Dexamethasone (Dex) was injected into the rat lateral ventricle and the changes of glutamate-imrnunoreactivity (Glu-IR) and γ-aminobulyric acid immunoreactivity (GABA-IR) neurons in the hippocampus were immunocytochemically examined 2 h after injection. The results showed that Glu-IR neurons increased and GABA-IR neurons did not show marked change. The mechanism remains to be further studied.

Antibodies against β₁-adrenoceptor can be detected in serum of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), which have β-agonist-like activity, and induce a positive chronotropic effect on cardiac myocytes by its persistence at full strength. Effects of the antibodies against β-adrenoceptor from sera of patients with DCM on myocardial cytotoxicity and cytoplasmic free Ca²⁺-concentration ([Ca²⁺]_i) were observed in the cultured single layer SD rat ventricular cells by using the cytotoxicity assay and fluorescent Ca²⁺- indicator fura-2/AM. The positive sera of the anti-β-adrenoceptor antibodies from patients with DCM markedly enhanced myocardial [Ca²⁺]_i. Betaloc, a β_i-receptor blocker, might inhibit the increase of the antibody-mediated myocardial [Ca²⁺]_i, and the sera from healthy donors had no effect on myocardial [Ca²⁺]_i. Our results suggest that the anti-β-adrenoceptor antibody might increase myocardial [Ca²⁺]_i and result in myocardial damage. The antibodies might activate receptor-gating [Ca²⁺]-channel, thereby causing myocardial [Ca²⁺]_i rise and calcium overload. Early use of betaloc is recommended in the treatment of dilated cardiomyopathy.

Sublethally irradiated mice were immediately treated with 250 mg/kg Ligustrazine Phosphiatis intraperitoneally twice a day for seven days, and the bone marrow sections of ulna were observed. On the 5th day, the number of bone marrow microvessels of the Ligustrazine group was much greater than that of the control group. On the 7th day, the amount of the control group decreased to normal, while the ligustrazine group was still increasing, and the microvessel area was enlarged obviously. The percentage of the hematopoietic tissue volume in bone marrow between the two groups had no significant difference in the first 7 days. On the 7th day after irradiation, the peripheral neutrophilic granulocytes increased in the Ligustrazine group. The results suggested that early use of Ligustrazine after acute radiation injury might improve the blood supply of bone marrow, and be helpful for recovery of hematopoiesis.

The myeloid leukemic cell line HL-60 was studied by using DNA gel electrophoresis, flow cytomery, McAb C-myc, MeAb Bcl-2 and CFU-L. From zero to 36 h, the apoptosis rates of 8 different phases and other indexes were observed. The results showed that with the prolonged time of drug incubation, apoptosis of HL-60 cells increased progressively. This effect can be enhanced obviously by rh-IL-3 and rh-GM-CSF. At the same time, the killed rate of leukemic cells by Ara-C induction was increased. C-myc expression was decreased and Bcl-2 expression did not display apparent change. Interestingly, the normal hemopoietic cells were not affected by these two kinds of cytokine. The theoretical basis was provided for concurrent use of rh-IL-3, rh-GM-CSF and cytotoxic drugs whose purpose is to elevate remission rate during the phase of induced remission of leukemia.

The immunoregulating effect of Interleukin-1-receptor antagonist (IL-lra) in lupus-like NZB/W F₁ mice was investigated to find possible approach to prevent lupus nephritis. 12 female NZB/W F₁ mice of 13 weeks were randomly divided into 2 groups. Each mouse in the treated group was intraperitoneally injected with IL-lra once every 2 weeks for 3 times at the dosage of 100 μg each time, while the control group was given injection of 0.1 ml normal saline. All the mice were killed at the age of 9 months and the immunologic function was examined. Results showed that this dosage could not completely prevent the development of lupus nephritis, but the renal damage was alleviated and the urine protein was decreased. Moreover, it could improve the immunofunction by significantly reducing the levels of serum IL-1 and obviously increase the activities of NK cells and IL-2 induced by ConA in mononuclear cells of spleen. There was no significant difference in the levels of serum IL-6 and TNF-α between the treated group and control group. It is concluded that IL-1ra has certain regulatory effect on the immunologic function of lupus-like NZB/W F₁ mice.

The redistribution of platelet membrane glycoprotein IV (GPIV) and the release of intracellular α-granule thrombospondin (TSP) were examined and the inhibition of β-thromboglobulin (β-TG) and platelet factor 4 (PF4) in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) was observed and quantitation of β-TG and PF4 in sera was conducted. GPIV in inactive platelet from CML was 36080± 17010 molecules/platelet as compared with 13190±4810 from the controls (P< 0.01). No abnormality was found in the distribution of platelet membrane GPI_b and GPII_b/III,(P> 0.05). The GPIV redistribution on active platelet membrane induced thrombin (IU/ml) from CML and healthy donors was 44320 ±32310 and 22800± 12700 molecules/platelet respectively (P< 0.01). The difference in the release of intracellular α-granule TSP between CML and the control group was not found (P> 0.05). There was no direct correlation between GPIV expression and TSP binding after platelet activation. The high levels of β-TG and PF4 in sera inhibited release of intracellular α-granule TSPin vitro. These results indicate that the abnormality of platelet membrane GPIV is a common marker in CML, therefore the specific increase of platelet GPIV in patients with CML may be a useful tool for the diagnosis and monitoring of the platelet dysfunction. The release of internal TSP pools is hindered by either β-TG or PF4 in sera.

The changes in the activities of constitutive nitric oxide (NO) synthase (cNOS) and inducible NOS (iNOS) were investigated in arterial tissues of CC1₄-induced cirrhotic adult SD rats. The aortic tissue homogenate were prepared in normal and cirrhotic rats. NOS activity was measured by conversion of³H-arginine to³H-citrulline. The activities of cNOS and iNOS were calculated in terms of presence or absence of Ca²⁺. The results showed that activities of total NOS, cNOS and iNOS in arterial tissues were all increased significantly in cirrhotic rats as compared with those in normal controls. There was a significant positive correlation between the activities of total NOS and cGMP content in cirrhotic arterial tissues.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), a sort of important enzymes involved in extracellular matrix metabolism, play critical roles in the process of tissues remodeling, wound healing and metastasis of tumors. Dot blot andin situ hybridization were used in this study to detect the expression and localization of MMP-9, an important proteolytic enzyme implicated in bone resorption, in bone tissues. The results showed that the level of MMP-9 mRNA expression in osteoporotic bone tissues was significantly higher than that in normal control group and the cell types that expressed MMP-9 mRNA included mono- and multi-nuclear osteoclasts and some lining cells on the surface of bone matrix. It was suggested that MMP-9 play a key role in the development of bone loss in osteoporosis.

The ear-xiphisternum distance (EXD, the distance from the low edge of the ear to the xiphisternal basis in supine position) was used as a reference value for esophageal catheter insertion. ECGs recorded in the esophagus with bipolar electrocardiography using standard limb lead (ESLL) and conventional unipolar lead (ECUL) were compared. 112 patients with sinus rhythm and 76 patients during paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) whose P-wave and QRS complex did not overlap were studied. The results suggested that in sinus rhythm the amplitude of the P-wave in ESLL was larger and the T-wave was smaller than in ECUL. During PSVT, the P-wave was much clear and higher in each lead of ESLL than that in ECUL. The ideal range of esophageal ECG recording was situated between the end of EXD and 6.5 cm proximal to it.

Direct effects of a high-dose aprotinin on the normally perfused hearts and the myocardial protection after ischemia and reperfusion were investigated in an isolated working rat heart model. In trial I, hearts had no ischemia and were perfused with either K-H solution or the K-H solution containing aprotinin (200 KIU/ml) for 55 min. No statistically significant difference was observed in hemodynamics betweem the two groups. In trialI, hearts were exposed to 150 min period of global ischemia at 15 C with 4 C multidose St. Thomas’I solution (STS). The control group I received normal K-H solution; the groupI was treated with the solution with aprotinin added. The groupI was similar to the group I and received the STS enriched with aprotinin. On reperfusion, the recovery of hearts in groupI was significantly better than those of the group I andI, as reflected by better hemodynamics and myocardial oxygen consumption, lower level myocardial enzymes, higher myocardial ATP levels and milder myocardial ultrastructural injury. There was no difference between the groupI andI. These results suggest that the aprotinin at a dose of 200 KIU/ml has no harmful effects on normally perfused hearts and has a marked myocardial protective effect on the prolonged myocardial ischemia when used in cold crystalloid cardioplegia.

In order to understand the relation between TXA₂- PGI₂ and secondary trauma and the effect of intra-arachnoid perfusion of dexamethasone and verapamil on alteration of TXA₂-PGI₂ following spinal cord injury, TXB₂ and 6-keto-PGF. concentration and pathological changes in injured site 1, 2, 4 and 6 h after injury were studied using a rabbit spinal cord injury model by Allen’s weight drop method.

The present experiment employed the immunohistochemical technique and morphological observation to investigate the expression and distribution of C₃, C₄, IgG, IgE and 5-HT in portal hypertensive pigs with pathological change of gastric mucosa and gastric parietal vessels. The wall of gastric mucosal microvessels in portal hypertensive pigs had a positive or strong positive reaction of C₃, C₄, IgG, IgE and 5-HT with obvious injury of gastric mucosa normal pigs imparted negative or feeble positive reaction, suggesting that during portal hypertension, the gastric mucosal micro-vessels has deposit of immunocomplexes resulting in the injury of the micro-vessels. It might be a factor involved in the pathogenesis of the gastric mucosal lesion during portal hypertension with cirrhosis.

By use of color Doppler Flow Imaging (CDFI), the morphologic and hemodynamic parameters such as the diameters of femoral and popliteal veins, blood flow velocity and the reflux of valve area were examined in lower extremity deep valvular incompetence (DVD and normal control groups. The purpose was to evaluate the value of CDFI in the diagnosis of DVI. The results demonstrated that the parameters between the two groups had a very significant difference (P< 0.001), indicating that the CDFI is non-invasive, cost-effective and safe and it might serve as a practical tool in the diagnosis of lower extremity deep valvular incompetence.

Effect of multiple respiratory gas monitoring (MRGM) on inspired concentration of oxygen in circuit system during closed anesthesia was studied in 51 adult patients scheduled for abdominal surgery. Required flow rate of fresh oxygen (OFR), inspired oxygen concentration (FiO₂) and oxygen saturation of pulse oximeter (SpO₂) were measured continuously. Patients were equally divided into three groups at random, group C (no MRGN used), group M₁ (using MRGM with its tail gas returned to circuit system), group M₂ (using MRGM without tail gas returned). The results revealed that during 180 min of closed anesthesia, OFR required in group C and M₁ were about 200 - 230 ml/min, and in group M₂ it was about 400 ml/min. In group C FiO₂ decreased by about 10 % after 60 min of closed anesthesia (P< 0. 01, 60 min vs 0 min) and then stayed stable at this level. In group M₁, FiO₂ decreased by 16 % at 60 min and 34 % at 180 min and the decrease was significantly greater than that in group C (P< 0.01).In group M₂, FiO₂ remained constant during closed anesthesia, which was much higher than those in group C and M₁. The tail gas of Capnomac Ultima MRGM contained less oxygen than its sample gas drawn from circuit system simultaneously.

The innervation of cholinergic efferent fibers in the vestibular endorgans of the rat was investigated using a modified preembedding immunostaining technique of immunoelectron microscopy. A monoclonal antibody to choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) was used as a marker of cholinergic fibers. It was found that there were four types of cholinergic innervation in the vestibular endorgans of the rat: (1) cholinergic nerve endings formed axo-dendritic synapses with afferent chalice surrounding the type I sensory hair cells; (2) cholinergic nerve endings formed axo-somatic synapses with type II hair cells; (3) cholinergic fibers synapse with afferent nerve fibers and (4) a synaptic contact developed between cholinergic nerve endings. The results demonstrated that a multiform innervation of the cholinergic efferents exists in the rat vestibular periphery.

An instrument used for quantitative assessment of trabecular structure of radius on radiograph including trabecular number and trabecular width was developed using a microdensitometer and a single-chip microcomputer. The device is characterized by its high sensitivity, good reproducibility, convenience and economy. The results obtained with the instrument were significantly correlated to actual bone mineral content. This device can be used for the diagnosis of osteoporosis. fluorosis. rickets and bone damages caused by cadmium.