[Spermatic cord seal-up injection for acute epididymitis: clinical observation of 56 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical effect of spermatic cord seal-up injection on acute epididymitis and its mechanisms. METHODS: A total of 120 cases of acute epididymitis were allocated to a trial group (n = 56), aged 18 - 78 (38.4 +/- 9.6) years, and a control group (n = 64), aged 14 -82 (41.3 +/- 7.2) years. The patients in the trial group were given seal-up injections of a mixture of lidocaine, gentamicin (or Amikacin) and dexamethasone into the spermatic cord, qd or bid, for 2 courses of 5 days each, with an interval of 3 to 5 days. Those in the control group were treated by intravenous drip of penicillin, qd, intramuscular injection of Streptomycin, bid, and oral medication of SMZCo (SMZ-TMP), bid, with the initial dose doubled. After less than 2 weeks of treatment, we compared the therapeutic effects between the two groups of patients. RESULTS: In the trial group, 53.6% of the patients were basically cured, 37.5% obviously improved and 91.1% improved (total rate of effectiveness). The average treatment time for the improved cases was (9.2 +/- 0.5) d. In the control group, 40.6% of the patients were basically cured, 31.2% obviously improved and 71.8% improved (total rate of effectiveness). The average treatment time for the improved cases was (12.8 +/- 0.7) d. There were significant differences between the two groups in the total rate of effectiveness and the average treatment time for the improved cases (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Spermatic cord seal-up injection for acute epididymitis deserves wide clinical application for its simple operation, good tolerance, short therapeutic course and high safety and efficacy.

[Effects of salt stress on cucumber seedlings root growth and polyamine metabolism].

By the method of water culture, this paper studied the effects of NaCl stress on the seedlings root growth and polyamine metabolism of two cucumber cultivars 'Changchun mici' and 'Jin-chun No. 2'. The results showed that under NaCl stress, root growth was inhibited, and lipid peroxidation and electrolyte leakage increased. These changes were more obvious in salt-sensitive 'Jin-chun No. 2' than in salt-tolerant 'Changchun mici'. NaCl stress caused an increase of arginine decarboxylase (ADC), ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (SAMDC) activities in cucumber roots, which was much greater in 'Changchun mici' than in 'Jinchun No. 2'. At the highest value, ADC, ODC and SAMDC activities increased by 149.3%, 60.1% and 69.4% in 'Changchun mici' and 118.6%, 56.2% and 50.6% in 'Jinchun No. 2', respectively, in comparison with the control. Diamine oxidase activity increased in 'Changchun mici' but not in 'Jinchun No. 2', and the increment of polyamine oxidase activity in 'Changchun mici' was smaller than that in 'Jinchun No. 2'. As a result, the contents of free spermidine and spermine and of conjugated and bound polyamines in 'Changchun mici' increased significantly, while that of free putrescine had a significant increase in 'Jinchun No. 2'. It could be concluded that higher levels of free spermidine and spermine and of conjugated and bound polyamines and lower level of free putrescine in roots could improve the adaptability of cucumber seedlings to salt stress.