Physiological and morphological heterogeneity of dentate gyrus-hilus interneurons in the gerbil hippocampus in vivo

A variety of morphological types of dentate gyrus/hilus interneurons have been described, but little is known about their corresponding physiological characteristics. To address this issue, intracellular responses to current injection and perforant path stimulation were obtained from putative dentate interneurons in anaesthetized adult gerbils. Our sample of interneurons showed heterogeneity in their intrinsic physiological characteristics and spike thresholds to perforant path stimulation, suggesting the existence of distinct physiologically-defined classes. 'Fast-spiking' interneurons had a low threshold to perforant path stimulation, whereas 'slow-spiking' interneurons responded with predominantly inhibitory potentials. In several cases, cells were intracellularly labelled with biocytin for visualization. Interneurons with different physiological traits had distinct morphological features. These results confirm that, as in hippocampus proper, morphologically identifiable interneurons in the dentate hilus show electrophysiological features that are likely to reflect functionally specific roles in informational processing.     

Rates of reinfection with Echinococcus granulosus, Taenia hydatigena, taenia ovis and other cestodes in a rural dog population in Uruguay

Forced thinking is an incompletely understood and rarely described epileptic aura. We studied three patients with forced thinking from left frontal lesions, two neoplastic and one vascular. All three experienced repetitive, intrusive thoughts at the onset of seizures. Their forced thinking was associated with the desire to vocalize, orobuccal movements, and speech arrest. The episodes occurred with other ictal manifestations and responded to antiseizure therapy. These patients suggest that epileptic forced thinking is a heterogeneous phenomenon; forced thinking from left frontal lesions is a manifestation of expressive language and is distinct from experiential thoughts arising from temporal limbic foci.     

The diastolic debate: is it time to discard Korotkoff phase IV in favour of phase V for blood pressure measurements in pregnancy?

The IgE-mediated allergic response involves a series of physiological pathways that result in the array of symptoms commonly associated with allergy. This article describes the mediators that prompt specific clinical responses and identifies those at risk for latex hypersensitivity.     

Phenotypic analysis of antigen-specific T lymphocytes

Identification and characterization of antigen-specific T lymphocytes during the course of an immune response is tedious and indirect. To address this problem, the peptide-major histocompatability complex (MHC) ligand for a given population of T cells was multimerized to make soluble peptide-MHC tetramers. Tetramers of human lymphocyte antigen A2 that were complexed with two different human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-derived peptides or with a peptide derived from influenza A matrix protein bound to peptide-specific cytotoxic T cells in vitro and to T cells from the blood of HIV-infected individuals. In general, tetramer binding correlated well with cytotoxicity assays. This approach should be useful in the analysis of T cells specific for infectious agents, tumors, and autoantigens.     

Variable distributions of Ca(2+)-permeable and Ca(2+)-impermeable AMPA receptors on embryonic rat dorsal horn neurons

1. By measuring the apparent reversal potential (aErev) of kainate- and alpha-amino-3-hydroxyl-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA)-evoked currents associated with changes in extracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]e), we have been able to identify embryonic dorsal horn neurons grown in tissue culture that express Ca(2+)-permeable non-N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptors. 2. The relative expression of Ca(2+)-permeable and Ca(2+)-impermeable non-NMDA receptors varies from cell to cell. This was evident from the range of a ErevS observed for kainate-evoked currents in a 0 mM [Na+]e, 10 mM [Ca2+]e bath. Under these conditions, aErev ranged from -96 to -21 mV, suggesting that the percentage of the non-NMDA receptors on each neuron that are Ca(2+)-permeable is variable. 3. To determine the extent to which the variability in aErev is due to variable receptor expression rather than experimental variability, we compared the effects of changes in [Ca2+]e on kainate-evoked currents and NMDA-evoked currents on the same cells. Assuming that all of the NMDA receptors on each neuron have a similar Ca2+ permeability, this approach provides an index of the sensitivity of our assay system. The reversal potential of NMDA-evoked currents in 10 mM [Ca2+]e ranged from -30 to -7 mV, whereas on the same population of neurons, the aErev of kainate-evoked currents ranged from -92 to -40 mV. 4. The rectification properties of the non-NMDA currents were generally linear or outwardly rectifying in normal bath solution. When the PCa/PCs ratio in 0 mM [Na+]e, 10 mM [Ca2+]e bath solution was assessed as a function of the rectification index in standard bath, a poor correlation was found between Ca2+ permeability and the rectification index. 5. The aErev of kainate-evoked currents was similar to that of cyclothiazide-enhanced AMPA-evoked currents observed on the same cells (-66.5 +/- 18.4 and -64.0 +/- 13.9 mV, mean +/- SD, respectively). This suggests that kainate is primarily activating the AMPA receptor and that the majority of non-NMDA receptors on embryonic dorsal horn neurons in culture are high-affinity AMPA receptors. 6. Immunocytochemical evidence suggests that the AMPA receptor subunits GluR1-4 are expressed to a variable degree from cell to cell in our cultures. We found evidence for low levels of expression of the kainate receptor subunits GluR5-7. The immunocytochemical observations support the physiological data indicating that much of the kainate-evoked current recorded in our experiments can be accounted for by kainate activation of AMPA receptors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Meniscal regeneration in the long-term after total meniscectomy?

A cohort of 39 patients (28 male, 11 female) that had undergone total meniscectomy as adolescents (mean age 16 years) underwent FISP 3D Magnetic Resonance Imaging at a mean follow up of 30 years. The presence of meniscal tissue was assessed by two independent observers blinded to the operation details. The volume of any meniscal tissue present was calculated. A posterior horn remnant was seen in 57% of medial and 45% of lateral meniscectomy cases. The mean volume of an operated medial meniscal remnant was 0.29 mL compared with a mean volume of 1.15 mL for an intact medial meniscus. The mean volume of an operated lateral meniscal remnant was 0.30 mL compared with 1.07 mL for an intact lateral meniscus. We have shown that the incidence of incomplete excision of the posterior horn is more common after total medial meniscectomy, and that at a mean follow up of 30 years there is no convincing in vivo MRI evidence of long-term meniscal regeneration.     

Fat and female fecundity: prospective study of effect of body fat distribution on conception rates

OBJECTIVES: To study the effect of body fat distribution in women of reproductive age on fecundity. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study of all women who had entered a donor insemination programme. SETTING: One fertility clinic serving a large part of the midwest of the Netherlands. SUBJECTS: Of 542 women attending the clinic for artificial insemination for the first time, 500 women were eligible for study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Probability of conception per cycle and number of insemination cycles before pregnancy or stopping treatment. RESULTS: A 0.1 unit increase in waist-hip ratio led to a 30% decrease in probability of conception per cycle (hazard ratio 0.706; 95% confidence interval 0.562 to 0.887) after adjustment for age, fatness, reasons for artificial insemination, cycle length and regularity, smoking, and parity. Increasing age was significantly related to lower fecundity (p < 0.05); very lean and obese women were less likely to conceive (p < 0.10) as were women with subfertile partners (p < 0.10). All other exposure variables were not significantly related to fecundity. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing waist-hip ratio is negatively associated with the probability of conception per cycle, before and after adjustment for confounding factors. Body fat distribution in women of reproductive age seems to have more impact on fertility than age or obesity.     

Characterization of platelet-activating factor synthesis in glomerular endothelial cell lines

Platelet-activating factor synthesis in two transformed lines of glomerular endothelial cells was characterized and contrasted with platelet-activating factor production in macrovascular-derived endothelial cells as well as with glomerular cells of mesenchymal origin. Platelet-activating factor synthesis was assessed in intact cells and in cell-free preparations. Glomerular endothelial cells constitutively synthesize bio-active alkyl-PAF, and this basal activity can be chronically augmented by various inflammatory and thrombotic agents. In contrast, thrombin-mediated platelet-activating factor formation in bovine pulmonary aortic endothelial cells as well as in glomerular mesangial cells is acute and transient. The potential role of anti-inflammatory prostanoids to function as negative feedback modulators of thrombin- or endothelin-mediated platelet-activating factor synthesis was also investigated, as the synthesis of platelet-activating factor is often associated with the formation of these prostanoids. Indomethacin augmented receptor-mediated platelet-activating factor synthesis while prostanoids of the E and I series reduced agonist-stimulated PAF synthesis. In summary, the unique capacity of glomerular endothelial cells to respond to inflammatory stimuli with sustained platelet-activating factor synthesis is a clear indication of this cell's pivotal role in augmenting the inflammatory response in the limited environment of the glomerulus.