The clinical value of hepatic extracellular volume fraction using routine multiphasic contrast-enhanced liver CT for staging liver fibrosis.

AIM: To investigate the value of hepatic extracellular volume fractions (fECVs) measured using routine liver computed tomography (CT) evaluating liver fibrosis (LF). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 60 patients (male:female ratio, 39:21; mean age, 42.4 years) histologically diagnosed with LF underwent routine liver CT. Absolute enhancement (in Hounsfield units) of the liver parenchyma (Eliver) and aorta (Eaorta) 3 minutes after contrast medium administration was calculated using precontrast and equilibrium phase scans. The fECV was calculated using the following equation: fECV (%)=Eliver× (100 - haematocrit [%])/Eaorta. Correlation between fECV and LF stage was evaluated using the Spearman correlation coefficient. The fECVs were compared between each stage of LF. The diagnostic performance of fECV was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. RESULTS: The difference among the groups was statistically significant (p<0.05). The fECVs were significantly different (p<0.05) between F0 versus F4, F1 versus F4, and F2 versus F4. The fECVs showed a significant correlation with pathological LF staging (r=0.468, p=0.001). The sensitivity and specificity were 0.76 and 0.68 for severe LF (F≥3); and 0.89 and 0.63 for cirrhosis (F=4). The areas under the ROC curve (AUCs) for F≥3 and F=4 were 0.757 and 0.775, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Calculation of fECV during routine contrast-enhanced liver CT may provide a non-invasive means of assessing LF.

Immunolocalisation and expression of Smad2 and Smad4 proteins in dog testis during postnatal development.

The expression and localisation of downstream signalling molecules of transforming growth factor beta superfamily, Smad2 and Smad4 proteins, was investigated in immature and mature dog testis. Cellular localisation of Smad2 and Smad4 proteins was examined using immunohistochemistry. Quantitative analysis of immunostaining was determined by the image analysis system. The specificity of the antibodies was examined using Western blotting assay. Smad2 and Smad4 were widely expressed in the testes, mainly immunolocalised in the cytoplasm of gonocytes, Leydig cells and Sertoli cells of immature testes, and Leydig cells and Sertoli cells of mature testes. At the same time, the expression levels for both proteins were different between immature and mature age groups: the expression of Smad2 and Smad4 proteins in the Sertoli cells of mature testis was higher than in the immature group (P < 0.05), but the expression of these two proteins in Leydig cells of mature testis was weaker than that seen in immature stage (P < 0.05). The temporospatial distribution of Smad2 and Smad4 proteins in testicular cells suggests that these two signalling molecules may play an important role in specific stages of testicular development and spermatogenesis, thus providing direct evidences for transforming growth factor beta action in the dog testis.

[Synthesis of N-substituted polymethylene dicarboxamides as inducers of differentiation].

N-Alkyl polymethylene dicarboxamides are known potent inducers of erythroid differentiation in murine erythroleukemia cells. The most active inducer N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-1, 6-hexane-dicarboxamide has the same effectiveness as HMBA which has entered clinical trials as a differentiating agent. These compounds also have inducing activity in HL-60 human promyelocytic leukemia cells. In this paper, the synthesis of a series of N,N'-bis[2-(2-thiazolinyl)], N,N'-bis[5-(1-methyl-2-pyridonyl)], N,N'-bis[3-(1-phenyl-5-pyrazolonyl)] polymethylene dicarboxamides and 3,3'-(polymethylene dicarbonyl)bis(1-methyl-2-imidazolidine-thiones) is reported. The inducing activities of the compounds were evaluated in vitro with HL-60 human promyelocytic leukemia cell line. Among them, N,N'-bis[2-(2-thiazolinyl)]-1,8-octamethylene- dicarboxamide (I4) and N,N'-bis[5-(1-methyl-2-pyridonyl)]-1,6-hexamethylenedicarboxami de (II3) were shown to be relatively effective inducers of differentiation.