Contribution of preoperative gut microbiota in postoperative neurocognitive dysfunction in elderly patients undergoing orthopedic surgery.

Objective: To investigate the role of gut microbiota and metabolites in POCD in elderly orthopedic patients, and screen the preoperative diagnostic indicators of gut microbiota in elderly POCD. Method: 40 elderly patients undergoing orthopedic surgery were enrolled and divided into Control group and POCD group following neuropsychological assessments. Gut microbiota was determined by 16S rRNA MiSeq sequencing, and metabolomics of GC-MS and LC-MS was used to screen the differential metabolites. We then analyzed the pathways enriched by metabolites. Result: There was no difference in alpha or beta diversity between Control group and POCD group. There were significant differences in 39 ASV and 20 genera bacterium in the relative abundance. Significant diagnostic efficiency analyzed by the ROC curves were found in 6 genera bacterium. Differential metabolites in the two groups including acetic acid, arachidic acid, pyrophosphate etc. were screened out and enriched to certain metabolic pathways which impacted the cognition function profoundly. Conclusion: Gut microbiota disorders exist preoperatively in the elderly POCD patients, by which there could be a chance to predict the susceptible population. Clinical Trial Registration: [http://www.chictr.org.cn/edit.aspx?pid=133843&htm=4], identifier [ChiCTR2100051162].

Clinical Analysis of Bloodstream Infections During Agranulocytosis After Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

PURPOSE: To explore the epidemiological characteristics and risk factors of bloodstream infections (BSI) in patients who develop agranulocytosis fever after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). This study also provides a basis for the clinical treatment of BSI. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 397 allo-HSCT patients in the Department of Hematology of our hospital was conducted from January 2013 to December 2017 to analyze the incidence of BSI, the distribution and types of pathogenic bacteria, and drug resistance rates. We also determined whether various parameters are risk factors to BSI, including the patient age, gender, disease type, transplantation method, stem cell source, pre-treatment with anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG), and agranulocytosis time. RESULTS: Among the 397 allo-HSCT patients, 294 had a fever during the period of agranulocytosis, and 52 cases were found to have BSI. The incidence of BSI in patients with agranulocytosis fever was 17.7% (52/294). Among the 60 pathogens detected, 43 (71.67%), 10 (16.67%), and 7 (11.67%) were Gram negative strains, Gram positive strains, and fungi, respectively. The most common bacteria were Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The detection rate of extended-spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL) was 40.0%, and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) accounted for 17.9%. Single-factor and multi-factor analyses showed that pre-treatment with ATG, agranulocytosis time (≥21 days), and stem cell source were risk factors for BSI. CONCLUSION: We found that in our hospital, BSIs in allo-HSCT patients are mainly caused by Gram-negative bacteria, and the resistance rate to carbapenem drugs is high. Pre-treatment with ATG, agranulocytosis time (≥21 days), and stem cell source are risk factors for BSI.

Successful Anesthesia Management in a Patient With Type A Aortic Dissection Complicated by Renal Failure and Suspected Coronavirus Disease.

Stanford type A acute aortic dissection (AAD) is a life-threatening illness that presents with chest pain and hemodynamic instability. AAD prompt and accurate evaluation and management are critical for survival as it is a cardiac surgical emergency. The initial treatment of AAD mandates strict blood pressure stabilization with intravenous antihypertensive medications. The progressive nature of the disease will increase the mortality as time elapses between diagnosis and surgical intervention. In addition, the patient's blood pressure control is challenged in the presence of renal failure requiring hemodialysis. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 or named 2019-nCoV) pneumonia was a newly underrecognized illness (COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]). COVID-19 can cause severe acute respiratory distress syndrome, acute kidney injury, heart injury, and liver dysfunction, which would aggravate the progress of aortic dissection. In this article, we report the successful anesthesia management in a pneumonia patient with AAD complicated with renal failure during the COVID-19 epidemic period, who underwent emergency surgery and deep hypothermic circulatory arrest repair.

MUC1 gene silencing inhibits proliferation, invasion, and migration while promoting apoptosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells.

The aim of the present study is to investigate the role of RNA interference in the inhibition of MUC1 gene expression in occurrence and metastasis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and its in-depth mechanisms. The OSCC and normal oral mucosa tissues, as well as normal oral epithelial cell line HOK and OSCC cell line SCC-4, Cal-27, TSCCA, Tca8113 were obtained to detect the expression of MUC1. Slug expression in OSCC and normal oral mucosa tissues was also determined. The OSCC cells were grouped to investigate the role of MUC1 gene silencing on proliferation, DNA replication, cell cycle distribution, apoptosis, colony formation ability, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), invasion, and migration of OSCC cells. We first found higher positive rate of MUC1 and Slug expression in OSCC tissues. Next, it was determined that higher expression of MUC1 was found in OSCC tissues and cells. Furthermore, silencing of MUC1 declined Slug expression, inhibited the proliferation, DNA replication, cell cycle progression, and EMT while inducing apoptosis of OSCC cells. Our study suggests that overexpression of MUC1 is found in OSCC, and MUC1 gene silencing could inhibit the proliferation, invasion, and migration while inducing apoptosis of OSCC cells.

Transforming Growth Factor-ß Promotes Homing and Therapeutic Efficacy of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells to Glioblastoma.

Human mesenchymal stem cell-based tumor therapeutic gene delivery is regarded as a promising strategy for the treatment of glioblastoma (GBM). However, the efficiency of these stem cells to home to the target sites limits their potential curative effect and clinical application. In this work, we provide a novel pretreatment approach for enhancing the homing capacity of human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hAMSCs) for stem cell-based tumor gene delivery for GBM therapy. Pre-exposure of these stem cells to TGF-ß resulted in enhanced homing ability to GBM through increasing CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) expression, as evidenced by a diminishing homing capacity when inhibition of the TGF-ß receptor II and CXCR4 was applied. In addition, by pretreating hAMSCs expression of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand with TGF-ß, we achieved significant enhancements in the therapeutic efficacy as demonstrated by an increased number of migrated hAMSCs to target sites, decreased tumor volume, and prolonged survival time in a murine model of GBM. These findings highlight a straightforward method in which cell preconditioning methodology is utilized to promote therapeutic efficacy of a biological treatment for GBM.

Dexmedetomidine Attenuates Myocardial Injury in Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the cardioprotective effect of the continuous administration of dexmedetomidine using serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and creatine kinase MB (CK-MB) concentrations as biomarkers during off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) surgery. DESIGN: A prospective, randomized, parallel-group controlled study. SETTING: A university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred sixteen patients undergoing OPCAB surgery. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were divided randomly into 3 experimental groups that were separated by the dexmedetomidine administration protocol: a high-dose group (loading dose, 1 µg/kg; maintenance dose, 0.6 µg/kg/h); low-dose group (loading dose, 0.6 µg/kg; maintenance dose, 0.3 µg/kg/h); and control group (the same amount of 0.9% saline as placebo). Serum cTnI and CK-MB levels were measured before surgery and 24 hours and 48 hours after surgery. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Serum cTnI and CK-MB levels in patients of the high-dose group were less than those of the other 2 groups 48 hours after surgery. The administration of dexmedetomidine significantly decreased the heart rate. Compared with the control group, there was a significantly reduced requirement of sevoflurane in the other 2 groups (p<0.05). The intraoperative and postoperative cumulative volumes of urine output in the high-dose group were greater than those of the other 2 groups (p<0.05). The authors also found that the extubation time and length of stay in the intensive care unit were prolonged in the high-dose group. CONCLUSIONS: Myocardial damage was reduced by the administration of a 1 µg/kg loading dose and a 0.6 µg/kg/h infusion dose of dexmedetomidine. However, further studies are needed to understand the underlying mechanism and to confirm that high doses of dexmedetomidine could be administered safely in patients undergoing OPCAB surgery.

[Comparison of sufentanil-tramadol PCIA between laparoscopic cholecystectomy and gynecological laparoscopy].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the differences of postoperative patient-controlled intravenous analgesia for laparoscopic cholecystectomy and gynecological laparoscopy in female patients. METHODS: This retrospective study included 645 female patients received laparoscopic cholecystectomy or gynecological laparoscopy (laparoscopic oophorocystectomy/myomectomy) between January 2011 and July 2012 in Tongji Hospital. Among them, 207 cases of sufentanil-tramadol patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) were enrolled and divided into 2 groups:77 cases in laparoscopic cholecystectomy group, and 130 cases in gynecological laparoscopy group. The pressing frequency and consumption of PCIA, localization and quality of postoperative pain, visual analogue scale (VAS) at 4-6 h, 8-12 h, 18-24 h after surgery, and adverse effect were compared by t-test,χ(2) test, Fisher exact test or Mann-Whitney test. RESULTS: There was no statistical difference of age, body mass index, and operation time between the two groups (all P > 0.05). As compared with the gynecological laparoscopy group (3 (4)), PCIA pressing frequency was higher in the laparoscopic cholecystectomy group (5 (7)), but there was no statistical difference (Z = -1.747, P = 0.081). PCIA consumption in the laparoscopic cholecystectomy group (79 (33) ml) was higher than that in the gynecological laparoscopy group (48 (30) ml) (Z = -6.267, P = 0.000). The postoperative pain localization and quality were different in the two groups, the patients in the laparoscopic cholecystectomy group experienced dull pain in lower abdomen, but the ones in the gynecological laparoscopy group had distending pain in upper abdomen and piercing pain around scapula. The differences of 4-6 h, 8-12 h, 18-24 h VAS scores in the two groups had no statistical significance (all P > 0.05). The total incidence of postoperative adverse effect between the two groups had no statistical significant difference (laparoscopic cholecystectomy group:11.7%, gynecological laparoscopy group:16.2%) (χ(2) = 0.778, P = 0.378). The incidence of dizziness was higher in the gynecological laparoscopy group (6.2%) than that in the laparoscopic cholecystectomy group (0) (Fisher exact test:P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In the case of sufentanil-tramadol PCIA, laparoscopic cholecystectomy needs more postoperative analgesia, while gynecological laparoscopy has higher incidence of dizziness.

Comparative cost analysis of three different anesthesia methods in gynecological laparoscopic surgery.

In the current study, we assessed and evaluated the costs and benefits of three popular methods of general anesthesia practiced in our department for gynecological laparoscopic surgery in recent years. Sixty adult female patients who underwent elective gynecological laparoscopic surgery under general anesthesia were randomly divided into three groups: group V, group I and group C. In group V, anesthesia was induced intravenously with midazolam, remifentanil, propofol and vecuronium, and maintained with continuous infusion of propofol and remifentanil. In group I, anesthesia was intravenously induced with midazolam, fentanyl, propofol and vecuronium, and maintained with inhaled isoflurane and intravenous bonus of fentanyl. In group C, anesthesia was induced as in group I, but maintained with isoflurane inhalation combined with propofolremifentanil infusion. All patients received vecuronium for muscle relaxation. Perioperative incidences of complications and total anesthesia costs for patients in all groups were recorded. In addition, postoperative satisfaction of the patients was also noted, and similar outcomes of the satisfaction were reported in all 60 patients. Although there was no statistical significance among groups, the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting were higher in group C, and the rates of shivering and the needs for analgesics were higher in group V. Anesthesia costs in group I were the lowest. Therefore, it is concluded that the costs of anesthesia induced with midazolam, fentanyl, propofol, vecuronium, and maintained with isoflurane, fentanyl and vecuronium are cheapest, and there is no significant difference in patients' satisfaction and safety among the three above-mentioned methods of anesthesia in our department.