Clinical outcome of autologous hematopoietic stem cell infusion via hepatic artery or portal vein in patients with end-stage liver diseases / 中国医学科学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the efficacy of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation via the hepatic artery vs. the portal vein for end-stage liver disease (ESLD).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Patients with hepatic decompensation were prospectively recruited from September 2010 to September 2012 to receive HSC transplantation via the hepatic artery or the portal vein. Liver function was examined at 3, 6, and 12 months after transplantation. Liver biopsy Results were analyzed using the Knodell score.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Eighty patients (58 males and 22 females) were enrolled in the study. The Child-Pugh score was grade B in 69 cases, and grade C in the remaining 11 cases. HSC transplantation was performed via the portal vein in 36 patients and via the hepatic artery in 44 patients. ALT levels decreased while serum albumin levels increased significantly in both groups at 6 and 12 months after HSC transplantation (P<0.05 compared with pre-transplantation levels). Total bilirubin levels decreased significantly in both groups at 3, 6, and 12 months after HSC transplantation (P<0.05 compared with pre-transplantation levels). Additionally, prothrombin time decreased in both groups at 12 months after HSC transplantation (P<0.05 compared with pre-transplantation level). There were no significant differences in ALT, total bilirubin and prothrombin time between the two groups either before or after transplantation. Moreover, Knodell score decreased significantly at 6 and 12 months. Histological examination showed that liver cell edema, degeneration, necrosis, and inflammation were significantly relieved at 3, 6, and 12 months after transplantation. The incidence of portal vein thrombosis, upper gastrointestinal bleeding, and hepatic encephalopathy were 1.25%, 3.75%, and 2.5% respectively. The one-year survival rate was 100%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Autologous HSC transplantation improves liver function and histology in ESLD patients. The administration route of HSC has no significant impact on the efficacy of transplantation.</p>

Expression and localization of vascular endothelial growth factor in the radial artery of the coronary artery bypass grafting patients with diabetes / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the quality of the radial artery for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) from patients with diabetes by observing the morphology of the radial artery and detecting the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) which may attribute to the long-term patency rate of the coronary artery bypass grafting.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Samples from 20 cases of diabetic and non-diabetic patients were prospective collected from June 2009 to December 2010. HE staining technique was used to test the morphology of radial artery through the observation of 20 cases of diabetic and 20 cases of non-diabetic patients who undergone CABG. The intimal thicken of the radial artery in the two groups of patients was compared. Western blot and immunofluorescence were then used to test the expression and location of VEGF in the two groups of patients.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The radial artery endothelial thickening index and intima/media ratio were significantly higher in the diabetic patients when compared with non-diabetic patients (0.90 ± 0.28 vs. 0.29 ± 0.25, t = 7.27, P < 0.01; 0.90 ± 0.21 vs. 0.37 ± 0.18, t = 8.57, P < 0.01). The expression of VEGF in diabetic patients was significantly higher than non-diabetic patients as revealed by Western blot (1.20 ± 0.21 vs. 0.67 ± 0.15, t = 6.49, P < 0.01). Immunofluorescence showed that VEGF distributed in the cytoplasm of the endothelial cells of diabetic patients radial artery.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Diabetic patient's radial artery intimal thickness is significantly higher than non-diabetic patient's. VEGF may be an important inflammatory cytokine which is leading the radial artery intima thickening in the diabetic patients. The choice of the radial artery grafts in diabetic patients for CABG should be careful.</p>

Etiological analysis and treatment of the complications of hybrid procedure in the treatment of aortic arch diseases / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the reasons of complications after hybrid procedure in the treatment of aortic arch diseases.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Data from 34 consecutive patients (28 male and 6 female) of aortic arch diseases treated with hybrid procedure between January 2001 and December 2008 was analyzed retrospectively. The mean age of the patients was 56.7 years (ranged from 34 to 75 years). Of the 34 patients, 27 were aortic dissections (21 cases of Stanford type A dissections and 6 cases of Stanford type B dissections) and 7 were aortic arch aneurysms. Hybrid procedure included ascending aorta (AA)-innominate artery-left common carotid artery (LCCA) bypass (n = 3), AA-LCCA-left subclavian artery (LSA) bypass (n = 2), AA-LCCA bypass and coronary artery bypass (n = 1), LCCA-right common carotid artery (RCCA) bypass (n = 13), RCCA-LCCA and LCCA-LSA bypass (n = 3), LSA-LCCA-RCCA bypass (n = 2) and LCCA-LSA bypass (n = 9). All the patients received single stage (n = 26) or staged (n = 8) endovascular repairs.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The complications occurred in 32.4% (11/34), with 11.8% (4/34) of all patients having lethal complications. The complications included 1 case of rupture of aortic dissection (2.9%), 2 cases of stroke (5.9%), 2 cases of stomal leak and pseudoaneurysm (5.9%), 1 case of myocardial infarct (2.9%), 1 case of pulmonary embolism (2.9%), 1 case of neck hematoma (2.9%) and 3 cases of endoleak (8.8%). In the period of follow-up (6 to 50 months), all patients were alive except for 4 perioperative deaths.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Complication rate of hybrid procedure in the treatment of aortic arch diseases is higher than that of simple endovascular repair of descending aortic diseases. Reducing the lethal complications is the key to disseminate this technique.</p>

Extraction and content determination of polysaccharides in Viscum coloratum / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish a method for extraction and content determination of polysaccharide in Viscum coloratum.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Polysaccharide was extracted by hot water, separated by ultrafiltration and ion-exchange chromatography. The content determination was performed at wavelength 490 nm with phenol-sulfuric acid as a chtomo-genic agent.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The content of polyaccharide in V. coloratum, CVPS-III, and CVPS-III-C were respectively 4.93% (RSD 1.04%, n = 3), 43.28% (RSD 1.39%, n =3), 69.55% (RSD 1.62%, n = 3), and the average recovery was 96.07% (RSD 2.54%, n = 5).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The method was simple, rapid, and accurate.</p>

Role of interleukin-8 in the progression of estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Estrogen receptor (ER) is a very important biomarker of breast cancer. ER deletion has been consistently associated with tumor progression, recurrence, metastasis and poor prognosis, but the biological mechanism is still unclear. ER negative breast cancer expresses high levels of interleukin-8 (IL-8). ER expression can downregulate IL-8 promotor activity. As a multifunctional cytokine, IL-8 has many important biological activities in tumor genesis and development. With the goal of investigating the role of IL-8 in ER-negative breast cancer progression, we applied RNA interference technology to specifically knockdown the IL-8 expression in ER-negative breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Interfering pRNA-IL-8 and the control was transfected into ER (-) MDA-MB-231. The proliferation, cell apotosis, and invasive ability were recorded in transfected, untransfected and negative transfected cells. These cells were injected into nude mice to assess tumorigenicity, proliferation, metastasis and microvessel density (MVD).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In vitro, decreased expression of IL-8 was associated with reduced cell invasion (P < 0.001), but had no effect on cell proliferation (P > 0.05). In vivo, neutrophils infiltration was significantly inhibited in pRNA-IL-8 transfected cells compared with untransfected and negatively transfected cells (P = 0.001, P < 0.001). Less metastasis was found in transfected cells compared with negatively transfected cells (0% vs 80%, P = 0.048). Nevertheless, we observed less MVD in transfected cells compared with control in nude mice (P < 0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>IL-8 inhibits ER-negative breast cancer cell growth and promotes its metastasis in vivo, which may be correlated with neutrophils infiltration induced by IL-8.</p>

A study on polymerase chain reaction site-directed mutagenesis of prepro-parathyroid hormone in vitro / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study PCR site-directed mutagenesis of prepro-parathyroid hormone gene in vitro and let furin convert it into mature parathyroid hormone in human cells.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Prepro-parathyroid hormone cDNA of SD rat was cloned from its genomic gene and mutated by overlap mutant PCR, introducing furin consensus sequences (Arg-Lys-Lys-Arg). An expression pcDNA3.1/mPTH vector encoding a genetically modified prepro-parathyroid hormone cDNA was generated, and transduced to 293 cells by lipofectin-mediated DNA transfection. Forty-eight and 72 h after the transfection, the culture media were collected for further assay with radioimmunoassay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A fragment of prepro-parathyroid hormone gene was cloned and one site were mutated simultaneouly. After screening and sequencing of pcDNA3.1/mPTH vectors, a correctly mutated vectors was obtained. While measuring parathyroid hormone in the medium of the expressing 293 cells by RIA method, the results of transient expression were 28.34 - 52.64 pg/2.0 x 10(6)/cells/Day, which were much higher than that in control cells.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>A correctly mutated prepro-parathyroid hormone cDNA was obtained successfully, transfected, and expressed efficiently in human cells.</p>