Adv Exp Med Biol
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Several cells are endowed in the interstitial space of the connective tissue; among them, a peculiar type has been recently described and named telocyte (TC). The increasing interest on this cell type has allowed identifying it in almost all the organs. All TCs have a proper ultrastructural feature that makes them undoubtedly recognizable under the transmission electron microscope (TEM). ⋯ On the basis of their ubiquitous distribution, TCs are unanimously considered organizers of the connective tissue because of their ability to form 3-D networks. Close to this common role, numerous other roles have been attributed to the TC. Indeed, each of the TC subtype likely plays an own organ-/tissue-specific role contributing to different aspects of physiological regulation in the various anatomical niches they occupy.
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Comparative Study
Comparison of Cerebral Oxygen Saturation and Cerebral Perfusion Computed Tomography in Cerebral Blood Flow in Patients with Brain Injury.
The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between cerebral tissue oxygen saturation and cerebral blood volume in patients with traumatic brain injury. Perfusion computed tomography of the brain was performed in 25 patients with traumatic brain injury together with simultaneous SctO2 level measurement using cerebral near-infrared oxymetry. The mean age of the injured persons was 34.5±15.6 years (range 15-65); 14 men, 11 women. ⋯ The time to peak (TTP) was 22.2±3.1 s. A statistically significant correlation was found between SctO2 level and cerebral blood volume (CBV) level (R=0.9; p<0.000001). No other significant correlations were found between brain tissue oxygenation and other parameters of brain perfusion.
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Comparative Study
Changes in Cerebral Blood Flow and Oxygenation During Induction of General Anesthesia with Sevoflurane Versus Propofol.
Sevoflurane and propofol are widely used for induction and maintenance of general anesthesia. Although the effects of sevoflurane and propofol on cerebral hemodynamics during maintenance of general anesthesia have been demonstrated, the effects during induction of general anesthesia have still not been clarified. We therefore compared changes in cerebral blood flow (CBF) and oxygenation (CBO) during induction of anesthesia using sevoflurane (group S: n=9) or propofol (group P: n=9). ⋯ We found that oxy-Hb, total-Hb, and TOI were significantly higher in group S than in group P (P>0.05). Changes in deoxy-Hb, MBP, and HR did not differ between the groups. The results of the present study demonstrated that sevoflurane increases CBF and CBO during induction of general anesthesia.
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The expression of X-linked genes is equalized between males and females in mammalian species through X-Chromosome inactivation (XCI). Every cell in a female mammalian embryo randomly chooses one X Chromosome for epigenetic silencing at the 8-16 cell stage, resulting in a Gaussian distribution of XCI ratios with a peak at 50:50. At the tail extremes of this distribution, X-linked recessive mutations can manifest in disease in female carriers if the mutant allele is disproportionately active. ⋯ These studies are limited by small cohorts and the relative inaccessibility of retinal tissue for genetic and epigenetic analysis. Although blood has been used as a proxy for other tissues in determining XCI ratios, blood XCI skews with age out of proportion to other tissues and may not accurately reflect retinal XCI ratios. Future investigations in determining retinal XCI ratios and the contribution of XCI to phenotype could potentially impact prognosis for female carriers of X-linked retinal disease.
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Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a widely used non-invasive method for measuring human brain activation based on the cerebral hemodynamic response during gross motor tasks. However, systemic changes can influence measured NIRS signals. We aimed to determine and compare time-dependent changes in NIRS signal, skin blood flow (SBF), and mean arterial pressure (MAP) during low-intensity, constant, dynamic exercise. ⋯ Pearson's correlation coefficients between SBF and O2Hb, and MAP and O2Hb differed in each time phase, from -0.365 to 0.713. During low-intensity, constant, dynamic exercise, the profile of changes in measurements of O2Hb, SBF, and MAP differed. These results suggested that it is necessary to confirm the relationship between O2Hb and systemic factors during motor tasks in order to detect cortical activation during gross motor tasks.