大鼠缺血心肌中VEGF表达及毛细血管新生的动态变化

目的：观察不同时期缺血心肌中VEGFmRNA及蛋白质表达及毛细血管新生的变化规律。方法：雄性Wistar大鼠30只，分别检测心肌梗塞后24h,2W,2W,3W,4W缺血心肌中内皮细胞数，毛细血管密度和VEGFmRNA及蛋白质表达情况。结果：（1）心肌梗塞1周后缺血心肌中毛细血管密度，内皮细胞数均明显增加，2周后达高峰，3周后开始下降，4周后下降到1周时水平，（2）心肌梗塞24h后，VEGFmRNA表达开始增加，1周后达高峰，2周后开始逐渐下降，4周后几乎无表达；VEGF蛋白质的表达从1周后增加，2周后达高峰，3周后开始下降，4周降低到1周时水平。结论：心肌梗塞后缺血心肌中毛细血管密度，VEGFmRNA及蛋白质表达均显著增加；缺血心肌中毛细血管密度与VEGF表达的变化相一致。     

Calcium-activated proteolysis of intracellular domains in the cell adhesion molecules NCAM and N-cadherin.

One of the consequences of increased intracellular calcium in response to a variety of physiological stimuli is the calcium activation of cytosolic proteases. Unlike lysosomal proteases with broad specificity, these calcium-activated neutral proteases show limited proteolysis of a restricted set of substrate proteins suggesting they may play a regulatory role in cellular physiology. In this study we show that the neural cell adhesion molecules NCAM-180 and N-cadherin are substrates for such endogenous calcium-activated neutral proteases. In contrast, a third neural cell adhesion molecule G4/L1 was not susceptible to calcium-activated proteolysis. The threshold for activation of NCAM and N-cadherin proteolysis is in the micromolar range of calcium suggesting that NCAM and N-cadherin are substrates for a mu-type calpain (calpain I). The site recognized by this protease is within intracellular domains of NCAM-180 and N-cadherin which are important for their interaction with cytoskeletal components. These results suggest that calcium-activated proteolysis at these sites in vivo could disrupt the linkage between extracellular ligand binding to these adhesion molecules and the normal intracellular effectors of such extracellular binding events.     

芦沙坦和苯那普利对高血压大鼠左室肥厚的抑制作用

目的：研究芦沙坦及苯那普利对老龄前期自发性高血压大鼠（SHR）左室肥厚及丝裂素活化蛋白激酶（MAPK）的抑制作用。方法：将老龄前期SHR随机分为SHR对照组，苯那普利（10mg.kg^-1.d^-1）及芦沙坦（30mg.kg^-1.d^-1）治疗组，治疗期为3个月，每月测压一次，治疗结束后处死动物，测定心肌肥厚指标、血中及心肌中内皮素（ET）、血管紧张素AⅡ及MAPK。结果：苯那普利及芦沙治疗后血压、心肌肥厚指标、血中及心肌中内皮素（ET）及MAPK明显低于SHR相对照组（P＜0．01），芦沙坦组血中及心肌中AⅡ无下降。结论：AⅡ、ET及MAPK参与了SHR的血压升高及心肌肥厚的形成。苯那普利及芦沙坦有抑制AⅡ、ET及MAPK的活性，从而达到降压及逆转心肌肥厚的作用。     

Intracellular Ca2+ suppressed a transient potassium current in hippocampal neurons

The effects of intracellular Ca2+ (Ca2+i) on K+ currents in hippocampal cells were examined using acutely isolated cells obtained from adult guinea pigs. Whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings were carried out in a configuration that allowed a continuous perfusion of the intracellular medium. Recording media were made to block inward currents and allowed selective activation of K(+)-dependent outward currents. Voltage-dependent outward currents consisted of an initial rapidly decaying component followed by a sustained component. The time constant of decay of the transient current was about 25 msec, and previous studies (Numann et al., 1987) showed that the kinetic and pharmacological properties of this current closely resembled the A current recorded in invertebrate neurons (Connor and Stevens, 1971; Thompson, 1982). Intracellular perfusion of hippocampal cells with a solution containing elevated Ca2+ (about 4.5 x 10(-4) M) elicited outward currents at the holding potential (-45 to -55 mV) and produced changes in voltage-dependent K+ currents. The transient outward current (IA) activated by depolarization was suppressed with increases in Ca2+i. Delayed, sustained K+ currents were greatly potentiated. Data also showed that, among the 3 effects elicited by Ca2+i, suppression of IA was most sensitive to Ca2+i elevation. Previous results (Numann et al., 1987) showed that IA had a lower threshold (about -45 mV) than sustained currents (about -40 mV). By using low levels of depolarization (-40 mV), IA can be selectively activated, and the suppressive effect of Ca2+i on IA was confirmed on the kinetically isolated IA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Treatment of ulcerative colitis by traditional Chinese medicine and dynamic study of immune functions

The effect of the traditional Chinese medicinal herbs enema and enteric-coated capsules in the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC) were compared in 260 cases. The immune complexes and the dynamic change of autoantibodies were monitored in 28 out of the 260 cases before and after treatment. The following results were observed. (1) There was no significant difference in the total effective rate between the enema group and the oral capsule group (93.3% and 87.5% respectively), but the recovery rates of purulent hemafecia, mucusfecia and erosion accompanying colitis, etc. in the former group were higher than those in the latter (P less than 0.01). (2) The circulating immune complexes were found 43 times above the normal range in 17 cases with positive rate 60.7%, and tended to decrease as the condition became better after treatment. Antinuclear antibodies were determined by the indirect fluorescent immune method and the indirect enzyme labelling method and the positive rates were 53.6% and 64.7% respectively, both being much higher than those in the controls (P less than 0.01).     

TAXUS支架治疗急性冠状动脉综合症的疗效评价

目的评价紫杉醇洗脱冠状动脉支架(TAXUStmBoston公司产品)应用于急性冠状动脉综合症病人的临床疗效及安全性。方法自2003年5月至2004年12月接受TAXUS支架治疗的94例急性冠状动脉综合症患者,观察术后即刻效果、术后6个月心脏性死亡、心肌梗塞、再次血管重建及冠状动脉造影复查情况。病例中包括ST段抬高的急性心肌梗塞27例,非ST段抬高的急性心肌梗死8例,不稳定心绞痛59例。结果支架植入成功率为99%,术中和随访期间无死亡,术后1例出现亚急性血栓,1例晚期血栓致心肌梗塞,另有5例随访中进行了血管重建术,6个月主要心脏不良事件(MACE)发生率7.4%。术后6～7个月23例的冠状动脉造影复查再狭窄率为13.0%(支架内为8.6%),靶病变重建率为2.7%。结论应用TAXUS支架治疗急性冠状动脉综合症是安全和有效的,支架内再狭窄率明显低于普通金属支架。     

组织多肽特异性抗原在原发性肝癌中的临床应用

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical value of serum tissue polypeptide specific antigen (TPS) for primary hepatic cancer in comparison with alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). METHODS: TPS and AFP were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 85 patients with primary hepatic cancer, 19 with metastatic hepatic cancer, 35 with liver cirrhosis, 22 with chronic hepatitis and 50 healthy control subjects. RESULTS: Serum AFP levels were elevated in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in comparison with that in cholangiocarcinoma patients (P=0.037), but the difference was not significant (P=0.737). Serum TPS levels were significantly correlated with the tumor size (P=0.001), but not with the number of the tumors, portal invasion, extrahepatic metastasis, clinical stage or histological differentiation (P>0.05). A significant correlation was observed between AFP level and tumor size (P=0.028), portal invasion(P=0.005), and histological differentiation (P=0.000). CONCLUSION: TPS alone offers no more clues than AFP for the diagnosis of primary hepatic cancer, though it can be helpful for the diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma. It has only limited clinical utility as a marker for primary hepatic cancer.     

Integrating PET and CT information to improve diagnostic accuracy for lung nodules: A semiautomatic computer-aided method.

Our objective was to develop and evaluate 3 semiautomatic computer-aided diagnostic (CAD) schemes for distinguishing between benign and malignant pulmonary nodules by use of features extracted from CT, 18F-FDG PET, and both CT and 18F-FDG PET. METHODS: We retrospectively collected 92 consecutive cases of pulmonary nodules (<3 cm) in patients who underwent both thoracic CT and whole-body PET/CT. Forty-two of the nodules were malignant and 50 benign, as confirmed by pathologic examination and clinical follow-up. The interval between CT and PET was less than 1 mo. Four clinical parameters, including patient age, sex, smoking status, and history of previous malignancy, were used for the CAD schemes. Sixteen CT features based on size, shape, margin, and internal structure of nodules were independently rated subjectively by 2 chest radiologists. Four PET features were viewed on a PET/CT workstation. CAD schemes based on clinical parameters together with CT features, PET features, and both CT and PET features were then used to differentiate benign from malignant nodules. Finally, the output from the CAD schemes was evaluated by use of receiver-operating-characteristic analysis. RESULTS: When we used clinical parameters and CT features as input units (CAD scheme 1), the area under the receiver-operating-characteristic curve (A(z) value) of the CAD scheme was 0.83. When we used clinical parameters and PET features as input units (CAD scheme 2), the A(z) value for the computer output was 0.91. However, when we used all data as input units (CAD scheme 3), the A(z) value for the computer output was 0.95. The performance of CAD scheme 3 was better than that of CAD scheme 1 or 2. A statistically significant difference existed between the A(z) values of CAD schemes 3 and 2 (P = 0.037) and between those of CAD schemes 3 and 1 (P = 0.015). CONCLUSION: Our CAD scheme based on both PET and CT was better able to differentiate benign from malignant pulmonary nodules than were the CAD schemes based on PET alone and CT alone.