P-31 MR spectroscopy in assessing testicular torsion: rat model

To develop phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy as an indicator of testicular viability, unilateral 720 degrees torsion of the spermatic cord was performed in 11 Copenhagen rats. In six of 11 rats, detorsion was done 1 hour later. The authors used special surface coils to obtain P-31 MR spectra (at 2 T) from both tests, then correlated MR findings with those from gross morphologic and histologic examination. In the normal testis, P-31 MR spectra had prominent phosphomonoester (PME) and adenosinetriphosphate (ATP) peaks. Testicular torsion dramatically reduced ATP to almost undetectable levels and significantly decreased the PME/Pi at 1 hour (1.18 +/- 0.22) in nine rats. In two rats, however, no spectral changes were present. Of the six rats in which detorsion was performed, three showed immediate regeneration of ATP and a normal PME/Pi (2.87 +/- 0.06) 3 hours later; testicles in the other three rats did not recover (PME/Pi = 0.72 +/- 0.01). Because gross morphologic observations and histologic findings prior to detorsion were unable to differentiate viable from nonviable tests, these preliminary data suggest P-31 MR spectroscopy may help clinicians diagnose testicular torsion and assess testicular viability.     

Clinical and biochemical assessment of a modified evaporated milk for infant feeding

A clinical and biochemical evaluation has been made of a new milk formula, Modified Carnation milk (MCM), based on cows' milk but with the mineral content and concentration of caloric nutrients altered to make it correspond more closely to human milk. MCM produced higher plasma calcium and magnesium concentrations in 6-day-old infants than those produced by unmodified evaporated and dried milks, achieving concentrations closer to those of breast milk. Plasma free amino acid concentrations in MCM-fed infants are nearer breast-fed values than those in unmodified milk-fed infants where higher individual plasma amino acid concentrations persist during the first 3 months. MCM-fed infants had low plasma urea concentrations and lower urine osmolalities at 6 days, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months than infants fed on the evaporated and dried milks, and similar plasma urea and urine osmolalities to those of breast-fed infants. MCM is likely to be superior to unmodified evaporated and dried milks in preventing convulsions of the hypocalcaemic/hypomagnesaemic/hyperphosphataemic type, and seems less likely to cause hypertonic dehydration. MCM is easily prepared, readily accepted by babies, and appears to be nutritionally adequate for the feeding of term infants.     

The BCR gene recombines preferentially with Alu elements in complex BCR- ABL translocations of chronic myeloid leukaemia

Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) develops when two genes, BCR on chromosome 22 and ABL on chromosome 9, recombine to form a hybrid BCR- ABL gene with leukaemogenic properties. The mechanism which underlies this recombination is unknown, but additional chromosome sites may be involved to form complex BCR-ABL rearrangements. The majority of breakpoints in BCR occur within a 5 kb major breakpoint cluster region, M-Bcr. Here, we show that the 3' part of M-Bcr recombined within, or immediately adjacent to, Alu elements at the additional sites in all five complex BCR-ABL rearrangements that have been examined so far. This is a new finding which suggests that Alu sequences have an affinity for the BCR-ABL recombination process in complex rearrangements, and provides additional evidence for the association of these elements with somatic rearrangements which cause human leukaemia. We further show that sequence motifs similar to IgH switch pentamers and consensus binding sites of the lymphoid-associated Translin protein are present on one or more participating strands at 3'M-Bcr recombination sites. Motifs similar to Translin-binding sites were also identified within the Alu consensus. Expressed sequences mapped close to the breakpoint sites on other chromosomes in three of the five cases examined.      

神通营养液抗肿瘤作用的实验研究

0 引言 神通营养液是以中药苦苣、当归、薏苡仁、枸杞子等为主要成分由河南鹤壁市高科技攻关组研制提供,临床用于解烟毒10 a,效果良好,现已被中国吸烟与健康协会推荐为保健品.我们通过体外实验对其抗肿瘤作用进行探讨,为神通营养液在防治肿瘤方面的应用,提供可靠的实验依据.     

Factors affecting mobilization of CD34+ cells in normal donors treated with filgrastim

BACKGROUND: Multiple days of apheresis are required for some normal peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) donors, to ensure a sufficient collection of CD34+ cells for allografting. It would be of practical value to be able to identify the patients with poor mobilization on the basis of simple pretreatment clinical or hematologic variables. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Clinical characteristics and laboratory data for 119 normal PBPC donors who underwent apheresis on Days 4 to 6 of treatment with granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor (filgrastim) were analyzed for correlations with CD34+ cell yield from the first day of apheresis. RESULTS: The CD34+ cell yield was significantly lower in donors who were more than 55 years of age, who underwent apheresis on Day 4 of filgrastim therapy, or who were not obese. There were weak direct correlations between CD34+ cell yield and the baseline white cell count, preapheresis white cell count, and preapheresis mononuclear cell count, and there was a weak inverse correlation with age. Twenty- one donors (18%) were considered to have poor mobilization (< 20 × 10(6) CD34+ cells/L blood processed). In the multivariate analysis, the only significant factor was age greater than 55 years, which conferred a 3.8 times greater risk (95% CI, 1.1-13.7) of poor mobilization (p = 0.04). However, poor mobilization occurred in all age groups, so the predictive value of the model was low. CONCLUSION: Donor variables correlated with CD34+ cell yield only weakly, so no particular clinical characteristic can be used to exclude an individual as a PBPC donor if he or she is otherwise suitable for the apheresis procedure.     

Partial spectrin deficiency in hereditary pyropoikilocytosis

Hereditary pyropoikilocytosis (HPP) is a severe hemolytic anemia in which an instability of the red cell membrane skeleton has been correlated with structural and functional defects of spectrin. We now report that 13 unrelated HPP subjects have approximately 30% less spectrin than normal as evidenced by a decreased spectrin/band 3 ratio. We also examine the role of spectrin degradation as an underlying cause of this partial spectrin deficiency. Our studies demonstrate that the reduced spectrin content of HPP red cells remains constant during in vivo aging of the cells in the peripheral blood, as well as during in vitro incubation. Furthermore, immunoblotting experiments using an affinity-purified antispectrin antibody indicate that there is no loss of spectrin during membrane preparation and also that neither whole HPP red cells nor ghosts nor cytosol contains any abnormal spectrin degradation products. These data suggest that spectrin is not degraded and that it is stable on the membrane of the circulating HPP red cell. In contrast, however, incubation of free spectrin with a lysate of nucleated erythroid precursor cells indicates that HPP alpha I/46 spectrin, but not HPP alpha I/74 spectrin, is more susceptible to proteolytic degradation than a control. These data imply that the decreased spectrin content of HPP is not due to a single defect but that a more complex mechanism is involved. In HPP Sp alpha I/46 subjects, an increased proteolytic degradation in bone marrow erythroid precursors of cytosolic spectrin, prior to its assembly on the membrane, could contribute toward the partial spectrin deficiency.     

Clinical guidelines for interstitial cystitis and hypersensitive bladder syndrome

A clinical guideline and algorism for interstitial cystitis and hypersensitive bladder syndrome has been developed by a group of East Asian urologists as a revised form of the Japanese guideline for interstitial cystitis. The guideline defines interstitial cystitis (IC) as a disease of the urinary bladder diagnosed by 3 requirements; 1) a characteristic complex of lower urinary tract symptoms, 2) bladder pathology such as Hunner's ulcer and bladder bleeding after overdistension, and 3) exclusions of confusable diseases. The characteristic symptom complex is termed as hypersensitive bladder syndrome (HBS), which is defined as bladder hypersensitivity, usually associated with urinary frequency, with or without bladder pain. For the definite diagnosis of IC, cytoscopy or hydrodistension is crutial; HBS is the diagnosis when IC is suspected but not confirmed by the 3 requirements. Numerous therapeutic options are available; however, most of them lack in high level of evidence, leaving a few as recommended therapies. Etiology of IC are multifactorial; the interaction among nervous, immune and endocrine factors forms a vicious cycle, provocating and maintaining inflammatory reactions in the bladder. The inclusion and efficacy criteria for clinical trials should be standardized to enhance the clinical research for this disabling disease, which has proved to be more prevalent than previously believed.