体表高频超声技术评价家兔血管成形术后再狭窄模型与病理学结果的相关性

目的:分析体表高频超声检测家兔血管内球囊成形术后再狭窄程度与组织病理学分析的相关性。评估体表超声检测的可行性、可靠性及应用价值。方法:实验于2002-03/2003-12在北京中医药大学中医内科学重点学科实验室完成。①日本大耳白兔26只,随机分为正常组10只、假手术组6只、模型组10只。②模型组电刺激兔颈总动脉,电流1.2mA,刺激12～15min,术后第2天喂饲高脂饲料共8周,假手术组仅剥离颈总动脉,不做电刺激,喂高脂饲料,正常组不施加任何干预因素。③模型组和假手术组根据B超选择颈总动脉有斑块或血流明显改变者行球囊血管内成形术。分别于电刺激后8周、血管成形术后4周行超声检查动脉内径和动脉内膜厚度。④所有动物于血管成形术后4周处死取材,进行病理学半定量分析,并与超声测量结果进行相关分析。结果:进入结果分析数量24只,正常组中途死亡1只,原因为牙齿畸型影响进食。模型组1只因电刺激8周时超声评价颈动脉未形成斑块及血流无明显改变而剔出实验。①超声检测电刺激8周时正常组内膜厚为(0.028±0.004)cm,模型组管壁明显增厚(0.043±0.014)cm,差异有显著性(P<0.05),至血管成形术后膜厚增加更明显(0.064±0.002)cm,内径稍有扩大,但差异不显著。②超声检测模型组颈动脉内径与膜厚的测量结果与病理学测量结果呈正相关关系(OR=0.361,P<0.05;OR=0.526,P<0.01),病理狭窄率与超声是否检测到斑块呈正相关关系(OR=0.796,P<0.01)。结论:体表高频超声在评价家兔颈动脉狭窄诊断中有一定应用价值,与病理学半定量分析结果相关性良好。     

慢性乙型肝炎患者及其配偶心理状况

目的:认识慢性乙型肝炎患者及其配偶心理健康、生活质量及心理治疗的相关研究现状。资料来源:检索维普期刊全文数据库和中国医院知识仓库(CHKD期刊全文库)1985-01/2006-01有关乙型肝炎与心理方面的文献,检索词为"生活质量,乙型肝炎,心理健康,心理干预,配偶",并限定语言种类为中文;检索Pubmed数据库同期相关文献检索词为"CHB,quality of life,psychology health",并限定语言种类为英语。其他文章查找具体书籍或杂志获得原文。资料选择:对资料进行初审,选择与乙型肝炎患者及配偶心理健康、生活质量及心理治疗等相关的文章。纳入标准:阐述详细,文章内容较新,有助于说明问题的文章。排除标准:去除重复性研究和一般了解性的文章。资料提炼:共收集到204篇文章及2本相关书籍,符合纳入标准的文章48篇,排除158篇。资料综合:慢性乙型肝炎是一种身心疾病,其发病机制复杂,除与病原和免疫因素有关外,心理社会因素起重要作用。同时,与之共同生活的慢性乙型肝炎患者配偶承受了巨大的心理压力,存在许多心理障碍,即夫妇的心理症状可交互影响。心理治疗对于乙型肝炎患者是必要的。结论:慢性乙型肝炎患者及其配偶存在严重的心理问题,心理治疗能取得一定的疗效。     

China’s great wall,Israel’s Bar Lev Line,and passive infectious disease surveillance

Emerging infectious diseases are some of modern society’s greatest threats. Like some great construction efforts designed to protect mankind, current public health measures against these emerging pathogens have not always been successful. This paper highlights the importance of embracing new interdisciplinary approaches towards emerging pathogen threats. One such approach, termed One Health, is quickly being embraced by professional organizations and public health institutions across the world as a way forward. This paper briefly discusses the above problems and preliminary steps taken by Chinese academic institutions to embrace the One Health approach.     

Can mupirocin prevent methicillin-resistant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Staphylococcus aureus</Emphasis> infections?

In a retrospective study, Dr Muller and colleagues have assessed the efficacy of mupirocin nasal ointment alongside hygienic measures in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)-positive patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Their findings, which suggest that intranasal mupirocin can prevent ICU-related MRSA infections, need confirmation in a well-designed clinical trial. In general: early identification, isolation and treatment of all MRSA carriers, including health care workers, and disinfection of contaminated environments, are the main 'ingredients' of an effective MRSA 'search and destroy' program.     

Somatostatinoma: Atypical Presentation of a Rare Pancreatic Tumor

Somatostatinomas are rare neuroendocrine tumors that can result in a variety of symptoms depending on the secretion of other peptides in association with or in response to somatostatin. The rarity and variable clinical presentation of these tumors present problems in diagnosis and management. This report details the treatment of a 66-yr-old male who had a somatostatinoma with an atypical location and presentation. His clinical course was one of recurrent disease treated surgically and the interval development of cholelithiasis. He has survived 5 yr with his tumor, illustrating that monitoring peptide levels and an aggressive surgical approach are warranted for this condition. Prophylactic cholecys-tectomy should be considered at the time of exploration.     

Involvement of PKCα and G-protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 in agonist-selective desensitization of μ-opioid receptors in mature brain neurons

Background and purpose:

The ability of an agonist to induce desensitization of the µ-opioid receptor (MOR) depends upon the agonist used. Furthermore, previous data suggest that the intracellular mechanisms underlying desensitization may be agonist-specific. We investigated the mechanisms underlying MOR desensitization, in adult mammalian neurons, caused by morphine (a partial agonist in this system) and DAMGO (a high-efficacy agonist).

Experimental approach:

MOR function was measured in locus coeruleus neurons, by using whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology, in rat and mouse brain slices (both wild-type and protein kinase C (PKC)α knockout mice). Specific isoforms of PKC were inhibited by using inhibitors of the receptors for activated C-kinase (RACK), and in vivo viral-mediated gene-transfer was used to transfect neurons with dominant negative mutants (DNMs) of specific G-protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRKs).

Key results:

Morphine-induced desensitization was attenuated by using RACK inhibitors that inhibit PKCα, but not by other isoform-specific inhibitors. Further, the PKC component of morphine-induced desensitization was absent in locus coeruleus neurons from PKCα knockout mice. The PKC-enhanced morphine-induced desensitization was not affected by over-expression of a GRK2 dominant negative mutant (GRK2 DNM). In contrast, DAMGO-induced MOR desensitization was independent of PKC activity but was reduced by over-expression of the GRK2 DNM but not by that of a GRK6 DNM.

Conclusions and implications:

In mature mammalian neurons, different MOR agonists can induce MOR desensitization by different mechanisms, morphine by a PKCα-mediated, heterologous mechanism and DAMGO by a GRK-mediated, homologous mechanism. These data represent functional selectivity at the level of receptor desensitization.     

Real-time digital angiocardiography using a temporal high-pass filter

A temporal high-pass filtration technique for digital subtraction angiocardiography was studied, using real-time digital studies performed simultaneously with routine cineangiocardiography (cine) for qualitative image comparison. The digital studies showed increased contrast and suppression of background anatomy and also enhanced detection of wall motion abnormalities when compared with cine. This digital technique is compatible with panning the image intensifier during an injection. The digital images are comparable with, and in some cases better than, cine images. Clinical efficacy of this digital technique is currently being evaluated. Real-time display, as well as potential reductions in radiation and contrast material doses, may make digital angiocardiography an attractive technique.