Treatment of Umbilical Granuloma in Infants With Topical Application of Common Salt: A Scoping Review

BackgroundCommon salt is a safe, effective and cheap home-made remedy for umbilical granuloma. The aim of this scoping review is to identify and summarize the available evidence and examine the research conducted on salt treatment for umbilical granuloma.MethodsA literature search was performed in the second week of September, 2022 using Google scholar, PubMed, MEDLINE and EMBASE databases using the keywords ‘umbilical granuloma’ and ‘salt treatment’ to identify all English articles pertaining to salt treatment for umbilical granuloma. Tables were made to summarize the methodological characteristics, results and the dosage regimens of salt used by different authors. The Cochrane Collaboration's tool was used for assessing risk of bias in RCTs. The indexing statuses of the journals publishing these studies were also noted. The overall efficacy with the use of common salt was calculated by adding the success rates mentioned in each study.ResultsTwenty-four articles (2 systematic reviews, 6 Randomized Controlled Trials, 11 prospective cohort studies, 1 case control study, 3 retrospective case series and 1 case report) were included. An overall 93.91% success rate (1033/1100) was seen with common salt application, without any reports of complications/recurrences.ConclusionTopical application of common salt for umbilical granulomas is simple, effective and inexpensive. This scoping review provides a broader outlook at the existing level of evidence and may help in planning interventional comparative studies, so that recommendations can be formulated. It also highlights a lack of properly designed randomized controlled trials on this topic.Level of EvidenceI.     

Phase 0 Study of Vandetanib-Eluting Radiopaque Embolics as a Preoperative Embolization Treatment in Patients with Resectable Liver Malignancies

PurposeTo assess the safety and tolerability of a vandetanib-eluting radiopaque embolic (BTG-002814) for transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in patients with resectable liver malignancies.Materials and MethodsThe VEROnA clinical trial was a first-in-human, phase 0, single-arm, window-of-opportunity study. Eligible patients were aged ≥18 years and had resectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (Child-Pugh A) or metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Patients received 1 mL of BTG-002814 transarterially (containing 100 mg of vandetanib) 7–21 days prior to surgery. The primary objectives were to establish the safety and tolerability of BTG-002814 and determine the concentrations of vandetanib and the N-desmethyl vandetanib metabolite in the plasma and resected liver after treatment. Biomarker studies included circulating proangiogenic factors, perfusion computed tomography, and dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.ResultsEight patients were enrolled: 2 with HCC and 6 with mCRC. There was 1 grade 3 adverse event (AE) before surgery and 18 after surgery; 6 AEs were deemed to be related to BTG-002814. Surgical resection was not delayed. Vandetanib was present in the plasma of all patients 12 days after treatment, with a mean maximum concentration of 24.3 ng/mL (standard deviation ± 13.94 ng/mL), and in resected liver tissue up to 32 days after treatment (441–404,000 ng/g). The median percentage of tumor necrosis was 92.5% (range, 5%–100%). There were no significant changes in perfusion imaging parameters after TACE.ConclusionsBTG-002814 has an acceptable safety profile in patients before surgery. The presence of vandetanib in the tumor specimens up to 32 days after treatment suggests sustained anticancer activity, while the low vandetanib levels in the plasma suggest minimal release into the systemic circulation. Further evaluation of this TACE combination is warranted in dose-finding and efficacy studies.     

Risk prediction of common bile duct stone recurrence based on new common bile duct morphological subtypes

Stones in the common bile duct (CBD) are reported worldwide, and this condition is majorly managed through endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). CBD stone recurrence is an important issue after endoscopic stone removal. Therefore, it is essential to identify its risk factors to determine the necessity of regular follow-up in patients who underwent endoscopic removal of CBD stones. The authors identified that the S and polyline morphological subtypes of CBD were associated with increased stone recurrence. New morphological subtypes of CBD presented by the authors can be important risk predictors of recurrence after endoscopic stone removal. Furthermore, the new morphological subtypes of CBD may predict the risk of residual CBD stones or technical difficulty in CBD stone removal. Further studies with a large sample size and longer follow-up durations are warranted to examine the usefulness of the newly identified morphological subtypes of CBD in predicting the outcomes of ERCP for CBD stone removal.     

Hepatotoxicity of cantharidin is associated with the altered bile acid metabolism

Cantharidin (CTD) is an effective antitumor agent. However, it exhibits significant hepatotoxicity, the mechanism of which remains unclear. In this study, biochemical and histopathological analyses complemented with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS)-based targeted metabolomic analysis of bile acids (BAs) were employed to investigate CTD-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Sixteen male and female Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into two groups: control and CTD (1.0 mg/kg) groups. Serum and liver samples were collected after 28 days of intervention. Biochemical, histopathological, and BA metabolomic analyses were performed for all samples. Further, the key biomarkers of CTD-induced hepatotoxicity were identified via multivariate and metabolic pathway analyses. In addition, metabolite–gene–enzyme network and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analyses were used to identify the signaling pathways related to CTD-induced hepatotoxicity. The results revealed significantly increased levels of biochemical indices (alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and total bile acid). Histopathological analysis revealed that the hepatocytes were damaged. Further, 20 endogenous BAs were quantitated via UHPLC-MS/MS, and multivariate and metabolic pathway analyses of BAs revealed that hyocholic acid, cholic acid, and chenodeoxycholic acid were the key biomarkers of CTD-induced hepatotoxicity. Meanwhile, primary and secondary BA biosynthesis and taurine and hypotaurine metabolism were found to be associated with the mechanism by which CTD induced hepatotoxicity in rats. This study provides useful insights for research on the mechanism of CTD-induced hepatotoxicity.     

术中静脉注射吲哚菁绿在慢性萎缩性胆囊炎腔镜手术中的应用

目的探讨术中静脉注射吲哚菁绿在慢性萎缩性胆囊炎腔镜手术中辨清肝外胆管结构的临床价值。方法回顾性分析2020年1月—2021年7月南京医科大学附属常州第二人民医院肝胆胰外科收治的110例诊断为慢性萎缩性胆囊炎行腹腔镜胆囊切除术(LC)的患者资料,术前所有患者均行腹部B超检查明确诊断,按照术中是否静脉注射吲哚菁绿将其分为实验组(n=55)和对照组(n=55),实验组术中经外周静脉注射吲哚菁绿5 mg,术中吲哚菁绿荧光显影技术导航下行LC。对照组行常规LC。统计实验组胆囊管、胆总管、肝总管的显影率及显影时间,比较两组患者的一般临床资料、辨清三管时间、手术时间、术中出血量、放置腹腔引流管及拔管时间、中转开腹及胆管损伤、术后住院时间、术后第一次复查丙氨酸氨基转移酶(ALT)、谷氨酰转移酶(GGT)水平、随访等结果。服从正态分布的计量资料采用均数±标准差(±s)表示,两组比较采用独立样本t检验。偏态分布的计量资料以M(Q₁,Q₃)描述,采用非参数检验中的Mann-Whitney U检验。计数资料组间比较采用χ²检验或Fisher确切概率法。结果两组均成功实施手术,实验组所有患者均成功显影肝总管,54例显影胆总管,52例可显影胆囊管,且显影三管时间为(15.8±1.2)min。实验组中辨清三管时间、手术时间、术中出血量及放置腹腔引流管病例分别为(18.5±1.3)min、(64.0±6.8)min、(16.3±6.7)mL、43例,对照组分别为(46.3±8.1)min、(98.7±10.5)min、(53.6±14.9)mL、55例,实验组均明显低于对照组,两组相比差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。实验组无中转开腹及胆管损伤病例,对照组有1例中转开腹及1例胆管损伤病例,两组差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。两组术后拔管时间及术后住院时间差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。实验组患者术后第一次复查ALT、GGT水平分别为47(31,75)U/L、38(19,114)U/L,对照组分别为62(53,92)U/L、76(63,96)U/L,两组相比差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。两组患者出院后均随访3个月,实验组无明显并发症,对照组出院后7 d有1例患者出现少量腹腔积液。结论面对慢性萎缩性胆囊炎行LC时,术中静脉注射吲哚菁绿显影肝外胆管有助于辨清其解剖结构避免胆管损伤,提高手术安全性及进度的同时最大限度锻炼并提升术者水平。     

利胆软坚方降脂减肥作用及其对胆汁酸代谢轮廓谱的影响

目的:基于肥胖“从胆论治”的学术观点,研究利胆软坚方对高脂饮食诱导肥胖大鼠的降脂减肥作用及其对血清胆汁酸轮廓谱的影响,探讨其作用机制。方法:42只大鼠高脂饲料喂养9周建立肥胖大鼠模型,取24只造模成功大鼠随机分为模型组、利胆软坚方高、低剂量组(30,15 g·kg^-1),每组8只,另取8只正常大鼠作为正常组,模型组和正常组给予生理盐水,给药组给予相应剂量药物,灌胃4周。测定大鼠体质量、肝脏质量、脂肪质量等肥胖指标;胆管插管术引流监测2 h内胆汁流量;全自动生化仪测定血清总胆固醇(TC),甘油三酯(TG),高密度脂蛋白胆固醇(HDL-C),低密度脂蛋白胆固醇(LDL-C)水平;超高效液相色谱-质谱联用(UPLC-MS/MS)法测定大鼠血清胆汁酸代谢轮廓谱中各胆汁酸的含量。结果:与正常组比较,模型组体质量、肝脏质量、脂肪质量均显著升高(P<0.01),血清TC,TG,LDL-C水平明显上升(P<0.05,P<0.01),2 h内胆汁总分泌量及各测试点胆汁流量均降低,初级胆汁酸占比明显下降(P<0.05),血清总胆汁酸含量显著降低(P<0.01),血清胆汁酸轮廓谱中胆酸(CA),脱氧胆酸(DCA),鹅去氧胆酸(CDCA),猪去氧胆酸(HDCA),牛磺胆酸(TCA),牛磺去氧胆酸(TDCA),牛磺鹅去氧胆酸(TCDCA),牛磺猪去氧胆酸(THDCA),甘氨去氧胆酸(GDCA)含量明显降低(P<0.05,P<0.01);与模型组比较,利胆软坚方高、低剂量组体质量、肝脏质量明显降低(P<0.05,P<0.01),利胆软坚方高剂量组血清TC,TG,LDL-C水平明显下降(P<0.05,P<0.01),低剂量组TG水平明显下降(P<0.05),高剂量组在给药后1~1.5 h胆汁流量明显增加(P<0.05),高、低剂量组初级胆汁酸占比明显升高(P<0.05),利胆软坚方高剂量组TCA,DCA,甘氨胆酸(GCA),GDCA水平明显升高(P<0.05,P<0.01),低剂量组仅TCA,TCDCA水平明显升高(P<0.05)。结论:利胆软坚方具有降脂减肥作用,其机制可能与其增加胆汁分泌量,增加初级胆汁酸合成及调节胆汁酸轮廓谱有关。