Inhibition of human adrenal androgen secretion by ketoconazole

Summary The effect of ketoconazole on adrenal androgen secretion was examined in 15 patients with elevated serum androgens. In a dose of 600 mg per day orally ketoconazole inhibited the biosynthesis of all measured androgens. The mean reduction in serum levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate was 32%, of dehydroepiandrosterone 54%, of androstenedione 52%, and of testosterone 43%; mean serum levels of cortisol only fell by 19%. The reduction in serum androgen levels was first significant 24 h after beginning of treatment and persisted as long as the drug was administered. We conclude that ketoconazole inhibits adrenal androgen biosynthesis more pronouncedly than cortisol biosynthesis. This might be of clinical benefit in the treatment of hirsutism and other states of androgen hypersecretion.Abbreviations CV coefficient of variation - MV mean value - SEM standard error of the mean - f female - m male - K ketoconazole - ACTH adrenocorticotropic hormone - DHEA dehydroepiandrosterone - DHEAS dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate - A androstenedione - T testosterone - F cortisol - P progesterone - H hirsutism - C Cushing's disease - EAS ectopic ACTH syndrome - ATU adrenal tumor     

Hemodynamic factors in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy

Summary The pathogenesis of the diabetic glomerular lesion is unknown. However, cumulative indirect evidence favors hemodynamic factors associated with the abnormal endocrine environment as the cause of diabetic angiopathy. Experimental evidence suggests that the increased hydrostatic pressures in capillary beds, a hallmark of the early stages of insulin-dependent diabetes, are associated with macromolecular leakage leading to the typical thickening of glomerular capillary basement membrane and increased glomerular mesangial matrix even prior to the occurrence of systemic hypertension. Patients with renal or carotid artery stenosis seem to be protected against diabetic nephropathy and retinopathy on the stenosed side. The first signal of diabetic nephropathy even before deterioration of the renal function is microalbuminuria detected by sensitive methods such as radioimmunoassay. Not only in hypertensive, but even in normotensive diabetic patients with microalbuminuria antihypertensive therapy has been shown to reduce albumin excretion rate and to slow the progression of diabetic nephropathy. Once overt diabetic nephropathy has been established, hypertension is a constant accompaniment of the disease. Thus, hypertension may be a cause as well as a result of diabetic nephropathy. Tight control of blood sugar in close association with antihypertensive treatment reducing blood pressure to a lower normal limit, possibly with agents that specifically decrease glomerular capillary hydraulic pressure are the corner stone in protection against progression of the diabetic angiopathy.Abbreviations ECF extracellular fluid - ESRD end-stage renal disease     

Gene Therapy: The Potential Applicability of Gene Transfer Technology to the Human Germline

The theoretical possibility of applying gene transfer methodologies to the human germline is explored. Transgenic methods for genetically manipulating embryos may in principle be applied to humans. In particular, microinjection of retroviral vector appears to hold the greatest promise, with transgenic primates already obtained from this approach. Sperm-mediated gene transfer offers potentially the easiest route to the human germline, however the requisite methodology is presently underdeveloped. Nuclear transfer (cloning) offers an alternative approach to germline genetic modification, however there are major health concerns associated with current nuclear transfer methods. It is concluded that human germline gene therapy remains for all practical purposes a future possibility that must await significant and important advances in gene transfer technology.     

五音乐曲对精神分裂症脑电活动率的影响

目的 :观察五音乐曲刺激对精神分裂症患者脑电活动产生的影响。方法 :选取 2 0例精神分裂症患者和 10名正常对照 ,分别记录安静时段及聆听五音乐曲时段的脑电图 ,将脑电信号转化为功率数值 ,将 β/α定义为脑电活动率。 结果 :1、正常人与精神分裂症患者的脑电活动率在安静状态差异无显著性 (P >0 0 5 )。在听乐曲时患者的脑电活动率在C3、T3、T4、T5导联中 ,明显高于正常人 (P <0 0 5 )。 2、正常人在安静状态和听乐曲时其左右脑脑电活动率差异无显著性 (P >0 0 5 )。精神分裂症患者在安静状态左右脑脑电活动率在O1、O2及T5、T6导联间差异有显著意义 (P <0 0 5 ) ,并且听乐曲时在P3、P4和C3、C4以及F7、F8导联间差异有显著意义 (P <0 0 5 )。结论 :在五音乐曲的刺激下 ,精神分裂症患者的脑电反应与正常人不同。     

Modulation of osteopontin in proteinuria-induced renal interstitial fibrosis

Proteinuria is associated with macrophage-dependent interstitial fibrosis (IF). Osteopontin (OPN), a macrophage chemoattractant, may be involved in the transition of proteinuria to IF but protective properties have also been reported. To elucidate whether OPN may be involved in the proteinuria-induced cascade of tubulointerstitial damage, renal expression of OPN was studied during the development of proteinuria-induced renal damage and during anti-proteinuric intervention with ACE inhibition (ACEi). First, the temporal relationships between proteinuria, interstitial OPN induction, and IF in adriamycin nephrosis (AN), a model of chronic proteinuria-induced renal damage, were studied. Second, the effect of anti-proteinuric treatment on OPN expression was investigated. The time course of OPN induction and markers of renal damage was studied in rats with unilateral AN at 6-week intervals until week 30. In a second study, a renal biopsy was taken 6 weeks after induction of bilateral AN; subsequently, rats were treated with ACEi until termination (week 12). In unilateral AN, proteinuria developed gradually and stabilized at week 10. In proteinuric kidneys, OPN expression was induced from week 12 onwards. Simultaneously, a progressive increase in interstitial macrophages, alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA), collagen type III, and focal glomerulosclerosis (FGS) was observed. In bilateral AN, ACEi reduced proteinuria and OPN protein and stabilized fibrosis. In untreated animals, OPN mRNA increased, with stable OPN protein and fibrosis and increased FGS. Thus, in AN, development of proteinuria is followed by up-regulation of OPN along with markers of renal damage. The up-regulation of OPN is reversible by anti-proteinuric treatment without a corresponding reduction in fibrosis. Whereas these data are consistent with a role for OPN in the cascade of transition from proteinuria to fibrosis, intervention with ACEi showed that reduction of OPN does not attenuate established fibrosis.     

Inhibition of HIV-1 expression by HIV-2

HIV-1 and HIV-2 are co-endemic in certain geographic areas. HIV-2 is more weakly pathogenic than HIV-1, and progression to AIDS occurs less frequently and over a longer period of time. Recent epidemiologic studies suggest that individuals infected with HIV-2 have a lower risk of HIV-1 infection. Both immune mechanisms and various modes of viral interference have been proposed to account for these results. Our findings, described in this paper, suggest that HIV-2 inhibits HIV-1 replication. To study the molecular interactions between HIV-1 and HIV-2, proviral clones were transfected alone or in combination into the human T cell line CEM. LTR-CAT indicator constructs were included for the purpose of monitoring viral promoter activity. Viral replication in transfected cells was monitored by p24 antigen capture assay of cell culture supernatants and Western blot analysis of cell extracts. HIV-2 inhibited HIV-1 replication as determined by intracellular and extracellular p24 antigen levels. Similar results were obtained with simultaneous virus infection using HIV-1 and HIV-2, rather than transfections of proviral DNA. Using cotransfection of HIV-1 and HIV-2 LTR indicator gene constructs, the mechanism of inhibition was found to be suppression of the HIV-1 LTR by HIV-2. The inhibitory effect of HIV-2 is not due to Tat-2, but appears to discriminate between the HIV-1 and HIV-2 LTRs based on differences in the Tat activation response element, TAR. These results suggest both a molecular mechanism for HIV-2 interference with HIV-1 replication and a potential molecular approach to therapy.     

VEGF基因特异性siRNA转染后对人乳腺癌细胞增殖和凋亡的影响

目的：探讨利用干扰RNA（RNAi）抑制血管内皮生长因子（VEGF）基因表达对乳腺癌细胞MCF-7增殖和凋亡的影响。方法：设计针对VEGF基因的小干扰RNA（siRNA）,合成DNA模板,体外转录siRNA。以脂质体转染法将双链siRNA导入MCF-7细胞后,用MTT比色法检测siRNA对MCF-7细胞增殖的影响。通过Hoechst33258染色观察MCF-7细胞的凋亡。用流式细胞术检测细胞周期的改变,RT-PCR检测VEGF mRNA表达的变化,免疫细胞化学法检测VEGF蛋白的表达。结果：所设计的两个靶位点siRNA,均能有效地抑制MCF-7细胞的增殖,诱导细胞凋亡,使细胞周期阻滞于G0/G1期,VEGFmRNA及其蛋白的表达明显减少;而作为阴性对照的错义序列组siRNASCR则没有上述效应。结论：体外转录合成的siRNA可抑制MCF-7细胞中VEGF基因的表达,抑制细胞增殖,促进细胞凋亡。     

In vivo activation of NK cells induces inhibition of lung colonization of H-2 positive and H-2 negative fibrosarcoma tumor clones

The role of different tilorone analogs in the abrogation of the metastatic spread of H-2 positive and H-2 negative tumor clones was studied. Pre-treatment of BALB/c mice with RMI 10,874DA compound completely abolished lung colonization of an H-2 negative (GR9.B9) MCA-induced fibrosarcoma clone in an experimental metastasis assay. This effect was also evident when clones were treated with other tilorone analogs (R11,567DA or R11,513DA). Other H-2 positive and H-2 negative chemically induced fibrosarcoma clones were also tested. The effect was not due to direct toxicity of the tilorone analog on tumor cells, but instead was dependent on NK cells; this was suggested by the finding that treatment of mice with anti-asialo GM₁ abrogated the effect of the tilorone analog (RMI 10,874DA compound). Interestingly, the inhibition of lung colonization after intravenous injection was again observed regardless of the H-2 phenotype of the tumor clones, and H-2⁺ and H-2^– clones were similarly inhibited.In vitro assays of NK sensitivity of tumor clones showed that lysis varied depending on the H-2 phenotype of tumor clones, indicating an absence of correlation betweenin vivo andin vitro results.     

猫阴部神经传入传出成分在脊髓内的定位分布—HRP逆行及跨越神经节追踪研究

向猫阴部神经及其分支注入HRP溶液,观察并分析了逆行和跨节追踪的结果。 1.证实阴部神经为含躯体传出、传入,内脏传出、传入纤维的混合神经,其内脏性传出、传入成分仅存在于阴茎背神经中。 2.逆行标记细胞出现于L_7—S_3前角Onuf核和S_(1-3)的中间带外侧核。本文结果表明,Onuf核是支配盆底横纹肌的运动核,但它和其它前角运动核在细胞形态和活性物质的分布上都明显不同。特别是它的一部分神经元的树突形成树突束到达中间带外侧核。本文结合排尿、排便功能从形态学上较详细地讨论了Onuf核和中间带外侧核的关系。 3.本文证明阴部神经领域的内脏初级传入(来自阴茎背神经)和躯体初级传入纤维都向骶髓后连合核区有浓密的投射。结合以往的工作讨论了盆腔脏器、外生殖器的内脏传入和坐骨神经、阴部神经的躯体传入在骶髓后连合核区汇聚的现象及机能意义,推测这种汇聚可能是产生牵涉痛和针刺镇痛机制的形态学基础。     

认识领悟疗法治疗对人恐惧症

目的 探讨认识领悟疗法对对人恐惧症的治疗作用.方法 按照钟友彬教授认识领悟疗法的原理、方法和步骤,对来访者实施认识领悟治疗.结果 来访者的恐惧症状在治疗后消失.结论 使用认识领悟疗法治疗对人恐惧症有效.