Effects of chelating agents on the rheological property of cervical mucus

As an ongoing effort to elucidate the mechanisms involved in the calcium-dependent fertility regulation process, the viscoelastic properties of the mucus obtained from lamb cervix and human semen, as well as their water and total protein contents after exposure to EDTA, a chelating agent, or Nonoxynol-9 (N-9), a spermicidal agent, were examined. The viscosity was measured using a Cone Plate Digital Viscometer, while the water and total protein contents were determined by the lyophilization process and the Lowry method, respectively. The significant changes in the rheological properties of mucus, such as its viscosity and the water content, upon exposure to EDTA were demonstrated. The viscosity of cervical mucus and human semen were significantly increased by EDTA treatment (as compared to the controls): lamb cervical mucus (2.9 ± 0.3 vs. 2.2 ± 0.3 cps) and human semen (5.0 ± 0.3 vs. 4.3 ± 0.3 cps), respectively. The hydration rate was decreased by EDTA treatment as compared with the control (93.6 ± 0.7 vs. 96.8 ± 0.8%). Among tested samples, the reduction in the percentage of sperm penetration through the cervical mucus was the highest in the mucus containing EDTA, which had the lowest water content (93.6 ± 0.7%), indicating that there is a positive relationship between the hydration rate of the cervical mucus and its ability to permit the penetration of spermatozoa. This result indicates that spermicidal activity exerted by high concentrations of EDTA is in part due to its effect on the rheological properties of cervical mucus or semen.     

Reversible shifts in the Ca2+-dependent release of aspartate and glutamate from hippocampal slices with changing glucose concentrations

It is known that low glucose concentrations increase the aspartate and decrease the glutamate content of brain tissue both in vivo and in vitro. To see whether these changes occur in the transmitter compartment or not, the release of aspartate and glutamate evoked by electrical-field stimulation or by high K+ was followed in slices of rat hippocampus superfused with 5 or 0.2 mM glucose. Superfusion with 0.2 mM glucose increased the evoked release of aspartate about ten times and that of glutamate about threefold. This shift in the ratio of aspartate to glutamate released was accompanied by a similar increase in the relative amount of aspartate contained in the slices. The high evoked release of aspartate and glutamate was well maintained, provided 0.5 mM glutamine was added to the medium. Changing the concentration of glucose after the first period of stimulation rapidly altered the relative amounts of aspartate and glutamate released but not the enhanced release of glutamate. The large evoked release of both aspartate and glutamate in 0.2 mM glucose was almost entirely Ca2+-dependent. The relative amounts of aspartate and glutamate released by 50 mM K+ also changed when the glucose concentration was reduced. Results suggest two effects of low glucose concentrations: an increase in the overflow of synaptically released glutamate due to a decreased uptake and an increase in the proportion of aspartate to glutamate formed and released from the transmitter pool. These observations are consistent with the interpretation that these two transmitters can be released in different proportions from the same terminals.     

歼击机飞行员改装体检脊柱病症的医学鉴定

目的对近几年来我院改装体检歼击机飞行员脊柱病症健康鉴定进行归纳总结。方法收集分析了261例歼击机飞行员体检和X线、CT的影像诊断资料,并对因脊柱病症体检不合格资料进行统计学分析。结果歼击机飞行员体检中,脊柱影像诊断中以腰椎间盘突出(49例)最多,但多数没有相应的临床症状,有20例因脊柱病症不合格,其中腰椎双侧峡部裂伴Ⅰ°滑脱9例,占不合格总数的45%,是不合格的主要原因。结论外科体检中应该重点加强对脊柱的检查,影像诊断应结合症状和脊柱功能作出鉴定,必要时应作随访观察。     

管碟法测定Nisin效价

对管碟法测定Nisin效价的条件进行了研究,考察了几个参数的影响,得出了Nisin测定的最佳条件:90mm培养皿中培养基加量为15mL,Na2HPO4·12H2O质量浓度1g/dL,菌悬液浓度109CFU/mL,琼脂质量浓度1g/dL,培养基pH值7.0,牛津杯中样品加液量100μL.在此条件下,Nisin效价在5～100IU/mL,其对数值与抑菌圈直径有较好的线性关系.     

DNA flow cytometry in stage IB and II cervical carcinoma

In a retrospective study the prognostic significance of nuclear DNA content was investigated, as measured by flow cytometry, of the tumor specimens from 212 women with nonpretreated FIGO stage IB and II cervical cancer. One-hundred and thirty cases (62%) were found to be diploid, whereas 82 (38%) were aneuploid. Univariate analysis of the follow-up data showed an increased relative risk (RR) for recurrence free survival (RFS) for stage II tumors (RR = 1.87, 95% CI: 1.13–3.10, P = 0.015) and for age (RR = 1.52, 95% CI: 0.66–3.52 and RR = 2.35, 95% CI: 1.19–4.65, P = 0.032). Ploidy showed a relative risk of 1.33 (95% CI: 0.83–2.13, NS). In addition, univariate analysis of overall survival (OS) revealed similar results. For the subgroup of patients with primary surgery ( n = 151), positive pelvic nodes (RR = 5.38, 95% CI: 2.70–10.71, P = 0.0001) and parametrial extension (RR = 2.53, 95% CI: 1.24–5.17, P = 0.011) were significant factors for OS after univariate analysis, the estimated effects on RFS were slightly smaller. Multivariate analysis of RFS for the whole study population showed age, histologic grade and stage with a slightly increased risk, but no effect was significant. Ploidy with an RR of 0.97 (95% CI: 0.58–1.62) seems to have no influence on prognosis. For the subgroup with primary surgery, ploidy again failed statistical significance with an RR of 1.20 (95% CI: 0.58–2.49). Our results suggest that abnormalities of the nuclear DNA content in this homogeneous group of patients are associated with clinical and morphological prognosticators, however, ploidy is not an independent prognostic factor for RFS, or for the whole study population or for the subgroup with primary surgery.     

Bone mineral density in patients with prostatic cancer treated with orchidectomy and with estrogens

Bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) were measured in the femoral neck area, trochanteric area and Wards triangle, and in the distal radius of the left forearm before and after 1 year of endocrine treatment in 27 patients with prostatic cancer. Eleven of the patients were treated with orchidectomy and 16 with combined oral and intramuscular estrogens. The patients were free from metastases during the entire observation period. In the orchidectomized patients, BMD and BMC of the distal radius decreased significantly following treatment, whereas no changes were observed in the estrogen-treated patients. These preliminary results demonstrate that estrogens may protect bone in male subjects also and may merit further investigations on larger groups of patients.     

Codon usage patterns in chromosomal and retrotransposon genes of the mosquito Anopheles gambiae

Codon usage was compiled for fourteen chromosomal genes and four retrotransposons from the mosquito Anopheles gambiae. Variation exists among chromosomal genes in the degree of bias. The genes showing the highest bias are probably most highly expressed. In these genes, the base composition at the third codon position is much richer in G + C than is the overall coding sequence. Thus, codon usage is biased toward G- or C-ending codons. Codon usage in each retrotransposon is quite different, not only from chromosomal genes but also from the other retrotransposons. Codon usage comparisons among homologous genes from An. gambiae and two other Dipterans, the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti and the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster, show that while there are similarities, particularly between An. gambiae and D. melanogaster in the preference for G-and C-ending codons, each species has evolved a distinct pattern of codon usage.     

小鼠经口投镉的慢性毒性研究——病理形态学改变的探讨

选用昆明种小鼠60只,体重18～24克,随机分成三组,每组20只,雌雄各半。通过饮水染毒。一组正常对照,饮自来水,二组饮30ppm含镉水,三组饮300ppm含镉水,染毒时间三个半月。观察指标:体重增长速度、脏器系数、肝肾中镉含量、重点病理形态学改变(光镜和电镜)。结果,30ppm组小鼠肝肾组织有一定病变,300ppm组小鼠的光镜和电镜的病理形态学改变更为明显。提示,小鼠长期摄入镉可引起一定的损害。     

长春西汀片中阿朴长春胺酸乙酯含量的紫外分光光度法测定

采用紫外分光光度法测定长春丁汀片的含量。长春西汀片在２７４ｍｍ波长处有最大吸收，方法线性范围是１０－２０μｇ／ｍｌ，回归方程Ｙ＝３０．０９２Ｘ＋０．０５３３，ｒ＝０．９９９９，平均回收率为１０１．３８％（ｎ＝５，ＲＳＤ＝０．７１％）。