Pioglitazone,a specific ligand of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma,accelerates gastric ulcer healing in rat

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma) is a member of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily that is involved in the control of inflammation and carcinogenesis. We determined the effect of the specific PPAR-gamma ligand, pioglitazone (5-40 mg/kg intragastrically), on the healing of acetic-acid gastric ulcers in rats. At day 8 after ulcer induction, the ulcer area, the gastric blood flow and mucosal expression of proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1beta, tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and cyclooxygenase-1, cyclooxygenase-2, constitutive nitric oxide synthase (cNOS), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) was determined. Pioglitazone reduced the area of gastric ulcers and raised significantly the gastric blood flow at the ulcer margin and downregulated the mRNA for interleukin-1beta, TNF-alpha, cyclooxygenase-2 and iNOS while cyclooxygenase-1 mRNA was not affected. The expression of PPAR-gamma mRNA was increased in the ulcerated gastric mucosa. We conclude that pioglitazone accelerates the healing of preexisting gastric ulcers due to the hyperemia at ulcer margin and the anti-inflammatory action including suppression of interleukin-1beta, TNF-alpha, cyclooxygenase-2 and iNOS and by an overexpression of HSP70.     

葛根素对高血压患者血浆内皮素和一氧化氮的影响

目的：检测正常人与高血压病（ＥＨ）患者血浆内皮素、一气体氮的变化及葛根素对其的干预效应。方法：ＥＨ对照组口服苯磺酸氨氯地平５ｍｇ／ｄ,或合和盐酸苯那普利１０ｍｇ／ｄ,每日一次,１５ｄ为一疗程。ＥＨ伍用治疗组同时合用５％ＧＮＳ２５０ｍｌ＋葛根素注射液４００ｍｇ静滴,两组治疗前后检测血浆ＥＴ、ＮＯ水平变化。结果：ＥＨ各组血浆ＥＴ较正常人组均显著增高（Ｐ〈０．０１）,血浆ＮＯ水平及ＮＯ／ＥＴ比值除轻度Ｅ     

Excretory urography with iohexol: evaluation in children

A multicenter clinical study was conducted using iohexol, a second-generation nonionic contrast medium, for excretory urography performed in 130 children. Doses of iohexol (300 mg iodine/ml) ranged between 150 and 660 mgI/kg (0.5 and 2.2 ml/kg). Iohexol was tolerated well, and no significant adverse reactions occurred. Sixty-five iohexol urograms were evaluated to determine the minimum dose for adequate visualization of the kidneys and collecting systems. A dose greater than 300 mgI/kg (1.0 ml/kg) always resulted in a urogram of diagnostic quality, while visualization was insufficient for diagnosis in 10% of studies done with doses of 150-300 mgI/kg (0.5-1.0 ml/kg). Another 65 iohexol urograms were compared in a blinded manner with a similar number of studies performed using iothalamate meglumine at comparable iodine concentration and dose. Visualization of calyces and pelvoinfundibular structures achieved with iohexol was rated better with statistical significance, but there was no difference in visualization of the renal parenchyma or ureters. Use of iohexol in excretory urography may be advantageous in children who are at greatest risk for an adverse reaction to contrast media or in those most likely to benefit from use of a low osmolality contrast agent.     

Scales for the measurement of attitudes toward blood donation

Attitudes toward blood donation are frequently assumed to vary along a single dimension from unfavorable to favorable. In contrast, theories of attitude structure specify three distinct attitude components: affect, cognition, and behavior. This article describes the development of three new scales for the measurement of affective, cognitive, and behavioral components of attitudes toward blood donation. The scales were developed using the method of equal-appearing intervals and were administered to both donors of blood and nondonors. Correlations among the scales were relatively small and supported the three-component distinction. Affect was more strongly correlated with the number of prior donations than was cognition, which suggested an important role for emotional factors in blood donation. Scores on all three scales showed the attitudes of blood donors to be more favorable than those of nondonors.     

Pediatric patients with achondroplasia: CT evaluation of the craniocervical junction

Twenty-six patients (4 months to 6 years old) with achondroplasia complicated by sleep apnea and/or other neurologic manifestations underwent plain computed tomography (CT) of the craniocervical junction; six also underwent CT myelography. For objectification, multiplanar reconstruction was used to complement axial plane measurements by providing coronal and sagittal measurements; multiplanar reconstruction also improved perception of the longitudinal relationships between the brain stem and subarachnoid space. A narrow subarachnoid space was found in all 26 patients; marked cord compression was present in nine, six of whom underwent CT myelography. These six had marked focal obliteration of the subarachnoid space on both plain CT and CT myelography. Since the subarachnoid space immediately above and below the craniocervical junction is normally capacious, when marked constriction was present, no additional information could have been gained from CT myelography. Thus, plain CT was shown to be sufficient for surgical planning (suboccipital decompression) in nine patients with cord compression due to achondroplasia.     

Thrombosis at venous insertion sites after inferior vena caval filter placement

Color Doppler flow imaging or compression ultrasound (US) was used to prospectively determine frequency of thrombosis at 54 venous insertion sites (47 in common femoral veins, seven in right internal jugular veins) after percutaneous placement of Greenfield filters for interruption of the inferior vena cava. Fifty-one filters were successfully placed in 51 patients with a dilator set or a balloon angioplasty catheter. Nine focal thrombi were detected in the common femoral vein (19%) and one in the right internal jugular vein (14%). Use of dilators induced eight thrombi (24%), compared with two (10%) from balloon catheters. The left common femoral vein had a high frequency of thrombosis, regardless of dilation technique (five of nine). Of nine patients with acute common femoral vein thrombosis, four became symptomatic within 10 days after the procedure. Patients may remain asymptomatic or have delayed symptoms; thus, US is valuable for determining patients at risk of thrombosis of the common femoral vein.     

Gastric protection by meciadanol

Flavonoids reportedly inhibit histidine decarboxylase and reduce gastric mucosal histamine content. We studied the effects of acute and chronic intragastric administration to rats of meciadanol, a new synthetic flavonoid (Zyma S.A., Nyon, Switzerland). The action of meciadanol was compared to that of 16, 16-dimethyl PGE₂. Meciadanol did not affect acid or pepsin output at any dose used. High doses of 16, 16-dimethyl PGE₂ reduced both acid and pepsin output. Meciadanol partially prevented aspirin-induced lesions but the prevention required chronic administration of meciadanol. In contrast, a single dose of meciadanol completely prevented ethanol-induced lesions. Chronic administration of meciadanol also completely prevented ethanol-induced lesions. 16, 16-Dimethyl PGE₂ prevented both aspirin-induced and ethanol-induced lesions in doses that did not affect acid or pepsin output. Meciadanol did not influence the effect that either aspirin or ethanol had on endogenous mucosal PGI₂. Thus, the dose range of meciadanol that protected against ulcerogens did not affect either gastric acid secretion or pepsin output. Therefore, we conclude that meciadanol's action represents true cytoprotection, which was previously attributed only to prostaglandins.