Evaluation of the effectiveness of pigtail catheter applying in single port video assistant thoracic surgery for pulmonary tumor: a study based on propensity score matching / 中华胸心血管外科杂志

Objective:To evaluate the effectiveness of pigtail catheter applying in single port video assistant thoracic surgery(VATS) for pulmonary tumor.Methods:A total of 441 patients undergoing single port VATS were obtained in this study. The patients were divided into chest-tube group and pigtail-catheter group. We used propensity score matching to match the patients 1∶1 and the clinical factors of the two groups were compared.Results:There were 143 patients in each group successfully matched by propensity score matching. The total drainage of 3 days after operation of pigtail-catheter group was significantly more than chest-tube group(375.49 ml vs. 285.03 ml, P<0.001). The pleural effusion on CT scan two weeks after surgery of pigtail-catheter group was significantly less than chest-tube group(131.77 ml vs. 178.84 ml, P=0.032). There was no significant difference between the two groups for the pain score, drainage days and inpatient days. Conclusion:Pigtail catheter can effectively improve the drainage of single port VATS, and there was no influence for the advantage of the surgery.

Berberine mediates root remodeling in an immature tooth with apical periodontitis by regulating stem cells from apical papilla differentiation / 国际口腔科学杂志·英文版

Once pulp necrosis or apical periodontitis occurs on immature teeth, the weak root and open root apex are challenging to clinicians. Berberine (BBR) is a potential medicine for bone disorders, therefore, we proposed to apply BBR in root canals to enhance root repair in immature teeth. An in vivo model of immature teeth with apical periodontitis was established in rats, and root canals were filled with BBR, calcium hydroxide or sterilized saline for 3 weeks. The shape of the roots was analyzed by micro-computed tomography and histological staining. In vitro, BBR was introduced into stem cells from apical papilla (SCAPs). Osteogenic differentiation of stem cells from apical papilla was investigated by alkaline phosphatase activity, mineralization ability, and gene expression of osteogenic makers. The signaling pathway, which regulated the osteogenesis of SCAPs was evaluated by quantitative real time PCR, Western blot analysis, and immunofluorescence. In rats treated with BBR, more tissue was formed, with longer roots, thicker root walls, and smaller apex diameters. In addition, we found that BBR promoted SCAPs osteogenesis in a time-dependent and concentration-dependent manner. BBR induced the expression of β-catenin and enhanced β-catenin entering into the nucleus, to up-regulate more runt-related nuclear factor 2 downstream. BBR enhanced root repair in immature teeth with apical periodontitis by activating the canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway in SCAPs.

Emodin alleviates cardiac fibrosis by suppressing activation of cardiac fibroblasts upregulating metastasis associated protein 3

Excess activation of cardiac fibroblasts inevitably induces cardiac fibrosis. Emodin has been used as a natural medicine against several chronic diseases. The objective of this study is to determine the effects of emodin on cardiac fibrosis and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Intragastric administration of emodin markedly decreased left ventricular wall thickness in a mouse model of pathological cardiac hypertrophy with excess fibrosis induced by transaortic constriction (TAC) and suppressed activation of cardiac fibroblasts induced by angiotensin II (AngII). Emodin upregulated expression of metastasis associated protein 3 (MTA3) and restored the MTA3 expression in the setting of cardiac fibrosis. Moreover, overexpression of MTA3 promoted cardiac fibrosis; in contrast, silence of MTA3 abrogated the inhibitory effect of emodin on fibroblast activation. Our findings unraveled the potential of emodin to alleviate cardiac fibrosis upregulating MTA3 and highlight the regulatory role of MTA3 in the development of cardiac fibrosis.

Discussion on Medical Futility and Medical Futility Policy / 中国医学伦理学

The article teased the concept of medical futility and analyzed the issues when implement the medical futility policy.It introduced the medical futility policy by the examples of New York Public Health Code Article 29-B:Orders Not to Resuscitate and relevant regulations in Taiwan and presented some reflections on medical futility.The authors suggested that it should cope with the common and troubled cases of medical futility,establish ethics committee,and make the medical futility policy at the stage of tense doctor-patient communication.

An analysis of 5-year survival after pneumonectomy and adjuvant chemotherapy in lung cancer / 中国癌症杂志

10.3969/j.issn.1007-3969.2013.05.010

Study on supercritical CO_2 extraction process of glycyrrhetic acid in Glycyrrhiza uralensis / 中草药

Object To establish the process of supercritical CO 2 extraction of glycyrrhetic acid from Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch.. Methods The comparison methods among supercritical CO 2 extraction, Soxhleth extraction and ultrasonic extraction were conducted. Results The optimized supercritical CO 2 extraction conditions were 30 MPa, pressure; 70 meshes, granularity of material; 80% ethanol, modifying agent; 45 ℃, extraction temperature; 2 hours, extraction time. Conclusion The results show that supercritical CO 2 extraction has an advantage over any other extractions of glycyrrhetic acid from G. uralensis.