Primary biliary cirrhosis: Clinical and laboratory criteria for its diagnosis

Primary biliary cirrhosis(PBC) is a chronic progressive cholestatic granulomatous, and destructive inflammatory lesion of small intralobular and septal bile ducts, which is likely to be caused by an autoimmune mechanism with a the presence of serum antimitochondrial antibodies and a potential tendency to progress to cirrhosis. Despite the fact that the etiology of this disease has beenunknown so far, there has been a considerable body of scientific evidence that can reveal the clinical and laboratory signs of PBC and the individual components of its pathogenesis and elaborate diagnostic criteria for the disease and its symptomatic therapy. Deficiencies in autoimmune tolerance are critical factors for the initiation and perpetuation of the disease. The purpose of this review is to summarize the data available in the literature and the author's findings on clinical and laboratory criteria for the diagnosis of PBC. This review describes the major clinical manifestations of the disease and the mechanisms of its development. It presents the immunological, biochemical, and morphological signs of PBC and their significance for its diagnosis. A great deal of novel scientific evidence for the problem of PBC has been accumulated. However, the inadequate efficiency of therapy for the disease lends impetus to the quest for its etiological factors and to further investigations of its pathogenetic mechanisms and, on this basis, to searches for new methods for its early diagnosis.     

维吾尔药药西瓜进口与引种品种的性状及生药对比研究

目的:为了安全、准确的使用药西瓜Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad.,对进口药西瓜与引种药西瓜进行生药学对比研究。方法:对其药用部位果实进行性状、显微及薄层色谱鉴别。结果:进口药西瓜与引种药西瓜的药材性状、主要显微特征及理化特征大致相同,其差异表现在:引种药西瓜果实个体较大,薄壁细胞淀粉粒较多,导管较粗,石细胞较长;进口药西瓜薄层色谱红色斑点颜色较深。结论:本次引种栽培药西瓜与进口药西瓜生药学差异不大,如规模化种植,将有望替代进口药西瓜。     

甲状腺乳头状癌79例的形态学观察及病理学分析

目的 探讨甲状腺乳头状癌(papillary thyroid carcinoma,PTC)的临床病理学特点,提高PTC的临床病理诊断水平.方法 回顾性分析79例PTC的临床病理资料和组织学表现.结果 79例患者的发病年龄为18～66岁,年龄高峰为30～40岁.女56例,男23例.右侧52例,左侧18例,双侧9例.大体观察:肿物大小不一,直径0.5～5 cm有55例,直径小于1 cm有40例,直径1～3 cm有30例,直径3～5 cm有9例.其中有完整包膜5例,有囊性变7例,囊内充满棕褐色液体,囊壁可见灰白色乳头状突起,切面灰白或棕褐色.镜下:真乳头状结构,毛玻璃样核,核沟等特征性细胞核改变、伴随改变,砂粒体形成,间质纤维化、钙化、骨化等.结论 PTC占甲状腺癌的60％～70％,是甲状腺癌中最常见的类型,预后较好.PTC的早期正确病理诊断对临床的治疗和预后的判断有指导意义.     

A novel method for analyzing images of live nerve cells

Analysis of images from live-cell experiments is a central activity to studying the effects of stimulation on neuronal behavior. Image analysis techniques currently used to study these effects rely for the most part on the salience of the neuronal structures within the image. In both fluorescent and electron microscopy, neuronal structures are enhanced and therefore easy to distinguish in an image. Unlike images obtained via fluorescent or electron microscopy, however, images produced via transmission microscopy (e.g., bright field, phase contrast, DIC) are significantly more difficult to analyze because there is little contrast between the object-of-interest and the image background. This difficulty is amplified when a time-dependent sequence of images are to be analyzed, because of the corresponding large data sets. To address this problem, we introduce a novel approach to the analysis of images of live cells captured via transmission microscopy that takes advantage of commercially available software and the Fourier transform. Specifically, our approach utilizes several morphological functions in MATLAB to enhance the contrast of the cells with respect to the background, which is followed by 2-D Fourier analysis to generate a spectrum from which the orientation and alignment of cells and their processes can be measured. We show that this method can be used to simplify the interpretation of complex structure in images of live neurons obtained via transmission microscopy and consequently, discover trends in neurite development following different types of stimulation. This approach provides a consistent and reliable tool for analyzing changes in cell structure that occurs during live-cell experiments.     

Morphological changes of the pivot bearings in the Gyro Pump C1E3 after clinical use

The Gyro Pump C1E3 incorporates a doublepivot bearing system as a completely sealless centrifugal pump. The male pivot is made of alumina ceramic, and the female is made of polyethylene. Therefore, the durability of this pump depends upon morphological changes of the female polyethylene pivots, which we examined after clinical usage in the present study. We examined 30 pumps, which were used for cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), in terms of weight, depth, and surface roughness of the female polyethylene pivots. To determine changes caused by clinical use, we also examined 10 pumps of the same lot numbers with the pumps clinically used and stocked in the factory. There were no significant changes in weight of top and bottom pivots. Also, there was no significant difference in depth and surface roughness of the top pivots. However, there was a significant increase in depth and a decrease in surface roughness of the bottom pivots from clinical use. The results revealed that the bottom pivot, rather than the top pivot, is subject to mechanical deformation by clinical use of the Gyro Pump for CPB. Since morphological changes of the bottom pivot may result from spinning of the impeller at the bottom contact phase, the magnetic coupling distance may need to be increased to obtain more stable spinning of the impeller in a routine CPB.     

Morphological characteristics of the bony birth canal in patients with developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH): investigation by three-dimensional CT

We investigated the three-dimensional morphological characteristics of the pelvis in adult female patients with developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH), using computerized tomography (CT) images. Forty-two subjects with normal hips and 40 DDH patients were recruited for the study. In the DDH group, the average transverse diameter of the pelvic inlet was significantly less and the average transverse diameter of the pelvic outlet was significantly greater than the measurements in the normal group. Further, the bony birth canal in DDH patients exhibited a higher incidence of anthropoid-type geometry, as defined by a longer sagittal diameter relative to the transverse diameter of the pelvic inlet. These findings indicate a characteristic pelvic geometry and suggest different development of the pelvis in the transverse direction in DDH patients. In addition, the obstetric conjugate length/transverse diameter of the pelvic inlet ratio was correlated to the degree of severity of acetabular dysplasia. This finding suggests that DDH is a manifestation of a developmental characteristic of the pelvis. Received: May 8, 2000 / Accepted: January 9, 2001     

Mode of action and anti-Candida activity of Artemisia annua mediated-synthesized silver nanoparticles

Candida albicans is a polymorphic opportunistic commensal that causes both superficial and systemic fungal infections especially in immunocompromised patients. Biologically synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have emerged as potential antifungal agents. The present work evaluates the antifungal activity of Artemisia annua synthesized AgNPs against three Candida species (C. albicans ATCC 90028, C. tropicalis ATCC 750 and C. glabrata ATCC 90030). The in vitro effect of AgNPs was investigated for fungal growth, sterol content, secretion of hydrolytic enzymes and yeast-to-hyphal transition. The green synthesized AgNPs were effective against all the three species with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) in the range 80–120 μgml⁻¹. Candida glabrata showed greater sensitivity for AgNPs followed by Candida tropicalis and C. albicans. AgNPs at 4MIC were as effective as fluconazole (FLC) and caused only 5% haemolysis while FLC caused 50% haemolysis at the same concentration. The secretion of hydrolytic enzymes was the lowest in case of AgNP exposed C. glabrata. Yeast-to-hyphal transition was significantly reduced in treated C. albicans cells and showed disfigured morphology in SEM images. The decrease in ergosterol content was slightly higher (94%) in both C. glabrata and C. tropicalis in comparison to C. albicans (69%). Green synthesized AgNPs thus have immense potential as an antifungal and can play a crucial role in the management of Candida infections especially those caused by C. glabrata.     

Exposure to CSF from sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients induces morphological transformation of astroglia and enhances GFAP and S100β expression

We have earlier shown that cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients’ produces selective degeneration of motor neurons, both in vitro as well as in vivo. The present study further evaluates the effect of ALS–CSF on the astrocytes in embryonic rat spinal cord cultures. We quantified the number of flat and process-bearing astrocytes in spinal cord cultures exposed to ALS–CSF and compared them against controls. In addition, GFAP and S100β expression were quantified by Western blot and measurement of immunofluorescence intensity respectively. We found higher number of process-bearing astrocytes in the cultures exposed to ALS–CSF. Both these proteins increased significantly in cultures exposed to ALS–CSF. Our results provide evidence that astroglia respond to toxic factor(s) present in ALS–CSF by undergoing morphological transformation from flat to process bearing which is further confirmed by elevated expression of GFAP and S100β. The above changes could possibly alter the microenvironment hastening the motor neuron degeneration.     

听觉剥夺后大鼠听皮层神经元的形态学变化和SHP-2基因的表达

目的研究双侧耳蜗毁损后大鼠听皮层神经元细胞的形态学变化和蛋白酪氨酸磷酸酶2型（src-homology domain containing protein tygosine phosphatase type 2,SHP -2）基因的表达。方法选取SD大鼠48只,随机分为4个实验组（2周组、4周组、6周组、8周组）和4个相应的对照组,每组6只。实验组动物行双侧耳蜗损毁术,通过HE染色和Nissl染色观察听皮层神经元细胞的形态学变化,用RT -PCR技术检测各组听皮层神经元细胞的SHP-2基因的表达,行相对定量分析。结果 HE染色和Nissl染色可见各实验组大鼠听皮层神经元细胞的凋亡形态随时间延长而加重,呈多样化表现;各对照组大鼠听皮层细胞形态正常。实验2、4、6、8周组SHP-2基因的RT -PCR相对表达量分别为1．1±0．28、1．5±0．04、2．5±0．08、11．0±0．06,随时间延长呈上升趋势,各实验组之间差异均有统计学意义（P＜0．05）。结论听觉剥夺可导致听皮层神经元细胞凋亡,凋亡的程度随时间延长逐渐加重;SHP-2基因可促进听皮层神经元细胞的增生,增生的程度也随时间延长而加重;在这两个相互拮抗的因素中,凋亡是最终的结果。     

MORPHOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES IN HEARTS OF RATS WELL ADAPTED AND POORLY ADAPTED TO CHRONIC HYPOXIA

We carried out an experiment to analyze morphological differences in hearts of rats well adapted and poorly adapted to chronic hypoxia. Male and female Wistar rats, 1 week, 4 weeks and 9 weeks old, were employed on the assumption that adaptive ability was dependent on age and sex. These rats were raised at an altitude of 2,400 m and were kept for 7 to 9 weeks. Control groups were maintained at an altitude of 600 m during the same period of time. Each group consisted of 4 to 6 rats. At the end of the experiment, body weight, heart weight, ratio of heart weight to body weight and hematocrit were measured, and ventricular wall thickness, myocardial fiber diameter, capillary supply and mitochondria were morphometrically studied. Of the 6 experimental groups, the 4-week-old male rats (M2) had the highest body weight, as compared with the other experimental groups. In addition, relative to these other experimental groups, the following features were found for M2. Heart weight was intermediate, heart weight/body weight ratio was low and hematocrit was also low. Ventricular wall thickness was intermediate in the right ventricle (RV) and interventricular septum (IVS) but was thin in the left ventricle (LV). Myocardial fiber diameter was intermediate in the RV, large in the IVS and small in the LV. Capillary supply was intermediate in the RV and dense in the IVS and LV. Mitochondria were small but cristal density and percentage area, estimated from electron micrographs, were found to be high. These data showed that in well developed rats under chronic hypoxia, there is good development of capillary supply with corresponding restriction of cardiac hypertrophy, while hematocrit count and mitochondria are also affected.