The recent clinical efficacy study of photoselective vaporization of prostate (120 W) for treatment of large gland benign prostatic hyperplasia / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the recent clinical safety and efficacy of photoselective vaporization of prostate (120 W) for the treatment of large gland benign prostatic hyperplasia.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The clinical data of 112 cases who accepted photoselective vaporization of prostate (120 W) for the treatment of severe benign prostatic hyperplasia (the weight of prostate > 75 g) from July 2010 to January 2012 was statistical analyzed. Relief symptoms and complications were observed around surgery, and the recent clinical efficacy was analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All the operations were smooth. There were not transurethral resection syndrome. No cases need transfusion intraoperative and postoperative. The operation average time was (52.6 ± 12.1) minutes, and the average amount of bleeding was (27.4 ± 18.5) ml. The postoperative bladder irrigating time was (19.4 ± 7.3) hours, the mean postoperative indwelling catheter time was (3.2 ± 0.6) days, and the mean postoperative hospital stay was (4.8 ± 1.3) days. Postoperative international prostate symptom score (t = 52.24 - 59.10), quality of life (t = 48.42 - 53.63), maximum flow rate (t = -31.01 - -24.23) and residual urine volume (t = 9.85 - 12.53) compared with preoperative are significantly improved (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>With the safe operation of photoselective vaporization of prostate (120 W) for the treatment of large gland benign prostatic hyperplasia, it is less bleeding, recent efficacy is significant, and it is especially appropriate to elderly patients at high risk of large gland.</p>

Attenuation of myocardial apoptosis by alpha-lipoic acid through suppression of mitochondrial oxidative stress to reduce diabetic cardiomyopathy / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Cardiac failure is a leading cause of the mortality of diabetic patients. In part this is due to a specific cardiomyopathy, referred to as diabetic cardiomyopathy. Oxidative stress is widely considered to be one of the major factors underlying the pathogenesis of the disease. This study aimed to test whether the antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid (alpha-LA) could attenuate mitochondrion-dependent myocardial apoptosis through suppression of mitochondrial oxidative stress to reduce diabetic cardiomyopathy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A rat model of diabetes was induced by a single tail intravenous injection of streptozotocin (STZ) 45 mg/kg. Experimental animals were randomly assigned to 3 groups: normal control (NC), diabetes (DM) and DM treated with alpha-LA (alpha-LA). The latter group was administered with alpha-LA (100 mg/kg ip per day), the remainder received the same volume vehicle. At weeks 4, 8, and 12 after the onset of diabetes, cardiac apoptosis was examined by TUNEL assay. Cardiomyopathy was evaluated by assessment of cardiac structure and function. Oxidative damage was evaluated by the content of malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH) and the activity of manganese superoxide diamutase (Mn-SOD) in the myocardial mitochondria. Expression of caspase-9 and caspase-3 proteins was determined by immunohistochemistry and mitochondrial cytochrome c release was detected by Western blotting.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>At 4, 8, and 12 weeks after the onset of diabetes, significant reductions in TUNEL-positive cells, caspase-9,-3 expression, and mitochondrial cytochrome c release were observed in the alpha-LA group compared to the DM group. In the DM group, the content of MDA in the myocardial mitochondria was significantly increased, and there was a decrease in both the mitochondrial GSH content and the activities of Mn-SOD. They were significantly improved by alpha-LA treatment. HE staining displayed structural abnormalities in diabetic hearts, while alpha-LA reversed this structural derangement. The index of cardiac function (+/-dp/dtmax) in the diabetes group was aggravated progressively from 4 weeks to 12 weeks, but alpha-LA delayed deterioration of cardiac function (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Our findings indicate that the antioxidant alpha-LA can effectively attenuate mitochondria-dependent cardiac apoptosis and exert a protective role against the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy. The ability of alpha-LA to suppress mitochondrial oxidative damage is concomitant with an enhancement of Mn-SOD activity and an increase in the GSH content of myocardial mitochondria.</p>

Application of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis typing in tracing and carrying out surveillance programs on O139 cholera outbreaks / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the characteristics of molecular typing and phylogenic relationship among the Vibrio cholerae serogroup O139 strains isolated from environment and sea food samples during cholera outbreaks, in Sichuan province in 2004 and to trace the source of infections so as to support the ascertainment of epidemic control strategy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Cholera toxin gene was detected by polymerase chain reaction amplification. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was used for subtyping of isolates and clustering of patterns was analysed with the software BioNumerics.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In all the 72 strains under analysis, 68 appeared to be toxigenic while 4 from river water derived isolates were toxin gene negative. Sixty-seven strains were clustered into 16 PFGE patterns when digested with Not I. The patterns of toxigeinc O139 strains isolated from turtles in the markets were identical with the patterns of strains appeared in the outbreaks respectively. The PFGE patterns of isolates from different outbreaks were inconsistent.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The sources of infection causing these outbreaks were complicated. Contaminated turtles might also be one of the major sources of outbreaks when being served at the dinner parties in Sichuan in 2004.</p>