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Biomedical subjects

H Rahmann

Publications and source records attributed to H Rahmann.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Comparative methodological investigations on the cytochemical localization of calcium in brain and inner ear of cichlid fish.

Four different methods for calcium precipitation are compared in the optic tectum and the inner ear of the cichid fish, Oreochromis mossambicus. Several parameters are investigated concerning their influences on the reaction product. Three procedures (bichromate, fluoride, and oxalate-pyroantimonate) produce fine-grained deposits, often flocculent in the latter method. The fourth method (potassium-pyroantimonate) generates predominantly coarse-grained reaction product. The calcium content of the deposits is always proven with energy-filtering transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM). In both tissues fine-grained reaction product is found in endoplasmic reticulum and synaptic vesicles, and in addition in some mitochondria and at the cytoskeleton. The coarse-grained deposits of the potassium-pyroantimonate method have a more unspecific distribution. This is the only method which produces extracellular deposits in the inner ear, whereas in the optic tectum extracellular precipitates are always present except with the oxalate-pyroantimonate procedure. Two factors have an influence on the reaction product: the duration of fixation and the type of resin. The prolongation of the fixation time up to 24 hours leads to an increase of the reaction product, which also becomes coarse-grained. These observations are corroborated by quantification with image analysis. Furthermore the use of an epoxy resin compared to acrylic resins decreases the amount of reaction product produced. We show that the application of several methods is meaningful in order to understand the calcium properties of the investigated tissue, but it is necessary to optimize a certain method for a given tissue.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Brain gangliosides and memory formation.

It is generally accepted that the process of molecular facilitation of neuronal circuits by means of stabilization of synaptic contacts represents the structural basis for memory formation. At the distinct zone of synaptic contact the following basic events occur: alterations of the electrical field strength at the outer surface of synaptic membranes, conformational changes of membrane-bound functional proteins (ion channels, ion pumps, receptors) and activation of second messenger cascade. Finally a trophic feed-back between synaptic terminals and their cell bodies through retro- and anterograde neuronal transport exists, which guarantees a stabilization of the newly formed synaptic connection. As a controlled Ca(2+)-exchange between the extracellular space (mM Ca(2+)-concentration) and the synaptoplasm (microM Ca2+) is essential for all these events, the present research concentrates on Ca(2+)-mediated primary messenger systems at the outer leaflet of synaptic membranes and on Ca(2+)-mediated modulatory mechanisms. These enable an always efficient electroresponsiveness although the environmental temperature might have changed. In this regard gangliosides being amphiphilic sialic acid containing glycosphingolipids, which are highly accumulated in complex composition in synaptic membranes play an important role. According to specific physico-chemical properties, they are assumed to fulfill the task of neuromodulators in connection with calcium, and thus contribute to the transmission and storage of information. The outcome of a series of experiments derived from neurology, ecophysiology, behavioral sciences, electron microscopy, biochemistry and physical chemistry give strong circumstantial evidence for this concept.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Development and altered gravity dependent changes in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity in the brain of the cichlid fish Oreochromis mossambicus.

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity was studied in the brain of the cichlid fish Oreochromis mossambicus during early ontogenetic development. In general a slight but continuous decrease in enzyme activity was found (9.5 +/- 0.5 nmol substrate cleaved per mg protein and per min at developmental stage 13 [= 1 day post hatch at 28 degrees C] to a value of 7.9 +/- 0.6 in adult brain). In order to investigate the possible influence of altered gravity during early ontogenetic brain development, fish larvae were exposed to an increased acceleration of three times earth gravity (3 g) or to functional weightlessness in a fast-rotating clinostat for 7 days. A significant increase of brain G6PDH activity of approx. 15% was found after exposure to hyper gravity, whereas a significant decrease of the enzyme activity, approximately 10%, was detected following functional weightlessness in respect to the corresponding 1 g controls. Analyses concerning the regain of normal control enzyme activity of the larvae revealed dramatic fluctuations within the first 5 h after exposure to an increased acceleration of 3 g. Thereafter, between day 1 and day 3 after exposure, brain glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase decreased slowly. At day 3 after exposure no further differences of the hyper-g larvae compared to the controls were found. Only slight changes in total brain glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity occur during ontogenetic development of cichlid fish. This suggests that a more or less constant enzyme activity is important during brain development, but is reacting very sensitively to changes in the environmental factor gravity.

Acceleration↗
PubMed1995

Influence of ambient temperature on content and composition of brain gangliosides in vertebrates.

The concentration and composition of brain gangliosides have been comparatively investigated by means of one- and two-dimensional high performance thin layer chromatography in several European fish species exhibiting a pronounced capacity for thermal adaptation. The values were compared with those of tropical and Antarctic fish as well as with homeo- and heterothermic mammals. The relative proportion of higher sialylated (more polar) ganglioside fractions was elevated in brains of fish (a) whose habitat was naturally cold or (b) that had been experimentally or seasonally adapted to a cold versus a warm habitat. Furthermore, in adaptation to the cold, more alkali-labile brain ganglioside fractions were found with the following sequence: Antarctic fish (53-67%), cold acclimated fish (45-51%), warm acclimated fish (38-44%), tropical species (< 35%), hamsters in torpor (9%), active hamsters (4%) and pig (3%). These results indicate a possible mechanism at a molecular level to keep the neuronal membrane functional, even under changing temperature conditions.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed1995

Notes on the organization of the rostral diencephalon of the atherinomorph swordtail-fish Xiphophorus helleri.

By using conventional histological methods, the nuclear organization of the rostral diencephalon of the swordtail-fish, Xiphophorus helleri (Poecilidae, Atherinomorpha, Teleostei) was analyzed and compared with those from other teleost species. The subdivisions of the entopeduncular region, especially in their relative position and cytoarchitectonic structure, reveal clear differences between the various teleost orders. A new nucleus, the lateral entopeduncular nuclear area (leNA), found within this region, is described.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Characterization of sialyltransferase-IV activity and its involvement in the c-pathway of brain ganglioside metabolism.

To characterize the sialyltransferase-IV activity in brain tissues, the activities of GM1b-, GD1a-, GT1b-, and GQ1c-synthases in adult cichlid fish and rat brains were examined using GA1, GM1, GD1b, or a cod brain ganglioside mixture as the substrate. The GD1a-synthase activity in the total membrane fraction from cichlid fish brain required divalent cations such as Mg2+ or Mn2+ and Triton CF-54 for its full activity. The Vmax value was 1,340 pmol/mg of protein/h at an optimal pH of 6.5, whereas the apparent Km values for CMP-sialic acid and GM1 were 172 and 78 microM, respectively. Cichlid fish and rat brains also contained GM1b-, GT1b-, and GQ1c-synthase activities. The ratio of GM1b-, GD1a-, and GT1b-synthase activities in fish brain was 1.00:0.89:1.13, respectively, and in rat brain 1.00:0.60:0.63. Incubation of fish brain membranes with a cod brain ganglioside mixture, which contains GT1c, and [3H]CMP-sialic acid produced radiolabeled GQ1c. It is interesting that the adult rat brain also contains an appreciable level of GQ1c-synthase activity despite its very low concentrations of c-series gangliosides. The GD1a- or GQ1c-synthase activity in fish and rat brain was inhibited specifically by coincubation with the glycolipids that serve as the substrates for other sialyltransferase-IV reactions. Thus, the GD1a-synthase activity was inhibited by GA1 and GD1b, but not by LacCer, GM3, or GD3. In a similar manner, the synthesis of GQ1c was suppressed by GA1, GM1, and GD1b, but not by LacCer, GM3, or GD3.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Effect of light stimulation on the cytochemical localization of cytochrome C oxidase in photoreceptor cells of cichlid fish.

Cytochrome oxidase activity was evaluated cytochemically in rod photoreceptor cells in the retina of the cichlid fish Oreochromis mossambicus after different stimulation protocols. The enzyme activity was assessed semiquantitatively by estimating the volume ratio of mitochondria classified according to the intensity of enzyme reactivity. Dark adaptation for 5 hr induced an increase of cytochrome oxidase activity both in vivo and in vitro, i.e., in isolated retinas. Short-term illumination (1 hr) of isolated retinas adapted previously in vivo to darkness caused a significant decrease of enzyme activity, whereas short-term darkening after in vivo light adaptation had no effect. Chemical stimulation for 15 min with increased K+ concentration (20 mM) reduced the enzyme activity, i.e., chemical depolarization did not have the same effect as depolarization induced by darkening. Significant changes in cytochrome oxidase activity were apparent within 1 hr of stimulation, so that this method for analysis of neuronal activity can be applied even in short-term experiments.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Altered gravity affects succinate dehydrogenase reactivity in specific nuclei of fish brain.

The effect of long-term (10 days) altered gravitational conditions upon succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) reactivity in total brain as well as in individual brain nuclei of developing cichlid fish larvae has been investigated by means of semiquantitative histochemical methods (densitometric grey value analysis). Increasing acceleration from near weightlessness (spaceflight) via 1 g controls to 3 g hypergravity (centrifuge) resulted in slightly increased total brain SDH reactivity. When focusing on distinct neuronal integration centres within the same brains in order to find the anatomical substratum of the gross histochemical data, significant effects of altered gravity on vestibulum-related brain parts were obtained. The total brain results may therefore represent the sum of such particular indirect effects but may also comprise in addition a non vestibular-related general and therefore direct influence of altered gravitational conditions, possibly on all cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Exogenously applied gangliosides (GM1, GD1a and Gmix) fail to facilitate the induction of long-term potentiation (LTP) in the slices of hippocampus and superior colliculus of the guinea pig.

To confirm the effect of gangliosides on the facilitation of the induction of long-term potentiation (LTP), slices of hippocampus and superior colliculus from guinea pig were prepared. One group of slices was incubated in the standard medium containing gangliosides (GM1, GD1a, or a mixture of gangliosides from bovine brain, each at a concentration of 70 microM) for 2 h. The other group of slices was incubated in the standard medium only. In both groups of slices, tetanic stimulation induced LTP in a similar manner. In low Ca2+ (1 mM) medium, LTP was not induced in either group of slices. Thus, the present experiments could not confirm previous reports indicating that exogenously applied gangliosides facilitate the induction of LTP.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

[Brain gangliosides and memory formation].

It is generally accepted that the process of molecular facilitation (= Bahnung) of neuronal circuits by means of stabilization of synaptic contacts represents the structural basis for memory formation. On the basis of physiological, electron microscopic, biochemical, and physicochemical data, a concept is presented speaking in favor of the idea that interactions between brain gangliosides (= amphiphilic sialic acid-containing glycosphingolipids with peculiar physicochemical properties), calcium, and functional membraneous proteins (ion channels, ion pumps, receptors, kinases) play a crucial modulatory role in the transmission and storage of information.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Gravity effects on membrane processes.

Application of the Gouy-Chapman-Debye-Hückel (GCDH) theory to a model membrane in contact with electrolytes of various concentrations and composition predict density variations within an interfacial layer. Assuming that on cellular dimensions hydrodynamics can be applied (the objections are briefly discussed) two types of gravity effects can be defined, 1. convection along the surface of vertically oriented membranes and 2. surface potential variations by layer deformations at horizontally oriented membranes. Both effects should affect transport across the layer to the membrane surface and across the membrane. According to the theoretical predictions first experiments with gramicidin channels incorporated into artificial phosphatidylserine bilayer membranes show a significant difference in single channel currents in vertical and horizontal membranes. The complexity of biological membrane functions requires investigation of isolated membrane surface reactions and transport systems to study the gravisensitivity for each process separately.

Cell Membrane↗
PubMed1994

Behavioural and biochemical investigations of the influence of altered gravity on the CNS of aquatic vertebrates during ontogeny.

Quantitative data are presented on the influences of hyper-gravity (3 +/- 1g) and of simulated weightlessness (approximately 0g) during early ontogeny of cichlid fish (Oreochromis mossambicus) and clawed toad (Xenopus laevis, Daudin) demonstrating changes in the swimming behaviour and the brain energy and plasma membrane metabolism. After return to 1g conditions, hyper-g reared fish and toads express the well known "loop-swimming" behaviour. By means of a computer based video analyzing system different types of swimming movements and velocities were quantitatively determined. Analyses of the brain energy and plasma-membrane metabolism of hyper-g fish larvae demonstrated an increase in energy availability (glucose 6Pi dehydrogenase, G-6P-DH), a decrease of cellular energy transformation (creatine kinase activity, CK) but no changes in energy consumptive processes (e.g. ATPases) and cytochrome oxidase activity (Cyt.-Ox). In contrast hypo-g fish larvae showed a slight increase in brain CK activity. In addition, unlike 1g controls, hyper-g fish larvae showed pronounced variations in the composition (=polarity) of sialoglycosphingolipids (=gangliosides), typical constituents of the nerve cell membranes, and a slight increase in the activity of sialidase, the enzyme responsible for ganglioside degradation.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Activities of five different sialyltransferases in fish and rat brains.

To investigate the role of sialyltransferases in the metabolism of brain gangliosides, we examined activities of five different sialyltransferases (GM3-, GD3-, GT3-, GD1a-, and GT1a-synthase) using total membrane preparations from cichlid fish and Sprague-Dawley rat brains, and analyzed the relationship between the enzyme activities and the ganglioside compositions. The patterns of sialyltransferase activities in fish and rat brains differed from each other. In fish brain, the GM3-synthase activity was lower than GD3-synthase activity, whereas the opposite relationship was observed in rat brain. The GT3-synthase reaction with fish brain membranes produced radiolabeled GM3, GD3, and a ganglioside that was identified as GT3 based on mobility on TLC using two different solvent systems. No GT3-synthase activity was detected in rat brain. The GD1a- and GT1a-synthase activities in fish brain were higher than those in rat brain. Although GT1a was a single radiolabeled ganglioside in fish GT1a-synthase reaction, this ganglioside could not be detected in rat brain. The ratios of GM3-, GD3-, GT3-, GD1a-, and GT1a-synthase activities in fish and rat brain were 23:31:4:28:14 and 61:21:0:18:0, respectively. Ganglioside analysis showed that fish brain was enriched with c-series gangliosides including GT3 and polysialo-species, whereas a- and b-series gangliosides were major components in rat brain. These results suggest that the species-specific expression of gangliosides in brain tissues may be regulated, at least in part, at the level of sialyltransferase activities.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Effects of development and altered gravity conditions on cytochrome oxidase activity in a vestibular nucleus of the larval teleost brain: a quantitative electronmicroscopical study.

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. Larvae of the cichlid fish Oreochromis mossambicus were analyzed at different developmental stages (4, 10, and 35 days post-hatching) and after long-term exposure (8 days) to increased gravity (2-4 g). Quantification of highly reactive, moderately reactive, and nonreactive mitochondria reveals differences in the cytochrome oxidase activity of various cellular structures, for example, perikarya of neurons, presynaptic terminals, and myelinated and nonmyelinated cell profiles. Cytochrome oxidase activity in the mitochondria of neuronal perikarya increases during development which parallels the differentiation of the area octavolateralis. This possibly reflects the increasing energy demand during maturation and innervation of the magnocellular nucleus. Hyper-g-exposure of the larvae for 8 days (centrifuge) caused a further augmentation of cytochrome oxidase activity in the perikarya within the nucleus magnocellularis. This may reflect an increased oxidative metabolism resulting from the need for compensation of altered inputs from gravity-sensitive epithelia in the inner ear. Another possibility is that acceleration within a centrifuge causes physiological stress for the animals and, therefore, influences the cytochrome oxidase activity in neurons.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Brain creatine kinase activity during ontogeny of the cichlid fish oreochromis mossambicus and the clawed toad Xenopus laevis, influence of gravity?

The development of creatine kinase (CK) activity was studied in the brain of cichlid fish and clawed toads. The activity of CK in the whole brain of the fish decreases immediately after hatching (stage 6) from values of about 135 nmol substrate cleaved/mg protein/min to a value of about 105 at stage 8 (5 days post hatch at 20 degrees C). With the exception of a significant peak (125 nmol) between stages 9 and 10 (7 and 9 days respectively, post hatch at 20 degrees C) and a small intermediate peak at stages 12 and 13 (about 10 days post hatch at 20 degrees C) a constant level of about 100 nmol cleaved substrate is maintained until maturity. In contrast, CK activity was determined to be 3-fold higher in the whole brain of the clawed toad. With the exception of two significant peaks at stages 47 and 49 (5 and 12 days respectively, post fertilization at 23 degrees C) a value of about 360 nmol was found during larval development and metamorphosis, as well as in the adult brain. In investigating the possible influence of gravity on CK activity during early ontogeny of the brain both animal species were exposed to hyper-gravity (3 +/- 1 g) for 7 days. A significant decrease of total CK activity of 20% was found in the fish brain and of about 5% in the toad.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aging↗
PubMed1993

Variability in brain ganglioside content and composition of endothermic mammals, heterothermic hibernators and ectothermic fishes.

Content and composition of brain gangliosides were compared among endothermic mammals, heterothermic hibernators and ectothermic fishes from habitats with extreme ambient temperatures (tropic vs. antarctic waters). In general the content of brain gangliosides in fishes is significantly lower and exhibits a greater variability than in mammals. The composition of brain gangliosides was investigated using both one- and two-dimensional High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC). Both techniques showed a remarkable increase in the number of individual ganglioside fractions and an additional increase of higher polar fractions in fishes as compared with mammals. The 2D-HPTLC revealed a significant decrease in the relative proportion of alkali-labile gangliosides in the course of evolution from fish to mammals. Moreover this decrease in alkali-lability is correlated with the state of thermal adaptation (antarctic fishes, 53-66%; tropical cichlid fish, 35%). These results provide additional evidence for the notion that the extremely high polarity of brain gangliosides, especially of cold-blooded vertebrates, reflects a very efficient mechanism on the molecular level to keep the neuronal membrane functional under low temperature conditions.

Acclimatization↗
PubMed1993

Influence of seasonal adaptation on the distribution of cytochemically detectable endogenous calcium in synaptic terminals of the optic tectum of crucian carp (Carassius carassius L.).

Crucian carps were seasonally adapted to high (23 degrees C) or low (4 degrees C) temperatures and synaptic regions in the optic tectum were analyzed by means of energy-filtering transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM). The amount of cytochemically detectable endogenous calcium in synaptic clefts was quantified by means of image analysis and the amount of glycogen granules in synaptic regions was assessed. In cold-adapted fish, glycogen is increased, especially in glial cells, while the calcium-containing precipitates are reduced. This is interpreted as a characteristic feature of inactive synapses, in which glycogen accumulates and in which the calcium turnover is slowed down. Short-term thermal stress did not influence the amount of calcium or glycogen.

Acclimatization↗