T-2 toxin induces apoptosis, and selenium partly blocks, T-2 toxin induced apoptosis in chondrocytes through modulation of the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio.

T-2 toxin is one of the mycotoxins, a group of type A trichothecenes produced by several fungal genera including Fusarium species. In the present study, we have investigated the apoptotic effects of T-2 toxin on chondrocytes and the relationship between T-2 toxin induced chondrocyte apoptosis and its influence on Bcl-2/Bax protein and mRNA expression. We have also examined the inhibitory effects of selenium on chondrocyte apoptosis induced by T-2 toxin. We have combined morphological and biological techniques to establish the relevance of apoptosis in human chondrocyte death induced by T-2 toxin. Treatment with T-2 toxin caused accelerated apoptosis in a concentration dependent manner. The apoptosis induced by T-2 toxin involved an increased Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. Bcl-2 mRNA expression remained unchanged in chondrocyte apoptosis induced by T-2 toxin treatment, while Bax mRNA expression increased following treatment with T-2 toxin. Selenium could partly block the apoptosis of chondrocytes induced by T-2 toxin through decreasing the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. These results suggest that, under our experimental conditions, apoptosis of chondrocytes can be induced by T-2 toxin (1-20ng/mL) via the Bcl-2 and Bax proteins, and the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio may play a critical role in governing the susceptibility to apoptosis induced by T-2 toxin in human chondrocytes.     

Pharynx and oesophagus evaluation during the swallow using helical computerized tomography.

PURPOSE: Videofluorography (VF) and endoscopy are commonly used for dynamic imaging (DI) of pharyngeal swallowing but do not offer transverse plane (TP) information. The aim of the present study was to evaluate helical computerized tomography (HCT) to measure the DI capability pharyngeal swallowing in the TP. METHODS: The HCT scan technique used was a single-slice cine mode with scan times of 100 ms. All 15 subjects were studied supine during dry swallow, swallowing of barium sulphate jelly and 3, 10, 15 or 20 ml of a 40% barium sulphate solution. Nine subjects repeated the test twice at more than 1 week's interval to determine the test-retest reliability. RESULTS: Swallowing leads to closure of the vocal folds, pharyngeal constriction and narrowing of the piriform sinuses allowing jelly passage between the sinuses. Laryngeal elevation then occurs with the opening of the pharyngoesophageal segment (PES). Swallowing a bolus of 20 ml produced the maximum anteroposterior and transverse diameters as well as the maximum opening area of the PES. The test-retest intraclass correlation coefficients with liquid deglutition ranged from 0.86 to 0.98. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that HCT enables visualization of TP of PES complementing VF or endoscopic swallowing studies.     

Early outcomes of surgery for small bowel obstruction: analysis of risk factors

OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to review the etiologies of patients who underwent surgery for small bowel obstruction (SBO) and to evaluate the risk factors affecting the early postoperative outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A case series of 430 patients (252 men) with a mean age of 64.5 years, who underwent 437 operations for SBO, were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Peritoneal adhesions and hernia were the most common causes of SBO, contributing 42.3 and 26.8% of all cases, respectively. Strangulation occurred in 27.7% and caused nonviable bowel in 13.0% of obstructing episodes. Old age (age >/= 70 years), female patient, nonadhesive obstruction, and hernia were the independent significant factors associated with bowel strangulation. The 30-day mortality was 6.5%, and the median postoperative hospital stay was 8 days. Old age, the presence of premorbid pulmonary disease, and malignant obstruction were the independent factors associated with operative mortality. The overall complication rate was 35.5%, and old age was the only significant factor associated with postoperative complications. CONCLUSIONS: Surgery for SBO is still associated with significant mortality and morbidity. As old age is significantly associated with an increased incidence of strangulation, operative mortality, and complications, this group of patients should be managed with extra cautions to avoid unfavorable outcome of surgery.     

PULMONARY BLOOD DISTRIBUTION AFTER TOTAL CAVOPULMONARY CONNECTION OF DIFFERENT TYPES

Objective. To assess the feature of pulmonary blood flow distribution after total cavopulmonary connection (TCPC) of different types, and to provide the selection of the best type .Methods. Thirty-two consecutive survival patients after TCPC underwent radionuclide lung perfusion imaging. According to the radionuclide counts in the left and right lungs, analyses of the distribution of blood flow from superior venous cava (SVC) and inferior venous cava (IVC) and the whole pulmonary blood flow in both lungs were made. All patients were divided into 4 groups by the the anastomosis between IVC and pulmonary artery.Results. Group Ⅰ: The flow ratio of the IVC to left lung was greater than that to the right lung , P≤0. 01; the flow ratio of the SVC to right lung was greater than that to the left lung, P≤0. 01; and the whole pulmonary blood flow went dominantly to the left lung, P≤0. 05, which is not in line with physiological distribution. Group Ⅱ: the flows from the SVC and IVC were mixed in the middle of     

National Study of Emergency Department Visits for Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, 1993–2005

Objectives: Little is known about recent trends in U.S. emergency department (ED) visits for acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) or about ED management of AECOPD. This study aimed to describe the epidemiology of ED visits for AECOPD and to evaluate concordance with guideline‐recommended care. Methods: Data were obtained from National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS). ED visits for AECOPD, during 1993 to 2005, were identified using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD‐9‐CM) codes. Concordance with guideline recommendations was evaluated using process measures. Results: Over the 13‐year study period, there was an average annual 0.6 million ED visits for AECOPD, and the visit rates for AECOPD were consistently high (3.2 per 1,000 U.S. population; P_trend = 0.13). The trends in the use of chest radiograph, pulse oximetry, or bronchodilator remained stable (all P_trend > 0.5). By contrast, the use of systemic corticosteroids increased from 29% in 1993–1994 to 60% in 2005, antibiotics increased from 14% to 42%, and methylxanthines decreased from 15% to <1% (all P_trend < 0.001). Multivariable analysis showed patients in the South (vs. the Northeast) were less likely to receive systemic corticosteroids (odds ratio [OR] = 0.6; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.4 to 0.9). Conclusions: The high burden of ED visits for AECOPD persisted. Overall concordance with guideline‐recommended care for AECOPD was moderate, and some emergency treatments had improved over time.     

体外短波热疗联合前列腺灸及哈乐治疗非细菌性前列腺炎和前列腺痛疗效观察

目的 探讨慢性非细菌性前列腺炎（CNP）和前列腺痛（PD）的治疗方法。方法 应用体外短波热疗联合前列腺灸及α1A-肾上腺素能受体阻滞剂哈乐治疗CNP和PD患者26例，疗程8周。观察治疗前后前列腺炎症状评分（CPSI）与最大尿流率（MFR）变化。结果 有效率为80．8％。治疗前后CPSI和MFR均有显著改善（P〈0．05）。结论 体外短波热疗联合前列腺灸及哈乐治疗CNP和PD安全有效。