Inflammation and the Aging Process: Devil or Angel

Inflammation is often viewed as a pathologic mechanism leading to tissue damage and interference with function, such as the process of chronic tissue scarring or fibrosis. However, it is important to note that inflammation is a crucial component of normal tissue repair as well as being fundamental to the body's defense against infection. Considering inflammation as a "causative agent in aging" belies the underlying mechanisms whereby the acute inflammatory response is necessary for survival, and efforts to reduce and control the inflammatory response leave the host susceptible to infectious agents and improper healing. Chronic inflammation inevitably has initiating mechanisms that include immune, autoimmune, and metabolic pathways, leading to the activation and presence of the host-protective response. It is more appropriate to target the underlying initiating conditions than the inflammatory process that ensues and treat the basic mechanisms of disease rather than interfere in a very important protective mechanism of the host.     

腹部器官移植术后并发症的磁共振检查

目的探讨磁共振在腹部器官移植并发症中的诊断价值。方法对4例肝移植、5例胰肾联合移植及2例肾移植患者进行磁共振检查，检查时间在术后28d至2年，采用GE1．5TMR机型，成像技术包括常规平扫及增强扫描。结果4例肝移植，1例发生肝动脉狭窄伴肝坏死，1例发生下腔静脉血栓形成，1例为肝静脉与下腔静脉吻合口明显狭窄，1例为左右肝管明显狭窄；5例胰、肾联合移植中，1例并发急性排斥反应，1例为移植胰慢性排斥反应伴纤维化，1例为迟发性胰腺炎，移植肾4例正常，1例并发急性排斥反应伴肾梗死；2例单纯肾移植者，1例为肾动脉局限性中度狭窄，1例为肾动脉与髂内动脉吻合口处动脉瘤形成。上述病理改变均经组织病理检查和数字减影血管造影证实。结论磁共振可作为腹部器官移植并发症的一种无损伤检查手段，对于血管并发症，有其独有的优势。     

胰岛素样生长因子-1在妇科疾病中的作用

在许多组织增生过程中，通过内分泌、旁分泌和自分泌会产生胰岛素样生长因子-1(IGF-1)。最近的研究发现，IGF-1存在于各种增生组织，如子宫内膜和卵巢组织。患有严重子宫内膜异位症时，血清中IGF-1水平较高，而子宫内膜局部的：IGF-1水平减低，这可能是导致不孕的原因，多囊性卵巢综合征(PCOS)患者卵巢局部的IGF-1活性增强，与患者肥胖、高雄激素水平等一系列临床症状有关。IGF-1在良、恶性肿瘤中也起着重要的作用，IGF-1能刺激子宫肌瘤细胞的生长。围绝经期妇女若存在高IGF-1和低IGF-1结合蛋白-3(IGFBP-3)水平，则患乳腺癌的风险增大。绝经前后女性的高IGF-1水平与宫颈癌、卵巢癌和子宫内膜癌的发病率存在相关性。     

缺氧诱导因子-1α在去势前后大鼠腹叶前列腺中表达的变化

目的探讨与缺氧相关的缺氧诱导因子-1α(HIF-1α)是否参与去势后前列腺萎缩过程.方法24只SD大鼠分为3组,其中A组(n=8)为假手术对照组,B组(n=8)为去势组,C组(n=8)为雄激素替代组(去势后肌注十一酸睾酮50mg/kg);术后3天处死,通过半定量RT-PCR检测与HIF-1α在去势前后前列腺表达变化.结果去势后大鼠前列腺的体积萎缩变小;雄激素替代组出现前列腺增生变大;对照组正常的大鼠前列腺有HIF-1 α mRNA低水平表达,去势组HIF-1α mRNA表达量增加,雄激素替代组HIF-1αmRNA表达量减少,与正常对照组比较,去势组的HIF-1α mRNA的表达量显著增加(P＜0.05),雄激素替代组的HIF-1αmRNA的表达量显著减少(P＜0.01).结论前列腺组织的缺氧参与去势后大鼠前列腺的早期萎缩过程.     

The Van der Woude syndrome: a case report and review of the literature

The Van der Woude syndrome is a rare autosomal dominant developmental malformation usually associated with bilateral lower lip pits. These congenital lip pits appear clinically as a malformation in the vermilion border of the lip, with or without excretion. As a genetic defect has been identified as a microdeletion of chromosome bands 1q32-q41, genetic counselling of patients may be considered. A nonsense mutation in the interferon regulatory factor-6 (IRF-6) is discussed as a pathogenic relevant factor. Therapeutic intervention is generally not necessary, although surgical excision is especially indicated in patients with recurrent inflammation. Physicians should be aware of the Van der Woude syndrome because it has been reported to be associated with a variety of malformations or other congenital disorders.     

Comparison of the growth hormone, IGF-1 and insulin in cerebrospinal fluid and serum between patients with motor neuron disease and healthy controls

Neurotrophic effects of the growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and insulin on the central nervous system have become more apparent in the past decade. In this study, we measured serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of GH, IGF-1 and insulin in 35 patients with motor neuron disease (MND) [24 patients with definite amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and 11 patients with progressive bulbar palsy] and in 40 healthy controls. Levels of serum concentrations of GH and IGF-1 did not significantly differ between the MND patient group and the healthy controls, while the level of insulin was significantly decreased ( P  = 0.0033) in the MND patient group. However, levels of all three examined parameters in CSF were significantly lower in the MND group than in the healthy controls with the statistical significance for IGF-1 and insulin of P  < 0.001. This finding has not been reported previously, and further investigations into its association with ALS should establish whether it can be used as an early marker of the disease, or whether it merely represents a consequence of ALS development.     

复方肾华治疗大鼠改良慢性血清病肾炎的实验研究

目的　观察复方肾华胶囊对改良大鼠慢性血清病肾炎模型的治疗作用。方法　采取传统大鼠慢性血清病肾炎模型制作方法加上切除大鼠一侧肾脏、隔日饮饲牛血清白蛋白 (BSA)酸化水、腹腔注射大肠杆菌内毒素 (LPS)等措施 ,制作肾炎模型 ,与西药蒙诺作对照 ,观察中药肾华对肾炎大鼠尿蛋白、血生化、凝血指标、肾功能、病理、免疫荧光以及增殖细胞核抗原 (PCNA)表达的作用。结果　肾华胶囊能够显著减轻肾炎大鼠肾脏重量及肾重指数、降低肾炎大鼠尿蛋白、升高血清蛋白、降低胆固醇、甘油三酯、改善肾功能、纠正凝血功能紊乱、减轻肾脏病理改变、减轻免疫荧光变化、减弱PCNA的表达。结论　中药肾华胶囊对大鼠慢性血清病肾炎模型有较好的治疗作用