Objective To discuss the feasibility and safety of simultaneous bilateral adrenal vein sampling(AVS)using two 4F-MPA1 catheters via right elbow vein access.Methods A total of 51 consecutive patients with primary aldosteronism,who received simultaneous bilateral AVS using two 4F-MPA1 catheters(one of the two catheters was shaped into pig tail figure)via right elbow vein access at Xiangyang Municipal Central Hospital between October 2021 and October 2022,were enrolled in this study.The used catheter,the success rate of simultaneous bilateral AVS,and the incidence of complications rate were calculated.Results The 4F-MPA1 catheter was used for all of the right AVS,while a specially shaped 4F-MPA1 catheter was used for the main trunk vein AVS of the left adrenal gland and the central vein AVS of the left adrenal gland.The success rate of simultaneous bilateral AVS was 92.2%(47/51).Adrenal hematoma occurred in one patient(1.96%).Conclusion The technique of simultaneous bilateral AVS using two 4F-MPA1 catheters via right elbow vein access is simple to operate,less traumatic,and clinically safe and feasible.However,due to the small sample used in this study,the clinical value of this technique still needs further investigation and verification.

Objective To evaluate the incidental irradiation to the axillary levels Ⅰ,Ⅱ and Ⅲduring the whole breast radiotherapy after breast conserving surgery(BCS)without axillary lymph node dissection(ALND)in breast cancer(BC)patients.Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on the consecutive 42 cases of T1-2N0M0stage BC patients with sentinel lymphnode biopsy(SLNB)and BCS but without ALND.The axillary lymph nodes of Ⅰ,Ⅱ and Ⅲ were delineated according to RTOG atlas guideline.Three radiotherapy plans including conventional tangential field(CTF),three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy(3D-CRT)and forward-planned intensity-modulated radiotherapy(IMRT)for whole breast irradiation were devised for each case.The Prescription dose was 50 Gy per 25 fractions.Doses to axillary levels(Ⅰ-Ⅲ)were evaluated.Results The mean doses delivered to axillary by the three techniques(CTF,3D-CRT and IMRT)were(40.1 ±6.8),(35.4 ±8.3),(32.9 ±7.0)Gy for level Ⅰ(F＝10.269,P＜0.05),(33.2 ±7.1),(30.6 ±6.7),(30.4 ±7.0)Gy for level Ⅱ(P＞0.05)and(9.6 ±6.8),(6.4 ±4.5),(5.2 ±3.7)Gy for level Ⅲ(F ＝8.377,P ＜0.05),respectively.V50(volume receiving 50 Gy)for the three techniques were 21.3％,27.6％,9.6％for level Ⅰ(F＝13.161,P＜0.05),12.9％,15.9％,8.3％for level Ⅱ(F＝2.750,P＜0.05)and 0.4％,0.1％and 0％for level Ⅲ(P＞0.05),respectively.Conclusions The doses coverage to axillary levelsⅠ-Ⅲwere all limited in the three techniques.Therefore,it is necessary to assess the risk of axillary lymph node metastasis adequately to develop individualized radiotherapy plans.

Objective To apply real-time transperineal ultrasound ( TPUS) to monitor the intra-fractional prostate motion,collect and analyze the data of the prostate motion,aiming to provide evidence for the optimization of the target area and plan of radiotherapy for prostate cancer. Methods TPUS is a non-invasive monitoring technique that utilizes an automatic scanning ultrasound probe to dynamically monitor and correct the motion of organs during radiotherapy. In this study, TPUS was utilized to collect 1588 intra-fractional data of 70 patients with prostate cancer. Prior to each cycle of radiotherapy,CBCT was adopted to correct the errors between intra-factional data by using VMAT. During radiotherapy, real-time ( once per second) ultrasound images were acquired to monitor the 3D motion of the prostate on the x (left+,right-),y (cranial+, caudal-), and z ( abdominal+, dorsal-) axes, emphasizing the analysis of 4D motion of the prostate. Results All patients successfully completed the treatment and data collection. The median time of effective monitoring per faction was 179 seconds (132-286 seconds). During 95% of the monitoring time,the distance of prostate motion was 2. 22 mm in the left direction,2. 17 mm in the right,2. 08 mm in the cranial, 1. 98 mm in the caudal,2. 44 mm in the abdominal and 2. 97 mm in the dorsal direction,respectively. In the x,y and z axes,the percentage of time in which the distance of prostate motion less than 1 mm among the total time was 83. 07%,85. 46% and 78. 27%,respectively,whereas 97. 70%,97. 87% and 96. 45% for＜3 mm, respectively. Conclusions TPUS is a non-invasive real-time monitoring technique,which can detect the 4D motion of the prostate during radiotherapy. By using VMAT,the range of prostate motion is relatively small, and the motion range is less than 3 mm in each direction within 95% of the time.

Objective To investigate the relationship of complements C3 and C4 with essential hypertension and its risk factors, homocysteine (HCY) and blood lipids.Methods We selected 20 healthy subjects for physical checkup as control group and 45 patients with hypertension as hypertension group.According to The Guidelines for Prevention and Treatment of Dyslipidemia in Chinese Adults, the hypertension group was divided into lipid regulating therapy group and non-lipid regulating therapy group.We determined the levels of complements C3 and C4, HCY, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein and apolipoprotein.Pearson linear correlation regression analysis was used to analyze the correlation of the complements with HCY and blood lipid indexes.Results Complements C3 and C4 were significantly higher in the hypertension group than in the control group (P<0.05).HCY was also significantly higher than that in control group (P<0.05).The Pearson linear correlation analysis showed that in the hypertension group Complement C3 was positively correlated with cholesterol, low density lipoprotein and apolipoprotein B (P<0.05).Complements C3 and C4 were not related to HCY (P=0.073, P=0.699).Compared with the non-lipid regulating therapy group, C4, cholesterol, low density lipoprotein and apolipoprotein B were significantly decreased in the lipid regulating therapy group (P<0.05).The Pearson linear correlation analysis showed that in the lipid regulating therapy group complements C3 and C4 were not related to low density lipoprotein (P>0.05) or to homocysteine (P=0.074, P=0.894).Conclusion Complements C3 and C4 are closely related to essential hypertension.Activation of the complement system is one of the important risk factors for hypertension.The lipid regulating therapy can significantly alleviate immune damage in patients with essential hypertension.Hyperhomocysteinemia is an independent risk factor for essential hypertension.

Objective To analyze the correlation of vertebral osteophyte and lumbar disc degeneration in the elderly people and explore the possible mechanism of osteophyte formation. Methods X-ray and MRI data of 120 elderly people with backache or leg pain were retrospectively analyzed. Osteophyte was classified into four grades by X-ray according to the method proposed by Nathan. Discs with osteophyte were defined as occurring when osteophyte of grade II or greater were present. Lumbar disc degeneration was classified into five grades by MRI according to the method proposed by Pfirrmann. The obtained parameters were statistically treated and analyzed. Results Osteophyte and age were positively correlated at every lumbar disc level (P < 0.05). The proportion of osteophyte in L3/4 (76.7%) and L4/5 (70.08%) were more severe than that in L1/2 (31.7%) and L2/3 (46.7%). Osteophyte and lumbar disc degeneration were positively correlated at every lumbar disc level (P < 0.01). Conclusion Osteophyte becomes more severe with the increasing of lumbar disc degeneration. The vertebral stress after lumbar disc degeneration may be the main cause of osteophyte.

[ ABSTRACT] AIM:To investigate the changes of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors ( PPAR)α/peroxi-some proliferator activated receptor coactivator 1 alpha ( PGC-1α) in doxorubicin ( DOX) induced dilated cardiomyopathy ( DCM) and its effect on the energy metabolism and myocardial function in mice .METHODS:Forty mice were randomly divided into 4 groups:control group, DOX group, PPARαinhibitor group and PPARαagonist group.The DCM model was established by injection of DOX.The protein levels of PPARα/PGC-1αwere detected.The PPARαinhibitor and PPARαagonist were used 2 weeks beforeinjection of DOX.The contents of adenine acid and phosphocreatine ( Pcr) in the mito-chondria were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography ( HPLC) .The ANT activity was analyzed by the atrac-tyloside-inhibitor stop technique.The changes of the echocardiography and hemodynamics were also observed.RESULTS:DOX induced DCM model was successfully established.The protein levels of PPARαand PGC-1αin control group were significantly higher than those in DOX group (P<0.05).Both of the high-energy phosphate contents and the transport ac-tivity of ANT were decreased in DOX group (P<0.05), and the hemodynamic parameters were disordered (P<0.01). Compared with DOX group, PPARαinhibitor pre-treatment significantly reduced the PPARα/PGC-1αexpression.Mean-while, high-energy phosphate contents in the mitochondria and the ANT transport activity of the mitochondria decreased, as well as the left ventricular function ( P<0.05) .On the other hand, PPARαagonist significantly increased the expression of PPARαand PGC-1α, and improved the transport activity of ANT.In addition, the hemodynamic parameters were amel-iorated, but the high-energy phosphate contents of the mitochondria did not significantly change.CONCLUSION:PPARα/PGC-1αplays an important role in the regulation of ANT transport activity in dilated cardiomyopathy induced by DOX, and the activation of PPARα/PGC-1αhas protective effects on the DCM induced by DOX.

Objective To establish rabbit model of scoliosis induced with stable asymmetric lumbar loads. Methods Scoliosis was induced in 10 two-month-old New Zealand rabbits using 316L stainless steel springs placed between the unilateral transverse processes of L2 and L5. Serial radiographs were documented before and at 1, 4, 8, 9 and 12 weeks after the operation. At weeks, the rabbits were randomly divided into SR group (n=5) with the spring removed and SK group (n=5) without spring removal. Results All the rabbits survived the experiment with Cobb angle all greater than 10°at the end of the experiment. Significant changes were found in the Cobb angles and kyphotic angles at 1, 4 and 8 weeks after the operation (P<0.05). At 8 weeks, the Cobb angle, the kyphotic angle and the length of the spring were similar between SR and SK groups (P>0.05), and in the 4 weeks following spring removal in SR group, the Cobb angle and the kyphosis decreased significantly compared with those in SK group (P<0.05). Micro-CT showed that the BV/TV of the concave side was greater than that of the convex side. The length of the spring did not show obvious changes during the experiment (P>0.05). Conclusion Asymmetric lumbar loading is a convenient, time-saving, and highly reproducible approach for establishing rabbit models of scoliosis.

Objective To establish rabbit model of scoliosis induced with stable asymmetric lumbar loads. Methods Scoliosis was induced in 10 two-month-old New Zealand rabbits using 316L stainless steel springs placed between the unilateral transverse processes of L2 and L5. Serial radiographs were documented before and at 1, 4, 8, 9 and 12 weeks after the operation. At weeks, the rabbits were randomly divided into SR group (n=5) with the spring removed and SK group (n=5) without spring removal. Results All the rabbits survived the experiment with Cobb angle all greater than 10°at the end of the experiment. Significant changes were found in the Cobb angles and kyphotic angles at 1, 4 and 8 weeks after the operation (P<0.05). At 8 weeks, the Cobb angle, the kyphotic angle and the length of the spring were similar between SR and SK groups (P>0.05), and in the 4 weeks following spring removal in SR group, the Cobb angle and the kyphosis decreased significantly compared with those in SK group (P<0.05). Micro-CT showed that the BV/TV of the concave side was greater than that of the convex side. The length of the spring did not show obvious changes during the experiment (P>0.05). Conclusion Asymmetric lumbar loading is a convenient, time-saving, and highly reproducible approach for establishing rabbit models of scoliosis.

Objective To investigate the role of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) in the estimation of tumor angiogenesis and pathologic grading of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.Methods Routine preoperative MRI and DCE-MRI scanning were performed on 57 patients with extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.The early signal enhancement ratio (eSER) and delayed signal enhancement ratio (dSER) of DCE-MRI were calculated.Microvessel density (MVD) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expressions were detected in the extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma tissue samples using immunohistochemical methods.The relations between the eSER or dSER and MVD,VEGF and the pathological grading of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma were analyzed.Results There was a positive correlation between the eSER or dSER and MVD of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (r =0.62,P ＜ 0.05 ; r =0.45,P ＜ 0.05).The eSER of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma with a positive VEGF expression was higher than those with a negative VEGF expression (t =3.53,P ＜ 0.05).There was no significant difference in dSER between the positive VEGF expression group and the negative VEGF expression group (t =1.35,P ＞0.05).There was no significant difference in the eSER or dSER among the different differentiated extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (F =2.65,P ＞ 0.05 ; F =2.23,P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions The eSER and dSER reflected tumor angiogenesis of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma,and DCE-MRI contributed to the evaluation of biological features of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma in vivo.

ObjectiveTo explore the clinical significance of primary suture of common bile duct and early intermittented clamping of T-tube.MethodsOne hundred and one cases underwent bile duct surgery were divided into three group by random digits table,in which 33 cases were performed with primary suture of common bile duct (group A),33 cases were applied of early intermittented clamping of T-tube (group B),the other 35 cases were clamped T-tube as in routine measures (group C).The efficacy was compared between three groups.ResultsThe postoperative intestinal function recovery time,fluid support,hospitalization time in group A and group B was (47.63 ± 12.42) h,(2.75 ± 0.27) L/d,(8.0 ± 0.3) d and (57.63 ± 14.15) h,(2.97 ±0.49) L/d,(10.0 ± 0.4) d,which was significantly decreased compared with those in group C [ ( 98.27 ± 30.35 ) h,( 3.63 ± 0.38 ) L/d,( 19.0 ± 1.1 ) d ] (P ＜ 0.05 ).Postoperative intestinal function recovery in group A was significantly increased compared with those in group B (P ＜ 0.05 ).Alanine aminotransferase,aspartate aminotransferase,Gamma-glutamine transferase,body temperature,white blood cell count,total bilirubin,postoperative biliary fistula,common bile duct residual stones,stenosis of the common bile duct had no significant differences among three groups (P ＞ 0.05). ConclusionsPrimary suture of common bile duct and early intermittented clamping of T-tube can accelerate recovery of intestinal function,avoid electrolyte disturbance,reducing fluids,electrolytes and nutrition support,reducing the length of stay and costs,it has changed the traditional way of surgical treatment of bile duct,and is safe,efficient,also has significance of clinical application.