Changes in the expression of satellite glial cell-specific markers during postnatal development of rat sympathetic ganglia.

The sympathetic ganglia represent a final motor pathway that mediates homeostatic "fight and flight" responses in the visceral organs. Satellite glial cells (SGCs) form a thin envelope close to the neuronal cell body and synapses in the sympathetic ganglia. This unique morphological feature suggests that neurons and SGCs form functional units for regulation of sympathetic output. In the present study, we addressed whether SGC-specific markers undergo age-dependent changes in the postnatal development of rat sympathetic ganglia. We found that fatty acid-binding protein 7 (FABP7) is an early SGC marker, whereas the S100B calcium-binding protein, inwardly rectifying potassium channel, Kir4.1 and small conductance calcium-activated potassium channel, SK3 are late SGC markers in the postnatal development of sympathetic ganglia. Unlike in sensory ganglia, FABP7 + SGC was barely detectable in adult sympathetic ganglia. The expression of connexin 43, a gap junction channel gradually increased with age, although it was detected in both SGCs and neurons in sympathetic ganglia. Glutamine synthetase was expressed in sensory, but not sympathetic SGCs. Unexpectedly, the sympathetic SGCs expressed a water-selective channel, aquaporin 1 instead of aquaporin 4, a pan-glial marker. However, aquaporin 1 was not detected in the SGCs encircling large neurons. Nerve injury and inflammation induced the upregulation of glial fibrillary acidic protein, suggesting that this protein is a hall marker of glial activation in the sympathetic ganglia. In conclusion, our findings provide basic information on the in vivo profiles of specific markers for identifying sympathetic SGCs at different stages of postnatal development in both healthy and diseased states.

Store-operated calcium entry in the satellite glial cells of rat sympathetic ganglia.

Satellite glial cells (SGCs), a major type of glial cell in the autonomic ganglia, closely envelop the cell body and even the synaptic regions of a single neuron with a very narrow gap. This structurally unique organization suggests that autonomic neurons and SGCs may communicate reciprocally. Glial Ca2+ signaling is critical for controlling neural activity. Here, for the first time we identified the machinery of store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) which is critical for cellular Ca2+ homeostasis in rat sympathetic ganglia under normal and pathological states. Quantitative realtime PCR and immunostaining analyses showed that Orai1 and stromal interaction molecules 1 (STIM1) proteins are the primary components of SOCE machinery in the sympathetic ganglia. When the internal Ca2+ stores were depleted in the absence of extracellular Ca2+, the number of plasmalemmal Orai1 puncta was increased in neurons and SGCs, suggesting activation of the Ca2+ entry channels. Intracellular Ca2+ imaging revealed that SOCE was present in SGCs and neurons; however, the magnitude of SOCE was much larger in the SGCs than in the neurons. The SOCE was significantly suppressed by GSK7975A, a selective Orai1 blocker, and Pyr6, a SOCE blocker. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) upregulated the glial fibrillary acidic protein and Toll-like receptor 4 in the sympathetic ganglia. Importantly, LPS attenuated SOCE via downregulating Orai1 and STIM1 expression. In conclusion, sympathetic SGCs functionally express the SOCE machinery, which is indispensable for intracellular Ca2+ signaling. The SOCE is highly susceptible to inflammation, which may affect sympathetic neuronal activity and thereby autonomic output.

Status Epilepticus Secondary to Hypocalcemia Due to Vitamin D Deficiency.

Vitamin D deficiency is becoming more common around the world, owing to reduced sunshine exposure and an imbalanced diet. However, severe hypocalcemia as a result of vitamin D insufficiency is a rare occurrence, and it rarely leads to seizures in children. We present such a case in a 6-month-old infant who presented with status epilepticus secondary to hypocalcemia due to vitamin D deficiency, which was first misdiagnosed as epilepsy. Thereby, we want to emphasize that hypocalcemia secondary to vitamin D deficiency can lead to convulsion and the importance of vitamin D supplementation.

Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Treatment of Operculoinsular Refractory Epilepsy After Incomplete Resection in a Child.

A 13-year-old right-handed girl had operculoinsular refractory epilepsy with several seizures per week after temporal lobe epilepsy surgery despite appropriate anticonvulsant therapy. Instead of reoperation, she underwent stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), which was performed using a linac-based Elekta Axesse SRS machine with a marginal dose of 24 Gy (gross target volume: 6.67 cm3) in one fraction. Post-radiosurgery, she had no clinical or radiological complications. She was maintained on two anti-seizure medications following treatment (valproate and levetiracetam) and was seizure free at the time of this report (during four weeks after SRS). Monthly follow-up was planned for the evaluation of long-term outcomes. SRS may be a safe option for treating intractable focal epilepsy or recurrent epilepsy after surgery failure in children.

Central Hepatectomy in a 6-Month-Old Child with Hepatoblastoma following Chemotherapy.

A hepatoblastoma in a 6-month-old child was initially considered unresectable because of diffuse liver involvement. The patient received 4 courses of cisplatin with an interval time of 2 weeks. A computed tomography scan after 4 courses of chemotherapy showed shrinking of the tumor, which made it resectable, and the tumor was removed by central hepatectomy. The patient was able to eat a regular diet on the fourth day and was sent home on the seventh day, after the operation. The pediatric oncologist followed the patient with liver ultrasonography and alpha-fetoprotein and administered 2 more cycles of cisplatin.

Eosinophilic Meningitis due to Angiostrongylus cantonensis in Children.

Meningoencephalitis is not a rare disease in children. However, eosinophilic meningitis due to Angiostrongylus cantonensis is unusual in the pediatric population. We describe the case of a 12-year-old girl from the central area of Vietnam with eosinophilic meningitis due to A. cantonensis. The patient lived in a rural area, where farming is widespread, and presented with fever and headache. Laboratory results showed peripheral eosinophilia, a cerebrospinal fluid white blood cell count of 730/mm3 with 65% eosinophils. Cerebrospinal fluid ELISA was positive for A. cantonensis, and blood ELISA was positive for A. cantonensis. The presentation was consistent with a diagnosis of A. cantonensis eosinophilic meningitis. The patient recovered fully after administration of albendazole (200 mg/day for 2 weeks), as well as intravenous dexamethasone (0.6 mg/kg/day every 8 h) and mannitol (1.5 g/kg/day every 8 h) for the first 3 days, followed by 5 days of oral prednisolone (2 mg/kg/day).

Occurrence and characterisation of biofilms in drinking water systems of broiler houses.

BACKGROUND: Water quality in the drinking water system (DWS) plays an important role in the general health and performance of broiler chickens. Conditions in the DWS of broilers are ideal for microbial biofilm formation. Since pathogens might reside within these biofilms, they serve as potential source of waterborne transmission of pathogens to livestock and humans. Knowledge about the presence, importance and composition of biofilms in the DWS of broilers is largely missing. In this study, we therefore aim to monitor the occurrence, and chemically and microbiologically characterise biofilms in the DWS of five broiler farms. RESULTS: The bacterial load after disinfection in DWSs was assessed by sampling with a flocked swab followed by enumerations of total aerobic flora (TAC) and Pseudomonas spp. The dominant flora was identified and their biofilm-forming capacity was evaluated. Also, proteins, carbohydrates and uronic acids were quantified to analyse the presence of extracellular polymeric substances of biofilms. Despite disinfection of the water and the DWS, average TAC was 6.03 ± 1.53 log CFU/20cm2. Enumerations for Pseudomonas spp. were on average 0.88 log CFU/20cm2 lower. The most identified dominant species from TAC were Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Pseudomonas geniculata and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. However at species level, most of the identified microorganisms were farm specific. Almost all the isolates belonging to the three most abundant species were strong biofilm producers. Overall, 92% of all tested microorganisms were able to form biofilm under lab conditions. Furthermore, 63% of the DWS surfaces appeared to be contaminated with microorganisms combined with at least one of the analysed chemical components, which is indicative for the presence of biofilm. CONCLUSIONS: Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Pseudomonas geniculata and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are considered as opportunistic pathogens and could consequently be a potential risk for animal health. Additionally, the biofilm-forming capacity of these organisms could promote attachment of other pathogens such as Campylobacter spp. and Salmonella spp.

Providing quality services. JICA Reproductive Health Project. Thanh Chuong district.

PIP: This article concerns the quality of services provided by the different groups sponsored by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Reproductive Health project. Nguyen Huu Son, Chairperson of the People's Committee of Thanh Tien Commune, cites that the JICA project has helped improve their Commune Health Center (CHC). The project has provided basic medical equipment that has been lacking in the CHCs, subsequently making the task of providing quality services easier and more comfortable for midwives and other health personnel. For the Thanh Tien Commune Health Center, Nguyen Hoang An reports that the JICA project has brought about improvement in their CHC fields; namely, 1) providing health knowledge to community people; 2) increase in health staff's skills through training; 3) keeping record of management and the CHC services; and 4) renovating health facilities. As a result, clients have increased and many of the community people now have confidence in their services. For the Women's Union of Thanh Tien Commune, Nguyen Thi Loc reports that the assistance provided by JICA has greatly helped in the acquisition of necessary skills for disseminating adequate information to women.^ieng