Safety and efficacy of laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer in the elderly.

To evaluate safety and efficacy of laparoscopy-assisted radical gastrectomy (LARG) for advanced gastric cancer patients aged 70 years or older. Clinical data were retrospectively collected from patients with IIA-IIIC gastric cancer who underwent LARG (n = 30) and open radical gastrectomy (ORG, n = 34) in Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery in the Ningbo First Hospital from January 2012 to December 2013. The mean operative time was longer in the LARG group than in the ORG group but there was no statistical difference between the two groups.

Adult Hirschsprung's disease: report of four cases.

Adult Hirschsprung's disease (HD) is a rare motor disorder of the gut that is frequently misdiagnosed as refractory constipation. The primary pathogenic defect in adult HD is identical to that seen in infancy or childhood, and is characterized by the total absence of intramural ganglion cells of the submucosal (Meissner) and myenteric (Auerbach) neural plexuses in the affected segment of the bowel. Ninety-four percent of HD cases are diagnosed before the patient reaches 5 years of age, however, on rare occasion, mild cases of HD may go undiagnosed until he or she reaches adulthood.

Lentivirus-mediated RNAi knockdown of VEGFA in RKO colorectal cancer cells decreases tumor formation and growth in vitro and in vivo.

Vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF) play important roles in angiogenesis, vasculogenesis and endothelial cell growth. In endothelial cancers, secreted VEGF proteins induce endothelial cell proliferation, promote cell migration, inhibit apoptosis and induce blood vessel permeabilization. VEGFA is frequently overexpressed in human colorectal cancers (CRC) and its expression correlates with tumor progression and invasiveness.

[Diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of primary appendiceal tumors: analysis of 37 cases].

Objective: To investigate the pathology, diagnosis,treatment, and prognosis of primary appendiceal tumors.

Methods: The clinical data of 37 patients with primary tumors of the appendix, 16 males and 21 females, aged 56 +/- 13 (35-87) hospitalized Jan. 1977 to Feb.

Liposome-mediated gene transfer of endothelial nitric oxide synthase to cirrhotic rat liver decreases intrahepatic vascular resistance.

Background And Aims: Nitric oxide (NO) production by endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in sinusoidal endothelial cells is reduced in the injured liver and leads to intrahepatic portal hypertension. The present study evaluates the effects of liposome-mediated gene transfer of eNOS on the intrahepatic vascular resistance and portal venous pressure (PVP) in cirrhotic rats.

Methods: Hepatic cirrhosis was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats by intraperitoneal injection of carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)), whereas the control normal rats were given the same dose of peanut oil.

Cystamine ameliorates liver fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride via inhibition of tissue transglutaminase.

Aim: To investigate the anti-fibrosis effect of the tissue transglutaminase (tTG) specific inhibitor cystamine on liver fibrosis.

Methods: Sixty-eight male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into three groups: normal control, liver fibrosis control and cystamine-treated group. Liver fibrosis was induced by intraperitoneal injection of carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)), and Cystamine was administrated by intraperitoneal injection starting 2 d before the first administration of CCl(4).

[Protective effects of vasoactive intestinal peptide on septic shock rats].

Objective: To investigate the protective effects of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) on septic shock rats and explore its possible mechanism.

Methods: Cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) was performed to produce septic shock rat model. Thirty adult Sprague-dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups with 10 animals in each group: sham operation group, CLP group and VIP group.

Expression of cyclooxygenase in hyperdynamic portal hypertensive rats.

Background: By detecting hemodynamic changes, concentration of plasm prostacyclin (PGI2) and expression of cyclooxygenase (COX) in vasculature and splanchnic tissues, we evaluated the relative contributions of PGI2 and COX mRNA expression to the hyperdynamic circulatory state in chronic portal hypertensive rats.

Methods: Fifty male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 3 groups: intrahepatic portal hypertension (IHPH, n=18) by injection of CCl4, prehepatic portal hypertension (PHPH, n=18) by partial stenosis of the portal vein, and sham-operated controls (SO, n=14). Splanchnic hemodynamics was measured by radioactive microsphere techniques and the concentration of PGI2 was detected by specific radioimmunoassay for its stable hydrolysis product 6-keto-PGF1alpha.

Role of PGI2 in the formation and maintenance of hyperdynamic circulatory state of portal hypertensive rats.

Aim: To investigate the role of prostacyclin (PGI(2)) and nitric oxide (NO) in the development and maintenance of hyperdynamic circulatory state of chronic portal hypertensive rats.

Methods: Ninety male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups: intrahepatic portal hypertension (IHPH) group by injection of CCl(4), prehepatic portal hypertension (PHPH) group by partial stenosis of the portal vein and sham-operation control (SO) group. One week after the models were made, animals in each group were subdivided into 4 groups: saline controlled group (n = 23), Nomega-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA) group (n = 21) group, indomethacin (INDO) group (n = 22) and high-dose heparin group (n = 24).

Construction and identification of polycistron adenoviral expression vector PCA13/FasL-IRES-iNOS.

Objective: To construct the Fas ligand (FasL) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) coexpressed PCA13 plasmid used for packing of adenovirus, so as to observe the immunoprotective effect of FasL on the adenovirus vector.

Methods: By way of the internal ribosome entry site (IRES), gene engineering techniques such as preparation and transformation of competent cells, plasmid extraction, agarose gel electrophoresis and restriction enzymolysis were used for the construction of the polycistron adenoviral expression vector PCA13/FasL-IRES-iNOS, which could coexpress FasL and the iNOS gene after multisubcloning steps.

Results: FasL and iNOS connected with the IRES were successfully cloned to the PCA13 plasmid and verified by enzymolysis (600 bp FasL, 1000 bp IRES and 4000 bp iNOS) and the gene sequence was concordant with the gene bank.

Diagnosis and surgical treatment of giant splenic artery aneurysms with portal hypertension: report of 4 cases.

Background: Giant splenic artery aneurysm (GSAA) is a rare but clinically relevant disease. Its importance lies in potential rupture and hemorrhage. Early diagnosis and treatment before rupture of GSAA are crucial to GSAA patients especially to GSAA patients with portal hypertension(PHT).

[Experimental study on iNOS gene transfer mediated by liposome to treat portal hypertension in cirrhotic rats].

Objective: To evaluate the effects of iNOS gene transfer on portal hypertensive rats.

Methods: Eukaryotic expression plasmid pcDNA(3)/iNOS was used to transfect sinusoidal endothelial cells (SEC) mediated by Lipofectamine. Transfection rate and gene exspression were detected.