In vitro protective effect of methionine against cisplatin's damage to the cochlear hair cell of mice / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish an in vitro model of mouse cochlear basilar membrane impairment using cisplatin, and observe the protective effect of methionine on the hair cells.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The cochlear basilar membrane samples of thirty two Kunming mice were harvested on the 2nd day after birth and randomly divided into four groups. Each group had 16 samples. Overnight preincubation the cochlear organ followed by appropriate treatment respectively as follows: the serum-free culture medium, the serum-free culture medium with methionine and cisplatin, the cisplatinum-containing serum-free culture medium, and the methionine-containing serum-free culture medium. The protective effect of methionine for injury of cochlea hair cells induced by cisplatin was observed by myosin-VI immunofluorescence, light microscopy, laser confocal scanning microscope and hair cells counting.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The outer hair cells (OHC) and inner hair cells (IHC) of control group and methionine group were not damaged. The outer and inner hair cells of cisplatin group were damaged in various degree, and had remarkable difference compared with control group and methionine group (P < 0.05). The outer hair cells and inner hair cells of cisplatin + methionine group were damaged less than the cisplatin group with remarkable difference (t(IHC) = 3.929, t(OHC) = 8.582, P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Cisplatinum could damage the cochlear hair cells of the basal membrane in Kunming mice. Methionine might protect against cisplatin's damage on the cochlear hair cells.</p>

Tympanoplasty using fascia-form molds to shape autogenous temporalis fascia for closing large perforations / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the efficiency of using autogenous temporalis fascia which was formed and shaped by formaldehyde cross-linking with special fasciaform molds in the repair of large tympanic membrane perforations.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Base on machine technique and published data, the molds was designed according to the shape of tympanic membrane (TM), autologous fascia graft shaped by 4% formaldehyde (pH 5.6) was cross-linked on the mold to resemble the natural TM more closely repairing the large perforations of tympanic membrane with the formed fascia. Sixty-one operations were performed to close large perforations in patients with intact ossicular chain in fifty-seven patients from November 2006 to April 2009. The follow up was done from one month to thirty months; the average follow up period was eleven months. Statistical analysis was performed using a SPSS 13.0 software.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The repairing of the perforations were successfully with rate of 95.1% (58/61). Three ears were remained small remnant perforations after the surgery, but all hearing had been improved except one patient with biauricular total sensorineural hearing loss within the group. The air bone gap (ABG) of preoperative average (x ± s) hearing level of fifty-nine ears was (31.5 ± 6.1) dB, and the ABG of postoperative average hearing level of same group was (14.2 ± 4.4) dB, the difference was significant (t = 21.3, P < 0.01). During the early stage of using this technique, six ears were found to have graft lateralization recovery, but one case was slightly blunting recovery. No pearl tumor and epicyst had been found during the follow-up period.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The formaldehyde fasciaform technique produces consistent, reliable as well as reproducible results for repairing large tympanic membrane perforations with minimal complications.</p>

Expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase and vascular endothelial growth factor in association with neovascularization in human primary astrocytoma / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the relationship between the expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and angiogenesis in primary astrocytoma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty-seven primary astrocytomas and 4 astrocytic hyperplasia samples were collected and divided into three groups according to histological grade. The expression of eNOS, VEGF and factor VIII related antigen (FVIIIRAg) were assayed by immunohistochemistry. Microvascular density was assessed by FVIIIRAg immunoreactivity. The intensity of immunoreactivity was graded according to the percentage of positive tumor cells.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>No eNOS and VEGF were expressed in the astrocytes and vascular endothelium in astrocytic hyperplasia. The expression of eNOS or VEGF was light in low-grade astrocytoma and strong in glioblastoma. eNOS expression in astrocytoma was very positively correlated with VEGF. eNOS and VEGF expression in anaplastic astrocytoma was median in contrast to the low grade astrocytoma and glioblastoma. Lower microvascular density was found in low grade astrocytoma than that in higher grade malignant ones. The expressions of eNOS and VEGF were correlated with microvascular density and tumor malignancy.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>This finding suggests that eNOS and VEGF may have cooperative effect in tumor angiogenesis and play an important role in the pathogenesis of primary astrocytoma.</p>