Age-related changes in the articular cartilage of human sacroiliac joint

 Iliac and sacral articular cartilage of 25 human sacroiliac joints (1–93 years) are examined by light microscopy and immunohistochemistry in order to gain further insight into the nature and progress of degenerative changes appearing during aging. These changes can already be seen in younger adults as compared to cartilage degeneration known in other diarthrodial joints. Structural differences between sacral and iliac cartilage can already be observed in the infant: the sacral auricular facet is covered with a hyaline articular cartilage, reaching 4 mm in thickness in the adult and staining intensely blue with alcian blue at pH1. Iliac cartilage of the newborn is composed of a dense fibrillar network of thick collagen bundles, crossing each other at approximately right angles. A faint staining with alcian blue suggests a low content of acidic glycosaminoglycans. In the adult, iliac cartilage becomes hyaline and its maximal thickness reaches 1–2 mm. Both articular facets exhibit morphological changes during aging that are more pronounced in the iliac cartilage and resemble osteoarthritic degeneration; the staining pattern of the extracellular matrix becomes inhomogenous, chondrocytes are arranged in clusters and the articular surface develops superficial irregularities and fissures. Sometimes fibrous tissue fills up these defects. Nevertheless, large areas of iliac cartilage remain hyaline in nature. Sacral articular cartilage often remains largely unaltered until old age. The sacral subchondral bone plate is usually thin and shows spongiosa trabeculae inserted at right angles, suggesting a perpendicular load on the articular facet. Iliac subchondral spongiosa shows no definite alignment and joins the thickened subchondral bone plate in an oblique direction. The iliac cartilage therefore seems to be stressed predominantly by shearing forces, arising from the changing monopodal support of the pelvis during locomotion. The subchondral bone plate on both the iliac and sacral auricular facet is penetrated by blood vessels that come into close contact with the overlying articular cartilage. These vessels may contribute to the high incidence of rheumatoid and inflammatory diseases in the human sacroiliac joint. Immunolabelling with an antibody against type II collagen reveals a diminished immunoreactivity in the upper half of adult sacral cartilage and only a faint and irregular labelling in the iliac cartilage. Type I collagen can be detected in a superficial layer on the sacral articular surface and around chondrocyte clusters in iliac cartilage, as in dedifferentiating chondrocytes during the development of osteoarthritis. Accepted: 22 April 1998     

Postsynaptic fibers reaching the dorsal column nuclei in the rat

Postsynaptic fibers reaching the dorsal column nuclei were investigated in rat by means of retrograde transport of wheat germ agglutinin-horseradish peroxidase conjugate. Each nucleus received only ipsilateral afferents with most of the labeled cells forming a band which covered the mediolateral extent of the dorsal horn in an area that resembled lamina IV in the cat. The labeling excluded the reticular extension of the neck of the dorsal horn. Lumbosacral afferents were restricted to the gracilis nucleus and cervicothoracic afferents to the cuneatus nucleus. Cervical and anterior lumbar levels showed additional projections coming from their most medial parts. The organization of this second-order pathway in rat is similar to that in cat and monkey.     

Disconnected optic axons persist in the visual pathway during regeneration of the retino-tectal projection in the frog

Summary In this study, we crushed one optic nerve in the frog Litoria (Hyla) moorei and at intervals thereafter anterogradely labelled optic axons with horseradish peroxidase (HRP). For one series, HRP was applied between the eye and the crush site and in a second series between the crush site and the chiasm. A tectal projection of regenerating axons was seen in both series but, in addition, up to 12 weeks post-crush, the second series displayed an additional projection. Its appearance matched that of the disconnected, but persisting, optic axon terminals which are found after enucleation or optic nerve ligation. We conclude that, in the frog, many disconnected optic axons persist throughout the period of optic nerve regeneration and of restoration of an orderly retino-tectal map.Abbreviation HRP horseradish peroxidase     

扬子鳄胚胎中肾发生及退化

目的：在11个不同发育时期扬子鳄胚胎中观察中肾的发生及退化过程。方法：采用电镜、细胞化学及免疫组织化学方法。结果：孵育第6期在中肾管前端附近出现一些中肾小泡。第8期形成“S”形中肾小管。第13—17期鳄胚体前部部分中肾小管盲端内陷，形成原始的肾小囊和肾血管球，中肾小管显著伸长并迂回曲折。第20一22期，体前后部中肾组织均已形成完整的肾单位。中肾小管颈段由纤毛柱状上皮细胞组成，近球小管上皮细胞含丰富的PAS阳性物质并呈表皮生长因子(EGF)、转化生长因子(TGFβ1)和生长抑素(SS)免疫阳性反应。第24—28期，体前部至后部的中肾组织依次退化。结论：(1)扬子鳄中肾除重吸收作用外还具有内分泌功能；(2)中肾退化时，细胞凋亡依次表现为核固缩，出现大量凋亡小体，线粒体数目剧增并膨胀，线粒体等细胞器自溶及核消失；(3)中肾退化可能与小管细胞中TGFβ1及SS大量表达有关。     

Differential effects of scopolamine on neuronal survival in ischemia and glutamate neurotoxicity: relationships to the excessive vulnerability of the dorsoseptal hippocampus

The neurodegeneration in the CA1 subfield of hippocampus exhibited a dorsal-ventral gradient of susceptibility in global ischemia (82% dorsoseptally and only 16% ventrotemporally). Scopolamine (SCOP) did not improve the neuronal damage caused by the global ischemic challenge in rats and did not reduce the infarct area after the focal MCA-occlusion in mice. No differences were observed between saline and SCOP-treated animals in the physiologic parameters, except for a slight increase in rectal temperature. In contrast, treatment of hippocampal cultures with increasing concentrations of SCOP (1 nM to 1 mM) under glutamate incubation had a beneficial effect on neuronal viability. These data show that (1) there is substantial gradient of vulnerability of the hippocampus from dorsal to ventral in global ischemia and (2) that interactions between the NMDA, muscarinic receptors and their corresponding neurotransmitter inputs to hippocampal neurons are evident in vitro and may play a crucial role in neuronal neurodegeneration. However, the mechanisms underlying the high vulnerability of dorsal hippocampus still remain enigmatic.     

XLPRA: A canine retinal degeneration inherited as an X-linked trait

Breeding studies are reported of a previously undescribed hereditary retinal degeneration identified in the Siberian Husky breed of dog. This disorder clinically resembles the previously reported autosomal recessive canine hereditary retinal degenerations collectively termed progressive retinal atrophy (PRA). However, the pedigree of the propositus, a male Siberian Husky, exhibited an X-linked pattern of transmission. This dog was outcrossed to three phenotypically normal female laboratory Beagles and two of their F1 daughters were bred to a phenotypically normal male Beagle, producing affected males in the F2 generation. Subsequent inbreedings produced further affected males and affected females as well. X-linked transmission was established by exclusion of alternative modes of inheritance and, consequently, the disease has been termed X-linked progressive retinal atrophy (XLPRA). This is the first reported X-linked retinal degeneration in an animal. Because of the many similarities of PRA in dogs to retinitis pigmentosa (RP) in humans, this new disease may not only represent the first animal model of X-linked RP (XLRP) but may well be a true homolog of one of the XLRP loci (RP2, RP3, RP6). It is the first retinal degeneration in dogs that can be assigned to an identified canine chromosome, and the first for which linkage mapping offers a realistic approach to proceed by positional cloning towards identifying the responsible gene locus. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

半月板的血供及其临床意义

通过动脉灌注,对56侧儿童和成人尸体的半月板血供进行了研究。成人半月板外1/5为血管区,内4/5为无血管区。半月板的撕裂常发生于无血管区或无血管区与血管区的连接处。半月板的退化和磨损位于无血管区。     

Retrograde migration of glove powder in the human female genital tract

BACKGROUND: This study in humans was undertaken to evaluate earlier results from animal research showing a retrograde migration of glove powder from the vagina into the intra-abdominal cavity. METHODS: One study group was gynaecologically examined with powdered gloves the day before an abdominal hysterectomy and another group 4 days pre-operatively. There were two control groups similarly examined with powder-free gloves. Cell smears were taken from the peritoneal fluid and during the operation further smears were taken from the Fallopian tubes, uterine cavity and cervical canal. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were found for large starch particles at all locations between the study and control groups examined 1 day pre-operatively. Considering small starch particles, there were significant differences in cervix (P < 0.001), uterus (P < 0.01) and the Fallopian tubes (P < 0.01). The combined results also show significant differences between both large and small starch particles in cervix, uterus and the Fallopian tubes. There were also differences between the study and control groups examined 4 days pre-operatively, but these were not statistically significant except for small and large starch particles in uterus (P < 0.01, P < 0.05) and cervix (P < 0.05, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study has pointed out a retrograde migration of starch also in humans after a gynaecological examination with powdered gloves. Consequently, powder or any other potentially harmful substance that can migrate from the vagina should be avoided.     

Pigmentary degeneration indwed by N-methyl-N-nitrosourea and the fate of pigment epithelial cells in the rat retina

Pigmentary degeneration of the retina was induced by a single intraperitoneal Injection of 75mgkg of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) In female Brown-Norway colored rats at 50 days of age, which were then observed at 24, 48 and 72 h and 7, 21,35 and 150 days after the treatment. MNU-treated rats showed selective destruction of the photoreceptor cells by an apoptotic mechanlsm 24 h after the treatment, and the destruction was completed by day 7. During the photoreceptor cell degeneration, proliferation of Miller cells and infiltratlon of macrophages was prominent 72h and 21 days aRttr the treatment, respectively. Müller cell proliferation and macrophage infiltratbn corresponded to degenerative photo-receptor cell phagocytosis, and prollferating Müller cell processes responded to stabilize the damaged retina. Pigment epithelial cell detachment from the Bruch's membrane was seen 72 h after the treatment, and migration within all layers of the retina was seen at day 7 when photoreceptor Cells were lost. At 21, 35 and 150 days after the treatment, lack of photoreceptor cells and deposition of pigment epithelial cells within the retina but not in contact to vascular endothe-lial cells were characteristic. MNU-induced photoreceptor apoptosis followed by Miiller cell and macrophage reaction then pigment epithellal cells deposition withln the retina partially resembles retinitis pigmentosa in humans.     

肝脏特异性表达载体Kbpala/Alb-ATP7B 的构建及表达

目的：构建小鼠白蛋白启动子引导下携带野 生及常见突变型Arg778Leu、His1069Gln的人ATP7B cDNA的肝脏特异 性表达载体Kbpala/Alb-ATP7B，并检测其表达情况。方法:定点突变法获取人群中常见的Arg778Leu及His1069Gln两种ATP7B突变体，定向克隆将小鼠白蛋白启动子Alb序列及野生和突变的ATP7B cDNA依次亚克隆至转基因载体Kbpala上，得到可在肝脏特异性表达的正常及突变型人 ATP7B的转基因载体Kbpala/Alb-ATP7B。将其 短暂转染BRL细胞及BHK细胞，通过Western blotting检测其蛋白表达情况。结果:经酶切鉴定及定点测序证实，转基因载体Kbpala/Alb-ATP7B 构建成功；Western blotting显示仅在肝脏细胞实现表达。结论:带 有人类ATP7B cDNA的野生及常见致病突变型的转基因载体Kbpala/Alb -ATP7B构建成功并在肝脏细胞特异性表达。