Growth in Rabbits during Alternate-Day Cortisone Injections: Near Normal Growth on Days without Cortisone

ABSTRACT. Longitudinal bone growth in rabbits during treatment with hydrocortisone was measured by means of Roentgen Stereophotogrammetric Analysis, RSA. This method allows accurate measurement of the distance between metallic markers inserted into long bones. Hydrocortisone was given in i.m. injections as single doses and as repeated doses, daily or every other day. Single injections of hydrocortisone resulted in three types of growth effect, depending on dosage. Low dosage (less than 4 mg/kg b.w.) produced no blunting of growth. Intermediate dosage (4–32 mg/kg b.w.) retarded growth during the first but not the second day after the injection. The effect of high dosage (64–128 mg/kg b.w.) lasted for two days. During daily treatment (4 and 16 mg/kg b.w.), growth decreased to a constant level. During alternate-day steroid injections with a double dose every other day, growth almost normalized during the steroid-free days. Average growth was significantly greater during alternate-day injections than during daily injections. It is concluded that alternate-day treatment has no unfavorable effect on growth so long as the interval between injections exceeds the duration of the growth effect of each single dose.     

Acquired pendular nystagmus: its characteristics, localising value and pathophysiology

Investigations were made of 16 patients with acquired pendular nystagmus and a further 32 cases reported in the literature were reviewed. Amongst our own patients two thirds had multiple sclerosis, almost one third a cerebrovascular accident or angioma and two had optic atrophy with squint. The nystagmus took forms which could be monocular or binocular, conjugate or disconjugate and could involve movements about single or multiple axes. Spectral analysis was used to characterise the amplitude and frequency of the movements and to estimate the degree of relationship (coherence) between movements of the two eyes or between movements of one eye about several axes. The oscillations ranged in frequency from 2·5 Hz to 6 Hz, with typical amplitudes between 3° and 5°. In a given patient all oscillations, regardless of plane, were highly synchronised. Somatic tremors of the upper limb, face and palate associated with the nystagmus were often at similar frequencies to the eye movement. The other ocular signs common to all our patients were the presence of squint with failure of convergence. Most patients also had skew deviation or internuclear ophthalmoplegia or both. The major oculomotor systems, that is, saccades, pursuit, optokinetic and vestibulo-ocular reflexes could be intact. It is inferred that the mechanism responsible for the pendular nystagmus lies at a level which is close to the oculomotor nuclei so that it can have monocular effects but is not part of the primary motor pathways. It is possible that this mechanism normally subserves maintenance of conjugate movement and posture of the eyes. The periodicity of the nystagmus is likely to arise from instability in a certain type(s) of neurone, for the associated somatic tremors have similar characteristics and yet involve very different neuronal muscular circuitry. Prognosis for cessation of the nystagmus is poor. In five patients with multiple sclerosis it was suppressed by intravenous hyoscine with, however, unacceptable subsequent side effects.     

Effect of advanced glycation end products on endotoxin-induced TNF-alpha, IL-1beta and IL-8 in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Advanced glycated end products (AGE) are endogenous proteins that have formed covalent complexes with sugars by a nonenzymatic process. Being proinflammatory molecules, AGE are thought to contribute to chronic systemic and local inflammatory processes associated with pathological changes in various diseases. In patients with end-stage renal disease, AGE are believed to play a role in the progression of atherosclerosis and worsening of renal failure. In patients receiving hemodialysis, AGE are thought to contribute to the inflammatory components of the therapy, particularly in diabetic patients. METHODS: In the present study, AGE were produced using 5% human serum albumin (HSA) and 50% glucose, both used for intravenous infusion into humans and both released after strict control for endotoxin content. The presence of AGE formed by HSA and glucose was confirmed using 2 independent assays. The inflammatory properties of these AGE were assessed using synthesis and release of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1 (IL-1), tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and IL-8, a chemokine. RESULTS: Alone, AGE did not induce these cytokines from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) obtained from 14 healthy human donors. However, in the presence of 1 or 10 ng/ml of endotoxin, AGE augmented the production of IL-1 and TNF above that induced by endotoxin alone. Although the amount of augmentation of LPS-induced cytokines by AGE varied between the blood donors, the response was consistently observed and reached statistical significance. The augmentation of cytokine production was confirmed using AGE prepared with different lots of HSA and glucose. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that in the strict absence ofendotoxins, AGE are formed that do not stimulate cytokine production from PBMC of healthy donors, however, AGE significantly augment the synthesis and release of proinflammatory cytokine in the presence of low concentrations of endotoxins. The data suggest that renal replacement therapies should consider the role of microbial products in potentiating the biological consequences of naturally formed AGE and their potential to contribute to systemic and local inflammation in renal replacement therapies. Therefore, although the formation of AGE is unavoidable, excluding microbial products during renal replacement therapy should reduce the pathological consequences of AGE.     

Early and Long-Term Neuroendocrine Effects of Prenatal Stress in Male and Female Rats

The effects of maternal stress, termed prenatal stress (PNS) on the neuroendocrine regulation of reproduction and the stress reactivity of offspring were studied in rats. PNS prevented the formation of sexual dimorphism in catecholamine levels, aromatase activity, and androgen 5-reductase activity in the preoptic area of the brain and the mediobasal hypothalamus in 10-day-old rats. The morphological correlate of the functional lesions induced by PNS consisted of the elimination of gender-related differences in the volumes of neuron nuclei in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Prenatal stress altered the stressand adrenergic reactivities of the hypothalamo-hypophyseal-adrenal system in mature males and females. The long-term effects of PNS were regarded as a consequence of the disruption of the hormone-neurotransmitter imprinting of the neuroendocrine system.(Director: Corresponding Member of the Ukrainian National Academy of Sciences and the Ukrainian Academy of Medical Sciences A. G. Reznikov)     

Radiology of the orbital apex

The orbital apex, formed by the superior orbital fissure and optic canal, is the cross-road between the orbit and the intracranial structures. Pathological processes may extend intracranially via the superior orbital fissure and vice versa. In addition to intrinsic soft tissue lesions, various pathological processes may involve the surrounding osseous anatomy. Malignant lesions arising from adjacent structures or from haematogeneous metastasis may also infiltrate this region.     

急性淋巴细胞白血病(上)

急性淋巴细胞白血病是淋巴前体细胞异常引起的恶性疾病,儿童与成人均可能发生。儿童发病高峰2～5岁。有效治疗的稳步进展使本病在儿童中的治愈率80％以上,同时为新的治疗方案提供了良机,新方案将保留我们在白血病无病生存病例中获得的治疗经验,同时减轻当前强化治疗方案中的毒副作用。     

Oral opioid administration and hyperalgesia in patients with cancer or chronic nonmalignant pain

AIMS: Previous research has reported on reduced paw withdrawal latencies to heat and mechanical stimuli after parenteral administration of opioids in animals and on increased pain sensitivity in humans subsequent to postoperative infusions of short-acting opioids or in drug addicts. The aim of the present study was to explore the possibility that oral opioid treated patients with cancer-related or chronic nonmalignant pain differ in their pain sensitivity from patients treated with non-opioid analgesics. METHODS: The study population consisted of 224 patients, including 142 in the opioid-treated group and 82 in the non-opioid-treated group. Pain thresholds for punctuate measured by von Frey filaments (g), mechanical pressure measured by pressure algometer (mmHg), heat stimuli measured by quantitative sensory testing (degrees C), as well as suprathreshold tonic heat pain intensity (46.5 degrees C for 1 min) measured by 0-10 numerical pain scale (NPS) were obtained at a nonpainful site (thenar eminence) in all patients. RESULTS: No differences between the groups were found for gender, age, duration of pain, or duration of treatment (independent variables). No significant differences between the groups were found in punctuate (difference = 17.0 g (95% CI -8.8, 42.8), P = 0.19), pressure (2.2 mmHg (-28.7, 33.2), P = 0.89) and heat (-0.3 degrees C (-1.5, 0.9), P = 0.70) pain thresholds, or in suprathreshold heat pain intensity (difference between maximal pain intensities -0.4 NPS units (95% CI -1.2, 0.4), P = 0.31). Pearson correlations within the opioid-treated group failed to show significant relationships between any of the independent variables and the outcome measures. A further comparison of the outcomes between the 'weak' opioid-treated subgroup and the 'strong' opioid-treated subgroup again revealed insignificant results. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the administration of 'commonly used' dosages of oral opioids does not result in abnormal pain sensitivity beyond that of patients receiving non-opioid analgesia.     

醋酸环丙孕酮／炔雌醇复方片剂在人体的药代动力学

目的建立人血浆中醋酸环丙孕酮的HPLC—ESI—MS测定方法和丹酰氯衍生化血浆中炔雌醇的HPLC—APCI—MS测定方法,测定女性志愿者口服复方醋酸环丙孕酮片1片后的药代动力学参数,并对受试制剂和参比制剂的生物等效性进行评价。方法血浆样品中的炔雌醇以乙酸乙酯提取后,与丹酰氯发生衍生化反应,进行HPLC—APCI—MS分析,流动相为10mmol·L-1乙酸铵缓冲液（1％甲酸）-甲醇（3：97）。检测离子分别为m／z530．3（炔雌醇的丹酰氯衍生物）、m／z404．3（内标,对羟基联苯的丹酰氯衍生物1。结果在10．43～625．8Pg·ml-1范同内炔雌醇的丹酰氯衍生物与内标的丹酰氯衍生物峰面积比值与浓度呈良好的线性关系,最低定量限为10．43pg·ml-1结论本实验建立的分析方法灵敏、准确、简便,且统计学结果表明两种制剂生物等效。     

癌基因c-erbB-2在膀胱移行细胞癌中的扩增

0　引言　为探讨癌基因 c- erb B- 2的扩增与膀胱移行细胞癌(TCC)的关系 ,我们以斑点杂交的方法对 40例膀胱 TCC标本中 c- erb B- 2的扩增情况进行了检测 ,以期明确 c- erb B- 2扩增与膀胱 TCC病理分级及患者预后的关系 .1　材料和方法　 40例膀胱 TCC患者术后石蜡包埋标本 ,随访 5～ 10 a. 11例正常膀胱粘膜石蜡标本作为对照 . c- erb B-c DNA p CER2 0 4质粒由东京大学提供 ,Bothringer缺口平移 DNA标记试剂盒及 32 P标记 d CTP购于北京福瑞公司 .所有石蜡标本经脱蜡及蛋白酶消化 ,以酚 /氯仿抽提 DNA,乙醇沉淀 .每份样品取…