Objective To determine the accuracy and radiation dose of dual-energy computed tomography (CT) in evaluating solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs) by virtual non-enhanced images.MethodsSixty-one patients with SPNs including 39 malignant and 18 benign nodules proved by pathology underwent DECT scans. The CT values of SPNs on enhanced weighted average and virtual non-enhanced images were compared by using Liver VNC processing unit in terms of their diagnostic accuracy for distinguishing malignant and benign nodules with a 20 HU threshold. Diagnostic accuracy was compared. In 28 patients of all patients, image noise and quality score of the non-enhanced and virtual non-enhanced images were compared, and radiation doses of each patient were recorded. The paired t test was used to analyze the noise difference between the plain scan and virtual non-enhanced scan. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to analyze statistically significant differences of the image quality score and radiation dose between the non-enhanced scan and virtual non-enhanced scan. ResultsThe sensitivity, specificity and accuracy for distinguishing benign and malignant nodules by using the virtual non-enhanced image of were 89. 7％(35/39), 72.2％ (13/18), 84.2％ (48/57)respectively.The noise of common CT and virtual nonenhanced images were(8. 49 ± 1. 94) HU and( 10. 14 ± 2. 18 ) HU, and there were statistically difference (t＝9.45,P＜0. 01 ). The quality scores of common CT and virtual non-enhanced images were (4.71 ±0. 46 ) and ( 4.42 ± 0. 57 ), and there were no statistical difference ( U ＝ 290. 00, P ＞ 0. 05 ). The radiation doses of common CT and DECT were ( 3. 72 ± 0. 48 ) mSv and ( 3.78 ± 0. 45 ) mSv, and there were no statistical difference ( U ＝ 350. 50,P ＞ 0. 05 ). ConclusionDECT by using virtual non-enhanced images is useful tool to distinguish the benign and malignant SPN without additional radiation dose.

Durg-eluting stent has been regarded as the milestone in the history of PCI for their efficiency in the prevention of coronary arterial restenosis after percutaneous coronary intervention. But unfortunately intra-stent thrombosis continues to be a serious complication of contemporary DES use. The incidence of drug-eluting stents thrombosis is at least not lower than that of bare metal stents at present. The clinical consequences of stent thrombosis are frequently catastrophic, including death in 40% to 50% of the cases or major myocardial infarction in 60% to 70%. Premature discontinuation of standard antiplatelet therapy is by far the most important predictor of stent thrombosis with DES and other predictors included renal failure, diabetes, bifurcation lesions, multiple lesions or multivessel disease, long stents, female, advanced age, stent underexpansion and residual stenosis etc. The delayed endothelialization may be the underling mechanism of DES thrombosis.

Objective To forward the concept of solution space of pharmacokinetics for studying radiophannaceutical distributions in animal models. Methods On the basis of special solutions of differential equations of pharmacokinetics, the solution space was established using the characteristics of linearly independent particular solutions and used to express the pharmacokinetics of pharmaceuticals in vivo. 0. 2 ml (7.4 MBq) 2β-carbomethoxy-3β- (4-corophenyl)-8-(2-18F-fluoroethyl) nortropane (18F-FECNT) was injected through tail vein into normal mice. The mice were sacrificed by decapitation at 5, 15, 30, 60, 120 and 180 min post-injection. Brain tissues were removed and weighed, and radioactivity was counted with the γ-counter. The solution space theory was used to study pharmacokinetics of 18F-FECNT in brain tissues of mice. Results The result showed that all solutions of pharmacokinetics models, based on differential equations, were included in the solution space. The solution of any organ or tissue could be linearly expressed by bases of the solution space. When the dimension number of the solution space was no more than 3, the solution could be directly expressed with coordinate picture. By this rule in our theory, the quantity of 18F-FECNT in brain tissues of mice changed with time, which was accorded with the experiment. The coordinates of striatum, frontal cortex, temporal cortex, occipital cortex, parietal cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum in the solution space were ( 10.13, 1.49), (4.27, 0. 84), (4.48, 0.81 ), (2.89, 0.98), (3.65, 0. 83),(3.55, 0. 98) and (2.03, 1.25 ), respectively. Conclusion The theory of solution space could be used to study pharmacokinetics of 18 F-FECNT in mice brain.

Actins ; metabolism ; Aged ; Breast Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Carcinoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Fasciitis ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Fibroma ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Humans ; Keratin-5 ; metabolism ; Mastectomy, Modified Radical ; Neoplasms, Muscle Tissue ; metabolism ; pathology

Drug Resistance ; Drug-Eluting Stents ; Humans ; Ticlopidine ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology

The traditional Chinese medicine (Tripterygium wilfordiiHook.f.,TWH) has been clinically used to treat primary and secondary renal diseases and proteinuria for nearly 40 years.However,there is a rare literature about the effect of triptolide (the main active ingredient of TWH) on the expression of oxidative carbonyl protein (OCP) in diabetic nephropathy (DN).This study aimed to provide experimental evidence for triptolide treatment on DN through its effect on the expression of OCP,in order to investigate the effects of triptolide on the expression of OCP in rats with DN.Sixty SD rats were randomly divided into five groups:control group,high-dose triptolide (Th) group,low-dose triptolide (T1) group,DN model group,and positive control (benazepril) group.The DN model was established using streptozotocin.Urinary protein excretion,fasting blood glucose (FBG),superoxide dismutase (SOD) in renal homogenate,malondialdehyde (MDA) in renal homogenate and renal nitrotyrosine by immunohistochemistry,and the expression of OCP by oxyblotimmune blotting were detected.In the DN model group,rat urinary protein excretion and renal MDA were significantly increased,while renal SOD significantly decreased and nitrotyrosine expression was obviously upregulated in the kidney.After triptolide treatment,24-h urinary protein excretion (61.96±19.00 vs.18.32±4.78 mg/day,P＜0.001),renal MDA (8.09±0.79 vs.5.45±0.68 nmol/L,P＜0.001),and nitrotyrosine expression were decreased.Furthermore,renal OCP significantly decreased,while renal SOD (82.50±19.10 vs.124.00±20.52 U/L,P＜0.001) was elevated.This study revealed that triptolide can down-regulate the expression of OCP in the renal cortex of DN rats.

Objective To explore the clinical characteristics ,diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of phaeohyphomycosis. Methods Clinical data were collected, including history, physical examination, cranial and spinal imaging. Brain biopsy was performed. Data of the pathology and incubation of brain tissue were analyzed. Responsiveness to treatment was followed up. Results A previously healthy three and half years old boy was presented to our unit, with a three- month history of recurrent headache, vomiting, progressive paraplegia accompanied by urinary continence and constipation. A computed tomogram scan and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed multiple lesions located in the region of the parietal - occipital lobes, periventricular area and frontal lobe, with prominent surrounding edema and irregular peripheral enhancement of the mass after the administration of contrast materials. A cerebral biopsy was performed and the pathological report was cerebral phaeohyphomycosis. The culture of the tissue and cerebrospinal fluid grew a same fungus identified as exo-phiala dermatitidis. The patient's response to therapy was poor, the parents of the boy gave up therapy, and the boy died 1 month later. Conclusions Cerebral Phaeohyphomycosis caused by Exophiala dermatitidis is rare, but the most serious form of fungus infection. Pathology and incubation of the tissue are essential for diagnosis. There is no curative therapy and the prognosis is poor.

Objective To explore whether chlamydia pneumoniae(CP) infection causes the coronary artery morphology change in children and their reciprocity.Methods Serum immunoglobin M(IgM) and immunoglobin G(IgG) antibody to CP were detected by enzymelinked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) in 52 hospitalized children aged 1 month to 10 years and 5 months old in respiratory ward in our hospital,serum interleukin-6(IL-6),triglyceride(TG) and peripheral blood C-reactive protein(CRP) were also determined,morphology change of coronary artery of the patients were harvested by colored doppler echocardiogram.Results In the 52 cases,21 cases were positive of IgM,28 cases were positive of IgG,3 cases were positive both IgM and IgG.Twelve cases were high of CRP,5 cases were high of IL-6,9 cases were high of TG.In the 52 patients,the different levels of IgM,IgG,IL-6,CRP and TG had not coronary artery morphology change.Conclusion CP infection in the children does not cause the coronary artery to occur morphology change.

A phytochemical investigation on the aerial parts of a Tibetan medicine Meconopsis horridula, by solvent extraction, repeated chromatographies on silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, and preparative TLC techniques, led to the isolation of 9 compounds. By spectroscopic analysis and comparison of its 1H and 13C-NMR data with those in literatures, their structures were identified as oleracein E(1), N-( trans-p-coumaroyl) tyramine (2), chrysoeriol (3), apigenin (4), hydnocarpin (5), p-coumaric acid glucosyl ester (6), stigmast-5-ene-3beta-ylformate (7), 3beta-hydroxy-7alpha-ethoxy-24beta-ethylcholest-5-ene (8), and beta-sitosterol (9), respectively, among which compounds 6-8 were isolated from the genus for the first time,and 1,3 were isolated from the species for the first time. A MTT method was applied to evaluate the cytotoxic activity of compounds 14 against the human hepatocellular liver carcinoma cell line (HepG2), and compound 1 showed significant cytotoxicity against HepG2,with its inhibitory rate of 52.2% at 10 micromol x L(-1).
Medicine, Tibetan Traditional ; Molecular Structure ; Papaveraceae ; chemistry ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization

Litsea cubeba is one of aromatic medicinal plant belonging to family Lauraceae. The roots, stems and fruits of L. cubeba have been widely applied as folk medicines in some districts in China for relieving rheumatism and cold, regulating Qi (meridian) to alleviate pain. Previous studies revealed that this species contains major alkaloids, in specific aporphines, and minor flavonoids, lignans as well. Related pharmacological investigations demonstrated its activities and clinical applications on cardiovascular diseases, anti-cancer, against rheumatoid arthritis, relieving asthma and anti-allergic effects, as anti-oxidants, and so on. As an effort for further exploration of this bioactive ingredients and potential drug development, this paper summarizes most phytochemical and pharmacological results. Further, future prospects are also included.
Animals ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Litsea ; chemistry ; Molecular Structure ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry