Insulin-like growth factors (IGF), regulated by their receptors and binding proteins, play a pivotal role in human cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. Increasing evidence has revealed that IGF system is involved in the genesis and progress of various malignancies including lung cancer. Recent studies in regard to IGF axis expression in the lung cancer cell lines, pulmonary tissue samples and blood circulation of lung cancer patients have shown that the IGF axis may contribute to the transformation and progression of lung cancer. Several researches have shown that a number of drugs targeting the IGF receptor are being investigated in clinical trials and suggest a potential therapeutic efficacy. This article reviews the updates and progress in the research of IGF axis in lung cancer.

BACKGROUND:Due to the importance of pedicle adjacent structures, once the screw replacement appears a deviation, adjacent structures may be damaged, leading to extremely serious consequences. Although the security of screw placement in thoracic vertebral pedicle-rib complex is significantly greater than that of pedicle screws, the mechanics of the pedicle-rib complex at different cross-sectional areas of the screw are rarely reported.
OBJECTIVE:To observe mechanical property of different cross-sectional area screws in the middle and upper thoracic vertebral pedicle-rib complex.
METHODS:Five specimens of adult cadaveric thoracic spine (T 1-T 10 ) and adjacent rib segment (50-60 mm long) were used. The bone density of specimens was measured using difunctional bone density testing machine, and osteoporotic vertebral body was excluded. The position of the screws was detected with CT images. The maximal withdrawal force of the pedicle screw was measured with biomechanical force test machine.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Thirty-eight specimens at normal bone density were implanted with 25 screws (5.5 mm), 25 screws (6.0 mm) and 26 screws (6.5 mm). Because the pedicle screws destroyed the pedicle-rib complex and perforated the vertebral body, we final y obtained the withdrawal force of 68 screws. The axial withdrawal force of pedicle screws at different diameters was (812.36±147.22) N, (868.64±160.48) N and (946.48±157.58) N, respectively. There were significant differences between the 5.5 mm screws and the 6.5 mm screws (P<0.05). Experimental findings indicate that, the pedicle screws (diameter>5.5 mm) are suitable in the middle and upper thoracic vertebral pedicle-rib complex due to strong internal fixation and clinical requirement.

OBJECTIVETo study the medium and long term effects of perfusion of bone marrow stromal stem cells through optional artery for the treatment of non-traumatic femoral head avascular necrosis.

METHODSFrom January 2000 to December 2004,62 cases(78 hips) with non-traumatic femoral head necrosis accepted optional artery marrow stromal stem cells infusion treatment and had complete follow-up data, including 43 hips of 35 males and 35 hips of 27 females with an average age of 36.3 years old (22 to 54). According to preoperative imaging data, 16 hips were ARCO I stage, 52 hips were II stage, 10 hips were III a stage. Harris score was 64.94 +/- 8.12 preoperatively. Postoperative Harris score at the last follow-up, imaging changes,DSA vascular changes were analysis.

RESULTSThe patients were followed up for 9 to 13 years (means 11 years). By the end of the follow-up, a total of 18 hips got artificial joint replacement, 10 hips of preoperative ARCO I, II period got artificial hip joint replacement, 8 hips of IIIa period got hip artificial joint replacement. Harris score was 71.21 +/- 0.19 at the end of the follow-up, it was obviously enhanced compared with preoperative. DSA showed blood vessels of supply the femoral head increased thickening.

CONCLUSIONPerfusion of bone marrow stromal stem cells through optional artery can effective treat non-traumatic femoral head necrosis of ARCO I, II period, it can make the femoral circumflex artery and its branches increased thickening.

Adult ; Angiography, Digital Subtraction ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip ; Female ; Femur Head Necrosis ; therapy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVEThe aim of this study is to investigate the occurrence and mechanism of Cheyne-Stokes breathing pattern in patients with heart failure.

METHODSFifty-six patients who performed polusomnography sleep testing at National Center of Cardiovascular Diseases Fuwai Hospital from March to May in 2015. We divided them into chronic heart failure (CHF) group and non-CHF group.

RESULTSThe occurrences of sleep apnea in two groups were high. In CHF group (n = 11) , there were 10 patients with apnea hypopnea index (AHI) > 5; and their AHI was 23.93 ±14.63. In non-CHF group (n = 45), there were 33 patients whose AHI > 5; and their AHI was 16.20 ± 18.76. The ratio of center sleep apnea to all gross sleep apnea ratio in CHF group was higher than that in non-CHF group (80.21% ± 30.55% vs 27.16% ± 35.71%, P < 0.01 ).

CONCLUSIONBased upon the new theory of holistic integrative physiology and medicine, we explain the mechanism of circulatory dysfunction induce the oscillation breathing in patients with CHF. The sleep apnea and C-S respiration in CHF should be called circulatory sleep apnea, rather than central sleep apnea.

Cheyne-Stokes Respiration ; Chronic Disease ; Heart Failure ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Polysomnography ; Sleep Apnea Syndromes ; physiopathology ; Sleep Apnea, Central

Objective To evaluate the characteristics and efficacy of microscope-assisted bilateral decompression via unilateral approach for the treatment of lumbar stenosis. Methods From June 2007 to June 2010, Sixty case lumbar stenosis with bilateral decompression were treated via unilateral approach under microscopy. Patients were followed up from 6 to 24 months, average (12 ± 4.7) months. Results The pain level of each patient was assessed both before and after the opeartion, using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Intermittent claudication was completely relieved in 57 out of 60 cases, moderately relieved in 3 cases. VAS score decreased from pre-operational 9.08 ± 0.76 to post-operational 2.33 ± 1.43, and there was significantly difference between them. There was no recurrent case during the whole follow-up. Conclusion Bilateral decompression via unilateral approach under microscope is proved to be an effective and safe procedure for the treatment of lumbar stenosis, and have the advantages of minimal invasion, less pain, quick recovery, better effect, little influence on the spinal stability.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of platelet activating factor(PAF) antagonism on the blood content in the random survival flap. Methods: A lipophilic PAF receptor antagonist BN52021 was administered to treat flaps through a local subcutaneous injection route 30 min prior to transplantation. The flaps were imaged in situ by a gamma camera. Results: The PAF receptor antagonist significantly augmented the accumulation of radioactivity of middle and end part within treated flaps( P

Objective:To investigate the expression of wild type estrogen receptor(wER)and the ex-on-5 deleted ER(variant ER,vER)in human hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)samples,and thereafteranalyze the possibility of HCC treatment by endocrine therapy.Methods:The mRNA expressions of wERand vER were analysed from 28 cases of HCC by RT-PCR.The expression of ER at the protein level wasdetected by immunohistochemistry(IHC).Results:IHC results showed that 39.3% of the HCC speci-mens expressed ER.The mRNA of wER was detected in 89.3%(25/28)of the HCC specimens whilethat of vER was detected in 96.4%(27/28).Twenty four out of 28 HCC cases(85.7%)expressedboth wER and vER.One out of 28 patients(3.5%)expressed only wER whereas 3 patients out of 28(10.7%)expressed vER only.Conclusion:Ninety six percent(27/28)of the HCC patients expressedvER,which suggests that the expression of vER is an important event in the development of HCC.

Emerging evidence has indicated that circular RNAs (circRNAs) play pivotal roles in the regulation of cellular processes and are found to be aberrantly expressed in a variety of tumors.However,the clinical role of circRNAs in bladder cancer (BC) and the molecular mechanisms have yet to be fully understood.In this study,the clinical specimens were obtained and the expression level of a circRNA BCRC4 was detected by real-time PCR in both BC tissues and cell line.The circular RNA over-expression plasmid was constructed and transfected into BC cells and related cell line.The cell cycles and apoptosis were observed using inverted microscope and flow cytometry.Western blotting was used to compare the relative protein expression of groups with different treatments.It was found that circRNA BCRC4 expression was lower in BC tissues than in adjacent normal tissues.Furthermore,consequences of fomed-expression of BCRC4 promoted apoptosis and inhibited viability of T24T and UMUC3 cells,and up-regulated BCRC4-inereased miR-101 level,which suppressed EZH2 expression in both RNA and protein levels.In addition,gambogic acid (GA) is a promising natural anticancer compound for BC therapy,and GA treatment increased the BCRC4 expression in T24T and UMUC3 cells in a dose-dependent manner.Altogether,our findings suggest that BCRC4 functions as a tumor suppressor in BC,and mediates anticancer function,at least in part,by up-regulating the expression of miR-101.Targeting this newly identified circRNA may help us develop a novel strategy for treating human BC.

OBJECTIVETo explore the molecular mechanism of pain associated with chronic prostatitis and chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) in the rat model of prostatic inflammation.

METHODSThirty-six male SD rats were equally randomized to an experimental and a control group, the former injected with 50 μl of 3% λ-carrageenan into the ventral prostate to make the model of non-bacterial prostatic inflammation, while the latter with the same volume of sterile saline solution. At 1, 2 and 4 weeks after modeling, the prostate, L6-S1 dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and spinal cord were harvested for examination of the expressions of the nerve growth factor (NGF), transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1), and calcitonin-gene-related peptide (CGRP) by immunohistochemistry and Western blot.

RESULTSThe expressions of NGF, TRPA1 and CGRP in the prostatic tissue were all significantly increased in the experimental group as compared with the control (P <0.05), with a gradual decrease with the prolonging of time (P <0.05). In the L6-S1 DRG and spinal cord, the expressions of NGF, TRPA1 and CGRP exhibited no significant differences between the experimental and control groups at 1 week after modeling (P >0.05) and kept at high levels in the experimental group at 2 and 4 weeks, though not significantly different from those at 1 week (P >0.05). Statistically significant differences were observed in the expressions of the three proteins in the experimental rats among different time points (P <0.05), but not between the two groups at any time point (P >0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe molecular mechanism of CP/CPPS can be evaluated in the rat model of prostatic inflammation established by injecting λ-carrageenan into the prostate. TRPA1 may play an important role in connecting the upstream and down-stream pathways of CP/CPPS-associated pain.

Animals ; Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide ; metabolism ; Carrageenan ; Chronic Disease ; Chronic Pain ; metabolism ; Ganglia, Spinal ; metabolism ; Humans ; Male ; Nerve Growth Factor ; metabolism ; Pelvic Pain ; metabolism ; Prostatitis ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spinal Cord ; metabolism ; TRPA1 Cation Channel ; TRPC Cation Channels ; metabolism

Diagnosis, Differential ; Diagnostic Errors ; Diaphragm ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; Echinococcosis, Hepatic ; diagnosis ; pathology ; surgery ; Female ; Hernia, Diaphragmatic ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Liver ; parasitology ; pathology ; surgery ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed