Granulosa cell metabolism and the assessment of oocyte quality in IVF

The progesterone production of the granulosa cells of the cumulus– oocyte complex correlates very well with the cleavagepotential of embryos in an IVF system. The method is simpleand can be easily performed by any laboratory associated withIVF. Furthermore, high intratubal progesterone levels in theimmediate post-ovulatory period are probably important in prolongingthe intra-ampullary residence of the oocyte or embryo untilthe uterine endometnum is optimal for implantation.     

青滕碱对豚鼠心肌动作电位和收缩力的影响

青藤碱2.7μmol/L以上,呈浓度依赖性地降低豚鼠乳头肌收缩力,延长动作电位时程和有效不应期。小剂量时,青藤碱能降低动作电位0相上升最大速率;较大剂量时,动作电位幅度也降低。用TTX处理豚鼠乳头肌所致的慢反应电位,青藤碱能够抑制。此外,青藤碱能对抗乙酰胆碱缩短豚鼠左房肌动作电位时程的作用。结果提示:青藤碱对Na⁺,Ca²⁺和K⁺的跨膜转运均有抑制作用。     

Gating of the Auditory Evoked Potential in Children and Adults

Auditory evoked potentials were recorded from 163 subjects, aged IS months to 55 years. A conditioning-testing paradigm was used to assess sensory gating. In this paradigm, click stimuli are presented in pairs to the subjects with a 0.5-second intrapair interval. In normal adults, the first stimulus activates or “conditions” sensory gating mechanisms. The strength of these mechanisms is “tested” by the second stimulus, which produces a response whose amplitude is significantly suppressed. This aspect of sensory gating was not reliably observed in our subjects until age 18 years. Younger subjects varied widely in their ability to demonstrate sensory gating. Mean levels of suppression increased during late childhood and adolescence, with no relationship to other changes in evoked potential amplitude and latency. Sensory gating would appear to be a late developing aspect of human sensory physiology.     

Electrophysiologic mechanisms of ventricular arrhythmias

In this work the electrophysiologic mechanisms of ventricular arrhythmias have been briefly summarized. Ventricular arrhytmias can be caused either by pacemaker activity or by reentrant excitation. Enhancement of normal automaticy can generate a parasystolic rhythm in normal fibers. Abnormal automaticity may arise fom fibers in which maximum diastolic potential has been reduced by a variety of interventions. Triggered activity is caused by either an early (EAD) or delayed (DAD) afterdepolarization and requires a prior normal action potential for initiation. While there is growing evidence that EAD-induced triggered activity plays a significant role in the Long QTU syndrome and Torsade de Pointes, no clinical arrhythmias has definitely been ascribed to DADs, although DADs have been recorded in man after acute digoxin intoxication.Ventricular arrhytmias can be also caused by reentrant excitation, which can be subdivided into reflection or circus movement reentry (CMR). In the reflection model impulses in both directions are transmitted over the same pathway. In the CMR three models can be differentiated: the ring model, which requires a fixed anatomical obstacle; the figure-eight model and the leading circle model, where functional rather than fixed anatomical obstacles are involved.Abbreviations AV atrio-ventricular - CMR circus movement reentry - DAD delayed afterdepolarization - EAD early afterdepolarization - ECG electrocardiogram - LV left ventricle - MAP monophasic action potential - MF muscle fiber - PF Purkinje fiber - RV right ventricle - TdP Torsade de Pointes     

Vasopressin stimulation of NaCl transport in the medullary thick ascending limb of Henle's loop is decreased in aging mice

The maximal urinary osmolality that can be reached by the kidney is reduced with age. This may be due to impaired NaCl transport by the medullary thick ascending limb of Henle's loop, which is part of the renal concentrating mechanism and is modulated by antidiuretic hormone (ADH). We therefore tested in vitro a possible age-related change in the transport capacity and in the response of this nephron segment to ADH in young (1–2 months) and old (20–24 months) mice. The transepithelial potential difference (V _te) was significantly higher in young mice (+8.5±0.4 mV, n=13) than in old ones (+6.6±0.5 mV, n=17). Addition of 0.1 nmol.l^–1 ADH to the bath solution significantly increased V _te by 5.2±0.5 mV in the young and by 3.1±0.6 mV in the old animals. Application of dibutyryl-cAMP (0.1 mmol.1^–1) did not further increase the hormonal response in both groups. The ADH-mediated increase in the corresponding equivalent short-circuit current (I _SC = V _te/R_te) was twice as great in young mice as in old, indicating that the stimulation of NaCl transport by ADH across the medullary thick ascending limb is significantly reduced with age. These results suggest that the previously reported age-related defect in the urinary concentrating ability of the kidney is partly due to a decreased response of the medullary thick ascending limb to ADH.     

Dopamine antagonists reduce spontaneous electrical activity in cultured mammalian neurons from ventral mesencephalon

Mammalian neurons from ventral mesencephalon (VM) were grown in primary dissociated cell (PDC) culture. These neurons are predominantly non-dopaminergic. Many of these non-dopaminergic neurons have dopamine agonist and antagonist binding sites. Intracellular recordings were obtained from these neurons. When bathed in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution they generated action potentials spontaneously. However, in the presence of haloperidol dissolved in PBS solution, the percentage of neurons which generated action potentials spontaneously was reduced in a dose-dependent manner (1–10 μM). This response was also obtained with (+) butaclamol (1 μM) but not with (−) butaclamol (1 μM). This neuroleptic inhibition of spontaneously generated action potentials was specific for neurons in PDC cultures of VM since neurons in PDC cultures of spinal cord did not demonstrate this phenomenon.     

Protection of melatonin against damage of sperm mito-chondrial function induced by reactive oxygen species

Aim: To study the mitochondrial function damage of sperm in-duced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the protection of melatonin (MLT) against the damage. Methods: Normal function spermatozoa were selected from semen samples by Percoll gradi-ent centrifugation technique. The ROS generated by the hypoxan-thine xanthine oxidase system was incubated with the normal sper-matozoa in the presence or absence of MLT (6 retool/L) for 30 and 60 minutes.     

彩色多普勒超声诊断糖尿病下肢动脉病变的临床价值

目的 :研究彩色多普勒超声在糖尿病下肢动脉病变诊断中的应用。方法 :对临床上诊断为非胰岛素依赖型糖尿病 (NIDDM)患者发生下肢动脉病变的 6 2例进行彩色多普勒超声检查 ,并以 2 0例无糖尿病正常人作对照。结果 :6 2例NIDDM患者中阳性结果 4 0例 ,发病率 6 4 .5 2 %。正常对照组 2 0例 ,阳性结果 4例 ,发病率2 0 % ,下肢动脉病变程度与NIDDM组有显著性差异P <0 .0 1。结论 :彩色多普勒超声诊断糖尿病下肢动脉病变具有重要临床意义 ,且下肢动脉病变与NIDDM有密切相关性。     

皮肤交界性平滑肌瘤的复发与恶性转化

目的探讨皮肤交界性平滑肌瘤的复发与恶性转化。方法复习2例皮肤交界性平滑肌瘤及其复发恶性转化的临床病理特征、免疫组化表型及相关文献。结果2例病变位于下肢和额部，肉瘤组织平滑肌标记阳性。结论少数病理诊断为皮肤平滑肌瘤的病例，虽然浅表且组织形态良性，但其生物学恶性潜能尚不能确定，部分病例复发后可转变为典型的平滑肌肉瘤。