原发性肝癌:CT血液供应、P53抗体和血管内皮生长因子

目的:分析原发性肝癌(primary hepatic carcinoma,简称肝癌)血液供应(blood supply,简称血供)CT类型与患者血清P53抗体、血管内皮生长因子(vascular endothelial growth factor,VEGF)的关系,以及血清P53抗体与VEGF的相关性.方法:用酶联免疫吸附法定量检测首诊肝癌患者血清P53抗体和VEGF,与CT诊断的血供类型结果进行对比,分析不同血供类型的肝癌是否存在血清P53抗体差异(单因素分析),并分析不同血供类型的肝癌血清VEGF是否存在差异(单因素分析),然后分析血清P53抗体和VEGF之间的相关性.结果:四种不同血供类型的肝癌之间血清P53抗体滴度有差异(P<0.05).值得注意的是,富血供型与混合型之间、动-静脉漏型(AVS)与混合型之间血清P53抗体有显著差异(P<0.05),富血供型与AVS型之间血清P53抗体没有显著差异(P>0.05).不同血供类型的肝癌中,富血供型和混合型血清P53抗体与VEGF呈正相关(P<0.05),而AVS型和乏血供型中,血清P53抗体与VEGF不呈直线相关(P>0.05).结论:血清P53抗体和血清VEGF滴度在血供不同肝癌中滴度有差异,在富血供型和混合型中血清P53抗体与VEGF滴度呈正相关.     

Genetic differentiation among the Maculinea species (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) in eastern Central Europe

The present study aimed to analyse the level of genetic variation in the eastern Central European (Slovenia, Hungary, and Romania/Transylvania) populations of the Large Blues ( Maculinea ) to analyse the pattern of differentiation both between and within the species. One objective was to compare the level of differentiation between the two disputed species ( Maculinea alcon and Maculinea rebeli ) with that among the other species. Imagos were collected from 23 localities in eastern Central Europe in 2002. Enzyme polymorphism was analysed using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Fourteen enzyme loci were studied in all samples. In the analysis of the data, F -statistics and Nei's genetic distances were calculated and a dendrogram (unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean) was constructed on the basis of the distance matrix. A multivariate analysis of variance was performed to study the pattern of genetic differentiation among the samples. Principal component analysis analysis was also carried out using the allele frequency data of the samples. Our results indicated that the large blues are generally less polymorphic than other European lycaenid butterflies studied. At the same time, the level of genetic differentiation was high, even among local populations within the species. A low level of genetic variation within the populations coupled with strong differentiation among them implies the effect of genetic drift. Strong genetic differentiation of four Maculinea species ( M. alcon , Maculinea teleius, Maculinea nausithous , and Maculinea arion ) was confirmed. Significant differentiation was not found between M. alcon and M. rebeli .  © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2007, 91 , 11–21.     

Effects of Ca2+ and Temperature on K+ Content Distribution along Roots of Wheat, Rice and Cucumber

The effects of Ca²⁺ and temperature on the K⁺ contents of root segments of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Aurora), rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Dunghan Shali) and cucumber (Cucumis sativus L. cv. Csemege Fürtös) were investigated with special regard to the low-temperature anomaly of the K⁺ uptake of thermophilic plants. The anomaly occurred in those root segments where the K⁺ contents turned out to be highest. The K⁺ contents of the apical root sections of thermophilic species responded in general to Ca²⁺ in more pronounced ways than those of wheat, at both 0 and 25°C. The concerted actions of a purely physical process with negative temperature coefficient and of the special thermotropic properties of the membranes are suggested to be responsible for the low-temperature anomaly. A strict discrimination between the Viets-effect on the content (classical Viets-effect) and on the uptake is proposed. The classical Viets-effect seems to be related to alterations in both active transport and exchange processes.     

Disparities in Health Care Delivery and Hospital Outcomes between Non-Saudis and Saudi Nationals Presenting with Acute Coronary Syndromes in Saudi Arabia

Background

Saudi Arabia has a non-Saudi workers population. We investigated the differences and similarities of expatriate non-Saudi patients (NS) and Saudi nationals (SN) presenting with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) with respect to therapies and clinical outcomes.

Methods

The study evaluated 2031 of the 5055 ACS patients enrolled in the Saudi Project for Assessment of Acute Coronary Syndrome (SPACE) from 2005 to 2007. Propensity score matching and logistic regression analysis were performed to account for major imbalances in age and sex in the two groups.

Results

The mean patient age was 56.2±9.8, and 83.5% of the study cohort were male. SN were more likely to have risk factors of atherosclerosis. ST-elevation MI (STEMI) was the most common ACS presentation in NS, while non-ST ACS was more common in SN. The median symptom-to-door time was significantly greater in NS patients (Median 175 min (197) vs. 130 min (167), p=0.027). The only difference in pharmacological therapies between the two groups was that NS were more likely to receive fibrinolytic therapy. NS were less likely than SN to undergo percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI; 32.6% vs. 42.8%, p=0.0001) or primary PCI (7.8% vs. 22.8%, p<0.001). Hospital mortality, cardiogenic shock, and heart failure were significantly higher in NS compared to SN. After adjusting for baseline variables and therapies, the odds ratios for hospital mortality and cardiogenic shock in NS were 2.9 (95% CI 1.5–6.2, p=0.004) and 2.8 (95% CI 1.5–4.9, p<0.001), respectively.

Conclusion

Our findings indicate disparities in hospital care between NS and SN ACS patients. NS patients had worse hospital outcomes, which may reflect unequal health coverage and access-to-care issues.     

alphavbeta3- and alpha5beta1-integrin blockade inhibits myogenic constriction of skeletal muscle resistance arterioles

In isolated resistance arterioles with spontaneous tone, ligation of alpha4beta1- and alpha5beta1-integrins induces vasoconstriction whereas ligation of alphavbeta3-integrin induces vasodilation. However, whether integrins directly participate in myogenic constriction to pressure elevation is not known. To answer this question, isolated rat skeletal muscle arterioles were exposed to step increments in pressure in the absence or presence of peptides and function-blocking antibodies known to bind alpha4beta1-, alpha5beta1-, or alphavbeta3-integrins while vessel diameter was continually monitored. Myogenic constriction, as assessed by the ability of isolated arterioles to reduce their diameter in response to two consecutive increments in intraluminal pressure (90-110 and 110-130 cmH2O), was not affected by treatment with any of the control peptides (RAD, LEV), a control antibody (anti-rat major histocompatibility complex), an alpha4beta1-integrin-binding peptide (LDV), or an anti-alpha4-integrin antibody. In contrast, alpha5beta1-integrin blockade with either anti-alpha5- or anti-beta1-integrin antibody caused a significant inhibition of myogenic constriction. Also, both RGD peptide and anti-beta3-integrin antibody inhibited myogenic constriction. These results indicate that alpha5beta1- and alphavbeta3-integrins are necessary for myogenic constriction and further suggest that integrins are part of the mechanosensory apparatus responsible for the ability of vascular smooth muscle cells to detect and/or respond to changes in intraluminal pressure.     

Carbon monoxide prevents hepatic mitochondrial membrane permeabilization

Background  

Low concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO) protect hepatocytes against apoptosis and confers cytoprotection in several models of liver. Mitochondria are key organelles in cell death control via their membrane permeabilization and the release of pro-apoptotic factors.     

Synaptosome Antisera affect Permeability of Synaptosomal Membranes <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro</Emphasis>

ANTISERA against specific regions of the brain can specifically influence the electrical activity of those regions^1,2. It is possible that these immunological techniques may be used to determine the role of specific chemical components in brain function.