Optimizing imaging quality and radiation dose by the age-dependent setting of tube voltage in pediatric chest digital radiography.

OBJECTIVE: The quality and radiation dose of different tube voltage sets for chest digital radiography (DR) were compared in a series of pediatric age groups. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-five hundred children aged 0-14 years (yr) were randomly divided into four groups according to the tube voltage protocols for chest DR: lower kilovoltage potential (kVp) (A), intermediate kVp (B), and higher kVp (C) groups, and the fixed high kVp group (controls). The results were analyzed among five different age groups (0-1 yr, 1-3 yr, 3-7 yr, 7-11 yr and 11-14 yr). The dose area product (DAP) and visual grading analysis score (VGAS) were determined and compared by using one-way analysis of variance. RESULTS: The mean DAP of protocol C was significantly lower as compared with protocols A, B and controls (p < 0.05). DAP was higher in protocol A than the controls (p <0.001), but it was not statistically significantly different between B and the controls (p = 0.976). Mean VGAS was lower in the controls than all three protocols (p < 0.001 for all). Mean VGAS did not differ between protocols A and B (p = 0.334), but was lower in protocol C than A (p = 0.008) and B (p = 0.049). CONCLUSION: Protocol C (higher kVp) may help optimize the trade-off between radiation dose and image quality, and it may be acceptable for use in a pediatric age group from these results.

MicroRNA let-7a inhibits the proliferation and invasion of nonsmall cell lung cancer cell line 95D by regulating K-Ras and HMGA2 gene expression.

MicroRNAs are closely linked to tumor metastasis and let-7a may play a role in inhibiting the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of lung cancer. In vitro, we aim to observe the impact of let-7a on the proliferation and invasion of the nonsmall cell lung cancer cell line 95D by constructing a lentiviral vector that expresses let-7a. Cell proliferation assays and Transwell experiments were used to compare the proliferation and invasion of the 95D cell group with let-7a overexpressed or inhibited. Real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunoblotting analysis were used to compare the expression of K-RAS and HMGA2 at mRNA and the protein level in the above groups. The results showed the cells in the let-7a overexpressed group were significantly less proliferative and invasive than those in the let-7a inhibited group (p < 0.05). K-RAS and HMGA2 mRNA levels were significantly higher in the let-7a overexpressed group than those in the let-7a inhibited group (p < 0.05). However, the protein levels of K-RAS and HMGA2 were significantly lower in the let-7a overexpressed group than those in the let-7a inhibited group (p < 0.05). We suppose that let-7a inhibits the proliferation and invasion of the cell line 95D by regulating the translation of K-RAS and HMGA2 mRNA, not the transcription of the mRNA itself.

Calorie restriction from a young age preserves the functions of pancreatic ß cells in aging rats.

Calorie restriction (CR) is a simple method for delaying aging process, extending lifespan, and preventing the onset of aging-related diseases, such as diabetes. However, the mechanism, by which CR influences ß-cell functions during the aging process, still remains unclear. In this study, sixteen 8-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized to control group with food intake ad libitum and CR group fed with 70% of food intake of the control group. Twenty-four weeks later, the body weights of the rats with CR were significantly lower with the smaller amounts of perirenal and epididymal fats, compared to those of control rats. The ß-cell activity, as judged by the early insulin secretion in the intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test, was significantly higher in the CR group than that in control animals. Moreover, CR animals showed the increased ß-cell mass and proliferation of ß-cells in pancreas. The plasma level of malondialdehyde was lower in CR rats than that in control rats, while the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase in plasma were higher in CR rats than control rats. These results indicate that aging is associated with the increases in oxidative stress, which was, however, alleviated by CR. In conclusion, CR from a young age preserves the principal ß-cell function of early insulin secretion in rats probably by stimulating the ß-cell proliferation. Our observations provide the evidence for clinical significance of CR in preventing ß-cell dysfunction during the aging process, which may delay the onset of aging-related disease, including diabetes in humans.

The variation of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells in the periphery blood and tumor microenvironment of non-small cell lung cancer patients and the downregulation effects induced by CpG ODN.

The aim of the study was to observe the variation of CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells in periphery blood and tumor microenvironment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and the effects of CpG ODN. The proportion of CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells, Foxp3 gene expression, levels of tumor growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) and immunoreactive fibronectin-γ (IFN-γ) in the periphery blood of 30 NSCLC patients and 30 healthy volunteers were compared. These indicators were compared before and after CpG ODN treatment. Foxp3 gene expression in the tumor microenvironment of NSCLC patients was also observed. The results showed CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cell proportion, Foxp3 expression and TGF-ß levels in the periphery blood of NSCLC patients were higher than those of healthy volunteers (p < 0.05), and these indicators of patients were significantly decreased after CpG ODN 2006 treatment (p < 0.05). Foxp3 expression in the metastatic lymph nodes was higher than that in the non-metastatic ones of NSCLC patients (p = 0.000). In conclusion, a rise in the proportion of CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells was demonstrated in the periphery blood and tumor microenvironments of NSCLC patients. CpG ODN 2006 downregulated the CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells proportion and TGF-ß levels in the periphery blood of these patients.