SU-E-J-196: In-Vivo Tumor Blood-Oxygen Content Measurement via Interstitial Optical Transmission Spectroscopy

PURPOSE

To demonstrate the application of in-vivo diffuse optical transmission spectroscopy in quantifying oxygen saturation in interstitial tissue, and to use this technique to examine reoxygenation dynamics in real-time as tumors responds to radiotherapy.

METHODS

Two 200 micron core fiber optics were threaded through two 21 gauge hypodermic needles: one coupled to an OceanOptics QE65000 spectrometer, and the other to an Ocean Optics HL-2000-HP 20W light source. These needles were fixed approximately 3 mm apart, and inserted into nude mice with human head- and-neck tumor xenografts. The oxygen saturation was then measured as a function of time after irradiation at intervals of 0.5, 1, 2, 6, 12, and 24, to measure the tumors' prompt oxygen saturation response to radiation.

RESULTS

Blood volume, deoxy and oxy-hemoglobin concentrations were measured through least-squares fitting of transmission spectra. Furthermore, various configurations of interstitial fiber optic probes were explored to optimize signal strength. Improvement of the optical coupling to the biological system and a concurrent increase in source intensity are the main two focuses for boosting signal strength.

CONCLUSIONS

This work has the potential to give an understanding of the time-scales of hypoxia and reoxygenation in vivo as tumors respond to radiation injury. This technique is of particular interest for hypofractionated therapies particularly treatments of only two or three treatments, where optimizing treatment timing can increase the tumorcidal effect of the remaining fractions.

Effect of interaction of vitamin C on macrophage immune response to infection with Mycobacterium bovis

Bovine tuberculosis is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium bovis affecting humans and livestock. Like Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb), M. bovis can persist in cattle without causing overt symptoms after entering a non-replicating persistent (NRP) state. Given that M.tb enters NRP under stress conditions, we sought to find the effects of vitamin C (VC) on M. bovis in vitro and in vivo (VC could mimic stresses like hypoxia by O2 scavenging and acidic conditions in phagosome). M. bovis was cultured in a medium with VC for 48 h. The differential expression of five genes (dosR, dosS, dosT, icl, and hspX of M. bovis) implicated in the M. bovis NRP state was measured with real-time quantitative PCR. Expression of all five genes was increased by VC. Relative to the control, VC-exposed bacteria appeared smaller and more rounded in shape with a much thicker inner envelope. A lower number of viable bacteria were found in comparison with those of the control. We infected macrophage cell line ANA-1 with M. bovis and cultured it in VC-added medium (MC group) for 24h and 48 h. Expression of il-10, il-6, tnf-α, and il-β was examined and compared with expression by cells infected by M. bovis only without VC treatment (MB group), uninfected cells in the medium treated with VC (VC group), and cells in the medium only without VC. Il-1β, tnf-α, and il-6 transcription were up-regulated significantly in MC group. IL-10 gene expression in MB and MC groups was less than in the control at 24h, but that of MC group increased more than the MB group at 48 h. The numbers of intracellular M. bovis in the MC group were lower than that in the other groups. Slower growth was found in VC-treated M. bovis, and macrophages were more bactericidal for intracellular VC-stimulated M. bovis than for M. bovis with no VC treatment.

Cardiac mass in Behçet's disease

Cardiac mass is a rare manifestation of Behçet's disease (BD). Intracardiac thrombosis, endomyocardiofibrosis, endocardial fibroelastosis, inflammatory mass and cystic change have been reported as different entities of cardiac mass in BD. Here we presented 6 cases of this rare manifestation of BD. The clinical and pathological features were reviewed.

Sox2 targets cyclinE, p27 and survivin to regulate androgen-independent human prostate cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis

OBJECTIVES

Sox2 is a major transcription factor and the transforming growth factor-α (TGF-α)/EGFR autocrine loop is a hallmark of prostate cancer progression. In this study, we have evaluated the effects and potential mechanisms of Sox2 on cell proliferation and apoptosis, and investigated effects of TGF-α on expression of Sox2 on androgen-independent human prostate cancer cells.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Expression of Sox2 has been determined by RT-PCR, western blot analysis and immunocytochemistry, using RNAi and over-expression strategy to study functions of Sox2 in DU145 and PC-3 cells. Changes in level of proliferation, cell cycle and apoptosis profiles were measured by MTT, colony-forming, bromodeoxyuridine incorporation assays, cell cycle and annexin V analysis.

RESULTS

Sox2 was expressed in six human prostate cancer cell lines, and its inhibition reduced cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in DU145 cells. We have shown that knock-down of Sox2 inhibited G(1) to S phase transition concomitantly with down-regulation of cyclin E and up-regulation of p27 proteins. Conversely, over-expression of Sox2 led to the opposite effect in PC-3 cells but its inhibition induced apoptosis by down-regulation of survivin in DU145 cells. We also found that TGF-α up-regulated Sox2 and survivin protein expression via the EGFR/PI3K/AKT pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

Sox2 expression is necessary for cell proliferation and evasion of apoptosis in prostate cancer cells and TGF-α could regulate Sox2 and survivin expression by activating the EGFR/PI3K/AKT pathway.

Anthropogenic atmospheric nickel emissions and its distribution characteristics in China

Nickel and its compounds are considered as potential human carcinogens, and atmospheric nickel is one of the major routes for human exposure. By applying the best available fuel-based or product-based emission factors and annual activity levels, a multiple-year comprehensive inventory of anthropogenic atmospheric nickel emissions in China is presented with temporal trend and spatial resolutions for the period of 1980-2009 from both fuels combustion sources and industrial producing processes. We estimate that the total atmospheric nickel emissions from all the sources have increased from 1096.07 t in 1980 to 3933.71 t in 2009, at an average annual growth rate of 4.5%. Therein, coal combustion is the leading source, attributing 63.4% of the national total nickel emissions in 2009; liquid fuels consumption ranks the second, contributing 12.4% of the totals; biofuels burning accounts for 8.4% and the remaining sources together contribute 15.8% of the totals. Significant spatial variations are demonstrated among provincial emissions and the most concentrated regions are the highly industrialized and densely populated areas like the Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Delta and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Moreover, the overall uncertainties are estimated at -32.6%-37.7% by using Monte Carlo simulation, most of which come from non-ferrous metals smelting category, implying the urgent need for further investigation and field tests. This article may help to combat the increasing stress on air heavy metals pollution in China and provide useful information to calculate global mass balance models for hazardous trace elements.

An integrated urban drainage system model for assessing renovation scheme

Due to sustained economic growth in China over the last three decades, urbanization has been on a rapidly expanding track. In recent years, regional industrial relocations were also accelerated across the country from the east coast to the west inland. These changes have led to a large-scale redesign of urban infrastructures, including the drainage system. To help the reconstructed infrastructures towards a better sustainability, a tool is required for assessing the efficiency and environmental performance of different renovation schemes. This paper developed an integrated dynamic modeling tool, which consisted of three models for describing the sewer, the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and the receiving water body respectively. Three auxiliary modules were also incorporated to conceptualize the model, calibrate the simulations, and analyze the results. The developed integrated modeling tool was applied to a case study in Shenzhen City, which is one of the most dynamic cities and facing considerable challenges for environmental degradation. The renovation scheme proposed to improve the environmental performance of Shenzhen City's urban drainage system was modeled and evaluated. The simulation results supplied some suggestions for the further improvement of the renovation scheme.

Spatial-temporal expression of pum1 and pum2 in medaka Oryzias latipes

Two pumilios, pum1 and pum2, were identified in medaka Oryzias latipes. Oryzias latipes pum1 and pum2 are ubiquitous in the adult tissues but with specific expression in the germ cells of gonads, ovary and testis. Pum1 is expressed in the spermatogonia to spermatocytes whilst pum2 presents in spermatocytes of testis only. Oryzias latipes pum1 and pum2 are maternally supplied RNA with ubiquitous expression in the early stages, and embryonic expression of pum1 and pum2 may begin from early gastrula. Both pum1 and pum2 are expressed in the tissues including brain, eye and trunk, and both are expressed in the gonads after hatching. Taken together, Pum1 and Pum2 may play important roles in embryonic and germ cell development of O. latipes.

A U-shaped relationship between ankle-brachial index and carotid intima-media thickness in a Chinese population of Inner Mongolia

AIM

The study was designed to investigate the relationship between ankle-brachial index (ABI) and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), and provide scientific basis for primary and secondary prevention of atherosclerotic diseases.

METHODS

Participants were recruited for this investigation from Inner Mongolia in China through cluster multistage and random sampling. ABI and carotid-IMT were measured for each subject. Periphery arterial disease (PAD) was defined as an ABI≤0.9 in either leg. ABI values were divided into eight groups at every 0.05, and three carotid-IMT measures were compared among groups separately using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multivariate linear regression analyses.

RESULTS

The results indicated that the prevalence of PAD among 1236 participants was 1.9%. The average common carotid IMT was 0.70±0.21 mm, internal carotid IMT 0.77±0.24 mm, and carotid artery bifurcation IMT 0.78±0.25 mm. A U-shaped relationship was observed that the values of common carotid, carotid artery bifurcation, and internal carotid arteries IMT were decreased at first then increased as ABI values increased. The U-shaped relationship between ABI and three carotid-IMT measures were remained after adjusting for covariates.

CONCLUSION

The data suggests that carotid IMT values are correlated with ABI values in a U-shaped curve. Increased carotid IMT is correlated with the high prevalence of PAD in population of Inner Mongolia in China.

Involvement of the NF-κB pathway in multidrug resistance induced by HBx in a hepatoma cell line

It is widely believed that hepatocellular cancer (HCC), especially HBV associated HCC, is highly resistant to chemotherapy. To investigate the molecular influence of HBx protein on multidrug resistance (MDR) in HCC and the potential role of the NF-κB pathway in this process. We established HBx-expressing cells by liposome-mediated transfection of the HBx into the HepG2 cell line. We found that HBx expression in HCC cells induces drug resistance against multiple drugs, a significantly lower apoptosis ratio in HepG2-HBx and HepG2.2.15 cells, compared with HepG2 and HepG2-3.1 cells (P < 0.05) after treating with 5-FU or adriamycin. And compared with the control group, the HBx-transfected cells showed a higher expression of MDR-associated and anti-apoptotic genes. Furthermore, we found that the NF-κB activity was remarkably high in the HBx-expressing cells as measured by p65 nuclear localization. In addition, the upregulated anti-apoptotic genes, Gadd45b and Survivin, in HBx-expressing HCC cells were downregulated by IMD-0354 treatment, which is the NF-κB pathway inhibitor. Taken together, these results suggest that HBx protein might be one of the causes for the occurrence of MDR in HCC, and the NF-κB pathway might be involved in this change.

Elevated circulating CD4+ ICOS+ Foxp3+ T cells contribute to overproduction of IL-10 and are correlated with disease severity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

In this work, we aimed to investigate the frequency, possible categories and clinical significance of circulating CD4+ ICOS+ FoxP3+ T cells in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The frequency of circulating CD4+ ICOS+ FoxP3+ T cells was analysed by flow-cytometric analysis in 32 SLE patients, 10 rheumatoid arthritis patients and 32 healthy controls. Production of IL-10 and mTGF-β by different CD4+ T-cell populations was determined by intracellular cytokine staining. Plasma levels of IL-10 and TGF-β were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The frequency of circulating CD4+ ICOS+ FoxP3+ T cells was significantly increased in SLE patients as compared with control groups. The elevated frequency of CD4+ ICOS+ FoxP3+ T cells had a positive correlation with SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) scores and serum anti-dsDNA but a negative correlation with serum C3. Additionally, the CD4+ ICOS+ Foxp3+ T cells contained significantly higher percentages of IL-10-producing cells than CD4+ ICOS- Foxp3+ T cells. A significant positive correlation was also observed between the frequency of CD4+ ICOS+ Foxp3+ T cells and the plasma level of IL-10 in SLE patients. In conclusion, an increased frequency of circulating CD4+ ICOS+ Foxp3+ T cells was observed in patients with SLE, suggesting its potential importance in the immunopathogenesis of SLE. Analysis of the CD4+ ICOS+ FoxP3+ T-cell population may be useful for the evaluation of lupus disease severity.

Temporal and spatial distribution of atmospheric antimony emission inventories from coal combustion in China

A multiple-year inventory of atmospheric antimony (Sb) emissions from coal combustion in China for the period of 1980-2007 has been calculated for the first time. Specifically, the emission inventories of Sb from 30 provinces and 4 economic sectors (thermal power, industry, residential use, and others) are evaluated and analyzed in detail. It shows that the total Sb emissions released from coal combustion in China have increased from 133.19 t in 1980 to 546.67 t in 2007, at an annually average growth rate of 5.4%. The antimony emissions are largely emitted by industrial sector and thermal power generation sector, contributing 53.6% and 26.9% of the totals, respectively. At provincial level, the distribution of Sb emissions shows significant variation. Between 2005 and 2007, provinces always rank at the top five largest Sb emissions are: Guizhou, Hunan, Hebei, Shandong, and Anhui.

Molecular cloning of HSP70 in Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae and comparison with that of other mycoplasmas

Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae, a bacterial species that specifically affects ovine and goat, is the cause of ovine infectious pleuropneumonia. We cloned, sequenced and analyzed heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) (dnaK) gene of M. ovipneumoniae. The full length open reading frame of the M. ovipneumoniae HSP70 gene consists of 1812 nucleotides, with a G+C content of 34.16%, encoding 604 amino acids. Comparative analysis with the HSP70 sequences of 15 Mycoplasma species revealed 59 to 87% DNA sequence identity, with an amino acid sequence identity range of 58 to 94%. M. ovipneumoniae and M. hyopneumoniae shared the highest DNA and amino acid sequence identity (87 and 94%, respectively). Based on phylogenetic analysis, both the DNA and amino acid identities of M. ovipneumoniae with other mycoplasmal HSP70 were correlated with the degree of relationship between the species. The C-terminus of the HSP70 was cloned into a bacterial expression vector and expressed in Escherichia coli cells. The recombinant C-terminal portion of HSP70 protein strongly reacted with convalescent sera from M. ovipneumoniae-infected sheep, based on an immunoblotting assay. This indicates that HSP70 is immunogenic in a natural M. ovipneumoniae infection and may be a relevant antigen for vaccine development.

Site-specific multi-stage CVD of large-scale arrays of ultrafine ZnO nanorods

Multi-stage growth of ZnO nanorod arrays has been carried out by Au-assisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD) in order to better understand and more precisely control the growth behaviors. It is evidenced that Au-catalyzed vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) growth only dominates the initial site-specific nucleation of the nanorods, while the subsequent growth is governed by a vapor-solid (VS) epitaxy mechanism. The sequential VLS and VS behaviors permit the fabrication of large-scale highly ordered arrays of ZnO nanorods with precisely tunable diameters and embedded junctions by controlling reactant concentration and nanorod top morphology. Based on the above results, two routes to fabricate ultrafine ZnO nanorod arrays are proposed and stepwise nanorod arrays with ultrafine top segment (~10 nm in diameter) have been achieved. Temperature-dependent photoluminescence (PL) and spatial resolved PL were carried out on the nanorod arrays and on individual nanorods, indicating high quality optical properties and tunable light emission along the length of the stepwise nanorods.

Siliceous Mesostructured Cellular Foams with Uniformly Sized and Shaped Pores

Mesostructured siliceous cellular foams (mesocellular foams, MCFs) with homogeneous ultra-large mesopores are described. MCFs consist of uniform spherical cells 21–36 nm in diameter and possess surface areas up to 900 m2/g. Uniform windows, 7–18 nm in diameter, interconnect the cells to form a continuous 3-D pore system, which makes the MCFs attractive candidates for supports for catalysis and in separation and immobilization involving large molecules. They may be of interest in low-dielectric applications. The size of the cells can be controlled by the concentration of the added organic cosolvent. Adding small amounts of NH4F selectively enlarges the windows. We propose that the MCFs are templated by oil-inwater microemulsion droplets. The large-pore MCF materials resemble aerogels, with the benefit of a facilitated synthesis procedure in combination with well-defined pores and wall structure.

Investigation of Cu(II) adsorption from aqueous solutions by NKF-6 zeolite

Adsorption of Cu(II) from aqueous solutions using NKF-6 zeolite was investigated by batch technique under ambient conditions. The adsorption was investigated as a function of pH, ionic strength, fulvic acid (FA), foreign ions and temperature. The results indicated that the adsorption of Cu(II) on NKF-6 zeolite gradually increases from 0 to 90% with increasing pH at pH<6.5, and maintains high level at pH>6.5. Outer-sphere complexation or ion exchange may be the main adsorption mechanism of Cu(II) to NKF-6 zeolite at low pH values, whereas the adsorption of Cu(II) at pH>6.5 is mainly dominated by inner-sphere complexation or precipitation. A positive effect of FA on Cu(II) adsorption onto NKF-6 zeolite is observed at low pH values, while a negative effect of FA is observed at high pH values. The thermodynamic parameters (i.e., ΔH0, ΔS0 and ΔG0) for the adsorption of Cu(II) were determined from the temperature dependent isotherms at 20, 40 and 60°C, respectively, and the results indicated that the adsorption reaction is favoured at low temperature. The results suggested that the adsorption process of Cu(II) on NKF-6 zeolite is spontaneous and exothermic.

Characteristics of prevalence in peripheral arterial disease and correlative risk factors and comorbidities among female natural population in China

BACKGROUND

To investigate the prevalence of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and correlating risk factors and comorbidities in a natural female population in China, and to study the characteristics of atherosclerotic disease in females.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Natural population from communities in several cities and districts including Beijing, Shanghai, Changsha, Guangdong, Inner Mongolia, and Xinjiang in China were investigated as study subjects through cluster multistage and random sampling. Ankle-brachial index (ABI) was measured among participants in the communities by trained investigators and correlative information and clinical data were collected. PAD was defined as an ABI≤0.9 in either leg.

RESULTS

21,152 eligible participants were included in the survey. The prevalence in males and females was 2.52 % and 3.66 %, the standardized prevalence was 1.84% and 4.31% respectively, and the prevalence in females was higher than that in males (p<0.01). The prevalence in females obviously increased (p<0.01) with increasing age. More female participants with PAD were over 69 years old compared with those without PAD (18.8% vs. 10.0%, p=0.000) and more frequently have a smoking habit (11.1% vs. 2.5%, p=0.000), lipid disorders (34.8% vs. 29.2%, p=0.047), diabetes mellitus (14.8% vs. 8.6%, p=0.000), coronary heart disease (16.9% vs. 10.0%, p=0.000) and a history of stroke (6.8% vs. 2.3%, p=0.000). Using multiple logistic regression analysis, older age (>69 years old, OR: 1.60, 95% CI: 1.11-2.29), a smoking habit (OR: 5.98, 95% CI: 3.88-9.21), comorbidities of lipid disorders (OR: 1.45, 95% CI: 1.10-1.91), diabetes mellitus (OR: 1.46, 95% CI: 1.02-2.11), coronary heart disease (OR: 1.50, 95% CI: 1.02-2.19)and a history of stroke (OR: 1.71, 95% CI: 1.01-2.91) were correlated with the prevalence of PAD in females in China. Only 0.8% of female patients with PAD had been diagnosed previously.

CONCLUSIONS

The data suggest that the prevalence of PAD in a female natural population in China is higher than that in males. Many conventional risk factors and comorbidities were correlated with the high prevalence of PAD in females. But only very few female patients with PAD were diagnosed. Thus, more measures should be taken to diagnose, prevent and control PAD in females in China.