Three-dimensional sutural expansion osteogenesis to expand zygomatic bone: an experimental study

Sutural expansion osteogenesis was used to extend zygomatic bone three-dimensionally by the formation of new bone in eight goats. A 3 cm incision without osteomy was made in the infraorbital part of the zygomatic bone. The external expansion appliance was then placed on the zygomatic bone. The expansion appliance was activated 10 days after the operation at a rate of 0.9 mm/day for 10 days. The direction could be changed through turning the nuts and moving the brace boards. All the zygomatic bones were expanded anterosuperolaterally and inferolaterally by a mean of 9 mm (range 7.8-11.5mm). The regenerating bone tissues in the distracted sutures were recorded radiographically, clinically, and histologically. The experiment succeeded in expanding the zygoma quickly. The three-dimensional external expansion appliance was simple to operate. The result of sutural expansion osteogenesis is stable and credible, and the method is feasible.     

Directional bias of neurons in V1 and V2 of strabismic monkeys: temporal-to-nasal asymmetry?

PURPOSE: Strabismus that develops shortly after birth is known to cause temporal-to-nasal eye movement asymmetries under monocular viewing. The neural mechanisms underlying this deficit are not well understood. In the current study, the hypothesis that this eye movement anomaly reflects a similar asymmetry in the directional response properties of neurons in the early stages of cortical processing was examined. METHODS: Strabismus was simulated with optical methods in infant monkeys between 4 and 14 weeks of age. When the monkeys were mature, microelectrode recording experiments were conducted in the primary visual cortex (V1) and visual area 2 (V2). After the spatial frequency of sine wave-grating stimuli for each neuron was optimized, each neuron's responsiveness to 24 directions of stimulus movement was measured. The preferred direction and the strength of directional bias were determined by a vector summation method: RESULTS: There was not an overabundance of neurons in V1 or V2 of strabismic monkeys preferring the temporal-to-nasal direction of stimulus movement. However, the average directional bias was significantly reduced in these strabismic monkeys. Interocular suppression was highly prevalent, and this suppression was stronger and more common in neurons dominated by the ipsilateral eye. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the eye movement asymmetries in strabismic subjects do not result from similar asymmetries in the directional properties of V1 or V2 neurons, but rather reflect impoverished cortical signals to the brain stem nuclei that control eye movements.     

Effect of curcumin on multidrug resistance in resistant human gastric carcinoma cell line SGC7901/VCR

AIM: To investigate the reversal effects of curcumin on multidrug resistance (MDR) in a resistant human gastric carcinoma cell line. METHODS: The cytotoxic effect of vincristine (VCR) was evaluated by MTT assay. The cell apoptosis induced by VCR was determined by propidium iodide (PI)-stained flow cytometry (FCM) and a morphological assay using acridine orange (AO)/ethidium bromide (EB) dual staining. P-glycoprotein (P-gp) function was demonstrated by the accumulation and efflux of rhodamine123 (Rh123) using FCM. The expression of P-gp and the activation of caspase-3 were measured by FCM using fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-conjugated anti-P-gp and anti-cleaved caspase-3 antibodies, respectively. RESULTS: Curcumin, at concentrations of 5 micromol/L, 10 micromol/L, or 20 micromol/L, had no cytotoxic effect on a parent human gastric carcinoma cell line (SGC7901) or its VCR-resistant variant cell line (SGC7901/VCR). The VCR-IC50 value of the SGC7901/VCR cells was 45 times more than that of the SGC7901cells and the SGC7901/VCR cells showed apoptotic resistance to VCR. SGC7901/VCR cells treated with 5 micromol/L, 10 micromol/L, or 20 micromol/L curcumin decreased the IC50 value of VCR and promoted VCR-mediated apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Curcumin (10 micromol/L) increased Rh123 accumulation and inhibited the efflux of Rh123 in SGC7901/VCR cells, but did not change the accumulation and efflux of Rh123 in SGC7901 cells. P-gp was overexpressed in SGC7901/VCR cells, whereas it was downregulated after a 24-h treatment with curcumin (10 micromol/L). Resistant cells treated with 1 mumol/L VCR alone showed 77% lower levels of caspase-3 activation relative to SGC7901 cells, but the activation of caspase-3 in the resistant cell line increased by 44% when cells were treated with VCR in combination with curcumin. CONCLUSION: Curcumin can reverse the MDR of the human gastric carcinoma SGC7901/VCR cell line. This might be associated with decreased P-gp function and expression, and the promotion of caspase-3 activation in MDR cells.     

粤西地区β地中海贫血流行病学调查

目的主要通过调查湛江地区婚检产检夫妻中的β地中海贫血（简称地贫）的携带率、基因突变类型及其频率分布,找出流行病学规律,降低湛江地区地中海贫血重症患儿的出生率,确保优生优育。方法主要采用血常规、红细胞脆性及血红蛋白电泳对婚前检查、产前检查的夫妻进行地中海贫血筛查,再用跨越断裂点聚合酶链反应（Gap-PCR）技术及膜杂交法法对β-地贫血进行基因诊断。结果在836对优生优育夫妻中,地贫阳性样品有59例,检出率为3.53%。通过PCR和膜杂交分析,发现五种常见类型：CDs41/42（-CTT）、IVS2-654（C-T）、-28（A-G）、CDs43（G-T）、CDs71/72（＋A）、CDs27/28（＋C）、CD26（G-A,βE）、CD17（A-T）。结论通过婚检、产前筛查地中海贫血及基因诊断,考查了湛江地区β-地中海贫血携带情况,为制定该地区β地贫预防计划提供参考。     

Use of Web 2.0 to Recruit Australian Gay Men to an Online HIV/AIDS Survey

Background

Continuous prevention efforts for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) are recommended among those men who have sex with men (MSM). Creative use of e-technologies coupled with a better understanding of social networks could lead to improved health interventions among this risk population.

Objective

The aims of the study were to (1) compare the impact of various advertising strategies on recruiting MSM participants to an online HIV/AIDS survey, and (2) explore the feasibility of using a social network service (SNS) for study advertising.

Methods

A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in 2009. South Australian men over 18 years were invited to participate if they had had sexual intercourse with men in the previous year. A short questionnaire was used to collect demographics and information on sexual behavior, HIV history, use of the Internet for dating purposes, and sources of health information. The survey was promoted in community settings and online, including advertisements through social networks.

Results

A total of 243 men completed the online survey during the 8-week data collection period. Online advertisements recruited 91.7% (220/240) of the sample. Conversely, traditional advertisements in the community recruited only 5.8% (14/240) of the sample. Ten volunteers were asked to advertise on their personal SNS application, but only 2 effectively did so. Only 18/240 (7.5%) of the respondents reported having learned of our study through the SNS application. In this sample, 19.3% (47/243) of participants had never been tested for HIV. Among the participants who had been tested, 12.8% (25/196) reported being HIV-positive. Regarding Internet use, 82.3% (200/243) of participants had dated online in the previous 6 months. Among the participants who had dated online, most (175/200, 87.5%) had found an Internet sexual partner and two-thirds (132/200, 66.0%) had had anal sex with these partner(s). Among men who had anal sex with an Internet partner, 68.2% (90/132) used a condom during sex.

Conclusions

The MSM participants in this study had high-risk profiles for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), which highlights the need for ongoing health interventions among this group. In this study, the SNS marketing strategy did not appear to create a viral effect and it had a relatively poor yield.     

Muscle injury induced by different types of contractions in dystrophic mdx mice

Studies on comparing the effect of lengthening, isometric and shortening contractions on dystrophin-deficient muscles are unavailable. We hypothesized that different types of contractions lead to different extents to which dystrophin-deficient muscles are injured. For this purpose, we developed protocols for different types of contraction-induced injury to mdx muscles in vitro. Force deficits and percentages of procion orange dye positive fibers were employed to assess the extent of injury to each muscle. Our results revealed that both the lengthening and isometric contractions resulted in significantly greater injury to extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles of mdx mice than to that of control (C57BL/6) mice. In contrast, the shortening contractions induced very mild and identical injury to EDL muscles of mdx and C57BL/6 mice. Then another protocol was carried out in vivo to ascertain the effect of shortening contractions on mdx muscles by achillotenotomy. Histological assessment revealed that the triceps surae muscles with excised Achilles tendon (EAT) displayed little and significantly milder injury than the normal ones did. In conclusions, the unloaded shortening contractions induce little injury to mdx muscles. The in vitro protocol for different types of contraction-induced injury is sensitive and reliable.     

动眼神经压榨损伤后CGRP在SD大鼠动眼神经核中的表达

目的研究降钙素基因相关肽(calcitonin gene-related peptide,CGRP)在动眼神经损伤后再生过程中面神经运动神经元中的表达变化。方法健康SD大鼠分别行左侧动眼神经压榨术,术后饲养3、7、14、21、28、35d,取出脑干含动眼神经核团部分,用免疫组化及图像分析技术,观察舌下神经核中的CGRP在舌下神经再生中的变化。结果 CGRP分布于正常SD大鼠动眼神经各亚核,动眼神经损伤后3 d,损伤侧的动眼神经核中CGRP比对照侧增强。图像分析CGRP灰度值与对照侧比较,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);损伤后7 d达最高峰(P<0.05),以后尽管显著表达但渐减。结论损伤导致CGRP在面神经运动神经元中的表达增加,提示CGRP在面神经再生修复过程中发挥调理作用。     

沙库巴曲缬沙坦对慢性心力衰竭合并肾功能不全患者容量管理的优化作用

[摘要] 目的 观察慢性心力衰竭（心衰）合并肾功能不全患者应用沙库巴曲缬沙坦后容量状态变化及其对心脏结构和功能的影响。方法 连续入选84例慢性心衰合并肾功能不全患者,分为沙库巴曲缬沙坦（ARNI）组48例和对照组36例。ARNI组接受沙库巴曲缬沙坦治疗,对照组接受单一的缬沙坦治疗。测量2组患者服药6个月后24小时尿量、利尿剂用量,检测血浆B型脑钠肽（BNP）水平,随访纽约心脏病协会（NYHA）分级变化,并以超声心动图评价心脏结构及功能的改善情况。结果 （1）两组患者基线临床资料差异均无统计学意义（P?0.05）。（2）ARNI组服药后与对照组比较,患者24小时尿量明显增多（P<0.01）;NYHA分级明显改善（P=0.032）。ARNI组服药后与服药前比较,患者服用利尿剂剂量、BNP水平明显降低（P均<0.01）;24小时尿量明显增加（P<0.01）。（3）ARNI组服药后与对照组比较,患者每搏输出量（SV）、心输出量（CO）、左室射血分数（LVEF）、二尖瓣环E峰与A峰比值（E/A）明显升高（P均<0.05）,左房内径（LA）缩小（P<0.05）;ARNI组服药后与服药前比较,患者左室舒张末内径（LVDD）、左室收缩末内径（LVSD）、LA明显缩小（P均<0.01）;SV、CO、E/A、LVEF明显升高（P均<0.01）。结论 与单一使用缬沙坦比较,沙库巴曲缬沙坦可明显改善合并肾功能不全的慢性心衰患者的容量超负荷,优化容量管理措施,超声心动图证实了其对心脏收缩及舒张功能的改善。     

胰腺体尾部癌的影像学表现

目的总结胰腺体尾部癌的影像学表现。方法对经手术及病理证实的23例胰腺体尾部癌的影像学资料进行分析,包括肿瘤的部位、大小、形态、质地、强化方式和与周围结构的关系。其中5例患者行MRI增强扫描,18例患者行螺旋CT增强扫描。结果 23例患者中,病灶位于体部5例,尾部7例,体尾部11例。CT表现为胰腺体尾部实质内不规则肿块,密度稍低,混杂不均;MRI肿块表现为T1WI略低或低信号,T2WI为略高或混杂信号。19例增强后不均匀轻度强化,4例增强后强化不明显。5例边界清晰,18例边界模糊。16例出现周围淋巴结转移,8例周围血管受累。3例出现脏器及骨转移。结论胰腺体尾部癌具有一定的影像学特征,CT和MRI扫描可以充分反映肿块的形态、血供特点及周围蔓延情况。