Effect of intra-operative autonomic nerve stimulation on pelvic nerve preservation during radical laparoscopic proctectomy.

AIM: This study assessed the effect of intra-operative electrical nerve stimulation (INS) on pelvic autonomic nerve preservation (PANP) during laparoscopic resection for rectal cancer. METHOD: A total of 189 consecutive cases of radical laparoscopic proctectomy were included. PANP was assessed visually or with INS. Urinary function was evaluated by residual urine volume (RUV), International Prostatic Symptom Score (IPSS) and recatheterization rate. Erectile function was evaluated using the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) scale. RESULTS: INS successfully confirmed PANP in 65 (91.5%) patients, while direct vision confirmed PANP in only 72 (61.0%) patients. Compared with the successfully confirmed patients, failed patients in the INS group exhibited higher postoperative RUV (100.0 ± 34.6 vs 25.2 ± 13.6 ml, P = 0.003), higher IPSS (7 days, 20.0 ± 8.6 vs 6.5 ± 2.4, P = 0.012; 1 month, 13.5 ± 6.0 vs 5.3 ± 1.9, P = 0.020; 6 months, 11.7 ± 5.1 vs 4.5 ± 1.7, P = 0.018), a greater number of incidences of a micturition disorder (66.7% vs 1.5%, P = 0.000), higher recatheterization rates (33.3% vs 1.5%, P = 0.017) and a lower IIEF score at 3 months (8.25 ± 0.96 vs 10.93 ± 1.99, P = 0.012) and 6 months (12.50 ± 1.29 vs 15.63 ± 1.65, P = 0.001) postoperatively. Compared with the vision group, the INS group had less deterioration in postoperative RUV (31.5 ± 26.4 vs 54.0 ± 46.7 ml, P = 0.000), lower IPSS (7 days, 7.7 ± 5.0 vs 11.0 ± 6.6, P = 0.000; 1 month, 6.0 ± 3.3 vs 7.6 ± 5.4, P = 0.012) and higher IIEF score (3 months, 10.69 ± 2.07 vs 9.42 ± 2.05, P = 0.001; 6 months, 15.36 ± 1.85 vs 13.64 ± 2.00, P = 0.000) as well as a lower incidence of urination disorders (7.0% vs 17.8%, P = 0.038). CONCLUSION: INS is effective for the accurate evaluation of PANP during radical laparoscopic proctectomy. Combined with INS, laparoscopic proctectomy is more effective in urogenital function protection.

[Effects of scorpion injection on interleukin 1 and pathology in experimental glomerulonephritis in situ].

UNLABELLED: The model of experimental glomerulonephritis in situ in rats was established by administration of C-BSA. 24 male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to three groups: C-BSA, control and C-BSA+scorpion (scorpion injection, ip, 1.0 g/kg, once/day). At the end of 4th week, the bioactivity of serum IL-1 was assayed by thymocyte proliferation method and the renal pathology was checked up. Urine sample was collected for 24 hour once/week for protein determination. RESULT: Quantity of proteinuria in scorpion group was reduced significantly in comparing with C-BSA group. Level of IL-1 was significantly lower in scorpion group than that in C-BSA group. Injury of renal tissue also was mild in the treated group. These results suggested that scorpion injection could suppress the activities of IL-1 and ameliorate the pathological injury in this experimental glomerulonephritis in situ.

Thalamic projection to motor area and area 3a of the cat cerebral cortex.

The distributions of thalamic neurons projecting to the motor cortex and cortical area 3a were studied in cat by means of the retrograde double-labeling technique using Nuclear Yellow (NY) and Fast Blue (FB) as tracers. Following injection of NY and FB into the motor cortex and area 3a respectively, the NY-labeled neurons were found to be mainly located in ventrolateral (VL) nucleus and FB-labeled neurons in ventro-posterolateral nucleus (VPL). However, these two kinds of neurons were intermingled with each other in the border area between VL and VPL. A small number of neurons were double-labeled by both NY and FB. They were also distributed in the border area. Some of them could often be found in centromedian and parafascicular nuclei.

Are hypothalamo-cerebellar fibers collaterals from the hypothalamo-spinal projection?

Retrograde transport of fluorescent tracer molecules (Fast Blue and Nuclear Yellow) was used to restudy the feline hypothalamo-cerebellar and hypothalamo-spinal projections in order to decide whether hypothalamo-cerebellar and hypothalamo-spinal fibers are branches of the same axons. The finding of a significant hypothalamo-cerebellar projection from lateral, dorsal and posterior hypothalamic areas is confirmed. Scattered hypothalamo-cerebellar fibers were found to come from the supraoptic, dorsomedial, periventricular, infundibular and paraventricular nuclei, tuber cinereum and the anterior hypothalamic area. A topographical organization is proposed for the hypothalamo-cerebellar projection; the cerebellar anterior lobe receives fibers mainly from the rostral (anterior) hypothalamus while the posterior lobe receives fibers mainly from its caudal (posterior) part. The hypothalamo-spinal pathway originates principally within the dorsal, posterior and lateral hypothalamic areas, but receives small contributions also from the periventricular and paraventricular nuclei, tuber cinereum and the anterior hypothalamic area. Hypothalamic neurons retrogradely labeled from the spinal cord and from cerebellum were often located adjacent to each other, but only few double labeled neurons were found. This indicates that spinal and cerebellar projecting cells are mainly two different populations.