Hyperbaric Oxygen and N-Acetylcysteine Treatment in L-Arginine-Induced Acute Pancreatitis in Rats

ABSTRACT

Background: This study was designed to evaluate the combined effects of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on acute necrotizing pancreatitis in rats. Methods: Experiments were performed in 50 male Wistar rats, which were divided into five groups (N = 10 for each group). The first group received normal saline (0.9% NaCl) intraperitoneal and served as the control group. In the second group, acute pancreatitis was induced by 3.2-g/kg body weight L-arginine intraperitoneal twice at an interval of 1 hr, which has been shown previously to produce severe necrotizing acute pancreatitis. In the third group, NAC treatment (1000 mg/kg) was given after 1 hr of the induction of acute pancreatitis twice 24 hr apart. In the fourth group, animals received HBO, 6 hr after the induction of pancreatitis twice 12 hr apart. In the fifth group, animals received together NAC as in Group 3 and HBO treatment as in Group 4. Groups 1, 2, and 3 were left under normal atmospheric pressures. Twelve hours after last treatment, the animals were killed by exsanguinations. Blood samples were studied for amylase, calcium, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), pancreatic histology, pancreatic tissue malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione levels. Results: Acute pancreatitis is reduced by the treatment of NAC, HBO, NAC + HBO. HBO + NAC groups performed statistically the best in preventing L-arginine-induced acute necrotising pancreatitis. Conclusions: NAC especially combined with HBO, decreases oxidative stress parameters, serum amylase, calcium, and LDH levels, as well as histopathologic score.     

硝普钠阴茎海绵体内注射治疗阳萎的临床研究

本研究选择４２例阳萎患者，采用硝普钠进行阴茎海绵体注射（ＩＣＩ），并选择罂粟碱／酚妥拉明进行对照，结果表明，硝普钠ＩＣＩ后：（１）阴茎外形性状（长度、周径等）明显改变。（２）Ｖｉｒａｇ硬度计点表明硝普钠与罂粟碱／酚妥拉明效果之间无明显差别。（３）所有测试患者无一例出现低血压或局部不适等副反应，与罂粟碱／酚妥拉明相比各有优劣，但总体差异不大，这充分表明，硝普钠作为一种ＮＯ供体可导致阴茎平滑肌松弛，血窦充盈阴茎勃起，其副反应较小，有其临床应用之价值。     

糖皮质激素对肿瘤坏死因子引起的大鼠中性粒细胞粘附的影响

采用中性粒细胞（ＰＭＮ）与玻璃珠粘附和ＰＭＮ与血管内皮细胞（ＥＣ）粘附两种模型，以肿瘤坏死因子（ＴＮＦ），作为ＰＭＮ的刺激因子，研究糖皮质激素（ＧＣ）对ＴＮＦ引起的大鼠ＰＭＮ粘附的影响，同时给予糖皮质激素受体（ＧＲ）阻断剂ＲＵ３８４８６观察ＧＲ在粘附中的作用。结果发现，ＴＮＦ能明显增强大鼠ＰＭＮ的粘附（Ｐ＜０．０１）；Ｄｅｘ不能抑制经ＴＮＦ预处理的ＰＭＮ的粘附（Ｐ＞０．０５），但有一定的预防作用；经ＴＮＦ预处理再同时给予Ｄｅｘ和ＲＵ３８４８６的ＰＭＮ粘附同样明显增强（Ｐ＜０．０１）。     

Kelfiprim,a new sulpha-trimethoprim combination,versus cotrimoxazole,in the treatment of urinary tract infections: A multicentre,double-blind trial

Summary A new combination of trimethoprim with a sulphonamide, named Kelfiprim, differs from cotrimoxazole in that: a) the sulpha drug is sulphamethopyrazine instead of sulphamethoxazole; b) the trimethoprim to sulpha ratio is 5:4 instead of 1:5;c) the presence of a long-acting sulphonamide allows the administration of a daily dose of one capsule, following an initial loading dose of two capsules; d) a reduced amount of trimethoprim is given, as compared to cotrimoxazole, without any decrease of efficacy. Kelfiprim [KP] was compared to contrimoxazole [Co] in a multicentre double blind trial. Sixty four patients suffering from acute and chronic infections of the upper and lower urinary tract entered the study. Urine sterilisation and clinical improvement without relapses showed no differences from the two treatment groups. Tolerance was excellent except in two patients, one treated with KP and the other treated with Co, who showed a transient exanthema.     

Time-dependent hexaminolaevulinate induced protoporphyrin IX distribution after topical application in patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia: A fluorescence microscopy study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Compared to the conventional management of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) the potential advantage of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for the treatment of cervical human papilloma virus (HPV)-related disease encompasses a minimal invasive procedure with reduced risk of profuse bleeding as a consequence of conization, and possibly more favorable long-term results avoiding cervical stenosis. At present little is known about the precise time-dependent distribution and histological localization of hexaminolaevulinate (HAL) induced protoporphyrin IX (PPIX) fluorescence in healthy tissue and in CIN. The aim of this study was to use ex vivo fluorescence microscopy to determine whether PPIX is selectively induced by neoplastic cells of the cervical epithelium at various times after topical application. STUDY DESIGN/MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cold cream containing 0.5% HAL was applied by means of cervical cap over various periods of time. We analyzed 52 healthy cervical mucosa and 84 CINs. RESULTS: At time delay 100 (+/-10) minutes, high epithelial fluorescence and a significant selectivity between epithelium and underlying lamina propria was found. By contrast, no significant difference between healthy and neoplastic tissues, or between low and high-grade epithelial dysplasia (P > or = 0.05), was observed at any time point. CONCLUSIONS: Application of HAL 0.5% cream to the cervix induced selective fluorescence in epithelial cells. The optimal ratio with a homogeneous PPIX distribution was obtained after 100 ( +/- 10) minutes cream application, which should be evaluated further for PDT.     

An updated review on the principles of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring and the anaesthetic considerations

It is known that any surgery to the nervous system poses risks to neural structures and their surrounding structures. These mechanisms of injury are the result of mechanical manipulations, haemodynamic alterations, chemical or thermal injuries. Intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM), using various modalities, is employed to facilitate the assessment of the functional integrity of neural structures, and it is used to provide a real-time alerting system when changes caused by surgically induced insults are detected. The primary goal of IONM is reducing the risk of postoperative neurological deficits during these surgical procedures. It is used to provide information that allows the surgeon to correct any surgical interventions that may have compromised these systems and this also in turn provides guidance on what neurological deficits to anticipate postoperatively. Apart from being utilized as an alerting system to avoid catastrophic outcomes, IONM also assists as a guidance system using stimulation techniques to map out eloquent areas within the cortex, allowing identification of specific neuronal structures, particularly when landmarks cannot be easily recognized due to infiltration by pathological lesions.In this article, we focus on updating our previous paper published in 2019 and again, to provide attention to the various neurophysiological modalities that are employed in IONM. We will look at the basic underlying physiological principles and their individual indications for use clinically. We will explain the information that each modality provides. Importantly, and the primary reason for this article, we look at the various anaesthetic agents, their effects on each neurophysiological modality and other anaesthetic considerations such as haemodynamic and temperature effects. We will also recommend the use of an alert checklist for the multidisciplinary team should an intraoperative alert be issued during surgical procedures.     

Once Daily Calcineurin Inhibitor Monotherapy in Pediatric Liver Transplantation

This report describes a group of pediatric liver transplant recipients who have undergone once daily calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) monotherapy at Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago, between January 1, 2001 and November 30, 2008. We defined success as normal liver enzymes at 1 year after dose change, with normal enzymes throughout all follow‐up. Patients who did not meet the set criteria or had lost an organ to chronic rejection were not considered for this therapeutic strategy. There were 147 patients in our organ transplant tracking record (OTTR) who were ≥ 5 years post liver transplant. Of these, 56 underwent reduced dose, once daily CNI monotherapy. Patients who met the set criteria were placed on once daily calcineurin inhibitor at half their previous dose. Fifty patients successfully achieved this dose change, while six patients failed at a mean of 3.7 ± 3.2 months following the dosing change. The mean interval from transplant was significantly longer in those patients who were successful compared to those who failed dose change (p < 0.05). Importantly, there have been no graft losses. Reduced dose, once daily CNI monotherapy is safe in carefully selected recipients, with a longer interval post liver transplantation increasing the likelihood of success.     

Discrepancies in Serum Albumin Measurements Vary by Dialysis Modality

Background.?Serum albumin level is an important prognostic marker in patients with chronic renal failure. However there are discrepancies in the methods of estimation of serum albumin. The objective of this study is to evaluate the magnitude of the discrepancy in the serum albumin levels as measured by Bromcresol Green (BCG) and Bromcresol Purple (BCP) dye methods in patients on hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) and to ascertain the clinical determinants of the discrepancy (ΔSA = BCG-BCP; g/dL) in each of the modalities. Method.?We measured serum and plasma albumin levels by BCG and BCP methods in 19 adult HD patients and 18 adult PD patients treated in the dialysis units of the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. Similar measurements were performed in 10 normal adult subjects. In all groups, paired blood samples were taken to estimate the albumin in both serum and plasma. Nephelometry (NM) was subsequently performed on the serum of 13 of the HD patients, 14 of the PD patients, and each of the 10 normal subjects. Results.?We found that for both the dye methods serum and plasma albumin levels are almost identical in each of the three subject groups. In the normal subjects serum albumin estimated by BCP is in good agreement with NM values but BCG overestimates the albumin levels. In the PD group the discrepancy between the BCG and BCP (ΔSA) is statistically significant with the BCG averaging 0.59 ± 0.12 g/dL more than the BCP. The BCG values are closer to those obtained by the “gold standard”, NM. In the HD group the ΔSA is significantly (p<0.001) less than in the PD group (0.34 ± 0.11 g/dL). As for PD, BCG values are closer to NM values. Increasing age, female gender, and higher dialysis adequacy are associated with higher ΔSA in the HD but not in the PD group. Utilizing linear regression analysis we developed equations for each dialysis modality to convert albumin measurements from one method to the other. Conclusion.?We confirm that a discrepancy exists between the commonly used dye methods (BCG and BCP) for serum albumin estimation. This discrepancy is significantly lower in HD patients than in PD patients. Nephrologists should be aware of this discrepancy and appropriate corrections should be made during quality improvement analysis.     

Superoxide Dismutase and Catalase Activities in Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis and Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis

In this study, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase activities were determinated in the erythrocytes (RBC) from patients with chronic renal failure. The study included healthy subjects (n = 7), patients on hemodialysis (HD) using polyacrylonitrile-type dialysis membrane (before and after HD) (n = 10), patients on HD using cuprophane-type dialysis membrane (before and after HD) (n = 6), and patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) (n = 11). A significant decrease in SOD activity was found in HD groups using polyacrylonitrile- or cuprophane-type dialysis membrane. SOD activity was found to increase in patients undergoing CAPD. We have found that CAT activity is higher in all the CRF groups in respect to the control: with polyacrylonitrile-type dialysis membrane, with cuprophane-type dialysis membrane, and in CAPD treatment.     

Remarkable increase in lumbar spine bone mineral density and amelioration in biochemical markers of bone turnover after parathyroidectomy in elderly patients with primary hyperparathyroidism: a 5-year follow-up study

We evaluated the efficacy of parathyroidectomy (PTX) on bone mineral density (BMD) and hormonal and biochemical markers of bone metabolism in elderly primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) patients, and followed these patients for 5 years after PTX. Eleven PHPT patients were enrolled and were followed for 5 years by measuring lumbar spine BMD (LSBMD), femoral BMD (FBMD), radial BMD (RBMD), parathyroid hormone (PTH), 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)₂D], serum calcium (SCa), inorganic phosphate (iP), bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BAP), intact osteocalcin (IOC), urinary excretion of type I collagen cross-linked N-telopeptide (NTx), and urinary deoxypyridinoline (DPD). PTX produced significant increases in LSBMD of 12%, 19%, and 29% as compared with pretreatment levels after 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively (P < 0.01, compared to baseline), whereas there was no significant increase in FBMD and a slight decrease in RBMD. SCa and iP levels remained normal over the five years. PTX also resulted in significant decreases in PTH, 1,25(OH)₂D, BAP, IOC, NTx, and DPD that continued for at least 3 years after PTX. In conclusion, PTX seemed effective to normalize various markers of bone metabolism in elderly PHPT patients and is recommended to patients with low LSBMD to prevent future fractures. On the other hand, the use of PTX for low FBMD or RBMD patients requires further discussion.     

中医骨伤科学的现代化是可持续发展的必由之路

21世纪，现代科学和现代医学高速发展，中医面临着机遇与挑战。随着人类对健康需求的不断增强和深化，中医已成为世界范围内医学发展关注的热点。而在国内，随着经济体制和社会保障改革的深化，中医产业化也被纳入到国家经济发展规划当中，可以说，新世纪中医飞速发展的大气候已经形成。当前乃至今后，中医的发展必将是国际化的。中医骨伤科学是中医学中一个颇具特色和优势的分支，其发展也必将是国际化的。     

The long-term impact and value of curative therapy for HIV: a modelling analysis

Introduction

Curative therapies (CTx) to achieve durable remission of HIV disease without the need for antiretroviral therapy (ART) are currently being explored. Our objective was to model the long-term health and cost outcomes of HIV in various countries, the impact of future CTx on those outcomes and the country-specific value-based prices (VBPs) of CTx.

Methods

We developed a decision-analytic model to estimate the future health economic impacts of a hypothetical CTx for HIV in countries with pre-existing access to ART (CTx+ART), compared to ART alone. We modelled populations in seven low-and-middle-income countries and five high-income countries, accounting for localized ART and other HIV-related costs, and calibrating variables for HIV epidemiology and ART uptake to reproduce historical HIV outcomes before projecting future outcomes to year 2100. Health was quantified using disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs). Base case, pessimistic and optimistic scenarios were modelled for CTx+ART and ART alone. Based on long-term outcomes and each country's estimated health opportunity cost, we calculated the country-specific VBP of CTx.

Results

The introduction of a hypothetical CTx lowered HIV prevalence and prevented future infections over time, which increased life-years, reduced the number of individuals on ART, reduced AIDS-related deaths, and ultimately led to fewer DALYs versus ART-alone. Our base case estimates for the VBP of CTx ranged from $5400 (Kenya) up to $812,300 (United States). Within each country, the VBP was driven to be greater primarily by lower ART coverage, lower HIV incidence and prevalence, and higher CTx cure probability. The VBP estimates were found to be greater in countries where HIV prevalence was higher, ART coverage was lower and the health opportunity cost was greater.

Conclusions

Our results quantify the VBP for future curative CTx that may apply in different countries and under different circumstances. With greater CTx cure probability, durability and scale up, CTx commands a higher VBP, while improvements in ART coverage may mitigate its value. Our framework can be utilized for estimating this cost given a wide range of scenarios related to the attributes of a given CTx as well as various parameters of the HIV epidemic within a given country.     

A high neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-lymphocyte ratio are associated with a worse outcome in inflammatory breast cancer

IntroductionInflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is an uncommon, but aggressive form of breast cancer that accounts for a disproportionally high fraction of breast cancer related mortality. The aim of this study was to explore the peripheral immune response and the prognostic value of blood-based biomarkers, such as the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), in a large IBC cohort.Patients & methodsWe retrospectively identified 127 IBC patients and collected lab results from in-hospital medical records. The differential count of leukocytes was determined at the moment of diagnosis, before any therapeutic intervention. A cohort of early stage (n = 108), locally advanced (n = 74) and metastatic breast cancer patients (n = 41) served as a control population.ResultsThe NLR was significantly higher in IBC compared to an early stage breast cancer cohort, but no difference between IBC patients and locally advanced breast cancer patients was noted. In the metastatic setting, there was also no significant difference between IBC and nIBC. However, a high NLR (>4.0) remained a significant predictor of worse outcome in IBC patients (HR: 0.49; 95% CI: 0.24–1.00; P = .05) and a lower platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) (≤210) correlated with a better disease-free survival (DFS) (HR: 0.51; 95% CI: 0.28–0.93; P = .03).ConclusionPatients with a high NLR (>4.0) have a worse overall prognosis in IBC, while the PLR correlated with relapse free survival (RFS). Since NLR and PLR were not specifically associated with IBC disease, they can be seen as markers of more extensive disease.     

Braun吻合对胰十二指肠切除术后并发症影响的Meta分析

目的系统评价Braun吻合(BEE)对胰十二指肠切除术(PD)术后并发症的影响,重点分析对术后胃排空障碍(DGE)的影响,以探讨BEE的价值和意义,为临床应用提供循证医学方面的客观依据。方法计算机检索Cochrane Library、Pub Med、Embase、Web of Science、中国生物医学文献数据库(CBM)、中国期刊全文数据库(CNKI)、维普和万方数据库关于BEE的相关文献,检索时间均从建库至2016年3月。按Cochrane系统评价的方法评价纳入研究的质量,使用Rev Man 5.3软件对研究资料进行统计分析。结果共纳入10篇文献,总计1544例患者。Meta分析结果显示:所有纳入文献中BEE组术后总并发症发生率(OR=0.61,95%CI=0.47~0.81,P=0.0006)和术后总DGE发生率(OR=0.36,95%CI=0.19~0.67,P=0.001)要低于非BEE组。同样,采用国际胰腺外科研究学组(ISGPS)标准的8篇文献中,BEE组总DGE发生率(OR=0.36,95%CI=0.18~0.72,P=0.004),B级DGE发生率(OR=0.36,95%CI=0.11~1.17,P=0.09)和C级DGE发生率(OR=0.28,95%CI=0.16~0.48,P0.01)均要低于非BEE组。结论 Meta分析显示,BEE可以降低PD术后总并发症的发生率和DGE的发生率,尤其是可以降低C级DGE的发生率。     

Intensivmedizinische Besonderheiten beim toxischen Schocksyndrom ("toxic-shock-syndrome", TSS)

Zusammenfassung Das toxische Schocksyndrom ("toxic-shock-syndrome", TSS) ist eine potentiell tödlich verlaufende Erkrankung mit einer Inzidenz von 0,5 pro 100.000 Einwohner und einer Letalität von 2–11%. Auslöser sind zumeist staphylogene Toxine wie das Toxic-Shock-Syndrome-Toxin-1 (TSST-1) sowie andere Endo- und Enterotoxine. Das TSS ist gekennzeichnet durch die Leitsymptome Fieber, Hypotension und Exanthem. Man unterscheidet das menstruelle TSS in Assoziation mit Tamponbenutzung vom nichtmenstruellen Toxic-Shock-Syndrome im Zusammenhang mit staphylokokkenbedingten Erkrankungen insbesondere der Haut und des Respirationstraktes. Die Superantigenwirkung der bakteriellen Toxine aktiviert das lymphozytäre Immunsystem, das Gerinnungs- und Komplementsystem sowie eine Reihe weiterer Mediatorenkaskaden. Dadurch sind fulminante Krankheitsverläufe mit Störungen multipler Organsysteme ("multiple organe dysfunction syndrome", MODS) bis hin zum Multiorganversagen ("multiple organe failure", MOF) mit letalem Ausgang möglich.