Unipolar brush cells--a new type of excitatory interneurons of the cerebellar cortex and brainstem cochlear nuclei

This review summarizes the literature data and the results of the authors' own investigations on morphology, neurochemical specialization, and spatial organization of unipolar brush neurons (UBN) in the cerebellar cortex and brainstem cochlear nuclei. UBN represent excitatory interneurons with a single dendrite that forms a compact brush-like branching in its terminal part. They are distributed non-uniformly in the granular layer of the cerebellar cortex and are localized predominantly in its vestibular areas. UBN synthesize glutamate, calretinin, contain metabo- and ionotropic glutamate receptors. Dendritic brush of UBN forms the giant synapses with the rosettes of glutamate- and cholinergic afferent mossy fibers. Axons of UBN form intracortical system of mossy fibers, which, by forming rosettes and glomeruli, make contacts with dendrites of similar cells and those of the granular cells. In the chain of inerneuronal communications, UBN may be regarded as the intermediate link, which amplifies the excitatory effect of the afferent mossy fibers upon granular cells of the cerebellar cortex and brainstem cochlear nuclei.     

肿瘤相关基因Cap43在胰腺癌中的表达及意义

目的研究肿瘤相关基因Cap43在胰腺癌组织中的表达情况,探讨其对胰腺癌的诊断价值。方法收集1999年4月～2002年8月长海医院外科手术切除胰腺癌标本和癌旁正常组织33例,诊断均由病理证实。男性22例,女性11例,年龄30～73岁,平均58．1岁。所有组织标本按肿瘤、癌旁(正常)配对。采用RT-PCR和Northern杂交方法研究Cap43 mRNA表达情况。结果 RT-PCR结果显示,Cap43在肿瘤组织中表达显著上调,其在肿瘤组织和癌旁正常组织的扫描值分别为4 033±1 986和2 244±1 145,有显著差异(P<0．001)。Northern杂交亦显示Cap43在肿瘤组织中表达显著上调,相同病例的RT-PCR结果与Northern杂交的结果有较好的一致性,经回归分析,没有显著性差异(P>0．1)。结论 Cap43在胰腺癌组织中呈显著高表达,其有可能成为胰腺癌早期诊断的重要标志物。