Pulmonary Toxicity in Rats Caused by Exposure to Intratracheal Instillation of SiO2 Nanoparticles / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>The effect of the silica nanoparticles (SNs) on lungs injury in rats was investigated to evaluate the toxicity and possible mechanisms for SNs.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Male Wistar rats were instilled intratracheally with 1 mL of saline containing 6.25, 12.5, and 25.0 mg of SNs or 25.0 mg of microscale SiO2 particles suspensions for 30 d, were then sacrificed. Histopathological and ultrastructural change in lungs, and chemical components in the urine excretions were investigated by light microscope, TEM and EDS. MDA, NO and hydroxyproline (Hyp) in lung homogenates were quantified by spectrophotometry. Contents of TNF-α, TGF-β1, IL-1β, and MMP-2 in lung tissue were determined by immunohistochemistry staining.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There is massive excretion of Si substance in urine. The SNs lead pulmonary lesions of rise in lung/body coefficients, lung inflammation, damaged alveoli, granuloma nodules formation, and collagen metabolized perturbation, and lung tissue damage is milder than those of microscale SiO2 particles. The SNs also cause increase lipid peroxidation and high expression of cytokines.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The SNs result into pulmonary fibrosis by means of increase lipid peroxidation and high expression of cytokines. Milder effect of the SNs on pulmonary fibrosis comparing to microscale SiO2 particles is contributed to its elimination from urine due to their ultrafine particle size.</p>

Metabolic disturbance and insulin resistance in patients with colorectal cancer / 中华胃肠外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate whether insulin resistance exists in patients with colorectal cancer and its clinical significance.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 135 patients with colorectal cancer were included as the study group, and 120 healthy subjects were included as the control group. Height, weight, and blood pressure were recorded. Fasting plasma glucose, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and insulin were measured. Insulin resistance index(lnHOMA-IR) was calculated.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The lnHOMA-IR was 0.84±0.38 in the study group and 0.42±0.08 in the control group(P<0.05). The incidence of metabolic syndrome was 34.1%(46/135) in the study group and 22.5%(27/120) in the control group(P<0.05). Insulin resistance index did not differ between the groups according to metabolic syndrome(0.98±0.41 vs. 0.74±0.22, P>0.05). There were no significant associations between insulin resistance index and tumor differentiation, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, and TNM staging(P>0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Insulin resistance exists in colorectal cancer patients, and it is possibly associated with metabolic syndrome and the tumor.</p>