Estrogen modulates the recruitment of myelopoietic cell progenitors in rat through a stromal cell-independent mechanism involving apoptosis

Loss of ovarian function leads to a significant increase in the number of bone-resorbing osteoclasts. Estrogen replacement is known to manifest bone protective effects in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. In the present study, we used ovariectomized rats to examine the effects of estrogen loss at the osteoclast progenitor colony forming unit-granulocyte macrophage (CFU-GM) level. A significant increase in CFU-GM number was observed as early as 7 days following ovariectomy, and correlated directly with an increase in the number of osteoclast-like cells generated in marrow cultures. The increase in CFU-GM following ovariectomy was abrogated in animals that received estrogen treatment in vivo. A similar suppressive effect was observed on CFU-GM number when ovariectomized rat marrow was treated with estrogen in vitro. This effect was blocked in the presence of the estrogen antihormone ICI 164,384. Thus, the data suggest the possibility that estrogen exerts a direct effect on osteoclast progenitors, and does so through the estrogen receptor-mediated mechanism. Ovariectomy also led to an increase in the early hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell population (Thy 1.1+ cells) as determined by FLOW cytometry methods. Morphological changes as well as terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase assays revealed that estrogen treatment negated growth factor-induced proliferation of these early progenitors by promoting apoptosis. The cellular effects of estrogen in vitro together with the immunocytochemical detection of the estrogen receptor in these cells, strongly support the contention that in addition to osteoclast progenitors such as CFU-GM, earlier hematopoietic progenitors are also unique cellular targets for estrogen action.     

Assessing the Feasibility and Effectiveness of an App in Improving Knowledge on Oral Cancer—an Interventional Study

Although current oral health care initiatives have proved to be quite successful, a great number of individuals are unaware of how their choice of daily activities compromises their oral health. That is why newer technologies like WhatsApp can definitely serve as a platform to communicate dental advice, thereby strengthening the bridge between health and technology. The objective of the study was to assess the effectiveness of WhatsApp as a tool for providing health education on tobacco and oral cancer as compared to the conventional health education via PowerPoint. The study was a cluster randomized controlled trial, single-center study. The students of 18–24 years of age with WhatsApp application active in their mobile phones were included. Four classes with 182 students were randomly divided into intervention and control groups. Control group received health education on oral cancer using a PowerPoint presentation weekly, for a total of 4 weeks. Intervention group received health education through WhatsApp messaging thrice a week for 4 weeks. Pre- and post-health education knowledge scores were assessed using a questionnaire and compared using unpaired and paired two-sample t tests. Statistically significant increase in knowledge scores was seen in both groups, with highly significant improvement in the intervention group (p value = 0.00). Intergroup comparison showed no significant difference in knowledge scores at baseline, but a significant difference in post intervention knowledge scores (t = -15.05 p<0.001) WhatsApp can be a more effective tool for providing dental education on tobacco and oral cancer as compared to conventional audio-visual aids.     

CLINICAL APPLICATION OF FLOW CYTOMETRY IN LIVE RELATED DONOR RENAL TRANSPLANTATION

To monitor the activity of the humoral component in graft dysfunction following renal transplantation using live related donors, flowcytometric cross-match procedure was adopted. Antidonor antibodies were detected in the sera of both pre- and post-transplant patients using conventional serological cytotoxicity cross-match and flowcytometric cross-match assays. In the 52 pretransplant samples no significant differences were observed in flowcytometric and cytotoxicity tests except in 2 secondary transplant cases which were negative by cytotoxicity test. However, in post-transplant samples, floweytometry was found to be a more objective and useful test than cytotoxicity testing in distinguishing 6 out of 7 mild acute-graft-rejection episodes. Both tests were found to be negative in alt 5 cases of cyclosporin-A nephrotoxicity, 7 cases of acute tubular necrosis and 10 out of 11 cases of chronic rejection.KEY WORDS: Flowcytometry, Cross-match, Graft dysfunction, Kidney transplantation     

Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is associated with CTLA4 polymorphisms in multiple ethnic groups

Linkage disequilibrium (association) analysis was used to evaluate a candidate region near the CTLA4/CD28 genes using a multi-ethnic collection of families with one or more children affected by IDDM. In the data set unique to this study (Spanish, French, Mexican-American, Chinese and Korean), the transmission/disequilibrium test (TDT) revealed a highly significant deviation for transmission of alleles at the (AT)n microsatellite marker in the 3' untranslated region (P = 0.002) and the A/G polymorphism in the first exon (P = 0.00002) of the CTLA4 gene. The overall evidence for transmission deviation of the CTLA4 A/G alleles is also highly significant (P = 0.00005) in the combined data set (669 multiplex and 357 simplex families) from this study and a previous report on families from USA, Italy, UK, Spain and Sardinia. Significant heterogeneity was observed in these data sets. The British, Sardinian and Chinese data sets did not show any deviation for the A/G polymorphism, while the Caucasian-American data set showed a weak transmission deviation. Strong deviation for transmission was seen in the three Mediterranean-European populations (Italian, Spanish and French) (P = 10(-5)), the Mexican-American population (P = 0.002) and the Korean population (P = 0.03). These results suggest that a true IDDM susceptibility locus (designated IDDM12) is located near CTLA4.      

Intracervical versus vaginal misoprostol for cervical dilatation prior to operative hysteroscopy—a comparative study

Background

Hysteroscopic surgery requires pre-operative cervical ripening to facilitate adequate dilatation of the cervix for insertion of operative hysteroscope. This study was conducted to compare the efficacy of intracervical misoprostol with vaginal misoprostol in achieving cervical ripening before operative hysteroscopy.

Methods

In this randomised comparative study conducted at a tertiary care teaching hospital, 56 patients needing operative hysteroscopy were divided into two groups of 28 patients, one for intracervical misoprostol and the other for vaginal misoprostol. Four hundred microgram of misoprostol was inserted on the night before and in the morning of operative hysteroscopy intracervically in group I and vaginally in group II.

Results

Primary outcome measure was number of patients achieving 7 mm preoperative dilatation of cervix. Largest Hegar dilator that could be passed into the uterine cavity past the internal optic sheath without resistance was noted in each case. Mean cervical dilatation prior to operative hysteroscopy was calculated. In addition, incidence of slipping of vulsellum and cervical laceration was also noted. Time to achieve full cervical dilatation was recorded. In 23/28 cases of group I and 5/28 in group II, size 7 Hegar dilator could be passed without effort. Mean cervical dilatation was 7.5 mm in group I and 5.7 mm in group II. Slipping of the vulsellum and cervical lacerations were seen in significantly less patients in group I. Mean time to achieve cervical dilatation to 10 mm was 43.39 seconds in group I and 103.96 seconds in group II (P<0.0001).

Conclusion

Intracervical administration of misoprostol is an effective method of achieving cervical ripening for easy cervical dilatation up to 10 mm prior to operative hysteroscopy.     

硬骨凌霄叶对伤口愈合的促进作用(英文)

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the potential wound healing activity of Tecomaria capensis leaves extract (TCLE) using different models in rats. (a) Excision wound model, (b) Incision wound model and (c) Dead space wound model. TCLE (100, 300, 1 000 and 2 000 mg·kg-1) was given to rats to observe acute toxicity. No toxicity was found in animals till 14 days. TCLE 5% and 10% ointment were applied topically in excision wound model and incision wound model. TCLE 200 and 400 mg·kg-1 were given orally in dead space wound model. It improved healing in excision wound model, increased breaking strength of tissue in incision wound model, and increased granuloma breaking strength and hydroxyproline content in dead space wound model. These results showed that TCLE presents significant wound healing activity.