ObjectiveTo observe the bladder regeneration by collagen membrane scaffolds for bladder construction to find a new alternative scaffold material. MethodsTwelve healthy adult male Sprague Dawley rats, weighing 300-350 g, were randomly divided into collagen membrane scaffold group (experimental group, n=6), and sham operated group (control group, n=6). Upper hemicystectomy was performed and collagen scaffold was used for reconstruction in experimental group, while the bladder was turned over without bladder resection in control group. At 30 days after operation, the animals were sacrificed and grafts were harvested;HE staining and Masson staining were used to evaluate the bladder regeneration, immunohistochemical staining was performed with α-smooth muscleactin (α-SMA) and von Willebrand factor (vWF) markers to evaluate the percentage of α-SMA positive area and capillary number. ResultsThe rats of 2 groups survived to the end of the experiment, and no urine leakage or infection was observed in experimental group. Histologically, control group presented a pattern of normal bladder structure, experimental group presented a pattern of almost normal urothelium with a small amount of smooth muscle cells and a thin layer of undegraded collagen fibers. Immunohistochemically, experimental group showed ingrowth of smooth muscle fibers and new capillary formation along the collagen membrane scaffolds. The percentage of α-SMA positive area and capillary number in experimental group were significantly lower than those in control group (6.49%±2.14% vs. 52.42%±1.78% and 4.83±0.75 vs. 14.83±1.17, respectively)(t=40.40, P=0.00; t=17.62, P=0.00). ConclusionThe collagen membrane scaffolds could be an effective scaffold material for bladder reconstruction.
ObjectiveTo investigate the expression of β-catenin and Galectin-3 protein in human cervical carcinoma and its clinical pathological significance. MethodsEighty-three cervical specimens were collected from January 2010 to June 2013. By immunohistochemical method, β-catenin and Galectin-3 expression of the 83 cases of cervical carcinoma, 45 cases of intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and 25 normal cervix tissue (control) were detected. ResultsThe positive expression rate in cervical carcinoma of β-catenin and Galectin-3 was respectively 74.70% and 81.93%, which was significantly higher than that in intraepithelial neoplasia (ⅠandⅡ) and normal cervical tissue (P<0.05). Compared with cervical cancer, the expression of β-catenin and Galectin-3 in CINⅢ had no statistical significance (P>0.05). The positive expression of β-catenin was significantly correlated with histological grade of cervical cancer tissue, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics grade and lymph node metastasis (P<0.05). The positive expression of Galectin-3 was closely related to histological grade of cervical cancer tissue and lymph node metastasis (P>0.05). Both β-catenin and Galectin-3 expression had no relationship with other clinical pathological parameters, such as age of patients, tumor size and pathological pattern of tumor (P>0.05). β-catenin expression had significant positive correlation with that of Galectin-3 (r=0.327, P=0.002). ConclusionThe expression of Galectin-3 and β-catenin increases obviously and is associated with abnormal clinical parameters (invasion or metastasis) in patients with cervical cancer. Galectin-3 and β-catenin may act as cancer metastasis and prognostic indicators in these patients.