Polyurethane Based Smart Composite Fabric for Personal Thermal Management in Multi-Mode.

Textiles with thermal/moisture managing functions are of high interest. However, making the textile sensitive to the surrounding environment is still challenging. Herein, a multimodal smart fabric is developed by stitching together the Ag coated thermal-humidity sensitive thermoplastic polyurethane (Ag-THSPU) and the hybrid of polyvinylidene fluoride and polyurethane (PU-PVDF). The porous PU-PVDF layer is used for solar reflection, infrared emissivity, and water resistance. The Ag-THSPU layer is designed for regulating thermal reflection, sweat evaporation as well as convection. In cold and dry state, the Ag domains are densely packed covering the crystalline polyurethane matrix, featuring low water transmission (102.74 g m-2·24 h-1), high thermal reflection and 2.4 °C warmer than with cotton fabric. In the hot and humid state, the THSPU layer is swollen by sweat and expands in area, resulting in the formation of micro-hook faces where the Ag domains spread apart to promote sweat evaporation (2084.88 g/m-2·24 h-1), thermal radiation and convection, offering 2.5 °C cooler than with cotton fabric. The strategy reported here opens a new door for the development of adaptive textiles in demanding situations.

Diet Influences the Gut Microbial Diversity and Olfactory Preference of the German Cockroach Blattella germanica.

The gut microbiota of insects has been proven to play a role in the host's nutrition and foraging. The German cockroach, Blattella germanica, is an important vector of various pathogens and causes severe allergic reactions in humans. Food bait is an effective and frequently used method of controlling this omnivorous insect. Thus, understanding the relationships among diet, gut microbiota, and olfactory preferences could be useful for optimizing this management strategy. In this study, B. germanica was exposed to different foods, i.e., high-fat diet, high-protein diet, high-starch diet, and dog food (as control). Then their gut microbial and olfactory responses were investigated. 16S rRNA gene sequencing confirmed that the gut microbiota significantly differed across the four treatments, especially in relation to bacteria associated with the metabolism and digestion of essential components. Behavioral tests and the antenna electrophysiological responses showed that insects had a greater preference for other types of diets compared with their long-term domesticated diet. Moreover, continuously providing a single-type diet could change almost all the OR genes' expression of B. germanica, especially BgORco, which was significantly repressed compared to control. These results indicate that diet can shape the gut microbiota diversity and drive the olfactory preference of B. germanica. The association between gut microbiota profiles and diets can be utilized in managing B. germanica according to their olfactory preference.

TLR3 Serves as a Prognostic Biomarker and Associates with Immune Infiltration in the Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma Microenvironment.

BACKGROUND: Clear cell renal cancer (KIRC) is one of the most common cancers globally, with a poor prognosis. TLRs play a vital role in anticancer immunity and the regulation of the biological progress of tumour cells. However, the precise role of TLRs in KIRC is still ambiguous. METHODS: Various bioinformatics analysis and clinical validation of tissues were performed to evaluate the prognostic value of TLRs and their correlation with immune infiltration in KIRC. RESULTS: The expression of TLR2/3/7/8 was increased at both mRNA and protein levels in KIRC. TLRs in KIRC were involved in the activation of apoptosis, EMT, RAS/MAPK, and RTK pathways, as well as the inhibition of the cell cycle and the hormone AR pathway. Drug sensitivity analysis revealed that high expression of TLR3 and low expression of TLR7/9/10 were resistant to most of the small molecules or drugs from CTRP. Enrichment analyses showed that TLRs were mainly involved in innate immune response, toll-like receptor signalling pathway, NF-kappa B signalling pathway, and TNF signalling pathway. Furthermore, a high-level TLR3 expression was associated with a favourable prognosis in KIRC. Validation research further confirmed that TLR3 expression was increased in KIRC tissues, and high TLR3 levels were associated with poor overall survival. Moreover, TLR3 in KIRC showed a positive association with an abundance of immune cells, including B-cells, CD4+ T-cells, CD8+ T-cells, macrophage, neutrophils, and dendritic cells, and the expression of the immune biomarker sets. Several TLR3-associated kinase, miRNA, or transcription factor targets were also identified in KIRC. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that TLR3 serves as a prognostic biomarker and associated with immune infiltration in KIRC. This work lays a foundation for further studies on the role of TLR3 in the carcinogenesis and progression of KIRC.

Identification of the Prognosis Value and Potential Mechanism of Immune Checkpoints in Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma Microenvironment.

BACKGROUND: Kidney Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma (KIRC) is one of the most prevalent types of cancer worldwide. KIRC has a poor prognosis and, to date, immunotherapy based on immune checkpoints is the most promising treatment. However, the role of immune checkpoints in KIRC remains ambiguous. METHODS: Bioinformatics analyses and qRT-PCR were performed to explore and further confirm the prognostic value of immune checkpoint genes and their correlation with immune infiltration in KIRC samples. RESULTS: The expression of the immune checkpoint genes CD274, PDCD1LG2, HAVCR2, CTLA4, TIGFT, LAG3, and PDCD1 was upregulated in KIRC tissues. These genes were involved in the activation of the apoptosis pathway in KIRC. Low expression of CD274 and HAVCR2 and high expression of CTLA4 were associated with poor overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and disease-free survival (DFS) of KIRC patients. The univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that CTLA4, HAVCR2, age, pTNM stage, and tumor grade were independent factors affecting the prognosis of KIRC patients. A predictive nomogram demonstrated that the calibration plots for the 3-year and 5-year OS probabilities showed good agreement compared to the actual OS of KIRC patients. The expression of CTLA4 and HAVCR2 were positively associated with immune cell infiltration, immune biomarkers, chemokines, and chemokine receptors. Moreover, miR-20b-5p was identified as a potential miRNA target of CTLA4 in KIRC. CONCLUSION: Our study clarified the prognostic value of several immune checkpoint regulators in KIRC, revealing a CTLA4/miR-20b-5p axis in the control of immune cell infiltration in the tumor microenvironment.

Mining TCGA database for tumor mutation burden and their clinical significance in bladder cancer.

BACKGROUND: Bladder cancer is the ninth most-common cancer worldwide and it is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Tumor mutational burden (TMB) is an emerging biomarker in cancer characterized by microsatellite instability. TMB has been described as a powerful predictor of tumor behavior and response to immunotherapy. METHODS: A total of 443 bladder cancer samples obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were analyzed for mutation types, TMB values, and prognostic value of TMB. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified from the TMB groupings. Functional analysis was performed to assess the prognostic value of the first 30 core genes. CIBERSORT algorithm was used to determine the correlation between the immune cells and TMB subtypes. RESULTS: Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and C>T were reported as the most common missense mutations and we also identified a high rate of mutations in TP53, TTN, KMT2D. Bladder cancer patients with high TMB showed a better prognosis. Enrichment analysis of the DEGs revealed that they were involved in the regulation of the P13K-Akt signaling pathway, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, and Ras signaling pathway. The high expression of hub genes ADRA2A, CXCL12, S1PR1, ADAMTS9, F13A1, and SPON1 was correlated with poor overall survival. Besides, significant differences in the composition of the immune cells of T cells CD8, T cells CD4 memory activated, NK cells resting and Mast cells resting were observed. CONCLUSIONS: The present study provides a comprehensive and systematic analysis of the prediction of TMB in bladder cancer and its clinical significance. Also, the study provides additional prognostic information and opportunities for immunotherapy in bladder cancer.

Definitive BCG immunotherapy versus radical cystectomy in intermediate or high-risk nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer patients: A retrospective study.

At present, intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) immunotherapy is recommended for prophylaxis purposes after transurethral resection of bladder tumor, but has chances of recurrence. Radical cystectomy reduces the risk of recurrence in bladder cancer patients, but may have chances of postoperative complications. The objective of the study was to test the hypothesis that radical cystectomy has overtreatment and definitive BCG immunotherapy has undertreatment in intermediate or high-risk nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer patients. Data regarding biopsies, ultrasound, the computed tomography scan, adopted treatment strategy, treatment-emergent adverse effect, and a follow-up period of 312 patients with confirmed nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer (pTa, pTis, or pT1 stage; intermediate or high-risk cancer) were reviewed. Patients who had received definitive intravesical BCG immunotherapy were included in BCG group (n = 210) and those who underwent radical cystectomy were included in RXC group (n = 87). Clinical decision-making for treatment strategies was evaluated for both groups. Cystitis was frequently observed in all patients who received BCG immunotherapy. In RXC group, ileus was frequently observed in all patients in early days after the operation. During 2 years of the follow-up period, biopsies, ultrasound, and the computed tomography scan reported that BCG group had fewer numbers of negative cancer patients after treatment than the RXC group after surgery (P < .0001). Total expenditure for BCG immunotherapy was higher than radical cystectomy (22,945 ±â€Š945 ¥/patient vs 17,985 ±â€Š545 ¥/patient; P < .0001). Definitive BCG immunotherapy had undertreatment and radical cystectomy had overtreatment for intermediate or high-risk invasive bladder cancer patients (level of evidence III).

Jarid2 enhances the progression of bladder cancer through regulating PTEN/AKT signaling.

AIMS: Jumonji AT-rich interactive domain 2 (Jarid2) is an interacting component of PRC2 which catalyzes methylation of H3K27 (H3K27me3) and causes the downregulation of PTEN. In the present study, we aimed to explore whether Jarid2 could interact with H3K27me3 to regulate PTEN expression in bladder cancer. MAIN METHODS: Jarid2 expression in bladder cancer tissues and cells were determined by western blotting and RT-PCR. CCK-8, flow cytometry, transwell chamber and in vivo xenograft assays were performed to assess cell growth, apoptosis, migration and tumorigenesis, respectively. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay was used to assess the methylation of PTEN. KEY FINDINGS: Jarid2 expression was increased in bladder cancer tissues and cells. Downregulation of Jarid2 with shRNA transfection obviously inhibited the proliferation, migration and tumorigenesis of bladder cancer T24 and HT-1376 cells and induced cell apoptosis. Jarid2 downregulation decreased the expression of p-AKT and increased PTEN expression. Besides, Jarid2 down-regulation repressed the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), whereas knockdown of PTEN impaired this effect. Moreover, upregulation of Jarid2 increased the combination of PTEN promoter and H3K27me3, and 5-aza-CdR rescued it. Meanwhile, 5-aza-CdR administration abolished Jarid2 roles in the promotion of EMT process and AKT activation, as well as the reduction of PTEN expression. SIGNIFICANCE: Overall, the present study elaborated that Jarid2 facilitated the progression of bladder cancer through H3K27me3-mediated PTEN downregulation and AKT activation, which might provide a new mechanism for Jarid2 in promoting bladder cancer progression.

Application of novel targeted molecular imaging probes in the early diagnosis of upper urinary tract epithelial carcinoma.

Imaging techniques of upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) are presently limited. Upconversion particles (UCPs) could be used to target tumors for imaging. The present study aimed to assess the value of a nano-UCP as a diagnostic probe for deep tumor tissue, including UTUC. Polymer-coated water-soluble UCPs were synthesized. The pH Low Insertion Peptide (pHLIP) polypeptide was synthesized using the solid phase method. The silane shell surface was modified to present amino or carboxyl groups. Succinimidyl 4-(N-maleimidomethyl)cyclohexane-1-carboxylate was used for the coupling of the polypeptide to the UCPs. An animal model of subcutaneous tumor was established in 4-week old nude mice using UTUC cells. Urinary tract epithelial cancer T24 cells were injected into the diaphragm below the heart. PHLIP-UCP solution (1 ml) was injected into the abdominal cavity of each animal. Optical detection was performed using a small animal living body multispectral imaging system. UCPs dispersed in chloroform emitted no light under natural light, while they emitted a green light when excited with a 980-nm laser. The maximum emission wavelength of Ho3+-doped UCPs was ~550 nm and the red emission region was ~650 nm. As the coated UCPs possessed a tendency to agglomerate and precipitate, the yield of the UCPs in the aqueous phase was reduced. Tumors could be successfully imaged in tumor-bearing mice. NaYF4: Yb, Ho3+ UPCs could be used for the detection of UTUC, thus further studies are required to determine if it could be used in larger animals with deeper tumors.

The Quality of In Vivo Upconversion Fluorescence Signals Inside Different Anatomic Structures.

Fluorescence imaging is a broadly interesting and rapidly growing strategy for non-invasive clinical applications. However, because of interference from light scattering, absorbance, and tissue autofluorescence, the images can exhibit low sensitivity and poor quality. Upconversion fluorescence imaging, which is based on the use of near-infrared (NIR) light for excitation, has recently been introduced as an improved approach to minimize the effects of light scattering and tissue autofluorescence. This strategy is promising for ultrasensitive and deep tissue imaging applications. However, the emitted upconversion fluorescence signals are primarily in the visible range and are likely to be absorbed and scattered by tissues. Therefore, different anatomic structures could impose various effects on the quality of the images. In this study, we used upconversion-core/silica-shell nanoprobes to evaluate the quality of upconversion fluorescence at different anatomic locations in athymic nude mice. The nanoprobe contained an upconversion core, which was green (ß-NaYF4:Yb3+/Ho3+) or red (ß-NaYF4:Yb3+/Er3+), and a nonporous silica shell to allow for multicolor imaging. High-quality upconversion fluorescence signals were detected with signal-to-noise ratios of up to 170 at tissue depths of up to - 1.0 cm when a 980 nm laser excitation source and a bandpass emission filter were used. The presence of dense tissue structures along the imaging path reduced the signal intensity and imaging quality, and nanoprobes with longer-wavelength emission spectra were therefore preferable. This study offers a detailed analysis of the quality of upconversion signals in vivo inside different anatomic structures. Such information could be essential for the analysis of upconversion fluorescence images in any in vivo biodiagnostic and microbial tracking applications.

Flexible ureteroscopic management of symptomatic renal cystic diseases.

BACKGROUND: Parapelvic renal cysts are more likely to be symptomatic compared with that of simple peripheral renal cysts, and their treatment remains challenging. This study aimed to assess the feasibility and safety of flexible ureteroscopy in managing symptomatic endogenous renal cystic diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-five patients with symptomatic endogenous renal cystic diseases were treated by ureteroscopic unroofing and drainage into the collecting system. Surgical procedure, patient's outcome, and postoperative complications were retrospectively evaluated. RESULTS: Ureteroscopic unroofing and drainage were successful in 35 patients without conversion to open surgery. For patients with successful surgery, the mean operation and hospitalization times were 25.38 ± 3.71 min and 3.01 ± 0.57 d, respectively, with a curative standard rate of 74.3% (26/35). Three patients experienced Clavien grade I and II complications but no serious perioperative complications occurred. During the follow-up period averaging 36 mo, no cysts were detected in 74.3% of patients (26/35); noticeable relief was observed in four patients showing a simple renal cyst (diameter <2 cm). In five patients who presented with polycystic kidneys, the renal volume was decreased by 93.76 ± 7.38 mL per side, on average, compared with pretreatment values. Pain was relieved in all 30 patients with renal cysts. Hydronephrosis disappeared in all 15 patients diagnosed with this condition at presentation. No secondary cyst lesions (such as infection, hematoma formation, and solid cystic changes) occurred. CONCLUSIONS: The transurethral flexible ureteroscopic incision and drainage for symptomatic endogenous renal cystic diseases has multiple advantages such as minimal trauma, rapid recovery, and a definite curative effect.

Increased cyclin-dependent kinase 6 expression in bladder cancer.

Cyclin-dependent kinase 6 (Cdk6) controls the cell cycle and aberrant expression of Cdk6 is involved in cancer progression. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of Cdk6 in bladder cancer development. Cdk6 expression was examined in 31 cases of bladder cancer and 29 tissues adjacent to bladder transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) using an immunohistochemistry assay. The correlation between Cdk6 expression and clinical characteristics was also analyzed. Compared with the adjacent tissues, cytoplasmic and nuclear Cdk6 expression levels were significantly increased in the invasive bladder cancer cases (P=0.005 and P<0.001, respectively), but not in the non-invasive superficial cases of bladder cancer (P>0.05 for both). Cytoplasmic and nuclear Cdk6 expression levels were correlated with bladder cancer stage (superficial vs. invasive, P=0.026 and P=0.006, respectively). The results therefore indicate that increased Cdk6 expression contributes to bladder cancer development and may serve as a biomarker for bladder cancer.

Antitumor effects of human interferon-alpha 2b secreted by recombinant bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine on bladder cancer cells.

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to construct a recombinant bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine (rBCG) that secretes human interferon-alpha 2b (IFNα-2b) and to study its immunogenicity and in vitro antitumor activity against human bladder cancer cell lines T24 and T5637. METHODS: The signal sequence BCG Ag85B and the gene IFNα-2b were amplified from the genome of BCG and human peripheral blood, respectively, by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The two genes were cloned in Escherichia coli-BCG shuttle-vector pMV261 to obtain a new recombinant plasmid pMV261-Ag85B-IFNα-2b. BCG was transformed with the recombinant plasmid by electroporation and designated rBCG-IFNα-2b. Mononuclear cells were isolated from human peripheral blood (PBMCs) and stimulated with rBCG-IFNα-2b or wild type BCG for 3 d, and then cultured with human bladder cancer cell lines T24 and T5637. Their cytotoxicities were measured by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. RESULTS: BCG was successfully transformed with the recombinant plasmid pMV261-Ag85B-IFNα-2b by electroporation and the recombinant BCG (rBCG-IFNα-2b) was capable of synthesizing and secreting cytokine IFNα-2b. PBMC proliferation was enhanced significantly by rBCG-IFNα-2b, and the cytotoxicity of PBMCs stimulated by rBCG-IFNα-2b to T24 and T5627 was significantly stronger in comparison to wild type BCG. CONCLUSIONS: A recombinant BCG, secreting human IFNα-2b (rBCG-IFNα-2b), was constructed successfully and was superior to control wild type BCG in inducing immune responses and enhancing cytotoxicity to human bladder cancer cell lines T24 and T5637. This suggests that rBCG-IFNα-2b could be a promising agent for bladder cancer patients in terms of possible reductions in both clinical dosage and side effects of BCG immunotherapy.

Up-regulation of microRNA in bladder tumor tissue is not common.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have recently been shown to down-regulate gene expression by targeting mRNA translation and to play a critical role in tumorigenesis; how they regulate bladder tumor development, particularly in patients, is, however, poorly understood. The difference in miRNA expression in a bladder tumor compared with healthy tissue from the same patients was examined using microRNA arrays in seven patients. Here, we showed that up-regulation of miRNA was not commonly found in this limited number of patients, and four miRNAs (miR-26a, miR-29c, miR-30c, miR-30e-5p) were down-regulated as a common marker in patients with a 1-3 grade of disease. Our data suggest that instead of up-regulation of carcinogenic miRNAs, loss of regulation of these miRNA may be critical for bladder tumor development in patients.

[Construction of recombinant bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine secreting human interferon-alpha 2b].

OBJECTIVE: To construct a recombinant bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine (rBCG) secreting human interferon-alpha 2b (IFN alpha-2b). METHODS: BCG Ag85B signal sequence and IFN alpha-2b gene were amplified from the genome of BCG and of human peripheral blood by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), respectively. IFN alpha-2b gene was cloned in E. coli-BCG shuttle-vector pMV261 to get pMV261-IFN alpha-2b. A new recombinant plasmid pMV261-IFN alpha-2b was constructed by inserting BCG Ag85B signal sequence into pMV261-Ag85B-IFN alpha-2b. Then, BCG was transformed with this recombinant plasmid by electroporation, and designated as rBCG-IFN alpha-2b. The DNA and protein expressions of IFN alpha-2b gene in rBCG were determined by PCR and Western blot respectively. Also the quantity of IFN alpha-2b protein secreted by rBCG in culture supernatants was determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: By partial nucleotide sequencing, the DNA sequences of human IFN alpha-2b and BCG Ag85B were consistent with that in the Gene Bank, and were correctly inserted into the shuttle expression vector pMV261 to construct recombinant plasmid pMV261-Ag85B-IFN alpha-2b. BCG was successfully transformed with this recombinant plasmid by electroporation and the recombinant BCG (rBCG-IFN alpha-2b) was capable of synthesizing and secreting cytokine IFN alpha-2b. The concentration of IFN alpha-2b in culture supernatants was quantified by ELISA and calculated to be approximately 301.45 pg/ml. CONCLUSIONS: Recombinant BCG secreting human IFN alpha-2b (rBCG-IFN alpha-2b) was constructed successfully and the specific IFN alpha-2b protein can be expressed highly and steadily by rBCG vaccine.

Poor visualization of renal collecting system in intravenous urography as an indicator of invasive transitional cell carcinoma in the upper urinary tract.

BACKGROUND: Transitional cell carcinoma of the upper urinary tract (UUT-TCC) accounts for 5% to 10% of all renal tumours and 5% to 6% of all urothelial tumours all over the world. In China, the proportion of UUT-TCC to all urothelial tumours may be 26%, which is higher than that in the western world. The early diagnosis of UUT-TCC is difficult and the present study elucidates the diagnostic value of poor or nonvisualization (PNV) in intravenous urography in patients with UUT-TCC and its correlations with pathological findings and clinical characteristics. METHODS: The data of 172 consecutive patients between January 1997 and January 2005 with UUT-TCC who underwent nephroureterectomy in our departments were selected and analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: Of our sample, 144 cases presented with gross haematuria (83.7%) and 12 with microscopic haematuria (7.0%). Forty-six cases (26.7%) were detectable by cytology. Filling defect identified 36 positive cases of 172 patients (20.9%), PNV was present in the images of 105 of 172 patients (61.0%). The detection rate by PNV (61.0%) was significantly different from that by cytology (26.7%) or by filling defect (20.9%) (P = 0.031, P = 0.001, respectively). Univariate logistic regression analysis for PNV showed that tumour stage, grade and size were significant predictors (P = 0.028; P = 0.031; P = 0.006, respectively). Tumour stage and size were identified as independent risk factors in the multivariate logistic regression model (P = 0.042; P = 0.014). CONCLUSIONS: Except for suspected urolithiasis, urinary tuberculosis or congenital abnormalities, UUT-TCC should be considered if PNV exists in intravenous urography especially of old patients. The value of PNV is much more significant than filling defect in intravenous urography in the diagnosis of UUT-TCC. It is supposed that PNV carries more risk of higher stage and larger tumour size in UTT-TCC.

[Predictive factors for conversion of transurethral resection of the prostate to open prostatectomy].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the factors for the conversion of transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) to open prostatectomy and to provide clinical evidence for surgical options. METHODS: From January 1997 to March 2005, we performed 1 086 TURP and made retrospective analyses of 11 risk factors concerning the demographics, clinical history, laboratory data, ultrasound results, and intraoperative complications of the patients. In addition, multivariate logistic regression was used to determine those variables predicting the conversion of TURP. RESULTS: Thirty-nine (3.59%) of the TURP cases required conversion, mostly because of uncontrollable hemorrhage (71.79%). Multivariate analyses showed that a prostate volume > 85.2 ml (OR = 2.568, P < 0.01), intraoperative slit of capsula prostatic (OR = 1.916, P < 0.01) and a second midstream bladder specimen (VB2) white blood cell count of the urine > 13.5/HP (OR = 1.486, P < 0.01) predicted the conversion to open prostatectomy. CONCLUSION: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients with a huge prostate and those with intraoperative slit of capsula prostatic undergoing TURP are more likely to be converted. And uncontrollable hemorrhage, huge prostate and poor endoscopic vision are the major reasons for the conversion.

Preventive effect of gelatinizedly-modified chitosan film on peritoneal adhesion of different types.

AIM: To comparatively study the preventive effect of gelatinizedly-modified chitosan film on peritoneal adhesions induced by four different factors in rats. METHODS: Chitosan was chemically modified by gelatinization, and made into films of 60 microm in thickness, and sterilized. Two hundred Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups, Sham-operation group (group A), wound-induced adhesion group (group B), purified talc-induced adhesion group (group C), vascular ligation-induced adhesion group (group D), and infection-induced adhesion group (group E), respectively. In each group, the rats were treated with different adhesion-inducing methods at the cecum of vermiform processes and then were divided into control and experimental subgroups. Serous membrane surface of vermiform processes were covered with the films in the experimental subgroups, and no films were used in the control subgroups. After 2 and 4 wk of treatments, the abdominal cavities were reopened and the adhesive severity was graded blindly according to Bhatia's method. The cecum of vermiform processes were resected for hydroxyproline (OHP) measurement and pathological examination. RESULTS: Adhesion severity and OHP level: After 2 and 4 wk of the treatments, in the experimental subgroups, the adhesions were significantly lighter and the OHP levels were significantly lower than those of the control subgroups in group B (2 wk: 0.199 +/- 0.026 vs 0.285 +/- 0.041 microg/mg pr, P < 0.001; 4 wk: 0.183 +/- 0.034 vs 0.276 +/- 0.03 microg/mg pr, P < 0.001), D (2 wk: 0.216 +/- 0.036 vs 0.274 +/- 0.040 microg/mg pr, P = 0.004; 4 wk: 0.211 +/- 0.044 vs 0.281 +/- 0.047 microg/mg pr, P = 0.003) and E (2 wk: 0.259 +/- 0.039 vs 0.371 +/- 0.040 microg/mg pr, P < 0.001; 4 wk: 0.242 +/- 0.045 vs 0.355 +/- 0.029 microg/mg pr, P < 0.001), but there were no significant differences in groups A (2 wk: 0.141 +/- 0.028 vs 0.137 +/- 0.026 microg/mg pr, P = 0.737; 4 wk: 0.132 +/- 0.031 vs 0.150 +/- 0.035 microg/mg pr, P = 0.225) and C (2 wk: 0.395 +/- 0.044 vs 0.378 +/- 0.043 microg/mg pr, P = 0.387; 4 wk: 0.370 +/- 0.032 vs 0.367 +/- 0.041 microg/mg pr, P = 0.853); Pathological changes: In group B, the main pathological changes were fibroplasias in the treated serous membrane surface and in group D, the fibroplasia was shown in the whole layer of the vermiform processes. In group E, the main pathological changes were acute and chronic suppurative inflammatory reactions. These changes were lighter in the experimental subgroups than those in the control subgroups in the three groups. In group C, the main changes were foreign body giant cell and granuloma reactions and fibroplasias in different degrees, with no apparent differences between the experimental and control subgroups. CONCLUSION: The gelatinizedly-modified chitosan film is effective on preventing peritoneal adhesions induced by wound, ischemia and infection, but the effect is not apparent in foreign body-induced adhesion.

Hepatic effects in workers exposed to 2-methoxy ethanol.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of 2-ME on hepatic function in exposed workers. Fifty-three impregnation workers from two copper-clad laminate-manufacturing factories using 2-ME as a solvent were recruited as the exposed group. Another group of 121 lamination workers with indirect exposure to 2-ME was recruited as the comparison group. Environmental monitoring of air 2-ME concentrations and biological monitoring of urine 2-methoxy acetic acid concentrations were performed. Venous blood was collected for blood biochemistry analyses. Liver function examination results showed that the aspartate amino transferase, alanine amino transferase, and gamma-glutamyl transferase in the 2-ME-exposed workers were not significantly different from those in the comparison workers. After adjustment for hepatitis carrier status, gender, body mass index, and duration of employment, no difference were found between exposed and comparison groups. We conclude that 2-ME was not a hepatotoxin.