Substance P modulates NMDA responses and causes long-term protein synthesis-dependent modulation of the lamprey locomotor network

Tachykinin immunoreactivity is found in a ventromedial spinal plexus in the lamprey. Neurons in this plexus project bilaterally and are thus in a position to modulate locomotor networks on both sides of the spinal cord. We have examined the effects of the tachykinin substance P on NMDA-evoked locomotor activity. Brief (10 min) application of tachykinin neuropeptides results in a prolonged concentration-dependent (>24 hr) modulation of locomotor activity, shown by the increased burst frequency and more regular burst activity. These effects are blocked by the tachykinin antagonist spantide II. There are at least two phases to the burst frequency modulation. An initial phase (approximately 2 hr) is associated with the protein kinase C-dependent potentiation of cellular responses to NMDA. The long-lasting phase (>2 hr) appears to be protein synthesis-dependent, with protein synthesis inhibitors causing the increased burst frequency to recover after washing for 2-3 hr. The modulation of the burst regularity is caused by a separate effect of tachykinins, because unlike the burst frequency modulation it does not require the modulation of NMDA receptors for its induction and is blocked by H8, an inhibitor of cAMP- and cGMP-dependent protein kinases. The effects of substance P were mimicked by the dopamine D2 receptor antagonist eticlopride. The effects of eticlopride were blocked by the tachykinin antagonist spantide II, suggesting that eticlopride may endogenously release tachykinins. Because locomotor activity in vitro corresponds to that during swimming in intact animals, we suggest that endogenously released tachykinins will result in prolonged modulation of locomotor behavior.     

Endothelium-dependent effect of perindopril and enalaprilat in rat thoracic aorta

AIM: To study the effect of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors perindopril (Per) and enalaprilat (Ena) on the reactivity of the endothelium in normal rats. METHODS: Male rats were treated intragastrically with Per (2 mg.kg-1.d-1) or placebo (n = 18) for 6 wk. Aorta was isolated for experiment. Another set of isolated aortic rings with and without endothelium were incubated with Ena (0.1 mumol.L-1) for 30 min. Responses to acetylcholine, serotonin, phenylephrine, sodium nitroprusside (SN), and nitroglycerin (Nit) were observed. RESULTS: Endothelium-dependent relaxation to acetylcholine was augmented in aortic rings from rats treated with Per in comparison with control. The IC50 value (95% confidence limits) decreased from 3.8 (0.56-26.1) mumol.L-1 (control group) to 0.98 (0.28-3.41) mumol.L-1 (Per-treated group). The maximal relaxation was augmented from 62 +/- 9% to 78 +/- 10% (P < 0.01). However, the responses to the endothelium-independent vasodilators, SN and Nit, were similar. Serotonin- and phenylephrine-induced contractions were decreased, which were influenced by basal release of endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF). EC50 values was 6.1 (2.6-14.4) nmol.L-1 vs 8.3 (3.6-18.8) nmol.L-1 in comparison with control group and Per-treated group. The maximal contraction was decreased from 2.42 +/- 0.29 g (control group) to 1.96 +/- 0.25 g (treated group) (P < 0.01). Similar results were found in incubation with Ena. CONCLUSION: Ena and Per enhanced the basic release of EDRF from vascular endothelium.     

Neuronal migration disorders increase susceptibility to hyperthermia-induced seizures in developing rats

PURPOSE: Retrospective studies suggest that adult patients with intractable epilepsy may have a history of febrile seizures in childhood. Risk factors for a febrile seizure may include the rate of increase in the core temperature (T-core), its peak (Tmax), the duration of the temperature increase, or an underlying brain pathology. Recently, neuronal migration disorders (NMD) have been diagnosed with increasing frequency in patients with epilepsy, but the link between NMD, febrile seizures, and epilepsy is unclear. We studied rat pups rendered hyperthermic to ascertain the incidence of seizures, mortality, and extent of hippocampal cell loss in each group. METHODS: We exposed 14-day-old rat pups with experimentally induced NMD (n = 39) and age-matched controls (n = 30) to hyperthermia (core body temperature > 42 degrees C). RESULTS: The incidence of hyperthermia-induced behavioral seizures and mortality rate were significantly higher in rats with NMD than in controls (p < 0.05). The longer duration of hyperthermia resulted in a higher incidence of behavioral seizures and higher mortality rate (p < 0.05). In rats with NMD, hyperthermia resulted in hippocampal pyramidal cell loss independent of seizure activity; the extent of neuronal damage correlated positively with the duration of hyperthermia. In control rats, occasional neuronal loss and astrocytosis occurred only after prolonged hyperthermia. CONCLUSIONS: In immature rats, NMD lower the threshold to hyperthermia-induced behavioral seizures and hyperthermia in the presence of NMD may cause irreversible hippocampal neuronal damage.     

Optimization of a Ductile-Particle-Toughened Ceramic

The nature of the interfacial bond has a major effect on the degree of toughening that can be achieved in a ductile-particle-reinforced ceramic-matrix composite. The effect of variation of oxygen partial pressure during fabrication on the bonding in an alumina-nickel composite has been investigated. Calculations suggest that wetting of alumina by nickel should always be accompanied by spinel (NiAl₂O₄ formation. A range of microstructures within a single specimen have been produced, however, indicating that wetting occurs more rapidly than spinel formation and that reduction of oxygen partial pressure during the hot-pressing process can prevent spinel formation after wetting has occurred. Within this specimen, interfaces that have been formed under nonwetting conditions or conditions under which spinel formation has occurred are weak, whereas wetting without spinel formation produces chemically strengthened and mechanically interlocked interfaces that lead to crack interaction with the metallic particles and a higher toughening increment than for other microstructures. Subsequent specimens fabricated from preconsolidation-heat-treated powder exhibit favorable microstructures throughout, are tougher, and show more-desirable resistance-curve behavior in double-cantilever-beam tests than specimens produced from unreacted powder.     

激光诱导H_2S催化裂解制备H_2的研究

在室温常压静态条件下研究了以Ｖ２Ｏ５／ＴｉＯ２为催化剂，紫外脉冲激光诱导Ｈ２Ｓ催化分解为Ｈ２和Ｓ的反应及其机理。考察了产氢量与激光不同照射条件之间的关系。     

Ahch, the mouse homologue of DAX1: cloning, characterization and synteny with GyK, the glycerol kinase locus

We cloned the murine full-length cDNA encoding Ahch, the mouse homologue of DAX1 (DSS-AHC Region on Human X Chromosome, Gene1) which is the gene responsible for human X-linked adrenal hypoplasia congenita (AHC) and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH). Sequence analysis revealed that the murine and human cDNAs have 65% aa identity and 75% aa similarity overall. The cysteine residues in the putative DNA binding domain, which may interact with Zn2+ ions to form zinc fingers, are 100% conserved between the two species, indicating that the novel zinc-finger structures in DAX1 may be functional. In addition, mouse interspecific backcrosses show that the Ahch gene is closely linked to the glycerol kinase locus, GyK, on the mouse X chromosome, indicating that the order of the loci is conserved in this syntenic region between mouse and human.     

Monte Carlo simulation of light scattering from magnetic fluids asa function of the particle chain width

Light scattering from a magnetic fluid in a strong magnetic field is simulated in this article on the basis of the Monte Carlo method, where the scattering effects of the anisotropic chains formed under the influence of the magnetic field play the most important role in scattering the incident light. The distribution of the widths of the chains is believed to follow a normal distribution pattern in a given area [W_min, W_max] where (W_min and W_max are the minimum and maximum widths of the chains in the sample, respectively. The simulated curve is compared with that based on the experimental results obtained under the same conditions and the two agree well. The influences of both the expectation and the deviation of the distribution which the widths of the chains follow on light scattering are also simulated, respectively, and conclusions are drawn     

Thermal and nonequilibrium responses of superconductors for radiation detectors

This work summarizes the progress in the study of the superconductor response to optical radiation and in the development of infrared detectors. The recent advances in the design of high-T _c superconducting radiation detectors using silicon microfabrication technology are emphasized. Thermal and optical properties important for the detector performance are discussed. The mechanism of the nonequilibrium optical response and its potential use to build fast and sensitive radiation detectors are described. Future challenges and opportunities in the development of high-T _c superconducting radiation detectors are highlighted.