OBJECTIVETo discuss the role of gadolinium chloride (GdCl(3)) in lung injury associated with acute necrotizing pancreatitis (ANP).

METHODSExperimental animals were randomized into five groups (n = 18 for each group): normal control group, ANP group, GdCl(3) pretreatment group, ANP GdCl(3) pretreatment group, ANP GdCl(3) treatment group. Rat ANP model was induced by intraductal administration of 3% sodium taurocholate. Alveolar macrophages (AM) were obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage. The blood gas assay, the ratio of wet/dry tissue, protein content of bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF), the myeloperoxidase (MPO) of lung tissue and generation of TNFalpha and NO by AM were evaluated. The apoptosis of AM was checked by agarose gel electrophoresis analysis, transmission electric microscopy observation and cytometry propidium iodide single stained method. The lung tissue was examined by histology.

RESULTSThe parameter of GdCl(3) pretreatment group compared with normal control group had no statistical significance (P > 0.05). The indicators of ANP GdCl(3) pretreatment group and ANP GdCl(3) treatment group were elevated compared with the normal control group and had statistical significance (P < 0.05). But compared to the ANP group, they were all decreased and also had the statistical significance (P < 0.05). The 180 - 200 bp ladder pattern unique to apoptosis in agarose gel electrophoresis and the apoptotic typical morphologic feature in AM by transmission electric microscopy and typical subdiploid peak in DNA content figure could be observed in ANP GdCl(3) pretreatment group and ANP GdCl(3) treatment group, while the other three groups could not.

CONCLUSIONSLung injury associated with ANP could be ameliorated by application of GdCl(3) through inducing apoptosis of AM of ANP.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Female ; Gadolinium ; therapeutic use ; Macrophages, Alveolar ; cytology ; drug effects ; Male ; Pancreatitis, Acute Necrotizing ; complications ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult ; etiology ; pathology ; prevention & control

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of nitric oxide (NO) on reperfusion injury following pancreaticoduodenal transplantation in rats.

METHODSThe homologous male Wistar rat model of heterotopic total pancreaticoduodenal transplantation was used. The L-arginine (L-Arg) group received intravenous injection of L-Arg 5 minutes before and after reperfusion at a dose of 200 mg/kg while the N-Nitro-L-Arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) group received intravenous injection of L-NAME at a dose of 10 mg/kg, and control group received saline. The amount of NO in the pancreas graft was measured. Serum concentration of cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant (CINC) determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay, expression of CINC mRNA detected by Northern blot assay, and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in the pancreas graft were measured. Histological observation was performed.

RESULTSThe amount of NO in the L-Arg group was higher than in the control group, while in the L-NAME group was lower than in the control group (P < 0.05). The peak of serum CINC concentration occurred 3 hours after reperfusion with significant difference among groups. Expression peak of CINC mRNA in the pancreas graft occurred 3 hours after reperfusion. The expression level in the L-Arg group was lower than in the control group, the L-NAME group was higher than control group (P < 0.05). MPO activity in the L-Arg group obviously decreasd compared with other groups. The pancreas inflammation was ameliorated in L-Arg group, and pancreas damage was aggravated in L-NAME group.

CONCLUSIONSL-Arg can increase the amount of NO and inhibit the elevation of CINC, CINC mRNA expression, and early neutrophil accumulation in the transplanted pancreas. NO has protective effects on the ischemia/reperfusion injury of pancreaticoduodenal transplantation.

Animals ; Arginine ; pharmacology ; Chemokines, CXC ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Duodenum ; transplantation ; Male ; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester ; pharmacology ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism ; Pancreas Transplantation ; Peroxidase ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Reperfusion Injury ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo discuss the role of nitric oxide (NO) in lung injury associated with acute necrotizing pancreatitis (ANP).

METHODSOne hundred and twenty SD rats were randomized into five groups: control group, ANP group, L-arginine (L-arg) pretreatment group, L-NAME pretreatment group, and mixed pretreatment group (n = 24 for each group). Rat ANP model was induced by intraductal administration of 3% sodium taurocholate. Alveolar macrophages (AMs) were obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage. The protein content of bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF), the myeloperoxidase (MPO) of lung tissue and generation of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha)and NO by alveolar macrophages were evaluated. The expression of TNFalpha mRNA and iNOS mRNA was also measured.

RESULTSLung injury was aggravated gradually with progression of the disease. The level of MPO of lung tissue and the protein content of BALF showed a steady increase with time and peaked at the 12(th) hour (10.8 +/- 0.6 U/g for MPO and 2,011.0 +/- 105.5 micro g/ml for protein, respectively). TNFalpha and NO secreted by AMs were elevated gradually and peaked at the 6(th) hour (1,624.2 +/- 149.2 pg/ml and 88.8 +/- 6.5 micro mol/L respectively) but decreased at the 12(th) hour. The expression of TNFalpha mRNA and iNOS mRNA was similar with the change of TNFalpha and NO. The parameters of the groups of L-arg, L-NAME and the mixed pretreatment were similar to those of ANP group. The parameters compared with those of the control group showed a significant difference (P < 0.05). The parameters of groups of L-Arg and L-NAME pretreatment in comparison with those of the ANP group showed significant difference (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSOver production of NO mediated by iNOS aggravates lung injury caused by acute necrotizing pancreatitis. Administration of exogenous NOS substrate would worsen lung injury, whereas administration NOS inhibitor would alleviate lung injury.

Animals ; Arginine ; pharmacology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Enzyme Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Female ; Histocytochemistry ; Lung ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Lung Injury ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Macrophages, Alveolar ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester ; pharmacology ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism ; physiology ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; antagonists & inhibitors ; genetics ; metabolism ; Pancreatitis, Acute Necrotizing ; complications ; physiopathology ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of garlicin on the expression of transcription factors T-bet and GATA-3 in blood lymph cells of experimental rats with allergic rhinitis.

METHODSThirty healthy SD rats were randomly divided into 3 groups, with 10 rats for each. Ten rats (pharmacological group) were sensitized and intranasally challenged by ovalbumin (OVA), aluminium hydroxide hydrate gel and Bordetella pertussis (B. pertussis) inactive microorganism suspension adjuvants, as the allergic rhinitis models, and then injection of garlicin (0.4 ml) intraperitoneally per day for 10 days. Ten rats in the control group were immunized as the pharmacological group, and then injection of physiological saline as equal volume as garlicin. Ten rats in the negative control group were investigated using physiological saline only. Plasma and lymph cells were separated from 2 ml blood which was extracted from rat heart. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was utilized to detect the levels of plasma IL-4 and IFN-γ, and RT-PCR was utilized to detect the expression of T-bet and GATA-3.

RESULTSThe levels of IL-4 (x(-) ± s) were (6.292 ± 1.734), (14.252 ± 1.971), (4.916 ± 0.600) pg/ml, respectively, and the levels of IFN-γ were (24.338 ± 2.375), (12.364 ± 1.749), (16.136 ± 2.012) pg/ml, respectively, among the pharmacological, control and negative control groups. The plasma level of IL-4 in the pharmacological group rats was lower than that of control group rats (t = 4.23, P < 0.05), while there was no significant difference between the pharmacological and negative control group rats (t = 1.01, P > 0.05). The plasma level of IFN-γ was increased significantly in the pharmacological group rats when compared with the value of control group rats (t = 4.61, P < 0.05) and with the negative control group (t = 5.79, P < 0.05), respectively. There was no significant difference (t = 1.17, P > 0.05) in plasma level of IFN-γ in the control group rats when compared with the negative control group. Relative quantization of expression of GATA-3 (median) was 0.826, 1.029 and 0.474, and those of T-bet (median) were 1.245, 0.280 and 0.544, respectively, among the pharmacological, control and negative control groups. There were significant difference among 3 groups (chi² = 6.599, P = 0.019; chi² = 9.884, P = 0.007, respectively). Relative quantization of expression of GATA-3 in the control group rats was significantly higher than that in the negative control group and pharmacological group rats (chi² value were 10.113 and 2.384, respectively, all P < 0.05), and that of GATA-3 in the pharmacological group rats was increased as compared to the negative control group rats (chi² = 3.784, P < 0.05). The level of expression of T-bet in pharmacological group rats was elevated markedly with a significant difference as compared to both control (chi² = 16.021, P < 0.05) and negative control groups (chi² = 14.103, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSGarlicin may upregulate the expression of T-bet dramatically and downregulate the expression of transcription factor GATA-3 in the experimental models of allergic rhinitis.

Allyl Compounds ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Blood Cells ; metabolism ; Disulfides ; pharmacology ; Female ; GATA3 Transcription Factor ; metabolism ; Interleukin-4 ; blood ; Lymphocytes ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rhinitis ; blood ; metabolism ; T-Box Domain Proteins ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the diagnosis and surgical treatment of adult primary retroperitoneal malignant tumor (APRMT).

METHODSThe clinical data of 98 cases with APRMT underwent resection from January 1990 to April 2003 were analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTSAmong the 98 cases, complete excision were performed in 79 cases (80.6%), palliative excision in 16 cases (16.3%), tumor biopsy only in 3 cases (3.1%). Resection of involved adjacent organs were carried out in 25 cases (25.5%) and the re-operation rate for recurrence was 28.6% (28 cases). The 1, 3, 5 year survival rates for 79 cases with complete resection were 93.7%, 73.4% and 34.2%, respectively. The 1, 3, 5 year survival rate for 16 cases with palliative resection were 75.0%, 6.3% and 6.3%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONSCertain imaging examinations are crucial to the diagnosis and preoperative evaluation of APRMT. Resection of the involved organs could improve resection rate and prognosis. For the recurrent cases, earlier reoperation is strongly recommended.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Retroperitoneal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Analysis ; Treatment Outcome

This study aimed to assess the reliability of experienced Chinese orthodontists in evaluating treatment outcome and to determine the correlations between three diagnostic information sources. Sixty-nine experienced Chinese orthodontic specialists each evaluated the outcome of orthodontic treatment of 108 Chinese patients. Three different information sources: study casts (SC), lateral cephalometric X-ray images (LX) and facial photographs (PH) were generated at the end of treatment for 108 patients selected randomly from six orthodontic treatment centers throughout China. Six different assessments of treatment outcome were made by each orthodontist using data from the three information sources separately and in combination. Each assessment included both ranking and grading for each patient. The rankings of each of the 69 judges for the 108 patients were correlated with the rankings of each of the other judges yielding 13 873 Spearman rs values, ranging from -0.08 to +0.85. Of these, 90% were greater than 0.4, showing moderate-to-high consistency among the 69 orthodontists. In the combined evaluations, study casts were the most significant predictive component (R(2)=0.86, P<0.000 1), while the inclusion of lateral cephalometric films and facial photographs also contributed to a more comprehensive assessment (R(2)=0.96, P<0.000 1). Grading scores for SC+LX and SC+PH were highly significantly correlated with those for SC+LX+PH (r(SC+LX)vs.(SC+LX+PH)=0.96, r(SC+PH)vs.(SC+LX+PH)=0.97), showing that either SC+LX or SC+PH is an excellent substitute for all three combined assessment.
Adolescent ; Cephalometry ; standards ; China ; Dental Models ; standards ; Esthetics, Dental ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Malocclusion, Angle Class I ; therapy ; Malocclusion, Angle Class II ; therapy ; Malocclusion, Angle Class III ; therapy ; Orthodontics ; standards ; Peer Review, Health Care ; standards ; Photography ; standards ; Reproducibility of Results ; Treatment Outcome