脾胃虚寒型慢性萎缩性胃炎患者胃经穴位电阻分析

目的：测试并分析脾胃虚寒型慢性萎缩性胃炎(chronic atrophic gastritis, CAG)患者胃经穴位的电阻值,总结疾病状态下胃经的虚实状况,用以指导针灸临床治疗。方法收集2010年1月－2013年12月中国人民解放军第306医院中医科83例脾胃虚寒型CAG患者,应用体表电阻测量法测定双侧胃经厉兑、内庭、陷谷、冲阳、解溪、丰隆、足三里、梁丘穴电阻,以穴位向外侧旁开1 cm处作为非穴区电阻对照点。采用朱氏耳廓全息检测仪,在每个穴位测量点(约0.5 cm2)自动检测20个点的电阻,以平均电阻值作为该穴的电阻值。结果冲阳穴左侧电阻值为(9.64±2.03)k?,右侧电阻值为(9.68±2.02)k?,显著低于同侧其他穴位(P＜0.01);梁丘穴左侧电阻值为(13.44±2.11)k?,右侧电阻值为(13.68±2.12)k?,显著高于同侧其他穴位(P＜0.01)。结论脾胃虚寒型CAG患者胃经穴位电阻值不同,体现了胃经诸穴的不同虚实状况和本病脾胃虚弱为本、气滞血瘀为标的基本病机。     

Homocysteine and nitrite levels are modulated by MTHFR 677C>T polymorphism in obese women treated with simvastatin

Higher homocysteine (Hcy) levels are associated with cardiovascular risk. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of simvastatin treatment on circulating Hcy levels in obese women without hypertension, diabetes or dyslipidaemia; and to determine whether the 677C>T polymorphism located in methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (NAD(P)H) (MTHFR) gene modulates the effects of this treatment on Hcy and nitrite (as a biomarker of nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability). Twenty‐five obese women (body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m²) who had received 20 mg/day simvastatin for 6 weeks were enrolled in the study. Venous blood samples were collected to measure plasma biomarkers and gene polymorphisms. Simvastatin treatment significantly reduced total cholesterol, low‐density lipoprotein–cholesterol, thiobarbituric acid‐reactive substances, high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein and Hcy, whereas nitrite levels were increased. The reduction in Hcy levels in carriers of the T allele was ?20.3% compared with –9.4% in patients with the CC genotype. Importantly, before treatment, nitrite levels were significantly higher in patients with the CC genotype compared with T allele carriers, whereas after treatment these levels were similar between groups. Our findings demonstrate that obese women without comorbidities and carrying the T variant of the 677C>T polymorphism of MTHFR exhibit benefits with simvastatin treatment, mainly in terms of increased NO levels.     

Co-expressing GP5 and M proteins under different promoters in recombinant modified vaccinia virus ankara (rMVA)-based vaccine vector enhanced the humoral and cellular immune responses of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV)

The porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) has three major structural proteins which designated as GP5, M, and N. Protein GP5 and M have been considered very important to arouse the humoral and cellular immune responses against PRRSV infection and proposed to be the excellent candidate proteins in the design of PRRS bioengineering vaccine. There were some attempts on expressing GP5 or M in DNA vaccine and adenovirus to arouse humoral and cellular immune responses, but few papers have been reported on that the immune response can be difference because of the expression patterns of GP5 and M proteins in the recombinant virus. In this article, four recombinant viruses that expressed GP5 and M proteins of PRRSV in the modified vaccinia virus ankara (MVA) with different expression patterns were made. In these recombinant virus (rMVAs), GP5 and M proteins were expressed in MVA in the same virus but under the control of two promoters (rMVA-GP5/M), or as a fusion protein under one promoter (rMVA-GP5-M), or separately (rMVA-GP5 and rMVA-M). The humoral and cellular immune responses for the four recombinant viruses were evaluated with mouse model. Every mouse was inoculated with 5 × 10⁵ TCID₅₀ of the different rMVAs and boosted 3 weeks later. Neutralizing antibody titers for each group were detected with virus neutralization test assay weekly after the primary inoculation for 13 weeks to evaluate the humoral immune response. The production of gamma interferon (IFN-γ), interleukin-2 (IL-2), and interleukin-4 (IL-4) was detected in splenocytes of rMVA-inoculated mice at 30, 60, and 90 days post inoculation to evaluate the cellular immune response. Results showed that rMVA-GP5 and rMVA-M cannot induce obvious humoral and cellular immune responses; rMVA-GP5-M inoculated group developed better immune responses than rMVA-GP5 and rMVA-M inoculated groups; however, mice inoculated with rMVA-GP5/M maintained the strongest cellular response against PRRS and consistently enhanced the anti-PRRSV humoral responses. The strategy of co-expressing PRRSV GP5 and M protein in MVA under the control of different promoters might be an attractive method for future PRRSV vaccine design. Co-first authors have same contribution for this article.     

Molecular cloning and sequence analysis of the duck enteritis virus UL5 gene

Duck enteritis virus (DEV) is a herpesvirus that causes an acute, contagious, and fatal disease. In the present article, the DEV UL5 gene was cloned and sequenced from a vaccine virus. According to the consensus sequence of herpesvirus UL5 and UL3 gene degenerate oligonucleotide primers were designed and were used in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify DNA products with 4577 bp in size. DNA sequence analysis revealed a 2568 bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding a 855 amino acid polypeptide homologous to herpesvirus UL5 proteins. The DEV UL5 gene has a base composition of 769 adenine (29.95%), 556 cytosine (21.65%), 533 guanine (20.76%) and 710 thymine (27.65%). Sequence comparison revealed that the nucleotide sequence of the DEV UL5 gene was highly similar to other alphaherpesviruses. Phylogenetic tree analysis showed that the fifteen herpesviruses viruses analyzed fell into four large groups, and the duck enteritis virus itself branched and was most closely related to meleagrid herpesvirus 1, gallid herpesvirus 2 and gallid herpesvirus 3 subtrees.     

Diagnostic value of liquid-based (Liqui-PREP) preparations and interobserver reproducibility in fine needle aspiration cytology of the nodular thyroid lesions

The aim of this study is to define the diagnostic role of Liqui-Prep (LP) technique for the diagnosis of thyroid lesions and to assess interobserver variabilities. In all, 98 thyroid FNA (fine needle aspiration) cytology samples from 83 patients for preoperative evaluation of thyroid nodules, prepared by the LP, were examined. The LP slides were independently evaluated by three pathologists and they were classified into the five categories according to the Bethesda system. The histopathologic diagnoses were grouped as follows: benign, follicular neoplasm, and malignant. Agreements between LP and histopathologic diagnoses were investigated using kappa values. Marginal homogenity and kappa tests were used for statistical analysis for the evaluation of the agreement between the pathologists and the interobserver variability of the thyroid aspiration cytology results. The presence of nucleoli, nuclear grooving, overlapping, intranuclear inclusion, and nuclear irregularity were recorded and scored on each case based on LP slide review. Concurrences between LP and the histologic diagnoses for the three pathologists were almost perfect (k = 0.798; k = 0.826; k = 0.880). When the observers were paired there was no significant difference from the diagnostic point of view. Interobserver agreement among the three pathologists was moderate. Initially diagnostic difficulties may occur because of the inadequate experience of the pathologists concerning the evaluation of the cytologic changes associated with this new technique. Liqui-Prep technique is useful for the cytologic diagnosis of the thyroid nodules. The nuclear irregularity was the most essential feature for the differentiation of malignant lesions from follicular neoplasm by the LP method.     

Mucoid cyst of the penile skin: A rare entity

A 9-year old male patient was admitted to our clinic for circumcision. Physical examination revealed a mass in the prepuce. After excision of the mass, histopathological examination was consistent with a mucoid cyst of the penile skin, which has been rarely reported. Pathologists and clinicians dealing with genitourinary system pathology should be familiar with this rarely encountered entity.     

Canthaxanthin induces apoptosis in human cancer cell lines

To investigate the possibility that canthaxanthin inhibits cancer cell growth by inducing apoptosis, human WiDr colon adenocarcinoma and SK- MEL-2 melanoma cells were treated with two different doses of the carotenoid for 48 h. Canthaxanthin was incorporated and/or associated to cells. The treatment with the carotenoid caused growth inhibition in both cell types. Concomitantly, apoptosis was induced. Increasing time of exposure and carotenoid concentration, this effect was more pronounced. At 48 h, the percentages of apoptotic cells were 13 and 15, using 1 microM canthaxanthin, and 18 and 20, using 10 microM canthaxanthin in WiDr and SK-MEL-2 cells, respectively. This study represents the first demonstration that canthaxanthin is able to induce apoptosis in tumour cells.      

Normal and stenotic renal arteries: experimental balloon-expandable intraluminal stenting

Elastic recoil of the vessel wall is a common cause of failure of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty in renal arteries. To oppose such recoil, balloon-expandable metal stents were implanted in artificially stenotic renal arteries in pigs and normal renal arteries in dogs and pigs. The stents were then examined angiographically and histologically at regular intervals. All stents were completely covered with endothelialized neointima in 3 weeks. There was no difference in intimal thickness between the stenotic and nonstenotic renal arteries. A large stent diameter and a large open or nonmetal surface may cause less intimal hyperplasia, but nonturbulent, fast arterial flow is probably the most important factor in ensuring long-term patency of the vessel.