Galanin-Like Immunoreactivity Is Unchanged in Alzheimer''s Disease and Parkinson''s Disease Dementia Cerebral Cortex

Galanin is a recently isolated neuropeptide that is of particular interest in dementing disorders because of its known colocalization with choline acetyltransferase in magnocellular neurons of the basal nucleus of Meynert. These neurons degenerate in Alzheimer's disease, and there is a corresponding deficiency of cortical choline acetyltransferase activity. In the present study, galanin-like immunoreactivity was measured in the postmortem cerebral cortex and hippocampus of 10 controls and 14 patients who had had Alzheimer's disease. Significant reductions of choline acetyltransferase activity (50-60%) were found in all regions examined; however, there was no significant effect on concentrations of galanin-like immunoreactivity. Similar measurements were made in postmortem tissues of 12 control and 13 demented Parkinsonian patients who had had Alzheimer-type cortical pathology. Choline acetyltransferase activity was again significantly decreased in all regions examined but there were no significant reductions in galanin-like immunoreactivity. Experimental lesions of the fornix in rats produced parallel significantly correlated reductions of both choline acetyltransferase activity and galanin-like immunoreactivity in the hippocampus. Galanin-like immunoreactivity in the human hypothalamus consisted of two molecular-weight species on gel-permeation chromatography, and two forms were resolved by reverse-phase HPLC. The paradoxical preservation of galanin-like immunoreactivity, despite depletion of the activity of choline acetyltransferase, with which it is colocalized, is as yet unexplained. Recent studies have shown that galanin inhibits both acetylcholine release in the hippocampus and memory acquisition; therefore, preserved galanin may exacerbate the cholinergic and cognitive deficits that accompany dementia.     

Glycosaminoglycans in Cortical Autopsy Samples from Alzheimer Brain

Each of the known classes of mammalian glycosaminoglycans, with the exception of keratan sulphate, was found in cerebral cortex samples from patients with Alzheimer-type dementia and age-matched controls. These molecules were quantitated, after electrophoresis and staining with Alcian Blue dye, by scanning densitometry. No significant differences were found between the mean levels of each of the above glycosaminoglycans in frontal cortex from patients with dementia compared with controls. An increase (26%; p less than 0.05) in the mean level of hyaluronate, but not of other glycosaminoglycans, was found in temporal cortex samples. On the other hand, the uronic acid content of hyaluronate degradation products following Streptomyces hyaluronidase treatment of brain glycosaminoglycans did not reveal any statistically significant changes in Alzheimer's disease. HPLC of disaccharide products from Arthrobacter chondroitinase AC digests did not reveal any significant changes in sulphate substitution of chondroitin sulphate in Alzheimer brain.     

Variation in host susceptibility among and within populations ofPlantago lanceolata L. infected by the fungusPhomopsis subordinaria (Desm.) Trav.

Summary Susceptibility toPhomopsis stalk disease ofPlantago lanceolata genotypes, sampled in three different populations with a variable degree of infection by the fungusPhomopsis subordinaria, was determined under greenhouse conditions. Susceptibility of the host varied within, but not among populations. No relationship between the intensity of the disease in the field and the mean susceptibility of the host genotypes sampled at those locations could be established. Host susceptibility appeared to be composed of the host genotypes sampled at those locations could be established. Host susceptibility appeared to be composed of different (uncorrelated) plant characteristics. Determining whether host genotypes are highly or slightly susceptible can only be achieved by field trials, where the plants are exposed to the whole set of disease inducing factors. The relevance of host susceptibility to the intensity of disease in the field is discussed in relation to the variation in pathogenicity of the fungus and the variation in environmental factors prevailing inP. lanceolata populations underP. subordinaria pathogen pressure. Grassland Species Research Group Number 123     

高粱对丝黑穗病的抗性及遗传研究

1981—1985年在人工接种的条件下,对1239份高粱品种资源,进行了抗丝黑穗病性鉴定。与此同时,用17个抗性不同的品种系,按照不完全双列杂交设计,进行了高粱对丝黑穗病的抗性遗传研究。结果表明,高粱对丝黑穗病的抗性遗传方式因品种而异。有的品种系具数量性状遗传特点,有的则具有质量性状遗传特点。抗病性属数量性状遗传的品种系,其抗性主要是受加性基因控制。     

A replication study of human exposure to 60-Hz fields: effects on neurobehavioral measures.

The purpose of this study was to reproduce and extend an earlier investigation of the effects of human exposure to combined, 60-Hz electric and magnetic fields. This paper presents the neurobehavioral results. Thirty men participated in one training session and four testing sessions. Subjects were randomly assigned to two groups. The 18 subjects in Group I were exposed (9 kV/m, 20 microT) and sham exposed in two counterbalanced orders. In Group II, half of 12 subjects were exposed (9 kV/m, 20 microT) every session, and the remaining half were sham exposed every session. The study was doubly blinded. Measures of cardiac interbeat interval, event-related brain potentials, and performance were obtained before, during, and after exposures. As in the earlier study, exposure to the combined field resulted in a statistically significant slowing of heart rate, in changes in late components of event-related brain potentials, and in decreased errors on a choice reaction-time task. In addition, field effects on several other measures approached statistical significance. The physiological measures obtained during exposure indicated that effects were greatest soon after the field was switched on, and again when it was switched off. The data indicate that changes in exposure level may be more important than duration of exposure for producing effects in human beings.     

Monoamine neurotransmitters and their metabolites in brain regions in alzheimer's disease: A postmortem study

1. Concentrations of the neurotransmitter amines noradrenaline (NA), dopamine (DA), and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and the acid metabolites homovanillic acid (HVA) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) were determined in four regions of postmortem brains of demented patients with or without Alzheimer's disease (AD). 2. NA was deficient in the temporal cortex (BA 21) of AD, but not of non-AD, patients. 3. Caudate, in particular, had an impaired dopaminergic system in AD patients, with low HVA levels. 4. In all regions investigated [amygdala, caudate, putamen, temporal cortex (BA 21)] 5-HT was significantly depleted in AD patients, and 5-HIAA was also depleted in amygdala and caudate. 5. These results indicate that neurotransmitter systems other than cholinergic systems are also widely affected in AD and suggest that these deficits may also play an important role in determining the symptomatology of AD.     

Serum antioxidant enzyme activity in Parkinson's disease

Summary The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD; EC 1.15.1.1) and glutathione peroxidase (GSHP_x; EC 1.11.1.9.), the enzymes that metabolize the superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide, respectively, were measured in serum from healthy subjects and patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). The activities of SOD and GSHP_x in patients with PD were higher than those in normal healthy individuals. These results suggest that the increased activities of these enzymes could be due to oxidative stress in the initial stages of this disease.     

Alpha-interferon in Kikuchi’s disease

In Japan, histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis (Kikuchi’s disease) is a relatively common reactive lesion affecting lymph nodes, but the histogenesis and pathogenesis of the disease have not been clarified. Alpha-interferon has a role in the body’s defense against, viral infections. Using a polyclonal antibody to human alpha-interferon, we found numerous cells, mainly histiocytes, containing alpha-interferon in affected foci in the lymph nodes from 24 patients with Kikuchi’s disease. Tubuloreticular structures, thought by some authors to be associated with the production of interferon, were detected by electron microscopy in histiocytes, activated lymphocytes and vascular endothelial cells in the affected foci. These results suggested that the formation of tubuloreticular structures is a secondary phenomenon following stimulation by alpha-interferon. Further, the activity of 2′–5′ oligoadenylate synthetase, which is induced by alpha-interferon and enhanced during the early or active stage of viral infection, showed increased levels of activity in the active stage of Kikuchi’s disease and decreased to normal levels in the convalescent stage 2 weeks later. These results suggested the possibility of a viral etiology for Kikuchi’s disease.     

Storage mites sensitivity and allergic respiratory disease

Summary In order to evaluate the frequency of skin sensitivity to Storage Mites and the role of such sensitization in respiratory allergic disease in workers with occupational exposure to stored items we studied 217 dock workers, 93 farmers and 104 white collars.From the results of skin prick tests the sensitization to sole Storage Mites appears significantly higher among people working in docks or farms, compared with a control group. This confirms the role of the working environment in inducing sensitization to Storage Mites. Rhinitis and asthma however affect nearly always (27/29 cases) people with an associated sensitization to House Dust Mites. Further studies are needed to define the allergenic importance of Storage Mites in working environments.     

High-level expression of a tobacco chitinase gene in Nicotiana sylvestris. Susceptibility of transgenic plants to Cercospora nicotianae infection

Endochitinases (E.C. 3.2.14, chitinase) are believed to be important in the biochemical defense of plants against chitin-containing fungal pathogens. We introduced a gene for class I (basic) tobacco chitinase regulated by Cauliflower Mosaic Virus 35S-RNA expression signals into Nicotiana sylvestris. The gene was expressed to give mature, enzymatically active chitinase targeted to the intracellular compartment of leaves. Most transformants accumulated extremely high levels of chitinase-up to 120-fold that of non-transformed plants in comparable tissues. Unexpectedly, some transformants exhibited chitinase levels lower than in non-transformed plants suggesting that the transgene inhibited expression of the homologous host gene. Progeny tests indicate this effect is not permanent. High levels of chitinase in transformants did not substantially increase resistance to the chitin-containing fungus Cercospora nicotiana, which causes Frog Eye disease. Therefore class I chitinase does not appear to be the limiting factor in the defense reaction to this pathogen.