Effects of exercise on behavioral sensitivity to carbamate cholinesterase inhibitors

The interaction between exercise and drug response has not been studied extensively. The present study examined the relationship between both acute (15 minute) and chronic (10 week) treadmill exercise and behavioral response to the carbamates physostigmine and pyridostigmine. Rats trained on an operant task under a multi-component FR30 schedule were used to evaluate the interaction between exercise and performance following drug administration. The direct effects of both 10 weeks of exercise conditioning and a moderate exercise challenge, as well as the interaction between two were assessed. Results obtained with physostigmine show that acute exercise increased behavioral sensitivity. Chronic exercise resulted in behavioral tolerance. These results are consistent with previously reported studies of centrally acting compounds. In contrast, pyridostigmine, which has little or no central activity, produced no behavioral changes. This result was constant over exercise conditions.     

Ascending general visceral pathways within the brainstems of two teleost fishes: Ictalurus punctatus and Carassius auratus.

The primary general visceral nucleus in goldfish (Carassius auratus) and catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) is located at the ventroposterior boundary of the vagal gustatory lobe and receives coelomic visceral, but not gustatory inputs. The neuronal tracer horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was employed to visualize sources of input to and ascending projections from the primary general visceral nucleus in these species. In addition, immunocytochemical techniques were utilized to define the cytological divisions within the pontine gustatory-visceral complex. The pontine secondary visceral nuclei in both catfish and goldfish contains numerous somata and fibers immunoreactive for calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). In contrast, the secondary gustatory nuclei are devoid of fibers and cells immunoreactive for CGRP. In both the goldfish and the channel catfish, the primary general visceral nucleus receives input from the vagal gustatory lobe, as well as the medullary reticular formation. In the channel catfish, the primary general visceral nucleus projects bilaterally to the secondary visceral nucleus, which lies rostrolateral to the secondary gustatory nucleus in the dorsal pons. Fibers cross the midline via the rostral part of the isthmic commissure. Injection of HRP into the primary general visceral nucleus of a goldfish labels ascending fibers that project to a secondary visceral nucleus situated ventral, lateral, and rostral to the secondary gustatory complex. In general, the results indicate that general visceral systems ascend in parallel to gustatory systems within the brainstem, and that general visceral but not gustatory nuclei are immunoreactive for the peptide CGRP.     

Phenotypic characterization of human chondrocyte cell line C-20/A4: a comparison between monolayer and alginate suspension culture

DNA microarray analysis was used to investigate the molecular phenotype of one of the first human chondrocyte cell lines, C-20/A4, derived from juvenile costal chondrocytes by immortalization with origin-defective simian virus 40 large T antigen. Clontech Human Cancer Arrays 1.2 and quantitative PCR were used to examine gene expression profiles of C-20/A4 cells cultured in the presence of serum in monolayer and alginate beads. In monolayer cultures, genes involved in cell proliferation were strongly upregulated compared to those expressed by human adult articular chondrocytes in primary culture. Of the cell cycle-regulated genes, only two, the CDK regulatory subunit and histone H4, were downregulated after culture in alginate beads, consistent with the ability of these cells to proliferate in suspension culture. In contrast, the expression of several genes that are involved in pericellular matrix formation, including MMP-14, COL6A1, fibronectin, biglycan and decorin, was upregulated when the C-20/A4 cells were transferred to suspension culture in alginate. Also, nexin-1, vimentin, and IGFBP-3, which are known to be expressed by primary chondrocytes, were differentially expressed in our study. Consistent with the proliferative phenotype of this cell line, few genes involved in matrix synthesis and turnover were highly expressed in the presence of serum. These results indicate that immortalized chondrocyte cell lines, rather than substituting for primary chondrocytes, may serve as models for extending findings on chondrocyte function not achievable by the use of primary chondrocytes.     

Severe early malnutrition and DRL performance in the rat

Rats with a history of severe early malnutrition (6% casein) were compared to well-fed control animals on an ascending series of DRL values ranging from 5 to 60 seconds. The 6% rats who were dietarily-rehabilitated at weaning did not differ from control animals in efficiency, responses per reinforcement or response rate. In contrast, rats chronically exposed to 6% diets performed so poorly during training with continuous reinforcement that they did not advance to even the first DRL (5-sec) condition. These findings show that severely-undernourished rats can perform within normal limits on even high DRL values, provided they are well trained and that they have adequate nutritional rehabilitation.     

Long-term deficits after somatosensory cortical lesions in rats.

Rats having either sham operations or one-stage bilateral lesions of the two somatosensory areas of the cortex were tested for acquisition of five tactile discriminations after postoperative recovery intervals of 14, 35, 180, 365 or 730 days. The group with lesions performed worse than its time-matched control group in every instance, and there was no evidence for recovery of function with the longer postoperative recovery periods. These results suggest that time per se is not a significant determinant of restitution after somatosensory cortical ablations.     

Die sogenannte Impfwut

Zusammenfassung Die im Verlaufe antirabischer Vaccinationen gelegentlich auftretenden paralytischen Komplikationen sind nicht virusbedingt, sondern die Folge einer Antigen-Antikörperreaktion nach Sensibilisierung mit dem organspezifischen Hirnantigen, das in den nicht ätherisierten Tollwutvaccinen enthalten ist. Diesbezüglich von einer Impfwut zu sprechen, erscheint nicht gerechtfertigt. Vielmehr sollte dieser Terminus für die postvaccinalen Komplikationen reserviert bleiben, bei denen der Ausbruch der Erkrankung in direktem Kausalzusammenhang zu dem in einer Vaccine enthaltenen lebenden Virus fixe steht.     

Einflu\ vonBordetella pertussis auf das lymphatische Gewebe von Mäusen

Zusammenfassung Verglichen mit phänotypisch normalen Kontrolltieren fanden sich bei NMRI-Mäusen mit kongenitaler Thymusaplasie nur wenige Peyersche Plaques, die zudem nur aus diffusen Lymphocytenansammlungen bestanden. Auch die Milzfollikel waren erheblich verkleinert, wobei die periarteriolären Follikelbereiche gelegentlich zellärmer erschienen. Das wei\e Blutbild der thymuslosen Tiere war durch eine mä\ige Lymphopenie charakterisiert. Obwohl die Milzen der Mäuse mit kongenitaler Thymusaplasie keine Verringerung der Zahlen an präexistenten 19S-Hämolysin-bildenden Zellen aufweisen, waren nach Erstimmunisierung mit 4·10⁸ Schaferythrocyten nur minimale Zahlen an 19S-Produzenten und 7 S-Produzenten nachweisbar. Die sekundäre antigene Stimulierung mit 4·10⁸ Schaferythrocyten führte zu keiner nennenswerten Gedächtnisreaktion, was anzeigt, da\ die Bildung von Gedächtniszellen ein thymusabhängiger Proze\ ist. Die alleinige intraperitoneale Injektion abgetöteter Zellen von B. pertussis führte zu Hypersplenie, Leukozytose und Vermehrung der präexistenten Zahlen an 19S-Hämolysin-bildenden Zellen. Im Gegensatz zu Normaltieren, wo die Leukocytose durch eine Vermehrung von Granulocyten und Lymphocyten charakterisiert ist, fehlte bei den thymuslosen Tieren die Lymphocytenvermehrung. Der Zunahme der Blutgranulocyten entsprach eine verstärkte Granulopoese in Leber und Milz. Bei Normaltieren fand sich nach Erstimmunisierung durch simultane Applikation von 4·10⁸ Schaferythrocyten und 3·10⁹ abgetöteten Zellen vonB. pertussis eine verstärkte und verlängerte Produktion von 19S- und besonders 7S-Hämolysin-bildenden Zellen, verbunden mit einer verstärkten Präparation des lymphoretikulären Gewebes für die anamnestische Reaktion. Bei den Mäusen mit kongenitaler Thymusaplasie beschränkte sich der Adjuvanseffekt allem auf die Frühphase der immunologischen Primärreaktion, was seinen Ausdruck in einer deutlichen Vermehrung der 19S-Produzenten und einer nur geringgradigen Vermehrung der 7S-Produzenten fand.

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Influence ofBordetella pertussis on the lymphatic tissue of miceVIII. The influence ofBordetella pertussis on the primary and secondary immune potential of thymusless (nude) mice

As compared to phenotypically normal controls, in the intestine of NMRI mice with congenital aplasia of the thymus (nude) only small numbers of Peyer's patches could be detected, which consisted of relatively diffuse accumulations of lymphocytes. The splenic follicles were likewise considerably reduced in size, whereby the thymus-dependent areas occasionally appeared to be deficient in lymphocytes. Furthermore, the thymusless mice were found to have blood lymphopenia. Although the spleens of nude mice contained rather enhanced numbers of pre-existing 19S hemolysin forming cells, only small numbers of 19S producers and very poor numbers of 7S hemolysin-forming spleen cells were demonstrable after the primary immunization with 4·10⁸ sheep erythrocytes. Secondary antigenic stimulation with an equal dose of the erythrocyte antigen did not result in a noteworthy secondary immune response. This evidently indicates that the production of memory cells is a thymus-dependent process. A single intraperitoneal injection of 3·10⁹ pertussis organisms led to splenomegaly, blood leukocytosis and augmentation of the pre-existing 19S hemolysin-forming spleen cells. Whilst in normal controls the blood leukocytosis was found to be due to an increase in both lymphocytes and granulocytes, in nude mice the leukocytosis was solely caused by the increase in granulocytes, this being associated with increased granulopoiesis in spleen and liver. The primary immunization of normal controls with 4·10⁸ sheep erythrocytes and 3·10⁹ pertussis organisms led to an increased and prolonged development of both 19S and 7S hemolysin-producing spleen cells. Furthermore, the bacterial adjuvant increased the process of priming for the secondary immune response. Unlike to this, in mice with congenital aplasia of the thymus adjuvancy of pertussis organisms was restricted to the early phase of the primary immune response, as is documented by the distinct augmentation of 19S producers and a poor increase in the numbers of 7S hemolysin-forming spleen cells.

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Diese Arbeit wurde durch die Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft gefördert.     

Behavioral effects of severe and moderate early malnutrition

Rats with a history of prenatal and early postnatal undernutrition (6 or 8% casein diets) were "nutritionally rehabilitated" at weaning, and were compared to well-fed animals (25% casein) at maturity. The severely-malnourished (6%) animals were hyperactive in the open field and when tested in a stabilimeter. They also appeared to be highly active during the early trials in 8-arm radial maze testing where they made more arm entries and re-entry errors than the well-fed rats. In terms of trials to criterion, however, their scores on the radial maze and on a spatial alternation task fell within normal limits. The moderately-malnourished (8%) rats tended to perform at control levels on the learning measures, but these rats were not as active as the 6% rats on the measures of activity. Brain size and weight differences among the three groups of rats also are presented and discussed.