Lipid extract from completely sporoderm‐broken germinating Ganoderma sinensis spores elicits potent antitumor immune responses in human macrophages

Ganoderma sinensis has been used widely in Oriental countries for the prevention and treatment of various diseases including cancer. Previous studies have shown that the lipid extract from Ganoderma exhibits direct cytotoxicity against tumor cells. Here, it is reported that the lipid extract from germinating G. sinensis spores, at lower concentrations that have no direct tumoricidal activity, induce potent antitumor immune responses in human monocytes/macrophages. Upon stimulation with the lipid extract, monocytes/macrophages exhibited markedly increased production of proinflammatory cytokines and surface expression of costimulatory molecules. Conditioned medium from stimulated cells effectively suppressed the growth of tumor cells. Apparently, the lipid extract triggered macrophage activation via a mechanism different from that associated with LPS. Moreover, it was observed that the lipid extract could partially re‐establish the antitumor activity of the immunosuppressive tumor‐associated macrophages. These results indicated that in addition to its direct tumoricidal activity, the lipid extract from G. sinensis spores could exert antitumor activity by stimulating the activation of human monocytes/macrophages. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Detection of glaucomatous damage using multifocal ERG

The first‐order kernel analysis in multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG) using low contrast stimulation is suggested as a way to detect the inner retinal responses in animal studies. In this case report, this protocol is applied to human patients with glaucoma to demonstrate the possibility of using mfERG as a tool to detect glaucomatous damage. Two patients with glaucoma were recruited and had mfERG measurements with the 103‐scaled hexagonal stimulus pattern at low (50 per cent) contrast. Their responses were analysed and compared with those from normal subjects with the mfERG measured under the same condition. In the normal subjects, there were obvious oscillatory components on the ascending and descending limbs of the first‐order kernel response to 50 per cent contrast. In the glaucomatous patients, the oscillatory component on the descending limb was obviously diminished. In addition, this component was significantly diminished in the quadrant with a glaucomatous visual field defect. This suggests that the low‐contrast stimulation condition in mERG measurement may provide a good way to detect glaucomatous damage and this may help in clinical diagnosis of glaucoma.     

术后胆漏和继发胆管狭窄的内镜治疗

胆漏和继发胆管狭窄是严重的外科并发症，传统的治疗方法是再次开腹手术，但再手术并发症多，死亡率高。而内镜胆管造影不仅可明确诊断，且内镜下治疗具有安全、疗效肯定、创伤小和并发症少等优点，可作为大多数胆漏和胆管狭窄患者首选治疗方法。     

Novel azapeptide inhibitors of cathepsins B and K. Structural background to increased specificity for cathepsin B

Abstract: We have designed and synthesized a new series of azapeptides which act as potential inhibitors of cathepsin B and/or cathepsin K. Their structures are based upon the inhibitory sites of natural cysteine protease inhibitors, cystatins. For the synthesized azapeptides, the equilibrium constants for dissociation of inhibitor–enzyme complex, K_i, were determined. Comparison of these values indicated that all of the azainhibitors act much stronger toward cathepsin B. Z‐Arg‐Leu‐His‐Agly‐Ile‐Val‐OMe ( 7 ) proved to be approximately 500 times more potent for cathepsin B than for cathepsin K. To be able to explain the obtained experimental values we used the molecular dynamics procedures to analyze the interactions between cathepsin B and compound 7 . We also determined the structure of the most potent and selective cathepsin B azainhibitor by means of NMR studies and theoretical calculations. In this report, we describe SAR studies of azapeptide inhibitors indicating the influence of the conformational flexibility of the examined compounds on inhibition of cathepsins B and K.     

性别对骨关节炎患者全膝关节置换术后康复效果的影响

目的 探讨性别因素对接受人工全膝关节表面置换术的膝骨关节炎患者术后功能的影响. 方法 前瞻性研究了 2003年 3月～ 2005年 8月期间行单侧人工全膝关节表面置换术(均使用不保留后交叉韧带后稳定型固定平台假体)的 40例 (40髋 )膝关节骨关节炎患者,男女各 20例( 20膝),对其相关的临床因素用 t检验和χ 2检验进行分析. 结果平均年龄:男 72.6岁、女 70.8岁;病程:男 10.4年、女 9.7年;体重指数:男 26、女 26;术后平均住院时间:男 17 d、女 18 d;止血带使用时间:男 104 min、女 94 min;引流量:男 806 mL、女 742 mL;术前、术后 1周、 2周和 1年的膝关节伸屈度数男分别为 7.0°～ 114.0°、 3.0°～ 91.0°、 0.4°～ 103.0°和 0～ 125.0°,女分别为 8.0°～ 111.0°、 2.0°～ 86.0°、 1.0°～ 98.0°和 0～ 122.0°;术前、术后 1周、 2周和 1年的膝关节活动度:男分别为 108°、 89°、 109°和 123°,女分别为 104°、 87°、 101°和 126°;术前和术后 1年的 HSS评分:男分别为 57、 89分,女分别为 53、 87分.两性别组各时间点的伸屈度数、活动范围及术前和术后 1年的 HSS评分差异无统计学意义 (P >0.05);而同一患者术前和术后 1年的伸屈度数及 HSS评分则差异有统计学意义 (P >0.05). 结论 性别对行全膝关节置换的骨关节炎患者术后功能无明显影响,全膝关节置换能有效缓解骨关节炎相关的疼痛并改善膝关节的功能.     

罕见Brugada样心电图图形一例

1临床资料男,28岁,因间断性发冷、寒战、高热4 d入院.患者4 d前无明显诱因出现发冷、寒战,继之高热,体温达40℃,伴恶心、呕吐,无咳嗽、咳痰,无腹痛、腹泻,无尿痛、尿急、尿频等症状.经服退热和抗疟疾药体温有所下降,因疑疟疾"而来我院.既往体健,无输血史.患者曾经在非洲工作2个月6d前归国,同事中有患疟疾"者.家族无类似病史及猝死者.查体:T 39·3℃,P 88次/min,R 22次/min,BP 110/70 mmHg.神清,全身皮肤未见皮疹及出血点,浅表淋巴结不大.心肺未闻异常.腹平软,肝脾肋下未及.实验室检查:血常规WBC 5·59×109/L,N 86·3%,Eo 2%;RBC 4·8…