Value of dual-energy CT-based volumetric iodine-uptake in the evaluation of chemotherapy efficacy in advanced gastric cancer / 中华胃肠外科杂志

Objective@#To explore the value of dual-energy CT-based volumetric iodine-uptake (VIU) in the evaluation of chemotherapy efficacy in advanced gastric cancer.@*Methods@#Inclusion criteria of subjects: (1) without previous systematic therapy; (2) with complete clinical information before and after chemotherapy; (3) without contraindications of chemotherapy. Exclusion criteria of subjects: (1) unfinished duration and times of chemotherapy; (2) unmeasurable primary lesions; (3) poor imaging quality or poor gastric filling. Clinical and image data of 52 patients with advanced gastric cancer who were diagnosed by pathology from gastroscopic biopsy, and needed chemotherapy evaluated by imaging and clinical information in the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University from February 2017 to February 2018 were collected and analyzed. Of 52 patients, 38 were male and 14 were female with the median age of 65 (31-88) years old. All the patients underwent a dual-energy, dual phase-enhanced CT scanning before chemotherapy and after the third chemotherapy session. The parameters of the lesions measured before and after chemotherapy in portal vein phase were as follows: the maximum diameter (the largest diameter among those measured in the cross-sectional, coronal, and sagittal planes), average CT value (the regions of interest were manually pinpointed under cross-sectional planes with largest diameter of the tumor, which did not include regions less than 2 mm to the edge of the tumor) and VIU (lesion volume × iodine concentration). The change rates of maximum lesion diameter, average CT value and VIU before and after chemotherapy were calculated [(post-chemotherapy parameters-pre-chemotherapy parameters)/ pre-chemotherapy parameters]. The efficacy of chemotherapy was evaluated by RECIST 1.1 (the change of maximum tumor diameter after chemotherapy), Choi (the change of average CT value after chemotherapy) and VIU (the change of VIU after chemotherapy), respectively, which was categorized by complete response (CR), partial response (PR), stable disease (SD) and progressive disease (PD). Patients with CR, PR, and SD were assigned to the effective group, while those with PD were classified as the ineffective group. Paired t - test or Wilcoxon signed ranks test was used to compare the changes of parameters before and after chemotherapy, whereas Spearman correlation analysis and Kappa test were used for the correlation analysis and the consistency test between the three evaluation criteria (Kappa≥0.75 indicated good consistency).@*Results@#After chemotherapy, the average CT value [(74.01±16.75) HU vs. (81.06±15.87) HU, t=2.202, P=0.030] and median VIU (668.53×102 μg vs. 272.52×102 μg, Z=4.761, P<0.001) decreased significantly, while the difference of the maximum diameter was not statistically significant [(66.71±34.49) mm vs. (78.45±35.62) mm, t=1.708, P=0.091]. The median change rate of VIU (–53.33%) was greater than that of CT values (–5.75%) with significant difference (Z=-5.408, P<0.001). According to the RECIST 1.1 criteria, 47 patients (90.4%, including 19 with PR and 28 with SD) were effective and 5 patients (9.6%) were ineffective. According to the Choi criteria, 45 patients (86.5%, including 37 with PR and 8 with SD) were effective and 7 patients (13.5%) were ineffective. According to the VIU criteria, 46 patients (88.5%, including 41 with PR and 5 with SD) were effective and 6 patients (11.5%) were ineffective. Efficacy comparison among these three criteria showed no significant difference (χ2=0.377, P=0.828). As compared to RECIST 1.1 evaluation, the proportion of PR evaluated by Choi and VIU was significantly higher (χ2=16.861, P<0.001), whereas the proportion of SD was significantly lower (χ2=24.089, P<0.001). There was no significant difference in the proportions of PR and SD between VIU and Choi criteria (χ2=0.887, P=0.346). Consistency and correlation analysis showed that the VIU and Choi evaluation criteria presented the highest consistency and correlation (Kappa=0.912, P<0.001; r=0.916, P<0.001).@*Conclusion@#VIU is a feasible parameter for the evaluation of chemotherapy efficacy in advanced gastric cancer, and may be more sensitive than the evaluation criteria based on maximum diameter or change of CT value in the tumor.

Synthesis reduction of central neurotransmitter 5-hydroxytryptamine by branched chain amino acid and associated antagonists improves postoperative fatigue syndrome / 中华胃肠外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the change of postoperative fatigue in rats after the effect of branched chain amino acid(BCAA) and associated antagonists on central neurotransmitter 5-HT metabolic pathway, and to investigate the role of 5-HT in the development of postoperative fatigue syndrome(POFS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fifty SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation group(C group, n=10), model group(M group, n=10), L-type amino acid transporter inhibitor group(L group, n=10), 5-HT uptake inhibitor group(F group, n=10) and branched chain amino acids(B group, n=10). The rats in the C group and the M group were injected with normal saline, while other three groups were respectively injected with BCH, fluoxetine, BCAA(val:leucine:isoleucine=5:3:2), on preoperative 1 h, postoperative day 1, 2, 3, 4. The rats, except for those in the C group, underwent resection of 70% of the middle small intestine with end-to-end anastomosis. General status of the rats was observed before and after surgery. Morris water maze test, including the hidden platform test and search space test (detecting the learning ability of rats) and tail suspension test (detecting physical endurance of rats) were used to evaluate the degree of POFS from postoperative day 1 to day 7. Concentration of tryptophan(TRP), 5-HT, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in different position of brain(hippocampus, striatum, hypothalamus) of rats were measured by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) at postoperative day 8.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>As compared to the M group, other four groups showed better general condition and less fatigue. In the hidden platform test, M group showed the least time of crossing platform as compared to other four groups(all P<0.05). Meanwhile, M group and B group performed the longer incubation period than C group and L group(all P<0.05). In search space test, M group and B group showed less time of crossing platform, but there were no significant differences among the groups(all P>0.05). In tail suspension test, M group and F group showed lower score of physical strength than L group and B group(all P<0.05). Levels of TRP in the L, F, B groups were lower compared to the M group(all P<0.01) in brain tissue. The least concentration of striatum 5-HT was found in the C group but there were no significant differences among the M, L, F and B groups. Level of 5-HIAA in the M group, only in hypothalamus, was higher than that in the F group(P<0.05), but no significant differences between the M group and the L and B groups were found.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>BCAA and associated antagonists (BCH, fluoxetine) can improve POFS by reducing the absorption of TRP that results in decreased synthesis of central 5-HT.</p>

Study on characteristics of energy metabolism in skeletal muscle of rats with postoperative fatigue syndrome and interventional effect of ginsenoside Rb1 / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study characteristics of energy metabolism in the skeletal muscle of rats with postoperative fatigue syndrome (POFS) and the interventional effect of ginsenoside Rb1.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>We chose resection of 70% of the "middle" small intestine as the rat model for POFS. Ninety-six adult male SPF SD rats were randomly divided into the control group, the model group, and the ginsenoside Rb1-treated group by body weight. And then, each group was further randomly divided into four subgroups, according to different postoperative investigated time points, such as postoperative day 1, postoperative day 3, postoperative day 7 and postoperative day 10. So the animals were divided into twelve subgroups (n = 8 in each subgroup). Rats of the control group and the model group were injected intraperitoneally with saline at the dose of 10 mL x kg(-1) one hour before the operation and once a day during the postoperative days. Rats of the ginsenoside Rb1-treated group were administered 10 mg x kg(-1) ginsenoside Rb1 by the same method. The skeletal muscles were sampled on postoperative day 1, 3, 7 and 10. The contents of ATP, ADP, AMP in skeletal muscles were determined by HPLC, and the activities of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase and Ca(2+)-ATPase were investigated by colorimetry.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Compared with the control group, the content of ATP in skeletal muscle of rats of the model group decreased significantly on postoperative day 3 (P < 0.05), while the content of ADP significantly increased on postoperative day 7 and 10 (P < 0.05). The activity of Na(+)-K(+)-AT-Pase decreased on postoperative day 3 and 7 (P < 0.05), and the activity of Ca(2+)-ATPase decreased on postoperative day 7. After supplement of ginsenoside Rb1, on the investigated time points, all the negative changes of the indicators discovered above were significantly adjusted (P < 0.05) in rats of the ginsenoside Rb1-treated group, while no significant differences were investigated.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>During a certain period of postoperative time, the activity of energy metabolism is depressed in the skeletal muscle of rats with POFS, but it can be improved by supplement of ginsenoside Rb1.</p>

Effects of enteral nutrition combined with panaxoside Rb1 on mouse models of postoperative fatigue syndrome / 中华临床营养杂志

Objective To explore the therapeutical effects of enteral nutrition (EN) combined with panaxoside Rb1 on mouse modles of postoperative fatigue syndrome. Methods Totally, 72 male Sprague-Dawley mice were randomly divided into control group, model group, EN group, EN associated with high/middle/low dose panaxoside Rb1 groups (EHP group, EMP group, and ELP group, n = 12 in each group). Changes in body weight were measured before and after interventions. Learning and memory playback abilities, physical strength,and vim state were evaluate by Morris Water Maze test and Improved Tail Suspension test. Serum transferrin, prealbumin, fibronectin, and interleukin-2 levels were measured with ELISA. Serum albumin level was assayed with Bromcresol Green colorimetric technique. CD4 + and CD8 + proportions were assayed by flow cytometry. Results The body weight grew alternately in each group without significant differences ( P ＞ 0.05 ) except for model group.The latency period was significantly shorter in EN combined with panaxoside Rbl group than that in model group ( P ＜ 0. 05 ) , and the frequencies of crossing platform in EHP group and EMP group were significantly higher than those in model group ( P ＜ 0. 01 ). The areas of struggling above domain in EHP group and EMP group were significantly larger than those in model group ( P ＜ 0. 05 ), and the accumulated static time of rest in EHP group, EMP group, and ELP group was significantly shorter than that in model group ( P ＜ 0.05 ). Serum transferrin, prealbumin, fibronectin levels in EN combined with panaxoside Rb1 group were significantly higher than those in model group ( all P ＜ 0.05 ). The CD4 + T proportion and interleukin-2 level in EHP group, EMP group, and ELP group were significantly higher than those in model group (both P ＜0.05 ); however, CD8 + T proportion was not significantly different between three panaxoside Rbl groups and model group (P ＞ 0. 05 ). Conclusion EN combined with panaxoside Rb1 can improve postoperative fatigue syndrome in a dose-dependent way, which may be explained by the fact that it can strengthen the postoperative nutrition, restrain hypermetabolism, and increase immunity.