LONG‐TERM OUTCOME OF ENDOSCOPIC BALLOON DILATION IN OBSTRUCTIVE GASTROINTESTINAL CROHN's DISEASE

Background: Gastrointestinal strictures are the most often and serious complication in Crohn's disease. Because of the frequent postoperative recurrence in Crohn's disease, endoscopic therapy of gastrointestinal stricture is one of the best therapeutic options. Method: The present study sets out the results from a prospective study of endoscopic dilation therapy on 48 Crohn's disease patients with severe gastrointestinal stenoses. All patients who could not undergo endoscopic balloon dilation therapy (EBD) were operated on. Results: Long‐term success was attained in 32 of the 48 patients; cumulative avoidance of surgery after EBD was 86% at one year and 71% at three. Second, the most hazardous factor was recurrent inflammation causing restenosis. Patients who had strictures with oral luminal dilatation and patients with frequent recurrence had a tendency to be operated on. As a complication, perforation occurred in two cases (3.3%). Conclusions: EBD therapy for Crohn's stricture in the gastrointestinal tract is recommended before surgical intervention.     

侧脑室注射东莨菪碱和酚妥拉明对幼兔分辨学习的影响

目的 探讨东莨菪碱和酚妥拉明对幼兔分辨学习的影响。方法 将30只比利时纯种幼兔从生后13日龄随机分为三组：东莨菪碱组、酚妥拉明组和生理盐水对照组，观察不同日龄各组幼兔的分辨学习能力。结果 幼兔分辨学习的正确反应一般始于生后15日龄。侧脑室注射东莨菪碱对16日龄以前幼兔分辨学习无明显影响，对17日龄以后幼兔分辨学习产生明显抑制作用。侧脑室注射酚妥拉明对13—23日龄幼兔分辨学习均有明显抑制作用。结论 幼兔生后发育过程中学习能力的发展具明显的阶段性，其原因可能与神经递质系统的发育成熟有关。     

前列腺素E1对大鼠肝脏缺血再灌注损伤的保护作用

目的 探讨前列腺素E1（PGE1）对肝脏 因再灌注损伤的保护作用。方法 制作常温下大鼠部分肝叶缺血再灌注模型，于缺血前经门静脉给予PGE1，45min后恢复血流灌注，并于1h后取门静脉血测定血清谷草转氨酶（GOT）、谷丙转氨酶（GPT）、乳酸脱氢酶（LDH）、肿瘤坏死因子－α（TNF－α）及内皮素1（ET－1），同时取缺血肝叶行病理组织学检查。结果 缺血再灌注组GOT、GPT、LDH及TNF－α和ET－1均明显高于正常对照组，PGE1组则明显低于缺血再灌注组。PGE1组的肝脏病理组织学改变明显轻于缺血再灌注组，并接近正常对照组。结论 PGE1对肝缺血再灌注具有保护作用。     

Effect of epidermal growth factor on cadherin-mediated adhesion in a human oesophageal cancer cell line.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) mediates many pleiotrophic biological effects, one of which is alteration of cellular morphology. In the present study, we examine the possibility that this alteration in cell morphology is caused in part by the dysfunction of cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion using the human oesophageal cancer cell line TE-2R, which expresses E-cadherin and EGF receptor. In the presence of EGF, TE-2R changed its shape from round to fibroblastic and its colony formation from compact to sparse. Vanadate, a tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor, further potentiated the EGF response, whereas herbimycin A, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, interfered with it. Moreover, EGF enabled the cells to invade in organotypic raft culture. These phenomena were accompanied not by decreased expression of the E-cadherin molecule but by a change in its localisation from the lateral adhesion site to the whole cell surface. Both alpha- and beta-catenin, cadherin-binding proteins, were also expressed at the same level throughout these morphological changes. Finally, we examined tyrosine phosphorylation of E-cadherin and alpha- and beta-catenin, and observed tyrosine phosphorylation of beta-catenin induced by EGF. These results suggest that EGF counteracts E-cadherin-mediated junctional assembly through phosphorylation of beta-catenin and modulates tumour cell behaviour to a more aggressive phenotype.     

Effects of diet with or without exercise on leptin and anticoagulation proteins levels in obesity.

Obesity is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and thromboembolic events. We investigated the effects of weight reduction by a 12-week calorie-restricted diet with or without aerobic exercise (diet group and diet plus exercise group) on leptin and anticoagulation proteins levels. Forty-two obese nondiabetic individuals were evaluated for blood levels of leptin, protein C activity, free protein S antigen and for body fat area calculated on computerized tomography before and after intervention. Before intervention, serum levels of leptin and free protein S antigen correlated positively with several adiposity-related parameters. After the program, body weight and fat area were significantly decreased in both groups. Body mass index and leptin levels decreased in both groups, with a larger change in the diet plus exercise group than in the diet group. Although protein C activity levels did not change in both groups, free protein S antigen levels decreased significantly in the diet plus exercise group. In conclusion, the 12-week programs had significant effects on the initial weight reduction and body fat mass, decreasing lepin levels in obese nondiabetic individuals. To clarify whether aerobic exercise has additional or direct effects on the anticoagulation system, a study in a large number of individuals is needed.     

Epinephrine and norepinephrine release from bullfrog gastrointestinal sympathetic postganglionic endings at a high ambient temperature.

The influence of a high ambient temperature on sympathetic neurotransmitter release in bullfrogs was studied. Gastrointestinal vascular perfusates were collected before and after splanchnic nerve stimulation, and their content of epinephrine and norepinephrine was determined. A marked increase in epinephrine and norepinephrine release was observed following stimulation at 29-32 degrees C, indicating that epinephrine and norepinephrine may both act as adrenergic transmitters in a high-temperature environment.     

Experience with cefuzonam in the field of obstetrics and gynecology

Cefuzonam (CZON, L-105) was studied clinically in the field of obstetrics and gynecology, and the results obtained are summarized below: 1. The concentration of the drug in blood decreased rapidly after drip infusion was completed, and the concentration diminished after 1 hour to one tenth of the level detected at 5-9 minutes, and to an almost undetectable level after 3 hours. The rapid decrease of blood concentrations appears to indicate that the excretion of CZON was much faster than other antibiotics. No conclusive data were obtained on changes of concentrations with time in tissues due to the small number of cases analyzed and scattering of the data obtained. 2. The concentration in the pelvic dead space exudate reached a peak of 18.5 micrograms/ml at 30 minutes after the end of infusion and decreased to 0.092 microgram/ml after 10 hours. 3. CZON was administered to 5 cases of obstetric and gynecological infections. The efficacy was good in 4 cases and poor in 1 case. No side effects or laboratory test abnormalities were observed.     

The diagnostic value of cine-MR imaging in diseases of great vessels

The diagnostic value of cine magnetic resonance imaging (cine-MRI) was evaluated in 10 patients with disease of great vessels. The parameters necessary to decide the appropriate treatment, such as presence and extension of intimal flap, DeBakey type classification, identification of the entry, differentiation between true and false lumen, and between thrombosis and slow flow were demonstrated in all patients with dissecting aortic aneurysm. However, abdominal aortic branches could not be demonstrated enough by cine-MRI, therefore conventional AOG was necessary to choose the operative procedure in these cases. In patients with thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA), cine-MRI was valuable in demonstrating both blood flow and thrombus in the lumen of aneurysm, and AOG was thought to be unnecessary in most cases. Cine-MRI is a promising new technique for the evaluation of diseases of great vessels.