Formation of ectopic neuromuscular junctions in adult rats

The formation of ectopic neuromuscular junctions between a transplanted foreign nerve (the superficial fibular nerve) and the denervated soleus muscle was examined in adult rats. Formation of new junctions was induced by denervating the soleus muscle by cutting the tibial nerve. Junctional transmission began 3 days after denervation when denervation was done 3 weeks after transplantation of the foreign nerve, and progressively later when denervation was done 8, 16 and 24 weeks after transplantation. The rate at which the transmission, once started, acquired mature characteristics was approximately the same in each case. Initially, spontaneous m. e.p. p.s were infrequent, long lasting with a skewed amplitude distribution. The e. p.p. s evoked by stimulation of the foreign nerve were then commonly below threshold for eliciting action potentials and were occasionally no larger than the size of the spontaneous m. e.p. p.s. M.e. p.p. characteristics became normal in the 2nd week after transmission had started. Fully effective evoked transmission with every innervated fibre responding with overshooting action potential occurred 1–3 months after onset of transmission.     

Stretching the limits: Stem cells in regeneration science

The focus of regenerative medicine is rebuilding damaged tissues by cell transplantation or implantation of bioartificial tissues. In either case, therapies focus on adult stem cells (ASCs) and embryonic stem cells (ESCs) as cell sources. Here we review four topics based on these two cell sources. The first compares the current performance of ASCs and ESCs as cell transplant therapies and the drawbacks of each. The second explores somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) as a method to derive ESCs that will not be immunorejected. The third topic explores how SCNT and ESC research has led to the ability to derive pluripotent ESCs by the dedifferentiation of adult somatic cells. Lastly, we discuss how research on activation of intrinsic adult stem cells and on somatic cell dedifferentiation can evolve regenerative medicine from a platform consisting of cell transplantation to one that includes the chemical induction of regeneration from the body's own cells at the site of injury. Developmental Dynamics 237:3648–3671, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

老年与中青年癌症病人心理健康状况比较研究

癌症是一种心身疾病 ,心理社会因素在癌症的发生、发展及预后中均起着重要作用。反过来 ,癌症对病人来说又是一种恶性刺激 ,会给病人带来沉重的心理负担 ,影响疾病的康复和生活质量 ,并可加速癌症的恶性进展 ,造成不良后果。有研究表明 ,老年与中青年癌症病人因社会地位、社会经验及社会责任的不同而各具特点[1] 。了解不同年龄癌症病人的心理状况 ,并采取相应的处理策略 ,对癌症的治疗和康复具有积极作用。我们对 1999年 7月～ 2 0 0 0年 8月收治的 12 6例老年和 96例中青年癌症病人的心理健康状况进行了对比分析 ,结果总结如下。1　材料和…     

Neurochemical correlates of sparing from motor deficits in rats depleted of striatal dopamine as weanlings

The behavioral and neurochemical effects of striatal DA depletions were investigated in rats lesioned as weanlings (Day 27) or as adults (250-300 g). Administration of 6-OHDA into the medial forebrain bundle resulted in comparably large (> or = 95%) depletions of tissue levels of DA in both age groups. As expected, rats depleted of DA as adults exhibited marked deficits in motoric behavior and body weight regulation that persisted for the 8 days of postsurgical observation. In contrast, rats depleted of DA as weanlings were spared from such deficits, and their behavior closely resembled that of age-matched controls. Microdialysis studies revealed dialysate levels of striatal DA that paralleled these age-dependent behavioral differences. At a time when age-related behavioral differences were still quite pronounced (5-6 days postsurgery), basal DA levels were reduced by 80% of control values in rats lesioned as adults whereas basal DA levels in rats lesioned as weanlings were unchanged relative to their controls. Finally, adults depleted of striatal DA as weanlings were no more sensitive to the movement-impairing effects of intrastriatal sulpiride (3.0 or 10.0 micrograms/hemisphere) infusions than were control rats. These data suggest that weanlings compensate for large, but incomplete, denervation of striatal DA with markedly enhanced release and turnover from residual terminals. This developmental plasticity may prevent the occurrence of behavioral deficits soon after the lesion and also the supersensitivity to the challenging effects of DA antagonists as animals grow into adulthood.     

702例正常成人红细胞变形性与性别、年龄的相关性

采用激光衍射法对７０２例正常成人的红细胞变形指数ＤＩ值测定，并将测得的各个数据随年龄增长配对分不同年龄（范围）组作相关性研究。结果发现正常成人红细胞变形性随增龄呈抛物线状的改变。性别年龄与红细胞变形性关系有如下特征：（１）１８～２９岁男女组的ＤＩ值随增龄呈上升状态，达到正常成人的高峰，与增龄呈显著正相关，相关有显著意义，Ｐ＜０．０５。（２）１８～４４岁男女组随增龄ＤＩ值开始呈缓慢下降趋势，相关性由１８～２９岁的正相关逐渐过渡到负相关，相关无显著性意义，Ｐ＞０．０５。（３）１８～４９岁开始直至７９岁男女各组随增龄红细胞变形性明显下降，与增龄呈显著负相关，相关有非常显著意义，Ｐ＜０．００１。男女性的ＤＩ值，５４岁以前男女各组间比较，经ｔ检验，无显著性差异，Ｐ＞０．０５；１８～５９、１８～６４、１８～７４和１８～７９岁男女组间比较，有显著性差异，Ｐ＜０．０５。结果提示：正常成人在青年、壮年和老年前期、老年期的红细胞变形性有其不同变化特点，性别年龄与红细胞变形性相关有显著意义。     

Report of the symposium

Summary The past decades have seen considerable shifts of emphasis in surgical care. The recognition that pus was not laudable, was followed by a realisation that not all complications were inevitable and that prophylaxis could effectively reduce the incidence of most common problems in the post-operative period. As anaesthesia has become safer, it has been possible to embark on more intricate and prolonged procedures and for sufficient time to be available to ensure adequate intraoperative care.These two phenomena have firstly increased the complexity of management in the post-operative period, and have brought this aspect of surgical care more obviously to the limelight. However, many separate disciplines are involved in the care of the patient post-operatively, and the Symposium was organised¹ to bring the different groups together to identify the areas of recent development in the different specialities and to integrate the overall care of the individual patient.Abbreviations ARDS adult respiratory distress syndrome - DIC disseminated intravascular clotting     

Stature estimation based on hand length and foot length

This study was carried out to estimate the relationship between hand length, foot length and stature using multiple linear regression analyses based on a sample of male and female adult Turks residing in Adana. Measurements of hand length, foot length and stature were taken from 155 adult Turks (80 male, 75 female) aged 17-23 years. The participants were students of the Medical Faculty of Cukurova University. A multiple linear regression model was fitted to the observed data. Stature was taken as the response or dependent variable, hand length and foot length were taken as explanatory variables or regressors. All possible (simple and multiple) linear regression models for each of males, females and both genders together were tested for the best model. The multiple linear regression model for both genders together was found to be the best model with the highest values for the coefficients of determination R2 = 0.861 and R2adjusted = 0.859, and multiple correlation coefficient R = 0.928.     

Sexual dimorphism in digit‐length ratios of laboratory mice

The lengths of the index finger (2D) and ring finger (4D) are sexually dimorphic in humans, and men have a smaller 2D:4D ratio compared to women. Prenatal androgens appear to be important in the development of the 2D:4D sex difference, since it has been reported in children as young as 2 years old, and since humans exposed to supernormal prenatal androgen levels display a smaller 2D:4D ratio. We tested whether another mammalian species in which the process of peripheral sexual differentiation is androgen‐dependent might also show a sex difference in digit ratios. The 2D:4D ratio of adult outbred mice was calculated for both the left and right rear paws. A sex difference was observed in the right rear paw: female mice had a larger 2D:4D ratio than did males. We also found this difference in prepubescent weanling mice. This sex difference is in the same direction as that observed in humans, and suggests that sexual dimorphism in digit length ratios is a feature common to many, if not all, mammals. The mouse may therefore be a useful animal model for studying the factors that influence finger length patterns, which have recently been correlated with several specific behaviors and disease predispositions in humans. Anat Rec 267:231–234, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Wilms' tumor in adults: aspiration cytology and cytogenetics

The fine-needle aspiration cytologic findings of Wilms' tumor occurring in a 20-yr-old female patient and a 35-yr-old male patient showing blastemal, spindled sarcomatous and rare epithelial components are reported. The male patient had the typical presentation of renal mass with metastasis to lung and pleura, whereas the female patient had an unusual presentation with the tumor originated from the subcapsular nephrogenic zone of the kidney, extending into the liver without invasion into the renal cortex. Cytogenetic analysis of this case identified: 90, XXXX, +2x3-4, -5, -15, -16, -17, -17, i (17)(q10) x2. This finding may represent a genetic change associated with Wilms' tumor of older pediatric and young adult patients. To the best of our knowledge, this case is the sixth case with cytogenetic study and the first case revealing isochromosome 17q of an adult Wilms' tumor.     

心房钠尿肽对脂多糖所致大鼠急性肺损伤的影响

目的:探讨心房钠尿肽(ANP)对脂多糖(LPS)血症大鼠急性肺损伤的作用和机制。方法: 大鼠静脉给予LPS(2 mg·kg^－1)后立即静脉给予ANP(2 μg·kg^－1),记录动物平均动脉血压(MAP)、检测血浆一氧化氮(NO)和内皮素(ET)浓度、测定肺水含量并做肺组织病理学检查。结果: 给予LPS的大鼠,MAP持续下降,至4 h MAP(8.1±2.6)kPa;血浆NO和ET浓度均显著升高(P<0.01 vs control);4 h肺湿干比(5.15±0.43),显著高于对照组(P<0.05);大鼠肺组织病理学检查呈现肺间质水肿。LPS＋ANP组大鼠MAP在给药初期的短暂下降后逐步回升,至4h MAP(13.4±2.9)kPa(P<0.05 vs LPS);4 h血浆NO水平和ET浓度均显著下降(P<0.05 vs LPS),但仍明显高于对照组(P<0.01 vs control);肺湿干比(4.57±0.35)与对照组没有显著差异;肺组织病理学改变较LPS组明显减轻。结论: ANP对LPS引起的急性肺损伤有治疗作用,能调节LPS引起的动脉血压的持续下降,上述作用可能与ANP拮抗ET的产生、降低NO的分泌有关。