Objective: To investigate the efficacy and toxic reaction of the accelerated hyperfraction radiotherapy for esophageal carcinoma. Methods: Eighty patients with esophageal carcinoma were randomized into the conventional fraction group (CF,40 cases) and the accelerated hyperfraction group (AHF,40 cases) from January 1994 to May 1995. CF group received a fraction dose of 2 Gy once a day, 5 times a week and to a total dose of 70 Gy. AHF group received the same dose as the CF group during the first two thirds of the therapeutic course(40 Gy),then followed by a fraction dose of 1.5 Gy one time twice a day, with an interval of more than 6 hours, and to a total dose of 30 Gy. The total dose of 2 stages was 70 Gy. The same 10 mV linear accelerator X ray radiotherapy was used in both groups. Results: The 3 year actual survival and tumor local control rates in the group AHF were significantly improved compared with group CF, being 42.5% vs 25% and 52.5% vs 25% respectively. There were no significant differences in radiation reactions and complications between 2 groups. The radiation treatment could be completed without any break. Conclusion: The accelerated hyperfraction radiotherapy can improve the tumor local control and survival rates in esophageal carcinoma. The radiation reactions and complications with the AHF radiotherapy are not significantly greater than with the CF radiotherapy. The patients can tolerate the AHF radiotherapy. [

Objective To compare the efficacy and safety of E1B gene-deleted adenovirus (H101)and ethanol in treating advanced pancreatic carcinomas by intratumoral injection combined with intravenous gemcitabine.Methods We constructed an orthotopic nude mouse model of pancreatic carcinoma through cancer cell injection into pancreas.A total of 54 nude mice were randomly allocated to 6 groups to accept H101,ethanol or saline (control) intratumoral injection,combined with or without intravenous gemcitabiein.The animals were sacrificed 4 weeks after the treatment and the pancreatic tumors were collected to determine the size,existence of metastasis,distribution of virus by indirect immunofluorescence and apoptosis in tumor by TUNEL and electron microscope.Results All mice completed the scheduled treatment,while 3 died in 48 hours after ethanol injection resulting in a mortality of 16.7％ (3/18).On the contrary,no mice died in the adenovirus injcction group.The average tumor size in group of H101 intratumoral injection combined with intravenous gemcitabie was significant smaller than that in group of saline injection with or without systemic gemcitabie (P =0.008,0.040,respectively).Similar differences were observed between ethanol intratumoral injection and control groups (P =0.012,0.041).Meanwhile,the H101 was absent in all the other organs except the pancreas,which meant that the selectivity of the H101 was tremcndous.The virus combine gemcitabie group had higher apoptosis rate in tumor (83.2 ± 35.7) ％,determined by TUNEL.Conclusion E1B gene-deleted adenovirus intratumral injection in combination with intravenous gemcitabine treating pancreatic carcinomas is efficient and safe,in spite of its lower effectiveness than ethanol.

Objective To research and analyze nursing measures of phlebitis caused by vein medication Amiodarone Hydrochloride. Methods 150 arrhythmias patients in the Traditional Chinese. Medicine Hospital of Wenling were selected as the subjects. The control group was given routine transfusion nursing, the experimental group was given comprehensive nursing intervention on the basis of the control group, saline irrigation before and after transfusion, observed the local reaction of patients, and controlled the concentration and external application of potato chips. Results After the corresponding nursing measures, in the control group, accounting for 46.7%. 35 cases of phlebitis occurred in the experimental group. The incidence of phlebitis in the experimental group was 16.0%, which was significantly lower than that (46.7%) in the control group, which was statistically significant (P<0.05). In the experimental group, the number of patients with I degree phlebitis was 8, and the proportion was 66.67%. In the control group, there were 7 cases of I degree phlebitis, accounting for 20%, which was statistically significant (P<0.05). In the experimental group, there were 4 cases of II degree phlebitis, the proportion was 33.33%, significantly lower than that (54.28%) of the control group (19 cases of II degree phlebitis) with statistical significance (P<0.05). Conclusion The application of comprehensive nursing measures in arrhythmia patients treated with Amiodarone Hydrochloride vein medication, could significantly reduce the occurrence of phlebitis and improve the curative effect with high safety and clinical significance.

Objective To investigate short-term hemodynamic changes in selected patients with middle cerebral artery(MCA) stenting by transcranial Doppler sonography(TCD).Methods Stenting was given to 29 cases (31 MCAs) of patients with moderate and severe MCA stenosis if they had recurred symptoms during the standard antiplatelet therapy.TCD was applied to assess the hemodynamic changes in the stenosis segment and stenotic distal segment before stenting, 1 h and 3 d after stenting. Results Angiography showed that the rate of post-procedure residual stenoses of MCA were less than 20%.Compared with the pre-stentinng peak systolic velocity [PSV, (273±77)cm/s], the post-stenting PSV significantly decreased,which was (162±38) cm/s (P＜0.01) at 1 hour and (168±45)cm/s ( P＜0.01)at 3 days, respectively.Three cases (3 MCA) experienced recurrent stenosis-like spectra at stenosis segments 3 d after stenting and brain CT showed that 2 out of 3 cases suffered intracranial hemorrhage,which was potentially induced by hyperperfusion; PSV doubled in the stenotic distal segment in at least 28.6% patients.There was no statistic difference between pre- and post-stenting in the contralateral MCA (P＞0.05).Conclusions Stenting can dramatically improve the hemodynamic compromise of stenosis segments and their distal segments in selected patients with symptomatic MCA stenosis, however, potential hyperperfusion risk might he taken into consideration after MCA stenting.

Objective To understand treatment outcomes of patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes aged over 30 years in Jiangninglu Neighborhood of downtown Shanghai. Methods Total 642 patients diagnosed as type 2 diabetes aged over 30 were investigated by cluster sampling in Jiangninglu Neighborhood of downtown Shanghai. Status of optimal control of diabetes in them was analyzed based on the recommendations proposed by International Diabetes Federation (IDF) for Western Pacific Region. Results and serum level of glycosylated hemoglobin Alc (HbAlc) of less than 6.5% was achieved in 37.5% (241/were achieved in 23.8% (153/642) and 18.1% (116/642) of them, respectively, and beth systolic and mmol/L was achieved in 21.7% (139/642) of all the participants investigated, triglyceride of less than 1.5 mmol/L in 46.6% (299/642), low-deusity lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) of less than 2.5 mmol/L in 23.7% (152/642) and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol of greater than 1.1 mmol/L in 62.1% (399/of their blood glucose, blood pressure and serum LDL-C (defined as HbAlc less than 6.5%, blood pressure less than 130/80 mm Hg and LDL-C less than 2.5 retool/L). Conclusions Only 2.6% of all the patients diagnosed with diabetes aged over 30 in downtown Shanghai get optimal control of their blood glucose, blood pressure and serum lipid, so comprehensive prevention and control for diabetes shall be strengthened for them at community-level of urban areas.

Aged ; Genital Neoplasms, Male ; pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Neurilemmoma ; pathology ; Scrotum

Objective To observe the effects of Bushen Yiqi recipe on aging rats′ exercise capacity, morphology and oxidation resis-tance.Methods Male sprague dawley rats were divided into normal group, model group, traditional Chinese medicine group, methandienone group.The rats in the latter three group were received a subcutaneous in-jection of 10%D-galactose with 0.1 mg? g -1? d-1 for 10 weeks.The rats in traditional Chinese medicine group and methandienone group were given medicine by gavage .The dosage is adults′7 times of per kilogram of body weight and equivalent dose respectively.The experiment were las-ted for 10 weeks.Then rats′exercise capacity were tested by treadmill. The Morphological structure of the skeletal muscle were observed by elec-tron microscope.Rats′advanced glycosylated end products( AGEs) were tested by Elisa method.Rats′superoxidedismutase ( SOD) and malondi-aldehyde ( MDA) content in blood serum were tested by spectrophotome-try.Results Compared with normal group, the rats′exercise capacity, the mitochondria number and volume of rats′skeletal muscle, the serum SOD activity, the thymus index and spleen index in model group dropped significantly.The serum AGEs and MDA content increased significant-ly.Compared with model group, the exercise capacity, the mitochondria number and volume of rats′skeletal muscle, the thymus index in traditional Chinese medicine group and methandienone group inceased obviously.The serum MDA content decreased obviously.Conclusion Bushen Yiqi recipe can slow the aging progress of skeletal muscle through improving the model rats′degenerative changes of the above-mentioned indexes.

Objective:To provide experimental evidences for choosing murine models in the pathogenesis research of thymic impairment induced by viral infection,we compared the impacts of polycytidylic acid(Poly(I:C)) and dexamethasone(DEX) on the thymic morphology and thymic output function,and explored the implication of RLR signaling pathway.Methods: 24 male C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned into three groups and treated with Poly(I:C),DEX,or saline respectively.Thereafter,their thymic morphology,pathological changes,thymic index,and thymic pathology were examined.Their contents of T-cell receptor excision circles (TRECs) and proportions of the naive CD4+T cell in the peripheral blood were determined to evaluate their thymic output function.The expression levels of thymic RLR/MAVS/IFN-α/β signaling pathway and IL-1β were also measured.Results: Both Poly (I:C) and DEX treatment caused thymic atrophy in appearance and structural destruction under the microscope inspection,and DEX treatment did much more severe damage,especially to the thymic cortex.TRECs decreased significantly in both groups.The proportions of na?ve/memory CD4+T cell subsets remained stable,though total CD4+T cell decreased in DEX group,while the proportion of na?ve CD4+T cell in Poly (I:C) group increased significantly.The expression of RIG-Ⅰ,MDA5,LGP2,and IFN-α/β were up-regulated in DEX group, while it remained unchanged in Poly (I:C) group.Conclusion:Both Poly (I:C) and DEX induced thymic atrophy and the impaired thymic output function.Nevertheless,the expression of RLR-IFN signaling pathway up-regulated more significantly in DEX group instead of in Poly (I:C) group.These results implied the existence of different pathological manifestations and mechanisms underlying the impaired thymic function in different animal models,as well as impact on na?ve/memory CD4+T cell proportions.Our research provides references for choosing animal models in the basic research and drug development for viral infection induced thymic atrophy based on the RLR signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the impact of PET/CT on the clinical staging, target volume delineation and precise radiotherapy (PAR) planning for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODSPET/CT scanning was performed in 58 histologically proven NSCLC patients for radical radiotherapy or surgery. The clinical staging of all patients was determined by PET/CT according to 1997 World Health Organization (WHO) staging system. The gross tumor volume (GTV) was delineated and three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) planning was established with identical parameters based on CT image and PET/CT fused image, respectively. The indexes including volume of GTV (V(GTV)), percentage of the total lung volume which received more than 20 Gy (V(20)), mean lung dose (MLD), tumor control probability (TCP), normal tissue complication probability (NTCP), and dose to spinal cord (Ds) were selected and evaluated. The quality of the two plans and the impact of PET/CT on PAR planning was compare and analyzed.

RESULTS1. PET/CT image results changed the clinical stages in 21 of 58 (36.2%) patients with 14 upstaged and 7 downstaged, therefore, the management decisions were modified in 16 (27.6%) patients. 2. Among 32 patients who underwent surgery, PET/CT staging result was consistent with pathologic staging in 29 with one false negative and 2 false positive in lymph node staging. The sensitivity of PET/CT was 96.9% and accuracy 90.6%. 3. The differences of indexes including V(GTV) (P = 0.004), V(20) (P = 0.000) and MLD (P = 0.004) between the two radiotherapy plannings were statistically significant, whereas, the Ds, TCP and NTCP (left lung, right lung, skin and spinal cord) was not.

CONCLUSION1. The impact PET/CT on clinical staging of NSCLC and PAR planning was remarkable. 2. PET/CT is more consistent with pathology in staging than CT and, therefore, is an important compensatory staging measure. 3. Compared with CT, PET/CT can reduce the V(GTV) in patients with atelectasis and obstructive pneumonitis when contouring the target volume, so can provide better protection for normal surrounding lung tissue. On the other hand, PET/CT is more sensitive in detecting mediastinal lymph node metastasis than CT, and the V(GTV) can be more precise and guaranteed. 4. Radiopneumonitis may be more effectively prevented because of significant decrease in V(20) and MLD by more precise planning based on PET/CT results. 5. PET/CT not only can provide satisfactory Ds, TCP and NTCP within clinical demand, but also more precise delineation of the radiation target volume and precise radiotherapy planning for NSCLC.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; methods ; Radiotherapy Dosage ; Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted ; Radiotherapy, Conformal ; methods ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVETo determine the effects of 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (5-HMF), an extract of Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch, on several down-regulated signaling molecules involved in learning and memory in hippocampal neurons.

METHODSAfter cultured for 7 days, primary hippocampal neurons were divided into 5 groups: normal, corticosterone model, RU38486, 5-HMF, and donepezil group. Neuron survival rates were calculated 24 h later using SYTO13-PI double-fluorescence staining and an 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. β-galactosidase activity was also assayed. Protein expressed by the glucocorticoid receptor (GCR), brainderived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 2B (NR2B), as well as phosphorylationcyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) response element binding protein (p-CREB), phosphorylation-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p-ERK), and phosphorylation-synapsin (p-synapsin) were quantified with Western blot.

RESULTSHippocampal neuron survival rates and the above-mentioned proteins were dramatically decreased (P<0.05), β-galactosidase activity was significantly increased in the model group. but the effect was reversed by 5-HMF, RU38486, and to a lesser extent by donepezil (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION5-HMF extracts from the Chinese herb Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch could protect hippocampal neurons from glucocorticoid injury and from down-regulated signaling molecules in the GCR-BDNF-NR2B-p-ERK-p-CREB-p-synapsin signal transduction pathway.

Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Corticosterone ; pharmacology ; Furaldehyde ; analogs & derivatives ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Hippocampus ; cytology ; drug effects ; Learning ; drug effects ; Memory ; drug effects ; Neurons ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rehmannia ; chemistry ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects