Devic's neuromyelitis optica: clinical and imaging findings.

Devic's neuromyelitis optica is an uncommon but severe monophasic or relapsing demyelinating disease. Current evidence supports the concept that it is a distinct disorder from multiple sclerosis, with some specific imaging characteristics. The aim of this paper is to report the clinical and imaging features of this rare entity and to discuss its differential diagnosis.

Evidence for the coexistence and co-release of [Met]enkephalin and noradrenaline from sympathetic nerves of the bovine vas deferens.

The localization and neurosecretion of methionine-enkephalin was studied in sympathetic nerves of the bovine vas deferens. Immunostaining showed methionine-enkephalin-like immunoreactivity in a network of varicose nerve fibres in the smooth muscle layers of the vas deferens. When vas deferens homogenates were subjected to differential and sucrose density gradient centrifugation, methionine-enkephalin was found to parallel the distribution of noradrenaline in the more dense region of the gradient, where "heavy" or large dense-cored vesicles are present. Electron microscopic immunochemistry confirmed this finding and showed methionine-enkephalin-like immunoreactivity in large dense-cored vesicles. The release of methionine-enkephalin upon electrical stimulation was studied in superfusion experiments. The methionine-enkephalin secretion was shown to be Ca2+-dependent and was inhibited by adding the adrenergic neuron blocking drug guanethidine to the superfusion medium. We conclude that in the bovine vas deferens methionine-enkephalin is only present in large dense-cored vesicles of adrenergic neurons and that the peptide is released from these vesicles together with noradrenaline by a Ca2+-dependent mechanism.

State-dependent tardive dyskinesia in manic-depressive illness.

We report the occurrence of a drug-resistant tardive dyskinesia coexistent with Parkinsonism-like symptoms in a manic-depressive patient. The tardive dyskinesia completely disappeared during the manic phases and recurred after remission over the course of different mood-cycles.

Interaction between embryonic rat superior cervical ganglion and syngeneic heart fragments in a confronting culture.

Freshly dissected 17-19 days embryonic superior cervical ganglia are confronted with 0.5 mm diameter heart fragments of the same Wistar rat. Incubation in vitro at 37 degrees C of confronting heart-ganglion pairs is carried out in Dulbecco's medium on a gyratory shaker. Fixation and staining followed after 2 hr, 1, 3 and 6 days of incubation. Histological analysis with light and electron microscopy revealed the interaction between the sympathetic ganglion and its target organ. Ingrowth of axons rich in neurofilaments and neurotubules and containing light and dense core vesicles, is observed.

Inhibition of the target phenomenon in tenotomized rabbit muscle by medullary lesions.

Target fibres were demonstrated in the gastrocnemius muscles following section of the Achilles tendon of two rabbits. In five other animals with tenotomized gastrocnemius muscles, a subarachnoid phenol block of the lumbar and sacral spinal cord was performed. Large and small medullary lesions inhibited the occurrence of target fibres in the tenotomized muscles, the smallest one being neurolysis of the dorsal roots. This final experiment suggests that the target phenomenon is the morphological expression of an increased stretch sensitivity of the tenotomized muscle.