Marimastat inhibits neointimal thickening in a model of human vein graft stenosis

BACKGROUND: There is now accumulating evidence that matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), the physiological mediators of matrix deposition and degradation, play an important role in the development of intimal hyperplasia following arterial bypass. This study investigated the effect of marimastat, an orally active specific MMP inhibitor, on neointima formation in cultured human saphenous vein. METHODS: Segments of human saphenous vein obtained from ten patients undergoing arterial bypass surgery were cultured for 14 days in serum-supplemented RPMI medium (controls) or in control medium supplemented with marimastat at three different concentrations (treatment groups). Following culture, half of each segment was prepared for histological examination and MMPs were extracted from the other half for gelatin zymography. RESULTS: Marimastat inhibited neointimal thickening in a concentration-dependent manner; inhibition was significant at 10(-5) and 10(-6) mol/l (P=0.006). This observation was paralleled by a significant reduction in the levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in the tissues. CONCLUSION: Marimastat significantly reduced neointimal thickening in this laboratory model. MMP inhibitors may offer a potential therapeutic strategy in the prevention of intimal hyperplasia.     

Use of latanoprost in the treatment of glaucoma associated with Sturge-Weber syndrome

Semi-annual changes in monthly average levels of functioning of the rat liver monooxygenase system in norm (the amidopyrine test) were found. It was shown that there are inverse linear correlations between the level of demethylation and acetylation of amidopyrine and the semi-annual periodicity of average monthly data on the acceleration of tide changes in gravity.     

Treatment of bacterial infections of the central nervous system

Antimicrobial agents for the treatment of bacterial meningitis and other pyogenic intracranial infections have now been in use for approximately 45 years. The last decade, however, has been a period of tremendous advances in knowledge of the pharmacokinetics and other characteristics of the available drugs. The identification of factors that affect their in vivo metabolism and excretion, the importance of drug interactions, and the development of methods for estimation of serum and cerebrospinal fluid levels have added both complexity and sophistication to the clinical utilization of the antimicrobial agents. The number of available antimicrobials has expanded greatly during recent years, although the penicillins, chloramphenicol, and the aminoglycosides remain the mainstay of antibiotic treatment in the majority of cases of bacterial infection of the central nervous system.     

城域综合业务传送网的发展

城域综合业务传送网已成为当前各大运营商通信建设的重点领域。它的主要特点是:①提高网络带宽利用率和安全性;②提供开放、兼容和灵活的业务接口;③快速、低成本业务部署及增强综合管理能力。这些特点也正是现今城域综合业务传送网所要解决的核心问题。     

Generation and Verification of Tests for Analog Circuits Subject to Process Parameter Deviations

The paper presents a test stimulus generation and fault simulation methodology for the detection of catastrophic faults in analog circuits. The test methodology chosen for evaluation is RMS AC supply current monitoring. Tests are generated and evaluated taking account of the potential fault masking effects of process spread on the faulty circuit responses. A new test effectiveness metric of probability of detection is defined and the application of the technique to an analog multiplier circuit is presented. The fault coverage figures are therefore more meaningful than those obtained with a fixed threshold.     

GFP:HIV-1 protease production and packaging with a T4 phage expression-packaging processing system

A bacteriophage T4-derived protein expression, packaging and processing system was used to create recombinant phage that encode, produce and package a protein composed of human HIV-1 protease fused to green fluorescent protein (GFP). The fusion protein is targeted within the phage capsid by an N-terminal capsid targeting sequence (CTS), which is cleaved through proteolysis by the viral scaffold protease P21. The fusion protein is designated CTS [symbol see text] GFP:PR. The [symbol see text] symbol indicates the linkage peptide sequence leu(ile)-N-glu that is cleaved by the T4 head morphogenetic proteinase gp21 during head maturation. The fusion protein is fluorescent and has protease activity as detected by the appearance of the expected substrate cleavage product on a Western blot. CTS [symbol see text] GFP:PR packaging occurs at about 200 molecules per phage particle. The CTS [symbol see text] GFP:PR fusion protein, when protected within the phage capsid, has been maintained stably for over 16 months at 4 degrees C. Production and storage of fusion protein within the phage circumvents problems of toxicity and solubility encountered with E. coli expression systems. Because recombinant phage inhibit host proteolytic enzymes, foreign proteins are stabilized. This phage system packages and processes the fusion protein by means of the CTS. Proteins can be purified from the phage to give high yields of soluble, proteolytically processed protein. The T4 phage packaging system provides a novel means of identification, purification and long-term storage of toxic proteins whose folding and DNA-directed activities can be studied readily in vivo.     

Formalin treatment of refractory hemorrhagic cystitis in systemic lupus erythematosus

Hemorrhagic cystitis is a potentially life-threatening complication in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). No safe, effective and conservative treatment exists for patients who fail to respond to standard therapy. We report a 17-year-old girl with SLE who suffered from severe hemorrhagic cystitis. Initially, she received frequent red blood cell and platelet transfusions, continuous bladder irrigation, and blood clots were evacuated. Numerous kinds of treatment were tried, including electrocoagulation of bleeding foci, prostaglandin E1 bladder instillation, and hyperbaric oxygen. However, she remained severely anemic and thrombocytopenic necessitating daily transfusions of blood products. After intravesical formalin instillation was performed twice, the hematuria ceased completely.     

Locus coeruleus neurons from morphine-treated rats do not show opiate-withdrawal hyperactivity in vitro

Aqueous biphasic systems (ABS) and aqueous biphasic extraction chromatographic (ABEC) resins are currently under investigation for their utility in the removal of color from textile plant wastes. The structures of several widely used food colorings, suggest that these dyes would also be retained on the resins. In work currently in progress, we have begun to investigate the retention and resolution of several common food colorings including indigo carmine, amaranth, carminic acid. erythrosin B, tartrazine and quinoline yellow. The relationship between the uptake of these dyes on ABEC resins in terms of the binding strengths and capacities of the resins and their partitioning behavior in ABS is illustrated. Some possible theoretical and practical approaches to the prediction of the partitioning and retention behavior is discussed.