The effects of cyclosporin A on glucose homeostasis and the kidney in the normal rat.

The effects of administering cyclosporin A (CsA), for periods of up to 84 days, on glucose homeostasis and renal function were studied in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. Marked glucose intolerance was demonstrated at a variety of drug doses, accompanied in the longer term by hyperglycaemia. Early on and at high CsA dose, the abnormal islet cell function was accompanied by islet cell vacuolation; in the long-term dose groups, more chronic structural islet changes were present. Although abnormalities in renal function and structure were noted during this study, they were not directly related to the pancreatic changes observed.     

脾切除对结直肠癌切除术后的影响：一项多中心、嵌入式、配对队列研究

目的探讨医源性脾脏损伤脾切除对结直肠癌切除患者术后长期生存的影响。方法对1990年1月1日至1999年12月31日10年间行结直肠癌手术切除并附带脾切除患者进行病例配对回顾研究。分析患者年龄、性别、依据美国麻醉学医师协会（ASA）标准评估的身体状况、疾病分期、手术类型及预后等资料。配对病例来自同一医疗中心，性别、年龄、疾病分期及手术类型完全相同。手术附带脾切除患者为试验组，未切脾者为对照组。结果55例患者行医源性脾切除术，对照组在年龄、性别、身体状况、疾病分期及手术类型上与之匹配。随访时间（从手术开始到患者死亡或者最后一次随访1为2～205个月（中位随访时间为43个月）。Cox比例危险度模型进行Kaplan-Meier法生存分析发现两组间差异有显著性意义，不切除脾脏对患者生存有利（危险度1．8，95％可信区间为1-3．3，P=0．0399），未切脾组与切脾组5年生存率分别为70％和47％，10年生存率分别为55％和38％。结论结直肠癌患者在行结肠或直肠切除时，因医源性脾脏损伤而切除脾脏者，预后较差。     

Cervical neurenteric cyst associated with Klippel-Feil syndrome: a case report and review of the literature.

A neurenteric cyst of the spine is a rare congenital disorder secondary to alimentary duplication and vertebral malformation. It should, however, be included in the differential diagnosis of an intradural, extramedullary spinal lesion. We present a case of a cervical neurenteric cyst associated with Klippel-Feil syndrome and discuss the clinical, radiologic, histopathologic, immunohistochemical and embryologic characteristics of this disorder.     

Structural and pharmacological characterization of the major brain nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtype stably expressed in mouse fibroblasts.

Previously, we purified the predominant subtype of brain nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR), analyzed its structure, and found that it was composed of two kinds of subunit, with sequences encoded by cDNAs termed alpha 4 and beta 2. Here we express these cDNAs from chicken brain in stably transfected fibroblasts. We demonstrate by synthesis that these cDNAs encode subunit polypeptides of the expected sizes, which coassemble to form receptor macromolecules having the same size as native AChRs. Additionally, we demonstrate that the expressed AChRs exhibit the ligand-binding pharmacology of native brain AChRs and function as acetylcholine-gated ion channels.     

Antagonist characterization of atypical beta adrenoceptors in guinea pig ileum: blockade by alprenolol and dihydroalprenolol

The present study was undertaken to further characterize the atypical beta adrenoceptor in guinea pig ileum. Tension was developed in isolated segments of ileum using transmural electrical stimulation of enteric cholingeric nerves. The ability of isoproterenol to relax the ileum, via beta-1 adrenoceptor and atypical beta adrenoceptor agonism, was measured. Propranolol (5 x 10(-6) M) and bromoacetylaprenololmetane blocked beta-1 adrenoceptors but, at the concentrations tested, were without affinity at atypical beta adrenoceptors. (-)-Alprenolol and (-)-dihydroalprenolol, however, acted as competitive antagonists at both sites (pA2 values of 8.2 and 8.81 at beta-1 adrenoceptors and 6.47 and 6.43 at atypical beta adrenoceptors, respectively). (-)-Alprenolol also exerted agonistic activity at the atypical beta adrenoceptor. [3H](-)-Dihydroproalprenolol failed to identify beta-1 adrenoceptors or atypical beta adrenoceptors but, instead, bound to a putative lipophilic site unrelated to ileal adrenoceptors. Before this study, nadolol (pA2 = 4.7) was the only documented antagonist at the atypical beta adrenoceptor in guinea pig ileum. Thus, the present results detail two additional pharmacological probes which exhibit about a 100-fold greater affinity than nadolol for the atypical site.     

Neonatal chest computed radiography: image processing and optimal image display

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine soft-copy image display preferences of brightness, latitude, and detail contrast for neonatal chest computed radiography to establish a baseline for future work on low-dose imaging. CONCLUSION: Observers preferred brighter images with higher detail contrast and narrow to middle latitude for soft-copy display compared with the typical screen-film hard-copy appearance. Future research on low-dose neonatal chest imaging will be facilitated by an understanding of optimal soft-copy image display.