急性分离的大鼠骶髓后连合核神经元由抑制性氨基酸诱导的电流反应(英文)

应用制霉菌素穿孔全细胞电压钳技术．在急性分离的大鼠骶髓后连合核（SDCN）神经元上，研究抑制性氨基酸诱导的反应的电生理学和药理学特性。当钳制电压为-40mV时，γ-氨基丁酸（GABA）、甘氨酸（Gly）和牛磺酸（Tau）均诱导产生内向电流。它们的EC50值分别是GABA5．2×10-5M，Gly4．0×10-5M及Tau1．6×10-4M。其Hill系数分别为GABA1．21，Gly1．27和Tau1．23。所有这些电流均在膜电位为-1．8mV左右时翻转。此外．Tau和Gly反应问还存在很强的交叉脱敏。结果提示，GABAA，Gly和Tau作为递质，通过受体Cl-通道复合体．在调节SDCN社经元伤害性传递中可能有重要作用。     

Evaluation and Validation of an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay and an Immunochromatographic Test for Serological Diagnosis of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome

A newly developed severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was further validated to confirm cutoff values and evaluate its diagnostic performance with clinical samples. In parallel, an immunochromatographic test was also evaluated. A total of 227 clinical serum specimens collected from SARS patients were used in the study, together with 385 samples from healthy donors. By use of an immunofluorescent (IF) test as the “gold standard, ” both the ELISA and the immunochromatographic test were able to detect immunoglobulin G antibodies to SARS not only from late-convalescent-stage samples (>21 days from the onset of clinical symptoms), as previously established, but also from early-acute-phase samples (1 to 10 days from onset). The ELISA, using an optical density (OD) of 0.25 as its cutoff value, produced the best sensitivity while maintaining high specificity. It detected SARS-specific antibodies in 58, 70, 75, and 95%, respectively, of the four groups of samples collected from patients 1 to 10 days, 11 to 20 days, 21 to 30 days, and more than 30 days after the onset of clinical symptoms. Similarly, the immunochromatographic test detected SARS-specific antibodies in 55, 68, 81, and 79% of the four groups, respectively. The overall specificities for the ELISA and the rapid test were 99.5 and 97.7%, respectively. Although the positive correlation observed between the ELISA OD values and the IF titers was moderate (r = 0.6915; P < 0.001), the detection rates of both the ELISA and the rapid test were found well in agreement with the IF titers.     

Development of high quantum efficiency flat panel detectors for portal imaging: intrinsic spatial resolution

Recently developed flat panel detectors have been proven to have a much better image quality than conventional electronic portal imaging devices (EPIDs). They are, however, not yet the ideal systems for portal imaging application due to the low x-ray absorption, i.e., low quantum efficiency (QE), which is typically on the order of 2-4% as compared to the theoretical limit of 100%. The QE of current flat panel systems can be improved by significantly increasing the thickness of the energy conversion layer (i.e., amorphous selenium or phosphor screen). This, however, will be at the expense of a decrease in spatial resolution mainly due to x-ray scatter in the conversion layer (and also the spread of optical photons in the case of phosphor screen). In this paper, we investigate theoretically the intrinsic spatial resolution of a high QE flat panel detector with a new energy conversion layer that is much denser and thicker than that of current flat panel systems. The modulation transfer function (MTF) of the system is calculated based on a theoretical model using a novel approach, which uses an analytical expression for absorbed dose. It is found that if appropriate materials are used for the conversion layer, then the intrinsic MTF of the high QE flat panel is better than that of current EPIDs, and in addition they have a high QE (e.g., approximately 60%). Some general rules for the design of the conversion layer to achieve both high QE and high resolution as well as high DQE are also discussed.     

胸腺细胞对胸腺止皮细胞分泌IL-6的促进作用

为分析胸腺细胞对胸腺基质细胞功能的调节作用，将胸腺细胞与小鼠胸腺上皮细胞系（ＭＴＥＣ１）共育，分析胸腺细胞对ＭＴＥＣ１分泌ＩＬ－６的影响。结果表明，胸腺细胞能明显促进ＭＴＥＣ１分泌ＩＬ－６，其促进程度与两种细胞的数量及共育时间有关。胸腺细胞（４×１０~６／孔）与ＭＴＥＣ１（１×１０~５／孔）共育４８小时，ＭＴＥＣ１分泌ＩＬ－６达高峰。去除胸腺细胞后９６小时，ＭＴＥＣ１分泌ＩＬ－６的量仍比单独培养的ＭＴＥＣＩ多１．７倍。经丝裂霉素Ｃ处理的胞腺细胞仍能促进ＭＴＥＣ１分泌ＩＬ－６，其作用程度与末经处理的胸腺细胞相似。而胸腺细胞培养上清及裂解液则不影响ＭＴＥＣ１分泌ＩＬ－６，从而证实胸腺细胞能促进ＭＴＥＣＩ分泌ＩＬ－６，其作用机制可能与细胞-细胞直接相互作用有关。     

Relationship of luteal blood flow and corpus luteum function in pseudopregnant rats

An experiment was conducted to examine whether blood flow to corpora lutea may regulate luteal function as judged from plasma levels of progesterone (P) in mature pseudopregnant rats. 141Ce-labeled microspheres (14.1 +/- 0.8 micrometer diam) were used to measure cardiac output and organ and tissue blood flow in rats on days 6, 8, 10, and 12 of pseudopregnancy and in proestrus following luteal regression. The mean arterial blood pressure and cardiac output were similar among all groups of rats. Although a significant (P less than 0.05) decrease in plasma P was observed in rats on day 12 of pseudopregnancy, no change in luteal blood flow or distribution of ovarian blood flow to the corpora lutea was seen at this stage of pseudopregnancy when compared to day 8 or 10 of pseudopregnancy. However, a significant decrease (P less than 0.05) in luteal blood flow was seen in proestrous rats. Because a decrease in plasma progesterone preceded the decrease in luteal blood flow, it was concluded that physiological luteal regression may not be initiated by a reduction of blood flow to the corpus luteum.     

The high incidence of meiotic errors increases with decreased sperm count in severe male factor infertilities

BACKGROUND:The high frequency of aneuploidy sperm raises concerns that there may be an increased incidence of aneuploid offspring in ICSI programmes. In order to assess the role that chromosome complement plays in normal and abnormal fertility, detailed molecular cytogenetic studies must be done on sperm samples from men with normal and abnormal fertility. METHODS: To understand more clearly the cytogenetic make-up of sperm from oligoasthenoteratozoospermic (OAT) patients, multi-colour fluorescence in situ hybridization was used to determine numerical chromosome abnormalities. RESULTS: Increased aneuploidy frequencies for chromosomes 13, 18, 21, X and Y were detected in sperm from OAT patients. The frequencies of diploidy also increased. There were no differences in non-disjunction at meiosis I compared to meiosis II. Sperm count inversely correlated with the frequencies of diploidy, aneuploidies for chromosomes 13 and 21 in OAT patients. Twenty-two cycles of ICSI and 18 embryo transfers were performed in 20 couples. Only three cases achieved successful pregnancies. CONCLUSIONS: A higher incidence of meiotic errors and lower sperm counts was found in sperm from OAT patients.