Diagnostic sensitivity of electrophysiology and ultrasonography in ulnar neuropathies of different severity

ObjectiveTo assess the diagnostic performance of electrophysiology and nerve ultrasound in ulnar neuropathies of varying clinical severity in 135 consecutive patients.MethodsClinical severity of ulnar neuropathy was graded on a 4 point scale from very mild (symptoms only) to severe (marked atrophy of intrinsic hand muscles). Sensitivity and localization ability of electrophysiology and nerve ultrasound were assessed for each point of the scale.ResultsUltrasound had higher sensitivity than electrophysiology in clinically very mild (20% and 3% for ultrasound and electrophysiology, respectively) and mild (62% and 47% for ultrasound and electrophysiology, respectively) neuropathies, had greater localizing ability in axonal ulnar neuropathies, and identified nerve hypermobility.Ultrasound nerve cross-sectional area had strong positive correlation with both clinical and electrophysiological severity scores, but with significant overlap across the severity groups.ConclusionThe diagnostic work-up of ulnar neuropathies was improved by using both electrophysiology and ultrasound at all levels of clinical severity. Ultrasound increased the diagnostic yield in very mild and mild neuropathies, localized all the ulnar neuropathies with abnormal non-localizing electrophysiology and identified nerve hypermobility.SignificanceThis is the first detailed analysis of the diagnostic performance of electrophysiology and ultrasound in ulnar neuropathies of varying severity.     

沙利度胺对鼠子宫内膜异位病灶血管生成作用的研究

目的:探讨沙利度胺(thalidomide)对子宫内膜异位症(endometriosis,EMs)病灶生长和血管生成的影响,为从抗血管途径治疗EMs提供依据.方法:将EMs患者在位子宫内膜种植于重度复合性免疫缺陷病(severe combined immunodeficiency disease, SCID)小鼠皮下,建立EMs鼠模型.接种后第3周给予治疗,治疗组(n=10)腹腔注射沙利度胺50mg/kg/d,对照组(n=10)腹腔注射等体积PBS,连用14d;每隔3d测量异位病灶体积一次;病灶组织采用免疫组化法测定病灶微血管密度(microvessel density,MVD)及血管内皮生长因子(VEGF)的表达.结果:SCID小鼠皮下种植内异症模型内膜存活率高且观察方便;治疗组病灶体积增长有缩小趋势,但与对照组相比差异无统计学意义(P＞0.05);治疗组MVD显著低于对照组(P＜0.05);治疗组和对照组VEGF的表达差异无统计学意义(P＞0.05).结论:沙利度胺对EMs异位病灶的血管生成有明显抑制作用;抑制VEGF的表达可能不是沙利度胺抑制EMs血管生成的主要原因.     

香菇多糖抗炎作用的实验研究

目的:研究香菇多糖的抗炎作用。方法:用二甲苯所致小鼠耳肿胀、鸡蛋清所致小鼠足跖肿胀等急性炎症以及滤纸片诱发小鼠肉芽组织增生所致小鼠慢性炎症模型进行试验。结果:香菇多糖能抑制二甲苯所致的小鼠耳肿、鸡蛋清所致小鼠足跖肿胀;与此同时对滤纸片诱发小鼠肉芽组织增生形成有抑制作用。结论:香菇多糖具有一定抑制急慢性炎症反应作用。其抗炎作用的机制,值得进一步研究。     

Human hepatocellular carcinoma tumor xenografts

Castrated or sham-operated male athymic mice were inoculated with cells from the human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line PLC/PRF/5. There were no significant differences between the two groups with respect to the number of animals developing tumors, the time to tumor development, or the subsequent rate of increase in either tumor base area or mouse serum alpha-fetoprotein concentration. Androgen receptors were assayed in nuclei obtained from three separate liver cancer cell lines and from normal adult human liver. Similar concentrations, ranging from 235 to 550 fmol/mg DNA, of nuclear androgen receptors were detected in all tissues. Low percentages of androgen receptors were retained on DNA-cellulose. Although the presence of receptors implies the potential for metabolic effects of androgens in normal and malignant liver, our in vivostudies suggest that castration does not alter significantly the growth of liver cancer xenografts in athymic mice.     

Traditional Chinese Medicine Compound Mianbu Mixfang Is Effective in Treating Immunological Infertility: a Female Mice

Key words:anTraditional Chinese Medicine has been used to treat various diseases in Chinathousands of years before the introduction of Western Medicine and practices.Inrecent years it has also been used to treat the immunological infertility caused byAs A…     

小鼠不完全性脑缺血、再灌注时脑膜血流量的变化及尼莫地平的作用

目的：观察双侧颈总动脉阻断后脑血流的变化。方法：结扎双侧颈总动脉观察小鼠不完全性脑缺血及其再灌注时脑膜血流量的变化。结果：结扎颈总动脉后小鼠脑膜血流量在几秒钟内骤然下降，血流量较结扎前降低约８５．９％±６．４５％。同时血管中红细胞运动近停滞状态，血管再通时脑血流处于低灌注状态，血流量下降３４．４７％±１１．６９％，此时脑缺血再灌后脑组织实际上处于一种慢性缺血状态。再灌注１０ｄ后，小鼠脑海马ＣＡ１区神经细胞数明显减少。尼莫地平可以解除再灌注时的脑血流低灌状态。并防止由此所引起的脑海马ＣＡ１区神经细胞的缺失。结论：缺血后及时给予尼莫地平具有积极的治疗意义。     

Stimulatory and inhibitory epitopes in the T cell responses of mice to Der p 1

BACKGROUND: The responses of mice to the mite allergen Der p 1 have been used to study the mechanisms of allergic sensitization and the development of new types of immunotherapy. Many of the studies require a knowledge of the T cell epitopes, and because Der p 1 is polymorphic, the effect of natural amino acid substitution in the allergen. The intranasal administration of peptides containing T cell epitopes can induce a mucosal tolerance but it is not known if the major activity is limited to stimulatory peptides and if, as found for autoimmunity, some epitopes are not inhibitory. OBJECTIVE: To determine and compare the sequences of Der p 1 which contain stimulatory epitopes for the high responding H-2(b) and H-2(q) mice and the sequences which induce tolerance by intranasal administration of peptides. METHODS: T cell responses of mice immunized with Der p 1 were measured by in vitro T cell stimulation assays so an extensive study of epitope recognition and intranasal tolerance could be made. Synthetic peptides were used to examine the stimulatory and inhibitory ability of all Der p 1 sequences and to map the major H-2(b) epitope in detail. This included the effect of the common polymorphic amino acid 124 substitution found within this epitope. RESULTS: Three and two regions, respectively, were found to contain stimulatory T cell epitopes for H-2(b) and H-2(q) mice. The peptides in these regions were also the most active at inducing intranasal tolerance for the responding haplotype. The correspondence between inhibitory and stimulatory peptides was maintained for the fine mapping of the major H-2(b) epitope. This was found about a core region of 118-126 which was overlapping but separate to a consensus sequence for the binding of endogeneous peptides. Peptides with alanine at the naturally polymorphic residue 124 stimulated and inhibited responses to Der p 1 more effectively, while peptides with the valine 124 variant were immunogenic but poorly cross-reactive. CONCLUSIONS: The intranasal administration of peptides representing each of five epitopes recognized by two strains of mice were able to induce mucosal tolerance and the major tolerizing activity was limited to these epitopes. The position of the core major epitope for C57 mice, which differs from a previously predicted epitope, and its specificity for the natural alanine 124 variant is described.     

银杏竹鼠肌肉成分对小鼠智力、体力的影响

目的：观察银杏竹鼠肌肉成分对小鼠智力体力的影响。方法：小鼠随机分为七组，通过喂饲银杏竹鼠肌肉干粉连续一个月，用小鼠低温游泳存活时间实验，耐缺氧实验及跳台和记忆获得障碍实验分别记录低温游泳存活时间，缺氧存活时间及第一次错误潜伏期和跳台错误次数。结果：各竹肉组小鼠与普通饲料（ＮＳ）组，普肉组，护宝液组比较，均可明显延长小鼠低温游泳存活时间和缺氧存活时间（Ｐ＜０．０５），与洋参丸组相当（Ｐ＞０．０５），竹肉大／超组小鼠跳台错误次数均减少（Ｐ＜０．０５），竹肉超组小鼠第一次错误潜伏期延长（Ｐ＜０．０５），竹肉大组小鼠第一次错误潜伏期有延长趋势，但无统计学意义。结论：口服银杏竹鼠肌肉成分可增强小鼠学习记忆能力，增强小鼠体质，提高小鼠生活质量。这一结果也提示银杏竹鼠肌肉成分很有可能成为极有应用前景和开发前景的保健食品。