Aim Carvacrol ( CAR ) , possesses a wide variety of pharmacological properties including antioxi-dant and anti-inflammatory potential. The present stud-y is designed to investigate the effect of CAR on glu-cose and lipid metabolism in type 1 diabetic mice. Methods Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal( i. p) injection of streptozotocin into male mice at the dose of 45 mg·kg-1 body weight( BW) . Mice were divided into three different groups containing eight to twelve in each. Age matched male C57 mice were used as nor-mal controls. Group I diabetes, Group Ⅱ and Ⅱ in-jected with CAR at 10 and 20 mg · kg-1 BW respec-tively once daily. After CAR injection 2, 4 or 6 weeks, the rats were weighted and the plasma concen-trations of glucose, total cholesterol( TC) , triglycerides (TG), Glutamic oxalacetic transaminase(AST), Ala-nine transaminase( ALT) levels were enzymatically de-termined using commercial kits. Results STZ-induced C57 BL/6 J diabetic mice showed an elevation in serum glucose, TG, ALT, AST and LDH levels. Compared to diabetic mice, administration of CAR resulted in sig-nificant decreases(P <0. 05) in plasma glucose, TG and LDH levels in a dose dependent manner, but no effect on elevated TC, ALT and AST levels. Conclu-sion These major findings provide evidence that CAR has anti diabetic property and it has the potential for development into a drug to prevent hyperglycemia, re-duce blood lipids and protect the dammaged organs.

Objective To prospectively determine the feasibility of high-resolution in vivo MR imaging in the evaluation of esophageal carcinoma invasion at 3.0 T.Methods One hundred and eighteen patients with esophageal carcinoma,proven by the gastroscopic biopsy,were prospectively studied using 3.0 T MR.The esophageal specimens were sectioned transversely to keep consistent in the orientation with the MR images,the histopathological stage was made and the thickness of the tumor on the largest diameter of the slice were measured.The MR images were reviewed in the transverse plane.According to the seventh American joint committee on cancer,the MR stage was made and the tumor's thickness was measured.The MR images and the histopathological slices were matched.The staging diagnostic efficacy of the MR imaging was evaluated with the histopathological results as the standard reference,Kappa test was used to compare the stage of MR imaging with that at the histopathological analysis.Bland-Altman scatterplots were used to compare the thickness of tumor measured on the MR images with that at the histopathological measurement.Results Ninety seven cases(82.2％,97/118) of MR stage were accurately made,including 7 T1a,15 T1b,18 T2,25 T3 and 32 T4a cases,furthermore,14 cases were over staged and 7 cased were underestimated.The MR stage was highly consistent with the histopathological stage (Kappa=0.772).The sensitivity for the staging of high-resolution MR imaging at 3.0 T was 58.3％(7/12) to 100.0％(32/32),the specificity was 95.3％ (82/86) to 98.1％ (104/106),and the accuracy was 91.5％ (108/118) to 96.6％ (114/118),respectively.Bland-Altman scatterplots demonstrated that the discrepancy of the mean thickness between the value obtained by three radiologists respectively and the histopathological analysis were 2.0,2.6 and 2.1 mm,which demonstrated a good consistency.Conclusion High-resolution MR images obtained at 3.0 T can be used to evaluate the depth of carcinoma invasion and provide excellent diagnostic accuracy for preoperative staging.

Objective To study the protective effect of Rhein on the kidney of type 2 diabetic rats induced by high fat diet.Methods A rat model of type 2 diabetes was induced by high fat diet combined with low dose streptozotocin 35 mg/kg.The diabetic rats were randomly divided into diabetes group, Low, middle and high rhein dose groups (50,100,150 mg/kg), metformin group (300 mg/kg) and normal control group.Blood glucose and urine micro albumin were measured at 0, 2, 4 and 8 weeks respectively.Serum creatinine, urea nitrogen, total cholesterol and triglyceride were measured at 8 weeks.HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes of renal tissue.Effects of rhein on the expression of transforming growth factor-β1 and Smad3 protein in renal tissue of diabetic rats were detected with Western Blot.Results The blood glucose and urine micro albumin in model group were significantly higher than those in normal control group.Each rhein dose group exhibited reduced blood glucose and urinary micro albumin in diabetic rats.The high rhein dose group showed significant reduction of blood glucose and urine micro albumin in diabetic rats (P<0.05).Compared with model group, rhein reduced the serum Cr, BUN, TC and TG values in each dose group, most significantly in the high rhein dose group (P<0.05).The obvious pathological changes of renal tissue in model group were observed with most improved changes in the high rhein dose group.The expression of TGF-β1 and Smad3 protein in renal tissue of diabetic rats decreased significantly (P<0.05).Conclusion Rhein has preventive effect on diabetic nephropathy.The mechanism may relate to the improvement of renal function, regulation of blood lipid and down regulation of TGF-β1 and Smad3 protein expression in renal tissue.

Objective To explore the value of various diffusion parameters obtained from monoexponential, biexponential and stretched exponential diffusion-weighted imaging models in assessing hepatic fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B(CHB). Methods A total of 52 patients who were diagnosed hepatitis B by the markers of hepatitis and were confirmed by liver biopsy pathology were prospectively recruited between June 2014 and May 2016 in People's Hospital of Henan Province. Concomitantly, 30 healthy volunteers who had no history of hepatitis B and liver dysfunction were enrolled in the control group. All patients underwent multi-b values DWI on a 3.0 T MRI unit. ADC was calculated by using the monoexponential model. True diffusion coefficient(Dt),pseudo diffusion coefficient(Dp)and fraction of perfusion(f)were calculated by using the biexponential model.Distributed diffusion coefficient(DDC)and water molecular diffusion heterogeneity index(α)were calculated by using the stretched exponential model. Liver biopsy specimens were staged according to the degree of hepatic fibrosis (S0 to S4). The Kruskal-Wallis test was employed for the comparison of each parameter among the control group and the fibrosis stage groups. The Mann-Whitney U test was adopted to compare each parameter between fibrosis stage≤S1and≥S2,between≤S2 and≥S3.Spearman rank correlation coefficients were obtained to assess the correlation of the parameters with the fibrosis stages.ROC analysis was used to evaluate the performance of various parameters in predicting stage≥S2 and≥S3.Results The hepatic fibrosis stage distributions were as follows:1 cases with S0,9 cases with S1,22 cases with S2,11 cases with S3,9 cases with S4.ADC,Dt,f and DDC values all showed significant difference among the control group and groups S1,S2,S3,S4(all P<0.05), while Dp and α values showed no significant difference(P>0.05). Dt, DDC and ADC showed a moderate negative correlation with the fibrosis stage(r=-0.630,-0.603 and-0.464,respectively,all P<0.01),and f showed a mild negative correlation with the fibrosis stage(r=-0.379,P<0.05),while Dp and α values showed no correlation with the fibrosis stages(all P>0.05).The ADC, Dt, f and DDC values all showed significant difference between stage≥S2 and≤S1,between stage≥S3 and≤S2(all P<0.05),and the parameter values of the former were greater than those of the latter. While Dp and α values showed no significant difference among both groups(all P>0.05).The AUCs of ADC,Dt,f and DDC values for detecting fibrosis stage ≥S2 were 0.738,0.835,0.740 and 0.831, and the AUCs of ADC, Dt, f and DDC values for detecting fibrosis stage≥S3 were 0.716, 0.811, 0.672 and 0.798. Conclusion The Dt derived from biexponential and DDC derived from stretched exponential DWI could be useful for the staging of hepatic fibrosis in CHB.

BACKGROUNDThe diagnosis of liver fibrosis is a difficult task at any time using conventional clinical imaging. Intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) can be used to investigate both diffusion and perfusion changes in tissues. This study was designed to determine the value of IVIM in the diagnosis and staging of liver fibrosis.

METHODSIVIM examinations were performed on a GE 3.0T MR scanner in 25 patients with liver fibrosis and 25 healthy volunteers as the control group. Patients with liver fibrosis diagnosis were confirmed by pathology and staged on a scale of F0-4. The standard ADC values and the values of a biexponential model (slow ADC (Dslow), fast ADC (Dfast) and fraction of fast ADC (FF)) were measured in three liver regions per person. The mean standard ADC values, Dslow values, Dfast values and FF values from the study group were compared among the right posterior hepatic lobe, right anterior hepatic lobe and medial segment of the left lobe. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves and independent-samples t-tests were used to calculate the mean standard ADC values, Dslow values, Dfast values and FF values from the study group and the control group. Spearman rho correlation analysis was used for the stage of liver fibrosis. The liver fibrosis stages between the groups F0-1 and F2-4, the groups F0-2 and F3-4 were compared.

RESULTSAmong the liver fibrosis, there was no significant difference in the mean standard ADC values, Dslow values, Dfast values, and FF values obtained from the right posterior hepatic lobe, right anterior hepatic lobe and medial segment of the left lobe. Using ROC analysis, the Area Under the Curve (AUC) values of standard ADC, Dslow, Dfast, FF were all between 0.7 to 0.9. The mean standard ADC values, Dslow values, Dfast values and FF values of the liver in the study group were significantly lower than the values in the control group (P < 0.05). As the stage of the fibrosis increased, the values decreased by Spearman rho correlation analysis. The mean values (standard ADC, Dslow, Dfast, and FF) of liver fibrosis stages between the groups F0-1 and F2-4, the groups F0-2 and F3-4 showed significant differences (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSIVIM can reflect the conditions of perfusion and diffusion in liver fibrosis and thus distinguish between normal liver and liver fibrosis. The IVIM technique may serve as a valuable tool for detecting and characterizing liver fibrosis, and monitoring its progression in a noninvasive manner.

Adult ; Aged ; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Liver ; pathology ; Liver Cirrhosis ; diagnosis ; Male ; Middle Aged