[en] PTEN inducible kinase-1 (PINK1) mutant induces mitochondrial dysfunction of cells, resulting in an inherited form of Parkinson's disease. However its exact role in the cardiomyocytes is unclear. The present study examined the function of PINK1 in hypoxia-reoxygenation (H/R) induced H9c2 cell damage and its potential mechanism. The H/R model in H9c2 cells was established by 6 h of hypoxia and 12 h of reoxygenation. The CCK8 and LDH assay indicated that the cell viability was obviously reduced after H/R. The expression of PINK1 was decreased in H/R-induced H9c2 cells compared with control group. The vector overexpressing PINK1 was constructed to transfect into H/R-induced H9c2 cells. Our results showed that cell viability was increased, cell apoptosis and caspase 3, cytochrome C (Cyto C) levels were decreased after LV-PINK1 transfection. Furthermore, PINK1 overexpression stabilized electron transport chain (ETC) activity, increased ATP production, mPTP opening and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), inhibited ROS-generating mitochondria, implying PINK1 alleviates H/R induced mitochondrial dysfunction in cardiomyocytes. In addition, the TRAP-1 siRNA was transfected into PINK1 treated H9c2 cells after H/R to detected the molecular mechanism of PINK1 protecting cardiomyocytes. The results indicated that silence of TRAP-1 reversed the effects of PINK1 in H/R-induced H9c2 cells. In conclusion, these results suggest that PINK1 overexpression alleviates H/R-induced cell damage of H9c2 cells by phosphorylation of TRAP-1, and that is a valid approach for protection from myocardial I/R injury. - Highlights: • Effects of H/R on cell viability and PINK1 expression in H9c2 cells. • Effects of PINK1 on cell viability in H9c2 cells with H/R model. • Effects of PINK1 on mitochondrial dysfunction in H9c2 cells with H/R model. • PINK1 ameliorates H/R-induced H9c2 cells injury by activating p-TRAP-1.

[en] Objective: To investigate the potential prognostic factors in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) complicate by portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT) who are treated with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE). Methods: The complete clinical data of a total of 46 patients with HCC complicate by PVTT, who were treated with TACE during the period from January 2010 to March 2016, were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical material database was established. Kaplan-Meier test was adopted to analyze the survival rate and the COX risk ratio model was used to screen out the independent prognostic factors. Life table method was employed to calculate the survival time. Results: The 6-, 12-, 18- and 24- month survival rates were 51.2%, 28.9%, 23.4% and 10.2%, respectively. The median survival time was 6.7 months. According to m RECIST standard, complete remission (CR) was obtained in one patient (2.1%), partial remission (PR) in 11 patients (23.9%), stable disease (SD) in 16 patients (34.8%) and progress disease (PD) in 18 patients (39.2%). Multivariate analysis indicated that local tumor response, ascites, cholinesterase, and arteriovenous fistula were the independent factors affecting the prognosis. Conclusion: The independent prognostic factors that affect the survival time of HCC patient include local tumor response, ascites, cholinesterase and arteriovenous fistula. (authors)

[en] Background and purpose: To explore the value of CT spinal angiography with 64-detector row spiral CT in diagnosing spinal vascular malformations. Methods: Seventeen patients with initial MR and clinical findings suggestive of spinal vascular diseases underwent CT spinal angiography. Among these, 14 patients took DSA examination within 1 week after CT scan, 7 patients underwent surgical treatment, and 6 patients underwent vascular intervention embolotheraphy. CT protocol: TOSHIBA Aquilion 64 Slice CT scanner, 0.5 mm thickness, 0.5 s/r, 120 kV and 350 mA, positioned at the aortic arch level, and applied with 'sure start' technique with CT threshold of 180 Hu. Contrast agent Iohexol (370 mg I/ml) was injected at 6 ml/s velocity with total volume of 80 ml. The post-processing procedures included MPR, CPR, MIP, VR, etc. Among the 17 patients, four patients underwent fast dynamic contrast-enhanced 3D MR angiography imaging. CT spinal angiography and three-dimensional contrast-enhanced MR angiography (3D CE-MRA) images were compared and evaluated with DSA and operation results based on disease type, lesion range, feeding arteries, fistulas, draining veins of vascular malformation by three experienced neuroradiologists independently, using double blind method. The data were analyzed using SPSS analytic software with χ²-test. We compared the results with DSA and operation results. Results: The statistical analysis of the diagnostic results by the three experienced neuroradiologists had no statistical difference (P > 0.05). All of the 17 patients showed clearly the abnormality of spinal cord vessels and the range of lesions by CT spinal angiography. Among them, one patient was diagnosed as arteriovenous fistulas (AVF) by MRI and CT spinal angiography, which was verified by surgical operation. DSA of the same patient, however, did not visualize the lesion. One case was diagnosed as AVM complicated with AVF by DSA, but CT spinal angiography could only show AVM not AVF. The type differentiations of all the other 16 patients were consistent with DSA results. For 13 cases with positive CT spinal angiography results, DSA displayed 20 feeding vessels, among which 16 vessels were displayed correctly by CT spinal angiography, four could not be visualized, and two turned out to be false-positive. Fistulas were not displayed in six cases by CT spinal angiography. Draining veins were displayed clearly in all cases, which agreed with DSA results. Four cases who took CE-MRA obtained the same type diagnosis as that from CT spinal angiography. Feeding arteries were not displayed in CE-MRA of one case, but could be clearly visualized in other three cases, and the results agreed with CTA and DSA results. Fistulas could be seen in two cases. Draining veins and the disease range could be displayed distinctly by 3D CE-MRA. Conclusion: CT spinal angiography is quite valuable for diagnosing vascular malformation of spinal cord. It can be a screening exam before DSA, and has a guiding effect on DSA, reducing the amount of time required for DSA.