Role of the central nervous system neuropeptides in body fluid homeostasis

Several peptides are produced by central nervous system neurons, many of these are involved in the control of body fluid homeostasis. The presence of neuropeptides in the median eminence and circumventricular organs, in the neurosecretory hypothalamic cell groups and in the baroreceptor centres are briefly summarized.     

Electricity and the Heart

The best place for students to begin to understand complex environmental relationships is in their own back yards. Doing investigations of ants allows students to establish a baseline survey of ant fauna, test the importance of ants in nutrient cycling and soil structure maintenance, and increase their understanding of the environment and their impact on it. The three inquiry-based activities in this article will guide your students to a deeper understanding of ants, ant behaviors and habitats, and the relationship of ants to the study of the environment.     

Cytology of the cerebrospinal fluid in primary malignant lymphomas of the central nervous system

Two cases of primary malignant lymphoma of the central nervous system are reported. Clinical and pathologic findings did not indicate systemic lymphomatous involvement of lymph nodes and bone marrow. The patients presented with different neurologic deficits. Cytologic examination of the cerebrospinal fluid was the first and most useful technique for establishing the diagnosis.     

Inflammatory and autoimmune diseases of the nervous system; possibilities of laboratory diagnostic methods in cerebrospinal fluid

Contemporary aspects of cerebrospinal fluid analysis are discussed, including the relationship to neuro-infective, autoimmune and other neurological diseases. The actual state of cerebrospinal fluid microbiological and cytological investigation and analysis of cerebrospinal fluid protein fractions are described in detail.     

Analysis of the experimental detection of central nervous system-related genes in human brain and cerebrospinal fluid datasets

Large-scale and high-throughput proteomics experiments of specific samples provide substantial amounts of identified proteins and peptides, which increasingly find their way into centralized, public data repositories. These data typically have potential beyond the analyses performed by the original authors, and can therefore provide considerable added value by being reused for specific, unexplored enquiries. We here reanalyze two CNS-related proteomics datasets, one from the HUPO's Brain Proteome Project, and one from a comprehensive analysis of cerebrospinal fluid in light of the expression of specific splice isoforms from CNS-related genes. We also evaluate the empirically observed peptides of interest against predictions of their proteotypic character.     

Cerebrospinal fluid cytology in immature teratoma of the central nervous system. A case report

The present case shows the usefulness of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cytology in the diagnosis of leptomeningeal dissemination by immature teratoma. The tumor arose in the thoracolumbar spinal cord of a 14-year-old male. The initial histopathologic diagnosis was made on the tumor tissue taken at laminectomy. Postoperatively, CSF cytology revealed epithelial cell clusters, scattered squamous epithelial cells and small bundles of striated muscle fibers in the background of many histiocytes and inflammatory cells. Although these cells showed only slight cytologic atypia, their presence in the subarachnoid space suggested the leptomeningeal spread of well-differentiated portions of the immature teratoma. The postmortem examination revealed the primary tumor in the spinal cord and multiple metastatic nodules in the brain.     

Clinical and laboratory comparisons of tetracycline penetration through the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier in central nervous system diseases]

The data on tetracycline penetration from the blood into the serebrospinal fluid of patients with different diseases of the central nervous system are presented. Clinico-laboratory comparisons showed that the antibiotic penetration did not depend on the character and severity of the main disease of the brain (tumor, trauma, abscess). No dependence on the surgical intervention was either found. The index of tetracycline penetration from the blood into the liquor did not depend on the drug administration route, i.e. intramuscularly or orally. The presence of the post-operative meningitis increased permeability of the brain membranes for tetracycline.     

Expression of microRNAs in cerebrospinal fluid of dogs with central nervous system disease

In this pilot study we investigated the expression of 14 microRNAs in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of dogs with neoplastic, inflammatory and degenerative disorders affecting the central nervous system (CNS). CSF microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles were compared to those from dogs with neurological signs but no evidence of structural or inflammatory CNS disease. Seven miRNAs were easily detected in all samples: miR-10b-5p, miR-19b, miR-21-5p, miR-30b-5p, miR-103a-3p, miR-124, and miR-128-3p. Expression of miR-10b-5p was significantly higher in the neoplastic group compared to other groups. There was no relation between miRNA expression and either CSF nucleated cell count or CSF protein content. Higher expression of miR-10b-5p in the neoplastic group is consistent with previous reports in human medicine where aberrant expression of miR-10b is associated with various neoplastic diseases of the CNS.     

Critical evaluation of the biological role of IgM in cerebrospinal fluid in inflammatory and other diseases of the nervous system

In a group of 10,156 patients with neurological diseases, the IgM level was assessed (using laser nephelometry) both in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum; concentration of other 17 protein fractions was also simultaneously determined: albumin, immunoglobulins, acute phase reactants, complement components, apolipoproteins, proteinase inhibitors and alpha1-microglobulin. Total protein, element counts and glucose level were also evaluated. In patients with normal CSF findings, only limited statistically significant correlations were demonstrated between IgM and other CSF protein fractions while, in the group of patients with pathological CSF findings, significant correlations were found between CSF(IgM) and other immunoglobulins, complement fractions and the rate of intrathecal synthesis of immunoglobulins. Correlations were also found between CSF(IgM) and CSF antithrombin-III and alpha1-microglobulin. Correlations between CSF(IgM) and CSF apolipoproteins support the theory of CNS tissue destruction whenever the concentration of CSF apolipoproteins is elevated. Our data substantially contribute to establishing the diagnosis in patients with neurological diseases; simultaneous measurement of a high number of CSF proteins is becoming inevitable for a reasonable assessment of the CSF Protein Status.