Objective:To develop a mesenteric creeping fat index (MCFI) based on CT enterography (CTE) to characterize the degree of creeping fat wrapping around the inflamed gut in Crohn disease (CD), and to assess the relationship between MCFI and the inflammatory intestinal stricture.Methods:From December 2018 to July 2019, the patients with CD who underwent surgery in the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University were prospectively collected. The extent of perienteric mesenteric vessels wrapping around the gut was reconstructed to develop MCFI based on CTE images. The intestinal stricture index was obtained by calculating the ratio of the maximal upstream luminal diameter divided by the minimum luminal diameter apparent within the stricturing region. Using region-by-region correlation between CTE and surgical specimen, creeping fat score in intestinal specimen was obtained by assessing the extent of creeping fat wrapping around the resected bowel segment, and HE staining was performed on the bowel specimen corresponding to creeping fat to obtain the pathological inflammatory score. The Spearman correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between MCFI, creeping fat score in intestinal specimen, and inflammatory score, intestinal stricture index. The ROC curve analysis was used to assess the accuracy of MCFI in distinguishing moderate-severe and mild inflammatory bowel walls.Results:Totally 30 CD patients were enrolled. The creeping fat score in intestinal specimen positively correlated with pathological inflammatory score ( r s=0.403, P=0.027) and with intestinal stricture index ( r s=0.642, P<0.001). MCFI positively correlated with creeping fat score in intestinal specimen ( r s=0.840, P<0.001), with pathological inflammatory score ( r s=0.497, P=0.005), and with intestinal stricture index ( r s=0.599, P<0.001). ROC analysis showed that the area under the curve of MCFI for differentiating moderate-severely from mildly inflammatory bowel walls was 0.718 (95%CI 0.522-0.913). Using MCFI≥4 as a cutoff value, the sensitivity and specificity were 81.8% and 47.4%, respectively. Conclusions:There was a correlation between creeping fat and inflammatory intestinal strictures in CD. MCFI can non-invasively depict the degree of creeping fat wrapping around the gut and assess the inflammatory intestinal stricture.

Objective:To explore the diagnostic efficacy of nomogram based on multi-parameter MRI for assessment of bowel fibrosis in patients with Crohn disease（CD).Methods:The clinical and imaging data of CD patients diagnosed by surgical histopathology in the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from June 2015 to March 2018 were prospectively collected. All the patients underwent conventional MRI and diffusion kurtosis imaging（DKI) within 2 weeks before surgery. Patients who underwent surgery between June 2015 and September 2017 were included in the model building group, and those who underwent surgery between October 2017 and March 2018 were included in the model validation group. We measured the apparent diffusion coefficient（ADC) from monoexponential model of diffusion-weighted imaging（DWI), apparent diffusional kurtosis（K app), and apparent diffusion for non-Gaussian distribution（D app) from non-Gaussian DKI model, and observed T 2WI signal intensity and enhancement pattern of the same segment. One to three intestinal specimens per patient were stained with Masson′s trichrome for the histological grading of fibrosis. Correlations between qualitative/quantitative MRI indexes and histological grades were evaluated using the Spearman rank test. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent factors to be included into the nomogram for predicting the degree of bowel fibrosis and its diagnostic performance was assessed by internal and external validation. Results:A total of 40 CD patients were included, including 31 in the model construction group and 9 in the model verification group. A total of 81 intestinal specimens from 31 patients were graded as none-to-mild bowel fibrosis（ n=32) and moderate-to-severe bowel fibrosis（ n=49) according to a scoring system of fibrosis. In the training cohort, the K app value of moderate-to-severely fibrotic bowel walls was significantly higher than that of none-to-mildly fibrotic bowel walls, and the D appand ADC values of moderate-to-severely fibrotic bowel walls were significantly lower than those of none-to-mildly fibrotic bowel walls（ Z=-5.999, -4.521 and -3.893; P<0.001). There was no significant difference in T 2WI signal intensity or enhancement pattern between these two groups（χ2=1.571 and 0.103; P>0.05). Moderate and mild correlations of histological fibrosis grades with K appand D app( r=0.721 and -0.483; P<0.001), and a mild correlation with ADC（ r=-0.445, P<0.001) were found. Independent factors derived from multivariate logistic regression analysis to predict the degree of bowel fibrosis were K app and D app. Internal and external validation revealed good performance of the nomogram with concordance index of 0.901（95% confidence interval, 0.824-0.978) and 1.000, respectively, for differentiating none-to-mild from moderate-to-severe fibrosis. Conclusion:The DKI-based nomogram can be used to evaluate the bowel fibrosis in CD patients and provides a visual and simple prediction method for clinic.

Objective: To evaluate the protective effect of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor(G-CSF) on neonatal rats after hypoxic-ischemic brain damage(HIBD)and its effect on endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Methods: According to the random number table, a total of 54 Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats aged 7 days were divided into 3 groups(18 rats in each group): Sham group, HIBD group and G-CSF group, and the improved Rice method was used to establish a neonatal rat model of HIBD.A dose of 50 μg/kg of G-CSF was administered intraperitoneally 1 hour after HIBD (G-CSF group), while the rats in HIBD group and Sham group received saline only.At 24 hours of HIBD, pups were euthanized to quantify brain infarct volume by using 2, 3, 5-Triphenyltetrazolium chloride.Hematoxylin-Eosin (HE) staining was used to observe the changes of brain structure.Neuronal cell death was determined by using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL). Then the expressions of glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78), cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase 12 (Caspase-12), CCAAT/enhancer binding-protein homologous protein (CHOP) were assessed by Western blot and immunofluorescence staining. Results: Twenty-four hours after operation, HE staining showed that no significant neuronal damage was observed in Sham group.The brain tissue structure of rats in the HIBD group was significantly damaged, while some improvement was observed in the G-CSF group.The infarction volume in HIBD group[(25.40±5.15)%] increased compared with that in the Sham group[(0.31±0.15)%] and the G-CSF group[(16.36±4.97)%], and the differences were statistically significant(all P<0.05). There was increased positive expression of GRP78 protein in HIBD group, compared with that in the Sham group and the G-CSF group[(49.38±10.06)% vs.(9.12±4.50)%, (30.61±6.35)%], and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The percentage of apoptosis in the hippocampal CA1 region and conex in HIBD group [(44.84±11.54)%, (48.23±14.07)%] were higher than those in the G-CSF group [(17.87±7.20)%, (26.18±9.96)%], and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The expression of GRP78, CHOP and Caspase-12 in the HIBD group (0.63±0.24, 0.72±0.21, 0.68±0.25) were higher than those in the Sham group (0.20±0.08, 0.28±0.08, 0.23±0.07), and the G-CSF group (0.39±0.13, 0.51±0.18, 0.48±0.16), and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Conclusions G-CSF exerts neuroprotective effect on the neonatal rats after HIBD.G-CSF may be an effective treatment of HIBD by reducing ER stress-induced neuronal apoptosis.

Objective: To investigate the role of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) on the regulation of inflammatory cytokines in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain damage(HIBD) rat model, and to explore the possible mechanism involved in G-CSF neuroprotective effect via the mammalian target of Rapamycin/p70 ribosomal S6 protein kinase (mTOR/p70S6K) signaling pathway. Methods: A group of postnatal day 7 (P7) Sprague-Dawley rat pups (90 cases) were randomly divided into sham-operated group, hypoxia-ischemia(HI) group, G-CSF group, Rapamycin (RAP) group and control group, and the improved Rice method was used to establish a neonatal rat model of HIBD.One hour before HI induction, Rapamycin was administered intraperitoneally with a dose of 250 μg/kg, and the control group was given equal volume of ethanol injected intraperitoneally.One hour after HI, a dose of 50 μg/kg of G-CSF was injected intraperitoneally into the G-CSF group, Rapamycin group and control group.The same volume of normal saline was injected intraperitoneally into HI group and sham-operated group.Forty-eight hours after HI, Western blot was used to detect the protein levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-10, and the mTOR/p70S6K signaling pathway in brain tissue.Neuron injury of the hippocampal CA1 region and the cortex was assessed by Nissl staining, and infarct volume detected by 2, 3, 5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. Results: The G-CSF group and control group were associated with significantly reduced infarction volume compared to the HI group [(12.87±1.54)%, (11.90±1.31)% vs.(24.21±3.28)%], and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05). There was an increased positive neuron cell number in the ipsilateral hemispheres of the hippocampal CA1 region in the G-CSF group and the control group [(61.00±4.90) cell/field and (61.67±6.40) cell/field] and cortex [(92.67±6.68) cell/field and (90.17±4.45) cell/field] compared with those in HI group [(42.62±4.46) cell/field and (70.83±6.97) cell/field], and the differences were all statistically significant (all P<0.05). The expression levels of TNF-α and IL-1β were significantly decreased in the G-CSF group and the control group, compared with those in HI group(TNF-α: 0.67±0.07, 0.55±0.05 vs.0.86±0.05; IL-1β: 0.65±0.06, 0.52±0.10 vs.0.86±0.06), and the differences were all statistically significant (all P<0.05). There was increased expression levels of IL-10, p-mTOR/mTOR and p-p70S6K/p70S6K in the G-CSF group and the control group, compared with those in HI group (IL-10: 0.68±0.04, 0.62±0.05 vs.0.34±0.02; p-mTOR/mTOR: 0.53±0.02, 0.51±0.01 vs.0.26±0.01; p-p70S6K/p70S6K: 0.89±0.03, 0.90±0.03 vs.0.55±0.02), and the differences were all statistically significant(all P<0.05). There was an increased infarct volume in Rapamycin group [(25.70±1.50)%], compared with the G-CSF group and the control group, and there were decreased number of positive neuron cell count in the hippocampal CA1 region [(40.67±3.50) cell/field] and cortex [(68.33±8.17) cell/field], increased expression levels of TNF-α and IL-1β (0.97±0.06 and 0.98±0.10, respectively), decreased expression levels of IL-10, p-mTOR/mTOR and p-p70S6K/p70S6K (0.21±0.02, 0.30±0.01 and 0.55±0.01, respectively) in the Rapamycin group, and the differences were all statistically significant (all P<0.05). Conclusions G-CSF may inhibit inflammatory responses after HIBD by up-regulating the mTOR/p70S6K signaling pathway in neonatal HI encephalopathy.

Objective To investigate the effects of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) on neuronal apoptosis after hypoxia-ischemia brain damage (HIBD) and the possible role of the mTOR/p70S6K signaling pathway in neonatal rats.Methods Ninety seven-day-old Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned into 5 equal groups (n=18):sham group,HIBD group,G-CSF group,rapamycin group and ethanol group by random number table method.Pups were subjected to unilateral carotid artery ligation followed by 2hrs hypoxia or sham surgery.HIBD animals received normal saline,G-CSF (50 μg/kg),G-CSF combined with rapamycin (250 μg/kg) or ethanol (vehicle for rapamycin).Pups were euthanized 48hrs post-HIBD to quantify the percentage of brain infraction area.The pathomorphologic changes in the hippocampal CA 1 area and cortex were observed by Nissl staining.Neuronal cell death was determined using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL).mTOR,activated mTOR (p-mTOR),p70S6K,activated p70S6K (p-p70S6K),Cleaved Caspase-3 (CC3),Bax,and Bcl-2 were quantified using Western blot analysis.Results G-CSF treatment resulted in significantly reduced percentage of brain infraction area (P＜0.05) and neuronal apoptosis in the hippocampal CA1 area and cortex (P＜0.05) after HIBD in neonatal rats.However,rapamycin administration reversed the neuroprotective effect of G-CSF.G-CSF administration ameliorated the pathomorphologic damage in the ipsilateral hemisphere.Compared with the HIBD group,the Nissl stained neurons significantly increased in the G-CSF group (P＜0.05).Furthermore,G-CSF increased the expression ofp-mTOR,p-p70S6K and Bcl-2 but decreased the expression levels of CC3 and Bax in the ipsilateral hemisphere,which were all significantly reversed by rapamycin (P＜0.05).Conclusion G-CSF may attenuate caspase activation and reduce neuronal apoptosis by up-regulating the activity of mTOR/p70S6K signaling pathway after experimental HIBD in rat pups.

Objective:To discuss the clinical effects of implantation of radioative 125I seeds by the way of percutaneous puncture and laparotomy under the guidance of ultrasound in the treatment of locally advanced pancreatic cancer, and to provide the basis for choosing surgical methods in treating advanced pancreatic cancer.Methods:The clinical materials of 73 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer were collected, including 42 patients who underwent implantation of radioactive 125I seeds by percutaneous puncture(group A) and 31 patients who underwent impantation of radioactive 125I seeds by laparotomy(group B).The pain relief, local control of tumor, postoperative survival time and complications of the patients were compared between two groups. Results:The rates of pain relief of the patients in group A and group B were 91.89% and 86.40%,and there was no significant difference(P=0.815).The local control rates of the patients in group A and group B were 71.43% and 77.42% ,and there was no significant difference(P=0.564).The medium survival time of the patients in group A and group B were 11 months and 12 months;the one-year survival rates were 36.9% and 35.8%, and there was no significant difference(P=0.664).Seven patients in group A got fever;in group B, six patients got fever, two got calf muscle venous thrombosis, one got gastric retention, one got bilioentric anastomosis, one got abdominal distension and one got intestinal obstruction in the early stage after operation.The incidence rates of complications of the patients in two groups were 16.67% and 38.71%, and there was significant difference(P=0.034).Conclusion:Percutaneous implantation of radioactive 125I particles guided by ultrasound causes less complications in the treatment of locally advanced pancreatic cancer.Moreover, the percutaneous way reaches the same effect as the intraoperative way does on the pain relief, local control of tumor and survival time prolonged.

Objective To investigate the effect of exogenous taurine (TAU) on amino acid content in the brains of rats suffered hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (HIBD).Methods The 7-day-old SD rats were randomly divided into sham-operated group, control group and TAU treatment group.HIBD models in the later two groups were established following Rice-Vannucci method.On the basis of breastfeeding, TAU at 300 mg/(kg ·d) via tube feeding to the TAU treatment group and an equal volume saline solution to the sham-operated group and control group were given.The aspartic acid (ASP), glutamic acid (GLY), glycine (GLY), TAU and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) contents in the rat brains were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography at 48 h and 14 d after HIBD.Results At 48 h after HIBD, the TAU, ASP and GLU contents in the TAU treatment group were significantly increased as compared with those in the control group (P＜0.05);the GLU/TAU ratio in the TAU treatment group was significantly decreased as compared with that in the control group (P＜0.05).Fourteen d after HIBD, the TAU, GABA and GLY contents were significantly increased, the GLU content was significantly decreased, and the ASP/GLY, GLU/GLY and GLU/TAU ratios were significantly deceased in the TAU treatment group as compared with those in the control group (P＜0.05).Conclusion Exogenous TAU addition during lactation of rats suffered HIBD may improve contents of inhibitory amino acids as TAU, GABA and GLY, and modulate the ratio of main excitatory/inhibitory amino acids neurotransmitters.

The somatotopical pattern of the spinal projection to the lateral reticular nucleus (LRN) was examined in 16 rabbits. The anterograde transport of HRP method were used.1. Cervical, thoracic and lumbar segments all gave rise to small numbers of fibers projecting to bilateral lateral reticular subtrigeminal subnucleus (Lrs).2. Cervical, thoracic and lumbar projections to the LRN were bilateral but the cervical ascending fibers terminated predominately on the ipsilateral side. The lumbar ascending fibers projected chiefly to the contralateral side. The thoracic cord gave fibers to bilateral LRN. No significant difference could be seen between the two sides. There were certain overlapping among the distribution areas of the terminal branches from different parts of the cord.3. The spinal projections of the rabbit were predominately terminated in the caudal half of the LRN. It showed a somatotopical pattern. The cervical cord projected to the lateral 3/5 of the lateral reticular magnocellular subnucleus (Lrm) and its neighbouring part of the lateral reticular parvocellular subnucleus (Lrp). The thoracic cord projected to the medial 3/5 of the Lrm and its neighbouring part of Lrp. The lumbar cord gave afferents to the Lrp and its neighbouring part of Lrm.

HRP was injected into the cervical (3 cases) or lumbar (2 cases) spinal cord unilaterally in 5 adult cats. Labeled cells were discovered in the hypoth alamus and nearby areas. There was no obvious difference in labeling between cervical and lumbar injection cases. Labeled cells were found bilaterally with ipsilateral preponderance.he paraventricular nucleus was most heavily labeled; the posterior and lateral hypothalamic areas were less. A few labeled cells were found in the dorsal hypothalamic area and the supramamillary nucleus. Forel's area was also weakly labeled and occasional cells were found in the subthalamic nucleus and zona incerta.We were unable to find labeled cells in the dorsomedial nucleus. Labeling of the supramamillary nucleus, which was found in this sutdy, has not been mentioned in the literature available to us.

The somatotopical projection from the lateral vestibular nucleus to differentlevels of the spinal cord in the cat was studied with the horseradish peroxidasemethod.It was found that in the lateral vestibular nucleus the cells projecting tothe cervical and lumbar segments of the cord were distributed over the entire ros-trocaudal extent,each with an area of concentration.The caudal and middle thirdsof the nucleus,especially its dorsolateral part,projected to the lumbar cord.Thecells projecting to the cervical cord were concentrated at the rostral-middle thirds ofthe nucleus and those to the thoracic cord were concentrated at the dorsal part ofthe caudal-middle thirds.The area projecting to the thoracic levels seemed tocoincide with that projecting to the lumbar levels.The cells projecting to thelumbar cord were largest in number,those to the cervical cord less and those to thethoracic cord least.