[Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of choroidal melanoma]

Ten choroidal melanomas studied were with computed tomography (CT, nine cases) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI, one case). Both techniques detected all the intraocular tumors with localization and determination of the extent of the lesions. Three of them were found to have extraocular extension. Because both T1 and T2 were relatively shortened in melanoma, on T-weighted MR image, the tumor was seen as an area of moderately high signal and on T weighted image, melanoma appeared as an area of low signal. MRI can provide a histological diagnosis of this tumor.

[Surgical treatment of mediastinal bronchogenic cyst in the adult: a report of 10 cases]

The mediastinal bronchogenic cyst is one of rare congenital foregut anomalies, with low frequency and usually asymptomatic. When secondary infection develops, it rapidly increases in size and may compress the respiratory system, and cause acute respiratory distress, in that condition, emergency surgical intervention will be necessary. After operation which includes a complete cystectomy or a partial resection of the cyst, the prognosis is good. It is difficult to differentiate the bronchogenic cyst from the esophageal cyst on the basis of clinical examination. Correct diagnosis depends on the pathological features.

Observations on the treatment of allergic rhinitis with the method of invigorating vital energy and strengthening the body surface resistance

From clinical practice, the authors concluded that the principal pathogenic factor in allergic rhinitis is deficient resistance of the body surface, and the patient is exposed to invasion of wind-evil. 495 cases of the allergic rhinitis have been treated with the method of invigorating vital energy and strengthening the body surface resistance (Bu Qi Gu Biao); the total effective rate was 84%, and the recurrence rate was 13.2% in a follow-up of 2 years. The changes in plasma cyclic nucleotides of the patients, and the ultrastructure of nasal mucosa of patients and animal models were also observed before and after treatment. The results showed that the TCM therapy tended to normalize the plasma cyclic nucleotide level, to improve the morphology and function of cells and organelles, to restore the function of mucosal cilia, to reduce the infiltration of eosinophils and their degranulation, to reduce tissue edema, and to eliminate the deposit of immune complexes.

[Pharmacological studies on dingchuanning]

Dingchuanning has been found to increase markedly the perfusion of isolated lung of guinea-pig. It may produce a relaxing effect on the smooth muscles of the isolated trachea, bronchus and lung strips of guinea-pigs, as well as a prominent protective effect on the bronchial asthma induced by inhalation of bronchoconstrictors in conscious guinea-pigs. It also has significant expectorant and antianaphylactic effects and helps to inhibit markedly the SRS-A release from lung tissues and to counteract directly the activity of SRS-A.

[Effects of nitrendipine on diastolic left ventricular function and hypertrophy in patients with hypertension]

To assess the effects of antihypertensive therapy on the heart, left ventricular mass and performance indices (determined by M-mode and pulsed Doppler echocardiography) were compared before and after 4-5 months of nitrendipine therapy in 19 primary hypertensive patients (stage I and II). MAP was reduced from 17.1 +/- 1.7 to 14.5 +/- 1.7 kPa (128.5 +/- 12.7 to 109.0 +/- 13.1 mm Hg), P less than 0.001. The heart rate increased from 68 +/- 8 to 70 +/- 8 beats/min (P greater than 0.05). None of the indices for systolic function (SV, SI, CO, CI, EF, FS) changed significantly (P greater than 0.05). But the indices for diastolic function (RFF, RFR, VLef, IRP, EFv, A/E) improved remarkably (P less than 0.001 or 0.05). Furthermore, a positive correlation between the increasing rate of VLef and decreasing rate of MAP (r = 0.58, P less than 0.005) was noticed. Therefore, the decreasing in arterial pressure is considered as a major relative factor in the improvement of diastolic dysfunction. The patients were divided into two groups according to LVMI: group A, 11 patients with LVMI greater than or equal to 125 g/m2; while group B, 8 patients with LVMI less than 125 g/m2. The LV diastolic relaxation index IRP improved to a greater degree in group B (P less than 0.05), although the reduction of MAP was more markable in group A (P less than 0.05). This means that factors other than arterial pressure may influence the LV diastolic relaxation. In group A, the LVMI decreased from 155.1 +/- 29.9 to 144.4 +/- 33.0 g/m2 (a reduction of 7.0 +/- 9.0%). It suggests that LV hypertrophy can be "reversed" following nitrendipine therapy in some of the hypertensive patients.

[Effects of high carbohydrate and high fat diet on plasma apolipoproteins AI, AII, B100, CI, CII, CIII and E in normal and hypertriglyceridemic humans]

Effects of high carbohydrate (CHO) and high fat diet on plasma apolipoproteins (apo) AI, AII, B100, CI, CII, CIII and E were assessed in 10 healthy subjects and 10 patients with endogenous hypertriglyceridemia. High CHO diet consisted of 80% CHO, 5% fat and 15% protein of total calories, and high fat diet consisted of 40% CHO, 45% fat and 15% protein. After 5 days normal diet (60% of total calories from CHO, 25% from from fat and 15% from protein), the subjects studied received sequentially high CHO diet and normal diet for 5 days and high fat diet and normal diet for 5 days. Fasting blood samples were drawn on days 1, 3, and 5 of high CHO and high fat diet period, and 5 days after taking normal diet. Results showed that fasting plasma apo AI slightly decreased (P less than 0.01) on day 3 of the high CHO diet period and slightly increased (P less than 0.01) on day 3 of the high fat diet period, plasma apo AII increased after intake of high CHO diet, but no changes were observed after the subjects were placed on high fat diet. Fasting plasma apo B100 decreased (P less than 0.001) in hypertriglyceridemics on the 3rd day of the high CHO diet, but no differences were noted in normal subjects on the same diet. On the 3rd day of the high fat diet period, apo B100 increased (P less than 0.01) in normal subjects, but no changes were found in hypertriglyceridemics. Apo CII and CIII levels declined during the high CHO diet period but increased in normal subjects after intake of high fat died.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Assessment of right ventricular function with nonimaging first pass ventriculography and comparison of results with gamma camera studies

A new technique has been developed for measuring right ventricular function by nonimaging first pass ventriculography. The right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) obtained by non-imaging first pass ventriculography was compared with that obtained by gamma camera first pass and equilibrium ventriculography. The data has demonstrated that the correlation of RVEFs obtained by the nonimaging nuclear cardiac probe and by gamma camera first pass ventriculography in 15 subjects was comparable (r = 0.93). There was also a good correlation between RVEFs obtained by the nonimaging nuclear probe and by equilibrium gated blood pool studies in 33 subjects (r = 0.89). RVEF was significantly reduced in 15 patients with right ventricular and/or inferior myocardial infarction compared to normal subjects (28 +/- 9% v. 45 +/- 9%). The data suggests that nonimaging probes may be used for assessing right ventricular function accurately.

Structural and Electronic Role of Lead in (PbBi) 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8 Superconductors by STM

The structural and electronic effects of lead substitution in the high-temperature superconducting materials Pb(x)Bi(2-x)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(8) have been characterized by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS). Large-area STM images of the Bi(Pb)-O layers show that lead substitution distorts and disorders the one-dimensional superlattice found in these materials. Atomic-resolution images indicate that extra oxygen atoms are present in the Bi(Pb)-O layers. STS data show that the electronic structure of the Bi(Pb)-O layers is insensitive to lead substitution within +/-0.5 electron volt of the Fermi level; however, a systematic decrease in the density of states is observed at approximately 1 electron volt above the Fermi level. Because the superconducting transition temperatures are independent of x(Pb) (x </= 0.7), these microscopic STM and STS data suggest that the lead-induced electronic and structural changes in the Bi(Pb)-O layer do not perturb the electronic states critical to forming the superconducting state in this system.

New Taxanes from Taxus chinensis

Two new taxane diterpenes, decinnamoyltaxagifine ( 3) and decinnanioyltaxagifine acetate ( 2), have been isolated from the leaves and stems of TAXUS CHINENSIS. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods. Their (13)C-NMR chemical shifts were assigned.

Cystic echinococcosis in the Xinjiang/Uygur Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China. I. Demographic and epidemiologic data

Demographic and epidemiologic data on those factors potentially related to the prevalence and transmission of hydatid disease caused by Echinococcus granulosus were collected in 1987 from each household in 85 villages in the two communities of Yuanhucun and Ershilidian within Hutubi County in the Xinjiang/Uygur Autonomous Region, PRC, with additional questionnaire data collected from approximately 40 households randomly selected from each of 16 villages within those communities. Yuanhucun and Ershilidian represent a combined area of 522.7 square km, and have 4,853 households with 25,684 inhabitants. Of those households, 69.9% are of the Han ethnic group, 22.1% Hui, 5.3% Uygur, and 2.7% Kazak. The total number of animals censused included 4,169 dogs, 41,369 sheep, 3,673 goats, 2,639 cattle, 5,400 pigs, 1,472 horses, and 59 donkeys. Levels of infection of the causative organism of cystic hydatid disease in various hosts were: dogs harboring Echinococcus granulosus tapeworms - 63 (16.2%) positive of 390 examined in 16 villages; domestic animals with hydatid cysts - 1,593 (88.6%) sheep of 1,797 examined, 69 (56.1%) of 123 goats, and 47 (94.0%) of 50 cattle; and 15 surgeries in inhabitants from 85 villages during the last 16 months prior to completion of the survey (annual case rate of 43.8/100,000). Questionnaire data collected from inhabitants in 16 villages showed that about 82% of the families owned at least one dog and 78% owned sheep. Of those families with sheep, most (84%) killed sheep for meat at least periodically, 76% had seen hydatid cysts in liver or lungs of butchered animals, and 77% routinely gave raw offal to their dog.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Cordyceps Sinensis-I as an immunosuppressant in heterotopic heart allograft model in rats

To investigate the inhibitory effects of Cordyceps Sinensis-I (CS-1) on the immune response responsible for the organ transplant rejection, we studied its effects of prolonging heterotopic heart allograft survival on rat model with heart graft; the effects of CS-1 were compared with those of cyclosporine A and glucocorticoid, and the possible pathological changes caused by CS-1 were observed. Our results showed that CS-1 can prolong the survival of grafted heart without causing infection, and it did not exert detrimental effects on vital organs. As a result, it proves to be a promising immunosuppressant in clinical organ transplantation in the future.

[Therapeutic effects of 9 antitumor drugs on stomach adenocarcinoma (MKN-28) in nude mice]

Therapeutic effects of 9 antitumor drugs were studied on nude mice inoculated with transplanted human stomach tumor (MKN-28). When cisplatin, cyclophosphamide, chlormethine, 5-fluorouracil or mitomycin C was given ip to nude mice bearing MKN-28 at respective dose of 3, 100, 40, 80 and 2 mg/kg once weekly for 3 wk, the tumor inhibition rates of the former 3 drugs were over 80%, while the later 2 were 70-77%. Cytarabine 200 mg/kg twice or thrice weekly for 3 wk gave an inhibition rate of 68-72%. Hydroxycamptothecin 20 mg/kg twice weekly for 3 wk showed a better therapeutic effect than that given at 40 mg/kg once weekly for 3 wk, the tumor inhibition rates were 65 and 32% respectively. No apparent effect of vincristine and methotrexate on MKN-28 was seen. Histopathological observation indicated that in cisplatin group, numerous necrotic areas of tumor cells as well as sparse infiltration of inflammatory cells were found.