Effects of inter-alpha-inhibitor and several of its derivatives on calcium oxalate crystallization in vitro

The bikunin peptide chain of the protease inhibitor inter-alpha-inhibitor (IalphaI) has been reported to be an inhibitor of calcium oxalate (CaOx) crystallization, and hence has been proposed as having a role in CaOx kidney stone formation. However, further experimental evidence is required to assess if fragments of IalphaI other than bikunin may play a role in the regulation of crystallization events in stone formation. The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of IalphaI and several of its derivatives on CaOx crystallization in a seeded inorganic system and to compare these effects with those of a known inhibitor of crystallization, prothrombin. IalphaI was purified from a preparation of human plasma and fragmented by alkaline hydrolysis, and two of its peptide chains, bikunin and heavy chain 1 (H1), were purified further by HPLC. Their purity was confirmed by SDS/PAGE. Using Coulter counter and [(14)C]oxalate analysis and scanning electron microscopy, IalphaI, its H1 chain and bikunin from urine and from plasma were shown to be relatively weak inhibitors of CaOx crystallization in vitro at expected physiological concentrations. It was concluded that members of the IalphaI family may not be as important in kidney stone formation as has been generally proposed, although further studies are required before a possible role for IalphaI and its fragments in stone formation can be unambiguously discounted.     

超声和微泡造影剂介导细胞基因转染的实验研究

目的 探讨低频超声对细胞基因转染的作用。方法 超声治疗仪频率1MHz，脉冲重复频率100Hz，占空系数20％。质粒DNA为含编码绿荧光蛋白的pEGFP。应用荧光显微镜和流式细胞仪评价细胞基因转染率，台盼蓝染色计算细胞成活率。选用C2C12、3T3-MDEI和CHO3种细胞系为研究对象，加入DNA后辐照不同声强、时间或加入超声造影剂，观察各条件下的细胞基因转染率和成活率。结果 ①超声介导的基因转染与声强和辐射时间有关，最佳剂量为1w／cm^2 20s；②同样超声剂量，较高的声强较早达到最大基因转染率；③较低剂量时，微泡造影剂可使超声介导的基因转染提高2～3倍并可显著提高最高基因转染率。结论 低频超声可介导细胞基因转染，基因转染率不但与超声辐射剂量有关，而且同样剂量时，高声强较早达到最大基因转染率，最佳剂量是1w／cm^2 20s。同时，微泡造影剂可提高超声介导基因转染的最高转染率。     

骨纤维结构不良的诊断和治疗进展

目的:对长期以来关于骨纤维结构不良大量相关研究及文献进行回顾,综述骨纤维结构不良的诊断和治疗的最新进展。资料来源:通过计算机互联网检索OVID数据库1966-01/2006-10关于骨纤维结构不良的文献,检索词:Osteofibrous dysplasia,限定语言种类为English。同时检索1994-01/2006-10中国全文期刊数据库有关骨纤维结构不良的文献,检索词为:骨纤维结构不良,限定语言种类为中文。资料选择:选择与骨纤维结构不良相关的观察对比研究、经验总结、个案报道、最新研究进展等文献,力求资料全面,排除重复研究。资料提炼:共收集相关国内外文献41篇,排除重复性研究11篇,采用30篇,包括关于骨纤维结构不良定义、发病机制、病理、诊断及治疗等。资料综合:①骨纤维结构不良是一种起源于纤维组织的良性骨肿瘤。发病率低、误诊率高。目前具体发病机制不明,现认为与常染色体显性遗传有关。②骨纤维结构不良好发于胫骨,症状为局部肿块。特征性影像学表现为胫骨中段前侧皮质膨胀性密度减低。确诊方法为病理检查。重点与骨纤维异常增殖症、造釉细胞瘤相鉴别,现有大量研究证明该病与造釉细胞瘤有联系。③治疗上过去认为10岁以前应保守治疗,10岁后选择手术治疗,目前倾向于早期骨膜外切除手术治疗。结论:骨纤维结构不良发病率低,对该病认识较少,误诊率较高,重点需与骨纤维异常增殖症、造釉细胞瘤相鉴别,应提高对该病的认识与重视程度,对可疑者行病理检查,确诊者行骨膜外切除,切除范围较大的病例行重建手术。     

Pharmacokinetics of Cefovecin in Cynomolgus Macaques (Macaca fascicularis), Olive Baboons (Papio anubis), and Rhesus Macaques (Macaca mulatta)

Cefovecin sodium is a long-acting, third-generation, cephalosporin antibiotic approved for the treatment of skin infections in dogs and cats. The pharmacokinetic properties of cefovecin were evaluated in cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis), olive baboons (Papio anubis), and rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) by using a single-dose (8 mg/kg SC) dosing regimen. Plasma cefovecin concentrations were determined by using ultra-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry, and a noncompartmental model was used to determine pharmacokinetic parameters. The half-life of cefovecin was 4.95 ± 1.47 h in cynomolgus macaques, 9.17 ± 1.84 h in olive baboons, and 8.40 ± 2.53 h in rhesus macaques. These values are considerably lower than the half-lives previously published for dogs (133 h) and cats (166 h). The extended half-life of cefovecin in dogs and cats is speculated to be due to active reabsorption of drug in the kidney tubules because plasma clearance is well below the normal glomerular filtration rate. In nonhuman primates, renal clearance rates approximated plasma clearance rates, suggesting that active renal reabsorption of cefovecin does not occur in these species. The pharmacokinetic properties of cefovecin in nonhuman primates are vastly different from the pharmacokinetic properties in dogs and cats, precluding its use as a long-acting antibiotic in nonhuman primates. This study highlights the importance of performing pharmacokinetic studies prior to extralabel drug usage.Abbreviation: AUC, area under the drug concentration–time curve.Cefovecin sodium (Convenia, Pfizer Animal Health, New York, NY) is a recently developed third-generation cephalosporin antibiotic labeled for the treatment of skin infections in dogs and cats.¹¹ Cephalosporins are bactericidal, β-lactam antibiotics that act by interfering with bacterial cell-wall synthesis, and are active against a wide range of organisms.¹² In particular, third-generation cephalosporins have excellent broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity.¹² Cefovecin is administered to both dogs and cats as a single, subcutaneous dose of 8 mg/kg.¹¹ After injection, therapeutic drug concentrations are maintained in dogs for 7 d for Staphylococcus intermedius infections and for 14 d for Staphylococcus canis (group G) infections, whereas therapeutic concentrations are maintained in cats for approximately 7 d for Pasteurella multocida infections.¹¹A long-acting antibiotic such as cefovecin would be advantageous for treating nonhuman primates, among which animals may be housed in group cages or large outdoor corrals and access to individual animals for daily dosing is problematic. Injectable medications often are preferred over oral dosing in nonhuman primates because oral administration is dependent on appetite and individual taste preferences, making this route of administration less reliable.³ A long-acting injectable antibiotic would decrease the stress placed on animals otherwise requiring daily or even more frequent dosing. For these reasons, we investigated the possibility of using cefovecin against pathogenic bacteria in nonhuman primates. We hypothesized that the pharmacokinetics of cefovecin in nonhuman primates might be similar to those in dogs and cats, thereby supporting its use as a long-acting antibiotic in nonhuman primates. We therefore conducted a pharmacokinetics study of cefovecin in 3 species of nonhuman primates commonly used in research.     

H-2-restricted cytotoxic effectors generated in vitro by the addition of trinitrophenyl-conjugated soluble proteins

Murine spleen cells from normal donors were cultured in vitro with trinitrobenzene sulfonate (TNBS)-conjugated soluble proteins, i.e., bovine gamma globulin (TNP-BGG) or bovine serum albumin (TNP-BSA). Addition of 100 μg of any of these TNP-proteins to the spleen cell cultures led to the generation of cytotoxic T-cell effectors which were H-2-restricted and TNP- specific. The lytic potential of such effectors was comparable to that generated by sensitization with TNBS-modified syngeneic cells, and was restricted to haplotypes shared at the K or K plus I-A, or the D regions of the H-2 complex. Greater effecter cell activity was generated by addition of TNP-BGG against TNBS-modified targets which shared K plus I-A than against modified targets which shared the D region with the responding cells, which suggests that the same immune response genes are involved when the response is generated by the addition of TNP-conjugated soluble proteins or of TNBS- modified cells. H-2-restricted, TNP-specific effecter cells were generated by culturing mouse spleen cells with syngeneic cells which had been preincubated with TNP- BGG or TNP-BSA for 1.5 h. The addition of unconjugated soluble proteins to the cultures did not result in cytotoxic effectors detectable on H-2-matched targets, whether the targets were prepared by modification with TNBS, or by incubation with either the unconjugated or TNP-conjugated proteins. Depletion of phagocytic cells in the tumor preparation by Sephadex G-10 column fractionation before incubation with TNP-BSA had no effect on their lysis by the relevant effector cells. Immunofluorescent staining of tumor target cells with anti-TNP antibodies indicated that TNP could be detected on the tumor cells within 10 rain of incubation with TNP-BSA. The cytotoxic response generated by addition of the TNP-proteins to spleen cell cultures was found to be T-cell dependent at the effector phase, as shown by the sensitivity of the lytic phase to absorbed RAMB and complement. Furthermore, the response did not appear to be attributable to antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. Three mechanisms were considered which could account for the generation of H-2-restricted, TNP-specific, cytotoxic T-cell effectors by the addition of soluble TNP-proteins. These include covalent linkage of activated TNP groups from the soluble proteins to cell surface components, macrophage processing of the soluble conjugates and presentation to the responding lymphocytes in association with H-2-coded self structures, or hydrophobic interaction of the TNP-proteins to cell surfaces. Results obtained from sodium dodecyl sulfate gel patterns indicating that cell-bound TNP was still linked to BSA, and the observation that phagocytic-depleted cells could interact with the soluble TNP-proteins and function as H-2-restricted targets, appear not to favor the first two proposed mechanisms.     

无牙颌颞下颌关节紊乱病患者总义齿修复前后咬合垂直距离改变与髁状突在关节凹内位置的关系

目的:观察咬合垂直距离改变对无牙颌颞下颌关节紊乱病患者两侧颞颌关节髁状突位置的影响。方法:于1994-01/1997-12选择本院口腔修复门诊收治的无牙颌患者中符合颞下颌关节紊乱病诊断标准,同时垂直距离减低的患者48例。实验方案经医院伦理委员会审批,患者均知情同意。将48例无牙颌颞下颌关节紊乱病患者根据垂直距离减低程度的不同分为3组:减低1.8～6.0mm组18例,减低6.1～10.0mm组20例,减低10.1￣14.0mm组10例。通过重新制作一副全口义齿的方法治疗,咬合垂直距离恢复在合适的范围内,3组全口义齿的咬合垂直距离恢复前分别平均为63.4,60.6,54.2mm,恢复后咬合垂直距离分别平均为67.8,68.4,66.4mm,平均抬高4.4,7.8,12.2mm。通过拍摄正中颌位时颞下颌关节薛氏位X射线片测量各组前、后、上关节间隙。结果:垂直距离恢复前,减低1.8～6.0mm组关节后间隙,减低6.1～10.0mm组关节前、后间隙、减低10.1￣14.0mm组关节上、后间隙左右侧相比较,差异有显著性意义(P<0.05)。垂直距离恢复后,3组关节间隙左右侧差异无显著性意义。结论:无牙颌咬合垂直距离减低后可以导致两侧髁状突位置发生不对称改变。     

Blockade of ischaemic preconditioning in dogs by the novel ATP dependent potassium channel antagonist sodium 5-hydroxydecanoate.

OBJECTIVE: The aims were: (1) to determine if a new ischaemia selective ATP dependent potassium (KATP) channel antagonist, sodium 5-hydroxydecanoate (5-HD), blocks ischaemic preconditioning in dogs; (2) to determine whether a small intracoronary dose of glibenclamide, a classical sulphonylurea KATP channel antagonist, could block ischaemic preconditioning independent of systemic metabolic effects. METHODS: Barbitone anaesthetised dogs were subjected to 60 min of left circumflex coronary artery occlusion followed by 5 h of reperfusion. Preconditioning was produced by a single 5 min left circumflex occlusion followed by 10 min of reperfusion prior to the 60 min occlusion period. 5-HD (150 micrograms.kg-1 x min-1) or vehicle was given by intracoronary infusion into the ischaemic region over 20 min, beginning 15 min prior to the 60 min occlusion period in the presence or absence of preconditioning. Glibenclamide (3 micrograms.kg-1 x min-1) was given by intracoronary infusion into the left circumflex artery during the 5 min preconditioning period or during the first 5 min of occlusion in preconditioned or non-preconditioned dogs. Transmural myocardial blood flow was measured by radioactive microspheres and infarct size determined by triphenyltetrazolium staining and expressed as a percent of the area at risk. RESULTS: There were no differences in haemodynamic variables, myocardial blood flow, area at risk, or blood glucose between groups. Infarct size was markedly reduced in preconditioned dogs compared to control animals, at 7(SEM 2)% v 29(4)%, p < 0.05 The reduction in infarct size by preconditioning was blocked completely by intracoronary 5-HD, or by intracoronary glibenclamide given during preconditioning or during the first 5 min of the prolonged occlusion period. Neither 5-HD nor glibenclamide affected infarct size in the absence of preconditioning at the doses studied. CONCLUSIONS: These results further strengthen the hypothesis that activation of myocardial KATP channels is involved in the mechanism of ischaemic preconditioning in dogs.     

Percutaneous coronary intervention for acute myocardial infarction in a patient with dextrocardia

Situs inversus with dextrocardia is a rare congenital anomaly. There are limited published case reports of successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in these patients who have atherosclerotic coronary artery disease, especially when presenting with acute myocardial infarction. PCI is technically difficult because of mirror image dextrocardia. We hereby describe a 48-yr-old female, who had acute inferior wall myocardial infarction and underwent successful emergency primary coronary angioplasty and stenting of a proximally occluded right coronary artery. Technical details about PCI are discussed.