Analysis of the Inhibitory Effect of Oestradiol on Functional GABA/5-HT Relationship in the Rat Suprachiasmatic Area

The purpose of this study was to test the capacity of oestradiol to modulate the stimulating effect of a-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on serotonin (5-HT) metabolism, previously described in the Suprachiasmatic area of the male rat. After an in vivo stimulation of GABA transmission by systemic administration of a GABA-transaminase inhibitor (amino-oxyacetic acid) or a GABA_B agonist (RS-baclofen), the 5-HT metabolism was studied in the Suprachiasmatic area of ovariectomized, and ovariectomized oestradiol-treated rats. Amino-oxyacetic acid or RS-baclofen treatment increased the endogenous content of 5-HT in the Suprachiasmatic area of males and ovariectomized rats. These two treatments were without effect in ovariectomized oestradiol-treated rats. GABA transmission stimulation induced by amino-oxyacetic acid treatment failed to affect the release and synthesis of 5-HT in ovariectomized oestradiol-treated rats while it increased these two parameters of 5-HT metabolism in the Suprachiasmatic area of male and ovariectomized rats. To investigate the main target of oestradiol effect, comparative studies of the serotoninergic and GABAergic metabolism in the Suprachiasmatic area were performed in the three experimental groups. Under our experimental conditions the endogenous 5-HT metabolism was similar between ovariectomized and ovariectomized oestradiol-treated rats. Nevertheless, 5-HT metabolism was higher in the two female groups than in the male group. Neither GABA metabolism nor GABAergic response to GABA-related drug treatment differed between ovariectomized, and ovariectomized oestradiol-treated rats. However, the turnover of GABA was higher when compared to the two female groups. It is concluded that the lack of 5-HT responsiveness to GABA transmission stimulation in ovariectomized oestradiol-treated rats was not related to an effect of oestradiol on 5-HT metabolism or to an effect of the steroid on GABA turnover. Furthermore, our results suggest a sex difference in the activity of serotoninergic and GABAergic systems in the Suprachiasmatic area.     

大白鼠肾上腺的血管构筑

本实验采用血管铸型扫描电镜,注射明胶卡红组织切片显微镜下观察和注射铅丹乳胶追踪血管来源三种方法对14只健康大白鼠肾上腺血管构筑进行了研究。大白鼠肾上腺动脉发自腹主动脉和肾动脉。它们在行程中发出分支至腺体表面,再次分支穿入囊内,逐级分支至毛细血管。皮质动脉发自囊内血管,它们在皮质中分支分布。球状带的毛细血管与囊的毛细血管相连,毛细血管在球状带围绕细胞团形成网眼状;在束状带呈放射状排列;在网状带吻合增多形成网状。髓质动脉亦发自囊的血管,它们在皮质中不发分支直抵髓质,在髓质分成毛细血管。网状带的毛细血管越向髓质口径越粗,它们在皮髓交界处互相吻合形成更粗的静脉,这些静脉逐级吻合,最后形成一主干——中央静脉,它穿出皮质出现于肾上腺门处。左侧的中央静脉注入在肾静脉,右侧的注入下腔静脉。     

大鼠食管颈段神经形态的组化研究

本文采用多种组化方法结合神经银染技术,对大鼠的食管颈段神经形态观察发现:延髓内双侧疑核的咀侧端及迷走神经背核闩平而附近,分别见散在的多极和梭形标记细胞;颈前、中节、颈胸节和胸交感节(T_2-T_4),结状节,脊神经节(C_2-C_8)内均见标记细胞。 食管壁内的神经束及分支,由粗、细两类神经纤维组成。其中AchE阳性的胆碱能纤维占优势,分别见于外膜丛、肌内丛、粘膜下丛,腺体血管周围和粘膜肌内,粗纤维末梢伸向上皮基部和上皮之间,肌内的神经末梢呈结状膨大。外膜和肌肉见有神经节和散在的神经细胞。而食管壁内肾上腺素能纤维稀少,仅见于神经束和分支内及血管壁周围。     

Correlation between the induction of an immediate early gene, zif/268, and long-term potentiation in the dentate gyrus.

Expression of the immediate early gene zif/268 (also termed NGFI-A, Krox 24, TIS8 and Egr-1) was investigated in awake rats following various long-term potentiation (LTP) induction protocols.zif/268 mRNA (Northern blots) and protein (immunohistochemistry) levels sharply increased following LTP, and followed a time course characteristic of other immediate early genes. When measured across 3 tetanization protocols known to produce differing degrees of LTP persistence,zif/268 induction was found to be more highly correlated with LTP duration than with the magnitude of initial LTP. These data support the hypothesis that the immediate early gene zif/268 plays a role as a third messenger in the cascade of cellular and nuclear events that govern the persistence of LTP.     

The use of the rat facial nerve model to assess the effect of differing nerve anastomotic agents on the facial nerve

There are relatively few papers which prove that one nerve anastomotic agent for the facial nerve is superior to any other. Previous experiments on the division and anastomosis of the facial nerve have failed to consider the indeterminate variables involved, i.e. operator variability, controls and the reaction of the materials on normal nerve tissue. In this experiment, a variety of anastomotic agents were tested to see if the anastomotic agents themselves affected the extra-temporal facial nerve function. The absorbable suture, non-absorbable suture, glue and tube wrap used had no effect on normal nerve tissue or on the anastomosis of the sectioned facial nerve of the rat compared with simple laying together of the divided ends of the divided nerve.     

硫酸镁联合亚低温治疗对大鼠局灶性脑缺血的保护作用

目的　探讨硫酸镁对SD大鼠局灶性脑缺血损伤的保护作用。方法　将 4 0只大鼠随机分成模型对照组、硫酸镁治疗组、亚低温治疗组、硫酸镁联合亚低温治疗组。采用线栓法建立大鼠局灶性脑缺血模型。通过计算大鼠神经功能缺陷评分 ,测量脑梗死体积 ,观察神经元超微结构改变 ,评定硫酸镁联合亚低温治疗作用。结果各治疗组大鼠神经功能评分及脑梗死体积均显著低于对照组 (P <0 0 5 ) ,联合治疗组大鼠明显低于对照组 (P<0 0 1) ;联合治疗组神经元超微结构改变轻微。结论　硫酸镁联合亚低温治疗对大鼠局灶脑缺血有明显保护作用     

Glycosaminoglycan Supplementation Promotes Nerve Regeneration and Muscle Reinnervation

This study shows that treatment of rats with exogenous glycosaminoglycans stimulates peripheral nerve regeneration, increases the abundance of mRNAs for myelin proteins and promotes muscle reinnervation. After the sciatic nerve had been crushed the number of regenerating axons in the distal stump was markedly and highly significantly increased by glycosaminoglycan treatment throughout the experimental period. The increased number of axons was correlated with increased axon and fibre (axon + myelin) diameter. The abundance of mRNAs for P_o protein and myelin basic protein of regenerating nerves was also affected by treatment with glycosaminoglycans. The increase in mRNA was also observed in the contralateral unlesioned nerve. Such a phenomenon did not occur in saline-treated rats. Glycosaminoglycan treatment markedly increased the number of muscle fibres reinnervated and accelerated the restoration of muscle twitch tension elicited by nerve stimulation. The effect was particularly evident during the early stages (16 and 21 days after nerve crush) of muscle reinnervation.     

Relationship between cellular ATP content and cellular functions of primary cultured rat hepatocytes in hypoxia

The importance of oxygen in maintaining the functional integrity of hepatocytes has been well established in a variety of experimental models, such as in vivo , perfused liver and isolated hepatocytes. However, one of the shortcomings of these systems is their short life span. Therefore, we have examined the effects of long-term hypoxia on cellular adenine nucleotide content and cellular functions, such as albumin production, urea production and DNA synthesis, in adult rat hepatocytes in primary culture. Hepatocytes were cultured at a density of 11 × 10⁴ and 5 × 10⁴ cells/0.18 mL per cm² for the study of albumin and urea production and DNA synthesis, respectively, at various oxygen tensions (20, 12, 8 and 5%) for 24 h. Cellular ATP content in cultured hepatocytes in hypoxia gradually declined, corresponding to the decrease in oxygen tension, and the cellular ATP level at 5% oxygen was approximately 20% of that at 20% oxygen. Albumin production also decreased in parallel with the decrease in cellular ATP content in cultured hepatocytes in hypoxia. However, even when cellular ATP content gradually declined corresponding with the decrease in oxygen tension in cultured hepatocytes in hypoxia, such as at 8 or 5% oxygen, urea production remained at a high level; in contrast, DNA synthesis was completely suppressed. These results suggest that the cellular ATP content decreases in cultured hepatocytes during long-term hypoxia in relation to oxygen tension and that the relationship between decreased ATP levels and liver function in cultured hepatocytes during hypoxia differs for albumin production, urea production and DNA synthesis.     

Dopamine receptors,controlling dopamine levels in rat adrenal glands — comparison with central dopaminergic autoreceptors

Summary Previous work in this laboratory, as well as observations reported in the literature, indicate that the adrenal medulla contains dopamine (DA) receptors of the D-2 subtype, which among other things are capable of controlling the DA level in rat adrenal glands. To further characterize the DA receptors involved in the control of the adrenal DA level, the effects of 9 DA receptor agonists with various intrinsic activities were compared. After various periods of drug administration the rats were killed by decapitation and the DA content of the adrenal glands and the DOPAC content of the forebrain were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. All the investigated DA receptors agonists caused an increase in adrenal DA level, although statistical significance was not reached in one case /(–)-HW165/. Domperidone, a DA D-2 receptor antagonist which does not readily cross the blood brain barrier, blocked the DA-elevating effects of apomorphine, quinpirole, B-HT 920 and both enantiomers of 3-PPP. For the two ergolines terguride and SDZ 208-920 the blockade by domperidone was not complete, suggesting that their effects are mediated not only through DA, but also through other receptor systems. The dose of domperidone used (3 mg/kg) had but a marginal influence on brain DOPAC levels, supporting the almost exclusively peripheral effect of this agent. Our data indicate that the DA D-2 receptors which control the DA level in the adrenal medulla in rats, have characteristics similar to, though not identical with the autoreceptors in the forebrain.     

A subpopulation of bone marrow-derived macrophage-like cells shares a unique ion channel pattern with microglia.

Rat microglia share a number of antigenic, functional, and morphological similarities with macrophages from other tissues, but are characterized by a distinctly different pattern of ion channels in the cellular membrane (Kettenmann et al., J Neurosci Res 26:278-287, 1990). Macrophages typically express outward and inward K+ currents. In contrast, microglia lack outward currents and only show inwardly rectifying K+ currents, regardless of the isolation or cultivation method employed for microglia. In this study we demonstrate that a subpopulation of bone marrow-derived macrophage-like cells possesses inward rectifier K+ currents, but no outward currents and thus with regard to the electrophysiological characteristics closely resembles microglia. A second population of bone marrow-derived macrophage-like cells shows the usual channel pattern described for other body macrophages. Our results strengthen the hypothesis that in the bone marrow distinct pools of precursor cells exist, possibly reflecting an early differential lineage determination for body and brain macrophages, i.e., microglia.