Immunological protection of small bowel by simultaneously transplanted liver graft in pigs

BACKGROUND: A simultaneously transplanted liver shields a bowel graft from immunologic attack in small animals, while the possible immuno-tolerance induced by the liver in liver and small bowel transplantation (LSBT) is uncertain in large animal models. To investigate the clinically suspected beneficial effect of the liver on small bowel allograft, we developed a new model of composite LSBT in the pig. METHODS: Seventy outbred long-white pigs were randomized into four groups. LSBT without immunosuppressive treatment (n=10, group A); LSBT with routine immunosuppressive treatment (n=10, group B); LSBT with a lower dose of immunosuppressive treatment (n=10, group C); and small bowel segment allotransplantation without immunosuppressive treatment (n=10, group D). RESULTS: There was no remarkable difference in survival time between groups A and D (10.33 vs. 12.89 days, P>0.05), but the initial time of acute rejection of the intestinal graft in group A was clearly delayed when compared to group D (8.22 vs. 4.33 days, P<0.05), and the rejection scores in group A were remarkably lower than those in group D at each postoperative time point (0 vs. 0.44 on day 3, P<0.05; 0.22 vs. 1.78 on day 5, P<0.05; 1.11 vs. 2.56 on day 7, P<0.05). There were evident differences in postoperative survival time, initial time of acute rejection and postoperative rejection scores between groups A, B and C. Postoperative survival time (30.00 vs. 28.13 days, P>0.05), initial acute rejection time (25.40 vs. 22.13 days, P>0.05) or rejection score did not differ between groups B and C within one postoperative month. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to isolated segment small bowel allotransplantation, the intestinal graft in LSBT (group A) had a delayed initial time of acute rejection and a lower postoperative acute rejection score, and a lower dose of immunosuppressive treatment led to persistent graft immuno-tolerance in LSBT. Thus the simultaneously transplanted liver graft may reduce the risk of intestinal rejection and protect the bowel graft from severe acute rejection.

Outpatient versus inpatient laparoscopic cholecystectomy:a single center clinical analysis

BACKGROUND: Outpatient laparoscopic cholecystectomy (OPLC) developed in the United States and other developed countries as one of the fast-track surgeries performed in ambulatory centers. However, this practice has not been installed as a routine practice in the major general hospitals and medical centers in China. We designed this case-control study to evaluate the feasibility, benefits, and safety of OPLC. METHODS: Two hundred patients who had received laparoscopic cholecystectomy for various benign gallbladder pathologies from April 2007 to December 2008 at Jinling Hospital of Nanjing University School of Medicine were classified into two groups: OPLC group (100 patients), and control group (100), who were designated for inpatient laparoscopic cholecystectomy (IPLC). Data were collected for age, gender, indications for surgery, American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) class, operative time, blood loss during surgery, length of hospitalization, and intra- and post-operative complications. The expenses of surgery and in-hospital care were calculated and analyzed. The operative procedures and instrumentation were standardized for laparoscopic cholecystectomy, and the procedures were performed by two attending surgeons specialized in laparoscopic surgery. OPLC was selected according to the standard criteria developed by surgeons in our hospital after review. Reasons for conversion from laparoscopic to open cholecystectomy were recorded and documented. RESULTS: One hundred patients underwent IPLC following the selection criteria for the procedure, and 99% completed the procedure. The median operative time for IPLC was 24.0 minutes, blood loss was 16.2 ml, and the time for resuming liquid then soft diet was 10.7 hours and 22.0 hours, respectively. Only one patient had postoperative urinary infection. The mean hospital stay for IPLC was 58.2 hours, and the cost for surgery and hospitalization was 8770.5 RMB yuan on average. Followup showed that 90% of the patients were satisfied with the procedure. In the OPLC group, 99% of the patients underwent the procedure with a median operative time of 21.6 minutes and bleeding of 14.7 ml. The patients took liquid 11.3 hours then soft diet 20.1 hours after surgery. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 28.5 hours. In this group, 89% of the patients were discharged within the first 24 hours, and the remaining 11% were released within 48 hours after surgery. Two patients developed local complications. The cost for surgery and hospitalization was 7235.7 RMB yuan, which was 17.5% less than that in the IPLC group. At follow-up, 94% of the patients were satisfied with the surgery and short hospital stay. CONCLUSIONS: OPLC can effectively treat a variety of benign, non-acute gallbladder diseases with shortened waiting time and postoperative hospital stay. OPLC benefits the hospital with a rapid bed turnover rate, and reduces cost for surgery and hospitalization.

DNA Methylation Affects Gene Alternative Splicing in Plants： An Example from Rice

Dear Editor,Alternative splicing （AS） of pre-mRNA is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism to increase transcriptomic and proteomic complexity, and hence phenotypic diversity, via the production of multiple mRNA isoforms from a single gene （Reddy et al., 2013）. AS is regulated by various cis-acting regulatory elements and RNA-binding proteins （Reddy et al., 2013）.