Regulation of oligodendrocyte precursor migration during development, in adulthood and in pathology

Oligodendrocytes are the myelin-forming cells in the central nervous system (CNS). These cells originate from oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) during development, and they migrate extensively from oligodendrogliogenic niches along the neural tube to colonise the entire CNS. Like many other such events, this migratory process is precisely regulated by a battery of positional and signalling cues that act via their corresponding receptors and that are expressed dynamically by OPCs. Here, we will review the cellular and molecular basis of this important event during embryonic and postnatal development, and we will discuss the relevance of the substantial number of OPCs existing in the adult CNS. Similarly, we will consider the behaviour of OPCs in normal and pathological conditions, especially in animal models of demyelination and of the demyelinating disease, multiple sclerosis. The spontaneous remyelination observed after damage in demyelinating pathologies has a limited effect. Understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the biology of OPCs, particularly adult OPCs, should help in the design of neuroregenerative strategies to combat multiple sclerosis and other demyelinating diseases.     

Failure of medial forebrain bundle or raphe ablation to alter the daily temperature rhythm of the rat.

The data presented in the present study suggest that neither the ascending noradrenergic fibres confined to the MFB nor the serotonergic fibres originating in or passing through the mesencephalic raphe are essential for periodicity in body temperature. Both control and experimental groups, i.e., rats subjected to medial forebrain bundle or raphe ablation presented circadian periodicity in body temperature and neither the phase, amplitude or overall mean of experimentals differed significantly from controls.     

Effect of X-537A on the phosphorylated protein in sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles

Summary The effect of the antibiotic X-537A on the phosphorylated ATPase (EP) was investigated. The results show that X-537A depresses the level of EP which is dependent on the Ca²⁺ gradient, while the Ca²⁺-independent EP is not affected. Acknowledgments. This work was supported by grants from the Instituto de Alta Cultura of the Portuguese Ministry of Education (No. CB/2) and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.     

Phenobarbital specific antisera and radioimmunoassay

Résumé On a développé un anticorps d'une grande affinité et spécifité envers le phénobarbital en inoculant des lapins avec une solution de barbiturateprotéide, synthétisée d'acide barbiturique de 5-phényl-5-(4-aminobutyl) et d'albumine de sérum bovin par du carbodiimide. Usant de cet anticorps comme radioimmunoeassai, on peut mesurer jusqu'à 1 picomole de phénobarbital par ml de fluides biologique sans que d'autres barbiturates y opposent une réaction significative.

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We express our appreciation to the Lilly Research Laboratories for the donation of amobarbital and secobarbital.     

Impaired insulin release in aging rats: Metabolic and ionic events

We investigated the effect of aging on glucose uptake, glucose-induced O₂ consumption, glucose-induced⁴⁵Ca movements, and calmodulin content to elucidate age-related impairment of glucose-induced insulin release in pancreatic islets of Wistar rats. Intact pancreatic islets from old (24-month-old) rats showed impaired glucose-induced insulin release; glucose uptake and O₂ consumption were lower in old than in young (2-month-old) or adult (12-month-old) rats. Moreover,⁴⁵Ca uptake and calmodulin content were decreased in pancreatic islets from older rats, which explained the impairment in glucose-induced insulin release in aging. No major differences between the 3 age groups in glucose-induced⁴⁵Ca efflux in pancreatic islets were observed.     

Interaction of benznidazole reactive metabolites with nuclear and kinetoplastic DNA, proteins and lipids from Trypanosoma cruzi

Epimastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi (Tulahuen strain Tul 0 stock) biotransform benznidazole (N-benzyl-2-nitro-1-imidazole acetamide) to reactive metabolites that bind covalently to DNA, proteins and lipids of the parasite. These effects might be related to the trypanocidal action of benznidazole, a chemotherapeutic agent against Chagas' disease.     

The heavy chain of human histocompatibility antigen HLA-B7 contains an immunoglobulin-like region.

The 88-residue fragment (ac-2) containing the second disulphide loop from HLA-B7 heavy chain is shown to have statistically significant homology with Ig constant domains, including both matches at invariant positions and conservative substitutions of structurally important residues. Thus, both the light chain (beta 2m) and a segment of the heavy chain of HLA antigens may be structurally and evolutionarily related to immunoglobulins.