Immediate ultrastructural effects of endothelin-1 on rabbit basilar artery

Summary In this study intra-arterial Endothelin-1 was applied to rabbit basilar arteries and morphological findings were compared between two groups who were either perfusion fixed or immersion fixed. We planned to establish the quantitative dimension of the drug-induced morphological alterations, independent of the fixation technique's effect.There was an abundance of collagenous fibres deposited among the smooth muscle cells which was not observed in control arteries and after immersion fixation. These degenerative changes are similar to the finding following subarachnoid haemorrhage. The only fixation-related difference was the fact that lamina elastica interna was not corrugated in the perfusion fixation group.It is concluded that, the observed changes in the connective tissue of the arterial wall alter the passive elastic properties and so affect the degree of the response to the vasoactive messengers.     

The modification of the new type of end-to-side anastomosis between carotid arteries in rats: A technical and Scanning Electron Microscopic study

Summary Modification of a type of end-to-side anastomosis that has been described before is studied. The recipient artery is occluded for only 3–4 minutes to complete the anastomosis by using only the running suture. The anastomotic site was studied by inspection and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) at different times after the operation on 30 rats.     

Case report: Osseous metaplasia of the endometrium: a rare cause of infertility and its hysteroscopic management

This case report presents a very rare and long-standing causeof infertility, osseous metaplasia of the endometrium, and describesits successful management by hysteroscopy. A woman with a historyof induced abortion 12 years ago, failed to conceive from thattime on. The infertility work-up was unrevealing except forthe presence of intracavitary calcification on ultrasonography.After diagnostic hysteroscopy, solid bony spicules coveringthe posterior wall of the endometrial cavity were removed bywire loop resectoscope. Histology established the diagnosisof osseous metaplasia of the endometrium. The patient conceivedin her second spontaneous cycle and has an ongoing pregnancyat the time of writing. Hysteroscopy was an effective meansof extracting this heterotopic tissue, thereby re-establishingfertility even after a long period of infertility.     

K562细胞转染HLA-B分子对NK细胞杀伤功能的影响

为了研究不同HLA B分子对NK细胞杀伤活性的影响 ,我们分别构建pcDNA3 HLA B 390 5 2、B 2 70 4、B 5 1 0 2 2基因真核表达载体 ;借助脂质体将各质粒转染入K5 6 2细胞 ,经G4 1 8筛选 ,分别获得阳性表达细胞株 ;并应用LDH法检测转染细胞对不同个体外周血NK细胞杀伤活性的抑制效应。结果显示 :与转染了空质粒的对照组相比 ,外周血NK细胞对K5 6 2 B39的杀伤率无明显影响 ,而对K5 6 2 B2 7,K5 6 2 B5 1的杀伤率降低。当使用针对NK细胞受体KIR3DL1的单抗DX9封闭NK细胞后 ,此抑制效应大部分消失。提示靶细胞表达HLA Bw4分子可明显抑制NK细胞的杀伤效应 ,而表达HLA Bw6分子对NK细胞杀伤功能无明显影响     

Effects of probucol in hyperlipidemic rabbit liver: a preliminary ultrastructural study

Probucol is a lipid-lowering agent with an antioxidant effect; however, its influence on the liver remains unclear. The effects of probucol on hyperlipidemic rabbit liver are investigated to add a structural data on its therapeutical profile. Local albino rabbits were divided into three groups. 1) Hyperlipidemic group: fed with 1% cholesterol (150 g/kg/day) enriched chow for 2 months. 2) Probucol treated group: group 1 + intraperitoneal probucol (10 mg/kg/day) administration for 15 days. 3) Control group fed with normal chow. The blood lipid profile was investigated biochemically. Liver samples were examined electronmicroscopically. Within the parenchymal cells of group 1, the amount of rough surfaced endoplasmic reticulum was increased, its cisterna was dilated displaying a moderately electron dense substance in it and showed close apposition with the condensed mitochondria. In group 2, smooth surfaced endoplasmic reticulum was in extensive amounts filling almost all of the cytoplasm, displayed a reticular, degenerated appearance and was in close relation with the condensed, degenerated mitochondria. Probucol may cause degenerative changes on the liver parenchyme at the subcellular level. It alters the structure of these cells mainly acting on the smooth surfaced endoplasmic reticulum and the mitochondria that are known to be involved in cellular detoxification.     

Combinational IL-2/IL-15 induction does not further enhance IL-15-induced lymphokine-activated killer cell cytotoxicity against human leukemia/lymphoma cells

In vitro comparisons of induction of perforin (PFP), granzyme B (GRB), production of cytokines, and cell-mediated cytotoxicity by interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-15 (IL-15), or combinational IL-2/IL-15-induced lymphokine-activated killer cells were studied in this study. Whereas IL-2-induction was associated with a decrease in cultured cell population over a 7-day period, IL-15 alone or in combination with IL-2 resulted in significant increase including cytotoxic T lymphocytes and subsets of CD56+ lymphocytes, particularly cytokine-induced killer and cytolytic natural killer-T lymphocytes. The overall PFP, GRB, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha expression in different subtypes were also significantly higher with IL-15 alone or in combination with IL-2 induction with resultant superior cytotoxicity compared to IL-2 treatment. There was no significant advantage of addition of IL-2 over IL-15 induction. These results offer further information on the cytotoxic potency of these cytokines and their mechanisms of action implicating potential use of IL-15 as part of cytokine adoptive immunotherapy.     

Birth weight and age at menopause in Australian female twin pairs: exploration of the fetal origin hypothesis

In a twin sample where duration of gestation can be controlled, a specific example of the fetal origins hypothesis concerning association between low birth weight and early age at menopause is explored. The hypothesis is based on the physiologically plausible path from intrauterine growth retardation and reduced numbers of primary follicles to an earlier menopause. The sample comprised 323 Australian female twin pairs where both co-twins had reached menopause naturally and reported on their weight at birth. Regression analysis showed no linear association between the two variables (P = 0.371, r(2) = 0.0009). Intra-pair differences in age at menopause were investigated in the context of relative birth weight of co-twins. In 265 pairs an intra-pair birth weight difference was reported. In monozygotic (MZ) pairs (n = 168) this allowed for control of genetic effects as well as gestation duration. No significant differences dependent on birth weight relative to co-twin were found for age at natural menopause in either MZ or dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs, even in pairs whose birth weights differed markedly. There was some indication that twins with premature ovarian failure were heavier at birth than twins with normal or later menopausal age. We conclude that the hypothesis that lower birth weight is associated with earlier menopause is not supported by our data.     

Specific binding of [3H]mepyramine to histamine H1-receptors in vascular smooth muscle membranes

The antagonist-sensitive binding of [³H]mepyramine to beef aortic membranes was as expected for binding to histamine H₁-receptors. [³H]mepyramine binds rapidly and in saturable fashion to the specific receptor sites, specific binding reaching equilibrium in 3 min at 37°CScatchard's analysis of the binding data gave a dissociation constant of 3.0 nM for the radioligand-receptor complex and maximal number of binding sites: 31 fmol/mg protein. In the competition studies histamine H₁-antagonists are more potent inhibitors of radioligand binding than H₂-antagonist. They inhibit [³H]mepyramine binding in the following order: mepyramine >triprolidine