[Implementation of the Bethesda system for reporting the thyroid cytopathology: study on 5 729 cases from a cancer center].

Objective: To analyze the data of the Bethesda system for reporting thyroid cytopathology applied in a comprehensive cancer center and to evaluate the diagnostic ability of fine needle aspiration (FNA). Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 5 729 cases applying this reporting system at Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. The series were from 5 011 patients including 1 174 men and 3 837 women, and their median age was 45 years (range, 7-88 years). FNA results were correlated with final histological diagnosis after surgery and the accuracy of FNA diagnosis and the malignancy rates for each of categories were also analyzed. Results: Among 5 729 thyroid aspirates, aside from 456 (8.0%) cases with nondiagnostic or unsatisfactory (ND/UNS) outcomes, 1 055 (18.4%) cases were benign, 409 (7.1%) cases showed atypical of undetermined significance or follicular lesions with undetermined significance (AUS/FLUS), 80 (1.4%) cases were follicular neoplasm or suspicious for follicular neoplasm (FN/SFN), 982 (17.1%) cases were suspicious for malignancy (SUS), and 2 747 cases were malignant (47.9%). Of 5 729 cases, 3 239 had received thyroidectomies after FNA, 95.99% of them were proven histologically to be malignant, with following malignancy rates in individual FNA categories: ND/UNS 75.00%; benign 40.91%; AUS/FLUS 77.67%; FN/SFN 41.67%; SUS 96.86%; and malignant 99.96%. FNA predicted malignancy with sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive values of 98.8%, 60.5%, 97.7%, 98.9% and 59.1%, respectively. Conclusions: The data of the Bethesda reporting system indicates high proportion of malignant diagnosis and high risk of malignancy at all FNA diagnostic categories. FNA offers high diagnostic accuracy and positive predictive value for the diagnosis of thyroid diseases.

Dietary supplementation of organic or inorganic chromium modulates the immune responses of broilers vaccinated with Avian Influenza virus vaccine.

Dietary supplementation with the organic chromium (Cr) has been shown to positively affect the immune function of poultry. However, to our knowledge, no experiment has been done to directly compare the impacts of Cr chloride and chromium picolinate (CrPic) on the immune responses of broilers vaccinated with Avian Influenza (AI) virus vaccine. Therefore, the present experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of supplemental Cr sources (Cr chloride and CrPic) and levels on the growth performance and immune responses of broilers vaccinated with AI virus vaccine so as to provide an effective nutritional strategy for improving immune function of broilers. A total of 432 1-day (d)-old male broiler chicks were used in a 1 plus 2×4 design. Chickens were given either a diet without Cr supplementation (control) or diets supplemented with 0.4, 0.8, 1.6, or 3.2 mg Cr/kg as either Cr chloride or CrPic for 42 d. Compared to the control, dietary Cr supplementation had no effect (P>0.05) on average daily gain, average daily feed intake and gain : feed of broilers during the starter and grower phases, but increased (P<0.05) the relative weights of bursa of fabricius on d 21 and thymus, spleen, or bursa of fabricius on d 42, serum antibody titers against AI virus on d 21, 28, 35 and 42, blood T-lymphocyte transformation rate on d 28 and 42, blood T-lymphocyte percentage on d 42, and serum interleukin-2 contents on d 28. Broilers fed the diets supplemented with the inorganic Cr chloride had higher (P<0.05) weights of thymus, spleen and bursa of fabricius than those fed the diets supplemented with the CrPic on d 42. In addition, broilers fed the diets supplemented with the CrPic had higher (P<0.05) antibody titers against AI virus than those fed the diets supplemented with the inorganic Cr chloride on d 21 and 35. These results indicate that dietary Cr supplementation improved immune responses of broilers vaccinated with AI virus, and the inorganic Cr chloride was more effective than the CrPic in increasing the relative weights of lymphoid organs, however, the CrPic was more effective than the inorganic Cr chloride in enhancing the serum antibody titer against AI virus.

Methyl palmitate, an acaricidal compound occurring in green walnut husks.

Walnut, Juglans regia L., is known for its insecticidal activities to a range of herbivores and microbes. Isolation and identification of bioactive compounds from walnut is a potential approach for the development of new pesticides. Laboratory experiments were carried out to investigate the acaricidal activities of green husk extracts of walnut. Bioassay-guided fractionation of petroleum-ether extracts of walnut led to the identification of a common plant-borne fatty acid ester, methyl palmitate (MP), which produced strong acaricidal activity (62.8% mortality) at 1 mg/ml at 24 h. The structure of MP was characterized with infrared spectrum and NMR, and the identification of MP confirmed using an authentic standard on high-performance liquid chromatography. Based on a slide dip bioassay, 10 mg/ml MP provided 97.9% mortality against adults of Tetranychus cinnabarinus (Boisduval) (Acari: Tetranychidae), whereas mortality against eggs was much lower (57.2%).

Acaricidal activity of Juglans regia leaf extracts on Tetranychus viennensis and Tetranychus cinnabarinus (Acari: Tetranychidae).

Leaf extracts of the walnut, Juglans regia L., were evaluated under laboratory conditions to determine their acaricidal activity on the mites Tetranychus cinnabarinus (Boisduval) and Tetranychus viennensis Zacher (Acari: Tetranychidae). Extracts had both contact and systemic toxicity to these mites. The four solvents tested for preparing crude extracts were petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and methanol. Methanol was the most efficient solvent, with an extraction rate from 17.06 + 0.80 to 20.27 +/- 0.28%. Petroleum ether was the least effective solvent, with extraction rates from 2.30 +/- 0.13 to 2.71 +/- 0.13%. However, the crude extracts with petroleum ether resulted in the highest mite mortality (79.04 +/- 0.52%) in a slide dip bioassay. Mites mortalities from the concentrated extracts prepared by chloroform, ethyl acetate, methanol, or distilled water were significantly lower than petroleum ether. The mean lethal concentrations (LC50) of the extracts from petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, methanol, and distilled water to the two mite species were 0.73 +/- 0.04, 1.66 +/- 0.28, 4.96 +/- 0.35, 7.45 +/- 0.67, and 9.91 +/- 0.32 mg/ml, respectively. After liquid chromatography and thin-layer chromatography, the concentrated extracts of petroleum ether were separated into eight fractions and tested for acaricidal activity. Fraction 6 produced significantly higher mite mortality rates than the other groups, killing approximately 90% of both species.

Acaricidal activities of extracts of Kochia scoparia against Tetranychus urticae, Tetranychus cinnabarinus, and Tetranychus viennensis (Acari: Tetranychidae).

Extracts of an annual herbaceous plant, Kochia scoparia (L.) Schrad (Macrophomina), were bioassayed to determine their acaricidal activities against Tetranychus urticae Koch, Tetranychus cinnabarinus (Boisduval), and Tetranychus viennensis Zacher (Acari: Tetranychidae) in the laboratory. Extracts had both contact and systemic toxicity to these mites. Three solvents were tested for preparing crude extracts: petroleum ether, chloroform, and methanol. Methanol was the most effective solvent, extracting 3.11-4.53% of the acaricide. Petroleum ether was the least effective solvent, extracting 1.25-1.54%. However, extracts with chloroform resulted in the highest mite mortality (78.86%), and ultrasound-assisted extraction required the least time (10 min). Concentrated extracts were prepared using chloroform, methyl acetate, or distilled water as a solvent. Mite mortalities from the concentrated extracts by methyl acetate or distilled water were significantly lower than those by chloroform. The mean lethal concentrations (LC50) of the extracts by chloroform, methyl acetate, and distilled water to the mites were 0.71 +/- 0.06, 2.08 +/- 0.16 and 8.75 +/- 0.062 mg/ml, respectively. After liquid chromatography and thin layer chromatography, the concentrated extracts by chloroform were separated into seven groups of isolated fractions and tested for acaricidal activity.

Acaricidal activities of extracts of Stellera chamaejasme against Tetranychus viennensis (Acari: Tetranychidae).

Extracts of a perennial and poisonous weed, Stellera chamaejasme L. (Thymelaeaceae) were bioassayed to determine their acaricidal activities against Tetranychus viennensis Zacher (Acari: Tetranychidae) in the laboratory. Extracts had both contact and systemic toxicity to the mite. After liquid chromatography and thin layer chromatography, the extract was further concentrated, separated, and bioassayed. This study is the first to report the acaricidal property of S. chamaejasme and its potential as a botanical pest control agent.

Effects of oxygen on wound responses to growth factors: Kaposi's FGF, but not basic FGF stimulates repair in ischemic wounds.

Kaposi's fibroblast growth factor (K-FGF, FGF-4) is a newer member of FGF family with uncharacterized wound healing properties. Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF, FGF-2) has been well studied and accelerates repair in normal and impaired wound healing models. K-FGF and bFGF are known to have similar biological effects in tissue culture, and both stimulate fibroblast and endothelial cell proliferation. The rabbit dermal ulcer model was used to examine the effects of bFGF and K-FGF under ischemic and nonischemic conditions. We found bFGF was ineffective in stimulating healing under ischemic conditions even at high doses (30 micrograms/wound). However, when the ischemic wounds were treated with bFGF (5 micrograms/wound) plus hyperbaric oxygen therapy, it was highly effective again as previously found under nonischemic conditions (P < 0.05). In contrast K-FGF stimulated repair in both nonischemic and ischemic wounds (P < 0.05). These results suggest that wound oxygen content differentially regulates responsiveness to bFGF and that K-FGF is biologically active in hypoxic wounds.

Effect of hyperbaric oxygen and growth factors on rabbit ear ischemic ulcers.

OBJECTIVE: To test the influence of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO), platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB), and transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) on the deficit in wound healing produced by ischemia in a noncontractive dermal ulcer standardized model in the rabbit ear. DESIGN AND INTERVENTIONS: Dermal ulcers were created in the ischemic ears of 42 anesthetized young female New Zealand white rabbits. The controls were ulcers created in nonischemic ears of eight anesthetized young female New Zealand white rabbits. Either PDGF-BB (5 micrograms), TGF-beta 1 (1 microgram), or buffer alone was applied to each wound, which was then covered. Some groups were treated with HBO on days 0 through 4. Wounds were harvested on day 7 and were evaluated histologically. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The amount of epithelial regrowth and granulation tissue production were measured. The wounds were evaluated for glycosaminoglycan and collagen content. Angiogenesis was measured. RESULTS: Hyperbaric oxygen alone, in the ischemic model, increased the production of new granulation tissue by approximately 100% at 7 days without significantly affecting new epithelial growth (P = .03). In contrast, PDGF-BB and TGF-beta 1 each increased the new granulation tissue volume by greater than 200% in 7 days (P = .0001) and also had a statistically significant effect on new epithelial growth. However, the addition of growth factors to HBO treatment produced a synergistic total reversal of the wound-healing deficit produced by ischemia (P = .0001). CONCLUSIONS: Both PDGF-BB and TGF-beta 1 alone are more effective than HBO treatment by itself in accelerating the impaired wound healing produced by ischemia. However, the combination of HBO with either of the growth factors has a synergistic effect that totally reverses the deficit produced by ischemia.