Cloning and developmental expression analysis of the murine homolog of the spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 gene (Sca1)

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by the expansion of a CAG trinucleotide repeat which encodes glutamine in the novel protein ataxin-1. In order to characterize the developmental expression pattern of SCA1 and to identify putative functional domains in ataxin-1, the murine homolog (Sca1) was isolated. Cloning and characterization of the murine Sca1 gene revealed that the gene organization is similar to that of the human gene. The murine and human ataxin-1 are highly homologous but the CAG repeat is virtually absent in the mouse sequence suggesting that the polyglutamine stretch is not essential for the normal function of ataxin-1 in mice. Cellular and developmental expression of the murine homolog was examined using RNA in situ hybridization. During cerebellar development, there is a transient burst of Sca1 expression at postnatal day 14 when the murine cerebellar cortex becomes physiologically functional. There is also marked expression of Sca1 in mesenchymal cells of the intervertebral discs during development of the spinal column. These results suggest that the normal Sca1 gene, has a role at specific stages of both cerebellar and vertebral column development.      

Diagnosis and management of cystic duct leakage after laparoscopic cholecystectomy, report of 3 cases

BACKGROUND： Operative complications after laparoscopic cholecystectomy （LC） vary. Abdominal pain and other symptoms caused by fluid accumulation in the operative area are not uncommon. Cystic duct （CD） leakage is one of the main sources of the fluid. This study was to evaluate the procedures used in the diagnosis and management of CD leakage after LC. METHOD： The clinical materials of 3 patients with CD leakage after LC were studied retrospectively.     

Angiogenesis factor in endometrial carcinoma: A new prognostic indicator?

OBJECTIVE: Tumor angiogenesis is believed to be a prognostic indicator associated with tumor growth and metastasis. Studies of angiogenesis in breast, prostate, and lung cancer, as well as melanoma, have shown that neovascularization correlates with the likelihood of metastasis and recurrences. The purpose of this study was to evaluate microvessel density as a prognostic factor in endometrial cancer. METHODS: Between 1980 and 1991 the tumor registry identified 25 patients with a diagnosis of recurrent endometrial cancer. These patients were matched with 25 patients with nonrecurrent disease for age, stage, grade, and treatment. The histologic slides of the 50 patients were reviewed. The paraffin blocks were obtained, and the area of the deepest myometrial invasion was selected for staining. The microvessels within the invasive cancer were highlighted by means of immunocytochemical staining to detect factor VIII - related antigen. Microvessels were counted by two investigators who were blinded to the patients' clinical status. Survival data were analyzed with Kaplan-Meier survival curves. RESULTS: Microvessel count was related to likelihood of recurrence, although this trend did not reach statistical significance. Patients with tumors of low capillary density had a mean survival time of 123 months. Patients with tumors of high capillary density had a mean survival time of 75 months (p = 002). Among patients with recurrent disease, those with a low capillary count survived a mean of 64 months. Patients with recurrent disease with tumors of high capillary density survived a mean of 45 months (p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Angiogenesis factor correlates with survival in endometrial carcinoma. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 1996;174:1879-84.)     

Conversion and somatization disorders; dissociative symptoms and other characteristics

OBJECTIVE: There is a difference in classification of conversion disorder in ICD-10 and DSM-IV. Conversion disorder is included in dissociative disorders in ICD-10. In view of this, we aimed to clarify this discrepancy in the classification of this diagnosis. METHODS: We assessed 87 patients with conversion disorder and 71 patients with somatization disorder for sociodemographic characteristics, suicide ideation, psychiatric symptoms and dissociative symptoms using the Patient Information Form, the Dissociative Experience Scale (DES), the Symptom Check List (SCL-90-R) and the Suicide Ideation Scale. RESULTS: The number of the high school graduates, singles and students with conversion disorders was higher than the number of patients with the same characteristics who have somatization disorder. In conversion disorder, the SCL-90-R total score and the score in paranoid ideation, psychoticism subgroups were higher than the scores in somatization disorders. There were no statistical differences in suicide ideation and the total score of dissociative symptoms between the two disorders. The number of patients whose total DES score of 30 and above was higher in conversion disorders. DISCUSSION: As a result of this present study, we concluded that to enlighten the concepts of conversion, further somatization and dissociation studies are necessary.     

灰毡毛忍冬化学成分研究V灰毡毛忍冬素F和G的结构测定

灰毡毛忍冬化学成分研究Ｖ灰毡毛忍冬素Ｆ和Ｇ的结构测定陈敏，吴威巍，沈国强，罗思齐，李惠庭（上海医药工业研究院２０００４０）灰毡毛忍冬（ＬｏｉｎｃｅｒａｍａｃｒａｎｔｈｏｉｄｅｓＨａｎｄ．－Ｍａｚｚ）系忍冬科忍冬属植物，别名大花忍冬，分布于贵州、广西、...     

槲寄生化学成分的研究——Ⅳ.槲寄生新甙Ⅳ的结构

前文曾报道从槲寄生中分离及确定五个新黄酮甙的结构。本文报道另一新黄酮化合物(Ⅳ)的分离和结构测定。槲寄生(Viscum coloratura(Kom)Nakai)生药的乙醇提取物,分别用石油醚、醋酸乙酯和正丁醇萃取,正丁醇萃取物经聚酰胺细粉和硅胶低压柱层析,分离得到Ⅳ。通过光谱分析和水解试验,确定Ⅳ的结构为鼠李秦素-3-0-β-D-(6″-β-羟基-β-甲基戊二酸半酯)-葡     

Ghrelin expression in hyperplastic and neoplastic proliferations of the enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells

Ghrelin, a recently discovered peptide isolated from the gastric corpus mucosa, is believed to be important in the regulation of growth hormone secretion and has been shown to increase appetite and food intake as well. It may also have other gastrointestinal and cardiac functions. Because a cell of origin for ghrelin has not been convincingly identified in the gastric mucosa thus far, we studied the immunohistochemical expression of ghrelin in proliferative lesions of the enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells—a cell that is not only exclusively confined to the gastric corpus mucosa but is its dominant endocrine cell type as well. Formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded tissues from three cases of gastric ECL cell hyperplasia and five ECL carcinoids (three with coexisting foci of diffuse, linear, and micronodular hyperplasia) were immunohistochemically stained for ghrelin, using a commercially available antibody. The Sevier-Munger stain for ECL cells and immunohistochemical stains for chromogranin, gastrin, serotonin, somatostatin, and vesicular monoamine transporter-2 (VMAT-2) were performed on parallel sections for correlation with the ghrelin staining results. All ECL cell carcinoids and hyperplastic lesions were positive for both the Sevier-Munger and the immunohistochemical stains for chromogranin and VMAT-2. Immunoreactivity for ghrelin was seen in 4/5 ECL carcinoids, all cases of ECL cell hyperplasia, as well as in all areas with linear and micronodular hyperplasia adjacent to the ECL cell carcinoids. In each instance, such staining was confined to the Sevier-Munger, and VMAT-2 positive cells only. Our findings indicate that the ECL cells are either the ghrelin-producing cells of the gastric mucosa or acquire the capability to synthesize ghrelin during proliferative states encompassing the entire hyperplasia to neoplasia spectrum. In view of the orexigenic and other known actions of ghrelin, the functional and/or biologic significance of ghrelin production in such ECL cell proliferations needs to be investigated further.