The central projection of muscle afferent fibres to the lower medulla and upper spinal cord: an anatomical study in the cat with the transganglionic transport method

The projection of muscle afferent fibres to the medulla oblongata and upper spinal cord was studied in the cat by using transganglionic transport of wheat germ agglutinin-horseradish peroxidase conjugate. The results demonstrate a precise, musculotopic termination pattern in the external cuneate nucleus; thus, fibres from the intrinsic muscles of the paw terminate medially; those from forearm, arm, and shoulder muscles terminate progressively more laterally; and those from neck and thoracic muscles terminate in the ventrolateral and dorsolateral parts, respectively. Muscle afferent fibres to the main cuneate nucleus terminate in the ventral "reticular" region of the nucleus, with a sparse projection also to the ventral part of the rostral and caudal regions, including the base of the dorsal horn. Fibres from the neck muscles terminate slightly more laterally in the ventral region than do those from the limb muscles, but otherwise, and thus contrary to the case in the external cuneate nucleus, no topographic organization was detected. In the spinal cord, projection was found to laminae I and V, and from the musculature of the back of the neck to the central cervical nucleus.     

一种合成多肽——PLNG自由穿膜现象初探

目的 研究人工设计合成的多肽PLNG在不同作用环境条件下的跨膜运动现象。方法 体外培养不同组织来源的鼠细胞及CHO细胞、BEL细胞,用免疫荧光观察不同浓度、不同温度、不同反应时间条件下,PLNG的穿膜能力及PLNG对不同类型的细胞（CHO细胞、BEL细胞、成年大鼠肝细胞、幼大鼠肝细胞、成年大鼠心肌细胞、幼大鼠心肌细胞、成年大鼠神经细胞、幼大鼠神经细胞）的穿膜特性。结果 PLNG在不同作用环境条件下对细胞膜都有穿透作用,且进入细胞的量近乎相同。结论 实验观察到PLNG具有广谱的穿膜能力,这种穿膜能力在一定范围内对温度、时间及PLNG浓度不敏感;而且这种穿膜能力不受组织特异性的限制。     

原发性高血压患者红细胞[Ca2+]i浓度变化及影响因素

目的：观察原发性高血压患者红细胞[Ca^2 ]i,多巴胺β羟化酶及ATP含量变化并分析其结果。方法：测定35例高血压患者的红细[Ca^2 ]i、ATP、血清多巴胺β羟化酶活性,血糖及血浆胰岛素含量,并以30例健康成年人为对照。结果：高血压患者的红细胞[Ca^2 ]i、ATP、多巴胺β羟化酶均明显高于对照组（P＜0．05,P＜0．01）,但血糖与胰岛素未见明显变化。结论：高血压患者血清多巴胺β羟化酶活性增强伴随ATP与[Ca^2 ]i升高。     

Carbamazepine-induced sperm disorders can be associated with the altered expressions of testicular KCNJ11/miR-let-7a and spermatozoal CFTR/miR-27a

Male infertility is a global health problem, and the underlying molecular mechanisms are not clearly known. Ion channels and microRNAs (miRNAs), known to function in many vital functions in cells, have been shown to play a significant role in male infertility through changes in their expressions. The study aimed to evaluate the alterations of testicular and/or spermatozoal potassium voltage-gated channel subfamily J member 11 (KCNJ11), Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), miR-let-7a and miR-27a expressions in carbamazepine-related male infertility. Here, we showed that carbamazepine reduced sperm motility, increased abnormal sperm morphology, and impaired hormonal balance as well as increased relative testis weight and decreased relative seminal vesicle weight. On the other hand, downregulated KCNJ11 and upregulated miR-let-7a expressions were determined in testis (p < .05). Also, downregulated KCNJ11 and upregulated CFTR and miR-27a expressions were found in spermatozoa (p < .05). Interestingly, altered testicular KCNJ11 and miR-let-7a expressions were correlated with decreased sperm motility and elevated sperm tail defect. Besides, spermatozoal CFTR and miR-27a expressions positively correlated with sperm tail defects. The results indicated a significant relationship between ion channel and/or miRNA expression alterations and impaired sperm parameters due to carbamazepine usage.     

Fifty years of the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier: New insights into its structure,function, and inhibition

The mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC) resides in the mitochondrial inner membrane, where it links cytosolic and mitochondrial metabolism by transporting pyruvate produced in glycolysis into the mitochondrial matrix. Due to its central metabolic role, it has been proposed as a potential drug target for diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, neurodegeneration, and cancers relying on mitochondrial metabolism. Little is known about the structure and mechanism of MPC, as the proteins involved were only identified a decade ago and technical difficulties concerning their purification and stability have hindered progress in functional and structural analyses. The functional unit of MPC is a hetero-dimer comprising two small homologous membrane proteins, MPC1/MPC2 in humans, with the alternative complex MPC1L/MPC2 forming in the testis, but MPC proteins are found throughout the tree of life. The predicted topology of each protomer consists of an amphipathic helix followed by three transmembrane helices. An increasing number of inhibitors are being identified, expanding MPC pharmacology and providing insights into the inhibitory mechanism. Here, we provide critical insights on the composition, structure, and function of the complex and we summarize the different classes of small molecule inhibitors and their potential in therapeutics.     

Biofluid Aspects of Embryo Transfer

Embryo transfer (ET) is the last stage of extracorporal fertilization during which the embryo is placed in the uterine cavity with a medium-filled catheter 2–3 days after in vitro fertilization. While fertilization in the laboratory occurs at very high rates (>:90%), the overall success of the procedure (i.e., take home baby) is still very low (<25%) and assumed to be mainly due to implantation failure. A computational model was developed to simulate ET within the uterine cavity by a fluid-filled catheter inserted into a two-dimensional channel with oscillating walls. The results showed that the speed at which the embryos are injected from the catheter dominates the procedure and controls the velocity of their transport within the uterine cavity. ET at excessively high injection speeds may lead to ectopic pregnancies, while uterine peristalsis affects transverse dispersion only during injection at low injection speeds. The presence of the catheter within the uterus does not affect flow patterns downstream of its tip. The potential risks to implantation failure due to mechanical factors involved in the ET processes are discussed. © 2003 Biomedical Engineering Society. PAC2003: 8719-j, 8710+e     

Electrical Analysis of Fresh,Excised Human Skin: A Comparison with Frozen Skin

Samples of human allograft skin prepared without freezing ("fresh skin) were found to have electrical and sodium ion transport properties which differed only slightly from those of skin which had been similarly treated but stored frozen (frozen skin). The fresh skin samples were less permeable to sodium ions during passive diffusion and less conductive than frozen skin at low current levels. They were more permselective for sodium versus chloride during constant-current iontophoresis and showed slightly more asymmetry in their current–voltage properties. Overall, the electrical behavior of the two tissues was similar enough to support the use of frozen tissue in iontophoresis studies. However, caution should be exercised when considering the use of frozen skin for applications, such as those based on electroosmosis, where the observed differences could have a major impact on the results.     

降低隧道施工机械尾气污染的几项措施

目的　研究降低无轨运输方式施工隧道中空气污染的措施。方法　采用燃油添加剂 ,定期对施工机械进行维修和保养 ,减少发动机空档排气 ,将压入式通风口设置于距掌子面 8～ 10m处 ,保持通风管道密闭通畅致使有效送风。结果　隧道中有害气体CO、NOx及黑烟浓度至少降低 4 6 % ,55%和 4 2 %。结论　采取以上措施能明显改善施工环境的污染状况并减轻对施工人员身体健康的危害     

Molecular Human Reproduction: Evidence for {gamma}-aminobutyric acid specific binding sites on human spermatozoa

The possible presence of -aminobutyric acid (GABA) specificbinding sites on human spermatozoa was investigated. Swim-uppreparations of human spermatozoa were incubated with radiolabelledGABA in the presence of unlabelled GABA, alternatively displacersof GABA_A/B receptors and GABA transport proteins. The resultsindicate that GABA specific binding sites are present on thesurface of human spermatozoa, and that these binding sites possiblyindicate the presence of GABA transport proteins. Furthermore,GABA at different concentrations was added to swim-up preparationsof human spermatozoa. Possible effects of GABA on sperm motility,hyperactivation and acrosome reaction were explored. No significantdifferences were observed between treated groups and controlsconcerning motility parameters and hyperactivation. Incubationwith GABA did not cause any increase in spontaneous acrosomereaction. However, spermatozoa treated with the calcium ionophoreA-23187 showed a small but significantly increased ability toundergo the acrosome reaction following preincubation in 10–⁴M GABA (P < 0.05).     

Steps to optimize transscleral photocoagulation

Background: In transscleral photocoagulation, the desired effect is coagulation of parts of the ciliary body or of the peripheral retina. However, the application is often limited by the unwanted effect of coagulation of the sclera. to reduce this effect, the ratio of incident radiation flux to radiation flux transported through the sclera (and able to coagulate the target tissue) should be minimized by the incident beam characteristics.Methods: Monte Carlo simulations for the radiation transport problem of multiple scattering in the sclera were used to calculate the ratio of transported to incident radiation for different parameter settings of beam diameters, optical thicknesses of the sclera and beam angles. To verify the theoretical calculations, an simple optical device utilizing a bulb instead of a laser source was constructed and applied to enucleated porcine eyes.Results: The theoretical calculations showed that the ratio of incident to transported radiation flux can typically be decreased by a factor of three by increasing the beam radius from 0.35 mm (as used in state-of-the-art laser devices) to 2 mm. This was confirmed by the experiments. Coagulations of the ciliary body or of the peripheral retina were possible with power densities an order of magnitude below the values normally applied with laser sources.Conclusion: To improve transscleral photocoagulation, beam diameters should be increased.