Intracoronary basic fibroblast growth factor enhances myocardial collateral perfusion in dogs

OBJECTIVE: In preparation for clinical trials of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) to treat ischemic heart disease, we sought to identify a clinically feasible method of bFGF administration. BACKGROUND: Basic FGF has been shown to promote collateral development after experimentally induced coronary occlusion; however, methods of bFGF delivery that have been shown to be effective in previous investigations would not be practical for clinical use. METHODS: Four randomized, blinded, controlled investigations were conducted independently and sequentially in an established canine model. For all studies, dogs underwent operative placement of proximal left circumflex coronary artery ameroid constrictors. The four investigational regimens included: 1) bFGF by central venous bolus injection, 1,740 microg/day for one, two or seven days; 2) bFGF by intravenous infusion, 100 microg/kg body weight per day for seven days; 3) bFGF by pericardial instillation, 2,000 microg/day for 7 days; and 4) bFGF by intracoronary injection (Judkin's technique), 100 microg/kg per day for one or two days. Each substudy included a contemporaneous vehicle control group. Collateral perfusion (microspheres) was assessed during maximal coronary vasodilation during the first month after ameroid placement. RESULTS: Maximal collateral perfusion in dogs that received intracoronary bFGF for two days exceeded that of concurrent control dogs by 31% (p < 0.01). Perfusion was not increased in dogs that received single-dose intracoronary bFGF. Basic FGF administration by central venous bolus injection, intravenous infusion and pericardial injection failed to enhance collateral perfusion. CONCLUSIONS: Administration of bFGF by the intracoronary route, an intervention that is feasible in patients, augments collateral development in dogs. These data provide a rationale for clinical testing of intracoronary bFGF in ischemic heart disease.     

Persistence of hepatitis B viral antigens in Culex quinquefasciatus

Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes were fed on or inoculated with blood or serum positive for hepatitis B viral antigens and pools of mosquitoes were tested by radioimmunoassay daily for 3 weeks after exposure to detect the viral antigens. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was detectable up to 3 weeks, while hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) persisted only for 3 days in mosquitoes after feeding on hepatitis B viral antigens-positive blood. Mosquitoes inoculated with serum were HBsAg-positive for 3 weeks and HBeAg positive for 4 days after inoculation. These results suggest that biological multiplication of hepatitis B virus did not occur in these mosquitoes. The possibility of mechanical transmission of hepatitis B antigens by mosquitoes is discussed.     

Prevalence, clinical manifestations and endoscopic features of eosinophilic esophagitis: a pathological review in China

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine the prevalence of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) and define its clinical and endoscopic characteristics in Chinese patients. METHODS: Esophageal specimens obtained from January 2006 to December 2010 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat‐sen University were reviewed, and the data on clinical characteristics and endoscopic findings of patients were obtained. Patients with eosinophils ≥15 per high power field (HPF) were identified as having EoE. RESULTS: A total of 12 patients met the criteria for EoE, establishing a prevalence of 0.34%. These patients presented with dysphagia (4/12, 33.3%), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)‐like symptoms (3/12, 25.0%), abdominal pain (3/12, 25.0%) and others (2/12, 16.7%). The most common endoscopic finding was plaques (5/12, 41.7%), and other findings were irregular Z‐line (2/12, 16.7%), erosive esophagitis (2/12, 16.7%), white exudates (1/12, 8.3%), linear furrows (1/12, 8.3%), Schatzki ring (1/12, 8.3%), ulcers (1/12, 8.3%) and erythema (1/12, 8.3%). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of EoE was 0.34% in our patients. Clinicians should pay attention to patients manifested with dysphagia and GERD‐like symptomes with endosopic findings of white exudates, plaques, Schatzki ring and linear furrows.     

中医痰液检验专家共识

中医痰液检验是中医临床诊断、治疗、预防、健康管理的重要信息来源。与西医痰液检验相比,中医痰液检验在标本采集、送检、实验方法、报告内容、临床应用上有显著特点。为促进临床实验室规范开展中医痰液检验工作,中国医师协会检验医师分会中医检验专业委员会、北京中医药学会中医检验专业委员会共同制定了《中医痰液检验专家共识》。本专家共识总结了迄今为止国内外已发表的中医痰液检验有关科学证据,并基于中国国情提出了临床应用推荐建议,可提高中医痰液检验质量。     

双黄连和清开灵注射剂对血培养干扰实验研究

目的探讨双黄连和清开灵注射剂对血培养的干扰作用。方法将双黄连和清开灵等不同浓度的药液注入血培养瓶中,加入一定浓度的菌液,观察阳性报警时间,并与不加药液的对照组进行比较。结果加入浓度依次为100%,50%清开灵的实验组与对照组相比,ATCC25922阳性报警时间依次延长19%,14%;ATCC25923阳性报警时间依次延长960.6%,136%。加入浓度依次为12.5%,25%,50%,100%双黄连的实验组与对照组相比,ATCC25922阳性报警时间依次延长40%,57%,171%,420%;ATCC25923培养7天均无报警。结论双黄连和清开灵对细菌有不同程度的干扰;双黄连对细菌的干扰作用大于清开灵;采集血培养标本应在应用这两种药物前抽取。     

Development of marine water quality criteria for inorganic mercury in China based on the retrievable toxicity data and a comparison with relevant criteria or guidelines

The development of marine water quality criteria (WQC) in China has been insufficient because data on the toxicity of pollutants for marine organisms based on the species sensitivity distribution (SSD) method are lacking. The Chinese aquatic environmental quality standards, including those for seawater, were derived from the developed countries. Therefore, establishing Chinese marine WQC is crucial for identifying the sensitivity of marine species in China and will improve their protection from threats. Mercury (Hg) is one of the primary pollutants commonly exceeding Chinese seawater quality standards. Several countries have developed their marine WQC for inorganic Hg in the past decades, but no study has been conducted in China. In this study, 45 acute toxicity and 14 chronic toxicity data of inorganic Hg on the marine species which inhabit in China were obtained mainly from the ECOTOX database, the CNKI, and the Google Scholar. The acute and chronic hazardous concentrations for 5% of the species (HC₅) were calculated based on the best-fit distribution model Sweibull. The criteria for maximum and continuous concentrations of 1.30 and 0.66 μg/L, respectively, for inorganic Hg to protect marine organisms in China were derived by halving the HC₅ values. The criteria were comparable to those of the United States, Australia, and the European Union countries, indicating the general applicability of WQCs developed based on the classical SSD method using different species groups. This study may provide valuable information for assessing marine ecological risk in China.