Autonomic and motor neuron death is progressive and parallel in a lumbosacral ventral root avulsion model of cauda equina injury

Injuries to the cauda equina of the spinal cord result in autonomic and motor neuron dysfunction. We developed a rodent lumbosacral ventral root avulsion injury model of cauda equina injury to investigate the lesion effect in the spinal cord. We studied the retrograde effects of a unilateral L5-S2 ventral root avulsion on efferent preganglionic parasympathetic neurons (PPNs) and pelvic motoneurons in the L6 and S1 segments at 1, 2, 4, and 6 weeks postoperatively in the adult male rat. We used Fluoro-Gold-prelabeling techniques, immunohistochemistry, and quantitative stereologic analysis to show an injury-induced progressive and parallel death of PPNs and motoneurons. At 6 weeks after injury, only 22% of PPNs and 16% of motoneurons remained. Furthermore, of the neurons that survived at 6 weeks, the soma volume was reduced by 25% in PPNs and 50% in motoneurons. Choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) protein was expressed in only 30% of PPNs, but 80% of motoneurons remaining at 1 week postoperatively, suggesting early differential effects between these two neuronal types. However, all remaining PPNs and motoneurons were ChAT positive at 4 weeks postoperatively. Nuclear condensation and cleaved caspase-3 were detected in axotomized PPNs and motoneurons, suggesting apoptosis as a contributing mechanism of the neural death. We conclude that lumbosacral ventral root avulsions progressively deplete autonomic and motor neurons. The findings suggest that early neuroprotection will be an important consideration in future attempts of treating acute cauda equina injuries.     

Immediate replacement of single upper posterior teeth: a report of cases

Background: The immediate replacement of upper molar teeth with implants poses a significant challenge to the clinician because of its sinus involvement. Purpose: The purpose of this article is to report a protocol in which single molar teeth are replaced immediately with implants, minimizing the need for other surgical procedures. Materials and Methods: This protocol has been employed in eight cases. Briefly, the teeth are extracted atraumatically, the sockets evaluated, an osteotomy performed following the direction of the socket, and a wide diameter implant placed using the socket walls and sinus floor to anchor it. A grafting material is placed when the space between implant and socket wall is considerably large. Three cases are reviewed here, and all eight are summarized. Results: All cases have excellent soft and hard tissue healing after 6 months. Furthermore, the overall time needed to restore the cases has been considerably reduced and the need for sinus management eliminated. Conclusion: The cases presented support the use of the described protocol in the placement of implants in maxillary molar areas without any other sinus procedures.     

Porcine hepatic phospholipid efflux during reperfusion after cold ischemia

BACKGROUND: Cold preservation produces hepatic injury that is difficult to assess during early reperfusion. The value of reperfusion plasma choline phospholipid in predicting subsequent organ function is documented in these studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Livers of female Yorkshire pigs were prepared for transplantation. After 2 h of cold ischemia the reperfusion plasma was evaluated for choline phospholipid and cholesterol. These values were correlated with bile secretion, hepatic hemodynamics, oxygen uptake, and plasma sorbitol dehydrogenase levels. RESULTS: The isolated porcine liver demonstrates a rapid efflux of choline phospholipids into plasma during early reperfusion after cold preservation. After this initial efflux no subsequent plasma increment occurred. These choline-phospholipid increments were isolated in plasma higher density (d > 1.063) lipoproteins and were not accompanied by equivalent increases in cholesterol. Neither biliary reflux nor lecithin cholesterol acyl transferase abnormalities contributed appreciably to the phospholipid increments in reperfusion plasma. Livers with the largest efflux of choline phospholipids had the most impaired circulatory and bile secretory function at 4 h of reperfusion. CONCLUSION: The immediate increase of choline phospholipids, particularly lysophosphatidylcholine, in reperfusion plasma after cold ischemia provides an index of the injury occurring during this interval and correlates with early organ function.     

多烯磷脂酰胆碱胶囊治疗脂肪肝的探讨

目的探讨脂肪肝的诊断与治疗。方法选择50例脂肪肝患者。随机分为2组，治疗组（30例）服用多烯磷脂酰胆碱，对照组（20例）服用绞股蓝总甙，观察2组服药1个月后临床症状、B超、血脂、肝功能等变化，结合文献就其诊治问题进行探讨。结果多烯磷脂酰胆碱治疗脂肪肝总有效率为93．3％，对临床主要症状有较高的缓解率，可使血清胆固醇、甘油三酯明显下降，B超及肝功能指标明显好转，各项治疗指标均明显优于对照组。结论多烯磷脂酰胆碱对脂肪肝患者有明显的疗效。非酒精性脂肪性肝病（NAFLD）治疗上无特效疗法。主要是综合治疗．终末期患者可接受肝移植。     

家兔房水中双氯芬酸胆碱的平均药-时曲线的测定

目的探索双氯芬酸胆碱滴眼液点眼后的房水药代动力学行为。方法取24只家兔，随机平均分成0．25、0．5、0．75、1、2、4、8、12h8个时间组，用微量进样器滴入双氯芬酸钠胆碱(DAC)滴眼液100μL，分别于8个时间点取不少于200μL的房水样品。采用甲醇-乙腈-pH6．4磷酸盐(25：25：50)为流动相，Zor bax SBC18色谱柱为固定相的高效液相色谱法测定各时间点房水中双氯芬酸胆碱的质量浓度。结果家兔单剂量应用双氯芬酸胆碱滴眼液100μL后，房水中15min后即可检测到药物，且无其他杂质峰干扰，用不同时间点房水中的双氯芬酸胆碱药物质量浓度对时间作图，得其药-时曲线。结论药-时曲线显示，给药后0．5h房水中双氯芬酸胆碱滴眼液质量浓度达到峰值，12h基本代谢完全。该药显效快，并具有良好的角膜渗透性。     

Volume-localized two-dimensional correlated magnetic resonance spectroscopy of human breast cancer

A localized 2D correlation spectroscopic sequence (L-COSY) was implemented and applied in human breast cancer in vivo to evaluate the water to fat (both saturated and unsaturated) ratios and also to identify choline. Being in agreement with the conventional 1D magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) results, elevated water to lipids ratios were found in breast cancers and choline was observed only in a few cancer patients.     

双波长薄层扫描法测定卵磷脂中磷脂酰胆碱的含量

目的：比较大豆、葵花和胡麻卵磷脂中磷脂酰胆碱的含量。方法：应用双波长薄层扫描法测定3种卵磷脂中磷脂酰胆碱的含量，以氯仿-甲醇-水(65：25：4，V：V：V)为展开系统，测定波长λs=235nm，参比波长λR=260nm．反射法双波长锯齿形扫描磷脂酰胆碱峰面积，外标两点法计算含量。结果：大豆、葵花和胡麻卵磷脂中磷脂酰胆碱的含量分别为64．6％、54．3％和62．4％。胡麻卵磷脂中磷脂酰胆碱的含量与大豆卵磷脂相似．略高于葵花卵磷脂。平均回收率为99．6％，RSD=3．12％。结论：用双波长薄层扫描法测定卵磷脂中磷脂酰胆碱的含量，方法经济实用，结果可靠。     

Septo-hippocampal and nBM-cortical cholinergic neurones exhibit differential time-courses of activation as a function of both type and duration of spatial memory testing in mice

We previously showed that the initial acquisition session of a spatial discrimination (mixed reference/working memory) test in an 8-arm radial maze induced differential activations in the ascending cholinergic septo-hippocampal and nBM-cortical pathways in mice. This data showed that the duration of post-test cholinergic activation was longer in the nBM-cortical pathway than in the septo-hippocampal projection. Moreover, the post-test durations but not the immediate post-test amplitudes of activation in each pathway decreased progressively as a function of repeated daily acquisition sessions. In the present study we have thus tested the hypotheses that the time-courses of post-test cholinergic activation in the septo-hippocampal and nBM-cortical pathways may vary both as a function of the type of memory used (working vs. reference) and according to the duration of repeated daily testing. Cholinergic activity in vivo in the hippocampus or frontal cortex of mice was quantified using measures of sodium-dependent high-affinity choline uptake at two different times (30 s and 15 min) following specific spatial working or reference memory testing in an 8-arm radial maze. The memory tests were administered daily over a 13-day period to attain high levels of performance in each type of task. In comparison to control groups both types of memory testing induced significant post-test cholinergic activations in each brain region on Day 15. However, cholinergic activity remained elevated in frontal cortex at 15 min post-test following reference memory testing, whereas significantly shorter durations of cortical and hippocampal cholinergic activation were observed following working memory testing using short (1 min) retention intervals. The possible significance of these differential modifications to the time-course of the post-test activations in these cholinergic pathways in working and reference memory processes and the putative transsynaptic mechanisms involved are discussed.     

Quantitative light microscopic autoradiography of [H]hemicholinium-3 binding sites in the rat central nervous system: a novel biochemical marker for mapping the distribution of cholinergic nerve terminals

The distribution of specific [³H]hemicholinium-3 ([³H]HC-3) binding sites throughout the rat forebrain was studied by means of quantitative light microscopic autoradiography. Tissue sections were labeled with 2.5 nM[³H]HC-3, apposed to tritium-sensitive film for 2 months and analyzed by computer-assisted densitometry. Regions of intense [³H]HC-3 labeling include the caudate-putamen, nucleus accumbens, olfactory tubercle, amygdala, habenula and the granule cell layer of the dentate gyrus. Little or no specific binding was detected in the corpus callosum, a white matter region. This distribution of specific [³H]HC-3 binding sites is compatible with a selective labeling of central cholinergic nerve terminals.     

Cholinergic innervation of the rat dentate gyrus: an immunocytochemical and electron microscopical study

Immunocytochemical studies using a monoclonal antibody to choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) were performed on sections of rat dentate gyrus. Light microscopical analysis of the immunoreactivity revealed dense fiber networks and many punctate structures predominantly located at the interface of the granule cell layer and molecular layer. In the elctron microscope, the immunostained punctate structures were identified as synaptic boutons which formed mainly symmetrical contacts onto dendritic elements. Few ChAT-immunoreactive boutons formed axosomatic contacts.