Comparison of the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis induced by pig serum exposure and bile duct ligation in rats / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the occurrence and progression of liver fibrosis induced by pig serum exposure and bile duct ligation, and analyze the relationship between hepatic inflammation and liver fibrosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Chronically immune-mediated liver fibrosis was induced in rats by weekly injection of pig serum (IPS) into the peritoneal cavity at 3 ml/kg for 12 weeks. Cholestatic fibrosis was induced by common bile duct ligation (BDL). The Knodell score was used to evaluate the histological changes in the liver, and immunohistochemistry was performed using anti-SMA, anti-ED1, anti-CK7, and anti-CD45 antibodies. Quantitative real time PCR (qPCR) analysis was employed to quantify the mRNA expression of the genes related to inflammation, including interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), IL-6, monocyte chemotactic protein-1, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, regulated upon activation normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES), transforming growth factor-beta, platelet-derived growth factor A, as well as the genes associated with fibrogenesis, namely collagen 1, alphaSMA, MMP-9 and TIMP-1.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Knodell scores for periportal necrosis, intralobular degeneration and focal necrosis, and portal inflammation were all significantly higher in the BDL group than in the IPS group (P<0.01), whereas the scores for fibrosis was higher in the IPS group (P<0.05). Immunohistochemistry showed obvious inflammation with numerous alphaSMA-positive cells in the liver of the rats in BDL group; the liver of the rats in IPS group showed numerous alphaSMA-positive myofibroblasts with limited inflammatory cell infiltration. qPCR demonstrated a significant up-regulation of the genes related to extracellular matrix remodeling such as collagen 1 (P<0.01), alphaSMA (P<0.01), MMP-9 (P<0.01) and TIMP-1 (P<0.01) in the rat liver in IPS group compared with those in the normal control group, and the mRNA expressions of the inflammation-related cytokines, except for RANTES, were comparable with those in the control. In contrast, the BDL group showed a significant up-regulation of all the pro-inflammatory genes examined with also increased expression of the fibrogenesis-related genes (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Liver fibrosis induced by IPS is characterized by active ECM remodeling in the absence of obvious inflammation, indicating that chronic development of liver fibrosis can be independent of active hepatic inflammation. BDL-induced liver fibrosis highlights obvious inflammation and fibrous proliferation in the liver.</p>

Evaluation of capsule endoscopy in the diagnosis of small bowel disease / 中华胃肠外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the clinical utility of capsule endoscopy in diagnosing small bowel disease.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A retrospective review of 155 cases undergone capsule endoscopy examinations from September 2002 to March 2007 in our hospital were performed. Gastric and small bowel transit time, patient tolerability, number of complete and incomplete examinations, and examination findings were evaluated.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 155 cases were reviewed, and 159 times of capsule endoscopy examination were finished. Of the 155 patients, 97 suffered from obscure gastrointestinal bleeding, 42 abdominal pain, 6 abdominal discomfort, 4 diarrhea, and 6 body check. The capsule endoscopy examination for the entire small bowel were finished in 93.1%(148/159)cases. All the patients had no discomfortable feeling during the examinations. The capsule endoscopy remained in the stomach for an average of 65.5 min(1 to 335 min). The mean transit time in the small bowel was 282.2 min(45 to 524 min). The diagnostic yield of capsule endoscopy was 78.6%(125/159). Vasculopathy was present in 43.4% patients, enteritis in 28.3%, submucous knot in 10.1%, diverticulum of small intestine in 8.2%, and small intestine tumor in 5.7%. Other findings consisted of polyposis of small intestine, foreign objects and parasite. The diagnostic yield of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding by capsule endoscopy was 89.7%, and of abdominal pain was 73.8%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Capsule endoscopy is safe and well tolerated. Capsule endoscopy is a valuable diagnostic tool in the evaluation of occult small bowel disease, especially for obscure gastrointestinal bleeding.</p>

Epidemiologic study on the status quo of teaching behaviors of teachers in a medical university and its influence on teaching quality / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the status quo of teaching behaviors of teachers in a medical university and identify the factors affecting teaching behaviors to improve the teaching quality.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>All the staff conducting direct teaching in a medical college were investigated by cross-sectional survey and case-control study. Logistic regression model was established, with the results of teaching quality as dependent variable and influential factors as independent variable. The case-control study was conducted by one-way analysis of unconditional logistic regression and logistic multivariate analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The differences in teaching quality among 38 various teaching behaviors of the university teachers were significant. Four factors in teaching behaviors were found to influence the improvement of teaching from poor to excellent quality, 6 affecting improvement from moderate to excellent and 7 from poor to moderate.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The critical teaching behaviors affecting teaching quality vary with different levels of teaching quality and potentials of improvement, and the closeness of the association also varies.</p>