Assessment of the cellular heterogeneity of the ovine intervertebral disc: comparison with synovial fibroblasts and articular chondrocytes

The objective of this study was to compare and contrast the cellular heterogeneity of ovine intervertebral disc (IVD) annulus fibrosus (AF) and nucleus pulposus (NP) cells, synovial fibroblasts (SFs) and articular chondrocytes (ACs) grown in monolayer and alginate bead culture. Phase contrast microscopy of the monolayers indicated that the SF and AF cells, and the AC and NP cells had similar morphologies. Immunolocalisation of type I, II and VI collagen epitopes in the monolayers, however, demonstrated distinct quantitative and relative differences between the SF and AF, and the AC and NP cells. Immunolocalisation of bead-incorporated proteoglycans (PGs) also demonstrated quantitative and qualitative differences between the SF and AF cells. Quantitation of (35)S-bead PGs indicated that the AF cells synthesised significantly higher PG levels than the SFs, and AC cells synthesised significantly higher PG levels than the NP cells. These data were also consistent with the relative metabolic activities and cellular viabilities displayed by each cell type in bead culture. AF cells shared morphological traits with SFs in monolayer, but displayed distinctly different characteristics in bead culture. Similarly, NP cells shared similarities with ACs in monolayer and bead culture, but overall were less metabolically active. Data presented here support the proposal that the AF and NP cells of the ovine IVD should be considered as specialised fibrochondrocytic cells.     

基于受体结构的药物分子设计系统:维甲类分子与其结合蛋白之间相互作用的研究

大分子解剖程序,配体分子契合适配和DOCK程序,以及计算化学的其它程序等,已集成为基于受体结构和分子间相互作用的进行分子设计的软件系统,定名为BIOS(Biomolecularinteractionsandorientationsimulator)。BIOS软件可在普通的微机上运行。使用BIOS分别剥离了细胞浆维甲结合蛋白(CRBP)和副睾维甲酸结合蛋白(E-RABP)两种蛋白的配体结合腔,剥离是围绕配体以同样的分子距离进行的。从而得到了芳香性残基分布相似的两个结合腔,其结合位点的几何排布却有相当差别。揭示出的结合腔已用于一系列的维甲类化合物的DOCK研究。E-RABP的结合腔可做为设计新维甲类分子的模板。     

Identical twins with subretinal neovascularization complicating senile macular degeneration

This is the first report, to our knowledge, of proliferative macular degeneration developing in the same eye of identical twins. The concept of a familial predisposition in age related macular degeneration is consistent with other known risk factors including race, iris pigmentation, hyperopia and macular drusen which are known to be genetically determined. Monozygotic twins provide ophthalmology with an excellent opportunity to study the hereditary aspects of ocular disease.     

The contribution of risk factors to the effect of early otitis media with effusion on later language, reading, and spelling

A cohort of 946 children who were screened for otitis media with effusion (OME) from the ages of 2 to 4 were studied for language, reading, and spelling at 7 years of age. The effects of OME in combination with single risk factors and with increasing numbers of risk factors were investigated. An interaction with an additional risk factor was found only for gender and OME, with boys' spelling influenced negatively by a history of OME. OME in combination with preterm birth and low birthweight also appears to put children at risk for later langauage and educational problems. Although a negative linear relation between the number of risk factors and later functioning was found, it is suggested that OME, even when combined with a number of other risk factors, produces only minor effects on later language, reading, and spelling.     

Central pontine myelinolysis and its imitators: MR findings

The clinical, radiologic, and neuropathologic findings in 13 patients with central pontine myelinolysis were reviewed. Antemortem computed tomography (CT) had been performed in nine, and ante- or postmortem magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in 11. Chronic alcoholism or rapid correction of hyponatremia was present in over 75% of cases. One CT scan was positive, but only on retrospective review. In all but one patient, MR imaging eventually revealed an abnormality within the pons; in two patients the initial study was normal. The lesions varied in shape, with peripheral involvement in two patients and extrapontine involvement in four. The abnormality was smaller at 6-month follow-up in one patient and unchanged at 1 year in another. One patient never had a demonstrable pontine lesion but did have symmetric basal ganglia abnormalities, which were consistent with extrapontine myelinolysis. MR imaging disclosed similar central pontine alterations resulting from infarct, metastasis, glioma, multiple sclerosis, encephalitis, and radiation or chemotherapy; thus, such changes are not unique.     

人工牛黄的光解

人工牛黄是广泛用于中成药配方的中药代用品。本文用漫反射光谱法研究了人工牛黄样品在人工光源照射下发生颜色变化的光解规律:在三种光源下,其光解均属二步表观一级反应动力学,即光解曲线是由两段斜率不同的直线组成,初期的光解速度较其后的快2倍左右;不同光源下,紫外灯光解速度最快,荧光高压汞灯次之,碘钨灯最慢;表观光解常数与光波长有关,但基本不随光强度和照射时间乘积改变。而光解时间则与光强度成反比。从得到的动力学方程可预测不同条件下的褪色时间。研究表明,人工牛黄复方中,发生光解的主要成分是胆红素,其余成分不发生引起颜色变化的光解,但在第二步反应中对胆红素的光解有明显影响。