OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of preamputation pain on the behavioral response and astrocytic activation in the spinal cord of amputated rats, and to assess the association between preamputation pain and chronic amputation-related pain. METHODS: A total of 84 adult male SD rats were randomly distributed into an NA group (n=42) and a PA group (n=42). The NA group was intraplantarly injected with saline 100 μL, while the PA group was intraplantarly injected with complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) 100 μL in both cases at 7 d before the amputation. Thermal withdrawal latency (TWL) was measured before the injection and at 1, 3, 5, and 7 d after the injection. All rats were amputated on the 7th day. The TWL, diet and water intake were measured on 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 14, 17, 21, and 28 d after the amputation. Expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the L4-6 of spinal cord was measured by immunohistochemistry before the saline/ CFA injection, 7 d after the injection and 1, 3, 5, 7, 10 d after the amputation.. RESULTS: The TWL significantly decreased on 1, 3, 5, and 7 d after the intraplantar administration of CFA compared with the basic value in the PA group (P<0.05), while there was no difference between 1, 3, 5, and 7 d after the intraplantar administration of saline and the basic value in the NA group (P>0.05). In addtions to the basic value, the TWL of the PA group was shorter than that of the NA group at the above-mentioned time-points (P<0.05). Compared with the preoperative level, the diet and water intake decreased significantly after the amputation in both groups, but recovered to the preoperative levels, by 3 d after the amputation in the NA group, and by 5 d after the amputation in the PA group. Compared with the TWL of the residual limb on the day of amputation, the TWL of the residual limb increased significantly 3 d after the amputation and remained elevated until 28 d after the amputation in the NA group (P<0.05), while there was no difference between each time point after the amputation and the day of the amputation in the PA group. Compared with the basic value, there was an obviously high expression of GFAP in the NA group beginning on the day of amputation and in the PA group 7 d after the CFA injection (P<0.05). After the amputation, the expression of GFAP was significantly higher in the PA group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Preamputation pain delays the recovery and activates the spinal astrocytes which may turn the acute postoperative pain into a chronic one.
Amputation ; Animals ; Astrocytes ; physiology ; Behavior, Animal ; Male ; Pain ; physiopathology ; Pain, Postoperative ; physiopathology ; Preoperative Period ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spinal Cord ; physiopathology

Objective To compare the diuretic efficacy of torasemide as a 2-hour continuous infusion and as a bolus injection of equal dose in patients with nephrotic syndrome,and to investigate a preferable administration mode of torasemide for these patients.Methods Twenty-three hospitalized patients were randomized to receive torasemide 20 mg or 40 mg per day by either 2-hour intravenous infusion or bolus injection,and interchanged after 48 hours of washout.Results Patients received torasemide by 2-hour intravenous infusion exhibited significantly higher daily urinary volume,chloride excretion,sodium excretion and fractional excretion of sodium (FENa) within 24 hours than those by bolus injection (P ＜ 0.05).Significantly lower bound-state torasemide excretion,higher ratio of urinary volume to torasemide excretion and a markedly larger area under the curve in the plasma concentrationtime profiles were also observed in the infusion group (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion 2-hour continuous infusion delivers a better diuretic effect compared with a bolus injection of equal dose of torasemide in patients with nephrotic syndrome.

OBJECTIVETo establish the ultrasonographic criteria for normal size of infrarenal aorta (IRA) and common iliac arteries (CIA) of young males in a Chinese school and to determine the associations between IRA diameter (IRAD) and CIA diameter (CIAD) and body habitus as well as traditional cardiovascular risk factors.

METHODSCross-sectional study was done of 203 Chinese young males enrolled from a technical school in Beijing Changping district from May to June 2013. The IRA and CIA scans were carried out using ultrasonography. Longitudinal scans were used to assess aortic morphology and tortuosity. The maximum internal anteroposterior IRAD and CIAD in any area of the arteries were measured during the cardiac cycle. Participants information on demographic, medical history, smoking history and alcohol consumption was obtained through unified questionnaire. Univariate and multivariate linear regression was used to determine the associations between arterial diameter and body habitus as well as other risk factors.

RESULTSThe median participants age was 21.5 (ranging from 18 to 28) years. The IRAD was (13.4±1.9) mm, and the CIAD was (9.4±1.6) mm. There was no significant difference between the left and right CIAD. Waist circumference was significantly associated with increasing IRAD (P=0.03), while alcohol had an inverse correlation (P=0.04). Age, hip circumference were significantly associated with increasing CIAD (P=0.00, 0.04), while the systolic pressure and alcohol had inverse correlations (P=0.01, 0.00). By dividing the entire group into equal four groups using quartile values for both age and waist/hip circumference, the older group and the larger waist/hip circumference had greater arterial diameter.

CONCLUSIONSThe enrolled Chinese young males have smaller IRAD and CIAD compared with foreign older population. Age, waist circumference, hip circumference, alcohol and systolic pressure have statistically significance but small effects on arterial diameter.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Aorta, Abdominal ; diagnostic imaging ; Beijing ; epidemiology ; Blood Pressure ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; epidemiology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Humans ; Iliac Artery ; diagnostic imaging ; Male ; Risk Factors ; Ultrasonography ; Waist Circumference ; Young Adult

Objective: To explore the role of ROCK1 in oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) induced podocyte injury and its possible mechanism. Methods: The conditionally immortalized mouse podocyte cells were cultured in vitro and exposed to 20 μg/ml ox-LDL for 24 h. Western blotting was used to analyze the expression level of p-MYPT, nephrin, LC3-Ⅱ, p62, p-ULK1 in groups of control, ox-LDL, ROCK1 siRNA with ox-LDL, wtROCK1 with ox-LDL. Podocytes were incubated with DiI labeled ox-LDL for 4 h and fluorescence microscope was used to analyze lipid distribution. Results: Compared with control group, ox-LDL increased cell cholesterol accumulation, activated ROCK along with decreased nephrin, LC3-Ⅱ(P<0.05), and increased p62, and p-ULK1 expression (P<0.05). Over-expression of ROCK1 significantly decreased the expression of nephrin and LC3-Ⅱ, but up-regulated the levels of p62, p-ULK1 and cell cholesterol accumulation in ox-LDL stimulated podocytes (P<0.05). In contrast, Inhibition of ROCK1 protected podocyte by improved lipophagy. Conclusion ROCK1 mediated disfunction of lipophagy contributes to the ox-LDL induced podocyte injury.

Objective To investigate the effect of vacuum-assisted closure(VAC)on the circulating number of endothelia progenitor cell(EPCs)in diabetic patients with mild to moderate degrees of ischemic foot ulcer and their related factors. Methods A total of 84 diabetic patients with foot ulcer duration for at least 4 weeks and ankle brachial index(ABI)0.5~0.9 were selected and divided into and assigned to two groups according to 2: 1 randomization:vacuum-assisted closure(VAC)treatment group(n=56)and Non-VAC treatment group(n=28). The control group (NC) was composed of 18 patients who had normal glucose tolerance and lower extremity ulcer without arteriovenous disease. VAC was performed on the ulcer wound after debridement for 1 week in both VAC group and NC group,and the patients in Non-VAC group received conventional treatment process. The circulating number of EPCs was measured before and after various treatments and the influencing factors of their changes were analyzed. Results After VAC treatment,the circulating number of EPCs significantly increased in both VAC group and NC group[(85.3 ± 18.1)vs(34.1 ± 12.5)/106cells,(119.9 ± 14.4)vs(66.1 ± 10.6)/106cells,both P<0.05]. By contrast,the circulating number of EPCs had no significant change in Non-VAC group[(45.2 ± 19.4)vs(34.7 ± 16.8)/106cells, P>0.05]. In addition,the circulating levels of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)and the protein expressions of VEGF and stromal cell-derived factor-1α(SDF-1α)in the granulation tissue also significantly increased after VAC treatment in both VAC group and NC group,but no significant change in Non-VAC group. Compared with Non-VAC group,the changes of VEGF and SDF-1α levels in the sera and granulation tissue were all significantly higher in both VAC group and NC group(P<0.05 or P<0.01). There were no significant differences in changes of the circulating number of EPCs, and VEGF and SDF-1α in the sera and granulation tissue between VAC group and NC group. Correlation analysis showed that the change of the circulating number of EPCs was correlated with the changes of VEGF and SDF-1α levels in the sera and granulation tissue of VAC group and NC group(P<0.05). Conclusion VAC treatment may increase the circulating number of EPCs in diabetic patients with mild to moderate ischemic foot ulcer as in non-diabetic controls,which may be attributed to the upregulation of systemic and local VEGF and SDF-1α levels.

Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the renal pelvis accounts for a very low percentage of malignant tumors in the renal pelvis and has a poor prognosis. This article reported a patient with sarcomatoid carcinoma of the renal pelvis. The patient presented with macroscopic hematuria as the first symptom, and CT suggested left renal occupancy, unilateral nephrectomy was performed, and pathology suggested sarcomatoid carcinoma of the renal pelvis. Three weeks after surgery, a follow-up CT showed tumor recurrence. Programmed death 1(PD-1)inhibitor was given once every 3 weeks. Repeated CT examination after 24 weeks of continuous treatment suggested that the recurrent tumor disappeared. The patients was followed-up for 42 months without tumor recurrence or metastasis.

Objective To evaluate the effect of over-expression of phosphatase and tensin homolog does on chromosome ten (PTEN) in podocytes on kidney under high fat diet (HFD) in vivo and clarify the mechanism how PTEN regulates scavenger receptor A (SR-A) expression exposed to oxidized low density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) in podocytes in vitro.Methods The podocyte-specific PTEN knockin (PPKI) mice were fed with HFD to establish mouse model of lipid-induced renal injury.Mice were divided into four groups:ND+Ctrl group,ND+PPKI group,HFD+Ctrl group and HFD+PPKI group.After 24 weeks of dietary intervention,all mice were tested for clinical and biochemical parameters,including serum creatinine (Scr) as well as urine albumin excretion rate (UAER);renal lipid content was measured by oil red O staining and cholesterol quantitative analysis;the pathological changes of glomeruli were observed by PAS staining and electron microscope.Podocyte injury was induced by ox-LDL in vitro.Western blotting was used to detect the changes of SR-A expression induced by ox-LDL after YAP-siRNA interfering (si-YAP),as well as YAP phosphorylation induced by ox-LDL after interfering by PTEN-siRNA (si-PTEN) and PTEN phosphatase inhibitor (Bpv-PTEN),and overexpressing by recombinant adenovirus (ad-PTEN).Results Compared with ND+Ctrl group,HFD+ Ctrl group significantly aggravated the levels of Scr and UAER,the expression of SR-A in podocytes,renal lipid content,mesangial matrix expansion,effacement of podocyte foot processes,and incrassation of glomerular basement membrane (all P ＜ 0.05).Conversely,compared with HFD+Ctrl group,HFD+ PPKI group obviously alleviated the above lipid-induced renal damage (all P ＜ 0.05).In vitro,the expression of SR-A in podocytes was up-regulated when stimulated with ox-LDL (P ＜ 0.05),and the knockout of YAP significantly down-regulated the expression of SR-A induced by ox-LDL (P ＜ 0.05).Exposed to ox-LDL,the expression of p-YAP increased in podocytes (P ＜ 0.05);over-expression of PTEN inhibited p-YAP up-regulation induced by ox-LDL (P ＜ 0.05),while either knockdown of PTEN or inhibition of PTEN phosphatase activity displayed opposite effect (all P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions Over-expression of PTEN in podocytes protected the kidney against damage from HFD in vivo and PTEN might suppress SR-A mediated lipid uptake via dephosphorylating p-YAP to prevent podocyte injury from ox-LDL.