Bone disease in primary biliary cirrhosis: Lack of association with distal renal tubular acidosis

Background and Aims: Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) might be complicated by osteoporosis, whose etiology remains unknown but seems to be multifactorial. Prevalence rates of 30% to 60% for distal renal tubular acidosis (DRTA) have been reported in PBC patients, generally as incomplete DRTA. Although it is undisputed that a reduced bone mineral density (BMD) is the expected outcome among patients who have been suffering from longstanding chronic metabolic acidosis, it is unclear if incomplete DRTA is also associated with metabolic bone disease in PBC patients. The present study was undertaken to compare the BMD of PBC patients with and without DRTA.
Methods: The BMD of 23 PBC patients (11 with DRTA and 12 without), all with normal clearance of creatinine, was assessed by dual energy radiograph absorptiometry. The diagnosis of DRTA was made if the urine pH was above 5.4 in all samples after the oral acid overload, showing tubular inability to acidify urine in the presence of test-induced systemic metabolic acidosis.
Results: Densitometric signs of osteoporosis were found in 82% of DRTA cases and in 83% of patients without DRTA (difference not significant). There were no significant differences in BMD measurement, T and Z scores of patients with and without DRTA.
Conclusions: The present study could not support a correlation between the presence of DRTA and the bone loss observed in PBC patients.     

The CLDN5 locus may be involved in the vulnerability to schizophrenia.

The present study was designed to detect three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located on 22q11 that was thought as being of particularly importance for genetic research into schizophrenia. We recruited a total of 176 Chinese family trios of Han descent, consisting of mothers, fathers and affected offspring with schizophrenia for the genetic analysis. The transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) showed that of three SNPs, rs10314 in the 3'-untranslated region of the CLDN5 locus was associated with schizophrenia (chi(2) = 4.75, P = 0.029). The other two SNPs, rs1548359 present in the CDC45L locus centromeric of rs10314 and rs739371 in the 5'-flanking region of the CLDN5 locus, did not show such an association. The global chi-square (chi(2)) test showed that the 3-SNP haplotype system was not associated with schizophrenia although the 1-df test for individual haplotypes showed that the rs1548359(C)-rs10314(G)-rs739371(C) haplotype was excessively non-transmitted (chi(2) = 5.32, P = 0.02). Because the claudin proteins are a major component for barrier-forming tight junctions that could play a crucial role in response to changing natural, physiological and pathological conditions, the CLDN5 association with schizophrenia may be an important clue leading to look into a meeting point of genetic and environmental factors.     

补肾抗衰口服液对大鼠衰老模型免疫器官影响的实验研究

研究补肾抗衰口服液对大鼠衰老模型免疫器官胸腺和脾脏的影响.结果显示,模型组大鼠胸腺和脾脏重量减轻,胸腺重/体重比值、脾重/体重比值减小,胸腺组织学观察,显示萎缩改变;药物组大鼠胸腺和脾脏重量、胸腺重/体重、脾重/体重比值接近正常对照组,胸腺组织学观察,未显示萎缩改变.本研究结果表明,补肾抗衰口服液能延缓胸腺和脾脏萎缩,保护机体的正常免疫功能,提示该药有抗衰老的作用.     

重氮乳胶反向凝集试验与乳凝试验在血吸虫病临床诊断中的应用研究

本文应用日本血吸虫虫卵单克隆抗体及虫卵可溶性抗原，分别致敏新型免疫微球载体重氮基聚苯乙烯乳胶，制备出血吸虫反向乳凝试剂与乳凝试剂，并用于检测血吸虫病患者血清标本中的相应抗原和相应抗体，以此试验检测１９７份急慢性血吸虫病患者血清标本。结果反向乳凝试剂检出率为９０．４％，乳凝试剂检出率为９５．２％，均高于反向间接血凝法的８５．０％。反向乳凝试验与乳凝试验联合应用，既可早期诊断，又可判断疗效。试验采用玻片凝集法，３ｍｉｎ内即出结果，方法敏感．特异、简便和快速。     

Role of endothelin in the pathogenesis of hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive and 2 kidneys 1 clip rats.

The plasma endothelin (ET) level in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and 2K1C hypertension animal models and its vasoconstrictive effect on renal and tail arteries were studied. The results demonstrated that there was no difference in plasma ET level between the hypertensive groups SHR, 2K1C, normotensive control groups Wistar Kyot (WKY) and Sprague Dawley (SD), while the vasoconstrictive effect of ET in SHR was more dominant than in WKY. The EC50 of the renal and tail arteries in SHR (0.8912 +/- 0.1662 x 10(-8) M, 0.6103 +/- 0.0878 x 10(-8) M) was apparently lower than that in WKY (1.77 +/- 0.2991 x 10(-8) M, 1.2267 +/- 0.2502 x 10(-8) M, P less than 0.05), but no difference was found in 2K1C and SD rats. The four groups of animals exhibited no difference of such effects as response to norepine-phrine (NA). The findings suggested that the increased arteriole sensitivity to ET be an important factor in the pathogenesis of hypertension in SHR.

     

Penetration of Schistosoma japonicum cercaria into host skin.

The anterior part of Schistosoma japonicum cercaria is a specialized head organ which can slightly stretch out and retract. There are three different types of large unicellular glands in cercarial body, consisting of one head gland, 2 pairs of pre- and 3 pairs of postacetabular glands. These glands differ in position, gross feature, histochemistry and functions. Both polysaccharase and protease activities are demonstrated in the secretions from these glands. Mode of cercarial penetration is described in detail and the penetration is effected by a combination of lytic secretions and mechanical movements. The schematic representation of the process of cercarial penetration is presented. The dynamic distributions of schistosomula in skin at different time intervals after skin penetration in various mammalian hosts are shown. Some newly transformed schistosomula die while penetrating into the skin of 7 mammalian species and the mortality rate varies with the host species, and that can also be affected by the age of cercariae following emergence from the snail. Some physiological aspects between cercariae and newly transformed schistosomula are compared. In contrast to cercariae, schistosomula are saline-adapted and water-intolerant. They were modified histochemically and antigenically.

     

The pulmonary effects of ozone and nitrogen dioxide alone and combined in healthy and asthmatic adolescent subjects

Separate exposures to 0.12 ppm ozone (O3) or 0.18 ppm nitrogen dioxide (NO2) have not demonstrated consistent changes in pulmonary function in adolescent subjects. However, in polluted urban air, O3 and NO2 occur in combination. Therefore, this project was designed to investigate the pulmonary effects of combined O3 and NO2 exposures during intermittent exercise in adolescent subjects. Twelve healthy and twelve well-characterized asthmatic adolescent subjects were exposed randomly to clean air or 0.12 ppm O3 and 0.30 ppm NO2 alone or in combination during 60 minutes of intermittent moderate exercise (32.5 1/min). The inhalation exposures were carried out while the subjects breathed on a rubber mouthpiece with nose clips in place. The following pulmonary functional values were measured before and after exposure: peak flow, total respiratory resistance, maximal flow at 50 and 75 percent of expired vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in one second and forced vital capacity (FVC). Statistical significance of pulmonary function changes was tested by analysis of covariance for repeated measures. After exposure to 0.12 ppm O3 a significant decrease was seen in maximal flow at 50% of FVC in asthmatic subjects. After exposure to 0.30 ppm NO2 a significant decrease was seen in FVC also in the asthmatic subjects. One possible explanation for these changes is the multiple comparison effect. No significant changes in any parameters were seen in the asthmatic subjects after the combined O3-NO2 exposure or in the healthy subjects after any of the exposures.