Animals ; Heart Ventricles ; cytology ; Lipid Bilayers ; Potassium Channels ; Sarcolemma ; physiology ; Swine

Objective To explore the effect of ultrasound-guided stellate ganglion block (SGB) in the incidence of postoperative headache, nausea and vomiting in conventional thyroidectomy. Methods Ninety patients undergoing conventional thyroidectomy were randomly allocated to three groups with 30 patients in each group. In group L, SGB was performed with 5 ml 0.5% lidocaine; in group N, SGB was performed with 5 ml 0.9% sodium chloride; and in group C, no prior block was performed. Postoperatively, during the 48 h after surgery, every episode of postoperative headache and postoperative nausea and vomiting was recorded and a safety assessment was performed. In group L and group N, the hemodynamic status of the vertebral artery and carotid artery was recorded before and after the SGB was performed. In group C, the hemodynamic status of the vertebral artery and carotid artery was recorded before and after the neck was in the full extension position. Results One patient of group N and one patient of group C was discharged. During the 48 h after surgery, headache occured in 5 patients (16.7%) of group L, 8 patients (27.6%) of group N, and 17 patients (58.6%) of group C, and the headache rate in group C was significantly higher than that in group L (P=0.0007). The headache mostly occurred at 2 h and 4 h after operation. During the 48 h after surgery, nausea and vomiting occured in 8 patients (26.7%) of group L, 11 patients (37.9%) of group N, and 20 patients (60.9%) of group C, and the nausea and vomiting rate in group C was significantly higher than that in group L (P=0.0017) and group N (P=0.0343). The nausea and vomiting mostly occurred at 2 h and 4 h after operation.In group L and group N, and the inner diameters of the vertebral and carotid arteries after SGB were wider than those before SGB (P<0.05). In group C, the inner diameters of the vertebral and carotid arteries after the neck extension position were narrower than prostration position (P<0.05). No side effects were observed during or after SGB. Conclusions Preoperative SGB performed with 5 ml 0.5%lidocaine is an effective technique for reducing postoperative headache and nausea and vomiting after thyroidectomy.

Animals ; Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2 ; metabolism ; Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4 ; metabolism ; Carrier Proteins ; pharmacology ; Liver ; metabolism ; Liver Regeneration ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

Ultrasonic microbubbles were used to open blood-brain barriers (BBB) with a reversed and limited behavior feature in the study, which could improve the brain-targeted delivery of anti-tumor drugs. The glioma rat model was prepared. Low-frequency ultrasound was combined with microbubbles to affect the permeability of BBB compared with the permeability of independently administered Evans blue (EB) crossing BBB. Time point and length of ultrasound were investigated whether they affect the permeability of BBB and the damage of brain tissue. The effect of the growth time of glioma on BBB permeability was explored. Only glioma had a very little impact on BBB permeability. However, ultrasonic microbubbles opened the BBB with the features of temporary, limited and reversed behavior and improved EB and magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent penetrating BBB. A length of 30 s ultrasound is appropriate for opening BBB and no damage of brain tissue. Drugs should be injected before ultrasound so that they enter into brain as BBB opening. Ultrasonic microbubbles can open BBB effectively and safely, which improve drugs penetrating BBB under proper time point and length.
Animals ; Blood-Brain Barrier ; Contrast Media ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Glioma ; drug therapy ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Microbubbles ; Permeability ; Rats ; Ultrasonics

High dose methotrexate is a cornerstone of therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia and osteosarcoma.However MTX levers exhibit significant inter-individual variability in clinical,and acute toxicity after high-does MTX is often unexpected,thus it needs individual administration.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the correlation between uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) expression and myocardial mitochondria injury in rats with sepsis induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS).

METHODSThe rat model of sepsis was established through an intraperitoneal injection of LPS. Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly and equally divided into control group (an intraperitoneal injection of normal saline), sepsis 6 h group (LPS-6 h group), sepsis 12 h group (LPS-12 h group), sepsis 24 h group (LPS-24 h group), and sepsis 48 h group (LPS-48 h group). The serum and heart tissues were harvested at corresponding time points and myocardial mitochondria was extracted. The microplate reader was applied to measure creatine kinase (CK), creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Flow cytometry was applied to measure the degree of mitochondrial swelling and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). Western blot was used to measure the expression level of UCP2. Electron microscopy was applied to observe the morphological changes in heart tissues and myocardial mitochondria.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, the LPS groups had significantly increased serum levels of CK, CK-MB, and myocardial ROS, as well as a significantly increased degree of mitochondrial swelling (P<0.05), and these values reached their peaks at 24 hours after LPS injection. The LPS groups had a significant decrease in MMP (P<0.05), which reached the lowest level at 24 hours after LPS injection. Western blot showed that the LPS groups had a significant increase in the expression level of myocardial UCP2 compared with the control group (P<0.05), which reached its peak at 24 hours after LPS injection. The results of electron microscopy showed mitochondrial swelling, partial rupture of the mitochondrial membrane, and cavity formation in rats in the LPS groups. The most severe lesions occurred in the LPS-24 h group. In rats with LPS, the ROS level in the myocardial mitochondria and the degree of mitochondrial swelling were positively correlated with the expression level of UCP2 (r=0.796 and 0.893, respectively; P<0.05), while MMP was negatively correlated with the expression level of UCP2 (r=-0.903, P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSIn the rat model of sepsis, the myocardium and myocardial mitochondria have obvious injuries, and the expression level of UCP2 is closely correlated with mitochondrial injury. Therefore, UCP2 might play an important role in myocardial mitochondrial injury in sepsis.

Animals ; Cardiomyopathies ; genetics ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Humans ; Ion Channels ; genetics ; metabolism ; Lipopolysaccharides ; adverse effects ; Male ; Mitochondria, Heart ; metabolism ; Mitochondrial Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Myocardium ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sepsis ; genetics ; metabolism ; Uncoupling Protein 2

OBJECTIVETo study the relationship between Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection and histopathological features of nodular gastritis (NG) in children.

METHODSA total of 213 children who had undergone gastroscopy due to upper gastrointestinal symptoms were enrolled and were divided into NG and non-NG groups according to endoscopic appearance. The histopathological features of gastric mucosa were evaluated using the updated Sydney System. The rates of Hp infection, moderate to severe inflammation and lymphoid follicles formation of gastric mucosa were compared between the two groups.

RESULTSThirty-eight (17.8%) of the subjects were diagnosed with NG. The NG group had significantly increased rates of Hp infection (86.8% vs 14.3%; P<0.01), moderate to severe inflammation (81.6% vs 15.4%; P<0.01) and lymphoid follicles formation of gastric mucosa (52.6% vs 10.3%; P<0.01) compared with the non-NG group. NG had a high specificity (96.8%) and a positive predictive value (86.8%) for the diagnosis of Hp infection. NG was observed in 33 (56.9%) of 58 Hp-positive children and in 5 (3.2%) of 155 Hp-negative children (P<0.01). Hp-positive children had higher rates of moderate to severe inflammation (86.2% vs 5.2%, P<0.01) and lymphoid follicles formation of gastric mucosa (84.2% vs 14.9% P<0.01) compared with Hp-negative children. There were significant differences in Hp colonization, degree of inflammation and inflammation activity in gastric tissues between the NG and non-NG groups (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSNG is a special sign of Hp infection in children, which mostly shows moderate to severe inflammation of gastric mucosa, and can be used as an endoscopic indicator of Hp infection. Hp eradication therapy should be considered in the treatment of NG.

Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Gastric Mucosa ; pathology ; Gastritis ; pathology ; Helicobacter Infections ; pathology ; Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Male

OBJECTIVETo study the relationship of changes in gene expression profiles of hydatidiform mole and choriocarcinoma with hyperplasia of trophoblasts.

METHODSThe differentially expressed genes were analyzed in two pairs of tissues of hydatidiform mole versus normal villi, and in two pairs of normal primary culture trophoblasts versus JAR cell line of chariocarcinoma, using cDNA microarray containing 4096 genes. To confirm the results of cDNA microarray analysis, expressions of some up-regulated genes related to DNA synthesis in normal villi, hydatidiform mole, and 2 choriocarcinoma cell lines (JAR and JEG-3) were examined by immunohistochemistry, immunoblotting and RT-PCR.

RESULTSA total of 89 genes were differentially expressed in all hydatidiform moles, accounting for 2.2% of the genes arrayed. Of the 89 genes, 24 were up-regulated and 65 were down-regulated. Compared with normal primary trophoblasts, there were 433 genes up-regulated and 380 genes down-regulated in JAR cell line. Forty six genes were up-regulated in both hydatidiform mole and choriocarcinoma, while 13 genes were down-regulated. Some genes associated with cell proliferative inhibition were significantly down-regulated, whereas those associated with cell proliferation, malignant transformation, metastasis and drug resistance were highly up-regulated. The expressions of thymidine kinase 1, the small subunit of ribonucleotide reductase (RRM2) were significantly increased in hydatidiform mole, JAR and JEG-3 cells.

CONCLUSIONAbnormal expression of genes exists in hydatidiform mole and choriocarcinoma. Hyperplasia of trophoblasts may be related to over-expression of genes coding for synthetic enzymes.

Adult ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic ; Choriocarcinoma ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; Female ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Hydatidiform Mole ; genetics ; metabolism ; Hyperplasia ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Pregnancy ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Ribonucleoside Diphosphate Reductase ; metabolism ; Thymidine Kinase ; metabolism ; Trophoblasts ; pathology ; Uterine Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology

BACKGROUND: Peripheral nerve injury can lead to extensive changes in central nervous system, and exercise training can promote the recovery of locomotor function following central nervous system injury. OBJECTIVE: To observe the changes of locomotor function and the expression levels of vesicular glutamate transporter VGLUT1 in the spinal cord in a rat model of dorsal root ganglion resection after treadmill exercise and to explore the effect of treadmill training on the locomotor function after peripheral nerve injury. METHODS: Thirty-nine 10-week-old male Wistar rats were randomized into experimental (n=15), control (n=15) and sham operation (n=9) groups. The rats in the experimental and control groups received the dorsal root ganglion resection at L3and L4segments to establish the model of peripheral nerve injury under local anesthesia, while the rats in the sham operation group were only subjected to dorsal root ganglion exposure. The rats in the experimental group underwent 15 m/minute treadmill training at postoperative 7 days, while rats in the other two groups were in free movement. Gait analysis was performed at preoperative 3 days, postoperative 7, 14, 21, and 28 days, respectively, and the behavioral changes of rats were observed. The tissue sections were obtained from L3segment at postoperative 7, 14, and 28 days to detect the expression levels of VGLUT1 in the spinal cord by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The peroneal nerve function index in the experimental and control groups was lower than that before surgery and that in the sham operation group at postoperative different time points (all P ＜ 0.05). The index in the experimental and control groups was the lowest on day 7 postoperatively (P ＜ 0.05), then the index gradually increased, but was still lower than the preoperative level (P ＜ 0.05). The index in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group at postoperative 21 and 28 days (P ＜ 0.05). The expression levels of VGLUT1 in the lamina IX in the experimental and control groups were significantly lower than those in the sham operation group at different time points after surgery (P ＜ 0.01). The levels in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group at postoperative 14 and 28 days (P ＜ 0.05). The levels in both groups on a decline after surgery, especially the control group (P ＜ 0.05). These results suggest that treadmill can promote the recovery of locomotor function post peripheral nerve injury.