Decreased incidence of arterial thrombosis using heparin-bonded intraaortic balloons

BACKGROUND: This experimental study sought to determine whether heparin-bonding of intraaortic balloons (IAB) would decrease the incidence of arterial thrombosis in the absence of systemic heparinization. METHODS: In 25 adult pigs, a 9F, 40-mL IAB was inserted into the femoral artery and positioned just below the takeoff of the left subclavian artery for 9 hours. Five animals received systemic heparin, 10 animals had no heparin, and another 10 animals received no heparin but the IAB was heparin-bonded (Duraflo II). Thrombus formation was assessed using a numerical scoring system (0 = no thrombosis to 3 = thrombus >5 cm or evidence of luminal compromise). RESULTS: Animals receiving heparin and heparin-bonded IAB had no thrombus formation around the IAB (mean +/- SE; 0 +/- 0.00 heparin versus 1.55 +/- 0.29 no heparin versus 0 +/- 0.00 heparin-bonded; p < 0.005), at the insertion site (0 +/- 0.00 heparin versus 1.55 +/- 0.29 no heparin versus 0 +/- 0.0 heparin-bonded; p < 0.005), and in the distal femoral artery (0 +/- 0.00 heparin versus 2.00 +/- 0.23 no heparin versus 0 +/- 0.00 heparin-bonded; p < 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Heparin-bonding of the IAB significantly decreases thrombus formation in the absence of systemic heparinization.     

Favorable impact of stents after emergent coronary artery bypass for failed angioplasty

BACKGROUND: This study was undertaken to determine the impact of the use and availability of coronary stents on outcomes in patients requiring emergent coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery following a failed percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). METHODS: Patients were divided into two groups based on the year of their CABG for a failed PTCA and the availability of stents: group 1, 1992 to 1994, stents not available (n = 34); and group 2, 1995 to 1997, stents available (n = 26). RESULTS: CABG patients in the group where stents were not available were more likely to have had an abrupt coronary occlusion (26 of 34 versus 3 of 26; p < 0.0001) and less likely to have had a dissection (8 of 34 versus 23 of 26; p < 0.0001) as their indication for emergent CABG. Patients in the stent era had a lower incidence of perioperative myocardial infarction (5 of 26 versus 17 of 34; p < 0.01) and a decreased mortality rate (0 of 26 versus 6 of 34; p < 0.03). In the 9 patients where stents were employed, patency of the lumen was restored in 8 patients and there was only 1 myocardial infarction. CONCLUSIONS: Stents have had a favorable impact on patients requiring an emergent CABG following a failed PTCA.     

Regulation of the angiotensin type-1 receptor by antisense oligonucleotides occurs through an RNase H-type mechanism

Multiple, diverse sites in the coding region of the angiotensin type-1 receptor mRNA were targeted with 2'-deoxyribonucleotide antisense oligonucleotides (ONs). The uptake of 1 microM concentration of these ONs into Chinese hamster ovary cells was facilitated by the use of cationic liposomes. The antisense sequences reduced binding of 125I-angiotensin II by 57-73%, while mismatch ONs and reverse sequence ONs produced little reduction in receptor binding. These reductions in AT1 receptor binding were accompanied by comparable decreases in AT1 receptor mRNA levels. Furthermore, mRNA cleavage fragments corresponding in size to 3'-cleavage fragments were observed with two of the antisense ONs, consistent with the involvement of an RNase H-type enzyme. When 2'-methoxyribonucleotide analogs of these same sequences were tested, AT1 receptor mRNA levels were unchanged even though small reductions in AngII binding were observed. Antisense effects seen with these 2'-methoxyribonucleotide sequences may have arisen through a translational arrest mechanism. Direct comparisons between 2'-deoxyribonucleotide analogs and their 2'-methoxyribonucleotide counterparts show that antisense effects are significantly larger when they are mediated through an RNase H-type mechanism. 2'-methoxyribonucleotide sequences were most effective when they were directed against the translation initiation codon.     

Protection from oxidant injury by sodium-dependent GSH uptake in retinal Müller cells.

Glutathione (GSH) is known to play an important role in regulating oxidative damage to cells. The present study was initiated to examine the effect of exogenous GSH on oxidative injury in a retinal Müller cell line and to characterize GSH transport in these cells. Rat Müller cells (rMC-1) were incubated with varying concentrations of t-butylhydroperoxide (t-BHP) to induce oxidative stress, and cell viability was measured after addition of GSH. In other studies, kinetics of GSH uptake and Na+-dependency were examined by incubating cells with35S-GSH in Na+-containing and Na+-free buffers. GSH uptake was studied with GSH at concentrations varying from 0. 05-10 m m in NaCl buffer. In the presence of sodium, extracellular GSH provided protection against t-BHP-induced oxidant injury to rMC-1 cells; in contrast, the amino acid precursors of GSH did not have any effect on cell viability. GSH was taken up by rMC-1 cells in a concentration- and sodium-dependent manner. Kinetic studies revealed both a high affinity (Km approximately 0.31 m m) and low affinity Km( approximately 4.2 m m) component. Furthermore, GSH depletion had no significant effect on the rate of GSH uptake. The results show that physiological concentrations of GSH can protect Müller cells from oxidative injury. Both Na+-dependent and Na+-independent transport systems for GSH exist in Müller cells, and the Na+-dependent GSH transporter may be involved in the protective role of GSH.     

Ductal exfoliated cytology in the practice of mumps]

The author used smear from Stensen's duct aspiration to observe exfoliated cytology in order to help diagnosis of early mumps.According to the smears from 100 cases of mumps and other 50 cases of bacteria parotitis and/or normal parotid as contro,the author revealed that if there are a lot of ductal epithelial cells,monocytes and polynuclear cells,monocytes and polynuclear phagocytes at same time,it could give diagnosis "Mumps" to that patient.In control group,it is unable to observe those three kind cells at same time.The author also discussed the mechanism of how would these three kind cells appear in mumps in accordance with references.     

激光治疗闭角型青光眼

目的：评价激光虹膜切除治疗闭角型青光眼临床疗效。方法：应用Nd：YAG激光于上方或下方作周边虹膜切除。结果：107例122眼闭角型青光眼术后经过2—106月随访观察，成功115眼，失败7眼。结论：激光虹膜切除术治疗闭角型青光眼安全、有效。     

红细胞在抗肿瘤治疗中的作用

红细胞不仅可以运送氧、二氧化碳和清除循环免疫复合物，还能够识别、黏附、提呈肿瘤抗原，此外红细胞能够促进免疫细胞吞噬和杀伤肿瘤细胞的能力，因此红细胞在机体抗肿瘤免疫发挥重要作用。近年来，红细胞也可以开发作为药物载体治疗肿瘤，这与红细胞自身具有生物相容性和半透膜的特性有关。药物可以倍助渗透压梯度的不同、抗生素提高膜通透性，膜受体介导连接，以及交联介导连接等方法载入。已载入红细胞的药物半衰期延长，缓慢释放，受体液中酶等具有生物活性的物质降解，并且可以减轻药物毒副作用。缺点在于其靶向性单一。     

Quantitative Detection of Interleukin 8 Gene Expression in Lung Cancer by Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction

Objective To develop a method for absolute quantification of interleukin 8 (IL—8) mRNA by using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Methods The IL —8 mRNA and protein expression in 2 human lung cancer cell lines, H460 and A549, were evaluated by real-time PCR and ELISA. The IL-8 mRNA expression in 9 cases of normal lung tissue and 44 cases of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were examined. Results The IL—8 mRNA copy number in a given sample can be measured by real-time PCR. The gene expression of IL—8 is correlated with its protein secretion. The normalized value of IL—8 expression was 4.87±1.69 (copies/ 10⁴ GAPDH copies) in normal lung tissue and 17.04 ±23.96 in NSCLC, respectively. The difference between these two groups is statistically significant (P=0.002). Using 9.74 and 19.48 as cut-off points for positive expression and overexpression of IL—8, 52.3%(23/44cases) of NSCLC were found to express an increased level of IL-8, among which 29.5% (13/ 44cases) were defined as positive expression and 22.7%(10/44cases) as overexpression. Statistical analysis indicated that IL—8 overexpression was significantly increased in female cancers, squamous carcinoma, and in late stages of disease (P<0.05). Conclusion The IL—8 gene expression can be determined by a real-time PCR technique. IL -8 overexpression is correlated with gender, histopathology and stages of the disease.     

Blast exposure causes redistribution of phosphorylated neurofilament subunits in neurons of the adult rat brain

There is little information on threshold levels and critical time factors for blast exposures, although brain damage after a blast has been established both clinically and experimentally. Moreover, the cellular pathophysiology of the brain response is poorly characterized. This study employs a rat model for blast exposure to investigate effects on the neuronal cytoskeleton. Exposure in the range of 154 kPa/198 dB or 240 kPa/202 dB has previously been shown neither to cause visual damage to the brain, nor to affect the neuronal populations, as revealed with routine histology. Here, the brains were investigated immunohistochemically from 2 h to 21 days after blast exposure. A monoclonal antibody was used which detects only the phosphorylated epitope of the heavy subunit of the neurofilament proteins (p-NFH). This epitope is normally restricted to axons, that is, not demonstrable in the perikarya. Eighteen hours after exposure in the 240-kPa/202-dB range, p-NFH immunoreactivity accumulated in neuronal perikarya in layers II-IV of the temporal cortex and of the cingulate and the piriform cortices, the dentate gyrus and the CA1 region of the hippocampus. At the same time, the p-NFH immunoreactivity disappeared from the axons and dendrites of cerebral cortex neurons. The most pronounced immunostaining of neuronal perikarya was found in the hemisphere, which faced the blast source. The perikaryal accumulation of p-NFH was present also at 7 days but the neuronal perikarya had become negative at 21 days, at which time the axons again displayed p-NFH immunoreactivity. Exposure in the range of 154 kPa/198 dB caused similar, although less marked accumulation of p-NFH immunoreactivity in the neuronal perikarya. The findings are interpreted to show a dephosphorylation of NFHs in axons and dendrites and a piling up of p-NFHs in the perikarya due to disturbed axonal transport.     

利用粘附式细胞仪测定培养巨噬细胞内pH值

用ｐＨ值敏感荧光探针Ｓｎａｆｌｃａｌｃｅｉｎ－ＡＭ标记体外培养４８小时的小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞，５７０型粘附式细胞仪观察巨噬细胞在对刀豆素Ａ进行受体介导内吞过程中细胞内ｐＨ值的变化。结果显示，开始内吞后细胞内ｐＨ值即降低，内吞进行到第５分钟细胞内ｐＨ值降到最低，在此后的６分钟内均维持于这一较低水平。本法灵敏度高，简便快捷，适用范围广，可无损伤观察活细胞或细胞器ｐＨ值的变化。