In situ forces in the anterior cruciate ligament and its bundles in response to anterior tibial loads

The anterior cruciate ligament has a complex fiber anatomy and is not considered to be a uniform structure. Current anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions succeed in stabilizing the knee, but they neither fully restore normal knee kinematics nor reproduce normal ligament, function. To improve the outcome of the reconstruction, it may be necessary to reproduce the complex function of the intact anterior cruciate ligament in the replacement graft. We examined the in situ forces in nine human anterior cruciate ligaments as well as the force distribution between the anteromedial and posterolateral bundles of the ligament in response to applied anterioi tibial loads ranging from 22 to 110 N at knee flexion angles of 0–90°. The analysis was performed using a robotic manipulator in conjunction with a universal force-moment sensor. The in situ forces were determined with no device attached to the ligament, while the knee was permitted to move freely in response to the applied loads. We found that the in situ forces in the anterior cruciate ligament ranged from 12.8 ± 7.3 N under 22 N of anterior tibial load applied at 90° of knee flexion to 110.6 ± 14.8 N under 110 N of applied load at 15° of flexion. The magnitude of the in situ force in the posterolateral bundle was larger than that in the anteromedial bundle at knee flexion angles between 0 and 45°, reaching a maximum of 75.2 ± 18.3 N at 15° of knee flexion under an anterior tibial load of 110 N. The magnitude of the in situ force in the posterolateral bundle was significantly affected by knee flexion angle and anterior tibial load in a fashion remarkably similar to that seen in the anterior cruciate ligament. The magnitude of the in situ force in the anteromedial bundle, in contrast, remained relatively constant, not changing with flexion angle. Significant differences in the direction of the in situ force between the anteromedial bundle and the posterolateral bundle were found only at flexion angles of 0 and 60° and only under applied anterior tibial loads greater than 66 N. We have demonstrated the nonuniformity of the anterior cruciate ligament under unconstrained anterior tibial loads. Our data further suggest that in order for the anterior cruciate ligament replacement graft to reproduce the in situ forces of the normal anterior cruciate ligament, reconstruction techniques should take into account the role of the posterolateral bundle in addition to that of the anteromedial bundle.     

脊髓萎缩（附2例报告）

本文报告了两例脊髓萎缩，并结合文献复习讨论了该病的好发部位、病因、临床表现、诊断和治疗。脊髓萎缩的病因多为继发性，也可为特发性。根据临床表现结合脊髓ＣＴ造影及ＭＲＩ检查，可以明确诊断。     

肢体不同延长速度对局部血流量的影响

本文报告20只兔胫骨以不同速度延长时用末梢微循环测定系统动态连续监测局部血流量变化的结果,发现一次延长>1 mm时,局部肌肉血流量开始急骤下降,恢复延长前血流量所需的时间>8 h。作者认为肢体的血管、肌肉等组织对1 mm/次/d延长速度有相当大的生物适应性。延长速度>1 mm/次/d易造成局部血流量大幅度减少。延长肢肌肉萎缩、肌力减弱可能与血流量减少有关。     

Apparently silent somatotroph adenomas.

We describe here 9 patients with somatotroph adenomas associated with mild features of acromegaly and basal plasma GH levels in the normal range. In 5 women and 4 men, 26 to 61 yrs old, the diagnosis of prolactinoma or non-secreting pituitary adenoma had been previously made on the basis of amenorrhea-galactorrhea or tumoral symptoms. However, they had discrete signs of coarsening of the facial features and moderate but evolutive changes of hand and foot sizes. Basal GH levels were in the normal range (0.4 to 4.5 micrograms/l, N less than 5 micrograms/l) but unaffected by oral glucose and insulin tolerance tests while IGF-I concentrations were elevated in all the cases (range 1.7 to 5.8 U/ml, N: 0.37-1.41 U/ml). Plasma PRL concentrations were elevated in 5 patients (range 16 to 80 micrograms/l, N less than 13 micrograms/l in men and N less than 19 micrograms/l in women). The 9 patients had a macroadenoma with an extrasellar extension in 8 of them and all were operated on by the transsphenoidal route. Immunocytochemical studies demonstrated IRGH-cells in all the adenomas and IRPRL-cells in 5 of them. Electron microscopic analysis of 3 tumors showed that the secretory granules were sparse and the Golgi apparatus poorly developed. Molecular biology of 7 tumors showed the presence of small amounts of GH mRNA. This result was in agreement with the morphological aspect, suggesting a low rate of GH synthesis. Thanks to these different approaches the diagnosis of silent somatotroph adenoma should sometimes be reconsidered.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

人体膀胱移行上皮癌细胞系(TSB-90,TSB-91)的建立及其生物学特性

从1例膀胱癌患者的癌组织培养中，分离得到2个不同生长特性的悬浮生长型细胞系，定名为TSB-90和TSB-91。在培养过程中，对其生物学特性进行了细胞和亚细胞水平的探讨，并进行了核型分析。发现2个细胞系核型的演化趋势有明显差异，生物学特性也不尽相同。这可能与膀胱癌组织中细胞的遗传异质性和分化程度有关。对其机制和细节有待进一步深入研究。     

抗体阴性重症肌无力发病与凝集素之间关系研究

借助研究抗体阴性重症肌无力（ＭＧ）发病与凝集素之间的关系，以阐明其发病过程是否与凝集素有关。方法观察伴刀豆球蛋白Ａ（ＣｏｎＡ）和麦胚凝集素（Ｔｒｉｔｉｃｕｍ）及其凝集素－糖复合物对ＴＥ６７１细胞表达的乙酰胆碱受体（ＡＣｈＲ）功能的作用，以及对α－ＢｕＴｘ结合试验的影响。结果有两种凝集素对ＡＣｈＲ功能均有抑制作用，抑制率（％）分别为５４±１４（ｎ＝１１）和４７±１６（ｎ＝１０），此作用可被３种糖抑制，抑制率（％）分别为：９５±５（ｎ＝５）和８４±８（ｎ＝５）；６９±６（ｎ＝４）和６５±５（ｎ＝４）；３９±４（ｎ＝５）和５７±６（ｎ＝５）；ＣｏｎＡ抑制α－ＢｕＴｘ结合试验，而Ｔｒｉｔｉｃｕｍ则不能。结论Ｔｒｉｔｉｃｕｍ和抗体阴性ＭＧ患者非ＩｇＧ部分对ＡＣｈＲ功能和α－ＢｕＴｘ结合试验的作用类同或一致，表明抗体阴性ＭＧ患者非ＩｇＧ部分中的内源性Ｔｒｉｔｉｃｕｍ样糖蛋白在其发病过程中起重要作用。     

Influence of mild hypothermia on vascular endothelial growth factor and infarct volume in brain tissues after cerebral ischemia in rats

BACKGROUND: It has been demonstrated that mild hypothermia has obvious protective effect on both whole and local cerebral ischemia. However, the definite mechanism is still unclear for the brain protection of mild hypothermia on cerebral edema, inhibiting inflammatory reaction, stabilizing blood brain barrier, etc. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of mild hypothermia on the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and the infarct volume after cerebral ischemia in rats, and analyze the brain protective mechanism of mild hypothermia. DESIGN: A randomized grouping and controlled animal trial. SETTING: Department of Neurology, People's Hospital of Yunyang Medical College. MATERIALS: Twenty adult male SD rats of clean degree, weighing (250±30) g, were provided by the animal experimental center, School of Medicine, Wuhan University. The kits for SP immunohistochemistry were purchased from Beijing Zhongshan Golden Bridge Biotechnology Co., Ltd. METHODS: The experiments were carried out in the laboratory of Department of Neurology, Renmen Hospital of Wuhan University from May to July 2005. ① The 20 rats were divided randomly into normal temperature group (n =10) and mild hypothermia group (n =10). Models of permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion were established with modified nylon suture embolization. The rats were assessed with the Longa standards: 0 point for without nerve dysfunction; 1 for mild neurological deficit (fore claws could no extend completely); 2 for moderate neurological deficit (circling towards the affected side); 3 for severe neurological deficit (tilting towards the affected side); 4 for coma and unconscious; 1-3 points represented that models were successfully established. The rats of the normal temperature group were fed at room temperature, and those in the mild hypothermia group were induced by hypothermia from 2 hours postoperatively, and the rectal temperature was kept at 34-35 ℃ for 72 hours. ② Measurement of infarct volume: All the rats were anesthetized by intraperitoneal injection overdose sodium pentobarbital 7 days postoperatively, and then the heads were cut down to harvest brain. The brain tissues were placed into -20 ℃ refrigerator for 20 minutes, coronal sections of 2 mm were prepared. The infarct sites were not stained, whereas normal brain tissues were stained as red. The infarct volumes were calculated by using MPLAS-500 multimedia color pathological image&&word analytical system. ③ Counting positive cells of vascular endothelial growth factor protein: The brains were harvested by cutting heads, then coronal sections of 2 mm were prepared. Routine dehydration, hyalinization, wax immersion and embedding were performed, then the detected with SP immunohistochemistry, the kits were purchased from Beijing Zhongshan Golden Bridge Biotechnology Co., Ltd. The cells whose cytoplasm was yellow-brown were positive ones, a single sample as a unit, peri-ischemic site and ischemic core were selected, and the corresponding sites in controlateral hemisphere were taken as controls. Five visual fields were selected from each site to be observed under microscope, the cells were counted, and the average number of positive cells was calculated in each group. The numbers of positive cells were determined with the image analytical apparatus. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Number of the positive cells of vascular endothelial growth factor protein; Infarct volume of rat brain tissue. RESULTS: All the 20 rats were involved in the analysis of results. ① Number of positive cells of vascular endothelial growth factor protein in brain tissue: It was obviously lower in the mild hypothermia group than in the normal temperature group [(24.02±5.05), (36.07±2.69) cells/high power visual field, P < 0.01]. ② Comparison of infarct volume of brain tissue: After MCAO, it was obviously smaller in the mild hypothermia group than in the normal temperature group [(153.25±23.14), (253.45±36.21) mm3, P < 0.01]. CONCLUSION: Mild hypothermia can inhibit the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and decrease the volume of cerebral infarction. The inhibition of mild hypothermia on the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor may be one of the brain protective mechanisms.