Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is the syndrome of raised intracranial pressure (ICP) without clinical, laboratory or radiological evidence of intracranial pathology. IIH is a relatively rare disease but rapidly increasing incidence is reported due to a global increasing incidence of obesity. Disease course is generally said to be self-limiting within a few months. However, some patients experience a disabling condition of chronic severe headache and visual disturbances for years that limit their capacity to work. Permanent visual defects are serious and not infrequent complications. The pathophysiology of IIH is not fully understood yet. Advances in neuroimaging techniques have facilitated the exclusion of associated conditions that may mimic IIH. No causal treatment is yet known for IIH, and existing treatment is symptomatic and rarely sufficient. The aim of this review is to provide an updated overview of this potentially disabling disease.Theories of pathogenesis,diagnostic criteria and treatment strategies are discussed.

Brain ; Choristoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Female ; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein ; metabolism ; Humans ; Infant ; Neurofilament Proteins ; metabolism ; Orbit ; pathology ; surgery ; Orbital Diseases ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery

Antigens, CD ; metabolism ; Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic ; metabolism ; Astrocytoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; CD3 Complex ; metabolism ; Central Nervous System ; metabolism ; pathology ; Central Nervous System Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Demyelinating Diseases ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein ; metabolism ; Humans ; Lymphoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Objective To quantify the neurons in the temporal lobe white matter and find their distribution in the neurologically normal individuals.Methods The temporal lobe at the level of exterior geniculata body from brain autopsy samples of 14 neurologically normal individuals were made into large slice followed by quantitative analysis of neuron density,cell density,ratio and diameter of the neuronal nuclear and the distribution of white matter neurons using two-dimensional cell counting methods.Results With the depth of the white matter of the temporal lobe increasing,the neuron density decreased from 29.26 neurons/ mm~2 to 7.32 neurons/mm~2 and 0.00 neurons/mm~2,respectively;the cell density,neuron ratio and diameter of the neuronal nuclei all decreased.Conclusion There are neurons in the temporal lobe white matter of neurologically normal individuals,whose distribution of neurons is related to the depth of white matter.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Ascites ; pathology ; Biopsy ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Child ; Cytodiagnosis ; methods ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell ; pathology ; Lymphoma, B-Cell ; pathology ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse ; pathology ; Lymphoma, T-Cell ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pleural Effusion ; pathology ; Young Adult

Infestation, moldy and other phenomenon in the processing and storage of Chinese herbal medicines is a problem that faced in the production of Chinese traditional medicine. The low productivity of traditional processing methods can not guarantee the quality of Chinese herbal medicines. Sulfur fumigation is the first choice of grassroots to process the Chinese herbal medicine with its low cost and easy operation. Sulfur fumigation can solve some problems in the processing and storage of Chinese herbal medicines, but modern pharmacological studies show that long-term use of Chinese traditional medicine which is fumigated by sulfur can cause some serious harm to human liver, kidney and other organs. This paper conducts a review about the application history of sulfur fumigation, its influence to the quality of Chinese herbal medicines as well as domestic and foreign limits to sulfur quantity, and a brief introduction of the status of modern processing technologies in the processing of food and some Chinese herbal medicines, the problems ex- isting in the Chinese herbal medicines processing, which can provide a reference basis for the further research, development and application of investigating alternative technologies of sulfur fumigation.
Fumigation ; adverse effects ; methods ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Quality Control ; Social Control, Formal ; Sulfur ; chemistry ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; methods

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinicopathologic features of focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) in patients with refractory epilepsy.

METHODSThe clinical, radiologic and pathologic features of 38 cases of FCD receiving surgical treatment in 2005 were reviewed retrospectively.

RESULTSThe mean age of disease onset was 9.2 years. The disease lasted for 11.9 years on average and often presented as complex partial seizure. Radiologic examination revealed hippocampal sclerosis, or abnormal signals in the grey matter in 21 cases. According to Palmini's classification system, the following pathologic subgroups were identified: FCD type IA (3/38), FCD type IB (20/38), FCD type IIA (5/38) and FCD type IIB (5/38). The remaining 5 cases were classified as mild cortical dysplasia. Topographically, FCD type II was often seen in the extratemporal region (8/10), predominantly in the frontal lobe (5/8). Dual pathology was identified only in cases with FCD type IB. Immunohistochemical study showed that the giant neurons, immature neurons and dysmorphic neurons were strongly positive for NeuN. A small number of balloon cells expressed nestin.

CONCLUSIONSFCD is a common cause of refractory epilepsy. FCD type IB is the predominant pathologic subtype. Associated hippocampal sclerosis is sometimes seen. Clinicopathologic differences between FCD type I and FCD type II are observed.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Antigens, Nuclear ; metabolism ; Cerebral Cortex ; pathology ; ultrastructure ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Epilepsy ; etiology ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Malformations of Cortical Development ; classification ; complications ; metabolism ; pathology ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins ; metabolism ; Nerve Tissue Proteins ; metabolism ; Neurons ; metabolism ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the effect of vitamin E on proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) induced by homocysteine.

METHODSDNA synthesis in the VSMCs cells was measured using [3H]-thymidine incorporation assay, and the cell number determined by trypan blue method. The level of ROS in the cells was determined using DCF-DA as the fluorescence probe.

RESULTSHomocysteine promoted VSMC DNA synthesis, proliferation, and ROS production. Cysteine resulted in increased ROS production in VSMCs, but had no significant effect on DNA synthesis and cell proliferation. Catalase significantly inhibited ROS production induced by homocysteine, but did not significantly inhibited homocysteine-mediated proliferation of VSMCs. While alpha-tocopherol and beta-tocopherol both suppressed increased ROS production induced by homocysteine in VSMCs, only alpha-tocopherol significantly inhibited homocysteine-mediated VSMC proliferation.

CONCLUSIONROS is not associated with VSMC proliferation, and vitamin E-induced suppression of VSMC proliferation is probably related to protein kinase C inhibition.

Animals ; Antioxidants ; pharmacology ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Homocysteine ; pharmacology ; Muscle, Smooth ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Rats ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; metabolism ; Vitamin E ; pharmacology ; alpha-Tocopherol ; pharmacology ; beta-Tocopherol ; pharmacology

Background Gene therapy by adenovirus-mediated wild-type p53 gene transfer has been shown to inhibit lung cancer growth in vitro, in animal models, and in human clinical trials. The antitumor effect of selective cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitors has been demonstrated in preclinical studies. However, no information is available on the effects of p53 gene therapy combined with selective COX-2 inhibitor on COX-2 gene expression and growth inhibition of human lung cancer cells. Methods We evaluated the effects of recombinant adenovirus-p53 (Ad-p53) gene therapy combined with selective COX-2 inhibitor on the proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle arrest of human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cell line, and the effects of tumor suppressor exogenous wild type p53 on COX-2 gene expression. Results Ad-p53 gene therapy combined with selective COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib shows significant synergistic inhibition effects on the growth of human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cell line. Exogenous p53 gene can suppress COX-2 gene expression. Conclusions Significant synergistic inhibition effects of A549 cell line by the combined Ad-p53 and selective COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib may be achieved by enhancement of growth inhibition, apoptosis induction and suppression of COX-2 gene expression. This study provides first evidence that the administration of p53 gene therapy in combination with COX-2 inhibitors might be a new clinical strategy for the treatment or prevention of NSCLC.

Background Gene therapy by adenovirus-mediated wild-type p53 gene transfer has been shown to inhibit lung cancer growth in vitro, in animal models, and in human clinical trials. The antitumor effect of selective cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitors has been demonstrated in preclinical studies. However, no information is available on the effects of p53 gene therapy combined with selective COX-2 inhibitor on COX-2 gene expression and growth inhibition of human lung cancer cells. Methods We evaluated the effects of recombinant adenovirus-p53 (Ad-p53) gene therapy combined with selective COX-2 inhibitor on the proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle arrest of human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cell line, and the effects of tumor suppressor exogenous wild type p53 on COX-2 gene expression. Results Ad-p53 gene therapy combined with selective COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib shows significant synergistic inhibition effects on the growth of human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cell line. Exogenous p53 gene can suppress COX-2 gene expression. Conclusions Significant synergistic inhibition effects of A549 cell line by the combined Ad-p53 and selective COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib may be achieved by enhancement of growth inhibition, apoptosis induction and suppression of COX-2 gene expression. This study provides first evidence that the administration of p53 gene therapy in combination with COX-2 inhibitors might be a new clinical strategy for the treatment or prevention of NSCLC.