OBJECTIVETo investigate the value of MRI follow-up in pediatric patients with spinal tuberculosis.

METHODSFrom February 2004 to April 2013, MRI imaging data in 21 children with spinal tuberculosis by pathologically and clinically proven were retrospectively analysed. There were 11 males and 10 males, with an average age of 9.4 years old ranging from 2 to 14 years old. Eighteen patients were received conservative treatment, 3 patients were treated by surgical operation. The course of disease ranged from 2 months to 3 years. All cases underwent two or more MRI examinations for follow-up. MRI findings of the first and second examination were comparatively analyzed,including signal changes of vertebral body and intervertebral, paraspinal abscess and the change of kyphosis angle.

RESULTSIn the 21 cases with tuberculosis, 85 vertebral bodies were affected in total, including 10.6%(9/85), 49.4%(42/85) and 40%(34/85) vertebral bodies separately in the cervical,thoracic, lumbosacral spine. Follow-up MRI showed vertebral body shape and signal had no obvious change during or after treatment, 15 cases with vertebral bodies changed flat or cuneate, 10 cases with disc involvement,and intervertebral space became narrowing at different level. Among 13 patients with kyphosis angle greater than 0°, 7 were located on thoracic, 2, 3, 1 were on thoracolumbar, lumbar and cervical spine, respectively. Among 18 cases with conservative treatment,kyphosis angle were 0° on the first and the follow up MRI of 8 patients. One case of mild (<10°) kyphosis,follow-up MRI during therapy showed the angle slightly increased; 5 cases with moderate (10° to 30°), follow-up MRI during therapy showed no obvious change; 4 cases with severe (>30°), follow-up MRI during and after therapy showed kyphosis increased in varying degrees.

CONCLUSIONFollow-up MRI can make a big difference in the spinal tuberculosis of children; it can clearly show the change of the vertebral body and intervertebral space, paraspinal abscess and the kyphosis angle after the treatment,which can provide reference for clinical treatment and estimating prognosis.

Adolescent ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; therapeutic use ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Drug Monitoring ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Radiography ; Retrospective Studies ; Spine ; diagnostic imaging ; Tuberculosis, Spinal ; diagnostic imaging ; drug therapy ; surgery

Small ubiquitin-like modifier protein (SUMO) modification is a highly dynamic process, catalyzed by SUMO-specific activating (E1), conjugating (E2) and ligating (E3) enzymes, and reversed by a family of SUMO-specific proteases (SENPs). There are six members of the human SENP family, and each SENP has different cellular locations and substrate specificities. However, the precise roles of SENPs in cellular processes have not been elucidated to date. This brief review will focus on recent advances pertaining to the identified targets of SENP1 and its potential role in prostate cancer.
Cysteine Endopeptidases ; Endopeptidases ; physiology ; Humans ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; physiology ; Male ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; physiopathology ; Receptors, Androgen ; physiology ; SUMO-1 Protein ; physiology ; Signal Transduction ; physiology

Through exploring the role of placental endocrine,the relationship between placental endocrine changes and certain disease states,and the relationship between placental endocrine and rational use of drugs commonly used in pregnancy were summarized.Placental hormones play an important role during pregnancy.Placental endocrine abnormality can cause some diseases that may need drug treatment.Besides,some drugs also can affect the placenta endocrine,resulting in adverse pregnancy outcomes.Drug safety during pregnancy requires the consideration of the interaction between medicine and placenta endocrine.

Humans ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Receptors, Calcitriol ; genetics ; Rickets ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the feasibility, maneuver and efficacy of plasma prostate electrovaporization system in the treatment of rectal cicatricial stenosis.

METHODSAccording to similar procedure of transurethral resection prostate(TURP), intrarectal cicatriclectomy was performed with plasma prostate electrovaporization system in 7 patients with rectal low cicatricial stenosis after rectal cancer treatment (5 patients with transabdominal low anterior resection,2 patients with 3-dimension precise radiotherapy) to remove obstruction and dilate enteric cavity.

RESULTSSeven patients underwent 12 operations, including one operation in 3 patients, two operations in 3 patients, 3 operations in one patient. Resected rectal cicatricial tissue ranged from 5 to 15 g. Mean operation time was 41 min (25 to 40). Operation successful rate was 100% without complications such as perforation, bleeding and infection. All the patients had smooth defecation.

CONCLUSIONPlasma prostate electrovaporization system is an effective treatment for rectal cicatricial stenosis with tiny trauma.

Aged ; Cicatrix ; complications ; Constriction, Pathologic ; etiology ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Rectal Diseases ; etiology ; pathology ; surgery ; Rectal Neoplasms ; surgery

Objective To analyze the changes of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) with SPECT in depressive patients, and explore the diagnosis value of rCBF imaging for depression. Methods The rCBF imaging was detected by single emission computed tomography (SPECT) on 32 depressive patients and 10 normal subjects, and the characteristics of rCBF changes were assessed with a region-of-interest (ROI) technique. Normal MRI scans were conducted on 11 patients at the same stage. Results Abnormal rCBF was showed in 31 patients with 71 focuses that were located in the bilateral frontal lobe (9), the basal ganglia (5) and the limbic system (57), including the temporal lobe, the hippocampus, the cingulated gyms and the left insular cortex. All abnormalities presented a decreased rCBF except the basal ganglia. No differences in the incidences of abnormal rCBF were found on bilateral hemisphere (χ~2=2A09,P=0.790). Only 3 MRI-detected patients (2 with gently encephalanalosis, 1 with hippocampus atrophies) were found abnormality, while abnormal rCBF was observed in all these 11 patients. Conclusion Most depressive patients show a decreased rCBF at the cerebral limbic system, but part of them exist an increased rCBF at the basal ganglia. The changes of rCBF in depressive patients are sensitively observed by SPECT, suggesting its diagnosis values on depression.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effects of different vibration frequency on the back muscle fatigue during simulated driving.

METHODSThirty-six subjects performed three simulated driving experiments under three vertical vibration frequencies which were 1.8, 4.0, 6.0 Hz respectively and the driving time was 90 minutes. At the same time the electromyography of low back was recorded.

RESULTSThe median frequencies calculated from the power spectrum were decreased exponentially under three vertical vibration frequencies, especially under 4.0 Hz vibration frequency.

CONCLUSIONThe 4.0 Hz vibration frequency has the most important effect on the back muscle fatigue under simulated driving condition.

Adult ; Automobile Driving ; Electromyography ; methods ; Humans ; Low Back Pain ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Male ; Models, Biological ; Muscle Fatigue ; physiology ; Muscles ; physiology ; Posture ; physiology

Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Neuralgia ; therapy ; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation ; methods ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of beta3 adrenergic receptor (beta3AR) Trp64Arg and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma 2 (PPARgamma2) Prol2Ala polymorphisms on insulin resistance.

METHODSOne hundred and eight dizygotic twin pairs were enrolled in this study. Microsatellite polymorphism was used to diagnose zygosity of twins. Insulin sensitivity was estimated with logarithm transformed homeostasis model assessment (HOMA). PCR-RFLP analysis was performed to detect the variants. As a supplement to the sib-pair method, identity by state (IBS) was used to analyze the association of polymorphisms with insulin sensitivity.

RESULTSThe genotype frequencies of Trp64Trg, Trp64Arg, and Arg64Arg were 72.3%, 23.8%, and 3.9%, respectively, while the genotype frequencies of Prol2Pro, Prol2Ala, and Alal2Ala were 89.9%, 9.6%, and 0.5%, respectively. For beta3AR Trp64Arg the interclass co-twin correlations of Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), blood glucose (GLU), and insulin (INS), homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) of the twin pairs sharing 2 alleles of IBS were greater than those sharing 0-1 allele of IBS, and HOMA-IR had statistic significance. For PPARgamma2 Pro12Ala most traits of twin pairs sharing 2 alleles of IBS had greater correlations and statistic significance in body mass index (BMI), WHR, percent of body fat (PBF) and GLU, but there were low correlations of either insulin or HOMA-IR of twin pairs sharing 1 or 2 alleles of IBS. The combined effects of the two variations showed less squared significant twin-pair differences of INS and HOMA-IR among twins sharing 4 alleles of IBS.

CONCLUSIONSBeta3AR Trp64Arg and PPARgamma2 Pro12Ala polymorphisms might be associated with insulin resistance and obesity, and there might be slight synergistic effects between this two gene loci, and further studies are necessary to confirm this finding.

Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Genotype ; Humans ; Insulin Resistance ; genetics ; Obesity ; genetics ; PPAR gamma ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-3 ; genetics ; Twins, Dizygotic ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of doxapram on the respiratory rhythmical discharge activity (RRDA) in the brainstem slices of neonatal rats.

METHODSThirty neonatal SD rats (of either sex, 0-3 days old) were randomly divided into 6 equal groups (groups I-VI), and the brainstem slices which contained the medial region of the nucleus retrofacialis (mNRF) were prepared. All the slices were perfused with modified Kreb's solution (MKS), and in group I (control group), the slices were perfused with MKS only; in groups II to IV, the slices were perfused with doxapram in MKS continuously at the concentrations of 2, 5, and 10 micromol/L, respectively; in groups V and VI, the slices were perfused with 20 micromol/L propofol and 20 micromol/L propofol plus 5 micromol/L doxapram, respectively. The RRDA in the hypoglossal nerve was recorded by suction electrode. The discharge time course of the inspiratory (TI), expiratory (TE), respiratory cycle (RC) and integral amplitude of the inspiratory discharge (IA) were recorded at 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, and 30 min after the application of the drugs.

RESULTSThe hypoglossal nerve in groups I, II and VI showed no significant changes of RRDA in the entire course of the experiment (P>0.05). In groups III and IV, the TI, IA increased and TE decreased significantly 5 min after doxapram application (P<0.05), and the RC was shortened only at 10 min. In group V, the TI and IA decreased and the RC and TE increased significantly after the drug application (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONDoxapram (>5 micromol/L ) can directly stimulate the RRDA and prevent propofol-induced inhibitory effects in the brainstem slice of neonatal rats, and the effects are mediated by its actions upon the inspiratory neurons in the mNRF.

Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Doxapram ; pharmacology ; Electrophysiological Phenomena ; drug effects ; Female ; In Vitro Techniques ; Male ; Medulla Oblongata ; physiology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Respiration ; drug effects ; Respiratory System Agents ; pharmacology