小脑电刺激对家鸽乙酰胆碱酯酶活力的影响

选用成年健康家鸽,对小脑进行连续电刺激后,分别抽取家鸽外周血清及全脑测定乙酰胆碱酯酶活力变化,以探讨鸟类小脑刺激与乙酰胆碱酯酶活力变化之间的相关性.结果 表明:在刺激小脑皮层后,家鸽外周血清中乙酰胆碱酯酶活力显著上升(P＜0.05);而在刺激小脑皮层后,脑组织中乙酰胆碱酯酶活力显著降低(P＜0.05).推测电刺激引起外周组织乙酰胆碱释放,从而引起肌肉强直,血清中胆碱酯酶的活力升高.而电刺激小脑使抑制性神经元功能兴奋,脑中胆碱能神经元功能减弱,乙酰胆碱的释放减少,脑组织中胆碱酯酶的活力降低.     

刺激家鸽中脑丘间复合体背内侧核诱发叫声与其自鸣声的比较

利用计算机声谱分析技术比较了家鸽刺激中脑丘间复合体背内侧核(DM)诱发叫声和其正常自鸣声。家鸽的单次自鸣声“di·Gu—”,包括前奏、高潮声和尾声,其主频率和相对幅值都呈明显的逐步递增、平稳和逐步下降过程。高潮声平稳期的载波主频率(318Hz)所表征的主音调比前奏和尾声的主频率(239Hz)分别平均高4.9个半音,相对幅值分别平均高24.4dB和13.2dB,品质因数(Q6dB)分别增高1.8倍和2.8倍。随着刺激电压的增大和减小,家鸽单次鸣声持续时间呈显著的线性递减和递增。诱发叫声的主频率显著性低于自鸣声,声图中有1-2个陪音。本实验为阐明非鸣禽发声调控提供声学特征上的依据     

家鸽小脑皮层浦肯野细胞电活动的研究

神经解剖学和组织化学的研究资料指出,鸟类小脑的组织学结构与哺乳类的相似,其皮层也由分子层、浦肯野细胞层和颗粒层构成（Ａｒｅｎｄｓ,１９８５）。与哺乳动物相比,鸟类的小脑皮层发育不完善,在组织学特征上小脑皮层的浦肯野细胞（Ｐｕｒｋｉｎｊｅｃｅｌ,ＰＣ）...     

血管活性肠肽免疫阳性神经元在家鸽中脑和间脑中的分布

用免疫细胞化学技术研究了血管活性肠肽（ＶＩＰ）阳性神经元在家鸽（Ｃｏｌｕｍｂａｌｉｖｉａ）中脑和间脑核团的分布。实验结果表明,ＶＩＰ阳性神经元主要分布于如下核团：下丘侧核（ＬＨＹ）、蔡氏腹区（ＡＶＴ）、中央灰质（ＧＣｔ）、中脑深核腹部（ＭＰｖ）、中脑外侧核背部（ＭＬｄ）、脑桥脚盖致密体（ＴＰｃ）、丘脑间核（ＩＣｏ）、兰斑核（ＬｏＣ）、脑桥嘴部网状核（ＲＰＯ）、兰斑背部亚核（ＳＣｄ）、兰斑腹部亚核（ＳＣｖ）和脑桥尾部网状核巨细胞部（ＲＰｇｃ）。在这些核团中,除ＭＬｄ中的ＶＩＰ阳性神经元位于其背部外,其余核团中ＶＩＰ阳性神经元分布基本上是均匀的。     

急性脊髓损伤后大鼠电刺激运动诱发电位的变化

目的：比较不同程度脊髓损伤（SCI）与运动诱发电位（MEP）变化之间的关系,探索MEP检查在SCI早期诊断及预后中的价值。方法：27只雄性SD大鼠以改良Allen‘s打击法致伤T8－T9脊髓,按打击冲量随机分为空白对照组（n=5),SCI A组（50gcf,n=8),SCI B组（70gcf,n=8)和SCI C组（100gcf,n=6),采用单极经皮层电刺激,分别于损伤前、伤后即刻、15min、30min、1h、3h和6h连续观察scMEP变化,并计算脊髓出血坏死区域占脊髓横截面积的比率。结果：对照组MEP无显著改变,SCI A组和SCI B组动物MEP早成份波幅立即减低或消失,以后有所恢复,晚成份波消失后未再出现。SCI C组动物除2只大鼠SCI后MEP仍有所恢复外,其余动物再未出现MEP波。脊髓损伤随打击冲量增大而增加,与伤后1h scMEP最大波幅呈显著相关（r=-0.821)。结论：SCI后scMEP的变化程度与打击冲量和脊髓病理损伤面积相关,提示scMEP可以作为一种脊髓功能检测的客观指标。     

鸽子慢性电刺激用电极转接装置及其固定方法

慢性电极植入以及无线刺激技术被广泛应用于动物自由活动状态下的脑区功能研究。实现刺激器与脑内植入电极过渡连接的转接装置需固定在颅骨之上。鸟类特殊的骨质构造不利于转接装置的长期固定。以鸽子(Columba livia)为例设计制作了一种用于慢性运动诱导实验的9通道电极转接装置,长12.8 mm、宽9.5 mm、高5.5 mm,重0.42 g;根据鸽子颅骨特点在固定过程中对颅骨表面进行粗糙化处理增加固定时与牙科水泥的接触面积,并选取特定位点拧入螺钉进行固定,有效延长了转接装置的固定时间。经实验验证能够在鸽子头部稳定固定6个月以上,满足鸽子长期运动诱导研究的需求,未对动物正常活动产生影响。该装置及其固定方法亦可为其他小型动物的脑区功能研究提供借鉴。     

微弱电刺激对失眠者睡眠状况及睡眠脑电影响的初步研究

根据睡眠是由脑内亿万神经元同步振荡所刻划的观点［１］,及各种电刺激对动物睡眠影响的实验［２,３］,设计了用特定θ频率的正弦波微弱电流,刺激失眠病人颈部安眠２穴,以观察其对受试者脑电频率的客观影响。其结果是刺激后失眠病人由醒到２期的脑电记录中,θ波逐渐增加,增加了病人的总睡眠时间。这启示我们这种脑部的特殊频率微弱电流刺激,可能有引起脑部神经元群的共振现象,改变了受试者脑电中频率成分的分布特征,从而有助于失眠的治疗。这一现象是值得进一步研究的。     

电刺激鹌鹑中脑对鸣叫及呼吸的影响

据现有文献所知,电刺激鸟类中脑可引起鸣叫及植物性反应,并伴有呼吸状态的改变（蓝书成,1958,1962;Wild et al.,1987）。为探讨中脑对鸣叫及呼吸的调节功能,我们对鹌鹑中脑给予电刺激,试图确定鸣叫与呼吸调节中枢的定位关系以及二者的联系。     

电刺激大壁虎中脑诱发相反方向脊柱侧弯的研究

深入探索大壁虎Gekko gecko中脑运动调控功能,通过对头部固定的大壁虎(n=10)中脑脑区采用不锈钢微电极施加电刺激,发现对中脑不同深度脑区的电刺激能诱发出脊柱侧弯、四肢动等运动反应.在实验过程中,一些刺激针道在中脑围脑室灰质诱发出脊柱同侧弯曲反应,而在中脑腹侧被盖诱发出脊柱对侧弯曲反应.通过对刺激脑区的组织学检验,确定了大壁虎中脑内控制相反方向脊柱侧弯运动核团分布的大致区域.     

Time-dependent effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on changes in spinal excitability are dependent on stimulation frequency: A preliminary study in healthy adults

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) can be used as treatment for spasticity. The present study examined differences in time-dependent effects of NMES depending on stimulation frequency. Forty healthy subjects were separated into four groups (no-stim, NMES of 50, 100, and 200?Hz). The un-conditioned H-reflex amplitude and the H-reflex conditioning-test paradigm were used to measure the effectiveness on monosynaptic Ia excitation of motoneurons in the soleus (SOL) muscle, disynaptic reciprocal Ia inhibition from tibialis anterior (TA) to SOL, and presynaptic inhibition of SOL Ia afferents. Each trial consisted of a 30-min period of NMES applied to the deep peroneal nerve followed by a 30-min period with no stimulation to measure prolonged effects. Measurements were performed periodically. Stimulation applied at all frequencies produced a significant reduction in monosynaptic Ia excitation of motoneurons in the SOL muscle, however, only stimulation with 50?Hz showed prolonged reduction after NMES. NMES frequency did not affect the amount of disynaptic reciprocal Ia inhibition and presynaptic inhibition of Ia afferents. The results show a frequency-dependent effect of NMES on the monosynaptic Ia excitation of motoneurons. This result has implications for selecting the optimal NMES frequency for treatment in patients with spasticity.     

A correlative transmission and scanning electron microscopic study of the pigeon myocardial cell

Summary A comparative study of the pigeon ventricular myocardial cell has been performed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Three-dimensional access to the cell interior was obtained by cryo-fracturing paraffin-embedded tissue immersed in liquid nitrogen. The TEM studies revealed parallelly arranged myofibrils separated by rows of mitochondria. The sarcoplasmic reticulum is represented by a well-developed network of tubules which, at the Z- and H-band level of the sarcomere, expands to form belt-like cisternae. The cisternae at the Z-band level lie in close proximity to both myofilaments and mitochondria. Transverse tubules are absent and thus only peripheral couplings are present.SEM observations of the fractured tissue revealed the spatial relationship between the different cell organelles, the most important of these being the parallel myofibrils and the mitochondria. The conspicuous ridges transversing the myofibril at the Z-band level consist mainly of expanded Z-bands, but overlying SR-tubules also contribute to these ridges. Traces of the SR can sometimes be seen covering the myofibrils. The close proximity between the SR and the mitochondria was also confirmed in the SEM.Preparation and examination of SEM prepared tissue in the TEM confirmed that no essential damage or reorganization of cell organelles had taken place during the SEM procedure. On the other hand some shrinkage of the tissue, which was probably caused by critical point drying, was noticed.     

Comparison of assessment of pigeon sperm viability by contrast-phase microscope (eosin-nigrosin staining) and flow cytometry (SYBR-14/propidium iodide (PI) staining) [evaluation of pigeon sperm viability

The aim of these experiments was to compare the conventional, microscopic method of evaluating pigeon sperm viability to sperm assessed by flow cytometry. Semen was collected twice a week from two groups of pigeons. In every group were 20 males (Group I: meat-type breed; Group II: fancy pigeon breed). Semen was collected using the lumbosacral and cloacal region massage method. Ejaculates collected from each group were pooled and diluted to 10 × 10⁶ sperm/ml in BPSE solution. Samples were divided into three equal parts and estimated after collection as well as after in vitro storage for 3, 6 and 24 h. The first part was using for semen motility evaluation. The proportion of motile spermatozoa (MOT) and progressive movement (PMOT) of fresh and stored semen were evaluated using the CASA-system. The second part was examined subjectively by microscope (eosin-nigrosin (EN), eosin-nigrosin staining), the third one was assessed using dual fluorescence SYBR-14/propidium iodide (PI) and flow cytometry (FC). There were not any significant differences in sperm viability and motility between the groups at 0, 3, 6, and 24 h post collection. The percentage of viable spermatozoa in fresh semen determined by EN and FC was not different in Groups I and II (I - 88.71 ± 5.42 and 84.01 ± 3.19, respectively; II-90.87 ± 6.01 and 87.38 ± 5.57, respectively). Significantly lower percentages of viable spermatozoa were detected by FC compared to the EN method in both groups after 6 h (P ≤ 0.05) as well as 24 h (P ≤ 0.01) of storage. Moreover, the dual fluorescent SYBR-14/PI staining allowed for the identification a third population of double stained, moribund spermatozoa. High positive correlations in percentage of live spermatozoa were noted between EN and FC methods in both groups of birds. Evaluation of sperm viability by FC is a rapid, accurate, sensitive, and objective method for the assessment of pigeon sperm viability in fresh as well as stored semen.     

A preliminary study on the impact of exogenous A-Factor analogue 1,4-butyrolactone on stimulating bitespiramycin biosynthesis

Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering - Bitespiramycin is composed of nine main acylated spiramycin components with isovaleryspiramycin as the major component. However, even with excellent...     

Immunocytochemical study of the lung of domestic fowl and pigeon: endocrine cells and nerves

the presence of endocrine cells and nerves in the lung of 2 avian species (Gallus gallus and Columba livia domestica) has been studied by peroxidase-antiper-oxidase (PAP) and avidin-biotin complex (ABC) immunocytochemical methods at the light-microscopic level. Two immunoreactive cell-types have been identified in the epithelium of the primary and secondary bronchi of chick lung: serotonin- and bombesin-immunoreactive cells; and 3 cell-types, namely, serotonin-, bombesin- and CGRP-(calcitonin gene related peptide) immunoreactive cells, have been located in the bronchial epithelium of pigeon lung. Co-localization of 2 different immunoreactivities within the same cell has not been detected. VIP-immunoreactive nerves have been observed in different locations in chick lung.     

Fine frequency-modulation trigger features of midbrain auditory neurons extracted by the progressive thresholding method--a preliminary study

Spectro-temporal receptive fields (STRFs) are commonly used to characterize response properties of central auditory neurons and for visualizing 'trigger features'. However, trigger features in STRF maps typically have a blurry appearance. Therefore it is unclear what details could be embedded in them. To investigate this, we developed a new method called 'progressive thresholding' to resolve fine structures in the STRFs, and applied the method to FM responses recorded from single units at the auditory midbrain of anesthetized rats. Random FM tones of a narrow frequency range (approximately 0.5 octave) were first presented to evoked spike responses at the cell's best frequency. Perispike modulating time waveforms collected (50 msec long, n = 1500 to 4000 tracings) were used to generate STRF based on spike-triggered-averaging. After supra-threshold areas of pixel counts had been determined through a step of progressive thresholding in the map, those peri-spike modulating waveforms passing through each area were dejittered systematically. At what seemed to be an optimal threshold, multiple trigger features (up to a maximum of 4 fine bands) were extracted from the initially simple-looking STRF. Results show that fine FM trigger features are present in STRFs and that they can be resolved with the present method of analysis.     

Intrathecally delivered glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor produces electrically evoked release of somatostatin in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is a trophic factor with an established role in sensory neuron development. More recently it has also been shown to support adult sensory neuron survival and exert a neuroprotective effect on damaged sensory neurons. Some adult small-sized dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cells that are GDNF-sensitive sensory neurons express the inhibitory peptide somatostatin (SOM). Thus, we tested the hypothesis that prolonged GDNF administration would regulate SOM expression in sensory neuron cell bodies in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and activity-induced release of SOM from axon terminals in the dorsal horn. Continuous intrathecal delivery of GDNF for 11-13 days significantly increased the number of small DRG cells that expressed SOM. Furthermore, GDNF treatment evoked SOM release in the isolated dorsal horn following electrical stimulation of the dorsal roots that was otherwise undetectable in control rats. Conversely capsaicin-induced release of SOM (EC(50) 50 nM) was not modified by GDNF treatment. These results show that GDNF can regulate central synaptic function in SOM-containing sensory neurons.     

Verification of accuracy and validity of gait phase detection system using motion sensors for applying walking assistive FES

In this study, we have analysed heel strike (HS) and toe off (TO) of normal individuals and hemiplegic patients, taking advantage of output curves acquired from various sensors, and verified the validity of sensor detection methods and their effectiveness when they were used for hemiplegic gaits. Gait phase detections using three different motion sensors were valid, since they all had reliabilities more than 95%, when compared with foot velocity algorithm. Results showed that the tilt sensor and the gyrosensor could detect gait phase more accurately in normal individuals. Vertical acceleration could detect HS most accurately in hemiplegic patient group A. The gyrosensor could detect HS and TO most accurately in hemiplegic patient groups A and B. The detection of TO from all sensor signals was valid in both the patient groups A and B. However, the vertical acceleration detected HS validly in patient group A and the gyrosensor detected HS validly in patient group B.     

The stimulating effects of NaCl on root growth of Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana)

Rhodes grass ( Chloris gayana Kunth. cv. common) is a halophytic forage grass. Like most halophyles, its growth is positively affected by low levels of salinity but is inhibited by high salinity. However, such a definition is not clear and not unmistakable: NaCl concentrations which inhibit the growth of the whole plant stimulate the growth of single roots when applied to them individually.