Venography in the evaluation of the results of surgical treatment of varicocele in children]

The paper is concerned with analysis of the results of intraoperative phlebotesticulography, performed in 50 patients with varicocele of degree I-II during Ivanissevich's operation. The effect of surgical intervention was shown to depend upon the quality of ligation of the testicular vein, some parts of which are anastomosed between themselves. The localization of this anastomosis is revealed by means of intraoperative phlebotesticulography, which permits increasing the results of surgical treatment and predicting a course of a postoperative period.     

Selection of HLA compatible donors for patients with HLA antibodies

A strain of 1,507 typised donors enables 15.97 average donors to be selected for a thrombocyte transfusion in one of 75 patients selected at random with HLA antibodies being previously determined (1 to 66 donors per patient). HLA compatible donors were found for 72 patients (97.33 per cent). More than 5 HLA compatible donors could be found for 58 patients. The high number of compatible donors is based on the fact that among 1,507 donors there were 156 HLA homozygotes and 556 donors with 3 HLA-A or B-antigens respectively. Compatibility in the ABO-system was not taken into account.     

Water and ions in a high resolution structure of B-DNA.

A detailed picture of hydration and counterion location in the B-DNA duplex d(GCGAATTCG) is presented. Detailed data have been obtained by single crystal x-ray diffraction at atomic resolution (0.89 A) in the presence of Mg(2+). The latter is the highest resolution ever obtained for a B-DNA oligonucleotide. Minor groove hydration is compared with that found in the Na(+) and Ca(2+) crystal forms of the related dodecamer d(CGCGAATTCGCG). High resolution data (1.45 A) of the Ca(2+) form obtained in our laboratory are used for that purpose. The central GAATTC has a very stable hydration spine identical in all cases, independent of duplex length and crystallization conditions (counterions, space group). However, the organization of the water molecules (tertiary and quaternary layers) associated with the central spine vary in each case.     

Massive deformation of the scrotal wall by idiopathic calcinosis of the scrotum

Idiopathic calcinosis of the scrotum is a rare disease that may cause massive deformation of the scrotal wall. The first patient we present was also known to have neurofibromatosis. In the second patient we describe, nodules of idiopathic calcinosis of the scrotum were seen with walls that evidenced no epithelial lining, as well as calcification in epithelial cysts. At present, the only possible treatment is excision, and we excised the afflicted skin without problems in primary wound closure.     

Computational and Experimental Investigation of the Antimicrobial Peptide Cecropin XJ and its Ligands as the Impact Factors of Antibacterial Activity

Cecropin XJ, as a heat stable antimicrobial peptide (AMP), displayed broad bacteriostatic activities, effectively inhibited proliferation of cancer cells and induced cell apoptosis in vitro. However, it exhibited little hemolytic activity and very low cytotoxicity to erythrocytes and normal cells. Although exerts multiple remarkable bioactivities, the refined molecular conformation of native Cecropin XJ remains unsolved. The aim of the present study is to comprehensively investigate the physicochemical characteristics and structure-function relationship of this antimicrobial peptide by using a series of bioinformatics and experimental approaches. In this study, we revealed that the mature Cecropin XJ consists of 41 amino acids, containing two α-helical structures from Lys⁷ to Lys²⁵ and from Ala²⁹ to Ile³⁹. The phylogenetic tree indicated that Cecropin XJ belongs to the Class I AMPs of cecropin family. Hydrophobic analysis showed Cecropin XJ is a typical amphiphilic molecule. The surface of Cecropin XJ was found to have a much wide range of electrostatic potential from ?83.243 to +83.243. The amphipathicity and surface potential of Cecropin XJ partially supported the AMP pore-forming hypothesis. Scanning electron microscopy experimentally confirmed the damages of Cecropin XJ to microbial membrane. Four predicted docking sites respectively for magnesium ion (Mg²⁺), adenosine diphosphate (ADP), bacteriopheophytin (BPH), and guanosine triphosphate (GTP) were found on the surface of Cecropin XJ. Thereinto, Mg²⁺ was experimentally proved to suppress the antibacterial activity of Cecropin XJ; both GTP and ADP enhanced the bactericidal activities to varying degrees. The present study provides a foundation for further investigation of molecular evolution, structural modification, and functional mechanisms of Cecropin XJ.     

Regulation of voltage-gated Ca channels by lipids

Great skepticism has surrounded the question of whether modulation of voltage-gated Ca²⁺ channels (VGCCs) by the polyunsaturated free fatty acid arachidonic acid (AA) has any physiological basis. Here we synthesize findings from studies of both native and recombinant channels where micromolar concentrations of AA consistently inhibit both native and recombinant activity by stabilizing VGCCs in one or more closed states. Structural requirements for these inhibitory actions include a chain length of at least 18 carbons and multiple double bonds located near the fatty acid's carboxy terminus. Acting at a second site, AA increases the rate of VGCC activation kinetics, and in Ca_V2.2 channels, increases current amplitude. We present evidence that phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP₂), a palmitoylated accessory subunit (β_2a) of VGCCs and AA appear to have overlapping sites of action giving rise to complex channel behavior. Their actions converge in a physiologically relevant manner during muscarinic modulation of VGCCs. We speculate that M₁ muscarinic receptors may stimulate multiple lipases to break down the PIP₂ associated with VGCCs and leave PIP₂'s freed fatty acid tails bound to the channels to confer modulation. This unexpectedly simple scheme gives rise to unanticipated predictions and redirects thinking about lipid regulation of VGCCs.     

Measurement of 7-dehydrocholesterol and cholesterol in hair can be used in the diagnosis of Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome

7-dehydrocholesterol (7-DHC) and cholesterol (CHOL) are biomarkers of Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome (SLOS), a congenital autosomal recessive disorder characterized by elevated 7-DHC level in patients. Hair samples have been shown to have great diagnostic and research value, which has long been neglected in the SLOS field. In this study, we sought to investigate the feasibility of using hair for SLOS diagnosis. In the presence of antioxidants (2,6-ditert-butyl-4-methylphenol and triphenylphosphine), hair samples were completely pulverized and extracted by micro-pulverized extraction in alkaline solution or in n-hexane. After microwave-assisted derivatization with N,O-Bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide, the analytes were measured by GC-MS. We found that the limits of determination for 7-DHC and CHOL were 10 ng/mg and 8 ng/mg, respectively. In addition, good linearity was obtained in the range of 50–4000 ng/mg and 30–6000 ng/mg for 7-DHC and CHOL, respectively, which fully meets the requirement for SLOS diagnosis and related research. Finally, by applying the proposed method to real hair samples collected from 14 healthy infants and two suspected SLOS patients, we confirmed the feasibility of hair analysis as a diagnostic tool for SLOS. In conclusion, we present an optimized and validated analytical method for the simultaneous determination of two SLOS biomarkers using human hair.