Quests for cures: A history of tourism for climate and health

This paper creates a framework for the study of the history of tourism for climate and health. It traces the ways in which people have both moved away from detrimental health conditions and towards places thought to provide climatic cures. It brings to light the complex issues that have affected the course of the tourist trade. In this way it helps to explain that the modern geographical distribution of the highly fashionable resort areas of the world owe a great deal to past and present interpretations of the HippocraticCorpus.     

Quantitation and Characterization of Peptides from the C-Terminal Flanking Region of Rat and Bovine Preprotachykinins

Sequence analysis of cDNAs has shown that the biosynthetic precursors of substance P (alpha-, beta-, and gamma-preprotachykinins) contain a common amino acid sequence in the C-terminal flanking region that has not been conserved between species. Antisera have been raised against the synthetic peptide Tyr-Glu-Arg-Ser-Ala-Met-Gln-Asn-Tyr-Glu, which represents rat beta-preprotachykinin-(117-126)-peptide, and used in radioimmunoassays. Antiserum R50 reacted strongly with C-flanking peptides in extracts of rat and bovine tissues whereas antiserum GP-4 reacted only with the rat peptides. The primary structure of the predominant molecular form of preprotachykinin C-flanking peptide in an extract of bovine corpus striatum was established as: Ala-Leu-Asn-Ser-Val5-Ala-Tyr-Glu-Arg-Ser10-Val-Met-Gln-Asp-Tyr1 5-Glu. This sequence represents beta-preprotachykinin-(111-126)-peptide which is equivalent to gamma-preprotachykinin-(96-111)-peptide. A C-flanking peptide with similar chromatographic properties was identified in extracts of rat brain and gut together with a second immunoreactive component that may represent a fragment or a posttranslationally modified variant. A peptide corresponding to the 37-amino-acid residue C-flanking peptide derived from alpha-preprotachykinin was not detected in the extracts as expected from the known low abundance of alpha-preprotachykinin mRNA in rat brain and gut.     

Argentinian plant extracts with relaxant effect on the smooth muscle of the corpus cavernosum of Guinea pig

Extracts of different polarity from Baccharis trimera, Haplopappus rigidus Huperzia saururus, Maytenus ilicifolia, Satureja parvifolia and Senecio eriophyton were tested for their relaxant activity on smooth muscle using L-phenylephrine precontracted strips of corpus cavernosum obtained from Guinea pigs. Highly significant and dose dependent results were obtained with the dichloromethane extracts of H. saururus (87% of relaxation at the dose of 10 mg/ml), S. parvifolia (95% of relaxation at 2.5 mg/ml) and S. eriophyton (94% of relaxation at 5 mg/ml). Similar effects were observed with the methanol extracts of H. saururus (88% of relaxation at 10 mg/ml) and S. parvifolia (84% of relaxation at 10 mg/ml). These results were comparable to those obtained with the dichloromethane and methanol extracts of the well known Mexican species Turnera diffusa. Moreover, the aqueous extract of H. rigidus and the aqueous and methanol extracts of S. eriophyton were highly effective in a dose dependent manner (more than 90% of relaxation at the dose of 10 mg/ml). Significant results, but with a lower overall relaxant activity (about 70% of relaxation at 10 mg/ml), could also be obtained with the aqueous extract of S. parvifolia and with the dichlormethane and methanol extracts of B. trimera and M. ilicifolia. The positive controls with Sildenafil citrate at doses ranging from 0.35 to 35 microg/ml yielded moderate effects (up to 46% of relaxation at 35 microg/ml). The effects observed in the present study seem to validate the folk medicinal use of the tested plants and open new ways in the search for natural products with vasodilatory effects.     

Canine prostaglandin F2alpha receptor (FP) and prostaglandin F2alpha synthase (PGFS): molecular cloning and expression in the corpus luteum

In the dog luteolysis is not affected by hysterectomy. This observation led to the hypothesis that paracrine/autocrine rather than endocrine mechanisms of PGF2alpha are responsible for luteal regression in the dioestric bitch. The present experiments tested for the capacity of canine CL to produce and respond to PGF2alpha by qualitatively and quantitatively determining the expressions of PGFS, the enzyme converting PGH2 into PGF2alpha, and the PGF2alpha-receptor (FP) in CL of non-pregnant dogs during dioestrus. Canine PGFS and FP were isolated and cloned; both genes show a high homology (82-94%) when compared to those of other species. Relatively weak FP mRNA expression was detected on day 5 of dioestrus. It had increased by day 25 and remained constant thereafter. In situ hybridization (ISH) localized FP solely to the cytoplasm of the luteal cells, suggesting that these cells are the only luteal targets of PGF2alpha in this species. Only negative results were obtained for the expression of PGFS in canine CL by routine qualitative RT-PCR. When Real Time (TaqMan) PCR was applied, repetitively more negative than positive results were obtained at all timepoints. Any positive measurements observed at any point were neither repeatable nor related to the stage of dioestrus. This led us to conclude that expression of PGFS is either absent or present at very low level only. These data suggest that luteal regression in non-pregnant bitches is not modulated by PGF2alpha. However, the FP seems to be constitutionally expressed, explaining the receptivity of canine CL to exogenous PGF2alpha.     

Neural control of the corpus allatum in the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata: An electron microscope study utilizing the in vitro tannic acid Ringer incubation method

The release of material from neurosecretory synapses in the corpora allata of the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata was visualised by an electron microscope procedure which involved tissue incubation in tannic acid. Using morphometry, the frequency of exocytosis phenomena was quantified in beetles kept under two different photoregimes. The number of exocytosis phenomena in the neurosecretory synapses in the corpora allata of beetles kept under short days was significantly higher than that of beetles reared under long-day conditions. In addition, the corpus allatum gland cells appeared to be more richly innervated by neurosecretory synapses under short-day than under long-day conditions. Previous studies using the in vitro radiochemical assay showed that the corpus allatum activity of short-day beetles is at least partly restrained by neurally mediated factors. The present morphological data strongly imply that this corpus allatum inhibitory substance is released from the neurosecretory synapses.     

刺激大鼠右侧胼胝体激活对侧尾壳核-海马癫痫相关性神经网络

目的：探讨慢性激活右侧胼胝体(corpus callosum,CC)重建对侧尾壳核(caudate-putamen,CPu)-海马(hippocam-pus,HPC)癫痫网络的跨半球机制。方法：SD大鼠50只。慢性强直电刺激(60Hz,0．4～0．6mA,2s)右侧CC(chronic tetanization of the rignt CC,CTRCC),一天一次,8d后再次施加强直电刺激,同步记录左侧CPu(LCPu)和左侧HPC(LHPC)电图。结果：CTRCC①引起LCPu和LHPC出现深部电波的交互性抑制现象,LCPu电图出现持续尖波发放时交互抑制现象消失。②诱发LCPu和LHPC电图出现癫痫点燃现象。③未引起大鼠LCPu和LH-PC电图点燃时,急性强直电刺激可诱发LCPu出现高幅失律,压抑LHPC具有频率特征的尖波连续发放。④联合运用慢性和急性强直电刺激可诱导LCPu或LHPC电图出现原发性后放。结论：慢性激活ROC可促进对侧CPu-HPC癫痫网络的重建。形成新的癫痫病灶。