Carbon dioxide insufflation improves the intubation depth and total enteroscopy rate in single-balloon enteroscopy: a randomised, controlled, double-blind trial.

Objective: The total enteroscopy rate of single-balloon enteroscopy (SBE) using air insufflation is not satisfactory, and whether carbon dioxide (CO2) insufflation increases the total enteroscopy rate of SBE is unknown. This randomised controlled trial aimed to determine whether CO2 insufflation facilitates the intubation depth and total enteroscopy rate of SBE.

Design: A total of 214 eligible patients referred for SBE were randomised to receive either air or CO2 insufflation, and included in the intention-to-test (ITT) analysis.

Downregulation of apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1/redox factor-1 enhances the sensitivity of human pancreatic cancer cells to radiotherapy in vitro.

Unlabelled: Abstract Background: Radiotherapy is an important treatment for the patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. Emerging studies determined apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1/redox factor-1 (APE1/Ref-1) might associate with the resistance of human pancreatic cancer cells to radiotherapy.

Aims: To investigate whether downregulation of APE1/Ref-1 expression by ribonucleic acid interference would increase the sensitivity of chromic-P32 phosphate to pancreatic cancer cells.

Is obesity an indicator of complications and mortality in acute pancreatitis? An updated meta-analysis.

Objective: To provide a meta-analyisis on whether obesity could be a prognostic indicator on the severity, development of complications and mortality of acute pancreatitis (AP).

Methods: Eligible articles were retrieved using electronic databases. Clinical studies evaluating the association between obesity and disease course of patients with AP were included.

Small interfering RNA against the apurinic or apyrimidinic endonuclease enhances the sensitivity of human pancreatic cancer cells to gemcitabine in vitro.

Objective: To investigate whether the downregulation of human apurinic or apyrimidinic endonuclease/redox factor-1 gene (APE1/Ref-1) expression by ribonucleic acid interference (RNAi) would increase the sensitivity of SW1990 cells to gemcitabine.

Methods: Chemically synthesized small interfering RNA (siRNA) directed against human APE1/Ref-1 (si-APE1) was transfected into SW1990 cells through transfection reagents. The mRNA expression of APE1/Ref-1 was detected by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and the protein expression of APE1/Ref-1 was detected by Western blot; cell proliferation and apoptosis were studied by a Cell Counting Kit 8 (CCK-8) and flow cytometry (FCM) and fluorescence microscopy.

Effects of thalidomide in experimental models of post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography pancreatitis.

Background: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) plays a central role in the pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis and related systemic complications. The authors hypothesized that it may also play an important role in the development of pancreatitis after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of thalidomide, an immunomodulator that exerts an inhibitory action on TNF-alpha by enhancing mRNA degradation, in reducing post-ERCP pancreatitis in a rat model.

Role of prophylactic antibiotic administration in severe acute pancreatitis: a meta-analysis.

Objective: To carry out a meta-analysis of published studies in order to evaluate the clinical efficacy of prophylactic antibiotics in severe acute pancreatitis (SAP).

Material And Methods: MEDLINE, China Biological Medicine, Embase and Cochrane Data Base for Systematic Reviews were searched for randomized controlled trials on the efficacy of prophylactic antibiotics in patients with SAP from 1966 to 2004. Six studies met our inclusion criteria.