Extraction of sp18 family membrane proteins on posterior head of bull sperm and the effect of anti-sp18 IgG on sperm motility and murine in vitro fertilization

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We evaluated sucralfate, well-known in the treatment of gastric ulcers, in relation to its possible reduction of radiation-induced acute complications in the treatment of head and neck cancers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred two patients were randomized in a double-blind placebo-controlled prospective setting. All patients were treated to a minimum dose of 55 Gy in 5 weeks. Oral intake of sucralfate was started at the beginning of radiotherapy and continued during the whole treatment at a dose of 1 g six times a day. All patients were scored according to a scoring system developed in our department. Weight was checked once a week. RESULTS: Comparing the time course of the mean scores for subjective intolerance, mucositis, dysphagia, dermatitis and nausea, no statistically significant differences between the two treatment arms (sucralfate, n = 38; placebo, n = 45) were observed. The mean weight loss in the sucralfate arm was 1.6 +/- 3.4 kg while it was 1.3 +/- 2.0 kg in the placebo arm. Apart from gastrointestinal upset, the administration of sucralfate did not cause any side-effects. CONCLUSION: This trial produced no clinical evidence indicating that the oral intake of sucralfate reduces the acute radiation-induced side-effects. Therefore, we do not recommend the prophylactic use of sucralfate in patients with head and neck cancer treated by radiotherapy.     

Levonorgestrel levels in serum and uterine flushings in women bearing LNG-Cu-IUD

This article describes how abuse and neglect of the elderly was made an issue for research in a Nordic perspective. The Council of Nordic Ministers funded a cooperation between Nordic researchers on the issue of abuse of the elderly, based on a Norwegian initiative in 1988. The aim was to establish a base of knowledge in order to recommend social and political measures for each country. The researchers were chosen from the disciplines of social work, social anthropology, sociology, nursing sciences and medicine. Interested researchers were hard to find in Iceland and Denmark. Important results are on a theoretical level the discussion and perspectives on the definition of "family", "violence" and "elderly". On the practical level the results reveal that between 8% and 17% of a random population sample in Denmark, Sweden and Finland knew about elderly people being abused in their homes. Between 1 and 8% of elderly people living in their homes are being abused by their close kin, according to either the old people themselves or as reported by home nurses. In one of the Swedish projects 12% of close family members, being responsible for the care of a demented, mostly spouse or parent, admitted abuse towards the demented person. Swedish home nurses described the difficulties in intervening into the abusive families.     

Association study of schizophrenia and the dopamine D3 receptor gene locus in two independent samples

The outcome of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and bone marrow relapse has been unsatisfactory largely because of failure to prevent subsequent leukemia relapses. Ninety-six patients were enrolled and received vincristine, prednisone, L-asparaginase, and an anthracycline as reinduction therapy. Ninety-two patients were randomized to receive either daunomycin (DNR) or idarubicin (IDR). After achievement of second complete remission (CR2), maintenance chemotherapy included the same anthracycline, IDR or DNR, high-dose cytarabine, and escalating-dose methotrexate. Compared to DNR (45 mg/m2/week x 3), IDR (12.5 mg/m2/week x 3) was associated with prolonged myelosuppression and more frequent serious infections. Halfway through the study, the dose of IDR was reduced to 10 mg/m2. Overall, second remission was achieved in 71% of patients. Reinduction rate was similar for IDR and DNR. Reasons for induction failure differed; none of 15, 1 of 5, and 5 of 7 reinduction failures were due to infection for DNR, IDR (10 mg/m2), and IDR (12.5 mg/m2), respectively. Two-year event-free survival (EFS) was better among patients who received IDR (12.5 mg/m2) (27 +/- 18%) compared to DNR (10 +/- 8%, P = 0.05) and IDR (10 mg/m2) (6 +/- 12%, P = 0.02). However, after 3 years of follow-up, late events in the high-dose IDR group result in a similar EFS to the lower-dose IDR and DNR groups. In conclusion, IDR is an effective agent in childhood ALL. When used weekly at 12.5 mg/m2 during induction, the EFS outcome during the first 2 years of treatment appears better than lower-dose IDR or DNR (45 mg/m2), although this difference was not sustained at longer periods of follow-up. Increased hematopoietic toxicity seen at this dose might be reduced through the use of supportive measures, such as hematopoietins and intestinal decontamination.     

运用滚动勘探开发加快油田产能建设

针对辽河油区牛居，青龙台油田断块多而小，断块间含油饱和度差异大，纵向上含油层系多，油水层间互为特点的层状岩性构造油气藏适时地采用滚动勘探开发的方法，加快了勘探开发速度，提高了经济效益，是断块油气田滚动勘探开发的一个典型实例。     

Roles of glutamate receptor in c-fos gene expression and epilepsy susceptibility in rats

We use NMDA to induce expression of c-fos mRNA as a marker to observe the activity of NMDA receptor in neurons during development, and compare the activity of NMDA receptor between audiogenic epilepsy -prone (P77PMC) and audiogenic epilepsy resistant rats brain. In primary culture of rats cerebral cortical neurons NMDA induced c-fos mRNA expression exhibits dose and time-dependent changes, which can be prevented by antagonists. During the development of neurons, the NMDA -induced c-fos mRNA expression reaches a maximum at day 24. NMDA-induced c-fos mRNA expression of P77PMC rats is higher than that of controls during 6 to 24 days in vitro with significant difference (P < 0.05) at day 18. To present changes in c-fos mRNA expression induced by NMDA in cultured P77PMC rat cortical neurons may be one of the factors related to susceptibility of epilepsy in P77PMC rats.     

Increased activity and sensitivity of mitochondrial respiratory enzymes to tumor necrosis factor alpha-mediated inhibition is associated with increased cytotoxicity in drug-resistant leukemic cell lines

The drug-resistant leukemic cell lines, CEM/VLB100 and K/DAU600, are more sensitive to tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha)-mediated cytotoxicity compared with their parental cell lines, CCRF-CEM and K562 cl.6. Drug-resistant leukemic cell lines have more active mitochondrial function, which is associated with a greater susceptibility to TNFalpha-induced respiratory inhibition. TNFalpha blocked electron transfer at three sites, NADH dehydrogenase (complex I), succinate dehydrogenase (complex II), and cytochrome c oxidase (complex IV). Respiratory rate and electron transport chain enzyme activities were significantly inhibited in the drug-resistant, TNF-sensitive cell lines. Respiratory inhibition preceded cell death by at least 5 to 8 hours. The respiratory failure was not compensated for by appropriate up-regulation of the glycolytic pathway. Increasing mitochondrial respiratory rate and enzyme activities by long-term culture with 2 mmol/L adenosine 5'-diphosphate (ADP) and Pi sensitized both drug-sensitive and drug-resistant cells to TNFalpha-induced cytolysis. Intramitochondrial free radicals generated by paraquat only had a limited and delayed effect on respiratory inhibition and cytolysis in comparison with the effect of TNFalpha. We conclude that TNFalpha-induced cytotoxicity in leukemic cells is, at least in part, mediated by inhibition of mitochondrial respiration. Free radical generation by TNFalpha may not directly lead to the observed inhibition of the mitochondrial electron transport and other mechanisms must be involved.