Antagonistic interrelationships between the staphylococci and Sarcina isolated from the upper respiratory tracts of virtually healthy persons]

The antagonistic activity of staphylococci isolated from the mucosa of the anterior parts of the nose of practically healthy persons was studied with respect to 102 strains of Sarcinia. Staphylococcus aureus had the most pronounced inhibitory effect on Sarcinia. No difference in the antagonistic activity of the staphylococci isolated from the carriers of the permanent and transitory types was found. However, Staphylococcus aureus isolated from the permanent carriers had a broader activity spectrum.     

Kinetics of D-histidine diffusion across rat intestine in vitro.

A five-compartment linear model for diffusion in vitro across rat jejunum has been proposed for the study of the kinetic constants of D-histidine transport. Once preliminary experiments using 2,4-dinitrophenol and L-methionine have proved that D-histidine gives rise to passive transport only, the validity of the model was tested and its parameters estimated through a best-fitting procedure by using experimental data concerning D-histidine transport. D-Histidine diffusion was studied in everted and unreverted loops mounted in an oxygenated bath system. Both mucosa to serosa and seroa to mucosa movements of D-histidine (3-30 mM) were evaluated by measuring chemically the amount of D-histidine transported into intestinal lumen every 5 min for 60 min. Results obtained proved that D-histidine transport in each direction (mucosa to seroa or seroa to mucosa) was dependent-concentration process. Nevertheless different values of gain and time constants were estimated for the transport in the two directions.     

Proctocolectomy without ileostomy for ulcerative colitis.

An operation has been developed that permits total removal of all disease-prone mucosa in ulcerative colitis but avoids the need for a permanent ileostomy. The colon and upper half of the rectum are excised and the remaining inflamed mucosa is stripped from the rectal stump down to the dentate line of the anal canal. A pouch is fashioned from a triplicated loop of terminal ileum. This is drawn down through the denuded rectum and an anastomosis created, via the per-anal approach, between the ileum just distal to the pouch and the mid-anal canal. A temporary ileostomy is made. Out of eight patients so treated, five were available for assessment, and four of them were highly satisfied with the result in improved health and function. The remaining three were awaiting closure of their ileostomies.     

Transcatheter leadless permanent pacemaker in complex congenital heart disease with interrupted inferior vena cava: A challenging implantation

31 years lady with complete atrioventricular canal defect, large primum atrial septal defect (ASD), inlet ventricular septal defect (VSD) and Eisenmenger syndrome, presented with atrial flutter and complete heart block. She was not suitable for corrective cardiac surgery and not yet indicated for heart-lung transplantation. She was advised single chamber permanent pacemaker and eventually Micra VR transcatheter leadless pacemaker was finalised for her. Transcatheter leadless pacemaker was deployed in her RV septum despite some unforeseen technical problems. This patient had intrahepatic interruption of IVC with Azygous continuation draining into SVC but this altered venovascular course was detected only fluoroscopically midway during the pacemaker implantation procedure and this was not detected in the preprocedural transthoracic echocardiography. This abnormal venous course was clearly demonstrated in the cardiac CT which was performed only after completion of the pacemaker implantation procedure in this patient. The technical challenges encountered mainly were mostly during the manipulation of the 27F delivery catheter of Micra through this altered cardiovascular anatomy via transfemoral approach and also due to the presence of septal defects. Thus, transcatheter leadless permanent pacemaker was implanted successfully through transfemoral access in this complex congenital heart disease with interrupted IVC and azygous continuation. Besides transthoracic echocardiography, it may be better to perform transesophageal echocardiography or even preferably radiological imaging like cardiac CT or MRI prior to transcatheter leadless pacemaker implantation in patients with complex congenital heart disease to understand the cardiovascular anatomy and plan the procedure.     

磁场对急性胃损伤的治疗效应及其机制的实验研究

目的:探讨腹部磁场作用,对大鼠血液及胃粘膜组织中胃泌素(gastrin,GAS)、胃动素(motilin,MTL)和生长抑素(somatostain,SS),以及胃排空的效应。方法:10只Wistar健康雄性大鼠,腹部接受表面磁强度为1300-1600GS,钡铁氧体恒磁场作用3小时,以放射免疫法,分别测定大鼠血及胃粘膜组织中GAS、MLT及SS含量,用99mTc标记的碳粉糊剂灌胃法,测试胃排空率。结果:恒磁场腹部作用后,大鼠血GAS、MLT及SS水平较对照组,均无显著变化(p均>0.05);胃粘膜组织中,GAS含量无明显改变(p>0.05),MLT水平明显升高(p<0.01),SS水平明显降低(p<0.01);胃排空率无明显改变(p>0.05)。结论:腹部1300-1600GS恒磁场作用3小时,均不能显著调节大鼠血中MLT和SS,以及血和胃粘膜组织内GAS水平;可明显影响胃粘膜内MLT及SS水平;对大鼠胃排空率无明显效应。     

磁场对血浆和胃粘膜内胃肠激素及胃动力效应的实验研究

目的:探讨腹部恒磁场作用,对大鼠急性胃损伤模型的治疗效应及其作用机制。方法:10只健康SD大鼠,以indomethacin胃灌注法复制急性胃损伤模型,以表面磁强度为1300-1600GS,钡铁氧体恒磁场作用大鼠腹部3小时,观察胃损伤指数及病理损伤积分,同时对血浆中内皮素(endothelin,ET)、一氧化氮(nitricoxide,NO)、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GSH-Px)及超氧化物岐化酶(SOD)水平进行比较。结果:恒磁场腹部作用后,大鼠胃损伤指数及病理损伤积分较对照组均显著减轻(p均<0.05);血浆ET-1和NO水平却无无明显改变(p均>0.05),血GSH-Px和SOD含量较对照组均明显升高(p均<0.05)。结论:腹部1300-1600GS恒磁场作用3小时,对大鼠急性胃损伤具有明显的治疗效应,磁场的这一效应可能与其增加血浆中清除氧自由基的GSH-Px和SOD活性有关。     

Selection of a simple protease procedure for identifying mast cells in routinely processed human tissues

Proteases present in mast cell granules have been harnessed to demonstrate mast cells in human tissues. A number of substrate mixtures were tested. D-Val-Leu-Arg-4-methoxy-2-naphthylamide (MNA) plus Fast Blue B was the best for identifying human mast cells, yielding the most specific and complete staining. The procedure is simple and the results are permanent. Cryostat sections of aldehyde-fixed routine preparations or paraffin sections of Carnoy-fixed tissues give the most satisfactory results. Mast cells are stained a strong red color that stands out distinctly from the surrounding tissues, so that they can be easily identified by simple microscopy. A double-staining technique, first for protease and subsequently using Alcian Blue, showed that as progressive protease staining occurs, the alcianophilia of mast cells is lost. This procedure demonstrated that mast cells in the mucosa of human gut generally required longer incubations to develop protease staining than in other connective tissue sites. In post-mortem tissues, mast cells retain their protease activity well and so can be demonstrated in cryostat sections of aldehyde-fixed material, giving a more complete picture than with Alcian Blue. The synthetic substrate D-Val-Leu-Arg-MNA can be recommended for routine identification of mast cells in human tissues.     

Determination of oral mucosal Poisson’s ratio and coefficient of friction from in-vivo contact pressure measurements

Despite their considerable importance to biomechanics, there are no existing methods available to directly measure apparent Poisson’s ratio and friction coefficient of oral mucosa. This study aimed to develop an inverse procedure to determine these two biomechanical parameters by utilizing in vivo experiment of contact pressure between partial denture and beneath mucosa through nonlinear finite element (FE) analysis and surrogate response surface (RS) modelling technique. First, the in vivo denture–mucosa contact pressure was measured by a tactile electronic sensing sheet. Second, a 3D FE model was constructed based on the patient CT images. Third, a range of apparent Poisson’s ratios and the coefficients of friction from literature was considered as the design variables in a series of FE runs for constructing a RS surrogate model. Finally, the discrepancy between computed in silico and measured in vivo results was minimized to identify the best matching Poisson’s ratio and coefficient of friction. The established non-invasive methodology was demonstrated effective to identify such biomechanical parameters of oral mucosa and can be potentially used for determining the biomaterial properties of other soft biological tissues.     

Chromatographic determination of arylsulfatases A and B in human gastric mucosa]

In continuation of a previous work, we have confirmed the occurrence of arylsulfatase A in 4 samples of human gastric mucosa analysed by the chromatographic procedure described by Stevens et all. By using the chromatographic method we have also evidentiated the occurrence of arylsulfatase B, which was not detected by using the method of Baum et all. The B form was lower than the A form in 3 samples while it was higher in another sample. In the latter sample of gastric mucosa it was also detected the unusual form Bm of arylsulfatase. It was concluded that both forms A and B of arylsulfatase are present in human gastric mucosa, in variable amounts and that the simple procedure developed by Baum et all., although suitable for the analysis of these enzymes in the urine, is not useful for the determination of arylsulfate B in the gastric mucosa.     

Simultaneous quantification of nucleoproteins and comparison of methyl green-pyronin Y and Feulgen staining in sections of oral squamous cell carcinoma,dysplastic lesions and normal mucosa

A fundamental difference between normal cells and tumor cells is the proliferative activity of the nucleus and nucleolus, which increases progressively from normal to oral dysplastic mucosa to oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). This activity is evaluated routinely using hematoxylin and eosin (H & E) staining, but in some cases, inter-observer variability occurs among pathologists. We evaluated cellular proliferation by staining sections with the methyl green-pyronin Y procedure and the Feulgen reaction. We also compared the efficacy of methyl green-pyronin Y and Feulgen staining for studying nuclear and nucleolar features in oral dysplastic mucosa and in different grades of OSCC. Sections cut from formalin fixed, paraffin embedded blocks of five normal mucosa, 15 dysplastic mucosa, 10 well-differentiated OSCC, 10 moderately differentiated OSCC and five poorly differentiated OSCC cases were stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin, methyl green-pyronin Y and the Feulgen reaction. The mean diameters of the nuclei and number of nucleoli showed significant differences. A progressive increase in diameter of the nucleus and number of nucleoli was observed from normal mucosa through poorly differentiated OSCC. We observed that methyl green-pyronin Y stain is more useful than Feulgen and hematoxylin and eosin for simultaneous quantitative assessment of both RNA and DNA. The simplicity of this technique makes it a valuable tool even for daily routine examination.     

Effects of milrinone on left ventricular cardiac function during cooling in an intact animal model

A significant reduction in immunogenicity has been observed in some frozen-thawed tissues after cryopreservation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of programmed cryopreservation on immunogenicity of rabbit bladder mucosa and on the extent of immunological rejection caused by the allograft. This study would provide theoretical support for the application of allogenic frozen-thawed bladder mucosa in the treatment of urethral stricture. Forty-two adult male New Zealand rabbits were used in this study. The immunogenicity was detected by mixed lymphocyte reaction using the allograft of bladder mucosa (fresh and frozen-thawed) and spleen lymphocytes. Twelve urethral stricture models were established in New Zealand rabbits for substitution urethroplasty using the allograft of bladder mucosa, which were divided into fresh and frozen-thawed group. Two weeks after operation, lymphocyte proliferation was detected in both blood and spleen of recipient rabbits. At the same time, immunohistochemical staining of urethral allograft was performed and the expression of CD3, CD4 and CD8 were observed. The mRNA of bladder mucosa (fresh and frozen-thawed) was extracted and the expressions of RLA-I, RLA-II and RLA-III gene were detected by real-time PCR. By mixed lymphocyte reaction, we found that allogenic lymphocyte proliferation stimulated by frozen-thawed bladder epithelial cells was significantly weaker than that of the fresh cells. The blood and spleen lymphocytes from fresh bladder mucosa group showed significantly higher proliferation rate than frozen-thawed group. Compared with the fresh group, the expression of CD3+ and CD8+ T cells infiltrated in the operation locus of bladder mucosa urethroplasty was significantly decreased in the frozen-thawed group. However, the expressions of RLA genes did not change significantly after the freeze-thaw procedure. This study demonstrates for the first time that a programmed freeze-thaw procedure of rabbit bladder mucosa could reduce its immunogenicity in allogenic bladder mucosa urethroplasty and thus restrict the extent of immunological rejection, therefore, provides theoretical support for the application of frozen-thawed bladder mucosa in the treatment of urethral stricture.     

Laser blepharoplasty with transconjunctival orbicularis muscle/septum tightening and periocular skin resurfacing: a safe and advantageous technique

Carbon dioxide (CO2) laser blepharoplasty with orbicularis oculi muscle tightening and periorbital skin resurfacing is a safe procedure that produces excellent aesthetic results and diminishes the occurrence of complications associated with skin and muscle resection in the lower lid, particularly permanent scleral show and ectropion. The authors present a review of 196 cases of carbon dioxide laser blepharoplasty and periocular laser skin resurfacing performed at their center from April of 1994 to September of 1998. Of these cases, 113 patients underwent four-lid blepharoplasty, 59 underwent upper lid blepharoplasty only, and 24 underwent lower lid blepharoplasty only. Prophylactic lateral canthopexy was performed in 24 patients. Concomitant procedures (brow lift/rhytidectomy/rhinoplasty) were performed in 92 patients. The carbon dioxide laser blepharoplasty procedure resulted in no injuries to the globe, cornea, or eyelashes. Combined with laser tightening of the orbicularis oculi muscle and septum and periocular skin resurfacing, the transconjunctival approach to lower blepharoplasty preserves lower lid skin and muscle. Elimination of the traditional scalpel skin/muscle flap procedure results in a dramatically lower complication rate, particularly with regard to permanent ectropion and scleral show. Laser shrinkage of the orbicularis muscle and septum through the transconjunctival incision enables the correction of muscle aging changes such as orbicularis hypertrophy and malar festoons. The addition of periocular resurfacing enables the correction of skin aging changes of the eyelid that are not addressed by traditional scalpel blepharoplasty. In addition, lateral canthopexy constitutes an important adjunct to the laser blepharoplasty procedure for the correction of lower lid canthal laxity.     

Radiofrequency Ablation Of Typical Atrial Flutter Via Right Subclavian/jugular Vein Access In A Patient With Implanted Filter In The Inferior Vena Cava

Radiofrequency ablation of Cavotricuspid Isthmus-dependent Atrial Flutter (CTI AFL), a usual and safe therapeutic procedure in interventional electrophysiology with a high success rate, aiming to induce permanent block of conduction over CTI, is normally performed via the femoral access, which allows practical access to the CTI through the inferior vena cava (IVC). In rare cases of obstruction of IVC, ablation of CTI can be performed only through the superior vena cava (SVC) access. We present a case of typical atrial flutter that was ablated through the right subclavian/jugular veins because of iatrogenic obstruction of the IVC due to a previously implanted thrombus filter. Furthermore we discuss about how we resolved access-related problems of instability during catheter ablation on CTI.     

Environmental effects on lactation curves included in a test-day model genetic evaluation

A large number of environmental factors affect the daily milk production of a cow. Lactation curves included in the French test-day model are modelled as a function of days in milk with semi-parametric curves (splines). The proper modelling of environmental effects in the test-day analysis was investigated using test-day records collected from the first three lactations of French Montbéliarde cows from 1988 to 2005. Four lactation-curve effects describing calving month, length of dry period, age at calving and gestation defined within parity-class were fitted. The shape of lactation curves did not depend on year of calving, which can be modelled as a constant over the whole lactation. To reduce computational requirements and time, data were pre-adjusted in a first step for fixed effects with no year interaction, and then used for genetic evaluation. Correlations for each lactation between 305-day estimates of genetic and permanent environment effects computed using pre-adjustment factors obtained at a 4-year interval were virtually one. The use of a two-step procedure had a very limited impact on the estimates of genetic and permanent environment effects. The minimum correlations with values estimated with a one-step procedure were 0.9984 and 0.9974, respectively. The knowledge of systematic environmental effects affecting the cow daily yield through lactation curves offers interesting perspectives to predict future daily milk production.     

A Membrane Filter Mounting Method and Spore Stain for Saccharomyces

Sporulated yeast cells seeded on 5 × 10 mm rectangles of ultrathin Millipore membrane filter are stained through the membrane with Ziehl's carbol-fuchsins. This is followed by 0.1% aqueous ruthenium red which both destains and counterstains. The preparations are made permanent with a water mounting medium. By a modification of the procedure microcolonies can be grown on the membranes, stained, and permanently mounted.     

Papain reduces gastric acid secretion induced by histamine and other secretagogues in anesthetized rats

We studied the effect of papain on rats' gastric acid secretion and found that: 1. Feeding of latex of unripe papaya fruit significantly reduced gastric acid secretion induced by methacholine; 2. Feeding of crystalline papain in doses of 3.2 mg/kg reduced gastric acid secretion induced by histamine, methacholine and tetragastrin; 3. The reduction of gastric acid secretion was observed as early as 2 hours after papain feeding, lasted up to 48 hours, and waned within 96 hours; 4. Intraperitoneal injection of papain had no effect on acid secretion. These results led us to believe tha the effect of papain on gastric acid secretion is a local one acting directly on the gastric mucosa, and this local effect of a single dose of papain is reversible, causing no permanent damage to the mucosa.     

Trichosomoides nasalis (Nematoda: Trichinelloidea) in the murid host Arvicanthis niloticus: Migration to the epithelium of the nasal mucosa after intramuscular development

Knowledge of the biology of the trichinelloid subfamily Trichosomoidinae is poor. Trichosomoides nasalis is a common parasite of Arvicanthis niloticus (Muridae) in Senegal, and a procedure for experimental infections has been established. It has been demonstrated that larvae develop in striated muscle fibres, similar to Trichinella spp., but they are not arrested in the first stage, and they reach the adult stage within three weeks. In the present histological study it is shown that T. nasalis females and dwarf males migrate from the abdomen and thorax to the host’s muzzle, moving through connective tissues and between muscles. A few migrating specimens were also found in the blood vessels of the nasal mucosa. While sexes were still separated in the lamina propria of the mucosa, females recovered from the epithelium contained intra-uterine males. Worms were found between the incisors in the mucosa of the anterior and median conchae which are rich in mucous cells. Only the pseudostratified epithelium was parasitized. Under natural conditions, the inflammation of the nasal mucosa that is induced by the parasites might reduce the competitiveness of infected rodents when foraging or looking for potential mates.     

Intraoral wound closure with tissue-engineered mucosa: new perspectives for urethra reconstruction with buccal mucosa grafts

In urethra reconstruction, the creation of a new urethra from a free oral mucosa graft is an established surgical technique. The oral mucosa is removed at the same time that the urethra reconstruction procedure is performed. Depending on the size of graft required, the intraoral wound is closed primarily or left to heal secondarily. The latter method limits this technique by leading to scars or strictures, which have a negative impact on the condition of the intraoral soft tissue. Therefore, in this study, a pilot study involving 12 patients, tissue-engineered mucosa was tested for covering intraoral defects to avoid the drawbacks mentioned above. For mucosa tissue-graft engineering, a biopsy sample 2 to 4 mm in diameter was removed from the hard palate approximately 4 weeks before the urethra reconstruction procedure was to be performed. In addition, 30 ml of autogenous serum was extracted from a venous whole-blood sample. The primary cultures were incubated in Dulbecco modified Eagle's medium and nutrient factor F 12 (Gibco Co., Eggenstein, Germany), containing the usual additives and autogenous serum. After a period of 3 weeks, subcultivation was performed to engineer mucosa transplants consisting of several layers of keratinocytes on a support foil. After thorough intraoperative blood coagulation had occurred, the cultured mucosa graft on the carrier foil was applied on the wound surface and fixed by single sutures. Additionally, the cultured mucosa graft was covered for 8 to 10 days by an intraoral dressing, which was also fixed onto the wound surface by single suture loops. It is possible to perform primary intraoral wound closure with tissue-engineered mucosa to cover defect sizes as large as 11.0 x 4.0 cm. This new method provides a better prospect for both urethra reconstruction and the reconstruction of intraoral tissue defects. The number and size of intraoral scars and strictures are diminished. This is of special interest for the reconstruction of the functional unit oral cavity, including soft tissue and cosmetic conditions (e.g., in case of prosthetic rehabilitation). In comparison to primary wound closure with local tissue, the technique presented in this study reduces the severity of postoperative pain and allows faster rehabilitation in patients because of a better wound-healing process. Furthermore, better mobility of intraoral soft tissue structures is achieved.