Background: Xylazole (Xyl) is a veterinary anesthetic that is structurally and functionally similar to xylazine. However, the effects of Xyl in vitro remain unknown. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the anesthetic mechanism of Xyl using fetal rat nerve cells treated with Xyl. Methods: Fetal rat nerve cells cultured for seven days were treated with 10, 20, 30, and 40 μg/ mL Xyl for 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120 min. Variations of amino acid neurotransmitters (AANTs), Nitric oxide-Cyclic GMP (NO-cGMP) signaling pathway, and ATPase were evaluated. Results: Xyl decreased the levels of cGMP and NO in nerve cells. Furthermore, Xyl affected the AANT content and Na+ -K+ -ATPase and Ca2+ -Mg2+ -ATPase activity in nerve cells. These findings suggested that Xyl inhibited the NO-cGMP signaling pathway in nerve cells in vitro. Conclusions This study provided new evidence that the anesthetic and analgesic effects of Xyl are related to the inhibition of the NO-cGMP signaling pathway.

Objective    To investigate the feasibility of magnamosis rings designed based on magnetic compression technique in esophageal anastomosis reconstruction. Methods    According to the anatomical characteristics of esophagus in SD rats, the esophageal magnamosis rings were designed. SD rats were used as animal models (n=10, 5 males and 5 females) to complete the magnetic anastomosis reconstruction of the cervical esophagus using magnamosis rings, and the operation time, animal survival, postoperative complications, magnetic rings excretion time were recorded. Two weeks after operation, the rats were killed, and the esophageal anastomotic specimens were obtained. The blasting pressure of the anastomotic site was measured and the formation of the anastomotic site was observed with naked eyes. Results    Esophageal magnamosis was successfully performed in 10 SD rats, and the median operation time was 11 (8-13) min. All rats survived without anastomotic leakage, anastomotic stenosis, or magnetic rings incarceration. The magnetic rings were discharged after 8 (5-10) days and the burst pressure was higher than 300 mm Hg. Visual observation showed that the anastomotic muscle healed well and the mucosa was smooth. Conclusion    The magnetic compression technique  can be used for anastomosis reconstruction of esophagus, which has the advantages of simple operation and reliable anastomosis effect, and has clinical application prospect.

Magnetic anchoring and traction technique is one of the core technologies of magnetic surgery. With the "non-contact" traction force of the outer magnet on the inner magnet, we can drive the inner magnet and the gripper to multiple directions, and pull tissue or organ to required position in operations, so as to get a clearer surgical field of view. On the basis of the previous animal experiments, we applied magnetic anchoring and traction device in 3 human (males aged 63-71 years) thoracoscopic esophagectomies. Using the magnetic anchoring device, we could pull the esophagus dorsally or ventrally to assist in exposing the anatomical plane without special equipment or pleural puncture for retraction of the esophagus. The interference between operating instruments reduced. The mean blood loss in operation was 83 mL, the mean total operation time was 253 min and the mean length of hospital stay was 10 d. Postoperative follow-up showed that all 3 patients had good short-term prognosis. There was no swellling or pain in magnetic anchoring zone of chest wall.

Objective    To verify the feasibility of a self-designed magnetic anchoring and traction device (MATD) for assisting two-port video-assisted thoracoscopic esophagectomy. Methods    Three Beagle dogs were selected as animal models with age ranging from 1-6 years and weight ranging from 8-12 kg, and they underwent two-port video-assisted thoracoscopic esophagectomy after general anesthesia. We used the MATD to retract the esophagus to different directions, which assisted mobilizing esophagus, detecting the nerves along esophagus and dissecting paraesophagus lymph nodes. The operation time, blood loss and feasibility of the MATD were recorded. Results    With the aid of the MATD, we successfully retracted and mobilized the esophagus, detected the nerves and dissected the lymph nodes in three Beagle dog models. During the operation, the MATD provided sufficient and steady traction of esophagus to achieve a good exposure of the operative field, effectively decreasing the interference between working instruments. The MATD worked well. The mean operation time was 30 min, and the mean intraoperative blood loss was about 10 mL. Conclusion    It is effective to use the MATD to assist retracting esophagus during video-assisted thoracoscopic esophagectomy. The magnetic anchoring and traction technique can assist to expose the surgical field, decrease the interference between the working instruments and have the potential clinical application.

Objective    To investigate the feasibility of using magnetic beads to locate small pulmonary nodules. Methods    Twelve rabbits were randomly divided into two groups, 6 in each group. One group underwent thoracotomy after anesthesia and the other group underwent percutaneous puncture under the guidance of X-ray. One and two cylindrical tracer magnets (magnetic beads) with a diameter of 1 mm and a height of 3 mm were injected adjacent to the imaginary pulmonary nodules in left lung in each group. The magnetic beads beside the imaginary nodules were attracted by a pursuit magnet with a diameter of 9 mm and a height of 19 mm. The effectiveness of localization by magnetic beads were determined by attraction between tracer and pursuit magnets. Results    All processes were uneven in 12 rabbits. There was micro hemorrhage and no hematoma in the lung tissue at the injection site of the magnetic beads. When tracked with the pursuit magnets, there was one bead divorce in cases that one bead was injected, but no migration or divorce of the magnetic beads in cases that two magnetic beads were simultaneously injected to localize the small pulmonary nodules. Conclusion    The feasibility of using magnetic beads to locate small pulmonary nodules has been  preliminarily verified.

Surgery,radiotherapy and chemotherapy are three traditional treatments for malignant tumors.With the development of medicine,immunotherapy has been gradually adopted as an emerging therapy of malignancies.Recent clinical studies have demonstrated that the combination of radiotherapy and immunotherapy can induce the abscopal effect and improve the prognosis of patients.Compared with the conventional radiotherapy,stereotactic radiotherapy has a larger single dose and higher accuracy,which is more likely to induce the bystander effect and anti-tumor response.The combination of stereotactic radiotherapy and immunotherapy has been proven to be a more promising therapy in certain clinical trials.However,not all types of tumors can benefit from such combined therapy in clinical practice.The optimal dose,fraction pattern and lesion of radiotherapy,immune enhancement and safety remain to be further clarified.In this article,the research progress,related controversies and future research direction of stereotactic radiotherapy combined with immunotherapy for malignancies were reviewed.

Liver transplantation is the only way to treat end-stage liver disease. In order to overcome the shortage of donor, marginal donors have been used widely, which bring about a series of problems. Machine perfusion can stimulate the circulation in vivo and is beneficial for the protection of liver. It could also improve the graft function and reduce postoperative complications, which makes it a hot spot in recent years. The aim of this study is to summarize the current status and prospects of application of machine perfusion on clinical liver transplantation.
Humans ; Liver ; Liver Transplantation ; Perfusion ; instrumentation ; methods ; Tissue Donors

Liver transplantation is the only way to treat end-stage liver disease. In order to overcome the shortage of donor, marginal donors have been used widely, which bring about a series of problems. Machine perfusion can stimulate the circulation in vivo and is beneficial for the protection of liver. It could also improve the graft function and reduce postoperative complications, which makes it a hot spot in recent years. The aim of this study is to summarize the current status and prospects of application of machine perfusion on clinical liver transplantation.

A new system of blood flow block for control of bleeding in abdominal operation is composed of an abdominal magnetic blocking unit, an abdominal external electromagnet unit and other non-magnetic operation instrument. The abdominal external electromagnetic unit is placed in advance in the operation bed. The abdominal magnetic blocking unit can be placed directly on the ventral of the large vessels when need to blocking the abdominal large vessels during the operation. According to the non-contact suction characteristics of magnetic materials, the two magnetic units will attract each other and compression the vessels. Using this system for vascular occlusion does not need clear exposure and without separating vessel. There is the advantage of rapid, accurate and reliable for the system.
Abdomen ; blood supply ; Blood Loss, Surgical ; prevention & control ; Electromagnetic Phenomena ; Equipment Design ; Surgical Equipment

A new system of blood flow block for control of bleeding in abdominal operation is composed of an abdominal magnetic blocking unit, an abdominal external electromagnet unit and other non-magnetic operation instrument. The abdominal external electromagnetic unit is placed in advance in the operation bed. The abdominal magnetic blocking unit can be placed directly on the ventral of the large vessels when need to blocking the abdominal large vessels during the operation. According to the non-contact suction characteristics of magnetic materials, the two magnetic units wil attract each other and compression the vessels. Using this system for vascular occlusion does not need clear exposure and without separating vessel. There is the advantage of rapid, accurate and reliable for the system.