GC-MS Analysis of the Essential Oil from Seseli mairei H. Wolff (Apiaceae) Roots and Their Nematicidal Activity.

The essential oil (EO) was extracted from aerial parts with insecticidal and fungicidal activity. Herein, the hydro-distilled essential oils of Seseli mairei H. Wolff roots were determined by GC-MS. A total of 37 components were identified, (E)-beta-caryophyllene (10.49%), ß-geranylgeranyl (6.64%), (E)-2-decenal (6.17%) and germacrene-D (4.28%). The essential oil of Seseli mairei H. Wolff had nematicidal toxicity against Bursaphelenchus xylophilus with a LC50 value of 53.45 µg/mL. The subsequent bioassay-guided investigation led to the isolation of three active constituents: falcarinol, (E)-2-decenal, and octanoic acid. The falcarinol demonstrated the strongest toxicity against B. Xylophilus (LC50 = 8.52 µg/mL). The octanoic acid and (E)-2-decenal also exhibited moderate toxicity against B. xylophilus (LC50 = 65.56 and 176.34 µg/mL, respectively). The LC50 of falcarinol for the toxicity of B. xylophilus was 7.7 and 21 times than that of octanoic acid and (E)-2-decenal, respectively. Our findings demonstrate that the essential oil from Seseli mairei H. Wolff roots and their isolates may be developed as a promising natural nematicide.

Specific imaging features indicate the clinical features of patients with hepatic perivascular epithelioid cell tumor by comparative analysis of CT and ultrasound imaging.

Objective: The objective of the study was to explore the CT and ultrasound features and clinical significance of perivascular epithelioid cell tumor (PEComa) of the liver. Methods: Eleven hepatic PEComa patients treated in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed based on the characteristics of the imaging results of the patients, including conventional ultrasound, CDFI, contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), and contrast-enhanced CT (CECT). Results: CT scans showed that all lesions were hypodense. Ultrasonography showed that lesions were either hyperechoic (4/11, 36.36%), hypoechoic (4/11, 36.36%), isoechoic (1/11, 9.09%), or heterogeneously echoic (2/11, 18.18%). CDFI showed that most of the lesions had an abundant blood supply (9/11, 81.82%). Whether on CT scan or ultrasonography, the margins of the lesions were dominated by clear margins. Ultrasonography revealed more features: hyperechoic patterns around lesions (3/11, 27.27%) and lateral shadow (5/11, 45.45%). The CDFI showed that large blood vessels were observed around the lesions (9/11, 81.82%). CECT shows two enhancement patterns: "fast in and fast out (FIFO)" (8/11, 72.72%) and "fast in and slow out (FISO)" (3/11, 27.27%). CEUS shows that all lesions had the enhancement pattern of "FISO," which was different from CECT. All lesions displayed rapid enhancement during HAP in CEUS during 7-20 s. Four patients (36.36%) washed out at 60-180 s, another four (36.36%) washed out at 180-300 s, and the remaining three patients (27.27%) showed no signs of washout even at 360 s. Conclusion: Some imaging features, such as clear margins, peripheral hyperechoic around the lesion, lateral shadow, the large blood vessels around lesions, and the "FISO" enhancement pattern, may indicate expansive growth of the tumor and be helpful in the diagnosis of PEComa. Ultrasound images may provide more details for clinical reference.

What is the difference in ablation zone of multi-bipolar radiofrequency ablation between liver cirrhosis and normal liver background? - a prospective clinical study.

PURPOSE: To explore the differences in ablation zone between liver cirrhosis and normal liver background and investigate the effect of hepatic blood flow on ablation zone of RFA. METHODS: Between 2017 and 2019, 203 patients who had liver malignancies and underwent percutaneous RFA with Celon bipolar electrodes enrolled into this study. There were 90 patients had liver cirrhosis and 113 patients had normal liver background. They were 63 females and 140 males with average age of 59.0 ± 10.9 years old. Contrast-enhanced CT/MRI was used to evaluate the ablation zone in one month after RFA. The hepatic flow measurements on CDFI and CEUS were performed before RFA. Correlations between ablation zone versus hepatic flow were assessed using multiple linear regression analysis. RESULTS: The average ablation zone in cirrhotic liver was significantly larger than those in normal liver background with 3 cm tip of RF electrodes (length 3.5 ± 0.5 vs 3.1 ± 0.4 cm, p = 0.001; width 2.6 ± 0.3 vs 2.2 ± 0.3 cm, p < 0.001; thickness 2.5 ± 0.3 vs 2.0 ± 0.2 cm, p < 0.001). The similar result was found with three 4 cm tip of RF electrodes (width 3.6 ± 0.5 vs 3.1 ± 0.5 cm, p = 0.019; thickness 3.3 ± 0.5 vs 2.7 ± 0.5 cm, p = 0.002). The multiple linear regression analysis showed arrive time of hepatic vein and portal vein was statistically associated with ablation zone with 3 cm electrodes (p < 0.001, p = 0.001), but explained part of the variance (Adjusted R2=0.294, adjusted R2=0.212). CONCLUSION: The ablation zones of RFA with multi-bipolar electrodes in liver cirrhosis were significantly larger than those in normal liver background, being up to 6 mm in thickness. The hepatic flow parameters partly contributed to the ablation zone.

In vivo longitudinal and multimodal imaging of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α and angiogenesis in breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Angiogenesis and hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) play major roles in solid tumors. This study aimed to establish a longitudinal and multimodal imaging model for in vivo evaluation of HIF1α and angiogenesis in breast cancer. METHODS: By transfection of a 5 hypoxia-responsive element (HRE)/green fluorescent protein (GFP) plasmid, the cell line Ca761-hre-gfp was established, which emitted green fluorescence triggered by HIF-1α under hypoxia. The cells were subjected to CoCl2-simulated hypoxia to confirm the imaging strategy. We grew Ca761-hre-gfp cells in the left rear flanks of twelve 615 mice. Experiments were conducted on days 4, 9, 15, and 19. For in vivo analysis, Ca761-hre-gfp subcutaneous allografted tumors were imaged in vivo using contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and fluorescence imaging (FLI) during tumor development. The tumor size, CEUS peak intensity, and FLI photons were measured to evaluate tumor growth, angiogenesis, and HIF-1α activity, respectively. After each experiment, three mice were randomly sacrificed and tumor specimens were collected to examine HIF-1α activity and the microvessel density (MVD). RESULTS: In vitro, both green fluorescence and HIF-1α expression were detected in Ca761-hre-gfp cells treated with CoCl2, indicating the suitability of the cells to detect HIF-1α activity. In vivo, HIF-1α activity first increased and then decreased, which was significantly correlated with angiogenic changes (r = 0.803, P = 0.005). These changes were confirmed by immunohistochemical staining of HIF-1α and MVD. CONCLUSIONS: The findings validated the Ca761-hre-gfp murine allograft model for reliable evaluation of HIF-1α activity and angiogenesis longitudinally using both molecular and pre-clinical non-invasive imaging modalities. The cell line may be useful for studies of anti-HIF pathway therapies.

Value of Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse Imaging in the Diagnosis of Early Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis.

Objective To evaluate the value of acoustic radiation force impulse(ARFI)imaging in the diagnosis of early non-alcoholic steatohepatitis(NASH).Methods Totally 32 SD rats were randomly divided into high-fat diet group(n=24)and normal-diet group(n=8)by using the random number table. At the end of the 4th,8th,12th,and 16th week,six rats from the high-diet group and two rats from the normal-diet group were selected blindly for weighting,blood biochemical test,conventional ultrasound,and ARFI imaing. HE staining was used for pathological observation. Results None of the 32 rats developed liver fibrosis. Based on the pathological results,these rats were divided into M1 [mild-to-moderate simple fatty liver(SS)],M2(severe SS),M3(severe SS with early NASH),and C groups(normal control). Early NASH was seen only in the severe hepatic steatosis groups,and its distribution had a significant difference(P=0.006). The diagnostic accuracy of conventional ultrasound based on histological results was 34.4%(11/32). The ARFI value of M3 group was significantly lower than that of M2 group [(1.16±0.04)m/s vs.(1.22±0.05)m/s;t=2.301,P=0.04),and the low-density lipoprotein of M3 group was significantly higher than M2 group [(1.53±0.07)mmol/L vs.(1.21±0.22)mmol/L;t=3.075,P=0.01),while other clinical indicators had no statistical difference between these two groups. Conclusions The development of early NASH is associated with the severity of hepatic steatosis. ARFI value can provide important information to identify early NASH in patients with severe hepatic steatosis.

Photoacoustic/ultrasound dual imaging of human thyroid cancers: an initial clinical study.

We reported an initial clinical study of in vivo human thyroid by a photoacoustic/ultrasound handheld probe. Our dual-modality system is based on a high-end clinical ultrasound machine. Both healthy and cancerous thyroids were imaged non-invasively, and we compared the photoacoustic imaging with color Doppler ultrasound. The results of photoacoustic thyroid imaging could reveal many blood vessels that were not sensitive for Doppler ultrasound. Our study demonstrated that photoacoustic imaging could provide important complementary information for traditional ultrasound thyroid examination, which has a great potential for clinical diagnosis.

[Pharmacokinetic study of intraperitoneal chemotherapy with mitomycin C bound to activated carbon particles].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the pharmacokinetics of intraperitoneal chemotherapy with mitomycin C (MMC) bound to activated carbon particles. METHODS: A nude mouse model with transplanted human gastric cancer was established. The mice were given MMC by i.v. or intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections, or given i.p. MMC bound to activated carbon particles (MMC-CH). Pharmacokinetic assays were carried out at different time points (0.5, 1, 2, 3, 6, 12 and 24 h) in 7 mice per each time point, to compare the MMC concentrations revealed by the above mentioned methods. RESULTS: The MMC concentration in peritoneal exudate, omentum and lymph nodes of MMC-CH group was significantly higher than that of MMC solution i.p. group and MMC i.v. group (P < 0.001). On the other hand, the MMC level in serum was significantly lower than that in two control groups (P < 0.001). High MMC level was maintained longer than 24 hours in the MMC-CH group. Intraperitoneal chemotherapy with MMC solution resulted in a low MMC concentration in serum, peritoneal exudates and lymph nodes, and only a transient high level of MMC in the omentum. After i.v. administration, a significantly higher level of MMC concentration occurred in the serum, but only a shortly increased concentration of MMC in the omentum, and lower concentration in peritoneal exudate and lymph nodes as compared with those in the other two groups (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: High concentration of MMC in peritoneal exudate, omentum and lymph nodes maintained longer than 24 hours and a significantly lower MMC serum concentration can be achieved by administration of intraperitoneal administration of MMC bound to activated carbon particles.