Preventive effect of Angelica gigas Nakai extract oral administration on dry eye syndrome

Objective:To identify the preventive effect of Angelica gigas Nakai (A. gigas Nakai) extract in a benzalkonium chloride-induced dry eye model.Methods:A total of 28 mice were divided into 4 groups: 1) Normal group: mice received only saline; 2) positive control group: mice received an oral solution without A. gigas Nakai extract at 10:00 a.m. and 0.2% benzalkonium chloride eye drops at 2:00 p.m.; 3) A. gigas Nakai extract (5 mg); 4) A. gigas Nakai extract (10 mg). Both group 3) and group 4) received an oral solution with A. gigas Nakai extract (either 5 mg/kg or 10 mg/kg) at 10:00 a.m. and 0.2% benzalkonium chloride eye drops at 2:00 p.m. After 14 d of follow-up, tear volume measurement and fluorescein staining were evaluated for the recovery effects on ocular surface. Histologic analysis was conducted by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Apoptosis on ocular epithelium layer was examined using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling staining. Expression of TNF- α was also measured using western blot analysis.Results:An increase in both the tear volume and the sustained fluorescein staining scores was observed, demonstrating the preventive effects of A. gigas Nakai extract. Structure changes such as irregularity of the epithelial layer and corneal epithelial cell death were inhibited in the A. gigas Nakai extract groups. Expression of TNF- α moderately declined; however, its expression level was still higher, compared to the normal group.Conclusions:Results from the current study show the significant preventive effect of A. gigas Nakai extract in a mouse model of benzalkonium chloride-induced dry eye syndrome. Thus, A. gigas Nakai extract could be considered as an oral preventive agent for dry eye syndrome in the future.

Feasibility study of multi-purpose quality assurance phantom for pretreatment verification of volumetric modulated arc therapy

Background: the purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of a multipurpose quality assurance [QA] phantom for pretreatment verification of volumetric modulated arc therapy [VMAT]

Materials and Methods: the QA phantom was constructed with polymethyl methacrylate [PMMA] to perform relative dosimetry using EBT3 film and Map CHECK, as well as absolute dosimetry using an ionization chamber. The QA phantom was constructed to perform relative dosimetry using EBT3 film and Map CHECK, as well as the absolute dosimetry using ionization chamber. In order to verify the pretreatment plans, 25 patients treated with VMAT were selected. The pretreatment plans were calculated in the Eclipse treatment planning system using the Acuros XB dose calculation algorithm and CT images for the QA phantom, with the same beam setup and monitor units [MUs] as those for patient treatment. All plans were delivered to the Varian True Beam accelerator equipped with a high-definition multi-leaf collimator

Results: the multi-purpose QA phantom is developed for convenient VMAT dose verification. By using the QA phantom, all 25 cases passed +/- 3% acceptability criteria in absolute dosimetry with an ionization chamber for pretreatment verification. The relative dosimetry using EBT3 film and Map CHECK system also showed high agreement of more than 90% for 2%/2-mm and 3%/3-mm criteria

Conclusion: the results of this study demonstrated the good multipurpose capabilities of the phantom for the absolute and relative dosimetry. Therefore, the developed multi-purpose QA phantom was applied in our institution for routine VMRT dose verification

Dosimetric accuracy of the Acuros XB and Anisotropic analytical algorithm near interface of the different density media for the small fields of a 6- MV flattening-filter-free beam

Background: This study was conducted to assess the accuracy of dose calculation near the air-phantom interface of a heterogeneous phantom for Acuros XB [AXB] and Anisotropic Analytical Algorithm [AAA] algorithm of a 6-MV flattening-filter-free beam, compared with film measurements

Materials and Methods: A phantom included air gap was specially manufactured for this study. In order to evaluate the dose near air gap-phantom interface, Eclipse treatment planning system equipped both AXB and AAA was used for the dose calculations. Measurements in this region were performed with radiochromic film. The central-axis dose [CAD] and off-axis dose [OAD] between calculations and measurements were analyzed for various field sizes and air gaps. The root-mean-square-error [RMSE] was used to evaluate the difference between the calculated and measured OAD. In order to quantify agreement between the calculated and measured dose distributions, the gamma analysis was performed with the 2%/2 mm and 3%/3 mm criteria

Results: For all fields traveling through 1 and 3 cm air gap, the maximum difference in the calculated CAD was -5.3% for AXB and 214.8% for AAA, compared to the measured CAD. For the RMSE between the calculated and measured OAD, the calculated OAD using AXB showed interval in the RMSE [from 4.4 to 12.7] while using AAA indicated broad [from 7.7 to 101.0]. In addition, the gamma passing rates showed that AXB was higher agreement than AAA

Conclusion: This study demonstrated that AXB was more accurate in heterogeneous media near air-phantom interface than AAA when comparing the measured data

Ultrasonographic evaluation of the gallbladder after transcatheter arterial embolization

Currently transcatheter arterial embolization(TAE) is widely used in Korea as a palliative treatment inpatients with inoperable heptocellular carcinoma. Embolization of cystic artery is frequently unavoidable in TAE but the effect on gallbladder, its significance and sonographic findings have not yet been fully as certained. We analyzed 29 cases of gallbladder in post TAE state by means of sonographic evaluation. The results were as follows. 1. Initial change was observed on the 1st day of TAE. 2. Maximum enlargement of the gallbladder occurred within 3 days. 3. Relief of pain was mostly noted in one week. 4. Ultrasonographic findings are: a) Enlargement ofthe gallbladder: 27 cases b) Sonolucent layer within the wall: 5 cases c) Thickening of the wall: 27 cases d)Sludge formation: 6 cases e) Pericholecystic anechoic area: 3 cases 5. No surgical intervention was necessary for complication of gallbladder, if ever: some medical treatment was sufficient. 6. Non-visualization of gallbladder was experienced, possibly due to atrophic changes. 7. Even in the case of cystic artery salvation, mild gallbladder changes were still observed. 8. No significant difference as sonographic findings was descernable inuse of various embolic materials