Orbicularis oculi responses to stimulation of nerve afferents from upper and lower limbs in normal humans

A brief mechanical or electrical stimulus to peripheral nerve afferents from the upper and lower limbs elicited a small and inconsistent EMG response of the orbicularis oculi muscles. This response was facilitated when the stimuli were delivered at fixed leading time intervals, of 45–300 ms, with respect to a supraorbital nerve electrical stimulus. Also, the peripheral nerve stimulus modified the conventional blink reflex responses, inducing facilitation of R1 and inhibition of R2. These results suggest a complex processing of sensory inputs from the face and the limbs at the brainstem, where they are probably integrated in a network of interneurons influencing the excitability of facial motoneurons.     

A method combining morphological, immunocytochemical and chromosomal examinations of the same cell in the study of lymphoproliferative diseases

6 cases of different lymphoproliferative diseases were studied with the new MAC (Morphology-Antibody-Chromosome) method in order to find out 1) if the abnormal karyotype is confined to the monoclonal cell population, 2) if there are, within this clone, also cells with a normal karyotype, and 3) if the method can help the pathologist to diagnose malignant lymphoproliferative diseases. The MAC method allows a simultaneous study in the same metaphase cell of the karyotype, surface markers, and some morphological features. In all cases in which a monoclonal cell proliferation was detected immunohistologically, the MAC examination showed a chromosomal abnormality for the same light chain as was detected in immunohistology, but not in other cells. In all but a single case, all mitotic cells belonging to the clonal cell proliferation had an abnormal karyotype. In this case with lambda clonality, 2/8 lambda-positive mitoses had a normal karyotype. However, all the normal mitoses occurred in small lymphocytes whereas the abnormal mitoses were seen in large blastic cells. In 1 case, the MAC method helped in confirming the diagnosis of malignant lymphoma (nodular small cleaved cell type). Especially in lymphomas composed of a mixed cell population, the MAC method makes it possible to find out which cell types have an abnormal karyotype and which have a normal karyotype.     

热休克反应对大鼠油酸肺保护作用的机制研究

未研究发现，经热休克处理的大鼠注油酸后，肺组织损伤明显减轻，Ｗｅｓｔｅｒｎ印迹分析显示热休克使大鼠肺组织中ＨＳＰ７０含量明显增多；Ｎｏｒｔｈｅｒｎ印迹分析证实此乃由于ＨＳＰ７０ｍＲＮＡ转录增加所致。说明热休克处理使肺组织ＨＳＰ７０基因表达增强；提示热休克反应对大鼠油酸肺的保护作用与肺组织细胞中ＨＳＰ７０基因表达增强及与ＨＳＰ７０增多有关。     

Human sympathetic nerve activity to glabrous skin does not increase during simulated diving

In humans, cardiovascular adjustment to simulated diving causes a marked increase in sympathetic outflow to intramuscular vessels and muscle vasoconstriction. Skin vasoconstriction in the hand also occurs during diving in humans. Skin nerve sympathetic activity (SSA), containing vasoconstrictor signals to glabrous skin, unexpectedly was reduced during diving in a previous study of SSA recorded in the peroneal nerve. SSA was recorded by microneurography in the median nerve in 13 healthy volunteers during simulated diving. Skin blood flow in the hand and one finger was monitored. The typical SSA response, irrespective of duration of diving and water temperature, was an increase during the control period immediately prior to immersion of the face and a sudden reduction of SSA when the face was immersed. The increase in SSA preceding the dive was accompanied by vasoconstriction, which continued during the dive, but re-dilation regularly occurred before the end of the dive. Inhibition of SSA was not total. Mental arithmetic during diving evoked strong bursts of SSA, similar to those seen normally during mental stress. It is concluded that the true response of SSA to simulated diving is an inhibition of the immediately preceding outflow, in agreement with observations of cutaneous blood flow in animals. The skin vasoconstriction recorded during simulated diving is a consequence of an SSA increase before the procedure, suggested to be a stress response before the forthcoming manoeuvre. The SSA response during simulated diving is the opposite to that of sympathetic outflow to muscle, which emphasizes the diversity of sympathetic regulation of different organ systems.     

A Hemodynamically Responsive Antitachycardia System: Theoretical Bases for Design

Current antitachycardia systems such as the automatic implantable cardioverter/defibrillator (AICD), detect tachyarrhythmias primarily by sensing rate and thereby perform inadequately in differentiating hemodynamically stable from unstable arrhythmias. As a result, these devices may discharge during stable tachycardias (such as sinus tachycardia), causing discomfort to the patient and depleting the device's limited energy supply. If a parameter which could reflect the particular hemodynamic state of a tachycardia were incorporated into the sensing algorithm of these systems, function may be more hemodynamically precise and discharge specificity may be improved.     

The relationship between receptor-effector unit heterogeneity and the shape of the concentration-effect profile: Pharmacodynamic implications

The apparent concentration-effect relationship is the ensemble of many effector units (such as individual cells or channels) that do not always exhibit a uniform stimulus-effect relationship. This concept is substantiated by many observations of heterogeneity in receptor-effector populations including hormone secreting cells, response to hormonal stimuli, activity pattern of second messengers, stimulus-evoked synaptic currents, and single ion channels. The relationship between drug concentration and magnitude of pharmacologic response is commonly described by the sigmoidalE _max model which was derived from the Hill equation. The sigmoidicity factor (N) in this model is assumed to be a pure mathematical parameter without physiological connotations. This work demonstrates that the numerical value ofN (measured empirically) is the product of two factors: (i) the degree of heterogeneity of the effector subunits, i.e., the elemental component that upon drug stimulus contributes its pharmacological effect independently and does not interact with other subunits (it could range from a single receptor up to a whole tissue), and (ii) value ofN ^*—the shape factor of the subunits' concentration-effect relationship. A special case of this approach occurs whenN ^*>5, which is an on-off case. HereN is determined by the distribution (density equation) of the subunit values. In case of heterogeneity of the microparameters of the effector subunits the apparentN will always have a lower value thanN ^*. According to this theory it can be concluded that without knowledge of the distribution of the microparameters no mechanistic interpretation can be deduced from the apparentN value. If in the futureN ^* can be determined by theoretical or experimental methods, the distribution function relatingN ^* toN can be calculated. The relevance of this theory is increased in view of the progress being made in advanced research techniques which may enable us to determine the concentration-effect relationship at the level of the individual effector unit.     

延髓—脊髓P物质能神经元下行通路参与毒扁豆碱的中枢升压反应

大鼠延髓腹侧面头端应用毒扁豆碱引起血压升高和心率加快,伴有延髓腹侧面头端胆碱酯酶活性降低和脊髓蛛网膜下腔灌流液中P物质样免疫反应活性升高。在延髓腹侧面头端应用阿托品或脊髓蛛网膜下腔注射P物质拮抗剂D-脯~2,D-苯丙~7,D-色~9-P物质均可阻断毒扁豆碱的心血管效应。脊髓蛛网膜下腔注射P物质抗血清或辣椒素均可减弱毒扁豆碱的升压反应。实验结果提示,毒扁豆碱作用于延髓腹侧面头端的M受体,兴奋了延髓-脊髓P物质能神经元下行通路,使之释放P物质,引起交感肾上腺髓质系统兴奋,从而使血压升高和心率加快。     

HBV_2患者血清HBsAg的氨基酸组成分析

将２例ＨＢＶ＿２患者血清ＨＢｓＡｇ纯化，分析了ＨＢＶ＿２的ＨＢｓＡｇ氨基酸组成，并与分子量为６３０１９８道尔顿ＨＢＶ＿１的ＨＢｓＡｇ三种多肽氨基醚组成比较。实验发现，ＨＢＶ＿２与ＨＢＶ＿１的ＨＢｓＡｇ的氨基醚组成有较大区别，且区别指数均在１３以上。提示ＨＢＶ＿１和ＨＢＶ＿２的ＨＢｓＡｇ在一级结构上存在较大差异；ＨＢＶ＿２可能系一新的乙型肝炎病毒，也可能系由于ＨＢＶ＿１Ｓ区核苷酸突变所致的变异株。     

Assessment of oxidative DNA damage in the oxyR-deficient SOS chromotest strain Escherichia coli PQ300.

The SOS chromotest is a simple short-term genotoxicity assay measuring the induction of gene sfiA in Escherichia coli K-12. The recent availability of SOS tester strains with additional mutations in DNA repair or protection systems allows testing of DNA damaging compounds for genotoxic specificity. E. coli PQ300 differs from the standard SOS tester strain PQ37 in that it contains an additional mutation in gene oxyR that renders it more sensitive to oxidative genotoxins. The generation of reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI) by hydroperoxides (H2O2, t-butyl hydroperoxide, cumene hydroperoxide), gamma-radiation, glucose oxidase, and xanthine oxidase resulted in a more vigorous SOS response in strain PQ300 compared to strain PQ37. PQ300 was also more sensitive than PQ37 for the detection of reducing agents such as ascorbic acid, cysteine, and glutathione, which also alter the redox status of the bacterial cells. However, intercalating agents (adriamycin, bleomycin, and mitomycin C) and the UV- and radiomimetic compound 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide whose DNA damaging potential are known also to involve ROI did not show significant differences between strains PQ37 and PQ300. It is concluded that the oxyR-deficient strain PQ300 is useful for detecting certain classes of genotoxins that change the oxidative/antioxidative balance of tester bacteria in the SOS chromotest.