Objective To investigate the regrlative role of the cervical sympathetic ganglia on the cochlear blood flow and auditory function in guinea pig.Methods The horseradish peroxidase(HRP) was given to spiral modiolar artery locally for retrograde tracing in guinea pig. Immunohistochemical double-labeled technique was used in this study. The cochlear blood flow and auditory brainstem response(ABR) was measured a week after anilateral superior cervical sympathectony. The animal model of superior cervical sympathectomy following noise exposure in guinea pigs was estableshed to observe the auditory threshold shift.Results Retrogradely labeled neurons with HRP were found in the ipsilateral superior cervical ganglion(SCG). Most of HRP-labeled neurons in SCG were tyrosion hydroxylase(TH) positive. The blood flow of the capillaries of the stria vascularis on the experimental side a week ago were more aplenty than that of the opposite side, but the ABR threshold did not changed before and after ablation of the superior cervical ganglion.A protective role against noise injury was observed after surgical ablation of superior cervical ganglion.Conclusion The superior cervical sympathectomy can influence the cochlear blood flow and auditory function in guinea pig.

Objective To determine the clinical significance of hepatocyte growth factor receptor (Met) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in the clinicopathology and prognosis of pancreatic cancer.Methods 70 patients admitted with pancreatic cancer from 1995 to 2005 were retrospectively analyzed with clinicopathological and follow-up data.Expression of Met and EGFR in cancer nest embedded with paraffin were detected by immunohislostaining (EnVision method) and correlation with clinicopathologic parameters and mutual correlation between these two receptors were further analyzed.Prognosis and related risk factors were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression analysis,respectively.Results Both Met and EGFR significantly correlated with TNM staging,tumor size and superior mesenteric vessels invasion (P＜0.05).Expression level of Met positively correlated with that of EGFR (r9 =0.658,P＜0.05).Both Met and EGFR significantly correlated with patients' survival (P＜0.05) and Met was an independent prognostic risk factor for pancreatic cancer.Conclusions Both Met and EGFR significantly affect development and prognosis of pancreatic cancer and correlate with each other.Simultaneously targeting both Met and EGFR pathways may provide an advisable strategy of targeted therapy in pancreatic cancer.

PURPOSE: The intermediate stage of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer [BCLC] B) comprises a highly heterogeneous population, and the treatment strategy is still controversial. Because of the heterogeneity, a subclassification of intermediate-stage HCCs was put forward by Bolondi according to the ‘beyond Milan and within up-to-7' criteria and Child-Pugh score. In this study, we aim to analyze the prognosis of BCLC-B stage HCC patients who received hepatic resection according to the Bolondi's subclassification. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One thousand and one hundred three patients diagnosedwith HCC and treatedwith hepatic resectionwere enrolled in our hospital between 2006 and 2012. According to Bolondi's subclassification, the BCLC-B patients were divided into four groups. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed. RESULTS: According to Bolondi's subclassification, the BCLC-B patients were divided into four groups: B1 (n=41, 18.7%), B2 (n=160, 73.1%), B3 (n=11, 5.0%), and B4 (n=7, 3.2%). Significant difference was observed between B1 and other groups (B1 vs. B2, p=0.022; B1 vs. B3, p < 0.001; B1 vs. B4, p < 0.001), but no difference for B2 vs. B4 (p=0.542) and B3 vs. B4 (p=0.542). In addition, no significant differences were observed between BCLC-A and BCLC-B1 group for both RFS (p=0.087) and OS (p=0.643). In multivariate analysis, BCLC-B subclassification was not a risk factor for both OS (p=0.263) and RFS (p=0.892). CONCLUSION: In our study, HCC patients at B1 stagewere benefited from hepatic resection and had similar survival to BCLC-A stage patients. Our study provided rationality of hepatic resection for selected BCLC-B stage HCC patients instead of routine transarterial chemoembolization.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Hepatectomy ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; Multivariate Analysis ; Population Characteristics ; Prognosis ; Risk Factors

PURPOSE: Various inflammation-based prognostic biomarkers such as the platelet to lymphocyte ratio and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, are related to poor survival in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). This study aims to investigate the prognostic value of the aspartate aminotransferase to neutrophil ratio index (ANRI) in ICC after hepatic resection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data of 184 patients with ICC after hepatectomy were retrospectively reviewed. The cut-off value of ANRI was determined by a receiver operating characteristic curve. Preoperative ANRI and clinicopathological variables were analyzed. The predictive value of preoperative ANRI for prognosis of ICC was identified by univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: The optimal cut-off value of ANRI was 6.7. ANRI was associated with tumor size, tumor recurrence, white blood cell, neutrophil count, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine transaminase. Univariate analysis showed that ANRI, sex, tumor number, tumor size, tumor differentiation, lymph node metastasis, resection margin, clinical TNM stage, neutrophil count, and carcinoembryonic antigen were markedly correlated with overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with ICC. Multivariable analyses revealed that ANRI, a tumor size > 6 cm, poor tumor differentiation, and an R1 resection margin were independent prognostic factors for both OS and DFS. Additionally, preoperative ANRI also had a significant value to predict prognosis in various subgroups of ICC, including serum hepatitis B surface antigen‒negative and preoperative elevated carbohydrate antigen 19-9 patients. CONCLUSION: Preoperative declined ANRI is a noninvasive, simple, and effective predictor of poor prognosis in patients with ICC after hepatectomy.
Alanine Transaminase ; Aspartate Aminotransferases* ; Aspartic Acid* ; Biomarkers ; Blood Platelets ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; Cholangiocarcinoma* ; Disease-Free Survival ; Hepatectomy* ; Hepatitis B ; Humans ; Leukocytes ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphocytes ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neutrophils* ; Prognosis* ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; ROC Curve