Objective To summarize the principle and application of functional MR imaging of pancreatic carcinoma and chronic mass-forming type pancreatitis.Methods Articles about diffusion-weighted imaging(DWI),magnetic resonance spectrum imaging(MRSI) and dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging of pancreatic carcinoma and chronic pancreatitis were reviewed and analyzed.Results Functional MR imaging could reflected the differences in molecules diffusion,metabolism and tissue perfusion between pancreatic carcinoma and chronic pancreatitis.Conclusion As a non-invasive protocol,functional MR imaging can provide useful information in differential diagnosis between chronic mass-forming type pancreatitis and pancreatic carcinoma.

Objective To investigate the value of MR diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in differentiating pancreatic carcinoma from chronic focal pancreatitis on 3.0 T MR system. Methods Thirteen patients with proved pancreatic carcinoma, 7 patients with confirmed chronic focal pancreatitis, and 14 healthy volunteers, were included in this study. MR examination including the routine abdomen scanning protocol and DWI was performed for both patients and volunteers. The SE-EPI sequence and ASSET technique were used for DWI. The b values of 400, 600, 800 and 1 000 s/mm2 were selected to acquire the DWI. The corresponding apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were measured in each designated region of interest and statistically analyzed. Results ①DWI of the healthy volunteers showed intermediate signals of pancreas. ②DWI of pancreatic tumor masses showed homogenous high signal intensity relative to the surrounding pancreatic tissue with clear boundary. Under different b values, the tumor ADC values were (1.63?0.235)?10-3 mm2/s, (1.42?0.126)?10-3 mm2/s, (1.36?0.170)?10-3 mm2/s and (1.26?0.178)?10-3 mm2/s respectively, which were significantly lower than those of non-tumor region (2.11?0.444)?10-3 mm2/s, (1.83?0.230)?10-3 mm2/s, (1.81?0.426)?10-3 mm2/s, (1.60?0.230)?10-3 mm2/s and of the normal pancreas (1.85?0.350)?10-3 mm2/s, (1.69?0.290)?10-3 mm2/s, (1.67?0.268)?10-3 mm2/s, (1.42?0.221)?10-3 mm2/s, P

0.05).For following indexes: whether or not having intussusception,the location of intussusception,finding reason caused intussusception,the confidence index of the doctor between original image add MPR image group and original image group had significant difference(5.00 vs.4.24,4.76 vs.4.29,4.29 vs.3.71),and the confidence index of the doctor of original image add MPR image group exceeded that of original image group(P

Objective: To compare the efficacy of moxibustion with different doses for knee osteoarthritis (KOA), and explore the correlation between moxibustion dose and clinical efficacy. Methods: Sixty-eight patients with KOA who met the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into a 20-minute moxibustion group and a 40-minute moxibustion group by the random number table method, with 34 cases in each group. Dubi (ST 35), Neixiyan (EX-LE 4) and Heding (EX-LE 2) were used for moxibustion in the two groups. Each treatment lasted 20 min or 40 min for each point in the 20-minute moxibustion group and 40-minute moxibustion group, separately; the treatment was given 3 times a week and lasted for 4 weeks. The visual analog scale (VAS), Western Ontario and McMaster University osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) symptom scores were evaluated before and after treatment to compare the efficacy between different moxibustion doses for KOA. Results: After treatment, the total effective rate was 87.5％ in the 40-minute moxibustion group, versus 70.0％ in the 20-minute moxibustion group, and the difference in the total effective rate between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0.05). After treatment, the VAS scores, the total WOMAC scores and the component scores of pain, stiffness and dysfunction, and the TCM symptom scores in both groups all changed significantly when compared with those before treatment (all P<0.05). After treatment, the between-group differences in the VAS score, the total WOMAC score and the component scores of pain and dysfunction, and the TCM symptom score were statistically significant (all P<0.05), while the difference in the stiffness score in WOMAC showed no statistical significance (P>0.05). Conclusion: Either 20-minute moxibustion or 40-minute moxibustion can relieve pain, improve stiffness, dysfunction, and TCM symptoms for KOA; and 40-minute moxibustion is better in relieving pain, improving dysfunction and TCM symptoms.

Objective To investigate the mult-slice spiral CT(MSCT)imaging manifestations of bowel wall thickening due to nontumorous causes,and to address the value of MSCT scanning in assessing nontumorous bowel wall thickening.MethodsThe MSCT findings of 284 patients with bowel wall thickening due to nontumorous causes confirmed by surgery,biopsy,or clinical follow-up were retrospectively analyzed.The location,range,symmetric or asymmetric,degree,attenuation,presence or absence of enhancement and associated perienteric abnormalities of thickened bowel wall were involved.ResultsAll nontumorous disease caused bowel wall thickening include liver cirrhosis(109 cases),acute pancreatitis(54 cases),bowel obstruction(36 cases),inflammatory bowel disease(14 cases),ischemic bowel disease(12 cases),radiation enterocolitis(13 cases),tuberculosis(12 cases),immune reaction(10 cases),infective enteritis(3 cases),acute appendicitis(3 cases),hypoproteinemia(5 cases),non-common disease(8 cases)and normal variants(5 cases).The attenuation pattern of the thickened bowel wall include high attenuation(1 case),iso-attenuation(144 cases),low attenuation(127 cases),fat deposition(5 cases)and pneumatosis(7 cases).The enhancement pattern of the thickened bowel wall included gentle enhancement(249 cases),notable enhancement(32 cases)and unenhancement(3 cases).Degree of bowel wall thickening included mild thinckening(279 cases)and marked thickening(5 cases).The range of bowel wall thickening was focal(8 cases),segmental(64 cases)and diffuse(212 cases).The associated perienteric abnormalities of thickened bowel wall included swelling of fat(218 cases),ascites(189 cases),lymphadenopathy(5 cases),peirenteirc abscess(2 cases),mesenteric vascular lesion(25 cases)and involvement of solid abdominal organs(169 cases).ConclusionMSCT has an invaluable role in the diagnostic evaluation of nontumorous bowel wall thickening.A wide variety of nontumorous diseases may manifest with bowel wall thickening at MSCT.Paying attention to the characteristics of thickening of bowel wall will benefit the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of various intestinal diseases.

Objective To investigate the imaging features of malignant invasion of major intrahepatic ductal structures (the portal and hepatic venous vasculature, the bilie duct) by primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using multi-detector-row spiral CT (MDCT). Methods We retrospectively analyzed 68 documented HCC patients with tumorous invasion of the major intrahepatic ductal structures who had undergone contrast-enhanced dual-phase MDCT scanning of the upper abdomen.The morphological changes of the portal and hepatic venous vasculature, the bile duct, and the liver parenchyma at both the hepatic arterial phase and portal venous phase images were carefully observed and recorded. Results Among the 68 patients, 47 patients had malignant invasion of the intrahepatic portal venous vessels with secondary tumor thrombus formation; 12 patients had tumor involvement of the hepatic veins and intraheptic segment of the inferior vena cava; Tumor invasion of the bile duct was seen in 9 patents. The direct CT signs of tumor invasion of intrahepatic venous vessels included: ①dilatation or enlargement of the involved vein with intraluminal soft-tissue “filling defect”; ②enhancement of the tumor thrombus at hepatic arterial phase, the so-called “venous arterialization” phenomenon. The indirect CT signs included: ①arterial-venous shunt, ②early and heterogeneous enhancement of the hepatic parenchyma adjacent to HCC focus, ③cavernous transformation of the portal vein. The CT signs suggesting tumor invasion of the bile duct included: ①dilation of the bile ducts near or proximal to HCC lesion, ②soft-tissue nodule or mass inside the bile ducts. Conclusion Invasion of major intrahepatic ductal structures by HCC will present corresponding CT imaging features. Contrast-enhanced MDCT dual-phase scanning combined with appropriate image post-processing techniques can better evaluate the malignant invasion of major intrahepatic ductal structures.

Objective To evaluate the relationship between extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)and ketamine-induced apoptosis in rat hippocampal neurons.Methods Sprague-Dawley rats at 18 days of gestation were anesthetized.The fetal rats were obtained under the sterile condition and decapitated.The hippocampal neurons were isolated and primarily cultured for 5 days,and were seeded in 6-well plates (2 ml/well) or in 96-well plates (100μl/well) at a density of 5 × 105/ml.The cells were randomly divided into 4 groups (n =18 each):control group (group C),fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2,an ERK agonist) group (group F),ketamine group (group K) and FGF-2 + ketamine group (group FK).The cells were cultured in the plain culture medium in group C.FGF-2 50 ng/ml was added to the culture medium in group F.Ketamine was added to the culture medium in group K.FGF-2 50 ng/ml was added to the culture medium at 20 min before ketamine 100 μmol/L was added in group FK.The phosphorylation of ERK in hippocampal neurons was detected by Western blot at 10 min after treatment.At 24 h after treatment,the neuronal apoptosis was detected by Hoechst33342/PI staining,and the cell survival rate was detected by MTT assay.The apoptosis rate was calculated.Results Compared with group C,the phosphorylation of ERK in hippocampal neurons and the cell survival rate was significantly decreased and the apoptosis rate was increased in K and FK groups (P ＜ 0.05).There was no significant difference in the parameters mentioned above between F and C groups (P ＞ 0.05).The phosphorylation of ERK in hippocampal neurons and the cell survival rat was significantly higher and the apoptosis rate was lower in group FK than in group K (P ＜0.05).Conclusion Ketamine induces apoptosis in rat hippocampal neurons by inhibiting activation of ERK in hippocampal neurons.

Objective To investigate the chromosome damage in peripheral lymphocytes of underground gold miners.Methods Conventional method and cytokinesis-block micronuclens assay were used to analyze frequency of chromosome aberrations and micronucleus in peripheral lymphocytes in 58 gold miners,respectively.Results Frequencies of chromosome-type aberrations,ehromatid-type aberrations and total aberrations were higher in the miners than those in the control group(0.72%,0.41%,1.16% vs 0.14%,0.18%,0.33,X2=44.322,9.501,50.476,P＜0.01).Both micronucleated cell rate and micronucleus rate were higher in the miners group than those in the control group(10.8‰ and 11.6‰ vs 8.7‰ and 9.0‰,X2=8.672,12.546,P＜0.01).Frequencies of chromosomal aberrations and micronucleus proportionally increased with underground working years.Compared with those miners who had worked underground 6 years or shorter,both frequencies were statistically higher among the miners who had worked underground for more than 21 years(P＜0.05).No difference was found among other groups of working years(P＞0.05).Compared with the control group,both frequencies increased in the miner group,and the differences were statistically significant(X2=2.395,P＜0.05 for chromosomal aberrations and X2=2.319,P＜0.05,respecfvely).The common types of chromosome aberrations were acentrie fragments,while chromatid break and dicenrics were subordinate.Conclusions Chromosomal damages were observed in the gold workers who exposed high radon in the underground mining.

Objective To measure 222Rn and 220Rn concentrations in the underground non-uranium mines in Shandong Province,and to estimate the annual effective dose to the miners.Methods Concentrations of 222Rn and 220Rn in selected gold,iron,coal and clay mines were determined by passive time-integrating detectors with CR-39.Activity concentrations of 226Ra,232Th and 40K were determined using gamma spectrometry equipped with HPGe detector.Results The average concentrations of 220Rn in the gold,iron,coal and clay mines were estimated to be 1200,280,120 and 40 Bq/m3,respectively.The activity concentrations of 226Ra,232Th,40K in the ores for gold,iron,coal and clay mines ranged the same as the soil in China.The annual effective dose due to radon exposure in gold and iron mine was 7.70 mSv and 1.74 mSv,respectively.The annual doses received by miners in the coal and clay mines were lower than 1 mSv.Conclusions Underground miners in some gold and iron mines should be treated as workers occupationally exposed to ionizing radiation.The measurement such as increasing ventilation should be implemented to reduce underground radon concentration in these mines.

Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Cells, Cultured ; Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone ; pharmacology ; Interleukin-6 ; metabolism ; Microglia ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism