Angiogenesis Inhibitors ; therapeutic use ; Endostatins ; therapeutic use ; Histiocytic Sarcoma ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Recombinant Proteins ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVETo present that Nickel-Titanium (NT) memory alloy staples in fusionless controlling the growth of the vertebrates in the sagittal plane.

METHODSEighteen infant female goats were selected and equally divided into 3 random groups: long staple group, short staple group and blank control group. Five long staple (the legs' length = 7 mm) and five short staple (the legs' length = 4 mm) were implanted into each goat in long and short staple groups respectively by anterior approach, right on the front of the thoracic vertebrae from T(6) to T(11). The control group was not given any treatment. X-ray examination was performed pre-operatively and post-operatively. Cobb angle of lateral radiograph was measured and the data of Cobb angle were statistically analyzed. At the end of the experiment, whether the staples implanted spinal columns were fused or not were evaluated by gross observation.

RESULTSFinally, all of the goats were included in the final results. Before the operations, T(6-11) sagittal Cobb angle was 7.0° ± 2.3° in short staple group, and 6.2° ± 4.0° in long staple group. And after the operation, the T(6-11) Cobb angle was increased to 12.7° ± 4.7° in short staple group with the increased rate of 81.4%, and 14.0° ± 4.9° in long staple group with the increased rate of 125.8%, respectively. Before and after the surgery, there were no significant differences between long staple group and short staple group in terms of Cobb angle (pre-operation P = 0.655, post-operation P = 0.596). Before the surgery, there were no differences in terms of Cobb angle, between long staple groups and control group (P = 0.929), and short staple groups and control group (P = 0.720). At the end of the experiment, there were significant differences between long staple group and control group in terms of Cobb angle (P = 0.007), and between short staple group and control group (P = 0.021). The staples implanted spinal columns were not fused which was proved by gross observation.

CONCLUSIONSThe memory alloy staple implantation by anterior approach, right on the front of the thoracic vertebrae of goats, can control the growth of thoracic vertebrates leading to kyphosis.

Animals ; Bone Nails ; Female ; Goats ; Nickel ; Thoracic Vertebrae ; growth & development ; surgery ; Titanium

Conjugal plasmid pGH112 has been developed based on the replicons of Streptomyces coelicolor plasmid SCP2 and E. coli ColE. The plasmid contains ampicilin resistance gene(amp) for selection in E. coli and thiostrepton resistance gene (tsr) for selection in Streptomycetes, and a 0.76 kb oriT fragment of (IncP) RK2. Conjugal transfer of pGH112 was performed from E. coli to S. coelicolor A3(2), S. avermitilis, S. lividans TK54, S. toxytricini NNRL15443, S. venezuelae ISP5230 and Sacc. erythraea by conjugation, results show that the plasmid was able to transfer efficenctly from E. coli to Streptomycetes, was stably inherited in the recipients. pGH113 was constructed from pGH112 by combining the constitutive ermE promoter with green fluorescent protein gene(gfp).
Ampicillin Resistance ; genetics ; Conjugation, Genetic ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; Green Fluorescent Proteins ; genetics ; Plasmids ; Streptomycetaceae ; genetics ; Thiostrepton ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo explore the expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in pancreatic cancer and its influence on the proliferation and migration of cancer cells.

METHODSThe expression of CTGF in pancreatic cell line PANC-1 cells was analyzed by real-time PCR and in pancreatic carcinoma (50 cases) tissues by immunohistochemistry. The ability of proliferation and migration in vitro of PANC-1 cells was tested by MTT assay, scratch test and Boyden chamber test after the CTGF gene was overexpressed by Ad5-CTGF or silenced with Ad5-siCTGF transfection.

RESULTSCTGF was overexpressed in both pancreatic cancer cells and tissues. Overxpression of CTGF leads to increased proliferation and migration of PANC-1 cells. The CTGF-transfected PANC-1 cells showed apparent stronger proliferation ability and scratch-repair ability than that of empty vector controls. The results of Boyden chamber test showed that there were 34 cells/field (200× magnificantion) of the CTGF-transfected overexpressing cells, much more than the 11 cells/field of the empty vector control cells; and 6 cells/microscopic field of the Ad5-siCTGF-transfected silenced cells, much less than the 15 cells/field of the control cells.

CONCLUSIONSCTGF is overexpressed in both pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and in vivo, indicating that it may play an important role in the cell proliferation and migration in pancreatic cancer.

Adenoviridae ; genetics ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Movement ; Cell Proliferation ; Connective Tissue Growth Factor ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Recombinant Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Transfection

OBJECTIVETo study the antitumor effect of peri-tumor implantation of delayed-release 5-fluorouracil implants on xenograft colorectal tumor in mice.

METHODSFifty tumor-bearing nude mice were randomly divided into 5 groups. Group A and B were treated with peri-tumor implantation of 5-fluorouracil implants and the dose of 5-fluorouracil was 200 and 100 mg/kg, respectively. Group C and D were treated with peri-tumor injection of 5-fluorouracil solution and the dose of 5-fluorouracil was 200 and 100 mg/kg, respectively. Group E did not receive any treatment. A growth curve was plotted for changes in tumor volume, the weight of the tumor was measured and tumor inhibition rate was calculated.

RESULTSThe growth curve was mild in group A and B and steep in group C, D and E. There were statistical differences in tumor volume between groups A and B and other groups and there were no statistical differences in tumor volume among group C, D and E. After 12 days, tumor inhibition rate was 72% in group A, 51% in group B, 8% in group C, and 5% in group C. There were statistical differences in inhibition rate between group A, B and C, D (P<0.05). The weight changes before and after the treatment among the 5 groups were not statistically different. During the study, 1 mouse in group A died, 4 in group C and 1 in group D.

CONCLUSIONDelayed-release 5-fluorouracil implants can effectively inhibit tumor growth.

Animals ; Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic ; administration & dosage ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Delayed-Action Preparations ; Female ; Fluorouracil ; administration & dosage ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the feasibility of whole body diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) in bone metastasis detection using bone scintigraphy as comparison.

METHODSForty-five patients with malignancy history were enrolled in our study. All the patients received the whole body DWI and bone scintigraphy scan within 1 week. The magnetic resonance (MR) examination was performed on 3.0T MR scanner using embedded body coil. The images were reviewed separately by two radiologists and two nuclear medicine physicians, who were blinded to the results of the other imaging modality. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of the two techniques for detecting bone metastasis were analyzed.

RESULTSA total of 181 metastatic lesions in 77 regions of 34 patients were detected by whole body DWI, and 167 metastatic lesions in 76 regions of 31 patients were identified by bone scintigraphy. The patient-based sensitivity and PPV of whole body DWI and bone scintigraphy were similar (89.5% vs. 81.6%, 97.1% vs. 91.2%), whereas, the patient-based specificity and NPV of whole body DWI were obviously higher than those of bone scintigraphy (85.7% vs. 57.1%, 60.0% vs. 36.4%). Ten regions negative in scintigraphy but positive in whole body DWI, mainly located in spine, pelvis, and femur; nine regions only detected by scintigraphy, mainly located in skull, sternum, clavicle, and scapula. The region-based sensitivity and specificity of whole body DWI were slightly higher than those of bone scintigraphy (89.5% vs. 88.4%, 95.6% vs. 87.6%).

CONCLUSIONWhole body DWI reveals excellent concordance with bone scintigraphy regarding detection of bone metastasis, and the two techniques are complementary for each other.

Aged ; Bone Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; secondary ; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; instrumentation ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Radionuclide Imaging ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Whole Body Imaging ; instrumentation ; methods

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the surgical outcomes after transumbilical single-port access laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer.

METHODSPatients undergoing transumbilical single-port access laparoscopic radical resection for colorectal cancer at the Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University were included.

RESULTSThree patients underwent transumbilical single-port access laparoscopic radical resection for sigmoid colon cancer and 1 for rectal cancer between August 2010 and September 2010. There were no intraoperative or postoperative complications. No conversion was required. The mean operative time was 206 min and the mean estimated blood loss was 75 ml. The mean number of harvested lymph nodes was 21. Patients were ambulatory in the same day of surgery or postoperative day 1. Length of hospital stay ranged from 7 to 10 days.

CONCLUSIONSTransumbilical single-port access laparoscopic surgery is safe for colorectal cancer. Long-term outcomes warrant further investigation.

Adult ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Umbilicus ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the association between vasectomy and prostate cancer.

METHODSWe searched comprehensively the databases, CBMDisc, CMCC, CMAC, CNKI (from 1978 to January 6, 2009), and PubMed (from 1965 to January 6, 2009) using the key words "vasectomy" and "prostate cancer", screened the retrieved literature according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, performed a Meta-analysis with the software RevMan 4.2 after identification of the relevant data, and calculated the overall pooled OR (95% CI) as well as that of the association of prostate cancer with <20 and > or =20 yr vasectomy.

RESULTSA total of 20 088 cases and 232 506 controls in 27 reports (7 cohort and 20 case-control studies) were included in this investigation. The overall pooled OR (95% CI) was 1.10 (0.97-1.24), and those of <20 and > or =20 yr vasectomy were 0.94 (0.83-1.06) and 1.05 (0.90-1.23), respectively.

CONCLUSIONNo existing literature show any positive association between vasectomy and prostate cancer.

Humans ; Male ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Risk Factors ; Vasectomy ; adverse effects

Embolization therapy has been used as the initial treatment for spinal dural arteriovenous fistula (SDAVF) only for certain patients or in certain medical institutions due to its minimal invasiveness, but the recurrence of embolization remains a clinical challenge. The recurrent patient usually exhibits a gradual onset of symptoms and progressive deterioration of neurological function. Developing paraplegia several hours after embolization is commonly seen in patients with venous thrombosis-related complications, for which anticoagulation therapy is often administered. This article reports on a SDAVF patient who had weakness of both lower extremities before embolization and developed complete paraplegia several hours after embolization therapy, later confirmed by angiography as fistula recurrence. The symptoms were relieved gradually after second embolization. The pathophysiology of this patient is also discussed.
Aged ; Central Nervous System Vascular Malformations ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Embolization, Therapeutic ; methods ; Humans ; Paraplegia ; diagnosis

OBJECTIVETo investigate the role of chloride channels in the apoptosis of poorly differentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma CNE-2Z cells induced by gambogic acid (GA).

METHODSMTT assay was applied to detect the proliferation of CNE-2Z cells after GA treatment, and the cell apoptosis was detected by Hoechst 33342 staining. Whole-cell patch clamp technique was employed to record GA-activated Cl(-) currents in the cells.

RESULTSGA inhibited the cell proliferation in a time- and concentration-dependent manner with an IC(50) of 3.1 µmol/L for a 48-h treatment. The apoptosis-inducing effect of 8 µmol/L GA was attenuated by the chloride channel blocker NPPB (100 µmol/L) and tamoxifen (20 µmol/L). GA induced an outward-rectified Cl(-) current in the cells, which was significantly inhibited by NPPB.

CONCLUSIONGA suppresses cell proliferation and induces apoptosis by activating Cl(-) channels in CNE-2Z cells, suggesting the important role of Cl(-) channels in GA-induced apoptosis.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Chloride Channels ; drug effects ; physiology ; Humans ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; pathology ; Patch-Clamp Techniques ; Xanthones ; pharmacology