Volume 101  ·   Issue 11  ·  1988

Aqueous extracts of Alternanthera philoxeroides (Kong Xin Lia 空心莲子草) inhibited the growth of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in vitro at concentration non-toxic to the host cell. The minimal inhibitory concentration was 1.8 mg/ml and the sub-toxic concentration, 29 mg/ml. At 15 mg/ml, the extract was non-inhibitory to HIV reverse transcriptase; but at 60 and 120 mg/ml, it inhibited the reverse transcriptase activity by 50% and 95%. At the subtoxic but not at the minimal inhibitory concentration, the extract inhibited HIV induced cell fusion. Interferon-inducer could not be demonstrated in the extract. The extract destroyed partially the infectivity of extracellular virions of the human immunodeficiency herpes simplex, and respiratory syncytial viruses but had no effect on the vesicular stomatitis, polio and adeno virions. It was also inhibitory to the growth of the herpes simplex and respiratory syncytial but not to the growth of the vesicular stomatitis, adeno and polio viruses. Chemical studies indicated that the active anti HIV component was heatstable, water soluble and non-dialyzable. The extract had a pH of 5.6; had no aromatic ring CH absorption by infrared spectroscopy; and, had no aromatic protons characteristic of phenols but abundant polyhydroxylated compounds by nuclear magnetic resonance analysis. These chemical data indicated that the anti-HIV component was not a polyphenolic compound but might be a partially sulfonated polysaccharide.

To study the epilepsy heredity, routine EEG tracings of 120 epileptic families and 57 normal control families were carried out. The results suggest that epilepsy shows an obvious tendency to be inherited.

Alzheimer's type II (A-II) astrogliosis in the cerebral cortex molecular layer cerebral subcortical white matter, cerebellar white matter, and basal ganglia was studied in 6 cases of Wilson's disease (WD), with 10 age-matched controls by the use of PAP staining for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). The great majority of A-II cells were negative for GFAP immunohistochemical reaction (99.6%). This GFAP negativity was not confined to the A-II cells, but extended also in different degrees to adjacent astrocytes with normal nuclear morphology. Certain proportions of normal astrocytes in different locations of the controls were also GFAP negative, but the generalized loss of GFAP immuno-reactivity in WD brain tissue was statistically significant in contrast to the former (P<0.05). The distribution of A-II astrogliopathy was pancephalic, affecting both the grey and white matter, and both the protoplasmic and fibrous astrocytes without special predilection.

The results of real-time ultrasonography of 17 patients with gastric malignant neoplasm are presented. The diagnostic accuracy was 94.11%. The characteristic sonographic feature was localized or diffuse thickening of the gastric wall related to the degree of neoplastic Infiltration of the gastric wall. Sonographic tumor patterns varied with the type; abnormal peristaltic activity and abnormal gastric emptying were observed. The advantages and limitations of this technic are discussed.

Seventy-seven Mongolian jirds Merioes unguiculatus) were inoculated by gavage with Giardia lamblia cysts isolated from the stool of an infected child. Cyst excretion, trophozoite distribution and the pathological changes in the small intestines of the infected jirds were studied. One (12.570) of 8 animals became infected with only 5 cysts. 104 cysts or more/jird was infectious in nearly all the animals. Most of infected animals (83To) excreted cysts inter- mittently. The latent period was related to the size of inoculum. Maximal cyst excretion usually occur- red at 16+5 days. In most jirds, no cysts coulds be found in stools 21+4 days after infection. The extent of trophozoite colonization and its distribu- tion in the small intestine varied with the duration of infection, but not with the number of Giardia found in the feces. No tissue invasion by G. lamblia was demonstrated, but histopathological lesions did occur. The reduction of the villi vs. crypts ratio may indicate that the small intestine villi were co vered with relatively immature enterocytes, which may partially account for the malabsorption in giar diasis.

The effects of epidermal growth factor (EGF), glucagon and insulin on the DNA synthesis of hepatocytes after experimental hepatocellular necrosis in rats were studied in vivo with the monoclonal anti-bromodeoxyuridine antibody technique. The results showed that EGF could substantially stimulate the DNA synthesis of the damaged liver cells induced by CCI4. When EGF was administered in combination with glucagon and insulin, they could result in a dramatic increase in the DNA synthesis. In con- trast to primary culture of hepatocytes and cells after partial hepatectomy, glucagon could also stimulate the regeneration of damaged liver cells. Insulin, when used alone, did not show apparent effect on hepatic regeneration. It is suggested that EGF and EGF-glucagon-insulin therapy may be useful in the treatment of acute hepatic failure.

A 10-25 cm pedicled jejunal loop was isolated 10-20 cm from the ligament of Treitz. Distally, it was constricted to a diameter of about l.5 cm with circumferential infolding seromuscular sutures placed l.2-1.5 cm from the free edge. The distal end was then everted to form a nipple. Experimental observations and clinical application verified that such a nipple with a constricted orifice could with stand an intraluminal pressure of over 300 mm H2O, and effectively prevented regurgitation. A nipple without such constriction was unable to prevent regurgitation completely. Seromuscular infolding coated the mucosa and mechanically impeded regurgitation. In the 83 patients the length of defunctionalized jejunal segment was 1/20-1/4 of that used in a conventional Roux-en-Y procedure, and the shortest was only 2.5 cm. Postoperative contrast studies, barium meal and endoscopy revealed the nipple was somewhat an 1.0 cm intraluminal protuberance. Bile was ejected intermittently and there was no evidence of barium regurgitation. None of the patients developed ascending cholangitis on follow-up for 2-52 months. The merits of this procedure are: wide clinical application, reliable antireflux effect, short defunctionalized segment, and stretchable orifice of the nipple that would not hamper the passage of stones.

We compared the hemodynamic effects of three nonionic contrast media/Inopamidol (IOP), iohexol (IOH), and ioversol (IOV)-with each other and the standard ionie contrast media/hypaque-76 (H76) in left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) occlusion in dogs during coronary angiography. In 13 opened chest anesthetized dogs, the maximal change in left ventricular (LV) systolic pressure, mean aortic pressure, LV diastolic pressure and LV dp/dt during 10 ml left main coronary artery injections of H76, IOP, IOH, and IOV one hour after LAD occlusion were recorded. Each nonionic agent produced significantly less hemodynamic abnormali ties than H76. There were no significant differences between any of the nonionic agents on any hemodynamic parameters. Therefore these agents may be preferable in patients with acute myocardial infarction or significantly impaired myocardial function.