Amyloidosis ; complications ; pathology ; Heart Diseases ; etiology ; pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

Animals ; Central Nervous System Diseases ; drug therapy ; Drug Design ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Humans ; Inflammation ; drug therapy

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic value of magnetic resonance tomographic angiography(MRTA) with 3.0T scanner for neurovascular compression in patients with trigeminal neuralgia and hemifacial spasm.Methods MRTA using three-dimensional time-of-flight(TOF) sequence was performed in 52 cases with trigeminal neuralgia and 9 cases with hemifacial spasm.MR oblique sagittal and coronal images were created to display the relationship between trigeminal and facial nerves and surrounding vessels,and compared with that of operation MRA showed that.Results In 52 cases with trigeminal neuralgia,the trigeminal nerves were compressed by vessels or contacted with vessels in 46 cases at MRTA,and in 9 cases with hemifacial spasm,all trigeminal nerves showed having vascular compression or in contact with vessels.The accuracy,sensitivity and specificity of MRA in diagnosing trigeminal neuralgia and hemifacial spasm caused by vascular compression were 90.2%,96.4% and 80%,respectively,which compared with that of operation.Conclusion MRTA is sensitive to neurovascular compression,which plays an important role in diagnosing trigeminal neuralgia and hemifacial spasm.

OBJECTIVETo study the relationship between TMPRSS2: ERG gene fusion and the pathological grade of prostate cancer (PCa).

METHODSWe collected fresh prostatic tissue samples from 62 patients with PCa and another 10 with benign prostatic hyperplasia ( BPH) and included 9 cancer cell strains as the control. We examined the TMPRSS2:ERG fusion gene in the PCa samples by nest RT-PCR, compared the Gleason scores between the TMPRSS2:ERG-positive and -negative cases, and analyzed the association of TMPRSS2: ERG fusion with the pathological features of PCa.

RESULTSThe TMPRSS2: ERG fusion gene was detected in 28 (45.16%) of the PCa cases, but in none of the 10 BPH cases or the 9 cancer cell strains. No statistically significant differences were found in the Gleason scores between the TMPRSS2:ERG-positive and -negative cases (Z = -0.609, P = 0.542), but the primary Gleason score was markedly higher in the former than in the latter (Z = -2.600, P = 0.009). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that TMPRSS2:ERG was associated with the cribriform growth pattern (OR = 6.250, P = 0.002), foamy gland morphology (OR = 6.666, P = 0.023), and signet-ring cells (OR = 3.240, P = 0.035), but multivariate logistic regression analysis manifested that it was associated with the cribriform growth pattern only (OR = 3.750, P = 0.033).

CONCLUSIONTMPRSS2:ERG gene fusion was associated with higher pathological grades of prostate cancer.

Gene Fusion ; Humans ; Male ; Oncogene Proteins, Fusion ; genetics ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; genetics ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; genetics ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the precise locations of the blood vessels and nerves surrounding the seminal vesicles (SV) in men and provide some anatomical evidence for SV-related minimally invasive surgery.

METHODSWe observed the courses and distribution of the blood vessels and nerves surrounding SVs and obtained the data for positioning the SV neuroplexes in 20 male pelvises.

RESULTSOne branch of the neuroplexes was distributed to the SVs bilaterally with the neurovascular bundles, (2.85 ± 0.18) cm from the median sulcus of the prostate (MSP), while another branch ran through the Denonvillier fascia behind the SV, (0.81 ± 0.06) cm from the MSP. The arterial SVs (ASV) originated from the inferior vesical artery and fell into 4 types, 55% going directly to the SVs as one branch, 15% running between the SV and the ampulla of the deferent duct as another branch, 25% downward as 2 branches to the SV and between the SV and the ampulla of the deferent duct respectively, and 5% as the other ASVs. The shortest distance from the ASV through the prostatic neuroplexus to the posterior SV was (1.08 ± 0.09) cm.

CONCLUSIONIn SV resection, neuroplexus injury can be reduced with a bilateral distance of < 2.85 cm and a posterior distance of < 0.81 cm from the MSP, and so can bleeding by vascular ligation between the SV and the ampulla of the deferent duct.

Biopsy ; Humans ; Male ; Prostate ; blood supply ; innervation ; Seminal Vesicles ; blood supply ; innervation ; Vas Deferens ; blood supply ; innervation

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of arthroscopically assisted percutaneous reduction and internal fixation with eannulated screws.Methods The fracture was reduced by closed manipulation or percutaneous leverage force by using the Kirschner wire.Then the patella was temporarily fixed by using a large size towel clamp or Kirschner wires.Under the guidance of knee arthroscopy,a micro-incision was made at the size of cannulated screw placement,the pilot holes were drilled at a proper depth,and the thread was configured.Two titanium screws were inserted parallelly.Results Following-up chekups for 4～24 months in 18 cases showed a satisfactory recovery of knee functions.According to the Bostman' standard,excellent effects were obtained in 16 cases and good effects in 2 cases.Conclusion Treatment of patellar fractures by percutaneous cannulated screw fixation under arrhroscope of- fered advantages of minimal invasion,accurate reduction,reliable fixation,and excellent recovery of joint functions.

Background To optimize the culture method of human retinal microvascular endothelial cells is very important for the study of retinal angiogenesis disease.Human retinal microvascular endothelial cells have been successfully cultured in previous studies,but further improvement of the culture method to harvest higher yields and purity cells is still needed.Objective This study was to design a modified method to isolate and purify human retinal microvascular endothelial cells much easily and quickly,and to compare the expression of specific markers of vascular endothelial cells,factor Ⅷ and CD31/CD34 in the cells.Methods The use of human donor eyeballs was approved by the Ethic Commission of Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center of Sun Yat-sen University.The retina tissue from healthy donor was isolated and digested by the two-step digestion method with 2％ trypsin and 0.133％ collagenase Ⅳ.Human retinal microvascular endothelial cells were collected and plated in 60 mm dishes coated by 0.1％ fibronectin and cultured in endothelial cell-specialized medium supplemented with 10％ fetal bovine serum,0.3 mg/L β-endothelial cell growth factor (ECGF) and 100 ng/L sodium heparin.During the culturing,the growth situation of the cells was monitored by morphological observation,and immunohistochemical staining was performed to probe vascular endothelial cell-specific membrane protein CD31,CD34 and factor Ⅷ for identification of the cell purity.Results Human retinal microvascular endothelial cells were isolated successfully from the retina by the twostep digestion method.The primary cultured cells adhered to well 72 hours later and achieved confluence with the typical cobblestone appearance 9 to 10 days after cultured.The cells exhibited the blue nuclei and reddish cytoplasm by regular haematoxylin and eosin stain and showed a strong positive response for CD31,CD34 and factor Ⅷ by immunohistochemistry.The positive dye of CD31 and CD34 was lower than Ⅷ factor in both endothelial cells.Conclusions Modified culture method of human retinal microvascular endothelial cells can improve cell culture result and purify target cells.

Background Dyslipidemia is one of the major causes of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).At present,the study of the preventive and treating methods of A MD is still a hot spot.Objective The purpose of this study was to observe the effect of tonifying the spleen and promoting blood circulation on the retina and Bruch membrane in apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE-/-) mice with dyslipidemia.Methods Thirty-six ApoE-/-mice aged 2 months were randomly divided into the normal diet group,high fat diet group and medicine group.A diet with a higher content of fat was given for 5 consecutive months to the mice of the high fat diet group and medicine group,and in the last month,a concoction that tonifies the spleen and promotes blood circulation was gavagely administered in the medicine group,and an equivalent volumes of normal saline solution was administered in the same way in the normal diet group and high fat diet group.Total plasma cholesterol (TC),low density lipoprotein (LDL)and triglyceride (TG) were detected by (ELISA? Name of assay?) using the 7170 Hitachi automatic biochemical analyzer,and morphological changes of the retina and Bruch membrane were examined by light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy.The number of outer nuclear layer (ONL) cells,retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells and the thickness of the Bruch membrane were examined by semi-quantitative histopathology with the Mias 2000 Imaging Analyzer System.Results The concentrations of TC,LDL and TG were (6.47 ±0.49) mmol/L,(1.46 ±0.10)mmol/L and (0.62 ±0.21) mmol/L,respectively,in 7-month-old mice of the medicine group,showing a significant reduction in comparison with (10.53 ±0.30) mmol/L,(1.90±0.13) mmol/L,(1.15±0.29) mmol/L of the high fat diet group,and (9.63 ± 0.18) mmol/L,(1.12 ± 0.15) mmol/L,(0.88 ± 0.21) mmol/L in the normal diet group (P＜0.05-0.01).The disorder and atrophy of ONL and RPE cells,divergence of fiber of the Bruch membranes were found in both the high fat diet group and normal diet control group under the light microscope,and drusen formed in some of the mice in the high fat diet group.However,ONL and RPE were well organized in the medicine group.The cell numbers in the ONL and RPE layer in the 7-month-old mice were (23 124.00±755.18) and (10.75±0.59),respectively,in the medicine group,(19 107.00 ± 1436.82) and (8.55 ± 1.11),respectively,in the high fat diet group,(21 663.00± 1073.27) and (9.75 ±0.58),respectively,in the normal diet group,with significant differences among them (P＜0.05-0.001).Thickness of the Bruch membrane in the medicine group extensively reduced in high fat diet group and normal diet control group (P＜0.01).The ultrastructures of the RPE and Bruch membrane were much more improved in the mdedicine group.Conclusions Tonifying the spleen and promoting blood circulation can attenuate hyperlipemia in ApoE-/-mouse;furthermore,it lessens the pathological abnormalities in the ONL,RPE and Bruch membrane.

Background Retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP) is a subtype of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD).There are currently very few studies on RAP.Objective This study was to explore the pathogenic mechanism of RAP in apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE-/-) mice with dyslipidemia.Methods Twenty-four 2-month-old SPF ApoE-/-mice were randomly divided into the high fat diet group and the normal diet group,and twelve 2-month-old C57BL/6 mice received the normal diet as controls.A diet with a higher content of fat was given for 4 consecutive months in the high fat diet group,and normal diet was given in the same way in the mice of the normal diet group.The mice were sacrificed at 6 months of age.The expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells,the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) in the outer plexiform layer (OPL),microvascular density (MVD) and microvascular area (MVA) in the OPL were examined by immunohistochemistry and semi-quantitatively by histopathology with the Mias 2000 Imaging Analyzer System.The expression of VEGF protein in the retina was examined by Western blot.Results The MVD in the retinal OPL were (20.67±3.20) and (19.50± 1.87),respectively,in the ApoE-/-mice of the high fat diet group and the normal diet group,which were significantly higher than that (12.50±1.87) of the C57BL/6 normal diet group (all at P＜0.01).MVA in the retinal OPL were (626.49± 120.99) μm2 and (514.06±88.83) μm2 in the ApoE-/-mice of the high fat diet group and the normal diet group,respectively,showing a significant increase in comparison with the (336.52±84.96) μm2 of the C57BL/6 normal diet group (P＜0.01).The staining area of VEGF in RPE cells was (21 048±1849) μm2 in the ApoE-/-mice of the high fat diet group,showing a significant increase in comparison with the (17 116±2023) μm2 of the C57BL/6 normal diet group.However,no significant difference was found in the staining area of VEGF between the ApoE-/-mice with normal diet group and the C57BL/6 normal diet group ([17 854±2967] μm2 vs.[17 116±2023] μm2) (P＞0.05).Significant elevation was also seen in the staining area of VEGFR-2 in the retinal OPL of the ApoE-/-mice of the high fat diet group (12 193±3806)μm2 and the ApoE-/-mice of the normal diet group (11 969± 3616)xm2 compared with C57BL/6 mice of the normal diet group (5387±2225)μm2(all at P＜0.01).The relative expression values (VEGF/β-actin) of VEGF in the retinas were (1.51 ±0.32) and (1.17±0.39) in the ApoE-/-mice of the high fat diet group and the normal diet group,respectively,showing a significant increase in comparison with (0.28±0.14) of the C57BL/6 normal diet group (P＜0.01).Conclusions The expression of VEGF and VEGFR-2 in the retinas increases in the ApoE-/-mouse,which leads to the enlargement of MVD and MVA in the retinal OPL and subsequent RAP occurrence.

In order to provide a new method for treating proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR), the effects of anti-proliferation and apoptosis induction of inhibitors of telomerase and heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) on the cultured retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells were investigated. The rate of apoptosis cells was measured by using TUNEL on the cultured RPE cells, the co-cultured RPE cells with inhibitor of telomerase (camptothecin) or the co-cultured RPE cells with inhibitor of Hsp90 (geldanamycin). The cell proliferation status was measured in the above three groups by using MTT method. The rate of apoptosis in the RPE cells co-cultured with camptothecin or geldanamycin was increased remarkably (P<0.05). MTT showed the rate of growth inhibition was 8.4 %, 32.3 % and 72.3 % at the concentrations of camptothecin 1 μmol/L, 5 μmol/L, 10 μmol/L, respectively, and 6.5 %, 30.9 %, 71.9 % at the concentrations of geldanamycin 1 μmol/L, 5 μmol/L, 10 μmol/L, respectively. It was concluded that telomerase and Hsp90 can promote the proliferation of the cultured RPE cells, while the inhibitor of them can induce apoptosis and inhibit the growth of the RPE cells.