Objective To investigate the relationship of vitamin D with the intestinal development and study the expression of vitamin D receptor (VDR) in the duodenum of C57BL/6 mice at different developmental stages.Methods Quantitative PCR (qPCR),histology using H&E staining and immunofluorescence staining,and Western blotting (WB) were performed to elucidate the expression of VDR in mice intestine at different growth and developmental stages.Results The peak of VDR mRNA expression reached on 21 d.The pathological result showed that VDR mainly distributed in the cytoplasm of epithelial cells and smooth muscle cells in the mouse duodenum.WB result indicated that there was no nuclear translocation of VDR protein in the mouse duodenum.Conclusions This study demonstrates the regularity of expression of VDR in the mouse duodenum during its development,and contributes to understanding the function of VDR in the intestines.

Objective To explore the efficacy and safety of endoscopic balloon dilatation of small bowel stricture in Crohn′s disease with single balloon enteroscopy (SBE).Methods Seven Crohn′s disease patients (four males and three females with a mean age of 37 years) were underwent 10 times dilatation.Before performance,Crohn′s disease with varying degrees of intestinal obstruction was confirmed by image and pathological examinations.There were 8 severe strictures,6 strictures in jejunum.The dilatation was performed step by step with controlled radial expansiondilator (CRE) balloon.After dilatation,the scope could reach the further small bowel was taken as a standard.Results The overall suecess rate was 8 of 10.The average diameter of intestinal stricture was expanded from (4.1 ± 2.5) mm before therapy to (10.2 ±1.5) mm (P＜0.01),and the average distance of the further small bowel that the scope reached was 62 cm.Two patients underwent twice and three times of dilatation.After the performance,all patients′ symptoms of abdominal pain and obstruction relieved obviously and there were no severe complication of bleeding or perforation.After the performance,the average follow-up time was 14 months,two patients were treated by surgery and the other two underwent dilatation treatment again because of the recurrence of symptoms.The median symptom-free time was 15 months and 70％ of patients were without symptom recurrence in one year.Conclusion Endoscopic balloon dilatation of small bowel stricture with SBE is a new technology of endoscopic treatment,which is safe and effective in the treatment of Crohn's diseasecomplicated with intestinal obstruction.

PURPOSE: Intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted imaging (IVIM-DWI)was evaluated regarding its ability to preliminarily predict the short-term treatment response of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) following intensity-modulated radiation therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: IVIM-DWI with 14 b-factors (0-1,000 sec/mm2) was performed with a 3T MR system on 47 consecutive NPCs before, during (end of the 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, and 25th fractions), and after fractional radiotherapy. IVIM parametrics (D, f, and D*) were calculated and compared to the baseline and xth fraction. Patients were categorized into responders and non-responders after radiotherapy. IVIM parametrics were also compared between subgroups. RESULTS: After fractional radiations, the D (except D5 and D at the end of the 5th fraction) after radiations were larger than the baseline D0 (p < 0.05), and the post-radiation D* (except D*5 and D*10) were smaller than D*0 (p < 0.05). f0 was smaller than f5 and f10 (p < 0.001) but larger than fend (p < 0.05). Furthermore, greater D5, D10, D15, and f10 coupled with smaller f0, D*20, and D*25 were observed in responders than non-responders (all p < 0.01). Responders also presented larger ΔD10, Δf10, ΔD*20, and δD*20 than non-responders (p < 0.05). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis indicated that the D5, D*20, and f10 could better differentiate responders from non-responders. CONCLUSION: IVIM-DWI could efficiently assess tumor treatment response to fractional radiotherapy and predict the radio-sensitivity for NPCs.
Diffusion* ; Humans ; Radiation Tolerance ; Radiotherapy ; Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated ; ROC Curve

Objective To evaluate the muscle mass in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients and analyze the influential factors.Methods Ninety-seven patients on MHD and 34 healthy people were recruited.Muscle mass was measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis and compared.Patients'age,sex,height,body weight,walking activity,modified quantitative subjective global assessment (MQSGA) score and laboratory tests were recorded.The relationship of appendicular skeletal muscle mass/height2 (ASM/H2) and other factors were analyzed using multivariate linear regression.Results Compared with normal cohort,the MHD patients showed lower body fat rate and lower ASM/H2 (both P ＜ 0.05).In 97 MHD patients,21.4％ of male patients suffered from sarcopenia,and 24.4％ of female patients suffered from sarcopenia.Patients were divided into two groups according to the level of ASM/H2 (male ＜ 7.0 kg/m2,female ＜ 5.8 kg/m2).The grip strength,serum creatinine,1,25(OH)2D and mid-arm muscle circumference in low ASM/H2 group were lower than those in normal ASM/H2 group,and the differences were significant (all P ＜ 0.05).In multivariable regression model,male (β=0.534,P=0.003),1,25(OH)2D (β=0.582,P=0.024),creatinine (β=0.421,P=0.037),grip strength (β=0.681,P=0.001),and lg[NT-proBNP] (β=-1.760,P=0.042) were independently associated with ASM/H2 in MHD patients.Conclusion The prevalence of sarcopenia is much higher in MHD patients than in healthy people.The levels of grip strength,NT-proBNP,creatinine and 1,25(OH)2D are the important influential factors for muscle mass in MHD patients.