Creutzfeldt--Jakob Disease in Recipients of Human Growth Hormone in the United Kingdom: A Clinical and Radiographic Study

In the past 3 years there have been five further cases, in additionto one case reported in 1985, of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease inrecipients of human growth hormone in the United Kingdom. Theclinical findings of two of these cases are described, demonstratinga typical presentation with a predominantly cerebellar syndromeat onset which is not commonly a presenting feature of sporadicCreutzfeldt-Jakob disease. In one case a ^99mTc hexamethylpropylenaminesingle photon emission tomographic scan showed marked impairmentof tracer uptake in the basal ganglia and cerebral cortex ata time when the clinical picture was predominantly cerebellar.This technique may be useful in early diagnosis. In the othercase post mortem examination of the brain showed prominent amyloiddeposition in the cerebellum, which has not been described previouslyin pituitary-hormone related Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Thepreviously published cases of growth hormone-related Creutzfeldt-Jakobdisease are reviewed and reasons for the particular clinicalpattern seen are discussed.     

不同相对分子质量玻璃酸钠对膝关节镜术后关节功能恢复的作用比较

目的:观察关节腔内留置不同相对分子质量玻璃酸钠对膝关节镜术后早期疼痛及功能恢复的影响。方法:于2005-11/2006-05选择北京大学人民医院骨关节科收治的行膝关节镜手术患者60例。关节镜手术中根据不同诊断分别行半月板成形术、游离体取出术以及软骨成形术。60例患者按随机数字表法分为3个实验组,分别为Mr1.5×106～2.5×106玻璃酸钠组,Mr3×106玻璃酸钠组,Mr6×106玻璃酸钠组。术后关节腔内注入不同相对分子质量玻璃酸钠2.0～2.5mL,并被动屈伸膝关节20次,使玻璃酸钠均匀分布于关节内。术后第1天开始股四头肌力量锻炼,坐在床边屈膝活动,并可下床。术后1周拆除缝线,术后6周门诊复查。分别于术前、术后1,2,3d,1,6周采用同一评分量表进行自觉疼痛程度、日常生活活动能力、膝关节屈曲角度测评,评分越高,功能恢复越好。结果:纳入患者60例,均进入结果分析。①自觉疼痛程度测定:术后6周Mr1.5×106～2.5×106,3×106,6×106玻璃酸钠组自觉疼痛程度评分均高于术前[分别为(8.5±1.3),(7.3±2.2)分;(8.5±1.3),(7.3±2.2)分;(8.5±1.3),(7.3±2.2)分]。②日常生活活动能力测定:术后6周Mr1.5×106～2.5×106,3×106,6×106玻璃酸钠组日常生活活动能力评分均高于术前[分别为(60.5±8.4),(59.3±7.0)分;(63.4±8.2),(59.4±8.3)分;(66.9±3.8),(53.8±19.0)分]。③膝关节屈曲角度评分:术后6周Mr1.5×106～2.5×106,3×106,6×106玻璃酸钠组膝关节屈曲角度评分均高于术前[分别为(9.1±1.4),(5.8±2.7)分;(8.1±3.1),(7.2±3.5)分;(6.3±3.8),(5.5±3.1)分]。④综合评分:术后6周Mr1.5×106～2.5×106,3×106,6×106玻璃酸钠组综合评分均高于术前[分别为(88.1±7.7),(79.8±11.1)分;(91.4±6.8),(84.9±13.7)分;(91.2±10.7),(73.5±23.7)分]。关节腔内留置3种不同相对分子质量玻璃酸钠在膝关节镜术后近期各项评分差异均无显著性意义(P>0.05)。结论:关节腔内留置不同相对分子质量玻璃酸钠在膝关节镜术后近期康复中具有相似的效果。     

从兔股骨头中提取总RNA的方法特点

目的:建立一种高效、快速的骨组织总RNA提取方法。方法:实验于2005-01/2006-01在昆明医学院实验动物中心和中国科学院昆明动物研究所中科院细胞与分子进化重点实验室完成。取健康新西兰大白兔1只,截取其股骨头,迅速置于液氮罐中保存,于研钵中研磨,使骨组织始终保存于液氮中,继续研磨,如此重复3次,然后利用Trizol使骨细胞结构迅速破坏,将粉末转入离心管,室温静置5min。随后加入氯仿等有机溶剂处理、离心,使RNA与细胞DNA、蛋白质及其他成分分离从而得到总RNA。最后鉴定RNA的质量、纯度及产率,取2μL提取出的RNA在体积分数为0.008的甲醛变性琼脂糖凝胶上进行电泳,主要观察RNA的28S、18S及5S三个条带是否清晰,有无降解和DNA污染。以99μLDEPC水稀释1μLRNA样品,紫外分光光度计测量其吸光度(A)值,A260/A280之比值表示RNA的纯度,同时根据吸光度值计算其质量浓度。结果:①对提取的兔股骨头RNA进行琼脂糖凝胶电泳,可显示清晰的28S、18S两个条带,5S条带亦可见,表明了RNA是完整的。②用紫外分光光度法测定兔股骨头中提取出的RNAA260/A280,结果表明由本法提取的RNA纯度高,无DNA和蛋白质的污染。③经紫外分光光度计吸收定量,每毫克兔股骨头组织能提取1.0～1.2μg的总RNA。结论:本法提取骨组织总RNA方便、快捷,质量高,可用于骨组织的分子生物学研究。     

Development of specific receptors for N-formylated chemotactic peptides in a human monocyte cell line stimulated with lymphokines

A human monocyte-like cell line, U937, when grown in continuous culture, does not secrete lysosomal enzymes or migrate towards chemotactic factors. When the cells are stimulated by lymphokines, however, they develop the ability both to migrate directionally and to secrete enzymes in response to several types of chemoattractants. The development, by stimulated cells, of chemotactic and secretory responses to one class of chemoattractants, the N- formylated peptides, is accompanied by the appearance on the cells of specific binding sites for these substances. Using tritiated N-formyl- methionyl-leueyl-phenylalanine (fMet-Leu-[(3)H]Phe) as a ligand, it was determined that unstimulated U937 cells possess no detectable binding sites. However, after stimulation with lymphocyte culture supernates for 24, 48, and 72 h, they developed 4,505 (+/-) 1,138, 22,150(+/-) 4,030, and 37,200 (+/-) 8,000 sites/cell, respectively. The dissociation constants for the interaction of fMet-Leu-[SH]Phe with the binding sites were approximately the same regardless of stimulation time and ranged between 15 and 30 nM. The binding of fMet-Leu-[(3)H]Phe by stimulated U937 cells was rapid and readily reversed by the addition of a large excess of unlabeled peptide. The affinity of a series of N-formylated peptides for binding to U937 cells exactly reflected the potency of the peptides in inducing lysosomal enzyme secretion and chemotaxis. The availability of a continuous human monocytic cell line that can be induced to express receptors for N-formylated peptides will provide a useful tool not only for the characterization of such receptors but also for the delineation of regulatory mechanisms involved in cellular differentiation and the chemotactic response.     

The effect of local anesthetic and corticosteroid combinations on chondrocyte viability

Purpose

Local anesthetic and corticosteroid combination injections are often used in clinical practice, however research investigating the chondrotoxic properties of these combinations is minimal. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of single injection doses of 1% lidocaine or 0.25% bupivacaine in combination with single injection doses of dexamethasone sodium phosphate (Decadron^?), methylprednisolone acetate (Depo-Medrol^?), betamethasone sodium phosphate and betamethasone acetate (Celestone^? Soluspan^?), or triamcinolone acetonide (Kenalog^?) on human chondrocyte viability.

Methods

All treatment conditions were delivered to human chondrocytes in vitro for the medication’s respective average duration of action using a bioreactor containing a continuous infusion pump constructed to mimic joint fluid metabolism. A two-color fluorescence assay was used to evaluate cell viability. A mixed-effects regression model was used to evaluate the mean differences in cell viability between treatment groups.

Results

At 14?days, a single injection dose of 1% lidocaine or 0.25% bupivacaine in combination with betamethasone sodium phosphate and betamethasone acetate solution illustrated significant chondrotoxicity when compared with the local anesthetics alone (P?P?=?0.013; P?=?0.016, respectively) when used in combination with 1% lidocaine compared with lidocaine alone, but showed no significant chondrotoxicity in combination with 0.25% bupivacaine (P’s?=?n.s.).

Conclusions

Clinicians should use caution when injecting 1% lidocaine or 0.25% bupivacaine in conjunction with betamethasone sodium phosphate and betamethasone acetate solution due to its pronounced chondrotoxic effect in this study. 1% lidocaine used in combination with methylprednisolone acetate or triamcinolone acetonide also led to significant chondrotoxicity.     

p53抑制剂pifithrin-α对肝原代细胞增殖的影响

目的:观察p53抑制剂pifithrin-α对肝原代细胞增殖及增殖相关蛋白表达的影响。方法:肝原代细胞分别经0、10、20和30μmol/L的pifithrin-α处理1h后,再用10nmol/LEGF诱导30、36和48h,用放射性计数法测定细胞增殖水平。另取肝原代细胞,分3组,对照组常规培养,EGF组用10nmol/L的EGF诱导,EGF+pifithrin-α组用30μmol/Lpifithrin-α和10nmol/LEGF诱导,EGF诱导24、30h后,Westernblot法检测细胞中P53、P21、CyclinD、CyclinE、pErk蛋白的表达水平。结果:pifithrin-α作用后,EGF诱导的细胞增殖水平均降低,且pifithrin-α浓度越大,增殖水平越低(F剂量=54.690,F时间=214.370,F交互=50.450,P<0.001)。与对照组比较,EGF组细胞P53、Cyc-linE蛋白表达水平未发生变化,但P21、CyclinD及pErk表达水平升高(P<0.05),EGF+pifithrin-α组细胞P21、CyclinD及pErk蛋白表达水平较EGF组降低(P<0.05)。结论:P53蛋白可能通过激活MAPK信号通路、上调Cy-clinD表达,从而发挥促进肝原代细胞增殖的作用。     

Effect of n-3 and n-6 fatty acids on proliferation and differentiation of promyelocytic leukemic HL-60 cells

Promyelocytic leukemic HL-60 cells were incubated with different fatty acids. Arachidonic acid (AA; 20:4, n-6) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5, n-3) were the most potent inhibitors of proliferation in a dose- dependent way. Retinoic acid (RA) was used as a positive control. Inhibitors of cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase or addition of antioxidants did not influence the effect of EPA or AA on cell proliferation. Increased capacity to generate superoxide anions after phorbol ester treatment and a reduced serglycin messenger RNA level in cells treated with AA or EPA indicated that these fatty acids induced differentiation in HL-60 cells similar to that induced by RA. However, down-regulation of the c-myc mRNA level, also typical for differentiation with RA in HL-60 cells, was not observed in cells incubated with AA or EPA. Flow cytometric analyses showed that in cultures incubated with AA or EPA, the proportion of cells in the G1 phase of the cell cycle increased. Similar effects were observed with RA. By flow cytometry and light scatter analyses it could be shown that AA made 8% of the cells apoptotic and 7% necrotic. The corresponding numbers were 21% and 10% for RA-treated cells, and 19% and 32% for EPA- treated cells. The present study shows that AA and EPA reduce the proliferation rate of HL-60 cells. This is mediated by mechanisms independent of eicosanoids or lipid peroxidation products and is due to effects both on apoptosis/necrosis and cell differentiation.