Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of the hepatic veins for treatment of Budd-Chiari syndrome

The authors report a case of Budd-Chiari syndrome caused by occlusion of all of the hepatic veins which was treated by percutaneous transluminal angioplasty. There were two recurrences requiring redilatation. Two years later, the patient was asymptomatic and off medication.     

Variable magnetic resonance imaging parameters: effect on detection and characterization of lesions

With change in the imaging technique and magnetic field strength used in magnetic resonance imaging, wide variations in the delineation of pathologic features occur. Using imaging data from patients with known pathologic conditions, we evaluated the intensity images in spin-echo and inversion-recovery imaging at varying repetition times, echo times, and inversion times over broad ranges and changing magnetic field strengths. Differences in conspicuity and the apparent size of the lesions are important to consider in diagnosing and evaluating pathologic conditions, especially when different imagers and techniques are employed.     

Assessment of peripheral vascular effects of antimigraine drugs in humans

The vascular beds of the forearm and finger can be used to study the peripheral effects of antimigraine drugs under normal and pathologic circumstances. We have investigated the novel antimigraine drug sumatriptan, a selective agonist for 5HT¹ receptors. Its antimigraine effect may be attributed, at least in part, to constriction of cranial arteriovenous anastomoses (AVAs). In assessing the peripheral vascular effects of sumatriptan we used a forearm and finger blood flow model. Forearm blood flow (FBF) is mainly determined by resistance vessels, whereas finger blood flow (FiBF) mainly involves skin vessels, which contain many AVAs. Changes in FBF and FiBF can be assessed using venous occlusion plethysmography. Changes in AVA flow are determined by measuring the patency of the vascular beds of the forearm and hand to well-defined radiolabelled microspheres, which are injected into the brachial artery. We report the effects of sumatriptan on FBF, FiBF and AVA flow when administered into the brachial artery of healthy volunteers, and discuss the peripheral vascular effects of therapeutic doses of sumatriptan when given subcutaneously in migraine patients during and between attacks.     

骨组织工程用三维灌注生物反应器系统的设计

目的:设计并构建一套骨组织工程用三维灌注生物反应器系统。方法:①明确骨组织工程用生物反应器系统的设计原则。②灌注小室由管状玻璃主体、聚四氟乙烯螺帽以及橡胶O型圈构建组成。整个系统通过铂处理的硅胶管以及三通和四通将3个灌注小室、双向蠕动泵、培养液贮存瓶、废液贮存瓶、接种口和空气滤膜连接构成。③研究生物反应器系统操作程序。④计算细胞/支架结构体内细胞受到的流体剪切力。结果:设计并构建了一套三维灌注生物反应器系统,既可以减轻内外扩散限制,也可以将力学刺激作用于细胞。该系统区别于其他设计的主要特点是:将细胞接种和长期培养整合于一体构建工程化组织;培养基可以完全穿过支架内部;同时,其模块式设计不仅可以增加工程化组织培养的数量,而且可以根据实验目的在不同时间点灵活方便地收获结构体。结构体内细胞所受到的流体剪切力可以根据灌注速率和支架性质进行计算。结论:所设计的三维灌注生物反应器系统在骨组织工程中具有广阔的应用前景,不仅可以构建工程化骨组织用于临床修复骨缺损,而且可以用于研究流体剪切力作用对骨细胞在三维支架中行为的影响。     

OBJECTIVE VERIFICATION OF TETANUS IMMUNE STATUS IN AN APPARENTLY NON-IMMUNE POPULATION

SUMMARY Patients who are not known to be immunised to tetanus are considered to be non-immune. The appropriate treatment is the commencement of active immunisation with a course of three tetanus toxoid inoculations; if the wound is considered to be tetanus-prone, 250 IU of human anti-tetanus immunoglobulin is given concurrently. This study determined the true immune status of 166 patients who were considered to be non-immune on the basis of the available history. The majority (90 of 166) had protective levels of immunoglobulin (greater than 0.06 IU/ml) and further treatment was not indicated. Only two patients were non-immune. The remainder had protective levels (between 0.01 and 0.06 IU/ml) and required a tetanus toxoid booster.     

Commentary on “Prognostic effect of carcinoma in situ in muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy.”

Background

Carcinoma in situ (CIS) is a poor prognostic finding in urothelial carcinoma. However, its significance in muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma (MIUC) treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is uncertain. We assessed the effect of CIS found in pretreatment transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) biopsies on the pathologic and clinical outcomes.

Flavonone treatment reverses airway inflammation and remodelling in an asthma murine model

Background and Purpose

Asthma is an inflammatory disease that involves airway hyperresponsiveness and remodelling. Flavonoids have been associated to anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities and may represent a potential therapeutic treatment of asthma. Our aim was to evaluate the effects of the sakuranetin treatment in several aspects of experimental asthma model in mice.

Experimental Approach

Male BALB/c mice received ovalbumin (i.p.) on days 0 and 14, and were challenged with aerolized ovalbumin 1% on days 24, 26 and 28. Ovalbumin-sensitized animals received vehicle (saline and dimethyl sulfoxide, DMSO), sakuranetin (20 mg kg^–1 per mice) or dexamethasone (5 mg kg^–1 per mice) daily beginning from 24th to 29th day. Control group received saline inhalation and nasal drop vehicle. On day 29, we determined the airway hyperresponsiveness, inflammation and remodelling as well as specific IgE antibody. RANTES, IL-5, IL-4, Eotaxin, IL-10, TNF-α, IFN-γ and GMC-SF content in lung homogenate was performed by Bioplex assay, and 8-isoprostane and NF-kB activations were visualized in inflammatory cells by immunohistochemistry.

Key Results

We have demonstrated that sakuranetin treatment attenuated airway hyperresponsiveness, inflammation and remodelling; and these effects could be attributed to Th2 pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress reduction as well as control of NF-kB activation.

Conclusions and Implications

These results highlighted the importance of counteracting oxidative stress by flavonoids in this asthma model and suggest sakuranetin as a potential candidate for studies of treatment of asthma.