Experimental study of neural repair of the transected spinal cord using peripheral nerve graft.

It has been reported that transected spinal cord shows signs of axonal regeneration after peripheral nerve (PN) graft. We studied the membrane excitability and ion distribution in axons from transected rat spinal cord 3 weeks after PN graft using the spinal cord evoked potential, electron probe X-ray microanalysis, and the patch-clamp technique. Axonal structures were also observed using conventional electron microscopy. At the Th11 level, laminectomy was performed (=control) and the left thoracic segments of the spinal cord 2 mm in length were excised (=nongrafted group). PN sections from 8-week-old male Wistar rats were grafted into the spinal cord gap (=PN-grafted group). The spinal cord evoked potential in the PN-grafted group partly recovered in contrast to that in the nongrafted group, which showed no recovery. Higher Na, Cl, and Ca peaks and lower K peaks in the PN-grafted group were demonstrated compared with those in the nongrafted group. In the PN-grafted group, a higher current signal appeared in the axonal membrane of the spinal cord, suggesting a greater membrane activity compared with that in the nongrafted group. Unlike the nongrafted group, in which no myelinated axons were found, demyelinated axons that were myelinated by Schwann cells from the grafted peripheral nerve were observed in the PN-grafted group. These findings suggested that Schwann cells from the transplanted PN contributed to the repair of the transected spinal cord.

Involvement of the ryanodine-sensitive Ca2+ store in GLP-1-induced Ca2+ oscillations in insulin-secreting HIT cells.

We investigated intracellular Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)](i)) oscillations evoked by glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) in relation to the ryanodine receptor (RyR) and Ca(2+)-induced Ca(2+)release (CICR) mechanism in pancreatic B cell HIT. GLP-1 produced [Ca(2+)](i) oscillations in the cells, both in media with and without Ca(2+), an effect inhibited by ruthenium red and mimicked by 8-Br-cAMPS. In addition, the GLP-1-evoked [Ca(2+)](i) rise was initiated at the local intercellular peripheral cytoplasm, and a resultant expansion of the intercellular space was also observed. Caffeine induced [Ca(2+)](i) elevation in the medium with or without Ca(2+), an effect inhibited by ruthenium red. GLP-1-evoked [Ca(2+)](i) oscillations were also enhanced by IBMX, and eliminated by Rp-8-Br-cAMPS or 20 microM H-89 treatments whereas they were unaffected by 2 microM H-89 treatment. Forskolin caused a transient elevation in [Ca(2+)](i) that was reduced by Rp-8-Br-cAMPS, 2 microM or 20 microM H-89. Our results indicate that GLP-1 initially generated a local [Ca(2+)](i) elevation at the peripheral cytoplasm, subsequently producing [Ca(2+)](i) oscillations that were inhibited by ruthenium red, involving ryanodine-sensitive and cAMP-activated CICR mechanisms. The cytoplasmic levels of cAMP as well as local Ca(2+) might be responsible for [Ca(2+)](i) oscillations.