Congenital abnormalities of the aortic arch: MR imaging

Thirty-four patients, 1 month to 63 years old, with known or suspected congenital abnormalities of the aortic arch underwent magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Sixteen patients were studied retrospectively, 18 prospectively. In all retrospective studies, the aortic arch abnormality was seen with MR imaging. In the prospective studies, MR imaging enabled diagnosis in 15 of 18 (83%) patients. Twenty-nine of 34 patients underwent two-dimensional echocardiography; nine were studied retrospectively, 20 prospectively. In the prospective studies, echocardiography enabled diagnosis in 13 of 20 (65%) patients. Although two-dimensional echocardiography has a high sensitivity in the detection of aortic arch abnormalities in the neonate, arch abnormalities in the neonate, its sensitivity is lower in older children, adults, and postoperative patients. The authors' experience shows that MR imaging is an important, noninvasive modality in the evaluation of older children, adults, and postoperative patients with congenital aortic arch abnormalities.     

Anxiety in patients undergoing MR imaging

To determine and quantify the major sources of anxiety for patients undergoing magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and to suggest means by which to eliminate or diminish their negative effects, the authors studied anxiety in 46 subjects. Of these, 20 randomly selected subjects who successfully completed the examination participated in exit interviews. Six subjects who terminated the examination before completion also completed exit interviews. Pre-imaging and postimaging questionnaires (state-trait anxiety inventory) were administered to measure anxiety in the 20 other subjects. Anxiety was associated with the constrictive dimensions of the magnet bore, examination duration, coil noise, and temperature within the bore. Preparation at the point of referral was consistently absent, incomplete, or misleading. Patients used identifiable strategies to cope with the examination: blinding, breathing relaxation techniques, visualization of pleasant images, and performance of mental exercises.     

雷公藤春碱和雷公藤新碱的免疫抑制作用

雷公藤春碱(wilfortrine)和雷公藤新碱(euonine)ip 40及80 mg/kg对以溶血素反应为指标的体液免疫具有明显的抑制作。用雷公藤春碱ip 160mg/kg对GVHR为指标的细胞免疫也具有抑制作用。雷公藤新碱对DNCB所引起迟发超敏反应具有显著的抑制作用,并且能够降低小鼠碳廓清率和脾脏、胸腺的重量。     

Bronchial artery embolization: monitoring with somatosensory evoked potentials. Work in progress

Surgery remains the treatment of choice for massive and recurrent hemoptysis. In some instances, however, immediate surgical intervention is contraindicated. In these situations, bronchial artery embolization (BAE) has proved to be a successful definitive treatment for non-surgical candidates and a palliative therapy in patients requiring hemodynamic stabilization prior to surgery. The most serious complication of BAE is spinal cord ischemia. This relates directly to the potential anastomotic connections between the bronchial circulation and the anterior spinal artery. Somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) have been used in the past to monitor spinal cord ischemia during procedures that threaten the vascularity of the spinal cord. The authors report two cases in which SSEPs were employed to monitor spinal cord ischemia during bronchial artery embolization.     

蜂胶乔松素对脂多糖诱导人脐静脉内皮细胞的保护作用

目的:观察蜂胶乔松素对脂多糖诱导人脐静脉内皮细胞的影响,探讨其对人脐静脉内皮细胞可能的保护作用。方法:实验于2006-03/10在泰山医学院生命科学研究所(省重点实验室)完成。①实验材料:取出生1h内新生儿脐带,患者知情同意。②实验分组及方法:培养人脐静脉内皮细胞,建立脂多糖损伤模型(以10mg/L的脂多糖培养液培养细胞12h),实验分为空白对照组(加等量D-Hank’s液)、脂多糖组(10mg/L)、乔松素组(加10mg/L脂多糖预孵育12h后,按50,100,200mg/L分别加入乔松素),各组设8个复孔,共同孵育24h。③实验评估:光镜下观察细胞形态,MTT法观察乔松素对人脐静脉内皮细胞活性的影响,ELISA方法检测培养上清中血管假血友病因子的含量,TUNEL检测细胞凋亡率。结果:①细胞形态:空白对照组细胞紧密贴壁,呈铺路石状生长。脂多糖组可见多数细胞呈圆形;乔松素组见上述细胞较脂多糖组明显减少。②乔松素对人脐静脉内皮细胞活性、凋亡及血管假血友病因子含量的影响:与对照组比较,脂多糖组能明显诱导人脐静脉内皮细胞的凋亡(P<0.01),不同浓度乔松素组可改善内皮细胞形态,组织活性明显升高(P<0.05),同时抑制内皮细胞血管假血友病因子的释放(P<0.05),使脂多糖诱导的人脐静脉内皮细胞凋亡细胞数明显减少(P<0.05)。结论:乔松素能增强人脐静脉内皮细胞活性,抑制脂多糖诱导人脐静脉内皮细胞的凋亡,从而发挥可能的内皮细胞保护功能。     

SEVENTY-TWO HOUR COMPARISON OF METHYLPREDNISOLONE SULEPTANATE AND METHYLPREDNISOLONE SODIUM SUCCINATE IN PATIENTS WITH ACUTE ASTHMA

SUMMARY The efficacy and safety of the methylprednisolone prodrugs methylprednisolone suleptanate and methylprednisolone sodium succinate were evaluated in a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, double-dummy parallel study of 88 patients hospitalised with acute asthma. Each study drug was administered as a bolus intravenous injection of 40mg methylprednisolone equivalents every 6 hours for 48 hours. Methylprednisolone 32mg was administered orally 6 hours after the last dose. Pulmonary function, medical events, and clinical laboratory values were assessed at predefined intervals before and during the 72-hour study. The primary response measure of pulmonary function was per cent predicted forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV₁) at 48 hours. Secondary response measures were peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) and FEV₁/forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio. Although both drugs demonstrated within-group mean changes from baseline (starting at 6 hours) that were statistically significant for each response, there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups. The mean percent predicted FEV₁ at 48 hours and mean per cent change from baseline were 64% and 13% (p<0.0001) for the methylprednisolone suleptanate group and 67% and 17% (p<0.0001) for the methylprednisolone sodium succinate group, respectively. The mean PEFR and FEV₁/FVC ratio at 48 hours were 5.77 l/s and 73% for the methylprednisolone suleptanate group and 5.78 l/s and 76% for the methylprednisolone sodium succinate group, respectively. There were no clinically or statistically significant between-group differences in any of the safety parameters. In this study, methylprednisolone suleptanate and methylprednisolone sodium succinate have been shown to be therapeutically equivalent in the treatment of patients hospitalized with acute asthma.     

接受肾移植前维持性血液透析患者生活质量与静脉补充左旋卡尼汀的影响

目的:血液透析患者大多存在卡尼汀尤其是游离卡尼汀的缺乏,透析后补充左旋卡尼汀能够减轻、减少并发症及住院率。观察静脉补充左旋卡尼汀对肾移植前血液透析患者生活质量的影响。方法:选择2005-09/2006-09于柳州市人民医院进行维持性血液透析的患者30例,对治疗方案均知情同意。按随机数字表法分为左旋卡尼汀组和对照组,每组15例。每次透析结束后,左旋卡尼汀组静脉注射左旋卡尼汀20mg/kg,对照组注射等量的生理盐水,用药8周。用药前及用药8周时分别应用SF-36量表进行生活质量评分,由8个方面组成,每项都以0￣100分计,得分越高表示生活质量越好;同时记录透析相关症状及实验室参数,比较两组间差异。结果:30例患者全部进入结果分析。①与用药前相比,用药8周后左旋卡尼汀组SF-36总体评分增加了(18.29±12.71)分,对照组总评分减少了(6.40±16.39)分。与对照组相比,左旋卡尼汀组总评分及生理功能、总体健康、活力、社会功能、精神健康评分均显著增加(P<0.05￣0.01)。②与对照组相比,左旋卡尼汀组血红蛋白、白蛋白含量均显著增加(P<0.01)。结论:静脉补充左旋卡尼汀不仅有助于改善维持性血液透析患者的贫血状况,而且能明显提高其生活质量。     

自体干细胞移植治疗老年心肌梗死后心力衰竭

目的：实验以移植后3个月、6个月时间超声心动图客观指标评估了自体干细胞冠状动脉内移植治疗老龄心肌梗死后心力衰竭的效果和安全性。方法：选择2004—06／2006—06江苏省苏北人民医院心内科自愿接受干细胞移植的7例心肌梗死后心力衰竭患者，平均年龄69岁，心功能Ⅲ-Ⅳ级，左室射血分数〈50％。药物治疗基础上加用自体干细胞冠状动脉内移植治疗的方法，其中2例骨髓干细胞在体外扩增后获得，5例经粒细胞集落刺激因子皮下注射动员自体骨髓干细胞后分离外周血获得干细胞悬液。将采集的干细胞悬液经0ver-the-wire球囊导管中心腔注入梗死相关动脉。观察自体干细胞动员，培养，采集和回输过程中的不良反应。在移植前、移植后3月、6月应用超声心动图评价左室形态和心功能变化，室壁运动积分指数及6min步行距离。结果：7例患者均进入结果分析。移植3个月后，心功能得到改善，超声心动图检查左室收缩期内径及射血分数变化不大，6min步行距离有所提高，但差异无显著性（P〉0．05）。移植6个月后，患者心功能明显改善，超声心动图检查左室收缩期内径及射血分数和室壁运动积分均有明显提高（P〈0．05），6min步行距离也有明显提高（P〈0．05）。整个过程中未出现严重并发症。结论：自体干细胞冠状动脉内移植治疗老龄心肌梗死后心力衰竭，6个月时超声心动图客观指标评估能够改善患者心功能，且安全。