Cerebral Infarction ; etiology ; Dextrocardia ; etiology ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Spleen ; abnormalities ; Syndrome

To reduce the problems of poor solubility, high in vivo dosage requirement, and weak targeting ability of paclitaxel (PTX), a hyaluronic acid-octadecylamine (HA-ODA)-modified nano-structured lipid carrier (HA-NLC) was constructed. HA-ODA conjugates were synthesized by an amide reaction between HA and ODA. The hydrophobic chain of HA-ODA can be embedded in the lipid core of the NLC to obtain HA-NLC. The HA-NLC displayed strong internalization in cluster determinant 44 (CD44) highly expressed MCF-7 cells, and endocytosis mediated by the CD44 receptor was involved. The HA-NLC had an encapsulation efficiency of PTX of 72.0%. The cytotoxicity of the PTX-loaded nanoparticle HA-NLC/PTX in MCF-7 cells was much stronger than that of the commercial preparation Taxol®. In vivo, the HA-NLC exhibited strong tumor targeting ability. The distribution of the NLCs to the liver and spleen was reduced after HA modification, while more nanoparticles were aggregated to the tumor site. Our results suggest that HA-NLC has excellent properties as a nano drug carrier and potential for in vivo targeting.

BACKGROUNDWriter's cramp is a type of task specific idiopathic focal dystonia and has an incompletely understood pathophysiology. The present study utilized functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate what type of brain activity correlates with writer's cramp and its physiological mechanism.

METHODSTen patients with writer's cramp were age and gender matched with ten healthy control subjects in a block design. Subjects were scanned by fMRI while performing three consecutive, visually instructive, tasks with MR Vision 2000: (1) suppositional writing, (2) writing with finger and (3) writing with a pencil. Data was analysed using AFNI software for groups of patients and controls.

RESULTSThe patients with writer's cramp showed significant activations of contralateral basal ganglion (especially the putamen), motor cortex (primary sensorimotor cortex, supplementary motor cortex, premotor cortex) and ipsilateral cerebellar hemisphere in writing with a pencil compared with controls; whereas there was no obvious difference between patients and controls during writing with finger. Furthermore, these differences exist in the subtractive activated maps for "writing with a pencil" minus "writing with finger" of patients, when the activation of subcortical area and insula in controls disappeared.

CONCLUSIONSAbnormal activations of contralateral basal ganglion, motor cortex and ipsilateral cerebellar hemisphere of the patients with writer's cramp suggest dysfunction of basal ganglion and subcortical-cortical loop might play a pathophysiological role in writer's cramp.

Adult ; Aged ; Basal Ganglia ; physiopathology ; Brain ; physiopathology ; Cerebral Cortex ; physiopathology ; Dystonic Disorders ; physiopathology ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Positron-Emission Tomography

Conservative treatment with high doses of progestin is an alternative to standard hysterectomy for young patients with early-stage endometrial adenocarcinoma who desire to preserve their fertility. Here we report a patient with well-differentiated early-stage endometrial adenocarcinoma and poor fertility potential who failed to become pregnant in two in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer cycles and suffered a relapse after conservative treatment. This case illustrates that assessment of fertility potential is critical at the time of initial evaluation and conservative treatment planning for patients with endometrial adenocarcinoma.
Adenocarcinoma ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Adult ; Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal ; Endometrial Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Female ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; therapeutic use ; Gonadotropins ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Infertility ; Pregnancy ; Progesterone ; therapeutic use ; Reproductive Techniques, Assisted

Objective To explore the relationship between detective time for serum cardiac troponin I(cTnI) and their positive rate in diagnosis of viral myocarditis(VM).Methods Twenty-one cases of VM were designed as the test group.The serum cTnI were dynamically detected and compared with the normal control group.Results The serum cTnI were all negative in the normal control group,of 6 cases(28.6%) in the test group were positive when admission,of 7 cases(33.3%),8 cases(38.1%),9 cases(42.9%),13 cases(61.9%) and 4 cases(19%) were positive 6,12,18,24,48,72 h and 10 to 14 days laters respectively.There were statistic significances,compared the accumulative total positive rate of 48 h and 72 h after hospitalization with of emission and of 10 to 14 days after hospitalization,respectively.Conclusion Monitoring serum cTnI dynamically may increase the positive rate of cTnI for the suspected patients.

OBJECTIVETo explore the differences in brain activation between musicians and non-musicians by use of functional MRI.

METHODSTwelve right-handed musicians and twelve right-handed non-musicians were recruited in the study. During a listening task, they were scanned on the Sigma 1.5T scanner (GE) while they were passively listening to several segments of music of "the Butterfly Love" and the white noise with same physical energy.

RESULTBoth musicians and non-musicians demonstrated bilateral transverse gyrus weak activated while listening to the white noise. But when listening to music, they showed bilateral temporal areas strongly activated including superior temporal gyrus, transverse gyrus and some middle temporal areas. Moreover, musicians showed relative left dominance (10/12), whereas non-musicians demonstrated right dominance(11/12). Furthermore,besides bilateral temporal areas, more and stronger activated areas were found in musicians such as cuneus, precuneus,medial frontal and left middle occipital gyrus.

CONCLUSIONThere are different neuro-patterns between musicians and non-musicians.

Adult ; Brain ; anatomy & histology ; physiology ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Music ; Temporal Lobe ; physiology

BACKGROUNDFrozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) is the most common way to prevent serious late ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and increase the cumulative pregnancy rate. We evaluated the effectiveness of an FET program for improving the embryo implantation and clinical pregnancy rates, and ultimate embryo utilization rate in infertility treatment.

METHODSPatients undergoing in vitro fertilisation (IVF) cycles from January 2006 to June 2008 were enrolled, including 179 patients who had undergone the first FET cycle after controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) in which all embryos were frozen (group C1) and 1306 patients who had COH with fresh embryo transfer (ET) (group T1). Logistic regression was used to model the embryo implantation and clinical pregnancy rates based on the mother's age, numbers of oocytes retrieved, embryos transferred and high-quality embryos transferred. The embryo implantation and clinical pregnancy rates were also compared between two groups after adjusting for age, the numbers of oocytes retrieved and the numbers of embryos transferred.

RESULTSLogistic regression analysis confirmed that embryo implantation and clinical pregnancy rates in group C1 were both significantly higher than those in group T1 after adjusting for confounding factors (43.6% vs 29.0%, 63.1% vs 47.0%, respectively; P < 0.01). The embryo implantation and clinical pregnancy rates were consistently higher in group C1 by comparing the age groups >or= 35 or < 35 years. The clinical pregnancy rates for the numbers of oocytes retrieved per cycle being >or= 15 or < 15 were higher in group C1, as was the embryo implantation rate. These differences were statistically significant for oocyte numbers >or= 15 (P < 0.05). The embryo implantation and clinical pregnancy rates in group C1 were both significantly higher than in group T1 when two or three embryos were transferred (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONA program of freezing all embryos and performing FET improved the rates of embryo implantation and clinical pregnancy, and ultimately enhanced the embryo utilization rate.

Adult ; Cryopreservation ; methods ; Embryo Transfer ; methods ; Female ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Humans ; Infertility, Female ; therapy ; Logistic Models ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

BACKGROUNDOvarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is one of the most life-threatening complications of assisted reproduction treatments. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonists (GnRHanta) are thought to be effective in preventing this complication, and some clinical trials have found lower incidences of OHSS in patients treated with GnRHanta. Our aim was to investigate the effects of GnRHanta on vascular permeability and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors in a rat model of OHSS.

METHODSAn immature early OHSS rat model was established. Three ovarian stimulation protocols were used: pregnant mare serum gonadotropin/human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) alone, with a GnRHanta, or with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa). Blood and tissue samples were collected at 48 hours after hCG administration. Vascular permeability was evaluated by measuring the Evans-Blue content of extravasated peritoneal fluids. The expression of VEGF and its receptors, including flt-1 and KDR, were detected by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting.

RESULTSTreatment with both a GnRHanta and a GnRHa resulted in significant reductions in serum estradiol and peritoneal vascular permeability, as well as decreased ovarian expression of VEGF and its two receptors. However, GnRHanta treatment caused a greater reduction in serum estradiol concentrations, and in VEGF receptor mRNA expression than GnRHa. There were no significant reductions in the expression of VEGF or its receptors in extra-ovarian tissues, including the liver, lungs and peritoneum.

CONCLUSIONOur results reveal that GnRHanta are more potent than GnRHa in preventing early OHSS through down-regulation of the expression of VEGF and its receptors in hyperstimulated ovaries.

Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Chorionic Gonadotropin ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Gene Expression ; drug effects ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; analogs & derivatives ; antagonists & inhibitors ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor ; genetics ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate how transient low dose of hydroperoxide pretreatment prevents cardiac ischemia/reperfusion injury.

METHODSSD rats were divided into 4 groups: sham operation (Sham), standard ischemia/reperfusion (I/R), ischemic preconditioning (IPC) and IR preceded by low H2O2 treatment. Cardiac function and injury parameter were compared among groups.

RESULTSIPC protected reperfusion injury and improved cardiac function. Low H2O2 treatment played a role in cardioprotection similar to IPC. Low H2O2 was indeed generated in the early phase of simulated ischemia and attenuated cytochrome c release induced by high Ca2+ in isolated mitochondria.

CONCLUSIONLow H2O2 plays a critical role in cardioprotection probably by inhibiting mitochondrial permeability transition.

Animals ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; administration & dosage ; Ischemic Preconditioning ; methods ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury ; prevention & control

OBJECTIVETo study the chemical constituents of Ervatamia hainanensis.

METHODThe compounds were separated and purified by column chromatography with silica gel, and identified by IR, MS, NMR and 2D-NMR.

RESULTFive compounds were identified as I (isolariciresinol 9-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside), II (cycloartenol), III (beta-amyrin acetate), IV (beta-sitosterol), V (daucosterol), respectively.

CONCLUSIONAll the compounds were isolated from this plant for the first time.

Apocynaceae ; chemistry ; Glucosides ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Oleanolic Acid ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Phytosterols ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Sitosterols ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Triterpenes