[Safety and efficacy of TIPS combined with iodine-125 seed strands in the treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma combined with portal vein tumor thrombosis].

Objective: To study the safety and efficacy of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) combined with iodine-125 (125Ⅰ) seed strands implantation in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma combined with portal vein tumor thrombosis. Methods: 25 cases with diffuse intrahepatic tumor combined with tumor thrombus type Ⅲ/Ⅳ requiring TIPS were simultaneously implanted with 125Ⅰseed strand. Tumor thrombus was controlled with 125I seed implantation brachytherapy to keep the TIPS pathway unobstructed, reduce the portal vein pressure, and observe the changes in the cause of death of the patients. During the same period, 30 cases without TIPS and seed strand implantation were used as controls. Data between groups were compared using t-test, Chi-Squared test or Fisher's exact test. Results: TIPS combined with 125Ⅰ seed strand implantation was safe in patients with diffuse hepatocellular carcinoma combined with type III/IV portal vein tumor thrombus, and 92.0% (23/25) of the patients maintained unobstructed TIPS pathway. Compared with the control group, patients in the treatment group died of fewer lead-related complications, and most died from chronic liver failure (84.0% vs. 56.7%, χ2 = 4.771, P=0.029). The incidence of upper gastrointestinal bleeding was significantly decreased (12.0% vs. 46.7%, χ2 =7.674, P=0.006) and ascites severity was significantly improved (mild 40.0% vs. 16.7%, moderate 52.0% vs. 20.0%, severe 8.0% vs. 46.7%, χ2 =13.246 , P=0.001). Conclusions: TIPS combined with 125Ⅰ seed strand implantation is safe and feasible in patients with diffuse intrahepatic tumor combined with tumor thrombus type Ⅲ/Ⅳ. Moreover, it can effectively keep the shunt patency and reduce portal vein pressure, thereby reducing the incidence of upper gastrointestinal bleeding and improving the degree of ascites. TIPS combined with 125Ⅰ seed strand implantation may be used as a standard treatment modality for patients requiring TIPS therapy combined with tumor thrombus type Ⅲ/Ⅳ.

Effects of space allocations and energy levels on growth performance and nutrient digestibility in growing and finishing pigs.

Two experiments were conducted to investigate effects of different space allocations and different dietary metabolizable energy (ME) levels on growth performance and nutrient digestibility in growing and finishing pigs. In experiment 1, a total of 84 growing pigs [(Yorkshire × Landrace) × Duroc] with an initial body weight (BW) of 27.10 ± 1.60 kg were used in a 5-week trial. Pigs were blocked based on initial BW into a 2 × 2 factorial design with the following factors: (i) 0.60 or 0.80 m2 /pig space allocations; and (ii) 3,400 or 3,550 kcal/kg ME of diets. In experiment 2, a total of 84 finishing pigs with an initial BW of 67.43 ± 1.97 kg were used in a 10-week trial. Pigs were allotted based on initial BW into a 2 × 2 factorial design with the following factors: (i) 0.81 or 1.08 m2 /pig space allocations; and (ii) 3,300 or 3,450 kcal/kg ME of diet. In experiment 1, high ME diet improved gain-to-feed ratio (G:F) in pigs with low space allocation but not in pigs in high space allocation (p < .05). Additionally, high ME diet increased apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nitrogen in low space allocation but decreased ATTD of nitrogen in high space allocation (p < .05). In experiment 2, high ME diet improved average daily gain (ADG) and G:F in early-finishing pigs with low space allocation but not in pigs with high space allocation (p < .05). In conclusion, the provision of high ME diets was not enough to overcome the reduction in growth performance due to low space allocation but can improve feed efficiency in growing pigs and daily gain and feed efficiency early-finishing pigs.

Performance, egg quality, nutrient digestibility, and excreta microbiota shedding in laying hens fed corn-soybean-meal-wheat-based diets supplemented with xylanase.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary levels of xylanase on production performance, egg quality, nutrient digestibility, and excreta microbiota shedding of laying hens in a 12-week trial. Two-hundred-forty Hy-Line brown laying hens (44 wk old) were distributed according to a randomized block experimental design into one of 4 dietary treatments with 10 replicates of 6 birds each. The 4 dietary treatments were corn-soybean-meal-wheat-based diets supplemented with 0, 225, 450, or 900 U/kg xylanase. Daily feed intake, egg production, egg weight, egg mass, feed conversion ratio, and damaged egg rate showed no significant response to increasing xylanase supplementation during any phase (P > 0.05). No significant responses were observed for apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter, nitrogen, or gross energy (P > 0.05). A significant linear increase to increasing xylanase supplementation was seen for lactic acid bacteria numbers, although coliforms and Salmonella counts were not affected. Increasing the dietary xylanase resulted in a significant linear increase in eggshell thickness in wk 3, 6, 9, and 12 (P < 0.05). In addition, a significant linear increase occurred for Haugh unit and albumen height in wk 12 (P < 0.05). In summary, the inclusion of xylanase in corn-soybean-meal-wheat-based diets increased eggshell thickness, Haugh unit, albumen height, and excreta lactic acid bacteria count but had no effect on production performance or nutrient digestibility.

Vitamin D receptor regulates high-level glucose induced retinal ganglion cell damage through STAT3 pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the protective role of Vitamin D Receptor (VDR) in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) after high-level glucose induction, and to investigate its underlying mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Primary RGCs were isolated from 24-hour-old Sprague Dawley (SD) rats and cultured in 50 mmol/L glucose. The expression of VDR in RGCs induced by 50 mmol/L glucose at different time points was determined by Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot, respectively. Subsequently, VDR siRNA was transfected into RGCs. Transfection efficiency was determined by qRT-PCR and Western blot, respectively. The protein expressions levels of VDR, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and p-STAT3 in RGCs after VDR knockdown were determined by Western blot. MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) and cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay were conducted to access the viability of RGCs after high-level glucose induction. Ki-67 staining was performed to detect the proliferation of RGCs. Meanwhile, the apoptosis of RGCs was evaluated by using Annexin-V FITC/PI and TUNEL (terminal dexynucleotidyl transferase(TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end labeling) assay, respectively. In addition, caspase-3 activity in RGCs was detected by relative commercial kit. RESULTS: After 4 days of high-level glucose induction, the viability of RGCs was remarkably decreased. VDR was highly expressed in RGCs during high-level glucose culture. The mRNA and protein expression levels of VDR were both significantly downregulated after the transfection of VDR siRNA in RGCs. Meanwhile, VDR knockdown in RGCs significantly increased the viability and proliferative ability of RGCs, whereas significantly decreased apoptotic rate and caspase-3 activity. In addition, the protein level of p-STAT3 in RGCs was remarkably downregulated after VDR knockdown. CONCLUSIONS: Inhibition of VDR exerts a protective role in high-level glucose induced RGCs damage by activating the STAT3 pathway.