Inhibition of IgE formation in mice by glycoproteins from corn silk

The inhibitory effects of glycoproteins separated from a hot water extract of corn silk (U-CSE) on the formation of IgE antibodies after primarily and secondarily challenged responses with dinitrophenyl (DNP)-ovalbumin (OVA) antigen in mice were investigated using the passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) test. When U-CSE was given intranasally or intraperitoneally the day before primary immunization, IgE antibody production was strongly inhibited. Furthermore, it was found that new formation of IgE antibodies was readily inhibited by U-CSE administration in mice with high levels of IgE after primary immunization. It was also found that U-CSE markedly suppressed IgE antibody formation in secondarily challenged responses with the antigen. U-CSE may be clinically applicable to type I allergic diseases.     

Characteristics of antibody responses induced in mice by protein allergens

Whereas many foreign proteins are immunogenic, only a proportion is also allergenic, having the capacity to induce the quality of immune response necessary to support the production of IgE antibody. We have demonstrated previously that intraperitoneal administration to mice of proteins such as ovalbumin (OVA) or the industrial enzyme A. oryzae lipase, which possess significant allergenic potential, stimulates the production of both IgG and IgE antibody. Identical exposure to bovine serum albumin (BSA), a protein with limited potential to cause immediate respiratory or gastrointestinal hypersensitivity reactions, induced IgG responses only. In the current investigations, the quality of immune responses induced following exposure to these proteins via mucosal tissue (intranasal) has been compared with those provoked following administration via a non-mucosal (intraperitoneal) route of exposure. Intranasal or intraperitoneal administration of BSA, OVA or A. oryzae lipase elicited in each case vigorous IgG and IgG1 antibody responses. For all three proteins, at every concentration tested, and via both routes of exposure, IgG1 antibody titres paralleled closely IgG titres. However, the three materials displayed a differential potential to provoke IgE responses and this correlated with their known allergenic potential in humans. Thus, OVA and A. oryzae lipase stimulated strong IgE antibody responses, whereas BSA provoked low titre IgE only at the highest concentration tested (5% administered intraperitoneally). The quality of induced responses was not affected by the route of exposure. It would appear, therefore, that the stimulation of IgG and IgG1 antibody responses is a reflection of protein immunogenicity whereas protein allergenicity is associated with the induction of strong IgE responses.     

Monoclonal anti-human IgG antibodies for quantitation of allergen-specific IgG in human sera

Eight monoclonal anti-human IgG antibodies were fully characterized and evaluated as possible reagents in solid phase radioimmunoassay for quantitating allergen-specific IgG antibody. Four monoclonal antibodies (HG24D, HG2-14, HG2-18, and HG2-25) recognize CH2 domain of human IgG and bind to human IgG fixed to microtiter plate with high affinities. These monoclonal antibodies were more suitable than polyclonal rabbit anti-human IgG antibody in Phadebas RAST for honey bee venom-specific IgG antibody. Nonspecific binding was much lower, and the slopes of standard curves were much steeper. In contrast to polyclonal antibody, the standard curve was hardly influenced by human serum IgG in sample diluent. These advantages of monoclonal antibodies that recognize CH2 domain of human IgG made it possible to quantitate egg white- and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus-specific IgG antibodies with use of allergen disks prepared for IgE RAST. This property allows a single system to be used for measurement of IgG and IgE antibodies against clinically relevant allergens.     

Localization of Somatosensory Evoked Potentials in Primary Somatosensory Cortex: A Comparison Between PCA and MUSIC

The aim of this study was to test source modeling strategies for EEC-data from a clinical group of amputees. The experimental conditions (measuring time, age and condition of the patients) resulted in low quality EEC-data. Noise reduction was achieved by a principal component analysis (PCA) and a multiple signal classification (MUSIC). A comparison of the results of these two methods with traditional signal handling yielded superior results for the MUSIC algorithm.     

空间ICA在fMRI数据上的应用与分析

独立成分分析(ICA)技术试图将多维数据分解成若干个相互统计独立的分量。时间ICA和空间ICA都可以用于分析功能核磁共振成像(fMRI)数据。但由于fMRI数据空间维数远远大于时间维数，为计算方便，在分析fMRI数据时。则更多的使用空间ICA方法。本文在单任务激励实验中，利用ICA方法从fMRI数据中分离出若干个与任务相关的独立分量，其中包括与任务相关的恒定分量(CTR)和与任务相关的暂态分量(TTR)；通过将这些独立分量进行空间映射，得到了与任务相关的脑部激活区域。将此结果与SPM的分析比较，得到了一致的结果。在对结果的分析中，我们进一步指出了ICA方法的特点和局限性。     

A fluorescence histochemical and biochemical evaluation of the effect of p-chloroamphetamine on individual serotonergic nuclei in the rat brain.

The serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) content of eight raphe nuclei was measured 9 days after injection of p-chloroamphetamine. 5-Hydroxytryptamine levels were reduced in only the B-9 cell group.The histofluorescence of serotonergic neurons in the B-9 cell group was also studied at two time intervals after a single injection of p-chloroamphetamine. Nine days after the administration of p-chloroamphetamine there was a small decrease both in the intensity of fluorescence and in the number of yellow fluorescent serotonergic cells. After 2 months the drug caused a more marked decrease in the number of viable serotonergic cells. The results are discussed in relation to the mechanism of action of p-chloroamphetamine.It is suggested that following the administration of p-chloroamphetamine retrograde destruction may occur in the B-9 cell group, in contrast to those of the other raphe nuclei, whose cell bodies may possess a sufficient number of collateral processes to resist the slow neurotoxic destruction of their cell bodies.     

The effect of acute zimeldine and alaproclate administration on the acquisition of two-way active avoidance: Comparison with other antidepressant agents,test of selectivity and sub-chronic studies

The dose-dependent effect of acute zimeldine and alaproclate treatment upon the acquisition of two-way and one-way active avoidance in the rat was studied in a single-session and in a repeated-sessions design. Zimeldine (5–20 mg/kg, IP), but not alaproclate, caused disruptions of two-way avoidance acquisition. Acquisition deficits were also caused by citalopram and fluoxetine but not the other antidepressant drugs tested. Zimeldine, but not alaproclate or desipramine, caused a slight but non-significant impairment of one-way active avoidance; neither zimeldine nor alaproclate produced any effects upon fear conditioning and retention testing. The long-term action of p-chloroamphetamine (2×10 mg/kg) antagonised the acute zimeldine effect totally, and chronic treatment with zimeldine (15 days, 1×50 mol/kg) and chlorimipramine (15 days, 2×10 mol/kg) also caused some partial blockade of the two-way avoidance deficit. These data seem to suggest some involvement of serotonin (5-HT) in the observed disruptions of two-way active avoidance caused by acute zimeldine treatment.     

Analysis of Serum Fatty Acids Profile in Kidney Transplant Recipients

Patients with end-stage kidney disease, treated with renal transplantation, are at increased risk of cardio-vascular disease (CVD) and cardio-vascular mortality. They are also characterized by an atherogenic dyslipidemia. Alterations of the fatty acids (FA) profile contribute to increased cardio-vascular risk in the general population. In the current study we test the hypothesis that kidney transplantation is associated with ab-normalities in FA profile. FA profile was analysed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry in 198 renal transplant recipients, and 48 control subjects. The most profound differences between renal transplant patients and controls were related to the content of branched chain FA, monounsaturated FA, and n-6 polyunsaturated FA, respectively. The FA profile significantly separated the patients from the controls in the principal component analysis (PCA). The abnormalities of FA profile showed a tendency for normalization in long-term kidney recipients, as compared to patients with recent transplants. The n-3 PUFA content demonstrated a strong inverse association with the presence of inflammation. Most profound alterations of the FA profile were observed in patients with impaired graft function (glomerular filtration rate < 45 mL/min). The study demonstrated significant disorders of the FA profile in kidney transplant recipients, that might contribute to cardio-vascular risk in this vulnerable patient population.     

PCA在过程故障检测与诊断中的应用

讨论了基于主无分析（PCA）的过程故障检测与诊断的原理,运用T^2统计、Q统计方法,结合贡献图对一典型过程进行了仿真分析,结果表明PCA方法可对简单传感器故障进行检测与诊断,并指出了该方法中的不足,提出了将PCA方法同基于过程动态模型的故障诊断方法相结合的研究思路。     

Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) using fentanyl in a parturient with a platelet function abnormality

A term parturient with documented platelet dysfunction presented to the case room for induction of labour. Since this bleeding abnormality contraindicated the use of lumbar epidural analgesia (LEA), we elected to use an iv fentanyl patientcontrolled analgesia (PCA) technique for pain relief during labour. The patient received a 50 μg fentanyl loading dose after which 20 μg boluses of fentanyl were self-administered every three minutes as required. The patient received a total of 400 μg of fentanyl over the 3 1/2 hr of active labour. Mother and neonate tolerated the fentanyl without sequelae. If facilities to monitor the neonate and mother are present, this method of analgesia is useful in those patients where LEA is contraindicated. Au terme d’une grossesse, une patiente porteuse d’une dysfonction plaquettaire devait avoir une induction de travail au bloc obstétrical. Ecartant l’usage d’une epidurale à cause des risques de saignement, nous avons employé du fentanyl en autoanalgésie (PCA) pour soulager les douleurs du travail. Après une dose initiate de50 μg, la patiente s’injectait des doses de 20 μg de fentanyl iv aux 3 minutes prn. Elle utilisa un total de 400 μg de fentanyl au cours des 3,5 heures que dura le travail. La mère et le nouveau-né tolérèrent fort bien ce mode d’analgésie. L’autoanalgésie offre done une alternative au bloc épidural lorsque ce dernier est contre-indiqué toutefois, nous recommandons de monitorer la mére et le nouveau-né pendant quelques heures.