Osteochondritis dissecans of the patella: 12 cases followed for 4 years

Osteochondritis dissecans of the patella in 9 patients (6 men, 3 women; mean age 19 years) was located in the median ridge and paramedial areas and was bilateral in 3 patients. All patients were initially treated conservatively with complete relief of symptoms in 5. In 7 patients fragments were excised and the crater was curetted and drilled. At follow-up after 4 (2-8) years, the patients had no restriction of activities and they had no pain.     

Immunosuppressive effect of cultured Cordyceps sinensis on cellular immune response

The immunosuppressive effect of cultured Cordyceps sinensis (Bei Lin Capsule) was studied in vitro and in vivo. When the drug was added from 0.6 mg/ml to 5 mg/ml a significant dose-dependent inhibition effect was shown in the following immune reactions of mice (P less than 0.05-0.01): phagocytic function of peripheral blood leucocytes assayed by chemiluminescence; mitogenic response of spleen lymphocytes to Con A; mixed lymphocyte culture and LPS induced interleukin-1 release of macrophages. The survival rate of mice spleen lymphocytes cultured with Cordyceps sinensis 5 mg/ml in 37 degrees C 5% CO2 for 5 days was more than 80%. Cordyceps sinensis 4 g/kg daily significantly prolonged the mice skin allograft survival time (12.7 +/- 2.2 days v.s. 8.3 +/- 0.7 days in the control, P less than 0.01) and its immunosuppressive effect was close to that of Cyclosporin A 5 mg/kg daily on skin allograft.     

Chemoattractant-induced firm adhesion of leukocytes to vascular endothelium in vivo is critically dependent on initial leukocyte rolling

Leukocyte rolling and firm adhesion at the venular endothelium are two discrete events in the cellular inflammatory response mediated via selectin and integrin adhesion molecules, respectively. The dependency of chemoattractant-induced firm leukocyte adhesion on the preceding rolling interaction was investigated in rat mesenteric microvessels through use of intravital microscopy. Leukocyte rolling was dose-dependently inhibited by systemic treatment with the sulphated polysaccharide fucoidin. The firm leukocyte adhesion following stimulation with the chemotactic peptide fMLP was similarly inhibited when fMLP challenge was performed subsequent to inhibition of leukocyte rolling by fucoidin. Thus, based on paired observations in single venules before and after fucoidin treatment, reduced rolling leukocyte flux prior to fMLP challenge was paralleled over a wide range by a proportional decrease in fMLP-induced leukocyte adhesion. The results demonstrate quantitatively a close relationship between the extent of leukocyte rolling and the magnitude of the subsequent firm adhesion response, and, that an initial rolling interaction is a precondition for firm adhesion to occur at physiological blood flow rates in vivo.     

Investigation of infection with human papillomavirus in areas of high and low incidences of cervical carcinoma in Sichuan Province]

From Jan. to Oct. 1989, we investigated the role of various life style and dietary factors in areas of high and low incidences of cervical carcinoma, as well as infection with types 16 and 33 of human papillomavirus (HPV) in populations. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique was used to detect the infection with HPV 16/33. The result showed that the infection rate of HPV was about 17.9% (Guangyuan, area of high incidence of cervical cancer), and the infection rate about 3.4% (Mian Zhu, area of low incidence of cervical cancer). It was clear that Guangyuan was 5-fold as the infection rate of HPV 16/33 as Mian Zhu. Strong and statistically significant associations were found to between infection rate of Guangyuan and Mian Zhu (P < 0.001). Other risk factors of cervical carcinoma, such as cigarette smoker, Vegetable intake, genital hygiene, personal hygiene etc, were also discussed and analysed in the article.     

Postnatal differentiation and development of the rat epididymis: A stereological study

Postnatal development and differentiation of the rat epididymis was studied in the rat from 15 to 120 days of life using stereological techniques. Both the relative volume (volume density) and absolute volume of the epithelial, interstitial, and luminal compartments in the initial segment, caput, corpus, and cauda epididymides were determined. In all segments the volume density of the epithelial compartment increased between days 15 and 30 before falling to adult values at 45 days in the initial segment (0.476 ± 0.031), at 60 days in the caput (0.258 ± 0.028) and at 90 days in the corpus (0.245 ± 0.007) and cauda (0.140 ± 0.004). The relative volume of the interstitium decreased, whilst that of the lumen increased over the same period with adult values being achieved earlier in the proximal segments than in the distal segments. In contrast to volume fraction the absolute volume of all compartments in all segments increased from day 15 to day 90. Between 90 and 120 days the absolute volumes of compartments in the initial segment and caput showed little volume change. All compartments in the corpus and cauda showed significant increases in volume over the same period. A similar pattern of development was observed with respect to the surface area of both the luminal and basement membrane aspects of the epithelium; surface area per unit volume (surface density) in all segments reached adult values at approximately 60 days, whilst the increase in absolute area of the surfaces ceased at 90 days in the initial segment and caput and continued to 120 days in the corpus and cauda. The total length of the epididymal tubule showed the same pattern with no increase in length apparent in the initial segment and caput after 90 days. Length however continued to increase in the corpus and cauda between 90 and 120 days. Tubule and luminal diameter reached their definitive values in the initial segment on day 60 but continued to increase until day 90 in the distal segments. Epithelial height increased between 15 and 30 days in all segments; in the caput, epithelial height was greatest on day 30 before decreasing slightly; and in the corpus and cauda maximal epithelial height was observed on day 45 decreasing to stable values on day 60 and 90, respectively. All the data is consistent with a proximal to distal differentiation and development of the epididymis with growth continuing in all segments after the establishment of the definitive architecture. Growth of the distal segments continued after its cessation in the proximal segments. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Experimental study of the effect on the liver of cortisol after diverting the adrenal venous circulation into the portal circulation

In order to evaluate the operation of the adrenal autotransplantation into omentum with arterio-venous anastomosis, the right adrenal of fifteen dogs was preliminarily removed and then the left adrenal vein was diverted into the portal circulation by micro surgical technique. Before and after the diversion, the serum cortisol taken from portal vein, hepatic vein, inferior vena cava and peripheral vein was analysed by radioimmunoassay. The dog's adrenal cortex, pituitary were removed for light and electron-microscopic examination. The experimental results demonstrate that the cortisol inactivation effect of the liver was not statistically different before and after the procedure (P greater than 0.05). Thus, we believe that the omentum which has obvious absorbability and revascularity is a reasonable site for adrenal transplantation. And we also found the adrenal cortex left appear slight hypotrophy and pituitary hypertrophy after the diversion. The cause however, requires further research.