The different effects of Helicobacter pylori strains on basal and histamine-stimulated acid and pepsin production: An in vitro study

Inflammation Research -     

Reflex tear ascorbate in Hong Kong Chinese subjects: method comparison and biological variation.

BACKGROUND: Tear ascorbate is important for corneal health. A rapid and simple method for measurement of ascorbate in tears is needed, and adequate knowledge of physiological variation of tear ascorbate is important to facilitate comparative studies of the effect of, for example, contact lens wear and environmental conditions and stresses. However, there are currently no data on physiological variation of tear ascorbate. This study validated a simple and speedy method for tear ascorbate and investigated between-eye and between-day variation in tear ascorbate in healthy young adults. METHODS: Yawn-induced reflex tears were collected from 32 healthy Hong Kong Chinese subjects and measured by both high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and by an enzyme-linked colorimetric method known as FRASC (total ferric reducing (antioxidant) activity and ascorbate concentration measurement). For between-eye variation, yawn reflex tears were collected from each eye of the same 32 healthy subjects, and ascorbate was measured using HPLC; in a separate experiment for between-day variation, tears were collected on two separate days from 14 subjects, and ascorbate was measured by FRASC. RESULTS: Both HPLC and FRASC showed high precision, and results obtained using FRASC were not statistically different from those using HPLC; mean +/- SD were, respectively, 18.5 +/- 4.4 microM and 18.5 +/- 4.8 microM for HPLC and FRASC methods (p = 0.943). No significant between-eye difference in tear ascorbate was found (p = 0.386), and no significant between-day variation was found overall: mean +/- SD ascorbate was 20.0 +/- 6.2 microM on day 1 and 19.3 +/- 6.8 microM on day 2 (p = 0.772). However, between-day variation was large in seven of 14 subjects. CONCLUSION: FRASC is an acceptable alternative to HPLC for measurement of tear ascorbate. Tears for ascorbate investigation can be collected from either eye or, if necessary, from both eyes and pooled. However, tear ascorbate may vary widely from day to day in the same individual. The reasons for this variation require further study but may relate to differences in ascorbate supply or demand within the precorneal tear layer.     

人脐静脉内皮细胞清除补体攻膜复合物的机制

目的：探讨内皮细胞清除补体攻膜复合物（MAC）的途径及其清除动力学，方法：原代培养的人脐静脉内皮细胞以RH414荧光标记质膜双层，0℃组装亚溶剂量的MAC，37℃复苏后，LSCM实时监MAC沉积诱导的质膜囊泡化形成和胞吞，胞吐情况,流式细胞仪定量检测内皮细胞表面MAC抗原的清除情况，结果：MAC沉积后，内皮细胞有的质膜囊泡化形成，囊泡以胞吞和胞吐2种方式离开细胞，并以前者占优，37度条件下，内皮细胞清除表面MAC的半衰期约为5min。结论：内皮细胞可通过胞吞和胞吐2种机制清除细胞表面沉积的MAC，并以胞吞方式为主。     

Interleukin-6 induced at mucosal surfaces by gram-negative bacterial infection.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) was produced in response to mucosal and systemic infection of mice with gram-negative bacteria. The IL-6 response was controlled by the lipopolysaccharide gene, Lps; in C3H/HeN mice (Lpsn/Lpsn), the urinary IL-6 levels increased within 30 min after challenge with Escherichia coli, but no response occurred in C3H/HeJ mice (Lpsd/Lpsd). In lipopolysaccharide-responder mice, the levels of local and systemic IL-6 were related to the degree of infection. The urinary response dominated after intravesical challenge, and the serum response dominated after intraperitoneal challenge. The results demonstrate that IL-6 is activated as part of lipopolysaccharide-induced mucosal and systemic responses to gram-negative bacterial infections.     

Bilateral simultaneous tubal sextuplets: pregnancy after in-vitro fertilization--embryo transfer following salpingectomy

The presence of a damaged tube has been suggested in recent studies to have a negative effect on in-vitro fertilization (IVF) outcome. Performing bilateral salpingectomy prior to IVF to maximize pregnancy rates may also result in unnecessary surgery. This case is also an example of the occurrence of interstitial pregnancy after salpingectomy. This unusual type of ectopic pregnancy must be kept in mind when evaluating a patient suspected of a possible early abnormal gestation after assisted reproductive technolologies.      

Pentasomy 8q in therapy-related myelodysplastic syndrome due to cyclophosphamide therapy for fibrosing alveolitis

Trisomy 8/8q is a common cytogenetic event in myelocytic malignancies, ranging from myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) to acute myelocytic leukemia (AML) to blastic transformation of chronic myelocytic leukemia. Isochromosome 8q results in the same gene dosage effect. Duplication of i(8q), resulting in pentasomy 8q, has been reported only in two cases of AML. A patient with fibrosing alveolitis on prolonged cyclophosphamide treatment developed therapy-related MDS. Karyotyping, FISH, and CGH analysis showed a duplicated i(8q) among other complex abnormalities. The clinical features of 11 cases of myelocytic leukemia with pentasomy and hexasomy 8/8q were summarized. Compared with trisomy and tetrasomy 8, significant features included reduced median survival (90 days), treatment refractoriness (even with transplantation), monocytic differentiation, trilineage dysplasia, and radiation or toxin exposure. Increasing copy numbers of chromosome 8/8q may therefore be a marker of advanced leukemic evolution, exposure to toxins, underlying myelodysplasia, and an overall poor prognosis.     

Respiratory effects in two-dimensional Fourier transform MR imaging

Respiratory and other regular motions during two-dimensional Fourier transform magnetic resonance imaging produce image artifacts consisting of local blurring and more or less regularly spaced "ghost" images propagating along the direction of the phase-encoding magnetic field gradient. The patterns of these ghost artifacts can be understood in terms of the technique of image production and basic properties of the discrete Fourier transform. This understanding permits, without respiratory gating, production of images of improved quality in body regions in which there is significant respiratory motion. In particular, the ghosts can be maximally separated from the primary image by choosing intervals between phase-encoding gradient pulse increments that are equal to one-half the respiratory period; they can be minimally separated by choosing an interval equal to the respiratory period. Increasing the number of signal averages between each phase-encoding increment decreases the intensity of the ghosts.     

三氧化二砷诱导肺癌细胞凋亡及对细胞周期的影响

目的 :探讨三氧化二砷 (As2 O3 )对人肺癌细胞株 (Spc- A1)诱导凋亡的机制 ,为抗肿瘤药物的筛选和用药方式提供理论依据。方法 :体外培养 Spc- A1细胞株与不同浓度的 As2 O3 进行作用 ,应用 MTT比色法、流式细胞仪技术、电子显微镜技术观察细胞增殖率、细胞周期率、细胞凋亡率及亚细胞水平变化。结果 :As2 O3 能够抑制 Spc- A1细胞的增殖 ,且呈时间剂量依赖性 ,Spc- A1细胞凋亡率与药物浓度和时间呈依赖关系。电镜观察细胞线粒体肿胀、空泡 ,染色质浓缩、核碎裂。结论 :As2 O3 可诱导 Spc- A1细胞凋亡 ,细胞周期延长 ,线粒体变性。