BMP is an important regulator of proepicardial identity in the chick embryo

The proepicardium (PE) is a transient structure formed by pericardial coelomic mesothelium at the venous pole of the embryonic heart and gives rise to several cell types of the mature heart. In order to study PE development in chick embryos, we have analyzed the expression pattern of the marker genes Tbx18, Wt1, and Cfc. During PE induction, the three marker genes displayed a left-right asymmetric expression pattern. In each case, expression on the right side was stronger than on the left side. The left-right asymmetric gene expression observed here is in accord with the asymmetric formation of the proepicardium in the chick embryo. While initially the marker genes were expressed in the primitive sinus horn, subsequently, expression became confined to the PE mesothelium. In order to search for signaling factors involved in PE development, we studied Bmp2 and Bmp4 expression. Bmp2 was bilaterally expressed in the sinus venosus. In contrast, Bmp4 expression was initially expressed unilaterally in the right sinus horn and subsequently in the PE. In order to assess its functional role, BMP signaling was experimentally modulated by supplying exogenous BMP2 and by inhibiting endogenous BMP signaling through the addition of Noggin. Both supplying BMP and blocking BMP signaling resulted in a loss of PE marker gene expression. Surprisingly, both experimental situations lead to cardiac myocyte formation in the PE cultures. Careful titration experiments with exogenously added BMP2 or Noggin revealed that PE-specific marker gene expression depends on a low level of BMP signaling. Implantation of BMP2-secreting cells or beads filled with Noggin protein into the right sinus horn of HH stage 11 embryos resulted in downregulation of Tbx18 expression, corresponding to the results of the explant assay. Thus, a distinct level of BMP signaling is required for PE formation in the chick embryo.     

蛙心包淋巴孔的发现

首次报道蛙心包淋巴孔 ,揭示心包腔淋巴转归途径。本实验应用扫描电镜和透射电镜观察心包淋巴孔的超微结构 ,并使用计算机图象处理技术对淋巴孔作定量分析。结果发现 ,正常蛙心包腔面有一些散在分布的心包淋巴孔和少量淋巴窦。构成淋巴孔的间皮细胞常出现粗大的胞质突起 ,伸入淋巴孔 ,形成瓣膜状结构。淋巴孔的平均直径为 0 72±0 33μm ,平均分布密度是 3 57± 2 0 7个 /0 0 1mm2 ;心包间皮淋巴窦的面积是 995 0 8±2 2 1 74μm2 /0 0 1mm2 。蛙心肌无血管 ,其血供仅由心腔内血液直接进入心肌的小梁间隙。心包脏层未发现有淋巴孔。结果表明 :间皮淋巴窦是心包膜正常“漏出”的形态依据。心包淋巴孔的发现 ,证明心包腔淋巴引流途径的存在。淋巴引流对于心肌组织间液的平衡 ,清除组织间液蛋白质 ,防止心肌间质水肿 ,有重要意义     

Serotonergic control of the heart and pericardium in the chiton Acanthopleura japonica

Serotonergic control of the heart and pericardium of the chiton, Acanthopleura japonica, was examined during this combined histological and physiological study. Glyoxylic acid (2%) induced fluorescence in neural elements of fibers and varicosities in the heart and pericardium. Serotonin exerted positive chronotropic and inotropic actions on the heart and pericardium in a dose-dependent manner. The threshold dose of serotonin that stimulated excitatory effects on the heart and pericardium was less than 10⁻⁹ M. The histological and pharmacological results suggest that serotonin may be a neurotransmitter present in excitatory nerves innervating the heart and pericardium. We conclude that serotonergic excitatory control of the heart appeared early during molluscan phylogeny with the evolution of the chitons. The pericardium of the chiton may receive serotonergic excitatory neural control, which has not been reported in higher molluscan taxa.     

清除牛心包组织内细胞的方法

置换生物心脏瓣膜的病人一般不需抗凝治疗。但由于生物心脏瓣膜的逐渐损坏,术后５年至１０年需行再次换瓣手术。根据生物心脏瓣膜的病理检查发现,瓣叶的钙化变性是瓣膜原发性失功的主要形式,而瓣膜内的残存细胞和细胞碎片则起了重要的初始钙化源的作用。     

Misidentification of cardiac vagal pre-ganglionic neurons after injections of retrograde tracer into the pericardial space in the rat

We evaluated whether pericardial injections of the retrograde tracers cholera toxin subunit B (CTb) or Fast Blue (FB) reliably labelled cardiac vagal pre-ganglionic neurons. Injections of CTb into the pericardial space of the rat labelled neurons in both the external and compact formations of the nucleus ambiguus. Most labelled neurons were found in the compact formation of the nucleus ambiguus, and the majority of these, and only these, expressed immunoreactivity for calcitonin gene-related peptide. This distribution of labelled neurons and their immunohistochemical properties is characteristic of oesophageal motoneurons. Examination of the oesophagus following intra-pericardial CTb applications revealed strong labelling of motor end plates within the skeletal muscle of the thoracic but not the abdominal oesophagus. When a second retrograde tracer, FB, was injected into the abdominal oesophagus, labelled somata were found adjacent to CTb-labelled neurons in the compact formation of the nucleus ambiguus. No co-localisation of tracers was found, but identical proportions of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) immunoreactivity were observed in both groups of neurons. FB injected into the pericardial space labelled intra-cardiac neurons but not brainstem neurons. We conclude that intra-pericardial, and perhaps sub-epicardial, injections of some retrograde tracers are likely to label a subset of oesophageal, as well as cardiac, vagal motor neurons in the brainstem.This work was supported in part by grant No. G 00 M 0670 from the National Heart Foundation of Australia.