PURPOSE: To know whether the cardiac function of the patients with heart disease is impaired or improved after long-term taking ?-AR antagonists. METHODS: After giving the rats ?-AR selective antagonist, atenolol, for 12wk, the method of radioligand binding assay and the experiment of isolated left-atrium contractive function were carried out to observe the quantity and distribution of ?-AR, its subtypes, ?-AR, and the change of left - atrium contractive function. RESULTS: After long-term administration of atenolol, there were no any obvious changes in ?-AR, the density of the total ?-AR, ?1-AR, and the proportion of ?2-AR in tota1 amount of ?-AR, but the con centrat ion - response cu rves shi fted l e ftwa rd s si gn ifi cant ly as compared with control group- The PA2 value of isoprotenol(ISO) - induced positive inotropic effect after antagonized by ?1-AR selective antagonist CGP20712A in atenolol group was increased significantly as compared with control group. But the PKB value after antagonized by ICI 118511 showed no obvious difference between two groups. HPLC detection showed that the level of plasma atenolol was 3. 5pmol/L in atenolol group and the leveIs of plasma norepinephrine had no significant difference between two groups. But the level of plasma adrenaline in atenolol group was obviously lower than that in control group. CONCLUSIO- N: The long-term administration of ?l-AR antagonist will cause significant increase of the sensitivity of heart ?-AR, especially ?1-AR to excitant ISO. But the number of ?-AR and its subtypes did not change significantly. Besides, after the long-term administration of ?1-AR antagonist atenolol, the level of plasma adrenaline in rats was much lower than that in control group.

BACKGROUND: It is very important to evaluate vascularization of postoperative hydroxyapatite (HA) orbital implants in human eyes. Recently, methods for evaluating vascularization of HA orbital implants are limited; however, ultrasonic contrast is a novel technique to high-precisely measure blood flow.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility of ultrasonic contrast to evaluate the vascularization of HA orbital implants, and to compare with enhanced MRI.DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: The comparative observation was performed at Departments of Ophthalmology and Ultrasound,Jiangyin People's Hospital between January 2008 and January 2009.PARTICIPANTS: Ten patients including 8 males and 2 females were treated with eye ball extirpation and HA orbital implants. The patients were aged 24-61 years, with the mean age of (45.0±10.2) years. HA orbital implants were crossly coated using anterior part of pedicle scleral flap.METHODS: PHILIPS IU22 color Doppler ultrasound was used in this study, and SonoVue (59 mg) was the major contrast medium. Sulphur hexafluoride was dissolved in saline to make suspension. A 2.4-mL suspension was injected through peripheral vein of elbow. Enhanced MRI was additionally used in this study: Siemens Magnetom Avanto 1.5T, standard head coil, horizontal axis, 2.0-3.0 mm thickness, no interval, FOV 160 mmxi80 mm, 256x256 matrix, and SE sequence T1WI (TR 500 ms, TE 12 ms).Dimeglumine gadopentetate injection was used as a contrast medium.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Vascularization characteristics and degrees between ultrasonic contrast and enhanced MRI at different time points after implantation.RESULTS: Ultrasonic contrast showed a well dynamic contrast-enhanced image of the anterior part of HA in early stage of post-operation, and showed distributing instance and density of blood vessel. Later stage of post-operation (about 3-6 months),contrast-enhanced image was unconspicuous. The enhanced MRI showed a clear vascularization of HA orbital implants at the stage of post-operation.CONCLUSION: Ultrasonic contrast is a effective investigative way to evaluate vascularization of HA orbital implants in early stage of implantation, and it is limited at the later stage of post-operation than enhanced MRI.

Background and purpose: The incidence rate of elderly esophageal carcinoma patients is increasing year by year. In this study, the clinicopathologic factors, operational factors and postoperative complications were compared between the older and the younger elderly patients with thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), and the influence of different surgical approaches to older elderly patients were analyzed. Methods: A retrospective review of 371 cases of elderly patients with thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (≥60 years) between Jan. 2006 and Dec. 2008 were performed. The patients were divided into two age groups. The patients over 75 years old named the older elderly group including 53 patients, and the patients between 60-74 years named the younger elderly group including 318 patients, the clinicopathological factors, operational factors, postoperative hospital mortality and average length of stay were compared. Meanwhile, according to different surgical approaches, the comparison of the left chest and right chest approach of operative time, blood loss and postoperative complication rate, and so on and so forth. Results: The older elderly group compared with the younger elderly group had more preoperative complications. Preoperative ASA classiifcation and postoperative complications, length of stay and hospital mortality rates were signiifcantly higher. The older elderly group over the right chest approach had less postoperative complications, especially pulmonary complications, the results were statistically signiifcant.(13.0%vs 40.0%,P<0.05) Conclusion: The patients over 75 years old with thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma have a higher risk during the operation, we can choose relatively simpler operation approach to reduce the incidence of postoperative complications, especially pulmonary complications.

Objective To establish methods for the determination of doxorubicin and elacridar, and prepare PLGA nanoparticles for the co-delivery of doxorubicin and elacridar.Methods Ultraviolet spectrophotometry (UV) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were used to establish the determination method of doxorubicin and elacridar, respectively;co-delivery nanoparticles system was prepared by nanoprecipitation method, and optimizing the prescription was by adjusting the dosage ratio of the two drugs to investigate the particle size,morphology, encapsulation efficiency (EE), drug loading (DL) and in vitro release.Results The linearity of doxorubicin was better in the rang of 1 to 40 μg/ml, A=0.021C+0.002,r=0.999 5;the linearity of elacridar was better in the rang of 0.5 to 100 μg/ml,A=120 742.462 6C+1 974.570 4,r=1.000 0;the particle size was about 50 nm;transmission electron microscope (TEM) showed that nanoparticles were round in shape and had a good dispersion;EE of doxorubicin and elacridar were 56.58%、51.66%,respectively, DL of doxorubicin and elacridar were 1.48%、1.85%,respectively,the molar ratio of two drugs was about 1∶1;the nanoparticles released slowly in vitro.Conclusion The established methods of doxorubicin and elacridar were convenient and efficient, accurate and repeatable.The Co-delivery nanoparticles system was well dispersionand smaller size, which could be used for further studies.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the prognostic value of the size of primary tumor (T staging) and international prognostic index (IPI) for patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) of the tonsil, and to recommend the treatment strategy for early stage patients.

METHODS306 patients with untreated NHL of the tonsil were reviewed. According to Ann Arbor staging classification, 35 patients had stage I, 178 stage II, 49 stage III and 44 stage IV disease. According to 1997' AJCC staging system, 29 patients had T1, 142 T2, 117 T3 and 18 T4 disease. Twelve stage I patients were given radiotherapy alone and 23 stage II patients were given combined modality therapy (CMT). For patients with stage II lesion, 57 were given radiotherapy alone, 2 chemotherapy alone and 119 CMT. Chemotherapy was the main treatment in patients with stage III or IV lesions.

RESULTSThe 5-year cancer specific survival (CSS) was 74% for patients with T(1), 59% for T(2), 56% for T(3) and 26% for T(4), respectively (P = 0.000). The 5-year CSS was 70% for patients with 0 risk factor, 49% for 1 risk factor, 25% for 2 or 3 risk factor, respectively (P = 0.000). CMT significantly improved disease free survival (DFS) from 46% (radiotherapy alone) to 60% (CMT) for stage II patients (P = 0.046). Multivariate analysis showed that performance status, Ann Arbor staging, T staging, B symptom, and IPI were independent prognostic factors.

CONCLUSIONThe T staging of the primary tumor and IPI are the important prognostic factors of patients with NHL of the tonsil. Combined modality therapy significantly improves the disease free survival of stage II patients.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; diagnosis ; mortality ; therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prognosis ; Survival Analysis ; Tonsillar Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; mortality ; therapy