Objective To investigate the value of 64-slice spiral computed tomography(CT)angiography in preoperative evaluation of spinal vascular intervention.Methods Seventeen patients with segmental injury of the spinal cord underwent the enhanced 64-slice CT scan of the spine.Thin-slice reconstruction was done,with the slice thickness of 0.625 mm and interval of 0.625 mm.The data were transferred to the work station ADW4.2 in DICM format.Image postprocessing technologies such as volume rendering(VR),maximum intensity projection(MIP)and multi-planar reformat(MPR)were used to conduct three-dimensional reconstruction and analyze the anatomical characteristics of radiculomedullary artery.Results Radiculomedullary artery could be found in the thoracolumbar segment of 16 patients(16/17,94%).Among them,one artery(1/17,6%)went into the vertebral canal through the left intervertebral foramen of T4/5,two(2/17,12%)through the left intervertebral foramen of T10/11,one (1/17,6%)through the left intervertebral foramen of T11/12,four(4/17,24%)through the left intervertebral foramen of L1/2,two(2/17,12%)through the left intervertebral foramen of L2/3,two (2/17,12%)through the right intervertebral foramen of T11/12,two(2/17,12%)through the right intervertebral foramen of T12/L1,two(2/17,12%)through the right foramen of L2/3 andl0(10/17,59%)through the left intervertebral foramen.Either CT scan or DSA examination found no radiculomedullary artery in one patient.All the above findings were in accordance with the results of DSA examination.Conclusions Spiral 64-slice CT scan can provide significant preoperative evaluation information for spinal vascular intervention,for it can accurately and visually show the anatomical features of the radiculomedullary artery such as open position,flow tendency,caliber size and spatial relationship with the surrounding vessels.

AIM:To characterize the effect of estradiol on proliferation,differentiation and extracellular matrix(ECM) accumulation in stromal cells through regulation of BPH-1 paracrine.METHODS:BPH-1 cells were stimulated with different concentrations of estradiol.Conditioned media(CM) were harvested and their effects on stromal cell cultures were tested.Cell proliferation was determined by MTT assay.mRNA of smoothelin,fibronectin,collagen Ⅳ and transforming growth factor ?1(TGF-?1) were analyzed by real-time RT-PCR.Western blotting was used to determine smooth muscle myosin heavy chain(SMMHC).ELISA and radioimmunoassay were respectively used to measure fibronectin,TGF-?1 and collagen Ⅳ protein expressions.RESULTS:Estrodiol stimulated the expression and secretion of TGF-?1 in BPH-1 cells.The proliferation of stromal cells increased when they were cultured with CM harvested from estrogen treated BPH-1 cells.The mRNA levels of collagen Ⅳ and smoothelin increased in stromal cells treated with CM from BPH-1 cells.The results of radioimmunoassay also showed that the collagen Ⅳ protein level up-regulated in the supernatants and cell extracts of CM-treated stromal cells.A neutralizing antibody to TGF-?1 inhibited the stimulation of collagen Ⅳ and SMMHC by BPH-1 CM.The expression of fibronectin was only marginally changed in stromal cells cultured in the presence of BPH-1 CM.CONCLUSION:The BPH-1 cells increase ECM accumulation and differentiation of stromal cells through TGF-?1.Estradiol stimulate differentiation of stromal cells by induction of TGF-?1 expression.Estradiol stimulate proliferation by influencing the factors secreted from prostatic epithelial cells.

Objective To explore the cognitive function and the level of serum homocysteine(Hcy) in patients with depression after cerebral infarction,and to analyze their correlation. Methods Fifty-two pa-tients with cerebral infarction and 50 patients with depression after cerebral infarction were selected.The cog-nitive function of patients was evaluated by Montreal cognitive assessment( MoCA) score and event-related potentials P300.Hcy concentration was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA),and the correlation between the cognitive function and the Hcy concentration was analyzed. Results Compared with the patients without depression after cerebral infarction(MoCA(25.02±6.12),latency of P300(317.00± 28.87)ms,amplitued of P300(7.80±3.10)μV),the MoCA score of the patients with depression after cere-bral infarction significantly decreased(20.92±6.23),the latency of P300((370.84±40.62)s) significantly prolonged and the amplitude of P300((5.70±2.13)μV) significantly decreased(all P＜0.05).Compared with patients without depression after cerebral infarction(9/52,17.3%),the percent of serum hyper-Hcy in the patients with depression after cerebral infarction(24/50,48.0%) increased,and the difference was statisti- cally significant (χ2＝10.972,P＜0.01).The level of Hcy in the patients with depression after cerebral infarc-tion was negatively correlated with the score of MoCA ( r＝－0.675,P＜0.05) and the latency of P300 ( r＝0.813,P＜0.05),but negatively correlated with the amplitude of P300 (r＝－0.725,P＜0.05). Conclusion -Patients with depression after cerebral infarction have different degrees of cognitive impairment,and increased Hcy may be one of the factors that cause cognitive impairment in patients with depression after cerebral in-farction.