Effect of Isoproterenol Administration on Rat Heart Glutathione Status

The intraperitoneal administration of 3, 10 and 80 mg/Kg isoproterenol produced in the cardiac muscle a dose dependent increase of GSH content and a slight elevation of GSSG content. In addition, the treatment with the catecholamine at the doses of 3 and 10 mg/Kg produced a slight decrease of the mixed glutathione disulfides level, whilst at the dose of 80 mg/Kg, this effect was more pronounced. These changes were not accompanied by modifications of the activities of the enzymes glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and glutathione S-transferase.     

高功率微波辐照对视细胞脂质结构的影响

目的:研究高功率微波( HPM)照射后视网膜感光细胞中膜脂质的分子结构改变,探讨HPM的损伤机制.方法:通过显微FT-IR技术观察HPM照射前后大鼠视网膜冰冻切片中感光细胞外节的膜脂质分子特征吸收峰的位移与吸收值差异,分析脂质分子结构的改变情况.结果:HPM照后外节发生了膜脂质分子特征吸收峰的位移,并出现=C-H基团和...     

Tocotrienol Levels in Various Tissues of Sprague-Dawley Rats after Intragastric Administration of Tocotrienols

A tocotrienol (T3) mixture was intragastricaly administered to Sprague-Dawley rats, and the T3 levels in various tissues were measured 0, 4, 8 and 24 hr after the administration. In blood clots, brain, thymus, testes, vice-testes and muscles, T3 homologues were not detected at all. In epididymal adipose, renal adipose, subcutaneous adipose and brown adipose tissues and in the heart, the T3 levels were maintained or increased for 24 hr after the administration. In the serum, liver, mesenteric lymph node, spleen and lungs, the T3 levels were highest 8 hr after the T3 administration. These results suggest that the distribution and metabolism of T3 in the rat vary considerably among different tissues.     

Early Behavioural Effects of Intraventricular Administration of 6-Hydroxydopamine in Rat

WHEN administered centrally, 6-hydroxydopamine causes a long lasting if not permanent depletion of catecholamines in brain^{1, 2}. When administered alone, the drug seems to be more potent in depleting noradrenaline than dopamine, but in the presence of a monoamine oxidase inhibitor there is also substantial depletion of dopamine^{2, 3}. In some preliminary behavioural experiments we observed that in the presence of the monoamine oxidase inhibitor pargyline, there seemd to be a period of increased locomotor activity shortly after intraventricular administration of 6-hydroxydopamine. We have now investigated this phenomenon more rigorously.     

Conantokin-G Attenuates Detrimental Effects of NMDAR Hyperactivity in an Ischemic Rat Model of Stroke

The neuroprotective activity of conantokin-G (con-G), a naturally occurring antagonist of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDAR), was neurologically and histologically compared in the core and peri-infarct regions after ischemia/reperfusion brain injury in male Sprague-Dawley rats. The contralateral regions served as robust internal controls. Intrathecal injection of con-G, post-middle carotid artery occlusion (MCAO), caused a dramatic decrease in brain infarct size and swelling at 4 hr, compared to 26 hr, and significant recovery of neurological deficits was observed at 26 hr. Administration of con-G facilitated neuronal recovery in the peri-infarct regions as observed by decreased neurodegeneration and diminished calcium microdeposits at 4 hr and 26 hr. Intact Microtubule Associated Protein (MAP2) staining and neuronal cytoarchitecture was observed in the peri-infarct regions of con-G treated rats at both timepoints. Con-G restored localization of GluN1 and GluN2B subunits in the neuronal soma, but not that of GluN2A, which was perinuclear in the peri-infarct regions at 4 hr and 26 hr. This suggests that molecular targeting of the GluN2B subunit has potential for reducing detrimental consequences of ischemia. Overall, the data demonstrated that stroke-induced NMDAR excitoxicity is ameliorated by con-G-mediated repair of neurological and neuroarchitectural deficits, as well as by reconstituting neuronal localization of GluN1 and GluN2B subunits in the peri-infarct region of the stroked brain.     

Effects of Chronic Ethanol Administration on Rat Brain Phospholipid Metabolism

Alterations in brain phospholipid metabolism were observed after chronic ethanol administration for 16 days to developing rats. Animals were injected intraperitoneally with 32Pi 16 h prior to killing. Overall uptake of 32Pi by brain did not differ between the control and ethanol-treated groups, which were killed 2 h and 24 h after the last ethanol feeding. Except for an increase in the labeling of myelin after ethanol treatment, the amount of radioactivity recovered in the synaptosomal-mitochondrial and plasma membrane fractions of control and ethanol-treated groups was not different. Relative to the radioactivity of phosphatidylcholines, which indicated no change, there were increases (20-44%) in labeling of ethanolamine plasmalogens, phosphatidic acids, and phosphatidylinositols in cortical synaptosomes from the 2-h ethanol-treated group. In the plasma membrane fractions, however, increases (9-14%) in labeling of phosphatidylserines and phosphatidylinositols were observed in both 2- and 24-h ethanol-treated groups. In both membrane fractions, there was an obvious increase (44-86%) in labeling of polyphosphoinositides at 24 h after withdrawal from ethanol. Results thus indicate an adaptive increase in the biosynthesis of ethanolamine plasmalogen and brain acidic phospholipids due to chronic ethanol administration. Furthermore, the increase in labeling of polyphosphoinositides in the 24-h withdrawal group may reflect the hypoactivity associated with ethanol withdrawal.     

Prenatal Zinc Deficiency: Influence on Heart Morphology and Distribution of Key Heart Proteins in a Rat Model

The etiology of congenital heart disease is multifactorial, with genetics and nutritional deficiencies recognized as causative agents. Maternal zinc (Zn) deficiency is associated with an increased risk for fetal heart malformations; however, the contributing mechanisms have yet to be identified. In this study, we fed pregnant rats a Zn-adequate diet (ZnA), a Zn-deficient (ZnD), or a restricted amount of Zn adequate diet (RF) beginning on gestation day (GD) 4.5, to examine whether increased cell death and changes in cardiac neural crest cells (NCC) play a role in Zn deficiency-induced heart defects. Fetuses were collected on GD 13.5, 15.5, and 18.5 and processed for GATA-4, FOG-2, connexin-43 (Cx43), HNK-1, smooth muscle α-actin (SMA) and cleaved caspase-3 protein expression. Fetuses from ZnA-fed dams showed normal heart development, whereas fetuses from dams fed with the ZnD diet exhibited a variety of heart anomalies, particularly in the region of the outflow tract. HNK-1 expression was lower than normal in the hearts of GD13.5 and 15.5 ZnD fetuses, particularly in the right atrium and in the distal tip of the interventricular septum. Conversely, Cx43 immunoreactivity was increased throughout the heart in fetuses from ZnD dams compared to fetuses from control dams. The distribution and intensity of expression of SMA, GATA-4, FOG-2, and markers of apoptosis were similar among the three groups. We propose that Zn deficiency induced alterations in the distribution of Cx43 and HNK-1 in fetal hearts contribute to the occurrence of the developmental heart anomalies.     

HPM长期辐照的眼生物效应研究

目的：研究高功率微波（HPM）在不同平均功率和不同重复频率条件下长期多次照射对眼组织结构的生物效应,为我国HPM安全防护提供生物学依据。方法：采用自行研制的HPM效应模拟源远场平面波（峰值功率密度50W／cm^2）分3个不同平均功率水平,每天6min持续照射1个月,并在照后5个时间点通过眼底镜、裂隙灯观察、组织病理学方法等研究HPM长期照射对动物眼重要部位结构的生物效应。结果：HPM照射后眼角膜、晶状体、眼底等组织结构都出现了不同程度的病理变化,并呈现出一定的时效和量效关系;其中角膜病变依剂量不同可分别于照后2月到照后6月恢复正常,而晶状体病变在观察期内（照后6月）仍未见恢复,照射后动物眼底动静脉和毛细血管稍有扩张充血,但未见瘢痕、裂隙、出血等表现。结论：实验所用剂量范围内的HPM重复照射可以对动物角膜、晶状体、玻璃体等部位造成一定程度的生物效应,并呈现出一定的量效关系;在实验的观察期内,角膜和眼底依照射剂量不同可分别于照后不同期间恢复正常,但晶状体混浊在观察期末仍未见恢复,能否发展成微波白内障尚需观察。     

Sodium Tungstate Administration Ameliorated Diabetes-Induced Electrical and Contractile Remodeling of Rat Heart without Normalization of Hyperglycemia

Recently, sodium tungstate was suggested to improve cardiac performance of diabetic rats in perfused hearts based on its insulinomimetic activity. In this study, we aimed to investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying this beneficial effect of sodium tungstate. Tungstate was administered (100 mg/kg/day) to diabetic and control rats intragastrically for 6 weeks. Blood glucose levels increased, whereas body weight, heart weight and plasma insulin levels decreased significantly in diabetic animals. Interestingly, none of these parameters was changed by tungstate treatment. On the other hand, fractional shortening and accompanying intracellular Ca(2+) [Ca(2+)](i) transients of isolated ventricular myocytes were measured, and sodium tungstate was found to improve the peak shortening and the amplitude of [Ca(2+)](i) transients in diabetic cardiomyocytes. Potassium and L-type Ca(2+) currents were also recorded in isolated ventricular cells. Significant restoration of suppressed I (to) and I (ss) was achieved by tungstate administration. Nevertheless, L-type calcium currents did not change either in untreated or treated diabetic rats. Tissue biochemical parameters including TBARS, protein carbonyl content, xanthine oxidase (XO) and xanthine dehydogenase (XDH) were also determined, and diabetes revealed a marked increase in TBARS and carbonyl content which were decreased significantly by tungstate treatment. Conversely, although XO and XDH activities didn't change in untreated diabetic rats, a remarkable but insignificant decrease was detected in treated animals. In conclusion, tungstate treatment improved diabetes-induced contractile abnormalities via restoration of dysregulated [Ca(2+)](i) and altered ionic currents. This beneficial effect is due to antioxidant property of sodium tungstate rather than normalization of hyperglycemia.     

维生素A缺乏胎鼠作为先天性心脏病动物模型的实验研究

目的　探讨将维生素Ａ缺乏（ＶＡＤ）胎鼠作为先天性心脏病动物模型的可行性。方法取１１－１９ｄ不同胎龄正常及ＶＡＤ胎鼠心脏经石蜡包埋、切片及 ＨＥ染色观察其发育情况。结果 １．实验组饲料含维生素Ａ（ＶＡ）７μｇ／１００ｇ,经ＶＡＤ饮食喂养后实验组大鼠血清ＶＡ水平明显低于对照组［（０．１６８±０．０５９）μｍｏｌ／Ｌ Ｖｓ（２．１８±０．２３）μｍｏｌ／Ｌ,ｔ＝３２．８８, Ｐ＜０．００１］。 ２．大鼠死亡百分比：饲养于屏障系统的ＶＡＤ大鼠死亡百分比较饲养于开放系统中的要低４．６倍（１０％ Ｖｓ ４５．８３％．ｘ ２＝１６．６４, Ｐ＜０．００１）,对照组为０。 ３．实验组大鼠受孕百分比及每只孕鼠产仔数均低于对照组［５８．３３％ Ｖｓ ８１．５％, ｘ ２＝４．３７,Ｐ＜０．０５：（６．９７±２．７９） Ｖｓ（１３ ±１．０５）,ｔ＝７．１６, Ｐ＜０．００１］。 ４．经切片观察１１～１５ ｄ胎龄胎鼠实验组心脏出现明显发育延迟的占３６．６７％, １６～１９ ｄ胎龄胎鼠实验组心脏畸形占４１．４３％,血管异常占１８．５７％。结论ＶＡＤ胎鼠可用来作为先天性心脏病动物模型,但需改进饲养环境以减少异常死亡。     

Early Effects of Neonatal Rat Desympathization on Secondary Heart Rhythms

Neonatal Wistar rats for the first 3 weeks of life were injected intraperitoneally with isobarine every other day. The single doze was 40 mg/kg. Control animals were injected with saline. Degenerative changes in sympathetic ganglia were evident as early as in the 10-day old animals and increased by 18–19 days. The heart rate in the desympathized animals was lower than in control from 10–11 to 18–19 days, but by the end of the 3rd week the differences were eliminated. The same occurred with respiration rate. At same terms there was an essential decrease of amplitude of the heart rate high-frequency fluctuations synchronous with respiration and of the periodogram slow waves with the period about 1 min. Using the method of fast Fourier transform, the power spectra of heart rate fluctuations (secondary heart rhythms) in 5 frequency ranges (0–0.01, 0.01–0.03, 0.03–0.1, 0.1–1.0, and 1.0–2.5 Hz) were calculated. Desympathization leads to a decrease of the fluctuation power in all ranges, but in the ultralow-frequency range this decrease is the least pronounced, which suggests the presence of non- sympathetic mechanisms in their genesis. The greatest changes occur in the middle-frequency area. In all cases, differences from control values increase from the 10–11th to the 18–19th days, after which a tendency for restoration is observed, in spite of an enhancement of processes of degeneration of sympathetic neurons. This indicates an activation of the compensatory mechanisms, due to which consequences of desympathization are partially smoothed at distant terms of studies.     

耗竭性游泳对大鼠心肌线粒体膜功能的影响

耗竭性游泳对大鼠心肌线粒体膜功能的影响王文信,丁树哲,许豪文（华东师范大学体育系运动生化实验室,上海２０００６２）关键词心肌线粒体,内膜表面电位,游离钙,总钙,合成活力长时间耗竭性游泳或跑步引起心肌、骨骼肌、肝脏等线粒体结构和功能变化,这些变化可能与...     

Effects of Fluoxetine Administration on Neuropeptide Y and Orexins in Obese Zucker Rat Hypothalamus

Objective: The aim of this work was to study the potential involvement of neuropeptide Y (NPY) and orexins in the anorexigenic mechanism of fluoxetine in obese Zucker rats, assessing the effects of chronic fluoxetine treatment on NPY and orexin immunostaining in several hypothalamic regions. Research Methods and Procedures: Male obese Zucker (fa/fa) rats were administered fluoxetine (10 mg/kg intraperitoneally) daily for 2 weeks. The control group was administered 0.9% NaCl solution. Carcass composition was assessed using the official methods of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists. To test the potential thermogenic effect of fluoxetine administration, total body oxygen consumption was measured daily for 60 minutes before fluoxetine or saline injection and for 30 minutes after drug or saline injection. Hypothalamic arcuate and paraventricular nuclei, and the lateral hypothalamic area were immunostained for NPY, orexin A, and orexin B. Commercial kits were used for serum determinations. Results: Chronic fluoxetine administration in obese Zucker rats generated a reduction in body weight gain, food intake, adipocyte size, fat mass, and body protein. A decrease in NPY immunostaining in the paraventricular nucleus, without changes in the arcuate, was observed. However, no changes were observed in the number of neural cells immunostained for orexin A or orexin B in the lateral hypothalamic area. Discussion: Due to the hyperphagic effect of NPY in the paraventricular nucleus, these results suggest that NPY, but not orexins, could be involved in the anorexigenic effect of fluoxetine in obese Zucker rats.     

Low-Level Laser Irradiation Improves Functional Recovery and Nerve Regeneration in Sciatic Nerve Crush Rat Injury Model

The development of noninvasive approaches to facilitate the regeneration of post-traumatic nerve injury is important for clinical rehabilitation. In this study, we investigated the effective dose of noninvasive 808-nm low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on sciatic nerve crush rat injury model. Thirty-six male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into 6 experimental groups: a normal group with or without 808-nm LLLT at 8 J/cm² and a sciatic nerve crush injury group with or without 808-nm LLLT at 3, 8 or 15 J/cm². Rats were given consecutive transcutaneous LLLT at the crush site and sacrificed 20 days after the crush injury. Functional assessments of nerve regeneration were analyzed using the sciatic functional index (SFI) and hindlimb range of motion (ROM). Nerve regeneration was investigated by measuring the myelin sheath thickness of the sciatic nerve using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and by analyzing the expression of growth-associated protein 43 (GAP43) in sciatic nerve using western blot and immunofluorescence staining. We found that sciatic-injured rats that were irradiated with LLLT at both 3 and 8 J/cm² had significantly improved SFI but that a significant improvement of ROM was only found in rats with LLLT at 8 J/cm². Furthermore, the myelin sheath thickness and GAP43 expression levels were significantly enhanced in sciatic nerve-crushed rats receiving 808-nm LLLT at 3 and 8 J/cm². Taken together, these results suggest that 808-nm LLLT at a low energy density (3 J/cm² and 8 J/cm²) is capable of enhancing sciatic nerve regeneration following a crush injury.     

弱激光对大鼠海马神经元钠通道特性的影响

利用波长670nm、功率5mW的半导体激光器照射急性分离的大鼠海马CA3区锥体神经元,应用全细胞膜片钳技术研究其电压门控Na 通道的特性.实验发现:弱激光作用5min时,Na 通道激活电位和峰值电位开始向负电位方向移动,7min激光作用达稳定;激光照射对Na 通道电流峰值无影响,对照组和激光照射组峰值电流密度分别为(-383.51±26.93)pA/pF和(-368.36±33.14)pA/pF(n=8,P>0.05);激光作用降低了Na 通道的激活阈值电位和峰值电位,对照组通道电流在-40mV激活,-30mV达峰值,激光照射组通道电流在-60mV激活,-40mV达峰值;激光照射改变了Na 通道半数激活电压和斜率因子,对照组和激光照射组的半数激活电压分别为(-42.091±1.537)mV和(-54.971±1.846)mV(n=8,P<0.01),斜率因子分别为(1.529±0.667)mV和(2.634±0.519)mV(n=8,P<0.05).结果表明,弱激光照射海马神经元可改变Na 通道的激活特性,从而影响动作电位的去激化过程,进而会引起神经元细胞生理功能发生变化.     

Effects of Localized Hydrophilic Mannitol and Hydrophobic Nelfinavir Administration Targeted to Olfactory Epithelium on Brain Distribution

Many nasally applied compounds gain access to the brain and the central nervous system (CNS) with varying degree. Direct nose-to-brain access is believed to be achieved through nervous connections which travel from the CNS across the cribriform plate into the olfactory region of the nasal cavity. However, current delivery strategies are not targeted to preferentially deposit drugs to the olfactory at cribriform. Therefore, we have developed a pressurized olfactory delivery (POD) device which consistently and non-invasively deposited a majority of drug to the olfactory region of the nasal cavity in rats. Using both a hydrophobic drug, mannitol (log P = -3.1), and a hydrophobic drug, nelfinavir (log P = 6.0), and POD device, we compared brain and blood levels after nasal deposition primarily on the olfactory region with POD or nose drops which deposited primarily on the respiratory region in rats. POD administration of mannitol in rats provided a 3.6-fold (p < 0.05) increase in cortex-to-blood ratio, compared to respiratory epithelium deposition with nose drop. Administration of nelfinavir provided a 13.6-fold (p < 0.05) advantage in cortex-to-blood ratio with POD administration, compared to nose drops. These results suggest that increasing the fraction of drug deposited on the olfactory region of the nasal cavity will result in increased direct nose-to-brain transport.     

大鼠心脏移植急性排斥反应动物模型的建立

目的为探索器官移植后急性排斥反应的一种快速可靠的诊断方法。方法先暴露和游离受体的吻合段血管,再获取供心以缩短移植心脏冷缺血时间;保留供者的心脏及右上肺,将其胸主动脉与受者的腹主动脉间断端侧吻合;开放血流时,先开放远心端再间断开放近心端,同时按摩心脏至心脏搏动规律、有力,其色泽恢复红润,右上肺亦充盈良好。结果A组(n=20)成功16只,动脉吻合口出血2只、心脏复跳失败1只、吻合口狭窄1只;B组(n=20)成功17只,2只死于吻合口出血,1只死于吻合口狭窄。A组手术成功率为80%,B组为85%(P>0.05)。结论(1)先暴露并游离好受体血管吻合段,再获取供心,可以缩短移植心冷缺血时间。(2)边灌注边获取的方法利于快速而又完整的获取供心。(3)在切取和植入的过程中一定要注意低温保护。(4)利用腹主动脉段进行移植,使手术方便易行。左心做功的大鼠腹部心脏移植模型简单、安全、实用,因其左心参与循环而使血流动力学更接近生理状态,是进行心脏移植及血流动力学研究的较理想模型。     

Effects of Macrolide Antibiotics on Rat Embryonic Heart Function In Vitro

The Swedish Medical Product Agency (MPA) has listed erythromycin as a suggested human teratogen, causing cardiovascular malformations. It is further suggested that this may be a class effect of macrolide antibiotics. The proposed teratogenic mechanism is blockade of the human ether‐á‐go‐go‐related (hERG)/I_Kr current in the embryonic heart causing bradycardia and arrhythmia resulting in altered cardiac blood flow and/or embryonic hypoxia. To test this hypothesis, we examined the effect of three macrolide antibiotics on the function of the rat embryonic heart. Gestational day 13 rat embryos in vitro were exposed to erythromycin (25–500 μM), clarithromycin (25–500 μM), or azithromycin (100 μM to 1 mM) for 3 hr. The effect on the embryonic heart was monitored every hour. The results showed that erythromycin and clarithromycin caused a concentration‐dependent bradycardia. Twenty‐five micromolar was a no‐effect concentration for erythromycin and was close to a no‐effect concentration for clarithromycin. Azithromycin only caused significant bradycardia at 1 mM. Additional studies were performed with the embryos cultured at 40°C instead of 38°C, to mimic fever. The increased temperature increased the number of arrhythmias but did not worsen the drug‐induced bradycardia. The results support the concept that erythromycin and clarithromycin can adversely affect the embryonic heart but only at concentrations well outside expected embryonic exposure in the human