Vector electrocardiographic features in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

The examination indicated that abnormal Q and QS waves recorded along the azes Z and Y in the adjusted lead system far clearly reflected a predominant site of suspected focal and scarring lestoh in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) as in coronary heart disease (CHD) (the anterior site in the Z lead and inferior one, in the Y lead), however, the difference in their quantitative characteristics do not fulfil the goals of the electrocardiographic differentiation between HCM and CHD. To differentiate HCM and CHD in the presence of Q and QS waves, a characteristic complex of signs was identified: elevated waves Rx (greater than or equal to 17.5 mm), Sy (greater than or equal to 7.3 mm) of the total value, sigma Rxyz + sigma Sxyz (greater than or equal to 48.3 mm) at the anterior site of "scarring" myocardial lesion and increased waves Sz (greater than or equal to 20.4 mm), sigma Sxyz (greater than or equal to 21.4 mm) at the inferior site. Only "indirect" signs remained on VECG in the presence of scarring myocardial lesion concurrent with arterial hypertension in CHD patients.     

Role of the lateral and medial hypothalamus in the reproduction of the motoric reaction which is a signal during the development of classical conditioned reflexes

It has been demonstrated in experiments on three dogs that test electrostimulation of the lateral hypothalamus reproduces the motoric reaction which is the signal stimulus during the development of classical alimentary CR (83%) and does not reproduce it during the development of classical defensive CR (93%). The test electrostimulation of the medial divisions of the hypothalamus, like the electrostimulation of the LH, reproduces the signal motoric reaction, but in a smaller percent of cases (62%), during the development of classical alimentary CR, and does not reproduce it during the development of classical defensive CR. The reproduction of the signal motoric reaction during the electrostimulation of the LH is associated with the activation of a backward conditioned connection from the motivational structures of the hypothalamus to the representation of the signal stimulus in the motor cortex.Translated from Zhurnal Vysshei Nervnoi Deyatel'nosti imeni I. P. Pavlova, Vol. 41, No. 1, pp. 41–50, January–February, 1991.     

Retinotectal system of the tortoise, Testudo horsfieldi, Gray (morpho-functional study in the norm and after enucleation).

The optic nerve and mesencephalic optic centre (tectum opticum, TO) of the tortoise, Testudo horsfieldi, Gray, in the norm and after the enucleation have been studies using Golgi's method, electron microscopy and the electrophysiological technique. The optic nerve comprises about 400,000 fibres represented by two classes of axons: myelinated (10%) and unmyelinated (90%). The diameters of the former vary within 0.3-3 mum, of the latter within 0.3-1.1 mum. The neurogramms of the optic nerve contain two components corresponding to the two rates of conduction through different groups of fibres (1.3 musec and 0.5 musec). The stratified synaptic organization of the TO has been investigated. The optic terminals are shown to join in complex synaptic formations at certain levels of the upper layers of the TO (Strata I, II and III). The process of degeneration in the optic system of Testudo is drastically stretched in time. It was demonstrated by the electrophysiological control that the TO potentials induced in response to the nerve stimulation were not registered any longer only 6-6.5 months after the enucleation. Certain groups of retinal fibres of the optic nerve and their terminals in the TO are shown to degenerate differently and asynchronously. Earlier unknown types of destructive changes of the terminals (vesicular, neurofilamentous, glycogen and others) are described. It is suggested that the different types of degeneration of the optic fibres and their terminals are the result of possible biochemical heterogeneity of the retinal ganglious cells. The comparison of the terms and types of degeneration of different groups of nervous fibres in the optic nerve and their terminals in the TO has revealed some correlations suggesting that the myelinated optic fibres produce nervous terminals degenerating by the "dark" type, whereas the unmyelinated optic axons may be subdivided into several groups, each producing nervous terminals subjected to a definite type of destruction ("clear", "vesicular", "neurofilamentous" etc.). The localization of certain groups of therminals at certain levels of the cortical plate of the TO confirms the electrophysiological data on the stratified organization of the retino-tectal projections in the TO of lower vertebrates. It has been shown by the comparison of the results obtained with those reported for Emys orbicularis, L. that the two species have marked differences in the morpho-functional characteristics of the retino-tectal system, neuronic composition of the TO, the character of destructive changes of the terminals after the enucleation and the component composition of polysynaptic complexes and glomerules. Probably these differences may come from the peculiarities of the perception and transformation of visual information in the species.     

A Single Intraduodenal Administration of Human Adenovirus 40 Vaccine Effectively Prevents Anaphylactic Shock

Vaccine administration into the intestine is known to induce mucosal tolerance most efficiently. Therefore, developing a delivery system that targets the intestinal mucosa is expected to improve the efficiency of immunosuppression. Human enteric adenovirus serotype 40 (Ad40)-based vectors have the advantage of targeting intestinal mucosa, making them prime candidates as mucosal vaccine carriers for immunosuppression. Here, after both oral and intraduodenal administrations, the vector distribution of replication-defective recombinant Ad40 vectors (rAd40) was significantly higher than that of a conventional Ad vector based on human adenovirus 5 (Ad5) in ilea containing Peyer''s patches. Single intraduodenal administration of rAd40 induced antigen-specific mucosal immunoreaction mediated by intestinal mucosal and systemic immunity. In ovalbumin-induced allergy mouse models, this approach inhibited antigen-specific delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions, diarrhea occurrence, and systemic anaphylaxis. Thus, a single intraduodenal administration of rAd40 provides a potent method of inducing allergen-specific mucosal tolerance and a new allergen-specific immunotherapy for overcoming problems with current therapies against life-threatening allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis.