Mouse antisera specific for desmosomal adhesion molecules of suprabasal skin cells, meninges, and meningioma.

Mouse polyclonal antisera were raised to the Mr 130,000 and Mr 115,000 cell surface glycoproteins, desmocollins, of desmosomes from bovine nasal epithelium. Immunoblotting confirmed that the antisera were specific for the desmocollins. An immunofluorescence study showed that the antisera distinguished between the basal and suprabasal layers of bovine and human epidermis. The antibodies reacted with cultured keratinocytes only after calcium-induced stratification. In epidermis, therefore, there appears to be a difference between the desmocollins of basal and suprabasal cells that may be important in relation to epidermal differentiation. Previous work has shown that polyclonal antisera raised in other animals (guinea pigs and rabbits) against desmocollins, as well as against other desmosomal components, react with all desmosome-containing epithelia. In contrast, an immunofluorescence survey of bovine, rat, and human tissues showed that the present mouse antisera stained only suprabasal skin cells and the arachnoid layer of the meninges, demonstrating that these have common determinants that distinguished their desmocollins from those of all other tissues. The antibodies also stained 11 of 12 meningiomas and, therefore, may be useful as a marker not only for the diagnosis of these tumors but also for investigation of their histogenesis.     

Failure of genetically selected miniature swine to model NIDDM

Ten young adult miniature swine from a line reported to be genetically selected for glucose intolerance and eight normal controls were obtained from Colorado State University. They were consecutively exposed to 4 mo of a high-fiber, low-fat standard swine diet; 4 mo of a high-sucrose, high-fat, low-fiber diabetogenic diet; and 4 mo of excess diabetogenic diet for obesification. Results of oral glucose tolerance and intravenous insulin tolerance tests conducted at the end of each regimen were compared. Hyperglycemia was not observed in any animals after any manipulation. Insulin sensitivity was also not influenced by diet. We conclude that F7 low-K miniature swine from this colony fail to model human non-insulin-dependent diabetes.     

A Chinese adolescent girl with Fechtner-like syndrome

We describe a 15-y-old girl with Fechtner-like syndrome, who is the first Chinese reported to have this rare syndrome. She presented with left homonymous hemianopia and neuroimaging revealed haemorrhage in both parietal and occipital lobes. Peripheral blood smear showed macrothrombocytopenia and intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies inside leucocytes. Thrombocytopenia and proteinuria responded to intravenous immunoglobulin and pulsed methylprednisolone. This case illustrates that life-threatening haemorrhage can occur in patients with Fechtner syndrome. Although there was no effective treatment reported in the literature, high dose steroid and immunoglobulin seemed to be useful in our patient. Our patient also had nephritic-nephrotic syndrome with renal insufficiency, which is unusual in adolescent female patients.     

近节指骨段屈肌腱鞘不同范围损伤对肌腱功能的影响

目的 探索手指屈肌腱在近节指骨段不同范围损伤时对屈指肌腱功能的影响。方法 采用12只成人尸体手指。实验分为:第一阶段屈指肌腱完整,以后四个阶段依次沿近节指骨掌侧小线闭开小央1/4、1/2、3/4及全长。在掌指关节被动屈80°和掌指关节屈80°同时近侧指关节屈100°时,测量指浅屈肌腱(FDS)和指深屈肌腱(FDP)的滑动距离。根据肌腱力臂和滑动距离的关系,得出屈指肌腱在掌指关节处和近侧指间关节及肌腱在近节指骨段的弓弦畸形程度。结果 腱鞘中央1/4切开时,指屈肌腱的滑动距离、力臂均无显著变化;1/2切开后,单纯屈曲掌指关节时的FDS腱和掌指、近节指间关节屈曲时的FDS、HDP腱的滑动距离和力臂较腱鞘完整时显苫增大(P<0.05);切开3/4长度后,FDS、FDP腱滑动距离均有统计学意义变化,FDS、FDP腱力臂平均增加8～9％;全切开腱鞘,FDS、FDP腱滑动距离变化正统计学上有高度显著性(P<0.01),两腱力臂分别增加16％和15％。随腱鞘切开范围增大,FDS、FDP在近节指骨段的弓弦畸形程度也越来越大。结论 从肌腱的生物力学变化可见,近节指骨段腱鞘的小范围损伤如中间1/4以内损伤时,对肌腱功能影响小,可以不予修复;若损伤超过1/2长度,尤其对腱鞘全长损伤,应予以修复以恢复肌腱功能。     

Lack of late-phase airway responses in conscious guinea pigs after a variety of antigen challenges

Guinea pigs were actively sensitized by parenteral injections of ovalbumin (OA), house dust extract (HD) orAscaris suum extract (As) in a variety of multidose regimens. At least 3 weeks after the initial sensitization injection, aerosols of the appropriate antigen were administered to conscious guinea pigs in a double-chamber body plethysmograph. OA elicited the most consistent and intense bronchoconstriction (BC) as measured by decreases in specific airway conductance (sGAW). The airway responses to As were clearly separable into responders and nonresponders. HD produced essentially no BC. However, intense lacrimation and rhinorrhea occurred in all HD-sensitized, but not unsensitized, animals. No late-phase changes in sGAW or increased reactivity to other spasmogens were seen up to 8h after any antigen challenge. Eosinophil influx of magnitude similar to that measured by 24h post-antigen bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) occurred with all the three antigens. Animals which did not bronchoconstrict to As experienced an equal or greater pulmonary eosinophilia as airway responders. The present data with HD and As suggest that acute BC in response to antigen provocation is not a prerequisite for the eventual pulmonary eosinophilia. The lack of late-phase airway reactions in these models raises a doubt in the direct extrapolation to airway responses in allergic human asthma. The acute lacrimation and rhinorrhea to HD may suggest utility as a model of allergic rhinitis.     

Antidepressant-like effects of trazodone on a behavioral screen are mediated by trazodone, not the metabolite m-chlorophenylpiperazine

Trazodone is an atypical antidepressant drug (i.e. blocks neither monoamine uptake nor monoamine oxidase) which tests as an antidepressant drug on the differential-reinforcement-of-low-rate 72-s (DRL 72-s) schedule of reinforcement by increasing the reinforcement rate and decreasing the response rate. m-Chlorophenylpiperazine (m-CPP) is a 5-HT1B and 5-HT1C agonist, weak 5-HT2 antagonist, and trazodone metabolite. It has been suggested that formation of m-CPP is responsible for the antidepressant action of trazodone. Administration of m-CPP (1-10 mg/kg i.p.) 60, 30 or 10 min before the behavioral session did not mimic the reinforcement rate-increasing effects of trazodone (10-20 mg/kg i.p.) on rats performing under the DRL 72-s schedule of water reinforcement. Pretreatment with proadifen (50 mg/kg i.p.), an inhibitor of trazodone metabolism, caused a greater than 30-fold leftward shift in the dose-response curve for both the reinforcement rate and the response rate. These results suggest that the parent compound and not the trazodone metabolite m-CPP, mediates the antidepressant-like effects of trazodone on DRL 72-s behavior.