The Safety of Irreversible Electroporation on Nerves Adjacent to Treated Tumors.

Objectives: To evaluate the safety of irreversible electroporation (IRE) on the sciatic nerve after IRE ablation of adjacent tumor.

Methods: In this study, VX2 tumors were implanted adjacent to the sciatic nerves in 26 New Zealand white rabbits. The rabbits were divided into 3 groups 10 days after implantation, with 2 treatment groups of 10 rabbits each and a control group of 6 rabbits.

The Effects of Irreversible Electroporation on the Colon in a Porcine Model.

Background And Aim: Irreversible electroporation (IRE) is a method of targeted cell ablation which has been suggested as a potential cancer therapy as it leaves structures such as blood vessels and the extracellular matrix intact, thereby allowing the rapid recovery of healthy tissue. Here, we investigated the effects of IRE on the colon in vivo in a porcine model.

Methods: IRE ablation was performed on the colon walls of 12 female Tibet mini-pigs, creating a total of 24 lesions.

Comparison of percutaneous cryoablation with microwave ablation in a porcine liver model.

We compared imaging and pathological changes between argon-helium cryosurgical (AH) and microwave (MW) ablation in a porcine liver model. Immediately after ablation, computed tomography (CT) imaging showed that the area affected by MW ablation was considerably greater than that affected by AH ablation; moreover, the surface area of necrotic tissue was considerably greater in the AH group, whereas the depth of the necrotic area was similar. Seven days after ablation, the affected area had not changed much in the AH group, but it had significantly increased in the MW group; similarly, the surface and depth of the necrotic areas had not changed much in the AH group, but they had increased significantly in the MW group.

Cryotherapy for local recurrent dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans: experience in 19 patients.

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a locally aggressive, cutaneous, malignant tumor characterized by a high propensity for local relapse. Wide and deep local excision with reconstructive surgery is the current standard therapy for DFSP, with a local recurrence rate (LRR) of nearly 40%. In this study, we cured 19 patients with local recurrence of DFSP with 39 sessions of percutaneous cryoablation performed between July 2004 and August 2008.

Prevention of needle-tract seeding by two-step freezing after lung cancer biopsy.

Fine-needle aspiration biopsy is a method to detect malignancy for undetermined pulmonary nodules, but has the potential to spread malignant cells from the tumor to the pleural cavity or chest wall. We developed a two-step freezing method to avoid needle-tract seeding, by use of percutaneous cryoablation after biopsy but before the biopsy needle was removed. A man aged 72 years was admitted because of a large mass in right upper lobe.

Metastasis-associated protein 1 induces VEGF-C and facilitates lymphangiogenesis in colorectal cancer.

Aim: To study the correlation between high metastasis-associated protein 1 (MTA1) expression and lymphangiogenesis in colorectal cancer (CRC) and its role in production of vascular endothelial growth factor-C(VEGF-C).

Methods: Impact of high MTA1 and VEGF-C expression levels on disease progression and lymphovascular density (LVD, D2-40-immunolabeled) in 81 cases of human CRC was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. VEGF-C mRNA and protein expressions in human LoVo and HCT116 cell lines were detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting, respectively, with a stable expression vector or siRNA.

A new antitumor arabinopyranoside from Laurencia majuscula induces G2/M cell cycle arrest.

A new arabinopyranoside was isolated from the alga Laurencia majuscula (Harvey) Lucas, collected from the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea. Its structure was elucidated as hexadecyl-1-O-α-L-arabinopyranoside by spectroscopic analysis. It was found that arabinopyranoside had significant antitumor activity in LOVO and Bel-7402 cell lines.

[Expression of Fas and Fas ligand in infiltrating lymphocytes in patients with oral lichen planus].

Objective: To examine the expression of Fas and Fas ligand (FasL) in T lymphocytes of oral lichen planus (OLP) and the effects of Fas, FasL and activation-induced cell death (AICD) on OLP.

Methods: The oral mucosa samples from patients with OLP and normal oral mucosa were assessed by in situ terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated deoxyuridine-5'-triphosphate (dUTP)-biotin nick end-labelling (TUNEL) assay for nucleosomal DNA fragmentation of apoptotic cells in infiltrating lymphocytes. Immunohistochemical technique was used for detection of expression level of Fas and FasL.

Association of p73 G4C14-to-A4T14 polymorphism at exon 2 with the response of human lung adenocarcinoma cell lines to chemotherapy.

In order to assess the effect of p73 gene polymorphism G4C14-A4T14 on cisplatin-based chemosensitivity of human lung adenocarcinoma cell lines, we examined the differences in biological character and drug sensitivity affected by cisplatin between human lung adenocarcinoma cell lines A549 and P15. The allelic expression of p73 in A549 and P15 was studied by Sty I polymorphism analysis. MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] assay was used to analyse the response of these two cell lines to cisplatin.

Cyclooxygenase-2 expression is associated with vascular endothelial growth factor-C and lymph node metastases in human prostate cancer.

Background And Aims: Recent observations suggest an implication of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in tumor lymphangiogenesis through an upregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) expression. However, it is unclear whether COX-2 is also associated with VEGF-C expression, tumor lymphangiogenesis and lymph node metastasis in human prostate cancer.

Methods: COX-2 and VEGF-C expression were examined in tumor tissues from 58 prostate cancer patients using immunohistochemical staining.

[Expressions of proliferating cell nuclear antigen, Bcl-2, and Bax in lymphocytes of patients with oral lichen planus].

Objective: To investigate the expressions of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) and Bcl-associated X (Bax) in the lymphocytes of patients with oral lichen planus (OLP).

Methods: Immunohistochemistry was used for detecting the expressions of PCNA, Bcl-2 and Bax proteins in oral lichen planus tissue and normal oral mucosa (NOM).

Results: The expressions of PCNA and Bcl-2 proteins increased significantly in the lymphocytes of patients with OLP compared with those in NOM.

Isolation, structure determination, and synthesis of galaxamide, a rare cytotoxic cyclic pentapeptide from a marine algae Galaxaura filamentosa.

Galaxamide (1), a rare cyclic pentapeptide, was isolated from the marine algae Galaxaura filamentosa. A preliminary bioassay of Galaxamide showed remarkable in vitro antiproliferative activities against GRC-1 and HepG2 cell lines. The first total synthesis of the cyclic peptide was achieved for further biological evaluation.

[Expression of TGF-beta receptors in CD8+ T cells of oral lichen planus].

Objective: To investigate the expression of TGF-beta receptors in CD8+ T cells of oral lichen planus (OLP).

Methods: Immunohistochemical double labeling technique was used to examine the expression of TGF-betaR I and TGF-betaR II in CD8+ T cells of 28 OLP patients and in 10 controls. The results were compared between the two groups.

A series of new 5,6-epoxysterols from a Chinese sponge Ircinia aruensis.

Chromatographic separation of the ethanolic extract of the marine sponge, Ircinia aruensis, resulted in the isolation and characterization of six new sterols. 5 alpha,6 alpha-Epoxy-26,27-dinorergosta-7,22-en-3 beta-ol (1), 5 alpha,6 alpha-epoxycholesta-7,22-en-3 beta-ol (2), 5 alpha,6 alpha-epoxyergosta-7,24(28)-en-3 beta-ol (3), 5 alpha,6 alpha-epoxyergosta-7-en-3 beta-ol (4), 5 alpha,6 alpha-epoxystigmasta-7,22-en-3 beta-ol (5), 5 alpha,6 alpha-epoxystigmasta-7-en-3 beta-ol (6). The structures of the new compounds were determined on the basis of extensive spectroscopic data (IR, MS, 1H and 13C NMR, HMQC, and HMBC) analyses.

[A study on the endothelialization mechanism of left ventricular pump].

The cultural model of porcine aortic endothelial cell (EC) was set up. By combined use of basic fibroblast growth factor(bFGF) with extracellular matrix (ECM), the endothelialization on PU under static culture was accomplished and the attachment rate as well as the morphological changes of EC under flowing shear stress condition were observed when LVAP was working at normal blood circulation pressure (12 KPa). The result revealed that EC treated with bFGF grew very well on the PU material precoated with fibronectin and collagen IV.

[A study on the mechanism of bFGF promoting endothelial cells to adhere to polyurethane material].

bFGF can promote endothelial cell to adhere to artificial polyurethane material. However the mechanism is still unclear. Here the effect of bFGF on endothelial cell expression of integrin beta 1 subunits was determined with Western Blot and image analysis method.