Diagnosis and surgical treatment of retroperitoneal paraganglioma: A single-institution experience of 34 cases.

The present study aimed at identifying the clinical, radiological and pathological characteristics of retroperitoneal paragangliomas, and determining the association between the tumor features and the prognosis of patients following surgery. A total of 34 patients with retroperitoneal paragangliomas, who underwent resection between November 1999 and December 2015, were included in the present retrospective study. The patients' demographics, clinical symptoms and signs, tumor functional status, surgical procedure, intraoperative results, tumor pathology, radiological results, and postoperative survival time were recorded and analyzed.

GSK-3β suppresses the proliferation of rat hepatic oval cells through modulating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Aim: Glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β) plays a crucial role in hepatic biology, including liver development, regeneration, proliferation and carcinogenesis. In this study we investigated the role of GSK-3β in regulation of growth of hepatic oval cells in vitro and in liver regeneration in partially hepatectomized rats.

Methods: WB-F344 cells, the rat hepatic stem-like epithelial cells, were used as representative of oval cells.

[Role of miR-21 in rat hepatic oval cell proliferation and activation].

Objective: To investigate the possible mechanisms of miR-21-mediated regulation of proliferation and activation of hepatic oval cells.

Methods: The 2-acetamidofluorene/partial hepatectomy (2-AAF/PH) method was applied to generate hepatic oval cell activation model in male Sprague-Dawley rats; after the 7 days of 2-AAF/PH or PH alone (control), the rats were sacrificed at 0 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 72 h and 168 h. Expression of miR-21 was detected by real-time PCR and differences between groups were evaluated using the two-sample t-test.

[Effects of glycogen synthase kinase 3β overexpression in rat and glycogen synthase kinase 3β inhibitor SB-216763 on proliferation of hepatic oval cells].

Objective: To research the effects of glycogen synthase kinase (GSK3β) overexpression and GSK3β inhibitor SB-216763 on the proliferation of hepatic oval cells in rats and its regulatory mechanisms by Wnt signaling pathway.

Methods: The hepatic oval cells WBF-344 were divided into the blank control group, GSK3β over-expression group, DMSO control group and GSK3β inhibitor groups, while the inhibitor groups set up three concentration gradients, that was 1, 5, 10 µmol/L. Using the GSK3β over-expression lentivirus, which had been identified correctly, and SB-216763 dealt with the cells WBF-344.