OBJECTIVETo explore a simple and reliable method for intraperitoneal injection through a paravertebral approach in rabbits.

METHODSSixty New Zealand rabbits were randomized into conventional group and modified groups to receive intraperitoneal injections through conventional and paravertebral approaches, respectively. In the conventional group, the injection site was on the abdominal wall 3~4 cm lateral from the umbilicus bilaterally, while that in the modified group was located dorsally at L5/L6 level 3-4 cm lateral from the midline. Abdominal CT scan was performed in the post-injection rabbits, which were sacrificed after 24 h for abdominal dissection.

RESULTSSuccess with a single puncture was achieved in 13 out of the 20 rabbits in the conventional group, and the rest required at least two punctures, with a mean rank sum of 23.50. With the modified approach, a single attempt was successful in all the 40 rabbits, with a mean rank sum of 34.0, showing a significant difference between the two groups (P<0.01). The success rates of a single injection differed significantly between the two groups (P<0.01). CT scan and abdominal dissection showed that the injection site with the modified approach was far away from the vital organs and large vessels with less peritoneal hyperemia and exudation.

CONCLUSIONParavertebral intraperitoneal paracentesis is a convenient and reliable method for intraperitoneal injection in rabbits.

Animals ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; methods ; Rabbits

OBJECTIVETo examine cerebral pathologies in cerebral amyloid angiopathy in a rat model of Alzheimer's disease.

METHODSRat models of Alzheimer's disease was established by stereotactic Aβ1-42 fiber injection in the bilateral hippocampus. The cognitive function of the rats was evaluated with water maze test. HE staining, Congo red staining and double-labeling indirect immunofluorescence were used to examine the dynamic distribution of Aβ fiber deposit in the brain.

RESULTSThe model rats showed significant differences from the control rats in the escape latency and the times of crossing platform in waster maze test. HE staining revealed a decreased number and degeneration of the granular cells with increased glial cells in the model rats. Congo Red staining showed that the Aβ fiber was deposited gradually in the small vessels in the brain parenchyma to cause thickening, stenosis or occlusion of the small vessels. Immunofluorescence staining detected Aβ fiber migration from the parenchyma to the walls of the small arteries in the rat models.

CONCLUSIONCerebral amyloid angiopathy is a major pathological feature in Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer Disease ; pathology ; Amyloid beta-Peptides ; chemistry ; Animals ; Brain ; pathology ; Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy ; pathology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Rats ; Staining and Labeling

Objective:To evaluate the feasibility and safety of carbon ion radiotherapy (CIRT) in the treatment of muscle-invasive bladder cancer in phase Ⅰ/Ⅱ clinical trials.Methods:Clinical stage T 2-3 patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (without distant metastasis) were studied. A three-fraction treatment was applied, including the local irradiation with the dose from 12 Gy to 24 Gy and 11 fractions of whole-bladder irradiation with a dose of 44 Gy. The carbon ion irradiation dose is determined with relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of 3.0. The total dose for bladder tumor was 56-68 Gy in 14 fractions. The primary endpoints included tumor treatment-related side effects, dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) responses, and local control (LC) rate, and the secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS). Results:Nine patients received CIRT of various doses in the clinical trials, with the dose gradually increasing to 68 Gy. The patients did not suffer from DLT response, acute adverse effects of radiation therapy of grade ≥3, and late radiation adverse reactions during follow-up. When the dose to the tumor reached 68 Gy, there were 2 cases of grade 2 acute urogenital tract reaction and 1 case of acute lower gastrointestinal tract symptom. For the group with a dose above 62 Gy, three cases of grade 1 late radiation bladder reaction were observed and their symptoms included urinary frequency and microscopic hematuria. At the end of treatment, hematuria disappeared, dysuria was relieved, and urine red blood cell value significantly decreased for all the patients. Three months and six months after treatment, the LC rates were 100% and 88.9%, respectively, and the objective response rates were both 88.9%. One patient developed local recurrence and was treated with salvage surgery six months after treatment.Conclusions:The preliminary efficacy observation of CIRT in the treatment of muscle-invasive bladder cancer showed significant short-term efficacy, obvious symptom relief, and good tolerability for patients, without DLT. Therefore, CIRT is safe and feasible.

Objective:To evaluate clinical prognosis and prognostic factors of patients with early stage (Ⅰ stage) and locally advanced (Ⅱ/Ⅲ stage) lung cancer treated with carbon ion radiotherapy (CIRT).Methods:Clinical data, treatment, adverse reactions, survival and so on of 54 lung cancer patients who received CIRT and follow-up in the Heavy Ion Center of Wuwei Cancer Hospital of Gansu Province from March 2020 to September 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The survival curve was plotted using Kaplan-Meier method. Difference tests were performed using log-rank test. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify prognostic factors.Results:According to inclusion and exclusion criteria, 54 patients were enrolled in the study, including 10 patients with early stage lung cancer and 44 patients with locally advanced lung cancer. The median follow-up time for 10 patients with early stage lung cancer was 11.0 (6.75, 17.25) months, and the median dose of irradiation was 60 Gy [relative biological effect (RBE)]. Upon the last follow-up, 3 patients had complete response (CR) and 3 patients had partial response (PR). Four patients had stable disease (SD) and no progressive disease (PD). The 1-year and 2-year local control rates (LCR), progression-free survival (PFS) rates and overall survival (OS) rates were 100%. During treatment and follow-up, 2 patients developed grade 1 radiation pneumonia, 1 case of grade 2 radiation pneumonia, 1 case of chest wall injury (chest wall pain), and there were no adverse reactions greater than grade 2. The median follow-up time of 44 patients with locally advanced stage was 12.5 (4.25, 21.75) months, and the median irradiation dose was 72 Gy (RBE). Thirty-two (73%) patients received concurrent chemotherapy during treatment, 20 (45%) patients received sequential chemotherapy after treatment, 14 (32%) patients received immune maintenance therapy and 3 (7%) patients obtained PD and received targeted drugs. Upon the last follow-up, 3 (7%) patients had CR, 17 (39%) patients had PR, 19 (43%) patients obtained SD, and 5 (11%) patients had PD. The 1-year and 2-year LCR were 96.0% and 87.3%, 90.9% and 84.1% for the 1-year and 2-year PFS rates, and 93.2% and 86.4% for the 1-year and 2-year OS rates, respectively. The median OS and PFS of patients were not reached. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that maintenance therapy after radiotherapy ( P=0.027) and clinical target volume (CTV) irradiation volume ( P=0.028) were the factors affecting PFS. Simultaneous chemoradiotherapy ( P=0.042) and maintenance therapy after radiotherapy ( P=0.020) were the factors affecting OS. And gross tumor volume (GTV) ≥215 ml ( P=0.068) might be an independent risk factor for grade 2 and above radiation pneumonia. Conclusions:The domestic carbon ion system has definite clinical effect and controllable toxic and side effects in the treatment of early stage and locally advanced lung cancer. The combination of synchronous chemotherapy and further maintenance treatment can significantly improve clinical prognosis of patients without significantly increasing the risk of toxic and side effects.

Objective:To compare the adverse reactions, efficacy and survival rate of carbon ion beam irradiation in the elective lymph node (ENI) drainage area of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC) with relative biological effect (RBE) dose of 48 Gy using 16 and 12 fractions.Methods:A total of 72 patients with pathologically confirmed LA-NSCLC admitted to Wuwei Heavy Ion Center of Gansu Wuwei Tumor Hospital from June 2020 to December 2021 were enrolled and simple randomly divided into groups A and B, with 36 patients in each group. Patients in groups A and B were treated with carbon ion beam irradiation to the lymph node drainage area with 48 Gy (RBE) using 16 and 12 fractions. The acute and chronic adverse reactions, efficacy and survival rate were observed. The survival curve was drawn by Kaplan-Meier method. Difference test was conducted by log-rank test.Results:The median follow-up time was 13.9 (8.8-15.7) months in group A and 14.6 (6.3-15.9) months in group B. Sixteen (44.4%) patients were effectively treated in group A and 9 (25%) patients in group B. Thirty-four (94.4%) cases achieved disease control in group A and 30 (83.3%) cases in group B. Statistical analysis showed that the overall survival rate in group B was similar to that in group A ( χ2=1.192, P=0.275). Comparison of planning parameters between two groups showed CTV volume, D mean, V 5 Gy(RBE), V 20 Gy(RBE) and V 30 Gy(RBE) of the affected lung, cardiac V 20 Gy(RBE), V 30 Gy(RBE) and D mean, esophageal V 30 Gy(RBE), V 50 Gy(RBE), D max and D mean, D max of the trachea and spinal cord had no significant difference (all P>0.05). No grade 3 or 4 adverse reactions occurred in the enrolled patients during treatment and follow-up. No statistical differences were observed in the acute radiation skin reaction ( χ2=5.134, P=0.077), radiation esophagitis ( χ2=1.984, P=0.371), and advanced radiation pneumonia ( χ2=6.185, P=0.103) between two groups. Conclusions:The two dose fractionation modes of carbon ion therapy system are equally safe in the mediastinal lymphatic drainage area of LA-NSCLC, and the adverse reactions are controllable. The long-term efficacy still needs further observation.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the value of interferon-inducible protein 10 (IP-10) in the auxiliary diagnosis of tuberculosis and the judgment of the severity of disease. METHODS: From February, 2013 to February, 2017, a total of 193 patients with TB admitted in our hospital and 84 healthy control subjects were recruited consecutively. The peripheral blood plasma levels of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and IP-10 were detected using liquid phase chip (Luminex) technique. According to the number of lung fields affected by TB, the patients were divided into group A (with lesions in 1-2 lung fields), group B (3-4 lung fields) and group C (5-6 lung fields), The expressions of IFN-γ and IP-10 in 3 groups were compared. RESULTS: The plasma levels of IP-10 were significantly higher in TB patients than in the control subjects ( < 0.05), but IFN-γ levels were comparable between the two groups ( > 0.05). Among the TB patients, plasma IP-10 levels was the highest in group C ( < 0.05), and IFN-γ levels did not differ significantly among the 3 groups ( > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Plasma IP-10 has a certain reference value in the auxiliary diagnosis of active tuberculosis and the judgment of the severity of the disease.
Antigens, Bacterial ; Biomarkers ; blood ; Chemokine CXCL10 ; blood ; Humans ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary ; blood ; diagnosis