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1.
Int Immunopharmacol ; 124(Pt A): 110860, 2023 Nov.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37716163

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Low molecular mass polypeptide 7 (LMP7) is an immunoproteasome subunit that regulates T cell amplification, differentiation, and inflammation and is involved in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) progression. This study intended to apply PR-957 (an anti-LMP7 agent) for RA treatment in vitro and in vivo and evaluate its interaction with LMP7-mediated CD4+ T cell imbalance. METHODS: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were obtained from 30 RA patients and 30 healthy controls. RA fibroblast-like synoviocytes (RA-FLSs) and CD4+ T cells were isolated from RA patients and then cocultured with PR-957 and/or LMP7 overexpression adenovirus (Ad-LMP7). Collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mice were constructed and then treated with PR-957 and/or Ad-LMP7. RESULTS: LMP7 was higher in RA patients (versus healthy controls) and positively correlated with T helper (Th)1 cells, the Th1/Th2 ratio, Th17 cells, and the Th17/Treg ratio but not with Th2 or T regulatory (Treg) cells. PR-957 reduced Th1 and Th17 cells but increased Th2 and Treg cells in RA-CD4+ T cells, and this effect was partially reversed by Ad-LMP7 transfection. Interestingly, when cocultured with RA-CD4+ T cells, PR-957 increased RA-FLS apoptosis and decreased its invasive ability, viability, and inflammation, as suggested by IL-6, CCL2, MMP1, and MMP3; however, these phenomena were weakened in RA-FLSs without RA-CD4+ T cell coculture. In addition, Ad-LMP7 transfection attenuated the above effects of PR-957. In CIA mice, PR-957 decreased the arthritis score, synovial hyperproliferation and articular injury, inflammation in the synovium and serum, and the imbalance of Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg in the spleen, and these effects were attenuated by Ad-LMP7. CONCLUSION: PR-957 ameliorates RA progression and inflammation by repressing LMP7-mediated CD4+ T cell imbalance.


Subject(s)
Arthritis, Experimental , Arthritis, Rheumatoid , Animals , Humans , Mice , Arthritis, Experimental/drug therapy , Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy , Inflammation , Leukocytes, Mononuclear , Peptides/pharmacology , T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory , Th1 Cells , Th17 Cells , CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes
2.
BMC Med Genomics ; 16(1): 18, 2023 01 30.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36717858

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by destructive and symmetrical joint diseases and synovitis. This research attempted to explore the mechanisms involving ferroptosis in RA, and find the biological markers by integrated analysis. METHODS: Gene expression data (GSE55235 and GSE55457) of synovial tissues from healthy and RA individuals were downloaded. By filtering the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and intersecting them with the 484 ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs), the overlapping genes were identified. After the enrichment analysis, the machine learning-based approaches were introduced to screen the potential biomarkers, which were further validated in other two datasets (GSE77298 and GSE93272) and cell samples. Besides, we also analyze the infiltrating immune cells in RA and their correlation with the biomarkers. RESULTS: With the criteria, 635 DEGs in RA were included, and 29 of them overlapped in the reported 484 FRGs. The enrichments of the 29 differentially expressed ferroptosis-related genes indicated that they may involve in the FoxO signaling pathway and inherited metabolic disorder. RRM2, validating by the external datasets and western blot, were identified as the biomarker with the high diagnostic value, whose associated immune cells, such as Neutrophils and Macrophages M1, were also further evaluated. CONCLUSION: We preliminary explored the mechanisms between ferroptosis and RA. These results may help us better comprehend the pathophysiological changes of RA in basic research, and provide new evidences for the clinical transformation.


Subject(s)
Arthritis, Rheumatoid , Autoimmune Diseases , Ferroptosis , Humans , Ferroptosis/genetics , Arthritis, Rheumatoid/genetics , Computational Biology , Machine Learning , Gene Expression Profiling
3.
Mod Rheumatol ; 33(1): 111-121, 2023 Jan 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35141748

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the linkage of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) expression profile with etanercept response in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. METHODS: Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) samples were collected from 80 RA patients prior to etanercept treatment. Samples from eight responders and eight non-responders at week 24 (W24) were proposed to RNA-sequencing, then 10 candidate lncRNAs were sorted and their PBMC expressions were validated by reverse transcription quantitative chain reaction (RT-qPCR) in 80 RA patients. Subsequently, clinical response by lncRNA (CRLnc) prediction model was established. RESULTS: RNA-sequencing identified 254 up-regulated and 265 down-regulated lncRNAs in W24 responders compared with non-responders, which were enriched in immune or joint related pathways such as B-cell receptor signaling, osteoclast differentiation and T-cell receptor signaling pathways, etc. By reverse transcription quantitative chain reaction (RT-qPCR) validation: Two lncRNAs were correlated with W4 response, three lncRNAs were correlated with W12 response, seven lncRNAs were correlated with W24 response. Subsequently, to construct and validate CRLnc prediction model, 80 RA patients were randomly divided into test set (n = 40) and validation set (n = 40). In the test set, lncRNA RP3-466P17.2 (OR = 9.743, P = .028), RP11-20D14.6 (OR = 10.935, P = .007), RP11-844P9.2 (OR = 0.075, P = .022), and TAS2R64P (OR = 0.044, P = .016) independently related to W24 etanercept response; then CRLnc prediction model integrating these four lncRNAs presented a good value in predicting W24 etanercept response (Area Under Curve (AUC): 0.956, 95%CI: 0.896-1.000). However, in the validation set, the CRLnc prediction model only exhibited a certain value in predicting W24 etanercept response (AUC: 0.753, 95%CI: 0.536-0.969). CONCLUSIONS: CRLnc prediction model is potentially a useful tool to instruct etanercept treatment in RA patients.


Subject(s)
Arthritis, Rheumatoid , RNA, Long Noncoding , Humans , Etanercept/pharmacology , Etanercept/therapeutic use , RNA, Long Noncoding/genetics , RNA, Long Noncoding/metabolism , RNA, Long Noncoding/therapeutic use , Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors/therapeutic use , Leukocytes, Mononuclear/metabolism , Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy , Arthritis, Rheumatoid/genetics
4.
Sensors (Basel) ; 22(15)2022 Aug 04.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35957381

ABSTRACT

In shear wave-based material mechanical characterization, the transmit/receiver transducer is generally in contact with the material through a coupling medium. In many applications, especially in biological tissue-related characterization, the application of the coupling medium and the contact method are not ideal, sometimes even unacceptable, due to contamination or stress response concerns. To avoid contact, we developed a 1 MHz air-coupled focused PZT transducer as a moderate pressure generator that could induce a shear wave in soft material and a fiber optic-based Sagnac system for the detection of the propagating shear wave. A calibration indicated that the fabricated air-coupled focused PZT transducer could generate pressure above 1 KPa within its focal range. This pressure is three to five times as much as the pressure generated by a 1 MHz air-coupled transducer currently available on the market. The integrated system was demonstrated through shear wave generation by the fabricated air-coupled PZT transducer and shear wave detection by the fiber optic Sagnac system in a nylon membrane. The results demonstrated the capability of the integrated system in non-contact material mechanical characterization, such as in material modulus measurement.


Subject(s)
Fiber Optic Technology , Transducers
5.
Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat ; 15: 1077-1088, 2019.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31118641

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Depression is a complex psychiatric disorder. Various depressive rodent models are usually constructed based on different pathogenesis hypotheses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Herein, using our previously established naturally occurring depressive (NOD) model in a non-human primate (cynomolgus monkey, Macaca fascularis), we performed metabolomics analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from NOD female macaques (N=10) and age-and gender-matched healthy controls (HCs) (N=12). Multivariate statistical analysis was used to identify the differentially expressed metabolites between the two groups. Ingenuity Pathways Analysis and MetaboAnalyst were applied for predicted pathways and biological functions analysis. RESULTS: Totally, 37 metabolites responsible for discriminating the two groups were identified. The NOD macaques were mainly characterized by perturbations of fatty acid biosynthesis, ABC transport system, and amino acid metabolism (eg, aspartate, glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism). Interestingly, we found that eight altered CSF metabolites belonging to short-chain fatty acids and amino acids were also observed in the serum of NOD macaques (N=13 per group). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that peripheral and central short-chain fatty acids and amino acids are implicated in the onset of depression.

6.
J Proteomics ; 194: 132-147, 2019 03 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30521978

ABSTRACT

Major depressive disorders impact approximately 17% of the population worldwide, whose high morbidity and considerable adversity have resulted in enormous social and economic burden. In addition, clinically depressed patients often show reduced volume of olfactory bulb (OB) and decreased olfactory sensitivity. Although mounting evidence conveyed that the gut microbiota may implicate the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD) via the microbe-gut-brain axis, knowledge about its distinctive molecular mechanism is rudimentary. Herein, iTRAQ coupled with LC-MS/MS was applied to compare the OB proteome between "pathological microbiota" and "healthy microbiota" germ-free mice. A set of 367 proteins were differentially identified in the OB, including 119 up-regulated and 248 down-regulated proteins compared with the levels in controls. A combined analysis with significantly changed OB proteins from CUMS depression model supported the role of CREB signaling, whose dysregulation is likely to disrupt the axonogenesis of OB under microbiota condition. With that, the down-regulated CACNA1E and its downstream proteins (CALM/ CaMKII/ CREB/ BDNF) in CREB pathway were validated by Western blot. Meanwhile, the canonical pathways involved Nuclear Receptor Signaling highlighted the fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) model, which would be a new breakthrough for depressive research. These findings enrich the previous research achievements about the gut microbiota in psychiatric disorders, providing a creative insight into the intricate mechanisms of OB dysfunction in depression. SIGNIFICANCE: Emerging evidence has shown that gut microbiota can greatly influence brain functions and even behaviors. As one of the post-developmental neurogenesis areas for the adult brain, the OB is becoming increasingly important in the study of the pathogenesis of depression. Using an iTRAQ-based proteomics, we identified 367 altered proteins in the OB of fecal microbiota transplanted mouse, which provide a novel insight for further research of the "microbiota-gut-brain axis". In addition, combined analyses with the CUMS depression model and the validation of key proteins by Western blot may assist in the investigation of OB dysfunction in mental sickness.


Subject(s)
Calcium Channels, R-Type/metabolism , Cation Transport Proteins/metabolism , Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein/metabolism , Depression , Gastrointestinal Microbiome , Gene Expression Regulation , Germ-Free Life , Olfactory Bulb/metabolism , Signal Transduction , Animals , Depression/metabolism , Depression/microbiology , Depression/pathology , Mice , Olfactory Bulb/pathology , Proteomics
7.
Cell Physiol Biochem ; 49(1): 381-394, 2018.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30138929

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Borna disease virus 1 (BoDV-1) infection induces cognitive impairment in rodents. Emerging evidence has demonstrated that Chromatin remodeling through histone acetylation can regulate cognitive function. In the present study, we investigated the epigenetic regulation of chromatin that underlies BoDV-1-induced cognitive changes in the hippocampus. METHODS: Immunofluorescence assay was applied to detect BoDV-1 infection in hippocampal neurons and Sprague-Dawley rats models. The histone acetylation levels both in vivo and vitro were assessed by western blots. The acetylation-regulated genes were identified by ChIP-seq and verified by RT-qPCR. Cognitive functions were evaluated with Morris Water Maze test. In addition, Golgi staining, and electrophysiology were used to study changes in synaptic structure and function. RESULTS: BoDV-1 infection of hippocampal neurons significantly decreased H3K9 histone acetylation level and inhibited transcription of several synaptic genes, including postsynaptic density 95 (PSD95) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Furthermore, BoDV-1 infection of Sprague Dawley rats disrupted synaptic plasticity and caused spatial memory impairment. These rats also exhibited dysregulated hippocampal H3K9 acetylation and decreased PSD95 and BDNF protein expression. Treatment with the HDAC inhibitor, suberanilohydroxamic acid (SAHA), attenuated the negative effects of BoDV-1. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that regulation of H3K9 histone acetylation may play an important role in BoDV-1-induced memory impairment, whereas SAHA may confer protection against BoDV-1-induced cognitive impairments. This study finds important mechanism of BoDV-1 infection disturbing neuronal synaptic plasticity and inducing cognitive dysfunction from the perspective of histone modification.


Subject(s)
Borna Disease/pathology , Borna disease virus/physiology , Histones/metabolism , Memory/physiology , Acetylation/drug effects , Animals , Borna Disease/virology , Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor/metabolism , Cells, Cultured , Chromatin Immunoprecipitation , Disease Models, Animal , Disks Large Homolog 4 Protein/metabolism , Hydroxamic Acids/pharmacology , Maze Learning , Memory/drug effects , Neuronal Plasticity/genetics , Neurons/cytology , Neurons/metabolism , Rats , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Vorinostat
8.
Oncotarget ; 9(45): 27907, 2018 06 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29963247

ABSTRACT

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.23933.].

9.
Transl Psychiatry ; 8(1): 130, 2018 07 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29991685

ABSTRACT

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a debilitating psychiatric illness. However, there is currently no objective laboratory-based diagnostic tests for this disorder. Although, perturbations in multiple neurotransmitter systems have been implicated in MDD, the biochemical changes underlying the disorder remain unclear, and a comprehensive global evaluation of neurotransmitters in MDD has not yet been performed. Here, using a GC-MS coupled with LC-MS/MS-based targeted metabolomics approach, we simultaneously quantified the levels of 19 plasma metabolites involved in GABAergic, catecholaminergic, and serotonergic neurotransmitter systems in 50 first-episode, antidepressant drug-naïve MDD subjects and 50 healthy controls to identify potential metabolite biomarkers for MDD (training set). Moreover, an independent sample cohort comprising 49 MDD patients, 30 bipolar disorder (BD) patients and 40 healthy controls (testing set) was further used to validate diagnostic generalizability and specificity of these candidate biomarkers. Among the 19 plasma neurotransmitter metabolites examined, nine were significantly changed in MDD subjects. These metabolites were mainly involved in GABAergic, catecholaminergic and serotonergic systems. The GABAergic and catecholaminergic had better diagnostic value than serotonergic pathway. A panel of four candidate plasma metabolite biomarkers (GABA, dopamine, tyramine, kynurenine) could distinguish MDD subjects from health controls with an AUC of 0.968 and 0.953 in the training and testing set, respectively. Furthermore, this panel distinguished MDD subjects from BD subjects with high accuracy. This study is the first to globally evaluate multiple neurotransmitters in MDD plasma. The altered plasma neurotransmitter metabolite profile has potential differential diagnostic value for MDD.


Subject(s)
Depressive Disorder, Major/diagnosis , Metabolomics/methods , Neurotransmitter Agents/blood , Adult , Area Under Curve , Biomarkers/blood , Bipolar Disorder/blood , Bipolar Disorder/diagnosis , Case-Control Studies , Cohort Studies , Depressive Disorder, Major/blood , Female , Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry , Humans , Logistic Models , Male , Metabolic Networks and Pathways , Middle Aged , Neurotransmitter Agents/metabolism , Sensitivity and Specificity , Severity of Illness Index
10.
Oncotarget ; 9(39): 25698-25707, 2018 05 22.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29876017

ABSTRACT

Background/Objectives: The association between dietary cholesterol and stroke risk has remained controversial over the past two decades. The aim of this meta-analysis was to assess the relationship between dietary cholesterol and stroke risk. Results: Seven prospective studies including 269,777 non-overlapping individuals (4,604 strokes) were included. The combined RR of stroke for higher cholesterol intake (> 300 mg/day) was 0.98 (95% CI, 0.90-1.07), and the combined RR of stroke for higher cholesterol intake (> 300 mg/day) in females (age of ≥ 60 years or body mass index of ≥ 24 kg/m2) was 1.18 (95% CI, 1.02-1.36). Materials and Methods: The PubMed, Medline, Embase, Web of Knowledge, and Google Scholar databases were searched. Relevant studies were identified by searching these online databases through September 2017. The relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to investigate the strength of the association. Conclusions: Higher cholesterol intake has no association with the overall stroke risk. Age and body mass index affect the relationship between dietary cholesterol intake and stroke risk. However, the association between higher dietary cholesterol and stroke risk in males remains unclear.

11.
Neuroreport ; 29(9): 704-711, 2018 06 13.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29742621

ABSTRACT

In the present study, we used a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-based metabolomics method to evaluate the effects of ketamine on mice hippocampi. Multivariate statistical analysis and ingenuity pathway analysis were then used to identify and explore the potential mechanisms and biofunction of ketamine. Compared with the control (CON) group, 14 differential metabolites that involved amino acid metabolism, energy metabolism, and oxidative stress metabolism were identified. After combination with 2,3-dihydroxy-6-nitro-7-sulfamoyl-benzo[f]quinoxaline-2,3-dione (NBQX) administration, six of the 14 metabolites remained significantly differentially expressed between the ketamine (KET) and KET+NBQX groups, including glycine, alanine, glutamine, aspartic acid, myoinositol, and ascorbate, whereas no difference was found in the levels of the other eight metabolites between the KET and KET+NBQX groups, including phosphate, 4-aminobutyric acid, urea, creatine, L-malic acid, galactinol, inosine, and aminomalonic. Our findings indicate that ketamine exerts antidepressant effects through an α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid inhibition-dependent mechanism and a mechanism not affected by α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid inhibition. Which provides further insight into the therapeutic mechanisms of ketamine in the hippocampus.


Subject(s)
Antidepressive Agents/pharmacology , Depressive Disorder/drug therapy , Depressive Disorder/metabolism , Hippocampus/drug effects , Hippocampus/metabolism , Ketamine/pharmacology , Animals , Disease Models, Animal , Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists/pharmacology , Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/methods , Male , Metabolome/drug effects , Metabolomics/methods , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Multivariate Analysis , Random Allocation
12.
Behav Brain Res ; 323: 38-46, 2017 04 14.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28130175

ABSTRACT

Major depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, which is associated with diverse alterations in brain such as neuro-inflammation, synaptic dysfunction, and cognitive deficit. Accumulating evidences suggest sirtuins (SIRTs) are involved in brain developmental disorders, metabolic diseases and play a key role in cognition and synaptic plasticity, yet the role in mood regulation remains controversial. Hence, Western blotting and RT-qPCR were used to investigate whether SIRTs (SIRT1-7) expression levels were altered in the hippocampus of rats, which followed 5 weeks of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) treatment, the results showed depressive-like behaviors: like body weight, forced swim test and sucrose preference test and SIRT6 was a significant increase in the hippocampal of CUMS rats. Furthermore, via a lentivirus-mediated transfection in hippocampal neurons, we aimed to detect how SIRT6 influence the function of hippocampus. The SIRT6 overexpression significantly inhibited expressions of proteins and/or phosphoproteins (e.g AKT, p-AKT, P-GSK3ß), decreased the ratios of p-GSK3ß/GSK3ß and p-Akt/Akt in the primary hippocampus neurons. Thus, our data indicates that SIRT6 is involved in the modulation of depressive-like behaviors and affects the survival and synaptic plasticity of hippocampal neuron via inhibitory activation of Akt-GSK3ß signaling.


Subject(s)
Depressive Disorder, Major/metabolism , Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta/metabolism , Hippocampus/metabolism , Neurons/metabolism , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism , Sirtuins/metabolism , Animals , Male , Neuronal Plasticity , Proteomics , RNA, Messenger/metabolism , Rats , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Signal Transduction , Stress, Psychological/metabolism , Up-Regulation
13.
Mol Biosyst ; 13(2): 338-349, 2017 Jan 31.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28045162

ABSTRACT

As a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor [SNRI], venlafaxine is one of the most commonly prescribed clinical antidepressants, with a broad range of antidepressant effects. Accumulating evidence shows that venlafaxine may target astrocytes to exert its antidepressant activity, although the underlying pharmacological mechanisms remained largely unknown. Here, we used a 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabonomics method coupled with multivariate statistical analysis to characterize the metabolic profiling of astrocytes treated with venlafaxine to explore the potential mechanism of its antidepressant effect. In total, 31 differential metabolites involved in energy, amino acid and lipid metabolism were identified. Ingenuity pathway analysis was used to identify the predicted pathways and biological functions with venlafaxine and fluoxetine. The most significantly altered network was "amino acid metabolism, cellular growth and proliferation", with a score above 20. Certain metabolites (lysine, tyrosine, glutamate, methionine, ethanolamine, fructose-6-phosphate, and phosphorylethanolamine) are involved in and play a central role in this network. Collectively, the biological effects of venlafaxine on astrocytes provide us with the further understanding of the mechanisms by which venlafaxine treats major depressive disorder.


Subject(s)
Astrocytes/drug effects , Astrocytes/metabolism , Metabolome , Metabolomics , Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy , Venlafaxine Hydrochloride/pharmacology , Animals , Cell Proliferation/drug effects , Metabolic Networks and Pathways/drug effects , Metabolomics/methods , Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy/methods , Rats
14.
BMC Psychiatry ; 16(1): 319, 2016 Sep 13.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27623971

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Postmortem studies of people who have successfully committed suicide and people with depression have implicated the serotonin-1A (5-HT1A) receptor system in the pathophysiology of depression. Several molecular imaging studies have investigated alterations in 5-HT1A receptors in patients with depression using positron emission tomography and have reported conflicting results. METHODS: We performed a meta-analysis of studies investigating the relationship between depression and 5-HT1A binding. We conducted a comprehensive search of Medline, Embase, ScienceDirect, Scopus and Springer databases for relevant studies published between January 1999 and October 2015. The meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with the Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines. RESULTS: Ten studies were included, comprising 218 patients with depression and 261 healthy controls. The results of these studies indicated a reduction in 5-HT1A receptors in mesiotemporal cortex, yielding a summary effect estimate of -0.8 (95 % CI -1.36, -0.24). Smaller reductions were reported in 5-HT1A receptor binding in the hippocampus, raphe nuclei, insular, anterior cingulate cortex and occipital cortex of people with depression. No clear effect of depression on 5-HT1A receptors was detected in the amygdala. CONCLUSIONS: Reduced 5-HT1A receptor binding was associated with the pathology of depression and predicted altered serotonergic neurotransmission in various brain regions. These findings increase our understanding of the neurophysiological processes underlying depression.


Subject(s)
Depressive Disorder/metabolism , Adult , Amygdala/metabolism , Cerebral Cortex/metabolism , Depression , Female , Gyrus Cinguli/metabolism , Hippocampus/metabolism , Humans , Male , Molecular Imaging/methods , Neuroimaging/methods , Piperazines/metabolism , Positron-Emission Tomography/methods , Pyridines/metabolism , Raphe Nuclei/metabolism , Serotonin/metabolism
15.
Langmuir ; 32(6): 1658-65, 2016 Feb 16.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26800762

ABSTRACT

This paper presents, for the first time, versatile and low-cost miniature liquid lenses with graphene as electrodes. Tunable focal length is achieved by changing the droplet curvature using electrowetting on dielectric (EWOD). Ionic liquid and KCl solution are utilized as lens liquid on the top of a flexible Teflon-coated PDMS/parylene membrane. Transparent and flexible, graphene allows transmission of visible light as well as large deformation of the polymer membrane to achieve requirements for different lens designs and to increase the field of view without damaging of electrodes. The tunable range for the focal length is between 3 and 7 mm for a droplet with a volume of 3 µL. The visualization of bone marrow dendritic cells is demonstrated by the liquid lens system with a high resolution (456 lp/mm).


Subject(s)
Electrodes , Graphite/chemistry , Ionic Liquids/chemistry , Lenses , Bone Marrow , Borates/chemistry , Dendritic Cells , Dimethylpolysiloxanes , Electrowetting , Microfluidics , Polymers , Potassium Chloride , Quaternary Ammonium Compounds/chemistry , Xylenes
16.
Photoacoustics ; 3(1): 3-10, 2015 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25893169

ABSTRACT

Integrating high contrast bubbles from ultrasound imaging with plasmonic absorbers from photoacoustic imaging is investigated. Nanoemulsion beads coated with gold nanopsheres (NEB-GNS) are excited with simultaneous light (transient heat at the GNS's) and ultrasound (rarefactional pressure) resulting in a phase transition achievable under different scenarios, enhancing laser-induced acoustic signals and enabling specific detection of nanoprobes at lower concentration. An automated platform allowed dual parameter scans of both pressure and laser fluence while recording broadband acoustic signals. Two types of NEB-GNS and individual GNS were investigated and showed the great potential of this technique to enhance photoacoustic/acoustic signals. The NEB-GNS size distribution influences vaporization thresholds which can be reached at both permissible ultrasound and light exposures at deep penetration and at low concentrations of targets. This technique, called sono-photoacoustics, has great potential for targeted molecular imaging and therapy using compact nanoprobes with potentially high-penetrability into tissue.

17.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25643081

ABSTRACT

Because of depth-dependent light attenuation, bulky, low-repetition-rate lasers are usually used in most photoacoustic (PA) systems to provide sufficient pulse energies to image at depth within the body. However, integrating these lasers with real-time clinical ultrasound (US) scanners has been problematic because of their size and cost. In this paper, an integrated PA/US (PAUS) imaging system is presented operating at frame rates >30 Hz. By employing a portable, low-cost, low-pulse-energy (~2 mJ/pulse), high-repetition-rate (~1 kHz), 1053-nm laser, and a rotating galvo-mirror system enabling rapid laser beam scanning over the imaging area, the approach is demonstrated for potential applications requiring a few centimeters of penetration. In particular, we demonstrate here real-time (30 Hz frame rate) imaging (by combining multiple single-shot sub-images covering the scan region) of an 18-gauge needle inserted into a piece of chicken breast with subsequent delivery of an absorptive agent at more than 1-cm depth to mimic PAUS guidance of an interventional procedure. A signal-to-noise ratio of more than 35 dB is obtained for the needle in an imaging area 2.8 × 2.8 cm (depth × lateral). Higher frame rate operation is envisioned with an optimized scanning scheme.


Subject(s)
Photoacoustic Techniques/methods , Ultrasonography, Interventional/methods , Animals , Chickens , Humans , Muscle, Skeletal/diagnostic imaging , Phantoms, Imaging , Photoacoustic Techniques/instrumentation , Ultrasonography, Interventional/instrumentation
18.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36247362

ABSTRACT

Ultrasound-guided photoacoustic imaging has shown great potential for many clinical applications including vascular visualization, detection of nanoprobes sensing molecular profiles, and guidance of interventional procedures. However, bulky and costly lasers are usually required to provide sufficient pulse energies for deep imaging. The low pulse repetition rate also limits potential real-time applications of integrated photoacoustic/ultrasound (PAUS) imaging. With a compact and low-cost laser operating at a kHz repetition rate, we aim to integrate photoacoustics (PA) into a commercial ultrasound (US) machine utilizing an interleaved scanning approach for clinical translation, with imaging depth up to a few centimeters and frame rates > 30 Hz. Multiple PA sub-frames are formed by scanning laser firings covering a large scan region with a rotating galvo mirror, and then combined into a final frame. Ultrasound pulse-echo beams are interleaved between laser firings/PA receives. The approach was implemented with a diode-pumped laser, a commercial US scanner, and a linear array transducer. Insertion of an 18-gauge needle into a piece of chicken tissue, with subsequent injection of an absorptive agent into the tissue, was imaged with an integrated PAUS frame rate of 30 Hz, covering a 2.8 cm × 2.8 cm imaging plane. Given this real-time image rate and high contrast (> 40 dB at more than 1-cm depth in the PA image), we have demonstrated that this approach is potentially attractive for clinical procedure guidance.

19.
Photoacoustics ; 2(2): 63-74, 2014 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25302156

ABSTRACT

Laser-ultrasonics is an attractive and powerful tool for the non-destructive testing and evaluation (NDT&E) of composite materials. Current systems for non-contact detection of ultrasound have relatively low sensitivity compared to contact peizotransducers. They are also expensive, difficult to adjust, and strongly influenced by environmental noise. Moreover, laser-ultrasound (LU) systems typically launch only about 50 firings per second, much slower than the kHz level pulse repetition rate of conventional systems. As demonstrated here, most of these drawbacks can be eliminated by combining a new generation of compact, inexpensive, high repetition rate nanosecond fiber lasers with new developments in fiber telecommunication optics and an optimally designed balanced probe beam detector. In particular, a modified fiber-optic balanced Sagnac interferometer is presented as part of a LU pump-probe system for NDT&E of aircraft composites. The performance of the all-optical system is demonstrated for a number of composite samples with different types and locations of inclusions.

20.
Opt Lett ; 39(9): 2599-602, 2014 May 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24784055

ABSTRACT

Optically activated cavitation in a nanoemulsion contrast agent is proposed for therapeutic applications. With a 56°C boiling point perfluorohexane core and highly absorptive gold nanospheres at the oil-water interface, cavitation nuclei in the core can be efficiently induced with a laser fluence below medical safety limits (70 mJ/cm2 at 1064 nm). This agent is also sensitive to ultrasound (US) exposure and can induce inertial cavitation at a pressure within the medical diagnostic range. Images from a high-speed camera demonstrate bubble formation in these nanoemulsions. The potential of using this contrast agent for blood clot disruption is demonstrated in an in vitro study. The possibility of simultaneous laser and US excitation to reduce the cavitation threshold for therapeutic applications is also discussed.


Subject(s)
Blood Coagulation/physiology , Blood Coagulation/radiation effects , Gases/radiation effects , Gold/radiation effects , Laser Therapy/methods , Mechanical Thrombolysis/methods , Nanospheres/radiation effects , Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation , Emulsions , Gold/therapeutic use , Humans , Nanospheres/therapeutic use , Radiation Dosage
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