bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A new guidance system for freehand, obstetric ultrasound‐guided procedures
Authors: Paltieli Y. , Degani S. , Zrayek A. , Gonen R. , Lewinski M. R. , Zamberg Y. , Ohel G.
Published: March 2003

Objective

To assess the performance of the UltraGuide 1000™ system, and to compare ultrasound‐guided freehand mid‐trimester amniocentesis with and without the new guidance system.

Methods

One hundred and sixty‐nine women referred for mid‐trimester genetic amniocentesis were divided into two groups: a control group of 99 women who underwent the procedure by the freehand technique with scored needles and 70 patients who had the procedure carried out with the aid of a guidance system (UltraGuide 1000) with non‐scored needles. The procedures were compared for duration, number of punctures and repositionings of the needle, the visibility of the needle during the puncture and the number of bloody taps.

Results

The study group had significantly lower rates of reinsertion (none vs. 7.1%), repositioning (7.1% vs. 17.7%), bloody taps (none vs. 6.1%), touching the fetus (5.7% vs. 22.2%) and prolonged duration of the procedure (4.3% vs. 14.4%) compared with the control group. There was one fetal loss in the control group. Non‐visibility of the needle before reaching the amniotic sac occurred in 18.6% of cases in the study group and in 38.4% of cases in the control group.

Conclusions

The new guidance system combines the benefits of an attached guide with the flexibility of the ‘freehand’ technique. Use of the new guidance system for mid‐trimester genetic amniocentesis increases needle visibility and lowers the incidence of common complications. Copyright © 2002 ISUOG
Accuracy in estimating fetal urinary bladder volume using a modified ultrasound technique
Authors: Fägerquist M. , Fägerquist U. , Steyskal H. , Odén A. , Blomberg S. G.
Published: March 2003

Objective

Fetal urine production at different gestational ages has been evaluated using ultrasound in several previous studies. In a recent study, we investigated the accuracy when estimating the bladder volume using the conventional ultrasound technique and found a total variability of 17.3–10.9% for bladder volumes of 5–40 mL. The variability is mainly caused by: (i) inappropriate image selection (the ‘freezing error’) and (ii) limitations when measuring on the frozen image (the ‘frozen error’). The aim of this study was to reduce the total error by reducing the ‘freezing’ and the ‘frozen error’. To this end, we used a modified manual ultrasound technique (adding a ‘rocking’ motion to the conventional method) and digitized the selected image.

Methods

Two patients for each gestational week from 24 to 40 weeks were selected. The fetal urinary bladder was examined with ultrasound three times within 1 min and documented on videotape. The volume, as assessed by the longitudinal section of the recorded bladder images, stored in digitized form, was evaluated on three occasions with >24 h in between. The mean and variability (standard deviation, SD) were estimated.

Results

For fetal bladder volumes between 5 and 40 mL, the ‘freezing error’ (SD), the ‘frozen error’ and the ‘total error’ were 11.7–5.1%, 8.0–3.0% and 14.2–5.9%, respectively. Comparing the present with a previous study, when selecting images and assessing bladder volumes repeatedly within 1 min, SD was 12.9–5.5% vs. 17.3–10.9%.

Conclusions

Using a modified ultrasound technique, the variability in fetal bladder volume estimation can be reduced. Copyright © 2002 ISUOG
Prenatal diagnosis of intrapulmonary arteriovenous malformation: sonographic and pathomorphological findings
Authors: Heling K.‐S. , Tennstedt C. , Göldner B. , Bollmann R.
Published: March 2003

Vessel malformations, which are very rare, can be diagnosed prenatally using color Doppler sonography. We present a case of a fetus which, at first prenatal presentation at 27 weeks, was diagnosed as having an intrapulmonary arteriovenous malformation. On the basis of the gray‐scale sonographic findings of cardiomegaly and dilatation of the right pulmonary vein and right pulmonary artery, color Doppler sonography was performed which identified an arteriovenous malformation of the right lung. By means of pulsed Doppler sonography it was possible to determine the hyperdynamic blood circulation in the incoming and outgoing vessels of the vascular malformation: right pulmonary artery peak systolic velocity = 90 cm/s and end‐diastolic velocity = 30 cm/s; right pulmonary vein peak systolic velocity = 60 cm/s and end‐diastolic velocity = 30 cm/s. The fetus went on to develop hydrops as the result of an arteriovenous valve insufficiency. At 30 weeks' gestation a Cesarean section was performed and the neonate died due to respiratory and hemodynamic problems during catheter insertion. The autopsy provided pathoanatomical confirmation of the prenatal diagnosis of an arteriovenous malformation of the right lung. There was no evidence of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia. Copyright © 2002 ISUOG
Determination of gestational age after the 24th week of gestation from fetal kidney length measurements
Authors: Konje J. C. , Abrams K. R. , Bell S. C. , Taylor D. J.
Published: March 2003

Objective

To evaluate the application of kidney length measurement to the determination of gestational age between the 24th and 38th weeks and to compare its accuracy with that of other fetal biometric indices.

Study design

Seventy‐three women with singleton uncomplicated pregnancies underwent standard ultrasound fetal biometry and kidney length measurement every 2 weeks between 24 and 38 weeks' gestation. These measurements were used to date the pregnancies relative to crown–rump length dating between 8 and 10 weeks' gestation. Linear regression models for estimation of gestational age were derived from the biometric indices and kidney length. In addition, stepwise regression models were constructed to determine the best model for determining gestational age between 24 and 38 weeks. Comparisons were then made between the accuracy of these models in the determination of gestational age.

Results

The best model for estimating gestational age in late pregnancy included the variables kidney length, biparietal diameter, head circumference, femur length and abdominal circumference. This model accurately predicted gestational age with a standard error of ±8.48 days. A model including kidney length, biparietal diameter, head circumference and femur length accurately predicted gestational age with a standard error of ±8.57 days. These models were slightly more accurate than models derived from the biometric indices of biparietal diameter, head circumference and femur length (±9.87 days), biparietal diameter, head circumference, femur length and abdominal circumference (±9.45 days) and biparietal diameter and femur length (±9.9 days). Kidney length and femur length were the most accurate single parameters for predicting gestational age using simple linear regression models (±10.29 and 10.96 days, respectively); the abdominal circumference was the least accurate (±14.54 days).

Conclusion

Kidney length is a more accurate method of determining gestational age than the fetal biometric indices of biparietal diameter, head circumference, femur length and abdominal circumference between 24 and 38 weeks' gestation. When combined with biparietal diameter, head circumference and femur length, the precision of dating is improved by 2 days. This measurement is easy to make and could therefore be easily incorporated into the model for dating pregnancies after 24 weeks of gestation, in particular when measurements of the biparietal diameter and head circumference are difficult. Copyright © 2002 ISUOG
Fetal ovarian cysts: prenatal diagnosis, management and postnatal outcome
Authors: Heling K.‐S. , Chaoui R. , Kirchmair F. , Stadie S. , Bollmann R.
Published: March 2003

Objective

In female fetuses ovarian cysts represent the most important differential diagnosis for intra‐abdominal masses. Analyzing our own patient population we investigated whether there was a connection between sonographic parameters and postnatal course, especially with regard to the need for surgical intervention.

Patients and methods

This was a retrospective analysis of cases from the years 1986–1999. The pre‐ and postnatal data of 64 fetuses who were suspected prenatally to have an ovarian cyst were analyzed. The postnatal outcome was known for all the children.

Results

The diagnosis was made in all cases in the third trimester (median, 35; range, 26–40 weeks' gestation). In 34 of the 64 (53%) cases, resolution of the cyst occurred either prenatally (n = 18, 53%) or postnatally (n = 16, 47%). The cystic structure in the cases with resolution was isolated, smooth‐walled (n = 29) or heterogeneous (n = 5). Postnatal surgery was performed in 30 of the 64 (47%) children. In 18 of the 30 children a fenestration of the ovary was performed (60%). In this group there were 13 children with an isolated, smooth‐walled ovarian cyst and five children with a heterogeneous cyst. Twelve of the 30 (40%) children underwent an ovariectomy. Among these 12 children there were eight cases with a heterogeneous cystic structure and four cases with an isolated, smooth‐walled cystic structure. Of the 30 cases that underwent surgery, 29 had a follicular cyst and one had an ovarian teratoma (with a heterogeneous internal structure). In three fetuses aspiration of cyst fluid was undertaken and subsequent resolution occurred in one case. The other two cases had to undergo postnatal fenestration.

Conclusions

When an ovarian cyst is suspected prenatally, serial ultrasound monitoring should follow and delivery should take place in a perinatal center. The prenatal findings should also be checked postnatally by ultrasound. Prenatal aspiration of the cyst seems to be of no advantage and should be carried out only in special individual cases. Copyright © 2002 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology
Ultrasound detection and perinatal outcome of fetal trisomies 21, 18 and 13 in the absence of a routine fetal anomaly scan or biochemical screening
Authors: Moran C. J. , Tay J. B. , Morrison J. J.
Published: March 2003

Objectives

To determine the prenatal detection rate of abnormality (fetal anomaly or growth restriction) in pregnancies complicated by fetal trisomies 21, 18 and 13 in an obstetric population managed without routine biochemical or sonographic screening tests and to assess the perinatal outcome of these pregnancies.

Subjects and methods

This was a retrospective analysis of obstetric and neonatal data pertaining to infants born with trisomy 21, 18 or 13 (n = 82) diagnosed between 1989 and 1997 (23 762 deliveries).

Results

Antenatal suspicion of aneuploidy, based on the detection of growth restriction or fetal anomaly, was present in 18.3% (11 of 60) of fetuses with trisomy 21, in 81.2% (13 of 16) of fetuses with trisomy 18, and in 83.3% (five of six) of fetuses with trisomy 13. The antenatal detection rates for growth restriction were accurate whereas the antenatal detection rates for fetal anomalies were poor. Intrauterine fetal death occurred in 18.8% of fetuses with trisomy 18 (three of 16) and in 50% (three of six) of cases of trisomy 13. For babies born alive with trisomy 18 or 13 the neonatal mortality was 93.8% (15 of 16). All cases of trisomy 21 fetuses survived beyond the perinatal period and the antepartum and intrapartum details of these pregnancies were unremarkable.

Conclusion

In obstetric practice without routine biochemical or sonographic screening tests the detection of findings suggestive of aneuploidy is low for trisomy 21, but is high for trisomies 18 and 13. These findings provide information for counseling about the antenatal, intrapartum, and neonatal course of these trisomies. Copyright © 2002 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology
Second‐trimester ultrasonographic assessment of the umbilical coiling index
Authors: Qin Y. , Lau T.K. , Rogers M.S.
Published: March 2003

Objective

To determine the relationship between gestational age and the ultrasonic measurement of umbilical coiling index (UCI), and to assess the ability of second‐trimester ultrasonic measurements of UCI to predict the true UCI, determined at birth.

Subjects/methods

Five hundred and thirty‐one consecutive women with uncomplicated pregnancies, booking for delivery with a singleton pregnancy, were recruited during a routine second‐trimester fetal morphology scan. Multiple ultrasonographic measurements of the intercoil distance were performed between two to three coils of the umbilical cord, along its entire visible length. Three hundred and seventy‐four patients (70%) were followed until delivery when the true UCI was measured.

Results

An adequate portion of umbilical cord for assessment of coiling was visualized in 99% of cases. Adequate ultrasonographic visibility rates for the fetal, middle and placental regions of the cord were different. All three regions of the umbilical cord could only be visualized adequately in 10% of cases, and two regions were visible in 75%.

The UCI progressively decreased along the cord from the fetal insertion to the placental insertion. The mean decrease in UCI with increasing gestational age was similar in all parts of the cord before the 23rd week (160 days) of pregnancy, and plateaued off after this point, except in measurements performed near the fetal insertion. The sensitivity of second‐trimester ultrasound examination for predicting hypercoiling at birth was 17.3% and for predicting hypocoiling was 9.1%.

Discussion

Whilst UCI can be measured easily and reliably in the second trimester these estimates do not accurately reflect the UCI at term. Our original assumption that umbilical coiling does not alter after the initial formation of coils in the first trimester is incorrect; mixed patterns occurred in about 25% of cases. These patterns develop during the second and third trimesters, presumably due to snarls in the cord, and influence the final coiling number and therefore the relationship between the two measurements of UCI. Copyright © 2002 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology
The distribution of trigeminovascular afferents in the nonhuman primate brain Macaca nemestrina: a c‐fos immunocytochemical study
Authors: GOADSBY PETER J. , HOSKIN KAREN L.
Published: March 2003

An understanding of migraine must be based on data concerning the anatomy and physiology of the pain‐sensitive intracranial structures. Stimulation of the superior sagittal sinus produces changes in brain blood flow and changes in neuropeptide levels similar to those seen in humans during migraine. To better understand the anatomy of the central ramifications of pain‐sensitive intracranial structures we have examined the distribution of c‐fos immunoreactivity in the monkey when the sinus is stimulated. Six adult Macaca nemestrina monkeys were anaesthetised. The superior sagittal sinus was isolated after a midline craniotomy and a paraffin well created. At 24 h after completion of the surgery the sinus was stimulated electrically for 1 h and the brain subsequently removed and processed for c‐fos. In control animals in which the sinus was isolated but not stimulated there was a small amount of c‐fos expression in the caudal brainstem and upper cervical spinal cord. Stimulation of the superior sagittal sinus evoked expression of c‐fos in the caudal superfical laminae of the trigeminal nucleus and in superficial laminae of the dorsal horn of the C1 level of the upper cervical spinal cord. A lesser amount of c‐fos was seen at C2 while no significant labelling above control was observed at C3. These data, while largely confirming the results from the cat concerning the central distribution trigeminovascular afferents, underscore a possibly unique specialisation of trigeminovascular afferents at the C1 level. Given the close evolutionary relationship of the monkey to man it is likely that the cells described in this study represent for primates the nucleus that mediates the pain of migraine.
Immunohistochemical characteristics of human paraganglion cells and sensory corpuscles associated with the urinary bladder. A developmental study in the male fetus, neonate and infant
Authors: DIXON J. S. , JEN P. Y. P. , GOSLING J. A.
Published: March 2003

Triple label immunohistochemistry was used to study the coexistence of the catecholamine‐synthesising enzymes dopamine beta‐hydroxylase (DBH) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and several neuropeptides including neuropeptide Y (NPY), vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), substance P (SP), calcitonin gene‐related peptide (CGRP), somatostatin (SOM) and galanin (GAL) as well as nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in developing pelvic paraganglion cells in a series of human male fetal, neonatal and infant specimens ranging in age from 13 wk of gestation to 3 y postnatal. 13–20 wk old fetal specimens possessed large clusters of paraganglion cells lying lateral to the urinary bladder and prostate gland which were intensely DBH‐immunoreactive (‐IR) but lacked TH, NOS and the neuropeptides investigated. With increasing fetal age small clusters of paraganglion cells were observed in the muscle coat of the urinary bladder. At 23 wk of gestation occasional paraganglion cells were NOS or NPY‐IR while at 26 wk of gestation the majority of paraganglion cells were TH‐IR and a few were SOM or GAL‐IR. Some postnatal paraganglia within the bladder musculature contained cells which were all VIP, SP or CGRP‐IR while others displayed coexistence of NOS and NPY, SP and CGRP, or NPY and VIP. The presence of NOS in certain paraganglion cells indicates their capacity to generate nitric oxide (NO). These results show that human paraganglion cells develop different phenotypes possibly dependent upon their location within the bladder wall. A delicate plexus of branching varicose nerves was observed in the fetal paraganglia which increased in density with increasing gestational age. The majority of these nerves were VIP‐IR while others were CGRP, SP, NPY, NOS or GAL‐IR. The presence of nerve terminals adjacent to the paraganglion cells implies a neural influence on the functional activity of the paraganglia. Some paraganglia in the late fetal and early postnatal specimens contained Timofeew's sensory corpuscles, resembling pacinian corpuscles in their morphology. The central nerve fibre of these corpuscles displayed immunoreactivity for SP, CGRP and NOS, the latter indicating a possible role for NO in afferent transmission from the urinary bladder. In addition, a few corpuscles were penetrated by a noradrenergic nerve fibre immunoreactive for NPY and TH, which may have a modulatory role on the sensory receptor.
Structure of chordae tendineae in the left ventricle of the human heart
Authors: MILLINGTON‐SANDERS C. , MEIR A. , LAWRENCE L. , STOLINSKI C.
Published: March 2003

The bicuspid (mitral) valve complex of the human heart consists of functional units which include the valve leaflets, chordae tendineae and the papillary muscles. The mechanical properties of these functional units depend to a large extent on the link between the muscle and the valve. This link is usually arranged in a branching network of avascular tendinous chordae composed of collagen and elastic fibres, which transmit contractions of the papillary muscle to the valve leaflets. In order to perform their function efficiently, the chordae have to possess a high degree of elasticity, as well as considerable strength and endurance. Human chordae tendineae originating from the left ventricles were obtained from 7 embalmed cadavers and 6 postmortem subjects of various ages. Samples washed in saline were fixed or postfixed in 9% formol saline. Observations were made by illuminating the chordae along their axes. The reflected images originating from the superficial collagenous layers of the relaxed chordae showed a striped pattern 11 μm in width. Scanning electron and light microscopy of the chordae confirmed an undulating pattern of collagen fibrils arranged in bundles of planar waves in register and around the entire circumference of the chorda. The dimensions of the waves correlated with those of the striped reflected pattern. The observed undulating arrangement of the collagen fibrils appears to produce an inherent built‐in elasticity which is likely to be of considerable advantage for a tissue which is under continuous repetitive stress. The chordae were covered by endocardium composed of a superficial layer of smooth squamous endothelial cells and an underlying dense layer of elastic fibres. It is suggested that the relaxed striped chordae, consisting of undulating collagen fibrils, straighten when the chordae become stretched by papillary muscle contraction, thereby mitigating the peak stress developed during muscle contraction. On relaxation the elastic tissue tends to return the collagen to its wavy configuration. It is also suggested that the regular wavy pattern of collagen seen in young individuals gradually changes with age by elongation of the wave pattern which eventually becomes randomised. In addition, with increasing age, substantial cushions of connective tissue appear below endocardium while the dense collagenous core has a reduced cross‐sectional area which may lead to stretching and eventual rupture of the chordae.
Axon guidance of outgrowing corticospinal fibres in the rat
Authors: JOOSTEN ELBERT A. J. , BÄR DOP P. R.
Published: March 2003

This review is concerned with the development of the rat corticospinal tract (CST). The CST is a long descending central pathway, restricted to mammals, which is involved both in motor and sensory control. The rat CST is a very useful model in experimental research on the development of fibre systems in mammals because of its postnatal outgrowth throughout the spinal cord as well as its experimental accessibility. Hence mechanisms underlying axon outgrowth and subsequent target cell finding can be studied relatively easily. In this respect the corticospinal tract forms an important example and model system for the better understanding of central nervous system development in general.
The structural effect of systemic NGF treatment on permanently axotomised dorsal root ganglion cells in adult rats
Authors: TANDRUP T. , VESTERGAARD S. , TOMLINSON D. R. , DIEMEL L. T. , JAKOBSEN J.
Published: March 2003

The effect of systemic NGF treatment on loss and shrinkage of dorsal root ganglion cells was studied in adult male rats after permanent axotomy. Nineteen 16 to 18‐wk‐old rats had their right 5th lumbar spinal nerve ligated and cut approximately 7 mm peripheral to the ganglion. Two days before the operation, treatment with subcutaneous injections of human recombinant NGF (1.0–0.5 mg/kg/day) was started in 9 test rats; 10 controls were given saline injections. After 1 mo the levels of substance P (SP) and calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) were significantly increased in intact sciatic nerve. The number and mean volume of perikarya were estimated using assumption‐free stereological techniques including vertical sections, the Cavalieri principle, optical disectors, the planar rotator and systematic sampling techniques. Systemic NGF administration had no influence on survival of primary sensory neurons after axotomy. The number of perikarya was 14300 (S.D.=1800) in axotomised ganglia in control rats versus 14700 (S.D.=2100) in axotomised ganglia of NGF treated rats. The reduction of perikarya volume after axotomy was significantly less after NGF treatment (11600 μm3 in the control group versus 8000 μm3 in the NGF treated group). However, the apparent protection of NGF‐treatment on perikaryal volume is explained by a hitherto unrecognised size effect on nonaxotomised dorsal root ganglion cells. The untreated rats had a mean volume of 24700 μm3 (S.D.=2700 μm 3) whereas rats treated with NGF had a volume of 20400 μm3 (S.D.=1700 μm3) on the nonaxotomised side. In conclusion, systemic NGF treatment in adult rats has no effect on dorsal root ganglion cell loss in permanent axotomy whereas perikaryal size of intact nonaxotomised cells is reduced.
Concerning the ultrastructural origin of large‐scale swelling in articular cartilage
Authors: CHEN MIN‐HUEY , BROOM NEIL D.
Published: March 2003

The swelling behaviour of the general matrix of both normal and abnormally softened articular cartilage was investigated in the context of its relationship to the underlying subchondral bone, the articular surface, and with respect to the primary structural directions represented in its strongly anisotropic collagenous architecture. Swelling behaviours were compared by subjecting tissue specimens under different modes of constraint to a high swelling bathing solution of distilled water and comparing structural changes imaged at the macroscopic, microscopic and ultrastructural levels of resolution. Near zero swelling was observed in the isolated normal general matrix with minimal structural change. By contrast the similarly isolated softened general matrix exhibited large‐scale swelling in both the transverse and radial directions. This difference in dimensional stability was attributed to fundamentally different levels of fibril interconnectivity between the 2 matrices. A model of structural transformation is proposed to accommodate fibrillar rearrangements associated with the large‐scale swelling in the radial and transverse directions in the softened general matrix.
Abnormal disposition of a branch of the ulnar nerve in the flexor retinaculum
Authors: OLAVE ENRIQUE , DEL SOL MARIANO , GABRIELLI CARLA , RODRIGUES CELIO F. S.
Published: March 2003

The most frequent disposition of the structures within the ulnar tunnel is for the ulnar nerve to be located medial or posteromedial to the ulnar artery. The structures within the ulnar tunnel are closely related to the medial part of the flexor retinaculum. Lesions of the ulnar nerve and artery during endoscopic decompression of the carpal tunnel have been reported (Agee et al. 1992; Lee et al. 1992; Nath et al. 1993; De Smets & Fabry, 1995). An adequate anatomical knowledge of such structures and their variations is therefore important. During a study of the palmar region, we found that a special branch originated from the ulnar nerve in relation to the flexor retinaculum. Documentation of this variation will contribute to the knowledge of the anatomy of the ulnar nerve and its distal branches.
Stimulation of the middle meningeal artery leads to Fos expression in the trigeminocervical nucleus: a comparative study of monkey and cat
Authors: HOSKIN KAREN L. , ZAGAMI ALESSANDRO S. , GOADSBY PETER J.
Published: March 2003

The pain of a migraine attack is often described as unilateral, with a throbbing or pulsating quality. The middle meningeal artery (MMA) is the largest artery supplying the dura mater, is paired, and pain‐producing in humans. This artery, or its branches, and other large intracranial extracerebral vessels have been implicated in the pathophysiology of migraine by theories suggesting neurogenic inflammation or cranial vasodilatation, or both, as explanations for the pain of migraine. Having previously studied in detail the distribution of the second order neurons that are involved in the transmission of nociceptive signals from intracranial venous sinuses, we sought to compare the distribution of second order neurons from a pain‐producing intracranial artery in both monkey and cat. By electrically stimulating the middle meningeal artery in these species and using immunohistochemical detection of the proto‐oncogene Fos as a marker of neuronal activation, we have mapped the sites of the central trigeminal neurons which may be involved in transmission of nociception from intracranial extracerebral arteries. Ten cats and 3 monkeys were anaesthetised with α‐chloralose and the middle meningeal artery was isolated following a temporal craniotomy. The animals were maintained under stable anaesthesia for 24 h to allow Fos expression due to the initial surgery to dissipate. Following the rest period, the vessel was carefully lifted onto hook electrodes, and then left alone in control animals (cat n = 3), or stimulated (cat n = 6, monkey n = 3). Stimulation of the left middle meningeal artery evoked Fos expression in the trigeminocervical nucleus, consisting of the dorsal horn of the caudal medulla and upper 2 divisions of the cervical spinal cord, on both the ipsilateral and contralateral sides. Cats had larger amounts of Fos expressed on the ipsilateral than on the contralateral side. Fos expression in the caudal nucleus tractus solitarius and its caudal extension in lamina X of the spinal cord was seen bilaterally in response to middle meningeal artery stimulation. This study demonstrates a comparable anatomical distribution of Fos activation between cat and monkey and, when compared with previous studies, between this arterial structure and the superior sagittal sinus. These data add to the overall picture of the trigeminovascular innervation of the intracranial pain‐producing vessels showing marked anatomical overlap which is consistent with the often poorly localised pain of migraine.
Immunolocalisation of NHE3‐like immunoreactivity in the gills of the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and the blue‐throated wrasse (Pseudolabrus tetrious)
Authors: EDWARDS S. L. , TSE C. M. , TOOP T.
Published: March 2003

Na+/H+ exchange has been implicated in models of ion transport across the branchial epithelium of marine and freshwater fishes. In this preliminary study, we present immunohistochemical data using a polyclonal antibody raised against NHE3 which show NHE3‐like immunoreactivity (IR) in the gills from a freshwater and a marine teleost species. In both species, branchial epithelial cells demonstrating NHE3‐like IR were localised predominantly to the junction between the filament and the secondary lamellae. However, there was a marked difference in the morphology of the NHE3‐like immunoreactive epithelial cells between the species. This morphological difference between the species suggests functional differences in the exchanger, which may be related to marine versus freshwater environments.
Human retinal astroglia. A comparative study of adult and the 18 month postnatal developmental stage
Authors: TRIVIÑO ALBERTO , RAMÍREZ JOSÉ M. , SALAZAR JUAN J. , RAMÍREZ ANA I.
Published: March 2003

The immunohistochemical location of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) was used to study the state of maturation of retinal astrocytes from an 18‐mo‐old infant and to compare it with the situation in the adult. Infant astrocytes showed intense GFAP immunoreactivity in the perikarya and possessed spindle‐like enlargements in their processes, while in the adult immunoreactivity in the perikarya was scarce and the spindle‐like enlargements were not evident. Two types of astrocyte were observed in adult and child retinas: elongated and star‐shaped. In the adult, the star‐shaped type tend to be more stylised and to have longer processes than in the infant. In the infant, numerous astrocyte cell bodies were observed over vessels, while in the adult these were scarce. In the infant, the star‐shaped astrocytes made up a honeycomb plexus, but this was not fully developed. These results suggest that at 18 mo of postnatal development the retinal astrocytes are still increasing and growing into the astroglial structure found in adults.
Structure and mineralisation density of antler and pedicle bone in red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) exposed to different levels of environmental fluoride: a quantitative backscattered electron imaging study
Authors: KIERDORF UWE , KIERDORF HORST , BOYDE ALAN
Published: March 2003

The structure and relative degree of mineralisation of antler and pedicle bone of yearling red deer stags exposed either to low or high levels of environmental fluoride were determined by digital quantitative backscattered electron (BSE) imaging. Bone fluoride content (BFC) in antlers (845±86 mg F−/kg ash, arithmetic mean±S.E.M.) and pedicles (1448±154 mg F−/kg ash) of deer from a highly fluoride polluted area in North Bohemia (Czech Republic) were significantly higher (P < 0.001) than those of controls from uncontaminated regions in West Germany (antlers: 206±41, pedicles: 322±52 mg F−/kg ash). Mean (56.5±4.5%) and maximum (84.9±2.1%) mineralised bone area of the control antlers significantly (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001, respectively) exceeded the corresponding values for the N. Bohemian deer (43.3±1.3 and 73.3±1.9%, respectively), while the pedicles from the 2 groups did not differ significantly. In the pooled antler samples (n = 18), negative correlations existed between BFC and mean (rs = −0.62, P < 0.01) as well as maximum (rs = −0.69, P < 0.01) mineralised bone area. Morphological imaging revealed a decreased width and an increased porosity of the antler cortex in the N. Bohemian specimens. Mean (148.5±1.7) and maximum (154.2±1.7) BSE‐signal intensities (= grey levels; range between a monobrominated (grey level 0) and a monoiodinated (grey level 255) dimethacrylate resin standard) of the antlers from the controls were significantly higher than those of the N. Bohemian deer (140.7±2.1 and 145.7±2.2, respectively; P < 0.05 for both comparisons). In the pooled antler samples, negative correlations between BFC and mean (rs = −0.51, P < 0.05) as well as maximum (rs = −0.52, P < 0.05) BSE‐signal intensities were observed. No significant differences in mineralisation density parameters were found for the 2 pedicle samples, and BFC and mineralisation density of the pooled pedicles were uncorrelated. Morphological imaging revealed bone mottling (denoting increased remodelling activity) and frequent occurrence of apparently increased osteocyte lacunae in some of the pedicles from the N. Bohemian deer. It is concluded that the reduced amount of mineralised bone in, and the lower mineralisation density of, the N. Bohemian antlers resulted from a fluoride induced disturbance of bone mineralisation. The rapid growth of antlers leads both to a high mineral demand and a high rate of fluoride uptake during antlerogenesis. This, and the limited lifespan of antlers, which does not allow for a compensation of a delay in the onset or progression of the mineralisation process, renders antler bone particularly susceptible to fluoride. Antlers are therefore considered a useful model for studying fluoride effects on bone formation. Furthermore, analysis of cast antlers enables a noninvasive monitoring of environmental pollution by fluorides.
Labelling of retinal microglial cells following an intravenous injection of a fluorescent dye into rats of different ages
Authors: ZENG XIAO‐XIA , NG YEE‐KONG , LING ENG‐ANG
Published: March 2003

Retinal microglia were selectively and sequentially labelled in different layers of the retina of postnatal rats following a single intravenous injection of the fluorescent dye, rhodamine isothiocyanate (RhIc). The fluorescent cells were doubly immunostained with OX‐42 and ED‐1 antibodies that recognise complement type 3 (CR3) receptors and macrophage antigen, respectively. RhIc was first detected in the retinal blood vessels 5 min after injection. At 1 h, a variable number of microglia in the inner layers of the retina, namely, the nerve fibre and ganglion cell layers appeared to emit weak fluorescence. Labelled microglial cells in the inner nuclear and outer plexiform layers were not detected until 1 and 2 d had elapsed following RhIc injection. The number of labelled retinal microglia was progressively increased with time, peaking at 4 d after RhIc injection. The frequency of RhIc labelled cells also increased with age, with the largest number of cells occurring in 7‐d‐old rats but declined thereafter. In 11 d or older rats, RhIc was confined to the retinal blood vessels. It is concluded that when injected into the circulation, RhIc could readily gain access into the retina tissues due to an inefficient blood‐retina barrier in early postnatal stages. It became impeded with maturation of the blood‐retina barrier, which was established between 11 and 13 d of age. RhIc that inundated the retinal tissues was thoroughly sequestered by the resident microglial cells. It is therefore suggested that the latter could play a protective role against serum‐derived substances that may be deleterious to the developing retina.
Accumulation of PDGF+ cells and internalisation of the PDGF receptor at myotendinous junction following modified hindlimb muscle use in the rat
Authors: FRENETTE JÉRÔME
Published: March 2003

Morphological observations have shown previously that myotendinous junctions (MTJs) are sites where the associations between the cytoskeleton and the cell membrane are extensively remodelled during muscle growth and modified mechanical loading. The platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) molecule has been shown to induce cytoskeletal remodelling at focal contact sites of myoblasts in culture, the analogous structures of MTJs. The goals of the study were to determine whether PDGF is synthesised by mononuclear cells and whether PDGF receptors are internalised at the MTJs of the soleus muscle experiencing reloading. We also examined whether ED2+ macrophages that are nonphagocytic and activated inflammatory cells at MTJs during reloading secrete PDGF. Results obtained by immunohistochemistry showed that there was an increase in the number of cells expressing PDGF at remodelling MTJs and that the ED2+ macrophage population does not express PDGF at MTJs. According to morphological criteria, fibroblasts would be the logical candidates to secrete PDGF molecules near MTJs. Furthermore, the modification in muscle loading resulted in internalisation of PDGF receptors concentrated at the MTJ which accumulated predominantly around muscle nuclei. The enrichment of PDGF receptors and PDGF+ cells at MTJs and the internalisation of PDGF receptors during remodelling of MTJs suggest that PDGF may influence remodelling of MTJs following modified muscle use.
Leucocyte phenotypes in involuting and fully involuted mammary glandular tissues and secretions of sheep
Authors: TATARCZUCH L. , PHILIP C. , BISCHOF R. , LEE C. S.
Published: March 2003

Mammary glandular tissues and mammary secretions were obtained from sheep at 2–60 d after weaning to study the leucocyte phenotypes associated with mammary involution. From 2–4 d after weaning, neutrophils were the predominant leucocytes in the alveolar and ductal lumina. Lymphocytes were present in the alveolar and ductal epithelium, interalveolar and periductal areas. Most of the lymphocytes in the alveolar and ductal epithelium (IEL) were CD8+, some were CD45R+ and few were CD4+. In the periductal clusters and in the interalveolar areas most of the lymphocytes were CD4+. There was a significant increase (P < 0.05) in the percentages of CD45R+ granulated IEL from 2 to 7 d after weaning, and this paralleled the increase in the percentages of apoptotic cells in the glandular epithelium. By 7–60 d after weaning, most cells within the alveolar and ductal lumina were macrophages followed by predominantly CD8+ lymphocytes. CD8+ lymphocytes were still predominant in the alveolar and ductal epithelium while CD4+ cells were predominant in the interalveolar areas. Very few γδ+ T cells were observed at all the stages examined. The cells in the mammary secretions correlated with those observed in the alveolar and ductal lumina. At the early stages of involution, the neutrophils and macrophages were heavily laden with lipid droplets, casein and cellular debris. The most interesting feature was the presence of cells either with extensive cytoplasmic processes (LCA+ MHC class II+) or cytoplasmic veils (LCA+ MHC class II+CD1+), probably dendritic cells. It is concluded that the cellular constituents of the mammary gland at the latter part of involution may afford the mammary gland more resistance to infection than the lactating gland and the gland at early stages of involution. The CD45R+ IEL may trigger apoptotic cell death in the mammary glandular epithelium during mammary involution.
Ultrastructural localisation and size distribution of collagen fibrils in Glisson's sheath of rat liver: implications for mechanical environment and possible producing cells
Authors: HOSOYAMADA YASUE , KURIHARA HIDETAKE , SAKAI TATSUO
Published: March 2003

The ultrastructure and size distributions of collagen fibrils in Glisson's sheath were investigated in the rat liver to analyse the mechanical environment around the fibrils and their possible cells of origin. Glisson's sheath was found to contain 2 populations of collagen fibrils with different diameters and distinct localisations, namely fibroblast‐associated and bile epithelium‐associated. Fibroblast‐associated collagen was composed of fibrils arranged in bundles and constituted the majority of the collagen in Glisson's sheath. Bile epithelium‐associated collagen was represented by small dispersed groups of fibrils just beneath the basement membrane of the bile duct. The basement membrane of the bile duct was frequently reduplicated into a few or as many as 10 layers of laminae densae, with scattered collagen fibrils between these laminae. The diameters of the fibrils of both groups of collagen increased in relation to the calibre of the bile duct, whereas at any given place in Glisson's sheath bile epithelium‐associated collagen fibrils had a smaller diameter compared with those of the fibroblast‐associated fibrils. The increment in fibril diameter along the bile duct is considered to be correlated with the increase in mechanical stress acting on Glisson's sheath. The difference in diameter between the 2 populations as well as the incorporation of fibrils between the laminae densae of the basement membrane of the bile duct supports the view that the bile epithelium‐associated collagen is produced by the epithelial cells of the bile duct, thus having a different origin from that of fibroblast‐associated collagen. These findings provide the first evidence that the epithelial cells of the interlobular bile duct produce fibril‐forming collagen. Furthermore, it is suggested that cholestasis stimulates the epithelial cells of interlobular bile duct to increased synthesis of fibril‐forming collagen that is also produced by these cells under physiological conditions.
Three‐dimensional reconstruction of tetraploid↔diploid chimaeric mouse blastocysts
Authors: EVERETT CLARE A. , STARK MARGARET H. , WEST JOHN D. , DAVIDSON DUNCAN , BALDOCK RICHARD A.
Published: March 2003

Studies of tetraploid↔diploid (4n↔2n) mouse chimaeras have demonstrated unequal contributions of 4n cells to different tissues of the midgestation conceptus. Such a pattern has also been reported in chimaeras as early as E3.5d, which show an enhanced contribution of 4n cells to the mural trophectoderm (Everett & West, 1996). In this study, sectioned 4n↔2n and 2n↔2n control chimaeric blastocysts were digitised and reconstructed in 3 dimensions (3‐D). The 3‐D images revealed only limited mixing of cells from the 2 contributing embryos of individual blastocysts in both chimaera groups. Consequently, the distribution pattern of the 2 cell types was dependent on the spatial relationship between the orientation of the blastocyst and the boundary between the 2 clusters of cells. The distribution patterns observed were not strikingly different for 4n↔2n and 2n↔2n chimaeras, each showing some transgenic positive cell contribution in all 3 identifiable developmental lineages. It was notable, however, that in all 4n↔2n blastocysts at least some 4n cells were located adjacent to the blastocyst cavity. Such a consistent pattern was not evident in 2n↔2n chimaeras. This study has demonstrated the value of 3‐D reconstructions for the analysis of spatial relationships of 2 cell populations in chimaeric mouse blastocysts.
Symposium on neurobiology of the basal ganglia
Authors: ARBUTHNOTT GORDON , CROSSMAN ALAN , PAYNE TONY
Published: March 2003

The basal ganglia occupy a commanding place in neuroscience research, in clinical neurology and in biomedical education. The paucity of our understanding of the role of the basal ganglia in normal everyday life combined with our more extensive knowledge of their deficiencies in a variety of clinical syndromes is a potent spur to continuing investigation. That some of these neurodegenerative syndromes—such as Parkinson's disease—are already common only heightens the need for insight in the face of a population with increasing expectations of longevity. About a decade ago an explosion of information on the connectivity and immunocytochemistry of forebrain structures gave rise to concepts which have shaped the fabric of basal ganglia theory—‘patch and matrix’, ‘disinhibition’, ‘parallel circuits’. Some of these ideas seemed to facilitate an understanding of the basal ganglia, others to render them more complex and impenetrable. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the work of the last decade has tended towards consolidation and refinement. However, several new developments are receiving attention, many of them related to disorders of the basal ganglia. The realisation that some forms of Parkinson's disease have a genetic determinant is gaining strength. The molecular biology of the dopaminergic synapse on the one hand and of the production of insoluble proteins on the other will clearly influence future research into therapeutic options and neuroprotection. The importance of apoptosis, neural plasticity and free radical formation remains unresolved but these are potential areas of promise. Meanwhile, scanning techniques for brain imaging are allowing real time investigation of the working striatum in normal and disordered humans and animals.

We believe that the time is opportune for a broad review of current thinking on the basal ganglia in health and disease. The following articles are based on presentations given at a Symposium on the Neurobiology of the Basal Ganglia held at Glasgow University in July 1999 as part of the Summer Meeting of the Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland. The invited speakers were chosen to be wide ranging and contributions encompassed evolution, circuitry and receptors of the basal ganglia, striatal remodelling after dopamine loss, striatal functioning in humans with Huntington's disease and in primate models after midbrain fetal transplants, and the genetics of basal ganglia disorders. Short presentations and posters of current results supplemented the main presentations and some are also included amongst these reviews.
Functional anatomy of movement disorders
Authors: CROSSMAN A. R.
Published: March 2003

Models of basal ganglia function are described which encapsulate the principal pathophysiological mechanisms underlying parkinsonian akinesia on the one hand and abnormal involuntary movement disorders (dyskinesias) on the other. In Parkinson's disease, degeneration of the nigrostriatal dopamine system leads to overactivity of the ‘indirect’ striatopallidal projection to the lateral (external) segment of the globus pallidus. This causes inhibition of lateral pallidal neurons, which in turn project to the subthalamic nucleus. Disinhibition of the subthalamic nucleus leads to abnormal subthalamic overactivity and, as a consequence, overactivity of medial (internal) pallidal output neurons. Dyskinesias, such as are observed in Huntington's disease, levodopa‐induced dyskinesia and ballism, share mechanistic features in common and are associated with decreased neuronal activity in both the subthalamic nucleus and the medial globus pallidus.
Of mice and men: solving the molecular mysteries of Huntington's disease
Authors: SHELBOURNE P. F.
Published: March 2003

Recent advances in the manipulation of mouse embryos provide opportunities for the disciplines of neuroscience and molecular genetics to join forces and tackle some previously intractable questions in this area of research. Even Huntington's disease has started to yield clues to its complex pathophysiology as a result of the recent application of transgenic technologies. This short review, while necessarily providing some background clinical information on Huntington's disease, will focus on how modifications of the mouse genome have contributed, and are continuing to contribute, to our understanding of the complex disease process. Such new insights may well turn the hope of developing the first effective treatment for this devastating disease into reality.