Behavioural, biochemical and histochemical effects of locus coeruleus transplantation in rats with neurotoxic lesions of the catecholaminergic system

Exploratory activity in the open field and noradrenaline concentration in the neocortex and brain stem were investigated in intact rats (n = 10) and in the following groups of rats with early postnatal neurotoxic (6-hydroxydopamine) lesion of the catecholaminergic system: (i) rats with embryonal locus coeruleus grafts in the frontal neocortex (n = 5); (ii) rats with the same grafts in lateral ventricles (n = 4); (iii) a control group with intracortical hippocampal tissue grafts (n = 3); (iv) sham-operated rats (n = 3). Experiments were performed by four independent groups of investigators using a double-blind method. In sham-operated rats as well as in rats with hippocampal grafts, and with locus coeruleus grafts in the ventricles, both exploratory activity and noradrenaline content of the forebrain were significantly lowered. In the rats with intracortical locus coeruleus grafts the level of exploratory activity was much higher (almost as in intact controls). This improvement of exploratory behaviour correlated highly with increased noradrenaline concentration in the forebrain. In all animals with locus coeruleus in lateral ventricles a significant increase in noradrenaline level of the brain stem was present, but no change of exploratory behaviour was observed. The grafts with the 3-mm-thick slabs of the adjacent tissue were dissected from the brain and used for histological analysis. The presence of typical locus coeruleus cells was shown in neocortex of all animals which received the grafts of corresponding tissue. The data show the possibility of stable compensation of the forebrain noradrenaline level and exploratory behaviour by embryonic noradrenergic neurons grafted into the neocortex, but not into lateral ventricles.     

Specific response to adrenaline in arterial hypertension induced by exogenous calcium deficiency

Injection of a synthetic analog of parathyroid hypertensive factor to WKY rats considerably increases and prolongs pressor response to adrenaline. Synthetic analog injected after adrenaline induces a short-term (3–4 min) and potent (to 250%) rise of arterial pressure. Each subsequent injection of the synthetic analog induces a less pronounced in the amplitude and duration pressor response. The α-adrenoblocker phentolamine completely abolishes the effects of the parathyroid hypertensive factor analog. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 124, No. 8, pp. 148–150, August, 1997     

Ausfallhonorar wegen Nichterscheinens zu einem Exklusiv-Termin

Abstrakt 1. Nimmt ein Patient einen ihm von seinem (Zahn-)Arzt einger?umten Exklusiv-Termin nicht wahr, obwohl er auf dessen Eigenschaft ausdrücklich hingewiesen wurde, so hat er dem (Zahn-)Arzt den Behandlungsausfall abzüglich eines angemessenen Eigenanteils des (Zahn-)Arztes zu ersetzen. 2. Die Ersatzpflicht tritt auch dann ein, wenn der Patient den Termin nicht in der in dem Behandlungsvertrag vorgesehenen Frist absagt. Eine hierfür seitens des (Zahn-)Arztes bestimmte Frist von zwei Tagen vor Behandlungsbeginn stellt sich für den Patienten grunds?tzlich auch nicht als unangemessene Benachteiligung i.S. des § 307 BGB dar. 3. Ein Anspruch des Arztes entf?llt auch bei nur mündlicher Vereinbarung nicht unter dem Gesichtspunkt des § 4 Abs. 5b BMV-Z, denn diese Vorschrift ist teleologisch dahin zu reduzieren, dass nur zahn?rztliche Honoraransprüche aus erfolgten Behandlungen schriftlich vereinbart werden müssen. Soweit es jedoch um einen vertraglichen Anspruch wegen einer Leistungsst?rung geht, vermag das Schriftformerfordernis des § 4 Abs. 5b BMV-Z grunds?tzlich nicht einzugreifen. (Leits?tze des Bearbeiters)     

Role of IL-2 in rat fetal thymocyte development

Early during rat thymus ontogeny, an important proportion of thymocytes expresses IL-2R and contains IL-2 mRNA. To investigate the role of the IL-2-IL-2R complex in rat T cell maturation, we supplied either recombinant rat IL-2 or blocking anti-CD25 mAb to rat fetal thymus organ cultures (FTOC) under several experimental conditions. The IL-2 treatment initially stimulated the growth of thymocytes and, as a result, induced T cell differentiation, but the continuous addition of IL-2 to rat FTOC, as well as the anti-CD25 administration, resulted in cell number decrease and inhibition of thymocyte maturation. These results indicate that immature rat thymocytes bear functional high- affinity IL-2R and that IL-2 promotes T cell differentiation as a consequence of its capacity to stimulate cell proliferation. Modifications in TCR alpha beta repertoire and increased numbers of NKR- P1+ cells, largely NK cells, were also observed in IL-2-treated FTOC. Furthermore, IL-2-responsiveness of different thymocyte subsets changed throughout thymic ontogeny. Immature CD4-CD8-cells responded to IL-2 in two stages, early in thymus development and around birth, in correlation with the maturation of two distinct waves of thymic cell progenitors. Mature CD8+ thymocytes maximally responded to IL-2 around birth, supporting a role for IL-2 in the increased proliferation of mature thymocytes observed in vivo in the perinatal period. Taken together, these findings support a role for IL-2 in rat T cell development.