Inhibitory effect of S-adenosylmethionine on the growth of human gastric cancer cells in vivo and in vitro

Background and Objective: S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), the most important methyl donor in human body, is generally used to treat cholestasis in clinic. In recent years, SAM has been found to have inhibitory effects on breast cancer, liver cancer and colon carcinoma. This study was to investigate the inhibitory effects of SAM on human gastric cancer cells in vivo and in vitro, and the antitumor mechanisms. Methods: The effects of SAM on the proliferation of gastric cancer SGC-7901 and MKN-45 cells were determined by MTT assay. After SGC-7901 and MKN-45 cells were treated with 0, 2, and 4 mmol/L SAM for 72 h, the expression and methylation of c-myc and urokinase type plasminogen activator (uPA) were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and methylation-specific PCR (MSP). Tumor xenografts were established by injecting SGC-7901 cells subcutaneously in BALB/c nude mice. The mice were randomized into low concentration group [192 μmol/(kg·day)], high concentration group [768 μmol/(kg·day)], and control group [normal saline (NS)], and received peritoneal injection of relative reagents for 15 days. The tumor size was measured, the protein and mRNA expression of c-myc and uPA were detected by immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR, and the methylation of c-myc and uPA genes was detected by MSP. Results: SAM inhibited the growth of SGC-7901 and MKN-45 cells obviously and the effects were enhanced with the increase of SAM concentration and treatment time. The mRNA expression of c-myc and uPA in SGC-7901 cells and that of uPA in MKN-45 cells significantly decreased. The c-myc and uPA genes in SGC-7901 cells and uPA gene in MKN-45 cells were partly or completely methylated after SAM treatment. The tumor volume was significantly lower in low concentration group [(618.51± 149.27) mm3] and high concentration group [(444.32 ± 118.51) mm3] than in control group [(1018.22 ± 223.07) mm3] (both P < 0.01). The inhibitory rates of tumor growth were 39.26% in low concentration group and 56.36% in high concentration group. The protein and mRNA expressions of c-myc and uPA were remarkably reduced (all P < 0.01), and the hypomethylation of c-myc and uPA genes were reversed after SAM treatment. Conclusions: SAM can inhibit the growth of human gastric cancer cells both in vivo and in vitro. The mechanism may be that SAM can reverse the hypomethylation of c-myc and uPA genes, reduce their expression, and then inhibit tumor growth.

Identification of the miniature pig inbred line by skin allograft

Skin grafting has been used as one of the most reliable tests to determine the genetic stability of laboratory animal such as mice and rats inbred line, but no identification of swine inbred lines by skin grafting has been reported. At present, Wuzhishan miniature pig （WZSP） inbred line has acquired the F24 individuals in China. In order to verify whether WZSP inbred line had D^en cultivated successfully, allogeneic skin grafts and related research were performed on F20 individuals of WZSP inbreeding population, compared with a control group of autologous transplantation. We observed the transplant recipients＇ wounds, detected peripheral blood-related indicators interleukin-2, 4 and 10, CD4~ and CD8~ lymphocytes, and conducted hematoxylin-eosin （HE） and Masson＇s staining of skin to judge whether the immune rejection reactions occurred within 28 days after transplantation. Chr. 7 genomic heterozygosity of 48 WZSP individuals from F20 to F22 was analyzed by high-density single nucleotide polymorphism （SNP） chips （60 000 SNPs）. The result showed that there were no significant differences in graft skin, the plasma interleukin-2, 4, 10, CD4~ and CD8~, HE and Masson＇s staining results between the allograft and autograft groups, and no immune rejection occurred on the allograft group. We found that 11 genes in Chr. 7 of major histocompatibility complex （MHC） I and MHC II were homozygous which confirmed that immune antibody of the allograft and autograft groups were highly identical and also provided a theoretical basis to no immune rejection occurred on the allograft in the inbred WZSP. The result proved that the WZSP inbred line had been cultivated successfully for the first time in the world. The test methods also provide a scientific basis for the identification of swine and mammal inbred lines.

Propofol can Protect Against the Impairment of Learning-memory Induced by Electroconvulsive Shock via Tau Protein Hyperphosphorylation in Depressed Rats

Objective To explore the possible neurophysiologic mechanisms of propofol and N-methyl-Daspartate(NMDA) receptor antagonist against learning-memory impairment of depressed rats without olfactory bulbs. Methods Models of depressed rats without olfactory bulbs were established. For the factorial design in analysis of variance, two intervention factors were included: electroconvulsive shock groups(with and without a course of electroconvulsive shock) and drug intervention groups [intraperotoneal(ip) injection of saline, NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 and propofol. A total of 60 adult depressed rats without olfactory bulbs were randomly divided into 6 experimental groups(n=10 per group): ip injection of 5 ml saline; ip injection of 5 ml of 10 mg/kg MK-801; ip injection of 5 ml of 10 mg/kg MK-801 and a course of electroconvulsive shock; ip injection of 5 ml of 200 mg/kg propofol; ip injection of 5 ml of 200 mg/kg propofol and a course of electroconvulsive shock; and ip injection of 5 ml saline and a course of electroconvulsive shock. The learning-memory abilities of the rats was evaluated by the Morris water maze test. The content of glutamic acid in the hippocampus was detected by high-performance liquid chromatography. The expressions of p-AT8Ser202 in the hippocampus were determined by Western blot analysis. Results Propofol, MK-801 or electroconvulsive shock alone induced learning-memory impairment in depressed rats, as proven by extended evasive latency time and shortened space probe time. Glutamic acid content in the hippocampus of depressed rats was significantly up-regulated by electroconvulsive shock and down-regulated by propofol, but MK-801 had no significant effect on glutamic acid content. Levels ofphosphorylated Tau protein p-AT8Ser202 in the hippocampus was up-regulated by electroconvulsive shock but was reduced by propofol and MK-801 alone. Propofol prevented learning-memory impairment and reduced glutamic acid content and p-AT8Ser202 levels induced by electroconvulsive shock. Conclusion Electroconvulsive shock might reduce learning-memory impairment caused by protein Tau hyperphosphorylation in depressed rats by down-regulating glutamate content.

Should antiplatelet therapy be interrupted in drug eluting stent recipients throughout the periendoscopic period？ A very late stent thrombosis case re-port and review of the literature

在在有 drug-eluting stents (DES ) 的病人的 antiplatelet 药的停止以后的 In-stent 血栓是在诊所的一个重要问题，特别地在 perioperative 时期。我们与高血压，冠的动脉疾病和长期的衰退胃炎的病历报导一个 87 岁的人的一个案例。sirolimus-eluting stent 的很迟了的血栓发生了在培植，在 clopidogrel 的中止以后的七个月，和在一个选任的内视镜的胃肠的过程的准备的阿司匹林 13 天的打断以后的 1207 天与尖锐心肌的梗塞介绍了。病人与 thrombectomy 并且成功地被对待有二 sirolimus-eluting stents 的重迭的 revascularized。在 catheterization 实验室管理的药包括了低分子的重量肝磷脂和硝化甘油。流动在心肌的梗塞规模被定义为根据 thrombolysis 的等级 2。在揭示的过程以后的心电图坚持，但是减少，处于在前面偏一边的领先的圣片断举起。病人无止境地在阿司匹林和 clopidogrel 上恢复了并且被解除。在二个年后续时期期间没有心脏的事件。这个盒子加重维持血栓的平衡并且与低流血风险在病人之中在 periendoscopic 过程期间在为阿司匹林治疗的继续的非心脏的过程和可能的需要的 perioperation 期间流血的重要性收到了 DES。

A mathematical morphological approach for region of interest coding of microscopy image compression

A novel mathematical morphological approach for region of interest(ROI) automatic determination and JPEG2000-based coding of microscopy image compression is presented.The algorithm is very fast and requires lower computing power,which is particularly suitable for some irregular region-based cell microscopy images with poor qualities.Firstly,an active threshold-based method is discussed to create a rough mask of regions of interest(cells).And then some morphological operations are designed and applied to achieve the segmentation of cells.In addition,an extra morphological operation,dilation,is applied to create the final mask with some redundancies to avoid the"edge effect"after removing false cells.Finally,ROI and region of background(ROB) are obtained and encoded individually in different compression ratio flexibly based on the JPEG2000,which can adjust the quality between ROI and ROB without coding for ROI shape.The experimental results certify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm,and compared with JPEG2000,the proposed algorithm has better performance in both subjective quality and objective quality at the same compression ratios.

Study on syndrome distribution and medication characteristics of patients with rectal cancer in the real world

Objective:To explore the general characteristics,traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndromes and medication of patients with rectal cancer in China.Methods:The clinical data of inpatients with rectal cancer from the information system of 17 tertiary A‑level traditional Chinese medicine hospitals in China were collected.After data standardization,descriptive analysis was performed on the general information,syndrome distribution and medication characteristics of the included patients,and association rule analysis was performed on the drug usage.Results:A total of 15424 hospitalized patients with rectal cancer were included.The ratio of male to female patients was 1.6:1,the average age was 60.87 years old,and the age was mainly in the range of 50 to 79 years old.Among the 12146 patients with rectal cancer,the top 5 TCM syndromes were Qi and Yin deficiency syndrome(25%),phlegm and blood stasis syndrome(19%),spleen deficiency syndrome(14%),Qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome(7%)and Qi and blood deficiency syndrome(6%).After excluding the anti‑tumor western medicine recommended by the guidelines,adrenal corticosteroids(43.55%),antibiotics(42.94%)and immunomodulatory drugs(42.66%)ranked the top three in the frequency of western medicine use.Dexamethasone(38.15%),metoclopramide tablets(20.51%)and furosemide injection(19.71%)were the three most commonly used western medicines.Among the three western medicines combined,cimetidine,granisetron hydrochloride dextrose injection+dexamethasone were the most common(support 8.23%,confidence 96.4%,and improvement 2.48%).Heat‑clearing and detoxifying agents(53.72%),Yiqi‑fuzheng agents(49.76%)and blood‑activating and stasis‑removing agents(15.68%)ranked the top 3 in the frequency of use of traditional Chinese medicine.Shenqi Fuzheng injection,Shenqi Fuzheng injection(21.59%),Compound Kushen injection(17.52%)and Aidi injection(11.96%)were the three most commonly used Chinese patent medicines.Conclusion:The main syndromes of patients with rectal cancer may be Qi and Yin deficiency syndrome,phlegm and blood stasis syndrome,and spleen deficiency syndrome,etc.The treatment needs to focus on the supplementation of vital essence,combination of dredging and tonifying method,and the integration of traditional Chinese and western medicine.

Research Progress on the Neuroprotective Effect of Leonurine on Ischemic Stroke

Leonurus is one of the commonly used clinical drugs in traditional Chinese medicine.In recent years,leonurus has been widely used for cerebrovascular diseases.With the deepening of research,the effect of its main component,leonurine,on the central nervous system has become clearer,and its mechanism has been confirmed and explained from many aspects.For reference,this paper discusses the latest research on the neuroprotective effect of leonurine on ischemic stroke at home and abroad in recent years.

Endothelial progenitor cells in peripheral blood may serve as a biological marker to predict severe acute pancreatitis

AIM To investigate the significance of endothelial progenitor cells(EPCs) in predicting severe acute pancreatitis(SAP).METHODS We recruited 71 patients with acute pancreatitis(AP) and excluded 11 of them; finally, cases of mild acute pancreatitis(MAP)(n = 30) and SAP(n = 30), and healthy volunteers(n = 20) were internalized to investigate levels of EPCs, C-reactive protein(CRP), tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α), fibrinogen(FIB)and white blood cells(WBC) in peripheral blood. RESULTS The levels of TNF-α, WBC, FIB and CRP were higher both in SAP and MAP cases than in healthy volunteers(P < 0.05, all). Interestingly, the level of EPCs was higher in SAP than MAP(1.63% ± 1.47% vs 6.61% ± 4.28%, P < 0.01), but there was no significant difference between the MAP cases and healthy volunteers(1.63% ± 1.47% vs 0.55% ± 0.54%, P > 0.05). Receiver operating characteristics curve(ROC) showed that EPCs, TNF-α, CRP and FIB were significantly associated with SAP, especially EPCs and CRP were optimal predictive markers of SAP. When the cut-off point for EPCs and CRP were 2.26% and 5.94 mg/d L, the sensitivities were 90.0% and 73.3%, and the specificities were 83.3% and 96.7%. Although, CRP had the highest specificity, and EPCs had the highest sensitivity and highest area under the curve value(0.93). CONCLUSION Data suggest that EPCs may be a new biological marker in predicting SAP.

Multicenter Clinical Study for Evaluation of Efficacy and Safety of Transdermal Fentanyl Matrix Patch in Treatment of Moderate to Severe Cancer Pain in 474 Chinese Cancer Patients

Objective: Although a new matrix formulation fentanyl has been used throughout the world for cancer pain management, few data about its efficacy and clinical outcomes associated with its use in Chinese patients have been obtained. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of the new system in Chinese patients with moderate to severe cancer pain. Methods: A total of 474 patients with moderate to severe cancer pain were enrolled in this study and were treated with the new transdermal fentanyl matrix patch (TDF) up to 2 weeks. All the patients were asked to record pain intensity, side effects, quality of life (QOL), adherence and global satisfaction. The initial dose of fentanyl was 25 ?g/h titrated with opioid or according to National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines. Transdermal fentanyl was changed every three days. Results: After 2 weeks. The mean pain intensity of the 459 evaluated patients decreased significantly from 5.63?1.26 to 2.03?1.46 (P<0.0001). The total remission rate was 91.29%, of which moderate remission rate 53.16%, obvious remission rate 25.49% and complete remission rate 12.64%. The rate of adverse events was 33.75%, 18.78% of which were moderate and 3.80% were severe. The most frequent adverse events were constipation and nausea. No fatal events were observed. The quality of life was remarkably improved after the treatment (P<0.0001). Conclusion: The new TDF is effective and safe in treating patients with moderate to severe cancer pain, and can significantly improve the quality of life.

Cryoanalgesia of intercostal nerves following thoracotomy Clinical trial based on animal experiment

BACKGROUND： Cryoanalgesia at -50 ℃ for 90 seconds yields effective pain relief following thoracotomy. In China, -50 ℃ is a common temperature for intercostal cryoanalgesia following thoracotomy. However, experimental results vary. OBJECTIVE： To explore intercostal nerve pathological changes at -70 ℃ for various freezing times by studying canines, and to evaluate long-term clinical efficacy of intercostal nerve cryoanalgesia for postoperative pain relief based on the animal experiments. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： A comparative animal study was performed at the Animal Experimental Center of the General Hospital of the People＇s Liberation Army. Based on results from the animal study, a randomized, controlled, clinical trial was performed at the Department of Thoracic Surgery of the General Hospital of the People＇s Liberation Army between October 2006 and October 2008. PARTICIPANTS： A total of 120 patients undergoing posterolateral single incision Iobectomy at the Department of Thoracic Surgery of PLA General Hospital between October 2006 and October 2008 were selected. Nervous system diseases were excluded. METHODS： Animal experiment： 8 anaesthetized, mixed-breed dogs were used. The intercostal nerves （costal bone 6-10） were frozen at -70 ℃ for varying times （30, 60, 90, 120, and 180 seconds）. Clinical study： 120 patients were randomly assigned to 2 groups （n = 60）. In the cryoanalgesia group, the intercostal nerves were frozen prior to chest closure, and 4 costal nerves （1 at incision level, 2 above and below incision, and 1 at drainage tube level） were frozen for 90 seconds at-70 ℃, respectively. Intercostal nerves were not frozen in the control group patients. Dolantin was used to relieve postoperative pain in patients from both groups. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Pathological changes in frozen intercostal nerves were examined at days 1, 10, 30, and 60 following freezing. Following surgery, the degree of postoperative pain in all patients was evaluated by visual analogue scale at days 1,3, 5, 9, 30, 60, 90, and 180. Dolantin doses at days 1, 3, 5, 9 post-surgery and postoperative complications were noted. RESULTS： Nerve damage progressively increased with length of freezing time at -70 ℃, and recovery time from damage was gradually increased. After freezing for 90 seconds, the nerves exhibited obvious histopathological damage, and then completely recovered. In addition, after freezing for 180 seconds, the histopathological changes in nerves were reversible. In the clinical study, visual analogue scale scores were significantly less in the cryoanalgesia group compared with the control group （P 〈 0.01）, which was maintained over 30 days. In the cryoanalgesia group, the mean dolantin dose administered and postoperative complications were significantly reduced compared with the control group （P 〈 0.01）. CONCLUSION： Freezing of the intercostal nerve at -70 ℃ for 90 seconds is a safe and long-term effective method for relieving post-thoracotomy pain.

Biodegradable magnesium wire promotes regeneration of compressed sciatic nerves

Magnesium（Mg） wire has been shown to be biodegradable and have anti-inflammatory properties. It can induce Schwann cells to secrete nerve growth factor and promote the regeneration of nerve axons after central nervous system injury. We hypothesized that biodegradable Mg wire may enhance compressed peripheral nerve regeneration. A rat acute sciatic nerve compression model was made, and AZ31 Mg wire（3 mm diameter; 8 mm length） bridged at both ends of the nerve. Our results demonstrate that sciatic functional index, nerve growth factor, p75 neurotrophin receptor, and tyrosine receptor kinase A m RNA expression are increased by Mg wire in Mg model. The numbers of cross section nerve fibers and regenerating axons were also increased. Sciatic nerve function was improved and the myelinated axon number was increased in injured sciatic nerve following Mg treatment. Immunofluorescence histopathology showed that there were increased vigorous axonal regeneration and myelin sheath coverage in injured sciatic nerve after Mg treatment. Our findings confirm that biodegradable Mg wire can promote the regeneration of acute compressed sciatic nerves.

Interaction between the Circadian Clock and Chronic Stress

Life on Earth, ranging from single-celled organisms to more complex mammals, has evolved an internal circadian clock system that allows living organisms to coordinate their physiological processes and biological activities with the environmental day-night cycle. Therefore, the circadian clock system plays a critical role in maintaining internal physiological functions such as the immunity, metabolism, and mental health of mammals. However, there is increasing evidence that circadian rhythm disorders can lead to a series of related pathophysiological consequences for mammals.

Propofol increases in vitro proliferation of cultured rat hippocampal precursor cells inhibited by corticosterone

BACKGROUND： Previous studies have shown that propofol enhances proliferation of cultured hippocampal precursor cells in vitro and increases proliferation of cultured hippocampal precursor cells inhibited by corticosterone. Because gamma-aminobutyric acid A （GABA-A） receptor is the functional target for propofol, the proliferative effects of propofol are thought to take place through GABA-A receptor. OBJECTIVE： To determine whether propofol enhances proliferation of rat hippocampal precursor cells inhibited by corticosterone by upregulating expression of GABA-A receptor. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： A comparative, observational, in vitro experiment was performed at the Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology from April 2005 to April 2006. MATERIALS： Propofol was purchased from AstraZeneca, italy; corticosterone was purchased from Sigma, USA; bicuculline was purchased from Alexis, Switzerland. METHODS： Hippocampal precursor cells were isolated from newborn Wistar rats and cultured in vitro. The second passage of precursor cells was grouped according to the various drugs added to the culture medium： 0.5 μmol/L propofol; 2.5 pmol/L propofol; 100 μmol/L corticosterone; 10 μmol/L bicuculline; 100 μmol/L corticosterone and 0.5 μmol/L propofol; 100 μmol/L corticosterone and 2.5 μmol/L propofol; 100 μmol/L corticosterone, 10 μmol/L bicuculline, and 0.5 μmol/L propofol; 100 μmol/L corticosterone, 10 μmol/L bicuculline, and 2.5 μmol/L propofol; 100 μmol/L corticosterone and 10 pmol/L bicuculline. The cells were cultured for 24 hours with medium containing the respective concentration of drug. The control group consisted of precursor cells absent of drug treatment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： The MTT and ^3H-TdR incorporation assays were used to detect proliferative effects of propofol and bicuculline on cultured rat hippocampal precursor cells inhibited by corticosterone. Immunocytochemistry was used to detect GABA-A receptor expression. Enzyme-linked irnmunosorbent assay was used to quantify GABA-A receptor expression. RESULTS： Propofol, at a concentration of 0.5 and 2.5 μmol/L, increased proliferation of cultured rat hippocampal precursor cells inhibited by corticosterone, while bicuculline antagonized the effects of propofol （P 〈 0.05 or P 〈 0.01 ）. Corticosterone （100μmol/L） decreased expression of GABA-A receptor in the hippocampal precursor cells （P〈 0.05）, and GABA-A receptor expression was upregulated when propofol （2.5μmol/L） was added to the culture medium （P〈 0.05）. CONCLUSION： Low concentrations of propofol increased expression of GABA-A receptor. These results suggest that GABA-A receptor is involved in increased proliferation of cortisone-inhibited rat hippocampal precursor cells in vitro.

Effect of endothelial progenitor cells in neovascularization and their application in tumor therapy

Objective To review the effect of endothelial progenitor cells in neovascularization as well as their application to the therapy of tumors.Data sources The data used in this review were mainly from PubMed for relevant English language articles published from 1997 to 2009. The search term was ＂endothelial progenitor cells＂.Study selection Articles regarding the role of endothelial progenitor cells in neovascularization and their application to the therapy of tumors were selected.Results Endothelial progenitor cells isolated from bone marrow, umbilical cord blood and peripheral blood can proliferate, mobilize and differentiate into mature endothelial cells. Experiments suggest endothelial progenitor cells take part in forming the tumor vascular through a variety of mechanisms related to vascular endothelial growth factor, matrix metalloproteinases, chemokine stromal cell-derived factor 1 and its receptor C-X-C receptor-4, erythropoietin, Notchsignal pathway and so on. Evidence demonstrates that the number and function change of endothelial progenitor cells in peripheral blood can be used as a biomarker of the response of cancer patients to anti-tumor therapy and predict the prognosis and recurrence. In addition, irradiation temporarily increased endothelial cells number and decreased the endothelial progenitor cell counts in animal models. Meanwhile, in preclinical experiments, therapeutic gene-modified endothelial progenitor cells have been approved to attenuate tumor growth and offer a novel strategy for cell therapy and gene therapy of cancer.Conclusions Endothelial progenitor cells play a particular role in neovascularization and have attractively potential prognostic and therapeutic applications to malignant tumors. However, a series of problems, such as the definitive biomarkers of endothelial progenitor cells, their interrelationship with radiotherapy and their application in cell therapy and gene therapy of tumors, need further investigation.

Analysis of Clinical Evaluation of Response to Treatment of Parkinson's Disease with Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Therapy

Objective： To analyze the clinical evaluation of Parkinson＇s disease （PD） patients receiving integrated Chinese and Western medicine therapy. Methods： One hundred and twenty patients were enrolled and randomly allocated to a control group or treatment group. Patients in the two groups received placebo and Bushen Huoxue Granule （补肾活血颗粒, BHG）, respectively. Both groups received baseline levodopa and benserazide （Madopar）. The effects of treatment were assessed monthly during the 9-month treatment. Means of evaluation included Unified PD Rating Scale （UPDRS） scores （Ⅱ and Ⅲ）, sleep scale score, 10 m turn back test （getting up time, 10 m × 2 times, and turning time）, timing motor test （TMT）-Ieft and TMT-right, which were treated as the dependent variables; and age, sex, duration of PD, Hoehn and Yahr （H-Y） stage and Madopar dosage of admitted PD patients were as the independent variables. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze these factors. Results： H-Y stage significantly affected UPDRSⅡ score, UPDRS Ⅲ score, and getting up time （P〈0.01）. Madopar dosage and H-Y stage significantly affected the 10 m × 2 times （P〈0.05 or P〈0.01）. Madopar dosage significantly affected the sleep scale score （P〈0.05）. There were also significant correlations between age and TMT-left or TMT-right （P〈0.01）, and duration of PD and TMT-right （P〈0.05）. Conclusions： The six assessed means of clinical evaluation （including UPDRS Ⅱ and UPDRS Ⅲ scores, sleep scale score, getting up time, 10 m × 2 times, and turning time） are sensitive indexes in all PD patients. H-Y stage and Madopar dosage are the major factors influencing means of clinical assessment of PD treatment.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Blood Supply from Parasitized Omental Artery: Angiographic Appearance And Chemoembolization

Objective： To analyze angiographic appearance of hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） with blood supply from parasitized omental artery （POA）, and evaluate the technical feasibility, safety and therapeutic efficacy of chemo-embolization via the POAs. Methods： A total of 1,221 HCC patients who had undergone chemoembolization procedures were evaluated retrospectively. The evaluated indexes included the incidence rate of POAs, success rate of superselective catheterization, post-reaction after chemoembolization, and the cumulative survival rates. Results： Totally 1,221 HCC patients had undergone 3,639 chemoembolization procedures, and 32 patients with POAs were enrolled, with 97 POAs found in 76 angiography procedures, giving an incidence rate of 2.09%. POA was observed mostly at the right lobe and left medial lobe except the segment II, and 62 POAs underwent superselective catheterization with microcatheter, giving a success rate of 63.9%. The angiographic appearance was： （1） hypertrophic POAs participating in tumor staining （n=28）; （2） stiff and distorted POA （n=11）, displaced due to tumor＇s oppression （n=8）; and （3） defective tumor staining close to either gastrocolic omentum distribution or liver capsule （n=7）. In 19 patients, chemoembolization via POAs was performed successfully （A group）, while the remaining 13 patients failed （B group）. Except 1 acute edema pancreatitis case, no serious complication was recorded. The cumulative survival rates of 6-, 12-, 18- and 24-month were 78.9%, 47.4%, 31.6% and 21.1% respectively for A group; correspondingly, 61.5%, 30.8%, 15.4% and 7.7%% for B group, in which 2 patients died of ruptured HCC. Conclusion： Chemoembolization with microcatheter via POAs is a relatively safe, feasible and valuable method.

Overactive bladder symptom score to evaluate efficacy of solifenacin for the treatment of overactive bladder symptoms

Background Overactive bladder （OAB） is a series of symptoms with high prevalence in elderly people.This study was conducted using the overactive bladder symptom score （OABSS） to evaluate the efficacy of solifenacin succinate for the treatment of OAB.Methods This was a prospective,multicenter,single-arm,12-week study that enrolled 241 OAB patients.The patients received 5-10 mg/day solifenacin.Changes in OABSS,symptoms from voiding diary,perception of bladder condition （PPBC） score,international prostate symptom score （IPSS） and quality of life （QOL） were evaluated at weeks 0,4,and 12.The relationship between OABSS and PPBC score or parameters of voiding diary was also evaluated.Results At baseline,the mean OABSS for all patients was 9.41±2.40,and was reduced significantly at week 12 （-3.76 points; 61.21％,P ＜0.0001）.The OABSS subscore,PPBC score,IPSS,and QOL were also significantly reduced during the study （P ＜0.0001）.The overall incidence of adverse events was 19.91％ （44 cases）.The gastrointestinal system was the most commonly affected （11.31％）.Around 5.88％ of the cases had adverse events related to the genitourinary system.There was a strong correlation between OABSS and urinary symptoms that was recorded in the 3-day voiding dairy.Conclusions We showed that solifenacin was clinically effective for relieving OAB symptoms,considering the balance between efficacy,patients＇ well-being,and tolerability.OABSS integrates four OAB symptoms into a single score and can be a useful tool for research and clinical practice.

Pulmonary Metastasis of a Gigantic Cystosarcoma Phyllodes of the Breast

To the Editor： Phyllodes tumors are rare fibroepithelial malignancies of the breast and account for 〈1% of all malignant breast tumors. It is difficult to distinguish from fibroadenomas, while malignant cystosarcoma pbyllodes can grow in size quickly and metastasize early. Gigantic cystosarcoma phyllodes of the breast is very rare, thus limiting our understanding of the disease and influencing diagnostic and management outcomes. Here, we reported a case of pulmonary metastasis of a gigantic cystosarcoma phyllodes of the breast with a maximum diameter of nearly 15 era.

Altered expression profiles of microRNAs in a stable hepatitis B virus-expressing cell line

Background MicroRNAs （miRNAs） are highly conserved small non-coding RNAs of 18-25 nucleotides （nt） that mediate post-transcriptional gene regulation. Hepatitis B virus （HBV） can cause either acute or chronic hepatitis B, and is a high risk factor for liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Some mammalian viruses have been shown to modulate the expression of host cellular miRNAs. However, interactions between the HBV and the host cellular miRNAs are largely unknown.Methods miRNA microarray and Northern blotting analysis were used to compare the expression profile of cellular miRNAs of a stable HBV-expressing cell line HepG2.2.15 and its parent cell line HepG2. mRNA microarray assay and the miRanda program were used to predict the miRNA targets. A flow cytometric assay was further used to investigate the expression of human leukocyte antigen （HLA）-A.Results Eighteen miRNAs were differentially expressed between the two cell lines. Among them, eleven were up-regulated and seven were down-regulated in HepG2.2.15 cells. Northern blotting analysis confirmed that the expression of miR-181a, miR-181b, miR-200b and miR-146a were up-regulated and the expression of miR-15a was down-regulated, which was in consistent with the results of the microarray analysis. Furthermore, some putative miRNA targets were predicted and verified to be linked with mRNA expression. The 3′-UTR of HLA-A gene had one partially complementary site for miR-181a and miR-181 a might down-regulate the expression of HLA-A.Conclusion HBV replication modulates the expression of host cellular miRNAs, which may play a role in the pathogenesis of HBV-related liver diseases.

Extradural injections and manual repositioning of spine in treatment of megalgia caused by cervical spondylotic radiculopathy

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain if it is effective to use extradural injections and manual repositioning of the spine to treat megalgia caused by cervical spondylotic radiculopathy (CSR). METHODS: Patients with megalgia caused by CSR were divided into a treatment group (n=46) treated by extradural injection and manual repositioning of the spine and a control group (n=46) treated by a conventional method. RESULTS: The prevalence of cure was 58.69% and the total prevalence of effective cure in the treatment group was 97.83% and was 23.91% and 78.26%, respectively, in the control group: this difference between the two groups was significant (P< 0.05). CONCLUSION: Treatment of megalgia caused by CSR by extradural injections and manual repositioning of the spine has a good curative effect with rapid analgesia and short therapeutic course.