The gold standard evaluation criteria of radiotherapeutic effect at the present time is the three-level classification of X-ray barium meal.However,this method has certain limitations.Morphological changes in esophagus wall and metastases after radiotherapy can be observed on computed tomography scanning.A positron emission tomography scan is a sensitive imaging test to observe the metabolic activity in pathologic cells and tissues.And diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging could provide the esophageal tumor necrosis information after radiotherapy by observing the changes of water molecular diffusion.With the development of medical imaging techniques,using various means in a comprehensive way to evaluate radiotherapeutic effect for esophageal carcinoma patients may become a trend.

Objective To evaluate the agreement between contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging and histopathology in rabbit model of abdominal aortic atherosclerosis (AS)in early and development period.Methods Twenty-four healthy Japanese white rabbits were randomly divided into three groups:control group,hypercholesterolemic diet group for 8 weeks and 16 weeks (each for 8 rabbits).Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography for abdominal aorta was performed using sonicated perfluorocarbon albumin contrast agent.Imaging characteristics of abdominal aorta plaque of rabbits were monitored by two-dimensional mode,ultrasound visual grades were analyzed quantitatively before and after injection of contrast agent.Histopathologic changes were observed by HE staining.Results Contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging allowed early detection of AS and showed gradual progression of atherosclerosis over time.After contrast agent injected,intimal indentification and plaques checking-out ratio were improved.The ultrasound visual grades were increased after contrast imaging in hypercholesterolemic diet group for 8 weeks [(2.26± 0.27)vs.(1.79 ±0.25)] and 16 weeks [(3.54 ±0.43) vs.(3.20 ±0.25)] (all P＜0.05).The plaque detection rate was improved after contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging than before angiography in hypercholesterolemic diet group for 8 weeks [77.8％ (7/9) vs.55.6％ (5/9)] and 16 weeks [88.2％ (15/17) vs.70.6％ (12/17)](P ＞ 0.05).The imaging of ultrasound agreed well with pathological examination results.Conclusions Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography can effectively improve intimal and plaque imaging,and increase the detection accuracy of early and progressive pathology.

Aim To evaluate the effect of expression inhibition of spermine oxidase(SMO)on the actitumor activity of polyamine analogue CPENSpm (N~1-cyclopropylmethyl-N~(11)-ethylnorspermine).Methods siRNA technique was used to inhibit expression of SMO in human lung cancer line A549.QT-RT-PCR and enzyme activity assay was performed to determine the expression level of SMO.The cell proliferation was detected by MTT assay.The apoptosis of A549 cells were evaluated by DNA degradation and Sub-G_1/flow cytometry assay.Results The A549 cell line with silenced SMO expression was successfully obtained.Basic SMO mRNA and enzyme activity levels in the SMO-siRNA plasmid transfected cells were 0.53% and 14% lower than that in the control cells respectively. Treating A549 control cells by 10 μmol·L~(-1) CPENSpm for 24 hours resulted in a 10-folds up-regulation of SMO in mRNA level and 20-fold increase in enzyme activity,but this drug-induced SMO expression was obviously prevented in SMO-siRNA plasmid transfected cells.MTT assay demonstrated that SMO expression inhibition decreased the sensitivity of A549 cells to CPENSpm exposure(0～20 μmol·L~(-1)).DNA degradation and sub-G_1 assay proved a deceased ability of CPENSpm to induce apoptosis in SMO-siRNA plasmid transfected cells.Conclusion Up-regulation of SMO by CPENSpm is possibly one of the molecular basics for its antitumor activity.

No abstract available.
Encephalitis, Tick-Borne* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin M*

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a kind of mental disorder that usually occurs after life-threatening and strong mental traumas .Clinical studies showed that the PTSD patients are 3 times more likely to have can-nabis as compared with the healthy people .The use of cannabinoids has a close relationship with the occurrence and clini-cal manifestations of PTSD .Experimental studies revealed that endocannabinoid ( eCB) signal alterations in animal models of PTSD influenced fear memory of the animals , suggesting a close correlation between the eCB system and the pathogenesis of PTSD.Given that the eCB system was reported to regulate affective states and participate in memory consolidation , re-trieval and extinction , targeting the eCB system may improve the emotional and cognitive features of PTSD , thereby holding out great promise for the development of novel approaches for clinical treatment of PTSD .

AIM:To study the effect of intestinal endotoxemia(IETM) on hepatic energy metabolism in acute liver failure. METHODS:Intoxication by thioacetamide (TAA) was used to establish rat model of acute liver injury.Ketone body(acetoacetate and ?-hydroxybutyrate) in arterial blood and ATP content of hepatocellular mitochondria were determined by using enzymatic fluorimetric micromethod.Colectomy was adopted in observing the changes in plasma endotoxin content and serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity. RESULTS:In the TAA group,plasma endotoxin content and serum ALT activity were all significantly higher than those in the control group(P

Progestagen-associated endometrial protein (PAEP) gene mainly expresses in the secretory phase endometrium and decidua in early trimester of pregnancy.In recent years,it is reported that PAEP is abnormally expressed in many kinds of tumors,such as breast cancer,endometrial carcinoma,ovary cancer,stomach cancer and melanoma.PAEP gene plays an important role in tumorigenesis and tumor development.The application of PAEP gene as an indicator for clinical diagnosis,prognostic and therapy needs further studies on the influence of PAEP gene on tumor biological behaviour.

Objective To explore the differences of intelligence ，ability of social adaptation and behavior problems between patients of benign epilepsy childhood and those of normal controls .Methods Sixty children of benign epilepsy were investigated. Results The intelligence of children showed no significant differences between two groups ( P＞0.05), while the rate of ability of social adaptation among the children of benign epilepsy patients was less than that of nomal controls （P<0.01) . There were no significant differences in the total rate of behavior problems between two groups except that some factors were different . Conclusions We should create methods to enhance the ability of social adaptation in order to avoid the abnormal behavior when the children patients of benign epilepsy are treated by drugs.

Objective To explore application of case management for hypertension in the elderly.Methods In total, 106 elderly patients with hypertension treated at outpatient and inpatient departments of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xian Jiaotong University were recruited during January to October 2007, and divided randomly into two groups, one with conventional management and the other with case management.Patients with conventional treatment accepted routine diagnostic and therapeutic procedures and were followed-up passively, and patients with case management accepted integrated therapy and active interview provided by a team with a cardiovascular specialist as core, were followed-up actively and their medical records were kept in files. Percentage of the patients with blood pressure lowered to meet criteria of effectiveness and their improvement in depression and anxiety status and quality of life were evaluated two years after management for the two groups. Results Percentage of patients with their blood pressure lowered to meet effective criteria increased significantly in both of the groups, from 32. 8% to 67.5% in patients with conventional management and from 33.7% to 83.4% in those with case management ( P = 0. 007 ),respectively. Scores of self-rating anxiety scale ( SAS) and self-rating depression scale (SDS) decreased in patients of the both groups, from 57 ± 10 and 56 ± 11 before management to 40 ±9 and 48 ± 10 after it,respectively in patients of conventional management ( P = 0. 032 ), and from 56 ± 10 and 57 ± 10 before management to 35 ±9 and 40 ± 9 after it ( P = 0. 008 ), respectively in those with case management; and scores of quality of life improved in patients of the two group, from 65 ± 13 before management to 85 ± 14 after it in those with conventional management, and from 64 ± 13 before management to 98 ± 14 after it in those with case management ( P = 0.017 ), respectively. Conclusions Case management is better for chronic diseases and recommended in management for the elderly with hypertension, which can improve their targets of blood pressure lowering, decrease their scores of SAS and SDS and improve their quality of life,with an integrated, in-depth, continuous management.

ObjectiveTo explore the characteristics of neuro-electrophysiology and clinical value in patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome.MethedsWe performed retrospective analysis of the clinical date of 46 patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome in our hospital.Hughes grades and neuro-electrophysiological measure including motor conduction velocity (MCV),complex muscle action potential (CMAP),sensory conduction velocity (SCV) and F wave,were investigated as the related factors with the prognosis of GBS.Results The rate of abnormal F wave was higher than the rate of abnormal MCV.The rate of abnormal SCV was lower than the rate of abnormal F wave and MCV( P ＜0.05).The prognosis of the acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP) group was superior to the acute motor axonal neuropathy (AMAN) group,and there had significant difference( P ＜0.05).ConclusionsThe neuro-electrophysiological investigation is an important way to diagnose the GBS.F wave is a sensitive and specify index in the early diagnosis of GBS.The neuro-electrophysiological observation of MCV and CMAP may be served as cues for diagnosis,determination of the subtype and evaluation of the treatment effect in GBS.