Objective To investigate the effects of endogenous sulfur dioxide(SO2) on pulmonary vascular inflammation in rats with monocrotaline (MCT)-induced pulmonary hypertension.Methods Thirty-two Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups(n =8 for each group):control group,MCT group,MCT + L-aspartic acid-β-hydroxamate(HDX) group,and MCT + SO2 group.Rats in the MCT group,MCT + HDX group,and MCT + SO2 group were subcutaneously injected with MCT(60 mg/kg) on the first day.For rats in MCT + HDX group,HDX(25 mg/kg,on day 0,7 and 14) was given orally after injection of MCT; and rats in MCT + SO2 group were subcutaneously injected with the SO2 donor sodium sulfite/sodium bisulfate(Na2SO3/NaHSO3,and mole ratio was adjusted to approximately 3:1) each day.Rats in the control group received only the same volume of solvent vehicle only.After 3 weeks,mean pulmonary artery pressure(mPAP) of each rat was evaluated by using a right cardiac catheterization procedure.Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of inflammatory related factor intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and the key molecules of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signal transduction pathway,including p65 and inhibitor of NF-κB (IκBα) in the small pulmonary artery endothelial cells.Results The differences in mPAP,expression of ICAM-1,IκBα and p65 in the small pulmonary artery endothelial cells were found among the 4 groups (mPAP:F =53.334,P ＜ 0.01 ; ICAM-1:F =183.82,P ＜ 0.01 ; IκBα:F =142.89,P ＜ 0.01 ; p65:F =105.46,P ＜0.01).The mean pulmonary artery pressure(mPAP) was significantly raised in MCT group rats as compared with that of the control group along with upregulated expressions of ICAM-1 protein and p65 protein in small pulmonary artery endothelial cells,while the expression of IκBα protein in small pulmonary artery endothelial cells was significantly low.After administration of HDX,the mPAP and the expression of ICAM-1 protein and p65 protein in small pulmonary artery endothelial cells further increased compared with those of MCT group,while the expression of IκBα protein in small pulmonary artery endothelial cells was significantly lower than that of MCT group.Whereas with treatment of SO2 derivatives,the mPAP,the expression of ICAM-1 protein and p65 protein in small pulmonary artery endothelial cells were significantly lower than those of MCT group,while the expression of IκBα protein in small pulmonary artery endothelial cells increased significantly compared with that of MCT group.Conclusions Endogenous SO2 might inhibit the activation of NF-κB pathway in the small pulmonary artery endothelial cells,attenuate the pulmonary vascular inflammation and prevent the MCT-induced pulmonary hypertension in rats.

Objective To assess the correlation between standardized uptake value (SUV) and intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) parameters of primary cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) and pelvic metastatic lymph nodes in the use of hybrid PET/MR.Methods Forty-six CSCC patients in Shengjing Hospital from January 2015 to December 2015 were prospectively enrolled and divided into well-differentiated (G1) group,moderate-differentiated (G2) group and poorly-differentiated (G3) group.PET/MR examination with the multi-b-value diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) sequence was performed before treatment.Maximum SUV (SUVmax) and mean SUV (SUVmean) were calculated.IVIM parameters,including the slow diffusion coefficient (D),fast diffusion coefficient (D*),perfusion fraction (f) were also measured.Pearson correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between IVIM parameters and SUV(SUVmax,SUVmean).Results The D of G1,G2,G3 lesions and metastatic lymph nodes were (0.827± 0.232) × 10-3,(0.640±0.153) × 10-3,(0.563±0.090) × 10-3 and (0.772±0.246) × 10-3 mm2/s respectively.The f was 0.310±0.068,0.348±0.073,0.287±0.057 and 0.413±0.103 respectively.The D* was (9.241± 2.001) × 10-3,(9.408± 1.927) × 10-3,(9.715± 1.827) × 10-3 and (8.830± 1.632) × 10-3 mm2/s respectively.The SUVmax was 9.988±3.806,12.941±5.990,14.543±7.050 and 9.890±3.906 respectively.The SUVmean was 5.717±2.830,7.094±3.518,8.263±4.124 and 4.952±1.343 respectively.The D of G1 and G2 lesions had negative correlations with SUVmax and SUVmean(G1,r values:-0.816,-0.842;G2,r values:-0.528,-0.559;all P＜0.05);the f of G2 lesions had positive correlations with SUVmax and SUV (r values:0.554,0.550,both P＜0.05).Conclusions The SUVmax and SUV of the well-moderate differentiated CSCC are consistent with D and f,which reflect the cell density and the microvascular perfusion.PET/MRIVIM could provide important complementary information for treatment-monitoring and prognostic assessment of patients with cervical cancer.

Objective To explore the correlations among standardized uptake value (SUV) and clinicopathological features of cervical cancers,and to observe the association among SUV and expression level of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and Aquaporin-1 (AQP-1).Methods PET/CT imaging data were analyzed retrospectively in 56 patients with cervical cancer before surgery.The mean SUV (SUV),maximum SUV (SUVmax) and peak SUV (SUVpeak) were measured,and immunohistochemical method was used to detect the expression of VEGF and AQP-1.The relationships of SUV and expression level of VEGF,AQP-1 and clinicopathological features were analyzed.Results SUV SUVpeak and expression level of VEGF and AQP-1 were significantly different in different FIGO stages (all P＜0.05).SUVpeak and expression level of VEGF in tumors with maximum diameter ≥ 4 cm were higher than those in patients with tumors maximum diameter ＜4 cm (both P ＜0.05).SUVpeak and expression level of VEGF and AQP-1 in tumors with cervical stromal invasion depth ≥1/2 were significantly higher than those with cervical stromal invasion depth ＜ 1/2 (all P＜ 0.05).The expression level of VEGF and AQP-1 in patients with lymph node metastasis were higher than those without lymph node metastasis (both P ＜0.05).SUVpeak was correlated with expression level of VEGF (rs =0.529,P＜0.001) and AQP-1 (rs =0.356,P =0.007).Conclusion Preoperative SUVpeak of cervical cancer measured with PET/CT is correlated with clinicopathological features and can be used to guide individual treatment of patients with cervical cancer.

Objective:To investigate the value of synthetic MRI quantitative parameters in identifying different molecular types of breast cancer and triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) and non-TNBC.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on 208 patients diagnosed with invasive ductal breast cancer in the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University from March 2019 to September 2020. All patients underwent synthetic MR examinations and the following quantitative parameters were measured, including tumor diameter, volume, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), and corresponding values of T 1, T 2, and proton density (PD). According to the immunohistochemical results, there were 122 cases of progesterone receptor (PR) positive and 86 cases of PR negative, 123 cases of estrogen receptor (ER) positive and 85 cases of ER negative, 79 cases of human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) positive and 129 cases of HER2 negative, 149 cases of Ki-67 high expression and 59 cases of Ki-67 low expression; there were 36 cases of TNBC and 172 cases of non-TNBC. Independent samples t test or Mann-Whitney U test were used to compare the quantitative parameters of different molecular types, TNBC and non-TNBC patients. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze independent predictors of TNBC, and receiver operating characteristic curve and area under the curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the efficacy of sole and combined parameters in identifying TNBC. Results:T 1 and T 2 values in PR negative breast cancer patients were higher than those in PR positive patients ( t=2.30, Z=2.04, P<0.05); the values of T 1 and T 2 in ER negative patients were higher than those in ER positive patients ( t=2.52, Z=2.48, P<0.05); ADC value and tumor diameter of HER2 positive patients were larger than those in HER2 negative patients ( t=-3.21, Z=-3.22, P<0.05). T 2 value, tumor volume and diameter in patients with Ki-67 high expression were significantly higher than those in patients with Ki-67 low expression ( Z=-3.47, -2.51, -2.84, P<0.05); ADC value in Ki-67 high expression group was less than that in Ki-67 low expression group ( t=3.94, P<0.001). T 1, T 2 values and tumor volume in TNBC patients were higher than those in non-TNBC patients ( t=-3.26, Z=-5.58, Z=-2.02, P<0.05], and ADC value in TNBC patients was lower than that in non-TNBC patients ( t=3.07, P=0.002). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that T 2 (OR=1.060, 95%CI 1.028-1.093, P<0.001) and ADC value (OR=0.947, 95%CI 0.911-0.984, P=0.005) were independent predictors of TNBC. The efficacy of each parameter alone and in combination to identify TNBC showed that the T 2 value in the single parameter had the largest AUC (0.759), and there was no significant difference between T 2 value and its combined parameters in the diagnosis of TNBC. Conclusions:The quantitative parameters based on synthetic MRI, especially T 2 value, have value in differentiating different molecular types of breast cancer, TNBC and non-TNBC may be another non-contrast parameter for evaluating tumor aggressiveness beyond ADC value.