An Aersol-OT (AOT) included microemulsion containing fluorouracil was prepared by using appropriate proportion of oil, co-surfactant and water for increasing the drug transdermal delivery ability. According to the area of microemulsion basing on the pseudo-tertiary phase diagrams, the optimum formulation was screened initially. And the permeation flux of fluorouracil across excised mice skin was determined in vitro using Franz diffusion cell to optimize the formulation further. The effect of the kind of co-surfactant, the content of water, the content of mixed surfactant, the mass ratio of surfactant/cosurfactant (Km) and the drug load on skin permeation of fluorouracil were evaluated. The optimum formulation was composed of 0.5% (w/v) fluorouracil, 30% water, 20% mix-surfactant (AOT/Tween 85, Km = 2) and 49.5% oil (IPM). The cumulative amount permeated of fluorouracil in 12 hour was 1 355.5 microg x cm(-2), 19.1 folds and 7 folds more than 0.5% fluorouracil aqueous solution and 2.5% (w/w) fluorouracil cream, respectively. The permeation of this microemulsion accorded with first-order model. The water/AOT/Tween 85/IPM microemulsion system promoted the permeation of fluorouracil greatly, which may be a promising vehicle for the transdermal delivery of fluorouracil and other hydrophilic drug.
Administration, Cutaneous ; Animals ; Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Drug Carriers ; Drug Delivery Systems ; methods ; Emulsions ; Fluorouracil ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Male ; Mice ; Myristates ; chemistry ; Oils ; chemistry ; Polysorbates ; chemistry ; Skin Absorption ; Succinates ; chemistry ; Surface-Active Agents ; chemistry ; Water ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo compare the clinical efficacy of SS syrup, a Chinese medicine, and pilocarpine in treating patients with xerostomia.

METHODSThirty-eight patients conformed to the inclusive criteria were randomly divided into two groups, they were treated by SS syrup (SS group) and pilocarpine (control group) respectively. Three indexes, i.e. questionnaire of dryness in mouth, total static salivary flow and dynamic salivary flow, before treatment, 1, 2 and 4 weeks after treatment were recorded and statistically analyzed.

RESULTSSignificant difference was shown in the 3 indexes in the SS group between before treatment and 1, 2 and 4 weeks after treatment (P < 0.05), while in the control group significant difference was shown between before treatment and 1, 2, and 4 weeks after treatment except for total dynamic salivary flow after I weck treatment (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSS syrup, which has no adverse reaction, no contraindication, could be taken chronically, and shows good efficacy in improving the symptoms of xerostomia.

Adult ; Aged ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Xerostomia ; drug therapy

OBJECTIVETo compare the nutritional status between pancreaticojejunostomy(PJ) and pancreaticogastrostomy(PG) following pancreaticoduodenectomy.

METHODSA retrospective clinical analysis was performed on 37 patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy(PD) for duodenal carcinoma and pancreatic non-epithelial tumor with PG(n=19) and PJ(n=18) in the First Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from April 2006 to December 2010. All the patients had a needle catheter jejunostomy inserted at the conclusion of laparotomy. Postoperative early enteral nutrition and parenteral nutrition was performed for all the patients. Nutritional status of two groups was compared in body mass index (BMI), serum nutritional parameters such as albumin, transferrin and prealbumin before surgery and on 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively.

RESULTSThere were no significant differences between PG and PJ groups in operative time, blood loss, pancreatic fistula, perioperative death, or postoperative length of hospital stay. One month after surgery, there were no significant differences in BMI [(17.1±7.0) vs. (19.0±4.8) kg/m(2), P>0.05], albumin [(30.1±0.5) vs. (32.1±1.3) g/L, P>0.05], transferrin [(1.89±0.57) vs. (2.01±0.61) g/L, P>0.05] and prealbumin[(0.18±0.05) vs. (0.18±0.09) g/L, P>0.05]. These parameters were decreased at 1 month after surgery, and gradually recovered to baseline or higher than the preoperative levels at 6 months after surgery. However, the differences were still not statistically significant between two groups.

CONCLUSIONSThe influence of PJ and PG on the postoperative nutritional status are comparable.

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Gastrostomy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nutritional Status ; Pancreas ; surgery ; Pancreaticoduodenectomy ; Pancreaticojejunostomy ; Postoperative Period ; Retrospective Studies

Objective:To observe the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) of three different frequencies (2 Hz,80 Hz and 2 Hz/80 Hz) on the free radicals in hippocampus of vascular dementia (VD) model mice.Methods:A total of 100 Kunming mice were randomly divided into a sham operation group,a model group,a 2 Hz EA group,an 80 Hz EA group and a 2 Hz/80 Hz EA group,with 20 mice in each group.The ischemia-reperfusion VD model was established by repeated blockade of bilateral common carotid arteries.Mice in EA groups began EA treatment on the 4th day after the operation.Baihui (GV 20),Dazhui (GV 14),Geshu (BL 17) and Zusanli (ST 36) were punctured and then connected to EA instrument,with different waves of 2 Hz,80 Hz or 2 Hz/80 Hz (10 min/time) applied accordingly,once a day.During the jumping stand experiment,the learning performance,memory performance and hippocampal calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP),nitric oxide synthase (NOS),malondialdehyde (MDA),changes in superoxide dismutase (SOD) and true choline esterase (TChE) were observed.In hippocampus,the CGRP level was determined by radioimmunoassay;the MDA level was determined by thiobarbituric acid colorimetric method;the activities of NOS and TChE were determined by spectrophotometry;the activity of SOD was determined by xanthine oxidase method.Results:Compared with the sham operation group,the performances of learning and memory decreased significantly in the model group (P＜0.01);in hippocampus,the CGRP level decreased,the MDA level increased,the activities of NOS and TChE increased,and the activity of SOD decreased in the model group.Compared with the model group,the learning and memory performances of the EA groups were significantly improved (P＜0.05 or P＜0.01);in hippocampus,the CGRP level increased,the MDA level decreased,the NOS and TChE activities decreased,and the SOD activity increased (P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).Among EA groups,the 2 Hz/80 Hz EA group was superior to the 2 Hz EA group and the 80 Hz EA group (P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).Conclusion:EA can improve the cognitive impairment of mice with ischemia-reperfusion VD.The mechanism may be related to the improvement of cerebral blood circulation,regulation of the central neurotransmitters,fighting lipid peroxidation and promoting nerve cell repair.The therapeutic effects of EA with different frequencies were different,and the intervention effect by EA at 2 Hz/80Hz is the most significant.

Purpose To investigate the expression characteristics and significance of P-selectin and HPA in benign and malignant hydatidform mole tissues. Methods By using immunohistochemical technique SP and RT-PCR, the expression of Pselectin and HPA was detected in 40 cases of benign hydatidiform mole tissues, and 12 malignant hydatidiform mole tissues.Meanwhile, 40 cases of normal placental villi tissues were observed. Results The protein positive rate and protein relative quantity expression and the mRNA relative quantity expression of P-selectin and HPA were gradually increasing in normal placenta villi tissues, benign hydatidiform mole tissues, and malignant hydatidiform mole tissues. The differences between groups were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The expression of P-selectin and HPA showed positive correlation (all P<0.05) in benign and malignant hydatidform mole tissues. Conclusion The over-expression of P-selectin and HPA promotes the occurrence and development of hydatidform mole. The detection of the expression levels of P-selectin and HPA is of great significance for the differential diagnosis and prognosis assessment of benign and malignant hydatidform mole. It could become a biological predictor of malignant development of hydatidform mole.

OBJECTIVETo explore the expression of serine protease Omi/HtrA2 in gastric carcinoma tissue and its association with clinicopathological features and prognosis.

METHODSOmi/HtrA2 protein expression levels were detected by immunohistochemistry method in resected gastric carcinomas(n=68), adjacent noncancerous tissues(n=15), and normal tissues(n=15), and its association with clinicopathological features and prognosis were analyzed.

RESULTSOmi/HtrA2 expression was positive in 73.5%(50/68) of gastric cancer tissues, which was significantly higher than that in adjacent noncancerous tissues and normal tissues(P<0.05). There were no significant differences in Omi/HtrA2 expression with respect to sex, age, tumor size, and depth of invasion(all P>0.05). Omi/HtrA2 expression level was significantly associated with tumor differentiation, extent of lymph node metastasis, and tumor stage(all P<0.05). Overall 5-year survival rate of patients with gastric carcinoma was 63.3%. Five-year survival rate was higher in Omi/HtrA2 positive cases than Omi/HtrA2 negative cases(72.0% vs. 61.1%), however the difference was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONSOmi/HtrA2 expression is more common in gastric carcinoma. Omi/HtrA2 expression is associated with tumor differentiation, extent of lymph node metastasis, and tumor stage.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; High-Temperature Requirement A Serine Peptidase 2 ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mitochondrial Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prognosis ; Serine Endopeptidases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Stomach ; metabolism ; pathology ; Stomach Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinicopathologic features, diagnosis and treatment of neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) in the digestive system.

METHODSThirty-eight patients with NEC from Jan 1985 to Mar 2008 were analyzed retrospectively and the related literatures were reviewed.

RESULTSThere were 29 males and 9 females. Common symptoms were melena or hematochezia (n=21, 55%), abdominal pain (n=19, 50%), abdominal mass (n=15, 39%), constipation (n=14, 37%), rectal mass (n=12, 32%), abdominal distention (n=11,29%) and diarrhea (n=7,18%). All the patients received surgical treatment including 1 esophagectomy, 5 radical total gastrectomies, 1 palliation proximal gastric resection, 2 local gastric resections, 6 pancreaticoduodenectomies, 1 distal pancreatectomies, 3 partial small intestine resections, 7 radical right hemicolectomies, 5 Dixon operations, 3 Miles operations, and 4 local resections of rectal tumor. Thirty-six patients received follow-up. The follow-up time ranged from 3 months to 144 months (median, 70 months). The 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates were 94.7%, 86.8%, and 57.9% respectively. The median survival time was 62 months. The survival time of the patients with carcinoma infiltration exceeding bowel muscularis propria was (36+/-5) months, significantly shorter than that of patients without carcinoma infiltration exceeding the bowel muscularis propria [(73+/-5) months, P<0.05]. The survival time of the patients with positive lymph node metastasis was (34+/-7) months, significantly shorter than that of patients with negative lymph node metastasis [(74+/-5) months, P<0.05].

CONCLUSIONSClinical symptoms, signs of neuroendocrine carcinoma in the digestive system are nonspecific. The correct diagnosis should depend on histopathologic examination. Systematic treatments including radical resection of NEC are the preferable treatment.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Digestive System Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical effect of surgery following systemic targeted therapy of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in patients with metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST).

METHODSFrom June 2007 to December 2009, data of 15 consecutive patients with metastatic GIST treated with imatinib/sunitinib followed by surgery were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTSDisease responses to TKI treatment was categorized into controlled disease (including partial response and stable disease) (6, 40.0%), limited progression (4, 26.7%), and generalized progression (5, 33.3%), respectively. Surgeries were performed after mean 12 months following TKI therapies. Gross complete resection or optimal debulking with minimal residual disease were managed to performed in 8/10 patients with disease controlled and limited progression, while optimal debulking only achieved in 2/5 patients with generalized progression. Surgical morbidity was 20.0% (3/15). After operation, patients with disease controlled and limited progression had a median progression-free survival of 25.0 months and 2-year overall survival rate of 100%. In contrast, for patients with generalized progression, the median progression- free survival was 3 months (P<0.01), and median overall survival 10.5 months.

CONCLUSIONSPatients with metastatic GIST who have controlled disease or limited progression to TKI therapy can benefit from surgical resection. Surgery should be selective in patients with generalized progression since surgery hardly improves survival in these patients.

Adult ; Aged ; Benzamides ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors ; pathology ; therapy ; Humans ; Imatinib Mesylate ; Indoles ; therapeutic use ; Intraoperative Period ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Piperazines ; therapeutic use ; Protein Kinase Inhibitors ; therapeutic use ; Pyrimidines ; therapeutic use ; Pyrroles ; therapeutic use ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo explore the impact of clinicopathological features and extent of lymph node dissection on the prognosis in early gastric cancer (EGC) patients.

METHODSA total of 142 EGC cases screened from database of gastric cancer of Sun Yat-sen University, from Aug. 1994 to Jan. 2010, were included in this study. According to the lymph node metastasis status, they were divided into lymph node negative (n = 116) and lymph node positive (n = 26) groups. The clinicopathological features of the two groups and the impact of extent of lymph node dissection on the prognosis were analyzed.

RESULTSThere were no significant differences in age, gender, tumor size and location, Borrmann typing, WHO TNM staging, histological typing, and CEA value between the two groups (P > 0.05). The TNM stages in the lymph node positive group were higher than that in the lymph node negative group (P < 0.001). Between the cases who underwent D1 (n = 21) and D2 (n = 121) dissection, there were no significant differences in postoperative hospital days, blood transfusion volume, and operation time (P > 0.05). The median numbers of LN dissected in D1 and D2 cases were 4 (0 to 16) and 20 (12 to 30), with a significant difference (P = 0.000), but the number of positive LN without significant difference (P = 0.502). The postoperative complication rates were 9.5% in the D1 and 3.3% in the D2 dissection groups, without a significant difference (P = 0.128). The median survival time of the lymph node negative and positive groups was 156 vs. 96 months (P = 0.010). In cases who received D2 and D1 lymph node dissection, the median survival time (MST) was 156 vs. 96 months (P = 0.0022). In the lymph node positive group, D2 dissection prolonged survival time significantly than D1 dissection (96 vs. 27months) (P = 0.001). Cox regression analysis showed that the extent of lymph node dissection and LN metastasis were independent prognostic factors for EGC patients.

CONCLUSIONSIt is not able to accurately assess the LN metastasis status preoperatively according to the routine clinicopathological features. For the patients with unknown LN metastasis status, D2 dissection should be the first choice. Comparing with D1 dissection, the morbidity of D2 dissection are not increased, but survival time is prolonged.

Adenocarcinoma ; drug therapy ; pathology ; surgery ; Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous ; drug therapy ; pathology ; surgery ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Carcinoma, Signet Ring Cell ; drug therapy ; pathology ; surgery ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Female ; Fluorouracil ; administration & dosage ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastrectomy ; methods ; Humans ; Leucovorin ; administration & dosage ; Lymph Node Excision ; methods ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology ; surgery ; Survival Rate

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of colorectal mucinous adenocarcinoma (MAC) and non-mucinous adenocarcinoma (NMAC).

METHODSClinical data of 2089 cases with colorectal cancer from 1994 to 2007 in our hospital, including 169 patients diagnosed as mucinous adenocarcinoma were analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTSAs compared to NMAC, the tumor diameter of MAC was longer[(5.52+/-3.56) cm vs (4.62+/-2.68) cm, P<0.01]; the age of MAC was younger [(52.3+/-16.5) vs (58.7+/-13.6) years, P<0.01]. The rates of tumor location in colon (97 cases,57.4% vs 814 cases, 44.3%, in MAC and NMAC) were significantly different (P<0.01). Compared with NMAC, MAC had more lymph node involvement (103 cases, 60.9% vs 929 cases, 50.1%), more often in serosa infiltration (116 cases, 68.7% vs 914 cases, 49.8%), more peritoneal dissemination (26 cases, 15.4% vs 125 cases, 6.8%), and adjacent organ invasion (44 cases, 26.0% vs 300 cases, 16.3%) (P<0.01). The rate of radical resection (86.4% vs 91.5%), hepatic metastasis (5.3% vs 8.5%) and local recurrence had no significant difference between patients with mucinous and non-mucinous adenocarcinoma (P>0.05). In comparison to NMAC patients, MAC patients were worse in long-term overall survival, the survival of receiving radical resection and of TNM stage (II+III) group (P<0.01). Survivals were not significantly different in TNM stage I and IV groups between mucinous and non-mucinous adenocarcinoma (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONSColorectal mucinous adenocarcinoma patients have worse outcome in comparison to non-mucinous adenocarcinoma patients. Mucinous adenocarcinoma may have special biological behavior, which is an independent prognostic factor for patients with colorectal cancer.

Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult