Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Occupational Exposure ; Poisoning ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Sulfuric Acid Esters ; poisoning ; Young Adult

Objective To review the experience in diagnosis and treatment of pheochromocytoma in a single center. Methods A total number of 142/145 pheochromocytoma cases treated surgically in our institute from August 2002 to February 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. The mean diameter of tumor was 5.9 cm (1.3- 18. 0 cm). The majority of the tumors (92.9%) were adrenal pheochromocytomas. Ninety-eight patients (69.0 % ) presented initially with hypertension, whereas 44 patients (31%)presented with adrenal incidentaloma. A specific anti-hypertensive pre-surgery preparation with phenoxybenzamine or doxazosine mesylate was started over 1 week before the operation.Of the 142 patients, 91 accepted open surgery, 54 accepted laparoscopic surgery, of which, 5 converted from laparoscopic surgery to open surgery. Results Histopathological results showed that all the cases were pheochromocytoma, while 83 cases were benign, 23 cases were malignant and 37 cases were suspected malignant. Sudden rising of blood pressure during operation was related to the preoperative serum level of catecholamine. Eighty-seven of 98 patients with preoperative hypertension had normal postoperative blood pressure; the remaining 11 patients reduced the dosage of anti-hypertension medication postoperatively. During the follow-up of 3-96 months (median 46 months), 10 of 91patients had a recurrence or metastasis. Six patients died of recurrences or metastasis within 5 years.Conclusions The procedures of qualitative and locative diagnosis of phechromocytoma include clinical manifestations, biochemical tests and imaging investigation. Surgical excision is the fundamental treatment for cure. Patients with high serum level of catecholamine tend to have a sudden rising of blood pressure during operation. Preoperative management is extremely important for the safety of the patient. Intensive follow up is necessary.

Acute Kidney Injury ; etiology ; Adult ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; HELLP Syndrome ; pathology ; Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome ; complications ; pathology ; therapy ; Humans ; Plasma Exchange ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy ; Purpura, Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic ; pathology ; Young Adult

Adolescent ; Adult ; Blood Transfusion ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pesticides ; poisoning ; Poisoning ; therapy ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To investigate the value of low-pressure laparoscopic technique for appendicitis surgery during early and mid-term pregnancy.Methods The clinical data of 13 pregnant women underwent low-pressure laparoscopic appendectomy from July 2007 to December 2010 were analyzed retrospectively.Results All the 13 cases were performed laparoscopic appendectomy successfully without laparotomy and cured completely before discharged from hospital No intestinal fistula,wound infection,abortion and other complications occurred.During follow-up,9 cases of full-term pregnancy patients gave birth to healthy babies,and there was no abortion and premature delivery on 4 patients still in their pregnancy.Conclusion For women at early or mid-term pregnancy with acute appendicitis,low-pressure laparoscopic appendectomy could reduce the stimulus of surgical operation on uterus and decrease the risk of abortion.

This study is purposed to investigate the effects of praeruptorin A (PA) and praeruptorin C (PC) on UGT1A1 in HepG2 cells through hCAR pathway. PA and PC were incubated with HepG2 cells for 24 h and 48 h, mRNA and protein expressions of UGT1A1 were determined by real-time PCR and Western blotting assays. Additionally, effects of PA and PC on UGT1A1 mRNA and protein expressions were also measured after transient transfection of a specific CAR siRNA for 72 h in HepG2 cells. UGT1A1 mRNA and protein expression levels were significantly increased by PA and PC after incubation for 48 h. Moreover, the mRNA and protein up-regulations of UGT1A1 were attenuated by transient transfection of a specific CAR siRNA, suggesting the induction was mediated by CAR. The results suggest that PA and PC can significantly up-regulate UGT1A1 expression partially via the CAR-mediated pathway.

The results of different interventions administered in 118 cases with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) for 3 years were investigated. The rates of transformation of IFG to diabetes mellitus in metformin treatment groups and rosiglitazone treatment groups were significantly lower than that in life style intervention group. This study suggested that metformin or rosiglitazone treatment could effectively reduce transformation of IFG to diabetes as compared with life style intervention.

The etiology of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is still not elucidated nowadays. Based on the accordance between DVT incidence and the anemophilous pollen concentration in the air, we proposed the hypothesis that allergic reaction induced by anemophilous pollen may cause "idiopathic" DVT, and proinflammatory factors may play an important role in the thrombosis process.

Rap1 is expressed in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Rap1-GTPase activating protein (Rap1GAP), with its specific target, Rap1, has been shown to be important in the regulation of many physiological and certain pathological processes. In this study, we investigated the effect of Rap1GAP expression on endothelial cell function, or, more specifically, proliferation and migration of endothelial cells. HUVECs were transfected with pcDNA3.1 (empty vector), pcDNA3.1 containing Flag-tagged-Rap1GAP or Myc-tagged-Rap1N17. The proliferation, migration and tube formation were examined and compared among the 3 groups. Expression of Rap1, Rap1GAP, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), phospho-ERK, Akt, phosphor-Akt was detected by Western blotting. The results showed that the proliferation, migration and tube formation were significantly reduced in Rap1GAP- and Rap1N17-transfected HUVECs as compared with empty vector-transfected control. These changes were coincident with increased expression of Rap1GAP and decreased expression of activated Rap1, phospho-ERK and -Akt. After treatment of Rap1GAP-transfected HUVECs with a stimulator of Rap1 guanine-nucleotide-exchange factor (Rap1GEF) 8CPT-2'OMe-cAMP, it was found that Rap1 activity was decreased as compared with empty vector-transfected control. Pretreatment of HUVECs with an ERK inhibitor PD98059 or a PI3K inhibitor LY294002 prior to stimulation not only blocked 8CPT-2'OMe-cAMP-induced phosphorylation of ERK and Akt, but also significantly reduced cell proliferation and migration. Finally, we examined the effect of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) on HUVECs overexpressing Rap1GAP. VEGF-stimulated Rap1 activity, phosphorylation of ERK and Akt, cyclin D1 expression and cell proliferation were repressed in HUVECs overexpressing Rap1GAP as compared to empty vector-transfected control. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that Rap1GAP/Rap1 and their downstream effectors regulate proliferation and migration of HUVECs via ERK and Akt pathways.

Objective To test the effect of bone marrow mesenehymal stem cells (MSCs) transplantation on oxidative stress and the development of pulmonary emphysema in rats. Methods SD rats (n=26) were randomly divided into three groups:normal control group (group A, n=8),emphysema group (group B, n=8) and emphysema+MSCs transplantation group (group C, n=10).Rat models of emphysema was established by exposing rats to cigarette smoking for 14 weeks. Then rats of group C received MSCs transplantation. At the 14th and 28th days after 4 course of MSCs transplantations, one rat in group C was sacrificed at each time point and their lungs were preserved in frozen sections. Survival of MSCs in the lung tissues were observed by fluorescence microscopy. Eight weeks after transplantations, lung sections were stained by hematoxylin and eo?sin (HE) to observe the morphological alterations.Mean linear intercept (MLI) and mean alveolar numbers (MAN) were also measured. Serum and lung malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were also examined. Re?sults At the 14th day and 28th day after transplantations of MSCs, MSCs successfully localized to lung and survived in rat models of emphysema. Emphysematous changes of lung tissues were observed in both group B and group C. MLI was higher while MAN was lower in group B and C than those in group A (P<0.05). MLI and MDA levels in serum and lung were high?er while MAN level and SOD activity were lower in group B than those in group C (P<0.05).MDA levels in serum and lung was higher while SOD activity was lower in group B and C than those in group A (P<0.05). Conclusion MSCs transplanta?tions can effectively alleviates pulmonary emphysema in rat models which might through reducing oxidative stress .