Effect of amyloid peptides on the increase in TrkA receptor expression induced by nicotine in vitro and in vivo

The ability of nicotine to induce a cytoprotective or neuroprotective action occurs through several down-stream mechanisms. One possibility is that the drug increases the expression of tyrosine kinase A (TrkA) nerve growth factor (NGF) receptors. Certain β-amyloid peptides (e.g., Aβ1–42) have been shown to bind with high affinity to α7 nicotinic receptors and thus interfere with a potentially neurotrophic influence. Treatment of differentiated PC-12 cells with nicotine produced a concentration-dependent increase in cell-surface TrkA receptors that occurred concomitantly with cytoprotection. The effect of nicotine was blocked by either of the α7 receptor antagonists α-bungarotoxin (α-BTX) or methyllycaconatine. The cytoprotective action of nicotine also was inhibited by pretreatment with 10–100 nM Aβ1–42. Nicotine also was administered (four injections of 30 μg, spaced evenly over 24 h) to rats by direct injection into a lateral cerebral ventricle. Brain TrkA expression was increased significantly in hippocampus and entorhinal cortex (up to 32% above control), with no changes found in cerebral cortex or hypothalamus. The nicotine-induced increases in TrKA expression in hippocampus and entorhinal cortex were significantly inhibited by 10 μg α-BTX or by 10 nmol Aβ1–42. Therefore, physiologically relevant concentrations of Aβ1–42 can prevent nicotine-induced TrkA receptor expression in brain regions containing cholinergic neurons susceptible to the neurotoxicity associated with Alzheimer’s disease.     

对数期继代对南方红豆杉细胞培养动力学的影响

目的 解决南方红豆杉细胞生长缓慢及代谢水平低下的问题。方法 对对数期(20d)和静止期(30d)的红豆杉细胞分别进行继代，在整个生长周期中测定了培养基中的碳源、氮源、磷酸盐的变化并分析了红豆杉细胞生长及紫杉醇的合成情况。结果 对数期继代细胞吸收碳源和硝态氮早于静止期继代的细胞，且前者的比生长速度是后者的1．5倍，紫杉醇含量提高了近4倍。结论 对数期继代有利于生物量的积累及紫杉醇的合成。     

小切口胆囊切除术108例临床观察

本文报告腹部切口５－８ｃｍ的小切口胆囊切除术１０８例，与同期大切口胆囊切除术相比，具有创伤较小、恢复较快、并发症少、切口疤痕小的优点，虽不如腹腔镜胆囊切除术（ＬＣ）的疼痛轻、恢复快，但并症比ＬＣ少，只要适应症选择得当，在术者的经验和技术较成熟的情况下，不昔为一种可供选择的方法。     

Inhibitory effect of glycyrrhiza uralensis fish and chelidonium majus L on gastrocarcinogenesis induced by N-methyl-N′-nitron-N-nitrosoguanidine

In order to investigate the antagonistic effect of Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Fish (GUF) and Chelidonium maJus L (CML) on gastrccarcinogenesis induced by MNNG in Wastar rats, we treated the rats with MNNG alone (group 1) and with MNNG plus GUF and CML (group 2 and 3) respectively. The incidence of infiltrating adenocarcinoma of the glandular stomach and duodenum in group 2 was significantly lower than that in group 1 (26.7% vs. 67.8%). The differentiation and aggressivenees of carcinomas occured in group 2 were much better and mild than those in group 1. Present study also demonstrated that the inhibitory effect of CML on proliferation of human stomach carcinoma cell line MGC-803 was very remarkable; in addition, GUF and CML were able to antagonise the mutagenic activation of MNNG. These results suggest that GUF and CML may be empoyed in prevention of gastric carcinoma.     

短暂性脑缺血发作患者血浆中TXB2和PGF1α含量检测

本文用放射免疫法测定47例短暂性脑缺血发作(TIA)患者血浆中血栓素B_2(TXB_2)和6酮-前列腺F_(1α)(PGF_(1α))的含量。结果发现TIA患者血浆中TXB_2含量增高,PGF_(1α)降低;头颅CT或MRI示有小灶性梗塞者及TIA发作持续时间长于30min者TXB_2升高和PGF_(1α)降低更显著。治疗3个月后,血浆PGF_(1α)显著增高。TXB_2和PGF_(1α)在体内的失平衡是急性脑血管疾病发病的重要机理之一。     

Principles for managing penetrating craniocerebral injuries caused by firearm missiles

Penetrating craniocerebral firearm injuries remain one of the most lethal causes of all trauma and are common both in war or peace time. Data were reviewed for 4140 severely head-injured patients (Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores 3-8) treated at Xi-Jing Hospital between 1973 and 1993; 51 of these patients had acute penetrating craniocerebral injuries caused by firearm missiles. These patients consisted of 46 males (90.2%) and 5 females (9.8%) ranging in age from 3 months to 48 years (median 22.4 years). The lesion types included 2 tangential wounds, 37 tubular wounds and 12 through-and-through wounds. All cases were urgent with the patients in severe and unstable states. After emergency treatment and operation, 5 cases died (9.8%). Follow up studies at three months showed that 23 cases (45.1%) had made a good recovery. Moderate disability, severe disability and vegetative states in this series were 29.4%, 13.7% and 2.0% respectively. Long term follow up studies indicated that 32 were able to resume their occupation. The principles for managing penetrating craniocerebral firearm injuries and suggestions for operation are discussed.     

Effect of Central Muscarine Receptor Blockade with DKJ-21 on the Blood Pressure and Heart Rate in Stress-Induced Hypertensive Rats

Da-Nian Zhu, Long-Mei Xue, Peng Li. Effect of central muscarine receptor blockade. with DKJ-21 on the blood pressure and heart rote in stress-induced hypertensive rats.

The experiments were performed on Wistar or Sprague-Dawley rats of both sexes divided at random into stress and control groups. The rats in the stress groups were put into cages and subjected to electric foot-shocks and noises for 9-15 days, which caused an increase in blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR). In hypertensive rats DKJ-21 (4mg/lml) was injected intravenously (i.v.), and 0.5-1.0h after administration the BP and HR dropped from the high level to normotensive level. In normotensive rats, however, administration of DKJ-21 had no effect on BP or HR. In separate groups of normotensive rats, pretreatment of DKJ-21 (4 mg/l ml, i.v.) blocked the pressor and tachycardiac effect induced by microinjection of physostigmine (0.4μg/0.1 /μl/site), corticosterone (40μg/0.1μl/site) or aldosterone (40 μg/0.1 μl/site) into the rostral ventrolateral medulla (rVLM). Furthermore, DKJ-21 also attenuated the enhancement of the pressor response to stimulation of the defense area in the midbrain, which was induced by microinjection of drugs (mentioned above) into the rVLM. These results indicate that i.v. DKJ-21 can selectively block the muscarinic receptors in the rVLM in stress-induced hypertensive rats, which suggests that abnormal enhancement of cholinergic mechanism in the rVLM may be related to hypertensive effects of corticoids in this area.     

Balloon Catheter with Extra-amniotic Saline Instillation: a Method of Induction in Pregnancies at 41 or More Gestational Weeks

Summary: One hundred five women with a documented pregnancy of 41 weeks' gestation or more, admitted for induction of labour by balloon catheter with extra-amniotic saline instillation, were retrospectively compared to 196 women admitted in spontaneous labour at the same gestational age, with regard to mode of delivery. The success rate of the induction group was 97.1%. The mode of delivery did not differ significantly between the 2 groups. The Caesarean section rates were 11.4% in the induction group versus 9.7% in the spontaneous group. The mode of delivery after induction of labour by balloon catheter with extra-amniotic saline instillation and simultaneously commenced intravenous oxytocin infusion, in pregnancies of 41 weeks or more, is similar to that of spontaneous deliveries at the same gestational age.