Brain Stem Hypoplasia Associated with Cri-du-Chat Syndrome

Cri-du-Chat syndrome, also called the 5p-syndrome, is a rare genetic abnormality, and only few cases have been reported on its brain MRI findings. We describe the magnetic resonance imaging findings of a 1-year-old girl with Cri-du-Chat syndrome who showed brain stem hypoplasia, particularly in the pons, with normal cerebellum and diffuse hypoplasia of the cerebral hemispheres. We suggest that Cri-du-Chat syndrome chould be suspected in children with brain stem hypoplasia, particularly for those with high-pitched cries.     

MR Imaging in Patients with Suspected Liver Metastases: Value of Liver-Specific Contrast Agent Gadoxetic Acid

Objective

To compare the diagnostic performance of gadoxetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with that of triple-phase multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) in the detection of liver metastasis.

Materials and Methods

Our institutional review board approved this retrospective study and waived informed consent. The study population consisted of 51 patients with hepatic metastases and 62 patients with benign hepatic lesions, who underwent triple-phase MDCT and gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI within one month. Two radiologists independently and randomly reviewed MDCT and MRI images regarding the presence and probability of liver metastasis. In order to determine additional value of hepatobiliary-phase (HBP), the dynamic-MRI set alone and combined dynamic-and-HBP set were evaluated, respectively. The standard of reference was a combination of pathology diagnosis and follow-up imaging. For each reader, diagnostic accuracy was compared using the jackknife alternative free-response receiver-operating-characteristic (JAFROC).

Results

For both readers, average JAFROC figure-of-merit (FOM) was significantly higher on the MR image sets than on the MDCT images: average FOM was 0.582 on the MDCT, 0.788 on the dynamic-MRI set and 0.847 on the combined HBP set, respectively (p < 0.0001). The differences were more prominent for small (≤ 1 cm) lesions: average FOM values were 0.433 on MDCT, 0.711 on the dynamic-MRI set and 0.828 on the combined HBP set, respectively (p < 0.0001). Sensitivity increased significantly with the addition of HBP in gadoxetic acid-enhanced MR imaging (p < 0.0001).

Conclusion

Gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI shows a better performance than triple-phase MDCT for the detection of hepatic metastasis, especially for small (≤ 1 cm) lesions.     

男性不育患者精液阴道加德纳菌感染调查

目的 :了解男性不育患者精液阴道加德纳菌 (Gv)的感染状况。　方法 :收集 2 0 0 2年 4月～ 2 0 0 3年 5月期间无锡市妇幼保健院男性不育门诊就诊的 373例男性精液标本 ,以及其中 6 3例Gv阳性患者的配偶阴道拭子标本 ,应用套式聚合酶链反应 (nPCR)技术进行Gv检测。　结果 :男性不育患者精液Gv定植率为 4 4 .2 % ,阳性者配偶阳性率达 87.3%。　结论 :男性不育患者精液Gv定植率较高 ,Gv可经性生活传播。     

Ionic currents in single smooth muscle cells of the human vas deferens

PURPOSE: Smooth muscle cells of the vas deferens have an important role in carrying sperms to the exterior but little is known of their electrophysiological properties. We characterized the voltage-gated ion channel currents in single smooth muscle cells of the human vas deferens (HVSMCs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We observed contractile responses of 8 circular smooth muscle strips of the human vas deferens to a high concentration (10 mM) of tetraethylammonium. HVSMCs were isolated using proteolytic enzymes (collagenase and papain), and were used for an electro-physiological study using whole cell and inside-out patch clamp configurations. RESULTS: The application of 10 mM tetraethylammonium induced rhythmic contractions of the strips. When HVSMCs were dialyzed with a KCl solution, step depolarizations of membrane potential evoked oscillatory outward K currents that were not inactivated. The large conductance Ca activated K (BKCa) and delayed rectifier components of the outward current were identified. The BKCa channel showed a large single channel conductance (162.7 +/- 13.2 pS with 5 mM K in the patch pipette). Two types of Ca currents were identified in the whole cell configuration. With a cell held at -50 mV an L-type Ca current was present during a depolarizing step pulse. From a holding potential of -90mV L-type and T-type Ca currents were elicited by depolarizing step pulses. CONCLUSIONS: HVSMCs have 2 (L and T) types of Ca channels and 2 types of K (BKCa and delayed rectifier) channels. Voltage dependent changes of these ion channels and their interactions may be important in regulating vas contractility.