Infantile hypopituitarism: etiological variability evidenced by MRI

In this study, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed to document potentially present morphostructural abnormalities of the hypothalamopituitary region in seven infants (age 0–21 months) who presented very early in life with clinical and biochemical evidence of hypopituitarism. Four infants had associated congenital cerebro-facial malformations.The following anatomical abnormalities were identified in variable combinations: ectopic neurohypophysis absence of the pituitary stalk, extreme elongation of the pituitary stalk, aplasia of the anterior pituitary lobe and no identification of the hypothalamopituitary complex.MRI proved to be very sensitive in the identification of structural malformations of the hypothalamopituitary region in infants with or without cerebro-facial malformations. AllhwuLll the magnetic resonance image does not appear to be a good predictor of endocrine dysfunction, it provides us more insight into the precise aetiology of this disorder and may be therefore of diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic importance.     

Cancellous Bone Structure in the Growing and Aging Lumbar Spine in a Historic Nubian Population

There is abundant data on cancellous bone in the aging human spine, but little relating to the growing vertebral cancellous bone in childhood and adolescence. The purpose of this study was to map vertebral cancellous bone in a growth and age series of historic skeletal samples and to make comparisons with data published on recent material. Lumbar vertebral bodies were collected from 65 skeletons (0–60 years) from a medieval Nubian population. Ethnohistoric information was collected to interpret conditions that might have influenced bone structure and metabolism. The cancellous bone was studied three dimensionally, using stereophotography and scanning electron microscopy and morphometrically by performing a semiautomatic structural analysis on digitized backscattered electron images of polymethacrylate-embedded material. The cancellous bone structure in the children consisted mainly of a densely packed, uniform network of small rodlike trabeculae. The greatest bone volume fraction with small, more platelike trabeculae was observed during adolescence. In young adults, larger platelike trabeculae were present in the central zone and smaller trabeculae in the superior and inferior zones, as described for modern skeletal material. Structural changes associated with aging were observed much sooner than in modern man. By the estimated age of approximately 50–60 years, the predominant architectural elements were slender rarified rods in both sexes. The ethnohistorical data suggest that this was essentially a black African population of physically active peasants, not likely to suffer Vitamin D insufficiency or deficient calcium intake. Thus an earlier onset of the biological age changes in cancellous bone found in modern populations was probably prevalent. Received: 1 March 1996 / Accepted: 31 December 1996     

生长激素在肝硬变门脉高压低蛋白血症手术前的应用研究

目的：研究生长激素（rhGH)对肝硬变门脉高压低蛋白血症患者手术前的治疗价值。方法：肝硬变门脉高压抑行脾切除、门奇静脉断流手术患者60例，Child分级B级，随机分为rhGH治疗组30例，对照组30例。rhGH组术前5d每天皮下注射rhGH 4IU，对照组给予安慰剂生理盐水。两组术前均行相同肠外营养支持。测定治疗前、治疗后3d、4d、5d血浆白蛋白、球蛋白、前白蛋白及空腹血糖。结果：rhGH组治疗后3d前白蛋白较治疗前及对照组明显升高（P＜0．05），治疗后4d、5d仍维持较高水平；治疗后5d白蛋白较治疗前及对照组明显升高（P＜0．05）。rhGH组患者一般情况改善，生活质量提高。对照组白蛋白、前白蛋白无明显变化。两组空腹血糖、球蛋白无明显改变。结论：rhGH联合肠外营养支持对纪正肝硬变门脉高压低蛋白血症患者术前低蛋白状态，改善生活质量有良好疗效，由于rhGH起效慢，应早期、足量、足疗程应用。     

The Domain of Hypertrophic Chondrocytes in Growth Plates Growing at Different Rates

In this study, we tested the hypotheses that (a) both the domain volume (volume of the cell and the matrix it has formed) and matrix volume of juxtametaphyseal hypertrophic chondrocytes in the growth plate is tightly controlled, and that (b) the domain volume of juxtametaphyseal hypertrophic chondrocytes is a strong determinant of the rate of bone length growth. We analyzed the rate of bone length growth (oxytetracycline labeling techniques) and nine stereologic and kinetic parameters related to the juxtametaphyseal chondrocytic domain in the proximal and distal radial and tibial growth plates of 21- and 35-day-old rats. The domain volume increased with increasing growth rates, independent of the location of the growth plate and the age of the animal. Within age groups, the matrix volume per cell increased with increasing growth rates, but an identical growth plate had the same matrix volume per cell in 21- and 35-day-old rats. The most suitable regression model (R ²= 0.992) to describe the rate of bone length growth included the mean volume of juxtametaphyseal hypertrophic chondrocytes and the mean rate of cell loss/cell proliferation. This relationship was independent of the location of the growth plate and the age of the animal. The data suggest that the domain volume of juxtametaphyseal hypertrophic chondrocytes, as well as the matrix volume produced per cell, may be tightly regulated. In addition, the volume of juxtametaphyseal hypertrophic chondrocytes and the rate of cell loss/rate of cell proliferation may play the most important role in the determination of the rate of bone length growth. Received: 2 December 1996 / Accepted: 24 March 1997     

神经生长因子几丁质管修复兔面神经缺损

目的：评价神经生长因子(nerve growth factor，NGF)几丁质管在修复兔面神经缺损中的作用。方法：在16只新西兰兔的两侧面神经上颊支上分别造成8mm缺损，左侧用管腔内注入NGF的几丁质管修复，右侧用自体神经移植修复作对照。术后8周和16周分别取8只动物进行电生理和组织学检查及计算机图像分析。结果：术后8周，实验组的再生神经已通过近远中吻合口，神经纤维密集成束；术后16周，再生神经纤维的数量增加，神经纤维束增粗，形态接近于正常神经。电生理检测和图像分析显示实验组和对照组的神经传导速度和有髓神经轴突总截面积均无显著差异(P＞0．05)。结论：NGF几丁质管可为免面神经缺损提供良好的修复环境。     

肺癌患者血清肿瘤特异生长因子检测及临床意义

目的 :研究TSGF在肺癌诊断、疗效判定中的临床应用价值。方法 :利用生化比色法测定了 18例肺良性病变患者 ,2 4例肺癌患者及 9例肺癌患者治疗后血清中TSGF水平。结果 :肺癌患者未经治疗前其血清TS GF水平及阳性率明显高于肺良性病变患者 ,其敏感性为 75 .0 % ,特异性为 77.8%。经有效化学治疗后肺癌患者血清TSGF明显下降。结论 :血清TSGF检测对肺癌的诊断、疗效观察有较重要的意义。     

视网膜特异性表达人血管内皮生长因子 基因载体的构建

目的构建在视网膜组织特异性表达的人血管内皮生长因子（VEGF）₁₆₅基因。方法用聚合酶链反应(PCR)方法从BLAB/C鼠全基因组扩增能在视网膜组织特异性表达的rho启动子，经限制性内切酶纯化后克隆于质粒pcDNA^3.1+-VEGF₁₆₅中，建立重组质粒pcDNA^3.1+-rho-VEGF₁₆₅，通过限制性内切酶酶切分析及PCR鉴定筛选出正确重组质粒pcDNA^3.1+-rho-VEGF₁₆₅,由jetPEI介导转染人视网膜色素上皮细胞和人脐静脉内皮细胞，并通过免疫组织化学染色以及绘制细胞生长曲线检测在人视网膜色素上皮细胞和人脐静脉内皮细胞中VEGF蛋白的表达。结果在人视网膜色素上皮细胞中，重组质粒pcDNA^3.1+-rho-VEGF₁₆₅比质粒pcDNA^3.1+-rho-VEGF₁₆₅的VEGF蛋白表达强，在人脐静脉内皮细胞，两者的表达量无明显差别。结论pcDNA^3.1+-rho-VEGF₁₆₅载体的构建为进一步研究VEGF在视网膜新生血管形成中的致病机理提供基础材料，并为进一步建立视网膜特异性表达VEGF转基因鼠模型建立了基础。(中华眼底病杂志,2005,21:106-109)     

Aggressive therapy of infants with renal failure

Nine infants, who presented with renal failure within the first 3 months of life, were treated with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). Seven infants survived to an age of 12–15 months, when they received transplants. Two patients died while on CAPD. Six infants are alive with a functioning renal allograft, at an average age of 35.5 months and an average of 22 months post-transplant. Neurological development is normal in four of the six infants tested. The mean current height of the six transplant recipients is just below 2 SD from the mean.     

性激素受体及相关生长因子在前列腺基质细胞中的表达

目的：探讨前列腺基质增生的发病机制与性激素以及相关生长因子的关系。方法：应用RT－PCR的方法研究了在人前列腺不同细胞类型中Smoothelin的表达，研究了雄、雌激素受体及相关生长因子在前列腺基质细胞中的表达，以及它们在前列腺基质细胞分化中表达的变化。结果：Smoothelin是前列腺平滑肌细胞特异性的标记蛋白；雄激素受体（AR）、碱性成纤维细胞生长因子（bFGF)、角化细胞生长因子（KGF）主要在前列腺成纤维细胞中表达，而雌激素受体（ER）、转移生长因子β1（TGFβ1）主要在平滑肌细胞中表达。结论：前列腺基质增生与雌激素受体和转移生长因子β1的过度表达密切相关。     

Biochemical and ultrastructural alterations produced by miconazole and econazole in Trypanosoma cruzi

Miconazole and econazole, two fungicide imidazole derivatives, completely inhibited growth of Trypanosoma cruzi (Tulahuen strain) at concentrations of about 20 muM. Culturing of T. cruzi in the presence of lower doses of imidazole derivatives produced: decrease of 5,7-diene sterol content in epimastigotes (including ergosterol); disappearance of the nuclear chromatin, vacuolization and decrease in the electron density of the cytoplasm; selective surface alterations as revealed by an increased response to wheat-germ- and phytohemagglutinin. At variance with the effect of miconazole on Candida (De Nollin et al. (1977) Antimicrobial. Agents Chemother. 11, 500-513), miconazole and econazole, under the experimental conditions used, did not increase the rate of hydrogen peroxide generation by T. cruzi.