BACKGROUND:Few reports are found about the effect of ovariectomized rats' bone histomorphometry parameters using non-destructive dynamic loading system.OBJECTIVE:To observe the effect of different loads situations on the bone histomorphometry parameters in ovariectomized rats.DESIGN,TIME AND SETTING:A controlled observation on the bone histomorphometry was performed in the Biomedical Engineering Laboratory of Jilin University from April 2007 to August 2007.MATERIALS:A total of 35 9-month-old Sprague-Dawley female rats were randomly divided into five groups,including sham operation group,ovariectomized (OVX) control group,OVX loading 1 N group,OVX loading 2 N group,OVX loading 4 N group.There were 7 rats in each group.METHODS:Rats in OVX control group and castration load group were processed into bilateral OVX on the back. The sham operation group only underwent the excision of fat tissues on back,and then sutured. After castration for 1 week,rats were loaded with non-destructive dynamic loading system in the two sides of the tibia,15 minutes a day. The mechanical loads would continue for 4 weeks and the loads were 1N,2N and 4N.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:Changes of proximal tibia bone histomorphometry parameters.RESULTS:The area,number and thickness of trabecular bone in OVX loading group were all higher than OVX control group (P＜0.05,P＜0.01).The trabecular bone area and thickness in OVX 4 N and OVX 2 N groups were significantly higher than OVX control group (P ＜ 0.001).There was a downward trend of trabecular separation in OVX 4 N group compared with OVX control group (P ＜ 0.05). With the increasing loads,there was an increasing trend of the area,number and thickness of trabecular bone,which were close to sham-operated group. The trabecular separation was declined. Single fluorescent labeled surface and double fluorescent labeled surfaces in sham operated group were all lower than that in OVX control group. With the increase in loads,the single fluorescent labeled surface,double fluorescent labeled surface,interlabeled width and mineral apposition rate had been shown to increase. The OVX 2 N and OVX 4 N groups exhibited a remarkably higher level of mineral apposition rate than OVX control group (P ＜ 0.05).CONCLUSION:With the increase in load at the range of 1-4 N,all parameters of bone histomorphometry improve in the OVX rats,the bone microstrcture is greatly ameliorated,bone mass loss is reduced and the process of osteoporosis is delayed.

BACKGROUND: Tumor recurrence in liver transplant recipients greatly affects prognosis of liver transplantation with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). How to prevent tumor recurrence has aroused increasing attention. Arsenious acid chemotherapy is considered effective on treating moderate or advanced liver cancer, but its utilization following liver transplantation remains few. OBJECTIVE: To explore the role of arsenious acid on tumor recurrence in liver transplant patients with primary HCC extending Milan criteria. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: All patients were routinely followed up for 3-32 months. Thirty recipients were presented with tumor recurrence, 16 in the chemotherapy group and 14 in the non-chemotherapy group. Tumor recurred in lung, liver graft and bones in most cases. The total recurrence rate was similar in these two groups, but chemotherapy could delay recurrence after transplantation (P=0.026). There was no significance in 6-month, 1-year survival rate between two groups, but the 2-year survival in the chemotherapy group was higher (P=0.037); 6-month tumor-free survival rates in the two groups had no significance, 1-year and 2-year tumor-free in the chemotherapy group were significantly higher than those in the non-chemotherapy group (P=0.030, 0.023). Intravenous arsenious acid chemotherapy can delay tumor recurrence and prolong survival in liver transplant patients with HCC extending Milan criteria.

Objective To study the impact of various donor hepatectomy techniques on clinical rehabilitation and postoperative liver regeneration on living donor liver transplant (LDLT) donors.Methods The data of 13 consecutive LDLT carried out from May 2006 to May 2011,including the surgical techniques,postoperative liver function,and liver regeneration in the donors were retrospectively studied.Results The donor operations included 8 right hepatectomies without the middle hepatic vein,2 right hepatectomies with the middle hepatic vein and 3 left hepatectomies.Hepatic function and blood coagulation function returned to normal within two weeks of hepatectomy in all the donors.There was no severe complication and no death.There was a significant positive correlation between the donor liver volume as measured preoperatively on CT and the resected liver weight as measured intraoperatively (r=0.838,P＜0.01).The volume of the remnant liver increased soon after transplantation.The liver regenerated significantly faster in right than in lefft liver donors.The remnant liver of the right liver donors with middle hepatic vein preservation grew faster than the right liver donors without middle hepatic vein preservation.However,there was no significant difference in the recovery of the liver function between the three groups.Conclusions Donor hepatectomy is safe.The postoperative liver regeneration is affected by multiple factors including the remnant liver volume and blood supply of the remnant liver.

Objective To evaluate the effect of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in treatment of biliary complications after liver transplantation. Methods Data of 39 patients who underwent ERCP between January 2005 and December 2007 because of biliary complications after liver trans-plantation were retrospectively evaluated. Endoscopic sphincterotomy, dilatation, nasal-biliary drainage (ENBD) and stent placement were performed in 25 patients with biliary strictures (14 at anastomosis site and 11 at non-anastomosis site). ENBD and stent placement were applied in 6 patients with biliary leakage, while endoscopic sphincterotomy, ENBD and stone extraction with baskets were performed in 16 patients with biliary stones. Procedures were repeated when necessary. Results ERCP was successfully performed at a rate of 95.9% (94/98) without any severe complications. Strictures at anastomosis site were resolved in all patients (100%, 14/14), while for strictures at non-anastomosis site, only 27.3% (3/11) were cured. Biliary leakage was resolved in 83.3% (5/6) patients. Complete bile duet clearance was achieved in 81.3% (13/16) of the patients with biliary stones. Conclusion ERCP proves to be safe and effective in the treatment of post liver transplantation biliary complications with low incidence of severe complications.

Objective To evaluate the diagnosis and treatment of early-stage hepatic artery thrombosis(HAT) after adult liver transplantation.Methods387 consecutive adult patients who underwent liver transplantation from June 2007 to October 2010 by the same surgery team in the Transplant Center,First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University were retrospectively studied.Hepatic arterial blood flow was monitored by color Doppler ultrasound (DUS) daily during the first week after transplantation.Ultrasonic contrast or hepatic artery angiography was performed on recipients with suspected HAT.Results10 patients developed HAT on 7(2-18)d after operation.The incidence of HAT was 2.6％ (10/387).Interventional therapy was performed in 2 patients with one patient who received a stent because of hepatic artery stricture.Three patients underwent emergent hepatic artery revascularization combined with intra-arterial urokinase thrombolysis treatment.One developed a rethrombosis and died.The remaining 2 patients received re-transplantation.Three patients died of liver failure and severe infection.The mortality rate was 40％ (10/387).ConclusionsIt is essential to diagnoses HAT by monitoring the artery flow by Doppler ultrasound screening in the early period after operation.Interventional therapy,emergent hepatic artery revascularization and re-transplantation are effective rescue treatments.Prevention of HAT is most important.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of liver grafts with warm ischemia and with different cold preservation time in liver transplantation.Methods The clinical data of 154 patients who received liver transplantation at the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from January 2006 to December 2007 were retrospectively analyzed.The warm ischemia time of the liver grafts obtained from the non-heart-beating donors was within 10 minutes.According to cold perservation time of the liver grafts,patients were divided into 3 groups:the cold preservation time of the liver grafts was within 8 hours,8-12 hours and above 12 hours in group I(n=58),group Ⅱ(n=62)and group Ⅲ(n=34),respectively.The peak level of alanine aminotransferase(ALT),primary graft dysfunction(PGD)after liver transplantation,acute rejection response,biliary complications,vessel complications,perioperative infections and the survival of liver grafts and recipients among the 3 groups were analyzed via chi-square test,t test and variance analysis.Results No PGD was detected in the 3 groups after liver transplantation.All patients were followed up for 8-32 months.The peak level of ALT,incidence of infection and biliary complication,survival of liver grafts and recipients were(482±357)U/L,12%(7/58),12%(7/58),86%(50/58)and 88%(51/58)in group Ⅰ,and were(1274±608)U/L,29%(10/34),26%(9/34),68%(23/34)and 71%(24/34)in group Ⅲ,with significant difference between the 2 groups(t=5.23,X~2=4.28,6.77,4.51,4.28,P<0.05).The peak level of ALT in group Ⅱ was(953±424)U/L,which was significant higher than(482±357)U/L in group Ⅰ(t=4.76,P＜0.05).Conclusions Liver grafts with a warm ischemia time shorter than 10 minutes could tolerate the injury caused by cold preservation with the maximum time of 12 hours.The incidences of biliary complications and postoperative infections are significantly increased and the survivals of liver grafts and recipients are decreased when the cold preservation time exceeds 12 hours.

Objective To analyze the risk factors for the outcomes of recipients after orthotopic liver transplantation using donation after cardiac death (DCD) donors.Method A retrospective study was performed to observe the available clinical data of 60 patients who had receiced hepatic allografts of DCD donors from July 2007 to December 2012 in our hospital and a 3-year follow-up was conducted to investigate outcome.In the patients whose ALT and/or AST levels were more than 1500 U/L within 72 h following surgery,early allograft dysfunction (EAD) was defined.Potential risk fators right before surgery included donor and recipient age,donor ALT AST,TBIL and WIT,and recipient creatine,TBIL,INR,albumin,MELD,BMI and recipient CIT.Kaplan-meier method was used to calculate the cumulative survival rate.Log-rank test and Cox regression model were performed to analyze donors and recipients related risk factors by univariate and multivariate analysis respectively.All statistical data were analyzed by using SPSS 19.0.Results The overall cumulative survival rate of 1 and 3 years was 76％ and 62％ respectively.Donor ALT,AST and WIT,and recipient Cre,MELD,CIT and EAD were significant risk fators in univariate analysis.However,the multivariate analysis revealed that donor WIT was the only independent risk factor affecting survival in our study.Conclusion By identifying and controlling certain characteristics,the outcomes of DCD liver transplant recipients could be dramaticly improved.

Objective To investigate the effects of ischemic preconditioning on the cholesterol content and the activity of Na+-K+-ATPase of hepatocytes following cold preservation in rats.Methods Twenty-five rats were randomly divided into five groups,including control group (C),cold preservation group (Ⅰ),ischemic preconditioning group (ⅠP),atorvastatin (30 μmol/L) treatment group (A30),and atorvastatin (100 μmol/L) treatment group (A100).The cholesterol content and the activity of Na+ -K+ -ATPase were assessed.Results The cholesterol contents on the rat liver tissue cell membrane in the C group,Ⅰ group,ⅠP group,A30 group and A100 group were (310.4 ± 27.5),(187.7±13.1),(394.3±25.9),(201.8±14.6) and (122.6±7.7) nmol/mg protein,and activity of the Na+ -K+ -ATP enzyme was (46.55 ± 3.20),(27.4 ± 2.81),(52.71 ± 3.02),(30.67 ±2.78) and (19.64 ± 2.11) μmol Pi/hr mg protein,respectively (P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in the plasma membrane phospholipid content among the five groups (P＞0.05).Conclusion Reduction of cholesterol content and Na+ K+ -ATPase activity on the liver cytoplasmic membrane is one of the factors causing donor liver cold preservation injury,but ischemic preconditioning can significantly improve cell membrane Na+ -K+ -ATPase activity and increase cytoplasmic membrane cholesterol content. Use of atorvastatin statins can reduce cytoplasmic membrane cholesterol synthesis,and significantly decrease Na+ -K+ -ATPase activity,thereby alleviating the donor liver cold preservation injury.

Objective To investigate the efficacy and safety of sirolimus in treating calcineurin inhibitor-related renal insufficiency after liver transplantation. Methods Eleven patients with calci-neurin inhibitor-related renal insufficiency after liver transplantation received sirolimus conversion.Simultaneously, the dose of tacrolimus was decreased or tacrolimus was withdrawn. Blood creatinine,sirolimus level, tacrolimus level, liver function, rejection episodes and drug side-effect were moni-tored. Results All the 11 patients survived today with 6 to 20 months of follow-up. All patients showed improvement of renal function after conversion to sirolimus. Blood creatinine level was reduced from (163.8±47.9)μmol/L to(108.1±26.6)μmol/l. (P<0.05). One patient's liver function had an acute rejection episode that was successfully treated with increase of dose of tacrolimus. The side-effects of sirolimus included hyperlipidemia (4 patients), anaemia (1) and mouth ulcers (2).Conclusion Siolimus can be effectively and safely used in liver transplant recipients suffering from ta-crolimus-related renal insufficiency.

Objective To explore the causes and management of intra-abdominal hemorrhage after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). Methods Clinical data of 638 OLT patients were analyzed retrospectively from January 2004 to December 2008 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University. The diagnosis and treatment of postoperative intra-abdominal hemorrhage after OLT were reviewed. Results Among the 638 patients, 53 suffered from posttransplant intra-abdominal hemorrhage,the morbidity was 8. 3% (53/638). Thirty-one cases suffering from bleeding on raw surfaces or around the liver due to impairment of coagulation function were treated by non-surgery methods, 22 cases who suffered from active postoperative intra-abdominal hemorrhage due to surgical factors underwent laparotomy and bleeding control operation after failure of anti-shock treatments such as hemostatic drugs, blood reperfusion.Among the 53 patients who suffered from intra-abdominal hemorrhage, 12 patients died, and the main causes were serious infections and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. The mortality associated with intraabdominal hemorrhage was 22. 6%. Conclusions Intra-abdominal hemorrhage at different locations were found after OLT, and the fatal rate is quite high. Timely and appropriate treatments especially laparotomy may improve the prosnosis of these patients.