Tumors of the central nervous system studied by computed tomography and ultrasound

Intraoperative ultrasound (US) was compared to computed tomography (CT) in 41 intracranial and 6 spinal cord tumors. The studies correlated closely except for primary gliomas. Eight of the 22 primary intracranial gliomas (37%), including 1 low-grade and 7 anaplastic tumors, were larger and more extensive on US than on CT. Margins of non-enhanced primary astrocytomas were shown by US but not CT. Four anaplastic tumors (19%) exhibited echogenicity extending beyond the enhanced area. In 4 patients an enhanced lesion contained a lucent center which proved to be echogenic. Low-grade astrocytomas were relatively homogeneous on US, while anaplastic astrocytomas were more inhomogeneous. Cysts could be found in both types of astrocytomas and were often small and multiple. The echo pattern was not helpful in differentiating metastases from primary tumors, although all of them had sharp margins. Sonography of the central nervous system can provide valuable information about tumor morphology and margins.     

反相离子对高效液相色谱分析厚朴类原植物中季铵生物碱

本文建立了厚朴类原植物中三种主要生物碱(厚朴碱、柳叶木兰花碱、武当木兰碱)的反相离子对高效液相色谱法。用Nucleosil C₁₈固定相,0.003 mol/L辛烷磺酸钠—乙腈(74:26)为流动相。方法简便、灵敏,并用此法分析比较了木兰属、木莲属16种36个样品,为指导临床用药、资源开发利用提供了一定科学依据。     

Is poor access to dental care why people outside capital cities have poor oral health?

Background : Why oral health status outside capital cities is poorer than that in capital cities has not been satisfactorily explained. The aim of this study was to determine if the reason was poorer access to dental care. Methods : Data were obtained from the Australian National Survey of Adult Oral Health (2004–06). Oral health status was measured by DMFT Index, and numbers of decayed, missing and filled teeth. A two‐step analysis was undertaken: comparing the dependent variables by location, socio‐demographic confounders and preventive dental behaviours, and then including six access to dental care variables. Results : Of the 14 123 people interviewed, 5505 were examined, and 4170 completed the questionnaire. With socio‐economic parameters in the first regression model, non‐capital city people had higher DMFT (regression coefficient = 1.15, p < 0.01), more decayed (0.42, p < 0.01) and missing teeth (0.85, p < 0.01), but not filled teeth (?0.11, p = 0.71), than capital city based people. In the second step analysis, non‐capital city people still had a greater DMFT (1.01, p < 0.01), more decayed (0.27, p = 0.03) and missing teeth (0.74, p < 0.01), but not filled teeth (0.00, p = 0.99) than capital city based people. Conclusions : Access to dental care was not the only reason why people outside capital cities have poorer oral health than people living in capital cities.     

Identification of a C3bi-specific membrane complement receptor that is expressed on lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, and erythrocytes

Cells expressing a membrane C receptor (CR(3)) specific for C3b-inactivator- cleaved C3b (C3bi) were identified by rosette assay with C3bi-coated sheep erythrocytes (EC3bi) or C3bi-coated fluorescent microspheres (C3bi-ms). C3bi- ms, probably because of their smaller size, bound to a higher proportion of cells than did EC3bi. C3bi-ms bound to greater than 90 percent of mature neutrophils, 85 percent of monocytes, 92 percent of erythrocytes, and 12 percent of peripheral blood lymphocytes. Binding of C3bi-ms to neutrophils, monocytes, and erythrocytes was inhibited by fluid-phase C3bi, Fab anti-C3c, or Fab anti-C3d but was not inhibited by F(ab’)(2) anti-CR(1) (C3b receptor) or F(ab’)(2) anti-CR(2) (C3d receptor) nor by fluid-phase C3b, C3c, or C3d. This indicated that monocytes, neutrophils, and erythrocytes expressed C3bi receptors (CR(3)) that were separate and distinct from CR(1) and CR(2) and specific for a site in the C3 molecule that was only exposed subsequently to cleavage of C3b by C3b inactivator and that was either destroyed, covered, or liberated by cleavage of C3bi into C3c and C3d fragments. Lymphocytes differed from these other cell types in that they expressed CR2 in addition to CRa. Lymphocyte C3bi-ms rosettes were inhibited from 50 to 84 percent by F(ab’)(2)-anti-CR(2) or fluid-phase C3d, whereas C3d-ms rosettes were inhibited completely by F(ab’)(2) anti-CR(2), fluid-phase C3bi, or fluid- phase C3d. Thus, with lymphocytes, C3bi was bound to CR(3), and in addition was bound to CR(2) by way of the intact d region of the C3bi molecule. In studies of the acquisition of C receptors occurring during myeloid cell maturation, the ability to rosette with C3bi-coated particles was detected readily with immature low-density cells, whereas this ability was nearly undetectable with high density mature polymorphonuclear cells. This absence of C3bi binding to polymorphs was not due to a loss of the CR(3) but instead was due to the maturation-linked acquisition of the abiity to secrete elastase that cleaved reagent particle-bound C3bi into CR(3)-unreactive C3d. Neither neutrophils nor monocytes bound C3d-coated particles at any stage of maturation. Assay of CR(3) with mature neutrophils required inhibition of neutrophil elastase with either soybean trypsin inhibitor or anti-elastase antibodies, and the amounts of these elastase inhibitors required to allow EC3bi rosette formation increased with neutrophil maturation. Because lymphocytes bound C3bi to CR(2) as well as to CR(3), specific assay of lymphocyte CR(3) required saturation of membrane CR(2) with Fab’ anti-CR(2) before assay for rosettes with C3bi-ms. Only 3.5 percent of anti-CR(2)- treated peripheral blood lymphocytes bound C3bi-ms. Therefore, among normal blood lymphocytes the majority of the 12 percent C3bi-ms-binding cells expressed only CR(2) (8.5 percent), and the small proportion of C3bi-ms- binding cells that expressed CR(3) (3.5 percent) represented a distinct subset from the CR2(+) cells. Double-label assay indicated that 3.0 percent out of 3.5 percent of these CR(3)-bearing lymphocytes were B cells because they expressed membrane immunoglobulins. Of the remaining CR(3)(+) cells, 0.2 percent expressed either Leu-1 or 3A1 T cell antigens, and 0.6 percent expressed the OKM-1 monocyte-null lymphocyte determinant.     

力竭性运动对大鼠血浆心钠素及心肌血供的影响

目的：观察不同训练程度大鼠力竭性运动后血浆心钠素含量及心肌缺血情况，探讨力竭性运动对大鼠心脏内分泌以及心肌血供的影响。方法：实验于2006—10/12在武汉体育学院细胞与分子生物学实验室完成。选择SD大鼠16只，按随机数字表法分为3组，安静对照组（n=4）笼内生活，自由饮食；游泳力竭组（n=6）适应性喂养1周后进行一定的适应性游泳训练；长期耐力训练游泳力竭组（n=6）训练8周，6次/周。8周后，后两组大鼠进行力竭性运动，运动后取大鼠血浆，采用放射免疫法测定心钠素含量；取心肌组织，制作光镜切片，采用Nagar-Olsen特殊染色法检测心肌缺血情况。结果：16只大鼠全部进入结果分析。①在经过8周的运动训练后，游泳力竭组、长期耐力训练游泳力竭组大鼠血浆心钠素含量显著高于安静对照组（P〈0．05，〈0．01）；长期耐力训练游泳力竭组大鼠血浆心钠素含量显著高于游泳力竭组（P〈0．05）。②游泳力竭组大鼠心肌组织缺血较为严重；而长期耐力训练游泳力竭组大鼠心肌组织与安静对照组相比，也有缺血现象发生，但没有游泳力竭组严重。结论：力竭性运动会造成大鼠心血管内分泌活性物质心钠素的失调，并造成心肌组织缺血；长期耐力游泳训练可以使大鼠心脏结构及功能产生一定的适应性改变。     

Prevalence of asymptomatic left ventricular systolic dysfunction in hypertensive Nigerians: echocardiographic study of 832 subjects

Background

We sought to determine the prevalence of echocardiographically determined left ventricular systolic dysfunction in asymptomatic hypertensive subjects seen in Abeokuta, Nigeria.

Methods

Echocardiography was performed in 832 consecutive hypertensive subjects referred for cardiac evaluation over a three-year period.

Results

Data were obtained in 832 subjects (50.1% women) aged 56.0 ± 12.7 years (men 56.9 ± 13.3 years, women 55.0 ± 12.0 years, range 15–88). The prevalence of left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) was 18.1% in the study population (mild LVSD = 9.6%, moderate LVSD = 3.7% and severe LVSD = 4.8%). In a multivariate analysis, male gender, body mass index and LV mass were the predictors of LVSD.

Conclusion

Significant numbers of hypertensive subjects in this study had varying degrees of left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Early introduction of disease-modifying drugs in these patients, such as angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers may retard or prevent the progression to overt heart failure.