Evaluation of the correlation between myocardial fibrosis and ejection fraction in dilated cardiomyopathy using magnetic resonance T1 mapping.

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to evaluate the correlation between myocardial fibrosis and ejection fraction (EF) in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) by magnetic resonance T1 mapping. PATIENTS AND METHODS: For this study, 48 patients with DCM and 24 healthy volunteers from 2015 to 2017 were included. All participants were examined by 3.0T cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR), and T1 mapping images were obtained using the MOLLI sequence. MATLAB software was used to extract the histogram parameters of the T1 mapping images, including five groups of percentiles, kurtosis coefficient, skewness coefficient, variance, and mean. The EF value was calculated based on short-axis cine cardiac images, and a Pearson's coefficient between T1 mapping parameters and the EF value was calculated. RESULTS: The T1 mapping histogram parameters, such as the mean, variance, maximum, and 10, 25, 50, 75, and 90 percentiles of DCM patients were significantly higher than those of the controls. The differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The EF of DCM patients was significantly lower than that of the controls, and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The T1 mapping parameters, such as the mean, variance, maximum, and percentiles, were significantly negatively correlated with EF. CONCLUSIONS: T1 mapping is helpful in diagnosing myocardial fibrosis, particularly diffuse myocardial fibrosis in DCM, and T1 mapping parameters are significantly negatively correlated with EF.

Long-term effects of hepatocyte growth factor gene therapy in rat myocardial infarct model.

We investigated the long-term effects of human hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) gene therapy in a rat myocardial infarct model. Treatment adenovirus coexpressing the HGF therapeutic gene and the human sodium/iodide symporter (NIS) reporter gene or control adenovirus expressing the NIS gene alone were injected directly into the infarct border zone immediately after permanent coronary ligation in rats (n=6 each). A uniform disease state was confirmed in the acute phase in terms of impaired left ventricular (LV) function by cine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), large infarct extent by (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and successful gene transfer and expression by (99m)TcO(4)(-) SPECT. After a 10-week follow-up, repeated cine MRI demonstrated no significant difference in the LV ejection fraction between the time points or groups, but a significantly increased end-diastolic volume from the acute to the chronic phase without a significant difference between the groups. Capillary density was significantly higher in the treatment group, whereas arteriole density remained unchanged. Two-photon excitation fluorescence microscopy revealed extremely thin capillaries (2-5 µm), and their irregular networks increased in the infarct border zone of the treated myocardium. Our results indicated that single HGF gene therapy alone induced an immature and irregular microvasculature.

Histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A modulates cell cycles in A2780 human ovarian cancer cell lines.

PURPOSE OF INVESTIGATION: To analyze the effect and mechanism of TSA on cell cycles in human ovarian cancer cells. METHODS: cells were cultured in RPMI 1640 supplemented. Flow cytometry analysis and RT-PCR were used to examine the distribution of cell cycles and the level of P21(WAF/CIPI) mRNA. RESULTS: TSA induced increase of the G2/M phase accompanied by decrease of the S phase and enhanced level of P21(WAF/CIPI) mRNA in a concentration and time-dependent manner in A2780 cells. CONCLUSION: Trichostatin A affects the activity of cyclin-dependent kinase through increased expression of P21(WAF/CIPI) mRNA. TSA causes A2780 cell blockage in the G2/M phase and inhibits cell proliferation of A2780 cells. The minimum level of active TSA is 100 nM and the minimum time is 12 hours. The effect relies on time and concentration.

Intraurethral brachytherapy for prevention of recurrent urethral stricture after internal urethrotomy or transurethral resection of scar.

BACKGROUND PURPOSE: Restricture after internal urethrotomy is the major limitation to the long-term success of the procedure. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of intraurethral brachytherapy after internal urethrotomy or transurethral scar resection on recurrent urethral stricture. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From January 1998 to June 1999, catheter-based intraurethral brachytherapy with 192-iridium was performed in 17 patients with recurrent urethral stricture to prevent restricture after internal urethrotomy or transurethral resection of scar. The radiation was repeated within 3 days after surgery to reach a total dosage of 1000 to 1500 cGy. RESULTS: During the follow-up (range 14-27 months; mean 20 months), two patients had dysuria, including one patient with an atonic detrusor muscle. The other patient needed self-dilation. Fifteen patients presented normal voiding. The stricture recurred 3 months later in only one patient, so the restricture rate is 7%. No significant complication was observed associated with brachytherapy during the follow-up. CONCLUSION: Intraurethral brachytherapy after internal urethrotomy or transurethral resection of scar is a safe and effective treatment for recurrent urethral strictures.

Duck hepatitis B virus infection and duck hepatocellular carcinoma.

To study the relationship between duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) infection and duck hepatocellular carcinoma (DHCC), histological examination and DHBV DNA hybridization were performed in 875 ducks from three flocks in Qidong County. Among them, 34 suffered from hepatoma, including 23 hepatocellular carcinoma, 8 cholangiocarcinoma and 3 hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma. Of the 34 ducks with hepatoma 27 were positive for DHBV DNA in the liver and/or serum. DHBV DNA was demonstrated in neoplastic nodules of 22 ducks. Southern blot analysis showed that 13 cases were of the integrated pattern of DHBV DNA in neoplastic nodules. The paratumor tissues of 14 ducks with massive tumor were analysed at the same time. Five cases showed integrated pattern, 4 cases free pattern and the other 4 cases both integration and free pattern of DHBV DNA. The hybridization pattern of DHBV DNA in tumor nodule was different from that in paratumor regions in 11 cases and identical in 3 cases. DHBV antigen was positive in 13 tumor nodules and 21 paratumor tissues in the 34 ducks with hepatic tumor by both victoria blue and orcein stain methods. Advanced liver diseases were found in 30 out of the 34 ducks with hepatoma, including 12 cirrhosis and 18 chronic active hepatitis. In southern blot analysis of 122 DHBV DNA positive Qidong ducks without hepatoma, only free pattern of DHBV was seen, while 44 control ducks from Changchun were negative for DHBV DNA. Neither hepatic tumor nor liver diseases were seen in the control ducks. The results suggest that hepatocellular carcinoma in ducks is similar to that in human HCC. They have a high frequency of viral DNA integrated into the host genome and a liver disease background.