Guiding function of positron emission tomography-computed tomography examination in the diagnosis and treatment of ocular adnexal mucosa associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma.

AIM: To explore the role of positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) examination in the diagnosis and treatment of ocular adnexal mucosa associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma (OAML). METHODS: The general clinical data, postoperative PET-CT results, treatment regimens, and the prognosis of 21 histopathologically confirmed OAML patients between October 2017 and September 2021 were collected. Among the 21 patients, five patients underwent surgical treatment alone, 13 patients underwent surgical treatment combined with radiotherapy, and three patients underwent surgical treatment combined with chemotherapy. RESULTS: The follow-up period ranged from 8 to 79mo, with four cases of recurrence and no deaths. Through PET-CT examination, two patients exhibited both local ocular metabolic elevation and systemic metastasis, and one of these patients had cervical lymph node metastasis, while the other had submandibular and parotid gland metastasis. Nine patients showed only local ocular metabolic elevation, while 10 patients had no abnormal metabolic activity locally. CONCLUSION: PET-CT examination plays a crucial role in detecting residual lesions and recurrence following tumor resection, aiding in precise disease staging, and facilitating the development of personalized treatment plans, ultimately improving patient prognosis.

Eicosapentaenoic Acid-Enriched Phospholipids Alleviate Skeletal Muscle Atrophy in Lewis Lung Carcinoma Mouse Model.

SCOPE: Skeletal muscle atrophy is a critical feature of cancer-associated cachexia (CAC) and it is responsible for poor quality of life and high mortality in cancer patients. The previous study demonstrates that eicosapentaenoic acid-enriched phospholipids (EPA-PL) prevent body weight loss in a mouse model of CAC. However, the role of EPA-PL on cancer-induced skeletal muscle atrophy remains unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS: In the present study, a Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) mouse model is established, then the effect and underlying mechanism of EPA-PL on skeletal muscle atrophy in LLC-bearing mice are investigated. The results reveal that EPA-PL treatment significantly attenuates skeletal muscle atrophy in LLC-bearing mice, as evidenced by suppressing the reductions of skeletal muscle mass, myofiber cross-sectional area, and grip strength. Besides, the study finds that EPA-PL alleviated cancer-induced skeletal muscle atrophy via balancing muscle protein degradation and synthesis, inhibiting type I oxidative muscle fibers atrophy, and promoting mitochondrial function. Furthermore, the results also indicate that EPA-PL may counteract skeletal muscle atrophy in LLC mouse model via a sirtuin 1-dependent mechanism. CONCLUSION: These findings provide evidence that EPA-PL may be beneficial as a nutritional supplement for prevention and treatment of cancer-induced skeletal muscle atrophy.

Cu/SaBox-Catalyzed Photoinduced Coupling of Acylsilanes with Alkynes.

The transition metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction with Fischer metal carbene intermediates bearing an electron-rich alkoxyl or siloxyl group remains a big challenge due to the lack of readily available corresponding carbene precursors. Herein, we report the coupling of alkynes with the Fischer-type copper carbene species bearing a α-siloxyl group, which could be in situ generated from acylsilanes catalytically under photoirradiation and redox-neutral conditions. The side-arm modified bisoxazoline (SaBox) ligands prove to be crucial for this coupling reaction, which provides the corresponding alkynyl alcohol in high yields with remarkable heterocycle tolerance and broad substrate scope.

Verticillium dahliae Secretes Small RNA to Target Host MIR157d and Retard Plant Floral Transition During Infection.

Bidirectional trans-kingdom RNA silencing [or RNA interference (RNAi)] plays a key role in plant-pathogen interactions. It has been shown that plant hosts export specific endogenous miRNAs into pathogens to inhibit their virulence, whereas pathogens deliver small RNAs (sRNAs) into plant cells to disturb host immunity. Here, we report a trans-kingdom fungal sRNA retarding host plant floral transition by targeting a miRNA precursor. From Arabidopsis plants infected with Verticillium dahliae, a soil-borne hemibiotrophic pathogenic fungus that causes wilt diseases in a wide range of plant hosts, we obtained a number of possible trans-kingdom V. dahliae sRNAs (VdsRNAs) by sequencing AGO1-immunoprecipitated sRNAs. Among these, a 24-nt VdsRNA derived from V. dahliae rRNA, VdrsR-1, was shown to be an actual trans-kingdom VdsRNA that targets the miR157d precursor MIR157d, resulting in increased rather than reduced miR157d accumulation in V. dahliae-infected plants. Consistent with the miR157 family in the regulation of vegetative and floral transitions by targeting SPL genes in several plant species, we detected two SPL genes, SPL13A/B, that were notably reduced in V. dahliae-infected and VdrsR-1-expressing plants compared with control plants. Furthermore, V. dahliae-infected and VdrsR-1-expressing plants also displayed delayed vegetative phase change and floral transition compared to control plants. Taken together, we disclosed a novel mode of action for a trans-kingdom fungal sRNA, VdrsR-1, which was secreted into host cells to modulate plant floral transition by employing the miR157d/SPL13A/B regulatory module, leading to prolonged host vegetative growth that would undoubtedly benefit fungal propagation.

Mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes protect trabecular meshwork from oxidative stress.

This study aims to investigate the beneficial effects of exosomes derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) on trabecular meshwork cells under oxidative stress and predict candidate genes associated with this process. Trabecular meshwork cells were pretreated with BMSC-derived exosomes for 24 h, and exposed to 0.1 mM H2O2 for 6 h. Survival rate of trabecular meshwork cells was measured with CCK-8 assay. Production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (iROS) was measured using a flow cytometer. RT-PCR and ELISA were used to detect mRNA and protein levels of inflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Sequencing of RNA and miRNA for trabecular meshwork cells from Exo and control groups was performed on BGISEQ500 platform. Phenotypically, pretreatment of BMSC-derived exosomes improves survival rate of trabecular meshwork cells exposed to H2O2, reduces production of iROS, and inhibits expression of inflammatory cytokines, whereas increases expression of MMPs. There were 23 miRNAs, 307 lncRNAs, and 367 mRNAs differentially expressed between Exo and control groups. Exosomes derived from BMSCs may protect trabecular meshwork cells from oxidative stress. Candidate genes responsible for beneficial effects, such as DIO2 and HMOX1, were predicted.

A competitive PCR-based method to detect a single copy of T-DNA insertion in transformants.

Gene function studies benefit from the availability of mutants. In plants, Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation is widely used to create mutants. These mutants, also called transformants, contain one or several transfer-DNA (T-DNA) copies in the host genome. Quantifying the copy number of T-DNA in transformants is beneficial to assess the number of mutated genes. Here, we developed a competitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based method to detect a single copy of a T-DNA insertion in transformants. The competitor line BHK- -1 that contains a single copy of competitor BHK- (BHK, Basta, Hygromycin, Kanamycin-resistant genes) was crossed with test transformants and the genomic DNA of F1 plants was subjected to competitive PCR. By analyzing the gray ratio between two PCR products, we were able to determine whether or not the test transformants contained a single copy of T-DNA insertion. We also generated the control lines BHK±1:1 and BHK±2:1 , which contain the target (BHK+ ) and competitor (BHK- ) in a ratio of 1:1 and 2:1, respectively. The ratios of their PCR products are useful references for quantitative analysis. Overall, this method is reliable and simple in experimental manipulations and can be used as a substitute for Southern-blot analysis to identify a single copy of T-DNA insertion in transformants.

Design of a superresolution large-aperture telescopic optical system with a wide field of view.

A pupil modulator is a useful tool to improve the resolution of an optical imaging system beyond the classical diffraction limit. However, when this technology is used in a large-aperture telescopic imaging system, the field of view (FOV) with good superresolution (SR) imaging quality is significantly smaller than the designed FOV of the baseline optical system. In this paper, we investigate the influence of various aberrations on the SR properties of a telescopic system using a low sidelobe five-ring pure phase pupil modulator. On this basis, we propose an optimal design method for a wide FOV and a large-aperture telescopic baseline optical system with uniform image quality and a particular residue of symmetric aberration. The design results show that when the optimized 4 m aperture baseline optical system and the modulator are combined as the imaging system, the imaging system has a round and very similar point spread function in the FOV range of 0.28°; the SR gain ratio is 1.234-1.254; and the highest sidelobe intensity is less than 0.1; thus, the system maintains a high resolution ratio and a low sidelobe energy throughout the entire FOV. Finally, a reasonable tolerance model of the baseline optical system is established. The central symmetry tolerances are observed to be loose in this model, thereby reducing the cost and manufacturing difficulty of the system.

[Changes of cementum endotoxin levels in different teeth with periodontitis treated with root conditioning].

PURPOSE: To observe the changes of endotoxin levels after different teeth with periodontitis were treated with different methods. METHODS： Six healthy premolars extracted for orthodontic reasons and 36 posterior teeth extracted due to severe periodontitis were selected. Each tooth was processed from two 4 mm×4 mm×1 mm cementum pieces 2 mm under the cementum-enamel junction, each tooth with periodontitis was numbered. Healthy teeth served as negative control group, one of the two tablets from each tooth with periodontitis was selected in the periodontitis group, which was not treated with root surface treatment. The remaining 36 teeth with periodontitis were randomly divided into 6 groups: SRP group, SRP + antimicrobial peptide A group , SRP + antimicrobial peptide B group, SRP + EDTA group, SRP + Er:YAG laser group and SRP + Nd:YAG laser group. Endotoxin concentration in each tooth was determined by chromogenic substrate limulus reagent. The endotoxin concentration in each tooth was recorded according to the serial number, and the changes of endotoxin concentration were calculated before and after treatment. SPSS17.0 software package was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Compared with the teeth with periodontitis, endotoxin concentration decreased to varying degrees, there were significant differences in each treatment group(P<0.01). Compared with SRP group, endotoxin levels in SRP + antimicrobial peptide A group, SRP + antimicrobial peptide B group, SRP + Er:YAG laser group were significantly decreased(P<0.01). No significant difference decreased was from between SRP + EDTA group and SRP + Nd:YAG laser group(P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Treatment of teeth with periodontitis using different methods can decrease the level of endotoxin, and the treatment of periodontitis root surface with antimicrobial peptide A + SRP may be more effective.

Prevalence and characteristics of ophthalmological extra-intestinal manifestations in Chinese patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

AIM: To investigate the prevalence of ophthalmological extra-intestinal manifestations (O-EIMs) in Chinese patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and to identify risk factors for the development of O-EIMs. METHODS: The study population consisted of Chinese patients with a definite diagnosis of Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC) in a large teaching hospital between January 1995 and December 2014. Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients were extracted retrospectively. RESULTS: In this twenty-year cohort, 645 IBD patients (517 with UC, 128 with CD) were registered. Among them 122 (18.9%) exhibited at least one EIM. Of 13 patients (2.0%) developed O-EIMs, 7 of CD (5.5%) and 6 of UC (1.2%). Clinical ophthalmological manifestations included redness (76.9%), burning (61.5%), pain (38.5%), itching (15.4%) of eyes and vision change (7.7%). O-EIMs included episcleritis (7), uveitis (5) and dry eye (1). O-EIMs were more prevalent in female (odds ratio for male 0.61, 95% confidence interval 0.52-0.73, P<0.0001), and patients who had IBD diagnosis at young age (odds ratio for patients aged >30 years 0.76, 95% confidence interval 0.65-0.88, P<0.0001). CONCLUSION: The frequency of O-EIMs in Chinese patients with IBD is lower than the rates reported in the studies of European and American countries. Episcleritis and uveitis are the most common O-EIMs. O-EIMs are more frequent in patients with CD and more prevalent in female and patients who have IBD diagnosis at young age.

Interference of TRPV1 function altered the susceptibility of PTZ-induced seizures.

Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) is widely distributed in the central nervous system (CNS) including hippocampus, and regulates the balance of excitation and inhibition in CNS, which imply its important role in epilepsy. We used both pharmacological manipulations and transgenic mice to disturb the function of TRPV1 and then studied the effects of these alterations on the susceptibility of pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced seizures. Our results showed that systemic administration of TRPV1 agonist capsaicin (CAP, 40 mg/kg) directly induced tonic-clonic seizures (TCS) without PTZ induction. The severity of seizure was increased in lower doses of CAP groups (5 and 10 mg/kg), although the latency to TCS was delayed. On the other hand, systemic administration of TRPV1 antagonist capsazepine (CPZ, 0.05 and 0.5 mg/kg) and TRPV1 knockout mice exhibited delayed latency to TCS and reduced mortality. Furthermore, hippocampal administration of CPZ (10 and 33 nmol/µL/side) was firstly reported to increase the latency to TCS, decrease the maximal grade of seizure and mortality. It is worth noting that decreased susceptibility of PTZ-induced seizures was observed in hippocampal TRPV1 overexpression mice and hippocampal CAP administration (33 nmol/µL/side), which is opposite from results of systemic agonist CAP. Our findings suggest that the systemic administration of TRPV1 antagonist may be a novel therapeutic target for epilepsy, and alteration of hippocampal TRPV1 function exerts a critical role in seizure susceptibility.

Subcellular location and photodynamic therapeutic effect of chlorin e6 in the human tongue squamous cell cancer Tca8113 cell line.

The present study aimed to investigate the distribution and photodynamic therapeutic effect of chlorin e6 (Ce6) in the human tongue squamous cell carcinoma Tca8113 cell line in vitro. The distribution of Ce6 in the Tca8113 cells was observed in situ combined with mitochondrial and lysosomal fluorescent probes. Next, 630-nm semiconductor laser irradiation was performed. The MTS colorimetric method was used to determine cell survival. Annexin V fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide (PI) double staining was used to detect early apoptosis following photodynamic therapy (PDT). The flow cytometer was used to analyze the DNA content subsequent to PI-staining. It was observed that Ce6 could combine with the cellular membrane following 30 min of incubation with the Tca8113 cells. As the length of incubation increased, Ce6 gradually entered the cells in a particular distribution and reached saturation by 3 h. Co-localization analysis demonstrated that Ce6 was more likely to be present in the mitochondria than in the lysosomes. The cells incubated with 5 µg/ml Ce6 for 24 h exhibited a low toxicity of 5%, however, following light irradiation, Ce6-PDT was able to kill the Tca8113 cells in vitro. The cell toxicity was positively correlated with Ce6 concentration and light dose, therefore, the effect of Ce6 was concentration/dose-dependent (P<0.01). The lower Ce6 concentrations and light doses could significantly induce apoptosis in the Tca8113 cells, while higher doses increased necrosis/percentage of dead cells. In summary, Ce6 saturated the Tca8113 cells following 3 h of incubation. Furthermore, Ce6-PDT effectively killed the cultured Tca8113 cells in vitro at a safe concentration. At a low concentration and light dose, Ce6 is more likely to induce cell apoptosis via the mitochondria than the lysosomes.

Synthesis and antitumor activity of novel 2-substituted indoline imidazolium salt derivatives.

A series of novel 2-substituted indoline imidazolium salt derivatives has been prepared and evaluated in vitro against a panel of human tumor cell lines. The results suggest that the existence of a substituted benzimidazole ring and substitution of the imidazolyl-3-position with a naphthylacyl or 2-naphthylmethyl group were vital for modulating the cytotoxic activity. Compound 25 was found to be the most potent derivative with IC50 values of 0.24-1.18 µM, and exhibited cytotoxic activity selectively against MCF-7, SW480, SMMC-7721 and HL-60 cell lines, while compound 26 showed powerful inhibitory activities selectively against SMMC-7721 and A549 cell lines. Compound 25 can induce G2/M phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in SMMC-7721 cells.

Synthesis and cytotoxic activity of novel 1-((indol-3-yl)methyl)-1H-imidazolium salts.

A series of novel 1-((indol-3-yl)methyl)-1H-imidazolium salts were prepared and evaluated in vitro against a panel of human tumor cell lines. The results suggest that the 5,6-dimethyl-benzimidazole ring, and substitution of the imidazolyl-3-position with a naphthylacyl or 4-bromophenacyl group, were vital for modulating inhibitory activity of cell growth. In particular, 1-((N-Boc-indol-3-yl)methyl)-3-(2-naphthylacyl)-1H-5,6-dimethyl-benzimidazolium bromide was found to be the most potent derivative and more selective against myeloid liver carcinoma (SMMC-7721), lung carcinoma (A549) and breast carcinoma (MCF-7), with IC50 values 1.9-fold, 1.7-fold and 4.8-fold lower than DDP. This compound can induce significant cell apoptosis in SMMC-7721 cells.

Genetic relationships of introduced Colorado potato beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata populations in Xinjiang, China.

The Colorado potato beetle (CPB), Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), is an infamous invasive species worldwide that aggressively attacks potato and other Solanaceae crops. CPB was first found in China in 1993 and has since spread across 2.77 × 10(5) km(2) in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. To better understand genetic variation and migration patterns, we used seven polymorphic microsatellite loci to elucidate the genetic relationships and gene flow among 10 CPB populations across Xinjiang. (i) Overall low levels of genetic diversity were detected on the entire population in Xinjiang but most of the diversity was retained among populations during invasion. (ii) The mean pairwise FST was low (0.071 ± 0.043) among populations. The genetic differentiation was little (pairwise FST 0.038 ± 0.016) between the five interior populations (Wusu, Urumqi, Jimsar, Qitai and Mulei) and Tacheng population. The six populations might come from the same genetic group via Bayesian clustering and were closely related on a neighbor-joining tree. Combining the history data, the five interior populations may have originated from Tacheng. (iii) Gene flow was frequent, especially among the five interior populations. Individuals from the interior populations could be assigned to Tacheng at higher probabilities (means 0.518 ± 0.127) than vice versa (means 0.328 ± 0.074), suggesting that the beetle population has spread from the border to the interior in Xinjiang.

Changes in portal hemodynamics after TIPS in liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to analyze the changes in portal hemodynamics that occurs in portal hypertension before and after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS), to investigate the relationship between these changes and portal pressure (PP) and to determine the significance of sonographic parameters in measuring PP. METHODS: Ultrasonography of the portal and splenic veins and direct measurement of the PP were performed in 92 patients before and after TIPS. The differences observed in the portal and splenic vein diameters, the blood flow velocity in the portal and splenic veins and the PP were measured, and the correlations between PP and the other parameters were assessed using the SPSS 13 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: We observed a significant decrease in the PP and the diameters of the portal and splenic veins compared to preoperative conditions (p < 0.001). The velocity of blood flow in the portal and splenic veins was significantly increased after TIPS (p < 0.001). The PP correlated with the diameter and velocity of blood flow in portal (r = 0.46, p = 0.020; r = 0.47, p = 0.017) and splenic vein (r = 0.57, p = 0.003; r = 0.33, p = 0.003) only in Child's A and was absent in Child's B cirrhosis patients. CONCLUSION: The PP is influenced by the complex interaction between intrahepatic vascular resistance, collaterals and the amount of portal blood flow, which varies considerably between individuals. Once a certain pressure threshold is reached, collaterals form, and the correlation between the ultrasonographic parameters and PP becomes limited.

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt vs endoscopic therapy in preventing variceal rebleeding.

AIM: To compare early use of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) with endoscopic treatment (ET) for the prophylaxis of recurrent variceal bleeding. METHODS: In-patient data were collected from 190 patients between January 2007 and June 2010 who suffured from variceal bleeding. Patients who were older than 75 years; previously received surgical treatment or endoscopic therapy for variceal bleeding; and complicated with hepatic encephalopathy or hepatic cancer, were excluded from this research. Thirty-five cases lost to follow-up were also excluded. Retrospective analysis was done in 126 eligible cases. Among them, 64 patients received TIPS (TIPS group) while 62 patients received endoscopic therapy (ET group). The relevant data were collected by patient review or telephone calls. The occurrence of rebleeding, hepatic encephalopathy or other complications, survival rate and cost of treatment were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: During the follow-up period (median, 20.7 and 18.7 mo in TIPS and ET groups, respectively), rebleeding from any source occurred in 11 patients in the TIPS group as compared with 31 patients in the ET group (Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank test, P = 0.000). Rebleeding rates at any time point (6 wk, 1 year and 2 year) in the TIPS group were lower than in the ET group (Bonferroni correction α' = α/3). Eight patients in the TIPS group and 16 in the ET group died with the cumulative survival rates of 80.6% and 64.9% (Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank test χ(2) = 4.864, P = 0.02), respectively. There was no significant difference between the two groups with respect to 6-wk survival rates (Bonferroni correction α' = α/3). However, significant differences were observed between the two groups in the 1-year survival rates (92% and 79%) and the 2-year survival rates (89% and 64.9%) (Bonferroni correction α' = α/3). No significant differences were observed between the two treatment groups in the occurrence of hepatic encephalopathy (12 patients in TIPS group and 5 in ET group, Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank test, χ(2) = 3.103, P = 0.08). The average total cost for the TIPS group was higher than for ET group (Wilcxon-Mann Whitney test, 52 678 RMB vs 38,844 RMB, P < 0.05), but hospitalization frequency and hospital stay during follow-up period were lower (Wilcxon-Mann Whitney test, 0.4 d vs 1.3 d, P = 0.01; 5 d vs 19 d, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Early use of TIPS is more effective than endoscopic treatment in preventing variceal rebleeding and improving survival rate, and does not increase occurrence of hepatic encephalopathy.

[The role of PD-ECGF and VEGF in proliferative and involuted mechanism of the infantile capillary hemangiomas].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relation between the expressions of PD-ECGF and VEGF and the evolution of capillary hemangioma, so as to provide theoretical basis for treatment. METHODS: Fourty cases with capillary hemangioma, proved by pathologic method, were randomly selected and divided into proliferative (n=22) and involuted groups (n=18), according to the Mulliken standard. 8 specimens from 8 children with prepuce operation were used as control group. All the specimens were fixed, embedded and underwent HE staining. The expression of PD-ECGF, VEGF and CD34 in endothelial cells were detected by immunohistochemistry. The microvessel-density (MVD) was also calculated. The results were analyzed by SPSS12.0. RESULTS: The positive expression rates of PD-ECGF and VEGF were 95.45% (21/22) and 86.36% (19/22) in proliferative hemangioma, 77.78% (14/18) and 66.67% (12/ 18) in involuted hemangioma, 37.50% (3/8) and 37.50% (3/8) in normal skin. MVD in proliferative and involuted hemangioma and normal skin was 93.68 +/- 20.56, 51.94 +/- 20.73 and 17.50 +/- 5.30, respectively. There was a significant difference in PD-ECGF expression and MVD between the proliferative and involuted groups, or between the hemangioma and control groups (P < 0.05). The VEGF was significantly different between the proliferative and involuted groups, or between the proliferative and control groups (P < 0.05), but not between the involuted and control groups (P > 0.05). The expression of VEGF, PD-ECGD and MVD showed a positive relationship. CONCLUSIONS: PD-ECGF and VEGF have a synergetic effect in the proliferation of micro-vessels. PD-ECGF may enhance the activity of thymidine phosphorylase. They play an important role in the proliferation and involution of hemangioma.

The role of intravascular intervention in the management of Budd-Chiari syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of intravascular intervention in the management of different types of Budd-Chiari syndrome. METHODS: Fifty-three patients of BCS were clinically diagnosed and interventionally treated in terms of their signs and symptoms of portal hypertension and occlusive inferior vena cava/or hepatic veins with the combination of Doppler ultrasonography, CT scan, and angiography. The interventional methods applied in this study included percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and IVC stent implantation (PTA+IVC stent); transjugular hepatic veno-stent placement (PTA+HV stent) or transjugular transluminal hepatic veno-inferior vena cava stent placement and transcaval transjugular intrahepatic portocaval shunt. RESULTS: The success rate of intravascular interventional therapy was 92.45% (49/53). After interventional therapy, the patients' pleural effusion, ascites, prominent veins formation of bilateral flanks or backs alleviated, hepatomegaly reduced, and the urinary output increased. The longest follow-up case was 13 years with patent stent. Two patients died of pulmonary embolization or pericardial tamponade during surgery. CONCLUSION: Intravascular intervention is a safe and effective therapy for most types of BCS.

Laparoscopic splenectomy: color Doppler flow imaging for preoperative evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic splenectomy (LS) is currently the standard approach for resection of a normal-sized spleen. However, this method becomes technical challenge in cases of splenomegaly due to intraoperative hemorrhage. A complete understanding of the splenic vessel anatomy is important to facilitate the difficult laparoscopic procedure. In this retrospective study, we examined the role of color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) in splenic vessel anatomy and evaluated its value for LS. METHODS: Forty-eight patients who underwent splenectomy for various hematologic and autoimmune disorders from May 2004 to December 2007 were enrolled in this study. Twenty-three patients underwent preoperative CDFI examination that included examination of the anatomic type of splenic pedicle, the adjacent relationship between the splenic vessel and pancreas, and spleen size (CDFI group). In the remaining 25 patients, ultrasonic inspections of the splenic vessel were not performed (non-CDFI group). Laparoscopic splenectomies in the CDFI group were performed in accordance with the information provided by the preoperative CDFI in each patient. In the non-CDFI group, LS was performed according to the conventional method. In the CDFI group, the constituent ratios of the above-mentioned parameters by CDFI were compared with those recorded during LS using the chi square test. The effectiveness of the technique on surgery in both groups was compared with an independent sample Student's t test. RESULTS: All laparoscopic splenectomies in both groups were performed successfully. However, 2 cases in the non-CDFI group were converted to LS with the assistance of micro-incision because the branches of the splenic vein were inadvertently torn. Two anatomic types of splenic pedicle and four different adjacent relationships between the splenic vessel and pancreas were detected by CDFI. About 80% of spleens fit the criteria of megalosplenia. There were no statistically significant differences between the constituent ratios of the parameters by CDFI and those by intraoperative telerecording in the CDFI group (chi(2) = 0.383, 1.072, 0.119, P = 0.536, 0.784, 0.730). However, statistically significant differences were observed in the operative time ((158.70 +/- 42.51) minutes vs (200.65 +/- 47.89) minutes, P = 0.003), intraoperative blood loss ((55.87 +/- 17.36) ml vs (101.83 +/- 62.21) ml, P = 0.001), and recovery time of gastrointestinal function ((24.39 +/- 8.88) hours vs (30.60 +/- 9.45) hours, P = 0.024) between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: The individual operative route and schedule can be successfully determined on the basis of various kinds of reproducible anatomic frameworks of the spleen provided by preoperative CDFI. This technique facilitates the surgical procedure, shortens the operative time, reduces intraoperative blood loss and decreases the risk of LS in splenomegaly cases.

Heme oxygenase-1 induction by hemin protects liver cells from ischemia/reperfusion injury in cirrhotic rats.

AIM: To investigate the potential protective effect of HO-1 on cirrhotic liver cells in rats. METHODS: Male Wistar rats included in the current study were randomly divided into 5 groups as follows: normal (N) group; liver cirrhotic (LC) group; sham (S) group; I/R group and I/R + hemin group. The model for inducing liver cirrhosis in rats was established according to a previously published protocol. Following this the segmental hepatic ischemia reperfusion operation was carried out. The rats were treated with 30 micromol/kg hemin (HO-1 inducer, ferric portoporphyrin IX chloride) i.p. or 0.9% NaCl (control) 24 h and 12 h before hepatic ischemia for 30 min or sham laparotomy. Blood was collected for serum enzymatic measurement 6 and 12 h after reperfusion or sham laparotomy. HO-1, NF-kappaB and caspase-3 expressions were assessed by immunohistochemical analysis. RESULTS: The expressions of proteins are inversely correlated to the gray values. HO-1 expression in the I/R + hemin group was increased significantly than I/R group at 6 h and 12 h after hepatic I/R (6 h: 112.0 +/- 8.3 vs 125.1 +/- 5.7, P < 0.01; 12 h: 120.8 +/- 11.0 vs 132.4 +/- 6.2, P < 0.01). Hemin improved serum manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) (6 h: 131.3 +/- 17.6 vs 107.0 +/- 13.9, P < 0.01; 12 h: 141.4 +/- 12.5 vs 118.3 +/- 10.2, P < 0.01), lessened liver cell injury, decreased caspase-3(6 h: 166.7 +/- 8.1 vs 145.5 +/- 14.6, P < 0.01; 12 h: 172.8 +/- 3.8 vs 148.0 +/- 6.5, P < 0.01) and NF-kappaB expression (6 h: 150.2 +/- 8.6 vs 139.7 +/- 6.0, P < 0.01; 12 h: 151.1 +/- 5.9 vs 148.1 +/- 5.3, P > 0.05) and serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (6 h: 413.3 +/- 104.1 vs 626.8 +/- 208.2, P < 0.01; 12 h: 322.2 +/- 98.8 vs 425.8 +/- 115.4, P < 0.05), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (6 h: 665.2 +/- 70.1 vs 864.3 +/- 70.4, P < 0.01; 12 h: 531.1 +/- 98.6 vs 664.4 +/- 115.6, P < 0.01), malondialdehyde (MDA) levels (6 h: 11.1 +/- 2.17 vs 13.5 +/- 2.01, P < 0.01; 12 h: 9.36 +/- 1.10 vs 10.8 +/- 1.62, P < 0.05) in the I/R + hemin group when compared with the I/R group. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that HO-1 plays an important role in protecting liver cells from hepatic I/R injury in cirrhotic rats by decreasing oxidative stress, apoptosis and inflammation.