Cerebral CTA with Low Tube Voltage and Low Contrast Material Volume for Detection of Intracranial Aneurysms

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Multidetector row CTA has become the primary imaging technique for detecting intracranial aneurysms. Technical progress enables the use of cerebral CTA with lower radiation doses and contrast media. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of 80-kV(peak) cerebral CTA with 30 mL of contrast agent for detecting intracranial aneurysms.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Two hundred four patients were randomly divided into 2 groups. Patients in group A (n = 102) underwent 80-kVp CTA with 30 mL of contrast agent, while patients in group B (n = 102) underwent conventional CTA (120 kVp, 60 mL of contrast agent). All patients underwent DSA. Image quality, diagnostic accuracy, and radiation dose between the 2 groups were compared.

RESULTS

Diagnostic image quality was obtained in 100 and 99 patients in groups A and B, respectively (P = .65). With DSA as reference standard, diagnostic accuracy on a per-aneurysm basis was 89.9% for group A and 93.9% for group B. For evaluating smaller aneurysms (<3 mm), the diagnostic accuracy of groups A and B was 86.3% and 90.8%, respectively. There was no difference in diagnostic accuracy between each CTA group and DSA (all, P > .05) or between the 2 CTA groups (all, P > .05). The effective dose in group A was reduced by 72.7% compared with group B.

CONCLUSIONS

In detecting intracranial aneurysms with substantial radiation dose and contrast agent reduction, 80-kVp/30-mL contrast CTA provides the same diagnostic accuracy as conventional CTA.

Prominent contribution of Th1, Th17, and Tregs to the host response during M. neoaurum infection

Nontuberculous mycobacteria are ubiquitous in outside environment and animals. As for nontuberculous mycobacteria infection, there is only limited information in humans regarding infection and the subsequent immune response, especially for Mycobacterium neoaurum. Here, haematoxylin-eosin and Ziehl-Neelsen staining were used to observe pathological changes and detect acid-fast bacilli in organ samples in mouse model. Flow cytometry and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction were performed to analyze the contribution of Th1, Th17 and Tregs to the host immune response. M. neoaurum caused chronic infection in mice, resulting in infiltrates with large aggregates of inflammatory cells, especially macrophages, in lung tissues. Our results indicated that 72% of CD4+ T cells appeared in the early days of infection, which was followed by a decrease to 47% by day 32, and then a rise to 76% by day 56. Moreover, we found higher frequency of IFN-g-producing CD4+ T cells and elevated mRNA expression of the transcription factor T-bet in the lungs; however, we observed lower mRNA expression of the transcription factor RORgt and lower frequency of IL-17-producing CD4+ T cells. A transient relative decrease in the number of Treg cells was observed in the lungs; however, the number of Tregs did not change significantly between the first and last day following infection. Thus, M. neoaurum causes chronic infection in C57BL/6 mice, with Th1, Th17, and Tregs playing a prominent role in the host response. The present study may lay the basis for further studies on the mechanisms underlying infection with nontuberculous mycobacteria.

Potential application of digital image-processing method and fitted logistic model to the control of oriental fruit moths (Grapholita molesta Busck)

Monitoring of oriental fruit moths (Grapholita molesta Busck) is a prerequisite for its control. This study introduced a digital image-processing method and logistic model for the control of oriental fruit moths. First, five triangular sex pheromone traps were installed separately within each area of 667 m2 in a peach orchard to monitor oriental fruit moths consecutively for 3 years. Next, full view images of oriental fruit moths were collected via a digital camera and then subjected to graying, separation and morphological analysis for automatic counting using MATLAB software. Afterwards, the results of automatic counting were used for fitting a logistic model to forecast the control threshold and key control period. There was a high consistency between automatic counting and manual counting (0.99, P < 0.05). According to the logistic model, oriental fruit moths had four occurrence peaks during a year, with a time-lag of 15-18 days between adult occurrence peak and the larval damage peak. Additionally, the key control period was from 28 June to 3 July each year, when the wormy fruit rate reached up to 5% and the trapping volume was approximately 10.2 per day per trap. Additionally, the key control period for the overwintering generation was 25 April. This study provides an automatic counting method and fitted logistic model with a great potential for application to the control of oriental fruit moths.

Effects of 10-hydroxycamptothecin on differentiation of RAW264.7 cells into osteoclasts

This study was designed to investigate the effect of 10-hydroxycamptothecin (10-HCPT) on osteoclast formation. RAW264.7 cells were cultured in vitro with 100 ng/ml receptor activator for nuclear factor-κ B ligand (RANKL) and 30 ng/ml recombinant macrophage colony stimulating factor (M-CSF), and 10-HCPT with different solubilities were added. After five-day cultivation, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining was used to observe the number of osteoclasts. mRNA expression of osteoclast-specific genes, such as TRAP, cathepsin K (CTSK) and matrix metalloproteinase protease 9 (MMP-9), was detected by real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). The effect of 10-HCPT on the proliferation activity of RAW264.7 cells was detected using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8). CCK-8 detection showed that 10-HCPT with a certain concentration (1 ng/ml to 5 ng/ml) had no effect on cell proliferation (P>0.05); 10-HCPT could inhibit the generation of osteoclasts. With the increase of the concentration of 10-HCPT, the number of osteoclasts generated from cells cultured with 10-HCPT [1 ng/ml (86±11.14), 2 ng/ml (66.67±7.51), 5ng/ml (27.67±6.51)] was much lower than that of the control group (145±8.19), and the difference was statistically significant (all P=0, P less than 0.05); mRNA expression of osteoclast-specific gene TRAP [1 ng/ml (24.38±0.68), 2 ng/ml (20.09±1.86), 5 ng/ml (6.23±0.53)], CTSK [1 ng/ml (10.08±0.81), 2 ng/ml (7.30±0.30), 5 ng/ml (3.20±0.56)] and MMP-9 [1 ng/ml (43.54±6.96), 2 ng/ml (28.28±5.83), 5 ng/ml (11.07±2.53)] was much lower than that of the groups added with RANKL and M-CSF only (all P=0, P less than 0.05), and with the increase of concentration of 10-HCPT, the expression of osteoclast-specific genes showed a decreasing tendency. All the findings suggest that 10-HCPT can inhibit the formation of osteoclasts by reducing the expression of osteoclast-specific genes such as TRAP, CTSK and MMP-9.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition, inflammatory bowel disease and colitis associated colorectal cancer

Chronic inflammation can induce the formation of a wide variety of tumors. Inflammatory bowel disease is one of the major risk factors for colorectal cancer. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) can promote the invasion and metastasis of a variety of cancer cells, including colorectal cancer cells. Different kinds of inflammatory cytokines produced in inflammatory bowel disease could mediate the activation of EMT through a series of pathways, and thus promote the occurrence and development of colitis associated colorectal cancer. This article explores the relationship among EMT, inflammatory bowel disease and colitis associated colorectal cancer, with an aim to provide new ideas and methods for the clinical treatment of colitis associated colorectal cancer.

A Simple and Efficient Synthesis of Novel Aryloxy-Functionalised 4,4′-bi-1,2,4-Triazoles

A simple and efficient strategy for the synthesis of novel aryloxy-functionalised 4,4′-bi-1,2,4-triazoles was successfully explored by nucleophilic aromatic substitution of tetrachloro-4,4′-bi-1,2,4-triazole by various phenols using Cs2CO3 as catalyst. The syntheses were achieved in 25–94% yields.

AMFR gene silencing inhibits the differentiation of porcine preadipocytes

Our study clarifies the role of the autocrine motility factor receptor (AMFR) gene in porcine preadipocyte differentiation. AMFR-siRNA was transfected into porcine preadipocytes and the preadipocytes were induced to differentiation. Subsequently, qRT-PCR was conducted to examine changes in mRNA expression of a series of genes in porcine preadipocytes, including AMFR, sterol-regulatory element-binding protein-1a (SREBP1a), SREBP2, insulin-induced gene 1 (Insig1), and Insig2. Expression changes in the mRNA of genes regulating adipocyte differentiation were also analyzed using qRT-PCR, including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha (C/EBPα), and Kruppel-like factor 2 (KLF2). Western blot analysis was conducted to examine the changes in AMFR protein expression in porcine preadipocytes. Additionally, morphological changes in differentiated porcine preadipocytes were examined by oil red O staining, and changes in optical density (OD) values were measured using an ultraviolet spectrophotometer. At 24 h after transfection with AMFR-siRNA, AMFR mRNA expression significantly reduced (P < 0.01), and AMFR protein expression markedly decreased (P < 0.05). The mRNA expression of SREBP1a, SREBP2, Insig1, and C/EBPα was significantly reduced (P < 0.01), whereas the expression of KLF2 mRNA was significantly elevated (P < 0.01). After induction of preadipocyte differentiation, the number of lipid droplets decreased in the AMFR-silenced group, and the OD value markedly reduced (P < 0.05). In addition, the expression of C/EBPα mRNA significantly decreased (P < 0.05), whereas the expression of KLF2 mRNA considerably increased (P < 0.05). Taken together, silencing of the AMFR gene inhibits the differentiation of porcine preadipocytes.

Intravenous administration of mesenchymal stem cells overexpressing CXCR4 protects against experimental colitis in rats

AIM: To investigate the role of SDF-1α/CXCR4 axis in the therapeutic effects of lentivirus-preconditioned bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) for 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)- induced colitis in rats.

METHODS: BMSCs were isolated from Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats and identified by flow cytometry. Lentivirus transfection was applied to over-express CXCR4/GFP (Ad-CXCR4-BMSCs) or null/GFP (Ad-GFP-BMSCs) in BMSCs. Thirty-two SD rats were randomly divided into four groups (n = 8): a control group, a model group, an Ad-GFP-BMSCs group and an Ad-CXCR4-BMSCs group. The rats were grouped to receive various treatments by tail vein injections. On day 1, colitis was induced by the TNBS administration. On day 12, animals were anesthetized and submitted to a laparotomy under sterile conditions. The distal colon was then opened longitudinally, slightly cleaned in physiological saline for faecal residue removal, and tissue samples were harvested and analyzed for various studies.

RESULTS: One week after intravenous administration, Ad-GFP-BMSCs failed to colonize in the inflamed colon and had no beneficial effect in TNBS-induced colitis. Instead, Ad-CXCR4-BMSCs signally ameliorated both clinical and microanatomical severity of colitis. Immunofluorescence and Western blot showed that Ad-CXCR4-BMSCs migrated toward inflamed colon was more efficient than Ad-GFP-BMSCs. The therapeutic effect of Ad-CXCR4-BMSCs was mediated by the suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and STAT3 phosphorylation in injured colon.

CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that over-expression of CXCR4 promotes the in vivo mobilization and engraftment of BMSCs into inflamed colon where these cells can function as an anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory component of the immune system in TNBS-induced colitis.

A rapid method for chemical fingerprint analysis of Pan Panax notoginseng powders by ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

A method coupling ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer (Qtof MS) using the electrospray ionization (ESI) source was developed for the identification of the major saponins from Panax notoginseng powder (PNP). Ten different PNP samples were analyzed and evaluated for their quality by similarity evaluation and principle component analysis (PCA). Based on the accurate mass, summarized characteristic fragmentation behaviors, retention times of different types of saponins, related botanical biogenesis, and reported chromatographic behavior of saponins, fifty-one common peaks were effectively separated and identified, including 28 protopanaxadiol saponins and 18 protopanaxatriol saponins. Simultaneously, 15 significant discrepancy compounds were identified from the disqualified PNP samples. The established UPLC/Qtof MS fingerprint method was successfully applied for profiling and identifying the major saponins of PNP, providing a fast quality evaluation tool for distinguishing the authentic PNP and the adulterated products.

[HSP90 Inhibitor 17-AAG Inhibits Multiple Myeloma Cell Proliferation by Down-regulating Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the inhibitory effect of HSP90 inhibitory 17-AAG on proliferation of multiple myeloma cells and its main mechanism.

METHODS

The multiple myeloma cells U266 were treated with 17-AAG of different concentrations (200, 400, 600 and 800 nmol/L) for 24, 48, and 72 hours respectively, then the proliferation rate, expression levels of β-catenin and C-MYC protein, as well as cell cycle of U266 cells were treated with 17-AAG and were detected by MTT method, Western blot and flow cytometry, respectively.

RESULTS

The 17-AAG showed inhibitory effect on the proliferation of U266 cells in dose- and time-depetent manners (r = -0.518, P < 0.05 and r = -0.473, P < 0.05), while the culture medium without 17-AAG displayed no inhibitory effect on proliferation of U266 cells (P > 0.05). The result of culturing U266 cells for 72 hours by 17-AAG of different concentrations showed that the more high of 17-AAG concentration, the more low level of β-catenin and C-MYC proteins (P < 0.05); At same time of culture, the more high of 17-AAG concentration, the more high of cell ratio in G1 phase (P < 0.05), at same concentration of 17-AAG, the more long time of culture, the more high of cell ratio in G1 phase (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The HSP90 inhibitory 17-AAG can inhibit the proliferation of multiple myeloma cells, the down-regulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and inhibition of HSP90 expression may be the main mechnisms of 17-AAG effect.

Enhancing collaboration between China and African countries for schistosomiasis control

Schistosomiasis remains an important public health issue, with a large number of cases reported across sub-Saharan Africa, and parts of Asia and Latin America. China was once highly endemic, but has made substantial progress and is moving towards elimination of schistosomiasis. Meanwhile, despite long-term, repeated, school-based chemotherapy in many African countries, more than 90% of all schistosomiasis cases are concentrated in Africa, and hence, this continent constitutes the key challenge for schistosomiasis control. Opportunities and issues for international collaboration in the fight against schistosomiasis are outlined with a focus on China's experiences, including the role of public health authorities and intersectoral collaboration, use of new and effective snail control approaches and diagnostic tools adapted to the specific stage of control, as well as the strengthening of risk mapping and surveillance-response mechanisms. Training courses targeting African governmental officials and professionals, coupled with field visits of African scientists and control programme managers to China, and vice versa, are considered important for improved schistosomiasis control and elimination. The crucial question remains whether the Chinese experience can be translated and applied in African countries to improve the effectiveness of health interventions and scale-up.

Factors Associated with Relapse among Heroin Addicts: Evidence from a Two-Year Community-Based Follow-Up Study in China

Background: Many countries including China are facing a serious opiate dependence problem. Anti-drug work effectiveness was affected by the high relapse rate all over the world. This study aims to analyze the factors influencing heroin addict relapse, and to provide evidence for generating relapse prevention strategies. Methods: A community-based follow-up study was conducted in China between October 2010 and September 2012. A total of 554 heroin addicts in accordance with the inclusion criteria from 81 streets in 12 districts of Shanghai, China were divided into 4 groups: group 1—daily dosage taken orally of 60 mL of methadone or under combined with psychological counseling and social supports (n = 130); group 2—daily dosage taken orally of over 60 mL of methadone combined with psychological counseling and social supports (n = 50); group 3—JTT (Jitai tablets) combined with psychological counseling and social supports (n = 206); group 4—JTT combined with social supports (n = 168). Results: Log-rank test results showed that the cumulative relapse rate differences among four groups during the two-year follow-up period were not statistically significant (χ² = 5.889, p = 0.117). Multivariate Cox regression analysis results showed that only three independent variables were still statistically significant, including compliance with participation in psychological counseling (OR = 3.563, p = 0.000), the years of drug use (OR = 1.078, p = 0.001)and intervention model. Conclusions: Using the detoxification medications combined with appropriate psychological counseling and social support measures will help improve the effectiveness of relapse prevention, which is a kind of alternative community detoxification pattern. Appropriate and standard psychological counseling is very important for anti-drug treatment. The longer the drug addiction lasts, the longer the anti-drug treatment takes.

Abnormal Amygdala Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Irritable Bowel Syndrome

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Functional neuroimaging studies in irritable bowel syndrome have revealed abnormalities in the corticolimbic regions, specifically, hyperactivity of the amygdala during visceral and somatic stimulation. This study investigated changes in the neural circuitry of the amygdala in patients with irritable bowel syndrome based on resting-state functional connectivity.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Functional MR imaging data were acquired from 31 patients with irritable bowel syndrome and 32 healthy controls (matched for age, sex, and educational level) during rest, and the resting-state functional connectivity of bilateral amygdalae was compared. Multiple regression was performed to investigate the relationship between clinical indices of patients with irritable bowel syndrome and resting-state functional connectivity.

RESULTS

Compared with healthy controls, patients with irritable bowel syndrome had higher positive resting-state functional connectivity between the amygdala and insula, midbrain, parahippocampal gyrus, pre- and postcentral gyri, and supplementary motor area. The inclusion of anxiety and depression as covariates did not alter amygdala resting-state functional connectivity differences between the study groups. Multiple covariate regression results showed that the pain intensity in patients with irritable bowel syndrome positively correlated with resting-state functional connectivity between the amygdala and supplementary motor area, pre- and postcentral gyri, and insula, while the Irritable Bowel Syndrome-Symptom Severity Score positively correlated with resting-state functional connectivity between the amygdala and insula and midbrain.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with irritable bowel syndrome showed disturbed amygdala resting-state functional connectivity with the corticolimbic regions, which could partly account for the enhanced emotional arousal and visceral information processing associated with irritable bowel syndrome.

Planar B3S2H3−and B3S2H3clusters with a five-membered B3S2ring: boron–sulfur hydride analogues of cyclopentadiene

Boron–sulfur hydride clusters,C_2vB₃S₂H₃⁻and B₃S₂H₃, possess a five-membered B₃S₂ring as the core, which is analogous to cyclopentadiene in terms of π bonding.

Effects of CD3McAb and rhIL-2 activated bone marrow on the killing and purging of leukemia cells

We investigated the roles of CD3McAb and rhIL-2 activated bone marrow in the killing and purging of leukemia cells. Cytotoxicity of activated bone marrow was detected with MTT assay. CFU-GM level in activated bone marrow and the destruction of leukemia cells were measured using the semi-solid cell culture. Immune activation markers in activated bone marrow were detected by indirect immunofluorescence assay. Bone marrow activated by CD3McAb and rhIL-2 displayed significantly upregulated the killing and purging abilities on the leukemia cell line K562 and HL-60. Such effects were superior to that of bone marrow activated by rhIL-2 or CD3McAb alone (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Activation by rhIL-2 and (or) CD3McAb exerted no obvious influence on CFU-GM level in bone marrow. Compared with bone marrow activated by rhIL-2 or CD3McAb alone, the synergistic effect of both CD3McAb+ and hIL-2 caused significant increase of CD3(+), CD8(+), CD19(+), CD25(+), CD38(+), and CD56(+) levels. Our study indicates that CD3McAb enhanced the killing and purging effects of rhIL-2 activated bone marrow on leukemia cells.

Diagnostic performance of microRNA-29a for colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis

Previous studies have revealed that the expression level of microRNA-29a (miR-29a) was remarkably different in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients and healthy controls, indicating that miR-29a can be used as a diagnostic marker of CRC, but the results have been inconsistent. We conducted this meta-analysis to assess the diagnostic performance of blood-based miR-29a for CRC. We performed a systematic review of studies published over the past two decades to investigate the diagnostic performance of serum miR-29a for the diagnosis of CRC. QUADAS-2 was used to evaluate the quality of the studies. Performance characteristics (diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and other measures of accuracy) were pooled and examined using random-effect models. Five studies, which included 281 CRC patients and 299 healthy controls, met the inclusion criteria. The summary estimates for miR-29a in CRC diagnoses showed a diagnostic sensitivity of 0.59 (95%CI = 0.53-0.65), a specificity of 0.89 (95%CI = 0.85-0.93), and a diagnostic odds ratio of 12.22 (95%CI = 5.07-29.44). The area under curve and Q value for the summary receiver operating characteristic curves were 0.9128 and 0.8453, respectively. In conclusion, miR-29a may be a novel potential biomarker for CRC diagnosis.

Higher mortality in patients with right hemispheric intracerebral haemorrhage: INTERACT1 and 2

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Controversy exists over the prognostic significance of the affected hemisphere in stroke. We aimed to determine the relationship between laterality of acute intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) and poor clinical outcomes.

METHODS

A subsidiary analysis of the INTERACT Pilot and INTERACT2 studies--randomised controlled trials of patients with spontaneous acute ICH with elevated systolic blood pressure (BP), randomly assigned to intensive (target systolic BP <140 mm Hg) or guideline-based (<180 mm Hg) BP management. Outcomes were the combined and separate end points of death and major disability (modified Rankin scale (mRS) scores of 3-6, 6 and 3-5, respectively) at 90 days.

RESULTS

A total of 2708 patients had supratentorial/hemispheric ICH and information on mRS at 90 days. Patients with right hemispheric ICH (1327, 49%) had a higher risk of death at 90 days compared to those with left hemispheric ICH after adjustment for potential confounding variables (OR, 1.77 (95% CI 1.33 to 2.37)). There were no differences between patients with right and left hemispheric ICH regarding the combined end point of death or major disability or major disability in the multivariable-adjusted models (1.07 (0.89 to 1.29) and 0.85 (0.72 to 1.01), respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Right hemispheric lesion was associated with increased risk of death in patients with acute ICH. The laterality of the ICH does not appear to affect the level of disability in survivors.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00226096 and NCT00716079.

Cloning and characterization of the SERK1 gene in triploid Pingyi Tiancha [Malus hupehensis (Pamp.) Rehd. var. pingyiensis Jiang] and a tetraploid hybrid strain

This study aims to explore the roles of somatic embryogenesis receptor-like kinase (SERK) in Malus hupehensis (Pingyi Tiancha). The full-length sequences of SERK1 in triploid Pingyi Tiancha (3n) and a tetraploid hybrid strain 33# (4n) were cloned, sequenced, and designated as MhSERK1 and MhdSERK1, respectively. Multiple alignments of amino acid sequences were conducted to identify similarity between MhSERK1 and MhdSERK1 and SERK sequences in other species, and a neighbor-joining phylogenetic tree was constructed to elucidate their phylogenetic relations. Expression levels of MhSERK1 and MhdSERK1 in different tissues and developmental stages were investigated using quantitative real-time PCR. The coding sequence lengths of MhSERK1 and MhdSERK1 were 1899 bp (encoding 632 amino acids) and 1881 bp (encoding 626 amino acids), respectively. Sequence analysis demonstrated that MhSERK1 and MhdSERK1 display high similarity to SERKs in other species, with a conserved intron/exon structure that is unique to members of the SERK family. Additionally, the phylogenetic tree showed that MhSERK1 and MhdSERK1 clustered with orange CitSERK (93%). Furthermore, MhSERK1 and MhdSERK1 were mainly expressed in the reproductive organs, in particular the ovary. Their expression levels were highest in young flowers and they differed among different tissues and organs. Our results suggest that MhSERK1 and MhdSERK1 are related to plant reproduction, and that MhSERK1 is related to apomixis in triploid Pingyi Tiancha.

[Influence of Fe₃O₄Magnetic Nanoparticles Combined with As2O3 and Adriamycin on Raji Cell Apoptosis and Autophagy]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the effect of magnetic iron nanoparticles ( Fe₃O₄- MNP) in combination with arsenic trioxide and adriamycin on apoptosis and autophagy of Raji cells, a non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) cell line.

METHODS

The growth inhibition rate of Raji cells was analyzed by MTT assay, the cells apoptosis and intracellular concentration of ADM were determined by flow cytometry (FCM), the expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins such as BCL-2, NFκB, Survivin, BAX, P53, and Caspase-3, and related to autophagy-proteins, such as LC3, Beclin-1, and P62/SQSTM1 were detected by Western blot.

RESULTS

The growth inhibition of Raji cells in the group of ADM + As₂O₃were higher than that in the group of ADM or As₂O₃alone, however, lower than that in the group of Fe₃O₄- MNP combined with ADM and As₂O₃(ADM+As₂O₃+ MNP) (P < 0.05). The apoptotic rate and accumulation of intracellular ADM in the group of Fe₃O₄- MNP combined with ADM and As₂O₃were significantly higher than those in control, ADM, As₂O₃, and ADM plus As₂O₃groups (P < 0.05). The upregulation of BAX, P53 and Caspase-3 expression and the down regulation of BCL-2, NFκB, and Survivin expression at protein level were more remarkable in the group of ADM+As₂O₃ + MNP, compared with the other groups (P < 0.05). Moreover, the expressions of LC3 and Beclin-1 proteins in the group of ADM+As₂O₃+ MNP were higher, while the expression of P62/SQSTM1 was lower than that in other groups (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The Fe3O4 - MNP combined with ADM and As₂O₃can increase the antitumor efficacy on Raji cells by promoting apoptosis and inducing autophagy. It would be a promising strategy for malignant lymphoma therapy.

Identifying ion channel genes related to cardiomyopathy using a novel decision forest strategy

Ion channels play many crucial functions in life. Their dysfunction may lead to a number of diseases, such as arrhythmia and beta cell dysfunction. In this study, we firstly selected the ion channel gene expression profiles using a dimensionality reduction method. After that, we applied a novel decision forest strategy to mine cardiomyopathy related ion channel genes. The novel proposed Zi integrated the information of the decision trees' height and the frequency at which a gene was located in the tree. It achieved a much higher ability of feature selection. In the result, 26 cardiomyopathy related ion channel genes were identified. Their Zi were higher than the threshold Z*. Furthermore, most of these genes had been reported to have relationships with cardiomyopathies. In conclusion, our proposed decision forest strategy had a better classification performance. Our result can provide a theoretical basis for cardiovascular researchers.

Geometrical and morphological optimizations of plasmonic nanoarrays for high-performance SERS detection

Here we present an in-depth and comprehensive study of the effect of the geometry and morphology of nanoarray (NA) substrates on their surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) performance. The high-quality SERS-active NA substrates of various unit shapes and pitches are assembled through electron beam lithography and fabricated by electron beam physical vapor deposition. Good agreement is found on comparing the Raman scattering results with the integrals of the fourth power of local electric fields from the three-dimensional numerical simulations. A novel type of hybrid NA substrate composed of disordered nanoparticles and a periodic NA is fabricated and characterized. The morphology of NAs has little influence on the SERS performance of hybrid NA substrates and they perform better than both their counterparts pure NA and disordered nanoparticle substrates.

Specific alterations in plasma proteins during depressed, manic, and euthymic states of bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a common psychiatric mood disorder affecting more than 1-2% of the general population of different European countries. Unfortunately, there is no objective laboratory-based test to aid BD diagnosis or monitor its progression, and little is known about the molecular basis of BD. Here, we performed a comparative proteomic study to identify differentially expressed plasma proteins in various BD mood states (depressed BD, manic BD, and euthymic BD) relative to healthy controls. A total of 10 euthymic BD, 20 depressed BD, 15 manic BD, and 20 demographically matched healthy control subjects were recruited. Seven high-abundance proteins were immunodepleted in plasma samples from the 4 experimental groups, which were then subjected to proteome-wide expression profiling by two-dimensional electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight/time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry. Proteomic results were validated by immunoblotting and bioinformatically analyzed using MetaCore. From a total of 32 proteins identified with 1.5-fold changes in expression compared with healthy controls, 16 proteins were perturbed in BD independent of mood state, while 16 proteins were specifically associated with particular BD mood states. Two mood-independent differential proteins, apolipoprotein (Apo) A1 and Apo L1, suggest that BD pathophysiology may be associated with early perturbations in lipid metabolism. Moreover, down-regulation of one mood-dependent protein, carbonic anhydrase 1 (CA-1), suggests it may be involved in the pathophysiology of depressive episodes in BD. Thus, BD pathophysiology may be associated with early perturbations in lipid metabolism that are independent of mood state, while CA-1 may be involved in the pathophysiology of depressive episodes.

Blend Sign on Computed Tomography

Background and Purpose—

Early hematoma growth is not uncommon in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage and is an independent predictor of poor functional outcome. The purpose of our study was to report and validate the use of our newly identified computed tomographic (CT) blend sign in predicting early hematoma growth.

Methods—

Patients with intracerebral hemorrhage who underwent baseline CT scan within 6 hours after onset of symptoms were included. The follow-up CT scan was performed within 24 hours after the baseline CT scan. Significant hematoma growth was defined as an increase in hematoma volume of >33% or an absolute increase of hematoma volume of >12.5 mL. The blend sign on admission nonenhanced CT was defined as blending of hypoattenuating area and hyperattenuating region with a well-defined margin. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the relationship between the presence of the blend sign on nonenhanced admission CT and early hematoma growth.

Results—

A total of 172 patients were included in our study. Blend sign was observed in 29 of 172 (16.9%) patients with intracerebral hemorrhage on baseline nonenhanced CT scan. Of the 61 patients with hematoma growth, 24 (39.3%) had blend sign on admission CT scan. Interobserver agreement for identifying blend sign was excellent between the 2 readers (κ=0.957). The multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the time to baseline CT scan, initial hematoma volume, and presence of blend sign on baseline CT scan to be independent predictors of early hematoma growth. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of blend sign for predicting hematoma growth were 39.3%, 95.5%, 82.7%, and 74.1%, respectively.

Conclusions—

The CT blend sign could be easily identified on regular nonenhanced CT and is highly specific for predicting hematoma growth.