Immunocytochemistry of Amino-Acids in the Rodent Pituitary Using Extremely Specific, Very High Titre Antisera

The compartmental interrelationships of the metabolically related amino-acids glutamate, GABA and glutamine and the metabolically unrelated amino-acids taurine and glycine in the rodent pituitary, were investigated by light microscopic immunocytochemistry using highly specific antisera. Glutamate-like immunoreactivity was abundant in astrocytes in the posterior pituitary. Glutamine immunoreactivity was present only at low levels in the posterior pituitary, but was abundant in astrocytes within the intermediate lobe. Other glia-like ceils in the anterior pituitary were also glutamine-immunoreactive. GABA immunoreactivity was abundant in the intermediate lobe but absent from anterior and posterior lobes. The GABA immunoreactivity mainly took the form of small punctata, the majority of which were in intimate apposition to the glutamine-immunoreactive glia. Strong taurine immunoreactivity was present in astrocytes in the posterior pituitary but only weak labelling was present in intermediate and anterior lobes of the pituitary. Specific glycine immunoreactivity was not detected in the pituitary. These results suggest that glutamate-immunoreactive astrocytes in the posterior pituitary, unlike glia in loci such as the retina, do not convert much, if any, of their glutamate content into glutamine (or if they do, it is rapidly further metabolized to another compound), whereas those astrocytes in the intermediate lobe do contain glutamine. The spatial association of GABAergic fibres with glutamine-positive astrocytes raises the possibility that astrocytes in the intermediate lobe receive a GABAergic innervation. Glutamate, glutamine and taurine (or their metabolites) may have roles as neuroactive substances regulating pituitary secretion.     

精神分裂症异质性及其中枢五羟色胺功能研究

本文应用高效液相色谱(HPLC)对67例精神分裂症及10例健康对照组脑脊液中色氨酸(TRP)、五羟色胺(5-HT)、五羟吲哚乙酸(5-HIAA)进行测试,同时引入5-HT相对代谢率概念用5-HIAA/5-HT表示,并以Andreasen分型标准划分42例阳性精神分裂症和25例阴性精神分裂症。结果发现,精神分裂症患者脑脊液中TRP明显低于正常对照组,阳性(Ⅰ型)分裂症5-HIAA以及5-HIAA/5-HT明显低于阴性(Ⅱ型)精神分裂症,并对精神分裂症的5-HT代谢障碍假说及其异质性进行了讨论。     

Variation of prostate-specific antigen expression in different tumour growth patterns present in prostatectomy specimens

Summary A series of 55 randomly chosen radical prostatectomy specimens was analyzed for expression of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) by immunohistochemical techniques. Tissue sections were selected in such a manner that in addition to glandular benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), one or more different prostatic tumour growth patterns were present. Four monoclonal antibodies, directed against three different PSA epitopes, and one polyclonal anti-PSA antiserum were used. Expression of PSA was compared with that of prostate-specific acid phosphatase (PAP), recognized by two different polyclonal antisera. A critical dilution aimed at a maximum of staining intensity on BPH tissue sections was chosen for all antibodies. Anti-PSA and anti-PAP antisera stained essentially all BPH samples (over 90%). Irrespective of the nature of the antibodies used, PSA expression was found to be decreased in prostatic carcinoma. A clear cut relationship was found between immunoreactivity for PSA and the degree of differentiation of the tumour area. Under the experimental conditions used the PSA monoclonal antibodies stained only 1 out of 10 undifferentiated carcinomas, whereas 50% to 70% of the well- and moderately-differentiated carcinomas showed immunoreactivity. This correlation was less pronounced with the PAP staining pattern. If the PSA antibody titer was raised the percentage of clearly staining undifferentiated carcinomas could be considerably increased (up to 60%–100%), indicating that PSA expression is not absent, but lowered in most (if not all) undifferentiated carcinomas.     

Renal acid excretion in early infancy

In early infancy, complex disorders of acid base metabolism are more frequent than in any other age group, with a predisposition to metabolic acidosis due to an age-related low renal capacity for acid excretion and an unphysiologically high actual renal acid load in nutrition with common formulas. Recently in preterm and small-for-gestational-age infants, persistent maximum renal net acid excretion (NAE) with subnormal or normal blood acid base status, impaired weight gain, and adaptive hormonal reactions have been observed. Incipient late metabolic acidosis is one example of a mixed disorder of acid base metabolism with maximum renal NAE in early infancy. Alkali therapy is highly effective and can be realized both on an individual basis, using urine pH screening as a diagnostic criterium for maximum renal acid stimulation, or on a general preventive level using modified standard formula with a reduced actual renal NAE similar to that seen on alimentation with human milk. From an integrated point of view, the low glomerular filtration rate and renal capacity for acid excretion beyond the developmental age of more than 44 weeks, may well be interpreted as the result of a specific adaptation to breast feeding sparing energy, and thus an evolutionary advantage for the survival of mother and child. Received July 10, 1996; received in revised form and accepted October 7, 1996     

顺丁烯二酸水溶液的热反应动力学

研究了不同温度、浓度条件下，顺丁烯二酸（顺酸）非催化反应网络，即顺酸可生成反丁烯二酸（反酸）和苹果酸，反酸与苹果酸存在可逆反应。建立了该反应网络的动力学模型。测定了不同反应条件下顺酸、反酸和苹果酸浓度随时间变化的规律，据此，动力学参数进行了估值。     

缺氧缺血性脑病新生鼠胃壁内一氧化氮的改变

目的探讨缺氧缺血性脑病新生鼠胃壁局部一氧化氮（ＮＯ）的改变及窒息对消化系统的影响。方法采用二氢硫辛酰胺脱氢酶ＮＡＤＰＨ组织化学方法，检测２４只正常或缺氧新生鼠胃壁各层一氧化氮合成酶（ＮＯＳ）的分布变化。结果急性缺氧组与正常对照组相比，ＮＯＳ阳性产物无论在分布、染色深浅、纤维密度及ＮＯＳ阳性胞体数目上，差异均无显著意义（Ｐ＞０．０５）。但在缺氧缺血性脑病组，其肌层的ＮＯＳ阳性纤维无论是密度还是染色深浅，均明显强于正常对照组，ＮＯＳ阳性胞体亦明显多于正常对照组，其差异有非常显著意义（Ｐ＜０．０１）；而粘膜和粘膜下层的ＮＯＳ分布与正常对照组相比，差异无显著意义（Ｐ＞０．０５）。结论窒息时胃动力降低及胃粘膜病变与一氧化氮在胃壁内的改变有关     

Folic acid in the treatment of acute watery diarrhoea in children: a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial

One-hundred and six male children aged 6-23 months with a history of acute watery diarrhoea of less than 72 h duration were randomized to receive either folic acid in a dose of 5 mg at 8-h intervals or placebo for 5 d. There were 54 children in the folic acid group and 52 in the placebo group. The admission characteristics were comparable between the two groups. No significant differences were observed in the intake of oral rehydration solution or stool output between the groups. The mean ± SD of total stool output (g kg⁻¹) was 532 ± 476 vs 479 ± 354 and the duration (h) of diarrhoea was 108 ± 68 vs 103 ± 53 in the folic acid vs placebo group, respectively. The findings, therefore, should have a positive influence on preventing the inappropriate use of folic acid in acute diarrhoea.     

Analysis of the Inhibitory Effect of Oestradiol on Functional GABA/5-HT Relationship in the Rat Suprachiasmatic Area

The purpose of this study was to test the capacity of oestradiol to modulate the stimulating effect of a-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on serotonin (5-HT) metabolism, previously described in the Suprachiasmatic area of the male rat. After an in vivo stimulation of GABA transmission by systemic administration of a GABA-transaminase inhibitor (amino-oxyacetic acid) or a GABA_B agonist (RS-baclofen), the 5-HT metabolism was studied in the Suprachiasmatic area of ovariectomized, and ovariectomized oestradiol-treated rats. Amino-oxyacetic acid or RS-baclofen treatment increased the endogenous content of 5-HT in the Suprachiasmatic area of males and ovariectomized rats. These two treatments were without effect in ovariectomized oestradiol-treated rats. GABA transmission stimulation induced by amino-oxyacetic acid treatment failed to affect the release and synthesis of 5-HT in ovariectomized oestradiol-treated rats while it increased these two parameters of 5-HT metabolism in the Suprachiasmatic area of male and ovariectomized rats. To investigate the main target of oestradiol effect, comparative studies of the serotoninergic and GABAergic metabolism in the Suprachiasmatic area were performed in the three experimental groups. Under our experimental conditions the endogenous 5-HT metabolism was similar between ovariectomized and ovariectomized oestradiol-treated rats. Nevertheless, 5-HT metabolism was higher in the two female groups than in the male group. Neither GABA metabolism nor GABAergic response to GABA-related drug treatment differed between ovariectomized, and ovariectomized oestradiol-treated rats. However, the turnover of GABA was higher when compared to the two female groups. It is concluded that the lack of 5-HT responsiveness to GABA transmission stimulation in ovariectomized oestradiol-treated rats was not related to an effect of oestradiol on 5-HT metabolism or to an effect of the steroid on GABA turnover. Furthermore, our results suggest a sex difference in the activity of serotoninergic and GABAergic systems in the Suprachiasmatic area.