Molecular ultrastructure of the urothelial surface: Insights from a combination of various microscopic techniques

The urothelium forms the blood–urine barrier, which depends on the complex organization of transmembrane proteins, uroplakins, in the apical plasma membrane of umbrella cells. Uroplakins compose 16 nm intramembrane particles, which are assembled into urothelial plaques. Here we present an integrated survey on the molecular ultrastructure of urothelial plaques in normal umbrella cells with advanced microscopic techniques. We analyzed the ultrastructure and performed measurements of urothelial plaques in the normal mouse urothelium. We used field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) on immunolabeled ultrathin sections (immuno‐TEM), and freeze‐fracture replicas (FRIL). We performed immunolabeling of uroplakins for scanning electron microscopy (immuno‐FESEM). All microscopic techniques revealed a variability of urothelial plaque diameters ranging from 332 to 1179 nm. All immunolabeling techniques confirmed the presence of uroplakins in urothelial plaques. FRIL showed the association of uroplakins with 16 nm intramembrane particles and their organization into plaques. Using different microscopic techniques and applied qualitative and quantitative evaluation, new insights into the urothelial apical surface molecular ultrastructure have emerged and may hopefully provide a timely impulse for many ongoing studies. The combination of various microscopic techniques used in this study shows how these techniques complement one another. The described advantages and disadvantages of each technique should be considered for future studies of molecular and structural membrane specializations in other cells and tissues. Microsc. Res. Tech. 77:896–901, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Periparturient hypocalcemia in cows: prevention using intramuscular parathyroid hormone

Intravenously administered parathyroid hormone has recently been reported to prevent parturient paretic hypocalcemia in dairy cows. In the present study, Parathyroid hormone was administered intramuscularly prior to parturition to study its effects on Ca homeostasis and the incidence of periparturient hypocalcemia. Ten Holstein cows were fed a high Ca diet prepartum to predispose them to parturient paretic hypocalcemia. Five cows received intramuscular injections of synthetic bovine parathyroid hormone three times per day beginning about 6 d before parturition and continuing at a reduced dose for about 6 d after parturition. One of five control cows developed parturient paresis, and all five control cows exhibited hypocalcemia within 24 h of calving. None of the treated cows became paretic, and plasma calcium was normal or slightly elevated in these cows during the first 24 h after calving. Parathyroid hormone administration increased plasma concentrations of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D and hydroxyproline prior to parturition, suggesting that both intestinal Ca absorption and bone calcium resorption were increased by administration of the hormone. One hormone-treated cow became recumbent and required euthanasia. Although metastatic calcification of soft tissues was not observed, the death of this cow raises the possibility that there are unknown side effects of parathyroid hormone when administered intramuscularly.     

Assay for vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 in plasma of dairy cows: changes after massive dosing of vitamin D3.

A sensitive, precise assay for vitamin D in plasma is described. Three to five milliliters of plasma were extracted with methanol:methylene chloride (2:1). The lipid extract was chromatographed on Sephadex LH-20 and then on lipidex-5000 columns. After high pressure liquid chromatography with a reverse phase chromatographic system, vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 were quantitated by ultraviolet absorbance. We used this assay system for monitoring daily changes of vitamin D3 in plasma of two Jersey cows after four intramuscular doses (15 x 10(6) IU) of vitamin D3 administered at weekly intervals. Basal vitamin D in plasma was 3.2 +/- .99 ng/ml with a range of 1.7 to 4.9 ng/ml. Vitamin D3 in plasma remained relatively low (10 to 45 ng/ml) the week after the first vitamin D3 injection. Vitamin D3 was high (130 to 234 ng/ml) after the second, third, and fourth injections. Vitamin D3 decreased steadily to 88 ng/ml by 38 days after the fourth vitamin D3 injection. Phosphorus in plasma increased sharply to a plateau at 9.5 mg/100 ml during the week after the second vitamin D3 injection and returned to normal (4.5 mg/100 ml) at the end of the experiment. Calcium, however, gradually increased to 14.0 mg/100 ml 20 days after the fourth vitamin D3 injection. Both animals remained hypercalcemic (calcium 11.5 mg/100 ml) during the experiment.     

Addition of chloride to a prepartal diet high in cations increases 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D response to hypocalcemia preventing milk fever.

In this study, we present evidence that cows fed highly cationic diets are less responsive to parathyroid hormone than those fed a highly anionic diet. Forty-seven Jersey cows (55 mo of age) were fed an alfalfa haylage-based diet supplemented with either anions (Cl-) or cations (Na+). Cows fed the high cationic diet suffered significantly more cases of milk fever (6 out of 23) than those fed the high anionic diet (1 out of 24). Concentrations of Ca at parturition and the first 2 d of lactation were significantly higher in cows fed the anionic diet. Secretion of parathyroid hormone in response to developing hypocalcemia was similar in cows fed either diet. Plasma hydroxyproline concentration (an index of bone Ca resorption activity) was greater in cows fed the anionic diet, suggesting better utilization of bone Ca. Plasma 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D concentration was correlated inversely with plasma Ca and related directly to plasma parathyroid hormone in both groups of cows. However, the magnitude of the response (the amount of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D produced per unit increase in parathyroid hormone) was reduced greatly in cows fed the high cation diet. Because parathyroid hormone regulates both bone Ca resorption and renal 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D production, these data suggest that prepartal diets high in cations decrease the ability of bone and renal tissues to respond to parathyroid hormone. Addition of anions to prepartal diets can reduce the excess cation balance of diets, increasing tissue response to parathyroid hormone and enabling the cow to better adapt to the Ca demands of lactation.     

Effect of synthetic bovine parathyroid hormone in dairy cows: prevention of hypocalcemic parturient paresis

Intravenous infusion of synthetic bovine parathyroid hormone for 96 h increased 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, Mg, Ca, and hydroxyproline in plasma of pregnant cows within 16, 24, 48, and 72 h, respectively. Plasma Ca concentration was maximal at the end of the 96-h infusion (15.1 mg/100 ml). Plasma concentration of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D at 96 h was twice that before parathyroid hormone infusion, indicating that parathyroid hormone stimulated 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D production in the presence of hypercalcemia. The urinary excretion of hydroxyproline indicated that at least 48 h of parathyroid hormone stimulation was required to stimulate bone resorption in the pregnant cow. Eight periparturient cows were on a high Ca diet prepartum. Four cows were treated with intravenous parathyroid hormone prior to parturition. Four cows were untreated. All four untreated cows developed parturient paresis. None of the cows treated with parathyroid hormone developed parturient paresis. However, two cows that received parathyroid hormone for less than 24 h prior to parturition became hypocalcemic, but not recumbent. Plasma Ca concentrations remained within normal limits in the two other cows that received greater than 60 h parathyroid hormone infusion prior to parturition. We conclude that exogenous parathyroid hormone (1-34) can prevent parturient paresis if administered at least 60 h prior to parturition.     

Use of 24-F-1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 to prevent parturient paresis in dairy cows

Forty-one aged Jersey cows were fed a high Ca diet prior to parturition to predispose them to parturient paresis. Twenty-one of the cows were treated with 24-F-1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, a synthetic analogue of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, 7 d before the expected parturition. Treated cows received either 100 micrograms (n = 7) or 150 micrograms (n = 14) of 24-F-1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, intramuscularly at 7-d intervals until the cow calved. Incidence of parturient paresis among untreated animals was 85% (17/20). Injections of 100 micrograms of 24-F-1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 reduced the incidence of parturient paresis to 43% (3/7), whereas 150 micrograms injections of 24-F-1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 reduced the incidence of parturient paresis to 29% (4/14). Plasma concentrations of hydroxyproline were not elevated prior to parturition in 24-F-1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3-treated cows, indicating that treatment did not stimulate bone resorption and that the ability of 24-F-1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 to prevent parturient paresis likely resides in its ability to stimulate intestinal Ca absorption prior to parturition. Further, cows treated with 24-F-1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 that developed parturient paresis had lower than normal plasma concentrations of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, indicating that 24-F-1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 treatment impairs the metabolism of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in response to hypocalcemia. These data suggest that injection of 24-F-1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, delivered at 7-d intervals prior to parturition, can effectively reduce incidence of parturient paresis in dairy cows.     

The ontogeny of an idea: John Bowlby and contemporaries on mother–child separation.

In this contribution, the authors situate the development of Bowlby’s attachment theory against the background of the social, cultural, and scientific developments in interbellum Britain. It is shown that fairly early in his life Bowlby adopted one fundamental idea—that an infant primarily needs a warm and loving mother, and that separations from the mother are potentially damaging—and never substantially changed that basic notion in later years. Bowlby’s first and foremost goal—and his lifelong undertaking—was to convince certain others (e.g., orthodox psychoanalysts, psychiatrists, clinicians, and medical doctors) of the importance of this idea by theorizing and gathering empirical evidence. Bowlby’s view of mother love deprivation as the main source of maladjusted behavior was at variance with the views of many practitioners and theorists, but it was by no means fully novel and original. The authors show that Bowlby took inspiration from various persons and groups in British society with whom he shared basically similar views. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Besonderheiten des Sicherheitsmanagements im untertägigen Bergbau

Mining is a complex nature-technology-human system. Mining differs from other such systems through the irreversible depletion of the mineral deposit and the continuously growing size of mine. Limited information at planning stage concerning geology and mineral deposit calls for flexibility in mine design and operation. Ongoing risk management and monitoring of changes are necessities under such circumstances. Examples are given how geological factors and the increasing size of mining operations affect mining safety. The demands on mine safety management systems are discussed. Recommendations for mine safety management systems are made.     

Prevalence of alpha-thalassemias in northern Thailand

The population of northern Thailand has one of the highest frequencies of alpha-thalassemia in the world. However, the available distributional data are controversial. In addition to deletional types of alpha-thalassemia Hb, type Constant Spring should also be taken into consideration in alpha-thalassemia population studies, because it causes clinical alpha-thalassemia in the homozygous state or when present with both alpha-globin genes deleted in trans. We have examined a sample of 215 healthy subjects from four rural districts of Chiang Mai province. Out of these, 77 exhibited anomalies of the alpha-globin genes (alpha alpha/-alpha 3.7 in 36; -alpha 3.7/-alpha 3.7 in 3; -SEA in 30; alpha alpha/alpha CS alpha in 5; alpha alpha alpha anti 3.7 in 3). Therefore, no fewer than 2% of the children in northern Thailand are expected to be born with HbH disease or thalassemic hydrops fetalis. The considerable public health problem of hemoglobinopaties and the increasing acceptance of family planning necessitates facilities for the pre- and postnatal diagnosis of these disorders at the DNA level.