Spinal Motion and Muscle Activity during Active Trunk Movements – Comparing Sheep and Humans Adopting Upright and Quadrupedal Postures

Sheep are used as models for the human spine, yet comparative in vivo data necessary for validation is limited. The purpose of this study was therefore to compare spinal motion and trunk muscle activity during active trunk movements in sheep and humans. Three-dimensional kinematic data as well as surface electromyography (sEMG) of spinal flexion and extension was compared in twenty-four humans in upright (UR) and 4-point kneeling (KN) postures and in 17 Austrian mountain sheep. Kinematic markers were attached over the sacrum, posterior iliac spines, and spinous and transverse processes of T5, T8, T11, L2 and L5 in humans and over the sacrum, tuber sacrale, T5, T8, T12, L3 and L7 in sheep. The activity of erector spinae (ES), rectus abdominis (RA), obliquus externus (OE), and obliquus internus (OI) were collected. Maximum sEMG (MOE) was identified for each muscle and trial, and reported as a percentage (MOE%) of the overall maximally observed sEMG from all trials. Spinal range of motion was significantly smaller in sheep compared to humans (UR / KN) during flexion (sheep: 6–11°; humans 12–34°) and extension (sheep: 4°; humans: 11–17°). During extension, MOE% of ES was greater in sheep (median: 77.37%) than UR humans (24.89%), and MOE% of OE and OI was greater in sheep (OE 76.20%; OI 67.31%) than KN humans (OE 21.45%; OI 19.34%), while MOE% of RA was lower in sheep (21.71%) than UR humans (82.69%). During flexion, MOE% of RA was greater in sheep (83.09%) than humans (KN 47.42%; UR 41.38%), and MOE% of ES in sheep (45.73%) was greater than KN humans (14.45%), but smaller than UR humans (72.36%). The differences in human and sheep spinal motion and muscle activity suggest that caution is warranted when ovine data are used to infer human spine biomechanics.     

Modulation by dopamine of population spikes in area CA1 hippocampal neurons elicited by paired stimulus pulses

Extracellular recording techniques were used to study the effects of dopamine on postactivation excitability of rat area CA1 hippocampal neurons maintained in vitro. Population spikes were elicited by delivery of conditioning and test stimulus pulses to afferent fibers. The interval between the conditioning and test volley was set to separate delivery of stimuli by 10 to 80 msec. The effect of superfusion or microtopical application of dopamine (DA) on population responses to test stimulus pulses was studied. When paired stimulus volleys, separated by brief intervals (up to 40 msec), were delivered to afferent fibers, paired-pulse suppression (PPS) was indicated by the amplitude of the population spike elicited by the test volley being smaller than that elicited by the conditioning volley. When paired volleys were separated by longer intervals (40 to 80 msec), the response elicited by the test volley was larger in amplitude than that elicited by the conditioning volley, indicating paired-pulse facilitation (PPF). Following exposure to DA, the amplitude of the population response elicited by the conditioning volley was larger than the amplitude before exposure to DA. This effect was long-lasting, enduring for tens of minutes. However, when the amplitude of the conditioning population response was held constant, the PPS was decreased, indicating disinhibition. It is suggested that dopamine produces a long-lasting attenuation of an intervening inhibitory influence onto CA1 pyramidal neurons.     

In-situ investigations on small-scale local and short-term changes of sublittoral macrobenthos in Lübeck Bay (western Baltic Sea)

In-situ studies on sublittoral soft bottom macrofauna (depth: 14–16 m) employing the underwater laboratory (UWL) “Helgoland” were carried out. Sets of samples were compared for small-scale local and short-term changes in species richness, faunal abundance, numerical dominance, diversity, evenness, homogeneity, and similarity. It could be shown that minor differences in sediment quality can cause conspicuous heterogeneity within a small sampling area (diameter: ca. 100 m). Both spatfall and mortality of benthic invertebrates can change the faunal structure within a short period (two months). The degree of change varies between species and thus at stations harbouring different faunal assemblages as well.     

The role of cometary particle Coalescence in chemical evolution

Important prebiotic organic compounds might have been transported to Earth in dust or produced in vapor clouds resulting from atmospheric explosions or impacts of comets. These compounds coalesced in the upper atmosphere with particles ejected from craters formed by impacts of large objects. Coalescence during exposure to UV radiation concentrated organic monomers and enhanced formation of oligomers. Continuing coalescence added material to the growing particles and shielded prebiotic compounds from prolonged UV radiation. These particles settled into the lower atmosphere where they were scavenged by rain. Aqueous chemistry and evaporation of raindrops containing nomomers in high temperature regions near the Earth's surface also promoted continued formation of oligomers. Finally, these oligomers were deposited in the oceans where continued prebiotic evolution led to the most primitive cell. Results of our studies suggest that prebiotic chemical evolution may be an inevitable consequence of impacting comets during the late accretion of planets anywhere in the universe if oceans remained on those planetary surfaces.     

Cloning and sequencing of mRNAs coding for two adult alpha globin chains of the salamander Pleurodeles waltlii

A cDNA library of erythrocyte mRNAs was established from immature red blood cells of the adult amphibian, Pleurodeles waltlii (urodele; salamander). The cDNA clones corresponding to the four adult globin chains were first identified and characterized by positive selection and the cDNAs derived from the two (major and minor) alpha-globin chains sequenced. The sequences presented contain both the complete 3'-noncoding region and the coding region of both chains, with the exception of the first nine codons of the minor alpha-chain, and a portion of the 5'-noncoding region of the major chain. The amino acid sequences of the encoded alpha-globin polypeptides have been deduced and compared with those of Xenopus laevis and of man. These comparative studies suggest that the alpha-globins of Pleurodeles waltlii and Xenopus laevis may have diverged from a common ancestral gene at the time when mammalian and amphibian lines diverged, and that they then evolved separately. Duplication of the alpha-gene, which is responsible for the polypeptide heterogeneity, appears to have occurred earlier in Pleurodeles waltlii than in Xenopus laevis.     

CHOLINESTERASE ACTIVITY OF THE MOTOR ENDPLATE IN ISOLATED MUSCLE MEMBRANE

Abstract— The cholinesterase activity of motor endplates in tibialis anterior muscle of rats accounted for about 20 per cent of the total cholinesterase activity of the muscle. In the isolated muscle membrane preparation of rat intercostal muscle, the cholinesterase activity was localized solely in the motor endplate, as shown by cholinesterase staining. The cholinesterase activity of the membrane per unit of nitrogen was 26·9 times that of the muscle homogenate. The membrane (endplate) cholinesterase had an optimal pH of 8, K_m value of 3·1 m m , and was stable at 4° for at least 13 days. Cholinesterase of a motor endplate hydrolysed 2·69 × 10⁸ acetylcholine molecules in 1 msec. Since it is estimated that 10⁸ cholinesterase active sites are present in a motor endplate, the turnover time (time necessary for one enzyme site to hydrolyse one acetylcholine molecule) is calculated to be 372 μ sec, and the turnover number (molecules of acetylcholine hydrolysed by one enzyme site/min) to be 1·61 × 10⁵. From studies with cholinesterase inhibitors, cholinesterase activity was estimated to be due mostly to acetylcholinesterase, and only a minor part to pseudocholinesterase. The muscle membrane preparation seems to be useful for the study of other properties of the motor endplate.     

Role of the immune response in Sindbis virus-induced paralysis of SJL/J mice

The pathologic role of the specific immune and inflammatory responses to viral infections of the CNS was investigated by using mice which are susceptible (SJL/J) and resistant (C57Bl6 and BALB/c) to the development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Intracerebral inoculation of 10(4) PFU of Sindbis virus (SV) into 6- to 8-wk-old SJL/J mice resulted in a severe and sometimes fatal encephalomyelitis. A mild to severe hind leg paralysis was observed around days 6 to 7 postinfection (pi) which closely resembled EAE stages and persisted for up to 8 wk pi. Immunosuppression with cyclophosphamide on day 4 alleviated the severity of this disease. Significant perivascular and parenchymal infiltration was present in the brains and spinal cords of SV-infected SJL/J mice for up to 1 mo. This apparent immunopathologic reaction was found to be a characteristic of SJL/J mice, because infection of 6- to 8-wk-old BALB/c and C57Bl6 mice with SV did not cause paralytic disease. These mice also exhibited a significantly milder cellular infiltrate which was mostly resolved on day 12 to 14 pi. Titers of virus in the brain and spinal cords of mice were comparable with clearance by day 7 pi. SV-specific lymphoproliferation and serum antibody responses were also comparable in all mice. SV-infected SJL/J mice developed antibodies to myelin components as demonstrated in Western blots and responded to myelin basic protein by lymphoproliferation. Lymph node cells from these mice, after in vitro challenge with myelin basic protein, transferred a mild EAE-like disease to naive recipients and potentiated subclinical EAE into a severe disease.     

Molecular size characterization of bacterial capsular polysaccharide vaccines by high performance liquid chromatography

Bacterial capsular polysaccharides are major virulence factors and some are used as vaccinal antigens. Their molecular size is an important physicochemical criterion which correlates with immunogenicity. This article describes a new application of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), based on molecular sieving, for such an evaluation. This HPLC method is rapid, accurate, reproducible, requires only very low amounts of product and presents good correlation with conventional gel permeation chromatography.     

Identification of 5-hydroxyhexanoic acid, 4-hydroxyheptanoic acid and 4-hydroxyoctanoic acid as new constituents of bacterial polyhydroxyalkanoic acids

 A recombinant strain of Pseudomonas putida GPp104 (pHP1014::E146), which expressed the polyhydroxyalkanoic acid (PHA) synthase of Thiocapsa pfennigii exhibiting an unusual substrate specificity at a high level was incubated in two-stage batch or fed-batch accumulation experiments with 5-hydroxyhexanoic acid (5HHx) as carbon source in the second cultivation phase, copolyesters of 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3HB) plus 5HHx, or of 3HB, 3-hydroxyhexanoic acid (3HHx) plus 5HHx were accumulated as revealed by gas-chromatographic and ¹³C-NMR spectroscopic analysis. When the recombinant P. putida GPp104 was incubated with 4-hydroxyheptanoic acid (4HHp) as carbon source in the second cultivation phase, a copolyester consisting of 3HB, 3-hydroxyvaleric acid and 3- and 4-hydroxyheptanoic acid accumulated. Providing 4-hydroxyoctanoic acid as carbon source in the second cultivation phase led to the accumulation of a polyester that contained 1–2 mol% 4-hydroxyoctanoic acid besides 3-hydroxyoctanoic acid, 3HHx, 3-hydroxyvaleric acid and 3HB. In addition to PHA containing these new constituents, PHA with 4-hydroxyvaleric acid was accumulated from laevulinic acid. Eleven strains from five genera have been also analysed for their ability to utilize different carbon sources for colony growth, which might serve as potential precursors for the biosynthesis of PHA with unusual constituents. Although most of the carbon sources were utilized by some strains for colony growth, accumulation experiments gave no evidence for the accumulation of new PHA by these wild-type strains. Received: 22 April/Received revision: 23 May 1996/Accepted: 2 June 1996