The role of mast cells (MC) in the development of liver fibrosis during experimental hepatocarcinogenesis in rats has been studied light microscopically, histochemically and electron microscopically. An increase in the number of MC in the proliferated connective tissue was found. The histochemical examination showed that tht increased MC almost exclusively were connective tissue mast cells (CTMC), whilst mucosa mast cells (MMC) were only rarely seen. The electron microscopical observation revealed a close topographical relationship between MC and fibroblasts sending out pseudopodia, which encircled granula released from MC and phagocytized them. The fibroblasts with phagocytized MC granules were markedly activated showing enhanced formation of collagenous fibrils. Finally, the role of MC in the development of liver fibrosis is discussed.
This study was performed to investigate the pulmonary vascular reactivity during hypothermia. It was found that the pulmonary vessels were more sensitive to alveolar hypoxia in hypothermic dogs, and that hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV) was enhanced, which could be inhibited by α1-adrenoceptor blocker prazosin. The concentration of arterial plasma norepinephrine (NE) increased in dogs with hypothermia or in those with hypothermia plus hypoxia, but there was no significant difference between these two groups. The plasma level of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) Was reduced during hypoxia in hypothermie dogs. Increase in plasma 6-keto-PGF1α, which appeared in hypoxic dogs, was not observed during hypoxia in hypothermie dogs. These findings suggest that a potentiation in the sensitivity and reactivity of α-adrenoceptor in pulmonary vessels and a decrease in the modulation of PGI2 might be responsible for the enhancement of HPV. 5-HT seemed not to play a contributing role in the alteration of HPV.
The preventive effect of Radix Salciae Miltiorrhizae (RSM) on pulmonary hypertension (PHT) and right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH) induced by monocrotaline (MCT) in rats was observed with the methods of measuring the right ventricular systolic pressure (PVSP), the ratio of the right ventricle to the left ventricle plus interventricular septum RV/(LV+ S) and the pulmonary small artery morphological analysis. The results show that RSM can reduce the PHT, and prevent the RVH and the increase of the medial thickness of pulmonary small arteries. It can also prevent the endothelial cell injury produced by MCT. The pharmacological effects of RSM on pulmonary circulation were also discussed.
Before and after oral administration of sustained Ligustrazine, changes of hemorrheology and TXA2/PGI2 were evaluated in 16 patients with advanced chronic pulmonary heart disease. A decrease in whole blood and plasma viscosity, and reductions in hematocrit and fibrinogen were found after one course of treatment with sustained Ligustrazine. The mechanism of these effects may be related to improved modulation of imbalance of TXA2/PGI2 in patients with advanced chronic pulmonary heart disease.
Effects of Chinese Medicinal Preparation “Re Du Qing” (RDQ) on the activation, proliferation and membrane fluidity of T lymphocytes from human peripheral blood Were studied by means of3H-TdR incorporation and DPH fluorescence polarization. The results showed that “RDQ” can:1) significantly inhibit the activation of T lymphocytes; 2) restrain the proliferation of activated T lymphoblasts in the presence of exogenous interleukin-2 (IL-2); and 3) increase the membrane fluidity of T lymphocytes and antagonize the decreased fluidity of lymphocyte membrane mediated by Con A or PHA. The functional abnormalities of T lymphocytes in some autoimmune diseases such as arthritis and the usefulness of RDQ in the treatment of these diseases were also discussed.
In this experiment, we used morgrel dogs to study the effect of trauma on the neuro-endocrine and metabolic organs and the effects of hormones on metabolism by determining the levels of intracellular cAMP, cGMP and DNA. From the changes in intracellular nucleotides, we learned that many neuro-endocrine organs and the main metabolic organs are characteristic of predominance in α-adrenoreceptor after trauma, thereby leading to high blood sugar.
To elucidate the mechanism of immunologic abnormalities induced by surgical trauma, we measured interleukin 2 (IL-2) production and IL-2 receptor expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 16 patients with cholelithiasis. Compared with preoperative levels, IL-2 production and IL-2 receptor expression were significantly reduced on postoperative day 4, and the reduction was consistent with the suppression of lymphocyte proliferative response to phytohemagglutinin.
Sepsis remains a major risk in the high mortality and morbidity after surgery for obstructive jaundice. The reasons for the increased susceptibility to infection are unknown. This study examined interleukin 2 (IL-2) production and the lymphocyte response to PHA mitogen in 31 patients with obstructive jaundice. Among them, 18 patients were simultaneously investigated by enumeration of T lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood with APAAP technique.
The results showed that the patients had significantly decreased IL-2 production and lymhocyte response to PHA mitogen. The percentage of Leu 3a (helper/inducer T cell) in the patients was significantly lower than that in normal controls. Leu 3a/Leu 2a (suppressor/cytotoxic T cell) ratio was significantly lower in these patients.
The reduction of IL-2 production correlated significantly with the suppression of lymphocyte proliferation but not with the percentage of Leu 3a cells. From these results, it may be suggested that the reduction of IL-2 production in the patients with obstructive jaundice is an important reason for the suppression of T lymphocyte proliferative response, not merely a reflection of the decrease of helper T cells.
Upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage is one of the most important complications in portal hypertension secondary to schistosomiasis, Esophageal varices and gastric mucosal lesions are additional sources of bleeding. We studied the histologic and ultrastructural features of gastric mucosa in rabbits with chronic schistosomiasis (n = 10), with normal animals (n = 10) as controls. Our results confirm that in schistosomiasis, the gastric mucosa has characteristic functional and morphological features that may predispose it to the various damaging factors. Mucosal specimens reveal dilated submucosal vein with submucosal edema, ectasia of mucosal capillaries and venules. The mucosal vessels have conspicuous endothelial cells with prominent cytoplasm and numerous tiny projections extending into the vessel lumen. The submucosal venules show morphologic feature of arterialization. There are increased submucosal arteriovenous communications with a reduction in the effective mucosal blood flow. In addition, there are a number of eggs seen in the gastric mucosa of the rabbits with schistosomiasis. The granuloma may cause structural damage to the gastric mucosa. This finding suggests that schistosomiasis may play an important role in gastric lesions.
The authors have prepared the artificial bone of porous tricalcium phosphate ceramics according to an appropriate formula and manufacturing technology. Physical and chemical testing shows that it possesses several distinguishing features: the communicating pores and macro/micropores; mean pore size, 380 μm (from 240 μm to 510 μm); porosity, 46.4 %; and compressive strength, 97.4 kg/cm2. It consists of CaO (49.09 %) and P2O5 (48.84 %). The testing of its biocompatibility shows that it is devoid of systemic or local toxicity, and free of irritation or foreign body response in tissues, and it does not result in hemolysis or mutation. The new bone readily grows into its pores with direct contact to the implanted material. 11 cases of bone defects were treated with this artificial bone with satisfactory results.
The expression of surface antigens on both normal adult’s bone marrow and multipotential progenitor cells (CFU-Mix) was detected by use of ABC technique. The culture system of CFU-Mix was an ideal model for studying the differentiation direction of hematopoietic cells. The monoclonal antibodies (McAb) CD3, CD4, CD8specific for T-lymphocytic lineage, CD22 for B-lymphocytic lineage and CD11, CD13, CD14 for granulocytomonocytic lineage were all demonstrated in certain proportion in cultured CFU-Mix, which might be associated with the control of hematopoiesis. A decrease in the positive rate of OKT, and CD34 in cultured cells might be related to the differentiation of hematopoietic cells. SZ-2 and SZ-21 could contribute to the identification of the presence of megakaryocytes in CFU-Mix.
A new mode of jet ventilation, high frequency two-way jet ventilation (HFTJV) was devised and introduced to increase carbon dioxide elimination during jet ventilation. Its ventilatory efficiency and features were investigated and compared with those of high frequency jet ventilation (HFJV) in 10 patients with normal cardiopulmonary function. Random sample selection and randomized cross-over trial were used for comparison between HFTJV and HFJV at the same ventilatory settings of driving pressure 1 kg/cm2 (14.22 Psi), respiratory rate 100/min and I/E ratio 1:2. Peak inspiratory pressure (PIP), end-expiratory pressure (EEP) and main variables of air blood gas analysis (PaO2, PaCO2, pH) were measured and recorded during the use of HFJV and HFTJV. PIP and EEP were significantly lower than with HFTJV than with HFJV. EEP of HFTJV showed a slightly negative pressure (−0.17±0.03 kPa). PaCO2 with HFTJV was significantly lower than that with HFJV, but Pa2 and pH with HFTJV were significantly higher than those with HFJV. HFTJV was shown to have a ventilatory feature of decreasing airway pressure and simultaneously increasing carbon dioxide elimination, as compared with HFJV. Whether this ventilatory feature of HFTJV can be utilized for various respiratory support in patients with abnormal cardiopulmonary function needs to be further studied.
Echocardiographic estimates of left atrial pressure (LAP) using the Q-C/A2-E ratio were obtained from 40 patients and compared with directly recorded mean LAP and/or pulmonary wedge pressure (PWP).The best correlation was obtained between LAP and the Q-C/A2-E (γ=0.95,P<0.01); a good one between PWP and the Q-C/A2-E in normal and moderate pulmonary hypertension (γ = 0.82,P<0:01), but a poor one in severe pulmonary hypertension (γ = 0.61,P>0.05). Consequently, echocardiography provides a useful noninvasive method for the estimation of the LAP and PWP, particularly appropriate for children Intensive Care Unit.