Differential involvement of GABA system in mediating behavioral and neurochemical effect of acupuncture in ethanol-withdrawn rats

In our previous study we demonstrated that acupuncture at Shenmen (HT7) points suppressed a decrease of accumbal dopamine (DA) release in ethanol-withdrawn rats. Furthermore, here we found that it inhibited behavioral withdrawal signs of ethanol. In an effort to better understand the mechanisms underlying this inhibition, the potential role of GABA receptor system in acupuncture was investigated. Male Sprague–Dawley rats were treated with 3 g/kg/day of ethanol (20%, w/v) or saline by intraperitoneal injection for 21 days. Following 48 or 72 h of ethanol withdrawal, acupuncture was applied at bilateral HT7 for 1 min. The selective GABA_A antagonist bicuculline and the selective GABA_B antagonist SCH 50911 were injected intraperitoneally 20 min before acupuncture, respectively. Importantly, suppressive effects of acupuncture on DA deficiency were completely abolished by SCH 50911, but not by bicuculline, whereas ameliorating effects of acupuncture on ethanol withdrawal syndrome were completely blocked either by SCH 50911 or bicuculline. These results suggest that acupuncture at specific acupoint HT7 may normalize the DA release in the mesolimbic system and attenuate withdrawal syndrome through the GABA_B receptor system in ethanol-withdrawn rats.     

Web-based Diagnostic Imaging Service Using XML Forms

Traditionally, radiology has been conceived as a support department providing patient scanning services to the other clinical departments in a hospital. However, recent advancements in networking technology and related information systems such as picture archiving and communication system (PACS) and radiology information system (RIS) provide new opportunities for inventing different types of diagnostic imaging businesses such as teleradiology. In this article, we examined the business processes of currently operating imaging centers and proposed a prototype of an information system that can facilitate their workflows in a more efficient way. The principal component of our proposed system is a report management module built on extensible markup language (XML) technologies that allows much flexibility and convenience for both imaging technicians and radiologists.     

钙拮抗剂对出血性休克犬重要器官组织中黄嘌呤氧化酶活性的影响

在休克过程中，体内活性氧代谢与细胞内钙超负荷存在着相互影响。为了研究林克和复苏过程中钙拮抗剂对脂质过氧化的影响，用１７只杂种犬快速放血使平均动脉压为５．３２ｋｐｄ，并维持９０ｍｉｎ。然后回输全部失血。在休克３０ｍｉｎ时，各组别静脉注射（１５ｍｉｎ内）硫氮酮（４０ｇ／ｋｇ·ｍｉｎ￣（－１）），异搏定（１０μｇ／ｋｇ·ｍｉｎ￣（－１）），或等量生理盐水。复苏后１５０ｍｉｎ处死动物，取心、肝、肺、肾、胰和小肠组织备检。结果显示，用硫氮酮和异搏定治疗组，各主要脏器组织中黄嘌呤氧化酶活性和丙二醛含量均显著低于休克对照组。而各检测组织中超氧化物歧化酶活性变化不一。这些资料显示钙拮抗剂抗休克的机制与其阻滞Ｃａ２＋内流，降低组织中黄嘌呤氧化酶活性，抑制脂质过氧化有密切关系。     

一个遗传性痉挛性截瘫家系的临床特点与spastin基因突变分析

目的探讨遗传性痉挛性截瘫(hereditary spastic paraplegia,HSP)一家系的临床特点及其与spastin基因突变关系。方法对整个家系进行详细的临床检查,先证者和家系内另两例患者进行了肌电图检查,先证者还进行了胸髓核磁共振检查。应用聚合酶链反应结合DNA序列分析方法,检测该家系中先证者和其父亲spastin基因的突变情况。结果家族中所有患者具有遗传性痉挛性截瘫的典型表现,先证者胸髓核磁共振成像显示胸髓明显萎缩,PCR-DNA序列分析患者spastin基因的17个外显子均未发现有异常的突变。结论该HSP家系的患者具有典型的临床表现,并非spastin基因外显子突变所致。     

Fibrosis progression in chronic hepatitis C patients with occult hepatitis B co-infection.

Occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in individuals without hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) can be identified in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected patients. However, its role in fibrosis progression remains uncertain. This retrospective study compared the fibrosis progression (defined as fibrosis progression by at least one stage) and progression to severe fibrosis (fibrosis stage 3 or 4) in HCV patients with occult HBV infection. Occult HBV infection was diagnosed by the detection of HBV DNA in the serum of 74 consecutive anti-HCV positive patients by PCR. Thirty-one patients (41.9%) had occult HBV infection. All 74 patients had a median of 2 (range 2-3) liver biopsies. The median time between the first and last liver biopsy was 57.7 (range 15.0-132.8) months. Eleven of the 31 patients with occult HBV infection compared with 12 of the 43 patients without occult HBV infection had fibrosis progression (35.5% versus 27.9%, respectively, p=0.608). Six of the 31 patients with occult HBV infection compared with 8 of the 43 patients without occult HBV infection developed severe fibrosis (19.4% versus 18.6%, respectively, p=0.946). In conclusion, chronic HCV patients with occult HBV co-infection does not seem to progress more than patients without occult HBV infection. However, more large-scale studies are needed before a definite conclusion can be obtained.     

Characterization of chenodeoxycholic acid as an endogenous antagonist of the G-coupled formyl peptide receptors

OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN: To demonstrate the role of bile acids in immune modulation we examined the ability of select bile acids to inhibit leukocyte migration and chemoattractant receptor function. MATERIALS: To elucidate this mechanism, we employed primary human monocytes, neutrophils and cell lines transfected to express either the high affinity fMLP receptor (FPR) or the low affinity fMLP receptor like 1 (FPRL1). Treatment: Cells were treated with chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) and related bile acids in a 0-400 micromolar range. METHOD: Cell viability, chemotaxis and calcium flux analysis were preformed. RESULTS: We observed that pathophysiological levels (< or = 150 micromolar) of CDCA competitively inhibited 3H-fMLP binding to human monocytes, FPR and FPRL1 transfected cells. Additionally, CDCA reduced both the chemotactic and calcium flux responses induced by fMLP or "W" peptide. Further, CDCA inhibited anti-FPR antibody binding to monocytes. CONCLUSIONS: CDCA selectively inhibited human leukocyte chemotaxis and calcium flux induced by fMLP, but not other chemoattractants, suggesting a mechanism for inhibition of inflammation and suppression of innate immune response.     

Relation of latex-specific IgE titer and symptoms in patients allergic to latex

BACKGROUND: The relation between latex-specific IgE titer and the type or total number of latex-induced symptoms has not been previously investigated. OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the association of latex-IgE in vitro assay results with the type, number, or severity of symptoms in patients allergic to latex. METHODS: Ninety-one patients with positive histories and positive skin test responses were identified as having type I allergy. Data was collected for reported symptoms after latex exposure. Symptom severity was quantitated by 2 scores: (1) the total number of symptoms to latex exposure and (2) a symptom severity score (3 = anaphylaxis, 2 = asthma, and 1 = rhinoconjunctivitis, urticaria, or both). All subjects underwent AlaSTAT and CAP tests. RESULTS: AlaSTAT class was associated with total number of symptoms (r = 0.32, P <.001) and severity score (r = 0.33, P <.002). Similarly, CAP class was associated with both number of symptoms (r = 0.32, P <. 0001) and severity score (r = 0.31, P <.001). Among the symptoms reported, asthma had the strongest association with a positive in vitro IgE assay (odds ratio = 6.7 [95% confidence interval = 1.9, 25. 6]), followed by urticaria (odds ratio = 1.9 [95% confidence interval = 0.8, 4.6]). Contact dermatitis had no statistical association with in vitro assays in this study. AlaSTAT and CAP class correlated together significantly (r = 0.58, P <.001). CONCLUSION: Patients allergic to latex with higher AlaSTAT or CAP class were more symptomatic. Increasing class or titer also predicted more severe symptoms. Higher class of either the AlaSTAT or CAP assay to latex was strongly associated with latex-related asthma and urticaria and marginally associated with latex-related rhinoconjunctivitis.     

Defects in neurofibromatosis 2 protein function can arise at multiple levels

Neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2) is an inherited cancer syndrome resulting from mutations in the NF2 tumor suppressor gene. Analysis of NF2 mutations has revealed some general genotype-phenotype correlations. Severe disease has been associated with mutations that produce a premature termination while more mild disease has been associated with missense mutations. Here, we provide experimental proof for these genotype-phenotype correlations by demonstrating that nonsense mutations fail to produce stable merlin protein while missense mutations result in the generation of merlin proteins defective in negative growth regulation. This inability to suppress cell growth may result from defects in the function of merlin at several levels, including failure to form an intramolecular complex. Based on these findings, we propose a model for merlin growth suppression that provides a framework for analyzing NF2 patient mutations and merlin function.      

Detection of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptosis in human fragmented embryos

In human in-vitro fertilization (IVF)-embryo transfer, the in-vitro culture environment differs from in-vivo conditions in that the oxygen concentration is higher, and in such conditions the mouse embryos show a higher concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in simple culture media. ROS are believed to cause damage to cell membranes and DNA fragmentation in somatic cells. This study was conducted to ascertain the level of H2O2 concentration within embryos and the morphological features of cell damage induced by H2O2. A total of 62 human oocytes and embryos (31 fragmented, 15 non-fragmented embryos, 16 unfertilized oocytes) was obtained from the IVF-embryo transfer programme. The relative intensity of H2O2 concentrations within embryos was measured using 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate by Quanti cell 500 fluorescence imaging and DNA fragmentation was observed with transmission electron microscopy and an in-situ apoptosis detection kit. The H2O2 concentrations were significantly higher in fragmented embryos (72.21 +/- 9.62, mean +/- SEM) compared to non-fragmented embryos (31.30 +/- 3.50, P < 0.05) and unfertilized oocytes (30.75 +/- 2.67, P < 0.05). Apoptosis was observed only in fragmented embryos, and was absent in non-fragmented embryos. Electron microscopic findings confirmed apoptotic bodies and cytoplasmic condensation in the fragmented blastomeres. We conclude that there is a direct relationship between increased H2O2 concentration and apoptosis, and that further studies should be undertaken to confirm these findings.