BACKGROUND:Cortical electrical stimulation has achieved good effects in treatment of stroke through animal and clinical experiments.
OBJECTIVE:To observe the effects of a ful y implanted cortical electrical stimulation device with long time, low intensity and various frequencies stimulation protocols on the neurological function recovery in a rat model of local cerebral infarction.
METHODS:The cerebral infarction model was established through middle cerebral artery occlusion in 60 Sprague-Dawley adult male rats. Forty rats with 1-3 points by Bederson scale were detected with magnetic resonance imaging, which was used to confirm cortex infarction and to identify a location for implantation of stimulating electrode over the peri-infarct cortex. Twenty-three rats with cortex infarction were randomly divided into cortical electrical stimulation group (CES group, n=13) and no stimulation group (NS group;n=10). The device was implanted on 6 days after middle cerebral artery occlusion, and the stimulation was given for 16 days. The stimulation program consists of two sessions lasting half an hour each in the morning and in the afternoon respectively. Stimulator delivered biphasic charge balanced pulses (pulse width=200μs) with various frequencies of 50 Hz, 20 Hz and 5 Hz within 10 second blocks and then repeated. The rats of NS group were implanted with the device, but received no electrical stimulation. The behavioral tests, includingforelimb use asymmetry test and foot fault test were performed at 2 and 16 days after implantation. Final y, al of the devices were taken out to test if they were normal y working and al of the rats were sacrificed for hematoxylin-eosin staining, which can reflect the structure of peri-infarct cortex and cellmorphology.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:There was only one stimulator in CES group cannot normal y work, and the remaining 22 ones worked wel . The skin covered the implanted stimulator was slightly ulcerated in one rat, and the incisions of the other rats were healed wel . Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed clear and intact structure in peri-infarction cortex (i.e., electrodes were implanted at the cortex), neurons arranged in neat rows, with abundant neuronal cytoplasm and clear nucleolus. The glial cells have complete structures, and there was no edema in the intercellular spaces. Foot-fault and forelimb use asymmetry tests showed the improved neurological function in rats of CES group than that of NS group. We designed a ful-implanted cortical electrical stimulator used in cerebral ischemic rats, and established an implanted method with long time, low intensity and various frequencies pulsed electrical stimulation. The results indicated the stimulation pattern in our study is safe and effective, and it can significantly promote functional recovery in local cerebral infarction rats.

AIM: To investigate the role of Smad7 in the Smad2 expression induced by transforming growth factor-?_1(TGF-?_1) in rat peritoneal mesothelial cells(PMCs).METHODS: Rat PMCs were cultured at different doses of TGF-?_1 (0,1.25,2.5,10 ?g/L) for different time(0,5,15,30,60,120 min).PCDNA3-Smad7 was then transfected into cultured rat PMCs by lipofectamine,and the cells were stimulated like the above.Endogenous Smad2 and Smad7 expression was evaluated by RT-PCR and Western blotting.RESULTS: TGF-?_1 induced increase in Smad2 mRNA and protein expression at 5 min,peaked at 30 min,and declined to baseline levels at 120 min, which was in a time-dependent manner.TGF-?_1 also induced Smad7 mRNA expression at 5 min,and then declined,down to the lowest at 30 min,but at 60 min it increased again.Smad2,Smad7 mRNA and protein expression induced by TGF-?_1 were also dose-dependent.After transfection,overexpressions of Smad7 mRNA and protein in rat PMCs were observed,which did not decline with time.The expression of Smad2 mRNA significantly decreased by 33%,56%,67%,71%,63% and 57%(P

AIM: To investigate the expression of Smad2 signal protein in peritoneal mesothelial cells and how transforming growth factor ?1 (TGF-?1) affects its expression. METHODS: Rat peritoneal mesothelial cells were cultured in different levels of TGF-?1 (0,1.25,2.5,10 ?g/L) for different time (0,5,15,30,60,120 min). Endogenous Smad2 expression was evaluated by RT-PCR and immunohistochemical assay. The alteration of subcellular location of Smad2 was determined by immunohistochemical assay. RESULTS: TGF-?1 induced Smad2 mRNA expression, which increased at 5 min, peaked at 30 min, and declined to baseline levels by 120 min, in a time-dependent manner. Smad2 mRNA expression induced by TGF-?1 was also in a dose -dependent manner. TGF-?1 induced Smad2 phosphorlylation and nuclear localization in both time-dependent and dose-dependent manner, which was concordant with mRNA expression. Smad2 translocated from cytoplasm to nuclear accumulation in response to TGF-?1, and peaked at 30 min. CONCLUSIONS: Smad2 is present in peritoneal mesothelial cells. TGF-?1 may activate Smad2 expression and translocation to nuclear in a time-dependent and dose-dependent manner. [

AIM: To observe the effects of Egr-1 gene knockout on the expression of inflammatory-related factors in pancreatic tissue in a mouse acute pancreatitis model.METHODS: The experimental pancreatitis was induced by high-dose of cearulein in wildtype mice and Egr-1 knockout mice.The pancreatitis indexes,such as serum amylase,pancreata edema,and myeloperoxidase(MPO) levels in pancreata and lungs were recorded.The mRNA levels of tissue factor(TF),plasminogen activator inhibitor(PAI-1),monocyte chemoattractant protein(MCP-1),Gro-1,IL-6 and ICAM-1 were measured by quantitative PCR.RESULTS: Contrary to wildtype mice,typical pancreatitis was not induced by high-dose cearulein in the Egr-1 knockout mice,not only markedly reduced edema in pancreata and lungs,but decreased MPO levels in lungs as well were found.Furthermore,the mRNA of TF,PAI,MCAP,ICAM-1 and IL-6 in pancreata were significantly decreased in Egr-1 knockout mice.CONCLUSION: The severity of pancreatitis and lung damage is ameliorated in Egr-1 knockout mice stimulated by high-dosage of cearulein,which was probably mediated by decreasing expression of inflammatory-related factors in pancreata,such as TF,PAI,MCP-1,ICAM-1 and IL-6.

Objective:To investigate the application value of laparoscopic duodenum-preserving pancreatic head resection (LDPPHR).Methods:The retrospective and descriptive study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 25 patients undergoing LDPPHR in the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University from November 2016 to November 2020 were collected. There were 7 males and 18 females, aged from 14 to 66 years, with a median age of 29 years. All the 25 patients underwent LDPPHR. Observation indicators: (1) surgical situations; (2) postoperative histopathological examination; (3) follow-up. Follow-up was conducted using outpatient examination or telephone interview to detect the recovery of patients up to March 2021. Measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M (range) and count data were descripted as absolute numbers. Results:(1) Surgical situations: all the 25 patients underwent LDPPHR successfully, including 23 cases undergoing total pancreatic head resection and 2 cases undergoing subtotal pancreatic head resection. The operation time and volume of intraoperative blood loss of 25 patients were 310 minutes (range, 207 to 540 minutes) and 200 mL (range, 50 to 800 mL), respectively. Of the 25 patients, 1 case was infused with 4 U of red blood cells and 400 mL of plasma, 1 case was infused with 500 mL of plasma, 1 case was infused with 600 mL of plasma and the remaining 22 cases were not infused with red blood cells or plasma. Of the 25 patients, 3 cases with pancreatic fistula of class B were discharged after drainage, 4 cases had biliary fistula including 2 cases undergoing symptoms disappeared after implantation of common bile duct stent by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, 1 case recovering well with drainage, 1 case with postoperative perihepatic effusion undergoing symptoms disappeared after the treatment of drainage and common bile duct stent implantation, and the remaining 18 cases had no complications. The duration of postoperative hospital stay was 17 days (range, 9 to 27 days) of the 25 patients. (2) Postoperative histopathological examination: the tumor volume of the 25 patients was 6.0 cm×5.0 cm×2.0 cm (range, 1.0 cm×2.0 cm×1.5 cm to 10.0 cm×9.0 cm×8.0 cm). Results of the postoperative histopathological examination showed that there were 12 cases with pancreatic solid pseudopaillary neoplasm, 4 cases with intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm, 3 cases with serous cystadenoma, 2 cases with mucinous cystadenoma, 1 case with neuroendocrine neoplasm, 1 case with pancreatic true cyst, 1 case with cholesterol crystals combined with calcification in the center of pancreatic nodules and 1 case with cavernous hemangioma of pancreas. (3) Follow-up: all the 25 patients were followed up for 4 months to 48 months, with a median follow-up time of 27 months. During the follow-up, 1 case of the 25 patients with postoperative diabetes controlled blood glucose in the normal range after regular injection of insulin, 1 case with fatty diarrhea had symptoms improved after oral supplement of pancreatic enzyme preparation, 1 case with preoperative intermittent dizziness, weakness of both lower limbs and hypoglycemia had the level of blood glucose returned to normal without any special treatment after operation, and the remaining 23 cases had no metabolic complications. None of the 25 patients had tumor malignant transformation, recurrence or death. No long-term complications such as delayed gastric emptying, bile duct stones or stricture occurred to the 25 patients.Conclusion:LDPPHR is safe and feasible for the treatment of benign or low-grade malignant tumors of the pancreatic head, with the advantage of preserving the integrity of digestive tract.

Objective: To summarize the clinical experience of laparoscopic duodenum-preserving subtotal pancreatic head resection (LDPPHR). Methods: The clinical data of 8 patients with LDPPHR performed at the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University from November 2016 to February 2019 were analyzed retrospectively. Results: All the eight patients underwent LDPPHR successfully. The operation time was 207.0~540.0 minutes. The estimated blood loss was 50.0~200.0 ml. The postoperative hospital stay was 10.0~27.0 days. One patient developed pancreatic fistula of grade B, and one patient developed biliary fistula. Pathologic results showed pancreatic solid pseudopaillary neoplasm in 3 patients, intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms in 1 patient, mucinous cystadenoma in 1 patient, serous cystadenoma in 1 patient, neuroendocrine neoplasm in 1 patient, and pancreatic true cyst in 1 patient. Conclusion LDPPHR is a safe and effective surgical method for treatment of pancreatic head inflammatory mass, pancreatic head benign or low-grade malignant tumors.

Alzheimer's disease(AD),the most common progressive neurodegenerative disease in dementia,is also a special lipid disease.From the perspective of modern medicine,cholesterol homeostasis is an important risk factor for AD.Amyloid-beta plaque deposition,neurofibrillary tangles,and large amount of lipid granule accumulation are typical pathological features of AD.From the perspective of TCM,turbidity is the key to the pathogenesis of AD.Phlegm turbid,stasis turbid and turbid toxin are the concrete derivation of turbidity,which are the standard of AD.Cholesterol is the greasy lipid which is produced from of the essence of water and food,the disturbance of cholesterol homeostasis is a typical embodiment of the pathogenesis mechanism of endogenous turbidity.Regulating cholesterol homeostasis by traditional Chinese medicine may be a new direction for the treatment of AD in the future.Focusing on the modern research of cholesterol homeostasis,taking the theory of turbidity as the starting point,this paper analyzed the correlation between the connotation of turbidity theory and the imbalance of cholesterol homeostasis as well as the pathogenesis mechanism,and further elucidated the clinical application results in the treatment of AD from the aspects of phlegm turbid,stasis turbid and turbid toxin,so as to better guide clinical practice and scientific research.

OBJECTIVETo study the expression of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) mRNA in human trophoblast HTR-8/SVneo cells and the changes in indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) mRNA expression in response to TLR ligand stimulation.

METHODSThe expressions of TLRs and IDO mRNA in human HTR-8/SVneo cells were tested by RT-PCR, and the changes in IDO mRNA levels after exposure to TLR3, TLR4, TLR7/8, and TLR9 ligands were quantitatively analyzed with real-time PCR.

RESULTSIDO and TLR1-10 mRNAs were expressed in HTR-8/SVneo cells. As the cell culture time extended, IDO mRNA expression level tended to increase within 48 h. After stimulation with the TLR ligands, the expression of TLR-3 mRNA was down-regulated while the expression of TLR-4, 7, 8, and 9 mRNA up-regulated. Stimulation of the cells with poly(I:C) lowered the expression of IDO mRNA while IFN-γ increased its expression.

CONCLUSIONSThe expression of IDO mRNA is associated with the nutrition of the maternal-fetal interface. Stimulation with the TLR ligands affects the expression of IDO and TLR mRNA expressions in the cells, which verifies the functional activity of TLRs and suggests a role of IDO in TLR pathway-dependent antiviral immunity.

Cell Line ; Female ; Humans ; Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase ; genetics ; metabolism ; Interferon-gamma ; pharmacology ; Ligands ; Poly I-C ; pharmacology ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Toll-Like Receptors ; genetics ; metabolism ; Trophoblasts ; cytology ; metabolism

Objective To analyze the clinical outcomes and surgical procedures of 32 patients who underwent laparoscopic radical resection of hilar cholangiocarcinoma.Methods From January 2013 to July 2018,32 patients who were diagnosed to have hilar cholangiocarcinoma underwent total laparoscopic treatment in Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University.The clinical data of these patients were recorded,including the general data,Bismuth types,AJCC types,postoperative complications,pathological findings,and follow-up results.Results This study included 20 males and 12 females with a mean age of 60.9±8.8 years and a body mass index of 22.6±3.2 kg/m2.According to the preoperative imaging studies,the Bismuth types Ⅰ,Ⅱ,Ⅲa,Ⅲb,and Ⅳ were found in 12,2,3,4 and 11 patients,respectively.Laparoscopic radical resection of hilar cholangiocarcinoma and bilioenteric anastomosis was performed in 12 patients,with radical resection and external bile drainage in 6 patients,extended hemihepatectomy with caudate lobectomy in 6 patients and concomitant portal vein resection in 2 patients.The mean operative time was 365.6± 121.9min and the median intraoperative blood loss was 300 (75,400) ml.Intraoperative red cell and plasma transfusion were 0-15 U and 400(0,625)ml,respectively.According to the Clavien-Dindo complication classification system,5 of 32 (15.6％) patients developed type Ⅱ morbidity.The postoperative pathological findings revealed bile duct adenocarcinoma in 30 patients and mucinous adenocarcinoma in 2 patients.The median size of cancer was 3.0 (1.0,3.5) cm.According to the 8th AJCC staging system,stage Ⅰ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ,and Ⅳ were found in 6,13,11,and 2 patients,respectively.A negative resection margin was achieved in 24 of 32 patients (75％).Up to August 6,30 of 32 patients (93.8％) were followed up and the overall 1-,2-,and 3-year survival rates for the patients who underwent laparoscopic radical resection for hilar cholangiocarcinoma were 80.0％,53.0％,and 53.3％.The median survival time was 21.8 months.Conclusion Total laparoscopic surgery for hilar cholangiocarcinoma was safe and feasible if performed by an experienced surgeon after accurate preoperative evaluation.

Objective To study the feasibility of laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy ( LPD) in the treatment of pancreatic head cancer, and to analyze the short-term postoperative outcomes. Methods The clinical data of 57 patients with pancreatic head cancer who underwent laparoscopic pancreaticoduode-nectomy from April 2015 to November 2017 in the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University were retro-spectively analyzed. Results Of the 57 patients, conversion to open surgery was required in 2 patients, and major venous resection and reconstruction were performed in 9 patients, including 8 end-to-end anastomosis, and 1 synthetic graft interposition. Total pancreatectomy was carried out in 4 patients. For the remaining 53 patients, pancreaticojejunal mucosal anastomoses were carried out in 50 patients, and sleeve pancreaticojeju-nostomy in 3 patients. The mean operative time and operative blood loss were 497 (240～720) min and 435 (50～3 000 ) ml, respectively. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 17. 7 ( 6. 0 ～59. 0 ) days. Postoperative complications were detected in 26. 3% (15/57) of patients, which included delayed gastric emptying (DGE) in 4 patients, Grade B pancreatic fistula (PF) in 4 patients, biliary fistula ( BF) in 2 patients, postpancreatectomy hemorrhage ( PPH) in 2 patients, intraabdominal infection in 1 patient and pulmonary infection in 2 patients. All the patients with DGE recovered with conservative treatment and they were discharged home. Reoperation was only required in the two patients with PPH. One patient died after the operation. The postoperative pathological results revealed pancreatic duct adenocarcinoma in 53 patients, adenosscale carcinoma in 1 patient and neuroendocrine carcinoma in 3 patients. The maximum and minimum tumor sizes were 7. 0 cm×5. 0 cm×3. 5 cm and 2. 5 cm×1. 5 ×1. 0 cm, respectively. The mean lymph nodes harvest and positive lymph node retrieval were 14(1～60) and 0. 7(0～3), respectively. Negative resection margins were obtained in 84. 2% (48/57) of patients. This study was censored on December 31, 2017. The follow-up for these patients ranged between 1 to 32 months. Mortality occurred in 21 patients, including 1 patient with a ruptured aneurysm 2 months after operation, 2 patients with GI bleeding 2 and 9 months respectively after operation, 1 patient with severe pulmonary infection and 17 patients with cancer recurrence with survival varying from 2 to 21 months. 35 patients were still alive. Conclusion Laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy is a safe and feasible procedure for pancreatic head cancer.