Contrasting morphology and growth habits of Frutexites in Late Devonian reef complexes of the Canning Basin, northwestern Australia.

Frutexites-like microstructures are described from the exhumed Late Devonian reef complexes of the northern Canning Basin, Western Australia. Several high-resolution imaging techniques, including X-ray microcomputerised tomography, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray fluorescence microscopy, were used to investigate morphology and composition in two samples. Three types of Frutexites-like microstructures (Types I-III) have been identified.

Spherulitic microbialites from modern hypersaline lakes, Rottnest Island, Western Australia.

Fibrous-radiating carbonate spherulites spatially associated with poorly crystalline Mg-Si substances have formed within conical microbialites in modern hypersaline lakes on Rottnest Island, Western Australia. Two spherulitic fabrics can be distinguished based on compositional and textural differences. The oldest (lowermost) fabric comprises variably intergrown aragonitic spherulites 100-500 μm wide, containing micritic nuclei with coccoid cell molds in various stages of cell division.

Class II transactivator (CIITA) enhances cytoplasmic processing of HIV-1 Pr55Gag.

Background: The Pr55(gag) (Gag) polyprotein of HIV serves as a scaffold for virion assembly and is thus essential for progeny virion budding and maturation. Gag localizes to the plasma membrane (PM) and membranes of late endosomes, allowing for release of infectious virus directly from the cell membrane and/or upon exocytosis. The host factors involved in Gag trafficking to these sites are largely unknown.

Multiple measures of axonal excitability in peripheral sensory nerves: an in vivo rat model.

Excitability measurements on human motor and sensory nerves have provided new insights into axonal membrane changes in peripheral nerve disorders. The aim of this study was to establish an in vivo rat preparation suitable for threshold tracking of sensory nerve action potentials (SNAPs) to model clinical sensory nerve excitability studies. In Sprague-Dawley rats anesthetized with ketamine and xylazine, current stimuli were applied to the base of the tail and SNAPs recorded from distal needle electrodes.

Velocity recovery cycles of single C fibres innervating rat skin.

To improve knowledge about axonal membrane properties in nociceptive and non-nociceptive C fibres, we studied impulse-dependent velocity changes by in vivo microneurography in the rat sciatic nerve. Cutaneous C fibres were classified, based primarily on their activity-dependent slowing profile, as Type 1A (mechano-responsive nociceptors; CMR; n = 23), Type 1B (mechano-insensitive nociceptors; CMI; n = 24), Type 2 (cold units; n = 2), Type 3 units (unknown function; n = 4) or Type 4 (presumed sympathetics; n = 23) units. They were excited by single, double and triple electrical stimuli to the skin at mean rates of 0.

Peripheral inflammation selectively increases TRPV1 function in IB4-positive sensory neurons from adult mouse.

C-fiber nociceptors can be divided into two groups based on growth factor dependency and isolectin B4 (IB4) binding. IB4-negative nociceptors have been proposed to contribute to inflammatory pain. Since the TRPV1 receptor is critical for inflammatory heat hyperalgesia, we hypothesized that inflammation would sensitize IB4 negative but not IB4-positive small-diameter neurons to TRPV1 stimuli.

Tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 and 2 proteins are differentially regulated during Wallerian degeneration of mouse sciatic nerve.

The pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) is involved in injury-induced peripheral nerve pathology and in the generation of neuropathic pain. Here, we investigated local protein levels of the two known TNF receptors, TNF receptor 1 and 2 (TNFR1, TNFR2), on days 0, 1, 3, 7, 14, and 28 after unilateral crush or chronic constriction injury (CCI) of mouse sciatic nerves using enzyme-linked immunoassay. Both receptors were detectable at a low level in nerve homogenates from naive mice.

Musculoskeletal pain in patients with myotonic dystrophy type 2.

Background: Myotonic dystrophy type 2/proximal myotonic myopathy (DM2/PROMM) is an autosomal dominant multisystem disorder. Musculoskeletal pain is one of its frequent symptoms but also occurs in other chronic noninflammatory muscle disorders (OMD).

Objectives: To characterize the phenotype of DM2/PROMM-associated musculoskeletal pain and to test whether it shows features distinct from OMD.

Wallerian degeneration after crush injury of rat sciatic nerve increases endo- and epineurial tumor necrosis factor-alpha protein.

The pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) contributes to injury-induced peripheral nerve pathology and to the development of neuropathic pain. Here, we investigated whether TNF protein is altered at the site of crush injury of rat sciatic nerve using enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) and immunohistochemistry (IHC). TNF protein levels determined by ELISA were low in nerve homogenates from naive rats.

Wallerian degeneration after crush or chronic constriction injury of rodent sciatic nerve is associated with a depletion of endoneurial interleukin-10 protein.

We used enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA), immunohistochemistry (IHC), and quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to determine whether interleukin (IL)-10 protein is changed after unilateral crush or chronic constriction injury (CCI) of mouse or rat sciatic nerve and whether IL-10 protein and mRNA are differentially regulated. In the mouse sciatic nerve, IL-10 protein declined rapidly to 10-20% of baseline early after crush or CCI, while the IL10 mRNA was up-regulated with a maximum on Days 1 and 3. In the rat sciatic nerve, IL-10 protein was significantly reduced on Day 3 after CCI, and IL-10 mRNA was up-regulated in both models.

Thalidomide treatment in chronic constrictive neuropathy decreases endoneurial tumor necrosis factor-alpha, increases interleukin-10 and has long-term effects on spinal cord dorsal horn met-enkephalin.

Thalidomide reduces thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia in chronic constrictive sciatic nerve injury (CCI). Since thalidomide mainly inhibits tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) synthesis with less well defined effects on other cytokines, we investigated the effect of the drug on the expression of the proinflammatory cytokines TNF-alpha, interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and interleukin 6 (IL-6), and of the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10) in the lesioned rat sciatic nerve. The increase of endoneurial TNF-alpha during the first week after CCI was reduced after thalidomide treatment, as shown with immunohistochemistry and enzyme-linked-immunosorbent assay.