Elemental characterisation of the pyramidal neuron layer within the rat and mouse hippocampus

A unique combination of sensitivity, resolution, and penetration make X-ray fluorescence imaging (XFI) ideally suited to investigate trace elemental distributions in the biological context. XFI has gained widespread use as an analytical technique in the biological sciences, and in particular enables exciting new avenues of research in the field of neuroscience. In this study, elemental mapping by XFI was applied to characterise the elemental content within neuronal cell layers of hippocampal sub-regions of mice and rats. Although classical histochemical methods for metal detection exist, such approaches are typically limited to qualitative analysis. Specifically, histochemical methods are not uniformly sensitive to all chemical forms of a metal, often displaying variable sensitivity to specific "pools" or chemical forms of a metal. In addition, histochemical methods require fixation and extensive chemical treatment of samples, creating the strong likelihood for metal redistribution, leaching, or contamination. Direct quantitative elemental mapping of total elemental pools, in situ within ex vivo tissue sections, without the need for chemical fixation or addition of staining reagents is not possible with traditional histochemical methods; however, such a capability, which is provided by XFI, can offer an enormous analytical advantage. The results we report herein demonstrate the analytical advantage of XFI elemental mapping for direct, label-free metal quantification, in situ within ex vivo brain tissue sections. Specifically, we definitively characterise for the first time, the abundance of Fe within the pyramidal cell layers of the hippocampus. Localisation of Fe to this cell layer is not reproducibly achieved with classical Perls histochemical Fe stains. The ability of XFI to directly quantify neuronal elemental (P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Fe, Cu, Zn) distributions, revealed unique profiles of Fe and Zn within anatomical sub-regions of the hippocampus i.e., cornu ammonis 1, 2 or 3 (CA1, CA2 or CA3) sub-regions. Interestingly, our study reveals a unique Fe gradient across neuron populations within the non-degenerating and pathology free rat hippocampus, which curiously mirrors the pattern of region-specific vulnerability of the hippocampus that has previously been established to occur in various neurodegenerative diseases.

Neuropsychological Functioning following Fetal Striatal Transplantation in Huntington's Chorea: Three Case Presentations

Neurotransplantation has been proposed as a potential treatment for the neurodegenerative disorder of Huntington's disease (HD), which currently has no effective therapy. While patients with Parkinson's disease have received neurotransplantation, until recently no HD patients have undergone transplantation for HD with standardized evaluations of their progress following surgery. The current report presents the cognitive changes in three patients with HD who underwent bilateral transplantation of human fetal striatal tissue. As part of the pre- and postsurgical evaluation, all three patients were administered a neuropsychological battery sensitive to the cognitive effects of HD within 2 mo prior to surgery and at 4-6 mo following transplantation. Four to 6 mo subsequent to surgery, all patients demonstrated increased scores on some measures of cognitive functioning. However, the pattern of changes was not uniform across subjects. These findings suggest that fetal striatal transplantation may improve some of the cognitive symptoms associated with HD in the three reported patients.

Additional risk factors in atrial fibrillation patients not receiving warfarin

OBJECTIVE

To study how many elderly inpatients with previously diagnosed atrial fibrillation were not receiving anticoagulant prophylaxis, and the prevalence of additional risk factors in these patients.

METHODS

All new admissions to a department of medicine for the elderly were screened for atrial fibrillation. Additional risk factors were analysed in those with established atrial fibrillation who were not receiving warfarin. Previous hospital admissions, documentation of why prophylaxis was not being used and use of aspirin as an alternative agent were also examined.

RESULTS

56 patients had previously diagnosed atrial fibrillation; 82% were not taking warfarin and 71% of these were not on aspirin either. All patients not taking warfarin had one additional risk factor for stroke and 95% had two or more. Fifty-two percent had attended hospital when atrial fibrillation was present within the previous 3 years and there was nothing documented in their records to explain why anticoagulation had not been used.

CONCLUSIONS

Most elderly inpatients with established atrial fibrillation were not taking warfarin. All had additional risk factors for stroke, which increase the absolute benefit of anticoagulation.

Neuropsychological functioning following fetal striatal transplantation in Huntington's chorea: three case presentations

Neurotransplantation has been proposed as a potential treatment for the neurodegenerative disorder of Huntington's disease (HD), which currently has no effective therapy. While patients with Parkinson's disease have received neurotransplantation, until recently no HD patients have undergone transplantation for HD with standardized evaluations of their progress following surgery. The current report presents the cognitive changes in three patients with HD who underwent bilateral transplantation of human fetal striatal tissue. As part of the pre- and postsurgical evaluation, all three patients were administered a neuropsychological battery sensitive to the cognitive effects of HD within 2 mo prior to surgery and at 4-6 mo following transplantation. Four to 6 mo subsequent to surgery, all patients demonstrated increased scores on some measures of cognitive functioning. However, the pattern of changes was not uniform across subjects. These findings suggest that fetal striatal transplantation may improve some of the cognitive symptoms associated with HD in the three reported patients.

The influence of calciotrophic hormones on lymphocyte transformation and interleukin-2 production in human mononuclear cells

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) display receptors for parathyroid hormone (PTH) and calcitonin (CT) and, when activated, express receptors for 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3). The role of these receptors in unclear. It is well established that 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) has a significant effect on lymphocyte transformation and interleukin-2 (IL-2) activity in PBMC's. We have proceeded to compare the effects of the calciotrophic hormones, 1,25(OH)2D3, 24,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 (24,25(OH)2D3), 25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3), bovine (1-35)PTH (b(1-35)PTH) and salmon CT on both lymphocyte transformation and IL-2 activity in PBMC's from normal human volunteers. We have also sought an indication as to which subset of cells is responsible for the 1,25(OH)2D3 effect. Unlike the other calciotrophic hormones 1,25(OH)2D3 inhibited the proliferation of phytohemagglutinin (PHA), concanavalin A (ConA) and pokeweed mitogen (PWM) stimulated cells. 1,25(OH)2D3 had a significantly greater effect on PHA induced cell proliferation and only inhibited cells with the T-helper/inducer (TH, CD4 + ve) phenotype, this suggested that 1,25(OH)2D3 may act selectively on the cells with CD4 + ve phenotype. In addition, of the calciotrophic hormones, 1,25(OH)2D3 had a greater effect on IL-2 activity. These findings indicate that 1,25(OH)2D3 and not the other calciotrophic hormones has a significant immunomodulatory effect.

Simplified analytical methods for the measurement of the synthesis rate of plasma proteins in vivo by the [14C]carbonate method

We describe a method for obtaining the specific activity of 14C in urea, essential in the measurement of the synthesis rate of a plasma protein in vivo, which is simpler than the original procedure. The principle is the measurement of 14CO2 and NH4+ separately, after incubation with urease. A simple alteration gives samples of 13CO2 for mass spectrometry. The 'recoveries' of 14C and 13C in urea were invariably between 90 and 96% and the CV was 3%.