Objective To varify contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) quantitative analysis plaque enhancement is able to assess the intraplaque neovascularization.Methods The abdominal aortas were examined with CEUS in 9 atherosclerosis rabbits established by feeding high-fat diet.Sonographic examinations were performed with ultrasound instruments equipped with low mechanical index contrast imaging software.Contrast agent SonoVue was used with a dose of 0.2 ml,The enhanced intensity (EI) with the plaque and the ratio of EI within the plaque to that in the lumen of the carotid artery was calculated with QLab software,Each aorta specimen was stained with F8 (von willebrand factor) for mierovessel.The quantitative parameters EI and ratio were compared with the immunohistochemical study results.Results The mean value of EI and ratio were (3.91 ± 0.87)dB and 0.30 ± 0.06,respectively.Five specimens showed positive F8 staining and 4 showed negative.EI and ratio were significantly greater in positive group than in negative group [(4.47 ± 0.60) dB vs (3.22 ± 0.62) dB,0.34 ± 0.05 vs 0.25 ± 0.05].CEUS quantitative parameters EI ( r =0.779,P =0.013) and ratio ( r =0.693,P =0.019) were correlated to microvessels marked with F8,respectively.Conclusions It is histologically validated that CEUS quantifies the neovascularization in atherosclerosis plaques.CEUS provides a window for plaque risk stratification.

AIM To prepare the chrysin-phospholipid complex and to investigate its pharmacokinetic behaviors.METHODS Solvent evaporation method was used for preparing the complex.With preparation temperature,preparation time,chrysin concentration and drug-lipid ratio (chrysin-phospholipid) as influencing factors,together with recombination rate as an evaluation index,the preparation was optimized by orthogonal test.The obtained complex was analyzed by X-ray diffraction,differential scanning calorimetry,1H-NMR and 31P-NMR,whose solubility was examined as well.SD rats were intragastrically administered with chrysin and its phospholipid complex,respectively.The blood concentration of chrysin was detected by HPLC,after which the pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated.RESULTS The optimal conditions were determined to be 40 ℃ for preparation temperature,2 h for preparation time,20 mg/mL for chrysin concentration,and 1 ∶ 2 for drug-lipid ratio,the recombination rate was close to 100％.Chrysin existed in an amorphous state in the phospholipid complex,which was a new phase rather than physical mixture (chrysin-phosphatidylcholine),and no new chemical bond was generated.Phospholipid complex could significantly increase chrysin's apparent solubility in water and n-octanol,the Cmax,AUC0-t and AUC0-∞ were also obviously increased as compared with raw medicine.CONCLUSION Phospholipid complex can improve both the solubility of chrysin and its oral bioavailability.

Objective To investigate the characteristics of intestinal microbiota in neonates on the first and third day after birth.Methods A total of 50 healthy singleton neonates who were born between June 15,2016 and August 3,2016 in Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital were enrolled.Their stool samples were collected on the first and third day after birth and the samples were labeled according to the time of collection (D1 and D3 groups,n=50 each).Illumina NexSeq high-throughput sequencing platform was used to sequence the variable region 4 and 5 of all bacterial 16S rRNA genes in the samples.The composition of intestinal microbial communities was determined and the differences between the two groups were compared by Metastats analysis.Results (1) A total of 100 stool samples were sequenced and the retrieved sequences were from 25 bacterial phyla,119 families,227 genera and 159 species.(2) Major phyla in the two groups were the same,namely,Proteobacteria,Frimicutes,Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria.The relative abundances of Frimicutes (0.27 ± 0.03 vs 0.41 ± 0.05) and Bacteroidetes (0.07 ± 0.01 vs 0.09 ± 0.03) increased over time,while that of Actinobacteria (0.10±0.01 vs 0.01 ±0.00) decreased on day 3.No significant difference in the relative abundance of Proteobacteria (0.51 ±0.03 vs 0.49± 0.05) was observed between D1 and D3 groups.There were significant difference in relative abundances of Frimicutes and Actinobacteria between the two groups (both q=-0.01,both P＜0.05).(3) Among the top ten most abundant families,Enterobacteriaceae,Staphylococcaceae,Enterococcaceae,Streptococcaceae and Lachnospiraceae were detected in both of the two groups.The relative abundances of Enterobacteriaceae (0.25 ± 0.02 vs 0.46 ± 0.06),Staphylococcaceae (0.07 ± 0.02 vs 0.12 ± 0.03),Enterococcaceae (0.04±0.02 vs 0.10±0.04),Streptococcaceae (0.03 ±0.02 vs 0.06±0.01) increased over time,while that of Lachnospiraceae (0.03 ± 0.01 vs 0.02 ± 0.02) decreased on day 3.Only the relative abundance of Enterobacteriaceae had statistical difference between the two groups (q=0.00,P＜0.05).(4) Among the top ten most abundant genera,Staphylococcus,Enterococcus,Streptococcus,Bacteroides and Pseudomonas were detected in both groups.The relative abundances of aerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria which belonged to genera of Stenotrophomonas,Propionibacterium,Acinetobacter,Bacillus,Sphingomonas and so on decreased on day 3 as compared with those on day 1 (0.00±0.00 vs 0.07±0.02,0.00±0.00 vs 0.06±0.01,0.00±0.00 vs 0.03±0.01,0.00±0.00 vs 0.02±0.01,0.00±0.00 vs 0.02±0.00,all q=0.00,all P＜0.05).However,the relative abundances of anaerobic bacteria which belonged to Bacteroides,Veillonella,Parabacteroides and so on increased on day 3 (0.01 ±0.00 vs 0.08±0.03,0.00±0.00 vs 0.03±0.02,0.00±0.00 vs 0.01 ±0.00,q=0.01,0.01 and 0.00,all P＜0.05).(5) The most abundant species in intestinal microbiota was escherichia coli in both groups.Three less abundant species including lactobacillus gasseri,lactobacillus animalis and bifidobacterium bifidum were detected in both groups.(6) Regardless of the mode of delivery,Staphylococcus,was the highest predominant genera in meconium samples,followed by stenotrophomonas.Stool samples collected on the third day after birth were divided into four groups based on deliver modes and feeding patterns.Neonates who were born abdominally with exclusive breastfed thereafter were different from those of the other three groups in predominant intestinal bacteria,but the difference was not statistically significant.Bifidobacterium and Subdoligranulum were only detected in the vaginally born neonates.Conclusions Meconium is not sterile.Although the intestinal microbiota on the first day of life is different from that on the third day of life,the dominant bacteria are common.During the first three days of life,the relative abundances of aerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria decreased significantly over time,while the relative abundance of anaerobic bacteria increased.

OBJECTIVETo study the clinical features, pathologic findings and prognosis of patients with dysplastic nodules of liver (DN) and early hepatocellular carcinomas (eHCC).

METHODSOne hundred and forty-five archival cases previously diagnosed as DN or eHCC or well-differentiated HCC during the period from 2000 to 2009 were retrieved and reevaluated with the new diagnostic criteria by two experienced pathologists, according to International Consensus Group for Hepatocellular Neoplasia (ICGHN) 2008. Immunohistochemical study (EnVision method) for CD34, HSP70, glutamine synthetase, glypican 3 and Ki-67 was carried out. The original diagnosis and diagnosis after review were compared and correlated with the survival data of the patients, with statistical analysis.

RESULTSWith the new criteria, 16 cases were diagnosed as low-grade DN, 50 cases as high-grade DN, 72 cases as DN with microinvasion, 7 cases as advanced HCC. Slide review showed no diagnostic discrepancy in 112 cases (77.2%). Amongst the 33 (22.8%) underdiagnosed cases, there were 7 cases of advanced HCC initially diagnosed as DN or DN with microinvasion and 26 cases of eHCC initially diagnosed as high-grade DN. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the diagnosis of high-grade DN or early HCC carried no statistically significant difference in overall survival (P = 0.778, 0.677) or disease-free survival (P = 0.949, 0.700) in all patients and in patients with no history of HCC. The co-existence of advanced HCC in patients with DN or eHCC significantly correlated with overall survival (P = 0.004) but not with disease-free survival (P = 0.079).

CONCLUSIONSThe new diagnostic criteria by ICGHN 2008 are useful in delineating high-grade DN and eHCC. The overall survival and disease-free survival of patients with eHCC or high-grade DN undergoing hepatectomy show no statistically significant difference. Patients with DN or eHCC have better prognosis than patients with advanced HCC, though there is still a high risk of tumor recurrence.

Antigens, CD34 ; metabolism ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins ; metabolism ; Hepatectomy ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Ki-67 Antigen ; metabolism ; Liver Cirrhosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Survival Rate

Objective To investigate the difference of matrix stiffness in different regions of tibial plateau in osteoarthritis (OA) and its effects on morphology of the cartilage and mitochondria. Methods The tibial plateau cartilage specimens of OA were obtained for nanoindentation test, transmission electron microscopy and histological analysis. The stiffness of cartilage matrix in different regions of OA tibial plateau was detected by nano-indentation. The morphology of cartilage mitochondria in different regions was observed by transmission electron microscopy, and the changes of mitochondrial plane area, shape and ridge volume density were quantitatively analyzed. Cartilage injury in different regions of OA tibial plateau was observed by histological staining. Results The cartilage of OA tibial plateau showed regional heterogeneity, and the cartilage and mitochondria on medial side of varus knee OA were more severe, and the matrix stiffness was higher. The OA scores were positively correlated with matrix stiffness. There was also a significant correlation between OA scores and mitochondrial morphology: the higher OA scores, the larger and rounder mitochondrial plane area, and the lower cristae volume density. Conclusions The differences of tibial plateau revealed the correlation between cartilage matrix stiffness, OA scores and mitochondrial morphological parameters. The increased cartilage matrix stiffness may be the main cause of chondrocyte mitochondrial injury, and further aggravate the progression of OA.