Bovine cumulus-oocyte disconnection in vitro

Summary Cumulus-oocyte complexes were obtained from cows by aspiration of small (1–6 mm in diameter) antral follicles after slaughter. Complexes with a compact multilayered cumulus investment were cultured and processed for transmission electron microscopy after different periods of culture including a 0 h control group. In 0 h control oocytes the cumulus cells had numerous projections which penetrated the zona pellucida and established gap junctions with the oolemma. A partial loss of these junctions was noticed as an early event of oocyte maturation occurring within the first 3 h of culture. A low frequency of gap junctions was maintained until 12–18 h of culture where the junctional contact was completely disrupted. This decrease in intercellular communication was parallelled by resumption of oocyte meiosis.     

Visual fixation offsets affect both the initiation and the kinematic features of saccades

It is well known that the removal of a fixation point prior to the presentation of a peripheral target dramatically reduces saccadic reaction time (SRT). This effect has become known as the “gap effect”. The present study examined several detailed kinematic variables to determine whether the removal of the fixation point also affects the manner in which saccades are produced. The findings indicate that saccades that were initiated after the removal of the fixation point had higher average velocities and reached greater peak velocities, accelerations, and decelerations than did saccades produced in the presence of the fixation point. The results suggest that the removal of the fixation point may affect the force-time curves of saccades in addition to affecting the time needed to initiate the saccades. Received: 21 February 1997 / Accepted: 24 July 1997     

d-宁烯、丹参及姜黄素衍生物对ras基因产物膜结合和细胞间隙信息传导的影响

目的旨在寻找新型抗肿瘤药物,进一步研究d-宁烯、丹参及姜黄素衍生物的抗肿瘤机理。采用分子生物学方法及划痕标记染料示踪技术,研究了4种人实体瘤起源的细胞系的细胞间隙信息传导(GJIC)、H-ras癌基因表达以及ras癌基因产物(P21^ras蛋白)表达状态,并观察了4种天然产物对它们的影响。结果表明,细胞内染料传输功能的丧失与ras基因突变率呈正相关;单萜化合物d-宁烯和酚类化合物丹参衍生物的抗肿瘤作用可能与抑制P21^ras蛋白膜结合和增强细胞间隙信息传导功能有关。提示Ras癌基因产物P21^ras蛋白膜结合的抑制与细胞间隙信息传导功能的增强有直接关系。     

连接蛋白拟似肽对海人酸致痫大鼠脑电活动的影响

目的观察针对连接蛋白43(CX43)合成的特异性的缝隙连接阻断剂-连接蛋白拟似肽对海人酸致痫大鼠脑电活动的影响。方法建立18只大鼠癫痫动物模型,分连接蛋白拟似肽组、甘珀酸组和对照组(每组6只),在在体上分别局部给予连接蛋白似似肽、甘珀酸和生理盐水,用脑电图仪观测用药前后每组大鼠皮层脑电活动的变化情况。结果连接蛋白拟似肽组及甘珀酸组给药后癫痫的发作次数明显比给药前发作次数减少,癫痫波的平均振幅也明显变小,给药前后比较有显著性差异(P<0.01),生理盐水组给药前后癫痫的发作次数及平均振幅几乎没有变化。连接蛋白拟似肽组给药前后癫痫的发作次数和波幅的变化值与甘珀酸组给药前后癫痫的发作次数和波幅的变化值相比无显著性差异。结论针对CX43合成的连接蛋白拟似肽可以特异性地抑制癫痫的发作。     

工频磁场对星形胶质细胞间隙连接通讯功能的影响

目的　探讨工频磁场 (PFMF)是否有促癌或协同促癌作用。方法　利用荧光光漂白后再恢复法观察漂白细胞荧光强度的恢复以判断经间隙连接的细胞间通讯 ,以相对荧光强度恢复速率(CFIRR)作为对细胞间隙连接通讯 (GJIC)作用的评价指标 ,研究不同磁场强度单独作用或协同佛波酯(TPA)对星形胶质细胞GJIC功能的影响。结果　 3ng/mlTPA作用 1h时CFIRR的中位数 (Md)值为4 .53 % /min ,空白对照组为 9.74% /min ,两组的差异有显著性 (H =1 2 .0 84,P <0 .0 0 5)。 0 .8或 1 .6mT磁场作用 2 4h时CFIRR的Md 分别 8.2 5、6 .68% /min ,与空白对照组比较 ,差异无显著性 (H =32 .61 7,P >0 .0 5)。 0 .8或 1 .6mT磁场作用 2 3h ,再与TPA共同作用 1h时CFIRR的Md 分别为 3 .32、2 .85% /min ,与TPA组比较 ,差异无显著性 (H =2 .589,P >0 .0 5)。结论　 0～ 1 .6mT的 50Hz磁场单独作用不能抑制星形胶质细胞GJIC功能 ;协同TPA ,不能增强TPA对星形胶质细胞GJIC的抑制作用 ;但是磁场对星形胶质细胞GJIC的抑制作用随着磁场强度增强呈递增趋势     

Dopamine receptor agonists alter gap prestimulus modulation

An innocuous sensory event (a prestimulus) that briefly precedes a startle-eliciting stimulus (SES) will reduce the amplitude of the subsequently elicited reflex. In three experiments brief silent periods in otherwise continuous noise (gaps) were used as prestimuli to investigate the effects of the D₁ dopamine receptor agonist (±)-SKF-38393 (SKF) and the dopamine D₂ receptor group agonist (−)-quinpirole hydrochloride on gap inhibition of the rat’s acoustic startle reflex. Gap durations of 4 and 50 ms were analyzed. Quinpirole (0–1.6 mg/kg) had a biphasic effect on gap inhibition. Lower doses increased gap inhibition, an effect that peaked at the 0.4 mg/kg dose. For higher doses, inhibition returned to control levels for the 4-ms long gap, but remained elevated for the 50-ms long gap. SKF had no effect on gap inhibition, and haloperidol (0.2 mg/kg) reversed the quinpirole-induced increase of gap inhibition. These data implicate the D₂ dopamine receptor group in gap inhibition of startle modulation. The results are discussed in terms of the effects of catecholamine agonists on attention. Received: 25 July 1995/Final version: 28 April 1997     

脉冲电磁场影响人骨髓基质干细胞缝隙连接通讯的实验研究

目的研究脉冲电磁场(PEMFs)对人骨髓基质干细胞(hBMSCs)缝隙连接所介导细胞间通讯(GJIC)的影响。方法透射电镜观察BMSCs超微结构,应用荧光漂白恢复(FRAP)技术,通过激光共聚焦显微镜检测hBM-SCs经PEMFs刺激后GJIC的功能变化。结果经PEMFs刺激后的hBMSCs,平均荧光漂白恢复率为(64.12±0.83)%,较对照组犤(35.26±0.76)%犦有显著性增加(P<0.05)。结论PEMFs刺激能促进hBMSCs的缝隙连接通讯功能。     

The gap effect and inhibition of return: interactive effects on eye movement latencies

Three experiments are reported with two types of manipulations that are known to affect the latency with which subjects can initiate saccadic eye movements. The first manipulation involves the temporal relation between the offset of a visual fixation point and the onset of a peripheral target (the gap effect). The second manipulation involves the prior allocation and removal of visual attention (inhibition of return). In two experiments, the gap effect was smaller for saccades to previously attended locations than to previously unattended locations. The results suggest an important link between the two phenomena and provide new insights into the brain mechanisms underlying visual attention and eye movements.     

Is calmodulin involved in the regulation of gap junction permeability?

The cell-to-cell channels of gap junctions mediate the direct exchange of ions and small metabolites between neighboring cells. A number of studies have shown that these channels close when the intracellular free calcium or hydrogen concentration increases, the result being cell-to-cell uncoupling. Since most of the calcium-activated biological phenomena are mediated by calmodulin (CaM), an obvious question is whether or not CaM is involved in the mechanism of cell coupling regulation. Data from the present study, showing the inhibitory effects of a calmodulin blocker on electrical uncoupling in Xenopus embryo cells, suggest a possible CaM participation in the uncoupling mechanism.     

Inhibition of MAP kinase activity moderates changes in expression and function of Cx32 but not claudin-1 during DNA synthesis in primary cultures of rat hepatocytes

The signal transduction pathways and activation of the MAP kinase or PI3 kinase signaling cascade regulate a variety of cellular processes, including proliferation and differentiation in hepatocytes. To elucidate the mechanisms of signal transmission required for the regulation of gap and tight junctions during DNA synthesis in rat hepatocytes, we determined changes of expression and function of gap and tight junctions of cells grown in primary culture, using inhibitors of signaling pathways for MAP kinase (PD98059) and PI3 kinase (LY294002). During the stimulation of DNA synthesis induced by epidermal growth factor (EGF), immunoreactivity and mRNAs of gap junction protein Cx32 and of tight junction protein claudin-1 markedly decreased with reduction of gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) and the fence function of tight junctions. In Western blots, whole-cell lysate of claudin-1 protein decreased and phosphorylated Cx32 protein in the insoluble fraction of Triton X-100 increased during the stimulation of DNA synthesis. During reinhibition of DNA synthesis, the changes of Cx32 and claudin-1 returned to control levels, as did both functions. In treatment with the inhibitors before DNA synthesis, PD98059 inhibited the changes of expression and function of Cx32, but not claudin-1, without inhibition of cell growth, whereas LY294002 completely inhibited cell growth. These findings indicate that the PI3 kinase pathway rather than the MAP kinase pathway plays an important role for EGF-induced proliferation of rat hepatocytes, and that changes of Cx32 in hepatocytes during the stimulation of DNA synthesis may be in part controlled through MAP kinase. Furthermore, Cx32, but not claudin-1, protein may be a target of activated MAP kinase in hepatocytes.