Toxoplasma gondii: flat-mounting of retina as a new tool for the observation of ocular infection in mice.

Ocular toxoplasmosis is the principal cause of posterior uveitis and a leading cause of blindness. Animal models are required to improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of this disease. The method currently used for the detection of retinal cysts in animals involves the observation, under a microscope, of all the sections from infected eyes. However, this method is time-consuming and lacks sensitivity. We have developed a rapid, sensitive method for observing retinal cysts in mice infected with Toxoplasma gondii. This method involves combining the flat-mounting of retina - a compromise between macroscopic observation and global analysis of this tissue - and the use of an avirulent recombinant strain of T. gondii expressing the Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase gene, visually detectable at the submacroscopic level. Single cyst unilateral infection was found in six out of 17 mice killed within 28 days of infection, whereas a bilateral infection was found in only one mouse. There was no correlation between brain cysts number and ocular infection.

Interleukin-1β inhibition prevents choroidal neovascularization and does not exacerbate photoreceptor degeneration.

The pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β has been shown to promote angiogenesis. It can have a neurotoxic or neuroprotective effect. Here, we have studied the expression of IL-1β in vivo and the effect of the IL-1 receptor antagonist on choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and retinal degeneration (RD). IL-1β expression significantly increased after laser injury (real time PCR) in C57BL/6 mice, in the C57BL/6 Cx3cr1(-/-) model of age-related macular degeneration (enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay), and in albino Wistar rats and albino BALB Cx3cr1(+/+) and Cx3cr1(-/-) mice (enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay) after light injury. IL-1β was localized to Ly6G-positive, Iba1-negative infiltrating neutrophils in laser-induced CNV as determined by IHC. IL-1 receptor antagonist treatment significantly inhibited CNV but did not affect Iba1-positive macrophage recruitment to the injury site. IL-1β significantly increased endothelial cell outgrowth in aortic ring assay independently of vascular endothelial growth factor, suggesting a direct effect of IL-1β on choroidal endothelial cell proliferation. Inhibition of IL-1β in light- and laser-induced RD models did not alter photoreceptor degeneration in Wistar rats, C57BL/6 mice, or RD-prone Cx3cr1(-/-) mice. Our results suggest that IL-1β inhibition might represent a valuable and safe alternative to inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor in the control of CNV in the context of concomitant photoreceptor degeneration as observed in age-related macular degeneration.

Lipid-bloated subretinal microglial cells are at the origin of drusen appearance in CX3CR1-deficient mice.

Drusen, the white yellowish deposits that can be seen in funduscopy, are a hallmark of age-related macular degeneration. Histologically, drusen are believed to be dome-shaped or more confluent lipid accumulations between the retinal pigment epithelium and the choriocapillaries. Recent advances in mouse funduscopy have revealed the presence of drusen-like structures in chemokine knockout animals in the absence of sizeable dome-shaped material below the retinal pigment epithelium. We show that aged CX3CR1-/- mice present with drusen-like appearance in funduscopy that is associated with a progressive age-related microglial cell accumulation in the subretinal space. We demonstrate that the anatomical equivalent of the drusen-like appearance in these mice are lipid-bloated subretinal microglial cells rather than subretinal pigment epithelium deposits [Combadière C, et al: J Clin Invest 2007;117:2920-2928].

Kön, kropp och identitet konstruerat i media

Kirja-arvio

Pontificale parisiense [Pontifical dit de Poitiers ou de Vierzon].

Sur le feuillet de garde A, cette note autographe de Mabillon : « Hic codex optimae notae scriptus est ante annos circiter octingentos. Multa scitu digna continet, maxime in triduo ante Pascha. In litaniis sabbati sancti fit supplicatio pro congregatione S. Petri, quem patronum habet Pictavensis ecclesia. Invocantur etiam in iisdem sanctus Hilarius et sancta Radegundis, qui praecipue ad ecclesiam Pictavensem pertinent ; sed nulla mentio de aliis sanctis ejusdem dioecesis. Haec scripsi XI kal. decembris an. 1695. — F. J. M. » Fol. 1 : « Benedictio episcoporum. — Consecratio ». Fol. 2 : « Oratio ad ordinandum praesbiterum. — Consecratio. ». Fol. 3 : « Oratio ad ordinandum diaconum. — Consecratio. » Fol. 4 : « Ordo qualiter in Romana ecclesia praesbiteri, diaconi, subdiaconi ordinandi sunt. » Fol. 5 : « Ordinatio subdiaconi ». Fol. 5v° : « Ordinatio ostiarii. » Fol. 6 : « Ordinatio lectoris ». Fol. 6v° : « Ordinatio exorcistae ». Fol. 7 : « Ordinatio acoliti ». Fol. 7v° : « Incipit ordo qualiter publice vel specialiter agitur modus paenitentiae secundum censuram ecclesiasticam, quod quarta feria quinquagesime inchoatur ». Fol. 8v° : « Confessio pura coram Deo et angelis et coram omnibus sanctis » : — de superbia (fol. 12) ; de inani gloria (fol. 13) ; de invidia (fol. 13 vo) ; de ira (fol. 14 vo) ; de tristitia (fol. 15) ; de avaricia (fol. 16) ; de ventris ingluvie (fol. 20) ; de luxuria (fol. 23). Fol. 40v° : « Missa pro paenitentibus et confitentibus, sive unus sive plures fuerint ». Fol. 43 : « Denunciatio scrutinii quod tertia ebdomada in quadragesima secunda feria iniciatur ». Fol. 43v° : « Oratio super electos ad catecuminum faciendum ». Fol. 44 : « Benedictio salis dandi caticuminis. » — Prières et exhortations aux catéchumènes. Explication des évangiles. Fol. 54-56 : Le Credo, en grec avec traduction latine au-dessus. La traduction est faite de mot à mot. Pour l'article grec, le traducteur s'est contenté de mettre au-dessus, dans le texte latin, ces lettres ar. (articulus). Fol. 58v° : Explication du Pater. Fol. 60v° : « Incipit missa primi scrutinii ». Fol. : 63 : « Alia missa de secundo scrutinio ». Fol. 66v° : « Missa de tertio scrutinio ». Fol. 70 : « Sabbato ante diem Palmarum ». Fol. 72 : « Dominica indulgentiae quae est dies Palmarum ». Fol. 73 : Les 36 premiers vers de la pièce Gloria, laus de Théodulfe, évêque d'Orléans (Henry Martin signale l'éd. qu'en a fait Duemmler dans les Poetae latini aevi carolini, t. I, p. 558 : « Gloria, laus et honor tibi sit, Christe redemptor, Cui puerile decus promsit osanna pium. Israhel es tu rex Davidis et inclita proles, Nomine qui in Domini, rex benedicte, venis... » Fol. 95 :« Feria II post Palmas ». Fol. 98v° : « Feria tertia ». Fol. 130 : « Feria V, quae est cena Domini ». Fol. 141v° : « Alia missa eodem die, si plures ad reconciliandum venerint ». Fol. 154 : « Missa chrismalis ». Fol. 160 : Litanies. A noter : SS. Denys, Quentin, Julien, Géréon, Hilaire, Martin, Aignan, Benoît, Cloud [Clodoald], Ste Geneviève. Fol. 170v° : « Benedictio chrismatis principalis ». Fol. 171 : « Exorcismus olei ad baptizandos ». Fol. 173v° : In cena Domini de Flavius, évêque: « Versus Flavii episcopi ad mandatum in cena Domini ». « Tellus a cethra jubilent in magni cena principis, Que protoplasti pectora vite purgavit ferculo ; Hac nocte factor omnium potenti sat mysterio Carnem suam cum sanguine in escam transfert anime. — Tellus. » Fol. 174 : « Item versus Bedae » (Bède). « Fuit Domini dilectus languens a Bethania Lazarus beatus sacris olim cum sororibus quas Jhesus eternus Amor diligebat plurimum Martham simul et Mariam, felices per secula. » Fol. 174v° : « Feria VI quae est Parasceve ». Fol. 192v° : « Pange lingua gloriosi Proelium certaminis ». Fol. 193 : « Incipit de sabbato sancto. — Ordo baptisterii ». Fol. 200v° : Litanies. A noter : SS. Quentin, Cucuphat, Julien, Lucien, Hilaire, Martin, Benoît, Germain, Columban, Samson ; SStes Geneviève, Brigitte, Colombe, Radegonde, Aldegonde. — A noter aussi (fol. 201 vo) : « Ut exercitum Francorum conservare digneris. — Ut illum abbatem et cunctam congregationem sancti illius in tuo apto servitio conservare digneris... » Fol. 202 : « Benedictio cerei. — Exultet jam angelica turba coelorum. Exultent divina mysteria... », avec neumes. Fol. 208 : Litanies. A noter : SS. Hilaire, Martin, Ambroise, Maur, Maurille, Lezin, évêque d'Angers ; SStes Blandine, Nathalie. Fol. 210 : « Inde canitur hic versus : »« Urbs beata Hierusalem, dicta pacis visio, que construitur in celis vivis ex lapidibus... » Fol. 210v° : « Benedictio fontis ». Fol. 213 : vers « Tibi laus perennis auctor baptismatis... » Fol. 213v° : Litanies. A noter : SS. Martin, Brice, Médard, Vaast, Germain, Marcel, Hilaire ; SStes Reine, Julienne, Gertrude, Colombe, Geneviève, Afre, Radegonde, Aldegonde, Darie, Brigitte, Paule. — A noter (fol. 215) : « Ut exercitum Francorum conservare digneris. — Ut congregationem sancti Petri in tuo apto servitio conservare digneris ». Fol. 223 : « Finit ordo baptisterii ». Fol. 227 : Le jour de Pâques. Fol. 230v° : « Feria II ». Fol. 241 : « Feria quinta ». Fol. 245v° : « Feria VI ». Fol. 248 : « Sabbato ». Fol. 252v° : « In octavis Paschae ». Fol. 256v° : « Missa in octavis Paschae pro baptizatis ». Fol. 257v° : « Missa pro parroechias in diebus paschalibus... ». Fol. 258v° : « Fides catholica continens credulitatem... » Fol. 269 : « Missa pro conjugibus sterilitate infecundis in procreatione prolis ». Fol. 273v° : « Orationes ad benedicendam aquam aspergendam in domo. — Exorcismus salis ». Fol. 274 : « Benedictio salis. — Exorcismus aque. — Benedictio aque ». Fol. 274v° : « Benedictio salis et aquae... » etc. Fol. 275 : « Exorcismus salis et aquae contra fulgura ». Fol. 276 : « Benedictio salis ad pecora. — Orationes ad clericum faciendum ». Fol. 276v° : « Benedictio putei ». Fol. 277 : « Benedictio frugum novarum ». Fol. 277v° : « Benedictio panis. — Oratio ad capillarum (sic). — Alia ad tonsorandum puerum ». Fol. 278 : « Oratio post tonsionem. — Oratio ad barbas tondendas ». Fol. 278 : « lncipit actio pontificalis ad... » . Le verso du feuillet 279 est tout à fait effacé. Neumes français, du IXe s., aux f. 202-204 (l'Exultet) ; addition du Xe s. au f. 203 v° (Bernard).

Le Désert...

Comprend : Enterré vif. La Lettre dérobée. L'Homme dans la foule. Le Coeur mort qui bat

Calreticulin levels determine onset of early muscle denervation by fast motoneurons of ALS model mice.

Although the precise signaling mechanisms underlying the vulnerability of some sub-populations of motoneurons in ALS remain unclear, critical factors such as metallo-proteinase 9 expression, neuronal activity and endoplasmic reticulum stress have been shown to be involved. In the context of SOD1(G93A) ALS mouse model, we previously showed that a two-fold decrease in calreticulin (CRT) is occurring in the vulnerable fast motoneurons. Here, we asked to which extent the decrease in CRT levels was causative to muscle denervation and/or motoneuron degeneration. Toward this goal, a hemizygous deletion of the crt gene in SOD1(G93A) mice was generated since the complete ablation of crt is embryonic lethal. We observed that SOD1(G93A);crt(+/-) mice display increased and earlier muscle weakness and muscle denervation compared to SOD1(G93A) mice. While CRT reduction in motoneurons leads to a strong upregulation of two factors important in motoneuron dysfunction, ER stress and mTOR activation, it does not aggravate motoneuron death. Our results underline a prevalent role for CRT levels in the early phase of muscle denervation and support CRT regulation as a potential therapeutic approach.

Konserttiohjelma 1912-03-11 - Ohjelma

Helsinki 1912