Analysis of Implantation in Assisted Reproduction Through the Use of Serial Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Measurements

Purpose: Our purpose was to examine implantation of singleton pregnancies achieved following various assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) through the appearance and rising titers of serum human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels. Methods: A total of 114 singleton pregnancies resulting from in vitro fertilization and intrauterine insemination was analyzed. Patients were divided into five groups according to the type of ovarian stimulation protocol [gonadotropin stimulation with/without the use of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa), long protocol, or flare-up technique] and to the day of embryo transfer (day 2 or day 3 after oocyte retrieval). Serial serum hCG levels were measured between 10 and 25 days after fertilization and log-transformed. Linear regression analyses were performed and extrapolated to hCG = 10 mIU/ml (hCG ₁₀ ), which was used as an estimate of detectable implantation. The slopes of the regression lines were used to estimate the rising speed of hCG. Results: There were no significant differences in the days of hCG in maternal serum to reach 10 mIU/ml (implantation) or in the slopes of the regression lines for all five studied groups. Conclusions: The appearance of hCG in maternal serum was used to assess the time of clinically detectable implantation. Furthermore, because hCG production is a marker of trophoblastic activity, its serum doubling time was used as an indicator of embryo quality. Results showed that in various ART protocols with and without GnRHa, there were no significant differences in implantation time or embryo quality. Embryo development in early pregnancy follows a preprogrammed-timing schedule and depends mainly on the embryonic age of the health, successfully implanted conceptus.     

Ischemic necrosis of the entire femoral head and rapidly destructive hip disease: potential causative relationship

 Objective. Rapidly destructive hip disease (RDHD) is an uncommon disorder of the hip that has been considered a disease of unknown cause and distinct from ischemic necrosis of the femoral head. The objective of this study was to investigate ischemic necrosis of the femoral head as one potential cause of RDHD. Design and patients. In 600 patients who underwent MR imaging of the hip, 20 cases of ischemic necrosis involving the entire femoral head in 18 patients (3%) were retrospectively studied with routine radiography and MR imaging. All patients had surgically confirmed ischemic necrosis of the femoral head. Results and conclusions. All patients showed rapid destruction of the femoral head on routine radiography and MR imaging as compared with the gradual onset of clinical symptoms. Plain radiographs showed several bone fragments at the inferomedial aspect of the femoral head (75%), acetabular erosions (55%), eccentric depression at the lateral articular surface of the femoral head conforming to the adjacent acetabulum (35%), and mild osteoarthritis (15%). Bone sclerosis was often present at sites of impaction between the femoral head and the acetabulum. MR imaging showed marked distention of the joint capsule in all cases. In 14 of 20 cases, the contents of the joint space showed predominantly low or intermediate signal intensity on T1- and T2-weighted images. Ischemic necrosis involving the entire femoral head may represent one of the causes of RDHD.     

Effect of temperature in focal ischemia of rat brain studied by 31P and 1H spectroscopic imaging

³¹P, ¹H and lactate spectroscopic imaging was used to evaluate the effects of hypothermia on focal cerebral ischemia produced by middle cerebral artery occlusion. The effects on high energy phosphate metabolism, pH, lactate and NAA were investigated in 24 spontaneously hypertensive rats subjected to either permanent or transient ischemia. Under either normothermic (37.5°C) or hypothermic (32°C) conditions, with permanent 6-h occlusion, there was little difference between groups in either the NMR measurements or the volume of infarction. In animals that underwent 3 h of ischemia followed by 12 h of reperfusion, the ischemic changes in lactate, pH, NAA, and high-energy phosphate returned toward control values, and there was a protective effect of hypothermia (infarct volume of 211 ± 26 and 40 ± 14 mm³ in normothermic and hypothermic groups, respectively). Thus, hypothermia did not ameliorate the changes in lactate, pH, NAA, or high energy phosphate levels occurring during ischemia, however, during reperfusion there was an improvement in both the recovery of these metabolites and pathological outcome in hypothermic compared with normothermic animals.     

Textual study on traditional Chinese drugs caodoukou and baidoukou]

Through a critical study of herbalogy, it is concluded that the mature seeds of Alpinia zermubet were used as caodoukou in ancient times. The original plant of Yutao recorded in Zhiwu Mingshi Tukao may be the species of Alpinia katsumadai. Baidukou used in ancient times may be the seeds of Alpinia katsumadai found in the south of China, or Amomum compactum and Am. kravanh imported from foreign countries.     

Gd-DTPA在MRI中的诊断作用

目的:探讨Gd-DTPA在MRI中的诊断作用。材料与方法:总结分析了被确诊的378例(402人次)患者应用Gd-DTPA增强检查后的效果。对肿瘤、感染、梗塞等病变的强化特点进行了讨论。结果:使用Gd-DTPA后,有23例平扫时误诊的病例得到了纠正,并发现了MRI平扫时未能发现的一些病变,诸如管内型听神经瘤、脑膜炎、脑(脊)膜的转移性病变等。但是,作者还同时发现即使在用了Gd-DTPA之后,仍有多种病变存在鉴别诊断上的困难。结论:合理使用增强检查,将有助于提高诊断的符合率。     

正常人及胃癌患者胃蛋白酶原C基因多态性研究

以ＰＧＣ３０１为探讨，对１０例胃癌组织及１１例正常人体组织基因组ＤＮＡ中胃蛋白酶原Ｃ基因的ＥｃｏＲ Ｉ限制性片段长度多态性作了观察分析。发现在正常人体有三种常见等位片段，分别为２０ｋｂ、５．７ｋｂ及３．６ｋｂ；一种稀有片段，３．５ｋｂ。在胃癌患者，未发现与正常人体不同的等位片段。但是，稀有片段及稀有杂交带型的出现频率高于正常组。这一结果对深入探讨胃蛋白酶原Ｃ基因稀有片段及稀有杂交带型对胃癌的诊断价     

维甲酸改变人肝癌细胞表面N－糖链的结构及其酶学机制

用３Ｈ－甘露糖标记７７２１人肝癌细胞表面糖蛋白的Ｎ－糖链，经提取和去唾液酸后，用ＣｏｎＡ和ＤＳＡ亲和柱顺序层析将３Ｈ－标记的Ｎ－糖链分成４个类型和天线数不同的组分来研究维甲酸（ＲＡ）对细胞表面Ｎ－糖链的影响。结果：１０μｍｏｌ／ＬＲＡ处理细胞３～５ｄ后，可使Ｃ２Ｃ２二天线复杂型Ｎ－糖链增加，而高甘露糖型及三、四天线，特别是带有Ｃ２，６分支结构的复杂型Ｈ－糖链减少。用ＬＣＡ亲和柱还证明二天线糖链中的核心岩藻糖也减少。进一步发现上述改变的酶学机制是ＲＡ降低Ｎ－乙酰氨基萄葡糖转移酶Ｖ和α－１，６－核心岩藻糖转移酶的活力。结论：ＢＡ通过改变某些糖基转移酶活力而改变细胞表面糖链结构，这可能是ＲＡ使７７２１细胞诱导分化的机理之－。     

神经生长因子几丁质管修复兔面神经缺损

目的：评价神经生长因子(nerve growth factor，NGF)几丁质管在修复兔面神经缺损中的作用。方法：在16只新西兰兔的两侧面神经上颊支上分别造成8mm缺损，左侧用管腔内注入NGF的几丁质管修复，右侧用自体神经移植修复作对照。术后8周和16周分别取8只动物进行电生理和组织学检查及计算机图像分析。结果：术后8周，实验组的再生神经已通过近远中吻合口，神经纤维密集成束；术后16周，再生神经纤维的数量增加，神经纤维束增粗，形态接近于正常神经。电生理检测和图像分析显示实验组和对照组的神经传导速度和有髓神经轴突总截面积均无显著差异(P＞0．05)。结论：NGF几丁质管可为免面神经缺损提供良好的修复环境。     

EphB4反义寡核苷酸对人脑胶质瘤细胞增殖、凋亡及迁移的作用

目的观察EphB4反义寡核苷酸(ASODN)对人脑胶质瘤细胞增殖、凋亡及迁移的影响,探讨EphB4的生物学功能。方法人工合成EphB4 ASODN,脂质体转染U87细胞。分别应用RT-PCR以及免疫组织化学染色方法检测EphB4 mRNA和蛋白质,评估阻抑效应;并应用MTT法和流式细胞术检测细胞的增殖和凋亡;采用Boyden侵袭小室法检测细胞迁移和侵袭力。结果(1)由脂质体转染的EphB4 ASODN对U87细胞EphB4 mRNA和蛋白质表达具有不同程度的抑制作用,且呈现一定的时间-剂量依赖性,600nmol/LASODN作用于U87细胞72h,EphB4 mRNA相对表达量为0.30±0.05,EphB4蛋白表达水平亦明显减弱。(2)各实验组EphB4 ASODN对U87细胞增殖均具有抑制作用,呈明显时间-剂量依赖性;以600nmol/LASODN作用72h,U87细胞生长抑制率达到68.70%,而对照组则无明显抑制作用。(3)EphB4 ASODN诱导U87细胞凋亡呈剂量依赖性。(4)EphB4 ASODN组U87细胞的跨膜数为17.82±2.35,与空白对照组及NSODN组比较差异具有统计学意义(P<0.01)。结论EphB4在人脑胶质瘤细胞增殖、凋亡、迁移和侵袭过程中发挥重要作用,可能成为脑胶质瘤基因治疗的一个新靶点。     

Loss of cables, a novel gene on chromosome 18q, in ovarian cancer.

Cables, a cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk) interacting protein, has recently been identified and mapped to human chromosome 18q11. Cables appears to be primarily involved in cell cycle regulation and cell proliferation. Overexpression of Cables in Hela and other cell lines inhibits cell proliferation and tumor formation. We hypothesize that loss of Cables expression is associated with ovarian cancer. To test our hypothesis, we examined Cables expression in the four most common subtypes of ovarian carcinomas: serous, endometrioid, mucinous, and clear cell. In addition, mucinous and serous borderline tumors were also included. Loss of Cables expression was observed at high frequency in ovarian serous (11 of 14 cases, 79%) and endometrioid (5 of 10 cases, 50%) carcinomas. In contrast, strong Cables staining was detected in all clear cell carcinomas (10 cases) and mucinous tumors (5 carcinomas and 5 borderline tumors). The majority of serous borderline tumors (11 of 14 cases, 79%) showed positive Cables staining, with the rest showing focal loss of Cables expression. Furthermore, RT-PCR revealed the lack of Cables mRNA in a human ovarian cancer xenograft. No correlation was noted between loss of Cables and histologic grade, tumor stage, and survival. In conclusion, our results indicate that loss of Cables is common in ovarian serous and endometrioid carcinomas and imply that Cables may be involved in the pathogenesis of these two types of ovarian carcinomas.