＜００１）；肠型胃癌ＤＲＳＩ阳性率（５５６％，１０／１８）显著高于胃型胃癌（２０％，６／３０，Ｐ＜００５），ＤＲＳＩ与胃癌部位、大小、浸润、分期、淋巴结转移无显著相关．结论ＤＲＳＩ在胃癌的发生中可能起重要作用．     

Multiple Cerebral Haematomata and Peripheral Nerve Palsies Associated with a Case of Juvenile Diabetic Ketoacidosis

A 15-year-old girl presented de novo in diabetic ketoacidosis having been comatose for 24 h (day 1). A CT scan and lumbar puncture performed on admission were normal and her conscious level slowly improved over several days. On day 7 she had central neurological signs of bilateral knee clonus and an extensor plantar response. In addition, she had developed lower motor neurological signs of an ulnar nerve palsy of the left forearm, and ulnar, median, and radial nerve palsies of the right forearm. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), performed on day 12, showed multiple small cerebral haematomata with appearances at least several days of age. The scattered lesions were localized particularly to the parieto-occipital region, with sparing of the basal ganglia and without cerebral oedema, a novel feature not previously described in juvenile ketoacidosis. Four months later there was minimal residual disability of her right arm. The clinical findings together with the MRI images suggested that the peripheral nerve and central lesions were temporally related, suggesting a common aetiology. However, it is likely that MRI showed cerebral lesions which may have been missed by the conventional CT scanning performed initially.     

Lines of Murine Oligodendroglial Precursor Cells Immortalized by an Activated neu Tyrosine Kinase Show Distinct Degrees of Interaction with Axons In Vitro and In Vivo

Replication-defective retroviruses expressing the t- neu oncogene, or a hybrid protein with the neu tyrosine kinase linked to the external region of the human epidermal growth factor receptor ( egfr-neu ), were used to establish lines of murine oligodendroglial precursor cells. Differentiation of the t- neu lines into myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG)-positive oligodendrocytes was induced by dibutyryl cAMP, and the egfr-neu line showed limited differentiation in vitro upon withdrawal of epidermal growth factor. Cerebellar granule cell neurons expressed mitogens for the cell lines. Upon transplantation into demyelinated lesions, t- neu line cells engaged with the demyelinated axons whereas the egfr-neu line cells differentiated further and ensheathed the axons. These cell lines thus interact with neurons in vitro and in vivo and can be used as tools to define the molecules involved in different stages of neuron-glia interaction.     

实验性尘细胞灶与胸片细网状阴影形成的关系

本文从21只实验性矽肺家兔中筛选出5只胸片有细网状阴影者,用病理与 X 线对照观察的方法,探讨了实验性矽肺尘细胞灶与死后胸片细网状阴影形成的关系。证明,分布在肺细叶内直径约1mm 的尘细胞灶,其分布密度为113个/cm~2以上时,可构成胸片细网状阴影。实验排除了弥漫性肺间质纤维化的结论。并对胸片细网状阴影的形成从肺细叶解剖与 X 线投影进行了讨论。     

花生四烯酸和二十二碳六烯酸对海马神经细胞生长发育的影响

【目的】观察不同浓度花生四烯酸 (AA)和 (或 )二十二碳六烯酸 (DHA)对体外培养海马神经细胞生长发育的影响。【方法】无血清培养液中分别加入不同剂量的AA和 (或 )DHA ,采用噻唑蓝比色试验 (MTT法 )反映各组海马神经细胞存活状况 ,神经元特异性烯醇化酶 (NSE)染色鉴定神经细胞 ,图像分析技术测量神经细胞的胞体大小和突起长度。【结果】培养液中分别添加AA为 4～ 8μmol/L、DHA为 2～ 8μmol/L时 ,神经细胞活力高于对照组 ;当培养液中AA和DHA总浓度为 4μmol/L、比例为 2∶1或 4∶1时 ,神经细胞的活力、胞体面积、最大长径、最大短径和平均突起长度均显著高于单一添加 4μmol/LAA、4μmol/LDHA和对照组。【结论】AA、DHA均具有促进体外培养海马神经细胞生长发育的作用 ;与单独添加AA、DHA相比 ,AA和DHA共同作用的促海马神经细胞生长发育作用更好。