In vivo metacarpophalanageal joint collateral ligament length changes during flexion.

We investigated the in vivo length changes of the collateral ligaments of metacarpophalangeal joint during flexion. We obtained computed tomography scans of index, middle, ring and little fingers at 0°, 30°, 60° and 90° of joint flexion from six hands of six healthy adult volunteers. Three of them had their dominant right hand studied, and the other three had their non-dominant left hand studied. We measured and analysed the radial and ulnar collateral ligaments of each metacarpophalangeal joint from the reconstructed images. We found that the dorsal and middle portions of the both radial and ulnar collateral ligament lengthened progressively during digital flexion and reached the maximum at 90° flexion. The length of the volar portion increased from 0° to 30° flexion and then decreased from 30° to 60° flexion, reaching the minimum at 90°. In conclusion, three portions of collateral ligaments on both sides of the metacarpophalangeal joint have variable length changes during flexion, which act to stabilize the joint through its flexion arc.

Characteristic analysis of white matter lesions in migraine patients with MRI.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to analyze the characteristics of white matter lesions in abnormal manifestations of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of patients with migraine, and its relationship with migraine. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 38 patients, diagnosed with migraine were continuously selected as the observation group, while during the same period, 30 healthy individuals were selected as the control group. The differences of the features of MRI of two groups, the ratios of white matter lesions manifestations and the severity were compared. RESULTS: The manifestations of MRI in patients with migraine were mainly white matter lesions. The accuracy rate was 86.7%, and the sensibility was 92.3%. According to Wahlund white matter lesions classifications, patients with migraine were mainly Level II and Level III (84.2%). It can be acquired from relevant analyses that white matter lesions classifications and the degrees of migraine were positively correlated (p < 0.05). White matter lesions were mainly distributed in the frontal lobe (78.9%), limbic system (60.5%) and parietal lobe (28.9%). CONCLUSIONS: The MRI of migraine, the manifestations of white matter lesions were relatively sensitive. The higher the classification was linked with the degree of migraine. They were mainly distributed in the frontal lobe, limbic system and parietal lobe.

Prevalence, characteristics and natural history of cold intolerance after the reverse digital artery flap.

UNLABELLED: This retrospective study was designed to investigate the prevalence, characteristics and natural history of cold intolerance after the use of the reverse digital artery flap. A total of 123 patients were treated between 2010 and 2013. After excluding patients who were lost to follow-up, 87 patients were studied. The mean follow-up time was 34 months (range 14-61). Cold intolerance occurred in 60% (52) of patients after the reverse digital artery flap procedure. The condition improved in only 15% (8) of the patients. Significant differences were observed in the age and the specific digit involved between the groups with and without cold intolerance. There was a lower incidence in younger patients, and the ring finger group showed a lower incidence than in other fingers. Furthermore, the Cold Intolerance Symptom Severity score was positively correlated with the temperature at which cold intolerance was triggered. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

[Dynamic variance of intracellular metabolic energies under rhythmical control for dissolved oxygen in PHB mixed cultivation].

The mixed cultivation using cheaper carbon source-wasted food material contained glucose and lactate at the same time was conducted in 5L fermentor, within which glucose was converted to lactate by L. delbrueckii in anaerobic condition and the lactate was converted to PHB by R. eutropha in aerobic condition. Considering dissolved oxygen concentration may affect the level of intracellular ATP and NADPH of the metabolic pathways for R. eutropha in lactate under autotrophy or heterotrophy, rhythmical oscillated control for DO based on chaos control method was consequently presented. This method was employed to satisfy two strains for opposite oxygen preferences, moreover, excite the intracellular metabolic energy simultaneously. The values examined through spectrophotofluorimetry represented that both ATP and NADPH exhibited fluctuations in accordance with the DO rhythm. By means of this control design, the concentration of PHB can be doubled than the usual under stable DO control.

[Neural structural relations between the chemosensitive areas of the ventrolateral medulllary surface and the medullary nuclei in rats].

Experiments were done on 30 chloralose-urethane anesthetized Sprague-Dawley strain rats. The ventrolateral medullary surface was exposed and a small millipore filter paper soaked with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was applied locally to different parts of the underlying chemosensitive areas separately, trying to identify location of the HRP-stained cells. (1) After HRP application to the rostral area (n = 10), quite a number of labelled cells were distributed at the ventrolateral part of the nucleus of trapezoid body (Tz), the lateroventral periolivary nucleus (LVPO) and the retrotrapezoid nucleus (NRT). (2) After HRP application to the caudal area (n = 10), HRP labelled cells were mainly located at the lateral reticular nucleus (LRt) and the ventral part of at the lateral paragigantocellular nucleus LPGi. (3) After HRP application to the intermediate area (n = 6), only 8 HRP labelled cells were observed at the (LPGi) in 6 rats. (4) After HRP application to the control area (n = 4), only 6 HRP labelled cells were found at the rostral ventrolateral reticular nucleus (RVL). The above findings demonstrated the existence of the neural structural relations between the chemosensitive areas of the ventrolateral medullary surface and Tz, LVPO, NRT, LPGi, LRt, which supports that all these nuclei might participate in the central chemoreception of respiration.

[Role of the lateroventral periolivary nucleus in the central chemoreception of respiration in rats].

Using the methods of microinjection, microiontophoresis, electrolytic destruction and electric stimulation, the present work was undertaken to investigate whether the lateroventral periolivary nucleus (LVPO) might play a role in the central mechanism of chemoreception on respiration. Experiments were performed on 38 chloralose-urethane anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats. The results were as follows: (1) Bilateral microinjection of acidified mock CSF into the LVPO region, evoked an enhancement in respiratory activities. (2) Microiontophoretic application of H+ caused mainly excitatory effects on the spontaneously discharging units in LVPO region, and some of the excitatory units were also responsible to microinjection of acidified mock CSF to the ventrolateral medullary surface. (3) After the electrolytic destruction of bilateral LVPO region in carotid body denervated rats, respiratory response to inhaled CO2 was attenuated significantly. (4) Electric stimulation of LVPO region caused an increase in discharging frequency of some units in the NTS and NRA regions. The above results indicate that LVPO plays a significant role in the central mechanism of chemoreception.

Effects of alloxan on electric activity of mouse pancreatic B cells in vitro.

Microelectrode method for recording membrane potentials was used. It was observed that alloxan possessed stimulative and toxic dual effects on the electric activity of pancreatic B cells. A 10-min exposure to alloxan 14 mmol.L-1 in the perfusion medium without glucose caused a significant depolarization of B cells from -44 +/- 13 mV to -36 +/- 12 mV (n = 7, P < 0.05) and evoked spikes in B cells. But the spikes disappeared at 24 +/- 12 min (n = 8). In the presence of glucose 5.5 mmol.L-1 or 11.0 mmol.L-1, the dual effects became weaker or not obvious. After 10-min exposure to diazoxide (an ATP sensitive K+ channel opener) 0.8 mmol.L-1 in the perfusion medium with alloxan 14 mmol.L-1 but devoid of glucose, the amplitude of membrane potential went up from -31 +/- 11 mV to -48 +/- 21 mV and the mean value of spikes dropped from 31 +/- 24 spikes.min-1 to 5 +/- 5 spikes.min-1. It was suggested that the stimulative effect of alloxan was due to blocking of ATP sensitive K+ channel and a higher concentration of glucose could prevent B cells from alloxan injury.

An RNA-binding protein specifically interacts with a functionally important domain of the downstream element of the simian virus 40 late polyadenylation signal.

We have identified an RNA-binding protein which interacts with the downstream element of the simian virus 40 late polyadenylation signal in a sequence-specific manner. A partially purified 50-kDa protein, which we have named DSEF-1, retains RNA-binding specificity as assayed by band shift and UV cross-linking analyses. RNA footprinting assays, using end-labeled RNA ladder fragments in conjunction with native gel electrophoresis, have identified the DSEF-1 binding site as 5'-GGGGGAGGUGUGGG-3'. This 14-base sequence serves as an efficient DSEF-1 binding site when placed within a GEM4 polylinker-derived RNA. Finally, the DSEF-1 binding site restored efficient in vitro 3' end processing to derivatives of the simian virus 40 late polyadenylation signal in which it substituted for the entire downstream region. DSEF-1, therefore, may be a sequence-specific binding factor which regulates the efficiency of polyadenylation site usage.

[Infections caused by viruses and Chlamydia trachomatis on uterine cervix].

A study on the infections caused by HPV-16, HSV-2, CMV and Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) on the uterine cervices were carried out among 188 normal cases and 544 patients with chronic cervicitis using ELISA, virus isolation and/or DNA hybridization methods. The detection rates of these four pathogens in erosive cervices were 23.9% (64/268), 26.5% (99/374), 14.0% (22/157) and 13.4% (18/134), respectively, which were significantly higher than that in normal cervices. The total detection rate of four pathogens was 48.5% in erosive cervices, 26.8% in normal cervices at fertile age and 44.1% in normal cervices during the menopausal period. Obtained results indicate a high incidence of sexually transmitted diseases in women in Beijing area. Based on above mentioned results and our experience, a simple procedure for the detection of HPV, HSV, CMV and CT on the uterine cervices was suggested.

Viral etiology of chronic cervicitis and its therapeutic response to a recombinant interferon.

Chronic cervicitis was shown to be related to papillomavirus type 16(HPV-16), herpes simplex virus type 2 and cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections as demonstrated by DNA hybridization technique and virus isolation method from samples taken from erosive and normal cervices. After one course of treatment with recombinant interferon alpha 1 (rIFN-alpha 1), 93.8% of cases showed clinical improvement and 60% marked improvement. The HPV-16 and HSV detection rates dropped down significantly after rIFN-alpha 1 treatment as compared with those before treatment. Astragalus membranaceus, a Chinese herbal drug, was shown to be synergic to interferon therapy.

Effects of galanin on electrical activity of pancreatic islet cells.

Intracellular microelectrode technique was used to investigate the effect of galanin on the electrical activity of beta cells of Langerhans islets of mice. Galanin 0.15 and 0.3 mumol/L in the perfusion medium inhibited the basic electrical activity induced by glucose 5.5, 11.1 and 20 mmol/L in decreasing the frequency and amplitude of the spikes. In some cells, during galanin inhibition there was a hyperpolarization after the spike. Verapamil (30, 60 and 90 mumol/L), a blocker of voltage-dependent Ca channels, blocked dose-dependently the electrical activity induced by glucose and attenuated the depolarization induced by KCl 50 mmol/L. Galanin 0.3 mumol/L also attenuated the depolarization induced by KCl 50 mmol/L, similar to the effect of verapamil. The results suggest that the effect of galanin on inhibition of the electrical activity of beta cell might be due to blocking of voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels.