Laparoscopic management of obturator nerve schwannomas: experiences with 6 cases and review of the literature.

OBJECTIVES: To present our experiences in management of obturator nerve schwannomas by laparoscopy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Six patients who were diagnosed preoperatively with pelvic tumors and histologically with obturator nerve schwannomas were treated by laparoscopy in our hospital between 1998 and 2009. Clinical data were obtained by a retrospective review of all the patients' medical records, radiologic reports, pathologic reports, and operation videos. RESULTS: A total of 6 tumors were found in 6 patients, none of which was correctly, preoperatively diagnosed as a schwannoma. In 5 of them, obturator nerve roots were identified to be associated with the tumors during the operation. All of the tumors were resected successfully by laparoscopy, including 2 resected by enucleation. Postoperatively, 2 patients developed a permanent neurological deficit, 2 patients developed transient nerve neuropathy but complete resolution within 8 weeks, and the other 2 developed no neurological deficit. Pathologic examination showed that all the tumors were benign schwannoma. At a mean follow-up of 24 months (range, 12 to 48 mo) postresection, all the patients remained free from recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Pelvic schwannomas are rare and difficult to diagnose preoperatively. The intraoperative observation of the nerve running through the tumor may aid the diagnosis. Although obturator nerve injury does not seem to be associated with severe impairments, efforts should be made to preserve the integrity of the nerve. Laparoscopic surgery is a safe and feasible method for approaching benign schwannoma in the obturator fossa.

Analysis of sperm morphology and semen quality of patients with varicocele in varying degrees / 中华内分泌外科杂志

Objective To evaluate the semen quality and sperm morphology in the patients with different grades of varicocele. Methods Semen from 121 patients with varicocele which were divided into three groups, gradel, grade Ⅱ and grade Ⅲ, were studied and those of 23 normal male were taken as the control. Semen analysis was performed with the methods described in the WHO manual and sperm morphology was evaluated by WHO cri-teria. Results A significant reduction of semen quality and sperm morphology and an increase of small oval head, tapering head and amorphous head sperm were found in patients with different grades of varicocele compa-ring with those of the control. There was no difference in routine analysis between different groups. A reducetion of normal morphology percentage in grade Ⅲ were found comparing with grade Ⅱ (P<0.01). An increase of a-morphous head sperm in grade Ⅲ was found comparing with that of sperm in grade Ⅱ (P <0.01). Canclusions The routine semen analysis can not distinguish seminal damage between different grades of varicocele, but the sperm morphology can reflect the sperm state. Therefore, the patients with varicocele should not only get routine semen analysis but also check the sperm morphology.

Somatic hybridization between Brassica napus and Eruca sativa mill / 生物工程学报

In order to expand gene resources and improve Brassica napus cultivars, protoplasts isolated from hypocotyls of Brassica napus cv. Huayou No. 3 and Eruca sativa were fused by PEG-high Ca2+-high pH. Fusion frequency was up to 18.2% when fusion system contained 5 x 10(5) protoplasts/mL, and when PEG concentration of fusion agents were 35% and when fusion time was 25 min. Then the fused protoplasts were cultured by the method of thin liquid layer at the density of 1 x 10(5) protoplasts/mL in improved KM8p medium supplemented with 1.0 mg/L 2,4-D, 0.5 mg/L NAA, 0.5 mg/L 6-BA, 200 mg/L inositol, 300 mg/L protein hydrolysate, and the combinations of 0.1 mol/L sucrose and 0.2 mol/L glucose and 0.2 mol/L mannitol for osmotic regulator, the frequency of callus regeneration was up to 6.8%. When the micro-calli transferred to the proliferation medium that contained B5 salts, 0.087 mol/L sucrose, 0.2 mg/L 2,4-D, 0.5 mg/L NAA, 0.2 mg/L 6-BA and 0.5% Agar, pH 5.8, have grown up to 3-5 mm of diameter, the calli were transferred to the differentiation medium that contained MS salts, 0.087 mol/L sucrose, 0.1 mg/L IAA, 0.8 mg/L 6-BA, 0.8% Agar, pH5.8, the shoots were regenerated in 4 weeks and its frequency was up to 32.8%. Then 2-3 cm shoots were transferred to 1/2 MS medium with 0.5 mg/L IBA+0.2mg/L 6-BA, plantlets were obtained in 14 days and the plantlet frequency was up to 88%. When the protoplasts of Eruca sativa were treated with UV radiation for 2 minutes calli and plantlets have been regenerated, treated for 4 min only calli have been regenerated, and treated for more than 5 min calli have not been regenerated. The callus regeneration and callus proliferation and plant regeneration from symmetric fusion were more than from asymmetric fusion. 16 hybrid plantlets have been regenerated on 21 piece of hybrid calli identified by cytology method.