Fetal cholecystomegaly: A prenatal marker of aneuploidy

The fetal gall bladder can now be easily identified during the second and third trimesters using high-resolution ultrasonography. In this report we present eight fetuses with an enlarged gall bladder detected on prenatal ultrasonography at a mean gestational age of 24.6 weeks (range 19–31 weeks). Additional ultrasonographic findings were present in four cases: fetal anomalies and intrauterine growth retardation in three and polyhydramnios in one. Of those cases associated with fetal anomalies, one woman underwent amniocentesis at 21 weeks revealing trisomy 18. The other two declined prenatal karyotyping; neonatal karyotyping revealed trisomy 13 in one and trisomy 18 in the other. Although an enlarged fetal gall bladder can be a normal variant in the second and third trimesters, the prenatal detection of cholecystomegaly should prompt a search for associated anomalies and other markers of aneuploidy. If found, prenatal karyotyping should be considered.     

Examination of in vivo mutagenicity of sodium arsenite and dimethylarsinic acid in gpt delta rats

Arsenic is a well-known human bladder and liver carcinogen, but its exact mechanism of carcinogenicity is not fully understood. Dimethylarsinic acid(DMAV) is a major urinary metabolite of sodium arsenite(i As~Ⅲ) and induces urinary bladder cancers in rats. DMAVand i As~Ⅲare negative in in vitro mutagenicity tests. However, their in vivo mutagenicities have not been determined. The purpose of present study is to evaluate the in vivo mutagenicities of DMAVand i As~Ⅲin rat urinary bladder epithelium and liver using gpt delta F344 rats.Ten-week old male gpt delta F344 rats were randomized into 3 groups and administered 0,92 mg/L DMAV, or 87 mg/L i As~Ⅲ(each 50 mg/L As) for 13 weeks in the drinking water. In the mutation assay, point mutations are detected in the gpt gene by 6-thioguanine selection(gpt assay) and deletion mutations are identified in the red/gam genes by Spi-selection(Spi-assay). Results of the gpt and Spi-assays showed that DMAVand i As~Ⅲhad no effects on the mutant frequencies or mutation spectrum in urinary bladder epithelium or liver. These findings indicate that DMAVand i As~Ⅲare not mutagenic in urinary bladder epithelium or liver in rats.     

加油站地下储油罐压力管理系统的相关研究

在当前普遍采用的加油站真空辅助式第二阶段油气回收系统中,为了避免回收到地下储油罐中的油气再次通过P/V阀排空,必须对其中气相空间的压力实施有效控制。从国外的发展情况来看,地下储油罐的压力管理系统主要分为基于膜分离技术、基于弹性气囊和基于活性炭吸附三大类,其中膜法油气回收装置在国内已经得到了较多关注。首次系统介绍了气囊式压力管理系统的工作原理及其主要结构设计,具体包括管线布局、钢制压力容器壳体、位于容器顶部封头上的接口组件和全部位于容器内的气囊等;同时对另外一种可行方案进行了分析。     

Successful outcome following prenatal intervention in a female fetus with bladder outlet obstruction

Bladder outlet obstructions are a diverse and heterogeneous group of developmental abnormalities that generally involve obstruction of the proximal urethra in the male fetus. Indications for prenatal intervention are few and are usually restricted to the male fetus because bladder outlet obstruction in female fetuses is usually caused by complex cloacal development anomalies. We report on a female fetus with an enlarged bladder and a dilated proximal urethra (known as typical keyhole sign). A vesicoamniotic shunt was performed despite non-reassuring prognostic factors, but the procedure resulted in a successful outcome. We propose that in selected cases of bladder outlet obstruction, fetal intervention should be considered even when the fetus is female. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Animal models of fetal renal disease

Fetal models of urinary tract disease have been used for many years and have provided unique and important insights into the pathophysiology of these conditions. This review will summarize the principal model systems used and the current directions of investigation. These models (including rabbit, opossum, sheep and recently swine) have demonstrated that in utero obstruction of the urinary tract alters renal growth, differentiation and produces stereotypical patterns of tissue response, particularly fibrosis. New molecular understanding of these processes has identified specific mechanisms that may be key elements in the development of renal dysfunction due to obstruction. These factors include the renin–angiotensin system (RAS) and its interaction with TGF-β in altering growth regulation and tissue fibrosis. These factors offer the prospect of clinical utility as markers of disease progression as well as pharmacologic therapy. Gene knockout systems have opened a new horizon of molecular models of congenital obstructive uropathy with insights into the role of the RAS in particular. It remains to be defined how closely these knockouts represent the human conditions they resemble. Continued application of fetal models of urinary obstruction, integrating large animal and knockout systems offers promise for improved diagnosis and treatment in these challenging conditions. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

nano-ZnO对斑马鱼鱼鳔发育毒性效应研究

根据鱼鳔发育的不同阶段,从受精后0 h(0 hours post fertilization, 0 hpf)开始对5个发育阶段(0 hpf～孵化前、0～120 hpf、0～168 hpf、孵化后～120 hpf、120～168 hpf)的斑马鱼进行nano-ZnO暴露实验,研究不同浓度的nano-ZnO对斑马鱼鱼鳔的影响.结果表明,nano-ZnO悬浮液中溶解的Zn~(2+)不是导致斑马鱼死亡和鱼鳔缺损的唯一或主要原因.nano-ZnO暴露浓度越高,斑马鱼的死亡率和鱼鳔缺损率越高,存在剂量-效应关系.15 mg·L~(-1) nano-ZnO可造成90%的斑马鱼鱼鳔缺损和死亡,10 mg·L~(-1) nano-ZnO可导致斑马鱼鱼鳔面积缩小70%.斑马鱼鱼鳔早期发育阶段(0～168 hpf)对nano-ZnO敏感度大小为:出芽阶段(0 hpf～孵化前)充气阶段(孵化后～120 hpf)充气完成阶段(120～168 hpf).斑马鱼鱼鳔的发育面积和发育时间也受nano-ZnO暴露染毒的影响而发生变化.斑马鱼死亡率和鱼鳔缺损率(鱼鳔发育)之间存在相关性(r=0.978,p0.01).这表明斑马鱼鱼鳔的发育缺损是造成斑马鱼胚胎死亡的主要原因之一,但nano-ZnO对斑马鱼鱼鳔的影响机理,尤其是对鱼鳔出芽阶段和充气阶段的致毒机理需要进一步研究.     

Arsenic in Drinking Water and Bladder Cancer: Comparison between Studies Based on Cancer Registry and Death Certificates

Associations between arsenic in drinking water and bladder cancer in an area along the southwest coast of Taiwan have been documented for decades. Several ecologic studies were conducted to assess the dose-response relationships. Some of them used the National Cancer Registry Program to identify cancer cases, and some used death certificates. Whereas the cancer registry collects information on all patients no matter if they died of bladder cancer or not, the case ascertainment might be incomplete due to the fact that reporting of cases is not mandatory. Reporting of death, on the other hand, is strictly enforced by law, but patients who did not die of bladder cancer might not be identified. In order to assess the problems with both approaches, we conducted a study using both case identification mechanisms. A total of 243 townships with measurements of arsenic in drinking water were included in the analysis of cancer registry data, and death certificates were collected from 10 of those townships. In both analyses, the same measurements of arsenic made by the mercuric bromide stain method were adopted. Due to limitation of the method, all levels below 0.04mg L^–1 were combined as a single exposure category. The results were very much alike; both approaches detected statistically significant associations between high arsenic levels in drinking water (above 0.64mg L^–1) and occurrence of bladder cancer but did not find such associations for arsenic exposures at lower levels.