Objective To investigate the clinical features and treatments of pituitary abscess.Method The clinical data of 6 patients with pituitary abscess were examed along with a review of the literature.Results Of 6 patients,headache was presented in 5 patients,hypopituitarism in 4 patients,visual disturbance and/or bitemporal hemianopsia in 4 patients and fever in 1 patient.MRI and CT images showed a cystic sellar lesion with ring enhancement in 5 patients.Preoperative diagnosis of pituitary abscess was made in 2 patients,pituitary adenomas in 3 patients and craniopharyngiomas in 1 patient.All cases were treated surgically by transsphenoidal approach in 5 patients and transscranial in 1 patient.Followed with postoperative antibiotics therapy for 3 weeks,the symptoms were improved postoperatively in all cases.Followed up 8 months to 10 years,1 patient who underwent craniotomy recurred and wag cured by via transsphenoidal surgery.Conclusions The pituitary abscess is easily misdiagnosed.The cystic pituitary lesion should be considered the possibility of pituitary abscess.Transsphenoidal surgery and proper perioperative antibiotics therapy are the keys to the treatment of pituitary abscess.

BACKGROUND:Abnormal hippocampal neurogenesis during aging has been reported to result in learning and memory dysfunction. But its mechanism is unclear.
OBJECTIVE: To understand the changes of mouse neurogenesis in the hippocampal subgranular zone during aging.
METHODS:C57BL/6 mice 2, 6 and 20 months of age were used. Immunochemistry was used to count the number of neural stem cels (nestin+), neuroblasts (Doublecortin+, DCX+), and proliferative cels (proliferating cel nuclear antigen+, PCNA+) in the hippocampal subgranular zone. mRNA expressions of aging-related genes, p19Arf and p21Cip1/Waf1, in the hippocampus were detected by reverse transcription-PCR.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Compared with the young and middle age groups, the number of PCNA+ cels, nestin+ and DCX+ cels in the hippocampal subgranular zone of the aged group decreased dramaticaly; the expression of p19Arf and p21Cip1/Waf1 mRNA increased in the aged group. Proliferation activity, the number of neural stem cels and neuronal differentiation al decreased. These findings indicate that the decline of hippocampal neurogenesis may be associated with increased expression of aging-related genes p19Arf and p21Cip1/Waf1 in the p19Arf-Mdm2-p53-p21Cip1/Waf1pathway.

Objective To investigate and evaluate the clinical value of full endoscopic transnasal transphenoidal approach for the surgery of pituitary adenomas.Methods Seventy-two patients,who underwent full endoscopic transnasal transphenoidal approach for the surgery of pituitary adenomas,were selected from the Medical Center of Pituitary Adenomas of our hospital from January 2009 to March 2012.To retrospectively investigate pre- and post-operation symptoms,hormone levels,images information,operation information,complications,following-up information and so on.Results Among the 72 consecutive patients,there were 22 nonfunctioning adenomas,twenty-four prolactin secreting adenomas,seven somatotropin secreting adenomas,five adrenocorticotropic hormone secreting adenomas,one thyrotropin secreting adenomas,and 13 multi-secreting adenomas.The tumor removal was total in 56(77.8％),subtotal 13(18.0％),and partial 3(4.2％).Five cases had CSF leaks,and 6 diabetes insipidus.After 3-24 months of follow-up,the levels of increasing-hormone declined to normal levels in most patients.Conclusion Full endoscopic transnasal transphenoidal approach for the surgery of pituitary adenomas is a kind of technique which is safe,minimally invasive,having less complications and fast recovery.However,it is necessary for surgeons to accept systematic and specialized training,and own advanced equipments.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the approaches to diagnosis, treatment and prevention of the biliary complications after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT).

METHODSThe clinical data were collected from 258 adult patients receiving orthotopic liver transplantation between August, 2004 and December, 2011, among whom 56 patients with biliary complications were identified to analyze the diagnosis and treatment of the complications.

RESULTSThe incidence of biliary complication was 22.13% in the 258 recipients of secondary liver transplantation. Of the 56 patients with biliary complication, 32 (57.14%) had biliary stricture and 24 (42.86%) had bile leakage; 36 (64.29%) patients presented a simple type of biliary complication and 20 (35.71%) had a composite type, including bile leakage, biliary obstruction, biliary calculi, biliary tract infections, biliary sludge formation, and biliary tract bleeding. Thirty-one patients (55.36%) underwent routine endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreato- graphy (ERCP), percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC) and other endoscopic or interventional treatments, and 23 (74.19%) were cured or showed improvement, while 3 died due to multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS).

CONCLUSIONAppropriate surgical approaches and skills in bile duct anastomosis are crucial to reduce the incidence of biliary complications following liver transplantation. Non-surgical treatment (including ERCP) is the primary option, followed by surgical bile duct exploration, for the management of biliary complications; liver retransplantation is the most effective life-saving means for patients with liver graft non-function. But still, prevention of biliary complications is of pivotal importance to improve the outcome of liver transplantation.

Adult ; Bile Ducts ; Biliary Tract Diseases ; epidemiology ; Cholangiography ; Endoscopy ; Humans ; Incidence ; Liver ; Liver Transplantation ; adverse effects ; Postoperative Complications ; Reoperation ; Retrospective Studies

Objective To investigate the approaches to diagnosis, treatment and prevention of the biliary complications after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). Methods The clinical data were collected from 258 adult patients receiving orthotopic liver transplantation between August, 2004 and December, 2011, among whom 56 patients with biliary complications were identified to analyze the diagnosis and treatment of the complications. Results The incidence of biliary complication was 22.13%in the 258 recipients of secondary liver transplantation. Of the 56 patients with biliary complication, 32 (57.14%) had biliary stricture and 24 (42.86%) had bile leakage;36 (64.29%) patients presented a simple type of biliary complication and 20 (35.71%) had a composite type, including bile leakage, biliary obstruction, biliary calculi, biliary tract infections, biliary sludge formation, and biliary tract bleeding. Thirty-one patients (55.36%) underwent routine endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreato-graphy (ERCP), percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC) and other endoscopic or interventional treatments, and 23 (74.19%) were cured or showed improvement, while 3 died due to multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). Conclusion Appropriate surgical approaches and skills in bile duct anastomosis are crucial to reduce the incidence of biliary complications following liver transplantation. Non-surgical treatment (including ERCP) is the primary option, followed by surgical bile duct exploration, for the management of biliary complications; liver retransplantation is the most effective life-saving means for patients with liver graft non-function. But still, prevention of biliary complications is of pivotal importance to improve the outcome of liver transplantation.

Objective To investigate the approaches to diagnosis, treatment and prevention of the biliary complications after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). Methods The clinical data were collected from 258 adult patients receiving orthotopic liver transplantation between August, 2004 and December, 2011, among whom 56 patients with biliary complications were identified to analyze the diagnosis and treatment of the complications. Results The incidence of biliary complication was 22.13%in the 258 recipients of secondary liver transplantation. Of the 56 patients with biliary complication, 32 (57.14%) had biliary stricture and 24 (42.86%) had bile leakage;36 (64.29%) patients presented a simple type of biliary complication and 20 (35.71%) had a composite type, including bile leakage, biliary obstruction, biliary calculi, biliary tract infections, biliary sludge formation, and biliary tract bleeding. Thirty-one patients (55.36%) underwent routine endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreato-graphy (ERCP), percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC) and other endoscopic or interventional treatments, and 23 (74.19%) were cured or showed improvement, while 3 died due to multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). Conclusion Appropriate surgical approaches and skills in bile duct anastomosis are crucial to reduce the incidence of biliary complications following liver transplantation. Non-surgical treatment (including ERCP) is the primary option, followed by surgical bile duct exploration, for the management of biliary complications; liver retransplantation is the most effective life-saving means for patients with liver graft non-function. But still, prevention of biliary complications is of pivotal importance to improve the outcome of liver transplantation.

No data were available on the acute oral toxicity, short-term oral toxicity of vegetable carbon in animals. This study was designed to evaluate the safety of two commercially available dietary bamboo charcoal powders (BCP1 and BCP2). The size distribution of the two powders was determined by a Mastersizer 2000 laser particle size analyzer prior to the in vivo safety studies. For the acute toxicity study, a single dose of 11.24 g/kg body weight of BCP1 and BCP2 was given once orally to healthy Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Mortality and clinical symptoms were observed and recorded for the first 30 min after treatment, at 4 h post-administration, and then at least once daily for 14 days after administration. In the repeated dose 28-day oral toxicity study, BCP1 and BCP2 were administered orally at doses of 2.81, 5.62, and 11.24 g/kg body weight for 28 days to SD rats. Animals were sacrificed and organs and blood samples were analyzed. Results showed that both BCP1 and BCP2 were micro-sized and various in size. In the acute toxicity and the repeated dose 28-day oral toxicity studies, BCP caused neither mortality nor visible signs of toxicity in rats. No significant differences were found in the relative organ weights or in biochemical parameters in BCP treated groups compared to a control group. No treatment-related histological changes were observed in the organs of these animals. Based on these data, it is concluded that the median lethal dose (LD50) of BCP for both male and female rats is more than 11.24 g/kg body weight and the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) is >11.24 g/kg body weight for 28 days.
Animals ; Bambusa ; chemistry ; Diet ; Female ; Male ; Powders ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Toxicity Tests, Acute

Objective:To evaluate the effect of upregulation of HuR gene on the radiosensitivity of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell Kyse450. Methods:The HuR gene of Kyse450 cells was upregulated by lentivirus. At the same time, X-ray irradiation at a dose of 6 Gy was selected as the intervention condition. Western blot and qPCR were used to detect the expression levels of protein and RNA after Kyse450 transfection, respectively. CCK8 kit was employed to determine the cell proliferation rate. Clone formation assay was adopted to evaluate the ability of cell clone formation. Wound healing experiment and the Transwell test were performed to detect changes in cell migration. Results:CCK8 assay showed that the proliferation ability of cells was enhanced after upregulation of HuR gene, and this enhancement trend was more obvious after radiation. The plate cloning experiment showed that with the increase of radiation dose, the clone formation rates were decreased in both groups, but the clone formation rate in the overexpression group was higher than that in the control group. Wound healing experiment and Transwell test demonstrated that the wound healing rate and migration ability in the overexpression group were higher than those in the control group, and the difference was more significant after radiotherapy. Western blot showed that the levels of MMP9 and MMP2 at 24 h after radiotherapy in the overexpression group were higher than those in the control group. Conclusion:The upregulation of HuR can enhance the proliferation, cloning, migration capabilities and decrease the radiosensitivity of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cells.

Objective To determine the optimal electron beam energy at different field size through a Monte Carlo-based simulation of the therapy head of Varian X 6 MV linear accelerator so as to study the influence of radial intensity on depth dose.Methods Firstly,keeping the radial intensity unchanged for the field of interest while changing electron beam energy,compassion was carried out of calculated percentage depth doses between measured values.Thus,the optimal energy was identified for this field size.Then,the obtained energy was set the optimal value to study the radial intensity influence on the depth doses.Results The optimal electron energy for 4 cm ×4 cm,10 cm × 10 cm,20 cm × 20 cm and 30 cm × 30 cm field sizes was 5.9,6.0,6.3 and 6.4 MeV respectively.Changes in radial intensities resulted in negligible changes in percentage depth doses for4 cm ×4-cm and 10 cm × 10 cm fields,but led to observable discrepancy for 20 cm × 20 cm and 30 cm × 30 cm fields.Conclusions The optimal electron energies for different field sizes are slightly different.Change in radial intensity distribution has significant influence on the depth dose for large field.To improve simulation accuracy,the field size needs to be taken into consideration in determining the electron beam energy and radial intensity distribution.

BACKGROUND:This study provided insight into the molecular mechanisms by which exogenous basic fibroblast growth factor(bFGF)promotes wound healing. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of exogenous bFGF on macrophage phenotype transition and granulation regeneration during wound repair in rats. METHODS:(1)In vitro experiment:Cells were divided into normal control group,low-dose bFGF group,high-dose bFGF group,and bFGF+valproic acid group.100 and 200 μg/L bFGF was added into the cell culture medium of low-dose bFGF group and high-dose bFGF group,respectively,while 200 μg/L bFGF and 20 mmol/L valproic acid were added into the cell culture medium of valproic acid group.EdU test,scratch test and tubule formation test were used to detect the effects of bFGF on proliferation,migration and angiogenesis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells.(2)In vivo experiment:Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into model group,low-dose bFGF group,high-dose bFGF group and bFGF+valproic acid group.The open wound model of full-thickness skin defect was established in low-dose bFGF group,high-dose bFGF group and bFGF+valproic acid group.Rats in the low-and high-dose bFGF groups were given 100 and 200 μg/L bFGF through subcutaneous injection,while those in the bFGF+valproic acid group received subcutaneous injection of 200 μg/L bFGF and intraperitoneal injection of 10 mg/kg valproic acid.The wound healing rate of rats was detected at 7 and 14 days of administration.TUNEL was used to detect the apoptosis of cells in wound tissue.Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the serum levels of malondialdehyde,superoxide dismutase,tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-10.Immunofluorescence detection was conducted to detect the phenotypic transformation of macrophages in wound tissue.Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen,platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1(CD31)and vascular endothelial growth factor in wound tissue.Western blot was used to detect the expression of Notch1 and Jagged1 in wound tissue. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with the normal control group,bFGF could significantly promote the proliferation,migration and angiogenesis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells in a dose-dependent manner.(2)Compared with the model group,bFGF could significantly promote wound healing,downregulate the rate of apoptosis in wound tissue,decrease the levels of malondialdehyde and tumor necrosis factor-α in serum,increase the levels of superoxide dismutase and interleukin-10,promote the conversion of macrophages to type M2 in wound tissue,upregulate the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen,CD31 and vascular endothelial growth factor in wound tissue,and inhibit the expression of Notch1 and Jagged1 in a dose-dependent manner.Valproic acid could partially reverse the promoting effect of bFGF on wound healing.To conclude,bFGF can significantly promote wound healing and granulation regeneration and induce the conversion of macrophages to M2,which may be related to the regulation of Notch1/Jagged1 signaling pathway.