淫羊藿总黄酮调控Wnt/β-catenin信号通路对去卵巢大鼠抗骨质疏松作用研究

目的 通过淫羊藿总黄酮(TFE)对去卵巢大鼠骨组织Wnt/β-catenin信号通路及腰椎骨和股骨生物力学性能影响研究,探讨TFE对去卵巢大鼠抗骨质疏松的可能机制.方法 选用40只90天龄的SPF级SD雌性大白鼠,随机分为4组:对照组、去卵巢组(OVX)组、去卵巢+己烯雌酚(DES)组、去卵巢+淫羊藿总黄酮(TFE)组.实验持续12周后处死全部大鼠,取腰椎骨、股骨分别测量生物力学参数及骨密度.免疫蛋白印迹法检测各组大鼠胫骨骨皮质区p-GSK3-β(thr9)、RANKL、OPG、β-catenin蛋白表达水平.结果 与对照组比较,OVX组大鼠股骨、腰椎骨的生物力学性能及骨密度下降(P＜0.05);DES组、TFE组股骨和腰椎骨的生物力学性能和骨密度较去卵巢OVX组明显改善(P＜0.05);两治疗组的组间差异无统计学意义(P＞0.05).免疫蛋白印迹法提示去卵巢大鼠分别加用TFE、DES治疗后,胫骨蛋白β-catenin、OPG表达上调,p-GSK3-β(thr9)、RANKL表达下调.结论 淫羊藿总黄酮能够改善去卵巢大鼠的骨生物力学性能,上调Wnt/β-catenin信号通路,从而改善骨质疏松.     

慢性移植肾失功后的移植肾切除手术分析

目的:分析总结因慢性移植肾失功而行移植肾切除手术患者的临床治疗经过,进一步探讨这类手术的安全性和适应证。方法:以慢性移植肾失功患者76例为研究对象,年龄23~72(36.6±13.5)岁,以上患者发生慢性移植肾失功的时间为术后11~91(35.8±24.6)个月,转入血液透析的时间为3~33(10.4±6.2)个月。76例患者均实施了移植肾切除手术,移植肾切除术后随访时间为6个月~5年。结果:平均手术时间50(35~180)min;术中平均出血量450(200~2 600)ml,平均输血量300(400~2 400)ml,其中67例进行了自体血液回收后输血。术后平均引流量250(20~1 100)ml,平均住院时间11(5~23)d。术后主要并发症:切口血肿8例,切口感染10例,消化道出血7例,心衰7例,肺部感染5例,肾上腺危象2例,下肢跛行2例。死亡4例。多数患者的体重指数、血红蛋白及血清白蛋白含量较术前有所提高。结论:慢性移植肾失功后的移植肾切除手术为高风险手术,应积极做好术前准备,同时加强围手术期护理,以降低手术并发症的发生率;积极适时地切除已经完全失功了的移植肾,有助于改善患者身体素质,避免免疫抑制的不良反应,同时有利于减轻患者本人及社会的经济负担。     

Purification of hemopoietic progenitor cells from human marrow using a fucose-binding lectin and cell sorting

Human peripheral blood granulocytes, but not lymphocytes, erythrocytes, or monocytes, bound the fucose-binding lectin from Lotus tetragonolobus (FBP), and this binding was competitively inhibited by the sugar alpha- L-fucose. The fluorescence-activated cell sorter was used to study the appearance of this receptor on human marrow cells during granulocyte differentiation and to prepare fractions enriched for granulocyte- macrophage progenitor cells (granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming cells--GM-CFC). Cell binding of fluoresceinated FBP increased for bone marrow cells in the sequence--lymphocytes, blast cells, promyelocytes and myelocytes, monocytes, and polymorphonuclear cells. Selection of cells with appropriate low-angle or high-angle light scatter characteristics achieved a 10-fold or 2-3-fold enrichment of progenitor cells, respectively. By selecting cells with intermediate fluorescence intensity, a further 2-3-fold enrichment for GM-CFC was obtained. Cell sorting using the optimal selection of these three parameters produced up to 36-fold enrichment of the progenitor cells from human bone marrow. The most enriched fraction was composed of 23% progenitor cells (colony- and cluster-forming cells) with a yield of 36%. In populations most highly enriched by GM-CFC, immature cells (blast cells, promyelocytes, and myelocytes) made up 95% of the cells present.     

Treatment of external genital warts in men with imiquimod 2% in cream. A placebo-controlled, double-blind study

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this double-blind, placebo-controlled study was to evaluate the safety, clinical efficacy and tolerability of imiquimod (2%) in cream to cure external genital warts in males. METHODS: Preselected male patients (n=60) ranging between 18 and 50 years of age (mean 24.2) harbouring 558 lesions (mean 9.3) with clinical, histopathological and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) confirmed diagnosis of human papilloma virus (HPV) infection were randomized to two parallel groups. Each patient was allocated a precoded 25g tube, and instructions on how to apply the trial medication to their lesions at home once daily for three consecutive days per week (max. 12 application in 4 weeks). To evaluate the safety, clinical efficacy and tolerance, patients were exa-mined on a weekly basis. Cure was defined as the total elimination of treated warts with PCR, and Southern blot hybridization confirmed negative HPV DNA. RESULTS: By the end of the treatment, 40% (24/60) patients and 49.8% (278/558) warts were cured. Breaking the code revealed that imiquimod cream had cured 70% (21/30) patients and 86.8% of warts, while placebo healed three subjects and 28 warts (P=0.0001). Eleven patients (18.3%), predominantly in the imiquimod cream group, experienced mild to moderate, non-objective, drug-related side effects with no dropouts. The study was followed up for 18 months from the first day of the treatment, and among the 26 cured patients, one in the imiquimod cream group and two in the placebo had a relapse after 14 months. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrated that 2% imiquimod in cream with mild non-objective side effects is safe, tolerable and significantly more effective than placebo in curing external genital warts in males.     

Sebaceous carcinoma of the lip: Comparing normal lip and cheek anatomy with the imaging features of a rare cutaneous malignancy

Sebaceous carcinoma is a rare cutaneous malignancy, commonly affecting the eyelids. This case highlights a patient who presented with sebaceous carcinoma of the right upper lip with extensive involvement of the soft tissues of the head and neck. As part of the initial investigation, ultrasound was requested. This case demonstrates the ultrasound features of sebaceous carcinoma as well as revising the normal ultrasound anatomy of the upper lip and muscles of the cheek.     

Establishing and managing a periodontal biobank for research: the sharing of experience

Periodontal bio‐repositories, which allow banking of clinically validated human data and biological samples, provide an opportunity to derive biomarkers for periodontal diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutic activities which are expected to improve patient management. This article presents the establishing of the Malaysian Periodontal Database and Biobank System (MPDBS) which was initiated in 2011 with the aim to facilitate periodontal research. Partnerships were established with collaborating centres. Policies on specimen access, authorship and acknowledgement policies were agreed upon by all participating centres before the initiation of the periodontal biobank. Ethical approval for the collection of samples and data were obtained from institutional ethics review boards. A broad‐based approach for informed consent was used, which covered areas related to quality of life impacts, genetics and molecular aspects of periodontal disease. Sample collection and processing was performed using a standardized protocol. Biobanking resources such as equipment and freezers were shared with the Malaysian Oral Cancer Database and Tissue Bank System (MOCDTBS). In the development of the MPDBS, challenges that were previously faced by the MOCDTBS were considered. Future challenges in terms of ethical and legal issues will be faced when international collaborations necessitate the transportation of specimens across borders.