Demarcation of arteriopulmonary segments: a novel and effective method for the identification of pulmonary segments

ObjectiveEach pulmonary segment is an anatomical and functional unit. However, it is fundamentally difficult to precisely distinguish every pulmonary segment using the conventional pulmonary intersegmental planes from computed tomography images. Building arteriopulmonary segments is likely to be an effective way to identify pulmonary segments.MethodsThe thoracic computed tomography images of 40 patients were collected. The anatomic structures of interest were extracted in the transverse, sagittal, and coronal planes using the semi-automated segmentation tools provided by Amira software. The intrapulmonary vessels were subsequently segmented and reconstructed. The distributions of the pulmonary arteries, veins, and bronchi were observed. In patients with pulmonary masses, the mass was also reconstructed.ResultsThe three-dimensional reconstructed images showed the branches of the pulmonary artery ramified up to their eighth order covering the entire lung as well as evident intersegmental gaps without pulmonary arteries. The segmental artery was closely accompanied by the segmental bronchi in 486 pulmonary segments (90% of total number of segments). The size and spatial location of the pulmonary mass within a pulmonary segment were also clearly visible.ConclusionsDemarcation of arteriopulmonary segments can be used to precisely distinguish every pulmonary segment and provide its detailed anatomical structure before pulmonary segmentectomy.     

In Vitro-In Vivo Extrapolation and Hepatic Clearance-Dependent Underprediction

Accurately predicting the hepatic clearance of compounds using in vitro to in vivo extrapolation (IVIVE) is crucial within the pharmaceutical industry. However, several groups have recently highlighted the serious error in the process. Although empirical or regression-based scaling factors may be used to mitigate the common underprediction, they provide unsatisfying solutions because the reasoning behind the underlying error has yet to be determined. One previously noted trend was intrinsic clearance-dependent underprediction, highlighting the limitations of current in vitro systems. When applying these generated in vitro intrinsic clearance values during drug development and making first-in-human dose predictions for new chemical entities though, hepatic clearance is the parameter that must be estimated using a model of hepatic disposition, such as the well-stirred model. Here, we examine error across hepatic clearance ranges and find a similar hepatic clearance-dependent trend, with high clearance compounds not predicted to be so, demonstrating another gap in the field.     

Functional beta-cells derived from umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cells for curing rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus

INTRODUCTIONThis study aimed to investigate the therapeutic response to injected human umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cells (UCBMSCs) among albino rats with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes mellitus.METHODSControl group (GI; n = 25) rats were fed with standard rat diet. Rats with STZ-induced diabetes mellitus without (GII; n = 25) and with (GIII; n = 25) differentiated human UCBMSCs implantation were the test groups. Rats were sacrificed in Week 11 following implantation. Liver biopsies were sectioned and stained in order to highlight both the presence and function of impregnated cells in the liver tissue.RESULTSHaematoxylin and eosin-stained sections in GI and GII rats showed normal liver architecture while GIII rats showed presence of cell clusters inside the liver tissue and around the central veins. Cell clusters with blue cytoplasm were present in sections in GIII rats but absent in GI and GII rats, indicating the presence of injected differentiated human UCBMSCs. The anti-human insulin immunostaining of GIII rats showed clusters of cells within the liver parenchyma and around central veins, indicating that these cells were active and secreting insulin.CONCLUSIONUCBMSCs are proficient in differentiating into insulin-producing cells in vivo under specific conditions and, when transplanted into the liver of albino rats with STZ-induced diabetes mellitus, were able to secrete insulin and partially control the status of diabetes mellitus in rats.     

肝包虫病的诊治方法研究进展

肝包虫病是流行于世界畜牧业发达地区的常见人畜共患性寄生虫病。文章介绍了肝包虫病的症状体征、诊断依据,以及各种治疗方法,以期对该病的防治提供参考。     

电镜下的乙型肝炎表面抗原

本文对81例乙型肝炎病人的肝活检组织进行了电镜观察,发现HBsAg的阳性率达93.8％。电镜下,HBsAg细丝不仅有一般的管状细丝型,还有分枝管型和管泡型,而且CAH病人肝组织不易找到HBsAg丝(易见者仅9％),CPH,CLH则多数(79.5％)为易见及可见,二者有高度显著性差异(P<0.01)。     

彩超对肾移植术后并发肝脏恶性肿瘤的监测

目的　探讨彩超在肾移植术后并发肝脏恶性肿瘤监测中的应用价值。　方法　应用 Acuson12 8XP彩色多普勒超声诊断仪 ,对在我院行异体肾移植手术的终末期尿毒症患者 12 0 0例进行规律随访。　结果　发现 17例恶性肿瘤 ,其中肝癌 7例 ,占 4 1.17%。 5例肿块单发 ,2例多发 ;肿块最大 10 cm× 10 cm,最小 2 .3cm× 2 .1cm。其中 6例手术病理证实 ,1例肝活检证实。　结论　对移植肾术后患者 ,首选彩超随访肝脏变化 ,能早期发现肿瘤 ,为临床选择治疗方案提供时机 ,并提高换肾后发生恶性肿瘤患者的存活率     

螺旋CT三期扫描对肝纤维化诊断价值研究

目的探讨螺旋CT三期扫描对肝纤维化的诊断价值。方法对66例经肝穿刺活检病理证实的慢性乙型肝炎肝纤维化患者组和42例正常对照组进行螺旋CT三期增强扫描。根据纤维化程度分期进行影像资料和相关指标的统计分析。结果肝左叶增大,肝表面形态及肝实质密度的改变,脾脏增大,门静脉增宽和侧枝循环的建立等影像学改变,随着肝纤维化严重程度的加重而有统计学差异。本研究显示57例肝纤维化患者螺旋CT三期扫描诊断肝纤维化52例,敏感性91.2%,特异性77.8%。各期肝纤维化分期准确28例,准确率49.1%;准确判断轻度纤维化(S1、S2)或重度纤维化(S3、S4)44例,准确率77.2%,诊断早期肝硬化16例,准确率84.2%。结论螺旋CT三期扫描能判断肝纤维化的程度,而且是动态观察肝纤维化的病程演进和临床随访的有效手段。     

Hepatic Disposition Characteristics of Electrically Charged Macromolecules in Rat in Vivo and in the Perfused Liver

The effect of electric charge on the hepatic disposition of macromolecules was studied in the rat. Charged derivatives of dextran (T-70) and bovine serum albumin (BSA), mitomycin C–dextran conjugates (MMC-D), and lactosaminated BSA (Lac-BSA) were employed as model macromolecules. After intravenous injection, cationic macromolecules were rapidly eliminated from plasma because of their extensive hepatic uptake, while anionic and neutral macromolecules were slowly eliminated. Cationic macromolecules were recovered from parenchymal and nonparenchymal hepatic cells at a cellular uptake (per unit cell number) ratio of 1.4–3.2, while that of Lac-BSA was 14. During liver perfusion using a single-pass constant infusion mode, cationic macromolecules were continuously extracted by the liver, with extraction ratios at steady-state (E _ss) ranging between 0.03 and 0.54, whereas anionic and neutral macromolecules were almost completely recovered in the outflow at steady state. The E _ss for cationized BSA (Cat-BSA) and cationic MMC-Dcat were concentration dependent and decreased at low temperatures and in the presence of colchicine and cytochalasin B. The possible participation of the internalization process in the uptake of cationic macromolecules by hepatocytes was suggested.