Melatonin and Sperm Motility/Melatonin und Spermatozoenmotilität

Several substances can interfere with microtubular function eg. colchicine. Melatonin, a hormone secreted by the pineal gland has similar effects as colchicine on microtubules. In this study melatonin levels were determined in both plasma and seminal plasma of patients with good or impaired motility and forward progression. There was no statistically significant difference between the mean plasma and seminal plasma values of patients with good or impaired motility and forward progression. There was no correlation between seminal plasma melatonin and impaired motility or any other semen parameter. There was also no correlation between plasma and seminal plasma concentrations of melatonin. High seminal plasma melatonin concentrations were not necessarily associated with impaired sperm motility. From these it is concluded that seminal plasma melatonin plays no important role in sperm motility.     

Association between cord blood IgE and genetic polymorphisms of interleukin-4, the β-subunit of the high-affinity receptor for IgE, lymphotoxin-α, and tumor Necrosis factor-α

High cord blood immunoglobulin E (cbIgE) is known to be associated with increased risks of atopic diseases in childhood. The relationship between genetic polymorphisms and high cbIgE has not been well documented. A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the association between cbIgE and genetic polymorphisms of interleukin (IL)-4 -590C/T, the beta-subunit of the high-affinity receptor for IgE (FcepsilonRI-beta) E237G, lymphotoxin (LT)-alphaNcoI alleles, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha -308G/A. A total of 320 mother-neonate pairs were recruited from four maternity hospitals from different locations of Taiwan. Cord blood was obtained and assayed for cbIgE. Polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism was used to assess the genotypes. Three hundred pairs of mothers and neonates were included in the final analysis. Infants with IL-4 -590 C allele were found to have higher risk of elevated cbIgE (> or =0.35 IU/ml, 24.3%) (p = 0.004). After adjusting for gender, birth order, maternal age, and history of allergic disease in maternal and paternal families, odds ratios for CC and CT genotypes were 4.41 and 3.16 (95% confidence interval 0.78-22.67, and 1.66-6.13), respectively, using TT genotype as reference. The genotypes of FcepsilonRI-beta, LT-alpha, and TNF-alpha were not associated with cbIgE before or after the adjustment. Our finding suggested a significant association of cbIgE with genetic polymorphism of IL-4 -590C/T, but not with the genotypes of FcepsilonRI-beta, LT-alpha, and TNF-alpha.     

Fusimotor reflexes to antagonistic muscles simultaneously assessed by multi-afferent recordings from muscle spindle afferents

Several single agonist/antagonist primary muscle spindle afferents were simultaneously recorded in chloralose anaesthetized cats. It was shown that their dynamic and static sensitivity to sinusoidal muscle stretches could be increased or decreased via the fusimotor system by extension and flexion of the contralateral hind limb as well as by stretch of ipsilateral muscles and stimulation of ipsilateral skin nerves. The results seem to support the hypothesis that the primary muscle spindle afferents convey complex multisensory messages to the central nervous system (CNS).     

Elemental composition and water content of myelinated axons and glial cells in rat central nervous system

The distribution of elements (e.g. Na, Cl, K) and water in CNS cells is unknown. Therefore, electron probe X-ray microanalysis (EPMA) was used to measure water content and concentrations (mmol/kg dry or wet weight) of Na, Mg, P, S, Cl, K and Ca in morphological compartments of myelinated axons and glial cells from rat optic nerve and cervical spinal cord white matter. Axons in both CNS regions exhibited similar water content ( 90%), and relatively high concentrations (wet and dry weight) of K with low Na and Ca levels. The K content of axons was related to diameter, i.e. small axons in spinal cord and optic nerve had significantly less (25–50%) K than larger diameter axons from the same CNS region. The elemental composition of spinal cord mitochondria was similar to corresponding axoplasm, whereas the water content (75%) of these organelles was substantially lower than that of axoplasm. In glial cell cytoplasm of both CNS areas, P and K (wet and dry weight) were the most abundant elements and water content was approximately 75%. CNS myelin had predominantly high P levels and the lowest water content (33–55%) of any compartment measured. The results of this study demonstrate that each morphological compartment of CNS axons and glia exhibits a characteristic elemental composition and water content which might be related to the structure and function of that neuronal region.     

胸腰椎压缩性骨折的护理要点

胸腰椎压缩性骨折的护理要点福建漳州市中医院（３６３０００）郭燕玲，陈联源我院自１９８９年来对胸腰椎压缩性骨折实行辨证护理，收到满意效果，介绍如下。常规护理：屈曲型胸腰椎压缩性骨折，令病人仰卧在硬板床上，骨折处垫一软枕头，在耐受的情况下逐渐增加枕头高度...     

Binucleated and multinucleated forms of plasma cells in synovia from patients with rheumatoid arthritis

A morphological examination of synovial tissue from 25 patients with rheumatoid arthritis revealed that binucleated or multinucleated plasma cells were present in all samples and absent in synovia obtained from 16 control patients. Plasma cells containing two, three of four nuclei constitutet a mean 3% of the total plasma cell population. They were aways found amongst plasma cell infiltrates and in close association with small blood vessels. Ultrastructural analysis found no evidence of cellular membranes separating the individual nuclei in binucleated or multinucleated plasma cells, suggesting that the cells did not arise from fusion. Some of these plasma cells had a diameter approaching 100 μm, and many were in intimate contact with macrophages. The demonstration of a few cells with mitotic figures within the infiltrates suggests that the maintenance of plasma cell numbers in rheumatoid synovium may depend, in part, upon their local proliferation. Received: 25 August 1997 / Accepted: 2 October 1997     

反相高效液相色谱法测定洛氟沙星的血药浓度

采用反相ＨＰＬＣ法测定洛氟沙星的血药浓度，血浆样品用二氯甲烷在ｐＨ７．０条件下提取后进样，流动相为１０ｍ ｍｏｌ／Ｌ磷酸二氢钾－１０ｍ ｍｏｌ／Ｌ溴化四丁铵－乙腈－三乙胺（４５：４４：１０：１，磷酸调节ｐＨ２．８），紫外检测器λ＝２９５ｎｍ，最低检测浓度１０μｇ／Ｌ，线性范围：０．１￣６．０ｍｇ／Ｌ，ｒ＝０．９９９９，日内ＲＳＤ为１．３８％￣３．４２％，日间ＲＳＤ为１．１１％￣２．８９％。     

针刺对血浆骨动素,生长抑素及内皮素的影响及其意义

探讨针刺调整调整胃肠功能机理中胃肠激素的作用。方法：对４０名健康人对进行针刺胃肠相关穴位试验，随机分４组，即天枢组，巨虚组，非穴位刺激组及空白组。各针刺组均观察针刺前，中，后６次血浆ＭＴＬ，ＳＳ及ＥＴ水平的动态变化，空白组不行针刺，只观察同一时间蚋ＭＴＬ，ＳＳ及ＥＴ水平的自然波动。     

Serotonin and norepinephrine in the spinal cord of man

The content of serotonin (5-HT), 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) and norepinephrine (NE) was analysed in 71 human spinal cords obtained post-mortem. The highest content of 5-HT, 5-HIAA and NE was found in the lumbar enlargement of the spinal cord. 5-HT and 5-HIAA content increased from fetal to adult spinal cord whereas the content of NE decreased. Characteristic segmental distribution of measured monoamines was present in adult spinal cord only. In two patients spinal cord lesion led to the reduction in spinal cord content of 5-HT, 5-HIAA and NE and loss of characteristic segmental distribution of these substances. These results are in general agreement with observations on spinal cord of different animal species.