PURPOSE: Raman spectroscopy is a vibrational spectroscopic technique, which is capable of providing details on the chemical composition, molecular structure and molecular interactions in cells and tissues. The primary objective of this study was to explore Raman spectroscopy for the detection of spectral changes between normal and cancer tissue in the stomach. METHODS: Tissue specimens were obtained from the resected stomach of advanced gastric cancer patients. The normal gastric and cancer tissues were harvested from the middle, lower portion of the stomach and from the tumor mass, respectively. 19 sets (antrum, body and cancer) of spectral data, with clearly defined histopathological findings, were selected in this study. FT-Raman spectroscopy (Bruker Inc., Karsruhe, Germany) was used for tissue Raman studies, with excitation at 1, 064 nm. The Raman spectra from the gastric tissue specimens were obtained with a 20 minute signal acquisition time. RESULTS: In the range 700~1, 900 cm-1, the Raman spectra of gastric antral tissue were dominated by a number of vibrational modes of biomolecules, such as proteins, lipids and nucleic acids. The Raman spectrum pattern of gastric body tissue was similar to that of the antrum, suggesting the structure and composition between the gastric antrum and body are much the same. The Raman spectra differed significantly between the normal and malignant cancer tissues, with cancers showing higher percentage signals for protein, lipid and nucleic acid compared to normal tissue (P<0.05). Difference were observed in the shapes of the Raman spectra between the normal and cancer tissues, particularly in the spectral ranges 1, 250~1, 255, 1, 330~1, 340 and 1, 440~1, 450 cm-1, which contain signals relating to protein and lipid conformations and CH2 bending mode of nucleic acids. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the ability of Raman spectroscopy to detect biochemical changes in malignant gastric tissue, and may become a useful adjunct to pathological diagnosis allowing guided biopsies and assessment of adequacy of resection margins.
Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Molecular Structure ; Nucleic Acids ; Pyloric Antrum ; Spectrum Analysis ; Spectrum Analysis, Raman* ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Stomach*

Tetrahydroisoquinoline (THI) alkaloids can be considered as cyclized derivatives of simple phenylethylamines, and many of them, especially with 6,7-disubstitution, demonstrate relatively high affinity for catecholamines. Two -OH groups at 6 and 7 positions are supposed to be essential to exert beta-receptor activities. However, it is not clear whether -OH at 6,7 substitution of THIs also shows alpha-adrenoceptor activities. In the present study, we investigated whether -OH or -OCH3 substitutions of 6,7 position of THIs differently affect the alpha1-adrenoceptor affinity. We synthesized two 1-naphthylmethyl THI alkaloids, 1-beta-naphthylmethyl-6,7-dihydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline HBr (YS 51) and 1-beta-naphthylmethyl-6, 7-dimethoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline HCl (YS 55), and their pharmacological actions on alpha1-adrenoceptor were compared. YS 51 and YS 55, concentration-dependently relaxed endothelium-denuded rat thoracic aorta precontracted with phenylephrine (PE, 0.1 micrometer) in which pEC50 were 5.89+0.21 and 5.93+ 0.19, respectively. Propranolol (30 nM) did not affect the relaxation-response curves to YS 51 and YS 55. Concentration-response curves to PE were shifted to right by the pretreatment with YS 51 or YS 55. The pA2 values of YS 51 and YS 55 showed 6.05 + 0.24 and 5.88 + 0.16, respectively. Both probes relaxed KCl (65.4 mM)-contacted aorta and inhibited CaCl2-induced contraction of PE-stimulated endothelium-denuded rat thoracic aorta in Ca2+-free solutions. In isolated guinea pig papillary muscle, 1 and 10 micrometer YS 51 increased contractile force about 4- and 8- fold over the control, respectively, along with the concentration-dependent increment of cytosolic Ca2+ ions. While, 10 micrometer YS 55 reduced the contractile force about 50 % over the control and lowered the cytosolic Ca2+ level, in rat brain homogenates, YS 51 and YS 55 displaced (3H)prazosin binding competitively with Ki 0.15 and 0.12 micrometer, respectively. However, both probes were ineffective on (3H)nitrendipine binding. Therefore, it is concluded that two synthetic naphthylmethyl-THI alkaloids have considerable affinity to alpha1-adrenenoceptors in rat aorta and brain.
Alkaloids* ; Animals ; Aorta ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Brain ; Cardiovascular System* ; Catecholamines ; Cytosol ; Guinea Pigs ; Ions ; Papillary Muscles ; Phenethylamines ; Phenylephrine ; Propranolol ; Rats

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Dyspepsia is remarkably common in the general population. Although upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is the investigation of choice for dyspepsia, the selection of the patients who need endoscopy is very difficult. This study was aimed to investigate the usefulness of the various parameters for the selection of the patients who need endoscopy in Korean population. METHODS: An analysis of the endoscopic findings was carried out in 141 patients with dyspepsia according to parameters including H. pylori IgG seropositivity, age and alarm signs, such as dysphagia, weight loss, vomiting, anemia, family history of upper gastrointestinal malignancy, hematemesis or melena, abdominal mass and anorexia. RESULTS: The positive rates of stomach cancer and peptic ulcer in patients above 35 years of age were 3% (4/118) and 30% (35/118), respectively. The positive rates of stomach cancer and peptic ulcer in patients with alarm signs were 2% (2/94), 36% (34/94) and the rates in patients with H. pylori IgG seropositivity were 4% (3/70), 37% (26/70), respectively. However, no parameter was useful in the selection of patients with stomach cancer or peptic ulcer. In patients with alarm signs, the positive rates of peptic ulcer in patients with and without H. pylori IgG seropositivity were 46% (22/48) and 26% (12/46), respectively (p=0.04). In patients under 35 years of age, the positive rates of peptic ulcer in patients with and without H. pylori IgG seropositivity were 58% (7/12) and 18% (2/11), respectively (p=0.048). CONCLUSIONS: The overall positive rates of stomach cancer or peptic ulcer were significantly higher in patient group with both H. pylori IgG seropositivity and alarm signs, and that under 35 years of age with H. pylori IgG seropositivity. However, there were also considerable number of peptic ulcer in patients who were excluded from those groups. We recommend that those parameters should be used only as a decision aid in selecting the candidates for endoscopy.
Anemia ; Anorexia ; Decision Support Techniques ; Deglutition Disorders ; Dyspepsia* ; Endoscopy* ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; Helicobacter pylori ; Hematemesis ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Melena ; Peptic Ulcer ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Vomiting ; Weight Loss

Cheek ; Dentofacial Deformities ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Orbit ; Smiling