Abstract:Objective Intra-operative coagulopathy has a close relationship with blood loss and the prognosis of patients. Rapid-thrombelastography (r-TEG) is a comprehensive assessment of coagulation abnormalities and also an effective way for constructing blood transfusion. This study attempts to investigate the correlation of r-TEG indices with intra-operative hemorrhage.Methods Patients who underwent transphenoidal hypophysectomy and craniotomy from January 15 to April 30, 2013 in Peking Union Medical College hospital were recruited. All patients had pre- and post-operative r-TEG and conventional coagulation tests (CCTs). Patients’ information and intra-operative blood loss as a percentage of estimated blood volume were recorded. Spearman’s correlation analyses were used for discovering the relationship between indices in r-TEG or CCTs and the intra-operative blood loss. The significant correlated index of r-TEG was further investigated using linear regression analysis. Results A total of 181 patients participated in this study. Intra-operative change of α-angle, which reflects the fibrinogen level and function, was the only r-TEG index that correlated with blood loss significantly (P=0.013, r= -0.184), thus challenging the current empirical cognition of the effects of intra-operative hemorrhage on coagulation. As intra-operative blood loss increased, α-angle decreased, and every 1% loss of estimated blood volume (EBV) led to 0.60 degree decrease of α-angle. As for CCT results, changes of fibrinogen and platelet count were also significantly correlated with blood loss (P=0.015 and P=0.001, respectively).Conclusions Peri-operative change of α-angle, as an index of r-TEG, exhibited a significant negative correlation with intra-operative blood loss. The impact of hemorrhage on fibrinogen, instead of clotting factors, should be scrutinized.
Abstract:Objective The aim of this study is to investigate the cerebral cortical thickness changes in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) using a whole brain cortical thickness mapping system based on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Methods High resolution three-dimensional T1-weighted fast spoiled gradient recalled echo MR images were obtained from 16 patients with T2DM, as well as from 16 normal controls. The whole brain cortical thickness maps were generated, and the cortical thickness of each brain region was calculated according to gyral based regions of interest (ROI) using an automated labeling system by the Freesurfer software. We compared mean cortical thickness at each brain region by the analysis of covariance with age and sex as covariates. The regional difference of the cortical thickness over the whole brain was compared by the analysis of surface-based cortical thickness.Results Mean cortical thicknesses analysis showed bilateral cerebrum in the patients with T2DM (left: 2.52±0.07 mm; right: 2.51±0.08 mm) were significant thinner than those in the normal controls (left: 2.56±0.09 mm; right: 2.56±0.09 mm) (both P<0.05). Regional cortical thinning in T2DM was demonstrated in the paracentral lobule, postcentral gyrus, lateral occipital gyrus, lingual gyrus, precuneus, superior temporal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, inferior temporal gyrus and posterior cingulate gyrus, compared to the normal controls. The cortical thickness of left middle cingulate and right inferior temporal gyrus were negatively correlated with the disease course.Conclusion A widespread cortical thinning was revealed in patients with T2DM by the analysis of brain cortical thickness on MR. Our finding supports the idea that T2DM could lead to subtle diabetic brain structural changes.
Abstract:Objective The aim of this study is to investigate the proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis of periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSC) derived from different aged donors, and to evaluate the effects of aging on the biological characteristics of PDLSC.Methods Periodontal ligament tissues were obtained from 24 surgically extracted human premolars during orthodontics therapy. The specimens were divided into three groups according to the donor’s age. Group A: 18-20 years, group B: 30-35 years, group C: 45-50 years. PDLSC were isolated and cultured using a tissue-block-based enzymolytic method by limiting dilution assay. The colony forming efficiency of PDLSC for three experimental groups was determined. Senescence-Associated β-Galactosidase (SA-β-G) expression in the three groups was examined using β-galactosidase staining working solution. Cell cycle and apoptosis of the PDLSC were examined by the flow cytometry. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was evaluated by ALP staining. The expression of osteoplastic differentiation related genes Runt-related transcription factor-2 (Runx-2), Collagen Type 1 (col-1), and ALP of PDLSC were examined by quantitative real-time RT-PCR.Results The colony forming efficiency of PDLSC in Group A, B and C was 36.67%, 22.67% and 9.33%, respectively, which decreased with donors’ age (P<0.05). SA-β-G expression of the senescent PDLSC in group A, B and C were 4.14%, 16.39%, 50.38%, respectively (P<0.05). Cells in G2/S phase was 38.73%, 29.88%, 18.25% (P<0.05), and the apoptosis rate was 1.57%, 4.56%, 5.84% (P<0.05), in group A, B and C respectively. The ALP staining in the three groups decreased with the increase of donors’ ages, and the expression of Runx-2, col-1 and ALP decreased gradually from group A to group C (all P<0.05), which indicated the osteogenic differentiation capacity of PDLSC decreased while donor aging.Conclusion Human PDLSC could be successfully isolated from periodontal ligament tissues of different aged donors. However, the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation capacity of PDLSC decreased while donor aging.
Abstract:Objective Oxidative stress (OS) plays a crucial role in ischemic stroke. Grape seed procyanidin extract (GSPE) was reported to be a critical regulator of OS. We hypothesized that GSPE might also be protective in ischemia-reperfusion brain injury. This study aimed to explore whether GSPE administration can protect mice from ischemia-reperfusion brain injury.Methods Transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was conducted followed by reperfusion for 24 hours to make ischemia-reperfusion brain injury in mice that received GSPE (MCAOG, n=60) or normal saline (MCAONS, n=60). Sham-operated mice (GSPE group and normal saline group) were set as controls. The neurological severity score (NSS) was used to evaluate neural function impairment 1 hour, 24 hour, 3 days and 7 days after MCAO. Mice underwent brain T2WI imaging with a 3T animal MRI scanner 24 hours after reperfusion, and the stroke volume of brains were calculated according to abnormal signal intensity. Immunohistopathological analysis of brain tissues at 24 h after reperfusion was performed for neuronal nuclear antigen (NeuN), CD34, Bcl-2, and Bax. Glutathione peroxidation (GSH-Px) activity and the level of malonaldehyde (MDA) of brain tissue were also examined. The above indexes were compared among the groups statistically.Results Significant functional improvement was observed 24 hours after MCAO in MCAOG group compared to MCAONS group (P<0.05). MCAOG group had smaller cerebral stroke volume (22.46 ± 11.45 mm3 vs. 47.84±9.06 mm3, P<0.05) than MCAONS group 24 hours after MCAO. More mature NeuN-immunoreactive neurons and more CD34-positive cells in peri-infarct zones were observed in brain tissue of MCAOG mice 24 h after MCAO than that of MCAONS mice (both P<0.05). MCAONS mice had significantly higher number of Bax-positive cells in brain tissue than MCAOG (P<0.05). The mean MDA level was significantly lower (P<0.05) and the GSH-Px activity was significantly higher (P<0.05) in brains of MCAOG mice compared to those of MCAONS mice.Conclusion GSPE administration protects mice from ischemia-reperfusion brain injury through attenuating oxidative stress and apoptosis, promoting angiogenesis, and activating antioxidant enzyme GSH-Px. GSPE may represent a new therapeutical direction for the treatment of ischemia-reperfusion brain injury.
Abstract:Objective We investigated the efficacy and safety of 1064 nm Nd: YAG laser, intense pulsed light (IPL), and lauromacrogol injection in the treatment of hemangioma, in order to evaluate the value of color Doppler ultrasound guidance in choosing the optimal treatment modality. Methods Infantile patients who were clinical diagnosed as hemangiomas were randomly divided into group A, who had color Doppler ultrasound examinations before the treatment, and group B who had the treatment without ultrasound evaluation. Patients in the group A were assigned into subgroups according to the depth of lesion by sonography: group A-1 for those who had a lesion depth <1.2 mm, and took intense pulsed light therapy; group A-2 for those who had a lesion depth ≥1.2mm and < 3 mm, and took long pulse 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser therapy; group A-3 for those who had a lesion depth ≥3mm and <5 mm, and were treated by IPL combined with long pulse 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser treatment; Group A-4 for those who had a lesion depth ≥5 mm, and took lauromacrogol injection therapy. Patients in the group B took long pulse 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser treatment without preoperative ultrasound evaluation. The efficacy and adverse reactions of the treatments between the groups were evaluated and compared statistically.Results Totally 113 patients with 128 skin lesions were enrolled in this study, 85 in the group A (mean age 6.8±7.9 months) and 28 in the group B (mean age 6.9±9.9 months). The mean depth of hemangioma was 3.3±1.1 mm in the group A, ranging from 0.5-7.8 mm, with 0.8±0.4 mm, 2.2±0.4 mm, 4.2±0.6 mm and 6.2±0.7 mm in group A1, A2, A3 and A4, respectively. The cure rates and effective rates in the group A were significantly higher than those in the group B (cure rates: 64.5% vs 56.3%, U=3.378, P=0.045; effective rates: 89.5% vs 78.1%, U=4.163, P=0.041). The adverse effect rates of the group A (vesicle 20.0%, pigmentation 46.9%, scarring 17.7%) were lower than those of the group B (vesicle 21.9%, pigmentation 60.4%, scarring 25.0%). Incidences of pigmentation and scarring were statistically significantly different (U=3.884, P=0.034, and U=4.016, P=0.032 respectively) between the two groups.Conclusion With the guidance of color Doppler ultrasound, the efficacy and safety of long pulse 1064 nmNd:YAG laser, intense pulsed light, and lauromacrogol injection in the treatment of infantile hemangioma have better outcomes compared to laser treatment alone without preoperative ultrasound examination.
Abstract:Objective The aim of our study is to investigate the prevalence of Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) and the genetic characteristics of the class 1 integron in CRKP on multi-drug resistance.Methods Clinical Klebsiella pneumoniae strains were collected from multiple departments of a hospital in central China. CRKP strains were identified among the isolates, and antibiotics susceptibility of CRKP strains was analyzed. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was adopted to amplify the class 1 integron variable area. The integron genetic structure was analyzed with enzyme digestion and DNA sequencing technology. The relation between class 1 integron and drug resistance was analyzed statistically.Results Totally 955 strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae were isolated from varied sites of the hospital, and 117(12.3%) of them were identified as CRKP, with a separation rate of 8.9% (26/292) in 2013, 11.3% (38/336) in 2014 and 16.2% (53/327) in 2015, which shows an increasing trend by year. 44.4% (52/117) of CRKP strains were separated from specimen of ICU, and 61.5% (72/117) were from sputum. Over 95% CRKP strains were resistant to ampicillin/sulbactam, aztreonam, imipenem, meropenem, ceftazidme, cefotaxime, cefepime,and piperacillin, while relatively low resistant rates were found in tigecycline (12.8%) and colistin (35.9%). The class 1 integron was detected in 77.8% (91/117) of CRKP strains. Class 1 integron of CRKP was significantly correlated with the antibiotic resistance to the tobramycin, gentamicin and amikacin (all P<0.01). The gene cassette analysis of variable area of class 1 integron showed that aadA2 accounts for 64.8% (59/91), aacA4-catB8-aadA1 23.1% (21/91), and aadA2-dfrA25 12.1% (11/91).Conclusions CRKP has an increasing trend in a clinical setting in China, and most of them were resistant to multiple antibiotics. Class 1 integron in CRKP has strong ability to capture the genes resistant to aminoglycosides antibiotics from environment, with the aadA2 gene as the most popular one.
Abstract:Blood supply is believed to be an important aspect in the development of pathological scars. However, there are controversies about vascular distribution, vascular structure and blood flow in pathological scars. Additionally, hypoxic microenvironment plays an important role in the vascularization of pathological scar tissues, and hypoxic conditions can be reflected by metabolic indexes and some cytokines. Furthermore, the correlation between blood supply and tissue hypoxia is controversial. The aim of this article is to review the literature on the characteristics of blood supply and tissue hypoxia in pathological scars, from which we can see pathological scars have unique characteristics of blood supply that are closely associated with tissue hypoxia. Moreover, development in the treatment of pathological scars is herein reviewed.
Abstract:Metformin is a kind of biguanide hypoglycemic agent that has been widely used in patients with diabetes mellitus. In clinical practice, whether metformin should be stopped before Fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) remains largely unclear. Some endocrinologists suggest stop metformin before FFA. However, ophthalmologists do not always adopt this opinion in their practice. This situation may lead to disputes between physicians and patients. This article analyzed contrast-induced nephropathy(CIN) and the related contrast agent, as well as the adverse reactions of fluorescein angiography. It pointed out that the discrepancy may be caused by misunderstanding of contrast agents used in FFA. For angiography using iodine contrast agent, metformin must be stopped because of the increased possibility of CIN, while for FFA using fluorescein sodium, no CIN has been reported yet. Therefore, the authors believe FFA is safe for diabetic patients with oral metformin and it is unnecessary to stop metformin before the examination.