Objective To evaluate the effect of endoscopic variceal ligation(EVL) combined with splenectomy for the patients with portal hypertension. Methods Thirty two cases of portal hypertension underwent EVL plus splenectomy from May 1999 to May 2002 in our department. The patients were registered and followed up in the third, sixth and twelfth months after operation respectively. Re ligations were performed in case of relapsed varices. Results Thirty one patients were followed up for ≥2 years.Of them,esophageal varices recrrented in 6.4% of patients during following-up period,but no reblecding, and no death caused by hepatic encehpalopathy or other complications.Conclusions EVL combined with splenectomy has less trauma , less postoperative complications and high eradication rate of esophageal varices, so it can be used safely in the treatment of patients with ruptured esophageal varices.

BACKGROUND:Engineered hepatic tissue is considered a promising strategy for healing acute liver failure. But, there are series of hindrances in the construction of engineered hepatic tissues, including acquisition of vital hepatocytes, choice of scaffolds and culture system, and nutrition supply. OBJECTIVE:To construct three kinds of engineered hepatic tissues in hope to screen the optimal one for transplantation in acute liver failure. METHODS:After purification, amplification, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were induced to differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells which were co-cultured with acellular amniotic membrane, DACRON PATCH cardiovascular surgical patch, biological surgical patch, respectively to construct three kinds of engineered hepatic tissues. After 3 days of culture, morphological and functional detections were performed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells with higher purity were successful y harvested by using density gradient centrifugation and adherent methods, and then the cells were differentiated into hepatocyte-like cells. In the three kinds of engineered hepatic tissues, hepatocyte-like cells were found to be combined with the biological surgical patch to the maximum extent, and their combination exhibited stronger ability of urea synthesis and albumin secretion, which provides experimental basis for treatment of acute liver failure.

Objective To Study the effect of splenectomy plus endoscopic varices ligation (SEVL) in the treatment of portal hypertension. Methods SEVL was carried out in 38 patients with portal hypertension from January 2000 to June 2002. The authors compared hemodynamic parameters and gastric emptying time before and after the operation. The incidence of upper gastrointestinal bleeding, the disappearance rate of esophageal varicosis, the outcomes of portal hypertensive gastropathy (PHG) and the incidence of complications were recorded at postoperative 3 weeks, 6 months, 12 and 18 months, respectively. Results Postoperatively, the free portal pressure, portal flow volume and velocity were significantly reduced in all the cases ( P 0.05). Portal thrombosis was seen in 6 cases (6/38, 15.8%). Conclusions SEVL has little influence on gastric emptying and PHG, offering a high disappearance rate of varicosis and a low incidence of complications.

Objective To investigate the expression and significance of ?-endorphin in hippocampus after high power microwave (HPM) radiation. Methods 50 male Wistar rats were sacrificed at 6h, 1d, 3d, 7d, 14d, 28 days after exposure to 12mW/cm~2 HPM imitational source radiation. The hippocampus was harvested, the characteristics of injury to the hippocampus and expression of ?-endorphin were evaluated by means of light microscope, EM, immunohistochemistry and image analysis. Results In the neutrons of hippocampus, mitochondrial swelling and myelin sheath confluence and dissociation were observed 6 hours after radiation, and mitochondrial swelling, cavitation, disruption of crista, concentration margining of chromatin, blurring of synaptic cleft, piling or evacuation of vesicles were observed 3 days after HPM radiation. The expression of ?-endorphin in cytoplasm of neurons was up-regulated continuously from 1 to 7 days, peaking at 7 days, restoring to normal level from 14 to 28 days after radiation. Conclusion HPM can produce injury to the hippocampus at histological and ultrastructural levels. The expression of ?-endorphin is up-regulated, and it might play an important role in the pathophysiological process of injury and repair in the hippocampus.

Objective To investigate the distribution and changes of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and fibroblast growth factor receptor-1 (FGFR-1) in normal heart or heart after myocardial infarction (MI),and to explore beneficial effects of bFGF on heart after MI. Methods Eleven adult minipigs were randomly divided into 2 groups,control (n=5) and MI group (n=6). MI was induced by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery. Sham-operation was carried out on the animals of control. bFGF-like-immunoreactivity (bFGF-ir) and FGFR-1-like-immunoreactivity (FGFR-1-ir) in heart tissues were detected by immuno-histochemistry and image analysts in 4 weeks after surgery. Results In controls,bFGF-ir and FGFR-1-ir in the atrium showed a considerable high level compared with 2 ventricles (P

AIM:To investigate morphologic and functional changes of small intestinal mucosa and proliferating cell nuclear antigen in postoperative portal hypertension patients with single or combined administration of Gln and rhGH.METHODS:Twenty-nine portal hypertension patients with surgical treatment were prospectively randomized to four groups as follows:① Gln group(n=6);② rhGH group(n=8);③ Gln+rhGH group(n=7)and ④ control group(n=8).A standard solution for TPN was given three days after operation for a week.The concentration ratio of urinary lactulose and mannitol(L/M),the villus height and crypt depth and PCNA index of small intestinal mucosa were compared.RESULTS:A week after TPN postoperation,the increased ratios of L/M in Gln+rhGH group were less than those in control group(P0.05).CONCLUSION:This study suggest that Gln together with rhGH reduce the intestinal permeability and protect the mucosa integrality in postoperative portal hypertension patients,but not in single treatment.

BACKGROUND:It is reported that bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell(BMSC)transplantation might be a promising treatment for liver fibrosis.But the mechanism is still unclear.OBJECTIVE:To observe the hepatic stellate cells apoptosis induced by BMSC transplantation,and to study the mechanism of BMSC in treating hepatic fibrosis in vivo.METHODS:CCl_4 subcutaneous injection was performed to induce rat liver fibrosis.After 8 weeks of CCU injection,20 rats which underwent successful model establishment were randomly divided into experimental group and control group,10 in each group.The experimental group received MSC transplantation via tail vein injection,and the control group were given DMEM instead.The rats were killed and the livers were harvested at three time point,the day of MSC transplantation,3 days after transplantation,and 7 days after transplantation.The hydroxyproline content was detected by HE and Masson staining,and the expression changes of α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA)proteins were determined using immunohistochemistry.The apoptosis of hepatic stellate cells were determined by α-SMA and TUNEL(terminal dUTP nick-end labeling)dual-staining.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:After 8 weeks of CCU injection,the hydroxyproline content increased and histology indicated progress of liver fibrosis.At 7 days after MSC transplantation,the hydroxyproline in the liver was decreased,and the liver fibrosis was alleviated in the experimental group but aggravated in the control group.Immunohistochemistry indicated that α-SMA positive cells were increased at 8 weeks after CCU injection.At day 7 after transplantation,α-SMA positive cells in the experimental group were significantly less than control group(P ＜ 0.05).At 3 days after transplantation,the hepatic stellate cells apoptosis in the experimental group was significantly aggravated compared with control group(P ＜ 0.05).This suggested that MSC transplant was an effective treatment for liver fibrosis.MSC inducing hepatic stellate cells apoptosis may be one of the mechanisms.

Objective To explore the therapeutic effect of rhIL-11 and rhG-CSF on mouse bone marrow injury induced by neutron irradiation.Methods 130 male BALB/c mice were irradiated by 3.0 Gy neutron and mice peripheral blood cells,bone marrow pathological changes,bone marrow nucleated cell counts,AgNOR content,apoptosis and necrosis rates and Bax protein content were observed by means of blood cells automatic analyzer,HE staining,AgNOR staining,flow cytometry,immunohistochemistry staining and image analysis.Results In the irradiation group and the rhIL-11 group,the mice peripheral blood white blood cells,bone marrow nucleated cell counts and AgNOR content was decreased progressively.The Bax protein was positively or strongly positively expressed in the cytoplasm of the hematopoietic cells and the Bax protein content was increased progressively at 6 h,1 d,3 d after irradiation.In the irradiation group,the rates of apoptosis and necrosis in the mice hematopoietic cells were greatly increased and that of necrosis was significant at 6 h after irradiation.In the rhIL-11 + rhG-CSF group,the counts of bone marrow nucleated cell and AgNOR were increased and the Bax protein content was decreased at 3 d after irradiation,while in the rhIL-11 group,the indexes mentioned above were not obviously different compared with those of the irradiation group.Conclusions The mice bone marrow hematopoietic function is seriously damaged by 3.0 Gy neutron irradiation,rhIL-11 and rhG-CSF could improve the mice hernatopoietic function after neutron irradiation,and combination of them is more effective to stimulate the hematopoitic function than either of them alone.

Objective To construct the bioartificial liver by bone mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) and alginate scaffold. Method Alginate scaffold was used as the cell carrier for the cultivation of BMSC and the differentiation from BMSC into hepatic like cells was induced by the cell factors of HGF, EGF and FGF-4 in the scaffold in vitro. The compatibility of the cells and the scaffold was observed by microscopy and the function of the differentiatd cells was tested. The gene of AFP and ALB was detected by RT-PCR. The secretion of ALB and the urea synthesis of the cells were tested by ALB kit and urea kit respectively. The glycogen synthesis and the CK-18 was tested by the glycogen stanning method and the immunofluorescence test. Results BMSC was able to attach, grow and proliferate well in the alginate scaffold, the well compatibility was observed by microscopy. ALB and urea were detected in the cultivating medium, the gene of ALB and AFP was identified by RT-PCR. The glycogen synthesis ability and the expression of CK-18 were induced during the differentiation. Conclusion The three dimensional atginate scaffold exhibited well compatibility with BMSC, BMSC could be differentiated into the hepatic like cell in the scaffold. BMSC and the alginate scaffold could be used to construct the bioartificial liver for the hepatic tissue engineering.

Objective To evaluate a thrombolytic system of portal vein port-catheter kit (PC) in the treatment of portal vein thrombosis (PVT). Methods In this study, 42 PVT patients with liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension after splenectomy from 2005 to 2007 were divided into two groups. In group A (20 eases) thrombolysis was administered through the PC device. Urokinase at the dosage of 1000 U?kg-1?h-1 was given for a consecutive 3 -6 days through the PC, and then the therapy was converted to 100 AxaIU/kg of low molecular heparin twice a day for 7 days subcutaneously. In group B, the thrombolysis was performed on 22 patients through peripheral veins. The therapy was same as in group A except for that the urokinase dosage was doubled. The complete thrombolysis rate, the effective thrombolysis rate, the time of thrombolysis, the long-term recurrence rate and the incidence of complication were compared between the two groups. Results The complete thrombolysis rate and the effective thrombolysis rate in group A were 75%, 90% respectively, compared with that of 41%, 59% respectively in group B. The significant differences in the complete thrombolysis rate, the effective thrombolysis rate, the time of thrombolysis and the incidence of complication were found between the two groups, while the thrombolysis recurrence rate had no significant difference between the two groups. Conclusion PC regime is an effective and safe method for the treatment of portal vein thrombosis.