Objective To investigate the clinical value of ultrasound-guided catheterization in intraperitoneal perfusion chemotherapy for postoperative abdominal malignant tumor without ascites. Methods A retrospective analysis were performed in 146 postoperative patients with abdominal malignancies who were admitted to Fujian Cancer Hospital from April 2013 to September 2018, and there were no ascites founded in these patients before abdominal catheterization. Two hundred and seventy-nine times ultrasound-guided catheterization in intraperitoneal perfusion chemotherapy were performed under clinical guidance. Results Two hundred and seventy-seven times abdominal catheterization was completed, with a success rate of 99.3％(277/279), and the one-time success rate was 83.2％(232/279), 2 times (0.7％, 2/279) had to be abandoned for peritoneal adhesions. Fifty-three patients (36.3％, 53/146) underwent catheterization ≥ 2 times. The intraperitoneal perfusion chemotherapy was successfully completed after catheterization, no intestinal injury and bleeding occurred. Conclusions In the absence of ascites, ultrasound guided catheterization in perfusion chemotherapy is safe, reliable, simple, accurate and has a high success rate. This new approach is good for clinical application when the conventional catheterization with ascites is blocked.

Previous studies suggest that NGAL (neutro phil gelatinase-associated lipocalin) is involved in the transformation and development of esophageal carcinoma. Alteration of NGAL expression can trigger the change of cellular morphology in esophageal carcinoma cells. However, the mechanisms remain unclear. To get a better understanding of NGAL function in esophageal carcinoma, NGAL protein was expressed in methylotrophic yeast, Pichia pastoris, and purified by chromatography. EC1.71 cells expressed high levels of NGALR (NGAL receptor) and EC109 cells expressed low levels of NGALR were used as cells model. The trafficking and the possible function of NGAL protein were then analyzed in the esophageal carcinoma cells. The results showed that 5-FAM-labeled recombinant NGAL protein could internalize into the EC1.71 and EC109 cells. Furthermore, the internalized NGAL protein could induce the alteration of cellular morphology, resulting in generation of autophagosome, transcriptional up-regulation of genes associated with autophagy and increase of phospho-ERK1/2 (p-ERK1/2). Interestingly, the treatment with the NGAL protein did not affect the intracellular iron level. These data indicate that induced autophagy by exogenous NGAL protein is a mechanism that internalized NGAL plays important roles in esophageal carcinoma cells, independent with NGAL-mediated iron transport process, while ERK1/2 signal pathway is involved in activation of autophagy by exogenous NGAL protein.