Correlation between Intravoxel Incoherent Motion Magnetic Resonance Imaging Derived Metrics and Serum Soluble CD40 Ligand Level in an Embolic Canine Stroke Model

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) imaging derived quantitative metrics and serum soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) level in an embolic canine stroke model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A middle cerebral artery occlusion model was established in 24 beagle dogs. Experimental dogs were divided into low- and high-sCD40L group according to serum sCD40L level at 4.5 hours after establishing the model. IVIM imaging was scanned at 4.5 hours after model establishment using 10 b values ranging from 0 to 900 s/mm². Quantitative metrics diffusion coefficient (D), pseudodiffusion coefficient (D*), and perfusion fraction (f) of ischemic lesions were calculated. Quantitative metrics of ischemic lesions were normalized by contralateral hemisphere using the following formula: normalized D = D(stroke) / D(contralateral). Differences in IVIM metrics between the low- and high-sCD40L groups were compared using t test. Pearson's correlation analyses were performed to determine the relationship between IVIM metrics and serum sCD40L level. RESULTS: The high-sCD40L group showed significantly lower f and normalized f values than the low-sCD40L group (f, p 0.05). Both f and normalized f values were negatively correlated with serum sCD40L level (f, r = −0.789, p 0.05). CONCLUSION: The f value derived from IVIM imaging was negatively correlated with serum sCD40L level. f value might serve as a potential imaging biomarker to assess the formation of microvascular thrombosis in hyperacute period of ischemic stroke.

Effect of LY294002 on adriamycin-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in human breast carcinoma cells / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of LY294002 on the adriamycin- induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in human breast carcinoma cells.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Human breast carcinoma cells MCF-7 was cultured in vitro and then exposed to adriamycin with or without LY294002. The protein expression levels of Akt, phosphorylated-Akt (p-Akt), Snail, and E-cadherin was detected by Western blot analysis. The mRNA expressions of Snail and E-cadherin were determined by RT-PCR.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Adriamycin significantly increased the protein expression of Snail and depressed the protein expression of E-cadherin (P<0.05). The pre-treatment with LY294002 significantly reversed the changes of activities and levels of the above proteins (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>LY294002 could reverse the adriamycin-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in human breast carcinoma cells by regulating the expressions of Snail and E-cadherin through suppressing PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.</p>