In recent years, preoperative therapy has become the standard procedure to improve radical resection rate and local control for advanced rectal cancer. Tumor responses to chemoradiotherapy, however, vary considerably, thus increasing the demand for both functional and morphologic radiologic evaluation of response to chemoradiotherapy to distinguish responders from nonresponders. MR imaging is considered the most accurate tool for the primary staging of tumor extent, and can be used to evaluate the efficacy of chemoradiotherapy. Functional imaging modalities including DW-MRI and PET-CT have shown promising prospect in the early evaluation of the response of rectal cancer to preoperative chemoradiotherapy. However, wide clinical application will take some time.
Chemoradiotherapy ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neoadjuvant Therapy ; Rectal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; radiotherapy ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Treatment Outcome

Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neoplasm Staging ; Rectal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology

· AIM:To determine whether the multifocal visual evoked potential (mfVEP) can be used as a clinical method to assess the patients with optic nerve disease.· METHODS: Fifteen patients with optic nerve disease were examined in this study. All patients underwent visual acuity examination, slit-lamp inspection, ophthalmoscopy, Goldmann perimeter, fundus fiuorescein angiography, visual field and mfVEP. Although these patients with unilateral optic nerve damage,data from both eyes were included in the analysis.· RESULTS:In all patients the visual fields defect was demonstrated on the mfVEP and showed good correspondence in location of the scotoma. However, we also found some slight difference between visual field and mfVEP. In some locations, when the local visual fields were normal, mfVEP showed that its amplitude reduced. In reverse, when the local mfVEP seemed normal, visual field showed abnormity.· CONCLUSION:Multifocal visual evoked potential could be used as a clinical diagnosis option in patients with optic nerve disease. Local monocular damage to the optic nerve can be measured by an interocular comparison of the mfVEP.

Coix ; Epimedium ; Fatigue ; Humans ; Hypoxia ; Plant Leaves

The urate transporter 1 (URAT1) which controls urate reabsorption is a membrane transporter in the apical membrane of human renal proximal tubule epithelial cells. It was found that about 90% of patients suffer from hyperuricemia due to insufficient uric acid excretion. Therefore, the development of URAT1 inhibitors that can reduce the level of serum uric acid in vivo by enhancing renal urate excretion has been a hot spot in seeking anti-gout drugs in recent years. In this article, the representative URAT1 inhibitors with uric acid-lowering or anti-gout effects are reviewed, and related medicinal chemical strategies are analyzed, hoping to provide valuable insights into the discovery of new URAT1 inhibitors.

Objective To investigate the method and value of adjustable interatrial fistulization in the operation of congenital heart disease(CHD) accompany with severe pulmonary arterial hypertension(PH).Methods Twenty-seven patients(19 male,8 females) accompany with severe PH were entered the study,age ranged from 4 to 14 years old,weight from 13.7 to 42.0 kilogram.The enrolled diseases included 11 cases of atrial septal defect(ASD),10 cases of ventricular septal defect(VSD),4 cases of patent ductus arteriosus(PDA),and 2 cases of Ebstein syndrome accompany with severe tricuspid insufficiency.All patients were diagnosed as CHD accompany with severe PH(bidirectional shunt)which was the contraindications for routine operation before operation through chest X-ray,electrocardiography,ultrasonic cardiography,cardiac catheteri-zation and cardiac angiography.Results With adjustable interatrial fistulization and treatment to the abnormalities,14 fistulaes were closed immediately after operation,7 fistulaes were closed 2 days after operation,3 fistulaes were closed 3 days and 1 fistulae was closed 4 days after operation and accompanied with empyema discharged initiatively.One fistula was never closed,1 case died from low cardiac output symptom.The effective rate was 92.6%,closed to that of routine operations.Conclusion Adjustable interatrial fistulization is an easy procedure,and it can decrease the danger of PH post-operation effectively and provide operation opportunity for those patients with CHD approaching terminal stage.

This article, introduces setting up of reflectance confocal microscope which is divided into four parts: optical system, scanning system, detecting system and software controlling system. This reflectance confocal microscope realizes in vivo epidermis tissue imaging in mouse skin as well as disease diagnosis related cell parameters measurement.
Animals ; Diagnostic Imaging ; instrumentation ; methods ; Microscopy, Confocal ; methods ; Rats ; Skin ; Software

OBJECTIVETo observe the cytotoxicity of indirubin derivative PHII-7 against human breast cancer MCF-7 cells and to study its primary mechanisms.

METHODSThe proliferation of MCF-7 cells was detected using MTT colorimetry. Annexin V/PI double staining was applied to detect the apoptosis rate of MCF-7 cells. The distribution of cell cycles was detected using PI staining and flow cytometry (FCM). The levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in MCF-7 cells were detected by DCFH-DA staining. The mRNA and protein levels of c-fos were detected using RT-PCR and Westem blot analysis.

RESULTSPHII-7 at different concentrations inhibited the proliferation of MCF-7 cells in a concentration-dependent manner, with the inhibitory rate ranging from 43.13% to 90.90% (P < 0.05). The inhibition was strengthened along with increased concentrations. PHII-7 at different concentrations could induce the apoptosis of MCF-7 cells. The early apoptosis rate was 1.43% +/- 0.02%, 9.14% +/- 0.36%, and 45.79% +/- 8.46%, respectively with the action of 1.25, 2.50, and 5.00 micromol/L PHII-7, respectively, showing dose-dependent manner. FCM analysis found that the proportion of MCF-7 cells in the G0/G1 phase and the S phase decreased after treatment with PHII-7, and the ratio of MCF-7 cells in the G2/M phase obviously increased (P < 0.01). The intra-cellular ROS level was significantly elevated 2 h after pretreatment with PHII-7. The levels of the protooncogene c-fos mRNA and protein were down-regulated in a dose-dependent manner after action of PHII-7.

CONCLUSIONSPHII-7 exerted obvious in vitro cytotoxic effects on MCF-7 cells. Its mechanisms might be associated with arresting the cell cycle, regulating the redox equilibrium, and down-regulating the expression of the protooncogene.

Child ; Contracture ; congenital ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Neck Muscles ; pathology ; Torticollis ; congenital

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic and therapeutic methods for hilar bile duct carcinoma. Methods The clinical data of 36 patients with hilar bile duct carcinoma from Jan 1998 to Jul 2003 were retrospectively analyzed. Results The misdiagnosis rate(39%) was high. All patients underwent a surgery. The median survival time of 16 patients treated by radical resection was 30 months. The 1,3,5-year survival rate was 93%,50% and 25% respectively. While the median survival time of the rest 20 patients treated by a variety of non-radical operation was 16 months with 1,3,5-year survival rate of 47%,8% and 0 respectively(t=2.585).Conclusions Early diagnosis and radical resection improves long-term survival of patients with hilar bile duct carcinoma.