Biomedical subjects

H Rahmann

Publications and source records attributed to H Rahmann.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMed1998

Influence of long-term hyper-gravity on the reactivity of succinic acid dehydrogenase and NADPH-diaphorase in the central nervous system of fish: a histochemical study.

In the course of a densitometric evaluation, the histochemically demonstrated reactivity of succinic acid dehydrogenase (SDH) and of NADPH-diaphorase (NADPHD) was determined in different brain nuclei of two teleost fish (cichlid fish Oreochromis mossambicus, swordtail fish Xiphophorus helleri), which had been kept under 3g hyper-gravity for 8 days. SDH was chosen since it is a rate limiting enzyme of the Krebs cycle and therefore it is regarded as a marker for metabolic and neuronal activity. NADPHD reactivity reflects the activity of nitric oxide synthase. Nitric oxide (NO) is a gaseous intercellular messenger that has been suggested to play a major role in several different in vivo models of neuronal plasticity including learning. Within particular vestibulum-connected brain centers, significant effects of hyper-gravity were obtained, e.g., in the magnocellular nucleus, a primary vestibular relay ganglion of the brain stem octavolateralis area, in the superior rectus subdivision of the oculomotoric nucleus and within cerebellar eurydendroid cells, which in teleosts possibly resemble the deep cerebellar nucleus of higher vertebrates. Non-vestibulum related nuclei did not respond to hyper-gravity in a significant way. The effect of hyper-gravity found was much less distinct in adult animals as compared to the circumstances seen in larval fish (Anken et al., Adv. Space Res. 17, 1996), possibly due to a development correlated loss of neuronal plasticity.

Afferent Pathways↗

PubMed1998

Ultrastructural aspects of otoliths and sensory epithelia of fish inner ear exposed to hypergravity.

The present electron microscopical investigations were directed to the question, whether alterations in the gravitational force might induce structural changes in the morphology of otoliths or/and inner ear sensory epithelia of developing and adult swordtail fish (Xiphophorus helleri) that had been kept either under long-term moderate hypergravity (8 days; 3g) or under short-time extreme hypergravity (10 minutes up to 9g). The otoliths of adult and neonate swordtail fish were investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Macular epithelia of adult fish were examined both by SEM and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The saccular otoliths (sagittae) of normally hatched adult fish revealed an enormous inter- (and even intra-; i.e. left vs. right) individual diversity in shape and size, whereas the otoliths of utricles (lapilli) and lagenae (asterisci) seemed to be more constant regarding morphological parameters. The structural diversity of juvenile otoliths was found to be less prominent as compared to the adults, differing from the latter regarding their peculiar crystalline morphology. Qualitative differences in the fine structure (SEM) of otoliths taken from adult and larval animals kept under 3g in comparison to 1g controls could not be observed. The SEM and TEM investigations of sensory epithelia also did not reveal any effects due to 3g stimulation. Even extreme hypergravity (more than 7g) for 10 minutes did not result in distinct pathological changes.

Aging↗

PubMed1998

Fish inner ear otolith size and bilateral asymmetry during development.

Size and bilateral asymmetry (i.e. size difference between the left and the right hand side) of inner ear otoliths of larval mouthbreeding cichlid fish were determined during the ontogenetic development of larvae from hatching to the free swimming stage. Animals of two batches were raised in aquarium hatch baskets. The basket containing one batch was placed directly above aeration equipment, resulting in random water circulation within the basket, which constantly shifted the specimens around ('shifted' specimens). The second batch of animals was raised in parallel without shifting. Due to the weight of the yolk-sacs, these animals lay on their sides until the yolk-sacs were resorbed ('stationary' specimens). The groups of larvae did not differ from one another in respect of individual general development, nor in otolith size. Contrasting results were obtained regarding bilateral otolith asymmetry: In both shifted and stationary animals, asymmetry of utricular and saccular otoliths (lapilli and sagittae, respectively) ranged at comparatively low values throughout development. However, by comparison with shifted individuals, lapillar asymmetry of stationary animals showed a highly significant increase during early development when larvae were forced to lay on their sides due to their prominent yolk-sacs. In later developmental stages, when they began to swim freely, a dramatic decrease in lapillar asymmetry was apparent. These findings indicate that development of lapillar asymmetry depends on the direction of the acting gravity vector relative to the positioning of the larvae, suggesting that the size (or mass) of a given otolith is regulated via a feedback mechanism.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Heterogeneous expression of the polysialyltransferases ST8Sia II and ST8Sia IV during postnatal rat brain development.

Polysialic acid on the neural cell adhesion molecule is developmentally regulated and has been implicated in the plasticity of cell-cell interactions. The sialyltransferases ST8Sia II and ST8Sia IV are able to catalyze the synthesis of polysialic acid. This study compares the expression of ST8Sia II and ST8Sia IV mRNA during postnatal rat brain development. Northern blot analysis indicated a substantial down-regulation of ST8Sia II from high expression at postnatal day 2 to almost undetectable levels at the age of 6 months. In contrast, the decline of ST8Sia IV content was moderate. In the mature brain, ST8Sia IV is the predominant polysialyltransferase. In situ hybridization of selected brain regions at postnatal days 2, 11, and 21 confirmed the decline of ST8Sia II level in isocortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum. ST8Sia II was not detectable at any time point in the subependymal layer and the layers of the olfactory bulb. Persistent ST8Sia IV expression was localized in the subependymal layer, the glomerular layer of the olfactory bulb, and the granule cell layer of the dentate gyrus and in some widely dispersed cells of the isocortex. The distinct expression patterns of ST8Sia II and ST8Sia IV suggest their differential regulation. As discussed with regard to the persistent polysialic acid expression, ST8Sia IV should receive particular attention in the mature brain.

Aging↗

PubMed1998

Morphometry of fish inner ear otoliths after development at 3g hypergravity.

Size and asymmetry (size difference between the left and right sides) of inner ear otoliths of larval cichlid fish were determined after a long-term stay in moderate hypergravity conditions (3g; centrifuge), in the course of which the animals completed their ontogenetic development from hatch to freely swimming. Neither the normal morphogenetic development nor the timely onset and gain of performance of swimming behaviour were impaired by the experimental conditions. However, both utricular and saccular otoliths (lapilli and sagittae, respectively) were significantly smaller after hyper-g exposure compared to 1g control specimens raised in parallel. The asymmetry of sagittae was significantly increased in the experimental animals, whereas the respective asymmetry of lapilli was pronouncedly decreased compared with the 1g controls. These findings suggest that growth and development of bilateral asymmetry of otoliths are guided by the environmental gravity vector. Some of the hyper-g animals revealed a kinetotic behaviour on transfer to normal 1g earth conditions, which was similar to the behaviour observed in previous experiments on the transfer from 1g to microgravity (parabolic aircraft flights). The lapillar asymmetry of kinetotic samples was found to be significantly higher than that of normally behaving experimental specimens. No differences in asymmetry of sagittae were obtained between the two groups. This supports an earlier theoretical concept, according to which human static space sickness might be based on asymmetric utricular otoliths.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Comparative autoradiographic investigations on the tissue distribution of benfotiamine versus thiamine in mice.

The tissue distribution of two therapeutically applied preparations of B-vitamins were investigated in blood and selected organs (liver, brain, muscle, kidney) of laboratory mice using autoradiographic techniques. Incorporation of lipid-soluble 3H-benfotiamine (CAS 22457-89-2) and water-soluble 3H-thiaminehydrochloride (CAS 67-03-8) (200 microCi, equivalent to 105 mg vitamin/kg body weight) was monitored between 0.75 and 168 h after an oral or subcutaneous administration. The labelled tissue slices were autoradiographically analysed after a differential histochemical extraction procedure to evaluate the respective total radioactivity, the uptake into lipid-soluble, water-soluble and residual macromolecular compounds. Evaluation of these autoradiographic data (given as mumol vitamin preparation/mg tissue equivalent) proved that benfotiamine is incorporated much better than thiaminehydrochloride independent of the administration mode. In muscle and brain tissue a 5 to 25 fold higher amount of tracer incorporation was registered following benfotiamine as compared with the thiamine application, whereas in all other organs the difference in the label was mostly between 10 and 40%. Concerning the organ specific distribution, liver and kidney were the structures labelled highest by both substances and administration procedures. In the liver, concerning all incorporation times, a higher proportion of residual macromolecular compounds was found, whereas in the kidney the proportions of lipid- as well as of water-soluble materials prevailed. These data should be clinically relevant.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

PubMed1997

Exogenous application of gangliosides changes the state of excitability of retinal tissue as demonstrated by retinal spreading depression experiments.

Gangliosides are amphiphilic, sialic acid-containing glycosphingolipids which are found preferentially in complex composition in the cellular membranes of the nervous system of vertebrates, including the vertebrate retina as well as in other membranes. They are always exposed to the extracellular side of the membranes. By virtue of the negative charges they carry at their headgroup, they contribute to the surface charge of the membrane and may affect ion distribution, mainly that of protons and calcium ions, at the outer side of the membranes. Using retinal spreading depression (RSD) as a tool, we show in this study that the addition of exogenous gangliosides to the extracellular space can change the state of excitability of the retinal tissue. In RSD experiments it reduces the propagation velocity as well as the intrinsic optical signal of RSD waves. These effects are concentration dependent (IC50 about 20 microM) and increase with the increasing negative charge of the ganglioside headgroup. As a possible mechanistic basis of the changes found, the change of the calcium homeostasis of the extracellular space by the exogenously added gangliosides is discussed. Gangliosides have been reported to be useful in the treatment of some neuropathological syndromes, including migraine, although experimental verification has not been possible up to now. Taking into account that the retina is a true part of the CNS, our data may be interpreted as the requested verification.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

NADPH-diaphorase reactivity in the Mauthner cells of the swordtail fish, Xiphophorus helleri.

The presence of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase (NADPHDH) in fixed tissue was histochemically demonstrated in the Mauthner cells of the teleost fish Xiphophorus helleri. This is the first detection of the enzyme in these giant neurons (which are restricted to fishes and amphibians) of a gnathostomate vertebrate. NADPHDH reactivity in fixed tissue is thought to reflect the activity of nitric oxide synthase. Thus, nitric oxide, a gaseous intercellular messenger, is probably synthesized in the Mauthner cells.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Influence of long-term altered gravity on the swimming performance of developing cichlid fish: including results from the 2nd German Spacelab Mission D-2.

This study presents qualitative and quantitative data concerning gravity-dependent changes in the swimming behaviour of developing cichlid fish larvae (Oreochromis mossambicus) after a 9 resp. 10 days exposure to increased acceleration (centrifuge experiments), to reduced gravity (fast-rotating clinostat), changed accelerations (parabolic aircraft flights) and to near weightlessness (2nd German Spacelab Mission D-2). Changes of gravity initially cause disturbances of the swimming performance of the fish larvae. With prolonged stay in orbit a step by step normalisation of the swimming behaviour took place in the fish. After return to 1g earth conditions no somersaulting or looping could be detected concerning the fish, but still slow and disorientated movements as compared to controls occurred. The fish larvae adapted to earth gravity within 3-5 days. Fish seem to be in a distinct early developmental stages extreme sensitive and adaptable to altered gravity; However, elder fish either do not react or show compensatory behaviour e.g. escape reactions.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

PubMed1996

Influence of altered gravity on brain cellular energy and plasma membrane metabolism of developing lower aquatic vertebrates.

Biochemical analyses of the brain of cichlid fish larvae, exposed for 7 days to increased acceleration of 3g (hyper-g), revealed an increase in energy availability (succinate dehydrogenase activity, SDH), and in mitochondrial energy transformation (creatine kinase, Mia-CK), but no changes in an energy consumptive process (high-affinity Ca(2+)-ATPase). Brain glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) of developing fish was previously found to be increased after hyper-g exposure. Three respectively 5 hours thereafter dramatic fluctuations in enzyme activity were registered. Analysing the cytosolic or plasma membrane-located brain creatine kinase (BB-CK) of clawed toad larvae after long-term hyper-g exposure a significant increase in enzyme activity was demonstrated, whereas the activity of a high affinity Ca(2+)-ATPase remained unaffected.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Early development in aquatic vertebrates in near weightlessness during the D-2 Mission STATEX project.

Aboard the German-Spacelab-Mission D-2 the project "Gravity Perception and Neuronal Plasticity (STATEX II)" was performed. STATEX is for STATolith EXperiment. Objects were growing tadpoles of the South African Toad (Xenopus laevis D.) and a juvenile cichlid fish (Oreochromis mossambicus). The results give a broader base for the understanding of how environmental stimuli (e.g. linear accelerations) affect the development and function of the gravity perceiving systems in these two vertebrates. These systems are accepted as models for the human vestibulum. Results of experiments in hyper-g (up to 5 g), simulated weightlessness (Fast-rotating-clinostat) and parabolic flights are compared and discussed.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Histochemical investigations on the influence of long-term altered gravity on the CNS of developing cichlid fish: results from the 2nd German Spacelab Mission D-2.

The effect of long-term (10 days) altered gravitational conditions upon succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) reactivity in total brains as well as in individual brain nuclei of developing cichlid fish larvae had been investigated by means of semiquantitative histochemical methods (densitometric grey value analysis). Increasing accelerations from near weightlessness (spaceflight) via 1g controls to 3g hyper gravity (centrifuge) resulted in slightly increasing "all over the brain" (total brain) SDH reactivity. When focusing on distinct neuronal integration centers within the same brains in order to find the anatomical substratum of the gross histochemical data, significant effects of altered gravity only within vestibulum related brain parts were obtained.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Influence of altered gravity on the cytochemical localization of cytochrome oxidase activity in central and peripheral gravisensory systems in developing cichlid fish.

Cichlid fish larvae were reared from hatching to active free swimming under different gravity conditions: natural environment, increased acceleration in a centrifuge, simulated weightlessness in a clinostat and near weightlessness during space flight. Cytochrome oxidase activity was analyzed semiquantitatively on the ultrastructural level as a marker of regional neuronal activity in a primary, vestibular brainstem nucleus and in gravity receptive epithelia in the inner ear. Our results show, that gravity seems to be positively correlated with cytochrome oxidase activity in the magnocellular nucleus of developing fish brain. In the inner ear the energy metabolism is decreased under microgravity concerning utricle but not saccule. Hypergravity has no effect on cytochrome oxidase activity in sensory inner ear epithelia.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Imaging of thick sections of nervous tissue with energy-filtering transmission electron microscopy.

Electron microscopy of nervous tissue requires on the one hand nanometre resolution for the analysis of fine structures of nerve cell contacts, for instance synaptic vesicles, synaptic membranes and associated organelles. On the other hand, the visualization of the three-dimensional organization of nervous tissue on the level of dendrites and neurites is essential for the understanding of neuronal integration and also for a stereological evaluation of quantitative parameters such as size and shape of synaptic contact zones, number and distribution of synaptic vesicles, organization of cytoskeleton and distribution of organelles like mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum. Therefore, it is necessary to have access to the fine structure and to the spatial organization within one sample. Energy-filtering transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM) enables the imaging of sections up to 1 micron thickness with a high resolution because the chromatic error due to inelastic scattering is avoided by selecting electrons within a restricted energy-loss range for imaging. The contrast depends strongly upon the section thickness, the selected energy range and the composition of the sample, so that optimum imaging conditions can be found for each object. Different staining protocols enable either a high global contrast or a selective staining of peculiar tissue properties. The three-dimensional organization can be visualized with stereopairs or with extended tilt series, which shows that characteristic structures as the synaptic junctions are detectable only within a narrow range of orientations to the electron beam. This is especially important for quantitative approaches with stereological tools which profit generally from the fact that a wide range of section thickness is available with EFTEM. EFTEM is therefore a powerful tool for the imaging of thick sections of biological materials with attractive possibilities of contrast tuning and advantages for stereological quantifications. The main benefit is the rapid and effective visualization of the three-dimensional organization of cells and tissues.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Comparative electronmicroscopical investigations on the influences of altered gravity on cytochrome oxidase in the inner ear of fish: a spaceflight study.

The regional metabolic activity in the otolithic sensory epithelia of the inner ear of a cichlid fish (Oreochromis mossambicus) was investigated on light- and electronmicroscopical level using the cytochemical method for detection of cytochrome oxidase activity. In adult animals a characteristic distribution of mitochondria with high enzyme activity was found in sensory and non-sensory cells of otolithic sensory epithelia, which was correlated with regions with a high energy demand. These findings were the basis for studies on the influence of long-term altered gravity conditions in developing larvae: hypogravity (10(-4) g in spaceflight), normal gravity (1 g in a centrifuge in space and 1 g on earth) and hypergravity (3 g in a laboratory centrifuge). Cytochrome oxidase activity was quantified in different parts of the sensory hair cell synapse in the vestibular sensory epithelia utricle and saccule: apical and basal cytoplasm, postsynaptic area of the afferent synapse and presynaptic region of the efferent synapse. Our results show that the energy metabolism of utricle, but not of saccule is decreased after microgravity exposure during the 2nd German Spacelab Mission D-2. However, a general effect of the spaceflight is detectable in both sensory epithelia. Long-term exposure to increased acceleration (3 g) had no effects on cytochrome oxidase activity in inner ear sensory epithelia.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

An atlas of the distribution of NADPH-diaphorase in the brain of the highly derived swordtail fish Xiphophorus helleri (Atherinoformes:Teleostei).

The distribution of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase (or -dehydrogenase, NADPHDH, a marker for nitric oxide synthase, NOS) positive neurons was demonstrated histochemically in the central nervous system of the swordtail fish Xiphophorus helleri, a highly derived telost of the atherinomorph outgroup. All nuclei of the swordtail fish, comprising almost all nuclei that have been described so far regarding the brains of telosts in general, were investigated. The results obtained clearly indicate, that NADPHDH positive neurons in the swordtail fish mostly are restricted to evolutionary primitive brain areas such as to most dorsomedial, dorsocentral and ventral portions of the telencephalon, to the preoptic area and to some thalamic, hypothalamic and pretectal nuclei of the diencephalon including the pituitary and the pineal organ, to the nuclei of the mesencephalic and myelencephalic cranial nerves, to the myelencephalic reticular formation and to the Mauthner cells. Some positive neurons were also observed within the mesencephalon, including the cerebellar body and its valve. Among non-neuronal cells, especially ependymocytes were strongly stained. It is the particular goal of the present study to provide a complete account on NADPHDH in the brain of a fish species, since, firstly, the NADPHDH/NOS system becomes increasingly important with regard to the understanding of the molecular basis of memory formation, and, secondly, fishes generally are more and more intensively studied concerning neurobiological approaches.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Correlation of altered gravity and cytochrome oxidase activity in the developing fish brain.

The mitochondrial enzyme, cytochrome oxidase, was localized cytochemically in the nucleus magnocellularis, a primary relay nucleus of vestibular information within the area octavolateralis in the fish brain. Cichlid fish larvae were analyzed after long-term exposure (9 days) to altered gravity situations: increased acceleration in a centrifuge (3 g) and near weightlessness during space flight. Controls (1 g) were reared under identical conditions in the centrifuge but without rotation on earth or with an acceleration resulting in gravity of 1 g in space shuttle. Quantification of highly reactive mitochondria reveals a correlation of gravity and cytochrome oxidase activity: low enzyme activity in respect to 1 g controls under near weightlessness conditions and an increased activity after hyper-g exposure in a centrifuge. This gravity effect on the energy metabolism of vestibular nuclei of developing cichild fish seems to reflect adaptational processes in response to gravity stimulation.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Unusual brain nucleus in the diencephalon of a perciform (nototheniid) fish from Antarctica.

This cytoarchitectonic analysis on the rostral diencephalon of antarctic perciform fishes confirms the previously established perciform diencephalic body plan. However, it resulted in the detection of an additional, large and conspicuous brain nucleus (unusual nucleus, UN) in the antarctic nototheniid Pleuragramma antarcticum. This nucleus has not been seen before in any other perciform. The UN is probably homologous to a visually related nucleus (named nucleus rostrolateralis and lateral entopeduncular nuclear area, respectively), that has so far only been found in two most primitive (osteoglosso-form) and one most highly derived (atherinoform) species of teleost. Our present results indicate that this brain region, which belongs to the ancient diencephalic organization of ray-finned fishes, is expressed in the brains of fishes due to their particular requirements regarding life styles rather than due to their phylogenetical relationships.

Animals↗