Sudden death due to arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy: Two case reports

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is a kind of primary myocardial disease characterized by the regional or global replacement of right ventricular myocardium by fatty and fibrolipomatous tissues. The ARVC, usually presenting with different clinical manifestations and pathological changes, were mainly seen in young men and is one of the main causes of sudden death in the young. Here two autopsied cases of Chinese men aged 30 and 23 years old who appeared healthy but died suddenly while at work are reported respectively. One of the victims had extensive and severe pathological changes in his heart involving the left ventricular wall as well as the ventricular septum and the right atrium. Not only was there a global fatty and fibrolipomatous tissue replacement of the right ventricular myocardia, but also mild sarcoplasmic coagulation in the myocardium and focal lymphocytic infiltration in the myocardial interstitium of the right ventricular wall. In addition, slight atherosclerosis of the coronary artery and intimal thickening of the sino-atrial node were observed. It is believed that there are no marked differences in the pathological changes of ARVC between Chinese patients and patients from western countries. The etiology and pathogenesis of ARVC could not be explained by a single cause or factor and they are probably related to various congenital and acquired causes or factors.     

关于河南中医学院设置健康保险专业的思考

目的：探讨河南中医学院设置健康保险专业的论证。方法：从我国健康保险业的发展实际出发，集中分析河南中医学院设置健康保险专业的必要性，论证了河南中医学院在师资、设施、生源与就业等方面的可行性，以培养目标、课程设置和实习基地建设为轴线，提出了设置健康保险专业的建议。结果与结论：河南中医学院设置健康保险专业有必要、有可行性、有优势。     

Neuropharmacological characterization of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate and 1-aminocyclobutane-1-carboxylate, ligands of the N-methyl-D-aspartate-associated glycine receptor

Following intravenous administration, 1-aminocyclobutane-1-carboxylate (ACBC, 100 mg/kg), a N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-associated glycine receptor antagonist, was eliminated with a T1/2 of 5 min in mouse brain and 4 min in rat cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC), a NMDA-associated glycine receptor agonist, was found to have a T1/2 of less than 5 min in mouse brain. ACC and ACBC did not alter basal cerebellar cGMP. Glycine and D-serine increased cGMP, and 1-hydroxy-3-aminopyrrolidone-2 (HA-966), a glycine antagonist, reversed the D-serine-induced increases in cGMP. In contrast, ACBC did not reverse the D-serine-induced increases in cGMP. These data suggest that despite their brain bioavailability and marked potency at the glycine receptor in vitro, ACC and ACBC are rapidly inactivated and thus have limited in vivo utility.     

Effects ofTripterygium hypoglaucum (Lévl.) Hutch on male fertility

Tripterygium hypoglaucum (Lévl.) Hutch (TH) is a perennial used in Chinese traditional medicine for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and various skin disorders. One study showed that daily oral doses of TH significantly reduced the fertility of male rats without apparent toxicity. The effects of daily oral doses of TH on the fertility of men taking it for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis were evaluated. Sperm concentration, motility and motility grade all were significantly reduced in the 13 men taking TH compared to 11 untreated controls. TH therapy did not affect testosterone, FSH, LH levels, and its antifertility effects appeared to be reversible.

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Resumen Triperygium hypoglaucum (Lévl.) Hutch (TH) es una perenne usada en la medicina tradicional china para el tratamiento de artritis reumatoidea y de varios desórdenes de la piel. Un estudio demostró que orales diarias de TH reducían significativamente la fertilidad en ratas macho, sin toxicidad aparente. Se evaluaron los efectos de dosis diarias orales de TH en la fertilidad de hombres que le tomaban para el tratamiento de la artritis reumatoidea. La concentración de espermatozoides, la motilidad y el grado de motilidad, se encontraron significativamente reducidos en los 13 hombres tomando TH comparados con 11 controles no tratados. La terapia con TH no afectó los niveles de testosterona, FSH y LH y sus efectos antifertilidad parecían ser reversibles.

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Resumé LeTriperygium hypoglaucum Hutch (TH) est communément utilisé en médecine traditionnelle chinoise pour le traitement de la polyarthrite chronique évolutive (PCE) et de divers troubles cutanés. Une étude a montré que l'administation quotidienne de doses orales de TH réduisait considérablement la fécondité de rats mâles sans provoquer de toxicité apparente. On a évalué les effets de doses quotidiennes administrées par voie orale sur la fécondité d'hommes atteints de PCE et traités au TH. La concentration, la motilité et le degré de motilité du sperme avaient significativement diminué chez 13 hommes traités au TH par comparaison avec 11 témoins non traités. Le traitement au TH n'a eu aucun effet sur les niveaux de testostérone, FSH et LH et ses effets anti-fécondants semblent être réversibles.

     

Comparative assessment of pedal pressing rates of self-stimulation of hypothalamus and midbrain with both square wave and sine wave stimulus parameters

In Wistar rats, the regional differences of pedal pressing rates of self-stimulation (SS) of lateral hypothalamus (LH) and substantia nigra-ventral tegmental area (SN-VTA) were assessed with electrodes implanted in both regions in each subject. Average of SS rates of SN-VTA sites was significantly higher than that of LH sites, tested with both sine wave and square wave types of stimuli. There was no significant difference in SS rates between males and females, and also in the females between different days of oestrus cycles. The high rates of robust SS observed in this study relative to SS rates reported in past literature were probably due not only to the placements of electrodes in the main substrates of SS, but also to the parameters of stimulus used (0.25 sec trains of sine waves through bipolar electrodes).     

Ergotamine/caffeine treatment of orthostatic hypotension in parkinsonism with autonomic failure

Eight patients with parkinsonism who developed severe orthostatic sypotension, were treated with oral ergotamine/caffeine. Significant long-term improvement in standing systolic blood pressure and symptoms of syncope and light-headedness were observed in four of these patients. One patient in whom the drug was effective discontinued it because of nausea. Another lost benefit after 2 weeks of sucessful therapy. Significant supine systolic hypertension occureed in only one patient, which was easily managed by nifedipine given at night. Symptoms or signs of ergotism were not observed. Oral ergotamine/caffeine should be considered as a cost-effective teratment for refactory orthostatic hypotension in carefully selected patients with parkinsonism.     

Detection of hydatid antigen in urine by countercurrent immunoelectrophoresis.

Hydatid antigen was demonstrated for the first time in the urine of patients with hydatid disease by countercurrent immunoelectrophoresis (CIEP). The antigen was detected in the concentrated urine of 7 of 16 (43.75% positive) patients with surgically confirmed hydatid disease, 4 of 10 (40% positive) patients with ultrasound-proven hydatid disease (daughter cysts or prominent septation and hydatid sands demonstrated by ultrasound), and 8 of 14 (57.14% positive) patients with clinically diagnosed (presumptive) hydatid disease. No antigen was detected in the concentrated urine from 24 patients with parasitic diseases other than hydatid disease. However, antigen was detected in 2 (8% false positive) of 25 concentrated urine samples collected from healthy control subjects (blood donors and students). These result suggest that the detection of hydatid antigen in the urine by CIEP is a simple, rapid, and noninvasive method of diagnosis of hydatid disease.     

Early diagnosis of acute postoperative renal transplant rejection by indium-111-labeled platelet scintigraphy

A prospective evaluation of 111In-labeled platelet scintigraphy (IPS) for the early diagnosis of acute postoperative renal transplant rejection (TR) was undertaken. The results of IPS were compared with in vitro biochemical tests, the clinical finding of graft tenderness, and combined [99mTc]DTPA and [131I]orthoiodohippurate scintigraphy. With a sensitivity of 0.93 and a specificity of 0.95, IPS provided otherwise unavailable diagnostic information. Furthermore, postoperative IPS was a good predictor of long-term allograft survival.