De-novo expression of vascular ecto-5′-nucleotidase and down-regulation of glomerular ecto-ATPase in experimental chronic renal transplant failure

Ischemic injury plays an important role in chronic renal transplant failure (CRTF). Down-regulation of ecto-adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) in combination with up-regulation of ecto-5'-nucleotidase is a hallmark of ischemic injury. We studied the expression of renal ecto-5'-nucleotidase and ecto-ATPase in experimental renal transplantation. Fisher 344-to-Lewis allografted rats were either treated with an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEi) or left untreated. Lewis-to-Lewis syngrafted rats served as controls. Untreated allografted rats developed proteinuria, glomerulosclerosis, and mild intimal hyperplasia. ACEi completely prevented focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (FGS) and proteinuria, but significantly enhanced intimal hyperplasia. Untreated allografted rats revealed marked vascular ecto-5'-nucleotidase activity, which increased with ACEi. Vascular ecto-5'-nucleotidase activity was absent in syngrafted animals. Ecto-5'-nucleotidase activity correlated well with intimal hyperplasia. Glomerular ecto-ATPase expression was significantly reduced in untreated allografted rats compared to syngrafted rats and correlated well with the extent of FGS. ACEi prevented reduction in glomerular ecto-ATPase. We found de-novo expression of ecto-5'-nucleotidase at sites of renal intimal hyperplasia. Glomerular ecto-ATPase expression was markedly reduced in allografted rats and was prevented by ACEi. These enzyme expression patterns suggest local ischemic damage in experimental CRTF.     

The concept of culture: A core issue in health disparities

Contemporary discourse contains numerous examples of use of the concept of culture by social and behavioral scientists. Simple reification, where the speaker makes culture into a thing capable of action exemplifies one usage in public discourse. Some quantitative social scientists attempt to characterize people’s cultural identities by means of a single categorical variable, which often “lumps” people into categories such as “Hispanic” or “Black” that in fact have numerous culturally bounded subcategories. Approaches that emphasize cultural process are preferable to those who attempt to categorize; more complex measures of acculturation help investigators to make convincing analyses of circumstances in which health disparities occur. Examples in which investigators make appropriate use of cultural characterizations demonstrate their utility in investigating health disparities in Haitian American women, injecting and noninjecting drug users, Hispanic youth, and adult Hispanics at risk of HIV infection. Focus on culture in the study of health disparities can identify entanglements between structural factors such as poverty and lack of education and cultural factors such as beliefs about health. Qualitative methods coupled with quantitative methods have great potential to improve investigators’ grasp of cultural nuance while capturing the distribution of qualitatively derived behaviors.     

手术创伤中腹膜组织Sp1、COL1A1和TIMP-1的表达

目的　探讨人手术创伤腹膜组织中核转录因子Sp1激活 ,COL1A1和TIMP 1表达变化与腹膜纤维化之间的关系。方法　采用凝胶电泳迁移率改变分析法 (EMSA)检测手术创伤后不同时间的腹膜组织核转录因子Sp1的表达水平 ,WesternBlot检测COL1A1和TIMP 1蛋白表达 ,Masson染色观察腹膜组织中胶原纤维的变化。结果　Sp1在手术创伤后 0 .5h被活化 ,随着手术时间延长Sp1活性逐渐增强 ,至创伤后 4h时达高峰 ,同时创伤腹膜组织中的COL1A1和TIMP 1蛋白表达水平逐渐升高 ,存在差异显著性 (P <0 .0 1)。在手术创伤期内随手术时间的延长腹膜组织中胶原纤维增加。结论　核转录因子Sp1活化导致Ⅰ型胶原合成增加 ,细胞外基质降解减少 ,从而启动腹膜纤维化进程。     

Discussing options between patients and health care professionals in genetic diagnosis: ethical and legal criteria

The specific characteristics of genetic data lead to ethical-legal conflicts in the framework of genetic diagnosis. Several international organisations, including UNESCO and the Council of Europe, have enacted rules referring to the use of genetic information. This paper discusses possible legal and ethical criteria that could be used in genetic testing.     

RNA干扰基因敲除MAGE-1在恶性胶质瘤U87细胞中的初步研究

目的：通过构建抑制MAGE-1的短片段双链核糖核酸（siRNA）表达载体，鉴定其在人恶性胶质瘤细胞系U87细胞中对MAGE．1基因表达的干涉作用。方法：化学合成2对编码短发夹RNA序列的靶向MAGE—1基因寡核苷酸链，克隆至经BglⅡ、HindⅢ双酶切的pSUPER载体上，重组构建核糖核酸干扰（RNAi）质粒载体。利用RT-PCR、流式细胞术和荧光显微镜，检测经稳定转染后胶质瘤U87细胞中MAGE-1的表达，以了解siRNA的干涉效果。结果：重组构建的pSUPER—MAGE—1载体经双酶切、电泳及插入基因片段序列分析，表明寡核苷酸链成功地插入至预计位点，且序列与预期完全一致。稳定转染后G418筛选出的U87多克隆细胞MAGE-1的表达经RT—PCR、流式细胞术和荧光显微镜检测，2对siRNA均有较明显的干扰作用。结论：载体的成功构建并能对U87细胞中的MAGE—1分子进行RNAi，为进一步研究MAGE—1在肿瘤中的作用，分析基因功能，展开肿瘤基因治疗奠定了基础。     

Laparoscopic Local Resection Based on Sentinel Node Evaluation for Early Gastric Cancer: A Preliminary Report

We previously reported that lymphatic mapping using isosulfan blue can be used to identify sentinel nodes (SNs). This study was undertaken to evaluate the feasibility of using the SN technique in treating early gastric cancer and to explore its usefulness for minimal invasive surgery. Twenty-three patients with early gastric cancer who underwent SN biopsy were retrospectively evaluated. Based on SN evaluation, individualized surgery was performed in five patients with T1N0M0 gastric cancer. When pathological examination of frozen sections revealed metastasis in SNs, we performed a standard D2 gastrectomy. Laparoscopic local resection was applied when the SN biopsy was negative. Our results showed that the success rate with SN biopsy in early gastric cancer was 100%, as were the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. All five patients with early gastric cancer had SNs negative for metastases both by frozen section and by postoperative pathology. Thus, all these patients underwent laparoscopic local resection without extended lymphadenectomy. We conclude that SN biopsy is a useful tool to individualize the operative procedure, and laparoscopic local resection can be safely performed using SN guidance in selected patients with early gastric cancer.     

A Spanish version of the Family Assessment Device

Introduction  

This paper presents the results of a study on the psychometric properties of an authorized Spanish version of the McMaster Family Assessment Device, a self-report measure of family functioning.