Psychological,endocrine and neural responses to social evaluation in subclinical depression

This study aimed to identify vulnerability patterns in psychological, physiological and neural responses to mild psychosocial challenge in a population that is at a direct risk of developing depression, but who has not as yet succumbed to the full clinical syndrome. A group of healthy and a group of subclinically depressed participants underwent a modified Montreal Imaging Stress task (MIST), a mild neuroimaging psychosocial task and completed state self-esteem and mood measures. Cortisol levels were assessed throughout the session. All participants showed a decrease in performance self-esteem levels following the MIST. Yet, the decline in performance self-esteem levels was associated with increased levels of anxiety and confusion in the healthy group, but increased levels of depression in the subclinical group, following the MIST. The subclinical group showed overall lower cortisol levels compared with the healthy group. The degree of change in activity in the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex in response to negative evaluation was associated with increased levels of depression in the whole sample. Findings suggest that even in response to a mild psychosocial challenge, those individuals vulnerable to depression already show important maladaptive response patterns at psychological and neural levels. The findings point to important targets for future interventions.     

9-(2-膦酰甲氧乙基)腺嘌呤及其位置异构体3-(2-膦酰甲氧乙基)腺嘌呤的合成和抗病毒活性研究

Phosphonylmethoxyethyl)adenine (1),PMEA,an acyclic nucleotide withbroad-spectrum antiviral activity was synthesized with some modifications of Holy's procedure.Simutaneously,an N-3 regioisomer(2)of PMEA and a by-preduct, formaldehyde di-[2-(9-adenyl)ethyl] acetal(7)were seperated by silica gel chromatography in the ratio of 50:10:1.Compound(2)and(7) are new compounds that we have not yet found in literatures. The structure of them weredetermined with ¹HNMR,2DNMR, MS and Spot test.Antiviral test showed that N-3 isomer(2)completely lost activity against both HIV-1 and HSV-1 in vitro. It seems that regiospecificity of theacyclic nucleotide structure is important for antiviral activity.     

Penile detumescence: characterization of three phases

In 22 dogs in which erection was induced by cavernous nerve stimulation, we analyzed the intracavernous pressure changes during detumescence without and with acute clamping of the aorta or electrostimulation of the lumbar sympathetic chains. Additionally, the degree of venous outflow obstruction was assessed by saline perfusion of the cavernous body during aortic occlusion. Detumescence had three distinct phases: an initial phase exhibiting a small pressure increase; a second phase showing a slow pressure decrease; and a third phase in which a fast decrease occurred. The first phase was abolished by aortic clamping, whereas the other phases were not significantly affected. Sympathetic stimulation abolished or prevented the second phase. Perfusion of the cavernous body during the second phase resulted in a pressure rise to off-scale values; however, when initiated during the terminal phase or in the nonstimulated penis, the pressure increase was slight. Our study indicates that the arterial flow rate influences the duration of the first phase of detumescence and that venous drainage is completely restored in the third phase. Furthermore, sympathetic stimulation causes an almost immediate full restoration of venous drainage, as cavernous perfusion initiated with an intracavernous pressure about twice as high as without sympathetic stimulation failed to increase pressure to off-scale values.     

Preoperative F-18 fluorocholine PET/CT for the detection of hyperfunctioning parathyroid glands in patients with secondary or tertiary hyperparathyroidism: comparison with Tc-99m sestamibi scan and neck ultrasound

Annals of Nuclear Medicine - Currently, neck ultrasound is the preferred preoperative imaging in patients with secondary/tertiary hyperparathyroidism, and the use of Tc-99m sestamibi scan is...     

男性勃起功能障碍的基础研究进展

男性勃起功能障碍是指男性持续性或反复发作的难以达到和维持阴茎勃起来完成性交和满意的性活动的病理现象。阴茎的勃起依赖于一系列正常的神经和血管性反应,包括正常的性心理反应,正常的生理结构,正常的内分泌,神经和血管功能。任何一个环节的     

Pentoxifylline promotes recovery of erectile function in a rat model of postprostatectomy erectile dysfunction

Background

Cavernous nerve (CN) injury during radical prostatectomy (RP) causes CN degeneration and secondary penile fibrosis and smooth muscle cell (SMC) apoptosis. Pentoxifylline (PTX) is a phosphodiesterase inhibitor that further inhibits multiple cytokine pathways involved in nerve degeneration, apoptosis, and fibrosis.

Objectives

To evaluate whether PTX enhances erectile function in a rat model of CN injury.

Design, Setting and Interventions

Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent CN crush injury and were randomized to oral gavage feeding of phosphate-buffered saline (vehicle) or PTX 25, PTX 50, or PTX 100 mg/kg per day. Ten animals underwent sham surgery and received vehicle treatment. Treatment continued for 28 d, followed by a wash-out period of 72 h. An additional eight rats underwent resection of the major pelvic ganglion (MPG) for tissue culture and examination of direct effects of PTX on neurite sprouting.

Measurements

Intracavernous pressure recording on CN electrostimulation, immunohistologic examination of the penis and the CN distal to the injury site, and length of neurite sprouts in MPG culture.

Results

Daily oral gavage feeding of PTX resulted in significant improvement of erectile function compared to vehicle treatment in all treated groups. After treatment with PTX 50 and PTX 100 mg/kg per day, the expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase in the dorsal penile nerve was significantly higher than in vehicle-treated rats. Furthermore, PTX treatment prevented collagen deposition and SMC loss in the corpus cavernosum. In the CN, signs of Wallerian degeneration were ameliorated by PTX treatment. MPG culture in medium containing PTX resulted in a significant increase of neurite length.

Conclusions

PTX treatment following CN injury in rats improved erectile recovery, enhanced nerve regeneration, and preserved the corpus cavernosum microarchitecture. The clinical availability of this compound merits application in penile rehabilitation studies following RP in the near future.     

人工流产女青年性行为和避孕现状研究

目的:了解北京市人工流产女青年的性行为和避孕现状,探讨人工流产、特别是重复流产的影响因素。方法:采用自填式问卷的方法,对北京市1 008名自愿要求人工流产、在1980年8月1日之后出生的女青年进行现状调查。结果:研究对象首次性行为的平均年龄为(20.70±1.95)岁,54%的人在20岁之前就开始了性生活;首次人工流产的平均年龄为(21.96±1.81)岁,首次流产在20岁之前的占17.0%;将近25%的人曾与2名及以上的男性发生过性关系;人流女青年本次怀孕的原因,60.2%是因为没有避孕,39.7%由于避孕失败;没有避孕的主要原因是"在没有准备好避孕药具的情况下同房"(41.5%)和"知道避孕方法但不想用"(39.7%);避孕失败的主要原因是全安期和体外射精(39.0%)、避孕套(32.7%)和紧急避孕(18.5%);过去3个月中,最常用的避孕方法为避孕套(75.5%)、全安期和体外射精(11.0%)、紧急避孕(8.2%);在避孕套使用者中,只有9.3%能坚持每次同房都用;77.2%的人认为口服避孕药对身体不好;32.4%的研究对象有重复流产。单因素分析发现,文化程度低、未婚同居、首次性生活和首次流产的年龄小、多性伴和不能坚持、正确使用避孕措施是重复流产的影响因素。结论:女青年首次性行为开始早、多性伴比例高、避孕药具使用率低或使用低效的避孕方法是非意愿妊娠和人工流产的主要原因,且重复流产现象比较严重;同时,流动人口在人流女青年中占了相当大的比例。因此,应当对未婚人群和流动人口女青年进行人工流产的危害以及避孕知识的宣传教育,提高现代科学的避孕药具使用率,避免不必要的意外妊娠和人工流产。     

Hyperthermic pretreatment decreases microvascular protein leakage and attenuates hypotension in anaphylactic shock in rats

Systemic anaphylaxis is a life-threatening allergic reaction and its pathologic conditions, such as edema, bronchospasm, and hypotension, have been attributed to release of vasoactive mediators. Heat shock protein (HSP) is known to play a protective role in living cells under various stresses. In these studies, we investigated the protective role of heat shock response in anaphylactic shock, focusing on changes of blood pressure (BP) and vascular permeability. Adult sensitized rats were injected intravenously with Evans blue (EB) and challenged with bovine serum albumin (BSA). The rats were treated with whole-body hyperthermia at 41.5 +/- 0.5 degrees for 15 min 24 h before BSA challenge. Vascular protein leakage in tissues was analyzed with the EB technique. The results showed that BSA challenge induced EB extravasation in all sensitized rats. EB values (EB/tissue; microg/g) in heart and lung (112.3 +/- 41 and 244.4 +/- 90.6; mean +/- SD; n = 6) in the nonheated rats were significantly higher than those (33.4 +/- 23.3 and 103.4 +/- 63.9; n = 9) in the heated rats (P < 0.05). The results showed that BSA challenge caused BP to fall drastically in the sensitized rats. BP in the heated rats was significantly higher than BP in the nonheated rats from 4 to 15 min during anaphylactic shock (P < 0.001). Inducible HSP72 appeared overexpressed in heart, lung, and liver tissue in the heated rats tested by Western immunoblotting. The results indicate that reduction of increased protein leakage and attenuation of hypotension may result from induction of HSP by whole-body hyperthermia.