PREVALENCE OF MICROALBUMINURIA IN NON-INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETES MELLITUS

The prevalence of microalbuminuria was assessed in 50 patients of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. The mean age of patients was 52.1 ± 11.6 years and the duration of diabetes was 8.3 ± 6.8 years. Twenty (40%) patients had microalbuminuria. Microalbuminuria was more common in patients with a longer duration of diabetes (more than 5 years), a poor glycaemic control, and higher systolic blood pressure.KEY WORDS: Microalbuminuria, Diabetes mellitus, Diabetic nephropathy, Chronic renal failure     

Inflamed fibronectin: an altered fibronectin enhances neutrophil adhesion

Recent investigations have emphasized the role of activated granulocytes in mediating vascular endothelial injury in the pathogenesis of shock lung. In vitro studies have indicated that tight adherence of the neutrophil to the endothelium is crucial for the development of cellular injury. Fibronectin is critical to cell-to- substratum and cell-to-cell interactions. Since fibronectin resides in plasma, on endothelial cell surfaces and is secreted into cell matrices, the adhesive properties of fibronectin must be modulated, lest universal cell agglomeration occur, yet be enhanced when cell attachment is appropriate. In these studies, treatment of fibronectin- coated surfaces with neutrophil release products increased the adhesion of activated neutrophils. Similarly, endothelial cells treated with neutrophil release products become a more adherent substrate for neutrophils. This enhanced adherence generated by treatment of fibronectin with neutrophil supernatants is inhibitable by heat and the lysosomal proteinase inhibitor, pepstatin-A. Neutrophil release products cause proteolytic fragmentation of fibronectin and enhanced fibronectin immunofluorescence on endothelial cells. In addition, neutrophils are more injurious to endothelial cells that have been pretreated with neutrophil release products. Neutrophils may enhance their own adherence to endothelial cells by altering fibronectin, and this altered, or "inflamed," fibronectin may serve as an amplifier of inflammation.     

Immunological comparison between prostate-specific antigen and γ-seminoprotein

Summary Prostate-specific antigen (PA) and -seminoprotein (-Sm) were compared by immunocytochemical, immunodiffusion and immunoblotting methods using rabbit anti-PA antibody and rabbit anti--Sm antibody. Enzyme immunoassys (EIAs) were developed for measurements of PA and -Sm to determine a correlation between serum PA and -Sm levels in patients with prostate cancer. The patterns of localization and distribution of PA and -Sm were identical in prostate tissue sections, including benign and cancerous human prostacs. The immunodiffusion study showed that the antigens with which anti-PA antibody and anti--Sm antibody reacted in seminal plasma and prostate tissue homogenates were identical to each other. In the immunoblotting study, anti-PA antibody and anti--Sm antibody recognized a single antigen corresponding to a molecular weight of approximately 33,000 both in seminal plasma and prostate tissue homogenates. The EIAs developed in this study were sensitive, specific, and reproducible, and the correlation between serum PA and -Sm values determined by these EIAs was highly significant (r=0.99, P(0.001). These results indicated that PA and -Sm were immunologically identical and that serum PA and -Sm determined by immunoassays using anti-PA antibody and anti--Sm antibody should be evaluated as identical tumor markers for serodiagnosis of prostate cancer.     

叠氮钠对SH—SY5Y人神经母细胞瘤细胞线粒体跨膜电位 …

目的 观察线粒体呼吸链复合体ＩＶ（即细胞色素Ｃ氧化酶）抑制剂叠氮钠（ＮａＮ３）对人神经母细胞瘤细胞能量代身的影响,探讨线粒体缺陷在神经退行性疾病发病中的作用。方法 将叠氮钠与培养的人神经母细胞瘤细胞系ＳＨ－ＳＹ５Ｙ细胞共同孵育,用微测量法测定线粒体复合体ＩＶ活性,噻唑兰（ＭＴＴ）法测定细胞存活率,激光共聚焦显微镜和流式细胞仪检测线粒体跨膜电位变化。结果 １６￣６４ｍｍｏｌ／Ｌ叠氮钠与培养的ＳＨ－Ｓ     

PRENATAL DETECTION OF THE DELTA F 508 MUTATION USING FLUORESCENT PCR AND COMPARISON OF THE RESULTS WITH CONVENTIONAL PCR

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common autosomal recessive disorder in Caucasians. The most frequent mutation associated with cystic fibrosis has been identified as the 3 bp deletion Delta F 508. While existing polymerase chain reactions (PCR) (allele specific amplification) used to screen for CF are both sensitive and specific, we tested the prenatal application of fluorescent polymerase chain reaction and subsequent DNA fragment analysis that appears to be fast and sensitive. DNA samples (n=146) isolated from amniotic fluid (n=108), chorion villus biopsies (n=6), and human peripheral blood (n=32) were analyzed for the presence of Delta F 508 using the fluorescent method. Of these, 10 carriers of Delta F 508 mutation were detected. We achieved the same results with conventional PCR and fluorescent PCR.     

Survivin在AFB1高暴露地区肝细胞癌中的表达及其临床意义

目的:探讨Survivin在黄曲霉毒素B1(AFB1)高暴露地区肝细胞癌(HCC)发生发展中的作用.方法:用逆转录聚合酶链反应检测来自广西南部黄曲霉毒素B1高暴露地区患者手术切除肝癌及其癌旁组织中Survivin mRNA的表达情况.结果:Survivin mRNA在55例HCC及其癌旁组织中的检出率分别为85.5%(47/55)及40.0%(22/55),两者差异有显著性(P＜0.01).Survivin mRNA在HCC组织中的表达率与临床分期(P＜0.05)和肿瘤直径(P＜0.05)相关.结论:Survivin在HCC发生发展过程中起重要作用,HCC组织中的Survivin mRNA可作为AFB1高暴露地区HCC预后不良的参考指标.     

HER-2和TIMP-1表达与乳腺导管癌转移及预后相关性

目的：研究乳腺癌组织中表皮生长因子受体-2（HER-2）和金属蛋白酶组织抑制剂（TIMP—1）的表达情况，探讨其与乳腺癌转移及预后的相关性，寻找能够有效判断乳腺癌转移潜能的分子生物学指标。方法：采用免疫组化二步法检测60例乳腺癌组织中HER-2和TIMP—1的表达情况。结果：HER-2和TIMP—1的阳性表达率与临床分期无明显相关性，P〉0．05；HER-2的阳性表达率，在无淋巴结转移组差异无统计学意义，P〉0．05，TIMP—1的阳性表达率，在有淋巴结转移组（56．7％，17／30）高于无淋巴转移组（23．0％，7／30），差异有显著性，P〈0．01。HER-2和TIMP—1在乳腺癌组织中的表达呈显著正相关，r=0．306，P：0．018。患者的总生存率在HER-2有表达组明显低于HER-2无表达组，P〈0．05，在TIMP—1有无表达组的差异无统计学意义，P〉0．05。结论：在乳腺癌组织中TIMP—1可能有促进淋巴管转移的作用，但TIMP—1不能作为不良预后指标独立检测；HER-2可作为不良预后指标独立检测。     

In vitro and in vivo antifungal activities of the eight steroid saponins from Tribulus terrestris L. with potent activity against fluconazole-resistant fungal pathogens

Antifungal activity of natural products is being studied widely. Saponins are known to be antifungal and antibacterial. We have isolated eight steroid saponins from Tribulus terrestris L. , namely TTS-8, TTS-9, TTS-10, TTS-11, TTS-12, TTS-13, TTS-14 and TTS-15. TTS-12 and TTS-15 were identified as tigogenin-3-O-β-D-xylopyranosyl（1→ 2）-[-β-D-xylopyranosyl（ 1 → 3 ） 3-β- D-glucopyranosyl （ 1 → 4 ）- 1- α-L-rhamnopyranosyl （ 1 → 2 ） 3-β-D-galactopyranoside and tigogenin-3-O-β-D-glucopyranpyranosyl（1→2）-[-β-D-xylopyranosyl（1→ 3）3-β-D-glucopyranosyl（1→4）-β-D-galactopyranoside, respectively. The in vitro antifungal activities of the eight saponins against six fluconazole-resistant yeasts, Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida para psilosis , Candida tropicalis , Candida krusei , and Cryptococcus neo f ormans were studied using microbroth dilution assay. The results showed that TTS-12 and TTS-15 were very effective against several pathogenic candidal species and C. neoformans in vitro. It is noteworthy that TTS-12 and TTS-15 were very active against fluconazole-resistant C. albicans （MIC80 = 4.4, 9.4 mg/ml）, C. neoformans （MIC80 =10.7, 18.7 mg/ml） and inherently resistant C. krusei （MIC80 =8.8, 18.4 mg/ml）. So in vivo activity of TTS-12 in a vaginal infection model with fluconazole-resistant C. albicans was studied in particular. Our studies revealed TTS-12 also showed in vivo activities against fluconazole-resistant yeasts. In conclusion, steroid saponins TTS-12 and TTS-15 from Tribulus terrestris L. have significant in vitro antifungal activity against fluconazole-resistant fungi, especially TTS-12 also showed in vivo activity against fluconazole-resistant C. albicans.     

二乙酰基莲心碱对猪冠状动脉条的影响

目的:观察二乙酰基莲心碱拮抗氯化钾、乙酰胆碱(Ach)和组胺(His)所致猪冠状动脉条收缩的作用.方法:离体平滑肌实验方法,观察二乙酰基莲心碱对氯化钾,Ach,His所致猪冠状动脉条收缩曲线的影响以及在无钙克氏液中,对His引起猪冠状动脉条第一相收缩和钙引起第二相收缩的影响.结果:不同剂量二乙酰基莲心碱可使氯化钾,Ach,His所致冠脉条收缩量效曲线呈非竞争性拮抗作用,对冠脉条第一相和第二相收缩都有明显的抑制作用结论:二乙酰基莲心碱具有扩张冠脉的作用,此作用与拮抗细胞内钙的释放和抑制外钙内流有关.