A mechanism of respiration-dependent water uptake enhanced by auxin

Summary There are many contradictory observations on the mechanohydraulic relation of growing higher plant cells and tissues. Graphical analysis of the simultaneous equations which govern irreversible wall yielding and water absorption has made more comprehensive the understanding of this relation when relative growth rate is plotted against turgor pressure. It suggests that some respiration-dependent and auxin sensitive process might regulate the difference of osmotic potential between cells and water source. Based on anatomical and electrophysiological knowledge of the pea stem xylem, we propose the wall canal system as the mechanism of respiration-dependent water uptake which is sensitive to auxin. This system consists of the xylem apoplastic walls, the xylem proton pumps, active solute uptake system and cell membranes. In the simplest case, third-order simultaneous differential equations are involved. Numerical analysis showed that net uptake of solutes enables water to be taken up against an opposing gradient of water potential. The behaviour of this wall canal system describes well the mechano-hydraulic relation of enlarging plant cells and tissues. Recent typical, but incompatible, interpretations of this relation are critically discussed based on our model.Abbreviations V the volume of enlarging symplast - the average extensibility of the wall - Pⁱ turgor pressure - Y the yield threshold of the wall - L the relative hydraulic conductance - the solute reflection coefficient of the plasmamembrane - Cⁱ the osmotic concentration of the symplast cells - C^x the osmotic concentration of the xylem vessels - P^x hydrostatic pressure in the xylem vessels - R the gas constant - T absolute temperature - ^o water potential of xylem fluid - ⁱ water potential of symplast cells     

刺激隐神经C类纤维诱发体感皮层电反应(平均诱发电位)

当猫的隐神经A类纤维单独兴奋时,可引起同侧脊髓背表面电位 A-SSP(潜伏期 2.6±0.4ms)和对侧体感皮层诱发电位 A-CEP。A-CEP由早成分(潜伏期 9.6±1 1ms)和晚成分(203.0±10.gms)组成。当 C类纤维选择性传入时,出现特异的 C-CEP(潜伏期 134.4±25.9ms)和C-SSP(115.8±15.6ms)。C-CEP的幅值较A-CEP 小,并随C类纤维传入的数量而改变。C-CEP的最大幅值位于后乙状回一定部位,多为负或正-负电位,在皮层深层其相位倒转。与A-CEP相比,C-CEP的中枢延搁时间较长,跟随频率较低,对镇痛药较敏感。表明C-CEP不同于A-CEP,它是由C类传入所引起的,是在体感皮层内产生的。当A类和C类纤维同时传入时,只有A-CEP和A-SSP出现,而不出现C-CEP和C-SSP。在阻断电流逐渐增强过程中,C-CEP较C-SSP后出现;而在撤销阻断过程中,则C-CEP较C-SSP先消失。提示C类传入在中枢可能被A类传入所抑制,这种抑制可以发生在脊髓和脊上水平,后者可能更强。     

Biochemical and autoradiographic studies of TRH receptors in sections of rabbit spinal cord

Receptors for thyrotropin-releasing hormone (pGlu-His-Pro-NH2, TRH) on thaw-mounted sections of rabbit spinal cord have been identified biochemically and visualized by light microscopic autoradiography. Binding of [3H] [3-Me-His2]TRH to 20 microns sections exhibited high apparent affinity and a pharmacological specificity almost identical to that previously demonstrated for spinal TRH receptors in membranes. In autoradiograms, the highest density of TRH receptors appeared in the substantia gelatinosa of the dorsal gray and around the central canal, with intermediate levels in the ventral gray.     

Substance P and enkephalin in transected axons of medulla and spinal cord

The accumulation of transported materials in cut axons is demonstrated by the light and electron microscopic immunocytochemical localization of substance P and enkephalin in the caudal medulla and cervical spinal cord of adult rat. Two days following unilateral knife-cuts in the caudal medulla or spinal (C2-C3) levels, substance P and enkephalin-like immunoreactivity (SPLI and ELI) are detected in lesioned axons located rostral and caudal to the transection. Rostrally, SPLI and ELI are detected in the lateral reticular region and ventrolateral fasciculus corresponding to the location of previously identified bulbospinal pathways. Caudally, previously unidentified, propriospinal pathways showing SPLI are detected in the dorsal columns and in the dorsolateral fasciculus. In contrast, ELI is found caudal to the transection only in the reticular region of the medulla. For both peptides, immunoreactivity is present throughout axons containing numerous large, dense core, and small clear vesicles. These results support the concept of both particulate and soluble modes of transport for substance P and enkephalin within axons of the central nervous system.     

Light and electronmicroscope study of one of the systems of centrifugal fibers found in the lamina of muscoid flies

Summary By combining the Golgi and the electronmicroscope techniques it has been possible to identify accurately the system of centrifugal fibers which arborizes in the lamina of muscoid flies forming the so-called nervous bags. Each of them originates from a single fiber entering the lamina at the site in which the second order and the long visual fibers leave it. This single fiber represents the peripheral portion of a T-shaped trunk stemming from a small neuronal body located in the external region of the medulla. The central branch terminates within the first synaptic field of this visual center.After entering the lamina the centrifugal fiber ramifies profusely and its branches can be seen climbing and synapsing on the surface of the photoreceptor axon endings. The synaptic loci show characteristic synaptic ribbons located within the nervous bag fibers. This fact suggests that direction of conduction is from the medulla to the lamina. This study has also revealed that the intramedullar terminals of the centrifugal fibers establish intimate contacts with one of the two second order fiber endings.This work was supported by Grant No. 618–67 (Mod No. 67–0618) of the Office of Aerospace Research, United States Air Force and by NIH grant NSO 866901.     

电针引起脊髓P物质释放的频率依赖性

我室以往的研究表明,不同频率的电针可引起脊髓释放不同种类的阿片肽。本工作观察Ｐ物质（ＳＰ）释放的频率依赖性,电针频率选择２,４,８,１５,３０和１００Ｈｚ,分别收集电针期间及电针前后各３０ｍｉｎ的脊髓灌流液,通过放射免疫方法测定大鼠电针有效组和电针无效组Ｐ物质免疫活性（ＳＰ－ｉｒ）．结果如下：（１）电针有效组：２Ｈｚ引起ＳＰ－ｉｒ降低,与电针前相比,Ｐ＜０．０１;４Ｈｚ电针前后ＳＰ－ｉｒ比较,无统计学意义;８,１５,３０,１００Ｈｚ时ＳＰ－ｉｒ均增加（Ｐ＜０．０１）,其中１５Ｈｚ时ＳＰ增加最多（Ｐ＜０．００１）,表明刺激引起ＳＰ释放有频率依赖性。（２）电针无效组：不论应用何种频率,电针前后脊髓灌流液中ＳＰ－ｉｒ变化不大（均Ｐ＞０．０５）。提示,电针时脊髓液中ＳＰ含量变化与镇痛效果有密切关系。     

The 21-aminosteroid U-74389F increases the number of glial fibrillary acidic protein-expressing astrocytes in the spinal cord of control and wobbler mice

Summary 1. Wobbler mice suffer an autosomal recessive mutation producing severe motoneuron degeneration and dense astrogliosis, with increased levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the spinal cord and brain stem. They have been considered animal models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and infantile spinal muscular atrophy. 2. Using Wobbler mice and normal littermates, we investigated the effects of the membrane-active steroid Lazaroid U-74389F on the number of GFAP-expressing astrocytes and glucocorticoid receptors (GR). Lazaroids are inhibitors of oxygen radical-induced lipid peroxidation, and proved beneficial in cases of CNS injury and ischemia. 3. Four days after pellet implantation of U-74389F into Wobbler mice, hyperplasia and hypertophy of GFAP-expressing astrocytes were apparent in the spinal cord ventral and dorsal horn, areas showing already intense astrogliosis in untreated Wobbler mice. In control mice, U-74389F also produced astrocyte hyperplasia and hypertophy in the dorsal horn and hyperplasia in the ventral-lateral funiculi of the cord. 4. Givenin vivo U-74389F did not change GR in spinal cord of Wobbler or control mice, in line with the concept that it is active in membranes but does not bind to GR. Besides, U-74390F did not compete for [³H]dexamethasone binding when addedin vitro. 5. The results suggest that stimulation of proliferation and size of GFAP-expressing astrocytes by U-74389F may be a novel mechanism of action of this compound. The Wobbler mouse may be a valuable animal model for further pharmacological testing of glucocorticoid and nonglucocorticoid steroids in neurodegenerative diseases.     

Spontaneous calcium transients regulate neuronal plasticity in developing neurons

Calcium ions play critical roles in neuronal differentiation. We have recorded transient, repeated elevations of calcium in embryonic Xenopus spinal neurons over periods of 1 h in vitro and in vivo, confocally imaging fluo 3-loaded cells at 5 s intervals. Calcium spikes and calcium waves are found both in neurons in culture and in the intact spinal cord. Spikes rise rapidly to approximately 400% of baseline fluorescence and have a double exponential decay, whereas waves rise slowly to approximately 200% of baseline fluorescence and decay slowly as well. Imaging of fura 2-loaded neurons indicates that intracellular calcium increases from 50 to 500 nM during spikes. Both spikes and waves are abolished by removal of extracellular calcium. Developmentally, the incidence and frequency of spikes decrease, whereas the incidence and frequency of waves are constant. Spikes are generated by spontaneous calcium-dependent action potentials and also utilize intracellular calcium stores. Waves are produced by a mechanism that does not involve classic voltage-dependent calcium channels. Spikes are required for expression of the transmitter GABA and for potassium channel modulation. Waves in growth cones are likely to regulate neurite extension. The results demonstrate the roles of a novel signaling system in regulating neuronal plasticity, that operates on a time scale 10⁴ times slower than that of action potentials. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

人脊髓创伤后神经元病变的神经丝免疫组织化学研究

本文用神经丝（ＮＦ）免疫组织化学方法在１５例人体尸检材料中研究了脊髓创伤后生存２ｈ～９Ｗ的脊髓神经元胞体和轴突的病理学改变。结果表明：脊髓创伤后２ｈ,神经丝免疫组织化学反应即可显示ＮＦ阳性反应产物在轴突内聚集。创伤后第４天,病变的前角运动神经元胞体内神经丝反应异常地增强。以上结果表明：神经丝免疫组织化学方法比常规显示轴突的染色方法能更早更清晰地显示脊髓内轴突的病变,并进一步证实了创伤后细胞骨架紊乱在神经元的病理发病机理中起重要作用。     

衣藻(Chlamydomonas sp)中间纤维及核纤层存在的证实(简报)

衣藻(Chlamydomonas sp)是属于绿藻门的最低等单细胞植物,为典型的真核生物。迄今以衣藻为材料所作的有关细胞骨架方面的研究多集中在微管蛋白(tubulin)。C.J.Miller等曾以衣藻(Chlamydomonas reinhardtii)全蛋白与几种中间纤维抗体进行免疫印迹实验有阳性反应,但是衣藻中是否存在中间纤维与核纤层是不清楚的问题。衣藻中间纤维与核纤层的形态研究更未见报道。目前认为中间纤维-核纤