Neuromuscular block with vecuronium reduces the rapidly extracted auditory evoked potentials index during steady state anesthesia

PURPOSE: During clinical monitoring, vecuronium appeared to reduce the rapidly extracted auditory evoked potentials index (A-line ARX index or AAI) to some extent. A prospective and randomized study was designed to analyze this phenomenon. METHODS: Forty adult patients undergoing elective surgery were studied. After tracheal intubation, anesthesia was maintained with an end-tidal isoflurane concentration (F(ET)ISO) of 1.0% for 20 min, then a 10-mL dose of either vecuronium 0.05 mg*kg(-1), 0.1 mg*kg(-1), 0.2 mg*kg(-1) or saline was administered in a randomized, double-blind design. The AAI and bispectral index (BI(hx)) were monitored throughout the study and analyzed off-line. RESULTS: BI(hx) was unaltered after the administration of saline or vecuronium. The mean of the averaged (per patient) AAI values recorded from two minutes to ten minutes after the administration of saline or vecuronium 0.05 mg*kg(-1) did not differ significantly from the corresponding mean recorded from 15 min to 20 min after F(ET)ISO maintained 1.0% (P = 0.678, 0.169), however after the administration of vecuronium 0.1 mg*kg(-1) or 0.2 mg*kg(-1), AAI was reduced from 18.3, 18.0 to 14.8, 13.4 (P = 0.016, 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: Neuromuscular block with vecuronium reduces AAI in patients during steady state anesthesia without surgical stimuli, while BI(hx) is unaltered. The cut-off values of AAI for events should be determined according to the level of neuromuscular blockade when monitoring the depth of anesthesia/sedation.     

Potential contribution of nuclear factor-kappaB to cerebral vasospasm after experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage in rabbits.

Nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) plays a key role in inflammation, which is involved in the development of cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). In the present study, we assessed the potential role of NF-kappaB in regulation of cerebral vasospasm. Nuclear factor-kappaB DNA-binding activity was measured in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) treated with hemolysate and pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC, 80 micromol/L), an inhibitor of NF-kappaB. Forty-two rabbits were divided into three groups: control, SAH, and PDTC groups (n=14 for each group). The caliber of the basilar artery was evaluated. Nuclear factor-kappaB DNA-binding activity and the gene expression levels of cytokines and adhesion molecules in the basilar artery were measured. Immunohistochemical study was performed to assess the expression and localization of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1, and myeloperoxidase (MPO). It was observed that NF-kappaB DNA-binding activity was significantly increased by treatment with hemolysate in cultured VSCMs, but this increase was suppressed by pretreatment with PDTC. Severe vasospasm was observed in the SAH group, which was attenuated in the PDTC group. Subarachnoid hemorrhage could induce increases of NF-kappaB DNA-binding activity and the gene expression levels of TNF-alpha, interleukin (IL)-1 beta, ICAM-1, and vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1, which were reduced in the PDTC group. Immunohistochemical study demonstrated that the expression levels of TNF-alpha, ICAM-1, and MPO were all increased in the SAH group, but these increases were attenuated in the PDTC group. Our results suggest that NF-kappaB is activated in the arterial wall after SAH, which potentially leads to vasospasm development through induction of inflammatory response.     

Some sufficient conditions for global exponential stability of delayed Hopfield neural networks.

In this paper, we have derived some sufficient conditions for existence and uniqueness of equilibrium and global exponential stability in delayed Hopfield neural networks by using a different approach from the usually used one where the existence, uniqueness of equilibrium and stability are proved in two separate steps, rather we first prove global exponential convergence to 0 of the difference between any two solutions of the original neural networks, the existence and uniqueness of equilibrium is the direct results of this procedure. We obtain the conditions by suitable construction of Lyapunov functionals and estimation of derivates of the Lyapunov functionals by the well-known Young's inequality and Holder's inequality. The proposed conditions are related to p-norms of vector or matrix, p in [1, infinity] and thus unify and generalize some results in the literature.     

Innervation of the trapezius muscle: is cervical contribution important to its function?

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of the cervical plexus and the accessory nerve to the function of the trapezius muscle. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Eighteen adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups. The neurotomies were performed in the left sides and the right sides served as within-subject controls. In group A, the accessory nerve was transected. The C2-5 were transected in group B, and both of the accessory nerve and C2-5 were cut in group C. The electrophysiologic, myophysiologic, and histologic changes of the muscles were measured. RESULTS: There were significant differences (P < 0.05) between the three groups in the recovery rates of the transverse area of the muscles. The CMAP recorded from the experimental sides in group B were similar to the control sides. The values of the maximum tension of the tetanus contraction between the two sides showed no differences either (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The accessory nerve supplies the most important motor input to the trapezius. Motor innervations of the cervical plexus are not very significant.     

Intracranial Extramedullary Hematopoiesis in β-thalassemia Major

A case of β-thalassemia major with a huge mass of hernatopoictic tissuc firmly attached tothe dura mater was reported This is the first case reported in China.     

加减化裁随证治之——何任治疗癌症学术经验探究(下)

癌症为深危重疾,对于绝大部分癌症患者,临床普遍采用手术、中医、化疗、放疗、生物等综合方法进行治疗。由于癌症的种类、所处阶段、先前采用的治疗方法以及病人体质等等的不同,求诊时病人的证     

关于麻醉药品使用剂量的探讨

本文从麻醉药品使用剂量的政策调整、使用中存在的问题及每张处方最大量应用举例诸方面,详细阐述了麻醉药品使用剂量问题,为今后进一步规范麻醉药品的使用和管理提供依据。     

Application of median-effect in quantitative analysis of antitumor drugs in vitro

Objective: To analyze quantitatively the synergistic and antagonistic effects of combined oxymatrine (OMT) and 5-fluorouracil (5-GU) on a cell line of human liver cancer (HepG2) with median-effect principle in vitro. Methods: The median-effect principle and MTT method were used in the quantitative analysis of effects of the two drugs. Results: Cytotoxic activity of the individual drugs enhanced as drug concentration increased. As fa=0.41, a CI equal to 1 indicated additivity; fa<0.41, a CI less than 1 indicated synergy; and fa>0.41, a CI greater than 1 indicated antagonism. The sequence of administration did not influence the cytotoxic activity of the combined antitumor drugs. The ratio of drug concentration was a factor that can influence the killing effect. Conclusion: The combined drugs interaction (CI<1) was synergistic at lower concentration and antagonistic at higher concentration. The ratio of drug concentration is a factor that can influence the killing effect. Biography: HE Song(1965–), male, doctor of medicine, associate professor, Chongqing Medical University, majors in gastroenterology.     

佩尔地平治疗妊娠高血压病人的护理管理路径

目的探讨护理管理路径在应用佩尔地平治疗的重度子痫前期病人的效果，以期达到最佳的治疗效果，并减少并发症的发生。方法将用佩尔地平针治疗的重度子痫前期的病人486例随机分为两组，一组按常规护理，另一组按制定的护理管理路径护理。结果患者依从性对照组为168例，占70％；观察组为228例，占92．68％，P〈0．05，其差异有统计学意义。胎死宫内发生率对照组为9．16％，观察组为0．81％，P〈0．05，其差异有统计学意义。血压的稳定性对照组为36．3％，观察组为97．6％，P〈0．05，其差异有统计学意义。结论护理管理路径可以提高重度妊娠高血压疾病的治疗效果，减少并发症的发生。     

缺锌对大鼠力竭性游泳前后睾酮和锌水平变化的影响

本实验动态观察了缺锌和缺锌后补锌对大鼠力竭性游泳前后辜丸和血清睾酮、锌水平以及游泳能力的影响。结果显示：缺锌造成大鼠游泳能力大大降低，补锌后明显增加。不论安静时还是力竭性游泳后１２小时内，缺锌大鼠的血清和辜丸锌含量均显著低于对照和补锌大鼠。与对照和补锌大鼠相比，缺锌大鼠的血清和睾丸酮含量，安静时均较低，力竭性游泳后也呈现不同程度的降低。缺锌还造成大鼠辜丸重量的明显下降。结果表明，锌营养不良将损害运动能力。