Objective To verify whether β-arrestin-2 inhibits autophagy by up-regulating PI3K/Akt signal to protect the liver from ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) in mice. Methods Twelve β-arrestin-2 knockout (KO) and twelve wild-type (WT) C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into the KO+sham group, KO+IRI group, WT+sham group and WT+IRI group, six mice in each group. The mouse models with 70% liver IRI were established or sham operation was performed. Relevant experiments were carried out at 6 h after liver reperfusion or operation. The expression levels of apoptosis signal protein cleaved Caspase-3, proliferation signal protein Ki-67 and the PI3K/Akt signal protein p-Akt were detected by immunohistochemical staining. Results Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated that compared with the corresponding sham group, the positive cell count for cleaved Caspase-3, Ki-67 and p-Akt in liver tissues of mice was significantly increased in the KO+IRI and WT+IRI groups (all P < 0.01). Compared with the WT+IRI group, the positive cell count for cleaved Caspase-3 in liver tissues of mice was significantly increased, whereas the positive cell count forKi-67 and p-Akt was significantly decreased in the KO+IRI group (both P < 0.05). Conclusions β-arrestin-2 can mitigate the liver cell apoptosis and promote the repair of injury after IRI in mice. Moreover, β-arrestin-2 inhibits autophagy by up-regulating the PI3K/Akt signal to alleviate liver IRI in mice.

Objective:To investigate the prevalence of albuminuria in Chinese residents aged >35 years and its potential association with cardiovascular disease (CVD).Methods:A total of 34 647 Chinese subjects aged ≥35 years were selected by stratified multi-stage random sampling from 2012 to 2015. Data were collected through questionnaires, physical examinations, and laboratory tests. Albuminuria was categorized into 3 types according to urinary albumin-to- creatinine ratio: normal (<30 mg/g), microalbuminuria (MAU, 30-300 mg/g), and macroalbuminuria (≥300 mg/g). Measurement data were expressed as xˉ±s, and t-tests were used for comparisons between indicators. Qualitative data were expressed as rate or constituent ratio, and the χ2 test or Kruskal-Wallis test was used to examine differences. Logistic regression was used for multivariate analyses. SAS 9.4 software was used for statistical analyses, and P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results:The prevalence of abnormal albuminuria was 19.1%; the prevalence was 17.2% for MAU and lower in males (13.8%) than females (20.1%, P<0.01). The risk of CVD was higher among subjects with MAU ( OR=1.23, 95% CI 1.12-1.35) and macroalbuminuria ( OR=1.86, 95% CI 1.50-2.32). When MAU was complicated by hypertension and diabetes mellitus, the CVD risk was 1.76 times higher. Conclusions:The prevalence of MAU is high among Chinese subjects aged 35 years and over. Those with MAU have higher CVD risk, especially those with hypertension and diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVETo summarize the disposal methods and the reasons of complications in operation of totally implantable central venous port (TICVP).

METHODSA total of 2 007 patients were enrolled in this observational, single-center study between December 2008 and March 2013. TICVP implantation was performed with one small skin incision and subcutaneous puncture of subclavian or jugular vein. Patient's profiles, indications of port system, early and delayed complications, and disposal methods were evaluated. There were 38 male and 1 969 female patients, aged from 21 to 85 years, with a mean of 47.6 years.

RESULTSThe mean duration of the TICVP system was (242 ± 12) days, ranging from 9 to 1 243 days. The achievement rate of puncture in the right jugular vein (99.76%) was the highest. Sonographic approach using the internal jugular vein were better than the external landmark-guided technique (99.80% vs. 96.34%, χ² = 29.905, P = 0.000). The rate of immediate complication was 0.80%, which included pneumothorax, hemothorax, lymphatic fistula and thrombosis. Early complications rate was 0.10%, which included pocket hematoma, catheter migration, venous thrombosis, port pocket infection, fibrin sheath formation. Late complications rate was 7.87%, which included catheter fracture, pinch-off syndrome, catheter-related bloodstream infection, fibrin sheath formation, catheter migration, extravasation, port inversion and port reveal. The rate of removal due to complications was 1.34% (27/2 007), and the early complication was higher (χ² = 8.053, P = 0.011).

CONCLUSIONSThe low incidence of complications suggests that TICVP is safe and reliable for long term intermittent venous access. The results support the use of TICVP in the oncology patients and patients requiring long-term intravenous therapy.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Catheterization, Peripheral ; adverse effects ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Complications ; Prostheses and Implants ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult