Effect of the transcription factor YY1 on the development of pancreatic endocrine and exocrine tumors: a narrative review.

Pancreatic tumors are classified into endocrine and exocrine types, and the clinical manifestations in patients are nonspecific. Most patients, especially those with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), have lost the opportunity to receive for the best treatment at the time of diagnosis. Although chemotherapy and radiotherapy have shown good therapeutic results in other tumors, their therapeutic effects on pancreatic tumors are minimal. A multifunctional transcription factor, Yin-Yang 1 (YY1) regulates the transcription of a variety of important genes and plays a significant role in diverse tumors. Studies have shown that targeting YY1 can improve the survival time of patients with tumors. In this review, we focused on the mechanism by which YY1 affects the occurrence and development of pancreatic tumors. We found that a YY1 mutation is specific for insulinomas and has a role in driving the degree of malignancy. In addition, changes in the circadian network are a key causative factor of PDAC. YY1 promotes pancreatic clock progression and induces malignant changes, but YY1 seems to act as a tumor suppressor in PDAC and affects many biological behaviors, such as proliferation, migration, apoptosis and metastasis. Our review summarizes the progress in understanding the role of YY1 in pancreatic endocrine and exocrine tumors and provides a reasonable assessment of the potential for therapeutic targeting of YY1 in pancreatic tumors.

Roundabout homolog 1 inhibits proliferation via the YY1-ROBO1-CCNA2-CDK2 axis in human pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is highly malignant and has a high mortality with a 5-year survival rate of less than 8%. As a member of the roundabout immunoglobulin superfamily of proteins, ROBO1 plays an important role in embryogenesis and organogenesis and also inhibits metastasis in PC. Our study was designed to explore whether ROBO1 has effects on the proliferation of PC and its specific mechanism. The expression of ROBO1 was higher in cancer tissues than in matched adjacent tissues by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and qRT-PCR. Low ROBO1 expression is associated with PC progression and poor prognosis. Overexpression of ROBO1 can inhibit the proliferation of PC cells in vitro, and the S phase fraction can also be induced. Further subcutaneous tumor formation in nude mice showed that ROBO1 overexpression can significantly inhibit tumor growth. YY1 was found to directly bind to the promoter region of ROBO1 to promote transcription by a luciferase reporter gene assay, a chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and an electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). Mechanistic studies showed that YY1 can inhibit the development of PC by directly regulating ROBO1 via the CCNA2/CDK2 axis. Taken together, our results suggest that ROBO1 may be involved in the development and progression of PC by regulating cell proliferation and shows that ROBO1 may be a novel and promising therapeutic target for PC.

[Surgical treatment of giant thymoma in a patient with myasthenia gravis].

We report a case report of giant thymoma (17 cm×14 cm×4 cm) in a 32-year-old male patient with myasthenia gravis. Examinations revealed that the tumor invaded the mediastinum, blood vessels and pericardium, and was histologically classified as WHO type B1 and Masaoka stage III. The patient developed myasthenia gravis crisis after radical resection of the thymoma and appropriate treatments with tracheotomy were administered. The patient recovered and was discharged after a hospital stay for 252 days with a mechanical ventilation time of 102 days.

Rapid Detection of Serratia fonticola by TaqMan Quantitative Real-Time PCR Using Primers Targeting the gyrB Gene.

A gyrB gene is present in the majority of bacterial species, and encodes the ATPase domain of DNA gyraseB-subunit protein, which is essential for transcription and replication of bacteria. The gyrB gene exhibits higher nucleotide sequence variability than the 16S rDNA gene and thus could be more reliable in differentiating Serratia fonticola. A species-specific primer pair and probe were designed for quantitative real-time PCR detection of S. fonticola using gyrB as the target gene. Nine members of the Serratia family (representing nine Serratia species) were chosen to verify the specificity of the primers. Additionally, two species each of Salmonella and Klebsiella, and five other species belonging to five other genera of Enterobacteriaceae, were tested for primer cross-reaction. All the tested strains gave negative results. The limit of detection for S. fonticola using the gyrB gene was 100 copies per PCR reaction. This TaqMan PCR assay provided a specific, rapid, and sensitive method to detect S. fonticola based on its gyrB gene.

[Establishment of a rabbit model of small diameter vascular graft replacement].

OBJECTIVE: To establish an rabbit model that mimics the hemodynamics of the bypass graft after coronary artery bypass surgery. METHODS: Sixteen New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into two groups for abdominal aortic artery replacement using a 3-cm-long ePTFE graft with an inner diameter 4 mm through an incision at 1/3 from the middle to the lower part of the abdomen (group A) or in the lower abdomen (group B). The general conditions of the rabbits, operative time, number of collateral vessels that needed to be ligated, rate of massive intraoperative bleeding, fluctuation of vascular anastomosis after surgery, patency rate of the graft on day 7 after the operation were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The two groups of rabbits had similar body weight, diameter of the abdominal aortic artery, intraoperative bleeding rate and occlusion rate of the vascular graft at 7 days after the procedure. The operative time was longer in group A, but the difference was not statistically significant. In group A, the number of the vascular branches that needed to be ligated was smaller and the rate normal femoral artery pulsation was higher than those in group B. CONCLUSION: It is feasible to establish models of small diameter vascular graft replacement in rabbits, and the patency rate of the graft can be monitored by observation of the general condition and ultrasound examination of the rabbits.

[Brachiocephalic artery-sparing aortic arch repair combined with stent-graft elephant trunk technique for Stanford type A aortic dissection: analysis of 23 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical outcomes of brachiocephalic artery-sparing aortic arch repair combined with stent-graft elephant trunk technique for treatment of Stanford type A aortic dissection. METHODS: Twenty-three patients with Stanford type A aortic dissection requiring arch replacement underwent brachiocephalic artery-sparing aortic arch repair combined with stent-graft elephant trunk technique. The operations were performed within 72 h (20 cases) or 3-14 days (3 cases) after the onset of aortic dissection. RESULTS: There was no perioperative death in these cases. The mean extracorporeal circulation time was 209∓52 min, the aortic cross clamp time was 85∓21 min, and the mean chest tube output within the first 24 h after the operation was 570∓263 mL; none of the patients required chest reopening for management of bleeding. Postoperative acute renal failure requiring hemodialysis occurred in 3 cases, transient neurologic dysfunction in 2 cases, paraplegia in case and hematosepsis in 1 case. No such complications as permanent neurologic deficit or postoperative visceral malperfusion occurred in these cases. All the patients survived and were discharged from hospital without experiencing severe complications in the follow-up for 6-18 months. CONCLUSION: Brachiocephalic artery-sparing aortic arch repair combined with stent-graft elephant trunk technique is a safe and simple procedure with controllable bleeding and can serve as an optional procedure for aortic arch replacement.

Spontaneous regression of retinopathy of prematurity: incidence and predictive factors.

AIM: To evaluate the incidence of spontaneous regression of changes in the retina and vitreous in active stage of retinopathy of prematurity(ROP) and identify the possible relative factors during the regression. METHODS: This was a retrospective, hospital-based study. The study consisted of 39 premature infants with mild ROP showed spontaneous regression (Group A) and 17 with severe ROP who had been treated before naturally involuting (Group B) from August 2008 through May 2011. Data on gender, single or multiple pregnancy, gestational age, birth weight, weight gain from birth to the sixth week of life, use of oxygen in mechanical ventilation, total duration of oxygen inhalation, surfactant given or not, need for and times of blood transfusion, 1,5,10-min Apgar score, presence of bacterial or fungal or combined infection, hyaline membrane disease (HMD), patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), duration of stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and duration of ROP were recorded. RESULTS: The incidence of spontaneous regression of ROP with stage 1 was 86.7%, and with stage 2, stage 3 was 57.1%, 5.9%, respectively. With changes in zone III regression was detected 100%, in zone II 46.2% and in zone I 0%. The mean duration of ROP in spontaneous regression group was 5.65±3.14 weeks, lower than that of the treated ROP group (7.34±4.33 weeks), but this difference was not statistically significant (P=0.201). GA, 1min Apgar score, 5min Apgar score, duration of NICU stay, postnatal age of initial screening and oxygen therapy longer than 10 days were significant predictive factors for the spontaneous regression of ROP (P<0.05). Retinal hemorrhage was the only independent predictive factor the spontaneous regression of ROP (OR 0.030, 95%CI 0.001-0.775, P=0.035). CONCLUSION: This study showed most stage 1 and 2 ROP and changes in zone III can spontaneously regression in the end. Retinal hemorrhage is weakly inversely associated with the spontaneous regression.

Serum salusin-α levels are inversely correlated with the presence and severity of coronary artery disease.

We sought to measure serum salusin-α levels in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and to assess their correlation with the severity of the disease. We enrolled 172 patients with CAD and 91 controls. We assessed the angiographic severity of CAD by coronary atherosclerosis index (CAI) and detected serum salusin-α levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We demonstrated that CAD patients had significantly lower serum salusin-α levels compared to controls. Moreover, serum salusin-α levels were independently and negatively correlated with the presence and severity of CAD. These findings indicated that salusin-α might serve as a potential biomarker for predicting the development and progression of CAD.

[Thoraco laparoscopic esophagectomy versus open esophagectomy: a meta-analysis of outcomes].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the outcomes of thoraco laparoscopic esophagectomy venus open esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. METHODS: Literature search was performed using PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar databases, CBM, and CNKI from inception to July 2011 for comparative studies assessing thoraco laparoscopic esophagectomy and open esophagectomy. Data were extracted and evaluated by two reviewers independently according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews. Meta-analyses were conducted using RevMan 5.1. RESULTS: A total of 10 studies involving 1017 patients were included for the analysis. Four hundred and fifty-five patients underwent thoraco laparoscopic esophagectomy and 562 patients underwent open esophagectomy. There were no significant differences between the two groups in anastomotic leak, 30-day mortality, and number of lymph node retrieved(P>0.05). However, thoraco laparoscopic esophagectomy had lower blood loss, less operative time, and reduced respiratory complications(P<0.05). There were no significant differences between the two groups in overall complications, cardiac complications, anastomotic stricture, recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, length of stay, ICU stay, and 3-year survival(all P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Thoraco laparoscopic esophagectomy for esophageal cancer is feasible and safe as open esophagectomy.

[Effect of inhaling specific phosphodiesterase inhibitor on lung injury induced by cardiopulmonary bypass].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of pretreatment by inhaling specific phosphodiesterase inhibitor on lung injury induced by cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). METHODS: From April 2010 to November 2010, 30 patients were divided randomly into two groups: control group (n = 15) and milrinone group (n = 15). In milrinone group, 5 mg milrinone diluted by 5ml normal saline was inhaled per 8 h two days pre-operation. In control group, only 10 ml normal saline was inhaled. Blood samples were drawn from ulnar vein and radial artery pre-operation (T(0)), 30 min post-aortic unclamping (T(1)), at the end of operation (T(2)), 24 h, 72 h and 7 d post-operation (T(3)-T(5)). The following parameters were determined: TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-alpha), IL-6 (interleukin-6), HSCRP (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein), MDA (malondialdehyde), MPO (myeloperoxidase) level and leucocyte count ratio of venous and arterial blood. And the values of pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) and oxygenation index (OI) were measured through a Swan-Ganz catheter at the first 5 time points. RESULTS: PVR rose while OI declined at post-operation. But the range of above-mentioned indices in milrinone group was significantly smaller than that in control group. And the indices recovered much earlier in milrinone group. The levels of TNF-α, IL-6, HSCRP, MDA, MPO and leucocyte count ratio were not significantly different at T(0) between two groups and increased significantly after CPB in both groups. But the level of TNF-α (ng/L) was significantly lower at T(2), T(4), T(5) in milrinone group than that in control group (60 ± 5 vs 79 ± 7, 29 ± 6 vs 40 ± 8, 18 ± 5 vs 28 ± 7, all P < 0.05). The levels of IL-6 and MDA were significantly lower at T(1)-T(4) in milrinone group. The level of HSCRP became elevated post-operatively in both groups and reached its peak at 24 h post-operation, especially in control group. The level of MPO (µg/L) was significantly lower at T(2), T(3) and T(5) (134 ± 20 vs 190 ± 23, 142 ± 28 vs 178 ± 20, 65 ± 9 vs 75 ± 11, all P < 0.05). And the V/A ratio was significantly lower at T(1)-T(3) in milrinone group than in control group (1.12 ± 0.11 vs 1.37 ± 0.09, 1.07 ± 0.07 vs 1.25 ± 0.07, both P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Inhaled milrinone may protect the lungs from acute injury induced by CPB. Inhaling milrinone is safe and feasible for the prevention of acute CPB-induced injury.

[Quality of life in patients with esophageal carcinoma undergoing thoracoscopic and laparoscopic esophagectomy and circular stapled cervical esophagogastric anastomosis via retrosternal route].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the quality of life (QOL) in patients with esophageal carcinoma after thoracoscopic and laparoscopic esophagectomy and circular stapled cervical esophagogastric anastomosis via retrosternal route or three-incision open surgery. METHODS: A total of 63 patients with middle-upper esophageal carcinoma who underwent radical surgical resection from January 2009 to October 2010 were enrolled in this study. Thirty-three patients underwent combined laparoscopic and thoracoscopic surgery and 30 three-incision open surgery. The EORTC questionnaire QLQ-C30 and QLQ-OES18 were used to evaluate the QOL. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the clinical data between the two groups except for anastomosis method(P>0.05). In the endoscopy group, there was one patient developed anastomotic leakage(3.0%, 1/33), 1 postoperative wound infection in the neck (3.0%, 1/33), and 1 anastomotic stricture(3.0%, 1/33). In the open group, 8 patients had anastomotic leakage (26.7%, 8/30), 2 had anastomotic stricture (6.7%, 2/30), 1 had wound infection in the neck (3.3%, 1/30), and 6 had pulmonary infection (20.0%, 6/30). All the complications were managed by conservative treatment. The two groups differed in dysphagia, food intake, pain, obstruction, dyspnea, anorexia, fatigue, financial condition, physical function, role function, emotional function, cognitive function, social function and global health level and were more favorable in the endoscopy group(P<0.05), while there were no significant differences in the other dimensions. CONCLUSIONS: The postoperative complication rate is low after thoracoscopic and laparoscopic esophagectomy. Stapled anastomosis is associated with lower rate of anastomotic leak. QOL is better in patients following thoracoscopic and laparoscopic esophagectomy as compared to those following three-incision open surgery.

[Therapeutic effect of tracheal anastomosis versus interventional bronchoscopy in the treatment of airway stenosis].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the therapeutic effects of tracheal anastomosis and interventional bronchoscopy in the treatment of airway stenosis. METHODS: From February, 1990 to February 2008, 53 patients with airway stenosis including 32 male and 21 female patients aged 2 to 80 years (mean 38 years) received end-to-end anastomosis or bronchoscopic stent-graft treatment in our hospital. End-to-end anastomosis of the narrow sleeves resected was performed in 26 cases, balloon dilatation in 14 cases, and stent implantation in 13 cases. The clinical and follow-up data of the patients were analyzed retrospectively and the surgical outcomes were evaluated. RESULTS: No perioperative deaths occurred in these cases. Eight patients (5 with anastomosis, 2 with balloon dilation, and 1 with stent implantation) were lost to the follow-up ranging from 1 to 204 (mean 44.94-/+54.56) months. Of the patients available to the follow-up, 12 had airway restenosis, including 2 receiving end-to-end anastomosis (9.5%), 6 (50%) receiving balloon angioplasty, and 6 with granulation hyperplasia following stent implantation (50%). Of the 3 treatment, end-to-end anastomosis was associated with the lowest restenosis rate (Chi2=8.869, P=0.012). CONCLUSION: End-to-end anastomosis, with a low postoperative restenosis rate and better prognosis, should be the primary choice for treatment of tracheal airway stenosis.

[Clinical analysis of primary thymic lymphoma: a report of 27 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate clinicopathologic features and optimal treatment of primary thymic lymphoma. METHODS: Clinical records of 27 primary thymic lymphoma patients treated from 1990 to 2007 were reviewed. RESULTS: Of the 27 patients, 8 received mastectomy and chemotherapy, 12 received excision of the thymic lesion and chemotherapy, 5 received chemotherapy alone, and 2 received lesion excision alone. 24 achieved complete remission after scheduled treatment, 1 achieved partial remission, and 2 patients had progressive disease. With a follow-up of 10 years and median 38 months, the 5-year overall and disease-free survival rates of the 27 patients were 47% and 23% respectively. CONCLUSION: The main subtypes of primary thymic lymphoma are diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and peripheral T-cell lymphoma. The optimal sequence is radical operation followed by standard anthracycline-based regimens and radiotherapy.

[Validation of the non-cellular metastasis hypothesis of malignant tumors in mice].

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that malignant tumor metastasis is mediated also through a non-cellular, essentially molecular, mechanism in addition to the cellular pathway. METHODS: The sex-determining region on the Y chromosome was detected as the marker of the primary tumors using PCR in Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) in vitro and in female C57BL/6 mice bearing LLC with spontaneous metastasis. The macroscopic and microscopic metastases in the tumor-bearing mice were examined for SRY expression by PCR and in situ hybridization, using the tissues from male and female mice as the positive or negative controls. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Positive SRY gene expression was detected in the metastatic foci in the LLC-bearing female mice, suggesting the origination of these tumor cells from the primary tumor foci. We have failed to verify the non-cellular metastasis hypothesis in this animal experiment, but given the limitations of this experiment, we consider further investigation still necessary for verification of this hypothesis using other methods.

[Preparation and dose-effect analysis of ecdysterone cream for promoting wound healing].

OBJECTIVE: To prepare ecdysterone cream for promoting wound healing and conduct the dose-effect analysis to determine the optimal concentration. METHODS: The cream substrate containing 4 concentrations (0.625%, 1.25%, 2.5% and 5%) of ecdysterone was prepared. Full-thickness skin defect was induced in 9 New Zealand rabbits at 5 sites on the dorsal skin, and the wounds were treated with blank cream substrate and ecdysterone cream at the 4 concentrations, respectively. On days 4, 8 and 12 after the injury, the healing area and the healing rate for each wound were determined, and in one rabbit, the tissues around the wounds were sampled for pathological examination. RESULTS: The ecdysterone cream significantly promoted wound healing as shown by increased percentage of the healing area (P<0.01), and the optimal concentration was 2.5%. Pathologically, the wounds treated with 2.5% ecdysterone cream exhibited more obvious granulation tissue formation and proliferation of the epithelial cells, endothelial cells and fibroblasts than those treated with the cream of the other concentrations. CONCLUSION: The ecdysterone cream can obviously promote wound healing in rabbits at the optimal concentration of 2.5%, which may offer a clinical alternative for promoting wound healing.

[L-arginine pretreatment lowers cerebral metabolism for cerebral protection during deep hypothermic circulatory arrest].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of L-arginine pretreatment on cerebral metabolism for cerebral protection during deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA). METHODS: Fifteen healthy adult canines of either sex weighing 14.7-/+2.4 kg were randomly divided into 3 groups (n=5), namely the normal saline group, L-arginine pretreatment group (pretreated with 100 mg/kg L-arginine 60 min before DHCA), and L-arginine combined with 7- nitroindazole treatment group (pretreated with 100 mg/kg L-arginine and 25 mg/kg7-Ni 60 min before DHCA). For all the canines, extracorporeal circulation was established routinely to allow nasopharyngeal temperature reduction to 18 degrees celsius;, at which point DHCA commenced followed 90 min later by reperfusion. At 30 min before DHCA and 0, 45 and 90 min after DHCA as well as at 60 min after reperfusion initiation, blood samples were collected from the jugular vein and arterial to measure the plasma lactic acid, and the cerebral cortex of the parietal lobe was sampled determine the activity of Na(+)-K(+)ATPase. The cerebral water content was also determined after execution of the canines. RESULTS: In the two pretreatment groups, the level of lactic acid production (shown by the difference in lactic acid levels between the jugular venous and arterial blood) and the cerebral ATP consumption were similar (P>0.05), but both were significantly lower than those of the control group (P<0.05). The cerebral water content was the lowest in the combined treatment group, followed by exclusive L-arginine group, and the highest in the control group (P<0.05), with significant difference between the 3 groups (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: L-arginine pretreatment can lower cerebral metabolism during DHCA to offer protective effect on the brain.

[Design and experimental application of a device for direct vision intracardiac operation without cardiopulmonary bypass].

OBJECTIVE: To design a device for direct vision intracardiac operation without cardiopulmonary bypass, and assess its applicability preliminarily. METHODS: The device was designed according to the clinical needs of intracardiac operation and used in operations for repairing atrial septal defect in 5 ex vivo porcine heart models. The practical applicability of this device was thoroughly tested and the results of the operations were evaluated. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Direct vision operation for repairing atrial septal defect was successfully performed using this device, which can be a well applicable in some intracardiac operations, but its clinical effects need further evaluation.

[Screening of differentially expressed proteins from human esophageal cancer and esophageal tissues by two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry].

OBJECTIVE: To establish two-dimensional electrophoresis profiles from human esophageal cancer tissue and paired normal esophageal tissue and identify differentially expressed proteins to identify the molecular markers for early-stage diagnosis. METHODS: The total proteins of human esophageal cancer tissue and paired normal esophageal tissue were separated by immobilized pH gradient-based two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE). The 6 differentially expressed proteins were analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). The peptide mass fingerprintings (PMF) were identified by database searching. Six differentially expressed proteins were validated by RT-PCR. RESULTS: The well-resolved, reproducible 2-DE patterns of esophageal cancer tissue and esophageal normal tissue were established. Using MALDI-TOF-MS technology, 6 differential protein spots were identified. Among them, the expressions of squamous cell carcinoma antigen 1 (SCCA1b), KRT4 and annexin A1 were downregulated and triosephosphate isomerase (TPI1), heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) and manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) were upregulated in esophageal cancer tissues. CONCLUSION: The identification of differential expressed proteins in human esophageal cancer and normal tissue will be helpful for screening the biomarker for early-stage diagnosis.

[Evaluation of ultramicroporous expanded polytetrafluoroethylene mitral valve under pulsatile flow condition in vitro].

OBJECTIVE: To test 25# and 27# ultramicroporous expanded polytetrafluo-roethylene mitral valve (UPMV) under pulsatile flow condition in vitro. METHODS: Six 25# and six 27#UPMV were tested using TH-1200 HV Prosthesis Pulsatile Flow Tester in vitro at the cycling rate of 70 cycle/min, with the systolic pressure maintained at about 16 kPa (120 mmHg), diastolic pressure at 10.7 kPa (80 mmHg), and the percentage of mean forward flow at 35%. The stimulant cardiac output was maintained at 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 L/min, respectively, for the testing. RESULTS: The mean pressure difference for the 25#UPMV under stimulant cardiac output of 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 L/min was 2.488-/+0.378, 4.427-/+0.240, 5.460-/+0.449, 6.776-/+0.391 and 8.327-/+0.490 mmHg, and its effective valvular orifice was 1.430-/+0.333, 1.993-/+0.208, 2.260-/+0.477, 3.204-/+0.174 and 3.652-/+0.158 cm(2), respectively. The regurgitant fraction of the 25#UPMV under each stimulant cardiac output was (5.731-/+0.643) %, (5.431-/+0.312) %, (5.059-/+0.708) %, (3.545-/+0.097) % and (2.615-/+0.125) %, respectively. The mean pressure difference of the 27#UPMV under each stimulant cardiac output was 1.618-/+0.497, 3.448-/+0.440, 4.825-/+0.434, 5.494-/+0.446 and 7.482-/+0.455 mmHg, effective valvular orifice was 1.773-/+0.364, 2.113-/+0.305, 2.409-/+0.295, 3.326-/+0.417 and 4.522-/+0.445 cm(2), and regurgitant fraction was (5.357-/+0.509) %, (5.407-/+0.110) %, (4.999-/+0.182) %, (4.010-/+0.254) % and (2.584-/+0.114)%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The mean pressure difference, effective valvular orifice and regurgitant fraction of the UPMVs can measure up to the national criteria for artificial heart valve prosthesis of China.

[Ecdysterone promotes wound healing in rabbits].

OBJECTIVE: To study the efficacy of ecdysterone in promoting wound healing in rabbits. METHODS: Twenty-one New Zealand rabbits were randomized equally into 3 groups and in each rabbit, 4 separate full-thickness skin wounds were induced and treated with dexamethasone, ecdysterone and Yunnan white powder, or untreated, respectively. On day 3, 6, and 9, respectively, one group of rabbits were sacrificed and the local wound tissue was obtained for pathological examination. RESULTS: Three days after the operation, the 4 wounds in each rabbit did not show significant difference in the healing rate (P>0.05). On day 6, as was similar to day 9, ecdysterone and Yunnan white powder showed better efficacy in promoting wound healing than dexamethasone (P<0.01), the latter having similar effect with the control management (P>0.05), and that of ecdysterone was similar to Yunnan white powder (P>0.05). Pathologically, early stage of wound healing was characterized by exudation and hyperemia, and on days 6 and 9, ecdysterone and Yunnan white powder exhibited similar strong effect for shaping the granulation tissue and stimulating epithelial cell proliferation. CONCLUSION: Ecdysterone can obviously promote wound healing in rabbits, which may offer a clinical alternative for promoting wound healing.