Effect of Buyang Huanwutang on Protein Expression of MAP-2， NF-M and GAP-43 After Sciatic Nerve Transection Anastomosis in Rats / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To investigate the effects of Buyang Huanwutang on the expression of microtubule-associated protein-2（MAP-2）， neurofilament-M（NF-M）， and growth associated protein-43（GAP-43）in rat sciatic nerve after sciatic nerve transection and anastomosis. To explore the mechanism of Buyang Huanwutang promoting peripheral nerve regeneration. Method:SD rats were selected as the experimental subjects， and sciatic nerve transection model was selected as the experimental model. They were randomly divided into model group， sham operation group， Buyang Huanwutang group high， medium and low dose （29.6， 14.8， 7.4 g·kg^-1）group， and mecobalamin （0.156 mg·kg^-1）group， the model group and the sham operation group were given distilled water intragastric administration. After successful modeling， each group was treated with relevant drugs for 4 weeks. After 4 weeks， sciatic nerve function index（SFI）， degree of inclined plate test and hematoxylin-eosin（HE）of sciatic nerve in each group were tested. The expression levels of MAP-2， NF-M， and GAP-43 at the sciatic nerve anastomosis site were detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. Result:Compared with sham operation group， the expression levels of SFI， inclined plate test， MAP-2， NF-M and GAP-43 in model group were significantly increased （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Compared with model group， the expression levels of SFI， inclined plate test， MAP-2， NF-M and GAP-43 in Buyang Huanwutang high， medium and low-dose groups were significantly increased （<italic>P</italic><0.05，<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Conclusion:Buyang Huanwutang has a positive effect on nerve regeneration after sciatic nerve transection and anastomosis in rats.

Familial Nonmedullary Thyroid Carcinoma: A Retrospective Analysis of 117 Families / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>Background</b>The first and most important step in characterizing familial nonmedullary thyroid carcinoma (NMTC) is to distinguish the true familial patients, which is the prerequisite for all accurate analyses. This study aimed to investigate whether patients from families with ≥3 first-degree relatives affected with NMTC have different characteristics than patients from families with only two affected members, and to compare these patients with those with sporadic disease.</p><p><b>Methods:</b>We analyzed the clinicopathological features and prognosis of 209 familial and 1120 sporadic cases of NMTC. Familial patients were further divided into two subgroups: families with two affected members and families with ≥3 affected members.</p><p><b>Results:</b>The familial group had a significantly higher risk of bilateral growth, multifocality, extrathyroidal extension, and lateral lymph node metastasis than the sporadic group (P < 0.05). These main features were also different between the group with ≥3 affected members and the sporadic group. The only difference between the two affected members' group and the sporadic group was incidence of multifocality (P < 0.05). The probability of disease recurrence in patients from families with ≥3 affected members was significantly higher than that in sporadic cases (14.46% vs. 5.27%; P = 0.001), while the probability in patients from families with two affected members was similar to that in sporadic patients (6.35% vs. 5.27%; P = 0.610). The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed a statistically significant difference in disease-free survival between the two subgroups (85.54% vs. 93.65%; P = 0.045).</p><p><b>Conclusions:</b>Patients from families with ≥3 members affected by NMTC have more aggressive features and a worse prognosis than those from families with only two affected members. Patients from families with ≥3 affected first-degree relatives may be considered to have true familial NMTC.</p>

Effects of Wnt/β-catenin signal pathway on asthma airway remodeling / 中国病理生理杂志

AIM:To explore the effect of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in airway smooth muscle cells (ASMC) on asthmatic airway remodeling.METHODS:The asthmatic airway remodeling model in rats was established and the ASMC was isolated and cultured.The protein expression of β-catenin,glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β),cMyc and cyclin D1 in the ASMC was determined by Western blot.After depressing the interaction between β-catenin and p300/CBP,the cell activity was measured by CCK-8 assay and the change of cell cycle distribution was analyzed by flow cytometry.Meanwhile,the protein expression of c-Myc and cyclin D1 in the ASMC was determined by Western blot after inhibiting P38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activity.RESULTS:The protein levels of β-catenin,c-Myc and cyclin D1 were significantly increased in asthma group while the protein level of GSK-3β was decreased in the same group (P ＜ 0.05).After depressing the interaction between β-catenin and p300/CBP,the cell activity of ASMC was decreased in asthma group compared with control group (P ＜ 0.05),and the change of the cell cycle distribution in asthma group was also more obvious (P ＜ 0.05).After inhibiting P38 MAPK activity,the protein levels of c-Myc and cyclin D1 were all decreased compared with control group in ASMC asthma and control rats (P ＜ 0.05).CONCLUSION:Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway may participates in airway remodeling in asthma by increasing the protein expression of c-Myc and cyclin D1,reacting with the P38 MAPK signaling pathway and regulating the growth of ASMC.

Effects of Wnt/β-catenin signal pathway on asthma airway remodeling / 中国病理生理杂志

AIM:To explore the effect of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in airway smooth muscle cells (ASMC) on asthmatic airway remodeling.METHODS:The asthmatic airway remodeling model in rats was established and the ASMC was isolated and cultured.The protein expression of β-catenin,glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β),cMyc and cyclin D1 in the ASMC was determined by Western blot.After depressing the interaction between β-catenin and p300/CBP,the cell activity was measured by CCK-8 assay and the change of cell cycle distribution was analyzed by flow cytometry.Meanwhile,the protein expression of c-Myc and cyclin D1 in the ASMC was determined by Western blot after inhibiting P38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activity.RESULTS:The protein levels of β-catenin,c-Myc and cyclin D1 were significantly increased in asthma group while the protein level of GSK-3β was decreased in the same group (P ＜ 0.05).After depressing the interaction between β-catenin and p300/CBP,the cell activity of ASMC was decreased in asthma group compared with control group (P ＜ 0.05),and the change of the cell cycle distribution in asthma group was also more obvious (P ＜ 0.05).After inhibiting P38 MAPK activity,the protein levels of c-Myc and cyclin D1 were all decreased compared with control group in ASMC asthma and control rats (P ＜ 0.05).CONCLUSION:Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway may participates in airway remodeling in asthma by increasing the protein expression of c-Myc and cyclin D1,reacting with the P38 MAPK signaling pathway and regulating the growth of ASMC.

Relationship between anogenital distance and cryptorchidism in human newborns / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the relation of the anogenital distance (AGD) with cryptorchidism in male newborns.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>This study included 350 male infants delivered in two community hospitals between September 2013 and September 2014. Within 24 hours after birth, a pediatric surgeon measured the AGD of the neonates and determined whether they had cryptorchidism. According to the testicular position, we divided the undescended testes into three types: upper scrotal, inguinal, and non-palpable.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Totally 39 cases of cryptorchidism were found in the 350 newborns. The AGD of the cryptorchidism infants was significantly shorter than that of the normal neonates ([2.01 ± 0.22] vs [2.35 ± 0.19] cm, P < 0.01), and statistically significant differences remained even when preterm and low birth-weight infants were excluded ([2.32 ± 0.14] vs [2.06 ± 0.19] cm; (2.37 ± 0.17) cm vs (2.12 ± 0.12) cm, all P < 0.01). The newborns with higher-position cryptorchidism had a shorter AGD, though with no significant difference (F = 0.434, P > 0.05). No significant differences were observed in the AGD between unilateral and bilateral cryptorchidism ([1.96 ± 0.13] vs [2.02 ± 0.17] cm, P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Shorter AGD is associated with a higher incidence of cryptorchidism in male newborns. AGD could serve as a potential biomarker for disruption of androgen action during the male programming window period.</p>

Significance of selective neck dissection in patients with cN0 thyroid carcinoma / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the significance of selective neck dissection in patients with cN0 thyroid carcinoma who have a high-risk of lateral neck lymph node metastasis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty three patients with cN0 thyroid carcinoma who have a high-risk of lateral neck lymph node metastasis were prospectively studied at the Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College between August 2006 and June 2011. The patients with cN0 thyroid carcinoma easy to occur neck lymph node metastasis include: The maximum diameter of primary tumor is ≥ 2 cm; The primary tumor invaded the thyroid capsule; Lymph node metastasis in level VI is found; Lymph node enlargement in level III or/and IV were detected preoperatively by ultrasonography, but not considered as metastasis. The surgical procedure is that the selective neck dissection in level III and IV is performed depending on the collar incision of thyroid surgery. The lymph node chosen from the specimen has a frozen section. If lymph node metastasis is found in the frozen section, a functional neck dissection should be performed through prolonging the collar incision.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All cases were pathologically confirmed as thyroid papillary carcinoma. The occult metastasis rate of lateral neck lymph nodes was 39.7%. According to the univariate analysis, the patients with thyroid capsule invasion and lymph node metastasis in level VI were more likely to have lateral neck lymph node metastasis, and the occult metastasis rate was 46.9% and 54.3%, respectively (P = 0.028, P = 0.008), and there were statistically no significant difference in the primary tumor size and the preoperative neck lymph node status by ultrasonography with occult metastasis of lateral neck lymph nodes (P = 0.803 and P = 0.072). According to the multivariate analysis, there was a significant correlation only between the lymph node metastasis in level VI and occult metastasis of lateral neck lymph nodes (P = 0.017), but there was no significant correlation with the thyroid capsule invasion, primary tumor size and neck lymph node status by preoperative ultrasonography in prediction of occult metastasis of lateral neck lymph nodes (all P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Selective neck dissection is feasible for the patients with cN0 thyroid carcinoma who have a high-risk lateral neck lymph node metastasis and the lateral occult metastatic lymph node can be promptly found and removed. We suggest that the selective neck dissection for level III and IV should be routinely performed in cN0 thyroid carcinoma patients with thyroid capsule invasion and lymph node metastasis in level VI.</p>

Management with the insufficient proximal landing zone for endovascular repair in aortic dissection / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Sufficient length of the proximal landing zone (PLZ) is the key for a successful thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) of an aortic lesion. The aim of this research was to investigate the safety, feasibility, efficacy, and problems of endovascular repair for aortic dissection with insufficient PLZ.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The clinical data between August 2005 and February 2010 from patients with insufficient PLZ for endovascular repair of aortic dissection were retrospectively reviewed. According to the classification proposed by Ishimaru, aortic zone 0 was involved in 3 cases, zone 1 in 10 cases, and zone 2 in 11 cases. A hybrid surgical procedure of supraortic debranching and revascularization, directly coverage the orifice of left subclavian artery, or a left common carotid artery chimney graft technique were performed to obtain an adequate proximal aortic landing zone.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There was no significant difference in risk factors and diameter of the PLZ between Zone 0, Zone 1, and Zone 2. But the length of the PLZ was significantly different in the three groups (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in technical and clinical success rate between the groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The procedure for extending an insufficient PLZ for endovascular repair for aortic arch pathology is feasible and relatively safe. The applicability of TEVAR in such aortic disorders may be expanded.</p>

Significance of detecting disseminated tumor cells in peripheral blood of gastric and colorectal cancer patients / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the clinical significance of CK20 mRNA expression in detecting disseminated tumor cells in peripheral blood of gastric and colorectal cancer patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Expression of CK20 mRNA was investigated by RT-PCR in bone marrow, portal vein and peripheral blood in 47 gastric, 58 colorectal cancer patients and 6 non-cancer volunteers. All the patients were followed-up for one year.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There was no positive expression of CK20 mRNA in 6 non-cancer volunteers. The positive rates of CK20 mRNA in bone marrow, portal vein were 87.2% (41/47) and 85.1% (40/47) in gastric cancer, and were 77.6% (45/58) and 74.1% (43/58) in colorectal cancer. The positive rates of CK20 mRNA in peripheral blood in gastric and colorectal cancer patients were 42.6% (20/47) and 44.8% (26/58) by one single test, and were 74.5% (35/47) and 69.0% (40/58) by two tests. The overall positive rate of CK20 mRNA in peripheral blood (two tests) was similar to that in bone marrow and portal vein. The overall positive rate of CK20 mRNA in peripheral blood was higher in two tests than in one single test (P < 0.05) and in advanced than early lesions. The relapse rate within one year was higher in CK20 mRNA positive patients than the negative ones (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Detection of cancer cells by RT-PCR for CK20 mRNA in peripheral blood, being as sensitive and specific as in bone marrow and portal vein, is reliable and convenient in diagnosing micrometastasis of gastric and colorectal cancer, which possesses clinical significance in assessing the prognosis and scheme of therapy.</p>