[Comparison of in vivo pharmacokinetics of twelve constituents in Qihe Fenqing Yin in normal rats and diabetic rats].

This paper aims to study the pharmacokinetic differences of twelve effective constituents(succinic acid, neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, protocatechuic aldehyde, caffeic acid, 5-O-ferulogeninic acid, p-coumaric acid, nuciferine, quercetin, oleanolic acid, and ursolic acid) in Qihe Fenqing Yin in normal and diabetic rats. The diabetic rat model was established by a high-fat diet combined with intraperitoneal injection of streptozocin. A UHPLC-QTRAP-MS/MS method was established for the simultaneous determination of 12 constituents in the plasma of normal rats and model rats after a single intragastric administration of Qihe Fenqing Yin. The results show that the established analytical method has a good linear relationship with the 12 components, and the specificity, accuracy, precision, and stability meet the requirements. The computational pharmacokinetic parameters are fitted by DAS 3.2.8 software, and the results show that the half-life time(t_(1/2)) of the other nine components in the model group was longer than that in the normal group except for caffeic acid, 5-O-ferulogeninic acid, and oleanolic acid. The area under curve(AUC_(0-t)) of cryptochlorogenic acid, p-coumaric acid, ursolic acid, and oleanolic acid increases compared with the normal group. Meanwhile, mean residence time(MRT) delays. The "double peaks" of quercetin and nuciferine in the normal group are not observed in the model group, suggesting that the pharmacokinetic parameters of the drugs in the disease state are significantly different.

Computed tomography-guided catheter drainage with ozone in management of pyogenic liver abscess.

PURPOSE: To compare the treatment efficacy of percutaneous catheter drainage alone to catheter drainage combined with ozone in the management of pyogenic liver abscess (PLA). MATERIAL AND METHODS: This prospective study included 85 patients diagnosed with PLA. All patients were randomly divided into two groups: catheter drainage alone (Group I); catheter drainage combined with ozone (Group II). Drainage was considered successful when: 1) the abscess cavities were completely drained, and 2) clinical symptoms were resolved. Kruskall-Wallis nonparametric test was used to compare the success rates, length of stay (LOS), and need of further surgery. A value of p < 0.05 was considered significant for all statistical analyses. RESULTS: In all the patients' percutaneous catheters were placed successfully under the guidance of computed tomography. All of the patients in Group I (43; 50.6%) were treated with percutaneous catheter drainage alone, while the patients in Group II (42; 49.4%) were treated with PCD combined with ozone. The success rates of Group I and II were 81% and 94%, respectively (p < 0.05). The duration of fever as well as LOS was longer for Group I when compared with Group II (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Catheter drainage combined with ozone is an effective and safe treatment in PLA.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of C-Arm Cone-Beam CT-Guided Percutaneous Transthoracic Needle Biopsy of Lung Nodules.

BACKGROUND: A systematic review and meta-analysis of all available publications was performed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy (PTNB) using a C-Arm Cone-Beam CT (CBCT) system in patients with lung nodules. MATERIAL/METHODS: Thedatabases of PUBMED, OVID, EBSCO, EMBASE, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were systematically searched for relevant original articles on the diagnostic accuracy of CBCT-guided PTNB for the diagnosis of nodules in the lungs. Diagnostic indices including sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) and diagnostic score (DS) were calculated. Moreover,summary receiver operating characteristic curves (SROC) were constructed with Stata (version 13.0), Rev Man (version 5.3), and Meta-disc (version 1.4) software. Other clinical indices such as incidence of complications were also recorded. RESULTS: Eight studies met the inclusion and exclusion criteria for the meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, PLR, NLR, DOR, DS, and SROC with 95% confidence intervals were 0.96 (0.93-0.98), 1.00 (0.91-1.00), 711.15 (9.48-53325.89), 0.04 (0.02-0.07), 16585.29 (284.88-9.7e+05), 9.72 (5.65-13.78), and 0.99 (0.97-0.99), respectively. The incidence of pneumothorax and hemorrhage was 10-29.27% and 1.22-47.25%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: CBCT-guided PTNB has an acceptable rate of complications and is associated with a reasonable radiation exposure. Moreover, it is a highly accurate and safe technique for the diagnosis of lung nodules and can be recommended to be used in routine clinical practice.

Low-Mg(2+) treatment increases sensitivity of voltage-gated Na(+) channels to Ca(2+)/calmodulin-mediated modulation in cultured hippocampal neurons.

Culture of hippocampal neurons in low-Mg(2+) medium (low-Mg(2+) neurons) results in induction of continuous seizure activity. However, the underlying mechanism of the contribution of low Mg(2+) to hyperexcitability of neurons has not been clarified. Our data, obtained using the patch-clamp technique, show that voltage-gated Na(+) channel (VGSC) activity, which is associated with a persistent, noninactivating Na(+) current (INa,P), was modulated by calmodulin (CaM) in a concentration-dependent manner in normal and low-Mg(2+) neurons, but the channel activity was more sensitive to Ca(2+)/CaM regulation in low-Mg(2+) than normal neurons. The increased sensitivity of VGSCs in low-Mg(2+) neurons was partially retained when CaM12 and CaM34, CaM mutants with disabled binding sites in the N or C lobe, were used but was diminished when CaM1234, a CaM mutant in which all four Ca(2+) sites are disabled, was used, indicating that functional Ca(2+)-binding sites from either lobe of CaM are required for modulation of VGSCs in low-Mg(2+) neurons. Furthermore, the number of neurons exhibiting colocalization of CaM with the VGSC subtypes NaV1.1, NaV1.2, and NaV1.3 was significantly higher in low- Mg(2+) than normal neurons, as shown by immunofluorescence. Our main finding is that low-Mg(2+) treatment increases sensitivity of VGSCs to Ca(2+)/CaM-mediated regulation. Our data reveal that CaM, as a core regulating factor, connects the functional roles of the three main intracellular ions, Na(+), Ca(2+), and Mg(2+), by modulating VGSCs and provides a possible explanation for the seizure discharge observed in low-Mg(2+) neurons.

[Identification of Volatile Chemical Constituents from Hui Formula "Ha Hei Lili" by GC-MS].

OBJECTIVE: The volatile components of the Hui formula "Ha Hei Lili" were extracted by steam distillation extraction (SD) and supercritical CO2 fluid extraction, and the structures were analyzed and identified by GC-MS. METHODS: The GC-MS conditions were set as follows: Rxi-5Sil MS quartz capillary column (30 m x 0.25 mm, 0.25 µm), the initial temperature of 50 degrees C to keep 1 min, to 10 degrees C/min heating to 120 degrees C, maintained 3 min, then to 3 degrees C/min heating to 200 degrees C, maintained 3 min, and then to 5 degreesC/min heating to 290 degrees C, maintained until completion of analysis; helium as the carrier gas, column flow rate 1.0 ml/min, split ratio 25: 1, inlet temperature 250 degrees C, EI ionization source 70 eV, ion source temperature 230 degrees C, scan range of m/z 35 - 500. RESULTS: Yield of volatile oil were 0.21% and 5.44% extracted by SD and SFE methods, respectively; and for SD method, 36 kinds of compounds were identified, accounted for 87.02% of total mass of volatile oil; for SFE method, 38 kinds of constituents were identified, accounted for 97.47% of total mass of volatile oil. CONCLUSION: The type of constituents contained in the volatile oil extracted by SD and SFE methods are totally different; and GC-MS can be used to identify the structures and relative content of volatile components, the results of this study can provide an experimental basis for development and utilization of Hui formula "Ha Hei Lili".

Computed tomography-guided percutaneous cryoablation and microwave ablation in the treatment of perivascular hepatocellular carcinoma: A comparative study with propensity score matching.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of cryoablation (CYA) and microwave ablation (MWA) in the treatment of patients with perivascular hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: Patients with perivascular HCC who underwent computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous CYA or MVA treatment in our hospital from August 2009 to March 2019 were included. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to adjust for potential baseline differences in the two groups. The technical success rate (TS), complications, and visual analog scale (VAS) were analyzed. The overall survival (OS) was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: After PSM, 32 patients from each group were selected. The technical success rate was 94 % for CYA and 91 % for MWA, and 13 patients developed recurrence (CYA, n = 5, 2 local, 3 distant; MWA, n = 8, 6 local, 2 distant). There were no significant differences in OS (36-months OS: CYA 53.1 % vs, MWA 40.6 %; P = 0.191). No intraoperative deaths or complication-related deaths were observed, and 19 patients (CYA, n = 8; MWA, n = 11) experienced complications (P = 0.435). The VAS in the MWA group (5.38 ± 1.21) was significantly higher than that in the CYA group (2.22 ± 0.87; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: While CYA has equal safety and high primary efficacy as MWA in the treatment of perivascular HCC, it is associated with less periprocedural pain.

Neuronal nitric oxide synthase/reactive oxygen species pathway is involved in apoptosis and pyroptosis in epilepsy.

Dysfunction of neuronal nitric oxide synthase contributes to neurotoxicity, which triggers cell death in various neuropathological diseases, including epilepsy. Studies have shown that inhibition of neuronal nitric oxide synthase activity increases the epilepsy threshold, that is, has an anticonvulsant effect. However, the exact role and potential mechanism of neuronal nitric oxide synthase in seizures are still unclear. In this study, we performed RNA sequencing, functional enrichment analysis, and weighted gene coexpression network analysis of the hippocampus of tremor rats, a rat model of genetic epilepsy. We found damaged hippocampal mitochondria and abnormal succinate dehydrogenase level and Na+-K+-ATPase activity. In addition, we used a pilocarpine-induced N2a cell model to mimic epileptic injury. After application of neuronal nitric oxide synthase inhibitor 7-nitroindazole, changes in malondialdehyde, lactate dehydrogenase and superoxide dismutase, which are associated with oxidative stress, were reversed, and the increase in reactive oxygen species level was reversed by 7-nitroindazole or reactive oxygen species inhibitor N-acetylcysteine. Application of 7-nitroindazole or N-acetylcysteine downregulated the expression of caspase-3 and cytochrome c and reversed the apoptosis of epileptic cells. Furthermore, 7-nitroindazole or N-acetylcysteine downregulated the abnormally high expression of NLRP3, gasdermin-D, interleukin-1ß and interleukin-18. This indicated that 7-nitroindazole and N-acetylcysteine each reversed epileptic cell death. Taken together, our findings suggest that the neuronal nitric oxide synthase/reactive oxygen species pathway is involved in pyroptosis of epileptic cells, and inhibiting neuronal nitric oxide synthase activity or its induced oxidative stress may play a neuroprotective role in epilepsy.

Wild Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba var. spinosa): A Review of Its Phytonutrients, Health Benefits, Metabolism, and Applications.

Wild jujube, Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa (Bunge) Hu ex H. F. Chou, as a food and health supplement worldwide, has rich nutritional value. It contains nutrients such as nucleosides, amino acids, polysaccharides, and fatty oils. The fruits, seeds, and leaves of wild jujube can all be used for food, medicine, or health care purposes. Among these, the fruits play many roles, such as antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory functions, and can be used as a natural nutritional supplement to prevent aging. Simultaneously, the mature seed of wild jujube exhibits beneficial effects on central nervous system diseases and is often used for the treatment of insomnia and as a functional food for improving sleep quality and enhancing learning and memory. This review presents an overview of research progress relevant to the phytonutrients, biological functions, metabolism of bioactive compounds, and applications of wild jujube and aims to provide a scientific reference for the development and utilization of this plant.

Recent advances in the intracellular delivery of macromolecule therapeutics.

Intracellular delivery of macromolecules is a critical procedure for biological research and drug discovery, including proteins, peptides, vaccines, antibodies and genes. The penetration of macromolecule therapeutics through the cell membrane to intracellular targets is a prerequisite for their biological activity, but most delivery systems rely on the endocytic pathway to enter the cell and confront an inability to escape from the lysosome. A profound understanding of the cellular internalization of transporting carriers can (i) optimize the design of drug delivery systems, (ii) maintain the biological activity of biomolecular drugs, (iii) improve the efficiency of intracellular macromolecule transport and release, (iv) bring new opportunities for the discovery of macromolecule therapeutics and treatment of refractory disease. This article summarizes the uptake pathway of intracellular delivery vehicles for macromolecule drugs, hoping to provide ideas and references for macromolecule therapeutics delivery systems.

Intracellular Self-Immolative Polyprodrug with Near-Infrared Light Guided Accumulation and in Vivo Visualization of Drug Release.

The selective accumulation and real-time monitoring of drug release at tumor site are the key bottlenecks to the clinical translation of polyprodrug. Herein, an intracellular self-immolative polyprodrug (PMTO) is exploited, which not only shows the enhanced cellular internalization and selective accumulation in tumor site under the mild hyperthermia triggered by laser irradiation, but also possesses the self-monitoring drug release ability in vivo. The polyprodrug amphiphiles are synthesized by sequential esterification reaction, and hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) serves as blocking agent. On account of the mild hyperthermia produced by PMTO under the laser irradiation at tumor site, the cell membranous permeability increases, resulting in the enhanced cellular internalization and drug accumulation in tumor. After internalized by cells, the self-immolative PMTO nanoparticles can release free mitoxantrone (MTO) in intracellular reductive environment, and ratiometric photoacoustic imaging based on distinct signals between MTO and PMTO is presented to trace the drug release in vivo. Finally, this self-monitoring polyprodrug presents significant tumor suppression efficacy, which exhibits great potential for guiding the clinical medication in cancer treatment.

Research progress on tumor hypoxia-associative nanomedicine.

Hypoxia at the solid tumor site is generally related to the unrestricted proliferation and metabolism of cancerous cells, which can cause tumor metastasis and aggravate tumor progression. Besides, hypoxia plays a substantial role in tumor treatment, and it is one of the main reasons that malignant tumors are difficult to cure and have a poor prognosis. On account of the tumor specific hypoxic environment, many hypoxia-associative nanomedicine have been proposed for tumor treatment. Considering the enhanced targeting effect, designing hypoxia-associative nanomedicine can not only minimize the adverse effects of drugs on normal tissues, but also achieve targeted therapy at the lesion site. Mostly, there can be three strategies for the treatment of hypoxic tumor, including improvement of hypoxic environment, hypoxia responsive drug release and hypoxia activated prodrug. The review describes the design principle and applications of tumor hypoxia-associative nanomedicine in recent years, and also explores its development trends in solid tumor treatment. Moreover, this review presents the current limitations of tumor hypoxia-associative nanomedicine in chemotherapy, radiotherapy, photodynamic therapy, sonodynamic therapy and immunotherapy, which may provide a reference for clinic translation of tumor hypoxia-associative nanomedicine.

CT-guided sclerotherapy with ethanol concentration monitoring for treatment of renal cysts.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our study was to investigate the value of ethanol concentration monitoring for efficacy of CT-guided sclerotherapy of simple renal cysts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For the experimental study, ethanol solutions with various concentrations (from 10% to 100% at 10% increments) were scanned with CT; the correlation between the CT density values and different ethanol concentrations in the ethanol solution were analyzed. For the clinical study, a total of 66 consecutive patients with simple renal cysts treated with sclerotherapy were retrospectively studied. Of the 66 patients, 45 (group A) did not have ethanol concentration monitoring, whereas 21 (group B) had ethanol concentration monitoring during the procedure. Treatment results between the two groups were compared 6 months later with follow-up ultrasound. RESULTS: In the experimental study, there was a linear correlation (r =-0.981) between the CT density values and the ethanol concentration (p < 0.05). In the clinical study, for group A, 25 of 45 patients (55.5%) showed complete regression of the cysts and nine of 45 cases (20%) showed partial regression of the cysts. There was a 24.5% recurrence rate (11/45) in Group A. In group B, 17 of 21 patients (81%) exhibited complete regression of the cyst and four of 21 (19%) showed a partial regression of the cyst. There was no recurrence in Group B. CONCLUSION: Our in vitro experiment showed a linear correlation between ethanol concentration and CT density values. CT density values can be used to measure ethanol concentration. Ethanol concentration monitoring during the procedure can improve the success rate in CT-guided sclerotherapy for simple renal cysts.

Perfusion computed tomography evaluation of angiogenesis in liver cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the value of computed tomography (CT) perfusion imaging for assessment of angiogenesis in liver cancer. METHODS: Twenty-one patients with histologically proven liver cancer underwent CT perfusion examination. We compared the following perfusion parameters in the tumour area versus the non-tumour area: total blood flow (TBF), hepatic arterial perfusion (HAP), hepatic portal perfusion (HPP) and hepatic arterial perfusion index (HAPI). Slices of postoperative specimen were stained with haematoxylin-eosin and anti-CD34 immunohistochemistry. The slices were evaluated with emphasis on the CD34-positive neovasculature in the tumour parenchyma. Tumour microvascular density (MVD) was calculated according to the Weidner method. Pearson correlation was used to detect correlations between tumour MVD and tumour perfusion parameters. RESULT: TBF and HPP in the tumour area were lower than in the non-tumour area (P < 0.05). HAP and HAPI in the tumour area were higher than those of the non-tumour area (P < 0.05). TBF and HAP in the tumour area correlated with MVD in the tumour (P < 0.05), with correlation coefficients of 0.849 and 0.829, respectively. CONCLUSION: CT perfusion imaging can quantitatively assess the blood supply and its distribution in liver cancer. TBF or HAP may be a useful parameter in assessing angiogenesis of liver cancer.

Structural and Functional Brain Abnormalities in Trigeminal Neuralgia: A Systematic Review.

AIMS: To evaluate the available literature on structural and functional brain abnormalities in trigeminal neuralgia (TN) using several brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques to further understand the central mechanisms of TN. METHODS: PubMed and Web of Science databases and the reference lists of identified studies were searched to identify potentially eligible studies through January 2019. Eligible articles were assessed for risk of bias and reviewed by two independent researchers. RESULTS: A total of 17 articles meeting the inclusion criteria were included in this study. The methodologic quality of the included studies was moderate. A total of 10 studies evaluated structural gray matter (GM) changes, and there was reasonable evidence that the GM of some specific brain regions changed in TN patients. In addition, there was a significant change in the root entry zone of the trigeminal nerve and in several regions of white matter. Functional changes in resting state were assessed in 9 studies. TN patients showed increased activation of resting state, and this activation was reduced in specific brain regions. There were several studies that focused on the correlation between functional parameters or strength of functional connectivity and clinical features (eg, visual analog score and pain duration), but each study focused on different brain areas or different functional connectivities within the brain. CONCLUSION: There is moderate evidence that TN patients show structural brain differences in specific cortical and subcortical regions. In addition, TN patients show changes in pain-related functional connections in the resting state. Future research should focus on longitudinal designs and integration of different brain-imaging techniques.

The Value of Ozone in CT-Guided Drainage of Multiloculated Pyogenic Liver Abscesses: A Randomized Controlled Study.

Objective: This study was designed to compare the effects of catheter drainage alone and combined with ozone in the management of multiloculated pyogenic liver abscess (PLA). Methods: The prospective study included 60 patients diagnosed with multiloculated PLA. All patients were randomly divided into two groups: catheter drainage alone (group I) and catheter drainage combined with ozone (group II). Drainage was considered successful when (1) the abscess cavity was drained and (2) clinical symptoms were resolved. Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric test was used to compare the success rates, length of stay (LOS), and need for further surgery of the two groups. P < 0.05 indicates significant difference. Results: All patients' catheters were successfully placed under CT guidance. Group I was treated with catheters alone and group II was treated with catheters and ozone. The success rates of groups I and II were 86% and 96%, respectively (P < 0.05). And compared with group II, the duration of fever in group I was longer (P < 0.05), and the LOS was also longer (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Catheter drainage combined with ozone is an effective and safe treatment in multiloculated PLA. The Clinical Registration Number is ChiCTR1800014865.

Identification of Chemosensory Genes Based on the Transcriptomic Analysis of Six Different Chemosensory Organs in Spodoptera exigua.

Insects have a complex chemosensory system that accurately perceives external chemicals and plays a pivotal role in many insect life activities. Thus, the study of the chemosensory mechanism has become an important research topic in entomology. Spodoptera exigua Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a major agricultural polyphagous pest that causes significant agricultural economic losses worldwide. However, except for a few genes that have been discovered, its olfactory and gustatory mechanisms remain uncertain. In the present study, we acquired 144,479 unigenes of S. exigua by assembling 65.81 giga base reads from 6 chemosensory organs (female and male antennae, female and male proboscises, and female and male labial palps), and identified many differentially expressed genes in the gustatory and olfactory organs. Analysis of the transcriptome data obtained 159 putative chemosensory genes, including 24 odorant binding proteins (OBPs; 3 were new), 19 chemosensory proteins (4 were new), 64 odorant receptors (57 were new), 22 ionotropic receptors (16 were new), and 30 new gustatory receptors. Phylogenetic analyses of all genes and SexiGRs expression patterns using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reactions were investigated. Our results found that several of these genes had differential expression features in the olfactory organs compared to the gustatory organs that might play crucial roles in the chemosensory system of S. exigua, and could be utilized as targets for future functional studies to assist in the interpretation of the molecular mechanism of the system. They could also be used for developing novel behavioral disturbance agents to control the population of the moths in the future.

Manual aspiration in the biopsy-side down position to deal with delayed pneumothorax after lung biopsy.

BACKGROUND: To assess the effect of aspiration in the biopsy-side down position to deal with delayed pneumothorax after computed tomography (CT)-guided lung biopsy. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of the 236 delayed pneumothorax patients who underwent CT-guided transthoracic needle biopsies (TTNBs). Asymptomatic minimal pneumothorax patients were managed conservatively. Manual aspirations were applied for symptomatic cases with minimal pneumothorax and all cases with moderate to large pneumothorax. Patients were included into two groups: in group A (35 patients), aspiration was performed in the same position as the biopsy, while in group B (54 patients), patients were turned to the biopsy-side down position (from supine to prone or vice versa), and aspiration was conducted. The efficacy of two approaches was evaluated. RESULTS: One hundred forty-seven (62.3%) asymptomatic cases resolved without treatment. Distance between parietal and visceral pleura before and after aspiration were 4.24±1.87 and 1.93±2.33 cm for group A, 3.92±1.31 and 0.98±1.50 cm for group B, respectively. Volume of aspirated air in group A and group B were 735.4±231.8 and 434.8±320.3 mL, respectively. Complete lung expansion was detected in 28.6% (10/35) and 38.9% (21/54) for group A and group B, respectively. The overall effective rate and failure rate were 74.3% (26/35) and 25.7%(9/35) for group A, 92.6% (50/54) and 7.4%((4/54))for group B, respectively, which have significant statistic difference (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Manual aspiration in biopsy-side down position demonstrates the safety and efficacy in treating delayed pneumothorax after CT-guided TTNBs. Thus reduce the rate of pneumothorax requiring drainage catheter placement.

Computed tomography-guided catheter drainage with urokinase and ozone in management of empyema.

AIM: To retrospectively compare the outcomes of catheter drainage, urokinase and ozone in management of empyema. METHODS: Retrospective study included 209 patients (111 males and 98 females; age range 19 to 72 years) who were diagnosed with empyema. The patients were divided into 3 groups based on the therapy instituted: catheter drainage only (group I); catheter drainage and urokinase (group II); catheter drainage, urokinase and ozone (group III). Drainage was considered successful if empyema was resolved with closure of cavity, clinical symptoms were resolved, and need for any further surgical procedure was avoided. Success rate, length of stay (LOS), need for further surgery and hospital costs were compared between the three groups using the Kruskall-Wallis nonparametric test, with P < 0.05 considered significant. RESULTS: Of the 209 patients with empyema, all catheters were placed successfully under CT guidance. Sixty-three patients were treated with catheters alone (group I), 64 with catheters and urokinase (group II), and 82 with catheters, urokinase and ozone (group III). Group I, group II and group III had success rates of 62%, 83% and 95% respectively (P < 0.05). Group I and group II had statistically longer LOS (P < 0.05) and higher hospital costs (P < 0.05) compared to group III. There were statistically significant differences between the three groups when comparing patients who converted into further surgery. CONCLUSION: The combination of chest tube drainage, urokinase and ozone is a safe and effective therapeutic modality in thoracic empyema.

Clinical Application of Artificial Ascites in assisting CT-guided Percutaneous Cryoablation of Hepatic Tumors Adjacent to the Gastrointestinal Tract.

This study was to assess the safety and efficacy of artificial ascitetes in assisting CT-guided cryoablation of hepatic tumors adjacent to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. A total of 84 patients with peripheral hepatic tumors adjacent to the GI tract, who were treated cryoablation, were included in this retrospective study. Of these 84 patients, cryoablation had been performed in 39 patients with 41 peripheral hepatic tumors. These were assisted by induction artificial ascites while 40 patients with 43 peripheral hepatic tumors underwent cryoablation without induction of ascites. The artificial ascites separation success rate, the cryoablation technique effectiveness, local tumor progression and complications were all evaluated. The results showed that the artificial ascites separation success rate for 41 hepatic tumors adjacent to the GI tract was 95% (39/41). Technique effectiveness of group I was achieved in 35 of 43 tumors (81.3%) after follow-up imaging three months after cryoablation. In group II, technique effectiveness was achieved in 39 of 41 tumors after follow-up imaging three months following cryoablation. No major complications were encountered in either of the two groups. Artificial ascites assisting in CT-guided percutaneous cryoablation is a reliable and effective method for the treatment of hepatic tumors adjacent to the GI tract, and it can achieve a fine local control of such tumors.

Acute interstitial edematous pancreatitis: Findings on non-enhanced MR imaging.

AIM: To study the appearances of acute interstitial edematous pancreatitis (IEP) on non-enhanced MR imaging. METHODS: A total of 53 patients with IEP diagnosed by clinical features and laboratory findings were underwent MR imaging. MR imaging sequences included fast spoiled gradient echo (FSPGR) fat saturation axial T1-weighted imaging, gradient echo T1-weighted (in phase), single shot fast spin echo (SSFSE) T2-weighted, respiratory triggered (R-T) T2-weighted with fat saturation, and MR cholangiopancreatography. Using the MR severity score index, pancreatitis was graded as mild (0-2 points), moderate (3-6 points) and severe (7-10 points). RESULTS: Among the 53 patients, IEP was graded as mild in 37 patients and as moderate in 16 patients. Forty-seven of 53 (89%) patients had at least one abnormality on MR images. Pancreas was hypointense relative to liver on FSPGR T1-weighted images in 18.9% of patients, and hyperintense in 25% and 30% on SSFSE T2-weighted and R-T T2-weighted images, respectively. The prevalences of the findings of IEP on R-T T2-weighted images were, respectively, 85% for pancreatic fascial plane, 77% for left renal fascial plane, 55% for peripancreatic fat stranding, 42% for right renal fascial plane, 45% for perivascular fluid, 40% for thickened pancreatic lobular septum and 25% for peripancreatic fluid, which were markedly higher than those on in-phase or SSFSE T2-weighted images (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: IEP primarily manifests on non-enhanced MR images as thickened pancreatic fascial plane, left renal fascial plane, peripancreatic fat stranding, and peripancreatic fluid. R-T T2-weighted imaging is more sensitive than in-phase and SSFSE T2-weighted imaging for depicting IEP.