Effect of surface boundary on neuronal magnetic stimulation

The effect of the surface boundary between free space and a conducting medium on the excitation properties of neurons by magnetic fields are analyzed. The electric field and the spatial derivative of the induced field generated by a coil mounted both parallel and perpendicular to the surface of a semi-infinite conducting medium were calculated using the method of images. An imaginary axon is located in the same relative position from the coil in both configurations and the excitation properties are compared. The calculations are expressed in terms of the activating function for the electrical stimulation of axons. The calculations indicate that the activating function for magnetic stimulation is biphasic as opposed to triphasic for electrical stimulation. The large spatial extent of the magnetically induced electric field compared to the electric field generated by point source electrode suggests a different mode of excitation for neuronal structures in the CNS. The field distribution have been verified experimentally and are important for the understanding of the mechanisms of magnetic stimulation of neural tissue.     

Comparison of the glucose-lowering properties of vanadyl sulfate and bis(maltolato)oxovanadium(IV) following acute and chronic administration

The possibility that progesterone or estradiol may regulate expression of G protein in the rat myometrium during the course of pregnancy has been investigated using 1) immunoblot analysis of Gi2 alpha, Gi3 alpha, and Gq alpha subunits and 2) hybridization blot analysis of subunit mRNA. Eighteen hours after administration, estradiol had significantly increased the levels of both Gi2 alpha subunit and Gi2 alpha mRNA (by 40% and 32%, respectively). In control pregnant rats, we observed similar changes at the end of pregnancy, when myometrial concentrations of estradiol had increased, i.e., a 41% increase in immunoreactive Gi2 alpha subunit that correlated with a parallel 45% increase in mRNA levels. In contrast, levels of immunoreactive Gi3 alpha subunit and mRNA, which decreased with advancing gestation, were not influenced by estradiol or progesterone administration. Progesterone administration resulted 30 h later in a significantly decreased level of Gq alpha immunoreactivity (32%) and Gq alpha mRNA (30%). In control rats, Gq alpha protein and mRNA were also significantly lower at midpregnancy under progesterone dominance vs. term. At this stage, a twofold increase in Gq alpha subunit correlated with a 40% increase in mRNA levels. These results demonstrate that myometrial Gi2 alpha and Gq alpha subunits are physiological targets for estradiol and progesterone, respectively, in vivo. Alterations of these G protein levels are discussed in relation to their mediating effects on adenylyl cyclase activity or the phospholipase C pathway during the course of pregnancy.     

The gene encoding human glutathione synthetase (GSS) maps to the long arm of chromosome 20 at band 11.2

Two forms of glutathione synthetase deficiency have been described. While one form is mild, causing hemolytic anemia, the other more severe form causes 5-oxo-prolinuria with secondary neurological involvement. Despite the existence of two deficiency phenotypes, Southern blots hybridized with a glutathione synthetase cDNA suggest that there is a single glutathione synthetase gene in the human genome. Analysis of somatic cell hybrids showed the human glutathione synthetase gene (GSS) to be located on chromosome 20, and this assignment has been refined to subband 20q11.2 using in situ hybridization.