1.Comparison of different MR fat quantification methods at 3.0 T in a phantom study
Wei LIU ; Qiang DI ; Yunyao LAI ; Nan HONG ; Chuanxi HAO
Chinese Journal of Radiology 2014;48(12):1033-1037
Objective To investigate the value of MR imaging methods for the quantification of fat content in a customized lipid phantom at 3.0 T.Methods Eleven homogeneous fat-water phantoms (50 ml)with fat volume percentages from 0 to 100% were constructed with reference to Bernard's methods.Fat tractions of the lipid phantom were acquired using water selective saturation (WS),fat selective saturation (FS),in-and out-of-phase imaging (IOP),iterative decomposition of water and fat with echo asymmetry and least-squares estimation (IDEAL) gradient echo imaging and IDEAL Quant imaging methods on a 3.0 T MRI system.For statistical comparisons,paired-sample t test,Pearson correlation test,and Bland-Ahman maps were applied.Results Evaluated fat fractions acquired by WS,IDEAL Gradient echo imaging and IDEAL Quant were (49.6±28.8)%,(46.0±28.4)%,(51.0±32.0)%,the result has no significant difference with the true fat contents(t values were-0.186,-2.218,2.713;P values were 0.856,0.051,0.055).Evaluated fat fractions acquired by FS,corrected algorithm and IOP were (64.2±26.7)%,(58.9±31.9)% and (45.3±32.3)%,these three kinds of methods have significant difference with the true fat contents (t values were 5.168,4.273,-6.441;P<0.01).All the chemical shift imaging methods correlated with the true phantom model fat fractions,r values were 0.977(FS),0.978 (corrected algorithm),0.982 (WS),0.99 8(IOP),0.993 (IDEAL Gradient echo imaging),0.999 (IDEAL Quant) (all P<0.01).Each method's 95% confidence interval of the mean difference acquired by Bland-Altman map was WS (-14.7% to 13.8%),FS (-3.6% to 32.0%),corrected algorithm (-4.6% to 22.5%),IOP(-9.4% to 0.0%),IDEAL gradient echo imaging (-15.9% to 7.8%),IDEAL Quant(-2.0% to 4.0%).IDEAL Quant had the best correlation and confidence with the true fat fraction.Conclusions Chemical shift imaging methods (IOP,IDEAL Gradient echo imaging,IDEAL Quant) can acquire more accurate fat quantification results than chemical saturation imaging methods (FS,Corrected algorithm,WS) in a customized lipid phantom at 3.0 T.IDEAL Quant can acquire the best fat quantification result compared with the other imaging methods.
2.Imaging features of Ewing sarcoma and primitive neuroectodermal tumor in sacrum
Chuanxi HAO ; Yunyao LAI ; Bo HU ; Weitao ZHANG ; Zengxin GE ; Nan HONG
Chinese Journal of Radiology 2013;47(11):1023-1026
Objective To investigate the imaging features of Ewing's sarcoma and primitive neuroectodermal tumor (ES and PNET) in sacrum.Methods Imaging data were retrospectively collected and reviewed in 17 patients with ES and PNET confirmed by pathology.X-ray was performed in all patients,CT scans in 13 patients,and MR scans in 10 patients.Results All lesions were detected solitary and lateral.X-ray and CT features were lytic bone destruction in 12 cases,2 of them with bone sclerosis; one patient showed diffuse sclerosis.Soft tissue mass in pelvic cavity can be seen in 11 cases,9 of them with adjacent large blood vessels invasive and 4 patients with sacroiliac joints invasive.On post-contrast images,mild enhancement was found in 8 cases,and 5 patients with marked enhancement.MR images showed intermediate signal intensity on T1WI in 8 cases and heterogeneous moderate to high signal intensity on T2WI/fat suppression in 10 cases.DWI showed high signal intensity in 4 cases.Unlike CT scan,contrastenhanced MR images showed significant enhancement in 7 cases.Conclusions Ewing's sarcoma and primitive neuroectodermal tumor (ES and PNET) in sacrum have some specific imaging features.Imaging examination could provide reliable evidence for clinical diagnosis.
3.Academician TONG Xiaolin's Understanding and Experience in Treating Severe Cases of COVID-19
Chuanxi TIAN ; Yingying YANG ; Aru SUN ; Xuefei ZHAO ; Yanjiao ZHANG ; Qingwei LI ; Chongxiang XUE ; Rui HAO ; Qiang WANG ; Wei ZHU
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2023;64(23):2454-2456
This article highlighted the invaluable expertise of Academician TONG Xiaolin in managing severe cases of COVID-19, thereby providing ideas for the treatment of severe and critically ill patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection by integrating traditional Chinese and western medicine. It is believed that COVID-19 belongs to the “cold dampness epidemic” in traditional Chinese medicine, which is caused by pathogenic qi of cold and dampness. The course of the disease can be divided into four stages: constraint, block, collapse, and deficiency, and the severe cases are mainly in the block and collapse stages. The pathogenesis at the block stage is described as epidemic toxins blocking the lung, which should be treated by diffusing the lung and unblocking the bowels, resolving phlegm and unblocking collaterals. The primary formula used is Zilong Xuanbai Chengqi Decoction (子龙宣白承气汤) with modifications based on individual condition. The pathogenesis at the collapse stage is described as internal block and external collapse, which should be treated by restoring yang to save from collapse, boosting qi to relieve collapse, diffusing the lung and unblocking the bowels, resolving phlegm and unblocking collaterals, usually with the formula Poge Zilong Xuanbai Chengqi Decoction (破格子龙宣白承气汤) with modifications.
4.A four-protein metabolon assembled by a small peptide protein creates the pentacyclic carbonate ring of aldgamycins.
Qiaozhen WANG ; Xiaolong TANG ; Ping DAI ; Chuanxi WANG ; Weiyang ZHANG ; Guodong CHEN ; Kui HONG ; Dan HU ; Hao GAO ; Xinsheng YAO
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2021;11(2):588-597
Organic carbonates (OCs) are a class of compounds featured by a carbonyl flanked by two alkoxy/aryloxy groups. They exist in either linear or cyclic forms, of which the majority encountered in nature adopt a pentacyclic structure. However, the enzymatic basis for pentacyclic carbonate ring formation remains elusive. Here, we reported that a four-protein metabolon (AlmUII-UV) assembled by a small peptide protein (AlmUV) appends a reactive
5.Aureane-type sesquiterpene tetraketides as a novel class of immunomodulators with interleukin-17A inhibitory activity.
Xin TANG ; Chuanxi WANG ; Lei WANG ; Feifei REN ; Runqiao KUANG ; Zhenhua LI ; Xue HAN ; Yiming CHEN ; Guodong CHEN ; Xiuqing WU ; Jie LIU ; Hengwen YANG ; Xingzhong LIU ; Chen WANG ; Hao GAO ; Zhinan YIN
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2023;13(9):3930-3944
Interleukin (IL)-17A, a pro-inflammatory cytokine, is a fundamental function in the onset and advancement of multiple immune diseases. To uncover the primary compounds with IL-17A inhibitory activity, a large-scale screening of the library of traditional Chinese medicine constituents and microbial secondary metabolites was conducted using splenic cells from IL-17A-GFP reporter mice cultured under Th17-priming conditions. Our results indicated that some aureane-type sesquiterpene tetraketides isolated from a wetland mud-derived fungus, Myrothecium gramineum, showed remarkable IL-17A inhibitory activity. Nine new aureane-type sesquiterpene tetraketides, myrogramins A-I ( 1, 4- 11), and two known ones ( 2 and 3) were isolated and identified from the strain. Compounds 1, 3, 4, 10, and 11 exhibited significant IL-17A inhibitory activity. Among them, compound 3, with a high fermentation yield dose-dependently inhibited the generation of IL-17A and suppressed glycolysis in splenic cells under Th17-priming conditions. Strikingly, compound 3 suppressed immunopathology in both IL-17A-mediated animal models of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and pulmonary hypertension. Our results revealed that aureane-type sesquiterpene tetraketides are a novel class of immunomodulators with IL-17A inhibitory activity, and hold great promise applications in treating IL-17A-mediated immune diseases.