Objective To explore the risk factors of surgical treatment for children’ s tethered cord syndrome. Methods Retrospective-ly analyzed the clinical data of 43 tethered cord syndrome children who had undergone surgical treatment from January 2007 to December 2009,and to evaluate the efficacy of the surgical treatment. Meanwhile,The Cox proportional hazards regression model was adopted to evaluate the surgical efficacy. Results 28 children received effctive curative effect after the surgical treatment in 43children with tethered cord syn-drome,the total effective rate was 65. 12%. Cox medol showed that tight filum terminale(P<0. 05), operation methods (P<0. 05)and the duration of the disease(P<0. 05)were independent risk factors of surgical treatment for children’s tethered cord syndrome. Conclusion The operativeefficacy of children’ s tethered cord syndrome were influence by the tight filum terminale,operation methods and the duration of the disease.

OBJECTIVESTo measure continuously the urine beta-FSH excretion in the patients with male hypogonadism, and to evaluate the significance of urine beta-FSH when used in the clinical practice and pathophysiological study on male hypogonadism.

METHODSFour health male volunteers (aged 19, 22, 27 and 33 years), four patients with the hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (aged 17, 17, 19 and 24 years) and five patients with idiopathy hypogonadism (hypergonadotropic, aged 16, 16, 17, 20 and 22 years) were asked to collect their morning-first urine samples for 30 to 32 days. One normal men collected his urine samples for 63 days. The urine beta-FSH was assayed with the method of EIA, then corrected by creatinine (Cr) concentration.

RESULTSThe urine beta-FSH level of normal men was (1.16 +/- 0.20) micrograms/mg Cr, with the peak variation in their curves, peak level at 2.76 micrograms/mg Cr. The levels of urine beta-FSH of 4 patients with the hypogonadotropic hypogonadism were lower significantly than those of normal men [(0.58 +/- 0.31) (0.93 +/- 0.47) (0.47 +/- 0.33) and (0.60 +/- 0.40) micrograms/mg Cr], without fluctuation in their curves. beta-FSH levels of 5 patients with idiopathy hypogonadism were higher significantly [(3.02 +/- 0.93), (4.36 +/- 1.12), (4.79 +/- 0.78), (4.64 +/- 1.42) and (3.88 +/- 1.42) micrograms/mg Cr], with irregular fluctuation, the highest peak level at 6.83 micrograms/mg Cr. The second sexual characteristics of hypogonadal patients were poor and serum testosterone levels low.

CONCLUSIONSThe urine beta-FSH level raised with irregular fluctuation in patients with idiopathy hypogonadism, while lowed without any fluctuation in patients with the hypogonadism. These findings suggested that the urine beta-FSH excretion was useful for the clinically classified diagnoses and pathophysiological study on male hypogonadism, and for observing the treatment reaction of androgen replacement.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone, beta Subunit ; urine ; Humans ; Hypogonadism ; metabolism ; urine ; Luteinizing Hormone ; urine ; Male ; Testosterone ; urine

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of the degree of muscle relaxation on motor-evoked potential elicited by transcranial electrical stimulation in patients undergoing spine surgery.

METHODSSixty ASA I or II patients undergoing spine surgery were randomly divided into 5 groups (n=12). After an initial intubation, continuous cisatracurium infusion was administered with continuous monitoring of T1. The infusion dose was adjusted according muscle relaxation monitoring, and different muscle relaxation degrees were maintained in the 5 groups. The band and latency of D1 in motor-evoked potential was observed with also subjective assessment of the muscle relaxation.

RESULTSSignificant differences in the band and latency were noted in groups I and II compared with the reference values, but not in groups III, IV and V. Subjective assessment revealed significant differences between groups IV and V and groups I and III in terms of the number of cases with poor muscle relaxation.

CONCLUSIONT1 value between 10% and 15% is sufficient for MEP monitoring and allows the maintenance of good muscle relaxation during spine surgery.

Atracurium ; therapeutic use ; Electric Stimulation ; Evoked Potentials, Motor ; Humans ; Monitoring, Intraoperative ; Muscle Relaxation ; Neuromuscular Nondepolarizing Agents ; therapeutic use ; Orthopedic Procedures ; methods ; Spine ; surgery

AIMTo improve the biological activity of A-ring modified analogues of camptothecin.

METHODSA-ring modified camptothecins were synthesized from 10-hydroxycamptothecin or 7-ethyl-10-hydroxycamptothecin (SN-38) in three or four steps. Their cytotoxicity was evaluated using MTY assay, and their in vivo antitumnor activity against mouse liver cancer H22 was tested. Results Five hexacyclic camptothecins (6a, 6b, 6c, 7a and 7b) are target compounds, and ten camptothecin derivatives are new compounds.

CONCLUSIONThe modification of a 1,4-oxazine-2-one ring fused with positions 9 and 10 of A-ring will reduce the antitumor activity of camptothecins.

Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents ; chemical synthesis ; pharmacology ; Camptothecin ; analogs & derivatives ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; drug effects ; Female ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Mice ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Polycyclic Compounds ; chemical synthesis ; pharmacology

Male hypogonadism is a group of syndromes in clinic andrology characterized by complete or partial androgen deficiency. It can be divided into primary and secondary hypogonadism. Besides the etiological treatment, androgen replacement therapy should be adopted in all patients of primary hypogonadism and patients of secondary hypogonadism who do not have the need of having a child. For patient's benefits, androgen should be used and selected properly as there are so many androgen preparation at present.
Androgens ; administration & dosage ; deficiency ; therapeutic use ; Hormone Replacement Therapy ; Humans ; Hypogonadism ; drug therapy ; Male

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of rosiglitazone on the expression of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) and coupling factor 6 (CF6) induced by tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC).

METHODSCultured HUVEC of passage 3-5 were stimulated with TNF-alpha and then cultured in the presence of rosiglitazone. The expression of CF6 and NF-kappaB subunit p65 were evaluated by immunocytochemistical method.

RESULTSPretreatment of HUVECs with rosiglitazone inhibited TNF-alpha-induced expression of CF6 in a dose-dependent manner. The activation of CF6 stimulated by TNF-alpha was suppressed by ROS in a dose-dependent manner.

CONCLUSIONTNF-alpha-induced enhancement of the gene expression and release of CF6 is mediated by activation of NF-kappaB signaling pathway. ROS can inhibit the activation of IKK, block NF-kappaB signaling pathway and inhibit the expression of CF6, which may be the mechanism underlying the action of TZDs on hypertension.

Cells, Cultured ; Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Humans ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; pharmacology ; Immunohistochemistry ; Mitochondrial Proton-Translocating ATPases ; biosynthesis ; NF-kappa B ; biosynthesis ; Oxidative Phosphorylation Coupling Factors ; biosynthesis ; Thiazolidinediones ; pharmacology ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; pharmacology ; Umbilical Veins ; cytology

Objective To screen Oxalobacter formigenes (OxF) from fresh feces of healthy adults,and study its effect on the the prevention of calcium oxalate kidney stones.Methods OxF was screened and cultured from fresh feces of healthy adults.The rat model of calcium oxalate stone was established by esophageal gavage of 0.8％ of ethylene glycol.Rats were divided into a control group and four groups of rats with ethylene glycol-induced calcium oxalate kidney stones according to random number table.Three groups were treated with 106 CFU,107 CFU,108 CFU viable OxF every day,respectively,for 4 weeks.The blood and 24-hour urine samples were collected to detect the serum creatinine,urea nitrogen,serum and urine calcium,phosphorus,magnesium and urine oxalate every week.At the end of the 4th week,the rats were sacrificed and the kidney tissues were stained with HE and Yasue.The deposition and content of calcium oxalate crystals were observed under a light microscope.Results The bacteria strain isolated from fresh feces of healthy adults was 100％ as same as the known ATCC35274 bacteria strain,which means the strain screened is OxF.Among the 5 groups,there were no significant differences in body weight,Scr,BUN,serum calcium,blood magnesium,blood phosphorus,urinary magnesium and urinary phosphorus.The 24-hour urinary calcium excretion in the model group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P ＜ 0.05).After intervention with OxF solution,the 24-hour urinary calcium excretion in the 108 CFU OxF group was significantly higher than that in the model group (P ＜ 0.05),while there was no significant difference between the other intervention groups and the model.The oxalic acid excretion of 106 CFU OxF group and 107 CFU OxF group was lower than that of the model,but the difference did not reach statistical significance (P＞ 0.05).The 24 h oxalic acid excretion in the 108 CFU OxF group was significantly lower than that of the model at the end of first week (P ＜ 0.05),and continued to decrease for the next 3 weeks.After 4 weeks of intervention,no crystal formation was observed in the control group under the deflection microscope,but a large amount of calcium oxalate crystals were formed in the renal cortex and renal medulla.The crystals were piled up and connected to each other.Yasue staining coincided with the calcium oxalate crystal in the same part of the kidneys.Compared with the model,there was no significant change in the score of calcium oxalate crystal in the kidneys of 106 CFU OxF group and 107 CFU OxF group,while the score of calcium oxalate crystal in the kidneys of 108 CFU OxF group was significantly lower (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions OxF are successively screened from healthy adults.Daily administration of 108 CFU OxF can safely and effectively reduce the urinary oxalic acid excretion,prevent the formation of calcium oxalate crystals and inhibit the formation of stones in kidneys of rats.

Objective To establish a liquid chromatography -mass spectrometry ( LC-MS/MS) method for the analysis of platelet-activa-ting factor C-18(PAF C-18)and its acetylhydrolase in human plasma. Methods A convenient extraction procedure using trichloromethane, methanol and water as the extract solvent was used.The separation was carried out on Agilent XDB C -18 analytical column.Mobile phase A consisted of methanol -ammonium acetate(1 mmol? L-1 )-acetonitrile ( 57 ∶23 ∶20 ) , and mobile phase B was methanol containing 1 mmol? L-1 ammonium acetate.Gradient elution was used.The speci-ficity, linearity and limit of quantification, precision and recovery, ma-trix effect and stability were assessed.Results The assay was reproduci-ble within the linearity range from 0.5-25.0 ng? mL-1 ( r=0.998 4 ) . The relative standard deviation( RSD) of intra-day precision were below 10%, with recovery rate ranged from 67.0% to 82.1% and the matrix effect ranged from 115.3%to 116.9%.PAF C-18 was fully degraded over 90 min at room temperature.Conclusion This method provides a sensitive, special and convenient approach for the clinical analysis of PAF C-18, as well as the indirect measurement of PAF-acetylhydrolase activity by analyzing the concentration decrease of an exogenous PAF.

OBJECTIVESTo investigate the effect of administration of MPA with/without TU on serum sexual hormones and spermatogenesis of male rats.

METHODSTwenty rats had been classified into four groups. Each group received injection of saline(group A) or MPA(37.5 or 75 mg/kg) (group B or group C, respectively) or MPA (75 mg/kg) + TU (25 mg/kg) (group D) every month during three months. Data from serum sexual hormones (FSH, LH, T), sperm counting and motility had been collected and analysed.

RESULTSSpermatogenesis of rats undergoing administration of MPA with or without TU had been suppressed. Serum FSH and LH of group B, C, D declined, and so did serum T of group D. Testis of rats of group D atrophied and sperm counting of group D decreased remarkably compared with group B and C. But there was no statistics difference of the sexual hormone level among group B, C and D.

CONCLUSIONSAdministration of MPA alone could suppress the levels of FSH and LH and block the spermatogenesis of male rats. MPA combined with TU could offer stronger suppression on spermatogenesis. Mechanism of the suppression on spermatogenesis of MPA + TU is not only limited in the feed-back of gonadotropin, but there maybe exist a direct suppression on testis.

Animals ; Body Weight ; drug effects ; Drug Interactions ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; metabolism ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones ; blood ; Luteinizing Hormone ; metabolism ; Male ; Medroxyprogesterone Acetate ; pharmacology ; Organ Size ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spermatogenesis ; drug effects ; Testosterone ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo identify the role of 5alpha-reductase in the spermatogenesis of male rats by studying the effect of two 5alpha-reductase inhibitors, Epristeride and Finasteride, on the spermatogenesis in male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats.

METHODSChanges in the weight of the testis, serum testosterone and dihydrotestosterone levels, epididymal sperm count, and reproductive function were observed and analyzed after the two 5alpha-reductase inhibitors were administered to male SD rats orally.

RESULTSThe experiment showed that in comparison with control animals, both the two 5alpha-reductase inhibitors: 1. suppressed the development of the prostate and reduced the weight of the testis in the experimental groups (P < 0.05); 2. decreased the serum level of dihydrotestosterone and enhanced testosterone; 3. inhibited epididymal sperm count and productive function.

CONCLUSIONHigh dosages of the 5alpha-reductase inhibitor, Epristeride, can suppress the development of the prostate and reduce the weight of the testis, decrease dihydrotestosterone, and inhibit spermatogenesis and productive function in male rats.

5-alpha Reductase Inhibitors ; Androstadienes ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Finasteride ; pharmacology ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spermatogenesis ; drug effects