Multiple sclerosis: serial study of gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging

Thirteen patients with definite multiple sclerosis (MS), studied 16-24 months previously with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with and without enhancement by intravenously administered gadolinium diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) dimeglumine, were reexamined with a similar protocol. Assessment of enhancement and clinical activity in both studies revealed that enhancement was observed in 13 of 14 cases in which clinical activity had changed within 4 weeks of the study and thus appeared more sensitive than clinical examination in determining active disease. The 3-minute postinjection, short repetition time image (TR) was the most efficient for depicting enhancement. Enhancing lesions (active plaques) arose from previously hyper- or isointense regions on long TR images. Previously active lesions reverted to areas of iso- or hyperintensity on long TR images. Serial comparison of long TR images in this population reveals a decrease in high-intensity lesions on long TR images in some cases and an increase in others. The findings of high-intensity regions on long TR images and previously enhancing lesions both becoming isointense suggests that transient inflammatory changes with concomitant edema without demyelination and/or with significant remyelination may occur in some MS lesions. MS lesions are dynamic; both active and inactive lesions may show dramatic change on longitudinal MR imaging studies.     

Dietary factors in oral leukoplakia and submucous fibrosis in a population-based case control study in Gujarat, India

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the relationship of specific nutrients and food items with oral precancerous lesions among tobacco users.
DESIGN: A population-based case-control study. SETTING: Villages in Palitana taluk of Bhavnagar district, Gujarat, India.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS: An interviewer-administered food frequency questionnaire, developed and validated for this population, was used to estimate nutrient intake in blinded, house-to-house interviews. Among 5018 male tobacco users, 318 were diagnosed as cases. An equal number of controls matched on age (±5 years), sex, village, and use of tobacco were selected.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Odds ratios (OR) from multiple logistic regression analysis controlling for relevant variables (type of tobacco use and economic status).
RESULTS: A protective effect of fibre was observed for both oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) and leukoplakia, with 10% reduction in risk per g day^-1 ( P < 0.05). Ascorbic acid appeared to be protective against leukoplakia with the halving of risk in the two highest quartiles of intake (versus the lowest quartile: OR = 0.46 and 0.44, respectively; P < 0.10). A protective effect of tomato consumption was observed in leukoplakia and a suggestion of a protective effect of wheat in OSF.
CONCLUSION: In addition to tobacco use, intake of specific nutrients may have a role in the development of oral precancerous lesions.     

Shear Bond Strengths of One-Bottle Adhesives to Oil-Contaminated Enamel

Purpose: To evaluate resin bond strength to enamel contaminated with handpiece oil. Materials and Methods: Bovine teeth were randomly assigned to six groups of 20 teeth each for treatment with one of six different bonding systems (five one‐bottle and one multibottle). For each system, 10 enamel specimens were contaminated with handpiece oil before acid‐etching and 10 were contaminated after acid‐etching. The enamel was etched for 15 seconds using 35% phosphoric acid. Following adhesive application, composite resin was bonded using a gelatin capsule technique. Shear bond strengths from the two contaminated groups were compared to bond strengths to uncontaminated enamel obtained from a previous study that was performed by the same group of investigators, using the same facility, materials, and methods. Results: Two‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that the factor “surface contamination” did not have a significant effect on bond strength (p > .542). The type of adhesive and the interaction of adhesive and surface contamination were significant (p <.0001 and p <.003, respectively). When oil was applied before etching, mean bond strengths ranged from 18.0 ± 4.8 MPa for OptiBond SOLO (Kerr Corp., Orange, California) to 25.3 ± 5.6 MPa for Tenure Quik with Fluoride (Den‐Mat Corp., Santa Maria, California). With oil applied after etching, bond strengths ranged from 18.4 ± 8.0 MPa for Tenure Quik with Fluoride to 27.4 ± 5.4 MPa for Single Bond (3M Dental Products, St. Paul, Minnesota). For the same adhesive, comparing uncontaminated and “oil‐before‐etch” contaminated groups, the only statistically significant difference in bond strengths was for OptiBond SOLO: 21.8 ± 4.0 MPa (uncontaminated) versus 18.0 ± 4.8 MPa (oil before etch). Comparing uncontaminated and “oil‐after‐etch” groups, the only statistically significant difference was for Tenure: 24.5 ± 5.7 MPa (uncontaminated) and 18.4 ± 8.0 MPa (oil after etch). CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Surface contamination with handpiece lubricant oil does not impair appreciably the efficacy of the adhesives used in this study when bonding composite resin to enamel.     

力竭运动大鼠心室肌蛋白质组表达特征

目的:采用蛋白质组学技术,建立安静和递增运动负荷训练后力竭大鼠心室肌蛋白质组的差异性表达谱,初步筛选出心室肌对力竭运动产生反应的目标蛋白质。方法:实验于2007-03在湖南师范大学生命科学学院蛋白质化学与蛋白质组学国家教育部重点实验室和省级运动人体科学实验室完成。①实验分组:10只SD雄性大鼠随机分为对照组和运动组,每组5只。②实验方法:运动组经过7周的大强度递增运动负荷训练后(最后一次力竭),对两组心室肌组织的全蛋白进行双向凝胶电泳分离。结果:经图像分析,在运动组的电泳图谱上共展现蛋白质点(338±17)个,对照组展现蛋白质点(352±17)个。运动后差异表达的蛋白质点共有99个。对其中差异表达的9个蛋白质点进行质谱鉴定,共鉴定出7个蛋白质,Stress-70protein,NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase Mr75000subnunit,Long-chain specific acyl-CoA dehydrogenase,Tropomyosin-1alphachain在运动后"缺失",Nitrilase family,member2在运动后表达上调在5倍以上,一个相对分子质量为21000的未知蛋白在运动后表达下调在5倍以上,另外有两个点经鉴定均为Myosin-6,在运动后表达量相反。这些蛋白质属于收缩蛋白、能量代谢酶、分子伴侣等。结论:递增运动负荷训练后力竭时,大鼠心室肌蛋白质组明显地发生了反应。运动后"缺失"和下调的蛋白质点与心肌收缩的调控和能量代谢的方式转变以及细胞的应激反应有关,其中,成功筛选出6种在运动医学领域尚未涉足的、具有运动应激特点的目标蛋白质。