Magnetic resonance imaging of ovarian carcinosarcoma: correlation to the clinicopathological findings / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics of ovarian carcinosarcoma and the diagnostic value of MRI.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The MRI features of ovarian carcinosarcoma and clinical data of 5 patients with ovarian carcinosarcoma were reviewed. All the lesions were confirmed by surgery and pathological examination.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>MRI of ovarian carcinosarcoma in the 5 cases all showed large tumor mass and heterogeneous high-intensity on T2-weighted images and low-intensity on T1-weighted images, with laminar or stripe-like enhancement. Hemorrhage and necrosis were also displayed in some lesions. In two cases, the tumors invaded the greater omentum, sigmoid colon and the body of the uterus, with regional lymph node involvement. Pelvic effusion was observed in all the cases with pelvic hematocele in 1 case.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>MRI is useful in the detection and staging of ovarian carcinosarcoma.</p>

Culture of neural stem cells from cerebral cortex of rat embryo and effects of drugs on the proliferation ability of stem cells / 药学学报

<p><b>AIM</b>To establish culture procedures of neural stem cells from embryonic rat brain, determine their stem-cell characteristics and observe the effects of several compounds on their proliferation ability.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Firstly, a stem cell culture system was set up from embryonic rat cortex. The cells were identified as neural stem cells through immunocytochemistry, in which antibodies to neural stem cell specific protein and markers of mature neural cells were used. Then, by using MTT assay, the survival rate of neurospheres incubated with various concentrations of ginsenoside Rg1, (-)-clausenamide and salvianolic acid A were observed. Furthermore, the effect of these drugs was measured with 3[H] thymidine incorporation assay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In this study, a culture model of neural stem cell was successfully set up. In this model, primary cells from E16-18 rat cortex were dissected out, and cultured as floating neurospheres. The results of immunocytochemistry showed that nestin was expressed by the majority of cells within the sphere. After growing for 8 days in differentiation medium, cells from a single neurosphere were shown to differentiate into 3 main kinds of neural cells: neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. MTT assay revealed that the three drugs all enhanced the survival rate of neural stem cells, but 3[H] thymidine incorporation assay suggested that only Rg1 significantly accelerated the proliferation rate.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>One culture model of neural stem cell was set up successfully. Meanwhile, several drugs were found to increase the proliferation and/or survival rate of neural stem cells. It has been demonstrated that neural stem cells exist in adult mammalian brains. So, these drugs may become promising candidates for the therapy of neurodegenerative diseases; such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.</p>