Purification and chemical modification of porcine bone morphogenetic protein

Implantation of porcine bone morphogenetic protein (pBMP) in the muscle induces differentiation of mesenchymal-type cells and results in endochondral bone formation. pBMP was isolated from porcine demineralized bone matrix and purified by hydroxyapatite chromatography, Sephadex G75 gel filtration, preparative sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), preparative isoelectric focusing (IEF), and chromatofocusing fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC). Porcine BMP has an MW of 26 K and a range of pI from 4.65 to 4.73 determined by SDS-PAGE and IEF, respectively. Reconstitution with the citrate buffer supernatant fraction enables as little as 50 micrograms of the soluble pBMP fractions to induce osteogenesis in an in vivo assay. Chemical modification studies indicate that the osteoinductive potential of the pBMP molecule depends on tyrosine, carboxyl groups, and disulfide bonds and can be increased by modification of sulfhydryl groups. Modification of arginine and tryptophan has no effect on bioactivity. By pepsin-limited proteolysis, fragments of pBMP with an MW of 6-14 K show definite, although reduced, BMP activity.     

Microvascular corrosion casting of normal tissue, transitional mucosa and adenocarcinoma in the human colon.

The microcirculatory architecture of normal tissue, transitional mucosa and adenocarcinoma of the human colon was investigated with microvascular corrosion casting (MVCC) combined with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The study showed that the capillaries within the normal mucosa were arranged in a regular hexagonal pattern around the mucosal glands and that the microvessels of transitional mucosa mostly had lost the typical hexagonal pattern and become slightly wider in diameter. The microvessels in the tumor periphery were increased in number and disorganized, and presented large variation in morphology with claw-like formations, widened sinuses, diverticula and appendixoid patterns. Microvessels were lacking in the central areas of tumors. These morphological alterations may serve as additional indicators of tumor development.     

The Intubation Difficulty Scale (IDS): Proposal and Evaluation of a New Score Characterizing the Complexity of Endotracheal Intubation

Background: A quantitative scale of intubation difficulty would be useful for objectively comparing the complexity of endotracheal intubations. The authors have developed a quantitative score that can be used to evaluate intubating conditions and techniques with the aim of determining the relative values predictive factors of intubation difficulty and of the techniques used to decrease such difficulties.

Methods: An Intubation Difficulty Scale (IDS) was developed, based on parameters known to be associated with difficult intubation. It was then evaluated prospectively in a group of 311 consecutive prehospital intubations and 315 intubations in an operating room. In the operating room, the IDS was compared with two other parameters: the time to completion of intubation and the visual analog scale (VAS). Time was measured by an independent observer. Operators in both groups completed a checklist regarding the conditions of intubation.

Results: There is a good correlation between the IDS scale and the VAS assessment of difficulty and time to completion of intubation. VAS and time to completion have a significant but lesser correlation to each other. Comparison of IDS with operator-assessed subjective categorical impression of difficulty by Kruskall-Wallis was statistically significant.     

A study on plasma norepinephrine and epinephrine levels in TCM liver syndromes.

The levels of plasma norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (E) were determined by HPLC in 220 patients with various TCM liver syndromes, and in 96 healthy subjects as controls. The plasma NE and E contents were higher in patients with liver excess syndromes, including Ganqi Yujie (GQYJ [symbol: see text]) syndrome, Ganyang Shangkang (GYSK [symbol: see text]) syndrome, Ganhuo Shangyan (GHSY [symbol: see text]) syndrome, and Ganyang Huafeng (GYHF [symbol: see text]) syndrome; while they were lower in patients with liver deficiency syndromes, including Ganqixu (GQX [symbol: see text]) syndrome, Ganxuexu (GXX [symbol: see text]) syndrome, and Ganyinxu (GYX [symbol: see text]) syndrome. Futhermore, when Ganshen Yinxu (GSYX [symbol: see text]) syndrome was turned into GYSK and then into GYHF, the plasma NE and E contents increased in order of precedence; while when GQYJ was turned into Ganyu Pixu (GYPX [symbol: see text]) syndrome, both NE and E contents decreased. The results suggest that the plasma NE and E contents are reliable objective parameters for the study of pathophysiological basis of the liver excess and liver deficiency syndromes, and the liver-kidney and liver-spleen interrelated syndromes.     

矽肺动物模型全肺灌洗治疗的病理观察

通过对动物模型实验治疗的病理观察，评价全肺大容量灌洗治疗矽肺的效果，并优选灌洗液。对４０只家兔和１０只幼猪经ＳｉＯ２染尘处理后，各随机分为药物组、盐水组和对照组。４～５周后施行全肺大容量灌洗。治疗后３～５个月处死各组动物，进行病理双盲检查。经统计学秩和检验，兔与猪各组肺矽结节纤维化级别分布的差异有非常显著意义（Ｐ＜０．００５）。经卡方检验，各灌洗组的纤维化程度与对照组相比，差异亦有非常显著意义（Ｐ＜０．０１）。灌洗液中药与盐水比，Ｐ＜０．０５；盐水与西药比，Ｐ＜０．０５。兔和猪矽肺各灌洗组的效果明显优于对照组。灌洗液中药优于盐水，盐水又优于西药     

急性高血压脑出血的治疗体会

本文对62例急性高血压脑出血进行了着重于治疗的分析。脑出血病严重威胁患者生命,死亡率高,病残率高。治疗的关键是绝对卧床,避免搬动;积极治疗及控制脑水肿、降低颅内压;头置冰帽以减低脑耗氧量,减轻脑水肿,促进脑细胞功能的恢复;加强护理,预防及治疗并发症是提高患者生存时间及存活率的重要环节;对出血量多、患者一般情况较好者,作者主张手术治疗,清除颅内血肿,可减轻症状,提高存活率及降低病残率。