异落新妇甙的结构研究

从百合科菝葵属植物土茯苓(Smilaxg labra Roxb.)根茎的乙醇提取物中分得一个新的天然化合物(I),命名为异落新妇甙(isoastilbin)。根据元素分析,UV,IR,¹H-NMR,¹³C-NMR,2DNMR及FAB-MS,确定化合物I的结构为5,7,3',5'-四羟基二氢黄酮醇-3-O-α-L-鼠李糖甙。     

LHRH-A对孕中期大鼠抗妊娠作用的研究

本文观察了[D-Ala⁶,Pro⁹-Ethylamide¹⁰]-LHRH(LHRH-A)对孕中期大鼠的抗妊娠作用。结果显示:在孕9～11d sc 200μg/d LHRH-A,血浆孕酮水平自第二次给药后明显下降(P<0.05),给药大鼠均流产终止妊娠;LHRH-A的抗妊娠作用可被醋酸甲地孕酮所拮抗;LHRH-A对体外培养的假孕大鼠和孕d 9大鼠黄体细胞分泌孕酮有明显的直接抑制作用。     

Spinal entry route for ventral root afferent fibers in the cat

Twelve anesthetized and paralyzed cats were used to study the spinal entry routes of ventral root afferent fibers. In all animals, the spinal cord was transected at two different levels, L5 and S2. The L5 through S2 dorsal roots were cut bilaterally, making spinal cord segments L5-S2 neurally isolated from the body except for the L5-S2 ventral roots. From this preparation, a powerful excitation of the discharge rate of motor neurons and dorsal horn cells within the isolated spinal segments was observed after intraarterial injection of bradykinin (50 micrograms in 0.5 ml saline). This excitation of the spinal neurons can be considered the most convincing evidence of the potential physiologic role of the ventral root afferent fibers entering the spinal cord directly through the ventral root, because the apparent route of neuronal input from the periphery is through the ventral roots. However, additional control experiments conducted in the present study showed that the excitation persisted even after cutting all ventral roots within the isolated spinal segments, indicating that excitation was not mediated by the ventral roots. Furthermore, direct application of bradykinin on the dorsal surface of the spinal cord also increased the motoneuronal discharge rate, suggesting that excitation of spinal neurons produced by intraarterial injection of bradykinin is due to a direct action of bradykinin on the spinal cord. Thus, we provided an alternate explanation for the most convincing evidence indicating that physiologically important ventral root afferent fibers enter the spinal cord directly through the ventral root. Based on existing experimental evidence, it is likely that the majority of physiologically active ventral root afferent fibers travel distally toward the dorsal root ganglion and then enter the spinal cord through the dorsal root.     

Cyclin E, p27 and mutant p53 do not predict the prognosis in AJCC stage II colorectal carcinomas.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Carcinogenesis is characterized by the abnormal regulation of cell cycle. The abnormal expression of the regulators of cell cycle may be related to the prognosis. Since the clinical significance of the expression of the three proteins in colorectal carcinomas is still controversial, we evaluated the prognostic value of the expression of cyclin E, p27 and mutant p53 in stage II colorectal cancer. METHODS: The expression levels of cyclin E, p27 and mutant p53 proteins in 41 patients with stage II colorectal carcinomas were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: In the univariate analysis, the level of CEA at diagnosis was associated with disease relapse. In the multivariate analysis, the clinicopathological variables such as age, gender, site of primary tumor, tumor size, state of tumor differentiation and preoperative plasma CEA level were not associated with disease relapse. When Kaplan-Meier survival curves were constructed to determine the prognosis, cyclin E, p27 and mutant p53 expressions did not predict poor prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested that the expression of cyclin E, p27 and mutant p53 proteins did not predict the clinical outcome in the stage II colorectal carcinomas.     

Cognitive impairment after stroke: frequency, patterns, and relationship to functional abilities.

Cognitive function was examined in 227 patients three months after admission to hospital for ischaemic stroke, and in 240 stroke-free controls, using 17 scored items that assessed memory, orientation, verbal skills, visuospatial ability, abstract reasoning, and attentional skills. After adjusting for demographic factors with standardised residual scores in all subjects, the fifth percentile was used for controls as the criterion for failure on each item. The mean (SD) number of failed items was 3.4 (3.6) for patients with stroke and 0.8 (1.3) for controls (p < 0.001). Cognitive impairment, defined as failure on any four or more items, occurred in 35.2% of patients with stroke and 3.8% of controls (p < 0.001). Cognitive domains most likely to be defective in stroke compared with control subjects were memory, orientation, language, and attention. Among patients with stroke, cognitive impairment was most frequently associated with major cortical syndromes and with infarctions in the left anterior and posterior cerebral artery territories. Functional impairment was greater with cognitive impairment, and dependent living after discharge either at home or nursing home was more likely (55.0% with, v 32.7% without cognitive impairment, p = 0.001). In a logistic model examining the risks related to dependent living after stroke, cognitive impairment was a significant independent correlate (odds ratio, OR = 2.4), after adjusting for age (OR = 5.2, 80 + v 60-70 years) and physical impairment (OR = 3.7, Barthel index < or = 40 v > 40). It is concluded that cognitive impairment occurs frequently after stroke, commonly involving memory, orientation, language, and attention. The presence of cognitive impairment in patients with strike has important functional consequences, independent of the effects of physical impairment. Studies of stroke outcome and intervention should take into account both cognitive and physical impairments.     

Expression of IGF-I and IGF-II mRNA in breast tissue

Summary Expression of IGF-I and IGF-II was studied in human breast cancer tissues by in situ hybridization. IGF-I mRNA was detected only in stromal cells adjacent to normal breast epithelial cells. Stromal cells associated with the tumor cells did not contain IGF-I, nor did malignant or benign breast epithelial cells. In contrast, IGF-II mRNA was found in both the malignant epithelial cells and their adjacent stromal cells. These data imply that stromal cells associated with breast epithelium may switch expression from IGF-I to IGF-II during breast cancer evolution. This appearance of IGF-II expression may identify cancer-associated stromal cells that have a fetal phenotype.     

Huge gastric diospyrobezoars successfully treated by oral intake and endoscopic injection of Coca-Cola

A diospyrobezoar is a type of phytobezoar that is considered to be harder than any other types of phytobezoars. Here, we describe a new treatment modality, which effectively and easily disrupted huge gastric diospyrobezoars. A 41-year-old man with a history of diabetes mellitus was admitted with lower abdominal pain and vomiting. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed three huge, round diospyrobezoars in the stomach. He was made to drink two cans of Coca-Cola every 6 h. At endoscopy the next day, the bezoars were partially dissolved and turned to be softened. We performed direct endoscopic injection of Coca-Cola into each bezoar. At repeated endoscopy the next day, the bezoars were completely dissolved.