The outstanding progress in the molecular basis of thyroid carcinoma has offered a tool for the development of new drugs,mainly tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs).A number of TKIs are now being applied to the treatment of thyroid carcinomas.Recent clinical trials of TKIs in patients with advanced thyroid cancer have shown some promising preliminary results.This review summarizes the most relevant achievements in the field and the challenges we are facing.

ObjectiveTo analysis the death causes of patients with acute traumatic spinal cord injury(ATSCI) during the initial four months, and determine the clinical predictors of mortality. MethodsMultiple factors that could contribute to mortality were evaluated in the retrospective study. Results3.3% of ATSCI patients died during the initial four months. The death causes were multiple factors inculding arrest of heart and respiration resulting from excessive stimulus to trachea and bronchus, interventions of surgical procedures, pneumonia, multiple organ failure, jam of sputum, and inhalation of food, etc. ConclusionsThe leading causes were the arrest of heart and respiration resulting from excessive stimulus to trachea and bronchus, interventions of surgical procedures and pneumonia. The predictors of mortality include nurological level at C5 and above, motor index of upper extremities less than 6, copious sputum, disability of cough, low blood oxygen pressure especially with progressive decrease, and neurological deterioration, etc.

BACKGROUND:Conventional treatments for hypertrophic scars include excision, steroid hormones, anti-metabolite drugs, immunosuppressive agents and radiation therapy. Easy to relapse or serious reaction limits their clinical use. In recent years, application of calcium channel blockers in treatment of hypertrophic scars has made more good progresses, but little adverse reactions are obtained. OBJECTIVE:To explore the effects of calcium channel blocker trifluoperazine on hypertrophic scar of rabbit ears. METHODS:A total of 24 rabbits were enrol ed in this study. After 1 week of accommodation, models of rabbit ear scar were established in accordance with the method of Morris and Li et al. Rabbit models were randomly assigned to three group (n=8). At 30 days after model induction, when scar formed, trifluoperazine and triamcinolone acetonide groups received trifluoperazine and triamcinolone acetonide injection. Blank control group was left intact. Changes in hyperplastic scar, hypertrophic index, levels of matrix metal oproteinase-2, tissue inhibitor of metal oproteinase-2, transforming growth factorβ1,α-smooth muscle actin and proliferating cellnuclear antigen were compared and observed in each group. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:At 10 and 20 days after treatment, in the three groups, skin bulge was visible in rabbit ears and no rabbit hair grew. Rabbit ears had obvious softening in the trifluoperazine group compared with the triamcinolone acetonide group, showing dark red. In the blank control group, rabbit ear scar was evident and showed red color. At 20 days after treatment, scar thickness and scar index were lower in the trifluoperazine and triamcinolone acetonide groups than in the blank control group. Matrix metal oproteinase 2 expression was significantly higher, but tissue inhibitor of metal oproteinase-2 and transforming growth factorβ1 levels were lower in the trifluoperazine and triamcinolone acetonide groups than in the blank control group. Results indicated that trifluoperazine obtained good proliferative effects on rabbit ear scar, and could decrease scar thickness.

Objective To evaluate the correlation between vesicoureteral reflux (VUR),age,and bladder catecholamine content in rats. Methods Forty-five Long-Evans rats were divided into three groups: fifteen were babies,fifteen were adults,and fifteen were old retired breeder rats. The animals were placed in a supine position,the peritoneal cavity was opened, both ureters were exposed to be observed under the Zess model surgical microscope.A TelcoTm striped 24 G 3/4 in.I.V.catheter placement unit was punctured into the vertex of the urinary bladder.The needle was then withdrawn and the bladder was emptied.The bladder pressure was subsequently monitored by means of a Beckman polygraph via a Bentley physiological pressure transducer.The Teflon catheter was also connected with an infusion withdrawal pump (Haverd type 936). The connective tube was warmed with a simple light bulb. Methylene blue solution (10 mg+19 ml saline) was used as a developing dye at an infusion rate of 0.116ml/min. Likewise,both ureters and the urethral orifice were carefully observed.The pressures at reflux,the pressure at leakage point were recorded.The bladder catecholamine contents were determined with a radioenzymatic assay. Results None of the baby rats showed reflux, 60%(9/15)adult rats had VUR.Dopamine and epinephrine contents were higher in baby rats and decreased as the animal aged. Conclusions High levels of dopamine and epinephrine at weaning stage could compensate to prevent VUR before nerve maturity.

Objective To investigate the correlation between the variations of mitochondrial gene ATP6 and type 2 diabetes mellitus ( T2DM ) and chronic complications. Methods Genomic DNA were extracted from 254 T2DM patients and 165 age-matched controls. After amplification of ATP6 by PCR and direct sequencing, all sequences were compared with the reference sequence (rCRS) to find out the variations. Bioinformatics and statistic method were used to analyze these variations. Results Many variations were detected respectively in T2DM patients and controls, a part of them only appeared in T2DM patients in low frequency, which has not been reported previously. Most of these variations are located in thethird and forth transmembrane helix of ATP synthase subunit 6 (ATPase6). Interestingly, these variationsalmost were detected in the non-obese T2DM patients with hypotension, including G8557A, A8563G,T8594C, C8609T, A8689G, G8998A and G9139A. Conclusions There were many variations in geneATP6 and must of them are mitochondrial SNP, while variations A8689G, T8825C, G8920A, G8998A andG9139A may be mild mutations which my increase the susceptibility of T2DM. G8557A, A8563G,T8594C, C8609T, A8689G, G8998A and G9139A may be associated with the biogenetics diseases suchdiabetes and hypertension.

Objective: To study the application of CT and MRI fusion technique in the diagnosis and treatment of intraocular and orbital tumors. Methods: 2D-images of 13 patients with intraocular and orbital tumors were fused by special-point registration and Iterative Local Closest Point(ILCP) method; 3D-fusion images were reconstructed by Ray Tracing method. Results: A 3D-CT-MRI fusion images of intraocular and orbital tumors were reconstructed and displayed. The CT and MRI data of intraocular and orbital tumors were displayed on the same image as a comprehensive whole,which provided a stereogram of 3D-structure of the normal and abnormal orbital tissues. Anatomical structure of the orbit was clearly visualized by 3D-CT-MRI image. Conclusion: The multi-modality fusion technique can provide more accurate and comprehensive information for clinical diagnosis of intraocular and orbital tumors, which is helpful for doctors' planning of surgical operations,clinical education and doctor-patient communication.