Anisodamine (654-2) was administered to rabbits with acute experimental serum sickness (AESS) to study the immunomodulatory effects of 654-2 on AESS. The results suggested that 654-2 may decrease the serum specific antibody and immune complex (IC), inhibit the activity of serum cathepsin D (Cath-D), make the level of complemnts in narrow change, and improved the renal injury.

The immunopharmacological effects of anisodamine(654-2)on immune complexnephritis were examined in rabbits with acute experimental serum sickness(AESS).The results showed that activities of renal calmodulin(CaM)and cathepsin D(Cath-D)were significantly high.654-2 could inhibit CaM activity and immune complex-induced lysosomal enzyme release,and lessen immune complex glomerulonephritis at thesame time.Our findings suggest that a marked inhibition of CaM activity by 654-2 mi-ght contribute greatly to the improvement of immune complex glomerulonephritis.

Objective To investigate the expression of adiponectin Mrna in adipose tissues of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and the effects of Fosinopril (Fos) and osartan (Los) on adiponectin Mrna.Methods Twenty 22 - week old male SHR rats were randomly divided into four groups:SHR group,Fos group,and Fus + Los group.Five 22 - week old male WKY rats were used as control.The body weigh,cuff-tail blood pressure,urinary microprotein and urinary N-acetyl-β-D-glucesaminidase were determined.RT-PCR were applied to determine the expression of adiponectin Mrna in adipose tissues.Results At the eighth week,systolic blood pressure of rats in SHR group was significantly higher than those in the other four groups (P＜0.05).The levels of urinary microprotein,urinary NAGase in the WKY group,Fos group,Los group and Fos + Los group were significantly lower than those in SHR group(P＜0.05).RT-PCR analysis revealed that the expression of adiponectin Mrna in SHR group was obviously decreased,compared with WKY goup.Adiponectin Mrna expression in Los group,Fos group and Fos + Los group were increased compared with SHR group(P＜0.05).Conclusions The expression of adiponeetin Mrna is down-regulated in adipose tissues of SHR.After intervention with Fusinopril and Losartan,the adiponectin Mrna expression was up-regulated in adipose tissues of SHR,the levels of urinary microprotein and urinary NAGase were obviously increased in SHR and the levels of urinary microprotein and urinary NAGase were obviously decreased.

Objective To evaluate and analyze the degree of correlation between the bispectral index (BIS) and COMFORT behavior scale (COMFORT B scale) and to explore the usability of BIS in assessing the level of sedation for young infants from 6 months to 2 years old after surgical repairs of congenital heart disease.Methods A prospective observational study was designed to involve 50 young infants to assess their postoperative sedation depth.Two investigators evaluated the level of sedation simultaneously and independently by using BIS and COMFORT B scale at each fixed observational points.A total of 375 data sets were gathered by observations.Correlations between BIS value and COMFORT B scale were determined by using Spearman rank correlation test and prediction probability to evaluate the accuracy of the performance of BIS on various sedation depths.Results BIS values in correspondence with different level of sedation,which was divided into oversedation,adequate sedation,undersedation according to COMFORT B scale,were 57.0 ±11.0,69.9 ± 7.6 and 84.4 ± 9.0.There was a moderate correlation between BIS values aad COMFORT B scale ( rs =0.63,P ＜0.000 1 ).The Spearman correlation between BIS and COMFORT B was rs =0.66 and rs =0.59 for the age groups 6 months ～ 1 year old and 1 ～ 2 years old,respectively ( P ＜0.000 1 ).Prediction probability value which indicated BIS can correctly predict various levels of sedation was 0.85 ( P ＜0.000 1 ).Contusion BIS is an accurate and valid objective parameter to assess the level of sedation for young infants from 6 months to 2 years old.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC) in magnetic resonance diffusion weighted imaging with echo-planar technique in depicting the tumor cellularity and grading of astrocytoma.

METHODSThirty-four astrocytoma patients including 18 male and 16 female with age from 10 to 73 years (mean 38.4 years) were examined by MRI and eventually proved by surgical resection and pathological examination. Of them, 26 had low-grade (grade I, II) astrocytoma and 8 high-grade (grade III, IV) astrocytoma. ADC value of astrocytoma was determined on magnetic resonance diffusion weighted images. Cellularity of the astrocytoma was analyzed using Adobe Photoshop 7.0.1 software.

RESULTSThe mean ADC value (in units of 10(-4) mm(2)/s) of the high-grade astrocytomas (7.34 +/- 2.95) was significantly lower than that of the low-grade astrocytomas (13.76 +/- 3.31) (t = 4.91, P < 0.001). The mean cellularity of the high-grade astrocytomas (19.81 +/- 9.73)% was significantly higher than that of the low-grade astrocytomas (4.74 +/- 2.96)% (t = 4.32, P = 0.003). ADC value of the astrocytoma was significantly and negatively correlated with its cellularity (r = -0.535, P = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONADC value of astrocytoma is significantly and negatively correlated with its cellularity. Magnetic resonance diffusion weighted imaging may well be highly potential in predicting the degree of astrocytoma.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Astrocytoma ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Brain Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Cell Count ; Child ; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Female ; Glioblastoma ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Male ; Middle Aged