血清β-HCG对体外受精-胚胎移植妊娠结局的预测价值

[目的]评价体外受精-胚胎移植(IVF-ET)后12~14d血清β-HCG对妊娠结局的预测价值。[方法]回顾性分析我院行IVF-ET后妊娠的220例妊娠患者ET后12~14d血清β-HCG与妊娠结局的关系。[结果]血清β-HCG水平与妊娠结局相关。正常妊娠组血清β-HCG值高于不良妊娠组(P<0.01);多胎妊娠组血清β-HCG值高于单胎妊娠组(P<0.01)。以血清β-HCG<120mIU/ml作为不良妊娠预测标准,阳性预测值为90.0%,阴性预测值为87.9%;以β-HCG>600mIU/ml作为多胎妊娠预测标准,阳性预测值为84.6%,阴性预测值为91.1%。[结论]IVF-ET后12~14d血清β-HCG是早期预测妊娠结局的有效指标,可供正确指导咨询、及时处理参考。     

微脉冲半导体激光对兔眼视网膜损伤的形态学观察

目的:研究微脉冲半导体激光对兔眼视网膜损伤的生物学效应.方法:有色兔8只16眼,每眼上、下方视网膜随机分别行810nm半导体激光连续波阈值光凝及微脉冲阈下光凝,于光凝后即刻观察光斑反应和眼底荧光造影后荧光素渗漏情况,并在光镜和电镜下观察其对视网膜和脉络膜造成的组织学改变.结果:微脉冲激光阈下光凝后光斑不可见,亦无荧光素渗漏,视网膜损伤不明显;阈值光凝后可见光斑反应并有荧光素渗漏,视网膜损伤明显,外核层细胞数量减少,内、外核层均出现少量核固缩和胞质空泡化,视网膜色素上皮细胞增生,Bruch膜完整无损.结论:微脉冲激光光凝视网膜不会损伤视网膜,但确定阈能量时要从低能量起,且选择周边视网膜.     

羟基磷灰石眼座植入后上睑沟凹陷的处理

目的 评价羟基磷灰石或高密度聚乙烯作为填充物矫正眼座植入后上睑沟凹陷的疗效。方法 对34例患者行羟基磷灰石骨板或高密度聚乙烯垫入眼座下矫正上睑沟凹陷，用眼球突出计测量凹陷程度。结果 术后观察3－32月，平均10.3月，无1例继发感染，无排异，治愈率为85.3%，总有效率达到97.1%。结论 羟基磷灰石或高密度聚乙烯生物相容性好，作为填充物矫正效果确切。     

急性脑梗死介入治疗术后股动脉出血原因分析

急性脑梗死介入溶栓术是将溶栓药物用特殊的导管经股动脉送至颈内动脉甚至更小的栓塞部位的脑血管内,在局部进行药物溶栓,达到快速治疗脑梗死的目的.该方法局部药物浓度高、作用好、副反应小,目前已逐渐成为治疗急性脑缺血的重要手段.但是该手术由于穿刺股动脉以及术中、术后抗凝溶栓药物的使用等原因,如果术后压迫不当、患肢过早屈曲活动以及观察不仔细可导致股动脉穿刺部位出血[1].2000年11月-2003年11月我院行急性脑梗死介入治疗46例,发生股动脉出血8例,现报告如下.……     

TGF-β1及其信号蛋白在大鼠腹膜纤维化模型腹膜组织中的表达及可能作用

目的了解TGFβ1/Smads信号蛋白在高浓度葡萄糖透析液及炎症所致大鼠腹膜纤维化模型腹膜组织中的表达及在腹膜纤维化发生中的可能作用。方法24只SD雄性大鼠(180～200g)随机分为4组,每组6只。正常对照组,大鼠不做任何处理;LPS组,LPS用生理盐水稀释为0.6mg/100ml,在第1、3、5、7日按0.6mg/kg体重腹腔注射;4.25%透析液组,大鼠给予每日腹腔注射100ml/kg体重高糖透析液;LPS+4.25%透析液组,除每日腹腔注射100ml/kg体重高糖透析液外,LPS用4.25%透析液稀释为0.6mg/100ml,在第1、3、5、7日按0.6mg/kg体重腹腔注射;于实验第28天杀检动物,取壁层和脏层腹膜组织行光镜及电镜检查。用RTPCR及间接免疫荧光、Western杂交的方法检测αSMA、TGFβ1、Smad3、Smad7、pSmad2/3、ColⅠmRNA和蛋白的表达水平。结果Masson染色显示,与正常对照组比较,4W时各组壁层腹膜组织明显增厚,有大量胶原沉积,其中LPS+4.25%透析液组厚度最为显著(vsLPS组:42μm±3μmvs35μm±4μm,P=0.007,vs4.25%透析液组,42μm±3μmvs20μm±4μm,P=0.000);与正常对照组比较,三组αSMA、ColⅠ和TGFβ1、Smad3、pSmad2/3在脏层腹膜组织中的表达水平显著上调,上述变化以LPS+4.25%透析液组改变最为显著,TGFβ1mRNA为正常对照组的2倍,Smad3mRNA为正常对照组的1.8倍;与正常对照组比较,抑制性信号蛋白Smad7mRNA和蛋白表达水平在其他三组也有不同程度的上调,但Western杂交结果显示,pSmad/Smad7蛋白比值仍明显升高;电镜结果显示,除正常对照组外,各组间皮细胞均有损伤,LPS+4.25%透析液组的间皮细胞损伤最为明显,而且胞浆中出现明显的肌丝和密体。结论TGFβ1/Smads信号蛋白的活化是高浓度葡萄糖透析液和LPS导致大鼠腹膜发生纤维化的共同作用途径。高浓度葡萄糖透析液和LPS可能协同作用通过TGFβ1/Smads通路刺激腹膜间皮细胞转分化,介导腹膜纤维化的发生。     

Naturally occurring proteasome inhibitors from mate tea (Ilex paraguayensis) serve as models for topical proteasome inhibitors

Proteasome inhibitors have emerged as a clinically important therapy for neoplastic disease, with velcade, an organoboron compound used extensively in multiple myeloma. Recently, (-)-epigallocatechin gallate has been found to be a potent inhibitor of the proteasomal chymotrypsin-like activity. Other compounds that inhibit angiogenesis and are active as chemopreventive agents, such as curcumin, also inhibit proteasome activity. We have screened natural product extracts using ras-transformed endothelial cells (SVR cells) as a bioassay, and found that extracts of mate tea (Ilex paraguayensis) inhibit the growth of these endothelial cells. The extract was fractionated and found to have novel cinnamate esters that inhibit proteasome activity. Based upon the structures of the compounds isolated from mate tea, we examined synthetic analogs of these compounds for proteasome activity. Cinnamic acid amides had no inhibitory activity against proteasomes, whereas cinnamate esters displayed the activity. Based upon these findings, preclinical and clinical trials of topical cinnamate esters as proteasome inhibitors are warranted for psoriasis and other inflammatory disorders.     

Time-dependent viscoelastic properties along rat small intestine

AIM: To measure the time-dependent (viscoelastic) behavior in the change of the small intestinal opening angle and to test how well the behavior could be described by the Kelvin model for a standard linear solid. METHODS: Segments from the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum were harvested from 10 female Wistar rats and the luminal diameter, wall thickness, and opening angle over time (θ(t)) were measured from rings cut from these segments. RESULTS: Morphometric variations were found along the small intestine with an increase in luminal area and a decrease in wall thickness from the duodenum to the ileum. The opening angle obtained after 60 min was highest in the duodenum (220.8±12.9°) and decreased along the length of the intestine to 143.9±8.9° in the jejunum and 151.4±9.4° in the ileum. The change of opening angle as a function of time, fitted well to the Kelvin model using the equation θ(t)/θ0 = [1-ηexp (-λt)] after the ring was cut. The computed creep rate λ did not differ between the segments. Compared to constant calculated from pig aorta and coronary artery, it showed that a agreed well (within 5%), η was three times larger than that for vascular tissue, and λ ranged ±40% from the value of the pig coronary artery and was a third of the value of pig aorta. CONCLUSION: The change of opening angle over time for all the small intestine segments fits well to the standard linear spring-dashpot model. This viscoelastic constant of the rat small intestine is fairly homogenous along its length. The data obtained from this study add to a base set of biomechanical data on the small intestine and provide a reference state for comparison to other tissues, diseased intestinal tissue or intestinal tissue exposed to drugs or chemicals.     

Predictors for the onset of different types of homeboundness among community-living older adults: two-year prospective study

BACKGROUND: Little is known about predictors for the onset of different types of homeboundness among community-living older adults. PURPOSE: This 2-year prospective study examined predictors for the onset of "type 1" and "type2" homeboundness (see definitions below) among community-living older adults. METHODS: Study subjects comprised all residents aged 65 years and over living in Yoita town, Niigata, Japan, who answered the baseline (2000) and follow-up (2002) surveys. Persons were defined as being homebound if he/she went outdoors once a week or less often. Homeboundness was further classified into "type 1" or "type 2", based on the hierarchical mobility level classification (levels 1 or 2 vs. levels 3 or over). "Type 1" homebound persons included those who could not get out into the neighborhood without assistance (i.e., level 3 or over). "Type 2" included those who were homebound, though they could get out at least into the neighborhood unassisted (i.e., level 1 or 2). A stepwise, multiple logistic regression model was used to identify the most parsimonious combination of risk factors for each type of homeboundness. RESULTS: Out of 1,322 persons who were level 1,2 non-homebound at the baseline, 77.6% remained as level 1,2 non-homebound (n = 1,026), but 1.7% were "type 1" homebound (n = 22), and 4.8% were "type 2" homebound (n = 66) at follow-up. The final model for prediction of "type 1" homeboundness at follow-up included: advanced age (OR for 5 year-increment: 2.10; 95%CI: 1.36-3.24), not having a job (OR: 4.42; 95%CI: 1.21-16.2), unable to walk 1 km (OR: 4.24; 95%CI: 1.37-13.1), and a low cognitive function identified as MMSE <24 (OR: 5.22; 95%CI: 1.98-13.8). The final model for prediction of "type 2" homeboundness at follow-up included: advanced age (OR for 5 year-increment: 1.65; 95%CI: 1.32-2.06), a depressive mode indicated by a GDS short version score >5 (OR: 2.18; 95%CI: 1.23-3.88), a low cognitive function (OR: 2.72; 95% CI: 1.47-5.05), not having close friends (OR: 2.30; 95%CI: 1.08-4.87), and not having a walking or calisthetics habit (OR: 2.21; 95%CI: 1.26-3.86). CONCLUSIONS: Reduced physical and mental functioning contribute to the subsequent occurrence of "type 1" homeboundness. Additionally, psychosocial factors are independent predictors of "type 2" homeboundness. These results suggest that different public health strategies might be required for prevention of the different types of homeboundness in Japanese older adults.     

Null Mutation of α<Subscript>1D</Subscript> Ca<Superscript>2+</Superscript> Channel Gene Results in Deafness but No Vestibular Defect in Mice

Multiple Ca²⁺ channels confer diverse functions to hair cells of the auditory and vestibular organs in the mammalian inner ear. We used gene-targeting technology to generate _1D Ca²⁺ channel-deficient mice to determine the physiological role of these Ca²⁺ channels in hearing and balance. Analyses of auditory-evoked brainstem recordings confirmed that _1D^–/– mice were deaf and revealed that heterozygous (_1D^+/–) mice have increased hearing thresholds. However, hearing deficits in _1D^+/– mice were manifested mainly by the increase in threshold of low-frequency sounds. In contrast to impaired hearing, _1D^–/– mice have balance performances equivalent to their wild-type littermates. Light and electron microscope analyses of the inner ear revealed outer hair cell loss at the apical cochlea, but no apparent abnormality at the basal cochlea and the vestibule. We determined the mechanisms underlying the auditory function defects and the normal vestibular functions by examining the Ba²⁺ currents in cochlear inner and outer hair cells versus utricular hair cells in _1D^+/– mice. Whereas the whole-cell Ba²⁺ currents in inner hair cells consist mainly of the nimodipine-sensitive current (~85%), the utricular hair cells express only ~50% of this channel subtype. Thus, differential expression of _1D channels in the cochlear and utricular hair cells confers the phenotype of the _1D null mutant mice. Because vestibular and cochlear hair cells share common features and null deletion of several genes have yielded both deafness and imbalance in mice, _1D null mutant mice may serve as a model to disentangle vestibular from auditory-specific functions.     

Membrane damage thresholds for 1- to 10-MHz pulsed ultrasound exposure of phagocytic cells loaded with contrast agent gas bodies in vitro

Monolayers of mouse macrophage-like cells provide a model system for the study of bioeffects of pulsed ultrasound (US) activation of contrast agent gas bodies. In this study, the dependence of membrane damage on ultrasonic frequency was examined for gas bodies attached to the cells. The monolayers cultured on the inside of one window of an exposure chamber were incubated with 2% Optison (Amersham Health Inc., Princeton, NJ) and then rinsed to remove unattached gas bodies. The chamber was filled with culture medium plus 20% trypan blue stain solution and was mounted at the 3.8-cm focus of an US transducer in a 37 degrees C water bath. Transducers were used with center frequencies of 1.0, 2.25, 3.5, 5.0, 7.5 and 10.0 MHz. The 1-min pulsed exposures utilized two-cycle excitation with 1% duty cycle. After exposure, cells in the focal zone were scored for trypan blue dye exclusion, with stained nuclei indicative of cell membrane damage. Exposure-response functions were approximated by performing a series of exposures with peak rarefactional pressure amplitudes differing by a factor of radical 2 (i.e., 3 dB apart). Linear regressions were performed on selected data to determine a threshold pressure amplitude at each frequency. Thresholds ranged from 0.066 MPa at 1.0 MHz to 0.62 MPa at 10 MHz and were approximately proportional to the frequency. These thresholds are less than the pressure amplitudes needed for nucleation of inertial cavitation and have a different frequency dependence than the general Mechanical Index.