乙酰胆碱酯酶阳性神经元在鼠脑的分布和形态特征

本文用乙酰胆碱酯酶(AChE)再生技术,研究AChE阳性神经元在鼠脑的分布和形态特征。按其染色程度,可见强度、中度和轻度三种染色细胞。强染色细胞多数是较大的多极细胞,主要分布于纹状体、基底前脑、下丘脑、黑质、红核、蓝斑,腹侧被盖区、臂旁核、桥被盖核和脑神经运动核。本文将AChE染色结果和胆碱乙酰转移酶(ChAT)免疫组织化学资料进行了比较,对AChE和胆碱能神经元的关系,以及AChE阳性神经元的性质和意义,进行了讨论。     

Stimulation by hCRF of C-peptide release in type 2 diabetics during concomitant opioid receptor blockade

Summary Administration of synthetic human corticotropin-releasing factor (hCRF, 2 µg/kg body weight) during simultaneous application of the opioid antagonist naloxone (1.6 mg i.v. bolus, followed by an infusion at a rate of 1.2 mg/h) produced a significant increase in plasma C-peptide levels of six male Type 2 diabetic patients which even exceeded the postprandial values. This stimulatory effect of hCRF/naloxone on plasma C-peptide was less pronounced in six healthy men. hCRF alone did not provoke any reaction of plasma C-peptide in either group.The possibility of a paracrine, CRF-dependent mechanism in pancreatic islets which somehow involves inhibitory opioid receptors is preferentially discussed. Such a mechanism may underlie the stimulatory action of hCRF/naloxone on B cells and would explain the absent reaction of peripheral venous plasma C-peptide to hCRF alone as well as the amplifying effect of simultaneous opioid receptor blockade.Abbreviations ACTH adrenocorticotropic hormone - C-peptide connecting-peptide - CRF corticotropin-releasing factor - hCRF human CRF - oCRF ovine CRF - min minutes - S.D. standard deviation - S.E.M. standard error of the mean This study was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Go 299/3-2)Dedicated to Professor Dr. N. Zöllner on the occasion of his 65th birthday     

Macrophage antitumor activity in vitro. Comparative analysis of cytolytic, cytostatic, and cytotoxic activities of mouse macrophages and human monocytes

Mouse peritoneal M phi and human blood monocytes were assayed for their antitumor activity in vitro with a cytolysis, a cytostasis and a cytotoxicity test performed in parallel. Both natural and stimulus-induced M phi antitumor capacities were assessed. Results indicate that natural cytolytic activity of unstimulated M phi is generally unable to restrict final tumor cell growth, since it is not coupled with cytostatic capacity. In contrast, exposure of M phi in vitro to either MAF or IFN-beta, besides augmenting M phi cytolytic capacity, induced a very significant cytostatic activity and thus efficiently restricted the survival of tumor cells.     

Some studies on the mechanism of action of antibodies to nerve growth factor.

The effects of antibodies to the nerve growth factor from mouse salivary gland were examined in vitro and in vivo. Treatment of explants of receptive ganglia with antibody and complement did not produce cell damage as judged by the ability of the tissue to respond to nerve growth factor. New-born mice experimentally depleted of or genetically deficient in key complement components were susceptible to the action of the antiserum.These results show that the effect of the antibody is independent of complement and are consistent with the view that it acts by neutralization of endogenous nerve growth factor.     

An Evaluation of Finger Pulse Volume as a Psychophysiological Measure of Anxiety

The present experiment explored the utility of finger pulse volume (FPV) as a measure of anxiety. Subjects were exposed to either a threatening or nonthreatening situation, and indices of physiological arousal (pulse rate (PR) and FPV) and self-report of anxiety (Affect Adjective Checklist (AACL)) were collected. Results indicated that FPV was responsive to changes in experimentally induced anxiety and significantly correlated with PR and AACL, although the strength of these relationships was not substantial. Relevance for psychophysiological theory and the clinical observation of anxiety is discussed.     

THE NEONATAL EVOKED HEART RATE RESPONSE AND THE LAW OF INITIAL VALUE

Two-second long square wave tones at frequencies of 125 and 1000 Hz and 75 db sound pressure were presented to six newborn infants. Mean heart rates were computed for the 10 sec prior to and the 10 sec following stimulus onset, i.e. the prestimulus and stimulus heart rate values respectively. LIV was shown to operate strongly only in the case of the 125 Hz stimulus. Even for this stimulus, LIV depended upon the state of the infant, showing an appropriate negative correlation between prestimulus and stimulus values in regular sleep and quiet wakefulness but a slightly positive correlation in irregular sleep. In randomly selected control periods, the first 5 sec served as prestimulus values and the second 5 sec as stimulus values. Regression coefficients for these control periods did not differ significantly from those during which the stimulus was actually present. In view of the special conditions required for its demonstration, the generality of Wilder's “law” seems to be seriously questioned.     

A common Ile796Val polymorphism of the human SREBP cleavage-activating protein (SCAP) gene

We identified a new common amino acid polymorphism of isoleucine/valine at codon 796 in exon 16 of the gene for human sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP) cleavage-activating protein (SCAP), a central regulator of lipid synthesis and metabolism in animal cells. It can be detected as an MslI restriction fragment length polymorphism. The allelic frequencies were: isoleucine (A) allele, 0.57 and valine (G) allele, 0.43. This polymorphism may be useful for genetic studies of disorders affecting intracellular lipid metabolism and hyperlipidemia. Received: August 17, 1999 / Accepted: August 19, 1999     

Reduction of latex-allergen content in Swedish medical catheter balloons – a survey of 3 years' production

Anaphylactic reactions after intravascular exposure to natural rubber latex (NRL) have been reported. Thus, there is an urgent need to produce medical devices with the lowest possible latex-allergen content. The latex-allergen concentration in extracts prepared from 92 lots of medical catheter (MC) balloons, manufactured by Nolato Polymer AB, Torekov, Sweden, from April 1993 to March 1996, was measured with an EAI (IgE antibody inhibition) assay. Inhibitory capacity was expressed in arbitrary units/ml (U/ml) in relation to reference NRL sap, given an arbitrary value of 1000 U. Extracts from randomly selected lots were measured for protein by the modified Lowry method. Water leaching, chlorination, and treatment with savinase were used experimentally to study reduction of the latex-allergen content. The latex-allergen content in extract from the regular MC balloons varied from 0.1 to 2.9 U/ml. All the methods used to reduce the allergen content were effective, and increased leaching stabilized the allergen content at a low level. The protein concentration of the extracts varied between 9 and 100 mg/1. No correlation was found between protein and allergen content. As a result of this study, the manufacturer has extended the stage of water leaching in the production process. This study shows that cooperation between immunologists and manufacturers may result in product development and improvement.     

Neuropathology of the Central Nervous System in Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in Japan

The neuropathologiesl features of the central nervous system in IS autopsy cases of Japanese male with AIDS were reported. Nine patients had various histological changes including a variety of opportunistic infections in six patients (40%), primary malignant lymphoma of the brain in two (13%), AIDS encephalopathy in four (27%) and vacuolar myelopathy in one (7%). Usually, these pathological changes were present concomitantly. AIDS encephalopathy was characterized by infiltration of mono and multinucleated cells and myelin pallor with astrogliosis located predominantly in the cerebral white matter and subcortical gray matter. Furthermore, unevenly distributed neuronal loss of the cerebral cortex was apparent in one case. Diffuse astrocytosis of the gray matter out of proportion to neuronal loss was also an outstanding finding in another case. The present study suggested that not only the white matter changes but also gray matter alterations might be the morphological substrates of AIDS encephalopathy.