Gating of the Auditory Evoked Potential in Children and Adults

Auditory evoked potentials were recorded from 163 subjects, aged IS months to 55 years. A conditioning-testing paradigm was used to assess sensory gating. In this paradigm, click stimuli are presented in pairs to the subjects with a 0.5-second intrapair interval. In normal adults, the first stimulus activates or “conditions” sensory gating mechanisms. The strength of these mechanisms is “tested” by the second stimulus, which produces a response whose amplitude is significantly suppressed. This aspect of sensory gating was not reliably observed in our subjects until age 18 years. Younger subjects varied widely in their ability to demonstrate sensory gating. Mean levels of suppression increased during late childhood and adolescence, with no relationship to other changes in evoked potential amplitude and latency. Sensory gating would appear to be a late developing aspect of human sensory physiology.     

Electrophysiologic mechanisms of ventricular arrhythmias

In this work the electrophysiologic mechanisms of ventricular arrhythmias have been briefly summarized. Ventricular arrhytmias can be caused either by pacemaker activity or by reentrant excitation. Enhancement of normal automaticy can generate a parasystolic rhythm in normal fibers. Abnormal automaticity may arise fom fibers in which maximum diastolic potential has been reduced by a variety of interventions. Triggered activity is caused by either an early (EAD) or delayed (DAD) afterdepolarization and requires a prior normal action potential for initiation. While there is growing evidence that EAD-induced triggered activity plays a significant role in the Long QTU syndrome and Torsade de Pointes, no clinical arrhythmias has definitely been ascribed to DADs, although DADs have been recorded in man after acute digoxin intoxication.Ventricular arrhytmias can be also caused by reentrant excitation, which can be subdivided into reflection or circus movement reentry (CMR). In the reflection model impulses in both directions are transmitted over the same pathway. In the CMR three models can be differentiated: the ring model, which requires a fixed anatomical obstacle; the figure-eight model and the leading circle model, where functional rather than fixed anatomical obstacles are involved.Abbreviations AV atrio-ventricular - CMR circus movement reentry - DAD delayed afterdepolarization - EAD early afterdepolarization - ECG electrocardiogram - LV left ventricle - MAP monophasic action potential - MF muscle fiber - PF Purkinje fiber - RV right ventricle - TdP Torsade de Pointes     

Evidence for differential effects of 8-OH-DPAT on male and female rats in the Anxiety/Defense Test Battery

The Proxemics/Activity test and the Eat/Drink test, two components of the Anxiety/Defense Test Battery, were developed to measure defensive reactions to situations associated with a natural predator (cat). In the present studies the behavioral effects of 8-OH-DPAT treatment (0.01–1.0 mg/kg, SC) were entirely consistent with anxiety/fear reduction. These effects included an increase in time spent near the cat compartment, and a complimentary decrease in time spent farthest from this compartment, together with an increase in transits and locomote behavior. 8-OH-DPAT (1.0 mg/kg) also increased eat frequencies and durations (highly preferred food) both during and following cat presentation, without influencing drinking. This finding is discussed with reference to previous findings with 8-OH-DPAT in studies assessing both food intake and anxiolysis. Interestingly, 8-OH-DPAT was more potent in a majority of its effects in female subjects, a finding consistent with recent neurochemical data. These findings provide important behavioral evidence for a sexual differentiation in 5-HT function, and support the case for greater emphasis on female subjects in animal models of anxiety.Supported by NIH MH42803 and RCMI Grants RR03061 and RR01825     

Vasopressin stimulation of NaCl transport in the medullary thick ascending limb of Henle's loop is decreased in aging mice

The maximal urinary osmolality that can be reached by the kidney is reduced with age. This may be due to impaired NaCl transport by the medullary thick ascending limb of Henle's loop, which is part of the renal concentrating mechanism and is modulated by antidiuretic hormone (ADH). We therefore tested in vitro a possible age-related change in the transport capacity and in the response of this nephron segment to ADH in young (1–2 months) and old (20–24 months) mice. The transepithelial potential difference (V _te) was significantly higher in young mice (+8.5±0.4 mV, n=13) than in old ones (+6.6±0.5 mV, n=17). Addition of 0.1 nmol.l^–1 ADH to the bath solution significantly increased V _te by 5.2±0.5 mV in the young and by 3.1±0.6 mV in the old animals. Application of dibutyryl-cAMP (0.1 mmol.1^–1) did not further increase the hormonal response in both groups. The ADH-mediated increase in the corresponding equivalent short-circuit current (I _SC = V _te/R_te) was twice as great in young mice as in old, indicating that the stimulation of NaCl transport by ADH across the medullary thick ascending limb is significantly reduced with age. These results suggest that the previously reported age-related defect in the urinary concentrating ability of the kidney is partly due to a decreased response of the medullary thick ascending limb to ADH.     

Dopamine antagonists reduce spontaneous electrical activity in cultured mammalian neurons from ventral mesencephalon

Mammalian neurons from ventral mesencephalon (VM) were grown in primary dissociated cell (PDC) culture. These neurons are predominantly non-dopaminergic. Many of these non-dopaminergic neurons have dopamine agonist and antagonist binding sites. Intracellular recordings were obtained from these neurons. When bathed in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution they generated action potentials spontaneously. However, in the presence of haloperidol dissolved in PBS solution, the percentage of neurons which generated action potentials spontaneously was reduced in a dose-dependent manner (1–10 μM). This response was also obtained with (+) butaclamol (1 μM) but not with (−) butaclamol (1 μM). This neuroleptic inhibition of spontaneously generated action potentials was specific for neurons in PDC cultures of VM since neurons in PDC cultures of spinal cord did not demonstrate this phenomenon.     

脑动静脉畸形实验动物模型的建立

脑动静脉畸形是一种比较常见的严重威胁人们生命安全和生存质量的脑血管疾病，目前人们主要是通过尸体解剖以及CT、MRI等影像学的方法认识。近年来，学者们应用各种动物模型来研究脑动静脉畸形的血流动力学，病理生理学以及脑动静脉畸形栓塞材料的评估，栓塞后临床疗效评价，放射照射剂量对脑动静脉畸形的影响等。本文就脑动静脉畸形实验动物的常用种类，动物模型的建立方法以及动物模型的实际应用进行了综述。     

Protection of melatonin against damage of sperm mito-chondrial function induced by reactive oxygen species

Aim: To study the mitochondrial function damage of sperm in-duced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the protection of melatonin (MLT) against the damage. Methods: Normal function spermatozoa were selected from semen samples by Percoll gradi-ent centrifugation technique. The ROS generated by the hypoxan-thine xanthine oxidase system was incubated with the normal sper-matozoa in the presence or absence of MLT (6 retool/L) for 30 and 60 minutes.     

激素性股骨头缺血坏死MRI诊断的实验研究

目的：建立股骨头缺血坏死(ANFH)动物模型，将磁共振成像(MRI)表现与组织病理学结果对照，探讨早期ANFH的病理变化和删表现的病理学基础。方法：成年新西兰兔36只，随机均分成三组。A组：为正常对照组，静脉注射生理盐水。B、C组为实验组，B组：单纯静脉注射地塞米松10mg／kg／d连续7天，间隔两周再重复一次。C组；马血清与激素共用，先静脉注射马血清10g／kg，间隔2周再重复一次；继之重复B组给药。之后4、8、16、26周后分别从3组随机各取3只，先拍X线平片再进行删，然后取双侧股骨头做组织病理检查。结果：实验组兔股骨头第8周T1WI信号强度明显降低，T2WI呈不均匀高信号，对应病理改变为骨髓水肿，骨髓腔内少量出血和少量骨细胞坏死。16、26周T1WI信号强度增高，病理显示骨髓脂肪细胞肥大并融合成大泡状，大量骨细胞坏死，骨小梁变细、中断。16、26周兔股骨头X线平片示骨质稀疏，骨小梁模糊。C组上述变化较B组显著。结论：1．采用马血清和肾上腺皮质激素共用，比单纯用肾上腺皮质激素更易诱导出较典型的ANFH动物模型。2．删能够较全面反映早期激素性ANFH的病理变化。     

骨质疏松动物实验骨折风险性分析

目的:评价骨质疏松动物模型发生骨折的风险性.方法:健康雌性SD大鼠36只,随机分为实验组和对照组各18只.实验组切除双侧卵巢,对照组仅切开皮肤.于术后2、4、8周两组处死6只大鼠,作松质骨(腰椎)和皮质骨(股骨干)骨密度(BMD)组织形态学和力学测定.结果:与对照组相比,手术组松质骨BMD 2、4、8周均明显下降,2周皮质骨无明显差异,4、8周则明显下降;股骨中段骨皮质厚度变薄;骨小梁体积(TBV)占全部骨组织体积(TTV)的百分比明显减少;成骨细胞和破骨细胞明显增多;股骨最大弯曲载荷、腰椎最大压缩载荷下降.