Object Previous experimental studies have documented the neuroprotection of damaged or diseased cells after applying, from outside the brain, near-infrared light (NIr) to the brain by using external light-emitting diodes (LEDs) or laser devices. In the present study, the authors describe an effective and reliable surgical method of applying to the brain, from inside the brain, NIr to the brain. They developed a novel internal surgical device that delivers the NIr to brain regions very close to target damaged or diseased cells. They suggest that this device will be useful in applying NIr within the large human brain, particularly if the target cells have a very deep location. Methods An optical fiber linked to an LED or laser device was surgically implanted into the lateral ventricle of BALB/c mice or Sprague-Dawley rats. The authors explored the feasibility of the internal device, measured the NIr signal through living tissue, looked for evidence of toxicity at doses higher than those required for neuroprotection, and confirmed the neuroprotective effect of NIr on dopaminergic cells in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) in an acute 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) model of Parkinson disease in mice. Results The device was stable in freely moving animals, and the NIr filled the cranial cavity. Measurements showed that the NIr intensity declined as distance from the source increased across the brain (65% per mm) but was detectable up to 10 mm away. At neuroprotective (0.16 mW) and much higher (67 mW) intensities, the NIr caused no observable behavioral deficits, nor was there evidence of tissue necrosis at the fiber tip, where radiation was most intense. Finally, the intracranially delivered NIr protected SNc cells against MPTP insult; there were consistently more dopaminergic cells in MPTP-treated mice irradiated with NIr than in those that were not irradiated. Conclusions In summary, the authors showed that NIr can be applied intracranially, does not have toxic side effects, and is neuroprotective.

Male mice were raised in cohabitation with females from birth to 90 days. Testosterone was measured every 10 days in plasma and testes. Sex difference in body weight was related to the pre-pubertal increase of testosterone levels in males. The weight of the seminal vesicle was positively correlated with circulating testosterone levels between 1 and 40 days but not between 50 and 90 days Testosterone concentrations in the plasma and testes were high at birth: 630 pg/ml and 58.0 \ m=+-\ 17.7 ng/100 mg; they subsequently decreased during the first days of life and remained low until day 20: 240 \m=+-\ 110 pg/ml and 0.1 \ m=+-\0.03 ng/100 mg. The testosterone levels then increased rapidly between days 20 and 30 and especially between 30 and 40 reaching their maxima: 5770 \ m=+-\ 1720 pg/ml and 123.7 \ m=+-\ 18.3 ng/100 mg testis. This increase was transitory and testosterone levels fell after day 40. By 90 days, the testosterone levels, 440 \ m=+-\ 65 pg/ml and 43.2 \ m=+-\ 5.5 ng/100 mg testis, were comparable to those measured at birth. Plasma testosterone and age were positively correlated between 1 and 40 days, and negatively between 50 and 90 days. The first fertile matings occurred at age 40 days.In spite of a large body of research, the physiological mechanisms responsible for sexual maturation remain poorly understood (Odell 8c Swerdloff 1976). One important factor for their understanding involves a systematic study of the secretion of sex hormones from birth to puberty. The present report deals with the variations of plasma and testicular testosterone in mice between 1 and 90 days of age and the correlations between the levels of this hormone and the development of seminal vesicle, spermatogenesis and the appearance of fertility. MATERIALS AND METHODSMice of the Swiss strain (CD-I, Charles River) were raised in the laboratory under identical conditions of temperature (20 ± 1°C), lighting (daylight) and nutrition (com¬ plete pelleted chow and water given freely). Immediately after delivery the litters were reduced to 6 pups, 3 males and 3 females. After weaning on the 20th day, the 6 pups stayed in cohabitation until sacrifice. Litters which appeared in the cages were immediately removed. 15 males were sacrificed every 10 days from birth to 90 days. Blood was obtained by cardiac puncture without anticoagulant under light ether anaes¬ thesia. Testosterone was measured in the right testis of each male. Testosterone was determined on pooled samples of plasma (15 animals) on the one day and ten day old mice, in individual samples for the other stages. Testosterone was also measured in females, in pooled samples of plasma in the one day (100 animals), 10 -20 -30 and 40 (15 animals each) day-old animals.Testosterone was measured by the radioimmunoassay method previously described (Veyssiere et al. 1976). The antibody was prepared in rabbits against testosterone 3-0-carboxy-methyl-oxime bovine albumine. The major cross reacting steroid, 5a-dihydrotestosterone (74°/o) was separated by chromatography on a celite colum...

Fluorescence-enhanced diffuse optical tomography is expected to be useful to the collection of functional information from small animal models. This technique is currently limited by the extent of tissue heterogeneity and management of the shape of the animals. We propose an approach based on the reconstruction of object heterogeneity, which provides an original solution to the two problems. Three evaluation campaigns are described: the first two were performed on phantoms designed to test the reconstructions in highly heterogeneous media and noncontact geometries; the third was conducted on mice with lung tumors to test fluorescence yield reconstruction feasibility in vivo.

A simple way for photochemical patterning of biological molecules onto the inner wall of fused-silica capillary is described. The method is based on a modification of the inner capillary surface with photoactive benzophenone (BP) derivative. The UV irradiation at 365 nm of the capillary filled with a sample solution results in cross-linking of the solutes to the BP moiety via a stable covalent bond. As a proof of concept, oligonucleotides and proteins were arrayed inside the capillary using an inverted microscope as an irradiation device. We demonstrated that the capillary arrays produced in this way are functional and could be used in different bioassays including DNA hybridization, protein interaction studies, and immunoassays. Having a sensitivity comparable to the fluorophore-based assays in a planar format, the capillary array possesses several advantages including submicroliter sample volume and a short assay time. The capillary format should therefore be considered as a possible alternative to a planar format in a number of low-density array applications such as mutation detection and diagnostic immunoassays.

Mouse vas deferens protein (MVDP) is an aldose reductase-like protein that is highly expressed in the vas deferens and adrenal glands and whose physiological functions were unknown. We hereby describe the enzymatic characteristics of MVDP and its role in murine adrenocortical Y1 cells. The murine aldose reductase (AR) and MVDP cDNAs were expressed in bacteria to obtain recombinant proteins and to compare their enzymatic activities. Recombinant MVDP was functional and displayed kinetic properties distinct from those of murine AR toward various substrates, a preference for NADH, and insensitivity to AR inhibitors. For MVDP, isocaproaldehyde, a product of side-chain cleavage of cholesterol generated during steroidogenesis, is the best natural substrate identified so far. In Y1 cells, we found that NADH-linked isocaproaldehyde reductase (ICR) activity was much higher than NADPH-linked ICR activity and was not abolished by AR inhibitors. We demonstrate that in Y1 cells, forskolin-induced MVDP expression enhanced NADH-linked ICR activity by 5-6-fold, whereas no variation in ICR-linked NADPH activity was observed in the same experiment. In cells stably transfected with MVDP antisense cDNA, NADH-linked ICR activity was abolished even in the presence of forskolin, and the isocaproaldehyde toxicity was increased compared with that of intact Y1 cells, as measured by isocaproaldehyde LD 50 . In Y1 cells transfected with MVDP antisense cDNA, forskolin-induced toxicity was abolished by aminoglutethimide. These results indicate that in adrenocortical cells, MVDP is responsible for detoxifying isocaproaldehyde generated by steroidogenesis.