Microsurgery techniques for insular glioma / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the microsurgical techniques for insular glioma without damaging its surrounding normal structures.@*METHODS@#We retrospectively analyzed 54 patients with insular gliomas who underwent microsurgical operation by trans-syvian fissure approach between May, 2003 and August, 2008 in Xiangya Hospital. We discussed the techniques in the operation and summarized how to protect the key blood vessels, distinguish and protect the surrounding normal structures.@*RESULTS@#There were 36 complete removals,14 secondary complete removals, and 4 partial removals.Six patients had complications after the craniotomy who had temporal speech disorder (aphasia mostly began to recover about 10 days after the craniotomy),4 patients had opposite side paralysis worsening (3 recovered normally and 1 improved after 6 months),4 had light paralysis, and another 3 had paralysis and speech disorder.@*CONCLUSION@#The microsurgery by means of trans-syvian fissure approach can well expose the anatomical relation between tumor and its surrounding structures,so that we can remove the tumor and protect the surrounding normal tissues as much as we can.

Mutation analysis of neural cell adhesion molecules in human astrocytoma / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To identify the function of neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) mutation in the genesis of human glioma.@*METHODS@#Mutations were found through polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism, and then the changed DNA fragments were purified and multiplied and sent to Shanghai for sequencing. Blast and ORF finder were used to find out the amino changes in NCAM.@*RESULTS@#An A-C transversion was found at position 1 126 in NCAM's 7 exon in a patient with glioblastoma from 43 astrocytoma.@*CONCLUSION@#Structural change in the protein caused by point mutation may be the reason for tumorigenesis of astrocytoma.

Microsurgical treatment and prevention of postoperative complications for the fourth ventricle tumors in adults / 中南大学学报(医学版)

Objective To explore the microneurosurgical technique and prevention of postoper-ative complications for the fourth ventricle tumors in adults. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 68 patients with the fourth ventricle tumors between August 2005 and August 2007 in Xiangya Hospital after microsurgical operation. Tumors were excised by inferior vermis cere-bellar approach or cerebellomedullary fissure approach. The extent of tumor removal should take into consideration the possible injury of brain stem respiratory center, especially tumors adherent to the brain stem. Cerebral aqueduct obstructions were removed in all patients, suspending dura on the neck muscles during closing skull to eliminate scalp hydrops. Results There were 58 total tumor excisions and 10 subtotal tumor excisions. No patient died and no suboccipital hydrops took place before dis-charge in this study. Postoperative symptomatic hydrocephalus was found in 10 patients, but it was cured by ventricle-abdomen shunt. Hemorrhage in tumor lumen happened in 4 patients, who received second microsurgery. Drugs were given to 8 patients with intracranial pneumatocele, 10 with intracra-nial infection, and 18 with upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Five patients out of the 16 tracheoto-mies recovered well by mechanical ventilation. Conclusion Protecting the life center of brain stem and dredging the aqueduct outlet completely were the key to surgical success. Therapeutic effect could be improved by adept microneurosurgical techniques after operation. The prognosis of patients may be improved by preventing complications actively and combined therapy after the operation.

Drug resistance and expression of drug-resistance enzymes in brain cancer stem cells isolated from U251 cell lines / 中国癌症杂志

Background and purpose: Cancer stem cells (CSCs) isolated from human glioma are cancer-initiating cells and sources of tumor recurrence in brain tumors. The poor outcome of glioma is because cancer stem cells can not be eradicated. This article was aimed to explore the resistance of CSCs to chemotherapeutic agents and expression of drug-resistance enzymes in glioma cancer stem cells. Methods: Cancer stem cells from U251 were isolated by using magnetic sorting. The proliferation inhibitory effects of Vumon-26 (Vm-26), bischloronitrosourea (BCNU) and diamminedichloroplatinum (DDP) on U251-CSC and U251 were examined by drug sensitivity testing in vitro (MTT assay) and the apoptosis rates were observed by flow cytometry. Western blot was performed to examine the expression of three drug-resistance enzymes including LRP, MGMT and Topo Ⅱα. Results: Chemotherapeutic agents had a more obvious inhibitory effect on U251 than U251-CSC, as well as higher apoptosis rates. LRP, MGMT and Topo Ⅱα expression were significantly higher in U251-CSC as compared to U251, Conclusion: Glioma stem cells showed strong capability of tumor's resistance to chemotherapeutic agents including Vm-26, BCNU and DDP. This resistance is probably contributed by the CD133 positive cell with higher expression of on LRP, MGMT and Topo Ⅱα.