Methylprednisolone Inhibits the Expression of Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein and Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycans in Reactivated Astrocytes

创伤后的神经胶质增生导致硫酸软骨素蛋白聚糖(CSPG)的显著表达,从而抑制轴突生长和再生。甲基强地松龙(MP),一种合成的糖皮质激素,在急性脊髓损伤(SCI)的治疗中有神经保护作用和抗炎效应。但是,MP对于CSPG在活性胶质细胞中的表达的作用尚不清楚。本文用a-氨基-3-羟基-5-甲基-4-异恶唑丙酸酯(AM-PA)诱导星形胶质细胞再活化,用环噻嗪模拟SCI的兴奋性中毒刺激。AMPA治疗后,星形胶质细胞再活化的标志物-胶质纤维酸性蛋白(GFAP)、CSPG神经聚糖和磷酸盐的表达都显著上调。AMPA治疗星形胶质细胞的条件培养液强烈抑制大鼠背根神经节中神经元的轴突生长,但这种作用能被MP的预处理所逆转。此外,MP下调成年SCI大鼠中GFAP和CSPG的表达,对抗RU486的糖皮质激素受体(GR)和GR si RNA能逆转MP对GFAP和神经聚糖表达的抑制作用。这些结果提示,MP能在兴奋性中毒损伤后通过GR介导的星形胶质细胞再活化下调和GSPG表达抑制来改善神经修复,促进轴突生长。     

Pacemaker Mediated Tachycardias In Single Chamber Rate Responsive Pacing

LAU, C.-P., ET AL.: Pacemaker Mediated Tachycardias In Single Chamber Rate Responsive Pacing. Although pacemaker mediated tachycardias are classically associated with dual chamber pacemakers, single chamber rate responsive pacemakers are also susceptible to such tachycardias under special circumstances. A unipolar activity sensing rate responsive pacemaker (Activitrax 8403) was implanted in an 83-year-old man with complete atrioventricular block. The pacemaker was programmed at an output of 5 V, activity threshold medium, rate response 5, and lower and upper rates of 70 and 125 beats/min, respectively. He presented with palpitations at rest and muscle twitching of the pacemaker pocket 4 months after implantation. Examination confirmed that the pacemaker had flipped over, resulting in pocket pacing which in turn activated the activity sensor, resulting in a rate response. The increase in pacing rate lead to a higher frequency of pocket pacing, thus leading to positive feedback increase in rate. With the patient at rest, pacemaker mediated rates were 106, 91, and 74 beats/min at low, medium and high thresholds, respectively. Decreasing the output to 2.5 V eliminated pocket pacing and the tachycardia. As a result of the reversal of the pacemaker, a similar rate response during exercise could only be achieved at a more sensitive rate responsive setting. Thus, pacemaker mediated tachycardia can complicate pacemaker "flipping" in single chamber activity sensing rate responsive pacemakers. Methods for the avoidance and treatment of pacemaker flipping are discussed. A review of other sensor mediated tachycardias is also presented.     

基于反转恢复实时快速小角度激发成像的心肌T1值量化方法

目的验证反转恢复实时快速小角度激发(IR-rttfl)成像的心肌T1量化方法。方法对仿体、健康志愿者和心肌坏死患者分别进行成像,在3.0T磁场中使用IR-rttfl的扫描方法量化心肌T1值,与MOLLI方法的结果进行对比,并将T1量化的结果用于分析心肌的异常区域。结果 IR-rttfl方法将扫描时间缩短到6s以内,T1量化结果比MOLLI方法更准确,并且能够有效区分患者心肌的异常区域。结论这种方法能够有效抑制心律不齐造成的影响,提高心肌T1量化结果的准确性,对心肌坏死的诊断具有重要意义。     

Nitric oxide expression in airway epithelial cells in response to tubercle bacilli stimulation

Abstract In order to investigate the role of airway epithelial cells in pulmonary tuberculosis, inducible nitric oxide synthetase (iNOS) expression and nitric oxide (NO) production were studied in A549 cells. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from normal volunteers were separated and cultured for 24h with LPS or tubercle bacilli (H37Rv, H37Ra). Thereafter, A549 cells were stimulated for another 24h with culture supernatant fluids of PBMC. iNOS messenger RNA (mRNA) expression was measured with Northern blot analysis and NO production was measured with the Griess reaction, which can measure nitrite concentration. iNOS mRNA expression and NO production were minimal in the control cells. iNOS mRNA expression and NO production were significantly increased with LPS ( P < 0.05) or tubercle bacilli ( P < 0.01) stimulation. However, there was no difference in iNOS mRNA expression and NO production between H37Rv and H37Ra stimulations. Interestingly, iNOS mRNA expression and NO production were greater in A549 cells stimulated with tubercle bacilli-conditioned media than in the cells stimulated with LPS-conditioned media. IL-1β, tumour necrosis factor-alpha and interferon gamma concentrations were increased in culture supernatant fluids of PBMC stimulated with tubercle bacilli. These findings suggest that airway epithelial cells may play a certain role in the pathogenesis of pulmonary tuberculosis by producing NO. However, the role of airway epithelial cells, regarding the virulence of tubercle bacilli, was not clear in this study.     

A Prospective,Randomized Comparison of Modified Pulmonary Vein Isolation Versus Conventional Pulmonary Vein Isolation in Patients with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation

Modified Pulmonary Vein Isolation in AF Ablation. Introduction: Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is the primary ablation therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We hypothesized that high dominant frequency (DF) sites (AF nests during sinus rhythm [SR]) adjacent to the PV ostia are associated with the atrial substrate that maintains AF, and PVI incorporating the high‐frequency AF nests may have a higher efficacy. Methods and Results: In a prospective and randomized comparison, 126 symptomatic paroxysmal AF patients that underwent PVI were enrolled. We compared the efficacy of a modified PVI (ablation line: 1.0–1.5 cm from the PV ostium with encircling the AF nests [spectral analysis with DF >70 Hz during SR, Group II]) versus the anatomy‐guided conventional PVI (Group I). In Group II, the DF value along the PV ostium was lower than 70 Hz after the PVI. The primary endpoint was the freedom from symptomatic atrial arrhythmias after a single procedure. We also followed the autonomic function by a time‐domain analysis of the heart rate variability. In both groups, AF nests were observed and electric isolation was successfully obtained in all patients. With a mean duration of 16 ± 6.1 months of follow‐up, Group II had a higher single procedure efficacy without drugs (78.7% vs 66.1%, log‐rank test: P = 0.02), and fewer repeat procedures (6.6% vs 23%; P = 0.04), as compared to Group I. Conclusion: PVI incorporating the high frequency AF nests adjacent to the PV ostia had a better single procedure efficacy. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 23, pp. 1155–1162, November 2012)     

Prophylactic control of post‐operative nausea and vomiting using ondansetron and ramosetron after cardiac surgery

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of ondansetron and ramosetron in the reduction of post‐operative nausea and vomiting (PONV) associated with patient‐controlled analgesia (PCA) after cardiac surgery. Methods: A total of 320 patients scheduled for elective cardiac surgery were enrolled. Patients were randomly assigned to one of four treatment regimens (n=80 in each group): no prophylactic antiemetics (group P); intravenous (i.v.) ondansetron 4 mg at the end of surgery and 12 mg added to PCA (group O); i.v. ramosetron 0.3 mg at the end of surgery and no antiemetics added to PCA (group R1); and i.v. ramosetron 0.3 mg at the end of surgery and 0.6 mg added to PCA (group R2). Results: The incidence of PONV during the 48‐h post‐operative period was lower in groups O (46%), R1 (54%), and R2 (35%) compared with group P (71%, P<0.001). The incidence and severity of nausea were lower in groups O, R1, and R2 than in group P during the 24‐h post‐operative period, whereas the incidence and severity of nausea during 24–48 h after surgery were lower in groups O and R2, but not in group R1, than in group P. Compared with group P (53%), the frequency of rescue antiemetic usage was significantly lower in groups O (34%) and R2 (29%), but not in group R1 (43%). Conclusion: The addition of either ondansetron or ramosetron to PCA can reduce the incidence of PONV during 48 h after cardiac surgery.     

Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery in Asia

Laparoscopic colorectal surgery in Asia has gone a long way since 1992. In this article, the authors attempted to unfold the history of laparoscopic colorectal surgery in Asia, and report on the latest development. It is concluded that laparoscopic colorectal surgery will continue to flourish in Asia, and we will be entering a new era of endo‐laparoscopic surgery and robotic assisted laparoscopic surgery.     

Primary structure of fox pituitary growth hormone

Tryptic digests of fox growth hormone (fGH) were separated by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and by paper electrophoresis. From the amino acid composition of these tryptic peptides and from their alignment with the expected tryptic peptides from bovine growth hormone (bGH), the primary structure of fGH is proposed. There are only 17 amino acid residues which are different in these two growth hormone molecules.     

CYSTICERCOSIS CELLULOSAE IN MAhT WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO INVOLVEMENT OF CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTFM

In China human tapeworm infestation was known in ancient times, since the famous Pen Ts''ao, the Chinese Classical Herbal, written about 1,500 B.C., contains records of tapeworms and their treatment. In modern times a Report of the Research Committee of the China Missionary Medical Association published in igio(I) states that a medi- cal officer in Tsingtao saw during a period of eight years between 1899 and 1907 thirteen cases of Taenia solium and twenty-eight cases of T. saginaia among European residents. It is difficult to be certain that these casos were of local origin. The Same report contains records of tapeworms (species not specified) from other parts of China, one case from each of the provinces of Chihli (Hopei), Hunan and Chekiang, three cases from Peking (Peiping) and three cases from Hankow, and also the entry "tapeworms not common; variety T. soliunn" for Man- churia. In 1912 Clark (z) reported a case of T. solium in the province of Yunnan and remarked that taenia infestation was common in that province.