Brain metastasis ( BM) is a common brain tumor in a-dults, originating from extracranial location in the body. There has been a growing interest in producing suitable animal models for studying BM in vivo. Current BM models take peripheral or brain route for tumor cell inoculation, including intra-cardiac or intra-carotid artery injection or orthotopic injection. Direct im-plantation of patient tumor biopsies into rodent brain bears ad-vantages of clinical relevance. This review presents a compre-hensive introduction to key elements for establishing animal mod-els of BM, with highlights on selections of suitable model ani-mals, brain-seeking tumor cell lines, reasonable inoculation routes, as well as succedent phenotyping methods. In the end, perspectives and future directions in this field are discussed.

Objective The literature study the setup errors of head and neck, thoracic, abdominal and pelvic tumors by megavoltage fan-beam CT based image guidance in TOMO-HD to provide the margin enlarging from clinic target volume (CTV) to planning target volume (PTV) in treatment planning system of TOMO-HD. Methods 103 patients with head and neck (30 patients), thoracic (42 patients), abdominal and pelvic (31 patients) carcinoma were enrolled. Megavoltage fan-beam CT based image guidance in tomotherapy-HD was used to acquire CT scan before every treatment. The left-right (X), superior-inferior (Y), anterior-posterior (Z) and rotation (Fy) setup errors of patients can be obtained from the tomography image automatically restructured by the system. Calculating the systematic error and the random error in the three dimensions and check whether the setup data accord with the normal distribution or not, then acquire the data expand in the three directions. Results According to 2593 fan-beam CT scans, the shift errors (µ ± s) in X, Y, Z and Fy (rotation) of three study group were [(−0.31 ± 2.16) mm、(1.09 ± 3.56) mm、(2.36 ± 2.27) mm, (0.29 ± 0.96)°] (head and neck tumor), [(−0.98 ± 2.95) mm、(0.45 ± 6.86) mm、(3.79 ± 2.47) mm, (0.18 ± 0.60)°] (thoracic cancer) and [(−0.86 ± 2.85) mm、(−1.59 ± 6.91) mm、(5.77 ± 2.40) mm, (0.20 ± 0.68)°](abdominal and pelvic carcinoma). The systematic errors (∑) and random errors (σ) in X, Y, Z dimensions of patients with head and neck, thoracic, abdominal and pelvic tumors were (1.06 mm and 1.84 mm), (1.93 mm and 3.43 mm), (2.41 mm and 2.71 mm), (1.10 mm and 2.56 mm), (3.79 mm and 5.46 mm), (1.38 mm and 1.99 mm) and (1.39 mm and 0.87 mm), (4.98 mm and 5.69 mm), (1.19 mm and 2.05 mm), respectively. Conclusion It is recommended as a reference for image guidance in TOMO-HD according to the frequency distribution of setup errors, for patients with head and neck, chest and abdominal and pelvic tumors, the maximum range of motion in three dimensions are (5.00, 5.00, 5.00) mm, (6.63, 17.25, 16.00) mm and (6.49, 16.24, 13.60) mm.

Objective To compare the set up errors derived from different registration methods of the X-ray volume imaging (XVI) system for radiotherapy in the treatment of middle/lower-segment esophageal cancer, and to provide a reference for radiation treatment of esophageal cancer. Methods We randomly selected 63 patients with middle/lower-segment esophageal cancer, and obtained their reconstructed XVI images at the first therapy to perform automatic registration with gray-value and bone registration methods. We acquired and compared the three translation errors (along x [left to right], y [head to feet], and z [front to back] axes) and three rotation errors (around the x, y, and z axes) derived from the two registration methods. Results Gray-value registration had significantly smaller translation errors along the x and z axes than bone registration (x azes t = −2.78, z azes t = −2.15, P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference along the y axes (P > 0.05). The rotation errors around the three axes were all smaller than 1°, and were smaller with gray-value registration than with bone registration, but without significant differences (P > 0.05). Conclusion We recommend gray-value registration for radiotherapy in the treatment of middle/lower-segment esophageal cancer. Manual verification or fine-tuning is recommended after automatic registration in clinical practice. Besides translation errors, rotation errors should also be paid attention to.

Three new labdane diterpenoids, leojaponicone A (1), isoleojaponicone A (2) and methylisoleojaponicone A (3), were isolated from the herb of Leonurus japonicus. The chemical structures of these secondary metabolites were elucidated on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR, including HMQC, and HMBC spectroscopic techniques. All the new compounds were tested in vitro for their acetylcholinesterase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Compounds 1-3 exhibited low inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase with respect to acarbose and exhibited high inhibitory effects on acetylcholinesterase with respect to huperzine A.
Acetylcholinesterase ; metabolism ; Cholinesterase Inhibitors ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Diterpenes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Glycoside Hydrolase Inhibitors ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Leonurus ; chemistry ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Molecular Structure ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; pharmacology

The present study aimed at isolation and purification of the bioactive terpenoids from the herb of Leonurus japonicus by chromatographic separations such as silica gel, sephadex LH-20 and C18 reversed phase silica gel, as well as preparative HPLC. As a result, leojaponic acids A (1, C17H24O4) and B (2, C18H26O4), two homologous terpenoids, together with (-)-loliolide (3), 1-(3-ethylphenyl) ethane-1, 2-diol (4) and dibutyl phthalate (5), were isolated from the EtOH extract of L. japonicus. All the chemical structures of the isolates were elucidated on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR analyses. Compounds 1 and 2 were new terpenoids, and Compounds 3 and 4 were isolated and identified for the first time from this plant. In addition, the α-glucosidase and tyrosinase inhibitory activity of the new compounds were evaluated.
Enzyme Inhibitors ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Fruit ; chemistry ; Glucosidases ; analysis ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Leonurus ; chemistry ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Molecular Structure ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Terpenes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

Objective To investigate the changes of CT cerebral perfusion (CTP) and the application value of nuclear magnetic resonance proton spin labeling (3D-ASL) and to conduct a comparative study. Methods Multi-slice spiral CT(MDCT) was used to study the changes of CTP in 22 patients with HAPC. Comparison of CT whole-brain perfusion technique and nuclear magnetic resonance proton spin labeling technique (3D-ASL) in hemodynamic changes of the brain in plateau polycythemia. Results With the aggravation of HAPC, CBF of cerebral cortex and white matter showed a downward trend. Except the white matter of frontal lobe and temporal lobe, the difference of HAPC among different diseases was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Along with the aggravation of, each part of the brain cortex and white matter CBV increase, white matter, and each part CBV difference had statistical significance between different condition (P < 0.05). With the aggravation of the disease, the MTT of cortex and white matter in all parts of the brain increased significantly, and the difference of MTT between different parts of the disease was statistically significant (P < 0.05). HAPC patients along with the aggravation of different level, rCBF is reduced, in addition to the parietal cortex, temporal and occipital white matter, white matter rCBF differences between different parts of different condition have statistical significance (P < 0.05). ROC curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic value of CTP and ASL. The two curves were close to each other, and CTP was slightly better than ASL. Conclusion With the progression of HAPC, cerebral blood flow decreased, blood volume increased, and average blood flow time prolonged in patients with different degrees of HAPC. CTP and ASL had similar effects, and the former had slightly better value.

PURPOSE: Appendicitis is the most common abdominal surgical emergency. The diagnosis of appendicitis can be difficult, occasionally taxing the diagnostic skills of even the most experienced surgeon, and especially for diagnosing reproductive women. This study was designed to evaluate the various pathologies of the appendix and the other intraabdominal organs in patients who were preoperatively diagnosed with acute appendicitis, and we wanted to analyze the difference of the perioperative results between the reproductive women and the other patients. METHODS: The study was a retrospective analysis of 1,108 appendectomies that were performed from September 2003 to August 2006. The data were analyzed for the following parameters: the age-related and sex-related incidence of acute appendicitis, the rates of negative appendectomy, negative operation and appendicular perforation, and the incidence of other encountered pathologies. In addition, we present the clinical results of the reproductive women. RESULTS: The diagnostic accuracy for acute appendicitis was 87.2%. The negative appendectomy rate was 11.6% and it was significantly higher (20.8%) in the reproductive women than in the male patients of the same age (P=0.001). On the clinical analyses of the reproductive aged appendicitis group showed they a shorter pain duration and a higher WBC count, and more frequent epigastric discomfort, nausea, vomiting and RLQ tenderness (P< 0.05). CONCLUSION: We noted a high rate of negative appendectomy among reproductive female patients, so more care should be taken to diagnose these patients.
Appendectomy ; Appendicitis* ; Appendix ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Emergencies ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Nausea ; Pathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Taxes ; Vomiting

Meckel's diverticulum is an uncommon cause of acute abdominal pain and small bowel obstruction in adults. We present a case of a 28-yr-old man with acute pain for whom the diagnosis of Meckel's diverticulum was not suspected until exploratory laparotomy was performed. The procedure revealed a huge gangrenous Meckel's diverticum that was torsioned, and it gave rise to ileal obstruction.
Abdominal Pain ; Acute Pain ; Adult ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Intestinal Obstruction* ; Laparotomy ; Meckel Diverticulum*

No abstract available.
Trachea

BACKGROUND: The histogenesis and interrelationship of the various types of germ cell tumors (GCTs) have been proposed. Dysgerminoma/seminoma (D/S) is a primitive GCT that has not acquired the potential for further differentiation, whereas other types of GCTs are in a dynamic process of differentiation towards a somatic or extraembryonal direction. A primordial germ cell giving rise to a GCT undergoes a developmentally regulated erasure and resetting of imprinted genes, but changes in the imprinting pattern in GCTs as the tumor differentiates have not been well defined. We aimed to investigate the changes of the SNRPN methylation pattern between the germinomas and non-germinomatous GCTs, as compared with the somatic methylation pattern. METHODS: We used formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections of 97 GCTs (18 Ds, 21 Ss, 17 yolk sac tumors (YSTs), 19 immature teratomas, and 22 mature teratomas). DNA methylation was evaluated after bisulfite modification, PCR amplification, and restriction enzyme digestion. RESULTS: The SNRPN methylation pattern was changed in 53/74 (71.6%) of GCTs as non-somatic patterns. There were significant differences in the methylation pattern between the germinomas and non-germinomatous GCTs, the GCTs being frequently hypo- methylated in Ds/Ss (73.3%), in contrast to the frequent hypermethylation seen in the YSTs and teratomas (47.7%, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The methylation status of an imprinting gene may be involved in the mechanism causing cellular differentiation and tumorigenesis of GCTs.
Carcinogenesis ; Digestion ; DNA Methylation ; Endodermal Sinus Tumor ; Genomic Imprinting ; Germ Cells* ; Germinoma ; Humans* ; Methylation* ; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nuclear* ; snRNP Core Proteins ; Teratoma