Regional gray matter abnormality in hepatic myelopathy patients after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt: a voxel-based morphometry study

Hepatic myelopathy is a complication seen in patients with chronic liver failure with physiologic or iatrogenic portosystemic shunting. The main symptom is progressive lower limb dyskinesia. The role of the brain motor control center in hepatic myelopathy is unknown. This study aimed to investigate the gray matter changes in patients with hepatic myelopathy secondary to transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt and to examine their clinical relevance. This was a cross-sectional study. Twenty-three liver failure patients with hepatic myelopathy(hepatic myelopathy group), 23 liver failure patients without hepatic myelopathy(non-hepatic myelopathy group) after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt, and 23 demographically matched healthy volunteers were enrolled from March 2014 to November 2016 at Xijing Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University(Fourth Military Medical University), China. High-resolution magnetization-prepared rapid gradient-echo brain imaging was acquired. Group differences in regional gray matter were assessed using voxel-based morphometry analysis. The relationship between aberrant gray matter and motor characteristics was investigated. Results demonstrated that compared with the non-hepatic myelopathy group, gray matter volume abnormalities were asymmetric, with decreased volume in the left insula(P = 0.003), left thalamus(P = 0.029), left superior frontal gyrus(P = 0.006), and right middle cingulate cortex(P = 0.021), and increased volume in the right caudate nucleus(P = 0.017), corrected with open-source software. The volume of the right caudate nucleus in the hepatic myelopathy group negatively correlated with the lower limb clinical rating of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment(r = –0.53, P = 0.01). Compared with healthy controls, patients with and without hepatic myelopathy exhibited overall increased gray matter volume in both thalami, and decreased gray matter volume in both putamen, as well as in the globus pallidus, cerebellum, and vermis. The gray matter abnormalities we found predominantly involved motor-related regions, and may be associated with motor dysfunction. An enlarged right caudate nucleus might help to predict weak lower limb motor performance in patients with preclinical hepatic myelopathy after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Xijing Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University(Fourth Military Medical University), China(approval No. 20140227-6) on February 27, 2014.     

Effects of Ginkgo biloba extract EGb761 on neural differentiation of stem cells offer new hope for neurological disease treatment

Stem cell transplantation has brought new hope for the treatment of neurological diseases.The key to stem cell therapy lies in inducing the specific differentiation of stem cells into nerve cells.Because the differentiation of stem cells in vitro and in vivo is affected by multiple factors,the final differentiation outcome is strongly associated with the microenvironment in which the stem cells are located.Accordingly,the optimal microenvironment for inducing stem cell differentiation is a hot topic.EGb761 is extracted from the leaves of the Ginkgo biloba tree.It is used worldwide and is becoming one of the focuses of stem cell research.Studies have shown that EGb761 can antagonize oxygen free radicals,stabilize cell membranes,promote neurogenesis and synaptogenesis,increase the level of brain-derived neurotrophic factors,and replicate the environment required during the differentiation of stem cells into nerve cells.This offers the possibility of using EGb761 to induce the differentiation of stem cells,facilitating stem cell transplantation.To provide a comprehensive reference for the future application of EGb761 in stem cell therapy,we reviewed studies investigating the influence of EGb761 on stem cells.These started with the composition and neuropharmacology of EGb761,and eventually led to the finding that EGb761 and some of its important components play important roles in the differentiation of stem cells and the protection of a beneficial microenvironment for stem cell transplantation.     

腹腔镜肝切除治疗58例肝内胆管细胞癌的临床探讨

目的探讨腹腔镜肝切除治疗肝内胆管细胞癌(ICC)的安全性及可行性。方法采用回顾性研究方法。收集2016年1月—2018年12月湖南师范大学附属第一医院行腹腔镜肝切除治疗的58例ICC患者的临床资料。其中男性34例,女性24例;年龄34~71岁,中位年龄54岁。观察指标:(1)手术治疗情况:手术方式、手术时间、术中出血量、术中输血率、术中肝门阻断时间、中转率、术后并发症、术后住院时间、术后胃肠道恢复时间、围手术期有无死亡病例及非计划手术病例。(2)术后病理情况。(3)随访。采用门诊和电话方式进行随访,了解患者术后生存情况。随访时间截至2019年6月。正态分布的计量资料以均数±标准差(Mean±SD)表示,计数资料用频数和百分比(%)表示。结果本研究共纳入58例患者,其中48例患者在腹腔镜下完成ICC根治性外科切除手术,10例患者行腹腔镜中转开腹。(1)手术治疗情况:手术方式有腹腔镜下左半肝(Ⅱ、Ⅲ、Ⅳ段)切除,腹腔镜下右半肝(Ⅴ、Ⅵ、Ⅶ、Ⅷ段)切除,腹腔镜下右肝后叶(Ⅵ、Ⅶ段)切除,腹腔镜下扩大右后叶切除,腹腔镜下肝中叶(Ⅳ、Ⅴ、Ⅷ段)切除,腹腔镜下Ⅴ、Ⅵ段切除,腹腔镜下左半肝(Ⅱ、Ⅲ、Ⅳ段)联合肝尾叶(Ⅰ、Ⅸ段)切除,腹腔镜扩大左半肝切除,腹腔镜下Ⅵ段切除,腹腔镜下Ⅶ、Ⅷ段切除,腹腔镜左肝外叶(Ⅱ、Ⅲ段)切除,腹腔镜右肝肿块切除;手术时间(320.38±107.68)min;术中出血量(262.34±76.06)mL;术中输血率为0(0/58);术中肝门阻断时间(48±15)min;其中10例腹腔镜中转开腹手术,中转率17.2%(10/58);术后胆瘘发生率为6.9%(4/58),保守治疗、通畅引流(T管负压吸引)后痊愈出院;无其他严重并发症发生。术后住院时间(9.34±3.39)d;术后胃肠道恢复时间(1.84±0.57)d;围手术期内无死亡病例及非计划手术病例。(2)病理情况:术中32例行淋巴结清扫,术后26例病理结果提示胆管细胞癌未行淋巴结清扫;病理学检查结果显示,所有肿瘤切缘的病理报告均为阴性,4例淋巴结清扫并提示淋巴结转移阳性。(3)随访结果:58例ICC患者中,49例获得术后随访,随访时间为6~36个月,术后肿瘤生存时间为4~36个月,28例获得无瘤生存,17例患者出现肝内转移并多发淋巴结转移,4例患者发现肝内转移后行微波消融治疗,9例患者失访。结论腹腔镜肝切除经验丰富的中心,应用腹腔镜治疗肝内胆管细胞癌是安全及可行的。     

BCAN基因在肾透明细胞癌中的表达及临床意义

目的以基因表达数据集资料为研究对象,分析BCAN基因在肾透明细胞癌中的表达情况以及对患者预后的影响。方法在Oncomine数据库中挖掘BCAN在肾透明细胞癌(ccRCC)中的表达情况。从TCGA数据库中获取ccRCC患者临床资料和目的基因的表达信息并进行统计分析。利用GEO数据库中GSE73731数据集的ccRCC样本进行基因富集分析。利用String数据库分析与BCAN相关的蛋白。结果BCAN低表达组的ccRCC患者在病理分期及T分期方面低于高表达组(P<0.001;P=0.001);N分期及M分期差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。BCAN低表达组患者的总生存期优于高表达组(P=0.033)。BCAN基因高表达组的样本主要富集在KRAS信号通路。结论BCAN可以通过多种途径来促进肿瘤细胞的侵袭能力,有望成为ccRCC不良预后的重要生物标志物之一。     

Effects of antiseizure medications on alternative psychosis and strategies for their application

Forced normalization (FN) is a unique phenomenon that is often seen in the treatment of epilepsy. FN is characterized by abnormal mental behavior and disordered emotions in epilepsy patients despite a significantly improved electroencephalogram and successful seizure control; the occurrence of FN seriously affects patients’ quality of life. The causes of FN include antiseizure medications (ASMs), epilepsy surgery and vagus nerve stimulation, with ASMs being the most common cause. However, with the timely reduction or discontinuation of ASMs and the use of antipsychotic drugs, the overall prognosis is good. Here, we perform an extensive review of the literature pertaining to FN, including its epidemiology, possible mechanisms, clinical features, treatment and prognosis.     

Relationship between tRNA-derived fragments and human cancers

tRNA-derived fragments, a class of small noncoding RNAs (sncRNAs), have been identified in numerous studies in recent years. tRNA-derived fragments are classified into two main groups, including tRNA halves (tiRNAs) and tRNA-derived small RNA fragments (tRFs), according to different cleavage positions of the precursor or mature tRNAs. Instead of random tRNA degradation debris, a growing body of evidence has shown that tRNA-derived fragments are precise products of specific tRNA modifications and play important roles in biological activities, such as regulating protein translation, affecting gene expression, and altering immune signaling. Recently, the relations between tRNA-derived fragments and the occurrence of human diseases, especially cancers, have generated wide interest. It has been demonstrated that tRNA-derived fragments are involved in cancer cell proliferation, metastasis, progression and survival. In this review, we will describe the biogenesis of tRNA-derived fragments, the distinct expression and function of tRNA-derived fragments in the development of cancers, and their emerging roles as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers and precise targets of future treatments.