Androgen dependent stimulation of aromatase activity in genital skin fibroblasts from normals and patients with androgen insensitivity

OBJECTIVE: To measure the effect of androgens or aromatase activity as an index of androgen responsiveness in patients with androgen insensitivity. DESIGN: Genital skin fibroblasts were established in culture using primary skin explants obtained from normal males at the time of circumcision and from androgen insensitive patients who had surgery either for gonadectomy (complete androgen insensitivity syndrome) or for reconstruction of the external genitalia (partial androgen insensitivity syndrome). PATIENTS: Foreskin samples were obtained at the time of circumcision in 27 normal males. Scrotal or labia majora skin was obtained at the time of surgery from 14 patients with the complete and 22 with the partial forms of the androgen insensitivity syndrome. MEASUREMENTS: Basal and stimulated levels of aromatase activity were measured in genital skin fibroblasts following preincubation with natural and synthetic, nonmetabolizable androgens. RESULTS: Following a 48-hour preincubation with testosterone or dihydrotestosterone, there was a five to six-fold stimulation of aromatase activity in normal fibroblasts. Mibolerone, a synthetic androgen, produced similar results. The stimulatory effect was blocked by anti-androgens. Seven patients with partial androgen insensitivity, of whom four were either receptor deficient or showed a qualitative defect in androgen binding, had reduced mibolerone induced stimulation of aromatase activity. All ten patients with receptor negative complete androgen insensitivity had an absent response. There was no aromatase induction in a further three patients with complete androgen insensitivity who were receptor positive. Two siblings in the latter group had an exon deletion encoding for part of the DNA binding domain of the androgen receptor. CONCLUSIONS: Androgens stimulate aromatase activity in genital skin fibroblasts from normals. The response is mediated via the androgen receptor and can be decreased or absent in patients with the androgen insensitivity syndrome. This may be a useful in-vitro marker of androgen responsiveness in such patients.     

The neutrophil oxidative burst in diarrhoea – associated haemolytic uraemic syndrome

. Neutrophil-mediated tissue damage has been implicated in the pathogenesis of diarrhoea-associated haemolytic uraemic syndrome (D+ HUS). This study evaluates priming and activation of the neutrophil oxidative burst in D+ HUS using chemiluminescent techniques. Peripheral blood neutrophils from 11 children with acute D+ HUS were examined. No difference was found in the oxidative burst of neutrophils from patients and controls. Serum elastase levels were measured in 8 patients and found to be significantly elevated. Although elastase results suggest neutrophil activation, chemiluminescence studies do not confirm this in the peripheral blood neutrophil. This does not support a significant role for circulating agents in priming and activating the peripheral blood neutrophil. Received August 17, 1995; received in revised form and accepted November 27, 1995     

小鼠不完全性脑缺血、再灌注时脑膜血流量的变化及尼莫地平的作用

目的：观察双侧颈总动脉阻断后脑血流的变化。方法：结扎双侧颈总动脉观察小鼠不完全性脑缺血及其再灌注时脑膜血流量的变化。结果：结扎颈总动脉后小鼠脑膜血流量在几秒钟内骤然下降，血流量较结扎前降低约８５．９％±６．４５％。同时血管中红细胞运动近停滞状态，血管再通时脑血流处于低灌注状态，血流量下降３４．４７％±１１．６９％，此时脑缺血再灌后脑组织实际上处于一种慢性缺血状态。再灌注１０ｄ后，小鼠脑海马ＣＡ１区神经细胞数明显减少。尼莫地平可以解除再灌注时的脑血流低灌状态。并防止由此所引起的脑海马ＣＡ１区神经细胞的缺失。结论：缺血后及时给予尼莫地平具有积极的治疗意义。     

A multicentre assessment of the specificity of ten anti-HBc screening tests

SUMMARY. Samples from 1828 donations were screened for anti-HBc at seven sites in the UK using kits supplied by 10 manufacturers. Only 10 (0.55%) donations were considered to have true anti-HBc reactivity and these were detected by all 10 kits. Additional markers of HBV infection were found in nine of these 10 donations. Additional reactives were found by all kits, the number ranging from 1 to 43.
In the four more specific kits, the 10 true reactives were clearly distinguished from the 'false reactives' by the strength of the reaction. It is concluded that the reliance on a single ELISA test for anti-HBc diagnosis is unwise. The use of a second test known to be more specific than the screening ELISA is recommended.     

As2O3处理前后K562细胞基因表达变化的基因芯片检测

目的应用基因芯片研究三氧化二砷(As2O3)处理前后K562细胞基因表达的变化.方法提取As2O3处理前后K562细胞的总RNA,纯化为mRNA后再反转录为cDNA.cDNA经限制性内切酶Sau3AI切割后,cDNA片段分别用Cy3和Cy5标记,与自制的包含348个基因片段的胎盘库芯片杂交.结果杂交结果经扫描和软件分析,发现了11个差异表达的基因片段,其中有3个基因片段与细胞凋亡密切相关.结论我们构建的胎盘库基因芯片可以成功地用于研究药物作用前后基因表达的变化.     

地塞米松对布比卡因诱导小鼠神经元毒性的影响

Objective To investigate the effect of dexamethasone on the toxicity of bupivacaine in murine neurons.Methods Murine neuroblastoma cell line N2a was obtained from ATCC cell bank (USA). The cells were cultured in 10% fetal cow serum/MEM culture medium and divided into 4 groups voup I control (Con); group II bupivacaine ( Bup); group Ⅲ dexamethasone (Dex) and group IV Dex + Bup. The culture medium contained bupivacaine 900 μmol/L in group Bup and dexamethasone 1 μmol/L in group Dex respectively. In group Dex + Bup ( IV ) Bup was added to the culture medium with a final concentration of 900 μmol/L at 12 h after pretreatment with Dex 1 μmol/L. The cells were inoculated in 24 well plates (0.5 ml in each well, 24 wells in each group) and 10 cm culture dishes (7 ml in each dish, 4 dishes in each group). The release rate of LDH was calculated and the morphology of the cells and nucleus condensation (by Hoechst 3334224 fluorescent staining) was detected at 9 h of incubation in 24 well plates. The mitochondrial transmembrane potential (by JC-1 assay) and phosphorylation of Akt and ERKs (by Western blot) were measured at 5 h of incubation in 24 well plates and in culture dishes respectively. ResultsBupivacaine caused severe damage to the N2a cells as evidenced by increase in LDH release and nucleus condensation (apoptosis), dephosphorylation of Akt and ERKs, decrease in mitochondrial transmembrane potential and severe morphological changes. Dexamethasone pretreatment significantly attenuated bupivacaine-induced neurotoxicity. Conclusion Dexamethasone can protect N2a cells from bupivacaine-induced neurotoxicity through stabilization of mitochondrial transmembrane potential and inhibition of dephosphorylation of Akt and ERKs.     

Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer在基因差异表达研究中的应用

目的观察Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer 芯片分析系统(以下简称Bioanalyzer)在基因差异表达研究中的应用。方法应用限制性显示技术分别从正常和热休克处理后的酿酒酵母细胞中分离出cDNA片段,然后再用Bioanalyzer和传统的琼脂糖凝胶电泳技术对RD-PCR产物进行检测分析。结果Bioanalyzer能更快速、敏感地分离和显示差异表达的基因片段,并且通过对差异片段进行定量比较,发现了数个表达有明显差异的基因片段。结论Bioanalyzer在基因差异表达研究中具有重要的应用价值。     

下丘脑错构瘤214例临床特征分析

目的 分析下丘脑错构瘤的临床特征.方法 回顾分析1994年1月至2008年5月北京天坛医院诊治的214例下丘脑错构瘤的临床资料.结果 性别:男性多于女性,男女之比为1.52:1;有性早熟的115例中,男女之比为1.09:1;有癫痫的123例中男女之比为2.15:1;有痴笑样癫痫的96例中男女之比为2:1;同时表现为性早熟及癫痫的38例中男女之比为1.38:1.发病年龄:200例有症状的病例,平均发病年龄为34.5个月;发病年龄≤3岁者157例,占78.5%;单纯性早熟者77例(38.5%),平均发病年龄16.5个月,<3岁者67例,占87%;表现有性早熟者115例(57.5%),平均发病年龄为17.63个月,发病<3岁者99例,占86.1%;有痴笑样癫痫者96例(48%),平均为26.14个月,<3岁者有78例,占81.3%;所有癫痫者[痴笑样癫痫和(或)癫痫大、小发作]123例(61.5%),平均发病年龄为3.81岁,≤3岁前发病者有90例,占73.2%.结论 下丘脑错构瘤多数在婴幼儿期发病,男性多于女性.