Gastric schwannoma: A retrospective analysis of clinical characteristics, treatments, and outcomes.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics, treatment options, and prognosis of patients with gastric schwannoma (GS). METHODS: Patients who were pathologically diagnosed with GS between April 2011 and October 2022 were enrolled. The data of clinical characteristics, pathological features, treatment options, and clinical outcomes were collected and compared between GS patients who underwent endoscopic resection (ER) and surgical resection (SR). RESULTS: Of the 32 cases, 23 underwent SR and nine underwent ER. The median tumor size was significantly smaller in ER group than in SR group (12.0 vs. 40.0 mm, P < 0.001), while patients in SR group were older than those in ER group (54.5 ± 10.6 vs. 45.3 ± 10.9 years, P = 0.036). Moreover, tumors in ER group were more likely to exhibit an intraluminal pattern (100% vs. 26.1%, P < 0.001). Patients in ER group had significantly lower hospitalization cost (25859.2 ± 8623.9 vs. 44953.0 ± 13083.8 RMB, P = 0.011) than those in SR group. No differences were found between the two groups in terms of R0 resection rate, operative time, estimated blood loss, adverse events, and recurrence rate. All patients were followed up for 4-96 months (mean: 35 months; median: 23 months), during which no evidence of recurrence or metastasis was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Both ER and SR are safe and effective treatment modalities for the management of GS, with ER being associated with lower medical costs compared to SR. The majority of GS are benign and do not recur, with little possibility of malignant transformation.

Stage cT3 low rectal cancer: analysis of prognostic factors.

Background: Whether all cT3 low rectal cancer patients should receive neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) remains controversial. The depth of invasion beyond the muscularis propria of the cT3 rectal cancer is of great significance to the selection of a treatment plan and the evaluation of prognosis. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted of 187 patients with stage cT3 low rectal cancer, who had been treated at the Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University from June 2010 to December 2012. The patients were divided into the nCRT group (88 cases) and no-nCRT group (99 cases). Possible significant prognostic factors [i.e., primary tumor volume (PTV), cell differentiation, circumferential resection margin (CRM), nCRT, age, sex, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), lymph node status, surgical procedure, etc.] were collected for estimation of disease-free survival (DFS), distant metastases rate (DM), local recurrence rate (LR). Independent predictive factors or survival were determined using Cox proportional hazards model. Results: The mean PTV was 16.2±11.1 (2.07-72.68) cm3. In the univariate and multivariate analyses: nCRT hazards ratio (HR) =4.258, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.912-9.483 (P<0.001); PTV HR =0.381, 95% CI: 0.181-0.804 (P=0.011); CRM HR =0.227, 95% CI: 0.097-0.532 (P=0.001). For the PTV ≤15 cm3 group, there were no significant differences between the nCRT and no-nCRT group in 3-year follow-up (P>0.05). For the PTV >15 cm3 group, there were significant differences between the nCRT and no-nCRT group in 3-year DFS (84.2% vs. 51.1%; P=0.001), DM (13.1% vs. 31.2%; P=0.017) and LR (2.9% vs. 26.6%; P=0.009). For the CRM negative group, there were significant differences between the nCRT and no-nCRT group in 3-year DFS (94.0% vs. 79.0%; P=0.008), LR (1.5% vs. 10.7%; P=0.028) and DM (4.5% vs. 13.5%; P=0.039). Conclusions: For stage cT3 low rectal cancer patients, nCRT, PTV, and CRM were independent prognostic factors. NCRT may improve the survival of PTV >15 cm3 patients, but may not have a significant effect on patient with PTV ≤15 cm3 and CRM negative. Direct surgery is recommended for this group of patients.

Slowing intestinal transit by PYY depends on serotonergic and opioid pathways.

Slowing of intestinal transit by fat is abolished by immunoneutralization of peptide YY (PYY), demonstrating a key role for this gut peptide. How PYY slows intestinal transit is not known. We tested the hypothesis that the slowing of intestinal transit by PYY may depend on an ondansetron-sensitive serotonergic pathway and a naloxone-sensitive opioid pathway. In a fistulated dog model, occluding Foley catheters were used to compartmentalize the small intestine into proximal (between fistulas) and distal (beyond midgut fistula) half of gut. Buffer (pH 7.0) was perfused into both proximal and distal gut, and PYY was delivered intravenously. Ondansetron or naloxone was mixed with buffer and delivered into either the proximal or distal half of gut. Intestinal transit was measured across the proximal half of the gut. The slowing of intestinal transit by PYY was abolished when either ondansetron or naloxone was delivered into the proximal, but not the distal gut, to localize the two pathways to the efferent limb of the slowing response. In addition, 5-HT slows intestinal transit with marker recovery decreased from 76.2 +/- 3.6% (control) to 33.5 +/- 2.4% (5-HT) (P < 0.0001) but was reversed by naloxone delivered into the proximal gut with marker recovery increased to 79.9 +/- 7.2% (P < 0.0005). We conclude that the slowing of intestinal transit by PYY depends on serotonergic neurotransmission via an opioid pathway.

Slowing of intestinal transit by fat or peptide YY depends on beta-adrenergic pathway.

Although the enteric reflex pathway triggered by volume distension is known to depend on an adrenergic nerve, it is not known whether the slowing of intestinal transit by fat or peptide YY (PYY) also depends on an adrenergic pathway. The aim of this study was to test the hypotheses that the slowing of transit by fat or PYY may depend on a beta-adrenergic pathway, and this adrenergic pathway may act via the serotonergic and opioid pathways previously observed for the slowing of transit by fat. Eighteen dogs were equipped with duodenal and midgut fistulas. The small intestine was compartmentalized into the proximal and distal half of gut. The role of adrenergic, serotonergic, and opioid pathways was then tested in the slowing of intestinal transit by fat, PYY, and norepinephrine. Intestinal transit results were compared as the cumulative percent marker of recovery over 30 min. We found that the slowing of transit by fat, PYY, or norepinephrine was reversed by propranolol. In addition, the slowing effect of fat was reversed by metoprolol (beta1-adrenoreceptor antagonist) but not phentolamine (alpha-adrenoreceptor antagonist). Furthermore, norepinephrine-induced slowing of transit was reversed by ondansetron (5-HT3 receptor antagonist) or naloxone (opioid receptor antagonist). Extending these physiological results, we also found by immunohistochemistry that beta1-adrenoreceptors are expressed by neurons of the intrinsic plexuses of the small intestine. We conclude that the slowing of intestinal transit by fat or PYY depends on a beta-adrenergic pathway and that this adrenergic pathway acts on serotonergic and opioid pathways.

[Measurement of methane 13C/12C isotope ratio of slurry gas from oil wells by laser frequency-modulation absorption spectroscopy].

In this paper, we determined the ratio of C13/C12 of methane in slurry gas from oil wells by the method of laser frequency modulation absorption spectroscopy that has many advantages such as high precision, high spectroscopic resolution and rapidly and simply dealing with samples. This technique provided us with a subsidiary method for oil-gas source exploration. The method of laser frequency modulation absorption spectroscopy is based on the method of laser frequency absorption spectroscopy and is more accurate. And this method can be expanded to apply to others aspects easily. We only need change other appropriate laser and select right absorption peak, then we can determined the ration and concentration of diverse gases.