Bone age and linear skeletal growth of children with cerebral palsy

The aim of this study was to compare the linear growth of children with cerebral palsy (CP) with that of children without CP. The segmental lengths (humerus, ulna, femur, tibia, and spine), recumbent length, body weight, and bone age of 62 children with CP (age range 2.25 to 14 years, mean 7.13 years) were measured and compared with 68 children without CP (age range 1.50 to 12.67 years, mean 6.73 years). The results show that bone-age delay is common in children with CP (68% with a delay of more than 1 year). The linear growth of children with CP is similar to that of children without CP when bone age is used instead of chronological age. There is a strong correlation between segmental lengths and body height. Hence, this study favours using segmental lengths for estimating height in children with CP and using the comparison group as a reference for this purpose. Nutritional and non-nutritional factors on bone-age delay are discussed.     

联合内分泌治疗对前列腺和睾丸的影响

目的 探讨抑那通和缓退瘤联合治疗对正常前列腺,增生的前列腺（ＢＰＨ）和前列腺癌以及睾丸的作用。方法 对１６例接受联合内分泌治疗至少３个月且有治疗前后病理资料的前列腺癌患者的标本进行了系统的病理学检查。对内分泌治疗后的睾丸标本与同龄未接受治疗的进行对照研究。结果 １４例内分泌治疗后的前列腺标本２例未见残存癌灶,９例对治疗有明显的反应;３例对治疗反应差,治疗并未降低前列腺癌的病理分期。３例内分泌治疗后     

Xanthine oxidase inhibitors from Brandisia hancei

Xanthine oxidase is a key enzyme associated with the incidence of hyperuricemia-related disorders. Repeated chromatography of the enzyme inhibitory part of the water extract of the twigs and leaves of Brandisia hancei (Scrophulariaceae) gave a flavone luteolin, an iridoid glycoside mussaenoside, two beta-sitosterol glycosides daucosterol and beta-sitosterol gentiobioside, and five phenylethanoids arenarioside, brandioside, acteoside, 2'-O-acetylacteoside and isoacteoside. Luteolin and isoacteoside inhibited the xanthine oxidase (XO, EC 1.2.3.2) with the IC50 values at 7.83 and 45.48 microM, respectively. Isoacteoside was found to be the first phenylethanoid that decreased substantially the formation of uric acid by inhibiting competitively xanthine oxidase (Ki value: 10.08 microM). Furthermore, the study suggested that the caffeoylation of the 6'-hydroxyl group of the phenylethanoids was essential for the enzyme inhibitory action.     

Interleukin-6 activates phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase, which inhibits apoptosis in human prostate cancer cell lines

BACKGROUND: A number of recent studies have identified interleukin (IL)-6 as an important regulator of prostate cancer growth. Here, we investigate the potential interaction of IL-6 with phosphatidylinositol (PI)-3 kinase, a key growth regulatory enzyme, in prostate cancer cell lines. METHODS: Tyrosine phosphorylation of p85, the regulatory subunit of PI-3 kinase, in the human prostate cancer cell lines LNCaP and PC-3 was assessed by sequential immunoprecipitation with anti-p85 antibody and immunoblotting with anti-phosphotyrosine. The effects of wortmannin, an inhibitor of PI-3 kinase, and/or IL-6 on cell growth were assessed by MTT assays. DNA laddering experiments were performed to assay for programmed cell death. RESULTS: Tyrosine phosphorylation of p85 is upregulated by IL-6 in both LNCaP and PC-3. IL-6 promotes coprecipitation of p85 with gp130, the signal-transducing component of the IL-6 receptor. Inhibition of PI-3 kinase with wortmannin induces programmed cell death in PC-3 cells. In contrast, wortmannin has no effect on LNCaP growth when used alone; however, combined with IL-6, wortmannin promotes apoptosis in these cells. CONCLUSIONS: PI-3 kinase is involved in IL-6 signal transduction and delivers an antiapoptotic signal in human prostate cancer cell lines.     

耳穴疗法治疗老人失眠症之临床研究

目的:尝试利用科学性之方法探讨耳穴磁疗对老人失眠症之效果.方法:120位60岁或以上之老年患者,随机分配入三组.第一组及第二组为对照组,分别贴有灯芯或王不留行籽(不加压);第三组为实验组,贴有每粒含66高斯之磁珠(不加压).为针对老年患者常见之脏腑功能衰弱而致失眠,各人均选取相同之穴位:神门、心、肾、肝、脾、皮质下及枕,疗程共3周.结果:疗程完毕后,使用磁珠作耳疗之实验组于治疗前后的睡眠效果指数有明显之改进(P＜0.05),显效17%,有效为65%,总有效率为82%.此外,利用多元回归之反向淘汱法分析女性参加者之数据,发现利用磁珠作耳疗及参加者年龄对预测睡眠效果指数达显著水准(F3,106=9.04,P＜0.001,R2=0.20).结论:耳穴磁疗能有效地改善老人失眠症.     

Inducible nitric oxide synthase expression elicited in the mouse brain by inflammatory mediators circulating in the cerebrospinal fluid

Expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) protein was studied in the brain after intracerebroventricular injections of interferon (IFN)-gamma, and IFN-gamma combined with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, compared to ovalbumin as control. Wild-type mice and mice with targeted deletion of the IFN-gamma receptor gene were used. Findings based on iNOS immunoreactivity were evaluated at 1, 2, 4 and 7 days post-injection, using also quantitative image analysis and double labeling with glial cell markers. IFN-gamma administration induced iNOS immmunostaining in activated microglia and macrophages in the parenchyma surrounding the ventricular system, several cortical fields and fiber tracts. IFN-gamma-elicited iNOS immunoreactivity was down-regulated after 1 day. The number of iNOS-immunopositive cells was significantly enhanced by co-administration of LPS or TNF-alpha; IFN-gamma+TNF-alpha injections also resulted in longer persistence of iNOS immunoreactivity. No immunopositive cells were seen in the brain of IFN-gamma receptor knockout mice after IFN-gamma administration; very few immunostained macrophages were detected in these cases, mostly around the injection needle track, after co-administration of LPS or TNF-alpha. Western blot analysis confirmed a marked iNOS induction in the brain of wild-type mice 24 h after IFN-gamma+LPS injections. The findings show that inflammatory mediators circulating in the cerebrospinal fluid induce in vivo iNOS in the brain with topographical selectivity and temporal regulation. The data also demonstrate that the signaling cascade activated by IFN-gamma binding to its receptor is critical for iNOS induction, and the synergistic action of LPS and TNF-alpha as iNOS inducers in brain cells is largely mediated by the receptor-regulated action of IFN-gamma.     

人工耳蜗植入术后植入电极的影像学检查

目的 探讨建立螺旋CT扫描及三维重建技术观察人工耳蜗植入电极方法，并比较X线摄片方法与螺旋CT扫描三维重建方法的耳蜗内电极的影像学特征及其临床应用价值。方法 18例人工耳蜗植入患者全部作术后X线摄片检查。其中9例用经眼眶前后位摄片，9例采用侧斜位60。摄片。3例患者施行术后螺旋CT扫描及内耳三维重建方法。结果 2种投射头位的X线摄片均可显示电极形态及单个电极对，可间接判断电极在耳蜗内的植入深度。螺旋CT扫描三维重建图可直观地显示耳蜗形态、电极形态及其在耳蜗内植入的深度，可清晰识别单个电极对。结论 螺旋CT扫描三维重建方法可直观观察植入电极的形态及位置，可准确判断电极在耳蜗内植入的深度，有其独特的临床应用价值。