Edaravone for Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: The management of acute stroke is challenging. The aim of this meta-analysis was to determine the efficacy and tolerability of edaravone, with or without thrombolytic therapy, in the treatment of patients with acute ischemic stroke. METHODS: The PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies. Mean differences (MD), risk ratios (RR), 95% confidence interval (CI), and heterogeneity were calculated. FINDINGS: Totals of nine RCTs and four cohort studies were included, for a total of 2102 patients. In patients with acute ischemic stroke, edaravone monotherapy was associated with significantly improved Barthel Index of functioning in activities for daily living (MD, 23.95; 95% CI, 18.48 to 29.41; P < 0.001) and neurologic deficit, (as measured using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score) (MD = -3.49; 95% CI, -5.76 to 1.22; P = 0.003), on short-term follow-up. However, edaravone was not associated with an improved rate of death or disability (RR = 0.75; 95% CI, 0.45 to 1.23; P = 0.25) on long-term follow-up.When plus to thrombolytic therapy, edaravone was associated with significant improvements in recanalization rate (RR = 1.71; 95% CI, 1.05 to 2.77; P = 0.03) and neurologic deficit (MD = 3.97; 95% CI, 5.14 to 2.79; P < 0.001), without an increase in the prevalence of bleeding events (RR = 1.11; 95% CI, 0.76 to 1.62; P = 0.59). However, edaravone did not have a significant effect on death or disability (RR = 0.85; 95% CI, 0.69 to 1.04; P = 0.12). IMPLICATIONS: Based on the findings from the present meta-analysis, edaravone was an effective and well-tolerated neuroprotective agent in these patients with ischemic stroke. With the use of edaravone, activities of daily living and neurologic deficits, along with recanalization rates, were improved on short-term follow-up, but the long-term effects still need confirmation in larger-scale clinical trials.

Pubertal exposure to acrylamide disrupts spermatogenesis by interfering with meiotic progression in male mice.

Teenagers are a major group likely to love junk foods, such as potato chips and bread items, which contain high levels of acrylamide (AA). The increasing evidence suggests that AA exposure may be associated with decreased reproductive capacity in humans and animals. However, the reproductive toxicity of AA in pubertal males has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we evaluated the effects of pubertal AA exposure on adult spermatogenesis in male mice. Mice were exposed to AA at 0, 5, 10, 20, and 40 mg/kg/day by gavage from postnatal day 28 (PND28) to PND56. Our results showed that pubertal AA exposure increased apoptosis of germ cells in seminiferous tubules, decreased sperm concentration, and caused defects in sperm of adult mice. To explore the possible mechanisms of AA on spermatogenesis, the meiotic process was analyzed. The ratio of leptotene and zygotene spermatocytes increased, while the pachytene and diplotene spermatocytes decreased in AA-treated mice. Further analysis revealed that AA exposure disrupted the pattern of H2AX phosphorylation expansion, synapsis, and the crossover formation during meiotic prophase I (MPI). Taken together, these results indicate that pubertal AA exposure affects the spermatogenesis may be by disrupting the MPI progression of male mice.

Effectiveness of Various Dosages and Administration Methods of Tanezumab for the Treatment of Pain in Knee and Hip Osteoarthritis: a Network Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Previous meta-analyses have reported the superiority of tanezumab versus placebo in the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA). However, they did not compare different injection methods (intravenous or subcutaneous), doses of injection. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this network meta-analysis (NMA) was to evaluate the therapeutic effects of different dosages and methods of injection of tanezumab on relieving pain in patients with OA. METHODS: An online systematic search was performed by using the PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases from inception to November 9, 2019. The goal was to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that concentrated on the therapeutic effects of different dosages and methods of injection of tanezumab in patients with OA. The pairwise meta-analyses with the fixed effects model were undertaken with the "meta" package using R 3.6.0 programming language. In addition, an NMA with fixed effects was assessed using a gemtc software. The surface under the cumulative ranking curve value of each intervention was calculated to obtain a hierarchy of treatments. RESULTS: Of the 328 RCTs identified through the literature search, 12 RCTs were included in the current NMA. In terms of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index pain and physical function subscales, the most effective treatment was intravenous injection of tanezumab (10 mg; surface under the cumulative ranking curve values of 90% and 88%, respectively), and the least effective therapy was subcutaneous injection of tanezumab (2.5 mg; 20% and 19%). CONCLUSIONS: To achieve high therapeutic efficacy and avoid treatment failure, an intravenous injection of tanezumab (10 mg) is recommended as an efficacious therapy, facilitating pain relief in patients with OA. However, this conclusion may also be affected by the limitations of this study owing to the small sample size and data heterogeneity, and further research should therefore be conducted to eliminate these limitations and to confirm the findings.

A new species of the Genus Pelodiscus Fitzinger, 1835 (Testudines: Trionychidae) from Huangshan, Anhui, China.

A new species of the soft-shelled turtle genus Pelodiscus is described based on seven specimens from Huangshan, southern Anhui Province, China. The new species, Pelodiscus huangshanensis sp. nov., is distinguished from other species in the genus Pelodiscus by the following characteristics: (1) Small size (maximum carapace length of 101.16 mm and maximum body length of 190 mm); (2) keel high; (3) tiny yellowish-white spots on the throat; (4) no black pinstripes around the eyes; (5) white longitudinal bands on both sides of the neck in juveniles, absent in adults; (6) plastron yellowish-white, and only a dark patch on each side of the armpit; (7) many tubercles on the dorsal surface, but indistinct in the center; and (8) entoplastron ⌒ shaped. The phylogenetic relationships of the species in Pelodiscus were reconstructed using the sequences of cytochrome b (cyt b) and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 4 (ND4) genes. The new species formed a monophyletic clade with strong support. The uncorrected pairwise distances between the new species and other representatives of Pelodiscus ranged from 5.4% to 9.2% for cyt b and 4.1% to 7.6% for ND4. The new species brings the number of species of the genus Pelodiscus to six; five species are distributed in China, with three species endemic to China.

Acrylamide impairs the developmental potential of germinal vesicle oocytes by inducing mitochondrial dysfunction and autophagy/apoptosis in mice.

Background: Acrylamide (ACR), an important endogenous contaminant in carbohydrate-rich foods, has been involved in various negative effects on multiple organ networks, including the reproductive system. Previous studies have reported that ACR affects oocyte quality and fertility. Purpose: This study aimed to explore the toxic effects and regulatory mechanisms of ACR on mouse germinal vesicle (GV) oocytes. Research Design: In this study, adult female mice were exposed to ACR at 10 mg/kg/day/body weight through their drinking water continuously for 4 weeks. Study Sample and Data Analysis: The mitochondrial function, autophagy/apoptosis, and development potential of GV oocytes were investigated. Results: The results showed that ACR reduced the oocyte diameter, sperm-binding ability, parthenogenetic activation and in vitro fertilization (IVF) rate, and development potential of pre-implantation embryos. We also found that ACR exposure disrupted chromatin configuration, mitochondrial distribution, and membrane potential (Δφm) of oocytes. Actin filament expression was significantly reduced in both the membrane and cytoplasm of mouse oocytes. Moreover, ACR exposure increased LC3-positive signals, early apoptosis rate, aberrant ATG3, ATG5, LC3, Beclin1, and mTOR mRNA expression. Conclusions: These results suggest that ACR exposure can affect the developmental potential of GV oocytes by inducing mitochondrial dysfunction, actin filament assembly, and autophagy/apoptosis.

Efficacy and Safety of Polyphenols for Osteoarthritis Treatment: A Meta-Analysis.

PURPOSE: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic and degenerative disorder associated with joint pain and loss of joint function. It is reported that polyphenols could yield articular benefits in patients with OA through the inhabitation of key inflammatory pathways. This meta-analysis was conducted to assess the efficacy and safety of polyphenol products for OA treatment. METHODS: This study included searches of PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library databases from inception to November 6, 2019. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing polyphenols versus NSAIDs or placebo for human OA were included. Standardized mean differences (SMD) or risk ratios (RRs) were calculated for all relevant outcomes. Meta-analyses were conducted by using random effect models, and heterogeneity was assessed by using the I2 statistic. FINDINGS: A total of 18 RCTs (N = 1724) were eligible for analysis. Polyphenol products showed a significant advantage over placebo on pain relief (SMD, -1.11; 95% CI, -1.35 to -0.87) and functional improvement (SMD, -1.14; 95% CI, -1.38 to -0.90). No differences in safety outcomes were detected between polyphenols and placebo. There were no differences in efficacy outcomes between polyphenols and NSAIDs, although patients receiving polyphenols had a lower but nonsignificant risk of experiencing gastrointestinal dysfunction compared with those treated with NSAIDs. Polyphenols and NSAIDs in combination yielded more significant benefits in efficacy than NSAIDs alone. IMPLICATIONS: The results of our study suggest that polyphenols may be a promising alternative for OA by relieving symptoms while reducing safety risks. However, the generalizability of our results may be limited by the quality and sample size of the available research, as well as the heterogeneity between RCTs. High-quality clinical trials are needed to make meaningful clinical practice recommendations.

Effectiveness of Platelet-Rich Plasma in the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Clinical Trials.

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections for knee osteoarthritis and the effects of leukocyte-poor PRP (LP-PRP) versus leukocyte-rich PRP (LR-PRP) are still controversial. PURPOSE: To assess the effectiveness of different PRP injections through a direct and indirect meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 1. METHODS: A systematic literature search of electronic databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE) was performed to locate randomized controlled trials published through March 2019 that compared PRP with control treatment. A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted to synthesize the evidence, and meta-regression analyses were conducted to determine the influence of trial characteristics. An indirect comparison was performed to assess the effects of LP-PRP and LR-PRP compared with hyaluronic acid (HA). RESULTS: A total of 21 trials were included. A clinically important benefit for pain relief was seen for intra-articular PRP compared with intra-articular saline (standardized mean difference [SMD] = -1.38 [95% CI, -2.07 to -0.70]; P < .0001; I 2 = 37%) and corticosteroid solution injection (SMD = -2.47 [95% CI, -3.34 to -1.61]; P < .00001; I 2 = 47%). As a result of heterogeneity (I 2 = 89%), there was no conclusive effect compared with HA, even though the pooling effect provided clinically relevant pain relief (SMD = -0.59 [95% CI, -0.97 to -0.21]; P = .003). Indirect meta-analysis showed that there was no significant difference between LR-PRP and LP-PRP. CONCLUSION: PRP injections are beneficial for pain relief and functional improvement in knee osteoarthritis. Larger, randomized high-quality studies are needed to compare the effects of LP-PRP and LR-PRP.

The influence of sample size and gender composition on the meta-analysis conclusion of platelet-rich plasma treatment for osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVE: The magnitude of the therapeutic effects of intra-articular injection of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on osteoarthritis (OA) is still under debate. The goal of this study that was a systematic review of randomised controlled trials â€‹of PRP injections for the treatment of OA was to elucidate the therapeutic efficacy of PRP. METHODS: Electronic databases of PubMed, CENTRAL, EMBASE, EBSCO, ClinicalTrials.gov, and International Clinical Trials Registry Platform â€‹were searched from inception to June 2018 for RCTs that compared PRP injections to controls in patients with OA. A random-effects approach was used to compile data and subgroups according to trial size (large trials versus small trials), patient profile (age and gender), and PRP preparation method was performed. RESULTS: Thirty trials met the inclusion criteria and were analysed. All results had unexplained statistical heterogeneity. Patients treated with PRP compared with control showed statistically relevant pain relief and function improvement at short term (standardised mean difference [SMD] â€‹= â€‹-0.62, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.98 to -0.27, P â€‹= â€‹0.0006, SMD â€‹= â€‹-0.74, 95% CI: -1.11 to 0.36, P â€‹= â€‹0.0001, respectively), medium term (SMD â€‹= â€‹-0.53, 95% CI: -0.83 to -0.23, P â€‹= â€‹0.0006, SMD â€‹= â€‹-0.50, 95% CI: -0.75 to -0.25, P â€‹= â€‹0.0006), and long term (SMD â€‹= â€‹-0.69, 95% CI: -1.08 to -0.30, P â€‹= â€‹0.0006, SMD â€‹= â€‹-0.68, 95% CI: -0.1.09 to -0.27, P â€‹= â€‹0.001, respectively). A subgroup analysis of the data from large trials and from trials composed of less than 50% female patients revealed that therapeutic effects of the treatment are insignificant. CONCLUSIONS: According to the currently available data, PRP injections are beneficial for pain relief and function improvement in patients with OA. This meta-analysis, however, demonstrated that the efficacy of PRP is related to sample size and gender composition. Thus, more randomised controlled trials of high quality and larger patient size, also including gender aspects, are required to understand this phenomenon. THE TRANSLATIONAL POTENTIAL OF THIS ARTICLE: The translation potential of this meta-analysis is that provided another perspective to analyse the treatment effect of PRP for OA. In future research, phenotypes subpopulation and gender difference of OA patient should be considered for PRP treatment.

Cardiac complications in systemic sclerosis: early diagnosis and treatment.

OBJECTIVE: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a remarkably systemic heterogeneous connective tissue disease with many organs involved. The heart is one of the major organs involved, carrying the threat of sudden cardiac death, especially in diffuse cutaneous SSc. This review summarizes the pathophysiology, types, new diagnostic approaches, and imaging and novel therapies of primary cardiac complications while underlining the effects of recently developed non-contrast cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in early diagnosis. DATA SOURCES: Medline and Embase were searched for articles published up to July 2019. A combination of Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms and keywords pertaining to SSc ("Scleroderma, Systemic" OR "Systemic sclerosis" OR' SSc"), AND cardiology ("cardiology" OR "heart" OR "cardiac") were applied to the search strategies. STUDY SELECTION: Literature was mainly printed in English and Chinese about cardiac complications in systemic sclerosis. After selected simply on the title and abstract, the articles were included for the full text. Article type was not limited. RESULTS: Relevant cardiac manifestations are complex, including arrhythmias, pericardial effusion, myocardial dysfunction, and valvular diseases. Even though the symptoms of cardiac complications are well known, unfortunately, they appear to be poor prognostic factors. As systemic sclerosis with cardiac complications has a high mortality rate and patients might have a poor quality of life, it is essential to promote early diagnosis and treatment. With the advent of non-invasive imaging techniques, such as CMR, early diagnosis of cardiac complications in SSc is becoming more effective. CONCLUSIONS: Cardiac complications play an essential role in SSc and carry the threat of sudden cardiac death. More basic and clinical studies are warranted to develop better management of cardiac involvement in patients with SSc.

[Apoptosis-Inducing Effect of Ginsenoside Rh2 on Human Acute T Lymphoblastic Leukemia Jurkat Cells and Its Mechanism].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the apoptosis-inducing effect of Ginsenoside (Rh2) on human acute T lymphoblastic leukemia Jurkat cells and it mechamism. METHODS: The effects of different concentration of Rh2 (0, 10 , 20, 40 and 80 µg/ml) on the proliferation activity of Jurkat cells were detected by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) method, and the semi-inhibitory concentration (IC50) of Rh2 on Jurkat cells at 48 h was calculated. Microscopy and Hoechst 33258 fluorescence staining were used to observe the apoptosis of Jurkat cells treated with IC50 Rh2 for 48 h. And then, the cell experiment was divided into 4 groups: control, Rh2 (IC50), PI3K inhibitor LY294002 (50 µmol/l) and Rh2 (IC50) + LY294002 (50 µmol/l). After synchronous culture for 48 h, the apoptosis and cycle changes of Jurkat cells were detected by using PI single staining and Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining, respectively. Western blot was used to detect the expression level of apoptosis-related protein BAX, BCL-2, Cleaved-Caspasase 3, cell cycle-related protein Cyclin D1 and PI3K/AKT signaling pathway-related protein AKT and p-AKT. RESULTS: Rh2 (10-80 µg/ml) inhibited the Jurkat cell proliferation in a dose-time dependent manner (r48h = 0.999, P＜0.01; r80 µg/ml = 0.991; P＞0.05), accompanied by obvious morphological changes of apoptosis cells. Flow cytometry showed that compared with the control group, the cell apoptosis rate in Rh2 or LY294002 group significantly increased, and the cell cycle was mostly blocked in G0/G1 phase. However, the cell apoptosis and cell cycle block in Rh2+LY294002 group were more significant than that in Rh2 and LY294002 group. Western blot showed that compared with the control group, Rh2 significantly promoted the expression of BAX and Cleaved-Caspasase 3, inhibited the expression of BCL-2, Cyclin D1 and p-AKT, furthermore LY294002 significantly promoted this effect. CONCLUSION: Rh2 can induce the apoptosis of Jurkat cells in time-dose dependent manner, moreover, Rh2 also can result in an obvious block of Jurkat cells at G0/G1, that may be closely related to a series of apoptotic signaling cascades mediated by Rh2 inhibiting PI3K/AKT pathway.

Meta-analysis: compared with anti-CCP and rheumatoid factor, could anti-MCV be the next biomarker in the rheumatoid arthritis classification criteria?

Background Previous reviews of the diagnosis for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have not compared anti-mutated citrullinated vimentin (MCV) with anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) and rheumatoid factor (RF) in respect of sensitivity, specificity and the area under the curve (AUC) against disease controls for differential diagnosis. This meta-analysis aims to evaluate the value of anti-MCV in the diagnosis for RA, the combined sensitivity of anti-MCV and anti-CCP, and certain clinical characteristics related to the performance of anti-MCV. Methods Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science were searched for articles published up to 25 August 2018. A total of 33 studies including 6044 RA patients and 5094 healthy or disease controls achieved inclusive criteria. QUADAS-2 was applied to evaluate the quality of the included studies. The bivariate random effects model was employed in primary data synthesis to evaluate the diagnostic performance. Results The sensitivity of anti-MCV, anti-CCP and RF in RA diagnosis against a disease control group was 0.71, 0.71, 0.77, with the specificity of 0.89, 0.95, 0.73, and the AUC of the SROC of 0.89, 0.95, 0.82, respectively. The predesign of the primary study and diagnostic criteria were statistically significant as sources of heterogeneity. Anti-MCV and anti-CCP tests demonstrated a sensitivity of 0.77 when performed in parallel, with a sensitivity of 0.60 when performed in series; whereas, the combination of anti-MCV and RF presented a sensitivity of 0.64 when used in series. Conclusions Anti-MCV demonstrates comparable diagnostic value to anti-CCP and RF, thus it can be an effective diagnostic marker for RA and may be written into the next authoritative criteria.

[Effect of exercise on adiponectin in aged obese rats].

OBJECTIVE: To explore effects of exercise on the expression of adiponectin mRNA and protein in visceral adipose tissue, plasma adiponectin concentration, and insulin resistance of aged obese rats. METHODS: Male SD rats age to 21 days old were fed with high-fat diet (fat percentage was 36.3% to 40.0%) for three stages of adolescence, maturity and old age to establish elderly obesity rats model. When the rats aged to 60 weeks old, natural growing elderly rats were randomly divided into control group (C) and aged exercise group (AE), n=6; elderly obesity rats were randomly divided into obesity control group (OC) and obesity exercise group (OE), n=6. The treadmill grade was 0°, the exercise speed and time were 15 m/min×15 min, 4 groups each time, between consecutive groups the rats had 5 minutes rest, the rats were exercised for 60 minutes every day, five days a week, continuous exercise for 8 weeks. Then, the expressions of adiponectin mRNA and protein in visceral adipose tissue were determined. The concentrations of blood glucose, plasma adiponectin and insulin were measured. Insulin resistance was calculated. RESULTS: Comparison with control group, the expressions of adiponectin mRNA and protein were obviously decreased, the concentration of blood glucose and insulin resistance were significantly increased in obesity control group, while the expressions of adiponectin mRNA and protein were obviously increased. Comparison with obesity control group, the expressions of adiponectin mRNA and protein, the concentration of plasma adiponectin were obviously increased, the concentration of blood glucose and insulin resistance were significantly decreased in obesity exercise group. CONCLUSIONS: Adiponectin mRNA and protein expression in visceral adipose tissue is decreased and accompanied by high blood glucose and insulin resistance in elderly obesity rats. Exercise can increase the adiponectin mRNA and protein expression in visceral adipose tissue, elevate levels of plasma adiponectin, and decrease the level of blood glucose and insulin resistance in elderly obesity rats.

Complete sequence and gene organization of the mitochondrial genome of Podocnemis unifilis (Pleurodira: Podocnemididae).

The mitochondrial genome of Podocnemis unifilis (Pleurodira: Podocnemididae) is 16,493 bp in length, which contains 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNAs, 22 transfer RNAs, and a control region. The A+T content of the overall base composition of H-strand is 61.7% (T: 27.7%, C: 25.5%, A: 34.0%, G: 12.8%). ATP6, ATP8, CO3, ND4-6 and Cyt b genes begin with ATG as start codon, ND1, ND2 and ND4L begin with ATT, CO1 starts with GTG, CO2 starts with ATA, ND3 starts with ATC. ATP6, CO2, ND4L and ND5 genes are terminated with TAA as stop codon, ND1, ND2, ND3, ND6 and CO1 end with TAG, and the other four protein-coding genes end with an incomplete stop codon (a single stop nucleotide T or TA). A long unit repeat region is found in the control region.

[The expression and significance of CD151 in pituitary adenomas].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression and significance of CD151 in pituitary adenomas. METHODS: Thirty-six pituitary adenomas were collected immediately after surgery together with five normal pituitary tissue. Real time-PCR, Western blot and immunohistochemistry analysis were performed to detect the expression of CD151 mRNA and protein in thirty-six pituitary adenomases and five normal pituitary tissues. RESULTS: The expression of CD151 in all pituitary adenomases was observed to be significantly higher than that in normal pituitary tissues by Western blot, real time PCR, and immunohistochemistry analysis (P < 0.01). The expression levels of protein and mRNA in invasive pituitary adenomas were much higher than those in non-invasive pituitary adenomas (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The results suggested that the expression of CD151 was closely correlated with malignant degree of pituitary adenomas, which indicated the expression of CD151 was intimately correlated with occurrence and development of pituitary adenomas. Detecting CD151 might be a vital index to predict prognosis of pituitary adenomas.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the brown leg mite, Aleuroglyphus ovatus (Acari: Sarcoptiformes): evaluation of largest non-coding region and unique tRNAs.

The circular mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Aleuroglyphus ovatus was sequenced. It was 14,328 bp long, and consisted of 37 coding genes including 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, and 22 transfer RNA genes. This is the first description of the complete mitogenome of a species in the Acaridae (Acari: Sarcoptiformes). The mtDNA gene order for A. ovatus is identical to those of Dermatophagoides farinae and D. pteronyssinus, but distinctly different from the mtDNA of other Acari. Most inferred tRNA genes of A. ovatus are extremely truncated (48-62 bp), lack stem-loops on either the T- or D-arm (except the trnK), and are unable to fold into the canonical tRNA cloverleaf structure. The largest non-coding region (378 bp) contained several conserved sequences involved in the regulation of mitogenome replication, including one core sequence (ACAT) associated with termination of the J-strand replication and several hypothetical stem-loop structures. The microsatellite-like (AT)n sequence in the largest non-coding region was observed in two other Astigmata species, but it has not been found in other Acari.

Application of 3D-computed tomography angiography technology in large meningioma resection.

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the role of 3D-computed tomography angiography (3D-CTA) technology in reducing injuries of large meningioma surgery. METHODS: 3D-CTA preoperative examinations were done in 473 patients with large meningioma (simulated group). The images were analyzed by 3D post-processing workstation. By observing the major intracranial blood vessels, venous sinus, and the compression and invasion pattern in the nerve region, assessing risk level of the surgery, simulating the surgical procedures, the surgical removal plan, surgical routes and tumor blood-supplying artery embolisation plan were performed. Two hundred and fifty seven large meningioma patients who didn't underwent 3D-CTA preoperative examination served as control group. The incidence of postoperative complications, intraoperative blood transfusion and the operation time were compared between these two groups. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the Simpson's grade I and II resection rate was 80.3% (380/473), similar with that of the control (81.3%, 209/257). The incidence of postoperative complications in 3D-CTA simulated group was 37.0% which was significantly lower than that (48.2%) of the control (P<0.01). The intraoperative blood supply for simulated group and the control was (523.4±208.1) mL and (592.0±263.3) mL, respectively, with significant difference between two groups (P<0.01). And the operation time [(314.8±106.3)] min was significantly lower in simulated group than that in the control [(358.4±147.9) min] (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Application of 3D-CTA imaging technology in risk level assessment before large-scaled meningioma resection could assist in the rational planning of tumor resectin, surgical routes, and is helpful in reducing injuries and complications and enhancing the prognosis of the patients.

[Evaluation of sinus meningiomas in the region of interest by high-resolution three dimensional contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance venography].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the value of high-resolution three dimensional contrast enhanced magnetic resonance venography (3D CE-MRV) in evaluating sinus meningiomas in the region of interest (ROI). METHODS: Twenty patients with sinus meningiomas underwent 3D CE-MRV with ROI preoperatively (including 9 patients postoperatively). We observed the changes of venous sinus adjacent the tumor. RESULTS: All patients received high-resolution image, the single acquisition time was about 11.4 s, and the voxel value was about 1.3 mm3. The images of 20 patients showed the change of the sinus clearly, 6 of which with integral sinus, 14 with sinus invaded at various degrees, including 5 with sinus occlusion and 9 with stenosis. CE-MRV also showed 4 patients with clear sinuses, 1 with narrow sinus, partial interruption, and 4 with sinus removed after the surgery. CONCLUSION: Application of high-resolution 3D CE-MRV in ROI in sinus meningiomas may help obtain a series of high-resolution images in a short time, show the relationship between the tumor and venous sinus, display the degree of invasion of venous sinus clearly, provide information for the surgical treatment, and evaluate the change of sinus after the surgery.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the large-headed frog, Limnonectes bannaensis (Amphibia: Anura), and a novel gene organization in the vertebrate mtDNA.

We determined the complete nucleotide sequence of the mitochondrial (mt) genome of the large-headed frog, Limnonectes bannaensis (Amphibia, Anura) by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The entire mtDNA sequence is 16,867 bp in length with a novel case of tRNAs in vertebrates. This mt genome is characterized by three distinctive features: (1) a tandem duplication of tRNA(Met) gene is observed, (2) the tRNA(Ala), tRNA(Asn), tRNA(Cys) and tRNA(Glu) genes coded on the L-strand are absent from the L. bannaensis mtDNA, the tRNA(Cys) and tRNA(Glu) genes change into tRNA pseudogenes by reason of degenerative anticodon, and a noncoding sequence of 206 nt long (NC1) has replaced the original position of other two tRNAs, (3) besides NC1, another three noncoding spacers (NC2-4) longer than 50 bp are found in the broken WANCY region and the region NC3-ND5-NC4-ND6-PsiE-Cytb-CR of the new sequence. These features could be explained by a model of gene duplication and deletion. The new sequence data was used to assess the phylogenetic relationships among 25 species of Anura using neighbor-joining, Bayesian, and maximum likelihood methods, and the phylogenetic tree shows the rice frog Fejervarya limnocharis is closest to L. bannaensis in the study.

Complete sequence and organization of the mitochondrial genome of Cyclemys atripons (Testudines, Geoemydidae)

The Black Bridged Leaf Turtle, Cyclemys atripons (Testudines; Cryptodira; Geoemydidae), is a poorly known species within the genus Cyclemys. We determined the complete nucleotide sequence of the Cyclemys atripons mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) and found it to be 16,500 base pairs (bp) in length, with the genome organization, gene order and base composition being identical to that of the typical vertebrate. However, unlike for most turtle mtDNA so far reported, an extra base was not found in the NADH3 gene. The C. atripons control region of mtDNA was 981 bp long. Comparisons with three other geoemydids showed that the C. atripons control region contained a highly variable region at the 3' end composed of AT enriched tandem repeats containing a fifteen-unit 5'-A (AT)3-3' variable number of tandem repeats (VNTRs).

Analysis of SOX4 gene mutation in non-small cell lung cancer tissues.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the mutation of SOX4 gene in the different tumor tissues with pathological stages and types of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and to explore its roles in the progression of lung carcinoma. METHODS: The SOX4 gene HMG-box of lung cancer tissues and paracancerous tissues were amplified by PCR, 20 cases shown difference by single strand conformation polymorphyism analysis were sequenced. The DNA sequences were compared with normal sequences by software Clustal and DNAStar. RESULTS: In the 90 NSCLCs, 18 cases were found with mutations of SOX4 gene and were sequenced, and there were 2 mutational points. Seven were detected from squamous cell carcinoma, five from adenocarcinoma and six from adeno-squamous. Three were obtained from tissues in stage I, five in stage II, six in stage III, and four in stage IV. The mutation rate in stage II, III and IV was significantly higher than that in stage I. CONCLUSION: SOX4 gene mutation is not associated with pathology histological types of tumor, but it is significantly associated with pathological stages and the mutation rate increases gradually, which has relation with advanced pathological stages in NSCLC. The results indicate that the SOX4 gene mutations might be related in the lung carcinogenesis and tumor metastasis. The study also provides molecular data for study the links between the mutation of SOX gene and human oncogenesis.