“
“Endoscopic examinations carry a potential risk of cross-infection, and the traditional reprocessing method is time consuming. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of a novel disposable sheathed gastroscope system in clinical practice in comparison with the conventional gastroscope. Cell Cycle inhibitor There were two phases in the study. In phase 1, 20 patients with hepatitis B were randomized into two groups: the sheathed group was examined with the novel disposable sheathed gastroscope (n = 10) and the conventional group with the conventional

gastroscope (n = 10). Microbiologic tests were performed on each endoscope afterwards. In the second phase, 1120 patients were randomized again into the same two groups with 568 and 552 patients in the sheathed group and the conventional group, respectively. The time duration of the endoscopic procedure and reprocessing were measured. The pathology detection rate of endoscopic examinations, the patients’ subjective feelings, and problems occurred during procedures were also recorded. The total instrument turn-around time in the phase 2 sheathed group (9.9 ± 1.3 min) was significantly shorter than the conventional group (39.0 ± 1.4 min, P = 0.000). The mean procedural time was slightly longer in the sheathed group than in the conventional group (4.9 ± 1.4 vs 4.1 ± 1.3 min,

P = 0.000). However, the duration of endoscopic reprocessing was much shorter (4.9 ± 0.2 vs MCE 35 ± 0.2 min, P = 0.000). No significant RGFP966 cost differences were observed in patient discomfort, optical clarity, or pathology detection rate. There were no complications in either group, and no microbial contamination was detected in phase 1 of the study. Compared with the conventional gastroscope, the novel disposable sheathed gastroendoscope is safe and more efficient in clinical practice. “
“Aim:  Patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) frequently

have many co-morbidities including essential hypertension, which is reported to increase vascular production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and alter the hepatic anti-oxidant defense system. Since ROS play a role in the pathogenesis of NASH, it is hypothesized that hypertension modulates the hepatic oxidative status and influences the development of NASH. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential effects of hypertension on the progression of NASH. Methods:  Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats as normotensive controls were fed choline-deficient (CD) diet for 5 weeks. Histological changes, messenger RNA (mRNA) expression and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels in the liver were assessed in each group. Results:  Choline-deficient diet led to pronounced hepatic steatosis in SHR with an 8-fold increase of the hepatic triglyceride content, while there was no significant increase in WKY.