正常小鼠胃肠运动昼夜节律及药物作用的影响

目的：观察小鼠胃肠运动昼夜节律及药物对节律的影响。方法：小鼠不同时间点灌胃给予蒸馏水及实验药物，同步测定胃排空及小肠推进运动情况。结果：小鼠胃排空及小肠推进运动存在昼夜节律；普瑞博思促进胃肠运动存在时间效应，但对节律无明显影响；阿托品抑制胃肠运动可使原有昼夜节律消失。结论：小鼠胃肠运动功能存在昼夜节律，药物对胃肠运动功能的作用存在时间效应，可使节律发生不同变化。     

内镜乳晕小切口男性乳房肥大矫正术

目的探索减少男性乳房肥大整形术后瘢痕,使乳房切除更加精确,更有利于塑形,避免出血、血肿及支配乳头、乳晕感觉神经的损伤。方法对16例患者在内镜监视下,采用乳晕旁2~3.5cm切口,切除肥大的男性乳腺腺体组织,对于以脂肪增生为主者,先行肿胀吸脂术,后在内镜监视下进行残余肥大腺体切除。切除乳腺体组织量单侧为100~320g,平均为130g;吸脂量为20~130ml,平均为68ml,无血肿,切除组织病理检查为脂肪组织及腺体组织。结果术后无血肿,无皮肤坏死,乳头及皮肤的感觉良好,均获随访观察,时间为手术后5个月至3年,无复发。结论内镜外科技术能缩小乳晕切口,避免损伤乳头、乳晕,利于离乳晕较远范围的乳腺组织切除及乳房重新塑形,为男性乳房肥大矫正的一种良好选择。     

No Correlation Between Atrial Natriuretic Peptide Concentrations and Echocardiographic Measurements of Left Atrial Size or Left Ventricular Size and Function in Patients with Persistent Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) may be associated with activation of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP). The exact trigger for the release of ANP is still being debated. Atrial volume, pressure, and wall stretch are considered to be the main determinants of ANP activation. The aim of the study was to evaluate plasma ANP concentrations in patients with persistent AF and to analyze the echocardiographic determinants of ANP concentration in this group. The study population included 67 patients, 59 ± 7 years of age, with a median AF duration of 5.5 months (range 0.1–12). The relationship between plasma ANP concentrations and echocardiographic left atrial (LA) diameter and volume, and left ventricular (LV) diameter and ejection fraction (EF) was analyzed by logistic regression analysis. The median baseline plasma ANP concentration was 63 pg/mL (range 21–126) in the study group versus 34 pg/mL (range 16–73) in a control group. The mean left antero-posterior atrial dimension, LA volume, LV enddiastolic diameter, and LVEF were 48 mm, 104 mL, 52 mm, and 54%, respectively. A significant linear positive correlation was found between plasma ANP concentration and maximal LA volume (r = 0.62, P < 0.01). A negative correlation was found between LVEF and plasma ANP concentration (r =−0.42, P = 0.01). However, by multivariate regression analysis, no echocardiographic parameter was an independent predictor of plasma ANP concentration. Plasma ANP concentrations were independent of echocardiographic measurements of LA size or LV size and function in patients with persistent AF.     

Neurofilament M and calbindin D28k are present in mutually exclusive subpopulations of enteric neurons in the rat submucous plexus

Immunocytochemical methods have been used to examine the localisation of 3 neurofilament proteins and the calcium binding protein, calbindin D_28k, in whole mount preparations of the submucous plexus in the Wistar rat. Neurofilament-M (160 kDA protein) was present in 40% of the submucosal neurons, staining fine filaments in the soma and the axonal processes. Calbindin D_28k was present in 40% of the submucosal neurons staining both the soma and nerves within the plexus. The neurofilament proteins and calbindin D_28k were never observed within the same neurons. Neurofilament-M was co-localised with substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide but not somatostatin or the other neuropeptides investigated. Calbindib D_28k was co-localised with vasoactive intestinal polypeptide and neuropeptide Y. Galanin- and somatostatin-immunoreactive neurons did not contain either the neurofilament proteins or calbindin D_28k. The results demonstrate the presence of subsets of submucosal neurons that can be distinguished by the presence of neurofilament-M or calbinsin D_28k.     

Chronic fatigue of the small enterprise workers participating in an occupational health checkup center in southern Taiwan

Purpose  There has been increasing interest in the occupational health of workers in small enterprises, especially in developing countries. This study examines the association between psychosocial job characteristics and fatigue, and attempts to identify risk factors for fatigue among workers of small enterprises in southern Taiwan. Methods  A structured questionnaire was administered to workers receiving regular health examinations between August 2005 and January 2006. The questionnaire collected demographic information and data on working conditions, personal health status and life styles. It also collected information on psychosocial job characteristics, fatigue and psychological distress using three instruments. Results  A total of 647 workers with mean age of 43.7 were completed. Probable fatigue was found in 34.6% of the sample. Fatigue was found by multiple logistic regressions to be associated with the lack of exercise, working in shifts, depression score and lack of social support at workplace. Conclusions  This study found associations between life style, psychosocial job characteristics and fatigue. Because the high prevalence of probable fatigue was found in such small enterprises, the authors suggest that a short interview with some quick questionnaires in health checkup for these small enterprise workers are helpful to early detect psychosocial and fatigue problems.     

Crystal and molecular structure of l-valyl-l-lysine hydrochloride

l -Valyl-l -lysine hydrochloride, C₁₁N₃O₃H₂₃ HCl, crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2, with a = 5.438(5), b = 14.188(5), c = 9.521(5) Å, β= 95.38(2)° and Z = 2. The crystal structure, solved by direct methods, refined to R = 0.036, using full matrix least-squares method. The peptide exists in a zwitterionic form, with the N atom of the lysine side-chain protonated. The two γ-carbons of the valine side-chain have positional disorder, giving rise to two conformations, χ¹¹₁= -67.3 and 65.9°, one of which (65.9°) is sterically less favourable and has been found to be less popular amongst residues branching at β-C. The lysine side-chain has the geometry of g^? tgt, not seen in crystal structures of the dipeptides reported so far. Interestingly, χ³₂ (63.6°) of lysine side-chain has a gauche⁺ conformation unlike in most of the other structures, where it is trans. The neighbouring peptide molecules are hydrogen bonded in a head-to-tail fashion, a rather uncommon interaction in lysine peptide structures. The structure shows considerable similarity with that of l -Lys-l -Val HO in conformational angles and H-bond interactions [4].     

Calcium absorption following small bowel resection in man. Evidence for an adaptive response

Seventeen patients who had undergone extensive small bowel resection were studied for calcium absorption (FACa) and plasma vitamin D metabolites. FACa was measured by a double radio-tracer technique and expressed as percentage of total oral dose. FACa was decreased compared with controls (34%, range: 3-46 v 65%, range: 57-73, P less than 0.01). A positive correlation (r = 0.49, P = 0.05) was found between FACa and the remaining length of small bowel (SBL). As wide variations in both SBL and duration after surgery were observed among the seventeen investigated patients, we were led to individualize less heterogeneous subgroups of patients. Better correlations were found when the patients were divided into two subgroups according to whether the time interval between the resection and the investigation was shorter (r = 0.75, n = 11, P less than 0.02) or longer (r = 0.89, n = 6, P = 0.05) than 2 years. In thirteen patients who had a SBL shorter than 100 cm, a positive correlation was observed between FACa and the time interval after surgery (months): r = 0.65, P less than 0.05. Plasma 1,25 (OH)2D was markedly reduced in the whole group (31 pmol l-1, range: 8-108) compared with controls (103 pmol-1, range: 59-134, P less than 0.01). The present study shows that in extensively small bowel resected patients, calcium absorption is reduced, the alteration being dependent both on the length of the remnant small bowel and on the time after surgery.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

小骨窗术和碎吸术治疗脑出血的临床应用研究

目的对比研究颅内血肿小骨窗清除术和颅内血肿(钻孔)碎吸清除术治疗脑出血的疗效。方法87例脑出血患者分为小骨窗组(行颅内血肿小骨窗清除术)、碎吸组(行颅内血肿碎吸清除术)和对照组(行内科保守治疗)。分别比较小骨窗组、碎吸组、保守组治疗前后的GCS评分及3组的GCS评分差。采用t检验、χ2检验和单因素方差分析比较。结果小骨窗组、碎吸组与保守组的GCS评分差比较均有差异(P<0.05);小骨窗组和碎吸组的GCS评分差比较也有差异(P<0.05)。结论小骨窗颅内血肿清除术、碎吸颅内血肿清除术、内科保守疗法在脑出血治疗中均能发挥一定的作用。小骨窗术和碎吸术在治疗中均能提高疗效、加快神经功能恢复,但小骨窗术较碎吸术能更好地发挥疗效、提高病人的生存质量。     

Comparison of assays for determination of peptide content for lyophilized thymalfasin*

Abstract: Precise determination of the peptide content in drug substance samples depends highly upon the particular peptide compound and methodology used. Four independent methods were evaluated and compared to determine which would produce the best experimental precision for analysis of thymalfasin (thymosin α‐1). Four different methods were evaluated including elemental analysis (CHN), quantitative amino acid analysis (AAA), high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and Kjeldahl. This study demonstrates that the AAA method is highly variable in one laboratory while quite precise in another laboratory. Similarly, HPLC results depended on the laboratory conducting the study with more precise values obtained under cGMP. On the contrary, the CHN method yielded highly precise [i.e. <2% coefficient of variation (CV)] values. As precise knowledge of protein content is fundamental for the compounding of final pharmaceutical product of a specific potency, the CHN analysis is recommended for peptide content determination of the drug substance thymalfasin.