A Pilot First-in-Human Study of Embrace,a Polyethylene Glycol-Based Liquid Embolic Agent,in the Embolization of Malignant and Benign Hypervascular Tumors

PurposeTo investigate the safety and efficacy of an aqueous polyethylene glycol-based liquid embolic agent, Embrace Hydrogel Embolic System (HES), in the treatment of benign and malignant hypervascular tumors.Materials and MethodsA prospective, single-arm, multicenter study included 8 patients, 5 males and 3 females, with a median age of 58.5 years (30–85 years), who underwent embolization in 8 tumors between October 2019 and May 2020. Technical success was defined as successful delivery of HES to the index vessel, with disappearance of >90% of the targeted vascular enhancement or, for portal vein embolization, occlusion of the portal branches to the liver segments for future resection. The volume of HES administered, ease of use (5 point Likert scale), administration time, and adverse events (AEs) were recorded. Evaluation was performed at 7, 30, and 90 days via clinical assessment and blood testing, and follow-up imaging was performed at 30 days.ResultsEight patients were enrolled, and 10 embolizations were performed in 8 lesions. Tumors included hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 4), renal angiomyolipoma (n = 3), and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (n = 1). Technical success was 100%, and the average ease of use was 3.3 ± 1.0 SD. The HES delivery time was 1–28 minutes (median, 16.5 minutes), and the HES volume injected was 0.4–4.0 mL (median, 1.3 mL). All patients reached 30-day follow-up with imaging, and 6 patients reached 90-day follow-up. There were 3 serious AEs in 2 patients that were unrelated to the embolic agent.ConclusionHES resulted in a 100% embolization technical success rate. The product ease of use was acceptable, and no target vessel recanalization was noted on follow-up imaging at 30 days.     

Abnormal liver function tests associated with severe rhabdomyolysis

Rhabdomyolysis is a syndrome of skeletal muscle injury with release of cellular constituents such as potassium,phosphate,urate and intracellular proteins such as myoglobin into the circulation,which may cause complications including acute kidney injury,electrolyte disturbance and cardiac instability.Abnormal liver function tests are frequently observed in cases of severe rhabdomyolysis.Typically,there is an increase in serum aminotransferases,namely aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase.This raises the question of liver injury and often triggers a pathway of investigation which may lead to a liver biopsy.However,muscle can also be a source of the increased aminotransferase activity.This review discusses the dilemma of finding abnormal liver function tests in the setting of muscle injury and the potential implications of such an association.It delves into some of the clinical and experimental evidence for correlating muscle injury to raised aminotransferases,and discusses pathophysiological mechanisms such as oxidative stress which may cause actual liver injury.Serum aminotransferases lack tissue specificity to allow clinicians to distinguish primary liver injury from muscle injury.This review also explores potential approaches to improve the accuracy of our diagnostic tools,so that excessive or unnecessary liver investigations can be avoided.     

Ocular dysfunctions and toxicities induced by antiepileptic medications: Types,pathogenic mechanisms,and treatment strategies

Introduction: Ocular dysfunctions and toxicities induced by antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are rarely reviewed and not frequently received attention by treating physicians compared to other adverse effects (e.g. endocrinologic, cognitive and metabolic). However, some are frequent and progressive even in therapeutic concentrations or result in permanent blindness. Although some adverse effects are non-specific, others are related to the specific pharmacodynamics of the drug.

Areas covered: This review was written after detailed search in PubMed, EMBASE, ISI web, SciELO, Scopus, and Cochrane Central Register databases (from 1970 to 2019). It summarized the reported ophthalmologic adverse effects of the currently available AEDs; their risks and possible pathogenic mechanisms. They include ocular motility dysfunctions, retinopathy, maculopathy, glaucoma, myopia, optic neuropathy, and impaired retinal vascular autoregulation. In general, ophthalmo-neuro- or retino-toxic adverse effects of AEDs are classified as type A (dose-dependent), type B (host-dependent or idiosyncratic) or type C which is due to the cumulative effect from long-term use.

Expert opinion: Ocular adverse effects of AEDs are rarely reviewed although some are frequent or may result in permanent blindness. Increasing knowledge of their incidence and improving understanding of their risks and pathogenic mechanisms are crucial for monitoring, prevention, and management of patients’ at risk.     

Aminotransferases During Treatment Predict Long-Term Survival in Patients With Autoimmune Hepatitis Type 1: A Landmark Analysis

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血清谷丙转氨酶水平与不同性别2型糖尿病患病的关系

目的 探讨血清谷丙转氨酶（ALT）与新诊2型糖尿病（T2DM）患病风险之间的关联，为T2DM的防治提供科学依据。方法 采用4阶段分层随机抽样的方法选取2006年和2009年参与青岛糖尿病预防项目的研究对象男性3 012例、女性4 422例，采用Pearson相关检验分析不同性别ALT与FPG、2 h PG的相关性，并利用多因素logistic回归分析ALT与新诊T2DM患病的关系。结果 男性中，ALT与空腹血浆血糖（FPG）、餐后2 h血浆血糖（2 h PG）的Pearson相关系数分别为0.088、0.080（均P＜0.01）；多因素logistic回归显示，在调整了年龄、BMI、糖尿病家族史、城乡、教育、婚姻、收入、吸烟及饮酒状况等混杂因素后，ALT的第4分位（Q4）组新诊T2DM患病风险是第1分位（Q1）组的1.832倍（OR = 1.832，95% CI:1.324～2.534，P＜0.01）。女性中，ALT与FPG、2h PG的Pearson相关系数分别为0.065、0.108（均P＜0.01）；多因素logistic回归显示，在调整了年龄、BMI、糖尿病家族史、城乡、教育、婚姻、收入、吸烟及饮酒状况等混杂因素后，ALT的第4分位（Q4）组新诊T2DM患病风险是第1分位（Q1）组的1.445倍（OR = 1.445，95% CI:1.087～1.919，P＜0.05）。结论 在男、女性人群中，ALT水平升高与T2DM患病相关，且这种相关性不受年龄、BMI、糖尿病家族史等的影响。     

Curcumin ameliorates hepatic chronic inflammation induced by bile duct obstruction in mice through the activation of heme oxygenase-1

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Co-localization of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, γ-aminobutyric acid and choline acetyltransferase in neocortical interneurons of the adult rat

Interneurons immunoreactive for vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) are integral elements of columnar organization patterns in the rat cerebral cortex. By application of the sensitive mirror technique, the co-localization of VIP with the classical inhibitory neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and the acetylcholine-synthesizing enzyme, choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), was investigated in neocortical neurons. Furthermore, the frequency of co-localization of ChAT with GABA was determined. In a sample of 118 VIP-immunoreactive neurons, mostly from the primary somatosensory cortex, it was demonstrated that virtually all of them reveal immunoreactivity for GABA and, therefore, are to be GABAergic. Moreover, 34% of mostly bipolar, VIP-positive neurons contained ChAT and are, thus, supposedly cholinergic as well. Co-localization of VIP and ChAT varied according to cortical laminae. Finally, 88% of a total of 60 ChAT-immunoreactive neurons were also immunostained for GABA. It is concluded that almost all VIP-immunoreactive neurons and most of the cholinergic neurons in rat neocortex represent partly overlapping subpopulations of inhibitory interneurons utilizing GABA.     

发育期大鼠高热惊厥前后海马γ-氨基丁酸B受体亚基表达的变化

目的：研究高热惊厥(febrile seizures，FS)对发育期大鼠脑内γ-氨基丁酸(γ-aminobutyric acid，GABA)B受体亚基GABABR1与GABARR2蛋白表达的影响。方法：采用热水浴诱导大鼠高热惊厥模型。隔日诱导惊厥1次，共诱导10次，末次惊厥后24h处死大鼠。发育期大鼠随机分为3组：对照组(n＝24)，1次高热处理组(n＝28)，10次高热处理组(n＝40)。高热处理组根据是否出现惊厥再分为1次高热惊厥组(FS1，n＝16)与1次高热未惊厥组(F1，n＝12)，10次高热惊厥组(FS10，n＝15)与10次高热未惊厥组(F10，n＝13)。采用免疫组化方法观察不同次数高热惊厥大鼠脑内GABABR1与GABABR2蛋白表达的变化。结果：FS10大鼠海马齿状回、CAl-CA3区GABABRl和GABABR2蛋白表达明显低于F10、F1、FSl和对照组；F10大鼠上述脑区GABABRl和GABABR2蛋白表达低于F1、FS1和对照组；F1及FS1大鼠与对照组相比差异无显著性；海马各区GABABR1与GABABR2表达的改变大部分平行，但10次高热惊厥后GABABR2在CA1—CA3区下降更明显，而GABABR1在齿状回下降更明显。结论：反复高热惊厥及反复高热均可使发育期大鼠脑内GABABR亚基蛋白表达降低，高热惊厥的影响较单纯高热更为明显，提示GABABR亚单位与发育期大鼠高热惊厥及其脑损伤密切相关。GABABR1与GABABR2改变的不平行可能与受体亚单位组合的可塑性改变有关，这种改变可能导致抑制功能的改变。     

2,3-Butanedione monoxime protects mice against the convulsant effect of picrotoxin by facilitating GABA-activated currents

While adult mice receiving picrotoxin (PTX) alone responded with clonic and tonic-clonic seizures, this response was greatly suppressed for mice simultaneously injected with 2,3-butanedione monoxime (BDM). For example, 60% and 10% of the mice convulsed when injected (i.p.) with 3.0 mg/kg PTX alone or PTX plus 205 mg/kg of BDM, respectively. In contrast, a non-oxime analogue of BDM, 2,3-butanedione (BTD), did not have this anticonvulsant effect. In order to explore the basis for the anticonvulsant effect of BDM, we recorded GABA-activated currents (I_GABA) of frontal cortical as well as ventromedial hypothalamic neurons before, during and after exposure to this oxime. BDM had a biphasic effect on concentrations (100 μM-40 mM) decreased and lower concentrations (0.01 μM–0.001 μM) potentiatedI_GABA; these effects of BDM reversed upon washout of the oxime. In contrast, BTD had no effect onI_GABA. Finally, when 0.001 μM BDM, 10–30 μM PTX and GABA were co-applied the inhibitory effect of the toxin onI_GABA was markedly suppressed. These data suggest that the anticonvulsant effect of oximes involves facilitation of the inhibitory action of GABA.