Objective To describe the characteristics of the criss-cross heart with comprehensively segmental echocardiographic scanning in order to explore the diagnostic value of the echocardiography.Methods Ten cases of criss-cross heart were retrospectively reviewed with 2-dimensional,color Doppler echocardiography to summarize the main diagnostic methods.Results The right ventricle was located superiorly and the left ventricle inferiorly in 9 patients and paralleled alignment in 1.The solitus situs was observed in 9 patients and dextrocardia in 1;the atrioventricular connections were concordant in 8 patients and discordant in 2.Echocardiography revealed that 5 patients presented with transposition of great artery and 5 with double outlet of right ventricle as well as all with ventricular septum defect.Conclusions Clear visualization is available with echocardiography to show the crossing inflow streams at the level of atrial-ventricular valve,abnormal alignment of the ventricular septum as well as the associated abnormalities.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of different concentrations of nylestriol (NYL) and levonorgestrel (LNG) on the expression of ERα and ERβ in human osteoscarcoma MG-63 cell lines, and to explore the impact of paracrine effect on the gene expression. METHODS: MG-63 cells were treated with 3 concentrations (10(-10),10(-8), and 10(-6) mol/L) of NYL or LNG. The untreated control group and the positive control group were also established. The 2 groups treated with NYL (10(-10) mol/L) or LNG (10(-8) mol/L) were designed to renew the medium every 12 h. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR was conducted to detect the mRNA expression of ERα and ERβ on the MG-63 cells treated with different concentrations of the 2 drugs, respectively. RESULTS: Both drugs up-regulated ERα and ERβ mRNA expression. The best concentration for both NYL and LNG was 10(-6) mol/L for ERα expression. As for ERβ, the best concentration of NYL and LNG was 10(-10) mol/L and 10(-8) mol/L. The role of medium replacement on the expression of ERα was not observed, but medium replacement inhibited ERβ expression. CONCLUSION Both NYL and LNG can up-regulate the mRNA expression of ER subtypes in MG-63 cells, with mutual restriction between the 2 subtypes. The paracrine effect on MG-63 cell lines may be involved in the regulation process of mRNA expression of ERβ.
Cell Line, Tumor ; Estrogen Receptor alpha ; genetics ; metabolism ; Estrogen Receptor beta ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Levonorgestrel ; pharmacology ; Osteosarcoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Quinestrol ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism