Studies on the toxicity of Aristolochia manshuriensis (Guanmuton).

Aims: (1) To study the acute and chronic toxicity of stem of Aristolochia manshuriensis (AMA Guanmuton) which is a Chinese medicinal herb in order to provide basis for safe clinical use. (2) To investigate the possibility of reducing toxicity of the herb combined with Rhizoma Coptidis (Huanglian).

Methods: The 70% ethanol extract of the herb was fed to mice via gastric tube for 8 weeks.

[Diagnosis and treatment of spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas: 110 cases report].

Objective: To discuss the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas (SDAVF).

Methods: The clinical and following-up date from 110 patients with SDAVF diagnosed by spinal MRI and spinal angiography were analyzed retrospectively.

Results: Draining vein between fistula and spinal cord was interrupted by laminectomy approach as first choice in 61 patients, by hemi-laminectomy approach in 37, and by endovascular embolization in 12, and re-operation due to recurrence after embolization in 3.

Transmission security for single kinesthetic afferent fibers of joint origin and their target cuneate neurons in the cat.

Transmission between single identified, kinesthetic afferent fibers of joint origin and their central target neurons of the cuneate nucleus was examined in anesthetized cats by means of paired electrophysiological recording. Fifty-three wrist joint afferent-cuneate neuron pairs were isolated in which the single joint afferent fiber exerted suprathreshold excitatory actions on the target cuneate neuron. For each pair, the minimum kinesthetic input, a single spike, was sufficient to generate cuneate spike output, often amplified as a pair or burst of spikes, particularly at input rates up to 50-100 impulses per second.

[Experience with transluminal stent-assisted angioplasty for intracranial vascular diseases].

Objective: To assess the value of stent-assistant angioplasty for intracranial vascular diseases.

Methods: Thirteen patients with intracranial vascular diseases were treated consecutively by stent-assistant angioplasty for different purposes. Of these patients 7 had symptomatic intracranial artery stenosis, 3 intracranial wide-neck aneurysms, 2 intracranial pseudoaneurysms, and 1 bilateral transverse sinus stenosis.

[Anterior approach in the surgical treatment of cervical fracture and spinal cord injury].

Objective: To explore value of the anterior approach in the surgical treatment of cervical fracture and spinal cord injury.

Methods: Thirty-one cases of cervical fracture and spinal cord injury were treated. All the patients were operated on in general anaesthesia by anterior decompression, reduction, auto-iliac graft and ORION cervical plate fixation.

[Efficacy of operation in the treatment of cervical spondylotic myelopath in different disease periods].

Objective: To analyze the efficacy of cervical spondylotic myelopathc (CSM) in different disease periods after operation, and explore the best operating period for CSM treatment.

Methods: Eighty-nine cases of CSM were included in this study. Thirty-eight cases were treated by posterior open-door or twain-door laminoplasty, and 34 cases were treated by anterior "opening window" decompression and auto-iliac bone graft.

Noxious visceral inputs enhance cutaneous tactile response in rat thalamus.

The current study investigates whether visceral nociceptive inputs affect tactile processing in the thalamic ventroposterior lateral nucleus in anesthetized rats by means of extracellular single unit recordings. Twenty out of the 44 neurons had their response to tactile stimulation increased by preceding nociceptive colorectal distension (CRD), and this influence appear more potent than the opposite effect, tactile on CRD response. There was a dynamic change of tactile response along with CRD response and the background activities as a function of repeated colorectal stimulation.

Effect of tactile inputs on thalamic responses to noxious colorectal distension in rat.

Recent discoveries of visceral nociceptive inputs sharing the classical tactile pathway in the dorsal-column medial lemniscus system have opened a new venue for the investigation of somatovisceral interactions. The current study was designed to determine whether somatic innocuous inputs modulate visceral nociceptive transmission at the thalamic level. The investigation was carried out by means of extracellular single-unit recordings in the ventroposterior lateral nucleus of the thalamus in rats anesthetized with pentobarbital.

[Spinal dural arteriovenous fistulae associated with perimedullary arteriovenous fistulae: imaging characteristics and surgical treatment].

Objective: To enhance the clinical doctors' cognizance of atypical spinal dural arteriovenous fistulae (SDAVFs) associated with perimedullary anteriovenous fistulae (PMAVFs).

Methods: The clinical imaging and surgical therapy of 3 patients with PMAVFs were analyzed retrospectively.

Results: The clinical presentations of the 3 patients were not significantly different from those of typical SDAVFs.

Balloon occlusion test and therapeutic occlusion on traumatic carotid cavernous fistulas.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety of the balloon occlusion test(BOT) and therapeutic occlusion of the internal carotid artery(ICA). METHODS: The data of 43 patients hospitalized consecutively with traumatic intractable carotid cavernous fistulas (TICCF) were analyzed. Therapeutic occlusion of ICA was performed on 39 cases and BOT was only performed on the remaining 4 cases.