Opsins in the Cephalic and Extracephalic Photoreceptors in the Marine Gastropod .

AbstractThe marine gastropod has a pair of ocular photoreceptors, the stalk eyes, on the tip of its stalk near the head, as well as several extracephalic photosensory organs. The retinas of the stalk eye consist of two morphologically distinct visual cells, namely, the type I cells equipped with well-developed microvilli and the type II cells with less developed microvilli. The extracephalic photosensors comprise the dorsal eye, dermal photoreceptor, and brain photosensitive neurons.

Compensation mechanism for membrane potential against hypoosmotic stress in the Onchidium neuron.

The effect of acute hypoosmotic stress on the neural response was investigated using the neurons identified in the abdominal ganglion of the amphibious mollusk Onchidium. The membrane potential of an identified neuron (Ip-1/2) was not significantly altered in 50% hypoosmotic artificial sea water. In isotonic 50% artificial seawater (ASW) with osmolarity that was compensated for using glycerol or urea, the membrane potentials of Ip-1/2 were also not altered compared to those in 50% hypoosmotic ASW.

The association between sacroiliac joint-related pain following lumbar spine surgery and spinopelvic parameters: a prospective multicenter study.

Purpose: To prospectively calculate the incidence of postoperative sacroiliac joint-related pain (SIJP) and investigate the association between spinopelvic parameters and postoperative SIJP after lumbar spine surgery.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled consecutive patients who underwent lumbar spine surgery. We defined postoperative SIJP as unilateral buttock pain according to fulfillment of the following criteria within 3 months of the surgery: a sacroiliac joint (SIJ) score higher than 4/9 postoperatively; positive response to analgesic periarticular SIJ injection with fluoroscopy; no other complications related to the surgery.

Carbon dioxide sensitivity and its role in multifunctional neurons in the mollusk Onchidium.

Intrinsically photoresponsive neurons in the abdominal ganglion of the amphibious mollusk Onchidium named Ip-1 and Ip-2 (Ip-1/2) react to several different stimuli. These neurons respond to light with slow hyperpolarization and to CO2 stimulation with slow depolarization. In this study, increasing the concentration of CO2 in the air caused hyperventilation and enlargement of the pneumostome in the intact animal.

A new role for photoresponsive neurons called simple photoreceptors in the sea slug Onchidium verruculatum: Potentiation of synaptic transmission and motor response.

The simple photoreceptors Ip-1 and Ip-2 are intrinsically light-sensitive neurons that exist in the abdominal ganglion of the sea slug Onchidium verruculatum. Using isolated ganglia and semi-intact or intact animal preparations, the present studies examined the light-sensing and physiological roles of Ip-1 and Ip-2 cells, which respond jointly to light by inducing a slow hyperpolarizing receptor potential. First, the synaptic inputs received by Ip-1 and Ip-2 and the axonal branches arising from their cell bodies were investigated.

A new photosensory function for simple photoreceptors, the intrinsically photoresponsive neurons of the sea slug onchidium.

Simple photoreceptors, namely intrinsically light-sensitive neurons without microvilli and/or cilia, have long been known to exist in the central ganglia of crayfish, Aplysia, Onchidium, and Helix. These simple photoreceptors are not only first-order photosensory cells, but also second-order neurons (interneurons), relaying several kinds of sensory synaptic inputs. Another important issue is that the photoresponses of these simple photoreceptors show very slow kinetics and little adaptation.

Case report: osteoid osteoma of the C2 pedicle: surgical technique using a navigation system.

An osteoid osteoma of the cervical spinal pedicle is rare and carries a high surgical risk because of the close anatomic relationship to the spinal cord, nerve root, and vertebral artery. We report the case of a 12-year-old girl with an osteoid osteoma of the C2 pedicle. Computed tomograms showed an oval nidus and marked sclerosis around this lesion at the right C2 pedicle.

Recent trends in spinal infections: retrospective analysis of patients treated during the past 50 years.

We retrospectively reviewed the medical charts of 210 consecutive patients treated for spinal infection in Tottori University Hospital in Japan between 1956 and 2005. Until 1995, spinal infection was under control in this series; however, during the last decade, it has been on the rise. Male predominance had been gradually progressing, and 69% of the patients were male during the last decade.

Simple photoreceptors in some invertebrates: physiological properties of a new photosensory modality.

Simple photoreceptors, namely photoresponsive neurons without microvilli and/or cilia have long been known in the central ganglion of crayfish, Aplysia, Onchidium and Helix. Recently, similar simple photoreceptors, ipRGCs were discovered in the mammalian retinas. A characteristic common to all of their photoreceptor potentials shows a slow kinetics and little adaptation, contrasting with the fast and adaptive photoresponses in eye photoreceptors.

Involvement of a Go-type G-protein coupled to guanylate cyclase in the phototransduction cGMP cascade of molluscan simple photoreceptors.

Simple photoreceptors, namely photoresponsive neurons, designated as A-P-1, Es-1, Ip-2 and Ip-1, exist in the sea slug Onchidium ganglion. Previous works has shown that, of these, Ip-2 and Ip-1 respond to light with a hyperpolarizing receptor potential, caused by the opening of light-dependent, cGMP-gated K+ channels, whereas A-P-1 and Es-1 are depolarized by light, owing to the closing of the same K+ channels. The present study of Ip-2 or Ip-1 cells was undertaken to identify the G-proteins that couple light to the activation of guanylate cyclase (GC), thereby leading to the opening of K+ channels and the consequent hyperpolarizing photocurrents.

Light-dependent K(+) channels in the mollusc Onchidium simple photoreceptors are opened by cGMP.

Light-dependent K(+) channels underlying a hyperpolarizing response of one extraocular (simple) photoreceptor, Ip-2 cell, in the marine mollusc Onchidium ganglion were examined using cell-attached and inside-out patch-clamp techniques. A previous report (Gotow, T., T.