End-to-end oesophageal anastomosis: an experimental study in the rat

To study the effects of suture material, calibre and tension on the end-to-end oesophageal anastomosis, the cervical oesophagus of the rat was resected for 2.5 mm, 7.5 mm and 12.5 mm respectively in three groups of 60 rats each. End-to-end anastomosis was performed with either 6/0 silk, 6/0 polypropylene or 9/0 polypropylene sutures. There was no postoperative leakage. Mortality was mainly due to hair bolus obstruction at the site of anastomosis. There was no difference in mortality and anastomotic stenosis between groups with different resection lengths. Within each group, however, mortality and anastomotic stenosis were significantly higher in the subgroup of rats with 6/0 silk suture than that in the subgroup with 6/0 polypropylene sutures, which also had significantly higher mortality and anastomotic stenosis than the subgroup with 9/0 polypropylene sutures. Histological examination of the stenosed anastomosis showed disruption of muscle layers and submucosal thickening. It is concluded that the use of fine calibre sutures of biologically inert material would be preferred for the end-to-end anastomosis of the oesophagus.     

阿昔洛韦对单纯疱疹病毒脑炎小鼠脑细胞的保护作用

目的 了解单纯疱疹病毒脑炎(HSE)脑细胞结构的改变及药物的影响。方法 采用光学显微镜及透射电子显微镜观察HSE小鼠脑细胞结构的变化，并给予阿昔洛韦(ACV)及地塞米松(DEX)治疗，观察治疗后脑细胞结构的变化。结果 HSE小鼠脑神经细胞明显肿胀，核仁固缩，核内结构破坏，线粒体及高尔基体可见空泡样变性，核仁内可见病毒颗粒。用药物干预的小鼠脑神经细胞改变较轻微，未找到病毒颗粒；与单用ACV干预的小鼠相比，用ACV DEX干预的小鼠脑神经细胞及毛细血管周围水肿明显减轻。结论 HSE早期给予ACV DEX治疗，对HSE脑细胞结构有明显保护作用。     

The path to care in autism: Is it better now?

Parents of children with autism often report problems associated with obtaining a diagnosis of their child's condition, family support, information, and appropriate services. To evaluate any changes in the situation over the last two decades, the families of all members of the West Midlands Autistic Society, age 19 years and below, were asked to fill in a questionnaire that covered aspects of detection, diagnosis, help and information received, and educational provision. Responses were obtained from 127 families, the children of whom formed an older group ages 10 years and above (n=67) and a younger group ages 9 years and below (n=61). Findings show that there have been improvements for the younger group in some areas, such as earlier referral, diagnosis, and statementing. However, the situation with respect to advice given by professionals and the support and provision available after referral is still much the same as that experienced by families of the older group of children. Many difficulties and hurdles remain which hinder parents and children on the path to care in autism.     

The different effects of Helicobacter pylori strains on basal and histamine-stimulated acid and pepsin production: An in vitro study

Inflammation Research -     

Reflex tear ascorbate in Hong Kong Chinese subjects: method comparison and biological variation.

BACKGROUND: Tear ascorbate is important for corneal health. A rapid and simple method for measurement of ascorbate in tears is needed, and adequate knowledge of physiological variation of tear ascorbate is important to facilitate comparative studies of the effect of, for example, contact lens wear and environmental conditions and stresses. However, there are currently no data on physiological variation of tear ascorbate. This study validated a simple and speedy method for tear ascorbate and investigated between-eye and between-day variation in tear ascorbate in healthy young adults. METHODS: Yawn-induced reflex tears were collected from 32 healthy Hong Kong Chinese subjects and measured by both high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and by an enzyme-linked colorimetric method known as FRASC (total ferric reducing (antioxidant) activity and ascorbate concentration measurement). For between-eye variation, yawn reflex tears were collected from each eye of the same 32 healthy subjects, and ascorbate was measured using HPLC; in a separate experiment for between-day variation, tears were collected on two separate days from 14 subjects, and ascorbate was measured by FRASC. RESULTS: Both HPLC and FRASC showed high precision, and results obtained using FRASC were not statistically different from those using HPLC; mean +/- SD were, respectively, 18.5 +/- 4.4 microM and 18.5 +/- 4.8 microM for HPLC and FRASC methods (p = 0.943). No significant between-eye difference in tear ascorbate was found (p = 0.386), and no significant between-day variation was found overall: mean +/- SD ascorbate was 20.0 +/- 6.2 microM on day 1 and 19.3 +/- 6.8 microM on day 2 (p = 0.772). However, between-day variation was large in seven of 14 subjects. CONCLUSION: FRASC is an acceptable alternative to HPLC for measurement of tear ascorbate. Tears for ascorbate investigation can be collected from either eye or, if necessary, from both eyes and pooled. However, tear ascorbate may vary widely from day to day in the same individual. The reasons for this variation require further study but may relate to differences in ascorbate supply or demand within the precorneal tear layer.     

人脐静脉内皮细胞清除补体攻膜复合物的机制

目的：探讨内皮细胞清除补体攻膜复合物（MAC）的途径及其清除动力学，方法：原代培养的人脐静脉内皮细胞以RH414荧光标记质膜双层，0℃组装亚溶剂量的MAC，37℃复苏后，LSCM实时监MAC沉积诱导的质膜囊泡化形成和胞吞，胞吐情况,流式细胞仪定量检测内皮细胞表面MAC抗原的清除情况，结果：MAC沉积后，内皮细胞有的质膜囊泡化形成，囊泡以胞吞和胞吐2种方式离开细胞，并以前者占优，37度条件下，内皮细胞清除表面MAC的半衰期约为5min。结论：内皮细胞可通过胞吞和胞吐2种机制清除细胞表面沉积的MAC，并以胞吞方式为主。     

Interleukin-6 induced at mucosal surfaces by gram-negative bacterial infection.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) was produced in response to mucosal and systemic infection of mice with gram-negative bacteria. The IL-6 response was controlled by the lipopolysaccharide gene, Lps; in C3H/HeN mice (Lpsn/Lpsn), the urinary IL-6 levels increased within 30 min after challenge with Escherichia coli, but no response occurred in C3H/HeJ mice (Lpsd/Lpsd). In lipopolysaccharide-responder mice, the levels of local and systemic IL-6 were related to the degree of infection. The urinary response dominated after intravesical challenge, and the serum response dominated after intraperitoneal challenge. The results demonstrate that IL-6 is activated as part of lipopolysaccharide-induced mucosal and systemic responses to gram-negative bacterial infections.     

Expression of c-myc and c-fms oncogenes in trophoblastic cells in hydatidiform mole and normal human placenta.

AIMS: To compare the expression of c-myc and c-fms proto-oncogenes in the placenta and hydatidiform mole. METHODS: Twelve hydatidiform moles and six induced abortion cases were collected. c-myc and c-fms proto-oncogene expression was analysed by northern blot hybridisation and immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: The results of northern blot hybridisation analysis showed that c-fms was expressed more strongly in hydatidiform moles compared with normal placenta of similar gestational age. Moreover, c-fms mRNA concentrations increased with more advanced gestational age in moles but not in normal placentas. c-myc expression was very low in hydatidiform moles and normal placentas. Both oncogenes, however, had no direct correlation with the clinical course of the molar pregnancies. CONCLUSION: The difference in c-fms expression between hydatidiform moles and normal placentas suggests that c-fms may have a role in the development of molar pregnancies.     

A novel dystrophin isoform is required for normal retinal electrophysiology

Dystrophin is present in the outer plexiform layer of the retinaand is required for normal retinal function as measured by electroretinography.We describe the identification of a novel isoform of dystrophln(Dp260) present in the mouse retina. The unIque 5' terminusof the mRNA originates from a newly identified exon and is splicedin frame to exon 30 of the Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD)gene. The retinal isoform of dystrophln has 13 novel amino acidsas its N-terminus followed by most of the dystrophin rod domainand the cysteine-rich C-terminal domains. Analysis of mousetissues indicated this isoform of dystrophin Is expressed inretina, brain and cardiac tissue. Comparison of retinal electrophysiologyin mdx and mdx^cv3 mouse suggests that Dp260 is required fornormal retinal function.