Advances in Tissue-engineered Oral Mucosa.

The large defect of oral and maxillofacial region doesn't only affect the function and aesthetics but also has an adverse impact on patients' psychology. The traditional way to restore the defects are limited by donor site and secondary trauma. In recent years,the oral mucosal tissue engineering has developed rapidly and provides a new solution for craniofacial reconstruction. Tissue-engineered oral mucosa is an ideal substitute of oral mucosa. It can be used in clinical settings and in vitro experiments. This articles review the recent advances in tissue-engineered oral mucosa and its applications.

[Ryanodine downregulates the expression of p-eNOS (Thr495) and improves the functions of rapamycin treated endothelial outgrowth cells].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of ryanodine on rapamycin treated endothelial outgrowth cells (EOCs). METHODS: The mononuclear cells were harvested from umbilical cord blood by Ficoll density gradient centrifugation, then induced into EOCs and expanded in vitro. The endothelial characteristics of EOCs were identified by immunostaining and fluorescent staining. The EOCs were pretreated with or without ryanodine (10 µmol/L) for 1 h, and then treated with or without rapamycin (10 nmol/L) for 24 h. Proliferation was evaluated by CCK8 and migration was measured by Transwell. The protein expression of EOCs was evaluated by immunobloting technique with total eNOS antibody and phospho-eNOS (Thr495) antibody. RESULTS: Compared with control group, the proliferation and migration capacities of EOCs were significantly reduced while the phosphorylation of eNOS (Thr495) protein was significantly upregulated in rapamycin group (P < 0.05), expression of total eNOS was not affected by rapamycin (P > 0.05). Compared with rapamycin group, the proliferation and migration capacities of EOCs were significantly increased and the phosphorylation of eNOS (Thr495) protein was significantly downregulated in ryanodine + rapamycin group (P < 0.05). The proliferation and migration capacities, the phosphorylation of eNOS (Thr495) protein and the expression of total eNOS were not affected by ryanodine alone (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Rapamycin reduced proliferation and migration capacities while upregulated the phosphorylation of eNOS (Thr495) protein of EOCs and these effects could be partly reversed by cotreatment with ryanodine.

[Impact of number of retrieved lymph nodes and lymph node ratio on the prognosis in patients with stage II and III colorectal cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the impact of number of retrieved lymph nodes and lymph node ratio(LNR) on the prognosis in patients with stage II and III colorectal cancer. METHODS: Clinicopathological data of 507 patients with stage II and III colorectal cancer were analyzed retrospectively. Follow-up was available in all the patients. RESULTS: The total number of retrieved lymph nodes was 5801, of which 1122 had metastasis. There was a positive correlation between metastatic lymph nodes and retrieved lymph nodes(r=0.171, P<0.01). In stage II colorectal cancer there was a significant difference in 5-year survival rate between patients with more than 12 lymph nodes retrieved and those with less than 12 lymph nodes retrieved(P<0.01). LNR also affected the 5-year survival rate of patients with stage II and III colorectal cancer(P<0.05). In patients with similar LNR, the 5-year survival rate differed significantly among different regions of lymph node metastasis(P<0.05). LNR influenced the prognosis independent of the number of lymph nodes retrieved. CONCLUSIONS: The number of retrieved lymph nodes is a prognostic factor for stage II and III colorectal cancer. More than 12 lymph nodes should be retrieved for better staging and prognosis. LNR is also a prognostic factor in stage II and III colorectal cancer. Regions of lymph nodes metastasis should be considered when evaluating the prognosis of patients using LNR.