Recognition and management of phaeochromocytoma

Phaeochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PPGL) are catecholamine-secreting neuroendocrine tumours. These tumours may be identified incidentally, as part of a work-up for multiple endocrine neoplasia or following haemodynamic surges during unrelated procedures. Advances in preoperative management and improved management of intraoperative haemodynamic instability have significantly reduced surgical mortality from around 40% to less than 3%. Surgery is the definitive treatment in most cases and laparoscopic resection where possible is associated with improved outcomes. Anaesthetic management of PPGL cases represents a unique haemodynamic challenge both before, during and after tumour resection. In this article we describe the physiology of these tumours, their diagnosis, preoperative optimization methods, intraoperative anaesthetic management and management of postoperative complications.     

奥扎格雷联合低分子肝素钙治疗脑血栓的临床研究

目的：对应用低分子肝素钙与奥扎格雷联合对患有脑血栓疾病的患者实施治疗的临床效果进行研究。方法整群选择在该院2012年12月—2014年12月就诊的患有脑血栓疾病的患者86例，随机分为对照组和治疗组，每组43例。采用奥扎格雷对对照组患者实施治疗；采用低分子肝素钙与奥扎格雷联合对治疗组患者实施治疗。对比神经功能缺损评分在药物治疗前后的变化幅度、脑神经功能恢复正常时间和脑血栓药物治疗计划实施总时间、脑血栓疾病药物治疗效果、用药期间的不良反应人数。结果治疗组患者神经功能缺损评分在药物治疗前后的变化幅度明显大于对照组；脑神经功能恢复正常时间（9.66±2.41）d和脑血栓药物治疗计划实施总时间（13.28±2.14）d明显短于对照组（13.62±3.47）、（17.39±3.20）d；脑血栓疾病药物治疗效果（总有效率90.6%）明显优于对照组（总有效率69.8%）；用药期间的不良反应人数（1例）明显少于对照组（8例）。结论应用低分子肝素钙与奥扎格雷联合对患有脑血栓疾病的患者实施治疗的临床效果非常明显。     

Efficacy,effectiveness and side effects of medications used to prevent fractures

There is an increasing number of effective therapies for fracture prevention in adults at risk of osteoporosis. However, shortcomings in the evidence underpinning our management of osteoporosis still exist. Evidence of antifracture efficacy in the groups of patients who most commonly use calcium and vitamin D supplements is lacking, the safety of calcium supplements is in doubt, and the safety and efficacy of high doses of vitamin D give cause for concern. Alendronate, risedronate, zoledronate and denosumab have been shown to prevent spine, nonspine and hip fractures; in addition, teriparatide and strontium ranelate prevent both spine and nonspine fractures, and raloxifene and ibandronate prevent spine fractures. However, most trials provide little information regarding long‐term efficacy or safety. A particular concern at present is the possibility that oral bisphosphonates might cause atypical femoral fractures. Observational data suggest that the incidence of this type of fracture increases steeply with duration of bisphosphonate use, resulting in concern that the benefit–risk balance may become negative in the long term, particularly in patients in whom the osteoporotic fracture risk is not high. Therefore, reappraisal of ongoing use of bisphosphonates after about 5 years is endorsed by expert consensus, and ‘drug holidays’ should be considered at this time. Further studies are needed to guide clinical practice in this area.     

早发型子痫前期应用低分子肝素期待治疗的临床效果分析

目的分析早发型子痫前期应用低分子肝素期待治疗的临床效果。方法回顾分析2017-01—2018-12间在郑州大学第一附属医院产科终止妊娠的95例早发型子痫前期患者的临床资料。按终止妊娠前是否应用低分子肝素分为2组。对照组(47例)给予降压、解痉等治疗;观察组(48例)在对照组基础上加用低分子肝素。结果2组分娩孕周、妊娠延长时间、妊娠并发症发生率、新生儿出生体质量、新生儿窒息及胎儿宫内窘迫发生率、新生儿Apgar评分等,差异均无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论对早发型子痫前期患者在常规治疗基础上短期应用低分子肝素,不能延长妊娠时间,不改善母婴结局。     

Magnesium modification of a calcium phosphate cement alters bone marrow stromal cell behavior via an integrin-mediated mechanism

The chemical composition, structure and surface characteristics of biomaterials/scaffold can affect the adsorption of proteins, and this in turn influences the subsequent cellular response and tissue regeneration. With magnesium/calcium phosphate cements (MCPC) as model, the effects of magnesium (Mg) on the initial adhesion and osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) as well as the underlying mechanism were investigated. A series of MCPCs with different magnesium phosphate cement (MPC) content (0∼20%) in calcium phosphate cement (CPC) were synthesized. MCPCs with moderate proportion of MPC (5% and 10%, referred to as 5MCPC and 10MCPC) were found to effectively modulate the orientation of the adsorbed fibronectin (Fn) to exhibit enhanced receptor binding affinity, and to up-regulate integrin α5β1 expression of BMSCs, especially for 5MCPC. As a result, the attachment, morphology, focal adhesion formation, actin filaments assembly and osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs on 5MCPC were strongly enhanced. Further in vivo experiments confirmed that 5MCPC induced promoted osteogenesis in comparison to ot her CPC/MCPCs. Our results also suggested that the Mg on the underlying substrates but not the dissolved Mg ions was the main contributor to the above positive effects. Based on these results, it can be inferred that the specific interaction of Fn and integrin α5β1 had predominant effect on the MCPC-induced enhanced cellular response of BMSCs. These results provide a new strategy to regulate BMSCs adhesion and osteogenic differentiation by adjusting the Mg/Ca content and distribution in CPC, guiding the development of osteoinductive scaffolds for bone tissue regeneration.     

Lysophosphatidylcholine‐induced cytotoxicity and protection by heparin in mouse brain bEND.3 endothelial cells

A pathological feature in atherosclerosis is the dysfunction and death of vascular endothelial cells (EC). Oxidized low‐density lipoprotein (LDL), known to accumulate in the atherosclerotic arterial walls, impairs endothelium‐dependent relaxation and causes EC apoptosis. A major bioactive ingredient of the oxidized LDL is lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), which at higher concentrations causes apoptosis and necrosis in various EC. There is hitherto no report on LPC‐induced cytotoxicity in brain EC. In this work, we found that LPC caused cytosolic Ca²⁺ overload, mitochondrial membrane potential decrease, p38 activation, caspase 3 activation and eventually apoptotic death in mouse cerebral bEND.3 EC. In contrast to reported reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation by LPC in other EC, LPC did not trigger ROS formation in bEND.3 cells. Pharmacological inhibition of p38 alleviated LPC‐inflicted cell death. We examined whether heparin could be cytoprotective: although it could not suppress LPC‐triggered Ca²⁺ signal, p38 activation and mitochondrial membrane potential drop, it did suppress LPC‐induced caspase 3 activation and alleviate LPC‐inflicted cytotoxicity. Our data suggest LPC apoptotic death mechanisms in bEND.3 might involve mitochondrial membrane potential decrease and p38 activation. Heparin is protective against LPC cytotoxicity and might intervene steps between mitochondrial membrane potential drop/p38 activation and caspase 3 activation.     

The increase in bone mineral density by bisphosphonate with active vitamin D analog is associated with the serum calcium level within the reference interval in postmenopausal osteoporosis

Objectives: To examine the factors associated with increase in lumbar spine bone mineral density (LS-BMD) by bisphosphonates (BPs) with active vitamin D analog (aVD).

Methods: Two independent postmenopausal osteoporotic patients treated by BPs with aVD for 24 months (Study 1: n?=?93, Study 2: n?=?99) were retrospectively analyzed.

Results: In Study 1, LS-BMD of the patients significantly increased for 24 m (5.4%, p?r²: 0.088, p?=?.02). While average sCa of the patients was 9.2?mg/dL before treatment, it increased time-dependently to 9.6?mg/dL for 24 m by treatment. As each patient had their LS-BMD five times during the study, there were four instances of %LS-BMD in each patient, resulting in 372 instances of %LS-BMD in Study 1. The smallest Akaike’s information criterion value for the most appropriate cut-off levels of sCa for %LS-BMD by treatment every 6 m was 9.3?mg/dL. The %LS-BMD by treatment for 6 m during 24 m period in patients with sCa ≥9.3?mg/dL (1.5%) was significantly higher than that in patients with sCa <9.3?mg/dL (0.8%, p?=?.038). The results of Study 2 were similar to those of Study 1, confirming the phenomena observed.

Conclusion: sCa was associated with an increased LS-BMD by BPs with aVD.