Objective To investigate the effects of dexamethasone on absorption of lung edema in rabbits with seawater drowning-induced acute lung injury.Methods Seawater(4 ml/kg body weight)was instilled into the lower trachea of ventilated and anesthetized rabbits.These rabbits were assigned randomly to receive intravenous injection of 1 mg/ kg body weight of dexamethasone(dexamethasone group,DG)or 2 ml of normal saline(control group,CG).Lung edema was measured by extravascular lung water index(EVLWI)using a gravimetric method.Three hours after treatment, epithelial Na~+ channel subunit-?(?-ENaC)mRNA and Na~+/K~+-adenosine triphosphatase subunit-?l(NKA-?l) protein abundances in lung tissues were respectively measured by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting,and NKA activity was measured by monitoring the release of inorganic phosphate(Pi)from adenosine triphosphate(ATP).Results The DG's EVLWI was significantly lower than the CG's[(0.508?0.089)vs.(0.648?0.102),P＜0.05)],but the DG's NKA activity,?-ENaC mRNA and NKA-?l protein abundances were significantly higher than the CG's,correspondingly(P＜0.05).Conclusions With up-regulation of the NKA activity and expressions of?-ENaC and NKA-?l,dexamethasone treatment could promote the absorption of lung edema in rabbits with seawater drowing-induced acute lung injury.

Objective:To evaluate any effect of transcranial pulsed current stimulation (tPCS) on the motor functioning of rats modelling stroke using the Catwalk gait analysis system.Methods:A stroke model was induced in 24 rats using middle cerebral artery embolization. They were then randomly divided into a sham operation group, a model group and a tPCS group, each of 8. Neurological deficit scores were assigned 1 day after the modeling. Beginning two days after the modeling the tPCS group was given 20 minutes of tPCS daily with an intensity of 0.2mA at 10Hz for 7 days. Gait data were collected using the Catwalk gait system 1 day before, as well as 1 and 9 days after the modeling.Results:Nine days after the modeling the average Bederson neuroethology score of the tPCS group was significantly lower than one day after the modelling and significantly lower than the model group′s average. One day after the modelling significant differences were observed in the model and tPCS groups in the average contact area of the affected limb′s paw prints, limb swing speed, stride length, limb speed, swing time, average running speed and standing time compared with before the operation. After nine days the average standing time on the affected fore and hind limbs, as well as the paw contact areas were significantly better in the tPCS group than in the model group.Conclusion:tPCS can promote improvements in gait after ischemia and reperfusion, at least in rats.

Chemotherapeutic drugs generally lack specificity, and so the development of a carrier that can actively target delivery of chemotherapy drugs without immunogenicity to organisms has attracted increasing attention. In this work, a multivalent aptamer (Multi-Apt) was constructed by hybridizing a long single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) with tandem repeated sequences synthesized by rolling circle amplification (RCA) with several ssDNA encoding aptamer AS1411 sequences. The double-helix structure was used to load the anti-tumor drug doxorubicin (Dox) for targeted treatment of B16 cells. The binding ratio of RCA product to ssDNA was optimized by agarose gel electrophoresis, and the loading and release of Dox were explored using a microplate reader. The targeting and growth inhibition of Multi-Apt-Dox on B16 cells were investigated by fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry, microplate reader, CCK-8 assay and wound healing assay. The results showed that the optimal molar ratio of RCA product to ssDNA was 1:50. Fluorescence microscopic pictures, flow cytometry analysis and microplate reader experimental results showed that each Multi-Apt could load approximately 200 Dox molecules, and the affinity of Multi-Apt for B16 cells was 46-fold higher than that of free AS1411. Cell experimental results demonstrated that Multi-Apt induced selective cytotoxicity after intracellular degradation and drug release, thereby greatly reducing the adverse reactions of Dox to normal cells and providing a new strategy for targeted drug delivery in tumor treatment.

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics of choledocholithiasis com-bined with periampullary diverticulum and influencing factor for difficult cannulation of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP).Methods:The retrospective case-control study was conducted. The clinical data of 1 920 patients who underwent ERCP for choledocholithiasis in 15 medical centers, including the First Hospital of Lanzhou University, et al, from July 2015 to December 2017 were collected. There were 915 males and 1 005 females, aged (63±16)years. Of 1 920 patients, there were 228 cases with periampullary diverticulum and 1 692 cases without periampullary diverticulum. Observation indicators: (1) clinical characteristics of patients with choledocholithiasis; (2) intraoperative and postoperative situations of patients undergoing ERCP for choledocholithiasis; (3) influencing factor analysis for difficult cannulation in patients undergoing ERCP for choledocholithiasis. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean±SD, and comparison between groups was conducted using the independent sample t test. Measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M(range) or M( Q1, Q3), and com-parison between groups was conducted using the Wilcoxon rank sum test. Count data were described as absolute numbers or percentages, and comparison between groups was conducted using the chi-square test or Fisher exact probability. The Logistic regression model was used for univariate and multivariate analyses. Results:(1) Clinical characteristics of patients with choledocholithiasis. Age, body mass index, cases with complications as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diameter of common bile duct, cases with diameter of common bile duct as <8 mm, 8?12 mm, >12 mm, diameter of stone, cases with number of stones as single and multiple were (69±12)years, (23.3±3.0)kg/m 2, 16, (14±4)mm, 11, 95, 122, (12±4)mm, 89, 139 in patients with choledocholithiasis combined with periampullary diverticulum, versus (62±16)years, (23.8±2.8)kg/m 2, 67, (12±4)mm, 159, 892, 641, (10±4)mm, 817, 875 in patients with choledocholithiasis not combined with periampullary diver-ticulum, showing significant differences in the above indicators between the two groups ( t=?7.55, 2.45, χ2=4.54, t=?4.92, Z=4.66, t=?7.31, χ2=6.90, P<0.05). (2) Intraoperative and postoperative situations of patients undergoing ERCP for choledocholithiasis. The balloon expansion diameter, cases with intraoperative bleeding, cases with hemorrhage management of submucosal injection, hemostatic clip, spray hemostasis, electrocoagulation hemostasis and other treatment, cases with endoscopic plastic stent placement, cases with endoscopic nasal bile duct drainage, cases with mechanical lithotripsy, cases with stone complete clearing, cases with difficult cannulation, cases with delayed intubation, cases undergoing >5 times of cannulation attempts, cannulation time, X-ray exposure time, operation time were 10.0(range, 8.5?12.0)mm, 56, 6, 5, 43, 1, 1, 52, 177, 67, 201, 74, 38, 74, (7.4±3.1)minutes, (6±3)minutes, (46±19)minutes in patients with choledocholithiasis combined with periampullary diverticulum, versus 9.0(range, 8.0?11.0)mm, 243, 35, 14, 109, 73, 12, 230, 1 457, 167, 1 565, 395, 171, 395, (6.6±2.9)minutes, (6±5)minutes, (41±17)minutes in patients with choledocholithiasis not combined with periampullary diverticulum, showing significant differences in the above indicators between the two groups ( Z=6.31, χ2=15.90, 26.02, 13.61, 11.40, 71.51, 5.12, 9.04, 8.92, 9.04, t=?3.89, 2.67, ?3.61, P<0.05). (3) Influencing factor analysis for difficult cannulation in patients undergoing ERCP for choledocholithiasis. Results of multivariate analysis showed total bilirubin >30 umol/L, number of stones >1, combined with periampullary diverticulum were indepen-dent risk factors for difficult cannulation in patients with periampullary diverticulum who underwent ERCP for choledocholithiasis ( odds ratio=1.31, 1.48, 1.44, 95% confidence interval as 1.06?1.61, 1.20?1.84, 1.06?1.95, P<0.05). Results of further analysis showed that, of 1 920 patients undergoing ERCP for choledocholithiasis, the incidence of postoperative pancreatitis was 17.271%(81/469) and 8.132%(118/1 451) in the 469 cases with difficult cannulation and 1 451 cases without difficult cannula-tion, respectively, showing a significant difference between them ( χ2=31.86, P<0.05). In the 1 692 patients with choledocholithiasis not combined with periampullary diverticulum, the incidence of postopera-tive pancreatitis was 17.722%(70/395) and 8.250%(107/1 297) in 395 cases with difficult cannula-tion and 1 297 cases without difficult cannulation, respectively, showing a significant difference between them ( χ2=29.00, P<0.05). In the 228 patients with choledocholithiasis combined with peri-ampullary diverticulum, the incidence of postoperative pancreatitis was 14.865%(11/74) and 7.143%(11/154) in 74 cases with difficult cannulation and 154 cases without difficult cannulation, respectively, showing no significant difference between them ( χ2=3.42, P>0.05). Conclusions:Compared with patients with choledocholithiasis not combined with periampullary divertioulum, periampullary divertioulum often occurs in choledocholithiasis patients of elderly and low body mass index. The proportion of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is high in choledocholithiasis patients with periampullary diverticulum, and the diameter of stone is large, the number of stone is more in these patients. Combined with periampullary diverticulum will increase the difficult of cannulation and the ratio of patient with mechanical lithotripsy, and reduce the ratio of patient with stone complete clearing without increasing postoperative complications of choledocholithiasis patients undergoing ERCP. Total bilirubin >30 μmol/L, number of stones >1, combined with periampullary diverticulum are independent risk factors for difficult cannulation in patients of periampullary diverticulum who underwent ERCP for choledocholithiasis.

Background::Although overnight fasting is recommended prior to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), the benefits and safety of high-carbohydrate fluid diet (CFD) intake 2 h before ERCP remain unclear. This study aimed to analyze whether high-CFD intake 2 h before ERCP can be safe and accelerate patients’ recovery.Methods::This prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled trial involved 15 tertiary ERCP centers. A total of 1330 patients were randomized into CFD group ( n = 665) and fasting group ( n = 665). The CFD group received 400 mL of maltodextrin orally 2 h before ERCP, while the control group abstained from food/water overnight (>6 h) before ERCP. All ERCP procedures were performed using deep sedation with intravenous propofol. The investigators were blinded but not the patients. The primary outcomes included postoperative fatigue and abdominal pain score, and the secondary outcomes included complications and changes in metabolic indicators. The outcomes were analyzed according to a modified intention-to-treat principle. Results::The post-ERCP fatigue scores were significantly lower at 4 h (4.1 ± 2.6 vs. 4.8 ± 2.8, t = 4.23, P <0.001) and 20 h (2.4 ± 2.1 vs. 3.4 ± 2.4, t= 7.94, P <0.001) in the CFD group, with least-squares mean differences of 0.48 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.26–0.71, P <0.001) and 0.76 (95% CI: 0.57–0.95, P <0.001), respectively. The 4-h pain scores (2.1 ± 1.7 vs. 2.2 ± 1.7, t = 2.60, P = 0.009, with a least-squares mean difference of 0.21 [95% CI: 0.05–0.37]) and positive urine ketone levels (7.7% [39/509] vs. 15.4% [82/533], χ2 = 15.13, P <0.001) were lower in the CFD group. The CFD group had significantly less cholangitis (2.1% [13/634] vs. 4.0% [26/658], χ2 = 3.99, P = 0.046) but not pancreatitis (5.5% [35/634] vs. 6.5% [43/658], χ2 = 0.59, P = 0.444). Subgroup analysis revealed that CFD reduced the incidence of complications in patients with native papilla (odds ratio [OR]: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.39–0.95, P = 0.028) in the multivariable models. Conclusion::Ingesting 400 mL of CFD 2 h before ERCP is safe, with a reduction in post-ERCP fatigue, abdominal pain, and cholangitis during recovery.Trail Registration::ClinicalTrials.gov, No. NCT03075280.