Systematic review of endovascular intervention and surgery for common femoral artery atherosclerotic disease.

BACKGROUND: Endovascular intervention has emerged as a potential alternative to open surgery in treating common femoral artery (CFA) atherosclerotic disease. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the safety and efficacy of both techniques. METHODS: Thirteen electronic databases from 1980 to 3 January 2018 were searched. Study quality was assessed using the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Interventional Procedure Programme quality assessment tool. Safety and efficacy outcome measures were analysed. RESULTS: Thirty-one studies reporting 813 endovascular procedures and 3835 endarterectomies were included. Only two small RCTs have been reported. The methodological quality of available studies was generally low and follow-up short. Safety endpoint assessment revealed a similar risk of wound haematoma for endovascular intervention and endarterectomy (5·5 (95 per cent c.i. 0·2 to 17·2) versus 3·9 (1·7 to 6·9) per cent respectively), a lower risk of wound infection with endovascular procedures (0 versus 5·9 (3·4 to 9·0) per cent) and a lower risk of wound lymph leakage (0 versus 5·7 (3·3 to 8·6) per cent). Efficacy endpoint assessment at 1 year identified that endovascular intervention had a lower primary patency rate than endarterectomy (78·8 (73·3 to 83·8) versus 96·0 (92·2 to 98·6) per cent respectively), a higher revascularization rate (16·0 (6·1 to 29·4) versus 5·8 (1·0 to 14·2) per cent) and a similar amputation rate (2·7 (1·2 to 4·8) versus 1·9 (0·7 to 3·8) per cent). CONCLUSION: Endovascular intervention of CFA disease appears to reduce the risk of wound complications but is associated with a lower patency rate and increased rates of subsequent revascularization procedures. Standardization of the endovascular technique and quantification of the proportions of patients suitable for either technique are required.

Aberrant medial sural artery causing popliteal vein entrapment syndrome.

Isolated popliteal venous entrapment is unusual and often caused by variation or aberrant origins of the gastrocnemius muscle, thickened perivenous fascia or an abnormal vascular bundle. We report a unique case of a fit and well 35-year-old man with popliteal venous entrapment after presenting to the vascular unit with symptomatic varicose veins. The cause of the entrapment was found to be an aberrant medial sural artery on operative exploration. The artery was ligated, releasing the entrapped vein. The patient made an uneventful recovery with resolution of symptoms of venous insufficiency without evidence of muscle ischaemia.

Non-radially polarized THz pulse emitted from femtosecond laser filament in air.

Femtosecond laser filament could produce THz wave in forward direction. In our experiment, THz pulse emitted from a femtosecond laser filament has been investigated. It was found that the polarization of the studied THz pulse mainly appears as elliptical. This observation supplements the previous conclusion obtained by C. D'Amico et al. that THz wave emitted by a filament is radially polarized. The mechanism of generating elliptically polarized THz wave has been interpreted by either four-wave optical rectification or second order optical rectification inside the filament zone where centro-symmetry of the air is broken by the femtosecond laser pulse.

[Development and expression process of inheritance of resistance to cotton worm (Prodenia litura) in soybeans].

Cotton worm [Prodenia litura(Fabricius)] was one of the major leaf-feeders for soybeans in Southern China. Resistance to leaf-feeders has been recognized as one of the major breeding target traits in the National Soybean Breeding Program. This paper deals with the study of inheritance of resistance of soybeans to cotton worm [Prodenia litura(Fabricius)]. P1, P2, F1, F2, F2:3 of four susceptible x resistant crosses, i.e. N21297 x N1178-2-2, N21266 x N23860, N119-1 x N1178-2-2 and N21266 x N3039, were used in the study. The materials were planted in net room under artificial infestation in 1996-1998. The data of defoliation percentage of successive development stages, during cotton worm damage period were obtained and collected for genetic analysis. The segregation analysis methods for major genes plus polygene mixed inheritance model developed by Gai et al. were used to identify the genetic system of resistance. The results from joint analyses of multiple segregating generations as well as from analyses of single F2 or F2:3 generations of the four crosses showed a two major genes plus polygene mixed inheritance model at fully developed stages of resistance while one or two major genes with or without polygene were observed at other stages. Between the two major genes, the additive effect of one locus was from 1.56 to 9.89(%, defoliation), another from -3.79 to 3.75(%, defoliation). The heritability values of major genes were estimated as 70.40%-99.21%, greater than those of polygene which were only 0.00%-22.29%. Therefore, in the improvement of resistance to cotton worm, major gene resistance should be considered at first.

Inhibitory effect of interferon and tumor necrosis factor on human luteal function in vitro.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether immunological mechanisms may be involved in human luteal function. DESIGN: The effects of the cytokines, interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) on steroidogenesis by human luteal cells were examined in vitro. The dispersed human luteal cells, obtained from a total of 17 women at laparotomy, were cultured separately in the presence or absence of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and IFNs/TNF-alpha with the medium being replaced at 48 hours. The medium was collected at 48 and 96 hours for steroid assays. RESULTS: The IFN-alpha had no significant effect on the production of estradiol or progesterone (P), whereas a dose-related inhibition of basal, as well as hCG-stimulated P formation, was observed after the addition of IFN-gamma (10 to 1,000 U/mL). Progesterone production was inhibited to about 45% of the control at 48 hours and even lower at 96 hours (n = 6, P < 0.001). The combination of IFN-gamma and low doses of TNF-alpha induced a further significant inhibition, whereas there was no effect of TNF-alpha alone. This inhibitory effect of IFN-gamma could be completely neutralized with a monoclonal antibody to IFN-gamma. Incubation with the antibody alone increased the production of P from luteal cells in culture, suggesting a local tonic inhibitory action of endogenous IFN-gamma. CONCLUSION: Interferon-gamma and TNF-alpha, whose function classically is known as antiviral, also may play a role in human luteal regression by inhibiting luteal P production.

Control of inhibin production by dispersed human luteal cells in vitro.

The production of inhibin in vitro by dispersed cells from early to mid (Days 16-19) and late stage (Day 23) human corpus luteum (CL) was examined, and the effects of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), oestradiol and testosterone on inhibin production were determined. Corpora lutea from five subjects in the early to mid luteal stage and three subjects in late luteal stage were dispersed with enzymes and the luteal cells cultured in medium supplemented with 5% calf serum and either FSH (1, 10 or 100 ng mL-1), oestradiol-17 beta (2.5, 5 or 10 micrograms mL-1) or testosterone (0.25, 1 or 5 micrograms mL-1) with or without hCG (1 I.U. mL-1). Cells were cultured for 1 to 3 days without changes of medium, and the concentrations of progesterone, oestradiol and immunoreactive inhibin in the medium were measured by radioimmunoassay. Cells from both types of CL produced inhibin in vitro under basal conditions, but only cells from early to mid CLs responded to hCG with a significant increase in inhibin production. Both progesterone and oestradiol production were stimulated by hCG in both groups of CL. Inhibin concentrations in the cell cultures declined with time in culture, particularly in the late CL group, whereas the concentration of steroids increased. Neither FSH, oestradiol nor testosterone significantly changed inhibin production in either CL group. It was concluded that inhibin production by human luteal cells in vitro is influenced by the age of the CL, and is dependent on LH (hCG) but not on FSH or sex steroids.

Effect of A-nor steroids and oestradiol on progesterone production by human luteal cells.

Cell suspensions were prepared from human corpora lutea obtained during the mid-luteal phase. Progesterone production was assessed after short-term incubation of luteal cell suspensions. Luteal cells were very sensitive to hCG, the concentration required for 50% maximum response being 0.01 i.u./ml, and the response was 5 times higher than the basal production. Oestradiol (1-100 microM) induced a significant dose-related decrease in both basal and hCG-stimulated progesterone production. The A-nor steroidal compounds anordrin and AF-45 reduced hCG-stimulated progesterone production only at the high concentration of 100 microM. The ED50 values were approximately 3 microM, 75 microM and 100 microM for oestradiol, AF-45 and anordrin respectively. Anordrin showed no significant effects on basal progesterone production. In addition, oestradiol markedly inhibited the activity of 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase in luteal cells, expressed by the conversion of pregnenolone to progesterone, but the inhibitory effects of anordrin and AF-45 were negligible or relatively low. The effects of anordrin and AF-45 were different from those of oestradiol on progesterone production by human luteal cells in vitro, indicating that neither substance is likely to be a useful luteolytic agent in women.

[Application of the assays for progesterone and estradiol in saliva in family planning research].

PIP: A clinical study has been conducted on the radioimmuno assays of progesterone and estradiol in saliva to analyze the effect of norethindrone visiting pills and levonorgestrel post coital contraceptives on ovarian function and to monitor the resumption of ovarian function after the termination of early pregnancy using sulprostone. Two cases were recruited for the study of norethindrone, 5 cases for the study of levonorgestrel, and 4 cases for sulprostone. The studies showed that the levels of the 2 steroids in saliva were correlated with those observed in serum. The determination of the hormone level in saliva after termination of pregnancy using sulprostone provided information on the length of time between abortion and resumption of ovarian function. Analysis of hormones in saliva is a useful and convenient procedure in family planning research. Since the concentration of hormone in saliva is much lower than in serum, highly sensitive assays are needed, and more samples have to be collected due to the large variance of hormone levels in saliva.^ieng