The change of C-fos expression in ovariectomized rats following electroacupuncture treatment--an immunohistochemistry study

The roles of electroacupuncture (EA) in regulating the function of ovulation in rat have been investigated; however, the systematic study for the involvement of neural population of central nervous system (CNS) in acupuncturing the ovariectomized rat for promoting functional recovery has not been well understood. The present research was designed to examine, by C-fos immunocytochemistry, the distribution of Fos labelled neuron in CNS after acupuncturing the point of "Zhong-Ji (RN3)", "Guan-Yuan (RN4)", "San-Ying-Jiao (SP6)" and "Zi-Gong (EXCA1)" in ovariectomized rat. The area occupied by Fos protein labelled neuron, two hours after ovariotomy, was detected in medial preoptic nucleus (MPN), lateral preoptic nucleus (LPN), suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PANH), medial amygdala nucleus (MAN), periventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVNH), ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VNH), and arcuate nucleus (AR). The C-fos immunoreactive labelled neurons disappeared two weeks later following ovariotomy. The rat, recovering for two weeks after ovariotomy, received EA, and many specific Fos labelled cell were observed in LPN, PVNH, VNH, SCN and especially in AR, PANH and MPN, but not any labelled neuron could be found in MAN. No obvious C-fos expression was shown in these areas in the control group and EA group without ovariotomy. These results indicate that the above structures involved in regulating the function of hypothalamus-pituitary-ovarian axis and EA could modulate this function through effects on the above nuclei.

Laparoscopic trocar-assisted colpotomy

Trocar-assisted transvaginal colpotomy was performed in 17 patients to remove large pathologic specimens during laparoscopic operations when the specimen could not be extirpated through the laparoscopic ports. Under direct laparoscopic visualization, colpotomy was performed using a 10- or 11-mm disposable trocar without the sleeve. The trocar was removed, a ring forceps was placed through the incision, the incision was enlarged, and the mass was grasped with the ring forceps and removed. This technique is safe, fast, and easy to perform. In addition, smoke is not created and potential electrocautery damage to pelvic structures is avoided.

Suppression by dietary alcohol of resistance to Cryptosporidium during murine acquired immune deficiency syndrome

Significant immunological changes occur following LP-BM5 murine leukemia retrovirus infection as well as chronic alcohol consumption. Retrovirus infection which has proceeded to murine AIDS permitted persistent Cryptosporidium infection, while non-retrovirus infected mice were resistant. Dietary alcohol provided until the day before parasite challenge did not affect resistance in controls, but increased the numbers of oocysts in the feces of retrovirus suppressed mice. Mortality was significant in retrovirus infected mice, and exacerbated slightly by dietary ethanol, while all controls survived parasite challenge. The retrovirus infected mice had greatly reduced numbers of intestinal CD4+ T helper cells and IgA+ B cells, which may explain their loss of intestinal resistance. Clearly, the severely immunosuppressed animals with murine AIDS were more sensitive to alcohol consumption than uninfected controls. This suggests that alcohol can synergize with murine retrovirus infection to exacerbate loss of resistance to an opportunistic pathogen common in human AIDS patients.

Hepatitis B virus DNA integration and expression of an erb B-like gene in human hepatocellular carcinoma

Southern blot studies on Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) DNA integration in 13 human hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) patients revealed the presence of several distinct HBV integration sites in different human liver disease patients. In one HCC patient the DNA fragment containing the HBV integration also hybridized to an erb B probe. The erb B/HBV co-migrating DNA fragment was cloned and sequenced, and showed that HBV DNA is integrated next to a cellular DNA fragment which is homologous to the tyrosine protein kinase domain of the human epidermal growth factor receptor gene and other cell surface receptor genes. The virus-integrated cellular DNA sequence is expressed in this HCC patient, suggesting a possible role for this gene in hepatocarcinogenesis.

[Anti-inflammatory and analgesic actions of artificial and fermentative Ganoderma sinense (AFGS)]

Both AFGS and natural Ganoderma sinense (NGS) have obvious anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects for arthritis in rats induced by carrageenan and the pain reaction in mice induced by hot scalding as well as HAC-induced writhing. AFGS also can reduce the edematous swelling of mice's ears, reduce the capillary permeability of mice skin and obviously inhibit cotton pellets granuloma implanted in rats. It can promote cytophagy capacity of the reticular endothelial cells in mice. No irritation on the gastric mucosa in rats has been observed.

Immunosuppression induced by nitric oxide and its inhibition by interleukin-4

Mice immunized with attenuated Salmonella typhimurium, strain SL3235, while protected against virulent challenge, are unable to mount in vivo and in vitro antibody responses to non-Salmonella antigens, such as tetanus toxoid and sheep red blood cells, and exhibit profoundly suppressed responses to B and T cell mitogens. Suppression of antibody responses is mediated by macrophage (M phi)-released soluble factors, and is completely reversed by treatment with interleukin (IL)-4. The present report identifies the suppressor factor as nitric oxide (NO), and provides evidence for a mechanism by which IL-4 abrogates suppression. Suppressed antibody responses correlated with high levels of NO secretion by splenocytes of SL3235-immunized mice. NO production was observed only in cultures consisting of the adherent cell fraction of immune splenocytes. Further, immunosuppression was reversed by NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (NMLA), a competitive inhibitor of NO synthesis, and was completely blocked by the addition of excess L-arginine. Treatment with IL-4, or anti-interferon (IFN)-gamma monoclonal antibody (mAb), also abrogated suppression. Optimal reversal of suppression was observed only when NMLA, IL-4, or anti-IFN-gamma mAb, was added at day 0 of the 5-day plaque-forming cell assay. Treatment with either IL-4 or anti-IFN-gamma mAb also lead to a sharp inhibition of NO production by immune spleen cells. Moreover, the addition of IL-4 to splenic adherent M phi inhibited their ability to generate NO. Our data characterize an immunoregulatory pathway, involving IFN-gamma and NO, by which M phi mediate immunosuppression and identify IL-4 as a potent inhibitor of this pathway.

Incompletely resected advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck: the effectiveness of adjuvant vs. salvage radiotherapy

Between 1982 and 1988, 441 patients were treated at the Medical College of Virginia for AJC Stage III and IV squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. We report here on 84 patients whose tumors were incompletely resected based on histopathological margins of 1 mm or less. Of these 84 patients, 49 were treated with surgery alone and 35 received immediate postoperative irradiation to doses of 50-70 Gy. The two patient groups are comparable with respect to stage of disease, age, male/female and racial ratios. This retrospective analysis, based on follow-up of 24-110 months, gives actuarial locoregional tumor control and survival data. The local control and disease-free survival rates in the combined modality group are significantly superior at the p = 0.0006 and p = 0.0003 levels, respectively, relative to the group treated with surgery alone. Patients in the combined modality group also experienced a significantly improved adjusted and overall survival, p = 0.005 and p = 0.01, respectively. The administration of postoperative irradiation was not associated with an increased rate of complications. The benefit of radiotherapy on survival was only seen when given as postoperative treatment but was lost in patients treated for salvage after tumor recurrence.

Effects of anti-TNF monoclonal antibody infusion in patients with hairy cell leukaemia

Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) can act as an autocrine growth factor for hairy cell leukaemia (HCL) cells. The TNF produced by the malignant clone may also inhibit normal haematopoiesis thereby contributing to the cytopenias observed in patients with the disease. We have studied the effects of infusing a murine monoclonal anti-TNF antibody in three patients with HCL. In two patients receiving 0.5 mg of antibody/kg on alternate days for 12 d, the drug was well tolerated. The third patient received 2 mg/kg on alternate days and developed symptoms of serum sickness by day 9. In two patients with severe B-lymphocytopenia, circulating CD19 and CD20 positive, B-cells were restored to normal, the majority of which were negative for the HCL-associated marker CD11c. B-lymphocyte recovery was associated with a rise in serum immunoreactive IL-6 and with an early rise in immunoreactive TNF. These short courses of anti-TNF MAb treatment had modest effect on the tumour burden, producing a reduction in splenomegaly in one patient. Exploration of the effects of more prolonged administration of higher dose anti-TNF antibody will only be feasible when less immunogenic MAbs are available.

[Uniform design for the best conditions of processing heixi in shenrong heixi pills] off

Uniform design has been applied to select the optimum technological conditions for processing Heixi in Shenrong Heixi Pills, using the contents of the main constituent of Heixi SNS as the optimum target. The best technological conditions have thus been found.

Self-focusing-induced saturable loss for laser mode locking

Self-focusing has recently been used for fast saturable absorber mode locking and femtosecond pulse generation in Ti:Al(2)O(3) lasers. We describe the operation, design, and optimization of self-focusing loss modulators for mode locking. A new formalism is developed that simplifies the treatment of self-focusing in thick nonlinear media by using a simple transform of the complex Gaussian beam parameter. Theoretical predictions are confirmed by experimental measurements.

Cardiac rehabilitation participation predicts lower rehospitalization costs

The effect of participation in cardiac rehabilitation on medical costs was determined by measuring hospitalization charges for cardiac admissions over a 3-year period in 580 post-coronary event patients (58% after coronary bypass surgery, 42% after myocardial infarction), of whom 230 entered a cardiac rehabilitation program and 350 did not. Baseline left ventricular ejection fraction was similar in entrants and nonentrants (59.9% vs 59.5%). Over the 1 to 46-month follow-up period (mean 21 months), per capita hospitalization charges for participants in cardiac rehabilitation were $739 lower than charges for nonparticipants ($1197 +/- 3911 vs $1936 +/- 5459, p = 0.022). This was due to both a lower incidence of hospitalizations and lower charges per hospitalization. Inasmuch as groups differed with regard to age, sex, diagnostic category, and smoking status, data were adjusted for these baseline differences by means of analysis of covariance. Rehospitalization charges remained significantly higher in nonparticipants (p = 0.015). Because physician charges were not measured, the cost differential between groups is underestimated. Results of this study show an association between participation in comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation and lowered cardiac rehospitalization costs in the years after an acute coronary event.

Validity of pulse oximetry during exercise in elite endurance athletes

Eleven highly trained male cyclists [maximal aerobic power (VO2max) = 70.6 +/- 4.2 ml.kg-1.min-1] performed both high intensity constant load (90-95% VO2max) and incremental cycle exercise tests with arterial blood sampling to evaluate the accuracy of pulse oximeter estimates (%SpO2) of arterial oxyhemoglobin fraction of total hemoglobin (%HbO2). Three subjects also performed an incremental exercise test in hypoxic conditions (inspired partial pressure of O2 = 89, 93, or 100 Torr). Arterial %HbO2 was determined via CO-oximetry and ranged from 72 to 99%. Three Ohmeda 3740 pulse oximeters were used to estimate %HbO2, one on each ear lobe and a finger probe. The finger probe tended to provide the best estimate of %HbO2 during exercise: the mean %SpO2 - %HbO2 difference for 232 exercise observations was 0.52 +/- 1.36% (SD). Finger probe %SpO2 and %HbO2 were highly correlated [r = 0.98, standard error of the estimate (SEE) = 1.32%, P less than 0.0001]. The accuracy of pulse oximeters has been questioned during high-intensity exercise. When aerobic power was greater than 81% of VO2max (n = 75), the finger probe's mean error was -0.01 +/- 1.40%. Finger probe %SpO2 and %HbO2 were highly correlated (r = 0.97, SEE = 1.32%, P less than 0.0001). These results indicate that this pulse oximeter is a valid predictor of %HbO2 in elite athletes during cycle exercise.

Exercise-induced hypoxemia in athletes: role of inadequate hyperventilation

These experiments examined the exercise-induced changes in pulmonary gas exchange in elite endurance athletes and tested the hypothesis that an inadequate hyperventilatory response might explain the large intersubject variability in arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) during heavy exercise in this population. Twelve highly trained endurance cyclists [maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max) range = 65-77 ml.kg-1.min-1] performed a normoxic graded exercise test on a cycle ergometer to VO2max at sea level. During incremental exercise at VO2max, 5 of the 12 subjects had ideal alveolar to arterial PO2 gradients (PA-aO2) of above 5 kPa (range 5-5.7) and a decline from resting PaO2 (delta PaO2) 2.4 kPa or above (range 2.4-2.7). In contrast, 4 subjects had a maximal exercise PA-aO2 of 4.0-4.3 kPa with delta PaO2 of 0.4-1.3 kPa while the remaining 3 subjects had PA-aO2 of 4.3-5 kPa with delta PaO2 between 1.7 and 2.0 kPa. The correlation between PAO2 and PaO2 at VO2max was 0.17. Further, the correlation between the ratio of ventilation to oxygen consumption vs PaO2 and arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide vs PaO2 at VO2max was 0.17 and 0.34, respectively. These experiments demonstrate that heavy exercise results in significantly compromised pulmonary gas exchange in approximately 40% of the elite endurance athletes studied. These data do not support the hypothesis that the principal mechanism to explain this gas exchange failure is an inadequate hyperventilatory response.

Optical coherence tomography

A technique called optical coherence tomography (OCT) has been developed for noninvasive cross-sectional imaging in biological systems. OCT uses low-coherence interferometry to produce a two-dimensional image of optical scattering from internal tissue microstructures in a way that is analogous to ultrasonic pulse-echo imaging. OCT has longitudinal and lateral spatial resolutions of a few micrometers and can detect reflected signals as small as approximately 10(-10) of the incident optical power. Tomographic imaging is demonstrated in vitro in the peripapillary area of the retina and in the coronary artery, two clinically relevant examples that are representative of transparent and turbid media, respectively.

Femtosecond pulse generation in Ti:Al(2)O(3) using a microdot mirror mode locker

A new nonlinear intracavity device called a microdot mirror mode locker is demonstrated for ultrashort-pulse generation in solid-state lasers. The microdot mirror produces fast saturable absorber action by using self-focusing. Pulse durations of 190 fs are achieved in a Ti:A1(2)O(3) laser. The microdot mirror mode locker is modular, preserves wavelength tunability, and can be extended to a wide range of solid-state lasers.

Emergence of a virulent clone of Neisseria meningitidis serotype 2a that is associated with meningococcal group C disease in Canada

Multilocus enzyme electrophoresis was used to characterize 378 isolates of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup C recovered during a period of an increase in group C meningococcal disease in Canada. Thirty-four enzyme electrophoretic types were found among the isolates, which were predominantly (96.0%) serotype 2a. One clone (ET 15), characterized by a rarely occurring allele for the enzyme fumarase, was responsible for a focal outbreak in Ontario followed by the spread of group C disease across the province. This clone, which occurred infrequently among strains isolated in 1986, accounted for over 65% of group C strains associated with meningococcal disease in Canada in 1990.

Electrostatic destabilization of the cytochrome b6f complex in the thylakoid membrane

Three of the membrane-spanning polypeptides of the chloroplast cytochrome (cyt) b6f complex were sequentially released from the thylakoid membrane, in the order cyt b6, suIV and Rieske iron-sulfur protein, as the pH was increased from 10 to 12, a protocol usually employed to remove peripheral proteins from membranes. The fourth polypeptide of the cyt b6f complex, cyt f, which spans the membrane once, was apparently not released. The pH values for half-release at low ionic strength were approximately 10.7, 11.1 and 11.3 respectively. The separation of the polypeptides of the complex and the sequential release is readily seen at pH 11, where the loss from the membrane of cyt b6, suIV and Fe iron-sulfur center is approximately 90%, 50% and 20%, respectively. the release of cyt b6 from the membrane was reflected by the absence of its characteristic reduced minus oxidized absorbance signal. The pH values at which the release occurred increased as the ionic strength was raised, implying that the release of the b6f polypeptides arises from extrusion due to repulsive electrostatic interactions probably caused by deprotonation of tyrosine and lysine residues. The lipid content of the released polypeptides was very low, consistent with the observation of a non-membranous state. It is proposed that the pH-dependent extrusion requires two electrostatic effects at alkaline pH higher than approximately 10.5: (i) increased electrostatic repulsion between neighbouring polypeptides of the complex, arising from increased net negative charge in the peripheral segments of these polypeptides, which can cause separation of the polypeptides from the complex; and (ii) ionization of residues such as tyrosine in the membrane-spanning alpha-helices, and neutralization of residues such as lysine which can bind to the negative membrane surface.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Cymelarsan in the treatment of buffaloes naturally infected with Trypanosoma evansi in south China

Forty buffaloes naturally infected with Trypanosoma evansi in the South of China were treated with a single dose of a new arsenical. Cymelarsan (Mel Cy) at 0.25 mg/kg to 3.0 mg/kg by intramuscular injection. All animals were cured, with the exception of two out of four animals treated with 0.25 mg/kg Mel Cy which relapsed two months after drug administration. Two out of eight buffaloes in control groups treated with a single dose of diminazene aceturate (Berenil), 3.5 mg/kg, relapsed two months after treatment. All cured animals showed no trypanosomes in their blood when tested within one to three years after administration. A scleroma about 2 to 3.5 cm in diameter was found at the site of injection at the dose of 1.5 mg/kg Mel Cy in three of eight animals. At a dose of 3 mg/kg, Mel Cy induced obvious necrosis of the tissue at the site of injection. The results of field application proved that Mel Cy is a very active trypanocidal drug against T. evansi.

Micron-resolution ranging of cornea anterior chamber by optical reflectometry

Noncontact, high resolution measurements of anterior eye structures using optical coherence domain reflectometry are described. Distances between intraocular structures are measured by directing a beam of short coherence length light onto the eye and performing an interferometric measurement on the optical group delay of reflected signals. Measurements of corneal thickness, corneal excision depth, and anterior chamber depth are demonstrated in vitro, and the location of tissue boundaries is resolved to within +/- 2 microns. The full-width-half-maximum longitudinal resolution is 10 microns. Sensitivities to reflected signals as small as 10(-10) of the incident power are achieved by heterodyne detection.

Preliminary studies of serum glycoconjugates in patients with cancer using the enzyme-linked lectin assay

After primary analyses on the serum glycoconjugates of lung cancer and normal individual using the enzyme-linked lectin assay (ELLA) with 12 kinds of lectins, PHA and LCA were selected for further study in the sera of 8 kinds of cancers, 4 kinds of non-malignant diseases and a kind of postoperative cancer. It was found that the test values of 7 kinds of cancers with PHA or LCA were significantly higher than those of the normal (P less than 0.01); the values of 4 kinds of non-malignant diseases with PHA were not higher (P greater than 0.05); the values of the postoperative cancer with PHA were obviously lower than those of the preoperative (P less than 0.02). The results showed that the serum glycoconjugates which can bind to PHA seemed related to the cancerous existence in human bodies. The significance of the findings was discussed.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-containing nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells express the B-cell activation antigen blast2/CD23 and low levels of the EBV receptor CR2

Anaplastic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells invariably harbor the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) genome, an association that is unique among human virus-associated cancers. Although EBV is able to replicate in epithelial cells, results with expression of the EBV receptor (complement receptor type 2 [CR2]; also called CD21) in normal and malignant epithelial cells are conflicting. We grew five different EBV-associated NPC tumors in nude mice, and by using a sensitive transcriptional assay, we detected a very weak transcription signal of the EBV receptor CR2 gene in these cells. This suggests that low levels of EBV receptor may be expressed by malignant epithelial nasopharyngeal cells. The gene coding for Blast2/CD23, a B-cell activation molecule induced by EBV, was transcribed in three of the transplanted NPC tumors. The soluble form of the Blast2/CD23 protein was also detected in medium taken from short-term cultures of the same NPC cell lines. In contrast to the lymphoid system, in which Blast2/CD23 expression is associated with EBV nuclear antigen (EBNA2) expression, no EBNA2 protein could be detected in these NPC epithelial cells. Our study represents the first demonstration of Blast2/CD23 expression in epithelial cells. As the soluble form of the Blast2/CD23 protein possesses growth factor activity associated with EBV-induced B-cell immortalization, these results suggest a possible role for this molecule in the pathogenesis of NPC.

Dose parameters of 125I and 192Ir seed sources

As mandated by an NCI brachytherapy contract, we measured dosimetric parameters for 192Ir seeds and two models of 125I seeds. Measurements were with LiF powder in a water-equivalent phantom. Data were corrected for background, sample mass, and finite detector volume. Selected parameters were also investigated through Monte Carlo calculations. Results are presented in terms of a dose parametrization that is described in detail, and are compared to published data. Our results agreed well with published data for relative quantities such as radial and angular dose dependence. Our measured value for the 192Ir dose factor was 4.55 cGy(H2O) cm2 mCi-1 h-1, also in good agreement with commonly used values. However, the measured dose factors for 125I seed models 6702 and 6711 were 1.18 and 1.06 cGy(H2O) cm2 mCi-1 h-1, values well below those in general use.