Serotonergic interhemispheric asymmetry: Neurochemical and pharmaco-EEG evidence

1. Postmortem neurochemical investigations revealed interhemispheric asymmetry in the mediofrontal region of human brain. Significantly higher right hemisphere serotonin metabolite (5HIAA) content as well as increased maximal imipramine binding (IB) were found in the right hemisphere than in the left side.

2. IB did not show a gender difference in the mediofrontal area. However, women had higher IB in the right orbital frontal cortex than did men.

3. In vivo pharmaco-EEG results tend to support the postmortem neurochemical data. Intravenous chlorimipramine resulted in an asymmetric topographic distribution of the P300 auditory evoked potential, peak amplitudes were shifted to the right hemisphere.     

Widespread serum amyloid P immunoreactivity in cortical amyloid deposits and the neurofibrillary pathology of Alzheimer's disease and other degenerative disorders

Amyloid P (AP) component is present in all types of systemic amyloid deposits. Recently, it has been shown to be also present in cerebral amyloid lesions of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this study, we used immunocytochemical methods to extend these findings at the electron microscope level and characterize the spectrum of AP immunoreactivity in neurofibrillary pathology (NFP) of AD and other neurodegenerative disorders including Down's syndrome (DS), Creutzfeldt-Jakob, Parkinson's, Pick's and diffuse Lewy body diseases and progressive supranuclear palsy. In AD and DS, AP immunoreaction product was evident in all the classical amyloid lesions and NFP in a large sample of all cortical areas examined. The distribution and relative intensity of immunostaining was similar to that of thioflavin S staining in serial sections. In many cases, however, plaques and vessels stained by anti-AP serum were not apparent with thioflavin S. Serial sections immunostained with antiserum to amyloid A, C-reactive protein or to other proteins involved in systemic amyloidoses and the acute phase response showed no evidence of staining in any of the cerebral lesions. Electron microscopy confirmed that AP immunoreactivity was associated with the abnormal filaments characteristic of NFP as well as amyloid fibrils found in plaques and vessels showing congophilic amyloid angiopathy. Plaques of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Pick bodies of Pick's disease, tangles and Lewy bodies in Parkinson's disease and a subpopulation of Lewy bodies in the diffuse Lewy body disease coexistent with AD were also stained. With the exception of vessels in two of the five cases, AP was not detected in age-matched controls. Our observations indicate AP to be a consistent feature of cerebral NFP and amyloid deposits.     

Synthesis of deramciclane* labeled with tritium in various positions

[(1R)‐endo]‐(+)‐3‐bromocamphor was dehalogenated with tritium gas to [3‐³H]camphor and via [3‐³H]phenylborneol converted to [3‐³H]deramciclane isolated as the fumarate salt (specific activity 51.8 GBq/mmol). This three step synthesis from [3‐³H]camphor gave an overall yield of 22%. Benzyloxy‐acetic acid methyl ester was reduced with sodium‐borotritide to 2‐benzyloxy‐ethanol‐[1‐³H], and through a four step procedure was converted to 2‐dimethylaminoethyl‐[2‐³H] chloride. The latter was condensed with the sodium derivative of 2‐phenylborneol giving rise to [2‐dimethylamino‐[2‐³H]ethoxy]deramciclane isolated as the fumarate (specific activity 8.177 GBq/mmol). This six step synthesis from [³H]NaBH₄ gave an overall yield of 6%. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

CO2 reactivity and autoregulation in fetal brain

Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) in preterm infants is well known to be associated with the high morbidity and mortality of this group. Previous studies have suggested altered cerebral blood flow (CBF) as an important pathologic factor. We measured the CBF in nearterm rabbit fetuses using the hydrogen clearance technique. The local CBF of the rabbit fetuses was significantly low compared with that of the maternal rabbits. The response of CBF to changes in PaCO₂ was observed in rabbit fetuses. The CO₂ reactivity index of the fetal rabbit was lower than that of the maternal rabbit. This low CO₂ reactivity might reflect the immaturity of the fetal brain and its low CBF. We were unable to monitor the fetal blood pressure, but the fetal CBF remained stable when the maternal blood pressure was altered. It is well known that IVH in preterm infants originates from the subependymal germinal matrix and that this has many fragile vessels. Our observation suggests that even a small increase of CBF during hypercapnia might have a large effect towards producing hemorrhage.     

Immunoregulatory Factor Released From a Cell Line Derived From Human Decidual Tissue

ABSTRACT: The culture supernatant of the TTK-1 cell line, established from human decidual tissue, was found to contain a factor that strongly suppressed the mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR). The mechanism of the MLR-suppressive activity as well as the biochemical characterization of this factor was analyzed. The TTK-1 supernatant suppressed the MLR much more strongly than the culture supernatants of the three other malignant cell lines examined. The molecular weight of this factor was estimated to be between 43 kilodaltons (kd) and 67 kd by gel filtration chromatography. The TTK-1 supernatant also suppressed the proliferation of the interleukin 2 (IL-2)-dependent T cell lines, but did not suppress that of the IL-2-independent T cell lines, suggesting that the TTK-1 supernatant inhibited the action of IL-2 and subsequently suppressed the MLR. The fact that the TTK-1 cell line originated from human decidual tissue might imply the important role of this factor in immunological fetomaternal balance.     

强直性脊柱炎患者外周血CD62P的表达

目的探讨剖宫产指征的变化情况，分析影响剖宫产率的因素。方法 回顾性分析1393例剖宫产患者的临床资料。结果2年的平均剖宫产率为66．7％，其中2004年的剖宫产率为59．9％，2005年的剖富产率为72．2％，差异有统计学意义（P〈0．05）。剖宫产率的主要影响因素依次为社会因素（29．43％）、胎儿宫内窘迫（25．13％）、胎位异常（9．62％）、巨大胎儿（7．25％）、中至重度妊娠高血压综合征（6．25％）。结论剖宫产率的上升不只是一个纯医学问题，社会因素使剖宫产指征相对扩大，只有合理掌握剖宫产指征，通过医患双方、社会的共同努力，才能更好地降低剖宫产率。     

虚拟现实技术在枢椎椎弓根螺钉精确植入中的应用研究

目的探索以虚拟现实技术为基础的枢椎椎弓根螺钉置人方法。方法选取8具成人颅一颈椎标本，采用改良四柱式定位框架固定于枕颈，使颅-颈-肩形成统一刚体，保持空间位置恒定，CT薄层扫描获取枢椎三维定位信息，采用Aero—Tech立体定向手术规划系统三维建模，设计安全、可视化、个体化的虚拟置钉路径，反复虚拟演示验证钉道安全后，导向弓把持下置人导向钢针，复查CT评价置钉的准确性。结果16个枢椎椎弓根置钉过程中，方向出现偏差（横突孔突破）1个，失败率为6．25％。结论目标椎弓根的容积三维重建、置钉路径可视化设计和虚拟演示，使操作过程简单、直观而精确，不需要线形和角性参数的测量；加上导向抓持装置提供的稳定性，使该技术具有很好的临床应用前景。     

Neurofilament M and calbindin D28k are present in mutually exclusive subpopulations of enteric neurons in the rat submucous plexus

Immunocytochemical methods have been used to examine the localisation of 3 neurofilament proteins and the calcium binding protein, calbindin D_28k, in whole mount preparations of the submucous plexus in the Wistar rat. Neurofilament-M (160 kDA protein) was present in 40% of the submucosal neurons, staining fine filaments in the soma and the axonal processes. Calbindin D_28k was present in 40% of the submucosal neurons staining both the soma and nerves within the plexus. The neurofilament proteins and calbindin D_28k were never observed within the same neurons. Neurofilament-M was co-localised with substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide but not somatostatin or the other neuropeptides investigated. Calbindib D_28k was co-localised with vasoactive intestinal polypeptide and neuropeptide Y. Galanin- and somatostatin-immunoreactive neurons did not contain either the neurofilament proteins or calbindin D_28k. The results demonstrate the presence of subsets of submucosal neurons that can be distinguished by the presence of neurofilament-M or calbinsin D_28k.     

Prevalence of diabetic peripheral neuropathy and relation to glycemic control therapies at baseline in the BARI 2D cohort

Abstract   We evaluated the associations between glycemic therapies and prevalence of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) at baseline among participants in the Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation 2 Diabetes (BARI 2D) trial on medical and revascularization therapies for coronary artery disease (CAD) and on insulin-sensitizing vs. insulin-providing treatments for diabetes. A total of 2,368 patients with type 2 diabetes and CAD was evaluated. DPN was defined as clinical examination score >2 using the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument (MNSI). DPN odds ratios across different groups of glycemic therapy were evaluated by multiple logistic regression adjusted for multiple covariates including age, sex, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and diabetes duration. Fifty-one percent of BARI 2D subjects with valid baseline characteristics and MNSI scores had DPN. After adjusting for all variables, use of insulin was significantly associated with DPN (OR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.15–2.13). Patients on sulfonylurea (SU) or combination of SU/metformin (Met)/thiazolidinediones (TZD) had marginally higher rates of DPN than the Met/TZD group. This cross-sectional study in a cohort of patients with type 2 diabetes and CAD showed association of insulin use with higher DPN prevalence, independent of disease duration, glycemic control, and other characteristics. The causality between a glycemic control strategy and DPN cannot be evaluated in this cross-sectional study, but continued assessment of DPN and randomized therapies in BARI 2D trial may provide further explanations on the development of DPN.     

自制32P敷贴器治疗瘢痕疙瘩

目的：观察自制32P敷贴器局部敷贴治疗不同类型瘢痕疙瘩的临床疗效。 方法：105例瘢痕疙瘩患者中，39例病变厚度≤ 0.3 cm的行单纯敷贴治疗，病变厚度> 0.3 cm的66例随机分为2组，单纯敷贴组36例，手术+敷贴组30例。单纯敷贴根据病变表面积大小及形状剪取敷贴片，根据剂量率和衰变校正计算每天敷贴时间，直接贴于病变表面，每天4.0~5.0 Gy/(部位•次)，连续4 d为一疗程，每疗程间隔4周，总治疗4~6个疗程。幼儿单次剂量控制在每天4 Gy/(部位•次)以下。手术+敷贴组患者手术切除瘢痕疙瘩，待手术伤口无渗出后根据伤口形状剪取敷贴片对准伤口敷贴，剂量及疗程同单纯敷贴组。 结果：单纯敷贴治疗对病变厚度≤0.3 cm的39例瘢痕疙瘩治愈32例(82%)，总有效率98%；对病变厚度> 0.3 cm的瘢痕疙瘩单纯敷贴和手术+敷贴两组治疗总有效率分别为56%和93% ，两组差异有显著性意义(P < 0.01)，其中病程< 9个月的患者治疗有效率分别为25%和75%，病程较长患者治疗有效率分别为13%和77%。治疗过程中有26例在敷帖过程中出现局部皮肤烧灼和刺痛感，均以炉甘石洗剂局部外用处理后缓解；5例出现Ⅰ度放射性皮炎，2例出现Ⅱ度放射性皮炎，以百多邦软膏局部外用后缓解，无出现Ⅲ度以上放射性皮炎病例。治愈患者局部皮肤均有不同程度的色素沉着或皮肤颜色改变。 结论：32P敷贴治疗瘢痕疙瘩治疗安全有效，对病程较短或病变厚度小于0.3 cm的患者可单纯敷贴治疗，病程较长或病变厚度大于0.3 cm患者建议先手术后再敷贴治疗。