Objective To explore the impact factors of volume reduction rate(VRR)of benign thyroid nodules after thermal ablation based on conventional ultrasound and contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS)manifestations.Methods Totally 238 patients with benign thyroid nodules who underwent thermal ablation were retrospectively enrolled and divided into VRR＜75%group(n=93)and VRR≥75%group(n=145)according to VRR of lesions 12 months after treatment.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to screen the independent impact factors of VRR of lesions 12 months after thermal ablation based on conventional ultrasound and CEUS manifestations.Receiver operating characteristic curve was plotted,the area under the curve(AUC)was calculated to evaluate the efficacy of the combination of the above factors for predicting VRR of lesions.Results High echo,calcification,cystic and solid components,high enhancement,enhancement loss and high ablation energy were all independent risk factors,while circular enhancement was the independent protective factor of VRR of benign thyroid nodules 12 months after thermal ablation(all P＜0.05).The AUC of combination of the above factors for predicting VRR of benign thyroid nodules 12 months after thermal ablation was 0.926.Conclusion High echo,calcification,cystic and solid components,high enhancement,enhancement loss and high ablation energy were all independent risk factors,while circular enhancement was the independent protective factor of VRR of benign thyroid nodules 12 months after thermal ablation.

Purpose To evaluate the safety and efficacy of microwave ablation(MWA)treatment for papillary thyroid cancer(PTC)in patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis(HT).Materials and Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data from April 2020 to May 2022,involving 181 patients who underwent MWA at the China-Japan Friendship Hospital.All patients were divided into experimental group(n=89 cases)and control group(n=92 cases).The technical success rate,tumor volume reduction rate(VRR),disease progression and incidence of complications were compared between the two groups,respectively.Results Both groups achieved a technical success rate of 100%,with a median follow-up time of(16.90±11.43)months.At 3,6,12,and 18 months post-ablation,the VRR in the experimental group was significantly lower than that in the control group(3 months:-405.10(-778.57,-119.64)%vs.-190.00(-525.62,0)%;6 months:-50.00(-318.00,45.52)%vs.52.75(-93.33,97.13)%;12 months:83.33(17.70,100.00)%vs.100.00(64.88,100.00)%;18 months:100.00(96.05,100.00)%vs.100.00(100.00,100.00)%,Z=-2.77,-3.70,-2.41,-2.18,all P<0.05).At the end of follow-up,there was no significant difference in the disease progression rates and the incidence of hoarseness between the two groups(5.61%vs.4.34%,2.24%vs.4.34%,both P>0.05).Conclusion Patients with HT who received MWA treatment demonstrate safety and effectiveness,with no significant differences in postoperative disease progression rates compared to the controls.

Objective To explore the impact factors of volume reduction rate(VRR)of benign thyroid nodules after thermal ablation based on conventional ultrasound and contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS)manifestations.Methods Totally 238 patients with benign thyroid nodules who underwent thermal ablation were retrospectively enrolled and divided into VRR＜75%group(n=93)and VRR≥75%group(n=145)according to VRR of lesions 12 months after treatment.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to screen the independent impact factors of VRR of lesions 12 months after thermal ablation based on conventional ultrasound and CEUS manifestations.Receiver operating characteristic curve was plotted,the area under the curve(AUC)was calculated to evaluate the efficacy of the combination of the above factors for predicting VRR of lesions.Results High echo,calcification,cystic and solid components,high enhancement,enhancement loss and high ablation energy were all independent risk factors,while circular enhancement was the independent protective factor of VRR of benign thyroid nodules 12 months after thermal ablation(all P＜0.05).The AUC of combination of the above factors for predicting VRR of benign thyroid nodules 12 months after thermal ablation was 0.926.Conclusion High echo,calcification,cystic and solid components,high enhancement,enhancement loss and high ablation energy were all independent risk factors,while circular enhancement was the independent protective factor of VRR of benign thyroid nodules 12 months after thermal ablation.

Purpose To evaluate the safety and efficacy of microwave ablation(MWA)treatment for papillary thyroid cancer(PTC)in patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis(HT).Materials and Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data from April 2020 to May 2022,involving 181 patients who underwent MWA at the China-Japan Friendship Hospital.All patients were divided into experimental group(n=89 cases)and control group(n=92 cases).The technical success rate,tumor volume reduction rate(VRR),disease progression and incidence of complications were compared between the two groups,respectively.Results Both groups achieved a technical success rate of 100%,with a median follow-up time of(16.90±11.43)months.At 3,6,12,and 18 months post-ablation,the VRR in the experimental group was significantly lower than that in the control group(3 months:-405.10(-778.57,-119.64)%vs.-190.00(-525.62,0)%;6 months:-50.00(-318.00,45.52)%vs.52.75(-93.33,97.13)%;12 months:83.33(17.70,100.00)%vs.100.00(64.88,100.00)%;18 months:100.00(96.05,100.00)%vs.100.00(100.00,100.00)%,Z=-2.77,-3.70,-2.41,-2.18,all P<0.05).At the end of follow-up,there was no significant difference in the disease progression rates and the incidence of hoarseness between the two groups(5.61%vs.4.34%,2.24%vs.4.34%,both P>0.05).Conclusion Patients with HT who received MWA treatment demonstrate safety and effectiveness,with no significant differences in postoperative disease progression rates compared to the controls.

Objective To determine the effect of isopsoralen(ISO)on the healing of tibia fracture in mice and explore its underlying mechanism.Methods Fifty male C57BL/6 mice(2 month old,20±2 g)were randomly divided into model group and ISO treatment group,with 25 animals in each group.From the 3rd day after modeling,the mice from the ISO group were given an intragastric gavage of 40 mg/kg ISO,once per day for 28 consecutive days,while those of the model group was given same volume of normal saline in same way.On the 7th,14th,21st,and 28th day after gavage,the tibia on the surgical side was taken,and the fracture area was quantified by bone volume/total volume(BV/TV)after micro-CT scanning.The healing and shaping of the fracture end were observed through HE staining.ELISA was used to detect the serum contents of bone alkaline phosphatase(BALP)and procollagen type I N-terminal peptide(PINP)on the 14th day of gavage.Western blotting was employed to determine the expression levels of Collagen Ⅰ,Runx2,BMP2,OSX,and VEGF in the tibial callus tissue in 7 and 14 d after gavage.Vascular perfusion was applied to observe the callus microvessels in 28 d to quantitatively analyze the vascular volume fraction and vessel diameter.Immunohistochemical staining was conducted to observe the expression of VEGF in the callus in 14 d after gavage.Results HE staining displayed that the ISO group had faster healing process than the model group.Micro-CT quantification results showed that the ISO group had higher BV/TV ratio in 7 d after gavage though no statistical difference,significantly higher ratio in 14 d(P＜0.05),but obviously lower ratio in 21 and 28 d after gavage(both P＜0.05)when compared with the model group.The serum contents of BALP and PINP were also remarkably higher in the ISO group than the model group(P＜0.05).Western blotting results indicated that the expression levels of Collagen Ⅰ,Runx2,BMP2,OSX and VEGF in the ISO group were higher than those in the model group(P＜0.05).The results of angiography revealed that the vascular volume fraction and vessel diameter were notably increased in the ISO group than the model group(both P＜0.05).Immunohistochemical assay showed that the expression of VEGF was higher in the ISO group than the model group(P＜0.05).Conclusion ISO can improve the activity of osteoblasts,increase the expression of osteogenesis-related proteins,and accelerate the angiogenesis to promote fracture healing.

Objective:To investigate the effect of sinusoidal alternating electromagnetic field(SEMF)on fracture healing and its mechanism.Methods:Femoral fracture model was established using specific pathogen free male Wistar rats.Thirty rats were randomly divided into the control and SEMF groups with 15 rats in each group.The SEMF group was given 50 Hz 1.8 mT for 90 min every day,while the control group was not treated.X-ray examinations were performed every two weeks to determine the formation of bone scabs.Three rats from both groups were sacrificed after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment.Protein was extracted from the fractured femurs,and the expression of type Ⅰ collagen(COL-1),osterix(OSX),Runt-related transcription factor 2(RUNX2),and vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)was detected by Western blotting.After 8 weeks,the femur on the operated side was taken for micro-CT scanning to observe fracture healing,angiography to observe blood vessel growth,and organs such as hearts,livers,spleens,lungs,and kidneys were taken for safety evaluation by hematoxylin-eosin staining(HE staining).Results:The bone scab scores of the SEMF group were significantly higher than those of the control group after 2,4,6,and 8 weeks of treatment(all P<0.01).The fracture healing of the SEMF group was better than that of the control group after 8 weeks,and the bone volume scores of the two groups were 0.243±0.012 and 0.186±0.008,respectively(P<0.01);the number of blood vessels in the SEMF group was also more than that of the control group after 8 weeks.Western blotting results showed that the expressions of COL-1,OSX,RUNX2,and VEGF were higher in the SEMF group than those in the control group after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment(all P<0.05).HE staining showed that histopathological results of the examined organs were normal in both groups.Conclusion:SEMF can accelerate fracture healing by promoting the expression of osteogenic factors and vascular proliferation without significant adverse effects.

Objective:To summarize the CT imaging features of obturator hernia.Methods:From July 2009 to May 2019, the clinical and CT imaging features of 26 cases with obturator hernia diagnosed by multi-slice spiral CT(MSCT) were retrospectively analyzed.The locations of hernia sac, contents of hernia and intestinal obstruction were observed by multi-planer reconstructions(MPR).Results:There were 5 cases of bilateral obturator hernia, 9 cases of right obturator hernia and 12 cases of left obturator hernia.The contents of hernia were small intestine in 19 cases, mesentery in 9 cases and bladder in 5 cases.There were 3 cases of bilateral small intestine obturator hernia, 7 cases of right and 9 cases of left small intestine obturator hernia, presented with abruptly collapse and narrowing of small intestinal cavity at the entrance of obturator canal.The small intestine was herniated between the external obturator muscle and the pubic muscle and adductor brevis, between the upper and lower bundles of external obturator muscle and the internal obturator muscle and superior pubic sulcus.There were 15 cases of small intestinal obstruction, including 9 cases of incarcerated small intestinal obstruction and 6 cases of strangulated small intestinal obstruction, of which 15 cases presented with small intestinal effusion, 3 cases with a little accumulation of gas, 14 cases with small intestinal wall edema and 2 cases with intestinal wall defect.The dilatation effusion and pneumatosis could be found in the proximal small intestine, of which 14 cases with gas-liquid level, 12 cases with small intestinal wall edema and mesenteric edema.There were 4 cases of bilateral mesenteric obturator hernia, 2 cases of right mesenteric obturator hernia and 3 cases of left mesenteric obturator hernia.There were 2 cases of right mild bladder obturator hernia and 3 cases of left mild bladder obturator hernia, presented with cystic water-like density at the entrance of obturator canal.Conclusion:MSCT reconstruction can intuitively display imaging features of obturator hernia, which has a rather high diagnostic value for small intestinal ischemic, necrosis and perforation.

Objective: To investigate the signal transduction mechanisms of time-dependent effects of 50 Hz 1.8 mT sinusoidal electromagnetic fields(SEMFs)on osteoblastic activity. Methods: Newborn rat calvarial osteoblasts(ROBs)were treated with 50 Hz 1.8mT SEMFs for 30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 min, respectively.Intracellular alkaline phosphatase(ALP)activity was assayed, and protein expression of Runt-related transcription factor 2(Runx2), Smad1/5/8 and mitogen-activated protein kinases(MAPKs)were examined by Western blot.The Dual-Luciferase Reporter Assay System was used to measure the activity of the Wnt pathway.Immunofluorescence staining and laser confocal microscopy were applied to examine the nuclear translocation of Smad1/5/8 and β-catenin.Changes in ALP activity were determined after inhibiting p38 MAPK using a specific inhibitor. Results: ALP activity of ROBs increased after 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 min of SEMFs treatment, compared with the control group(51.41±5.21, 59.47±4.02, 67.56±4.68, 63.69±3.92, and 58.16±3.61 vs.45.53±3.24), and reached the highest value at 90 min and then started to decline.Protein expression of Runx-2, p-Smad1/5/8, p-p38 and β-catenin increased after SEMFs treatment, and reached the highest value at 90 min and then gradually returned to baseline levels.The values for Wnt pathway activity for the control group and with SEMFs treatment at 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 min were 0.49±0.06, 0.52±0.09, 0.75±0.05, 0.77±0.42, 0.58±0.08 and 0.42±0.09, respectively.Wnt pathway activity, the nuclear translocation of β-catenin and Smad1/5/8 reached the highest level at 90 min.Values of ALP activity in the control group and the SEMFs group were 44.60±3.84 and 71.54±7.34, respectively, before specifically inhibiting p38 MAPK, and were 52.08±0.83 and 52.15±10.77, respectively, after p38 MAPK inhibition, indicating that ALP activity could not be increased with inhibition. Conclusions 50 Hz 1.8 mT SEMFs increase osteoblastic activity by activating the BMP-2/Smad1/5/8, Wnt/β-catenin and p38 MAPK signal pathways.The optimal duration of treatment is 90 min per day.

Objective: To compare the effects of 50 Hz 1.8 mT sinusoidal magnetic field (SEMF) and 50 Hz 0.6 mT pulsed electromagnetic field(PEMF) on the maturation and mineralization of rat calvaria osteoblasts. Methods: Primary cultured rat calvarial osteoblasts were divided into 3 groups:blank control group, SEMF group and PEMF group. The rats in SEMT and PEMT groups were treated with 50 Hz 1.8 mT SEMF or 50 Hz 0.6 mT PEMF for 90 min/d, respectively. Western blotting and Real-time RT-PCR were used to detect the protein and mRNA expressions of Collagen-1, bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2), osterix (OSX) and Runt-associated transcription factor 2(Runx-2). The alkaline phosphatase(ALP) activity was detected by ALP test kits at d6 and d9 after treatment, and by ALP staining using azo coupling at d10 after treatment. The formation of calcium nodules was observed by alizarin red staining. Results: Compared with blank control group, the protein and mRNA expressions of Collagen-1, BMP-2, OSX and Runx-2 in SEMT and PEMT groups were significantly increased (P <0.01 or P <0.05); while the mRNA expressions of Collagen-1 and BMP-2 in PEMF group were significantly higher than those in SEMF group. After 6 days treatment, the activity of ALP in PEMF group was significantly higher than that in blank control group (P<0.05), while such difference was not observed in SEMF group (P0.05); after 9 days treatment, the activities of ALP in both PEMF and SEMP groups were significantly higher than that in blank control group (all P<0.05), but the difference between PEMF and SEMF groups was not significant (P0.05). After 10 days treatment, ALP staining was increased in both PEMF and SEMF groups compared with that in blank control group (all P<0.01), and the stained area was bigger in PEMF group than that in SEMF group (P<0.05). After 12 days treatment, calcium nodules were increased in PEMF and SEMF groups compared with that in blank control group (all P<0.01), and more calcium nodules were observed in PEMF group than SEMF group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Both 50 Hz 1.8 mT that in SEMF and 50 Hz 0.6 mT PEMF can promote the maturation and mineralization of osteoblasts, and the effect of PEMF is more marked.
Animals ; Calcification, Physiologic ; drug effects ; Cell Differentiation ; Cells, Cultured ; Electromagnetic Fields ; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ; radiation effects ; Magnetic Fields ; Osteoblasts ; cytology ; radiation effects ; Rats ; Skull ; drug effects

Objective: To investigate the effect of icaritin on maturation and mineralization of mouse osteoblast MC3T3-E1 cells and its mechanism. Methods: The cultured MC3T3-E1 cells were divided into blank control group, CXC chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) inhibitor (AMD3100) group, icaritin group, and icaritin plus AMD3100 group. The expression of CXCR4, stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1) and osteogenesis-related genes and proteins were detected by real-time RT-PCR and Western blotting after drug treatment for 24 h. The alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was determined with ALP kit on d3 and d6; calcium nodules were detected by alizarin red staining after drug treatment for 14 d. Results: Real time RT-PCR showed that compared with the blank control group, relative expressions of CXCR4, SDF-1 and osteogenesis-related genes in icaritin group were significantly increased (P<0.05 or P<0.01); After AMD3100 treatment, the relative expression of CXCR4 gene was decreased (P<0.05). Western blot showed that compared with the blank control group, relative expressions of CXCR4, SDF-1 and osteogenesis-related proteins in the icaritin group were significantly increased (all P<0.01), but were decreased after AMD3100 was added (all P<0.01). The ALP activity of icaritin group was significantly higher than that of blank control group (all P<0.01) on d3 and d6 after drug treatment, while the activity of ALP was significantly decreased after AMD3100 treatment (all P<0.01). At d14 after drug treatment, compared with the blank control group, the area of alizarin red staining was increased in the icaritin group, while it was significantly reduced after the addition of AMD3100. Conclusion: Icaritin may promote maturation and mineralization of mouse osteoblast MC3T3-E1 cells through CXCR4/SDF-1 signaling pathway.
3T3 Cells ; Animals ; Calcification, Physiologic ; drug effects ; Chemokine CXCL12 ; metabolism ; Flavonoids ; pharmacology ; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ; drug effects ; Mice ; Osteoblasts ; cytology ; drug effects ; Receptors, CXCR4 ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects