Reappraisal of the Mawangdui Han Tomb Cadaver Thirty Years After Its Unearthing.

The Mawangdui tomb No.1 cadaver, a female corpse from the Western Han Dynasty, was unearthed in 1972. Forensic examination at the time of discovery indicated fairly remarkable presence of bodily constituents at the anatomical, histological, and molecular levels. The cadaver was preserved in a formalin-based fixative afterward, and maintained in the Hunan Museum. To better protect this rare human corpse, a reappraisal of the status of preservation was carried out using noninvasive approaches, including X-ray radiography, gross anatomical examination, and histological, microbiological, and molecular analyses of sampled tissues. The cadaver remained essentially intact from a gross anatomical perspective, with radiography of the skeletal system and arterial contrast filling appeared comparable with the original documentation. The light microscopic features of the skin, cartilage, and skeletal muscle remained detectable, as were the stratified ultrastructure of the collagen and muscle fibers. The levels of nitrogen and amino acidic elements appeared elevated in the cadaver and liver preservation fixatives, with a higher calcium and phosphate concentration in the former. These findings suggest that there existed a certain degree of macromolecule degradation and bone decalcification in the cadaver, likely irrelevant to biological decomposition. The reappraisal also led to the implementation of stronger scientific measures to better protect the cadaver through a renovated Museum-University coadministrative management agreement.

[Expression of Ang2 and Tie2 and their relation with the angiogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between the expression of Ang2, Tie2 and the angiogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma in rats. METHODS: Thirty-eight healthy male rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: 5 rats in the control group; 25 rats in the experimental group were equally divided into 5-day, 10-day, 15-day, 20-day, and 25-day groups; the other 8 rats were used as the supplement of the experimental group. An allogenic transplanted rat model of CBRH-7919 hepatocellular carcinoma in situ was established by immunosuppression. The expressions of Ang2 and Tie2 were detected by immunohistochemical staining in cancerous tissues of different developmental stages and liver tissues of the control group. At the same time, microvessel density was determined by anti-CD31 immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: CBRH-7919 hepatocellular carcinoma models were successfully set up in 24 rats. The expression level of Ang2 and Tie2 in cancerous tissues was much higher than that of liver tissues of the control group (P <0.05). The overexpression of Ang2 was pristine and continuous in different developmental stages. The expressions of Ang2 and Tie2 positively correlated with microvessal density in hepatocellular carcinoma (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The up-regulation of Ang2 and Tie2 may play important roles in the angiogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma. Ang2 may participate in the start of angiogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma.

[Value of "low-signal zone" sign in the diagnosis of brain abscess in the capsule period].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the value of "low-signal zone" sign in the diagnosis of brain abscess in the capsule period. METHODS: The conventional MRI was performed pre-therapy in 21 patients with brain abscess in the capsule period and 25 patients with vesica-astrocytomas. We analyzed the pathologic basis of "low-signal zone" sign in brain abscess and compared the frequency and shape of "low-signal zone" sign in brain abscess and vesica-astrocytomas. RESULTS: The "low-signal zone" sign in MRI occurred more frequently in brain abscess (85.7%, 18/21) than in vesica-astrocytomas (52.0%, 13/25). The "low-signal zone" sign in the former was intact, while that in the latter was not. CONCLUSION: The "low-signal zone" sign is helpful to diagnose brain abscess in the capsule period, and is valuable to differentiate brain abscess and vesica-astrocytomas.