Neurochemistry of the afferents to the rat cochlear root nucleus: Possible synaptic modulation of the acoustic startle

Afferents to the primary startle circuit are essential for the elicitation and modulation of the acoustic startle reflex (ASR). In the rat, cochlear root neurons (CRNs) comprise the first component of the acoustic startle circuit and play a crucial role in mediating the ASR. Nevertheless, the neurochemical pattern of their afferents remains unclear. To determine the distribution of excitatory and inhibitory inputs, we used confocal microscopy to analyze the immunostaining for vesicular glutamate and GABA transporter proteins (VGLUT1 and VGAT) on retrogradely labeled CRNs. We also used reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry to detect and localize specific neurotransmitter receptor subunits in the cochlear root. Our results show differential distributions of VGLUT1- and VGAT-immunoreactive endings around cell bodies and dendrites. The RT-PCR data showed a positive band for several ionotropic glutamate receptor subunits, M1-M5 muscarinic receptor subtypes, the glycine receptor alpha 1 subunit (GlyR alpha 1), GABA(A), GABA(B), and subunits of alpha 2 and beta-noradrenergic receptors. By immunohistochemistry, we confirmed that CRN cell bodies exhibit positive immunoreaction for the glutamate receptor (GluR) 3 and NR1 GluR subunits. Cell bodies and dendrites were also positive for M2 and M4, and GlyR alpha 1. Other subunits, such as GluR1 and GluR4 of the AMPA GluRs, were observed in glial cells neighboring unlabeled CRN cell bodies. We further confirmed the existence of nor-adrenergic afferents onto CRNs from the locus coeruleus by combining tyrosine hydroxylase immunohistochemistry and tract-tracing experiments. Our results provide valuable information toward understanding how CRNs might integrate excitatory and inhibitory inputs, and hence how they could elicit and modulate the ASR. (C) 2008 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Functional effects of castration on alpha(1)-adrenoceptors in rat vas deferens

The effects of castration on alpha(1)-adrenoceptors in rat vas deferens were investigated by determining the actions of selective antagonists against the contractions induced by noradrenaline. The results obtained in vas deferens from control rats suggest participation of alpha(1A)-adrenoceptors as judged by the pA(2) values for prazosin (9.6), benoxathian (9.5), 2(2,6-dimethoxyphenoxyethyl) amino-methyl-1,4-benzodioxone hydrochloride) (WB 4101) (9.6), phentolamine (8.4), 8-[2-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl]ethyl]-8-azaspiro[4.5] decane-7,9-dionedihydrochloride (BMY 7378) (6.7) and by the insensitivity to chloroethylclonidine (100 mu M, 45 min). In vas deferens from castrated rats, WE 4101 and spiperone showed slopes lower than 1.0 in the Schild plots, suggesting participation of multiple receptors. In these organs, noradrenaline contractions were partially inhibited by chloroethylclonidine (100 mu M, 45 min), indicating participation of alpha(1B)-adrenoceptors. After chloroethylclonidine treatment, WE 4101 showed a slope not different from 1.0 in the Schild plot, resulting in a pA(2) of 9.4, which indicates an interaction with alpha(1A)-adrenoceptors. It is suggested that castration modifies the functional alpha(1)-adrenoceptors subtypes in rat vas deferens. (C) 1998 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.

Functional characterisation of alpha(1)-adrenoceptors in denervated rat vas deferens

We investigated whether or not surgical denervation of the rat vas deferens changes the alpha(1)-adrenoceptor subtypes involved in the contractions to noradrenaline. Denervated vas deferens was approximate to22 times more sensitive to noradrenaline (pD(2)=7.35 +/- 0.04) than control vas (pD(2)= 6.01 +/- 0.03). This difference in noradrenaline potency was eliminated when cocaine (6 muM) was added to control vas (pD(2)=7.22 +/- 0.04). The noradrenaline-induced contractions of control and denervated vas deferens were insensitive to the alpha(1B)/alpha(1D)-adrenoceptor alkylating agent chloroethylclonidine (100 muM, 45 min). The concentration-response curves to noradrenaline in control and denervated vas deferens were competitively antagonised by prazosin (pA(2)approximate to9.6), WB-4101 (pA(2)approximate to9.5), 5-methyl urapidil (pA(2)approximate to8.4), phentolamine (pA(2)approximate to8.7), yohimbine (pA(2)approximate to6.9), BMY 7378 (pA(2)approximate to6.9) and indoramin (pA(2)approximate to8.7). After the treatment of control and denervated vas deferens with phenoxybenzamine, the partial agonist oxymetazoline antagonised competitively the concentration-response curves to noradrenaline showing pA(2) values approximate to7.4 in both groups. We conclude that noradrenaline-induced contractions in control and denervated rat vas deferens are mediated by alpha(1A)-adrenoceptors and that surgical denervation of the rat vas deferens is not able to change the alpha(1)-adrenoceptor subtypes involved in the contractions to noradrenaline.

The tricyclic antidepressants amitriptyline, nortriptyline and imipramine are weak antagonists of human and rat alpha(1B)-adrenoceptors

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Caracterização filogenética de amostras do vírus da imunodeficiência felina (FIV) do Estado de São Paulo

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Detection of porcine circovirus genotypes 2a and 2b in aborted foetuses from infected swine herds in the State of São Paulo, Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Bundle sheath ontogeny in Kranz and non-Kranz species of Cyperaceae (Poales)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Translocation (11;19)(q23;p13.3) associated with a novel t(5;16) (ql3;q22) in a patient with acute myelocytic leukemia

A novel association of t(11;19)(q23;p13) and t(5;16)(q13;q22) was detected by G-banding and spectral karyotyping studies in an 18-year-old patient. While balanced t(11; 19) has been often described in acute myelocytic leukemia (AML) French-American-British Cooperative Group subtypes M4 and M5, this patient was diagnosed with the variant AML-M4 with eosinophilia (AML-M4Eo), which is associated with abnormalities in 16q22 and has good prognosis. However, the patient relapsed after allogeneic transplant and died within 2 years of diagnosis, which suggests that the association of these two translocations correlates with a poor prognosis. This report expands the molecular basis of the variability in clinical outcomes and adds the novel t(5;16)(q13;q22) to the spectrum of chromosome 16q22 abnormalities in AML. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Neonatal Gonocyte Differentiation in Mongolian Gerbil Meriones unguiculatus Involves Asynchronous Maturation of Seminiferous Cords and Rapid Formation of Transitional Cell Stage

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Ocorrência e distribuição de esporos de Clostridium botulinum tipos C e D em áreas de criação de búfalos na Baixada Maranhense

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Para uma crítica da medicalização na educação

Este artigo analisa criticamente o processo crescente de medicalização da vida cotidiana e suas expressões contemporâneas no campo da educação escolar à luz dos pressupostos da Psicologia Histórico-Cultural, buscando desvelar o processo de produção dos fenômenos do não aprender e não se comportar na escola, bem como os fatores que determinam sua identificação por profissionais da saúde e da educação como sintomas de doenças e transtornos. Dentre as muitas disfunções comumente associadas ao desempenho escolar de crianças na atualidade, são destacados e analisados o TDAH e o TOD. As análises desenvolvidas ao longo do texto indicam que a compreensão da medicalização como um desdobramento inevitável do processo de patologização dos problemas educacionais exige um trabalho intelectual crítico e o desenvolvimento de novos posicionamentos de psicólogos, educadores e profissionais da saúde em relação à sociedade, à educação e ao desenvolvimento humano.

Proposta para classificação, segundo a severidade, dos indivíduos portadores de más oclusões do Padrão Face Longa

OBJETIVO: o presente estudo teve como objetivo propor um método para classificação, segundo a severidade, dos indivíduos Padrão Face Longa, avaliando sua confiabilidade e reprodutibilidade. METODOLOGIA: foram utilizadas fotografias faciais (frontal, perfil e frontal sorrindo) de 125 crianças Padrão Face Longa (54 do gênero feminino e 71 do gênero masculino), selecionadas apenas considerando-se a morfologia facial, com idades entre 10 anos e 6 meses e 15 anos e 2 meses. As fotografias foram avaliadas, separadamente, por três examinadores, sendo reavaliadas após três semanas, em uma nova disposição aleatória. Os indivíduos foram graduados em três subtipos, de acordo com a severidade: moderado, médio e severo. Para avaliar as concordâncias intra e interexaminadores, foi utilizada a estatística Kappa (k). RESULTADOS: na avaliação intra-examinador, todos os examinadores obtiveram concordâncias substanciais, com o valor de Kappa variando de 0,64 a 0,66, havendo em todos os examinadores 80% ou mais de concordância. Quando comparadas as avaliações interexaminadores, as freqüências de concordância diminuíram, variando de 67,2% a 70,4%. A partir dos valores de Kappa, que variaram de 0,41 a 0,46, a interpretação foi considerada moderada. CONCLUSÕES: com base nesses resultados, o método foi considerado aplicável, com necessidade de complemento de informações provenientes de outros exames rotineiramente aplicados em Ortodontia. A aplicação clínica será demonstrada com intuito de evidenciar os níveis diferentes de severidade das más oclusões do Padrão Face Longa e as características do protocolo de tratamento recomendado.