Trauma to the ankylotic spine: imaging spectrum of vertebral and soft tissue injuries

The objectives of the study were to review the clinical entities that can cause ankylosis of the spine and to illustrate the spectrum of traumatic injury patterns. Ankylosing spondylitis, diffuse idiopathic systemic hyperostosis, degenerative spondyloarthropathy, and spinal canal stenosis can render the spine susceptible to trivial trauma. Multidetector computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging can accurately diagnose vertebral and soft tissue traumatic injury patterns in this patient population.     

Do women with epilepsy have increased frequency of menstrual disturbances?

PROBLEM: Menstrual disorders, reduced fertility and sexual problems seem to be more frequent in women with epilepsy than in the general population. Most investigations concerning menstrual disturbances in epilepsy patients, however, are small and based on selected materials. We therefore wanted to investigate the frequency of menstrual disturbances in a large, unselected population of epilepsy patients. METHODS: A retrospective, questionnaire study of a cohort of female outpatients, aged 18-45 was conducted. Each patient chose a close female friend who served as control, to optimise matching regarding age and lifestyle. RESULTS: Answers were received from 265 patients and 142 controls. Menstrual disturbances were more frequent in patients with epilepsy (48.0%) than in controls (30.7%) (P=0.004). Menstrual disturbances were more frequent in patients on polytherapy versus monotherapy (P=0.049) and more frequent in patients with high seizure frequency (>5seizures/year) compared to patients with a lower seizure frequency or those seizure free (P=0.006). The frequency of menstrual disturbances was higher in patients on valproate compared to carbamazepine monotherapy (P=0.045). CONCLUSION: This investigation confirms that women with epilepsy have an increased frequency of menstrual disturbances compared to women without epilepsy. In women with high seizure frequency and in those on polytherapy, the frequency of menstrual disturbances are further increased. The highest frequency of menstrual disturbances occurred in women using valproate.     

Retroviral transduction and expression of the human alkyltransferase cDNA provides nitrosourea resistance to hematopoietic cells

Myelosuppression is the dose-limiting toxicity for nitrosourea chemotherapy. This toxicity predominantly involves modification of the O6 position of guanine with an alkyl moiety. The enzyme responsible for repair of O6-alkylguanine adducts, O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (alkyltransferase), is expressed at low levels in bone marrow (BM) cells. High alkyltransferase expression prevents the cytotoxicity and carcinogenicity of nitrosoureas in several transgenic and in vitro gene transfer models. We used gene transfer using a novel myeloproliferative sarcoma virus (MPSV) based retrovirus (vM5MGMT) to express the human alkyltransferase cDNA (MGMT) in human and murine hematopoietic cells. Transduced K562 cells had very high levels of alkyltransferase expression and significantly increased resistance to 1,3-bis (2- chloroethyl) nitrosourea (BCNU) as compared with untransduced K562 cells. Primary murine BM progenitors showed a high transduction efficiency with vM5MGMT and have increased BCNU resistance in vitro. After BM transplantation with vM5MGMT-transduced BM cells and BCNU treatment of these mice, BM, spleen and thymus had a 10- to 40-fold increase in alkyltransferase expression that persisted for at least 23 weeks posttransplantation. Progenitor cells procured from mice expressing high levels of alkyltransferase also had increased resistance to BCNU. Thus, an MPSV-based retroviral vector transduces mouse and human hematopoietic cells at high efficiency and results in high levels of gene expression both in vitro and in vivo. Overexpression of the alkyltransferase protein may protect hematopoietic progenitors from nitrosourea-induced myelosuppression.     

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is associated with increased leptin synthesis and binding capability in neonates

Objective Animal studies suggest pathological foetal programming of hypothalamic circuits regulating food intake in the setting of leptin deficiency and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). We aimed to compare placental leptin synthesis and leptin‐binding capability in venous cord blood between IUGR newborns and neonates born appropriate for gestational age (AGA). Design Prospective controlled multicentre study. Patients Twenty‐one ultrasound‐proven IUGR and 33 AGA neonates. Measurements The concentration of leptin and soluble leptin receptor (sOB‐R) in venous cord blood at birth was determined. Moreover, placental gene and protein expression of leptin and placental mRNA expression of functional and total leptin receptor isoforms were measured. Results Whereas log‐leptin concentration in venous cord blood did not differ between IUGR and AGA newborns, the concentration of log‐sOB‐R was elevated in IUGR neonates (p^{confounder adjusted} = 0·009). Placental leptin protein synthesis as well as leptin mRNA was significantly higher in IUGR than in AGA infants (log‐transformed, relative gene expression, p^{confounder adjusted} = 0·004). Analysis of gene expression of functional and total leptin receptor isoforms did not show any difference between both groups. Conclusions Leptin‐binding capability in venous cord blood is increased in IUGR newborns. Thus, via foetal programming, reduced biologically active leptin levels might contribute to a perturbed regulation of appetite.     

甘草甜素药代动力学

甘草是中医处方中使用频率最高的中草药之一,主要有效成分是甘草甜素(glycyrrhizin,GL),具有抗炎,抗肝细胞毒性,抗干扰素诱导,抗病毒和抗溃疡等作用[1,2].并被广泛应用于临床治疗慢性肝炎,过敏性疾患,炎症和胃溃疡.近年已报道GL可增强免疫功能,并改善病毒感染患者的临床状况,调节短期和长期反复焦虑患者的精神状态[3].