Objective To evaluate the changes in the expression of spinal endothelin-1 (ET-1) and its receptors in a mouse model of bone cancer pain (BCP).Methods Ninety-six healthy male SPF C3H/HeN mice,aged 4-6 weeks,weighing 20-25 g,were divided into 2 groups (n=48 each) using a random number table:sham operation group (group S) and BCP group.BCP was produced by injecting α-MEM 20 μl containing 1×104 cells/μ1 NCTC 2472 osteosarcoma cells into the distal medullary cavity of the right femur bone.In group S,t-MEM 20 μl was injected into the distal medullary cavity of the right femur bone.Mechanical paw withdrawal threshold (MWT) and the number of spontaneous flinches (NSF) were measured on 1 day before inoculation (T0) and 4,7,10,14 and 21 days after inoculation (T1-5).Twelve mice of each group were randomly sacrificed at T0,2,4,5,and the lumbar enlargement segments of the spinal cord were harvested to detect the expression of ET-1,endothelin type A receptor and endothelin type B receptor protein and mRNA (using Western blot or real-time polymerase chain reaction).Results The MWT was significantly lower and the NSF was higher at T1 in group S and at T1-5 in group BCP than at T0 (P＜0.05).Compared with group S,the MWT was significantly decreased and the NSF was increased at T2-s,and the expression of ET-1,endothelin type A receptor and endothelin type B receptor protein and mRNA was down-regulated at T2,4,5 in group BCP (P＜0.05).Conclusion The pathophysiological process of BCP is associated with down-regulating the expression of spinal ET-1 and its receptors in mice.

Splenic artery embolization plays an important role in the management of various medical and surgical conditions that are non-traumatic in etiology, in addition to its well-established and widely discussed role in managing splenic trauma. In nontraumatic emergencies of catastrophic bleeding originating from the spleen or splenic artery, splenic artery embolization can be effective in achieving hemostasis as a definitive management, temporary stabilizing measure, or preoperative optimization technique. In addition to emergency clinical conditions, splenic artery embolization can be performed electively as an alternative to splenectomy for managing patients with hypersplenism.Herein, we report 6 cases of splenic artery embolization performed at our center to highlight its various indications. This article aims to demonstrate the role of splenic artery embolization in different clinical scenarios and the considerations behind the techniques employed through illustrative cases.

Although rare, hepatic artery aneurysms are associated with a high morbidity and mortality, necessitating a prompt diagnosis. A significant proportion of hepatic artery aneurysms are pseudoaneurysms, and the major risk factors of which have already been identified in previous literatures. Presentation can be variable, but diagnosis almost relies entirely on computed tomography and digital subtraction angiography. The endovascular approach has progressively become the preferred option due to its better performance when compared to the traditional surgical approach. However, formulation of an endovascular treatment plan for these lesions remains difficult as multiple factors should be considered to identify the best endovascular treatment modality. Five cases of pseudoaneurysm due to recent Whipple operation, hepatobiliary infections, and underlying malignancy are presented in this article to illustrate the effectiveness and complexity of endovascular treatment in this disease entity.

Objectives: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) shares a complex relationship with bone metabolism and few studies investigated the effect of impaired bone health on the risk of T2DM. This study was conducted to investigate the association between hip fractures and the risk of incident T2DM. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study using data from the real-world hip fracture cohort. Hong Kong Chinese patients aged ≥ 65 years without T2DM who were admitted to public hospitals due to a fall between 2008 and 2015 were included in the study. Patients who sustained falls with and without hip fractures were matched by propensity score (PS) at a 1:1 ratio. Competing risk regression was used to evaluate the association between hip fracture and incident T2DM, with death being the competing event. Results: A total of 23,314 hip fracture cases were matched to 23,314 controls. The median follow-up time was 5.09 years. The incidence rate of T2DM was 11.947 and 14.505 per 1000 person-years for the hip fracture and control group respectively. After accounting for the competing risk of death, the hip fracture group had a significantly lower risk of developing T2DM (HR: 0.771, 95% CI: 0.719–0.827). Similar results were observed in all subgroups after stratification by age and sex. Conclusions Hip fracture was found to be associated with a reduced risk of T2DM. These findings provide insight into the topic of bone and glucose metabolism and prompt further research in evaluating the role of bone health in the management of T2DM.

BACKGROUNDPlasma transfusion is a common clinical practice. Remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) protects organs against ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. Whether preconditioned plasma (PP), collected at late phase after RIPC, could protect organs against IR injury in vivo is unknown. This study explored whether transfusion of PP could reduce myocardial infarct size (IS) after IR in rat in vivo.

METHODSEighty Lewis rats were randomized to eight groups (n = 10 for each group). Two groups of plasma donor rats donated plasma at 48 h after transient limb ischemia (PP) or control protocol (nonpreconditioned plasma [NPP]). Six groups of recipient rats received normal saline (NS; NS-IR 1, and NS-IR 24 groups), NPP (NPP-IR 1 and NPP-IR 24 groups), or PP (PP-IR 1 and PP-IR 24 groups) at one or 24 h before myocardial IR. Myocardial IR consisted of 30-min left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery occlusion and 180-min reperfusion. The area at risk (AAR) and infarct area were determined by double-staining with Evans blue and triphenyltetrazolium chloride. IS was calculated by infarct area divided by AAR. This was a 3 × 2 factorial design study, and factorial analysis was used to evaluate the data. If an interaction between the fluid and transfusion time existed, one-way analysis of variance with Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons was used to analyze the single effects of fluid type when the transfusion time was fixed.

RESULTSIS in the NPP-IR 1 and PP-IR 1 groups was smaller than in the NS-IR 1 group (F = 6.838, P = 0.005; NPP-IR 1: 57 ± 8% vs. NS-IR1: 68 ± 6%, t = 2.843, P = 0.020; PP-IR 1: 56 ± 8% vs. NS-IR 1: 68 ± 6%, t = 3.102, P = 0.009), but no significant difference was detected between the NPP-IR 1 and PP-IR 1 groups (57 ± 8% vs. 56 ± 8%, t = 0.069, P = 1.000). IS in the NPP-IR 24 and PP-IR 24 groups was smaller than in the NS-IR 24 group (F = 24.796, P< 0.001; NPP-IR 24: 56% ± 7% vs. NS-IR 24: 68 ± 7%, t = 3.102, P = 0.026; PP-IR 24: 40 ± 9% vs. NS-IR 24: 68 ± 7%, t = 7.237, P< 0.001); IS in the PP-IR 24 group was smaller than in the NPP-IR 24 group (40 ± 9% vs. 56 ± 7%, t = 4.135, P = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONTransfusion of PP collected at late phase after remote ischemic preconditioning could reduce IS, suggesting that late-phase cardioprotection was transferable in vivo.

Animals ; Blood Component Transfusion ; methods ; Ischemic Preconditioning, Myocardial ; methods ; Male ; Myocardial Infarction ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury ; complications ; Plasma ; Rats

Age-related sporadic cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) has gained increasing attention over the past decades because of its increasing prevalence associated with an aging population. The widespread application of and advances in brain magnetic resonance imaging in recent decades have significantly increased researchers' understanding in the in vivo evolution of CSVD, its impact upon the brain, its risk factors, and the mechanisms that explain the various clinical manifestation associated with sporadic CSVD. In this review, we aimed to provide an update on the pathophysiology, risk factors, biomarkers, and the determinants and spectrum of the clinical manifestation of sporadic CSVD.
Aged ; Aging ; Brain/diagnostic imaging* ; Cerebral Small Vessel Diseases/epidemiology* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Pandemics