Hepatic artery and portal vein remodeling in rat liver: vascular response to selective cholangiocyte proliferation

Three-dimensional reconstruction of the biliary tree, hepatic artery, and portal vein in normal rats and rats fed alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT), a compound that causes selective proliferation of epithelial cells (ie, cholangiocytes) that line the bile ducts, was performed. All hepatic structures in ANIT-fed rats branched 1.5 times more often than in normal rats, reflecting an increased number of segments, whereas the length of the biliary tree, hepatic artery, and portal vein remain unchanged. The length of the proximal vessel segments was uniform in both groups of rats whereas the length of distal segments decreased twofold in ANIT-fed rats, suggesting that small vessels preferentially undergo proliferation. In contrast, the length of all bile duct segments decreased twofold, suggesting that ANIT induced proliferation of all compartments of the biliary tree. The total volume of the biliary tree, hepatic artery, and portal vein was increased 18, 4, and 3 times, respectively, after ANIT feeding. The diameters of the bile ducts (range, 20 to 259 microm) and arterial (range, 21 to 276 microm) segments in ANIT-fed rats did not differ from normal rats (range, 21 to 245 microm and 20 to 265 microm, respectively). In contrast, the diameters of proximal venous segments in ANIT-fed rats were significantly less (316 +/- 68 micro m versus 488 +/- 89 micro m, P < 0.001). The data suggest that after experimentally induced cholangiocyte proliferation, the hepatic artery and portal vein also undergo marked proliferation, presumably to support the increased nutritional and functional demands of the proliferated bile ducts. The molecular mechanisms of these vascular changes remain to be determined.     

Pharmacosimulation of delays and interruptions during administration of tirofiban: a systematic comparison between EU and US dosage regimens

Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolysis - Tirofiban is a glycoproteine (GP) IIb/IIIa receptor antagonist, which inhibits platelet-platelet aggregation and is a potential adjunctive antithrombotic...     

Perfused rat intrahepatic bile ducts secrete and absorb water, solute, and ions

BACKGROUND & AIMS: We report a novel approach to study biliary water, bile acid, and HCO(3)(-) transport: the microperfusion of intrahepatic bile duct units (IBDUs) isolated from normal rat liver. METHODS: To study water transport, IBDUs were perfused in vitro with a membrane-impermeant fluorescent volume marker, fluorescein sulfonate; net water movement (J(v)) and osmotic water permeability (P(f)) were then calculated. To study solute transport, IBDUs were perfused with taurocholic acid (TCA) and bile acid uptake was calculated from the concentrations of TCA in the perfused and collected solutions. To study ion transport, IBDUs were perfused with the cell-impermeant pH-sensitive dye BCECF dextran; luminal pH was determined from fluorescence excitation ratios. RESULTS: When inward (secretory) or outward (absorptive) osmotic gradients were established across IBDUs, water movement was observed from bath to lumen (i.e., secretion) and from lumen to bath (i.e., absorption). The perfused IBDUs absorbed TCA in a saturable, sodium-dependent manner; in addition, TCA absorption was blocked in a dose-dependent fashion by S0960, a specific inhibitor of the Na(+)/bile acid cotransporter. Addition of forskolin to HCO(3)(-)-containing (but not HCO(3)(-)-free) bath buffer resulted in lumen alkalinization reflecting HCO(3)(-) transport into the lumen of perfused IBDUs. CONCLUSIONS: The results provide direct functional evidence that intrahepatic bile ducts both secrete and absorb water in response to osmotic gradients, actively absorb bile acid, and transport HCO(3)(-).     

Combination of in ovo electroporation and time‐lapse imaging to study migrational events in chicken embryos

Background : During embryonic development cell migration plays a principal role in several processes. In past decades, many studies were performed to investigate migrational events, occurring during embryonic organogenesis, neurogenesis, gliogenesis or myogenesis, just to name a few. Although different common techniques are already used for this purpose, one of their major limitations is the static character. However, cell migration is a sophisticated and highly dynamic process, wherefore new appropriate technologies are required to investigate this event in all its complexity. Results and Conclusions: Here we report a novel approach for dynamic analysis of cell migration within embryonic tissue. We combine the modern transfection method of in ovo electroporation with the use of tissue slice culture and state‐of‐the‐art imaging techniques, such as confocal laser scanning microscopy or spinning disc confocal microscopy, and thus, develop a method to study live the migration of myogenic precursors in chicken embryos. The conditions and parameters used in this study allow long‐term imaging for up to 24 hr. Our protocol can be easily adapted for investigations of a variety of other migrational events and provides a novel conception for dynamic analysis of migration during embryonic development. Developmental Dynamics 243:690–698, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

肿瘤相关基因Cap43在胰腺癌中的表达及意义

目的研究肿瘤相关基因Cap43在胰腺癌组织中的表达情况,探讨其对胰腺癌的诊断价值。方法收集1999年4月～2002年8月长海医院外科手术切除胰腺癌标本和癌旁正常组织33例,诊断均由病理证实。男性22例,女性11例,年龄30～73岁,平均58．1岁。所有组织标本按肿瘤、癌旁(正常)配对。采用RT-PCR和Northern杂交方法研究Cap43 mRNA表达情况。结果 RT-PCR结果显示,Cap43在肿瘤组织中表达显著上调,其在肿瘤组织和癌旁正常组织的扫描值分别为4 033±1 986和2 244±1 145,有显著差异(P<0．001)。Northern杂交亦显示Cap43在肿瘤组织中表达显著上调,相同病例的RT-PCR结果与Northern杂交的结果有较好的一致性,经回归分析,没有显著性差异(P>0．1)。结论 Cap43在胰腺癌组织中呈显著高表达,其有可能成为胰腺癌早期诊断的重要标志物。     

Laparoscopic Right Hemicolectomy for Ileocolic Intussusception Secondary to Caecal Neoplasm

Intussusception in adults is a rare cause of abdominal pain. Unlike its paediatric counterpart, intussusception in adults is associated with obvious pathology. We describe a case of ileocolic intussusception extending to the splenic flexure. We were able to reduce the intussusception partially and pedicle was stapled carefully. The specimen was delivered through a small incision and right hemicolectomy was performed adhering to oncological principles. We recommend laparoscopic-assisted surgery is considered for adult intussusceptions.     

Long-term experience with implanted intrathecal drug administration systems for failed back syndrome and chronic mechanical low back pain

Background  

Continuous intrathecal drug delivery has been shown in open studies to improve pain and quality of life in those with intractable back pain who have had spinal surgery. There is limited data on long term effects and and even less for patients with mechanical back pain without prior spinal surgery.     

PAQR3: a novel tumor suppressor gene

PAQR3, also known as RKTG (Raf kinase trapping to Golgi), is a member of the progestin and adipoQ receptor (PAQR) family. The role of PAQR3 as a tumor suppressor has recently been established in different types of human cancer in which PAQR3 exerts its biological function through negative regulation of the oncogenic Raf/MEK/ERK signaling. Multiple studies have found that PAQR3 downregulation frequently occurs in human cancers and is very often associated with tumor progression and shortened patients’ survival. Moreover, restoring the expression of PAQR3 could induce apoptosis and inhibit proliferation and invasiveness of cancer cells. Downregulation of PAQR3 by oncogenic microRNAs has also been reported. In this review, we summarized current knowledge concerning the role of PAQR3 in tumor development. To our knowledge, this is the first review on the role of this novel tumor suppressor.