[Gastric cancer. Treatment results in 237 patients]. / Kartsinom na stomakha. Rezultati ot lechenieto na 237 bolni.

Although current achievements of diagnostic and treatment process, including D II-III gastrectomy and neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the results from the treatment of patients with gastric cancer (GC) are still unsatisfactory. Retrospective study was performed analyzing the early and late results from the treatment of 237 pts admitted in the department with GC. 218 of them underwent operative treatment; 131 men and 87 women, aged between 26-88 years. Patients with esophageal cancer were excluded from the study. In 19 pts preoperative laparoscopy and staging of the process lead to refusal of surgery. The distribution according to clinical stage was: I st.--5; II st.--37; III st.--101 and IV st.--75 patients. Greatest importance for the exact preoperative diagnosis and staging of the process had: Fibrogastroscopy + biopsy; Ultrasonography; CT scan and Laparoscopy. Radical surgery was performed in 119 pts (54.58%). Total gastrectomy--59 /27.06%/, subtotal gastrectomy--36 /16.51%/, gastrectomy + splenectomy + pancreatic resection--14 /6.42%/; gastrectomy + hepatic resection--5; gastrectomy + hemicolectomy--2; gastrectomy + resection of c. transversum--3. The preferred method for reconstruction was Roux-en-Y. Palliative resections were performed in 18 pts. Only Gastroenteroanastomosis was performed in 41 pts. Postoperative morbidity was registered in 41 pts /18.8%/. Most common were wound complications--in 21 /9.61%/, cardio-pulmonal--14 /6.42%/, thromoemboly--3 /1.38%/. Early reoperations--13 /5.96%/ performed in 7 pts. Early postoperative mortality--7 /3.21%/, but for the radical operations it was 5.88%. The major risk factors for the postoperative morbidity and mortality were: coexisting diseases, advanced age, pancreatic resection, splenectomy and extended lymphadenectomy.

A rapid, multiwell colorimetric assay for chemotaxis.

This paper describes a colorimetric assay for the rapid quantification of chemotaxis in multiple samples. In this assay, cells that have migrated through polycarbonate membrane filters are collected onto the bottom wells of a chemotaxis chamber after centrifugation then the number of viable cells collected in the bottom well is quantified by measurement of the reduction of 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenol tetrazolium bromide (MTT). The degree of MTT reduction, which corresponds to the relative cell number, is measured automatically with an ELISA reader. The MTT method of quantitation is as sensitive as the standard manual method, is especially useful for large numbers of samples and requires no specialized laboratory equipment.

Changes in the electrical activity of the gastric remnant after Billroth II gastrectomy in dogs.

Chronic experiments were performed on dogs with Biller II gastrectomy followed by Roux-Y gastrojejunostomy. Gastric mucosa valve was made in the region of the gastrointestinal anastomosis in order to prevent the rapid gastric evacuation. Electrical activity of the gastric remnant, duodenum and jejunum was led off by six bipolar, silver, ball-shaped electrodes, implanted subserously on the muscle wall. Continuous bursting of groups of spike potentials with the slow gastric potentials in the usual rhythm (4.5-5 cpm) occurred during the 1st month after surgery. However, at the end of the 2nd month after surgery there were periods of tachygastria. The frequency of the gastric potentials was lower (7.52 +/- 1.37 cpm, n = 26) or higher (20.40 +/- 0.68 cpm, n = 30) compared to that of the jejunal slow waves (14.11 +/- 0.18 cpm, n = 50), i.e., it was different from the frequency of the jejunal slow waves.

Echinococcus multilocularis--a model for imaging research.

Magnetic resonance images of transverse, sagittal, and coronal sections of Meriones unguiculatus abdomens experimentally infected with Echinococcus multilocularis revealed alveolar cyst masses that were especially prominent in the late phase of infection.