Objective To investigate the application of carotid artery resection and reconstruction in surgical management of thyroid carcinoma with carotid artery involvement.Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study involving 10 patients whose common carotid arteries were invaded by thyroid carcinoma.All patients underwent tumor en bloc resection and carotid arteries reconstruction.Patients were evaluated by muhidisciplinary team and surgeries were cooperated by general surgeons,orthopedists and vascular surgeons.The perioperative complications and surgical outcomes were also recorded and analyzed.Results No patient had complications of central nervous system.One patient suffered Horner syndrome and one presented hoarseness postoperative.Two patients had wound infection,two patients presented carcinoma recurrence and two patients presented distant metastasis during the follow-up.Conclusion En bloc resection of tumor and carotid artery reconstruction is a feasible modality in treatment of thyroid carcinoma with carotid artery invasion.

OBJECTIVEConditioned taste preference (CTP) is a taste learning reflex by which an animal learns to prefer a substance which tastes not well and has been studied with much interest in recent years. However, the neural substrates of CTP are less known. This study aimed to determine the possible neural path- ways of CTP and whether serum leptin level and the leptin receptor (OB-Rb) in the hind brain are involved following CTP formation.

METHODSWe established CTP of quinine in rats with a 2-bottle preference test. The serum leptin concentrations were detected, the expression of c-fos in the rat brain was tested to determine the nuclei in relation with establishment of CTR Finally, the OB-Rb mRNA expression was examined by RT-qPCR assay in parabrachial nucleus (PBN) and the nucleus of the solitary tract (NST) of the hind brain.

RESULTSCompared with control group, the level of serum leptin was higher in the CTP group (4.58 ± 0.52 vs 1.67 ± 0.25 µg/L, P < 0.01); increased c-fos positive cells were found in the anterior hypothalamus (AH, 221.75 ± 4.96 vs. 178.50 ± 6.63 cells/mm², P < 0.05), the basal lateral amygdala (BLA, 70.75 ± 6.17 vs 56.50 ± 3.62 cells/ mm², P < 0.05) and the nucleus of the solitary tract (NST, 41.25 ± 1.32 vs 32.50 ± 1.02 cells/mm², P < 0.05). But in ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMH, 20.75 ± 2.73 vs 38.5 ± 1.54 per 1 mm², P < 005), PBN (21.50 ± 2.24 vs 36.25 ± 1.49 cells/mm², P < 0.05) and the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA, 22.25 ± 1.53 vs 35.50 ± 2.11 cells/mm², P < 0.05), the number of c-fos positive cells was decreased in the CTP group. In addition, we found OB-Rb mRNA expression in PBN of CTP group rats was higher than that of control group (0.95 ± 0.055 vs 0.57 ± 0.034, P < 0.05), while there was no significant difference of OB-Rb mRNA expression in NST between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONNuclei AH, BLA, NST, VMH, PBN and CeA participate in the formation of CTP. Leptin and its receptor in PBN may be involved in the formation and maintenance of CTP.

Animals ; Conditioning (Psychology) ; Leptin ; blood ; Rats ; Receptors, Leptin ; physiology ; Rhombencephalon ; physiology ; Taste ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo study the combined toxic effects of fumonisin B(1) (FB(1)) and aflatoxin B(1) (AFB(1)) on Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats.

METHODAll 60 SD male rats were divided into five groups randomly according to the body weight (12 every group). They were given FB(1) (100 microg/kg bw), AFB(1) (100 microg/kg bw), FB(1) plus AFB(1) (100 microg/kg bw respectively), FB(1) plus AFB(1) (50 microg/kg bw respectively) and distilled water respectively by gavage. The experiment persisted 30 days to observe the changes of growth and development, the food used rate, the haematological indexes, the blood biochemical indexes and the viscera histopathology.

RESULTSAt the end of the experiment, the mean body weight increased in the FB(1) plus AFB(1) (100 microg/kg bw respectively) group was (164.9 +/- 19.8) g and the mean body weight increased in the control group was (203.7 +/- 17.1) g. And the food used rate in the FB(1) plus AFB(1) (100 microg/kg bw respectively) group was (25.3 +/- 1.6)% and the food used rate in the control group was (28.1 +/- 1.2)%. There were significant differences in the mean body weight increased and the food used rate between the FB(1) plus AFB(1) (100 microg/kg bw respectively) group and the control group (P < 0.05). While there were no significant differences of body weights and food used rates between controls and AFB(1), FB(1), and low dose AFB(1) + FB(1) groups (P > 0.05). The levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutaminetransferase (gamma-GT) in serum of all of the treatment groups were increased, but the increasing extent was severe in the AFB(1) + FB(1) high dose group. At the same time the liver weight and kidney weight were decreased and the liver occurred with the remarkable histopathological lesions in the AFB(1) + FB(1) high dose group. The activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in serum was decreased and the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in serum was elevated in treatment groups.

CONCLUSIONSThe combined toxic effects of AFB(1) and FB(1) existed in male SD rats. Our results provided the basic data for studying the combined effects on human exposed to these two mycotoxin at the same time.

Aflatoxin B1 ; toxicity ; Animals ; Fumonisins ; toxicity ; Male ; Mycotoxins ; toxicity ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Toxicity Tests

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical and pathological characteristics, treatment methods, and prognosis of synchronous primary cancers of the endometrium and ovary.

METHODSThe clinical data of 43 patients with synchronous primary cancers of the endometrium and ovary were retrospectively reviewed. The survival was calculated by Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test.

RESULTSThe median age at diagnosis was 49 years (range, 28-73 years). The most common symptoms were abnormal vaginal bleeding (69.8%) and abdominal or pelvic pain (44.2%).Pelvic masses were found in 39.5% of the patients and enlarged corpus in 27.9% at physical examination, while pelvic masses were found in 67.4% of the 43 patients (29 cases) and thickening or abnormal endometrium in 23.3% (10 cases) during ultrasound examination. Of 25 patients examined by CT/MRI, pelvic masses were found in 13 cases and enlarged uterus in 11 cases. All 15 patients who underwent endometrial biopsies were proven to have endometrial carcinomas. Serum CA125 level was found to be elevated in 22 of the 34 examined cases (64.7%) with a median value of 500 U/ml (range, 39-3439 U/ml). FIGO stages of endometrial carcinomas: IA 18 cases, IB 20 cases, IC 2 cases, IIA 3 cases; Stages of ovarian carcinomas: IA 19 cases, IB 4 cases, IC 7 cases, II 4 cases, III C 9 cases. Twenty-four patients (55.8%) were in stage I both endometrial and ovarian carcinomas. Thirty-one patients underwent total hysterectomy plus bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy with omentectomy and appendectomy, meanwhile, 12 patients had pelvic lymph node dissection. Thirty-eight of the 43 patients (88.4%) had a pathologically proven endometrial adenocarcinoma. The predominant ovarian histology was endometrioid or mixed tumor with endometrioid components (30/43, 69.8%). Postoperatively, 26 patients (60.5%) received adjuvant chemotherapy alone, 12 had chemotherapy plus radiotherapy, only one patient had radiation alone and the remaining 4 cases received no adjuvant treatment. The 3- and 5-year survival rates of the group were 87.4% and 71.1%, respectively. The 3- and 5-year survival rates of patients with both endometrioid and ovarian carcinomas were higher than that of those with non-endometrioid or mixed subtypes (93.8%, 82.0% vs. 79.7%, 69.0%). The 3-year and 5-year survival rates of patients with early stage disease were better than those of the other patients (93.3%, 93.3% vs. 69.7%, 36.7%). Recurrence developed in 15 patients (34.9%). It was showed by univariate analysis that lower CA125 level, early FIGO stage, and adjuvant chemotherapy plus radiotherapy significantly and positively affect the 5-year survival rates, while only early FIGO stage and chemotherapy plus radiotherapy were revealed by multivariate analysis as independent prognostic factors.

CONCLUSIONSynchronous primary cancers of the endometrium and ovary are different from either primary endometrial carcinoma or ovarian cancer, while it can usually be detected in early stage and with a good prognosis. The impact of the CA125 level on prognosis needs to be further studied. Surgical treatment alone may be enough for early stage patients. Chemotherapy plus radiotherapy may be necessary for advanced stage patients.

Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Endometrioid ; blood ; pathology ; surgery ; therapy ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Endometrial Neoplasms ; blood ; pathology ; surgery ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; methods ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Neoplasm Staging ; Neoplasms, Multiple Primary ; blood ; pathology ; surgery ; therapy ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; blood ; pathology ; surgery ; therapy ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Proteins ; metabolism ; Radiotherapy, Adjuvant ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

Acute Disease ; Adult ; Aged ; Angiography ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phlebography ; Thrombolytic Therapy ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Venous Thrombosis ; diagnostic imaging ; drug therapy

BACKGROUNDRecent autopsy study showed a high incidence of cerebrovascular lesions in Alzheimer's disease (AD). To assess the impact of cerebrovascular pathology in AD, we used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to study AD patients with and without cerebrovascular lesions.

MATERIALS AND METHODSConventional and DTI scans were obtained from 10 patients with probable AD, 10 AD/V patients (probable AD with cerebrovascular lesions) and ten normal controls. Mean diffusivity (D) and fractional anisotropy (FA) values of some structures involved with AD pathology were measured.

RESULTSD value was higher in AD patients than in controls in hippocampus and the cingulate gyrus. In AD/V patients, increased D value was found in the same structures and also in the thalamus and basal ganglia compared to controls. There was a significant difference of D value between AD and AD/V patients. FA value reduced in the white matter of left inferior temporal gyrus and in the bilateral middle cingulate gyrus in patients with AD/V compared with controls. The MMSE (mini-mental state examination) score significantly correlated with FA value in the right hippocampus (r=0.639, P<0.019), in the right anterior cingulate gyrus (r=0.587, P<0.035) and in left parahippocampal gyrus (r=0.559, P<0.047).

CONCLUSIONCerebrovascular pathology had stronger impact on the D value than the AD pathology alone did. Elevated D value in thalamic and basal ganglia may contribute to cognitive decline in AD/V patients. Reduced FA values in AD/V patients may indicate that cerebrovascular pathology induced more severe white matter damage than the AD pathology alone did.

Aged ; Alzheimer Disease ; complications ; pathology ; Brain ; blood supply ; pathology ; Cerebral Cortex ; pathology ; Cerebrovascular Disorders ; complications ; pathology ; Cognition ; Corpus Callosum ; pathology ; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Female ; Hippocampus ; pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Temporal Lobe ; pathology

OBJECTIVEThe purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between gene mutation and gene copy number and their association with the clinical profiles and pathological features in Chinese patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODSSurgical specimens of cancer tissue were collected from 118 NSCLC patients. Gene mutations in exon 19 and exon 21 were detected by real-time PCR and gene copy number was detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Chi-square (χ(2)) test was performed to analyze the correlation between EGFR mutation and gene copy number, and explore their association with clinicopathological features in the NSCLC patients.

RESULTSThe mutation frequency in EGFR was 41.5% (49/118). EGFR mutations occured in 50.0% (48/96) of patients with adenocarinoma and 5.0% (1/20) of patients with squamous cell carcinoma. EGFR gene high copy number was detected in 70.3% (83/118)of the patients. The FISH-positive rate was 78.1% (75/96) in adenocarcinoma and 35.0% (7/20) in squamous cell carcinoma. EGFR mutation and high copy number mainly occurred in the adenocarcinoma, advanced stage, female gender, and non-smoking patients. There was a significant correlation between EGFR gene mutation and gene high copy number.

CONCLUSIONSEGFR gene mutation and gene high copy number are more common in Chinese NSCLC patients with adenocarcinomas, advanced stage, non-smokers and females. There is a significant correlation between gene mutation and gene high copy number. Combined analysis of EGFR mutation and gene copy number by FISH may provide a superior approach in selecting patients who may benefit from anti-EGFR target therapy.

Adenocarcinoma ; genetics ; pathology ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; genetics ; pathology ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; genetics ; pathology ; Exons ; Female ; Gene Dosage ; Genes, erbB-1 ; genetics ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence ; Lung Neoplasms ; genetics ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mutation ; Mutation Rate ; Neoplasm Staging ; Sex Factors ; Smoking

Objective To observe the brain activation of interictal epiletiform discharges(IEDs) and to localize the epileptogenic foci of epilepsy.Methods The electroencephalogram(EEG)and functional MRI data of 12 focal epileptic patients were acquired using a combination of EEG and functional MRI simultaneously.The IEDs onset time detected with EEG were set as the time parameters in an event- related paradigm of functional MRI analysis.The spatial and temporal characters of IEDs activation were analyzed in detail.In order to confirm the consistency of this method,all patients were scanned repeatedly and the results were correlated with clinical evaluation.Results Of the 12 patients,valid data from EEG- fMRI were obtained from 10 patients in a total of 18 sessions..Compared with the structural foci,the epileptic foci localization results of eleven sessions were good,five sessions were fairly good,and two sessions were poor.The results obtained from six patients in two separate sessions were concordant.respectively.Moreover,thalamic activation was detected in ten sessions,cerebellar activation was detected in all sessions,and the deactivation was found in the default mode loci in nine sessions. Conclusion The method of performing EEG and fMRI simultaneously can potentially be a useful tool in epilepsy research.

Diabetes is a clinical syndrome caused by a variety of factors. It often causes multiple systemdamage, leading to chronic progressive lesions of the eye, kidney, blood vessels, heart, nerves and otherorgans. At present, its etiology and pathogenesis are not fully clarified, and there is a lack of effectivecure. Further exploration of the molecular regulatory mechanisms that drive diabetes and itscomplications, identifying specific biomarkers and molecular therapeutic targets, is undoubtedly aneffective strategy to prevent the onset and development of diabetes and improve the quality of life ofpatients. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) is an important regulator of body normal activity and diseasedevelopment. Abnormal expression and mutation are one of the main causes of diabetes and many otherdiseases. Nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 (NEAT1) is a newly discovered lncRNA molecule inrecent years. It has attracted much attention because of its important regulatory role and diverse biologicaleffects in diabetes and its complications. This article summarizes the molecular regulation mechanism andrelated biological functions of lncRNA NEAT1 in diabetes and its complications in order to provide a newscientific reference for early prevention, diagnosis and molecular targeted therapy of diabetes.

BACKGROUNDHemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is endemic in Junan county, Shandong Province, China. We conducted geographic information system (GIS)-based spatial analysis with the objective of estimating the spatial distribution of rodent populations and their hantavirus infection patterns, to describe the spatial relationships of hantavirus strains in small ecological areas and to identify key areas in endemic areas of HFRS for future public health planning and resource allocation.

METHODSRodent sampling was conducted in seven villages in Junan county from February 2006 to January 2007 using field epidemiological surveillance. Dynamics of hantavirus infection and population densities in rodents were investigated. Spatial statistical techniques including Ripley' L index and nearest neighbour hierarchical (NNH) clustering analysis were conducted to reveal the spatial structure of rodent populations in seven villages. Phylogenetic analysis and two-dimensional minimal spanning tree (2-D MST) models were employed to describe the spatial relationship of hantavirus strains.

RESULTSData showed that Mus musculus was the most common species in our study area, followed by Rattus norvegicus. Ripley's L index and NNH analysis showed that the spatial distribution of all captured rodents, Mus musculus and Rattus norvegicus in seven villages were clustered and there were hotspot areas of rodent distribution. The branches of 2-D MSTs had similar topologies to those of corresponding phylogenetic trees, and hantavirus strains exhibited obvious connective traces in seven villages.

CONCLUSIONSThese results contribute to the understanding of the spatial distribution of rodent populations and hantavirus infection patterns in small areas, and identify priority areas within the epidemic areas for the development of a better prevention strategy against hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in a small ecological area.

Animals ; Geographic Information Systems ; Hantavirus ; Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome ; epidemiology ; virology ; Humans ; Rats ; Rodentia ; virology