Feasibility and safety of computed tomography-guided intrapulmonary injection of indocyanine green for localization of peripheral pulmonary ground-glass nodules.

Background: The early surgical intervention for pulmonary ground-glass nodules (GGNs) has become increasingly important, but accurate identification of these nodules during thoracoscopic surgery poses challenges due to the need for sublobar resections and reliance on visual and tactile perception alone. The prognosis of the procedure is closely tied to the use of precise positioning technology. Thus, it is crucial to develop an accurate positioning technology that can improve patient prognosis. Methods: Clinical data from the cardiothoracic department of a tertiary hospital in Shanghai were collected and analyzed between January 2020 and December 2021. The patients were categorized into 2 groups: an indocyanine green (ICG) group and a hook-wire group. Outcome measures including success rate, complications, procedure time, localization-related pain, and interval time were assessed. Adverse events and reactions were reported and compared between the 2 groups. Results: A total of 62 patients (17 males and 45 females, aged 50.5±13.2 years) were in the ICG group, while 66 patients (23 males and 43 females, aged 48.4±12.9 years) were localized in the hook-wire group. The success rate was comparable between the 2 groups. However, the ICG group showed significant advantages over the hook-wire group in terms of procedure time (22.6±4.4 vs. 24.1±4.9 min; P=0.012), localization-related pain (P<0.001), and interval time [median and interquartile range (IQR): 3 (0.7, 104.9) vs. 1.2 (0.5, 3.3) h; P<0.001]. In the ICG group, there were 11 cases of pneumothorax, 4 cases of hemothorax, and 2 cases of ICG diffusion. In the hook-wire group, there were 24 cases of pneumothorax, 25 cases of hemothorax, and 2 cases of dislodgement. The ICG group had fewer complications, including pneumothorax (P=0.018) and hemothorax (P=0.007), compared to the hook-wire group. Conclusions: Computed tomography (CT)-guided intrapulmonary injection of ICG for preoperative localization of peripheral pulmonary GGNs is a practical and safe technique. It offers advantages in terms of reduced procedure time, localization-related pain, and interval time compared to the hook-wire method. Moreover, the ICG technique results in fewer complications, making it a valuable preoperative localization technique worthy of popularization.

Selective targeted delivery of doxorubicin via conjugating to anti-CD24 antibody results in enhanced antitumor potency for hepatocellular carcinoma both in vitro and in vivo.

PURPOSE: Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) represent a promising therapeutic approach for clinical application. Cluster of differentiation 24 (CD24) is over-expressed in several human malignancies, especially in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We aimed to develop a new class of CD24-targeted ADCs for HCC. METHODS: DOX was conjugated with G7mAb by a heterobifunctional cross-linker GMBS (N-[gamma-maleimido butyryloxy] succinimide ester) and further analyzed using HPLC. The targeting specificity and endocytosis of the newly generated ADC, G7mAb-DOX, were characterized using flow cytometry assay, near-infrared fluorescence imaging and laser scanning confocal microscope. The antitumor effects were evaluated in nude mice bearing HCC xenografts. RESULTS: G7mAb-DOX with average two drug molecules per antibody was selectively captured and endocytosed by CD24 (+) tumor cells in vitro. In vivo, the ADC was proved to target tumor tissues, suppress tumor growth and prolong the survival of HCC-bearing nude mice with improved efficacy and less systemic toxicity compared with either G7mAb or DOX single-agent treatment. CONCLUSION: These studies provide proof of concept for development of DOX-based ADCs which provide a novel approach for HCC-targeted immune therapy in clinical application.

Diastereo- and enantioselective direct vinylogous Michael addition of γ-substituted butenolides to 2-enoylpyridines catalyzed by chiral bifunctional amine-squaramides.

The diastereo- and enantioselective direct vinylogous Michael addition reaction of γ-substituted butenolides to 2-enoylpyridines has been achieved. A range of γ,γ-disubstituted butenolide derivatives, bearing two consecutive tri- and tetrasubstituted stereogenic centers, were readily obtained in good yields with excellent stereoselectivities (up to >99 : 1 dr and >99% ee).

[Effects and mechanisms of Herba dendrobii on rats with stomach-heat syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of Herba dendrobii on rats with stomach-heat syndrome and to explore the mechanisms. METHOD: Rats were fed with decoction of Rhizoma Zingiberis for 15 continuous days to induce the model of stomach-heat syndrome. After modeling, Herba Dendrobii (HD) decoction were given (in the doses of 1.5, 0.75 g x kg(-1) respectively) for 10 days. After treatment, amount of the daily diet, volume and absorbance of urine, pellet number and moistness of excrement, color and coating degree of tongue were recorded; the body thermal effects were detected with thermal texture maps (TTM) system; the biochemical indexes of blood reflecting the physiological function of stomach, including thromboxaneB2 (TXB2), 6-keto-prostaglandin F1alpha(6-keto-PGF1alpha), motilin (MTL), gastrin (Gas), somatostation (SS), interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) were measured by radio immunoassay; and the histological changes of gastric mucosa were observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) stain. RESULT: The model rat had yellow coating and red tongues (P < 0.05). The amount of daily diet were increased (over 10%), urine volume and excrement pellet number were decreased (over 10%). The their urine color became deep (P < 0.01) and their excrement became dry. The temperatures in head, neck, left fore-armpit, chest, up-abdomen, mid-abdomen of the model rats were raised up (difference > 0.5 degrees C or difference > 1.0 degree C ). The content of 6-keto-PGF1alpha in blood of model rats decreased evidently (P < 0.01), and the contents of MTL, Gas and IL-8 increased conspicuously (P < 0.01). The histological changes of gastric mucosa in the model rats were as follows: diffuse congestion, infiltration of neutrophil, less secretion, decrease of the number of chief and parietal cells, etc (P < 0. 05 or P < 0.01). After treatment with HD, except the daily food weight, the temperatures in head, neck and chest, the content of MTL and the number of chief cells, the other indexes observed above were improved noticeably (difference > 0.5 RC or difference > 1.0 degree C, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The reason why HD relieves the general symptom and sign the gastric mucosa of rats with stomach-heat syndrome is that HD can increase 6-keto-PGF1alpha and decrease IL-8, Gas, TXB2 in their blood.

Effects of contrast media on erythrocyte aggregation during sedimentation.

To evaluate the effects of contrast media (CMs) on erythrocyte aggregation, we measured the erythrocyte sedimentation with Westergren method at 25 degrees C. CMs were diatrizoate (Urografin 76%) for ionic CM and iopamidol (Iopamiron 370) for nonionic CM. Swine red blood cells (RBCs) were suspended in autologous plasma containing diatrizoate (URO), iopamidol (IOP), and saline (SAL) at 6.7% w/w, as well as in plasma alone (PLA), at 40% of the hematocrit. Sigmoid sedimentation curves were fitted to the Puccini et al. (1977) equation, and the average number of RBCs per aggregate m was calculated by Stokes' law against the time t. According to the Murata-Secomb (1988) theory we estimated the collision rate K between two aggregates from dm/dt in the stationary phase during sedimentation. Corresponding to the maximal ESR, the dm/dt (in cells/s) was 0.52 in PLA, 0.09 in SAL, 0.06 in URO and 0.03 in IOP, so that K also decreased in proportion to dm/dt from 145 fL/s in PLA to 8 fL/s in IOP. Both the ionic and nonionic CMs tend to inhibit the RBC aggregation more than that in SAL; the latter iopamidol appears to be inhibitory more than the former diatrizoate in autologous plasma.