Ischemic rat brain extracts induce human marrow stromal cell growth factor production

Intravenous administration of human bone marrow stromal cells (hMSCs) after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) in rats provides functional benefit. We tested the hypothesis that these functional benefits are derived in part from hMSC production of growth and trophic factors. Quantitative sandwich enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) of hMSCs cultured with normal and MCAo brain extracts were performed. hMSCs cultured in supernatant derived from ischemic brain extracts increased production of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), nerve growth factor (NGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). These neurotrophins and angiogenic growth factors increased in a post‐ischemia time‐dependent manner. The hMSC capacity to increase expression of growth and trophic factors may be the key to the benefit provided by transplanted hMSCs in the ischemic brain.     

Protein synthesis and degradation in skeletal muscle of chronically uremic rats

We used the perfused hemicorpus preparation to measure individual rates of protein synthesis and degradation. Using fed animals, perfused either with or without insulin, muscle protein synthesis and hemicorpus protein degradation rates were similar, but myofibrillar protein degradation was clearly increased in the uremic preparations. When the animals were fasted, differences in the rates of skeletal muscle protein turnover were apparent. Uremic rats lost more wt at both 24 and 48 hr of fasting when compared to either ad libitum fed or pair-fed controls who started fasting at body wts equivalent to our uremic rats. The accelerated wt loss was accompanied by lower rates of protein synthesis, higher degradation rates, and greater net protein catabolism in our uremic rats. Alterations in body lipid content were present in uremia and correlated with the rate of protein degradation in both control and uremic rats. These data demonstrated that even in the fed state, uremia is associated with subtle alterations in skeletal muscle protein turnover. When stressed, these alterations become more pronounced. Insufficient stores of body lipids, either due to inadequate nutrition or altered metabolism, may contribute to the alterations in muscle protein turnover seen in chronic renal insufficiency.     

An etiological and clinicopathological study of early syphilis in oropharynx]

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the characteristics of the early stage treponema pallidum infected tissue in ear, nose, oropharynx and larynx and to raise relevance ratio of syphilis in nose and oropharynx and enhance doctor's self-protection awareness. METHODS: The histopathologic characteristics were studied by using HE staining, Warthin-Starry (W-S) staining was adopted to examine the treponema pallidum(TP) in lesion issue and its exudates smear for 12 cases biopsy tissues of suspicious syphilis. The diagnosis was confirmed by venereal disease research laboratory (VDRL), rapid plasma reagin circle test(RPR), treponema pallidum hemagglutination test(TPHA) and fluorescent treponemal antibody-absorption test (FTA-ABS). Treat with curing syphilis methods which published by nation. RESULTS: In the 12 cases mucous membrane specimen, the squamous epithelium proliferated, neutrophilic granulocyte infiltrated, within inherent membrane generous plasmacyte and lymphocyte infiltrated. W-S staining: plenty of treponema pallidum were found inside mucous membrane epithelium and exudate smear. Serology examination: 11 cases VDRL(++++), 7 cases RPR (+), 11 cases TPHA(+), 1 case FTA-ABS(+). After systemic treatment, 11 cases are clinically recovered. All patients serology become negative. CONCLUSION: W-S staining method can directly demonstrate histopathologic characteristics in early syphilis, in intrinsic membrane numerous plasmacyte infiltration. Combining with specific syphilis serology examination could increase diagnosis rate of syphilis in nose and oropharynx.     

The concept of culture: A core issue in health disparities

Contemporary discourse contains numerous examples of use of the concept of culture by social and behavioral scientists. Simple reification, where the speaker makes culture into a thing capable of action exemplifies one usage in public discourse. Some quantitative social scientists attempt to characterize people’s cultural identities by means of a single categorical variable, which often “lumps” people into categories such as “Hispanic” or “Black” that in fact have numerous culturally bounded subcategories. Approaches that emphasize cultural process are preferable to those who attempt to categorize; more complex measures of acculturation help investigators to make convincing analyses of circumstances in which health disparities occur. Examples in which investigators make appropriate use of cultural characterizations demonstrate their utility in investigating health disparities in Haitian American women, injecting and noninjecting drug users, Hispanic youth, and adult Hispanics at risk of HIV infection. Focus on culture in the study of health disparities can identify entanglements between structural factors such as poverty and lack of education and cultural factors such as beliefs about health. Qualitative methods coupled with quantitative methods have great potential to improve investigators’ grasp of cultural nuance while capturing the distribution of qualitatively derived behaviors.     

穿琥宁粉针雾化吸入治疗小儿呼吸道病毒感染疗效观察

小儿呼吸道感染是小儿科最常见的疾病，以咽炎、扁桃体炎、气管炎和肺炎多见。病原体以病毒感染为主。未经治疗有诱发心肌炎、脑炎的可能，应积极进行有效治疗。我们自2004年6月至12月应用注射用穿琥宁冻干粉剂雾化吸入治疗小儿呼吸道病毒感染58例，取得满意效果，现总结报告如下：     

Discussing options between patients and health care professionals in genetic diagnosis: ethical and legal criteria

The specific characteristics of genetic data lead to ethical-legal conflicts in the framework of genetic diagnosis. Several international organisations, including UNESCO and the Council of Europe, have enacted rules referring to the use of genetic information. This paper discusses possible legal and ethical criteria that could be used in genetic testing.     

西药对中医脉象的影响

笔者毕业后十余年中,临床上遇到心脑血管病人大部分正在应用西药治疗,中医讲究辨证论治,西药是否影响中医的辨证,临床上脉象是否随着西药运用而改变呢?中医脉象学是中医诊病、治病重要手段,望闻问切中“切诊”是主要组成部分。脉象变化是辨证论治重要依据,求证离不开脉象,组成脉象的主要因素及原因有:①脉位:脉动显现部位的浅深,脉位表浅为浮脉,深沉为沉弦;②至数:脉搏的频率,以一个呼吸周期为单位,一息脉来四~五至为平脉,一息六至为数脉,一息三至为迟脉;③脉长:脉动应指的轴向范围长短,越超三部脉象称为长脉,应指不及三部,但见关部或寸部者…