Predictors of successful labor induction with oral or vaginal misoprostol

Objective: To identify independent predictors of successful labor induction with oral or vaginal misoprostol.

Methods: Women enrolled in four previous randomized trials involving oral or vaginal misoprostol for cervical ripening and labor induction were included in the present cohort study, with dosing of 25–50?μg every 4 to 6?h vaginally (n?=?574) or 50?μg every 4?h orally (n?=?207). Multiple logistic regression was performed to identify factors independently associated with successful labor induction – defined as vaginal delivery within 12?h, vaginal delivery within 24?h and spontaneous vaginal delivery. Predictors of Cesarean birth and the need for only one dose of misoprostol were also identified. Variables included in the models were maternal age, weight, height, parity, gravidity, membrane status, route of misoprostol, gestational age, birth weight, and Bishop score and its individual components.

Results: Maternal age, height, weight, parity, birth weight, dilatation, effacement and cervical station were associated with vaginal delivery within 24?h of induction. Maternal age, height, weight, nulliparity, birth weight and route of misoprostol were associated with Cesarean birth, with oral misoprostol being associated with a lower rate of Cesarean birth. The need for only one dose of misoprostol was predicted by maternal height, weight, parity, gestational age, Bishop score and route of misoprostol.

Conclusion: Characteristics of the woman (height, weight, parity), the fetus (birth weight) and some of the individual components of the Bishop score, were associated with successful labor induction, with oral misoprostol being associated with a lower rate of Cesarean birth.     

ROLE OF EPIDURAL MEDICATION IN LUMBOSCIATIC SYNDROME

Role of epidural medication through caudal route was studied in 109 patients having lumbago with or without sciatica to highlight the value of this mode of treatment which relieved symptoms in more than 70% of cases without hospitalisation and without being off work for long periods as in usual methods of conservative treatment.KEY WORDS: Epidural medication, Backache, Lumbago, Sciatica     

Comparison of mechanical and electrical activity and interstitial cells of Cajal in urinary bladders from wild-type and W/Wv mice

Background and purpose:

W/W^v and wild-type murine bladders were studied to determine whether the W/W^v phenotype, which causes a reduction in, but not abolition of, tyrosine kinase activity, is a useful tool to study the function of bladder interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC).

Experimental approach:

Immunohistochemistry, tension recordings and microelectrode recordings of membrane potential were performed on wild-type and mutant bladders.

Key results:

Wild-type and W/W^v detrusors contained c-Kit- and vimentin-immunopositive cells in comparable quantities, distribution and morphology. Electrical field stimulation evoked tetrodotoxin-sensitive contractions in wild-type and W/W^v detrusor strips. Atropine reduced wild-type responses by 50% whereas a 25% reduction occurred in W/W^v strips. The atropine-insensitive component was blocked by pyridoxal-5-phosphate-6-azophenyl-2′,4′-disulphonic acid in both tissue types. Wild-type and W/W^v detrusors had similar resting membrane potentials of −48 mV. Spontaneous electrical activity in both tissue types comprised action potentials and unitary potentials. Action potentials were nifedipine-sensitive whereas unitary potentials were not. Excitatory junction potentials were evoked by single pulses in both tissues. These were reduced by atropine in wild-type tissues but not in W/W^v preparations. The atropine-insensitive component was abolished by pyridoxal-5-phosphate-6-azophenyl-2′,4′-disulphonic acid in both preparations.

Conclusions and implications:

Bladders from W/W^v mice contain c-Kit- and vimentin-immunopositive ICC. There are similarities in the electrical and contractile properties of W/W^v and wild-type detrusors. However, significant differences were found in the pharmacology of the responses to neurogenic stimulation with an apparent up-regulation of the purinergic component. These findings indicate that the W/W^v strain may not be the best model to study ICC function in the bladder.     

人脂肪组织来源干细胞在心脏疾病治疗中的应用

目的:综述人脂肪组织来源干细胞的生物学特性及其在缺血性心脏病中的应用,分析不足,并在此基础上提出未来研究要解决的问题,以期为临床治疗提供依据。资料来源:应用计算机检索Blackwell、Elsevier、Pubmed数据库1980/2007期间脂肪源性干细胞与缺血性心脏病方面的文献,检索词为“bone mesenchymal stem cells,adipose derived stemcells,cardiomyocytes,ischemic heart disease”等。应用计算机检索中国期刊全文数据库1980/2007期间相关文献,检索词为“骨髓间充质干细胞,脂肪组织来源的干细胞,心肌细胞,缺血性心脏病”等。并手工查阅相关书籍。资料选择:对资料进行初步选择:①脂肪组织来源干细胞的生物学特性。②脂肪组织来源干细胞治疗缺血性心脏病。排除重复文献。资料提炼:共搜集到相关文章57篇,删除内容重复及与本文主题关系较远的文章,剩余41篇作为综述参考。资料综合:脂肪组织来源干细胞与同样起源于中胚层的骨髓基质细胞不仅具有非常相似的生物学特性,而且在细胞表面标志谱的表达方面也非常相近。并且脂肪组织来源广泛,取材方便,可获得的基质细胞数量大,易于培养扩增。有研究发现,脂肪组织来源干细胞体外培养不需要任何诱导便能分化成具有自律性的心肌细胞,使得脂肪组织来源干细胞治疗缺血性心脏病成为可能。结论:脂肪组织来源干细胞在取材和增殖方面较骨髓间充质干细胞有优势;脂肪组织来源干细胞能较好的诱导为心肌细胞,将为缺血性心脏病的治疗提供更广阔的前景。     

A new combined in-vitro test model for the identification of substances affecting essential sperm functions [published erratum appears in Hum Reprod 1997 Nov;12(11):2580]

Binding of mammalian spermatozoa to the zona pellucida and the induction of the acrosome reaction are prerequisites for successful oocyte fertilization. It has been postulated that xenobiotics that are released in the environment as well as exposure to pharmaceutical medications may be associated with reproductive problems in men and wildlife. Examining physiological and non-physiological effects of particular compounds on sperm functions requires high quality in-vitro test systems. We established a reliable combined in-vitro test system with bovine gametes and evaluated if aliquots of pooled post-thaw spermatozoa are suitable for examining essential sperm functions. Using cryopreserved semen, the PSA-FITC/Hoechst 33258 staining procedure was applicable to evaluate the acrosomal status and cell viability. In the bovine hemizona assay, hemizona indices revealed no differences between cryopreserved and fresh semen. Treatment of post-thaw bovine spermatozoa with progesterone (1 microM or bovine follicular fluid (20%) induced the acrosome reaction from 12% (untreated spermatozoa) to 25% (P < 0.001) and to 22% [corrected] (P < 0.01), respectively. Incubation of both compounds (1 microM progesterone and 20% follicular fluid) raised the percentage of acrosome-reacted spermatozoa to 30% (P < 0001). Our results demonstrate that cryopreserved semen can be integrated into an in-vitro screening model for reproductive toxicology testing. Pooled, cryopreserved bovine spermatozoa will thus permit reproducible experiments for clinical and basic science purposes and may also be applicable for the human system.      

高效液相色谱流通池法测定紫草中假紫草素的含量

高效液相色谱法测定紫草提取物中的假紫草素时,出现20个峰,需时75min,主峰保留时间55min,常规方法制备工作曲线很费时。本文报道一种新的工作曲线法——流通池法的原理和方法,测定结果与常规方法一致,可以节省时间。     

Gradient Spin Echo (GraSE) imaging for fast myocardial T2 mapping

Background

Quantitative Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CMR) techniques have gained high interest in CMR research. Myocardial T2 mapping is thought to be helpful in diagnosis of acute myocardial conditions associated with myocardial edema. In this study we aimed to establish a technique for myocardial T2 mapping based on gradient-spin-echo (GraSE) imaging.

Methods

The local ethics committee approved this prospective study. Written informed consent was obtained from all subjects prior to CMR. A modified GraSE sequence allowing for myocardial T2 mapping in a single breath-hold per slice using ECG-triggered acquisition of a black blood multi-echo series was developed at 1.5 Tesla. Myocardial T2 relaxation time (T2-RT) was determined by maximum likelihood estimation from magnitude phased-array multi-echo data. Four GraSE sequence variants with varying number of acquired echoes and resolution were evaluated in-vitro and in 20 healthy volunteers. Inter-study reproducibility was assessed in a subset of five volunteers. The sequence with the best overall performance was further evaluated by assessment of intra- and inter-observer agreement in all volunteers, and then implemented into the clinical CMR protocol of five patients with acute myocardial injury (myocarditis, takotsubo cardiomyopathy and myocardial infarction).

Results

In-vitro studies revealed the need for well defined sequence settings to obtain accurate T2-RT measurements with GraSE. An optimized 6-echo GraSE sequence yielded an excellent agreement with the gold standard Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill sequence. Global myocardial T2 relaxation times in healthy volunteers was 52.2 ± 2.0 ms (mean ± standard deviation). Mean difference between repeated examinations (n = 5) was −0.02 ms with 95% limits of agreement (LoA) of [−4.7; 4.7] ms. Intra-reader and inter-reader agreement was excellent with mean differences of −0.1 ms, 95% LoA = [−1.3; 1.2] ms and 0.1 ms, 95% LoA = [−1.5; 1.6] ms, respectively (n = 20). In patients with acute myocardial injury global myocardial T2-RTs were prolonged (mean: 61.3 ± 6.7 ms).

Conclusion

Using an optimized GraSE sequence CMR allows for robust, reliable, fast myocardial T2 mapping and quantitative tissue characterization. Clinically, the GraSE-based T2-mapping has the potential to complement qualitative CMR in patients with acute myocardial injuries.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12968-015-0127-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.