Objective To evaluate the accuracy of different anatomic landmark methods in determining the size of nasopharyngeal airway.Methods Fifty-two patients of both sexes,aged 16-60 yr,of American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status Ⅰ to Ⅲ,with body mass index of 18-30 kg/m2,scheduled for elective awake craniotomy for supratentorial tumors under sedation-awake-sedation anesthesia,were included.For each patient,the distance from the apex of nose to the right tragus (NT),distance from apex of nose to the right mandibular angle (NM),and thyro-mental distance (TM) were measured and marked on a transnasal tube correspondingly.The patients were placed in supine position without pillow,topical anesthesia (nasal mucosal surface) was performed with 2％ lidocaine,and patients were sedated with midazo1am,propofol and dexmedetomidine.When Observer's Assessment of Alertness/Sedation Scale score was 2 or 3 points,the tube was transnasally inserted to each marked depth.When the three marked depths mentioned above were reached,the positions of the tube's tip were checked using a fiberoptic bronchoscope and recorded as:above epiglottis (the tip of the tube was placed between the epiglottis and the free edge of soft palate) or below epiglottis (the tip of the tube placed at or beyond the epiglottis).Results When the depth reached the NT mark,the tube's tip was above epiglottis in 14 cases (27％),and the tube's tip was below epiglottis in 38 cases (73％).When the depth reached the NM mark,the tube's tip was above epiglottis in 31 cases (60％),and the tube's tip was below epiglottis in 21 cases (40％).When the depth reached the TM mark,the tube's tip was above epiglottis in 52 cases (100％).Compared with the NM and NT methods,the TM method had a higher probability with the tube's tip above epiglottis when used to determine the depth of insertion (P＜0.01).Conclusion TM anatomic landmark method provides higher accuracy in determining the size of nasopharyngeal airway.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the protective effects and the potential mechanisms of vitamin E (VE) on benzo(a)pryene (B[a]P)-induced toxicity in the reproductive system of male rats. 
 METHODS: A total of 60 male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats, weighted 70-90 g, were randomly assigned to 6 groups: a control group, a vehicle group, a B[a]P group (5 mg/kg), a VE (10 mg/kg)+ B[a]P (5 mg/kg) group, a VE (50 mg/kg) + B[a]P (5 mg/kg) group and a VE (100 mg/kg)+B[a]P (5 mg/kg) group (n=10 per group). The rats were treated with B[a]P and/or VE once a day for 30 days via intragastric administration. The sperm quality and the levels of SOD, GSH-Px, 8-OHdG and MDA were detected, respectively. The testicular tissue morphology and DNA damage were observed by HE staining and comet assay.
 RESULTS: The sperm count, the rate of sperm deformation, the content of MDA and 8-OHdG were all significantly increased in single B[a]P-treated group in comparison to the control groups. The activities of SOD and GSH-Px were markedly decreased by B[a]P as compared with the control groups (P<0.05). The injury of testicular tissue in B[a]P-treated rats was remarkably improved after VE treatment. The levels of oxidative stress and DNA damage indicators in the B[a]P-treated group were all attenuated by VE. These protective effects of VE were in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05).
 CONCLUSION Vitamin E can protect the male SD rats against the B[a]P-induced reproductive toxicity.
Animals ; Benzo(a)pyrene ; toxicity ; DNA Damage ; Male ; Oxidative Stress ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spermatozoa ; drug effects ; Testis ; drug effects ; pathology ; Vitamin E ; pharmacology