Research progress of polymer self-healing mechanism and its application in biomedicine / 药学学报

Polymer self-healing is mainly based on the molecular structure and interaction of polymers, and some need external stimulation, such as light, heat, pH, etc. In recent years, many studies have found that the self-healing properties of polymers can prolong the life of materials, while maintaining the mechanical properties of polymers after healing. According to the different action modes of polymer materials, it can be divided into autonomous self-healing and non-autonomous self-healing. Among them, autonomous self-healing mainly works through reversible covalent bonds (Schiff base bond, Diels-Alder reaction, hydrazide bond), reversible non-covalent bonds (hydrogen bond, metal-ligand coordination bond, electrostatic interaction, π-π stacking interaction, hydrophobic interaction) and a combination of the two interactions. Drug carriers with unique self-healing properties play an important role in the encapsulation and stable release of biomacromolecules. In this review, the self-healing mechanism of polymers and their applications in the field of biomedicine were briefly summarized and discussed.

Accelerated stability test of sustained-release thienorphine loaded microspheres for injection / 药学学报

In order to meet the clinical needs of long-acting sustained-release thienorphine, injectable thienorphine loaded microspheres were developed, and the accelerated stability study was carried out to explore the suitable storage and transportation conditions of the microspheres. Using poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) as carrier material, 3 batches of microspheres were prepared in pilot scale with emulsion solvent evaporation method. By investigating the in vitro release of thienorphine loaded microspheres at 37, 45, 52, and 60 ℃, and applying the Arrhenius equation, the linear relationship between the release rate constant (lgk) and the temperature (1/T) was established to obtain the equation: lgk = -8.073/T + 24.35 (R2 = 0.985 3), which showed that the release of microspheres at high temperature can be used to predict the release in vitro at 37 ℃, and 52.0 ± 0.5 ℃ was selected as the accelerated release condition in vitro. The quality research methods were established to investigate the changes of critical quality attributes such as microsphere morphology, drug loading, particle size and distribution, polymer molecular weight, and the related substances under accelerated conditions. The difference factor f1 and similarity factor f2 were used to assess the similarity of release behavior under accelerated conditions. The results showed that under the accelerated experimental conditions of 25 ± 2 ℃ and relative humidity (RH) 60% ± 5%, the critical quality attributes of injectable thienorphine loaded microspheres had no significant change in 6 months, suggesting that the long-term storage condition could be 5 ± 3 ℃.

A network pharmacology and molecule docking approach to investigating active compounds and mechanisms of gonglaoye-xianhecao herbal pair for ischemic stroke / 中国药理学通报

Aim To clarify the mechanism of Gonglaoye and Xianhecao herbal pair in the treatment of ischemic stroke so as to obtain the substantive evidence using network pharmacology data mining and molecular docking. Methods The main compounds of traditional Chinese medicine were obtained by TCMSP platform and consulting literature, the drug action targets were obtained by TCMSP, and the known genes about ischemic stroke were collected by searching Drugbank, Disgenet, TTD, Genecards, OMIM database, thus the drug-compound-target network map was constructed, and the common target proteins and main compounds were screened. The visual protein-protein interaction network map (PPI) was constructed by string. With the help of Cytoscape software, the original target network of active components was constructed and analyzed, and the gene ontology GO and Jingdu gene and genome encyclopedia KEGG analysis were carried out to analyze the GO function and KEGG pathway enrichment of the common targets of drugs and diseases. Finally, the molecular docking of the core protein and the core compound was carried out according to the relevant node parameters of the compound and protein. Results Seventeen active components and 296 potential targets of Gonglao leaf and crane herbs in the treatment of ischemic stroke were screened. GO enrichment was mainly concentrated in the response to oxides, cell response to chemical stimulation, positive regulation of cell metabolism, constant effect, active regulation of stimulus response, cell communication and so on. KEGG was mainly involved in signaling pathways such as PI3K-Akt, Ras, neuron ligand receptor interaction and so on. Molecular docking showed that quercetin and other active components had high affinity and tight connection with core targets such as AKT1. Conclusions The treatment of ischemic strokec is mainly through the mechanism of ursolic acid, hyperin and other active components, AKT1, cMAPK3 and other multi-targets, PI3K-AKT and other multi-pathway interaction mechanisms. Through this study the theoretical support can be provided for the further clinical application of Gonglaye and crane herbs, providing basic ideas for future experimental research and new drug research and development.

Systematic review and Meta-analysis of clinical efficacy and safety of Ginkgo Leaf Tablets in treatment of acute cerebral infarction / 中国中药杂志

To systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Ginkgo Leaf Tablets(GLT) in the treatment of acute cerebral infarction(ACI). Seven databases both at home and abroad were systematically retrieved from their establishment to March 2020. The data of the included studies were extracted after review and screening. The quality of the included studies was assessed with the Cochrane risk bias assessment tool, and then the included studies were put into Meta-analysis by RevMan 5.3 to evaluate the total cli-nical efficiency, neurological function score, blood lipids and incidence of adverse reactions in treatment of ACI by GLT. Finally, the GRADE system was adopted to evaluate the evidence quality of each outcome indicator and form recommendations. Ten studies involving 886 participants were included, all of which were of low quality. Meta-analysis results showed that,(1)in terms of the total clinical efficiency, GLT+Western medicine was superior to Western medicine alone(RR_(NDS)=1.20, 95%CI[1.06, 1.36], P=0.005; RR_(NIHSS)=1.35, 95%CI[1.09, 1.69], P=0.007), and there was no statistical difference between GLT+Xuesaitong Injection+Wes-tern medicine and Xuesaitong Injection+Western medicine(RR=1.16, 95%CI[1.00, 1.35], P=0.05).(2)In terms of improving neurological function score, GLT+Western medicine was superior to Western medicine alone(MD_(NIHSS[moderate(severe)])=-1.55, 95%CI[-2.22,-0.88], P<0.000 01; MD_(NIHSS(severe))=-7.51, 95%CI[-8.00,-7.02], P<0.000 01; MD_(NDS)=-1.36, 95%CI[-2.39,-0.33], P=0.01), and GLT+Danshen Injection+Western medicine was superior to Danshen Injection+Western medicine(MD_(NDS)=-3.09, 95%CI[-3.84,-2.34], P<0.000 01).(3)In terms of regulating blood lipids, GLT+Western medicine was superior to Wes-tern medicine alone(MD_(TC)=-1.40, 95%CI[-2.13,-0.66], P=0.000 2; MD_(TG)=-1.29, 95%CI[-1.86,-0.73], P<0.000 01; MD_(LDL-C)=-1.48, 95%CI[-2.91,-0.04], P=0.04; MD_(HDL-C)=0.07, 95%CI[0.02, 0.12], P=0.009).(4)In terms of incidence of adverse reactions, there was no statistical difference between GLT+Western medicine and Western medicine alone(RR=0.63, 95%CI[0.30, 1.32], P=0.22). The results of the evaluation showed that the evidence level of each outcome indicator was low, and the recommendation was at weak level. In conclusion, GLT+Western medicine could improve the total clinical efficiency, neurological function score, and blood lipid status, with a low incidence of adverse reactions. However, due to the small amount of included stu-dies, low study quality and low level of evidence, it is expected to carry out clinical studies with standardized design and large sample size in the future to further investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of GLT in the treatment of ACI.

Analysis of the factors influencing the pathological complete remission and prognosis of young breast cancer patients after neoadjuvant chemotherapy / 中国综合临床

Objective:To explore the clinicopathological factors that influence the prognosis and pathological complete response (PCR) of young breast cancer patients after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.Methods:From January 2007 to December 2017, 87 cases of female breast cancer patients aged ≤40 who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and were admitted to the breast surgery department of Qingdao 8th people′s hospital were analyzed retrospectively.According to the pathological results, , the patients were divided into three groups: 30 in the PCR group and 57 in the non PCR group. To compare the correlation between the composition of PCR, recurrence/metastasis and death and clinicopathological characteristics, and to analyze the relationship between PCR and disease-free survival(DFS) and overall survival(OS).Results:After neoadjuvant chemotherapy, 30 of the 87 patients reached to PCR (34.5%). The proportion of PCR after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in young breast cancer is related to estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), preoperative lymph node status, Ki67 level and molecular typing( χ 2 values were 3.592, 4.614, 8.373, 4.251 and 14.569, respectively, P values were 0.047, 0.032, 0.039, 0.039 and 0.006, respectively; the proportion of recurrence and metastasis patients with Er, PR and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 2, HER-2, tumor size and lymph node status were correlated (χ 2 values were 8.778, 6.243, 9.413, 14.910, 23.074, P values were 0.003, 0.013, 0.009, 0.002, < 0.001, respectively); the proportion of dead patients was correlated with Er, PR, HER-2, grade, tumor size and lymph node status (χ 2 values were 6.686, 4.340, 11.874, 15.707, 12.428, 26.564, respectively, P values were 0.010, 0.037, 0.003, < 0.001, 0.006, < 0.001). Er, PR, HER-2, tumor size, preoperative lymph node status and molecular typing were correlated with DFS ( HR(95% CI) was 0.53 (0.31-0.93), 2.12 (1.21-3.64), 0.46 (0.27-0.77), 1.91 (1.40-2.62), 2.22 (1.55-3.20), 1.21 (0.95-1.55), all P< 0.05), while er, PR, HER-2, classification, tumor size and preoperative lymph node status were closely correlated with OS ( HR(95% CI was 0.47 (0.23-0.98), 2.14 (1.03-4.44), 0.37 (0.19-0.76), 2.90 (1.45-5.79), 1.86 (1.24-2.79) and 2.22 (1.39-3.56), respectively (all P < 0.05)). Among the 33 patients with recurrence and metastasis, 5 (16.7%)patients had PCR, while the remaining 28 (49.1%)patients had not reached PCR, accounting for 49.1% (28/57) of all the non PCR patients. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( P = 0.019). Among the 21 patients who died, there were 2 patients with PCR, accounting for 6.7% (2/30) of all the patients with PCR; the remaining 19 patients did not reach PCR, accounting for 33.3% (19/57) of all the patients without PCR. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant( P= 0.026). Conclusion:The proportion of PCR, DFS and OS in young breast cancer patients after neoadjuvant chemotherapy were affected by many clinicopathological factors.

Research progress of layer-by-layer self-assembly technology in drug delivery / 药学学报

In recent years, layer-by-layer self-assembly (LbL) has developed rapidly. It has been widely used in various industries such as medicine and metallurgy because of its simplicity, flexibility and controllability. In the study of drug delivery system, hollow microcapsules constructed by LbL method as drug carrier have great advantages in drug release, circulation in vivo and bioavailability, providing a technical platform for targeted drug release. In this paper, we summarize the types of film-forming materials and the driving force used in LbL technology, the way of loading drug into hollow micro capsule, and the variety of loaded drugs. We focus on the release mechanism, its evaluation and safety evaluation of self-assembled film as drug carrier in vivo and in vitro. The review shows the great application prospect of LbL technology in the field of drug delivery.

Research Methods for Structural Analysis of Lactic Acid Bacteria Induced Exopolysaccharides / 分析化学

Exopolysaccharides (EPSs), produced by lactic acid bacteria (LAB), have been used primarily to improve the quality and taste of food, also possess a variety of unique biological functions, such as immunoregulation and anti-tumor activities. The diversity of molecular structural characteristics of LAB-generated EPSs represents one of the main factors responsible for this plethora of functions. Accordingly, the structural analysis of the EPSs produced by LAB is both a prerequisite and basis for examining its functional and structure-activity relationships. In this article, we summarized the current progress of key methodologies involved in the structural analysis of LAB-generated EPSs, including their isolation, purification, primary structure and advances in structural research. A comprehensive discussion regarding the application of chemical analysis, instrument analysis and computer aided technology in the structure analysis of LAB-generated EPSs was provided. Further, the future development of the research on the structure of LAB-generated EPSs was presented.

Effect of hyaluronic acid and its derivatives on osteobIast function: molecular mechanisms and clinical values / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND: Hyaluronic acid, as an important part of extracellular matrix, plays an important role in various biological processes. Hyaluronic acid has good biocompatibility, biodegradability and non-immunogenicity. It is an ideal raw material to prepare a variety of materials with different morphologies, hardness, and bioactivities. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effect of hyaluronic acid and its derivatives on osteoblast growth and differentiation. METHODS: The CNKI and PubMed databases were searched with the key words of "hyaluronic acid, osteoblast" in Chinese and English, respectively. Initially 81 articles were retrieved, and only 34 eligible articles were included in result analysis after removal of unrelated or duplicate literature. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Hyaluronic acid has been widely used in the studies on cell adhesion and migration, angiogenesis and morphogenesis, wound healing, inflammation and cancer metastasis. Hyaluronic acid and its related biomaterials have a positive effect on osteoblast growth and differentiation. Hyaluronic acid and its related biomaterials can serve as molecular chaperones to protect the encapsulated growth factors and drugs, and release them in specific sites to achieve the regulation of desired cellular functions. As a potential new clinical biomaterial, it can be used for the development of tissue engineering scaffolds, drug sustained-release media, and growth factor targeting vectors. As the modern medicine is focusing on the "interdisciplinary", hyaluronic acid hydrogel materials that are more intelligent and personalized will be the research focus of future medical materials.

Zika virus: Genome sequence analysis and nucleic acid detection methods / 第二军医大学学报

Objective To analyze the genome sequence characteristics of Zika virus and to develop nucleic acid detection methods for Zika virus. Methods The phylogenetic tree of 81 kinds of Flavivirus was constructed. The differences of nucleotide and amino acid sequence among Zika virus, type 4 dengue and Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) were analyzed and compared. The gene mutated sites of Asian and African Zika virus, especially four Zika virus strains from China, were analyzed. A set of primers and probes of real-time quantitative PCR for Zika virus were designed after comparing the genome sequences of Asian and African Zika virus. Results Spondweni and Kedougou viruses were the closest homologously to Zika virus among 81 kinds of Flavivirus. Comparison of full genomic nucleic acid sequence showed that Zika virus was closer to type 4 dengue virus than JEV, whereas comparison of amino acid yielded an opposite result. Compared with traditional Asian type Zika virus, Guangdong GD01 strains had 5 amino acid mutated sites, Zhejiang ZJ03 strains had 6 mutated sites, and VE Ganxian strains had 33 mutated sites. Detection of designed PCR primers and probes for plasmid RNA was positive, with the lower limit of detection being 100 copies/mL and Zika virus RNA was detected to be positive, type 1-4 dengue virus and Japanese encephalitis virus being negative. Conclusion Zika virus and Spondweni virus are the closest homologously. The high mutation character of VE Ganxian strains indicates that Zika might evolve fast. PCR primers and probes designed in this paper can be used for Asian and African type Zika virus detection, with relatively higher sensitivity and specificity.

Comparative study on contents and pharmacokinetics of raw and steamed Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma and its anti-platelet aggregation activity / 中草药

Objective: To compare the relationship of ingredients and pharmacokinetics of steamed Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma (the roots of Panax notoginseng) with different time (0, 2, 4, and 8 h), and accompany with its anti-platelet aggregation activity. Methods: The components with different steaming duration were determined by HPLC method. Concentration of saponins in Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma before and after steaming at different time points were detected by UPLC-MS/MS. Pharmacokinetic parameters of each compound were calculated using DAS 3.2.6 software. The anti-platelet aggregation activity was measured by platelet aggregation/clotting analyzer. Results: The results showed that the steaming process reduced the contents of certain bioactive substances (NG-R1, Rg1, Rd, Rb1, and Re) and produced some new components (Rh1, Rg3, Rk3, and Rh4). Ginsenoside Rg3, deglycosylated metabolites of ginsenoside Rb1 possessed lower tmax than ginsenoside Rb1 that indicated the course of deglycosylation made faster absorption. Steamed Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma had stronger antiplatelet activity, following higher antiplatelet and anticoagulant activities with increasing steaming durations. Conclusion: The results inspire us that saponins may become more active ingredients after deglycosylation, saponins with deglycosylated in vitro become more and more active ingredients into the blood, which could make stronger anticoagulant activity.

Perioperative glycaemic control in diabetic patients undergoing cataract surgery under local anaesthesia: a survey of practices of Singapore ophthalmologists and anaesthesiologists

<p><b>INTRODUCTION</b>Perioperative glycaemic control is an important aspect of clinical management in diabetic patients undergoing cataract surgery under local anaesthesia. While poor long-term glycaemic control has significant implications for surgery, perioperative hypoglycaemia or hyperglycaemia may also compromise patient safety and surgical outcomes. We aimed to survey ophthalmologists and anaesthesiologists on their approach and to identify the prevalent practice patterns in Singapore.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>This was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey conducted in four public hospitals in Singapore with established ophthalmology and anaesthesia units. Respondents were approached individually, and the self-administered questionnaires comprised questions related to practice patterns, clinical scenarios and awareness of pre-existing guidelines.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 129 doctors responded to the questionnaire survey. 76 (58.9%) were from ophthalmology departments and 53 (41.1%) were from anaesthesia departments. The majority chose to withhold oral hypoglycaemic agents (82.9%) and/or insulin (69.8%), and keep the patient fasted preoperatively. A blood glucose level ≥ 17 mmol/L prompted 86.0%-93.8% of respondents to adopt a treat-and-defer strategy, while a level ≥ 23 mmol/L prompted 86.0%-96.9% of respondents to cancel the cataract surgery. The respondents were consistently more concerned about perioperative hyperglycaemia (n = 99, 76.7%) than intraoperative hypoglycaemia (n = 83, 64.3%).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The current study presented the prevalent practice patterns of ophthalmologists and anaesthesiologists in the perioperative management of diabetic patients undergoing cataract surgery in four public hospitals in Singapore. Further research in this field is required, and may be useful for the future formulation of formal guidelines and protocols.</p>

Active ingredients and its pharmacokinetic behavior and anti-inflammatory effects of ginseng with different steamed times / 中国中药杂志

HPLC analysis was performed to study the changes in chemical composition of ginseng extracts prepared from high quality ginseng with 0, 2, 4, 8 h of steamed times. An UFLC-MS/MS multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) quantitative analysis was made to investigate the pharmacokinetic behavior differences of ginsenosides in mice ig administered of ginseng extracts with different steamed times in the negative ion mode, with Digoxin as the internal standard substance. The mice were injected with LPS to establish inflammation model after ig administration of ginseng for a week and the contents of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in mice plasma were detected by ELISA, in order to study on anti-inflammatory effects of ginseng with different steamed times. It was determined that levels of TNF-α and IL-1β were significantly decreased in inflammation model group ig administered of ginseng extracts with 8h of steamed time. The results showed that the chemical components in ginseng changed after steaming and the components into the blood changed, correspondingly. Ginseng with steamed 8 h contributes to anti-inflammatory effects. These results provided an experimental basis for revealing the active substance basis and dose-effect relationship of ginseng on anti-inflammatory effect.

Role of multi-slice computed tomography angiography in the diagnosis of visceral artery aneurysms / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the value of multi-slice computed tomography angiography (MSCTA) in the diagnosis of visceral artery aneurysms (VAA).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The imaging data of 123 VAA patients who received abdominal contrasted CT and MSCTA on the PACS workstation in our department from May 2008 to October 2010 were retrospectively analyzed. Based on the findings of comprehensive evaluation and using vessels as the analytic unit, we evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of enhanced axial images and post-processing images in detect the VAA.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Totally 172 VAAs were found in these 123 patients by the comprehensive evaluation, among which 107 were diagnosed by MSCTA.The results included 91 splenic artery aneurysms, 16 renal artery aneurysms, 8 multi-visceral artery aneurysms, 2 gastric artery aneurysms, 2 superior mesenteric artery aneurysms, 1 celiac trunk aneurysm, 1 gastroduodenal artery aneurysm, 1 pancreaticoduodenal artery aneurysm, and 1 hepatic artery aneurysm. The sensitivity and specificity of MSCTA in diagnosing TAA was 100% and 100%, respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>With different reconstruction methods, MSCTA can accurately and clearly display the location, shape, extent, aneurysmal wall, parent artery, and relationship with the adjacent vessels of VAAs.</p>

Value of enhanced computed tomography in the diagnosis of adrenal hemangioma / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To summarize the computed tomography (CT) findings of adrenal hemangioma.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The CT findings of 9 patients with pathologically proved adrenal hemangioma from June 2008 to March 2011 were retrospectively reviewed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All the tumors were located unilaterally, with 4 in the left and 5 in the right. The tumors were 1.5-8.4 cm in size with complete capsule and well-defined contour. Among these nine tumors, six were round or ovoid, while the other three had irregular shapes. Plain scan showed mixed density in 8 and cystic change in 1. After contrast enhancement, six tumors manifested with inhomogeneous enhancement and the other three without enhancement. For three cases who underwent multi-phase enhanced CT scans, irregular enhancement at the periphery of the masses were showed in artery phase, and centripetal filling with contrast medium to the center of masses were showed in the portal and delayed phases.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Hemangioma is a rare benign tumor of the adrenal gland. CT findings are diverse, and the preoperative misdiagnosing rate can be high. Multi-phase enhanced CT scan may show characteristic features of adrenal hemangioma and help achieve correct preoperative diagnosis.</p>

Prenatal diagnosis of β-thalassaemia using cell-free fetal DNA in maternal plasma / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the clinical feasibility of cell-free fetal DNA (cffDNA)-based noninvasive prenatal diagnosis of β-thalassemia.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Nine samples of amniotic fluid were obtained to detect the 8 common and 9 relatively rare mutation sites of β-thalassaemia in Guangdong Province. The maternal blood samples were also collected for extracting and purification of the cffDNA, and a duplex PCR was performed using 3 pairs of primers and the fetal β-globin genotype was analyzed by reverse dot-blot hybridization.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among the 9 cases, 5 showed fetal genotypes of β-thalassemia inherited from the father by examination of the amniotic fluid, and 2 fetuses were identified to have β-thalassemia genes inherited from the father determined based on the cffDNA in the maternal blood.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The cffDNA-based noninvasive prenatal diagnosis is feasible for β-thalassemia, but the contamination of the maternal background DNA results in a low detection rate.</p>

Comparison of 18F-FLT and 18F-FDG PET/CT for lymph node staging in thoracic esophageal carcinoma / 中华核医学杂志

Objective To compare the diagnostic value 18F-fluorothymidine (FLT) and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT in detecting lymph node metastases of untreated thoracic esophageal carcinoma. Methods Twenty-two patients with thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma underwent both 18F-FLT and 18F-FDG PET/CT before surgery. The imaging results of the two modalities in detecting regional lymph node metastases were compared prospectively with the pathologic findings. The X2-test was used with SPS S 13.0. Results All patients underwent esophagectomy and lymphadenectomy. The metastatic lymph nodes were found in 16 patients, from which 47 of 424 excised nodes were positive by pathologic examination. False positive results were 14 while false negative 8 on 18F-FDG PET/CT. In contrast, false positive results were only 3 but false negative were 12 on 18 F-FLT PET/CT. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy,negative predictive value, and positive predictive value were 74.47% ( 35/47 ), 99.20% ( 374/377 ),96.46% (409/424), 96.89% ( 374/386 ) and 92.11% ( 35/38 ) respectively for 18 F-FLT PET/CT, whereas the corresponding values were 82.98% (39/47), 96.29% (363/377), 94.81% (402/424), 97.84%(363/371 ) and 73.58% (39/53) respectively for 18 F-FDG PET/CT (X2 = 0.572, 6.018, 1.017, 0.348,3.852, P＞0. 05, ＜0.05, ＞0.05, ＞0.05 and ＞0.05). Conclusions Compared with 18F-FDG PET/CT, 18F-FLT PET/CT may be less sensitive but more specific for the detection of lymph node metastases of thoracic esophageal carcinoma.

Clinical application of dual-source computed tomographic urography using dual-energy virtual non enhanced computed tomography / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the clinical feasibility of dual-source computed tomographic urography using dual-energy virtual non-enhanced CT.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally 240 patients received dual-source CT, which included true non-enhanced CT (TNCT) , nephrographic phase scanning with dual-energy mode (100kVp/230mAs and Sn140kVp/178mAs) , and excretory phase scanning. A contrast bolus injection of 100 ml (370 mgI/ml) contrast agent was applied (4.5ml/s) , followed by 100ml normal saline (4.5ml/s) . Virtual non-enhanced CT (VNCT) image sets were reformatted from 'Liver VNC ' software. The mean CT number, noise, signal to noise ratio (SNR) , image quality, and radiation dose were compared between TNCT and VNCT image sets.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There was no significant difference in mean CT numbers of all organs (P>0.05) . However, VNCT images had significantly lower noise and higher SNR than TNCT images (both P<0.05) . Image quality of VNCT was lower than that of TNCT without significant difference (P>0.05) . Radiation dose of nephrographic phase with dual-energy mode was significantly higher than that of TNCT and excretory phase scanning (P<0.05) .</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Dual-energy VNCT requires less radiation dose and therefore has a potential to replace TNCT in the dual-source CT urography.</p>

Dual-energy computed tomographic angiography of head and neck arteries with different contrast material doses in second generation dual-source computed tomography system / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the feasibility of a dual-energy computed tomographic angiography (DECTA) protocol using test-bolus injection with reduction of contrast material (CM) dose in second generation dual-source CT system.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally 57 consecutive patients underwent CT angiography scan covering the cervical and cerebral arteries. CT was performed with second generation dual-source CT system. The time to peak (T) using a test-bolus injection was calculated. The patients were divided into three groups (A, B, and C) with different CM doses (40, 45, and 50 ml) and different delay time points [ (T+1) , (T+1) , and (T+2) s] . All the patients were followed by a 48 ml saline flush. Arterial enhancements were quantified by measuring attenuation values of the aortic arch, bifurcation of common carotid artery, contralateral internal jugular vein of the CM injection, superior vein cava, proximal middle cerebral artery, basilar artery, and straight sinus on source images. Visualizations of intracranial artery and ipsilateral venous effect of the CM injection were rated on a four-point grading scale on CTA images for qualitative assessment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Although the attenuation of internal jugular vein and straight sinus were significantly lower in group A than in groups B and C (P<0.05) , the attenuation of aortic arch, superior vein cava, common carotid artery, middle cerebral artery, and basilar artery vessels showed no significant differences among these three groups. The scores of the visualizations of intracranial artery and ipsilateral venous effect of the CM injection were also not significantly different among these three groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Based on the delay time calculated by a test-bolus injection, a reduced-dose contrast material may provide an equal degree of arterial attenuation and a lower attenuation of vein for dual-energy CTA covering the craniocervical region in second generation dual-source CT system.</p>

Expression of S100A6 in primary and metastatic human gastric cancer / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Some members of the S100 gene family have been suggested to be associated with cancer development and metastasis. Our previous cDNA micro-array studies have showed S100A6 expression is elevated in gastric cancer compared with that in paired normal mucosa. To validate our previous results and further investigate the possible role of S100A6 gene in gastric cancer, we carried out this detailed S100A6 expression analysis in more matched gastric cancer samples.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>S100A6 expression was detected in 20 paired fresh surgical samples of gastric tumor tissue and matched non-cancerous mucosa by QRT-PCR. A gastric cancer tissue microarray (TMA) containing 1020 duplicate matched normal mucosa, gastric cancer tissue and metastatic lymph node tissue cores from 208 gastric cancer patients was constructed. S100A6 expression was detected by immunohistochemistry and the correlation between S100A6 expression with clinicopathological factors and survival was analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>As quantitated by QRT-PCR, S100A6 transcript level was elevated in 73.7% of the primary cancer lesions with an average 2.25-fold up-regulation than that in matched non-neoplastic mucosa. As displayed by immunohistochemistry, the positive rate of S100A6 in non-neoplastic mucosa, tumor lesions and metastatic lymph nodes was 34.3%, 84.1% and 90.9%, respectively. S100A6 expression level in cancer and metastatic lymph node was significantly higher than their matched non-neoplastic mucosa (P < 0.05). 65.5% of patients showed an increased S100A6 expression in cancer tissue compared with that in matched normal mucosa. S100A6 overexpression was associated with larger tumor size and deeper invasion (P = 0.022 and P = 0.009). No evidence was found for an association between S100A6 expression level and other variables, including tumor grade, nodal metastases, and TNM stage. There was no association between S100A6 expression level and survival. But compared with paired non-neoplastic mucosa, an increased S100A6 expression in tumor lesion predicated a decreasing suvival if compared with a decreased S100A6 expression, though the difference was statistically not significant.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Elevated expression of S100A6 gene may be an early event in the development and progression of gastric cancer. Further study of this gene may be helpful for understanding the nature of gastric carcinoma.</p>

Construction of a gastric cancer related gene GCRG213-specific siRNA expression vector and its effect on gastric cancer cells in vitro / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of gene GCRG213 siRNA transfection into gastric cancer cell line MKN45 cells.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Two pairs of DNA sequences containing small hairpin structure to GCRG213 were designed and synthesized. The complement form was obtained by annealing and inserted into RNAi expression vector IMG-800. They are IMG-800-1 and IMG-800-2 correspondingly. The recombinant plasmid IMG-800-1, IMG-800-2 and the vector IMG-800 were separately transfected into MKN45 cells conducted by lipofectamine 2000. After G418 selecting, the cells were transfected steadily. Expression of GCRG213 was detected by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and Western Blot. The growth graph of six steady transfected cell cultures was protracted by cell counting. FACS was used to detect the cell cycle, and Annexin V FITC/PI double labeling were used to detect the effects on cell apoptosis in the above-mentioned cells. The clone formation rate in plate and in nude mice was tested to investigate the tumorigenic characteristics of the six steadily transfected cells in vitro and vivo.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Through sequencing, two pairs of DNA sequences containing small hairpin structure to GCRG213 were proved to be successfully cloned into siRNA expression vector IMG-800, correspondingly called IMG-800-1 and IMG-800-2. The recombinant plasmid IMG-800-1, IMG-800-2 and vector IMG-800 were transfected separately into MKN45 cells conducted by lipofectamine 2000. After G418 selecting, the cells were transfected steadily. Transfecting the siRNA vector (IMG-800-1, IMG-800-2 ) into the MKN45 cells significantly decreased the expression of GCRG213, at both mRNA and protein levels. The growth graph showed that the growth of IMG-800-1 and IMG-800-2 transfected cells were slower than that of vector transfected cells. The proportion of cells in G2/M and/or S phase decreased in the cells transfected with IMG-800-1 and IMG-800-2 and cell apoptosis increased. The average clone formation rate in vitro decreased in the cells transfected with IMG-800-1 and IMG-800-2, compared with those transfected with vector. In vivo, the time of tumor formation of IMG-800-1 and IMG - 800-2 transducted cells in nude mice was prolonged and the tumor size was smaller.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>GCRG213 SiRNA transfection may induce inhibition of growth and proliferation of tumor cells, promote cell apoptosis, and inhibit the tumorigenicity in vitro and vivo.</p>