Determination of Chemical Antioxidants and Phenolic Compounds in the Brazilian Mushroom Agaricus sylvaticus

Agaricus sylvaticus mushroom has been widely studied because of its high nutritional value and medicinal properties. The objective of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant potential of both alcoholic and aqueous extracts of Agaricus sylvaticus and quantify their total polyphenol content. The antioxidant activity was performed by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging capacity and total polyphenol content was assessed by colorimetric method. Observation also noted the great antioxidant potential of aqueous, alcoholic and ethereal extracts (14.6%, 75.6% and 14.6%, respectively) of the Agaricus sylvaticus mushroom, highlighting the alcoholic extract, which demonstrates the extraordinary benefits of this mushroom in the diet, since antioxidants prevent premature ageing and various types of cancer.     

Diaphragmatic Hernia Masquerading as a Pulmonary Metastasis

Iatrogenic injury accounts for the second most common cause of acquired diaphragmatic hernias after penetrating trauma. An increased incidence of these hernias has been observed with the widespread use of laparoscopic surgery. We present the case of a 65-year-old woman who initially underwent sigmoid resection for an adenocarcinoma and a subsequent liver resection for metastasis. She was noted to have a left lower lobe pulmonary nodule on surveillance computed tomography, for which she underwent a mini-thoracotomy for a planned resection. At the time of surgery, the pulmonary nodule was discovered to be a diaphragmatic hernia, most probably of iatrogenic origin. We discuss the difficulty in diagnosis given her history and the location of such a lesion.     

巨大下颌骨囊性病变分期治疗效果评价

目的:探讨对巨大下颌骨囊性病变进行分期治疗的效果。方法:选择2005—2009年在本院收治的下颌骨范围大于5cm的囊性病变18例,其中伴牙列不齐者6例,一期局麻下行减压术,待范围减小至小于原来的1/2后,行二期全麻下囊性病变摘除术,即刻Bio-oss骨粉植入,术后每月定期拍摄口腔全景片观察骨密度变化,伴牙列不齐的6例患者手术后2个月开始以常规正畸加力牵引。结果:一期术后4~6个月,病变减小至原来的1/2左右,二期术后6~12个月,骨粉与周围正常骨密度基本一致,2~3a后无一例复发。6例牙列不齐的患者,经1~2a正畸治疗后,错畸形得以矫正。结论:分期治疗既彻底摘除了病变,又保存了下颌骨的连续性及自体牙,还可同时结合正畸治疗,改善错畸形,提高美学效果。     

Comparison between superficial femoral artery stenting and bypass surgery in severe lower-limb ischaemia: a retrospective study

Symptomatic superficial femoral artery (SFA) disease presenting either with severe claudication or critical limb ischaemia is treated with bypass surgery and traditionally has been the ‘goldstandard’ procedure. Surgical bypass using autogenous vein or prosthetic grafts as a conduit is well accepted and there are comparable patencies and limb salvage rates with either conduit.1There have been considerable advances in the last two decades in percutaneous endovascular technology for the treatment of SFA disease. The techniques that have been developed include percutaneous balloon angioplasty and stenting, with variable results.2,3 Despite having three different options, namely surgical bypass, balloon angioplasty and stenting, none is superior to the other.Although the five-year primary patency rate of femoropopliteal above-the-knee bypass with autogenous saphenous vein is 70%, this method of treatment is invasive with long incisions in the lower extremities and a peri-operative complication rate of 12%.4 Vascular surgeons have become more experienced with catheter-based technology and due to the minimal invasiveness of the procedure, both patients and vascular surgeons are increasingly attracted to endovascular procedures. Mwipatayi et al.5 and Nguyen et al.6 found stenting resulted in equivalent outcomes when compared to balloon angioplasty alone, but Laird et al.7 found that self-expanding nitinol stents were associated with better angiographic results and improved patency compared with balloon angioplasty alone.Randomised, controlled trials comparing bypass surgery and balloon angioplasty alone generally showed similar outcomes in terms of amputation-free survival but in the short term, surgery was more expensive than angioplasty.8 Another study comparing surgical bypass with balloon angioplasty and stenting showed better primary patency for the stent group (67%) than the bypass group (49%) and there were higher re-intervention rates in the bypass group.9Since there are conflicting data in the literature regarding the success of different methods of treatment of SFA disease and there is a lack of consensus guidelines on the optimum management of SFA disease, the aim of this study was to compare the results of stenting and surgical bypass in the local environment with regard to limb salvage rates in patients with severe leg ischaemia.     

Phospholipid transfer between plasma and platelets in vitro

Washed rabbit platelets were resuspended in plasma in which all of the major phospholipids had been isotopically labeled by injection of 32PO4 into rabbits. At certain time intervals during a 6-hr incubation at 37 degrees C, aliquots were removed from the incubation mixture and the platelets were isolated and subjected to lipid extraction and phospholipid analysis. A continuous rise in platelet non-lipid-bound and lipid-bound radioactivity was observed through-out the incubation period. Two platelet phospholipids, lecithin and lysolecithin, were significantly labeled, whereas little or no labeling of the other phospholipids was found. There was no detectable change in total or individual platelet phospholipid content. At 6 hr, 4% of total platelet phospholipid, 43% of platelet lysolecithin, and 7% of platelet lecithin were labeled. Platelets incubated in plasma from rabbits with diet- induced hyperlipidemia took up and incorporated significantly more label into their phospholipids than did platelets in normal plasma. Labeling of both platelet lysolecithin and lecithin could be due to uptake and metabolism of plasma lysolecithin by platelets. However, labeling of platelet lecithin could at least in part be the result of direct exchange of this phospholipid with the plasma. Uptake and incorporation of endogenous plasma lysolecithin by platelets and, possibly, direct exchanged of platelet lecithin may be important mechanisms in the modification by plasma lipids of platelet membrane phospholipid fatty acid composition and platelet function.     

Effect of 2'-deoxycoformycin on erythroid, granulocytic, and T- lymphocyte colony growth

The finding of elevated intracellular levels of adenosine deaminase (ADA) in some patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia has led to attempts to control this disease with the adenosine deaminase inhibitor 2'-deoxycoformycin (dCF). Because of clinical reports indicating its relative freedom from myelotoxicity, we have tested the effects of this drug on erythroid, granulocytic, and T-lymphocyte colony formation by normal marrow and peripheral blood cells. While clinically the drug has been found to be active at serum concentrations of approximately 10 microM, we have tested it at concentrations up to and including 1 mM. It was found that both erythroid and granulocytic colony growth was completely unaffected by 1 mM dCF, a concentration at least 2 magnitudes higher than that necessary to totally ablate intracellular ADA levels. T-lymphocyte colony growth was unaffected by 100 microM dCF, but at 1 mM some inhibition was observed. These findings therefore indicate that dCF, while able to cause leukemic cell lysis in vivo, has no inhibitory effect on the proliferative capacity of normal hematopoietic cells.     

基于CYP3A4酶探讨灯盏花素对洛伐他汀的药动学的影响及机制

目的 探究灯盏花素与洛伐他汀联用对大鼠体内药动学的影响,从代谢酶的角度揭示灯盏花素对洛伐他汀药动学产生影响的机制。方法 采用探针药物法及RT-HPLC法测定咪达唑仑在肝微粒体孵育体系中的浓度,评价灯盏花素与洛伐他汀联用对CYP3A4酶活性的影响。通过RT-PCR反应来检测CYP3A4酶mRNA基因表达,采用Western blot法,从蛋白翻译水平上分析灯盏花素与洛伐他汀联用对大鼠肝脏CYP3A4蛋白表达的影响。结果 洛伐他汀与灯盏花素联合用药后,洛伐他汀在大鼠体内的血药浓度显著升高,从0.39 mg?L-1 上升到1.08 mg?L-1 ,清除率从3.36L?h-1?kg-1降低到1.08L?h-1?kg-1,药物半衰期从5.0h延长到6.2h,联合给药后洛伐他汀的AUC从2.42mg?L-1?h-1上升到4.22mg?L-1?h-1。洛伐他汀组与空白组比较CYP3A4酶活性均没有明显变化;灯盏花素组及灯盏花素联合洛伐他汀组与空白组比较发现均抑制CYP3A4酶活性;灯盏花素与灯盏花素联合洛伐他汀组CYP3A4酶mRNA 表达量均较空白组显著降低;CYP3A4酶蛋白含量结果表明,洛伐他汀组与灯盏花素联合洛伐他汀组与空白组比较CYP3A4酶蛋白含量均没有明显变化。结论 洛伐他汀与灯盏花素联用,灯盏花素通过抑制其基因转录水平抑制CYP3A4的活性,使大鼠体内药动学过程发生变化,洛伐他汀药物的代谢减慢。     

Copy number variants in patients with short stature

Height is a highly heritable and classic polygenic trait. Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have revealed that at least 180 genetic variants influence adult height. However, these variants explain only about 10% of the phenotypic variation in height. Genetic analysis of short individuals can lead to the discovery of novel rare gene defects with a large effect on growth. In an effort to identify novel genes associated with short stature, genome-wide analysis for copy number variants (CNVs), using single-nucleotide polymorphism arrays, in 162 patients (149 families) with short stature was performed. Segregation analysis was performed if possible, and genes in CNVs were compared with information from GWAS, gene expression in rodents'' growth plates and published information. CNVs were detected in 40 families. In six families, a known cause of short stature was found (SHOX deletion or duplication, IGF1R deletion), in two combined with a de novo potentially pathogenic CNV. Thirty-three families had one or more potentially pathogenic CNVs (n=40). In 24 of these families, segregation analysis could be performed, identifying three de novo CNVs and nine CNVs segregating with short stature. Four were located near loci associated with height in GWAS (ADAMTS17, TULP4, PRKG2/BMP3 and PAPPA). Besides six CNVs known to be causative for short stature, 40 CNVs with possible pathogenicity were identified. Segregation studies and bioinformatics analysis suggested various potential candidate genes.