OBJECTIVETo study the value of ultrasound elastography in evaluation of ethanol-induced lesions of liver.

METHODSAlcohol with a dose of 2 ml was injected into a fresh porcine liver under ultrasound guidance to create stiff necrosis. Then freehand elastography of the lesion from the identical scan plane was obtained with SONOLINE Antares system using VF10-5 probe at about every 30 seconds till 6 minutes later. The original high quality radiofrequency data were acquired through an ultrasound research interface which was provided by the ultrasound system. Then, corresponding elastograms were produced offline using cross-correlation technique and compared with gross pathology findings.

RESULTSGray-scale sonogram showed a hyperechoic area with acoustic shadow below appeared immediately after alcohol injection. The hyperechoic area tended to be diffuse and its boundary to be illegible with time. On the contrary, the ethanol-induced lesion in elastogram appeared as a low strain hard region surrounded by high strain soft hepatic tissues, with clear but irregular boundaries. Sequential elastograms with the sketched lesion boundaries showed that the lesion area increased in the first 3 minutes after ethanol injection, and then reached a plateau which corresponding to gross specimen.

CONCLUSIONUltrasound elastography is capable of detecting and evaluating the diffusion of ethanol-induced hepatic lesion, and more sensitive and accurate than routine sonography.

Animals ; Elasticity ; Elasticity Imaging Techniques ; instrumentation ; methods ; Ethanol ; pharmacology ; Liver ; diagnostic imaging ; drug effects ; pathology ; Swine ; Ultrasonics

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of burn serum on the viscoelasticity and the structure of rat intestinal epithelial cells.

METHODSThe rat intestinal epithelial cell strain (IEC-6) was cultured and stimulated by burn serum. The changes of IECs before and after the stimulation were dynamically observed by cytoskeleton immunohistochemistry, ELISA and the measurement of cytomembranous viscoelasticity.

RESULTSDuring the early stage of burn serum stimulation, the skeleton protein expression in IEC decreased obviously with weakened positive signals of microfilaments and microtubules and with decreased cellular elasticity.

CONCLUSIONThe cytoskeleton injury could cause the increase of cellular fragility and the decrease of the viscoelasticity, which ultimately lead to the change of cellular biodynamics. These changes might directly participate the development of postburn intestinal epithelial injury.

Actins ; analysis ; Animals ; Burns ; blood ; Cell Line ; Culture Media ; pharmacology ; Cytoskeletal Proteins ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Elasticity ; drug effects ; Epithelial Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Immunohistochemistry ; Intestinal Mucosa ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Tubulin ; analysis ; Viscosity ; drug effects

Maximizing peak bone mass is advocated as a way to prevent osteoporosis. To evaluate the peak bone mass and the affecting factors in Korean women, we analyzed bone stiffness in 116 middle school students, 118 high school students and 115 female college students by using the Achilles densitometer (Lunar Corporation). Peak bone stiffness of Korean women was relatively lower than that of white women (94% of white women) and a rapid rise of bone stiffness was observed in those subjects 3-4 years after menarche. In adolescent females without menstruation, the bone stiffness was lower than that of adolescent girls with menstruation. The factors affecting the peak bone mass was similar to the risk factors of post menopausal osteoporosis: menstruation status, calcium intake and physical activity. The amount of calcium intake in Korean girls at the critical age (3-4 years after menarche) was lower than the RDA (requirement of daily allowance) at this age. To improve any program aimed at maximizing peak bone mass, further intensive study will be required to evaluate some other common factors affecting peak bone mass in Korean.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aging/physiology ; *Bone Density ; Bone and Bones/drug effects/physiology ; Calcium, Dietary/pharmacology ; Child ; Elasticity ; Female ; Human ; Korea ; Menarche

BACKGROUND: Increased aortic stiffness is a independent risk factor of cardiovascular disease in patients with hypertension. Acute changes of the heart rate (HR) have been reported not to affect the aortic stiffness in pacing. However, it is unknown whether acute changes in HR caused by sympathomimetics can affect the aortic stiffness in patients with hypertension. We investigated the effect of acute changes in HR produced by isoproterenol on the aortic stiffness in 17 hypertensive patientss (mean age: 59 +/- 9 years). METHODS: All vasoactive drugs were discontinued at least 3 days before the study. The carotid-tofemoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) was measured by the foot-to-foot method. The pulse waves were recorded at the baseline and at every increase of HR by 5 to 10 bpm with a gradual increase of the dose of isoproterenol. The blood pressures and HR were measured simultaneously. For the analysis, HR, PWV, compliance (C), and compliance index (Ci) were converted as percent changes (delta) from the baseline values. Percent changes of the parameters of the aortic stiffness, i.e., delta PWV, delta C, and delta Ci, were grouped by every 10% increase in delta HR. RESULTS: There was no significant difference among groups in delta PWV, delta C and delta Ci (p> 0.05 for each of the group). The regression analysis showed no significant correlation of delta HR with delta PWV and delta C (r=0.18, 0.13 respectively, p> 0.05 for each). delta Ci had a poor correlation with delta HR (r=0.22, p< 0.05). However, only 4.6% of delta Ci could be referred to delta HR (r2=0.046). CONCLUSION: Aortic stiffness was not affected by acute changes in HR produced by isoproterenol which suggests that it is not necessary to consider acute changes in HR when measuring aortic PWV.
Aged ; Aorta/*drug effects ; Chest Pain/etiology ; Coronary Disease/complications ; Elasticity/drug effects ; Female ; Heart Rate/*drug effects ; Human ; Hypertension/complications/*physiopathology ; Isoproterenol/*pharmacology ; Linear Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pulsatile Flow/physiology ; Sympathomimetics/*pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effects of tannic acid (TA) treatment on the physico-chemical properties of glutaraldehyde (Glut)-fixed bovine jugular vein (BJV).

METHODSFresh BJVs were treated with Glut or Glut/TA, respectively. The shrinkage temperature, resistance to collagenase or elastase digestion, bio-mechanical properties, and molecular structure of these prepared BJVs were evaluated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.

RESULTSTA treatment resulted in higher shrinkage temperature (P < 0.01), higher resistance to collagenase or elastase digestion (P < 0.01), slightly increased tensile strength (P < 0.01), and elongation at break (P < 0.05) in Glut/TA BJV walls when compared with those of Glut group. Chemical bonds existed between TA and JBV tissue.

CONCLUSIONTA treatment can effectively improve the physicochemical properties of Glut-fixed BJVs.

Animals ; Cattle ; Chemical Phenomena ; drug effects ; Elasticity ; drug effects ; Glutaral ; pharmacology ; Jugular Veins ; pathology ; Organ Preservation Solutions ; pharmacology ; Tannins ; pharmacology ; Tensile Strength ; drug effects ; Tissue Fixation ; methods ; Tissue Preservation ; methods

The present paper was aimed to explore the effect of Shuxuetong on the membrane viscoelasticity of erythrocyte taken from the acute phase patients suffering from chronic pulmonary heart disease. The membrane viscoelasticity of erythrocyte was taken from the acute phase patients suffering from chronic pulmonary heart disease. The changes of membrane viscoelasticity of erythrocyte after treated with shuxuetong were detected by micropipette aspiration technique. The results showed that the Shuxuetong of certain concentration could cause the decrease of membrane elastic modulus and viscous coefficients in acute phase patients suffering from chronic pulmonary heart disease. The study offers experimental evidences that the comprehensive treatment of pulmonary heart disease should involve the drug or measure to improve the erythrocyte deformability.
Aged ; Blood Viscosity ; drug effects ; Chronic Disease ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Elasticity ; drug effects ; Erythrocyte Deformability ; physiology ; Erythrocyte Membrane ; physiology ; Erythrocytes ; physiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Pulmonary Heart Disease ; blood ; drug therapy

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of Chinese herbal medicine for calming Gan (肝) and suppressing hyperactive yang (平肝潜阳, CGSHY) on arterial elasticity function and the circadian rhythm of blood pressure in patients with essential hypertension (EH).

METHODSAdopting a parallel, randomized design, sixty-four patients with EH of stages I and II were randomly divided into two groups according to a random number table, with 32 in each group. The patients in the treatment group were treated with CGSHY and those in the control group were treated with Enalapril. All patients were given 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) before and after a 12-week treatment. Trough/peak (T/P) ratios of systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP & DBP) of each group were calculated. The circadian rhythm of their blood pressure was observed at the same time. The changes in elasticity of the carotid artery in the patients, including stiffness parameter (β), pressure-strain elastic modulus (Ep), arterial compliance (AC), augmentation index (AI), and pulse wave velocity (PVWβ) were determined by the echo-tracking technique before and after a 12-week treatment. In the meantime, their levels of nitric oxide (NO) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) were measured respectively.

RESULTSAfter treatment, all parameters in the 24-h ABPM and the elasticity of the carotid artery (β, Ep, AC and PVWβ) were markedly improved, the level of NO was increased, and ET-1 was decreased in both groups as compared with values before treatment (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Further, the improvements in the ratio of T/P of SBP & DBP and in the level of NO and ET-1 in the treatment group were more significant than those in the control group (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in all parameters in the ABPM monitoring and the elasticity of the carotid artery, the recovery of blood pressure circadian rhythm, and the therapeutic effect of antihypertension in EH patients between the two groups (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONSChinese herbal medicine for CGSHY may lower the blood pressure smoothly and recover the circadian rhythm of blood pressure in EH patients. They may also improve the carotid elasticity of EH patients similar to that of Enalapril. The mechanism of action of Chinese herbs on EH might be related to the regulation of vascular endothelium function.

Antihypertensive Agents ; Arteries ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Blood Pressure ; drug effects ; physiology ; Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory ; Circadian Rhythm ; drug effects ; physiology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Elasticity ; drug effects ; physiology ; Enalapril ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Endothelin-1 ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome ; Yin-Yang

By way of gastrogavage, we administered CANELIM capsules to rat for prepering the drug-contained serums. And then the serums obtained were used to plant cholangiocarcinoma cells. Lastly, using the micropipette aspiration technique, we investigated the effects which the drug-contained serums of different doses have on the viscoelasticity and adhesive mechanical properties of cholangiocarcinoma cells. The results showed that cholangiocarcinoma cells presented a characteristic of high elastic coefficient and low viscous coefficient. After being treated by the high dose and middle dose drug-contained serums, the viscoelastical properties of cholangiocarcinoma cells K1, K2 and micro evidently decreased (P < 0.01). But the properties of low dose did not evidently change. The adhesive force between cholangiocarcinoma cells and CD44v6 protein significantly reduced with the increasing of the dose of CANELIM capsules (P < 0.01). It is suggested that CANELIM capsules would destroy the cytoskeleton of cholangiocarcinoma cells, restrain the adhesion molecule CD44v6 on membrane from expressing, reduce the adhesion probability between cholangiocarcinoma cells and vasal endothelial cells, and finally, prevent the metastasis of cholangiocarcinoma cells.
Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; pharmacology ; Bile Duct Neoplasms ; pathology ; Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic ; pathology ; Capsules ; Cell Adhesion ; drug effects ; Cholangiocarcinoma ; pathology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Elasticity ; drug effects ; Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Rats ; Serum ; Tumor Cells, Cultured ; Viscosity ; drug effects

The Rejuran(R) is a new filler product made from purified polynucleotides. Here we present data from an animal study and a clinical trial to examine the durability, efficacy and safety of the Rejuran(R) on crow's feet. For the animal study, 25 mice were divided into three groups: Group 1 received phosphate buffered saline (PBS); Group 2 were treated with Yvoire(R); and Group 3 were treated with Rejuran(R). The durability and efficacy of each treatment were assessed by microscopy and staining. In the clinical trial, 72 patients were randomized to receive Rejuran(R) treatment for crow's feet on one side and Yvoire-Hydro(R) on the contralateral side, at a ratio of 1:1. Repeated treatments were performed every two weeks for a total of three times, over a total of 12 weeks' observation. All injections and observations of efficacy and safety were performed by the same two investigators. In the animal study, the Rejuran(R) group showed similar durability and inflammatory response to the Yvoire(R) group. Upon efficacy assessment, the Rejuran(R) group showed the greatest elasticity and collagen composition, and a significant difference in skin surface roughness and wrinkle depth. In the clinical trial, the primary and secondary objective efficacy outcome measure showed no statistical significance between the two groups, and in safety outcomes there were no unexpected adverse effects. Our data suggest that the Rejuran(R), as a new regenerative filler, can be useful to reduce wrinkles, by showing evidence for its efficacy and safety.
Adult ; Animals ; Dermatologic Surgical Procedures/*methods ; Double-Blind Method ; Elasticity/drug effects ; Female ; Humans ; Hyaluronic Acid/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Injections, Intradermal ; Male ; Mice ; Middle Aged ; Polynucleotides/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Skin ; Skin Aging ; Surgery, Plastic/*methods ; Treatment Outcome ; Wound Healing

OBJECTIVE: To assess the left ventricular (LV) longitudinal systolic and diastolic function in patients treated by epirubicin by velocity vector imaging (VVI) and to discuss the important clinical value of VVI in quantitatively evaluating the regional longitudinal function. METHODS: Thirty patients with breast cancer treated with epirubicin chemotherapy and 30 normal controls were included in the study. Dynamic images of apical long axis, four-chamber and two chamber view were obtained in all subjects, and the longitudinal systolic and diatolic parameters were measured in all subjects, including systolic maximum velocity (Vs), systolic maximum strain (SS), systolic maximum strain rate (SSR), diastolic maximum velocity (Vd), and diastolic maximum strain rate (DSR). The parameters were compared between the 2 groups. The conventional echcardiographic parameters were also obtained. RESULTS: There was no significant change in all baseline parameters before the chemotherapy in 30 breast cancer patients compared with the normal controls (P>0.05). After the second chemotherapy cycle, DSR was lower in every segment, Vd was lower in the free wall, mainly the lateral, anterior and inferior wall (P<0.05), while Vd didn't change significantly in the septum wall (P>0.05). After the third chemotherapy cycle, Vd, DSR and SSR decreased significantly in all segments (P<0.05). Vs and SS didn't change significantly (P>0.05). CONCLUSION VVI can monitor the epirubicin cardiotoxicity early and is more sensitive than echocardiograph.
Adult ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Blood Flow Velocity ; Breast Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast ; drug therapy ; Cardiac Volume ; Case-Control Studies ; Echocardiography ; Elasticity Imaging Techniques ; Epirubicin ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left ; chemically induced ; diagnostic imaging