铁路机车司机神经行为功能状况研究

目的：研究铁路驾乘作业对铁路机车司机神经行为功能的影响情况。方法：采用随机整群抽样法,抽取机车司机２３８名,另选年龄、工龄等条件类同的车站工作人员１９０名,按照ＷＨＯ神经行为核心组合测试并分析比较行为功能。结果：与对照组相比,机车司机的反映情感状态的６项指标均受到显著或非常显著的不利影响。神经反应速度也受到了一定影响,表现在简单反应时中的最快及平均反应时间延长。另外,反映手的操作速度以及眼手协调功能的指标利手与非利手操作速度也较对照组明显下降,进一步分析可见,随着工龄或年龄的延长,上述指标受影响的程度呈逐渐增加的趋势。结论：神经行为核心测试组合在检测机车司机的亚临床职业损害方面是一项灵敏的指标     

Glutamatergic inputs to midbrain dopaminergic neurons in primates

Anterograde tract-tracing and immunohistochemical methods were used to study projections from the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPN) to midbrain dopaminergic neurons in the squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus). The PPN harbored numerous cholinergic and glutamatergic neurons, as well as neurons that displayed both cholinergic and glutamatergic markers. Injections of anterograde tracer into the PPN led to intense fiber labeling in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) and the ventral tegmental area (VTA). This pedunculonigral projection was partly bilateral. At the electron microscopic level, about 40–60% of the anterogradely labeled terminal boutons were glutamate-positive and formed asymmetric synapses with the dopaminergic neurons of the SNc–VTA complex. These data provide direct evidence for a pedunculonigral glutamatergic projection. This projection may play a crucial role in the control of the firing pattern of SNc–VTA dopaminergic neurons and could be involved in glutamate-mediated excitotoxicity that is believed to lead to SNc cell death in Parkinson's disease.     

Breast Biopsies with ABBI(R): Experience with 183 Attempted Biopsies

When first introduced, the advanced breast biopsy instrumentation (ABBI^®) system seemed to have many advantages as a diagnostic procedure. Problems have arisen, however, both in terms of patient unsuitability and mechanical failure. In addition, there has been uncertainty as to whether the complete lesion removal it afforded could be considered definitive treatment in malignant cases. Incision margins were looked at to investigate that possibility. Of the 183 patients we saw in our first year of experience with ABBI, 48 (26%) were rejected for being poor candidates for it. In the remaining 132 biopsies there were 31 (23%) technical difficulties. All told, 14 malignancies were discovered, all of which appeared to have pathology-free incision margins radiologically. However, 13 of these 14 (93%) proved on pathologic examination to have residual malignancy. ▪     

Effect of dopamine denervation and dopamine agonist administration on serine phosphorylation of striatal NMDA receptor subunits

Sensitization of striatal N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors has been implicated in the pathogenesis of the response alterations associated with dopaminomimetic treatment of parkinsonian animals and patients. To determine whether serine phosphorylation of NMDA receptor subunits by activation of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein-kinase II (CaMKII) contributes to this process, we examined the effects of unilateral nigrostriatal ablation with 6-hydroxydopamine and subsequent treatment with levodopa, SKF 38393 (D1-preferring dopamine agonist), or quinpirole (D2-preferring agonist) on motor responses and phosphorylation states. Three weeks of twice-daily levodopa administration to rats shortened the duration of their rotational response to levodopa or SKF 38393 challenge, but prolonged the duration of quinpirole-induced rotation. At the same time, levodopa treatment elevated serine phosphorylation of striatal NR2A (p<0.02), but not that of NR2B subunits, without associated changes in subunit protein levels. Chronic treatment with SKF 38393 increased NR2A (p<0.0001) but decreased NR2B (p<0.004) serine phosphorylation. In contrast, chronic quinpirole treatment had no effect on NR2A but increased NR2B phosphorylation (p<0.0001). The acute intrastriatal injection of the CaMKII inhibitor KN93 (1.0 micrograms) not only normalized the levodopa-induced motor response alterations but also attenuated the D1 and D2 receptor-mediated serine phosphorylation of NR2A and NR2B subunits, respectively (p<0.02). These results suggest that a CaMKII-mediated rise in serine phosphorylation of NMDA receptor subunits induced by intermittent stimulation of D1 or D2 dopaminergic receptors contributes to the apparent enhancement in striatal NMDA receptor sensitivity and thus to the dopaminergic response plasticity in levodopa-treated parkinsonian rats.     

Adult from of basal cell navevus syndrome: A family study

Summary A 32-year-old patient had marked reduction of visual acuity due to falciform folds of the retina and retinal detachment, and severe neurological abnormality: bilateral pyramidal involvement, fasciculation in all limbs and gait ataxia. Skull radiographs showed internal frontal hyperostosis; CT scan showed calcification of the falx cerebri, and multiple arachnoid cysts were shown by myelography. A naevoid lesion had previously been removed from the left forearm. There was a history of ophthalmological symptoms in the mother and the daughter of the propositus. His son has café au lait spot on the abdomen and dentigerous cysts. The diagnosis of an adult form of basal cell naevus syndrome with an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance is discussed.This work was supported by grants from the F.R.S.M. of Belgium no. 3.4543.77 (Prof. P. Danis) and no. 3.4538.76 (Prof. C. Coërs) and the Free University of Brussels     

Weak effects of local and systemic administration of the GABA uptake inhibitor,SK&F 89976, on extracellular GABA in the rat striatum

Summary The effects of local and systemic administration of the potent GABA uptake inhibitor, SK&F 89976, on GABA overflow from the striatum of conscious rats were investigated in brain dialysis experiments. Administration of the compound via the dialysis probe at concentrations of 25 or 100 gmol/l significantly increased basal GABA overflow about 2-fold. Overflow evoked by 104 mmol/l K⁺ remained unaltered at the lower and was almost doubled at the higher concentration; this increase did, however, not reach statistical significance.Given systemically at 50 mg/kg i.p., a dose which is severalfold higher than those which exhibit anticonvulsant effects, SK&F 89976 caused a significant enhancement of K⁺-stimulated GABA overflow by about a factor of 2; the lower dose of 20 mg/kg i.p. was not effective. Basal GABA overflow was not significantly increased by either dose. These results suggest that the marked effects of nipecotic acid on basal GABA overflow reported by several authors seem to be related to GABA displacement rather than uptake inhibition, and that uptake inhibition does not improve the interpretability of measurements of GABA release by brain dialysis. They neither support the idea that the relative insensitivity of extracellular GABA to low Ca²⁺ and tetrodotoxin is indirectly due to very efficient removal of GABA by neuronal and/or glial uptake, leaving only residual amounts to be measured. Send offprint requests to P. Waldmeier at the above address     

Glutaric aciduria type I

Summary Serial CT findings in an infant with glutaric aciduria type I (GA-I) are reported. The major CT features were dilatation of the insular cisterns, regression of the temporal lobes, with bat wings dilatation of the Sylvian fissures and hypodensity of the lenticular nuclei. CT changes preceded the onset of symptoms by 3 months. An improvement in the temporal lobe atrophy was seen after a period of treatment, coinciding with marked clinical improvement. A peculiar feature was the presence of external hydrocephalus, which diverted the attention from manifestations of the primary disease and thus consitituted a diagnostic pitfall. The delineation and recognition of the characteristic radiologic manifestations of GA-I are essential for allowing an adequate radiologist/clinican interaction in diagnosing this inborn error of metabolism.