Objective To observe the value of SS-3DUNet model based on spatially separable convolutions for automatically segmenting anal fistula in enhanced MR T1WI.Methods Totally 2 405 pelvic axial enhanced MR T1WI of 29 patients with anal fistula were retrospectively analyzed,and 1 537 images from 19 cases were randomly selected as training set,424 images from 5 cases were as validation set,444 images from 5 cases were as test set.A SS-3DUNet model was constructed based on spatially separable convolutions to automatically segment anal fistula in enhanced MR T1WI,and inter-layer feature enhancement module was incorporated to improve the location of fistula features.The model was trained in training set and the best one was selected based on validation set.Taking the results of manual labeling by clinicians,the efficacy of SS-3DUNet model for automatically segmenting anal fistulas was observed based on test set.Results The time of SS-3DUNet automatically segmenting anal fistula in a single image in test set was 0.59-0.61 s,and the coincidence of the boundary of fistula segmented by the model and manual label was high.The average Dice similarity coefficient,sensitivity and accuracy of SS-3DUNet for automatically segmenting anal fistula in test set was 0.746,70.04%and 82.93%,respectively.Conclusion SS-3DUNet model based on spatially separable convolutions could effectively automatically segmenting anal fistula in enhanced T1WI.

Humans ; Granuloma, Pyogenic/pathology* ; Hemangioma, Capillary

Uric acid (UA) is the final product of purine metabolism in human body,and its metabolic disorder will induce hyperuricemia (HUA).The occurrence and development of HUA are associated with a variety of pathological mechanisms such as oxidative stress injury,activation of inflammatory cytokines,and activation of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system.These mechanisms directly or indirectly affect the bioavailability of endogenous nitric oxide (NO).The decrease in NO bioavailability is common in the diseases with high concentration of UA as an independent risk factor.In this review,we summarize the mechanisms by which high concentrations of UA affect the endogenous NO bioavailability,with a focus on the mechanisms of high-concentration UA in decreasing the synthesis and/or increasing the consumption of NO.This review aims to provide references for alleviating the multisystem symptoms and improving the prognosis of HUA,and lay a theoretical foundation for in-depth study of the correlations between HUA and other metabolic diseases.
Humans ; Nitric Oxide ; Uric Acid ; Hyperuricemia ; Biological Availability ; Cytokines

Objective:To investigate the effects of sodium fluoride on growth and development and serum oxidative stress of offspring rats.Methods:Twenty-four clean female SD rats and 24 clean male SD rats were selected, weighting 180 - 220 g, and mating in the same cage for 10 d according to 1 ∶ 1 for male and female. According to body weight by random number table method, the female rats were divided into control group, low-dose fluoride group, and high-dose fluoride group, 8 rats in each group. They were drunk 0, 100 and 200 mg/L sodium fluoride solution prepared with purified water, respectively, and they all ate standard feed. The female rats were exposed to fluoride from the 0th day of pregnancy to the 3rd week after the offspring rats were born (before weaning). After weaning, 10 female offspring rats were selected from each group and continued to be exposed to fluoride in the same amount and manner until the 12th week after birth. The body weight, body length and hind limb length of the offspring rats were measured every week before weaning and every two weeks after weaning. After 12th week of exposure to fluoride, blood samples were taken from abdominal aortas to detect the levels of serum superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC).Results:At the 2nd week after birth, the body weight [(24.87 ± 3.36) g], body length [(6.37 ± 0.52) cm] and hind limb length [(2.27 ± 0.13) cm] of the offspring rats in high-dose fluoride group were lower than those in control group [(29.23 ± 4.19) g, (6.92 ± 0.47), (2.44 ± 0.16) cm, P < 0.05], but there was no statistically significant difference between low-dose fluoride group and control group and high-dose fluoride group ( P > 0.05). At 3rd to 12th weeks after birth, the body weight, body length and hind limb length of the offspring rats in high-dose fluoride group were lower than those in low-dose fluoride group and control group ( P < 0.05), the low-dose fluoride group were lower than those in control group ( P < 0.05). Serum SOD, GSH-Px and T-AOC levels in control group [(176.51 ± 29.55), (985.23 ± 164.80) U/ml, (0.864 ± 0.167) mmol/L] were higher than those in low-dose fluoride group [(127.98 ± 24.41), (776.53 ± 107.85) U/ml, (0.639 ± 0.110) mmol/L] and high-dose fluoride group [(99.75 ± 14.56), (425.14 ± 78.67) U/ml, (0.441 ± 0.072) mmol/L], the levels of MDA and iNOS [(3.37 ± 0.73) nmol/ml, (189.00 ± 44.67) pg/ml] were lower than those in low-dose fluoride group [(8.22 ± 1.38) nmol/ml, (305.60 ± 73.41) pg/ml] and high-dose fluoride group [(14.81 ± 1.81) nmol/ml, (431.00 ± 91.19) pg/ml], the differences were statistically significant ( P < 0.05); the levels of serum SOD, GSH-Px and T-AOC in high-dose fluoride group were lower than those in low-dose fluoride group, and the levels of MDA and iNOS were higher than those in low-dose fluoride group ( P < 0.05). Conclusion:Excessive fluoride can increase the serum oxidative stress level of offspring rats, which may affect the growth and development of offspring rats.

Objective To observe the effects of Jieduan Niwan Prescription on IL-6 and TNF-α in serum and hepatic tissue in acute-on-chronic liver failure rats (ACLF); To study the partial mechanism of the treatment for ACLF. Methods The ACLF rat model was established by using human serum albumin immuno-induced hepatic fibrosis followed with D-galactosamine and lipopolysaccharide joint acute attack. The SPF Wistar male rats were randomly divided into normal group, model group and Jieduan Niwan Prescription group, respectively. The Jieduan Niwan Prescription group was treated by Jieduan Niwan Prescription after the acute attack for 24 h, and the rats were sacrificed respectively at 5, 10 and 15 days after gavage administration. Transmission electron microscope was employed to observe the ultrastructural changes in liver cells and ELISA was used to detect the contents of IL-6 and TNF-α in serum and liver tissue, respectively. Results Compared with the normal group, the contents of serum and liver tissue IL-6 and TNF-α in model group increased at each time point. Compared with the model group, the contents of serum and liver tissue IL-6 and TNF-α decreased in Jieduan Niwan Prescription group, especially in 15 days. Under the transmission electron microscope, the changes of ultrastructure of liver tissue were observed. With the passage of time, the degree of hepatocyte injury in model group gradually increased, but decreased significantly in Jieduan Niwan Prescription group at each time point. Conclusion Jieduan Niwan Prescription can effectively reduce the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in serum and liver tissue, reduce the degree of liver damage, and has a certain protective effect on the liver.

VisualiZation detection methods are used for determination of the concentration of unknown target by comparing the color change in the intensity or type of reaction solution by naked eye.VisualiZation detection method has some advantages such as simple and rapid operation, low detection cost, fast reaction speed, and detecting target concentration by means of naked eye.Gold nanomaterials are widely used in the construction of visual biosensors due to its unique optical properties.For example, when changing the distance or morphology of the particles, the plasmon resonance absorption peak of local surface will change accordingly.Herein, we reviewed the application of gold nanomaterials in visualiZation biosensors for the detection of target molecules, summed up the main problems of AuNP colormertic methods in the determination of actual samples, and provided an outlook of the future of gold nanoparticles-based biosensor in application development.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical efficacy of Jianpi Liqi Yiliu Formula (JLYF) combined with cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells for treating patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODSBetween January 2011 and January 2014, 60 advanced HCC patients were enrolled in this study, who were assigned to the treatment group and the control group according to their willingness for taking JLYF, 30 cases in each group. All patients received CIK cell treatment: 1 x 10⁹-3 x 10⁹ each time, by intravenous dripping from the 1st day to the 3rd day, once per day. Besides, patients in the treatment group took JLYF decoction, while those in the control group took Chinese medical decoction by syndrome typing. All patients received treatment of at least two cycles. The time to progression (TTP) , overall survival (OS), disease control rate (DCR), performance status scale (PS), Child-Pugh scale, and adverse reactions were observed, and subgroup analyzed.

RESULTSTo May 31, 2014, all patients reached the clinical endpoint. TTP was 3.5 months (95% Cl: 3.30-4.10) in the treatment group, better than that (2.5 months, 95% CI: 2.32-2.68) of the control group (P < 0.05). DCR was 36.7% in the treatment group and 30.0% in the control group (P > 0.05). OS was 5.2 months (95% CI: 4.53-5.87) in the treatment group and 4.6 months (95% CI: 4.06-5.14) in the control group (P > 0.05). The PS scale was 1.60 ± 0.10 after treatment, lower than that (1.80 ± 0.09) before treatment in the treatment group (P < 0.05). When the PS scale was 0-2 or Child-Pugh scale was class A, TTP was longer in the treatment group than in the control group (P < 0.05). No adverse reaction occurred in the two groups during the treatment course.

CONCLUSIONSThe combination of JLYF with ClK cell treatment could prolong advanced HCC patients' TTP, improve PS scale, as compared with syndrome typed Chinese medical decoction treatment group. Besides, when the PS scale was 0-2 or Child-Pugh scale was class A, it was a better treatment program for advanced HCC patients.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; therapy ; Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy ; Cytokine-Induced Killer Cells ; cytology ; Disease Progression ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; therapy

To study the influence of stir-baked with sand on active ingredients, diarrhea and hepatoprotection of Herpetospermum caudigerum, the contents of herperione and herpetin in H. caudigerum before and after stir-baking with sand were analyzed by HPLC. The effect of stir-baked with sand on diarrhea of H. caudigerum TL was evaluated using the mean stool rate (MSR) and mean diarrheal index ( MDI) and the influence of stir-baked with sand on hepatoprotective effect of H. caudigerum TL was examined using a mouse model of CCl4-induced liver injury based on the analysis of serum ALT and AST activities. The results of HPLC analysis showed the content of herperione in H. caudigerum after stir-baking with sand decreased by 40.9% (P < 0.01) and the content of herpetin had no change. Pharmacodynamic results showed that the MSR and MDI of high-dose and middle-dose group of H. caudigerum TL after stir-baking with sand were significantly lower than that of high-dose and middle-dose group of H. caudigerum TL without stir-baking with sand; The high-dose and middle-dose of H. caudigerum TL with/without stir-baking with sand significantly alleviated liver injury as indicated by the decreased levels of serum ALT and AST, but the ALT and AST levels of high-dose and middle-dose group of H. caudigerum TL after stir-baking with sand were higher than that of H. caudigerum TL without stir-baking with sand. The results revealed that the stir-baking with sand could effectively relieve diarrhea effect of H. caudigerum TL, while it also reduces the hepatoprotection of H. caudigerum TL.
Animals ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Cooking ; Cucurbitaceae ; chemistry ; Diarrhea ; chemically induced ; Female ; Liver ; drug effects ; Male ; Mice ; Protective Agents ; pharmacology

Introduction:Right-sided colon cancer (RSCC) and left-sided colorectal cancer (LSCRC) differ with respect to their biology and genomic patterns. This study aimed to examine whether the primary tumor location is associated with the response to cetuximab in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Methods:Patients with mCRC treated with cetuximab and standard chemotherapy as first-or second-line treatments were compared with randomly chosen patients who were treated with chemotherapy alone between 2005 and 2013. The main outcome measures were the overal response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overal survival (OS). The differences in the outcome were analyzed by using the chi-squared test, Student’s t test, and Kaplan-Meier method. Results:The treatment results of 206 patients with mCRC treated with cetuximab and standard chemotherapy as first-or second-line treatments were compared with those of 210 patients who were treated with chemotherapy alone. As a first-line treatment, cetuximab with chemotherapy was associated with a significantly higher ORR (49.4%vs. 28.6%, P=0.005) as well as longer PFS (9.1 vs. 6.2 months, P=0.002) and OS (28.9 vs. 20.1 months, P=0.036) than chemotherapy alone in patients with LSCRC. However, cetuximab neither improved the ORR (36.4%vs. 26.2%, P=0.349) nor prolonged PFS (5.6 vs. 5.7 months, P=0.904) or OS (25.1 vs. 19.8 months, P=0.553) in patients with RSCC. As a second-line treatment, cetuximab exhibited a tendency to improve the ORR (23.5%vs. 10.2%, P=0.087) and prolong PFS (4.9 vs. 3.5 months, P=0.064), and it significantly prolonged OS (17.1 vs. 12.4 months, P=0.047) compared with chemotherapy alone in the patients with LSCRC. In contrast, as a second-line treatment, cetuximab neither improved the ORR (7.1%vs. 11.4%, P=0.698) nor prolonged PFS (3.3 vs. 4.2 months, P=0.761) or OS (13.4 vs. 13.0 months, P=0.652) in patients with RSCC. Conclusions:The addition of cetuximab to chemotherapy in both first-and second-line treatments of mCRC may only benefit patients with primary LSCRC.

OBJECTIVETo assess the clinical efficacy on post-stroke shoulder-hand syndrome (SHS) treated with acupuncture and rehabilitation and the impacts on patients' nailfold microcirculation.

METHODSOne hundred and twenty patients were randomized into an acupuncture rehabilitation group and a simple rehabilitation group, 60 cases in each one. In the simple rehabilitation group, OT (comprehensive rehabilitation therapy) training was adopted. In the acupuncture rehabilitation group, on the basis of the treatment as the simple rehabilitation, acu puncture was added at Taiyuan (LU 9), Zusanli (ST 36), Xuanzhong (GB 39), Waiguan (TE 5), Shousanli (LI 10), Quchi (LI 11) and Jianyu (LI 15). Acupuncture was given once a day, 7 days made one session. Totally, 4 sessions of treatment were required. Fugl-Meyer score, upper limb pain score, the score of nerve function defect and the items of nailfold microcirculation of patients were assessed in the the two groups before and after treatment. The efficacy was compared between the two groups.

RESULTS(1) The upper limb pain, the systematic motor function of the upper limbs, the nerve function defect, nailfold microcirculation and clinical symptoms were all improved after treatment in either the acupuncture rehabilitation group or the simple rehabilitation group as compared with those before treatment, indicating the significant difference (P<0. 05, P<0. 01). (2) The im provements in the upper limb pain (0. 90+/-0.71 vs 1. 80+/-0. 66), the systematic motor function of the upper limbs (42. 43 13. 57 vs 29. 98+/-15. 11), the nerve function defect (8. 60+/-11. 61 vs 13. 0+/-1. 74), nailfold microcirculation (total score 3. 18+/-1.32 vs 4.34+/-1.23) and clinical symptoms in the acupuncture rehabilitation group after treatment were different significantly as compared with those in the simple rehabilitation group (PO0. 05,P-O. 01), and the results in the acupuncture rehabilitation group were superior to the simple rehabilitation group. (3) In the acupuncture rehabilitation group, the markedly effective rate was 50. 0% (30/60) and the total effective rate was 93.3% (56/60), which was better than 16.7% (10/60) and 63. 3% (38/60) respectively in the simple rehabilitation group (all P<0. 05).

CONCLUSIONBoth the combined therapy of acupuncture and rehabilitation and the simple rehabilitation training are effective in the treatment of post-stroke SHS, and promote the status of nailfold microcirculation, the efficacy of the combined therapy is better than that of the latter.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy ; etiology ; rehabilitation ; therapy ; Stroke ; complications ; Treatment Outcome