BACKGROUND: Plenty of materials have been used as stent in total auricular reconstruction with varying advantages and disadvantages. The in vitro prepared tissue engineered complex cartilage stent has been not applied in clinic.OBJECTIVE: To observe the ultrastructure changes of surrounding tissues following total auricular reconstruction with nickel-titanium (NiTi) shape memory alloy stent in vivo.DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: The randomized, controlled, animal experiment was performed in the Central Laboratory of EENT Hospital of Fudan University, Anhui Provincial Hospital and Department of Nuclear Medicine, Huashan Hospital of Fudan University from April 2004 to October 2005.MATERIALS: A total of 12 New Zealand rabbits were randomized divided into the skin-expanded and unexpanded groups, with 6 animals in each group.METHODS: Each animal underwent subcutaneous implantation with a NiTi alloy stent like human auricle. In the skin-expanded group, the stent was implanted after skin expansion, while no treatment in the unexpanded group.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The ultrastructure changes of surrounding tissues were detected by scanning electron microscope at months 6 and 12 after implantation.RESULTS: Structure of nickel-titanium alloy implant stent make fibrovascular ingrowth more easily. The surface of nickel-titanium alloy stent was smooth without corrosion. There was no evidence of infection in the host tissue. Microstructure of Ni-Ti stent wires showed no morphologic and functional changes after subcutaneously implanted in vivo, and the difference between 2 groups had no significance.CONCLUSION: NiTi shape memory alloy stent can smoothly pass the process of fibrovascularization with less complication.According to the examination by SEM, the nickel-titanium stent showed good biocompatibility.

Apoptosis is particularly important for the body to inhibit or eliminate Mycobacterium tuberculosis ( Mtb) infection. A series of mechanisms to regulate macrophage apoptosis are triggered after macrophages are infected by Mtb. In Mtb-infected macrophages, there are differentially expressed microRNAs (miRNAs), which can directly bind to the binding sites in the 3′-untranslated region (3′ UTR) of apoptotic genes to regulate the expression of apoptotic genes and the apoptosis of macrophages through the mitochondrial or death receptor pathway. This paper reviewed the miRNAs associated with the apoptosis of Mtb-infected macrophages and the major mechanisms.

Objective:To analyze the clinical manifestations and the diagnosis of the facial nerve tumor according to the clinical information, and evaluate the different surgical approaches depending on tumor location.Method:Twenty-seven cases of facial nerve tumors with general clinical informations available from 1999.9 to 2006.12 in the Shanghai EENT Hospital were reviewed retrospectively.Result:Twenty(74.1%) schwannomas,4 (14.8%)neuofibromas ,and 3(11.1%)hemangiomas were identified with histopathology postoperatively.During the course of the disease,23 patients(85.2%)suffered facial paralysis,both hearing loss and tinnitus affected 11 (40.7%)cases,5(18.5%)manifested infra-auricular mass and the others showed some of otalgia or vertigo or ear fullness or facial numbness/twitched. CT or/and MRI results in 24 cases indicated that the tumors originated from the facial nerve.Intra-operative findings showed that 24(88.9%)cases involved no less than 2 segments of the facial nerve,of these 24 cases 87.5%(21/24)involved the mastoid protion,70.8%(17/24)involved the tympanic protion, 62.5%(15/24)involved the geniculate ganglion, only 4.2%(1/24)involved the internal acoustic canal(IAC),and 3 cases (11.1%)had only one segments involved. In all of these 27 cases ,the tumors were completely excised,of which 13 were resected followed by an immediate facial nerve reconstruction,including 11 sural nerve cable graft,1 facial nerve end-to-end anastomosis and 1 hypoglossal-facial nerve end-to-end anastomosis.Tumors were removed with preservation of facial nerve continuity in 2 cases.Conclusion:Facial nerve tumor is a rare and benign lesion,and has numerous clinical manifestations.CT and MRI can help surgeons to make a right diagnosis preoperatively.When and how to give the patients an operation depends on the patients individually.

Objective To investigate the comparability of the results of common biochemical items detected by Celercare M1 an‐alyzer in the peripheral blood and the venous whole blood .Methods The samples of peripheral blood and venous whole blood were collected from subjects .The biochemical items including Mg2+ ,Cl- ,tCO2 ,K+ ,Na+ ,Ca2+ ,α‐HBDH ,LDH ,AST ,CK ,CK‐MB ,TP , ALB ,TBIL ,ALT ,GGT ,ALP ,UREA ,GLU ,UA ,CHOL ,and HDL‐C were determined by Celercare M1 analyzer ,and the results were compared .Results The tCO2 results of venous blood was significantly higher than that of peripheral blood (P<0 .05) .How‐ever ,the results of α‐HBDH ,LDH ,CK and CK‐MB of venous blood samples were significantly lower than those of peripheral blood samples ,and the difference was statistically significant (P<0 .05) .Conclusion The peripheral blood can replace venous blood for biochemical analysis on Celercare M1 analyzer ,except for the electrolyte test items and cardiac enzyme items such as α‐HBDH , LDH ,CK and CK‐MB .

To solve problems of clinical medical students from grade 2015 and grade 2016 in self-learning awareness and habits, Weifang Medical University had taken some important measures, such as strengthening education concept, innovating teaching methods, establishing and improving teaching management system, creating a good learning environment and so on, which improved students' self-discipline, enthusiasm and ability of practice and innovation, enhanced excellent students' influence, and provided references to improve teaching quality and medical students' ability of independent learning.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical manifestations and the diagnosis of the facial nerve tumor according to the clinical information, and evaluate the different surgical approaches depending on tumor location. METHOD: Twenty-seven cases of facial nerve tumors with general clinical informations available from 1999.9 to 2006.12 in the Shanghai EENT Hospital were reviewed retrospectively. RESULT: Twenty (74.1%) schwannomas, 4 (14.8%) neurofibromas ,and 3 (11.1%) hemangiomas were identified with histopathology postoperatively. During the course of the disease, 23 patients (85.2%) suffered facial paralysis, both hearing loss and tinnitus affected 11 (40.7%) cases, 5 (18.5%) manifested infra-auricular mass and the others showed some of otalgia or vertigo or ear fullness or facial numbness/twitches. CT or/and MRI results in 24 cases indicated that the tumors originated from the facial nerve. Intra-operative findings showed that 24 (88.9%) cases involved no less than 2 segments of the facial nerve, of these 24 cases 87.5% (21/24) involved the mastoid portion, 70.8% (17/24) involved the tympanic portion, 62.5% (15/24) involved the geniculate ganglion, only 4.2% (1/24) involved the internal acoustic canal (IAC), and 3 cases (11.1%) had only one segments involved. In all of these 27 cases, the tumors were completely excised, of which 13 were resected followed by an immediate facial nerve reconstruction, including 11 sural nerve cable graft, 1 facial nerve end-to-end anastomosis and 1 hypoglossal-facial nerve end-to-end anastomosis. Tumors were removed with preservation of facial nerve continuity in 2 cases. CONCLUSION Facial nerve tumor is a rare and benign lesion, and has numerous clinical manifestations. CT and MRI can help surgeons to make a right diagnosis preoperatively. When and how to give the patients an operation depends on the patients individually.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Cranial Nerve Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Facial Nerve Diseases ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To explore the efficacy of small dose of intratympanic gentamicin injection on intractable Meniere's disease. METHOD: Retrospectively study the efficacy of gentamicin intratympanic injection on intractable Meniere's disease. The end-point of treatment was determined based on bedside tests (Spontaneous Nystagmus test, Head shaking test and Head Thrust test), hearing tests, or the improvement of patients symptoms. RESULT: Nineteen patients with Meniere's disease were treated with intratympanic gentamicin injection. Vertigo control was achieved in 17 patients (89%). Of them, vertigo of 5 patients was successfully controlled after single injection. Eight patients need double injections and 4 patients need the third injections to control the vertigo. Endolymphatic sac shunt was performed to 1 patient because he could not tolerate the fullness of ear due to injection. The remainder 2 patients with double injections showed no improvement of vertigo and rejected further treatment. Hearing was improved in two patients after gentamicin injection. Three patients complained of hearing loss after intratympanic gentamicin injection. The hearing of the other patients did not change. CONCLUSION Three weeks after using small dose of gentamicin intratympanic injection to treat intractable Meniere's disease, it was determined whether more injections is required. The results showed that by using this approach, the vertigo could be effectively controlled and the risk of hearing loss following intratympanic gentamicin injection could be reduced.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Ear, Middle ; Female ; Gentamicins ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Male ; Meniere Disease ; complications ; drug therapy ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Vertigo ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Young Adult

BACKGROUNDReplacement of spiral ganglion neurons would be one prioritized step in an attempt to restore sensory neuronal hearing loss. However, the possibility that transplanted neurons could regenerate new synaptic connections to hair cells has not been explored. The objective of this study was to test whether neural stem cell (NSC)-derived neurons can form synaptic connections with hair cells in vitro.

METHODSNSCs were mechanically separated from the hippocampus in SD rat embryos (E12-E14) and cultured in a serum-free medium containing basic fibroblast growth factor and epidermal growth factor. Rat NSCs were co-cultured with explants of cochlea sensory epithelia obtained from postnatal Day 3 rats under transway filter membrane.

RESULTSAt Day 3, the NSCs began to show chemotactic differentiation and grew toward cochlea sensory epithelia. After 9-day co-culture, neurites of NSC-derived neurons predominantly elongated toward hair cells. Immunohistochemical analyses revealed the fibers overlapped with synapsin and hair cells, indicating the formation of new synaptic connections. After 14-day culture, triple staining revealed the fibers overlapped with PSD95 (postsynaptic density) which is juxtaposed with CtBP2 (presynaptic vesicle), indicating the formation of new ribbon synapse.

CONCLUSIONSNSC-derived neurons can make synaptic connections with hair cells and provide a model for studying synaptic plasticity and regeneration. Whether the newly forming synapse is functional merits further electrophysiological study.

Animals ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Coculture Techniques ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; pharmacology ; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 ; pharmacology ; Hair Cells, Auditory ; cytology ; drug effects ; ultrastructure ; Neural Stem Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; ultrastructure ; Neurons ; cytology ; drug effects ; ultrastructure ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Synapses ; drug effects ; metabolism