Stimulus-dependent activation of c-Fos in neurons and glia in the rat cerebellum

The intent of the present study was to use chemical or electrical stimulation of cerebellar afferents to determine how different stimulation paradigms affect the pattern of activation of different populations of neurons in the cerebellar cortex. Specifically, we analyzed immediate changes in neuronal activity, identified neurons affected by different stimulation paradigms, and determined the time course over which neuronal activity is altered. In the present study, we used either systemic (harmaline) or electrical stimulation of the inferior cerebellar peduncle (10 and 40 Hz) to alter the firing rate of climbing and mossy fiber afferents to the rat cerebellum and an antibody made against the proto-oncogene, c-fos, as a marker to identify activated neurons and glia. In control animals, only a few scattered granule cells express nuclear Fos-like immunoreactivity. Although no other cells show Fos-like immunoreactivity in their nuclei, Purkinje cells express Fos-like immunoreactivity within their somatic and dendritic cytoplasm in control animals. Within 15 min of chemical or electrical stimulation, numerous granule and glial cells express Fos-like immunoreactivity in their nuclei. Cells in the molecular layer express Fos-like immunoreactivity following harmaline stimulation in a time and lobule specific manner; they do not appear to be activated in the electrical stimulation paradigm. Following harmaline injections, there is an initial loss of Fos-like immunoreactivity in the cytoplasm of Purkinje cells; 90 min later, nuclear staining is observed in a few scattered Purkinje cells. Following electrical stimulation, the cytoplasmic staining in Purkinje cells is enhanced; it is never present in the nucleus. Data derived from this study reveal cell-specific temporal and spatial patterns of c-Fos activation that is unique to each paradigm. Further, it reveals the presence of an activity dependent protein in the cytoplasm of Purkinje cell somata and dendrites.     

Gradual potentiation of isometric muscle force during constant electrical stimulation

An investigation was carried out into how stimulation frequency and stimulation history affect the potentiation of muscle force during 20s of constant stimulation of the two knee extensors in isometric conditions. Stimulation frequency significantly affected the potentiation pattern: low-frequency (2.5–10 Hz) stimulation showed a reduction and subsequent enhancement of force, and high-frequency (14.3–25 Hz) stimulation showed only enhancement of force. The degree of enhancement in force and time-to-peak decreased with the stimulation frequency. Whereas conditioning stimulation (both 40 Hz and 14.3 Hz) significantly enhanced the muscle force above 85%, following main stimulation (14.3 Hz) after short rest (10 s and 50 s, respectively) induced little force enhancement (below 8%). In particular, when the frequency of the conditioning stimulation was 14.3 Hz, the initial force at the main stimulation showed a very similar value to the final force value of the conditioning stimulation (above 90% similarity). The potentiated twitch force slowly decayed during rest, with an average time constant of 2.4 min. These observations indicate that muscle potentiation depends on the stimulation frequency and stimulation history, and therefore a computer model of potentiation can play an important role in predicting muscle force and body movement induced by electrical stimulation.     

Active response of a one-dimensional cardiac model with gap junctions to extracellular stimulation

To study the response of cardiac tissue to electrical stimulation, a one-dimensional model of cardiac tissue has been developed using linear core-conductor theory and the DiFrancesco-Noble model of Purkinje tissue. The cable lies in a restricted extracellular medium and includes a representation of the junctional resistances known to interconnect cardiac cells. Two electrode geometries are considered: (a) a semi-infinite cable with a monopolar electrode at the end of the cable and (b) a terminated cable with one electrode at each end of the cable. In a series of simulations, stimuli of varying magnitude and polarity are applied at three different times during the plateau of the action potential. The results at the stimulus site show that the action potential duration may either decrease or increase in response to the stimulus, depending on the polarity and application time of the stimulus. The spatial behaviour of the cable in response to the stimulus indicates that sites greater than 200 cells from the stimulating electrode are not affected by the stimulus.     

Smooth eye movements evoked by electrical stimulation of the cat's superior colliculus

Head-fixed gaze shifts were evoked by electrical stimulation of the deeper layers of the cat superior colliculus (SC). After a short latency, saccades were triggered with kinematics similar to those of visually guided saccades. When electrical stimulation was maintained for more than 150–200 ms, postsaccadic smooth eye movements (SEMs) were observed. These movements were characterized by a period of approximately constant velocity following the evoked saccade. Depending on electrode position, a single saccade followed by a slow displacement or a staircase of saccades interspersed by SEMs were evoked. Mean velocity decreased with increasing deviation of the eye in the orbit in the direction of the movement. In the situation where a single evoked saccade was followed by a smooth movement, the duration of the latter depended on the duration of the stimulation train. In the situation where evoked saccades converged towards a restricted region of the visual field (goal-directed or craniocentric saccades), the SEMs were directed towards the centre of this region and their mean velocity decreased as the eye approached the goal. The direction of induced SEMs depended on the site of stimulation, as is the case for saccadic eye movements, and was not modified by stimulation parameters (place code). On the other hand, mean velocity of the movements depended on the site of stimulation and on the frequency and intensity of the current (rate code), as reported for saccades in the cat. The kinematics of these postsaccadic SEMs are similar to the kinematics of slow, postsaccadic correction observed during visually triggered gaze shifts of the alert cat. These results support the hypothesis that the SC is not exclusively implicated in the control of fast refixation of gaze but also in controlling postsaccadic conjugate slow eye movements in the cat.     

Taste preferences in a free-choice situation following electrical stimulation and lesion of septal area in rats

In the present study, electrical stimulation of medical or laternal septal areas and total or restricted lesions of these were conducted to observe the effect on ingestion of primary taste solutions in a free-choice situation. Stimulation induced a specific decrease in the intake of NaCl solution and had no effect on saccharin, acetic acid and quinine solutions and water. Total septal lesion or restricted lesions of medial or lateral septal areas induced hyperdipsia in rats. The lesioned rats, in a free-choice situation preferred NaCl, saccharin, as well as acetic acid solutions. This increase in acetic acid intake after lesion suggests that sour taste is also affected. Furthermore, there was no consumption of quinine solution before and after the lesion. This might be due to the presence of sweet tasting saccharin solution in this free-choice situation. These results indicate that the septal area causes aversion to NaCl intake, probably by inhibiting lateral hypothalamic neurons responsible for NaCl ingestion. The consumption of large quantities of saccharin, NaCl and acetic acid after the septal lesion suggests that the rats become overresponsive to taste factors in a free-choice situation.     

rGH＋CLS减少电损伤组织坏死的研究

研究rGH CLS局部应用对减少高压电损伤组织进行性坏死的作用。使用该实验室已建立的重度高压电损伤模型,新西兰大白兔45只均分5组。治疗分别使用rCH CLS（1组）,CLS（2组）,rGH(3组）,盐水（4组）和5组对照,临床解剖探查、组织学和超微结构等方法观察。结果：治疗1组有明显的减少组织坏死作用。15d动物伤肢完整,而2,3和4组虽也各有不同程度延缓坏死的作用。但动物伤肢最终坏死丧失,5组7d大部软组织基本坏死,12d坏死离断,光电镜检查1组5d治疗后粒细胞浸润较少,炎性反应轻,有纤维组织细胞再生和新生的线粒体,10d修复过程明显,2,3,4组7d后坏死明显,5组肌坏死迅速,结果表明：CLS持续组织内透析冲洗和rGH局部肌注能有效地减少电损伤坏死速度和范围,值得研究应用。     

电阻抗断层成像技术用于呼气末正压滴定的研究进展

适当的呼气末正压（PEEP）是保护性肺通气策略的重要组成部分,PEEP可以保持肺泡开放,减少肺萎陷伤。尽管个体化PEEP已被越来越多的临床医师认可,但最佳的PEEP滴定方法尚存争议。电阻抗断层成像（EIT）是一种无创、无辐射的成像技术,可在床边实时动态评估肺功能,将肺通气过程中的阻抗变化以动态图像呈现,能够反映PEEP调整前后肺内通气及气体分布变化,因此,EIT可用于滴定个体化PEEP。本文简要概括EIT的基本原理及监测指标,阐述临床应用EIT指导下的PEEP（PEEPEIT）滴定方法,旨在加强对EIT的优点和局限性的理解,为优化个体化PEEP的设置提供参考。     

红细胞聚集与取向对其悬浮液电阻抗的影响——I.实验研究

本文通过测量具有不同流变特性的红细胞悬浮液电阻抗的动态与静态变化，研究了红细胞聚集与取向对其悬浮液电阻抗的影响。首次得出以下结论：１．红细胞聚集使其悬浮液电阻抗显著减小。２．由于低切变率下红细胞聚集与高切变率下红细胞取向的共同影响，使血液电阻抗随切变率的变化具有双相特性。这增加了对血液电特性的新认识，表明可利用电阻抗测定红细胞聚性。     

Magnetic and electrical stimulation of undulating nerve fibres: a simulation study

Mathematical models of myelinated nerve fibres are highly stylized abstractions of real nerve fibres. For example, nerve fibres are usually assumed to be perfectly straight. Such idealizations can cause discrepancies between theoretical predictions and experimental results. One well-known discrepancy is that the currently used models predict (contradictory to experimental findings) that an activation of nerve fibres is not possible with a pure transverse electric field. This situation occurs when a magnetic coil is placed symmetrically above a straight nerve fibre for magnetic nerve stimulation, or when an anode and a cathode are placed equidistantly on a line perpendicular to the fibre in the case of electrical stimulation. It is shown that this discrepancy does not occur if the physiological undulation of peripheral nerve fibres is included in the models. Even for small undulation amplitudes (e.g. 0.02 mm), it is possible to activate the fibre in these positions. For physiological undulations, as found in the literature, and favourable (off-centre) positions, the typical reduction of the thresholds is in a range between one and five, compared with perfectly straight fibres.     

微量恒流直流电刺激仪的研制及应用

微量直流电刺激治疗骨不连、促进骨折愈合的方法，已在临床应用中得到显著疗效，但对刺激电流量的选择尚缺乏定量研究，电流刺激促进骨折愈合的机制仍不清楚。本实验中研制的微量恒流直流电刺激仪（ＣＤＭＣ－１型），具有自行反馈调节稳定电流的功能，刺激电流强度选择范围广（０～２０００Ａ），精确度高（±１Ａ），便于操作使用等优点。直流电刺激具有促进体外培养成骨细胞生长和代谢作用，影响细胞排列方向。该仪器为定量研究刺激电流强度及作用机制，提供了条件和方法。