降低外淋巴钙浓度对耳锅电位的影响

本实验在人工灌流条件下降低鼓阶外淋巴钙的浓度,观察其对听神经动作电位、耳蜗微音器电位以及蜗内直流电位的影响,以分析钙离子的作用机制,无钙液鼓阶灌流使ＣＡＰ、ＣＭ幅度可逆地下降,但不明显地改变ＣＡＰ Ｉ／Ｏ曲线的非线性特征。无钙外淋巴灌流并不改变ＥＰ以及用缺氧法得到的负相ＥＰ（Ｎ－ＥＰ）,但使ＥＰ对强声给－撒时的快速变化趋于消失。本文这些耳锅生物电改变所提示的钙离子作用的可能机制。     

提高外淋巴钙浓度对耳蜗电位的影响

本实验以人工外淋巴灌流方式,提高豚鼠耳蜗外淋巴液钙离子浓度（［Ｃａ２＋］ＰＬ）,观察蜗内直流电位（ＥＰ）和耳蜗电图（ＥＣｏｃｈＧ）的变化,ＥＣｏｃｈＧ包括听神经复合动作电位（ＣＡＰ）、耳蜗微音电位（ＣＭ）。结果可见：高钙灌流明显抑制ＣＡＰ幅值,延长同一声强下（９０ｄＢＳＰＬ）Ｎ１－峰潜伏期,但不改变ＣＭ的幅值及总和ＥＰ（Ｇ－ＥＰ）。高钙灌流降低了ＥＰ对噪声的给－撤声反应（ＥＰ－ＯＮ,ＥＰ－ＯＦＦ）和缺氧所得到的最大负ＥＰ（Ｎ－ＥＰ）绝对值。本文分析了外淋巴高钙影响耳蜗电位的可能机制。     

腺苷对豚鼠蜗内直流电位的影响

用外淋巴灌流给药方法,观察了腺苷及其摄取抑制剂对嘧啶氨醇、以及腺苷受体拮抗剂茶碱对豚鼠蜗内直流电位（ＥＰ）的影响,并进行了耳蜗组织学观察。发现腺苷对ＥＰ有明显压抑作用,氧法观察负ＥＰ（Ｎ－ＥＰ）无明显改变;灌流双嘧啶氨醇,增加内源性腺苷,出现相似变化;灌流茶碱则使ＥＰ升高。本文讨论了腺苷对ＥＰ可能作用机制。     

无Ca^2＋外淋巴灌流对短时噪声听损伤的作用

已有报道Ｃａ２＋在噪声所致耳蜗病理损伤中起重要作用。本实验比较采用不含Ｃａ２＋人工外淋巴鼓阶灌流和对照灌流耳蜗在接受到１１５ｄＢＳＰＬ白噪声暴露１ｈ后耳蜗各种生物电反应的差异,以探索降低外淋巴Ｃａ２＋浓度是否能减轻噪声所致的听觉损伤。结果提示,用无Ｃａ２＋外淋巴降低鼓阶Ｃａ２＋浓度可部分压抑耳蜗声电响应,但强噪声所致的耳蜗功能损伤将减轻。本文在多种电生理指标的综合分析中对此种低Ｃａ２＋保护的机制做了初步探讨。     

ET—1,NO和缺氧对肺动脉平滑肌细胞钙内流及胶原合成的影响

肺血管平滑肌细胞是肺血管收缩反应的主要执行者,也是肺血管结构重建的重要参与者。本研究观察了内皮素－１（ＥＴ－１）一氧化氮（ＮＯ）和缺氧对培养的新生小牛肺动脉平滑肌细胞（ＰＡＳＭＣ）钙内流以及胶原合成的影响,结果表明ＥＴ－１和缺氧可促进ＰＡＳＭＣ的钙内流;ＮＯ供应剂硝普钠（ＳＭＰ）可抑制ＥＴ－１诱导的钙内流,其作用呈剂量依赖性,ＳＮＰ还可以剂量依赖地抑制了ＰＡＳＭＣ的胶原合成,而缺氧可促进ＰＡＳＭＣ     

轻稀土离子对钙调蛋白激活的磷酸二酯酶活力作用的影响

研究了轻稀土离子（Ｌｎ３＋）对钙调蛋白（ＣａＭ）调控的磷酸二酯酶（ＰＤＥ）活力的影响。结果表明,在无Ｃａ２＋的ＣａＭ（Ａｐｏ—ＣａＭ）体系中,由ＣａＭ调节的ＰＤＥ的活力随Ｌｎ３＋浓度的变化曲线是双相效应,即在高浓度时,Ｌｎ３＋具有抑制ＣａＭ调节ＰＤＥ活力的能力;低浓度的Ｌｎ３＋可以提高ＣａＭ调节ＰＤＥ活力的能力。在Ｃａ２＋４－ＣａＭ－ＰＤＥ体系中,高浓度的Ｌｎ３＋的加入能抑制ＣｈＭ调节ＰＤＥ活力的能力,其抑制程度因其离子不同而异。ＣａＭ的两类拮抗剂ＪｕＡ（非竞争性抑制剂）和ＴＦＰ（竞争性抑制剂）都能抑制ＣａＭ－Ｌｎ３＋－ＰＤＥ系统的活性。最后对Ｌｎ３＋和ＣａＭ相互作用的分子机制进行了初步的讨论。     

缺氧时肺动脉内皮细胞与肺动脉平滑肌细胞增殖的相互影响

血管内皮细胞和血管平滑细胞在结构和功能上关系密切,两者的相互在与血管舒缩笔血和壁结构。本文观察了培养的小牛肺动脉内皮细胞（ＰＡＥＣｓ）和肺动平滑肌细胞（ＰＡＳＭＣＳ）缺氧时在细胞增殖方面的相互影响。ＰＡＳＭＣＳ常氧条件培养基（ＣＭ）可使ＰＡＥＣＳ的＾３Ｈ－ＴｄＲ掺入降低约５８％,缺氧ＣＭ对ＰＡＥＣＳ的＾３Ｈ－ＴｄＲ掺入无明显的抑制作用;ＰＡＥＣＳ的常氧ＣＭ使ＰＡＳＭＳ的＾３Ｈ－ＴｄＲ掺入升高约６０     

褪黑素对大鼠中脑导水管周围灰质内阿片肽释放的影响

本文采用推挽灌流技术、放射免疫测定法,观察褪黑素（ｍｅｌａｔｏｎｉｎ,ＭＥＬ）对大鼠中脑导水管周围灰质（ＰＡＧ）推挽灌流液中β－内啡肽（β－Ｅｐ）、亮氨酸脑啡肽（Ｌ－ＥＫ）含量的影响,以探讨ＭＥＬ镇痛效应的中枢机制。结果显示,给药组大鼠腹腔注射（ｉｐ）ＭＥＬ１１０ｍｇ／ｋｇ后３０－５０ｍｉｎ,ＰＡＧ灌流液中β－Ｅｐ含量显著增加,而Ｌ－ＥＫ含量未见显著变化;在推挽灌流同时用５０℃热水刺激甩尾法测定痛     

内皮素－1对缺氧肺动脉平滑肌细胞的增殖作用

内皮素（ＥＴ）是至今所发现的最强的内源性血管收缩肽,近年来发现ＥＴ－１能促进血管平滑肌细胞增殖。本研究表明ＥＴ－１对缺氧培养的肺动脉平滑肌细胞（ＰＡＳＭＣ）有剂量依赖的增殖作用,缺氧可促进ＰＡＳＭＣ的ＤＮＡ合成且增加ＥＴ－１的丝裂原作用。ＥＴ－１的丝裂原作用主要由其Ａ型受体（ＥＴＲ＿Ａ）所介导,ＥＴＲ＿Ａ的特异拮抗剂ＢＱ１２３可显著抑制缺氧以及缺氧与ＥＴ－１协同所产生的增殖作用,而且发现ＥＴＲ＿Ａ在缺氧培养的ＰＡＳＭＣ中的表达显著高于常氧对照组ＰＡＳＭＣ。本研究表明ＥＴ－１参与了缺氧性肺动脉结构重组,而缺氧可增强ＰＡＳＭＣ对ＥＴ－１的增殖反应性。     

ET－1，NO和缺氧对肺动脉平滑肌细胞钙内流及胶原合成的影响

肺血管平滑肌细胞是肺血管收缩反应的主要执行者,也是肺血管结构重建的重要参与者。本研究观察了内皮素１（ＥＴ１）,一氧化氮（ＮＯ）和缺氧对培养的新生小牛肺动肺平滑肌细胞（ＰＡＳＭＣ）钙内流以及胶原合成的影响。结果表明ＥＴ１和缺氧可促进ＰＡＳＭＣ的钙内流,ＮＯ供应剂硝普钠（ＳＭＰ）可抑制ＥＴＩ诱导的钙内流,其作用呈剂量依赖性,ＳＮＰ还可以剂量依赖地抑制ＰＡＳＭＣ的胶原合成,而缺氧可促进ＰＡＳＭＣ的胶原合成。     

腺苷对豚鼠耳蜗功能的影响

腺苷作为一种神经调质,能抑制多种递质的释放,发挥负反馈调节作用,用外淋巴灌流给药方法,观察了腺苷及其摄取抑制剂双嘧啶氨醇、受体拮抗剂茶 对豚鼠复合听神经动作电位、微音器电位、蜗内直流电位的影响。     

催产素对内耳外毛细胞功能的调控作用

采用耳蜗外淋巴液灌流催产素(OXT),记录由鼓阶电极引导的听神经复合动作电位(CAP)及耳蜗微音电位(CM)的输入—输出(I/O)函数。发现OXT可在90dB(SPL)以下各声强提高短纯音诱发的CM振幅以及短声诱发的CAP振幅,而当声强高于90dB时CM变化不明显。但在用含氯化筒箭毒(dTC)的外淋巴液灌流以阻断橄榄耳蜗束胆碱能传出控制后,OXT不再引起CM改变,而对CAP的作用在低声强段(<60dB)依然存在。这些结果提示OXT可能调节传出神经对内耳的控制,并可能对外毛细胞(OHC)的运动能力有直接影响。     

噪声短时暴露所致的耳蜗电位改变

本实验观察115dB(SPL)白噪声暴露20min对豚鼠耳蜗直流电位(EP),复合听神经动作电位(CAP),微音器电位(CM)的影响。发现此种噪声暴露确可提高源于血管纹的正EP(P-EP),说明有血管纹功能的代偿性增强;而负EP(N-EP)变化不大。AP及CM输入-输出函数的变化说明噪声首先影响外毛细胞的主动运动功能。EP与耳蜗电图的对照分析表明,血管纹功能的改变确能影响噪声性听损伤的发展。     

Evoked cochlear potentials in the barn owl

Gross electrical responses to tone bursts were measured in adult barn owls, using a single-ended wire electrode placed onto the round window. Cochlear microphonic (CM) and compound action potential (CAP) responses were evaluated separately. Both potentials were physiologically vulnerable. Selective abolishment of neural responses at high frequencies confirmed that the CAP was of neural origin, while the CM remained unaffected. CAP latencies decreased with increasing stimulus frequency and CAP amplitudes were correlated with known variations in afferent fibre numbers from the different papillar regions. This suggests a local origin of the CAP along the tonotopic gradient within the basilar papilla. The audiograms derived from CAP and CM threshold responses both showed a broad frequency region of optimal sensitivity, very similar to behavioural and single-unit data, but shifted upward in absolute sensitivity. CAP thresholds rose above 8 kHz, while CM responses showed unchanged sensitivity up to 10 kHz.     

The effect of PAF in the cochlea of guinea pigs

The influence of 10(-10) and 10(-9) M PAF/animal given into the jugular vein over 30 sec on inner ear potentials, i.e. endolymphatic potential (EP), summating potential (SP) and cochlear microphonics (CM) was investigated. The EP showed the most pronounced changes. When infusing a specific PAF receptor antagonist, ginkgolide B, or the TXA2 receptor antagonist, sulotraban, before the the infusion of PAF, the changes in cochlear potentials could be completely prevented. A second TXA2 receptor antagonist, daltroban, did not effectively prevent PAF actions. It is hypothesized that these PAF effects are due to an interference with ion transport in the non-sensory structures of the inner ear.     

Calcium dependency of pregnant rat myometrium: comparison of circular and longitudinal muscle

The purpose of this study was to determine if the changes in spontaneous contractions of circular uterine muscle during pregnancy were related to alterations in calcium (Ca) sensitivity or dependence. Circular muscle (CM) and longitudinal muscle (LM) segments from rats on Days 16-17 of gestation and at term were compared with respect to: sensitivity of potassium (K)-induced contractions to changes in extracellular Ca, and rate and magnitude of decrease of K- and acetylcholine (ACh)-induced contractions in Ca-free medium and in methoxyverapamil (D-600). The effects of low Ca and D-600 on spontaneous electrical activity of CM were also studied. Ca sensitivity was no different in CM and LM and did not change between Day 16 and term. There was no difference in the Ca-dependence of K- or ACh-induced contractions during this time. Potassium contractions declined more rapidly than ACh contractions in Ca-free media, especially in CM. Spontaneous action potentials in CM were Ca-dependent and disappeared in low Ca or D-600 on Days 16-17 and at term. Therefore the changes in contractions of CM during pregnancy are not related directly to Ca sensitivity or dependence, but indirectly via Ca modulation of the action potentials.     

Auditory cortex basal activity modulates cochlear responses in chinchillas

Background

The auditory efferent system has unique neuroanatomical pathways that connect the cerebral cortex with sensory receptor cells. Pyramidal neurons located in layers V and VI of the primary auditory cortex constitute descending projections to the thalamus, inferior colliculus, and even directly to the superior olivary complex and to the cochlear nucleus. Efferent pathways are connected to the cochlear receptor by the olivocochlear system, which innervates outer hair cells and auditory nerve fibers. The functional role of the cortico-olivocochlear efferent system remains debated. We hypothesized that auditory cortex basal activity modulates cochlear and auditory-nerve afferent responses through the efferent system.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Cochlear microphonics (CM), auditory-nerve compound action potentials (CAP) and auditory cortex evoked potentials (ACEP) were recorded in twenty anesthetized chinchillas, before, during and after auditory cortex deactivation by two methods: lidocaine microinjections or cortical cooling with cryoloops. Auditory cortex deactivation induced a transient reduction in ACEP amplitudes in fifteen animals (deactivation experiments) and a permanent reduction in five chinchillas (lesion experiments). We found significant changes in the amplitude of CM in both types of experiments, being the most common effect a CM decrease found in fifteen animals. Concomitantly to CM amplitude changes, we found CAP increases in seven chinchillas and CAP reductions in thirteen animals. Although ACEP amplitudes were completely recovered after ninety minutes in deactivation experiments, only partial recovery was observed in the magnitudes of cochlear responses.

Conclusions/Significance

These results show that blocking ongoing auditory cortex activity modulates CM and CAP responses, demonstrating that cortico-olivocochlear circuits regulate auditory nerve and cochlear responses through a basal efferent tone. The diversity of the obtained effects suggests that there are at least two functional pathways from the auditory cortex to the cochlea.     

Molecular cloning of prostaglandin EP3 receptors from canine sensory ganglia and their facilitatory action on bradykinin-induced mobilization of intracellular calcium

We previously demonstrated that the activation of prostaglandin E-prostanoid-3 (EP3) receptor sensitized the canine nociceptor response to bradykinin (BK). To elucidate the molecular mechanism for this sensitization, we cloned two cDNAs encoding EP3s with different C-terminals, from canine dorsal root ganglia, and established the transformed cell lines stably expressing them. In both transformants, EP3 agonist did not increase intracellular cAMP levels, but it attenuated forskolin-dependent cAMP accumulation in a pertussis toxin (PTX)-sensitive manner and increased intracellular calcium levels in a PTX-resistant manner, indicating that both EP3s can couple with Gi and Gq, but not with Gs proteins. As the nociceptor response to BK is mediated by BK B2 receptor, it was transfected into the transformants and the effects of EP3 agonist on BK-dependent calcium mobilization were investigated. When BK was applied twice with a 6-min interval, the second response was markedly attenuated. Pre-treatment with EP3 agonist had no effect on the initial response, but restored the second response in a PTX-sensitive manner. A protein kinase A inhibitor mimicked the effect of EP3 agonist. These results demonstrate that the activation of EP3 restores the response to BK by attenuating the desensitization of BK B2 receptor activity via Gi protein.