Objective To invesigate the value of contrast-enhanced spiral CT scan in diagnosing renal pelvic carcinoma.Methods All 35 cases with renal pelvic carcinoma confirmed by surgical pathology underwent plain and contrast-enhanced (including 4 phases) spiral CT scans before operation.CT data were reviewed retrospectively in comparison with surgical and patholgical results.Results CT findings of renal carcinoma could be classified into 3 types:type Ⅰ,the lesions limited within the renal pelvis in 25 cases;thype Ⅱ,the lesions were out of the renal pelvis and had indefinable margins with the renal parenchyma in 6 cases;type Ⅲ ,only showed the pelvic wall thickened with hydronephrosis in 4 cases.On contrast-enhanced CT scan,inhomogeneous enhancement of the lesions was presented in cortical phase,the intensity of enhancement was not obviously changed in 13 cases in parenchymal and excretion phases,but the lesions were still hypointense in comparison with renal parenchyma,14 cases demonstrated inhomogeneous enhancement of the lesions in delayed phase.Conclusion Contrast-enhanced spiral CT scanning is valuable in diagnosing renal pelvic carcinoma and renal delayed phase should be emphasized.

Objective To evaluate the detection rate and the efficiency of the modified crushing-cercariae escaping method.Methods The detection rates of the modified crushing-cercariae escaping method and the crushing methods were compared by using a double-blind control experiment with the latter as a gold standard.meanwhile the number of the cercariae was quantified.The efficiency of the two methods aforementioned and the cereariae escaping method were compared in field.Results The detection rate of the modified crushing-cercariae escaping method was 100%.the average number of cercariae in each infected snail was (4 778±1 157);and the number in certain volume of water sample was positively correlated with the number of infected snails.The efficiency of the modified menthed Was 18.2 times and 17.3 times as high as those of the crushing method and cereariae escaping method,respectively.Conclusions The modified crushing-cercariae escaping method Can detect the infected snails quicky and Can quantify the number of infected snails and cercariae,and is suitable for the detection of infected snails in large number.

Objective To understand the key risk factors of schistosomiasis transmission in Jingzhou City,so as to provide the evidence for improving the treatment of these risk factors. Methods Each village of six counties was investigated and 3 envi-ronments were surveyed each village for the distribution of Oncomelania snails and animal stools in the field. The results were ana-lyzed and the risk factors of schistosomiasis transmission were assessed. Results The density of living snails was 0.43 snails per 0.1 m2,the frequency of the frames with snails was 9.12%,and no schistosome infected snails were found. All of the animal stools collected from the field were from bovines. The schistosome positive rate of animal stools was 37.50%(3/8)among the environ-ments,and the schistosome infection rate of stools was 8.11%(3/37). The schistosome infection rate of animal stools was 0 near the residence living sites,and the positive rates were 12.50%and 8.33%in the ditches and slopes,respectively(χ2=0.07,P>0.05). Conclusions Bovine is still the main infectious source of schistosomiasis,i.e. the main risk factor of the disease transmis-sion. Therefore,the strategy of controlling bovine should be strengthened.

Considerable attention has been directed toward studying the impact of diabetes on the central nervous system. The current study investigates the biochemical changes in the brain tissue of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rat using 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P MRS). The 31P NMR spectra of the whole brain show no significant changes of phosphomonoesters and phosphodiesters levels one week after STZ induction, suggesting no apparent structural changes in cell membranes. The results identifies the increased level of adenosine diphosphate, negligible changes of phosphocreatine ( PCr ) and adenosine triphosphate ( ATP) , but the decreased ratio of PCr/ATP, indicating that PCr plays a role of balancing the energy. Moreover, the decreased pH value indicates the changes of the intracellular environment in STZ-diabetic brains in rats. After 15 weeks of STZ injection, the metabolism of phospholipid membrane and brain energy metabolism has been obviously disturbed. Our study successfully shows that 31 P MRS can not only study phospholipid and energy metabolism non-invasively, but also measure intracellular pH and other important biochemical information. All of these spectroscopic characterizations contribute significantly to the understanding of pathogenesis and evolution of diabetes, and provide theoretical basis for early diagnosis and clinical treatment in diabetes.

Objective To assess the number of peripheral blood Th17 cells and mRNA expressions of IL-17A and IL-23R and their correlations with disease severity in patients with psoriasis vulgaris (PV).Methods Tissue specimens were resected from the lesions of 25 patients with PV and normal skin of 10 human controls,and venous blood samples were obtained from 20 of the patients and all of the normal human controls.Reverse transcription PCR and flow cytometry were carried out to measure the mRNA levels of IL-17A and IL-23R in these tissue specimens and quantify the number of peripheral blood CD4+IL-17+ T lymphocytes.Psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) was calculated for these patients.Results A significant increase was observed in the IL-17A and IL-23R mRNA levels in the patients compared with the controls (0.996 ± 0.231vs.0.437 ± 0.096,t =10.572,P ＜ 0.05; 1.006 ± 0.339 vs.0.491 ± 0.196,t =6.015,P ＜ 0.05).The levels of both IL-17A mRNA and IL-23R mRNA were positively correlated with PASI (r,=0.67,0.70,respectively,both P ＜ 0.05).The number of CD4+IL-1 7+ T lymphocytes in peripheral blood showed no significant differences between the patients and controls.No statistical correlation was observed between the counts of CD4+IL-17+ T lymphocytes and expression levels of IL-17A or IL-23R mRNA in psoriatic lesions.Conclusions In patients with PV,there is an increase in the expressions of IL-17A and IL-23R mRNA in lesions,which are correlated with disease severity,while no significant change is observed in the number of peripheral blood CD4+IL-17+ T cells.

Objectives To investigate the occipital cortex metabolite alterations in repetitive and severe neonatal hypoglycemia rats treated with sodium pyruvate and to reveal the protective role of sodium pyruvate using high resolution 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.Methods Thirty-six 2-dayold Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into hypoglycemia group and pyruvate group with 18 rats in each group.Rats in both groups received intraperitoneal injections of insulin (40 U/kg body weight) at 2,4 and 6 days of age to induce severe hypoglycemia (blood glucose value ≤ 1.4 mmol/L).In the hypoglycemia group,2.5 hours after insulin injection,intraperitoneal injection of 50％ glucose (2 ml/kg) was administered to terminate hypoglycemia,while in the pyruvate group,50％ glucose (2 ml/kg) and sodium pyruvate solution 2.5 ml/kg (500 mg/kg) were injected.Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling assay was used to observe the status of injured neurons in six neonatal rats,and metabolite changes in occipital cortex of the other 12 rats were detected by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.The difference between the two groups was compared by independent-samples t test.Results Neonatal rats of both groups reached severe hypoglycemia level 2.5 hours after insulin injection.Compared with hypoglycemia group,pyruvate group had fewer injured neurons (45±5 vs 113 ± 12,t=0.782,P=0.013) and lower injured index in the occipital cortex (0.15 ± 0.03 vs 0.36 ± 0.06,t=l.143,P=0.020).Pyruvate group showed significant decreases in the concentration of taurine [(13.31 ± 2.06) vs (18.44 ± 3.86) mol/kg,t=8.231],glutamine[(1.50 ± 0.24) vs (2.02 ± 0.40) mol/kg,t=3.137],glutamate[(7.04 ± 0.95) vs (9.40 ± 1.73) mol/kg,t=6.449],aspartate[(1.51 ± 0.28) vs (2.15 ± 0.58) mol/kg,t=2.561] and creatine [(6.37±0.99) vs (8.46± 1.77) mol/kg,t =4.226] in the occipital cortex (all P'＜0.017).Conclusions Simultaneous use of glucose and sodium pyruvate to terminate hypoglycemia in repetitive and severe neonatal hypoglycemia rats can effectively alleviate severe hypoglycemia-induced occipital lobe damage via regulating excitatory amino acid neurotransmitters,energy metabolism and other metabolic pathways.