[Huotan Jiedu Tongluo decoction alleviates early atherosclerosis of rabbits by inhibiting eNOS uncoupling pathway].

The aim of this paper was to study the curative effect of Huotan Jiedu Tongluo (HTJDTL) decoction on a rabbit model with early atherosclerosis (AS),and furtherly to explore whether it could inhibit the BH4/eNOS uncoupling ROS or not. Twenty-four Japanese white rabbits were randomly divided into sham operation group, model group, HTJDTL decoction group and atorvastatin group. Rabbit models with early atherosclerosis were established by high fat diet, nitrogen drying and carotid artery balloon injury. The rabbits were sacrificed at 7th days after balloon injury and several parameters were measured. The pathological morphology of the common carotid artery was observed by HE staining. The blood lipids were detected by peroxidase method. The ratio of vascular eNOS dimer and monomer was measured by Western blot. The ELISA and biochemical technology were respectively used for testing BH4 and ROS levels in serum. The results showed that compared with the sham operation group, the model group had mild stenosis of the common carotid artery lumen, uneven intimal hyperplasia, lipid deposition in the intima and media, and obvious hyperplasia of the adventitia with inflammatory cell infiltration. The HTJDTL decoction could significantly inhibit the intimal hyperplasia compared with the model group, meanwhile, reduce the lipid deposition of the media and the infiltration of the adventitial cells. Compared with the sham operation group, the blood lipids and ROS of the model animals significantly increased, but BH4 and the ratio of eNOS dimer/monomer decreased. Compared with the model group, HTJDTL decoction significantly reduced the TC, ox-LDL and ROS levels, and also up-regulated eNOS dimer/monomer ratio, but it increased BH4 trend without statistical difference. According to the results, it was found that HTJDTL decoction couldsignificantly prevent and improve the vascular remodeling of rabbits model with early atherosclerosis. The mechanism of decoction may largely be related to the inhibition of BH4/eNOS uncoupling and the reduction of oxidative stress.

[Causes of death in STZ-induced rat models of diabetes mellitus].

OBJECTIVE: To identify conditions that may improve the successful rate of STZ-induced rat models of diabetes mellitus (DM). METHODS: 100 male SD rats were randomly divided into control group (n = 10) and experimental group (n = 90). Rats in the experimental group were treated with intraperitoneal injection of STZ 65 mg/kg once, and were then categorized into succeeded DM model group and failed group. Their body masses and levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG), urine glucose (UG), urine protein (UP), urine routine, renal function, liver function, blood lipids and kidney hypertrophy index (KHI) were monitored and compared. Dead rats were dissected to observe diseased organs. Pathological changes of those diseased organs were examined by HE staining. RESULTS: DM rat models were established through a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ, with a success rate of 58.89%. During the experiment, 43.33% of rats died. Compared with the rats in the failed group, the DM rat models had significantly higher levels of body mass, food intake, water intake, urine output, FBG, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, KHI, urinary tract infections, and mortality; but lower levels of total protein, albumin and cholesterol and triglyceride (P < 0.05). Nine rats died of pulmonary edema; 19 died of renal abscess. The causes of 11 dead rats were not clear. CONCLUSION: DM rat models can be established through a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ 65 mg/kg, but with high mortality rate. The deaths may be associated with infection, malnutrition, suffocation of lymphatic circulation, toxicity of STZ, and changes in environmental and climate conditions.

[Application of ¹8F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography in preoperative assessment of hilar cholangiocarcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the value of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in the preoperative assessment of hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HC). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed for 32 HC patients. There were 14 females and 18 males with a mean age of 56 years old. All cases were confirmed by surgery, pathology or other diagnostic modalities. ¹8F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT was performed preoperatively in all patients. The images were interpreted and compared with the operative and pathological outcomes in each case. RESULTS: Among them, according to the Bismuth-Corlette classification, the number of types I, II, IIIa, IIIb and IV patients, were 3, 2, 4, 8 and 15 respectively. Radical tumor resection was performed in 16 patients. Among them, 3, 2, 1, 7 and 3 patient belonged to types I, II, IIIa, IIIb and IV respectively. Seven patients underwent palliative surgery and 9 had only surgical exploration. The detecting accuracy of PET/CT in primary tumors Bismuth-Corlette classification reached 81.25% (26/32). The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of PET/CT in detecting lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis were 64.7%, 86.7%, 75.0% and 41.7%, 95.0%, 75.0% respectively. The concordance rate of preoperative evaluation of respectability by PET/CT and intraoperative evaluation was 75.0%. No significant difference existed between PET/CT and the surgical and histopathologic findings in the evaluation of curative resectability for HC (χ² = 0.125, P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: ¹8F-FDG PET/CT is of great value in the diagnosis of HC, as well as in detecting lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis. Thus ¹8F-FDG PET/CT is helpful in the preoperative assessment of resectability for HC.