1993年 · 第106卷第02期

Electrophysiological action of right ventricular myocardium examined by standard intracellular microelectrode technique and real-time microcomputer data processor system and histological and ultrastructural changes of myocardium in BALB/c mice infected with coxsackie B-3 virus from 3 days to 9 months were observed. It was found that electrophysiologic parameters of action potential changed very quickly at the early stage (3 days to 1 month) of the disease. Those abnormalities became most apparent by the 5-30th day, and 7 patterns of abnormal action potential occurred frequently within the same period. These changes were basically parallel to the myocardial lesions. At the late stage (3-9 months) the electrophysiological parameters were nearly normal, while the myocardial lesions decreased gradually. However, the abnormal patterns of action potential were still detected, even though they were improved gradually. The results suggest that myocardial damages caused by viral infection may lead to changes of cardiac electric action, which may be one of the factors in arrhythmias in the episode of viral myocarditis.

Countercurrent immunoelectrophoresis (CIE) with H. influenzal type b(Hib) and Pneumococci Omni antisera was performed on serum and concentrated urine and pleural fluid samples from 100 patients with acute pneumonia in Beijing Children's Hospital. Thirty-one patients were investigated by bacteriologic techniques (blood culture and pleural fluid culture). CIE was positive in 29/100 (29%) of cases of Hib, 13/100 (13%) of cases for pneumococci. Overall, bacterial causes of pneumonia were diagnosed by CIE in 41/100 (41%) cases. Antigens were detected in 5/90 (5.6%) serum samples, in 36/87 (41.5%) concentrated urine samples, and in 1/2 (50%) samples of pleural fluid. Only one Hib strain was found by pleural fluid culture. The contamination rate of bacterial culture in this group was high (5/31 cases, 16.1%). Therefore, traditional bacteriologic techniques are of very limited value for diagnosing pneumonia in Chinese children. The results showed that bacterial pathogen, especially Hib and Pneumococci, are very common and important causes of pediatric pneumonia in China.

The extent of lipoperoxidation in experimental rabbits with atherosclerosis was determined dynamically during the experimental period of 65 days. Lipoperoxide (LPO) levels and selenium-dependent glutathions peroxidase (SeGSHPx) activities in liver, aorta, heart muscle, plasma erythrocyte (RBC) and platelet were examined on the 65th day. The results showed that the potential anti-lipoperoxidation in the atherosclerotic rabbits was decreased significantly, and the tissues were suffered from lipoperoxidative damage. It seems that there is a close relationship between lipoperoxidative damage and the development of atherosclerosis.

Isolated live hair cells are important models for studies on the electrophysiology, pathology and pharmacology of the hair cell. Using mechanical isolation method after papain treatment, 70±27 hair cells, including 0 to 4 inner hair cells, could be obtained from each cochlea of 4 guinea pigs. The criteria for a good viability of isolated cochlear hair cells were: 1) a smooth hair cell membrane; 2) hair cells not swollen; 3) the nucleus in normal position; 4) the cytoplasm in a state of translucence with a halo at the periphery (birefringence); and 5) no Brownian movement of the organelles within the cytoplasm. With short-term culturing at room temperature, approximately 90% of the isolated hair cells retained a good viability at the end of two hours. Subsequently, the hair cells gradually degenerated but still, at the end of five hours, about 40% of them appeared intact. The degeneration patterns have been carefully observed and described.

Serum copper and zinc were simultaneously determined by ion-exchange chromatography (IC) in 35 normal volunteers and 45 patients with benign diseases or different stage cancers of digestive tract. No significant differences of serum Cu, Zn (both expressed in μmol/L) and Cu/Zn ratio were found among normal volunteers, patients with benign diseases and those with stage I or II cancer. While in the group of stage III and IV cancer patients, the mean of serum Cu (26.5±1.4 μmol/L) and Cu/Zn ratio (2.25±0.16) increased significantly (P<0.01) and that of serum Zn (11.8±0.5 μmol/L) decreased markedly (P<0.05). Our results showed that serum Cu, Zn and Cu/Zn ratio was of no help in detecting early stage cancers and in differentiating them from benign diseases but was useful in predicting stages of cancers before operation for a better choice of therapy.

The definitive diagnosis and determination of recurrence of herpes simplex keratitis are still difficult in clinical ophthalmology. At present, isolation of virus by tissue culture is perhaps the best method for establishing a specific aetiological diagnosis of viral infection. But due to its complicated and time-consuming procedures, the application of tissue culture for virus isolation in clinical work is still limited. In situ DNA hybridization is a specific and quick technique for directly detecting genetic materials, DNA and RNA, of viruses. In this study, this technique was used to identify herpes simplex virus type 1 from a patient's cornea suffered from recurrent herpetic keratitis. The technique offers a convenient and specific method for clinicians to make a definitive diagnosis and differential diagnosis of viral infectious diseases. The advantages and disadvantages of other different methods available for viral diagnosis, such as light and electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry were discussed with an emphasis on in situ DNA hybridization.

Three pairs of human cadaver femora were used for strain measurement under a weight-bearing simulation test, which was performed on intact bone and osteotomized bone fixed by 3 types of plates with different rigidities respectively. The plates with uniform thickness did not adhere to the uniform stress distribution along the plate. The stress between both central screw holes was significantly great. However, the device of trapezoidal plate conformed to the uniform stress distribution along it, and the safety factors of 3 different types of the plates were proposed. The osteotomy site was mainly subjected to compression stress in standing phase with load on both femora, but subjected to bending stress mostly with load on the single femur. The total compression strain at the osteotomy site was greater than that on intact bone while the load was adding over twice body weight with load on both legs, and nearly normal with load on one leg. We believe that the bone structural changes caused by stress shielding and limb disuse etc can be overcome by using optimal plate and normal weight bearing.

This paper typed HLA-A, B, C and DR antigens in patients with psoriasis vulgaris and healthy persons in 12 families. The phenotype frequencies of HLA-A1, B13, B17, Cw4 and Cw6 in the patients were higher than those in the controls. The analysis of haplotype segregation showed that HLA haplotypes in families with more psoriatic cases were marked deviation from random distribution. One or two HLA haplotypes sharing among affected siblings occurred more frequently than expected. The result of Lods score for six families showed that there was a close linkage between the gene of psoriasis vulgaris and HLA antigens. The gene of psoriasis was coincided with the recessive hereditary mode.

The cellular DNA and RNA contents of trophoblastic tissue of 86 patients with trophoblastic disease and chorionic tissue of 10 patients in early pregnancy were analysed by flow cytometry (FCM) and strict follow-up was carried out. The result showed the rate of accurate diagnosis by DNA and RNA determinations were 60.0% and 85.7% respectively in benign moles; 86.7% and 86.7% in invasive moles; and 100% and 100% in choriocarcinoma. Statistically the pseudopositive percentage of RNA was clearly lower than that of DNA (0.01<P<0.05). In addition, the trophoblastic cells in curetted molar tissue and the uterine tissue later proved by surgery of 10 invasive moles were simultaneously assayed for comparing their DNA and RNA contents, showing statistical significance (P<0.001). The DNA and RNA contents in different cellular cycles were analysed by FCM and there was no statistical significance among benign, malignant moles and choriocarcinoma (P>0.05). Our study suggests that aneuploidy DNA content may be an indicator for malignant tendency and the RNA parameter rather than DNA is more sensitive for the prognosis of hydatidiform mole.

Sections from 88 paraffin-embedded tissues identified histopathologically as condyloma acuminata were assayed for the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) types 6, 11, 16, 18 and 33 using polymerase chain reaction followed by specific hybridization. HPV DNA sequences were found in all tissues of condyloma acuminata. HPV type 6 was present in 71 tissues, type 11 in 16, and type 16 in 2. One man was doubly infected with HPV types 6 and 16. No HPV types 18 and 33 were found. We conclude that condyloma acuminata is mainly produced by HPV types 6 and 11.

This paper deals with the ultrasonic studies of the effect of artemisia decoction (AD) on the volume and motion of gallbladder in 33 cases. Ultrasonic examination shows that AD intravenous infusion has remarkable effects on the contractility of gallbladder. There are 4 patterns of phasic changes in the motion of gallbladder and an increase in frequency of its contraction and relaxation. AD has also certain contraction effects on the gallbladders which can not contract after a fatty meal. The above findings indicate that AD is a good choleretic and has a definite regulating effect on the motility of the gallbladder. The clinical use of AD is conducive to bile flow, stone expelling, inhibiting the deposition of bile solids and reducing the possibility of stone formation.

A sporadic case of Hallervorden-Spatz Syndrome was diagnosed before death. The diagnosis was made on clinical manifestations and histopathology of the tissue fragments obtained from the globus pallidus by stereotaxic brain biopsy. The involvement of thoracolumbar spinal cord is discussed. The cranial computed tomography showed caudate atrophy with bicaudate index (CC/OTcc) of 0.2, and the quotient FH/CC of 1.43, which were indistinguishable from Huntington's disease.