Henry Davies - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Henry Davies

British Journal of Surgery

Introduction A proportion of patients with aortic aneurysms (AA) do not proceed to intervention a... more Introduction A proportion of patients with aortic aneurysms (AA) do not proceed to intervention after reaching treatment threshold diameter due to a combination of poor cardiovascular reserve, frailty and aortic morphology. This patient cohort has a high mortality, however, there exist no studies on the palliative care (PC) and advance care planning (ACP) they receive following discharge from the clinic. Methods We conducted a multicentre cohort study of 220 conservatively managed AA patients referred to centres in Leeds and the Maastricht for intervention between 2017 and 2021, from a combined total of 1506 patients - a non-intervention rate of 15%. Demographic details, mortality, cause of death, ACP and PC outcomes were analysed to examine predictors of PC referral and consultation efficacy. Results There was a 3-year mortality rate of 60%. Rupture was the reported cause of death in 17% of the decedents. Only 9% of all patients received PC referrals - a median of 3.5 days before d...

British Journal of Surgery, 2021

Objective Identify and evaluate palliative care interventions used in peripheral vascular disease... more Objective Identify and evaluate palliative care interventions used in peripheral vascular disease (PVD). Background PVD encompasses conditions with poor outcome and severe suffering, both mentally and physically, yet utilisation and research into palliative care interventions remain sparse. Methods A systematic review of all study designs published between January 1991 and January 2020 in which people with PVD received palliative care interventions and at least one patient reported outcome was recorded. Results A total of eight studies involving 87037 unique patients met inclusion criteria (four cohort studies and four cross sectional studies). There were no randomised controlled studies; The small number of studies and study heterogeneity precluded meta-analysis. Only two papers recorded patient reported outcomes. Five papers found an association between palliative care and reduction in health care utilisation. Most of the studies reported that palliative care was likely underused....

Journal of Palliative Medicine, 2021

Background: Peripheral artery disease (PAD) encompasses conditions with poor outcome and severe s... more Background: Peripheral artery disease (PAD) encompasses conditions with poor outcome and severe suffering, both mentally and physically, yet utilization and research into palliative care interventions remain sparse. Objective: The purpose of this study is to identify existing evidence on palliative care intervention for chronic limb threatening ischaemia (CLTI) and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Design: We conducted a PROSPERO-registered systematic review of studies published between 1991 and 2020 in which people with PAD received palliative care interventions and at least one patient outcome was recorded. For the purpose of this study, a palliative care intervention was defined as one which aims primarily to reduce negative impact of PAD on patients' and/or caregivers' physical, emotional, psychological, social, or spiritual condition. Results: A total of 8 studies involving 87,024 patients met the inclusion criteria (4 cohort studies and 4 cross-sectional studies). Methodological quality ranged from low to moderate. The small number of studies and study heterogeneity precluded meta-analysis. Regarding our primary outcomes, only two articles recorded patient-reported outcomes. Five articles found an association between palliative care and reduction in health care utilization, a secondary outcome of the study. Most of the studies reported that palliative care was likely underused. Only two of the studies included non-hospital patients. Conclusion: Despite high mortality and morbidity associated with PAD, evidence of the effectiveness of palliative care in this group of patients is lacking. There are only a handful of articles on palliative care for people with PAD, and the majority are small, methodologically flawed and lack meaningful patient-reported outcomes. High-quality research of palliative care interventions in patients with PAD is urgently needed to better understand the impact of palliative care on quality of end of life and to develop and evaluate service-level interventions.

Idebenone (IDBN) is an antioxidant compound, structurally related to coenzyme Q10. It’s therapeut... more Idebenone (IDBN) is an antioxidant compound, structurally related to coenzyme Q10. It’s therapeutic potential is growing in different areas. Over the two decades ago, for potential treatments of mitochondrial diseases have been suggested, relatively few have undergone controlled clinical trials. This review focuses on the recent history of manuscripts of idebenone, coenzyme Q10 and exercise in both primary disorders and secondary disorders. Despite prior clinical impressions that IDBN had a positive effect and significant benefit on Mitochondrial disorders.

Journal of Cardiac Surgery, 2021

Background: Paravalvular leak (PVL) is a well‐known complication of aortic valve replacement. Cur... more Background: Paravalvular leak (PVL) is a well‐known complication of aortic valve replacement. Currently, there is no consensus on optimal intraoperative management of patients with mild‐to‐moderate or moderate PVL.

Journal of Cardiac Surgery, 2019

Primary cardiac neoplasms are rare, cardiac hemangiomas are even rarer, and a mixed thrombus foll... more Primary cardiac neoplasms are rare, cardiac hemangiomas are even rarer, and a mixed thrombus followed by a primary cardiac hemangioma is exceptionally rare epidemiology. Here, we report the case of a man with a right atrium mixed-thrombus surgical history who went on to develop a cardiac hemangioma. K E Y W O R D S cardiac hemangioma, cardiac primary tumor, thrombus 1 | INTRODUCTION A cardiac mass can be an intracardiac thrombus, primary or secondary cardiac tumors, cysts, or valvular vegetations of infective endocarditis. 1 Primary cardiac neoplasms are rare, around 0.28% at autopsy and cardiac hemangiomas are even rarer, accounting for only 5% of those. 2 As a result, hemangiomas are often misdiagnosed as thrombi or cardiac myxomas. 3,4 However, a cardiac thrombus followed by a cardiac hemangioma has never been reported before, at home or abroad. Here, we describe the case of a man with a right atrium mixed-thrombus surgical history who later developed a cardiac hemangioma.

Journal of Cardiac Surgery, 2019

Functional tricuspid regurgitation (FTR) is the most common of all tricuspid dysfunctions. Ring a... more Functional tricuspid regurgitation (FTR) is the most common of all tricuspid dysfunctions. Ring annuloplasty is an effective treatment strategy for FTR. Currently, the most commonly used suture method for tricuspid ring annuloplasty is the interrupted U-shaped suture method. However, when tricuspid annuli are grossly dilated (septal segments > 60 mm), interrupted sutures are insufficient in avoiding the folding over of the annulus or the tearing of sutures. Therefore, we recommend a new band suture technique; namely, the three-suture junctional continuous suture band annuloplasty technique.

Pancreatology, 2017

patients to be given a suitable postoperative adjuvant therapy. The treatment strategy for patien... more patients to be given a suitable postoperative adjuvant therapy. The treatment strategy for patients with borderline resectable pancreatic cancer has been still controversial, and further studies and discussion will be needed to confirm the appropriate treatment including arterial resection and reconstruction. Conclusion: The advanced surgery including arterial resection will be revisited whether it has clinical benefits for BR pancreatic cancer.

Frontiers in neuroscience, 2017

In the clinic selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), like Fluoxetine, remain the primar... more In the clinic selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), like Fluoxetine, remain the primary treatment for major depression. It has been suggested that miR-16 regulates serotonin transporters (SERT) via raphe nuclei and hippocampal responses to antidepressants. However, the underlying mechanism and regulatory pathways are still obtuse. Here, a chronic unpredicted mild stress (CUMS) depression model in rats was established, and then raphe nuclei miR-16 and intragastric Fluoxetine injections were administered for a duration of 3 weeks. An open field test and sucrose preference quantification displayed a significant decrease in the CUMS groups when compare to the control groups, however these changes were attenuated by both miR-16 and Fluoxetine treatments. A dual-luciferase reporter assay system verified that hsa-miR-16 inhibitory effects involve the targeting of 3'UTR on the 5-HTT gene. Expression levels of miR-16 and BDNF in the hippocampus were examined with RT-PCR, and i...

Current medicinal chemistry, Jan 14, 2017

Depression is a debilitating disease that is affecting a growing number of patients both physical... more Depression is a debilitating disease that is affecting a growing number of patients both physically and mentally. In addition to the mood changes, depression causes cognitive impairment, including learning and memory dysfunction. Although depression studies have been going on for decades, the underlying mechanism still remains unclear. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a type of small non-coding RNAs, predominantly control the expression of their target mRNAs to exert their functions. Some evidence has revealed the importance of miRNAs in the mechanism of depression though the studies are still in their infancy. Alterations of brain regions, synaptic plasticity, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, changes in the levels of serotonin and glucocorticoids, together with stress response have been proven to be involved in depression. Besides, these alterations can all influence cognition, learning and memory, whereby recent evidences demonstrated an involvement of miRNAs in several aspects of st...

Chinese Clinical Oncology, 2017

Laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) is an extremely challenging surgery. First described i... more Laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) is an extremely challenging surgery. First described in 1994, LPD has been gaining a favorable position in the majority of pancreatic surgery. Now, LPD is worldwide accepted. A literature search was conducted in PubMed, and only papers written in English containing more than 26 publications of LPD were selected. Papers in distal and robotic pancreatic procedure were not included in the review of a total of 222 LPD publications. The total number of patients analyzed was 1,082 from 25 articles and the largest series. Six of these studies came from the United States, 1

Neuro-Signals, Jan 30, 2017

Every year, around the world, between 250000 and 500000 people suffer from spinal cord injury (SC... more Every year, around the world, between 250000 and 500000 people suffer from spinal cord injury (SCI). This study investigated the potential for poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) complex inoculated with olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) to treat spinal cord injury in a rat model. OECs were identified by immunofluorescence based on the nerve growth factor receptor (NGFR) p75. The Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) score, together with an inclined plane (IP) test were used to detect functional recovery. Nissl staining along with the luxol fast blue (LFB) staining were independently employed to illustrate morphological alterations. More so, immunofluorescence labeling of the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and the microtubule-associated protein-2 (MAP-2), representing astrocytes and neurons respectively, were investigated at time points of weeks 2 and 8 post-operation. The findings showed enhanced locomotor recovery, axon myelination and better protected neurons post SCI whe...

Frontiers in neuroscience, 2016

Adult neurogenesis is considered to contribute to a certain degree of plasticity for the brain. H... more Adult neurogenesis is considered to contribute to a certain degree of plasticity for the brain. However, the effects of adult-born neurons on the brain are still largely unknown. Here, we specifically altered the expression of miR-30c in the subventricular zone (SVZ) and dentate gyrus (DG) by stereotaxic injection with their respective up- and down-regulated lentiviruses. Results showed an increased level of miR-30c enhanced adult neurogenesis by prompting cell-cycles of stem cells, whereas down-regulated miR-30c led to the opposite results. When these effects of miR-30c lasted for 3 months, we detected significant morphological changes in the olfactory bulb (OB) and lineage alteration in the hippocampus. Tests of olfactory sensitivity and associative and spatial memory showed that a certain amount of adult-born neurons are essential for the normal functions of the OB and hippocampus, but there also exist redundant newborn neurons that do not further improve the functioning of these...

Journal of research in medical sciences

Co-infection of hepatitis virus is common in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected adults i... more Co-infection of hepatitis virus is common in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected adults in China. But little is known about hepatitis virus co-infection in pediatric HIV-infected subjects. The study aimed to investigate the impact of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and/or hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection and highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on liver function of pediatric HIV-infected subjects. A cohort study including 101 pediatric HIV-infected subjects with HBV/HCV co-infection and 44 pediatric comparators with HIV mono-infection was carried out in Henan Province of China from September 2011 to September 2012. All patients received HAART for 1-year. HBV and HCV infection was determined by antibody tests. HIV RNA load, CD4(+) T-cell counts and liver function were determined before and after HAART. The Student's t-test or a one-way ANOVA was used for normally distributed values and A Mann-Whitney U-test was performed for values without normal distribution using SP...

Journal of research in medical sciences : the official journal of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, 2015

Co-infection of hepatitis virus is common in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected adults i... more Co-infection of hepatitis virus is common in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected adults in China. But little is known about hepatitis virus co-infection in pediatric HIV-infected subjects. The study aimed to investigate the impact of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and/or hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection and highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on liver function of pediatric HIV-infected subjects. A cohort study including 101 pediatric HIV-infected subjects with HBV/HCV co-infection and 44 pediatric comparators with HIV mono-infection was carried out in Henan Province of China from September 2011 to September 2012. All patients received HAART for 1-year. HBV and HCV infection was determined by antibody tests. HIV RNA load, CD4(+) T-cell counts and liver function were determined before and after HAART. The Student's t-test or a one-way ANOVA was used for normally distributed values and A Mann-Whitney U-test was performed for values without normal distribution using SP...

Neuro endocrinology letters, 2014

Post-stroke depression (PSD) is a prevalent complex psychiatric disorder that causes delay to fun... more Post-stroke depression (PSD) is a prevalent complex psychiatric disorder that causes delay to functional recovery from rehabilitation and also increases cognitive impairment. The etiology of PSD remains controversial and appears to be physical and psycho-social in origin, alone or in combination. The causes of PSD as well as the mechanisms conferring beneficial antidepressant effects in the context of ischemic brain injury are still unknown. In addition, appropriate treatment strategies for therapy to prevent stroke-induced depression-like behavior remain to be developed. This paper, therefore, proposes two hypotheses for post-stroke depression: The inflammatory hypothesis, which is the increased production of proinflammatory cytokines resulting from brain ischemia in cerebral areas causing the pathogenesis of post-stroke depression and the glutamate hypothesis, where the excess glucocorticoids released from stress-induced over-activation of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) lead...

Mediators of Inflammation, 2015

It has previously been demonstrated that ischemic stroke activates autophagy pathways; however, t... more It has previously been demonstrated that ischemic stroke activates autophagy pathways; however, the mechanism remains unclear. The aim of this study is to further investigate the role that autophagy plays in cerebral ischemia. 2, 4-diamino-6-hydroxy-pyrimidine (DAHP), for its nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibiting neuroprotective effect, and triptolide (TP), for its anti-inflammatory property, were selected to administer pre middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). The drugs were administered 12 hours prior to MCAO. Both magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 2, 3, 5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining showed that the drugs reduce the area of infarction. Immunoblotting analysis revealed increases in Beclin-1 and myeloid cell leukelia-1(Mcl-1) in treated rats. This could be a contributing factor to the reduction in autophagy induced damage. Immunochemistry and western blot showed that mTOR expression in treated rats was marginally different 24 h after injury, and this could al...

Neuropharmacology, 2013

Integrins are important adhesion receptors for leukocytes binding to endothelial cellular adhesio... more Integrins are important adhesion receptors for leukocytes binding to endothelial cellular adhesion molecules. Previous studies have suggested that blocking relevant integrins might prevent leukocyte infiltration and suppress clinical and pathological features of neuroinflammatory disease. Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a rodent model of Multiple sclerosis (MS), is characterized by chronic inflammatory disorder of the central nervous system in which circulating leukocytes enter the brain and spinal cord leading to inflammation, myelin damage and subsequent paralysis. To prove this hypothesis and explore a promising application for MS treatment, the effects of C16, an anb3 integrinbinding peptide, were tested in vitro and in vivo by transendothelial assay, electron microscopy observation, multiple histological and immunohistochemical staining. The results showed C16 inhibited transendothelial migration of the C8166-CD4 lymphoblast cells, and alleviated extensive spinal cord and brain infiltration of leukocytes and macrophages in the EAE model. Furthermore, a significant amelioration of astrogliosis and a dramatic decrease in demyelination and axonal loss were observed in C16 treated animals. The attenuating inflammatory progression may improve the regional environment and trigger further neuroprotective effects on myelin and axons, all this suggests that C16 peptide may be a promising therapeutic agent for multiple sclerosis.

British Journal of Surgery

Introduction A proportion of patients with aortic aneurysms (AA) do not proceed to intervention a... more Introduction A proportion of patients with aortic aneurysms (AA) do not proceed to intervention after reaching treatment threshold diameter due to a combination of poor cardiovascular reserve, frailty and aortic morphology. This patient cohort has a high mortality, however, there exist no studies on the palliative care (PC) and advance care planning (ACP) they receive following discharge from the clinic. Methods We conducted a multicentre cohort study of 220 conservatively managed AA patients referred to centres in Leeds and the Maastricht for intervention between 2017 and 2021, from a combined total of 1506 patients - a non-intervention rate of 15%. Demographic details, mortality, cause of death, ACP and PC outcomes were analysed to examine predictors of PC referral and consultation efficacy. Results There was a 3-year mortality rate of 60%. Rupture was the reported cause of death in 17% of the decedents. Only 9% of all patients received PC referrals - a median of 3.5 days before d...

British Journal of Surgery, 2021

Objective Identify and evaluate palliative care interventions used in peripheral vascular disease... more Objective Identify and evaluate palliative care interventions used in peripheral vascular disease (PVD). Background PVD encompasses conditions with poor outcome and severe suffering, both mentally and physically, yet utilisation and research into palliative care interventions remain sparse. Methods A systematic review of all study designs published between January 1991 and January 2020 in which people with PVD received palliative care interventions and at least one patient reported outcome was recorded. Results A total of eight studies involving 87037 unique patients met inclusion criteria (four cohort studies and four cross sectional studies). There were no randomised controlled studies; The small number of studies and study heterogeneity precluded meta-analysis. Only two papers recorded patient reported outcomes. Five papers found an association between palliative care and reduction in health care utilisation. Most of the studies reported that palliative care was likely underused....

Journal of Palliative Medicine, 2021

Background: Peripheral artery disease (PAD) encompasses conditions with poor outcome and severe s... more Background: Peripheral artery disease (PAD) encompasses conditions with poor outcome and severe suffering, both mentally and physically, yet utilization and research into palliative care interventions remain sparse. Objective: The purpose of this study is to identify existing evidence on palliative care intervention for chronic limb threatening ischaemia (CLTI) and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Design: We conducted a PROSPERO-registered systematic review of studies published between 1991 and 2020 in which people with PAD received palliative care interventions and at least one patient outcome was recorded. For the purpose of this study, a palliative care intervention was defined as one which aims primarily to reduce negative impact of PAD on patients' and/or caregivers' physical, emotional, psychological, social, or spiritual condition. Results: A total of 8 studies involving 87,024 patients met the inclusion criteria (4 cohort studies and 4 cross-sectional studies). Methodological quality ranged from low to moderate. The small number of studies and study heterogeneity precluded meta-analysis. Regarding our primary outcomes, only two articles recorded patient-reported outcomes. Five articles found an association between palliative care and reduction in health care utilization, a secondary outcome of the study. Most of the studies reported that palliative care was likely underused. Only two of the studies included non-hospital patients. Conclusion: Despite high mortality and morbidity associated with PAD, evidence of the effectiveness of palliative care in this group of patients is lacking. There are only a handful of articles on palliative care for people with PAD, and the majority are small, methodologically flawed and lack meaningful patient-reported outcomes. High-quality research of palliative care interventions in patients with PAD is urgently needed to better understand the impact of palliative care on quality of end of life and to develop and evaluate service-level interventions.

Idebenone (IDBN) is an antioxidant compound, structurally related to coenzyme Q10. It’s therapeut... more Idebenone (IDBN) is an antioxidant compound, structurally related to coenzyme Q10. It’s therapeutic potential is growing in different areas. Over the two decades ago, for potential treatments of mitochondrial diseases have been suggested, relatively few have undergone controlled clinical trials. This review focuses on the recent history of manuscripts of idebenone, coenzyme Q10 and exercise in both primary disorders and secondary disorders. Despite prior clinical impressions that IDBN had a positive effect and significant benefit on Mitochondrial disorders.

Journal of Cardiac Surgery, 2021

Background: Paravalvular leak (PVL) is a well‐known complication of aortic valve replacement. Cur... more Background: Paravalvular leak (PVL) is a well‐known complication of aortic valve replacement. Currently, there is no consensus on optimal intraoperative management of patients with mild‐to‐moderate or moderate PVL.

Journal of Cardiac Surgery, 2019

Primary cardiac neoplasms are rare, cardiac hemangiomas are even rarer, and a mixed thrombus foll... more Primary cardiac neoplasms are rare, cardiac hemangiomas are even rarer, and a mixed thrombus followed by a primary cardiac hemangioma is exceptionally rare epidemiology. Here, we report the case of a man with a right atrium mixed-thrombus surgical history who went on to develop a cardiac hemangioma. K E Y W O R D S cardiac hemangioma, cardiac primary tumor, thrombus 1 | INTRODUCTION A cardiac mass can be an intracardiac thrombus, primary or secondary cardiac tumors, cysts, or valvular vegetations of infective endocarditis. 1 Primary cardiac neoplasms are rare, around 0.28% at autopsy and cardiac hemangiomas are even rarer, accounting for only 5% of those. 2 As a result, hemangiomas are often misdiagnosed as thrombi or cardiac myxomas. 3,4 However, a cardiac thrombus followed by a cardiac hemangioma has never been reported before, at home or abroad. Here, we describe the case of a man with a right atrium mixed-thrombus surgical history who later developed a cardiac hemangioma.

Journal of Cardiac Surgery, 2019

Functional tricuspid regurgitation (FTR) is the most common of all tricuspid dysfunctions. Ring a... more Functional tricuspid regurgitation (FTR) is the most common of all tricuspid dysfunctions. Ring annuloplasty is an effective treatment strategy for FTR. Currently, the most commonly used suture method for tricuspid ring annuloplasty is the interrupted U-shaped suture method. However, when tricuspid annuli are grossly dilated (septal segments > 60 mm), interrupted sutures are insufficient in avoiding the folding over of the annulus or the tearing of sutures. Therefore, we recommend a new band suture technique; namely, the three-suture junctional continuous suture band annuloplasty technique.

Pancreatology, 2017

patients to be given a suitable postoperative adjuvant therapy. The treatment strategy for patien... more patients to be given a suitable postoperative adjuvant therapy. The treatment strategy for patients with borderline resectable pancreatic cancer has been still controversial, and further studies and discussion will be needed to confirm the appropriate treatment including arterial resection and reconstruction. Conclusion: The advanced surgery including arterial resection will be revisited whether it has clinical benefits for BR pancreatic cancer.

Frontiers in neuroscience, 2017

In the clinic selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), like Fluoxetine, remain the primar... more In the clinic selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), like Fluoxetine, remain the primary treatment for major depression. It has been suggested that miR-16 regulates serotonin transporters (SERT) via raphe nuclei and hippocampal responses to antidepressants. However, the underlying mechanism and regulatory pathways are still obtuse. Here, a chronic unpredicted mild stress (CUMS) depression model in rats was established, and then raphe nuclei miR-16 and intragastric Fluoxetine injections were administered for a duration of 3 weeks. An open field test and sucrose preference quantification displayed a significant decrease in the CUMS groups when compare to the control groups, however these changes were attenuated by both miR-16 and Fluoxetine treatments. A dual-luciferase reporter assay system verified that hsa-miR-16 inhibitory effects involve the targeting of 3'UTR on the 5-HTT gene. Expression levels of miR-16 and BDNF in the hippocampus were examined with RT-PCR, and i...

Current medicinal chemistry, Jan 14, 2017

Depression is a debilitating disease that is affecting a growing number of patients both physical... more Depression is a debilitating disease that is affecting a growing number of patients both physically and mentally. In addition to the mood changes, depression causes cognitive impairment, including learning and memory dysfunction. Although depression studies have been going on for decades, the underlying mechanism still remains unclear. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a type of small non-coding RNAs, predominantly control the expression of their target mRNAs to exert their functions. Some evidence has revealed the importance of miRNAs in the mechanism of depression though the studies are still in their infancy. Alterations of brain regions, synaptic plasticity, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, changes in the levels of serotonin and glucocorticoids, together with stress response have been proven to be involved in depression. Besides, these alterations can all influence cognition, learning and memory, whereby recent evidences demonstrated an involvement of miRNAs in several aspects of st...

Chinese Clinical Oncology, 2017

Laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) is an extremely challenging surgery. First described i... more Laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) is an extremely challenging surgery. First described in 1994, LPD has been gaining a favorable position in the majority of pancreatic surgery. Now, LPD is worldwide accepted. A literature search was conducted in PubMed, and only papers written in English containing more than 26 publications of LPD were selected. Papers in distal and robotic pancreatic procedure were not included in the review of a total of 222 LPD publications. The total number of patients analyzed was 1,082 from 25 articles and the largest series. Six of these studies came from the United States, 1

Neuro-Signals, Jan 30, 2017

Every year, around the world, between 250000 and 500000 people suffer from spinal cord injury (SC... more Every year, around the world, between 250000 and 500000 people suffer from spinal cord injury (SCI). This study investigated the potential for poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) complex inoculated with olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) to treat spinal cord injury in a rat model. OECs were identified by immunofluorescence based on the nerve growth factor receptor (NGFR) p75. The Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) score, together with an inclined plane (IP) test were used to detect functional recovery. Nissl staining along with the luxol fast blue (LFB) staining were independently employed to illustrate morphological alterations. More so, immunofluorescence labeling of the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and the microtubule-associated protein-2 (MAP-2), representing astrocytes and neurons respectively, were investigated at time points of weeks 2 and 8 post-operation. The findings showed enhanced locomotor recovery, axon myelination and better protected neurons post SCI whe...

Frontiers in neuroscience, 2016

Adult neurogenesis is considered to contribute to a certain degree of plasticity for the brain. H... more Adult neurogenesis is considered to contribute to a certain degree of plasticity for the brain. However, the effects of adult-born neurons on the brain are still largely unknown. Here, we specifically altered the expression of miR-30c in the subventricular zone (SVZ) and dentate gyrus (DG) by stereotaxic injection with their respective up- and down-regulated lentiviruses. Results showed an increased level of miR-30c enhanced adult neurogenesis by prompting cell-cycles of stem cells, whereas down-regulated miR-30c led to the opposite results. When these effects of miR-30c lasted for 3 months, we detected significant morphological changes in the olfactory bulb (OB) and lineage alteration in the hippocampus. Tests of olfactory sensitivity and associative and spatial memory showed that a certain amount of adult-born neurons are essential for the normal functions of the OB and hippocampus, but there also exist redundant newborn neurons that do not further improve the functioning of these...

Journal of research in medical sciences

Co-infection of hepatitis virus is common in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected adults i... more Co-infection of hepatitis virus is common in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected adults in China. But little is known about hepatitis virus co-infection in pediatric HIV-infected subjects. The study aimed to investigate the impact of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and/or hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection and highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on liver function of pediatric HIV-infected subjects. A cohort study including 101 pediatric HIV-infected subjects with HBV/HCV co-infection and 44 pediatric comparators with HIV mono-infection was carried out in Henan Province of China from September 2011 to September 2012. All patients received HAART for 1-year. HBV and HCV infection was determined by antibody tests. HIV RNA load, CD4(+) T-cell counts and liver function were determined before and after HAART. The Student's t-test or a one-way ANOVA was used for normally distributed values and A Mann-Whitney U-test was performed for values without normal distribution using SP...

Journal of research in medical sciences : the official journal of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, 2015

Co-infection of hepatitis virus is common in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected adults i... more Co-infection of hepatitis virus is common in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected adults in China. But little is known about hepatitis virus co-infection in pediatric HIV-infected subjects. The study aimed to investigate the impact of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and/or hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection and highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on liver function of pediatric HIV-infected subjects. A cohort study including 101 pediatric HIV-infected subjects with HBV/HCV co-infection and 44 pediatric comparators with HIV mono-infection was carried out in Henan Province of China from September 2011 to September 2012. All patients received HAART for 1-year. HBV and HCV infection was determined by antibody tests. HIV RNA load, CD4(+) T-cell counts and liver function were determined before and after HAART. The Student's t-test or a one-way ANOVA was used for normally distributed values and A Mann-Whitney U-test was performed for values without normal distribution using SP...

Neuro endocrinology letters, 2014

Post-stroke depression (PSD) is a prevalent complex psychiatric disorder that causes delay to fun... more Post-stroke depression (PSD) is a prevalent complex psychiatric disorder that causes delay to functional recovery from rehabilitation and also increases cognitive impairment. The etiology of PSD remains controversial and appears to be physical and psycho-social in origin, alone or in combination. The causes of PSD as well as the mechanisms conferring beneficial antidepressant effects in the context of ischemic brain injury are still unknown. In addition, appropriate treatment strategies for therapy to prevent stroke-induced depression-like behavior remain to be developed. This paper, therefore, proposes two hypotheses for post-stroke depression: The inflammatory hypothesis, which is the increased production of proinflammatory cytokines resulting from brain ischemia in cerebral areas causing the pathogenesis of post-stroke depression and the glutamate hypothesis, where the excess glucocorticoids released from stress-induced over-activation of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) lead...

Mediators of Inflammation, 2015

It has previously been demonstrated that ischemic stroke activates autophagy pathways; however, t... more It has previously been demonstrated that ischemic stroke activates autophagy pathways; however, the mechanism remains unclear. The aim of this study is to further investigate the role that autophagy plays in cerebral ischemia. 2, 4-diamino-6-hydroxy-pyrimidine (DAHP), for its nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibiting neuroprotective effect, and triptolide (TP), for its anti-inflammatory property, were selected to administer pre middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). The drugs were administered 12 hours prior to MCAO. Both magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 2, 3, 5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining showed that the drugs reduce the area of infarction. Immunoblotting analysis revealed increases in Beclin-1 and myeloid cell leukelia-1(Mcl-1) in treated rats. This could be a contributing factor to the reduction in autophagy induced damage. Immunochemistry and western blot showed that mTOR expression in treated rats was marginally different 24 h after injury, and this could al...

Neuropharmacology, 2013

Integrins are important adhesion receptors for leukocytes binding to endothelial cellular adhesio... more Integrins are important adhesion receptors for leukocytes binding to endothelial cellular adhesion molecules. Previous studies have suggested that blocking relevant integrins might prevent leukocyte infiltration and suppress clinical and pathological features of neuroinflammatory disease. Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a rodent model of Multiple sclerosis (MS), is characterized by chronic inflammatory disorder of the central nervous system in which circulating leukocytes enter the brain and spinal cord leading to inflammation, myelin damage and subsequent paralysis. To prove this hypothesis and explore a promising application for MS treatment, the effects of C16, an anb3 integrinbinding peptide, were tested in vitro and in vivo by transendothelial assay, electron microscopy observation, multiple histological and immunohistochemical staining. The results showed C16 inhibited transendothelial migration of the C8166-CD4 lymphoblast cells, and alleviated extensive spinal cord and brain infiltration of leukocytes and macrophages in the EAE model. Furthermore, a significant amelioration of astrogliosis and a dramatic decrease in demyelination and axonal loss were observed in C16 treated animals. The attenuating inflammatory progression may improve the regional environment and trigger further neuroprotective effects on myelin and axons, all this suggests that C16 peptide may be a promising therapeutic agent for multiple sclerosis.