Morphine antinociception elicited from the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray is sensitive to sex and gonadectomy differences in rats

Sex differences have been observed in antinociception following central administration of morphine into either the lateral ventricles or rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM) such that male rats exhibit significantly greater antinociception than female rats. The present study examined whether sex and adult gonadectomy differences were observed in morphine-induced (1-10 micrograms) antinociception elicited from the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG) on two nociceptive measures. Both sham-operated (ED50=1.20-1.60 microgram) and castrated (ED50=1.08-1.09 micrograms) male rats displayed significantly greater magnitudes and potencies of morphine-induced antinociception on both tests than female rats. Sham-operated female rats tested during the estrous phase (ED50=>50 micrograms) were significantly less sensitive to morphine than ovariectomized female rats (ED50=1.98-2. 51 micrograms). Thus, the vlPAG, a site sensitive to interactions between estradiol-containing hypothalamic loci and opioid peptides, elicits morphine-induced antinociception which is sensitive to sex differences and adult gonadectomy.     

Sexually dimorphic expression of sst1 and sst2 somatostatin receptor subtypes in the arcuate nucleus and anterior pituitary of adult rats

The pattern of growth hormone (GH) secretion and rate of somatic growth are markedly sexually dimorphic, but the underlying neuroendocrine mechanisms are far from clear. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that the sexual dimorphism of GH secretion may be due to gender-related differences in the transduction of somatostatin's actions in brain and/or pituitary. To accomplish this, we compared the distributional pattern and level of expression of two somatostatin receptor subtypes, sst1 and sst2, in the brain and pituitary of adult male and female rats by in-situ hybridization using 35S-labelled antisense riboprobes. In the brain, the hybridization pattern and labelling density of sst1 and sst2 mRNA-expressing cells, as revealed by computer-assisted image analysis, in areas including the cerebral cortex, medial habenula (MHb) and ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMN), were similar in male and female rats. In contrast, there was a marked sex-related difference in sst1 expression in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus; both the number and labelling density of sst1 mRNA-expressing cells were two- to threefold greater in males than in females and this significant increase was homogenous throughout the rostrocaudal extent of the nucleus. No gender-related differences in arcuate sst2 mRNA levels were found. At the level of the anterior pituitary, the labelling density of sst2 mRNA in males was significantly higher than that of females. No sex-related difference in pituitary sst1 mRNA was observed. These results demonstrate a sexual dimorphism in the expression of two somatostatin receptor subtypes, sst1 and sst2, at the level of the arcuate nucleus and anterior pituitary, respectively. Such dimorphism suggests a differential involvement of sst1 and sst2 in GH regulation with respect to gender, and may imply roles for sst2 and sst1 in transducing somatostatin's actions on pituitary somatotrophs and GH-releasing hormone-containing arcuate neurones, respectively, to generate the lower basal and higher GH pulse levels characteristic of the male rat.     

Activity of vasopressinergic neurones of the human supraoptic nucleus is age- and sex-dependent

In the human hypothalamus, arginine-vasopressin (AVP) is produced for a major part by the neurones of the supraoptic nucleus (SON). Since plasma AVP levels in men were reported to be higher than those of women and we did not find a sex difference in the neurone number, a higher vasopressinergic neurone activity was supposed to be present in the SON of men. Therefore we studied the size of the Golgi-apparatus (GA), which has been demonstrated previously to be a sensitive parameter for protein synthetic ability of neurones, in 15 men and 17 women ranging in age from 29 to 94 years. A polyclonal antibody against immunoaffinity purified MG-160, a sialoglycoprotein of the medial cisternae of the GA was applied on paraffin-embedded sections containing the dorsolateral SON (dl-SON) from which 90-95% of neurones are vasopressinergic. SON areas that contain oxytocin (OT) cells were excluded on the basis of adjacent sections stained with a monoclonal antibody against OT. By means of an image analysis system the size of the GA and the cellular profile area were determined in dl-SON neurones with a nucleolus. Our results showed indeed an age-dependent sex difference in the size of the GA that appeared to be twice as large in young men (< or = 50 years old) than in young women of the same age. The size of the GA increased with age in women but not in men. In addition, the mean cell profile area, another measure for neuronal activity, was significantly larger in young men than in young women and was in old women larger than in young women. In conclusion, these data show the presence of a sex-dependent age-difference in the activity of vasopressinergic neurones in dl-SON which may relate to differences in AVP and sex hormone levels and kidney AVP receptors.     

钛基底对钛-瓷修复体表面色的影响

目的　探讨钛金属基底对钛 -瓷修复体表面色是否有明显影响。方法　制作 Dentsply DETREY- Carat瓷粉与钛 -瓷修复体标准试件 ,用 CS- 5型分光光度计测色 ,统计分析测定结果 ,并计算色差。结果　钛金属基底与Ni- Cr金属基底间颜色差异较大 ,但加不透明瓷及牙体瓷后 ,两组试件各色度指标统计学上无显著性差异 ,色差均小于 1.5。结论　钛金属基底对钛 -瓷修复体表面色无明显影响 ,Dentsply两种瓷粉同色瓷间无明显颜色差异。     

Kappa opioid receptors in rat spinal cord vary across the estrous cycle

Kappa opioid receptors (KORs) were immunocytochemically localized in the lumbosacral spinal cord of female rats in different stages of the estrous cycle to examine the influence of hormonal status on receptor density. KOR labeling was primarily in fine processes and a few neuronal cell bodies in the superficial dorsal horn and the dorsolateral funiculus. Quantitative light microscopic densitometry of the superficial dorsal horn revealed that rats in diestrus had significantly lower KOR densities than those in proestrus or estrus. This suggests that female reproductive hormones regulate spinal KOR levels, which may contribute to variations in analgesic effectiveness of KOR agonists across the estrous cycle.     

非虚假设非中心法及其临床应用

目的本文提出一种非虚假设非中心法,并说明其临床应用.方法以非虚假设取代虚假设将经典非中心法加以扩展,以Monte Carlo方法展示其行为.结果当最小临床承认差量取零时,它还原为经典方法.其观测功效与预定功效吻合.结论这种方法适用于以治疗-对照差临床意义研究或临床等效性为目的临床试验的设计.     

IMPACT OF AGRO CLIMATIC AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC VARIABILITY ON THE NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF INHABITANTS In THE GARHWAL HIMALAYAS

The Garhwal Himalayas are a part of a unique ecosystem, with sharp agro-climatic variations within a very small geographical area (53,485 km²). The varied agro-climatic situations result in different cropping systems and socio-economic lifestyles that could likely affect the nutritional status of the people living in this region. This article will attempt to explore the impact of these variables (namely, age, family size, education, income, calorie and protein intake, land holding, number of animals, and wheat production) on the body mass index (BMI) of the population residing in the Garhwal Hills. A total of 1,030 subjects were studied from the three agro-climatic zones (406 from the high hills, 292 from the mid hills, and 332 from the low hills). It has been found that the people living in the high hills are the most undernourished, as the lowest percentage of people (52.6 per cent) with an acceptable BMI and the highest percentage of people in the severely malnourished category (11.1 per cent) are found here. People living in urban areas have a better nutritional status. Correlation studies show that the nutritional status of the population improves with age, literacy levels, and small family size. In some cases, calorie and protein intake have a positive impact on the health of the people, whereas size of land holding, number of animals, and income of the family do not have any significant influence on nutritional status.     

智能医院洁净手术部监控系统设计概论

本文概述了智能医院洁净手术部的主要监控内容,提出了监控系统设计的一些新的理念,并给出了一种基于PROFIBUS的三级结构监控系统的原理框图。     

市县2级疾病预防控制机构检验能力差异分析

目的 分析不同地区市县2级疾病预防控制中心实验室检验能力的地区差异。方法 采用二阶段分层抽样法，在全国范围内抽取143个省辖市和县级疾病预防控制中心，调查其机构设置、仪器设备配置以及可以开展的检验项目等情况。结果 143个市县疾病预防控制机构的仪器全套达标率为82．0％，其中东部地区75．3％。中部地区89．9％，西部地区81．0％。市级机构平均可开展检测项目数量为208项，其中东部为242项，中部为209项。西部为158项；县级机构平均可开展项目数量为126项，东部、中部、西部分别为148，127和88项，不同地区之间差异有统计学意义。地区之间检验能力的差异主要表现在健康相关物品及相关因素的检测能力与质量等方面。结论 加强实验室检验能力建设的重点应关注西部地区，主要加强健康相关物品及相关因素检测能力。     

Attempted suicide and polymorphism of the serotonin transporter gene in Chinese patients with schizophrenia

Abnormalities of serotonin synthesis and metabolism may be associated with suicidality. The serotonin transporter gene (5-HTT) is one of the important genes involved in the regulation of serotonin neurotransmission. We examined the association of suicidal behavior in Chinese schizophrenic patients with a functional polymorphism of the promoter region of the 5-HTT gene (5-HTTLPR). The 5-HTTLPR genotype was determined by polymerase chain reaction for 76 suicidal and 262 non-suicidal patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia (DSM-IV criteria). All subjects were unrelated to each other, and all were Chinese. There was no significant genotypic or allelic association of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism with history of attempted suicide. From our results, this 5-HTTLPR polymorphism is unlikely to have a major effect on suicidal behavior in Chinese patients with schizophrenia.