当归对衰老小鼠脑组织细胞凋亡及胸腺指数的影响

目的：研究当归的抗衰老作用及作用机制。方法：用D—半乳糖诱导小鼠制成衰老模型，同时给予不同剂量的当归水煎剂，观察当归对脑组织细胞凋亡及胸腺指数的影响。结果：当归能明显抑制小鼠脑组织细胞凋亡，提高胸腺指数。结论：当归具有抗衰老作用。     

体重质量指数与557例绝经后妇女骨密度变化的关系研究

目的 了解不同的年龄绝经后妇女不同体重质量指数(BMI)与不同部位骨密度(BMD)的关系。方法 来自门诊健康体检的557名绝经后妇女(肝肾等疾病除外),年龄范围50~78岁。用双能X线吸收法(DEXA)测定腰椎(L2-4)、股骨颈、Ward's三角及Troch等部位的BMD,同时计算BMI。根据BMI将研究对象分为3组:低体重组(BMI≤20 kg／m2)、正常体重组(25≥BMI>20 kg/m2)及超重组(BMI>25 kg/m2)。根据年龄又分为3组(50-,60-,70~78岁),用方差分析的方法进行各组间均数的统计学分析。结果不同BMI组总体不同部位的BMD方差分析比较有极显著意义P<0.01,高BMI组的BMD均值明显增高;进一步对同一年龄组不同BMI组的不同部位的BMD均值比较,各组之间均有显著性差异(P<0.01),特别是低体重组的骨密度明显低于其他两组BMI组的BMD。结论BMI与绝经后妇女的骨密度有显著相关,但低体重的绝经后妇女作为骨折的危险人群应受到更多的关注:对于超重的绝经后妇女,通过增加体重的方式增加BMD是危险的,因为超重与高血压、冠心病、糖尿病、心肌梗死及中风有一定的关系;通过其他途径:如年轻时加强运动、多饮牛奶、不盲目减肥等,提高妇女峰值骨含量是非常重要的。     

L-精氨酸对胰腺炎相关性腹水诱导肾损伤的保护作用

目的 通过观察胰腺炎相关性腹水(PAAF)对正常肾脏的影响及L-精氨酸(L-arg)对其的作用,探讨重症急性胰腺炎时急性肾损伤的发病机制.方法 60只SD大鼠制成重症急性胰腺炎(SAP)模型并收集其腹水备用;60只SD大鼠制成消化道穿孔性腹膜炎(DPP)模型并收集其腹水(DAF)备用;将两组腹水分别注射至正常大鼠腹腔内诱导肾损伤以此建立PAAF组及DAF组;并观察L-精氨酸的作用.观察各组术后12 h的肾功能、血淀粉酶及病理学变化,同时检测肾细胞凋亡及诱生型一氧化氮合酶(iNOS)的表达情况.结果 血清BUN、Cr,PAAF组＞DAF组＞Larg组＞NS组;Amyl,DAF组＞PAAF组＞L-arg组＞NS组;但均低于SAP组;而血清NO及组织中iNOS的表达,NS组＜PAAF组＜DAF组＜SAP组＜L-arg组;肾细胞凋亡率及病理学改变,SAP组＞PAAF组＞DAF组＞L-arg组＞NS组.结论 PAAF可以诱导正常大鼠的肾细胞凋亡引起肾损伤,且该作用可以被小剂量的L-arg阻断.     

老年人根管治疗疗效的相关因素

目的:研究老年人根管治疗疗效及其影响因素.方法:对56例65岁以上老年人,根管治疗后2年以上的126颗牙齿进行检查,按治疗后年限分3组:2～3年组,4～5年组,6年以上组.应用根尖周指数(Periodicalindex)评定X线片和综合临床检查,对其治疗进行评价.结果:老年人根管治疗成功率为72.2%;三组间根管治疗成功率差异无显著性.恰填根管治疗的成功率(82.2%)比欠填和超填的成功率(47.2%)要高;恰填病例中,冠方修复体质量好的患牙比质量差的患牙根尖周炎发病率低(25.7%和58.4%);去除欠填和超填病例后,桩冠修复患牙的根管治疗成功率为58.8%,而未做桩冠修复的患牙成功率为87.5%.结论:根充质量、冠方修复体质量、桩冠修复是影响老年人根管治疗疗效的主要因素.     

Cerebrospinal fluid and plasma concentrations of oxytocin and vasopressin during parturition and vaginocervical stimulation in the sheep

Simultaneous blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were taken from conscious sheep before, during and after parturition. Concentrations of plasma and CSF oxytocin were significantly elevated during contractions and particularly at birth. Mean prepartum CSF concentrations of oxytocin were around 55% of those found in plasma but postpartum they were up to 2-fold higher than those in plasma. Plasma concentrations of oxytocin were only significantly elevated, compared to prepartum levels, for 15 min postpartum whereas those in CSF were increased for the whole of the 120 min postpartum sampling period. Plasma, but not CSF, concentrations of arginine-vasopressin (AVP) were significantly raised during contractions and birth, and for 15 min postpartum. During the prepartum period CSF AVP concentrations were 67% of those found in plasma whereas at birth plasma levels were 10-fold higher than in CSF. In a separate experiment it was shown that 5 min of mechanical vaginocervical stimulation also stimulated significant increases in CSF and plasma oxytocin concentrations and in plasma vasopressin. Results support previous work suggesting an important role for central oxytocin release in the postpartum induction of maternal behavior and demonstrate that elevated concentrations of oxytocin in the CSF are present for a greater period than in blood. Elevated plasma AVP concentrations during contractions, birth or vaginocervical stimulation may be stimulated by stress associated with these stimuli.     

The effects of a 0.12% chlorhexidine-digluconate-containing mouthrinse versus a placebo on plaque and gingival inflammation over a 3-month period

Abstract Several previous studies have evaluated the effects of 0.12% chlorhexidine digluconate (ChD) mouthrinses on plaque and gingival inflammation. However, previously, none have been based in general dental practices. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential to conduct controlled periodontal clinical trials in co-operation with general dental practitioners (gdps). The project took place in 5 general dental practices in the South of England. 121 healthy subjects (24 at 4 sites and 25 at the 5th). aged 18-65 years, mean 35 ± 12) years participated in a double-blind, randomised study during which they received full mouth assessments for plaque and gingival bleeding at baseline, 6 and 12 weeks. 60 subjects were randomly asigned to use the 0.12% ChD mouth wash and 6i the placebo. The assessments were carried out by 5 gpds, who had previously achieved inter-examiner κ scores of 0.78–0.85 (mean 0.81) for the plaque index (PlI), and of 0.73–0.94 (mean 0.87) for a modified gingival index (mGI), and who maintained κ scores of 0.51–0.90 for PII and of 0.73–1.00 for mGI during the 12 months required to complete the study. 98 subjects (48 ChD and 50 placebo) completed the study. Even though the baseline levels of plaque and gingivitis were low, by week 12, mean whole mouth piaque score of the ChD mouthwash users had fallen from 1.33 at baseline to 0.96 and was significantly lower (p < 0.001) than for the placebo users, 1.31 at baseline to 1.13. Whole-mouth gingival bleeding score fell from 0.56 to 0.42 in the ChD mouthwash group but was unchanged (0.54–0.55) in the placebo group. A subsidiary data analysis which considered the effects at sites indicated that within these overall differences, the ChD users experienced almost 2× the reduction from plaque score 2 at baseline at proximal molar sites over a 12-week period (50.6% ChD versus 27.6% placebo). It was concluded that 0.12% ChD mouthwash reduced plaque accumulation fay 28% and gingival inflammation by 25% over a 12–week period, that it is feasible for a group of gdps to maintain high levels of inter–examiner consistency in the use of PlI and mGI, that it is also feasible to carry out such a multicentre study in general dental practice, and that the use of mean mouth scores per subject to analyse the effects of mouthrinses may well mask variations in response throughout the mouth.     

High levels of the soluble form of CD30 molecule in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are expression of CD30+ T cell involvement in the inflamed joints.

The CD30 is a surface molecule expressed by Th2-type lymphokine-producing T cells upon activation. CD30-expressing activated T cells release a soluble form of the molecule, which can be detectable both in vitro and in vivo. In the present study, high levels of soluble CD30 were found in peripheral blood and synovial fluid from patients with RA. However, CD30+ CD3+ cells, either CD4+ or CD8+, were significantly present in synovial fluid, but not in peripheral blood, of RA patients. Serum values of soluble CD30 were higher in active than inactive RA patients and directly correlated with rheumatoid factor serum titres. These data strongly support an involvement of CD30+ T cells in the immune processes of rheumatoid synovitis, and may suggest a relationship between Th2-type cytokine-secreting T cells and the pathological response in RA.     

IL-6 and G-CSF levels in amniotic fluid during the second trimester in normal and abnormal pregnancies

Activity levels of cytokines were measured by stimulation of the cell lines NFS-60, 7TD1, and TF-1. In 39 samples of amniotic fluid, levels of Granulocyte-Stimulating Factor (G-CSF) were 1434±2063 (mean±SD) and of Interleukin (IL-6) 546±1071 pg/ml; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor (GM-CSF) was not detectable. IL-6 was correlated to G-CSF (r=0.3; p=0.003). G-CSF (p=0.0002) and IL-6 (p=0.006) were influenced by Alpha-Fetoprotein (AFP) and G-CSF by rhesus-incompatibility (p=0.0004). These findings suggest that cytokines such as IL-6 and G-CSF play some role in physiological and pathological pregnancy.Abbreviations G-CSF granulocyte-colony stimulating factor - GM-CSF granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor - M-CSF macrophage-colony stimulating factor - CSF colonystimulating factor - IL-6 interleukin-6 - IL-11 interleukin-11 - AFP alpha-fetoprotein - NFS-60 cell line - 7TD1 cell line - TF-l cell line - rh recombinant human - MTT 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide - FCS fetal calf serum - RPMI 1640 nutrient solution - ATCC American Tissue Culture Collection Correspondence to: E. Weimann     

BILIARY HYPERPRESSURE IN RAT EXTRAHEPATIC CHOLESTASIS ALTERS HORSERADISH PEROXIDASE BILIARY EXCRETION

1. The authors investigated the effect of two extrahepatic cholestasis models (one by bile duct ligation and the other by choledocho-jugular fistula) on the hepatic clearance of horseradish peroxidase in male Sprague-Dawley rats divided into four groups. 2. In groups A (n = 5 rats) and B (n = 5), bile duct ligation was performed, while a choledocho-jugular fistula was created in groups C (n = 5) and D (n= 7). A 10 mg intravenous bolus of horseradish peroxidase was injected after 24 h (groups A and C), 48 h (groups B and D) or 1 h (Group E; five sham-operated rats). Serum and bile samples were then serially collected for 2 h. 3. In all groups, serum horseradish peroxidase levels increased soon after injection and then rapidly decreased, the curves being similar. Biliary excretion increased for 30 min and then slowly decreased. The highest horseradish peroxidase biliary concentrations and outputs were found in Group B followed by Group A; both groups had significantly higher levels than Group E. No difference was found between horseradish peroxidase biliary excretion of groups C and D and that of sham-operated rats. 4. When each group was considered separately, sampling times correlated with the corresponding ratios of bile/ plasma HRP. Significant differences were found between the relative slopes of groups A, B and E, but not between those of groups C, D and E. 5. In conclusion, bile duct obstruction greatly affects the plasma-bile transfer of fluid phase markers, such as horseradish peroxidase, while single retention, caused by choledocho-jugular fistula, has no influence. The increased biliary hyperpressure related to the duration of cholestasis may account for the degree of horseradish peroxidase transfer which, in turn, probably depends on an enhanced paracellular passage.     

Single-dose oral omeprazole for reduction of gastric residual acidity in adults for outpatient surgery

Omeprazole is a substituted benzimidazole that causes dose-dependent intracellular inhibition of gastric acid secretion in humans. This double-blind study examined the effect of omeprazole in decreasing gastric acidity and gastric residual volume in outpatient adults. Unpremedicated outpatients, ASA I-III, 18 years or older (n = 17), were randomly assigned to receive omeprazole 80 mg, or placebo by mouth the night before scheduled elective outpatient surgery. The patients were fasted for 8 h prior to surgery. After the patient was anesthetized, an orogastric tube was inserted with proper placement verified by auscultation for gastric sounds. Gastric residual contents were withdrawn into a Luken's trap, and pH was then determined and gastric volume indexed to weight (ml.kg-1). Data were analyzed by a t-test, with P less than 0.05 considered statistically significant. Patient characteristics of both groups were similar. There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups for pH (P = 0.02), but not between the two groups for gastric volume indexed to weight (P = 0.07).