[Ectopic pituitary tumor of sphenoid sinus: a case report].

Ectopic pituitary adenoma is rare in clinical practice. This article reports a case of ectopic pituitary adenoma of sphenoid sinus, and summarizes the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and management. A 54-year-old female patient complaining with occasional head distension without dizziness and headache for more than 1 month was admitted due to sinus mass on conventional physical examination. Imaging examination revealed a mass in the occipital slope and bilateral sphenoid sinus. The patient underwent endoscopic resection of the mass under general anesthesia. Postoperative histopathological examination showed "pituitary neuroendocrine tumor". Postoperative recovery was good and no complications occurred. She was followed up for 2 months without relapse.

A highly augmented, (12,3)-connected Zr-MOF containing hydrated coordination sites for the catalytic transformation of gaseous CO2 to cyclic carbonates.

A porous Zr-based MOF, [Zr6(BTEB)4(µ3-O)4(µ3-OH)4(H2O)4], which contains partially hydrated, 12-connected {Zr6} nodes and extended carboxylate ligands (BTEB3-), was synthesized and physicochemically characterised. The resulting (12,3)-connected, 3D framework adopts an uncommon llj topology with a large, solvent accessible void volume of ca. 79% of the unit cell volume. The porous structure facilitates the uptake of N2 and activated samples give rise to BET surface areas of >1000 m2 g-1. Furthermore, the porosity and accessibility of Lewis acidic Zr(iv) sites promote the catalytic transformation of gaseous CO2 to cyclic carbonates via cycloaddition reactions using epoxide reactants, whereby solvated MOFs exhibit higher catalytic performance than thermally treated samples.

RAP80 expression in breast cancer and its relationship with apoptosis in breast cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: RAP80 is a member of BRCA1-A complex, which plays an important role in regulating the cell cycle checkpoint and DNA damage repair in the nucleus. METHOD: We investigated RAP80 expression in breast cancer and its paired normal breast tissues to further analyze its role in the biological behavior of breast cancer cells. RESULTS: RAP80 expression in breast cancer (62.3%, 101/162) was significantly lower than that in adjacent normal breast tissues (P<0.05). RAP80 expression was related to tumor size, lymph node metastasis, TNM stage, and molecular subtype (P<0.05). RAP80 mRNA expression was significantly lower in triple-negative breast cancer than other types. The mRNA and protein of RAP80 were obvious in MCF-7 and very weak in ZR-75 or MDA-MB-231, so we picked MCF-7 to be transfected with RAP80 siRNA. The survival rate of both cells decreased in a dose-dependent manner and the IC50 value for cisplatin in MCF-7 RAP80 siRNA cells was 0.83 µg/mL, and 1.69 µg/mL in wild-type MCF-7 according to MTT. RAP80 siRNA transfection upregulated the apoptosis and downregulated invasive or migrating ability of MCF-7. RAP80 siRNA also upregulated the protein expression of Caspase-3, cleaved Caspase-3, Apaf-1, Cytochrome C, Bax, and Fas, and downregulated the protein expression of Bcl-2. CONCLUSION: RAP80 expression was related to ER or PR activity. Inhibition of RAP80 expression can induce apoptosis in breast cancer cells and improve chemosensitivity to cisplatin. Tumor cells can activate protective responses to inhibit cell cycle progression, which may be related to RAP80, and repair cisplatin-induced DNA damage. RAP80 is related to BRCA1's effect, which can be used as an interesting target for pharmacological modulation that can increase the efficiency of cisplatin chemotherapy.

Index markers of chronic fatigue syndrome with dysfunction of TCA and urea cycles.

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a persistent and unexplained pathological state characterized by exertional and severely debilitating fatigue, with/without infectious or neuropsychiatric symptoms, lasting at least 6 consecutive months. Its pathogenesis remains incompletely understood. Here, we performed comprehensive metabolomic analyses of 133 plasma samples obtained from CFS patients and healthy controls to establish an objective diagnosis of CFS. CFS patients exhibited significant differences in intermediate metabolite concentrations in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) and urea cycles. The combination of ornithine/citrulline and pyruvate/isocitrate ratios discriminated CFS patients from healthy controls, yielding area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values of 0.801 (95% confidential interval [CI]: 0.711-0.890, P < 0.0001) and 0.750 (95% CI: 0.584-0.916, P = 0.0069) for training (n = 93) and validation (n = 40) datasets, respectively. These findings provide compelling evidence that a clinical diagnostic tool could be developed for CFS based on the ratios of metabolites in plasma.

[Sudden deafness as the initial manifestation of chronic myelogenous leukemia: case report].

To study the pathogenesis of hearing loss in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). To report one case with CML whose first sign was sudden unilateral hearing loss. Sudden hearing loss in CML was presented with dramatic high white blood cell count in peripheral blood. Some cases of sudden hearing loss in CML may be improved or even cured by leukapheresis and intrathecal chemotherapy. The proposed pathogenesis for deafness in leukemia is due to hyperleukocytosis, hyperviscosity syndrome, leukemic infiltration and the inner ear hemorrhage. In treatment, clinicians should quickly reduce the number of white blood cells to lighten the tumor burden. Intrathecal injection of MTX and plasmapheresis is commonly used.

Iron-Catalyzed Reduction of CO2 into Methylene: Formation of C-N, C-O, and C-C Bonds.

We report herein the use of the (dihydrido)iron catalyst, Fe(H)2(dmpe)2, for the selective reduction of CO2 into either bis(boryl)acetal or methoxyborane depending on the hydroborane used as a reductant. In a one-pot two-step procedure, the in situ generated bis(boryl)acetal was shown to be a reactive and versatile source of methylene to create new C-N but also C-O and C-C bonds.

Potential biomarkers of fatigue identified by plasma metabolome analysis in rats.

In the present study, prior to the establishment of a method for the clinical diagnosis of chronic fatigue in humans, we validated the utility of plasma metabolomic analysis in a rat model of fatigue using capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry (CE-MS). In order to obtain a fatigued animal group, rats were placed in a cage filled with water to a height of 2.2 cm for 5 days. A food-restricted group, in which rats were limited to 10 g/d of food (around 50% of the control group), was also assessed. The food-restricted group exhibited weight reduction similar to that of the fatigued group. CE-MS measurements were performed to evaluate the profile of food intake-dependent metabolic changes, as well as the profile in fatigue loading, resulting in the identification of 48 metabolites in plasma. Multivariate analyses using hierarchical clustering and principal component analysis revealed that the plasma metabolome in the fatigued group showed clear differences from those in the control and food-restricted groups. In the fatigued group, we found distinctive changes in metabolites related to branched-chain amino acid metabolism, urea cycle, and proline metabolism. Specifically, the fatigued group exhibited significant increases in valine, leucine, isoleucine, and 2-oxoisopentanoate, and significant decreases in citrulline and hydroxyproline compared with the control and food-restricted groups. Plasma levels of total nitric oxide were increased in the fatigued group, indicating systemic oxidative stress. Further, plasma metabolites involved in the citrate cycle, such as cis-aconitate and isocitrate, were reduced in the fatigued group. The levels of ATP were significantly decreased in the liver and skeletal muscle, indicative of a deterioration in energy metabolism in these organs. Thus, this comprehensive metabolic analysis furthered our understanding of the pathophysiology of fatigue, and identified potential diagnostic biomarkers based on fatigue pathophysiology.

Gantry angle-dependent correction of dose detection error due to panel position displacement in IMRT dose verification using EPIDs.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to measure the mechanical position displacement of three types of electronic portal image device (EPID) panels at different gantry angles and evaluate the impact of positional displacement on intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) dose verification using an EPID. METHODS: Three types of linear accelerators and EPIDs (aS500, aS1000 and iViewGT) were used. The portal images were taken every 10° within 360° range. The position coordinate difference between the panel center and the portal film center at different gantry angles was measured, then the mechanical position displacement of EPIDs dependent on the gantry angles was analyzed. For the three linear accelerators and EPIDs, five IMRT plans were measured using EPIDs at 0° gantry angel and at the actual treatment angles. The Gamma technique was used to evaluate the resulted dose difference before and after the corrections of the position displacement by a in-house software. RESULTS: For aS500, aS1000 and iViewGT, the maximum mechanical position displacement was 2.9 ± 0.1 mm, 0.2 ± 0.1 mm and 0.1 ± 0.3 mm in the lateral direction and -4.2 ± 0.2 mm, -4.2 ± 0.1 mm and -2.2 ± 0.1 mm in the longitudinal direction, respectively. The position displacement in the longitudinal direction of the three EPIDs can be fitted well with a function. For aS500, aS1000 and iViewGT, the 3%/3 mm gamma pass rates were increased by 6.7%, 2.9% and 0.1% after displacement corrections; and while the 2%/2 mm gamma pass rates were increased by 11.2%, 8.1% and 1.6%. After the displacement correction, there was a slight gamma pass rate difference between the fixed zero degree gantry and the actual treatment angles. CONCLUSION: When the EPIDs were used for IMRT dose verification, there was occasionally large EPID mechanical position displacement, which should be corrected.

A comparative dosimetric study for treating left-sided breast cancer for small breast size using five different radiotherapy techniques: conventional tangential field, filed-in-filed, tangential-IMRT, multi-beam IMRT and VMAT.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSES: To compare the dosimetry for the left-sided breast cancer treatment using five different radiotherapy techniques. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty patients with left sided breast cancer were treated with conservative surgery followed by radiotherapy. They were planned using five different radiotherapy techniques, including: 1) conventional tangential wedge-based fields (TW); 2) field-in-field (FIF) technique; 3) tangential inverse planning intensity-modulated radiation therapy (T-IMRT); 4) multi-field IMRT (M-IMRT); and 5) volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). The CTV, PTV and OARs including the heart, the regions of coronary artery (CA), the contralateral breast, the left and right lung were delineated. The PTV dose was prescribed 50Gy and V47.5≥95%. Same dose constraint was used for all five plans. The planned volumetric dose of PTV and PRV-OARs were compared and analyzed. RESULTS: Except VMAT (Average V47.5 was 94.72%±1.2%), all the other four plans were able to meet the V95% (V47.5) requirement. T-IMRT plan improved the PTV dose homogeneity index (HI) by 0.02 and 0.03 when compared to TW plan and VMAT plan, and decreased the V5, V10 and V20 of all PRV-OARs. However, the high dose volume (≥ 30Gy) of the PRV-OARs in T-IMRT plan had no statistically significant difference compared with the other two inverse plans. In all five plans, the dose volume of coronary artery area showed a strong correlation to the dose volume of the heart (the correlation coefficients were 0.993, 0.996, 1.000, 0.995 and 0.986 respectively). CONCLUSION: Compared to other techniques, the T-IMRT technology reduced radiation dose exposure to normal tissues and maintained reasonable target homogeneity, VMAT is not recommended for left-sided breast cancer treatment. In five techniques, the dose-volume histogram (DVH) of the heart can be used to predict the dose-volume histogram (DVH) of the coronary artery.

A comparison of VMAT dosimetric verifications between fixed and rotating gantry positions.

This study comparatively analysed dose distributions between the fixed and rotating gantry positions of volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans measured using different dosimetric techniques with the intent to provide pre-treatment quality assurance (QA). A total of 12 VMAT plans for the treatment of anatomical sites of various complexities were chosen. An ion chamber was used to measure the absolute central point doses, while EPID, Seven29, Matrixx and Delta4 were used to measure the dose distributions. With the exception of Delta4, all detectors were used in one of two different settings: the gantry was either fixed at 0°, or the gantry was rotating. The results were analysed using the γ-evaluation method. Regarding absolute central point doses, the ion chamber results were within 3% of the treatment planning system (TPS) calculated results. For the dose distributions measured by detectors and calculated by TPS, the γ pass rates, with 3% maximum dose and 3 mm γ criteria, were above 96% when the gantry was fixed at 0°. When the gantry was rotating, the pass rates decreased slightly but were still above 90%. The results obtained from the comparison between the measured and calculated doses demonstrated the reliability of four detectors associated with VMAT. However, the treatment delivery and detector response may impact the results when the gantry is rotating.

[Efficacy and safety analysis with standardized mite allergen subcutaneous immunotherapy in 90 patients with allergic rhinitis].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the three-year efficacy and safety with standardized dust mite subcutaneous immunotherapy in patients with allergic rhinitis. METHODS: Ninety patients who were diagnosed as allergic to mite by skin prick test and serum IgE were include in the standardized allergen-specific dose-escalation regimen. Nasal symptom score (0-3) were collected before treatment and three years after treatment; VAS (visual analogue scale, 0-10) of all nasal symptoms and drug use score were collected every four months; frequency of local and systemic reactions were recorded in the duration of dose escalation and maintenance. RESULTS: Nasal blocking, sneeze, rhinorrhea and nasal itch were significantly improved after 3 years treatment (before treatment: 2[2;3], 2[2;3], 2[2;3], 2[1;2] ; after treatment: all were 0[0;0]; Z value were -8.310, -8.408, -8.377, -8.287, all P were 0.000). VAS of all nasal symptoms and drug use score decreased dramatically after escalation period (before treatment: 8.00[7.00;8.85], 2.00[1.50;2.00]; after treatment: 1.00[1.00;1.50], 0 [0;0]; Z value were -8.287, -8.248, P value 0.086, 0.744), and maintained afterwards (F value were 2.483, 0.296; P value were 0.086, 0.744). Ninety-eight case times (64.47%) local reactions mainly happened in maintenance period; the frequency of systemic reactions was 2.54%. CONCLUSION: The standardized specific allergen immunotherapy for allergic rhinitis is safe and effective.

Cortical spreading depression shifts cell fate determination of progenitor cells in the adult cortex.

Cortical spreading depression (SD) is propagating neuronal and glial depolarization and is thought to underly the pathophysiology of migraine. We have reported that cortical SD facilitates the proliferative activity of NG2-containing progenitor cells (NG2 cells) that give rise to oligodendrocytes and immature neurons under the physiological conditions in the adult mammalian cortex. Astrocytes have an important role in the maintenance of neuronal functions and alleviate neuronal damage after intense neuronal excitation, including SD and seizures. We here investigated whether SD promotes astrocyte generation from NG2 cells following SD stimuli. Spreading depression was induced by epidural application of 1 mol/L KCl solution in adult rats. We investigated the cell fate of NG2 cells following SD-induced proliferation using 5'-bromodeoxyuridine labeling and immunohistochemical analysis. Newly generated astrocytes were observed only in the SD-stimulated cortex, but not in the contralateral cortex or in normal cortex. The astrocytes were generated from proliferating NG2 cells. Astrogenesis depended on the number of SD stimuli, and was accompanied by suppression of oligodendrogenesis. These observations indicate that the cell fate of NG2 cells was shifted from oligodendrocytes to astrocytes depending on SD stimuli, suggesting activity-dependent tissue remodeling for maintenance of brain functions.

ßig-h3 supports gastric cancer cell adhesion, migration and proliferation in peritoneal carcinomatosis.

ßig-h3 is an extracellular matrix protein and its expression is highly induced by transforming growth factor (TGF-ß). It has also been suggested to play an important role in the growth and invasion of colon and pancreatic cancers. In the present study, we demonstrated that ßig-h3 is expressed in mesothelial cells, especially in patients with advanced gastric cancer. The positive rate of ßig-h3 was significantly higher in cases with a more invasive and advanced serous-type, with visible peritoneal metastasis, and in peritoneal lavage cytological examination (PLC) (+) and peritoneal lavage fluid CEA mRNA(+) subgroups (p<0.05). Our study also showed that the expression of ßig-h3 gradually increased with increasing TGF-ß1 concentrations in vitro in a time-dependant manner. In addition, ßig-h3 also induced human gastric carcinoma cell line (SGC-7901) cell adhesion in a dose-dependent manner and significantly increased cell migration and proliferation. The results suggest that ßig-h3 expression in peritoneal mesothelial cells in gastric cancer patients is a marker of the biological behavior of gastric cancer and plays an important role in the process of peritoneal carcinomatosis.

Diaqua-bis-{1-[(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)meth-yl]-1H-1,2,4-triazole-κN}bis-(2,4,5-tricarb-oxy-benzoato-κO)cadmium dihydrate.

In the title complex, [Cd(C(10)H(5)O(8))(2)(C(10)H(9)N(5))(2)(H(2)O)(2)]·2H(2)O, the Cd(II) ion lies on an inversion center and is coordinated by two N atoms from two symmetry-related 1-[(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)meth-yl]-1H-1,2,4-triazole ligands and two O atoms from two monodeprotonated 2,4,5-tricarb-oxy-benzoate anions in equatorial positions and by two water O atoms in axial positions, leading to a distorted octa-hedral environment. In the crystal, complex mol-ecules and solvent water mol-ecules are linked through inter-molecular O-H⋯O, O-H⋯N and N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds into a three-dimensional network. Intra-molecular O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds are also present.

Diaqua-[5,5'-dicarb-oxy-2,2'-(propane-1,3-di-yl)bis-(1H-imidazole-4-carboxyl-ato)]nickel(II) dihydrate.

In the title complex, [Ni(C(13)H(10)N(4)O(8))(H(2)O)(2)]·2H(2)O, the Ni(2+) cation is six-coordinated by two N atoms and two O atoms from the tetra-dentate anion in equatorial positions and by two water O atoms in axial positions, leading to a distorted octa-hedral environment. The central C atom of the propanediyl unit is disordered over two sites in a 0.531 (6):0.469 (6) ratio. In the crystal, adjacent mol-ecules are linked through O-H⋯O and N-H⋯O hydrogen-bonding inter-actions into a three-dimensional network.

Diaqua-[5,5'-dicarb-oxy-2,2'-(propane-1,3-di-yl)bis-(1H-imidazole-4-carboxyl-ato)]manganese(II).

The complex mol-ecule of the title compound, [Mn(C(13)H(10)N(4)O(8))(H(2)O)(2)] or [Mn(H(4)pbidc)(H(2)O)(2)] (H(6)pbidc = 2,2'-(propane-1,3-di-yl)bis-(1H-imidazole-4,5-dicarb-oxy-lic acid), has 2 symmetry with the twofold rotation axis running through the Mn(2+) cation and the central C atom of the propanediyl unit. The cation is six-coordinated by two N atoms and two O atoms from one H(4)pbidc(2-) anion and two water O atoms in a considerably distorted octa-hedral coordination. In the crystal, adjacent mol-ecules are linked through O-H⋯O and N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds into a three-dimensional network.

Thiamine tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide improves energy metabolism and physical performance during physical-fatigue loading in rats.

Impaired energy metabolism is considered a possible cause of fatigue. The thiamine derivative, thiamine tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide (TTFD), is prescribed and is also an over-the-counter drug for the attenuation of fatigue. It is readily absorbed from the intestinal tract and converted into thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP), which plays an important role as a cofactor for enzymes of metabolic pathways involved in the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). We postulated that TTFD has an anti-fatigue effect by improving energy metabolism during physical-fatigue loading. Here, we initially used the forced swimming test to determine whether daily TTFD or thiamine for 5 days has anti-fatigue effects on weight-loaded rats. The swimming duration of TTFD-, but not of thiamine-treated rats, was significantly longer than that of control rats (P < .05). Based on these findings, we examined changes in the levels of thiamine and its phosphate esters in various organs and the effect of TTFD on ATP levels in skeletal muscle after forced swimming, to determine the cellular mechanisms of the anti-fatigue effect of TTFD. Daily TTFD resulted in a characteristic distribution of thiamine and its phosphate esters in rat skeletal muscle, liver, kidney, heart, brain, and plasma. Furthermore, daily TTFD attenuated the decrease in ATP content in the skeletal muscle caused by forced swimming with a weight load for a defined period (150 s). These results indicate that TTFD exerts anti-fatigue effects by improving energy metabolism during physical fatigue.

Changes in plasma and tissue amino acid levels in an animal model of complex fatigue.

OBJECTIVE: Fatigue can be classified as physical or mental, depending on its cause. In physical fatigue, changes in the plasma levels of some amino acids have been reported. However, complex fatigue, which is experienced in daily life, is a combination of physical and mental fatigue. We aimed to identify changes in amino acid levels in the plasma, skeletal muscle, liver, and brain in an animal model of complex fatigue. METHODS: Rats were kept in a cage filled with water to a height of 2.2 cm for 5 d. Because rats showed a reduction of body weight when the model was developed, we also included a food-restricted group showing a similar profile in weight reduction as the water-immersed rats. A non-treated control group was also included. RESULTS: Results indicated that levels of branched-chain amino acids (valine, leucine, and isoleucine) were increased in plasma (valine, leucine, and isoleucine; P < 0.01), skeletal muscle (valine, leucine, and isoleucine; P < 0.01), the liver (valine; P < 0.05), and brain (isoleucine; P < 0.05), whereas a reduction in other amino acid levels (total amino acids and glutamine in the plasma, skeletal muscle, and liver; and phenylalanine, tyrosine, arginine, and threonine in the brain; P < 0.01) was seen in animals with complex fatigue. CONCLUSION: Complex fatigue may bring about systemic changes in amino acid metabolism in multiple organs.

Decrease of hepatic delta-aminolevulinate dehydratase activity in an animal model of fatigue.

Fatigue can be defined physiologically as inability to maintain the expected power output. At present, no standard of fatigue are yet available. In order to find biomarkers of fatigue, we investigated the level of delta-aminolevulinic acid (ALA), the first intermediate metabolite in the heme biosynthetic pathway, in the plasma and urine of an animal model of fatigue. To prepare fatigued animals, we kept rats for 5 days in a cage filled with water to a height of 1.5 cm. As a result, the plasma and urinary ALA levels were increased in the fatigued animals as compared with those in the control animals. One day after the rats had been returned to their normal cages, these increased levels were restored to the control ones. We also examined the activity of the enzyme ALA dehydratase (ALAD), which is the second enzyme in the heme biosynthetic pathway, and ALAD gene expression during the fatigue and its recovery sessions. The ALAD activity, as well as its gene expression, in the liver of the fatigued animals was decreased as compared with those of the control animals. Both activity and gene expression of ALAD were recovered to their respective control levels after the rats had been allowed to rest in their normal cages for 1 day. Furthermore, the activity of ALA synthase (ALAS), the rate-limiting enzyme in the heme biosynthesis, in the liver was increased after the fatigue session for 5 days. Although this level of increase in the plasma concentration of ALA may not induce fatigue, increase in plasma and urinary ALA levels can be biomarkers of fatigue.