Diagnosis and surgical treatment of carotid body tumors: 25 years' experience in China.

Carotid body tumors (CBT) are rare neoplasms arising from the small chemoreceptor organ in the adventitia of the common carotid bifurcation. A retrospective survey was conducted in 33 patients, treated by curative resection of the neoplasm, from 1980 to 2005, to investigate clinical features, preoperative treatment and surgical approach, and determine the optimum management for CBT. The demographic characteristics, clinical features, surgical approach and complications were documented and analyzed. Accurate diagnosis and effective preoperative training were associated with a good surgical outcome. Carotid arteriography accurately diagnoses and evaluates the brain's collateral circulation in the circle of Willis. Ultrasonography is useful. Carotid blood flow obstruction (Matas' training) is effective. Complete excision of the carotid system without a vascular replacement is possible only after reliable Matas' training and objective observation of the establishment of circulation in the circle of Willis. Correct treatment of the internal and common carotid artery is important to reduce postoperative complications. The continuity of the common and internal carotid artery should be retained if possible, and carotid artery repair is recommended. Minor complications occurred in five (15%) patients and one patient died from a cause not related to the CBT at follow-up.

[Construction of eukaryotic expression plasmid for mouse myogenic regulatory factor MyoD gene].

OBJECTIVE: To construct eukaryotic expression plasmid of mouse myogenic regulatory factor MyoD gene for further study on MyoD gene function in molecular regulatory mechanism in skeletal muscle repair. METHODS: The plasmids PEMMBC2 beta 5 containing full cDNA length of MyoD inserted in EcoRI restriction site, were first propagated in Escherichia coli DH5a, then extracted and purified with the Wizard Plus Minipreps DNA Purification System (Promega, USA). The coding sequence of MyoD in PEMMBC2 beta 5 was confirmed by agarose gel electrophoresis and DNA sequence analysis. After plasmids PEMMBC2 beta 5 and plasmids pcDNA3-neo were prepared by digestion with EcoRI, the MyoD cDNA fragment was inserted into EcoRI site in pcDNA3-neo eukaryotic expression vector, and pcDNA3/MyoD was formed. The pcDNA3/MyoD, digested with restriction enzymes, was found to contain the MyoD cDNA sequence by agarose gel electrophoresis analysis. RESULTS: The extracted and purified PEMMBC2 beta 5 contained the correct nucleotide sequence for the full length of MyoD cDNA fragment. The MyoD cDNA fragment had been inserted into the eukaryotic expression plasmid pcDNA3-neo, which formed the pcDNA3/MyoD. CONCLUSION: The pcDNA3/MyoD, a eukaryotic expression plasmid, for MyoD is constructed successfully.