A histochemical study on the innervation of the cerebral blood vessels in the carp.

Adrenergic and cholinergic innervation of the cerebral blood vessels were studied in the carp using fluorescence and cholinesterase histochemistry. Most of the major cerebral and pial arteries were densely innervated with both nerves. Moreover, both nerves, being probably of central origin, were observed frequently on the walls of parenchymal arterioles and capillaries in the sections of the inferior lobe but were only rarely found in the other brain sections.     

A somatotopic organization of leg afferents in the spiderCupiennius salei Keys. (Araneae,Ctenidae)

Summary Axonal anterograde degeneration after ablation of different leg segments of the spiderCupiennius salei was traced using LM-and EM-methods. The pattern of degeneration seen in cross sections of the leg nerves close to their entry into the subesophageal ganglion shows a somatotopic organization of afferents within the leg nerves coming from different leg segments. All afferents run through the ventral part of the nerve.Acknowledgment. We thank Dr E.A. Seyfarth for helpful discussions. Parts of the study were supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (W.G., SFB45/A1).     

Association of brain glycoprotein (NSA 3) with neuronal membranes and with the nodes of Ranvier]

The localisation of brain glycoprotein NSA 3 was studied by means of indirect immunofluorescence on alcohol fixed, paraffin embedded sections of Rat brain. These techniques allowed the localisation of NSA 3 to the membrane of some (about 10%) of the neurons. In the white matter, the patterns were in agreement with the localisation of the Ranvier nodes. The nodes of Ranvier were also stained in peripheral nerves.     

Glia maturation factor influences recovery from injury in neonatal rat brains

Summary Newborn rats were injured with a puncture wound in one cerebral hemisphere. Experimental animals were treated with three i.p. injections of Glia Maturation Factor (GMF) at daily intervals starting from the time of injury, whereas control littermates were treated with equivalent amounts of bovine serum albumin. At 25 days old the size of the cerebral cortex at the plane of injury was measured on representative brain sections. In control rats the injured side was 18% smaller than the normal side whereas in GMF-treated animals the difference was only 1%. The results suggest a possible regulatory role of GMF in promoting tissue recovery from brain damage.Acknowledgments. This work was supported by the following research grants to Dr Lim: Veterans Administration Merit Review Award and Clinical Investigatorship Award, National Science Foundation grant No.BNS-8308341 and National Cancer Institute grant No. CA-31796. We thank Marjorie Strabala for preparing the histological sections and Dr Peter A. Lachenbruch and John Tsuang for statistical analysis.     

Glia maturation factor influences recovery from injury in neonatal rat brains

Newborn rats were injured with a puncture wound in one cerebral hemisphere. Experimental animals were treated with three i.p. injections of Glia Maturation Factor (GMF) at daily intervals starting from the time of injury, whereas control littermates were treated with equivalent amounts of bovine serum albumin. At 25 days old the size of the cerebral cortex at the plane of injury was measured on representative brain sections. In control rats the injured side was 18% smaller than the normal side whereas in GMF-treated animals the difference was only 1%. The results suggest a possible regulatory role of GMF in promoting tissue recovery from brain damage.     

The regulatory peptide system of the large bowel in equine grass sickness

Summary In recent years, distinct changes in regulatory peptides have been found in a number of gastrointestinal diseases. Grass sickness is a fatal disease of horses for which the etiology has yet to be fully ascertained. In this study, the peptide-containing nerves and ganglionic and mucosal endocrine cells of the ileum, colon and rectum were investigated in horses with sub-acute or chronic grass sickness and compared with normal controls using immunocytochemistry, at both the light and electron microscopical levels, and radioimmunoassay. A substantial loss of both peptide-containing cells and nerves was found in all of the sick horses, particularly in the ileum. Electron microscopy revealed marked degeneration of nerves in the gut wall. fibers containing granules immunostained for substance P or VIP, using the immunogold staining technique, underwent extensive degranulation in grass sickness, with the formation of multiple vacuoles.Radioimmunoassay of peptide content also showed that the most drastic changes occurred in the ileum. For example, VIP content was significantly reduced from 109±19.8 (mean±SEM) pmoles/g in controls to 6.8±1.4 pmoles/g in grass sickness (p<0.001) and substance P from 65.9±8.1 to 31.3±9.5 (p<0.02). These results may have applications in the diagnosis and treatment of grass sickness.The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Wellcome Trust and the Grass Sickness Fund.     

Antidromic responses evoked in the central end of the phrenic nerve by stimulation of the ipsilateral dorsal column in the cat]

In 15 adult cats under nembutal anaesthesia the dorsal columns have been stimulated at the level of the first and the second cervical segments. Under these conditions antidromically evoked responses appear both on the ipsilateral radial and phrenic nerves. Some of the afferent phrenic fibres thus activated may be related to the diaphragm muscle receptors. In some experiments a group of thin fibres (conduction velocity comprised between 16-20 m/sec) were also activated.     

Occurrence, distribution and nature of neuropeptide Y in the rat pancreas

Significant quantities of a newly discovered peptide, neuropeptide Y, were found in the rat pancreas, where they were localized to nerves in the exocrine parenchyma and around arterial and ductal structures. Although unaffected by surgical parasympathectomy, the periarterial and periductal nerves were abolished by chemical sympathectomy, suggesting that NPY is partially costored with sympathetic transmitters in nerve fibers.     

Occurrence,distribution and nature of neuropeptide Y in the rat pancreas

Summary Significant quantities of a newly discovered peptide, neuropeptide Y, were found in the rat pancreas, where they were localized to nerves in the exocrine parenchyma and around arterial and ductal structures. Although unaffected by surgical parasympathectomy, the periarterial and periductal nerves were abolished by chemical sympathectomy, suggesting that NPY is partially costored with sympathetic transmitters in nerve fibers.     

How Schwann cells facilitate cancer progression in nerves

Recent studies have demonstrated a critical role for nerves in enabling tumor progression. The association of nerves with cancer cells is well established for a variety of malignant tumors, including pancreatic, prostate and the head and neck cancers. This association is often correlated with poor prognosis. A strong partnership between cancer cells and nerve cells leads to both cancer progression and expansion of the nerve network. This relationship is supported by molecular pathways related to nerve growth and repair. Peripheral nerves form complex tumor microenvironments, which are made of several cell types including Schwann cells. Recent studies have revealed that Schwann cells enable cancer progression by adopting a de-differentiated phenotype, similar to the Schwann cell response to nerve trauma. A detailed understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in the regulation of cancer progression by the nerves is essential to design strategies to inhibit tumor progression.     

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) occurs in nerves of the pineal gland

Summary Nerves staining with antibodies against vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) were detected in the pineal gland of the rabbit, cat and pig. VIP nerves were numerous in the cat but few in the rabbit and pig. A particularly rich VIP nerve supply was noted in the pineal stalk of the cat. The nerves were predominantly located around small blood vessels. Occasionally, nerve fibres were seen in the glandular parenchyma without obvious relation to blood vessels.Grant support from the Swedish Medical Research Council (04X-4499).     

On the adrenergic innervation of the rat parotid gland

Summary In parotid glands of rats, some adrenergic nerves persisted after avulsion of the superior cervical ganglion, while in submaxillary glands, the adrenergic nerves disappeared completely.This work was supported by grants from the Faculty of Medicine in Lund to J. E.     

Nerves and muscles regulating feather follicle movements in the chicken

Summary It was found that most feather follicles possess more than a single muscle system but only single nerve endings were observed in a feather follicle. It seems that muscles exist which antagonize each other. Anastomoses of nerves orginating from different sources and flowing of mixed nerves into the feather follicle could explain the antagonistic action of the muscles on the feather follicle.Partially supported by a grant from the Israel Egg and Poultry Board.     

Synapsing pathways through the guinea-pig inferior mesenteric ganglion

Summary All 4 groups of nerves connecting with the guinea-pig inferior mesenteric ganglion contain synaptic inputs which activate postganglionic activity in all groups except the lumbar splanchnic nerves.     

The ischemic and postischemic effect on the uptake of neutral amino acids in isolated cerebral capillaries.

The uptake of some neurtral amino acids was investigated in cerebral microvessels isolated from brains of gerbils subjected to bilateral cerebral ischemia with and without various periods of recovery. A transiently increased capillary uptake of 3H-isoleucine, 14C-cycloleucine and 3H-phenylalanine was found in both conditions.     

Auditory and visual perception of simultaneous verbal and nonverbal stimuli

Summary In an auditory experiment, digits and tonal sequences were presented simultaneously to both ears. In a visual experiment, words and nonsense figures had to be compared in both visual half-fields. The verbal stimuli were better reported from the right ear and right visual half-field. The nonverbal stimuli were reported equally well from both ears and visual half-fields. It appears that the processing of stimuli presented to both input channels depends on the type of the stimuli. These results point to a cerebral mechanism classifying incoming information to the brain and yielding an optimal processing of verbal and nonverbal stimuli by the cerebral hemispheres.This study was supported in part by grants 6.182-0.76 and 6.183-0.76 of the Swiss National Science Foundation to E. Perret.     

Fluorescence histochemical demonstration of the uptake of dopamine-derived dihydroisoquinoline in the hypothalamic neurons

Summary The uptake and the accumulation of dopamine-derived fluorescent dihydroisoquinoline were demonstrated with direct fluorescence histochemistry in the hypothalamic dopaminergic neurons, in the nerves of the neurointermediate lobe, and in some endocrine cells of the hypophysis of the rat.     

Demonstration of generators of the locomotor and respiration rhythms in the cervico-thoracic spinal cord of rabbits

In curarized Rabbits whose cervico-thoracic cord has been isolated through C2 and Th12 transections, a pharmacological activation (nialamide-DOPA) disclosed distinct rhythmic efferent activities, locomotor-like bursts in forelimb muscle nerves and "respiratory" discharges in the phrenic nerves: they originate respectively from a cervico-thoracic locomotion generator and from a "respiration" generator; these spinal generators appear to be interconnected with each other.     

Changes in the concentration of vasoactive intestinal peptide in intestinal lymph in response to vagal stimulation in the calf

Summary Stimulation of both vagi caused a significant rise in arterial plasma vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) concentration in 3–5-week-old calves with cut splanchnic nerves. This was associated with a pronounced rise in the VIP concentration of intestinal lymph showing that vagal stimulation causes release of VIP from splanchnic viscera.Acknowledgment. This work has been supported by grants from the Agricultural Research Council and the Medical Research Council and we are indebted to Dr D.M. Burley (CIBA) for his continued support.     

Effects of surgical sympathectomy on catecholamine concentrations in the posterior pituitary of the rat

Summary Approximately one-third of the norepinephrine in the posterior pituitary of the rat is contained in terminals of sympathetic nerves which originate in the superior cervical ganglia; the remaining norepinephrine and dopamine appear to be in nerves of central origin.This study was supported by USPHS grant NS09174. R.H. Alper is a predoctoral student supported by USPHS Training grant GM07392. K. T. Demarest is supported by NIH Fellowship NS06026.