A simple technique for obtaining Pap smears of the esophagus.

A simple method for obtaining Papanicolaou smears of the esophagus is described. The procedure is easy to perform, does not require specialized equipment, and is a useful adjuvant to direct esophageal biospy.     

Synaptic plasticity in the medial vestibular nuclei: role of glutamate receptors and retrograde messengers in rat brainstem slices

The analysis of cellular-molecular events mediating synaptic plasticity within vestibular nuclei is an attempt to explain the mechanisms underlying vestibular plasticity phenomena. The present review is meant to illustrate the main results, obtained in vitro, on the mechanisms underlying long-term changes in synaptic strength within the medial vestibular nuclei. The synaptic plasticity phenomena taking place at the level of vestibular nuclei could be useful for adapting and consolidating the efficacy of vestibular neuron responsiveness to environmental requirements, as during visuo-vestibular recalibration and vestibular compensation. Following a general introduction on the most salient features of vestibular compensation and visuo-vestibular adaptation, which are two plastic events involving neuronal circuitry within the medial vestibular nuclei, the second and third sections describe the results from rat brainstem slice studies, demonstrating the possibility to induce long-term potentiation and depression in the medial vestibular nuclei, following high frequency stimulation of the primary vestibular afferents. In particular the mechanisms sustaining the induction and expression of vestibular long-term potentiation and depression, such as the role of various glutamate receptors and retrograde messengers have been described. The relevant role of the interaction between the platelet-activating factor, acting as a retrograde messenger, and the presynaptic metabotropic glutamate receptors, in determining the full expression of vestibular long-term potentiation is also underlined. In addition, the mechanisms involved in vestibular long-term potentiation have been compared with those leading to long-term potentiation in the hippocampus to emphasize the most significant differences emerging from vestibular studies. The fourth part, describes recent results demonstrating the essential role of nitric oxide, another retrograde messenger, in the induction of vestibular potentiation. Finally the fifth part suggests the possible functional significance of different action times of the two retrograde messengers and metabotropic glutamate receptors, which are involved in mediating the presynaptic mechanism sustaining vestibular long-term potentiation.     

Co-administration of cyclosporine A alleviates thioacetamide-induced liver injury

AIM: To investigate the effects of cyclosporine A (CsA) on thioacetamide (TAA)-induced liver injury. METHODS: CsA was co-administrated (7.5 μg/kg body weight per day, i.p.) into rat to investigate the role of CsA on TAA-(200 mg/kg body weight per 3 d for 30 d, i.p.) induced liver injury. RESULTS: The data show that TAA caused liver fibrosis in rat after 30 d of treatment. CsA alleviates the morphological changes of TAA-induced fibrosis in rat liver. The blood glutamyl oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT)/glutamyl pyruvic transaminase (GPT) in the TAA-injury group is elevated compared to that of the normal rat. Compared with the TAA-injury group, the blood GOT/GPT and TGFβ1(by RT-PCR analysis) are reduced in the CsA plus TAA-treated rat. The level of the transforming growth factor receptor I (TGFβ-R1) in the CsA plus TAA-treated group shows higher than that in the TAA only group, but shows a lower level of the fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 (FGFR4) in the CsA plus TAA-treated group, when using the Western blot analysis. After immunostaining of the frozen section, TGFβ-R1 and FGFR4 are more concentrated in rat liver after CsA plus TAA injury. CONCLUSION: This result suggests that CsA has an alleviated effect on TAA-induced liver injury by increasing the multidrug resistance P-glycoprotein and could be through the regulation of TGFβ-R1 and FGFR4.     

葛根总黄酮联合三氧化二砷体外诱导NB4-R1细胞凋亡的实验研究

目的:探讨葛根总黄酮联合三氧化二砷(As2O3)对维甲酸耐药细胞株NB4-R1增殖及凋亡的影响。方法:采用葛根总黄酮(0、10、30、50μg/mL)联合As2O3(1μmol/L)处理NB4-R1细胞24、48、72 h,MTT法检测细胞增殖抑制率;光学显微镜及荧光显微镜观察细胞形态改变;流式细胞仪检测细胞周期变化;FITC-AnnexinV/PI双染法检测细胞凋亡率,蛋白印迹法检测凋亡相关蛋白表达。结果:(1)一定浓度葛根总黄酮对NB4-R1细胞生长有抑制效应,呈剂量和时间依赖性,相同条件下,葛根总黄酮联合1μmol/L As2O3对NB-R1细胞抗增殖作用强于单用葛根总黄酮,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。(2)FITC-Annexin V/PI双染流式细胞术检测细胞凋亡结果发现葛根总黄酮(0、10、30、50μg/mL)及葛根总黄酮联合1μmol/L As2O3处理NB4-R1细胞48 h后,早期凋亡率呈浓度依赖,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。(3)瑞氏染色,在光镜下观察到葛根总黄酮和葛根总黄酮+As2O3联用组呈现不同程度的细胞凋亡形态学特征,且联用组较单药组明显。(4)流式细胞术检测细胞周期变化发现葛根总黄酮和葛根总黄酮+As2O3联用可影响细胞进程,表现为S期细胞增多,葛根总黄酮+As2O3联用组比各单用葛根总黄酮组Sub-G1增加更为明显。(5)Western blottimg结果显示葛根总黄酮可上调NB4-R1细胞中JNK表达,下调ERK1/2表达。结论:低浓度葛根总黄酮体外对维甲酸耐药细胞株NB4-R1细胞具有增殖抑制作用,呈时间-浓度依赖性,与1μmol/L As2O3具有协同作用;其诱导凋亡作用机制可能为阻滞NB4-R1细胞周期进程,激活JNK途径,下调ERK通路。     

IDH1-R123与Notch1突变在儿童急性T淋巴细胞白血病中的作用机制

目的 探讨IDH1-R123与Notch1双突变对儿童急性T淋巴细胞白血病(ALL)的作用及机制。方法 选择2016年5月～2017年12月丽水市人民医院儿童ALL患者58例作为对象,所有患者入院后均完成IDH1-R123与Notch1双突变基因测序,确定IDH1-R123与Notch1双突变在儿童急性T淋巴细胞白血病中的突变率及突变特征,入组患者均给予诱导、巩固及维持治疗,两组治疗后均完成24个月随访,比较突变儿童与非突变儿童生化指标、临床特征及预后。结果 58例儿童ALL患者中33例IDH1-R123与Notch1双突变,突变率为56.90%;突变儿童血WBC计数、平均血红蛋白高于非突变儿童(P0.05);突变儿童平均血小板数低于非突变儿童(P0.05);ALL IDH1-R123突变25例,占43.10%,突变位于WD40区域,且均为点突变;Notch1突变8例,占13.79%,突变位点主要位于HD区域和PEST结构域。其中,HD突变5例,占62.50%,均为氨基酸位点为233;PEST结构域3例,占37.50%;突变儿童与非突变儿童6个月、12个月生存率无统计学意义(P0.05);突变儿童18个月、24个月生存率低于非突变儿童(P0.05)。结论 IDH1-R123与Notch1双突变在儿童急性T淋巴细胞白血病中突变率较高,且与患者不良预后有关,有助于指导临床诊疗。     

Changes in the breath sound spectrum with bronchodilation in children with asthma

Background

Breath sound parameters have been suggested to be new biomarkers of airway function in patients with asthma.

Therapeutic efficacy of tumor-targeting Salmonella typhimurium A1-R on human colorectal cancer liver metastasis in orthotopic nude-mouse models

Liver metastasis is the most frequent cause of death from colon and other cancers. Generally, liver metastasis is recalcitrant to treatment. The aim of this study is to determine the efficacy of tumor-targeting Salmonella typhimurium A1-R on liver metastasis in orthotopic mouse models. HT-29 human colon cancer cells expressing red fluorescent protein (RFP) were used in the present study. S. typhimurium A1-R infected HT-29 cells in a time-dependent manner, inhibiting cancer-cell proliferation in vitro. S. typhimurium A1-R promoted tumor necrosis and inhibited tumor growth in a subcutaneous tumor mouse model of HT-29-RFP. In orthotopic mouse models, S. typhimurium A1-R targeted liver metastases and significantly reduced their growth. The results of this study demonstrate the future clinical potential of S. typhimurium A1-R targeting of liver metastasis.     

Prolongation of the Q-T interval in lithium toxicity.

A patient with lithium intoxication and Q-T prolongation is described. As serum lithium levels fell with therapy, serial electrocardiograms (ECGs) demonstrated T wave changes more commonly associated with lithium. All changes were ultimately reversible.