Eag1, Eag2, and SK3 potassium channel expression in the rat hippocampus after global transient brain ischemia.

Transient global brain ischemia causes delayed neuronal death in the hippocampus that has been associated with impairments in hippocampus-dependent brain function, such as mood, learning, and memory. We investigated the expression of voltage-dependent Kcnh1 and Kcnh5, ether à go-go-related Eag1 and Eag2 (K(V) 10.1 and K(V) 10.2), and small-conductance calcium-activated SK3 (K(Ca) 2.3, Kcnn3) K(+) channels in the hippocampus in rats after transient global brain ischemia. We tested whether the expression of these channels is associated with behavioral changes by evaluating the animals in the elevated plus maze and step-down inhibitory avoidance task. Seven or tweny-eight days after transient global brain ischemia, one group of rats had the hippocampus bilaterally dissected, and mRNA levels were determined. Seven days after transient global brain ischemia, the rats exhibited a decrease in anxiety-like behavior and memory impairments. An increase in anxiety levels was detected 28 days after ischemia. Eag2 mRNA downregulation was observed in the hippocampus 7 days after transient global brain ischemia, whereas Eag1 and SK3 mRNA expression remained unaltered. This is the first experimental evidence that transient global brain ischemia temporarily alters Eag2. The number of intact-appearing pyramidal neurons was substantially decreased in CA1 and statistically measurable in CA2, CA3, and CA4 hippocampal subfields compared with sham control animals 7 or 28 days after ischemia. mRNA expression in the rat hippocampus. The present results provide further information for the characterization of the physiological role of Eag2 channels in the central nervous system.

[Clinical experience with a hydrolyzed soy formula in infants with protracted enteritis and atopic eczema]. / Esperienza clinica con una formula a base di idrolisato di soia in lattanti con enterite protratta e con eczema atopico.

A lactose-free soy and beef hydrolysate based formula ("Pregomin" Milupa) was studied in 12 infants affected with protracted enteritis and in 10 infants affected with atopic eczema. After 1 month of treatment with "Pregomin" an oral provocation test was performed using intact soy protein. The aim of this latter test was to evaluate if the hydrolysed soy formula could cause allergic sensitization to soy protein. We obtained the following results in the group of infants with enteritis: good catch-up growth, malnutrition laboratory test improvement, negative allergic tests, positive oral provocation test in only one infant who had been previously fed with intact soy protein. In the group with atopic eczema we found an improvement of the eczema, negative allergic tests, 3 out of 9 positive oral provocation tests (in infants previously fed with soy protein based formulas). Our data show that "Pregomin" formula was effective both from a gastroenterological point of view and from an allergological one. Furthermore we did not observe any positive oral provocation test with soy protein in infants who had never been exposed to this type of protein. The latter result seems to demonstrate that "Pregomin" formula does not possess any allergenic properties.