A novel "patient-like" model of cholangiocarcinoma progression based on bile duct inoculation of tumorigenic rat cholangiocyte cell lines.

Unlabelled: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma typically presents in an advanced stage in which treatment options are limited. In an effort to recapitulate key biological and clinical features of the progressive disease, we established a novel rat model based on bile duct inoculation of rat cholangiocyte cell lines in different stages of tumor progression. Our BDEneu cell line, which is highly tumorigenic, originated from an immortalized rat cholangiocyte cell line (BDE1 cells) that was stably transfected to constitutively overexpress mutationally activated rat neu oncogene.

Effects of manometrically discovered nonspecific motility disorders of the esophagus on the outcomes of antireflux surgery.

Nonspecific motility disorders (NMDs) of the esophagus are common manometric findings in patients evaluated for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). However, it is unclear how these disorders affect the outcomes of antireflux surgery. The purpose of this study was to assess symptomatic outcomes of patients with and without NMDs undergoing surgical treatment for GERD.

Lymphatic mapping with sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients with breast cancers <1 centimeter (T1A-T1B).

Because of its high cost and attendant morbidity, the necessity of axillary dissection in patients with small invasive primary tumors has been questioned. Lymphatic mapping with sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy is an alternative to complete axillary dissection; however, researchers have excluded patients with T1A-T1B lesions. Seven hundred patients with newly diagnosed breast cancers underwent an Institutional Review Board-approved prospective trial of intraoperative lymphatic mapping using a combination of Lymphazurin and filtered technetium-labeled sulfur colloid.

Effects of dexfenfluramine or 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine on tryptophan hydroxylase and serotonin transporter mRNAS in rat dorsal raphe.

Dexfenfluramine (DF), given in high doses, can produce long-lasting decreases in brain levels of serotonin (5-HT) and 5-HT transporter (5-HTT) protein. The purpose of this study was to determine if DF-induced decreases in 5-HT and 5-HTT in rat forebrain are correlated with compensatory changes in the expression of the genes for tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) and 5-HTT in the dorsal raphe nucleus. Gene transcripts were measured by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

Analysis of TGF-beta 1 gene expression in contused rat spinal cord using quantitative RT-PCR.

We have used northern blot analysis and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to determine the postinjury expression profile of the transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) gene in the contused rat spinal cord. Spectrophotometric estimates of total sample RNA and quantitative analyses of cyclophilin mRNA using RT-PCR served as controls for comparisons between samples. No changes in cyclophilin gene expression were found at any postinjury survival times.