Because of the long acquisition time and spin-echo planar imaging sequence, diffusion weight magnetic resonance image (DWI) should be denoised effectively to ensure the follow-up applications. The commonly used denoising methods which induced from gray level image lack the use of the specific information from multiple magnitude directions. This paper, therefore, proposes a modified linear minimum mean square error (LMMSE) denosing method used for DWI. The proposed method uses the local information to estimate the parameter of the Rician noise and modifies the LMMSE using the information of multiple magnitude directions synthetically. The simulation and experiment of the synthetic DWI and real human brain DWI dataset demonstrate that the proposed method can more effectively remove the Rician noise compared to the commonly used denoising method and improve the robustness and validity of the diffusion tensor magnetic resonance image (DTI).
Algorithms ; Brain ; anatomy & histology ; Computer Simulation ; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Diffusion Tensor Imaging ; Humans ; Image Enhancement ; methods ; Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted ; methods ; Least-Squares Analysis ; Reproducibility of Results

Objective To study the expression of KAI1 and CD40 in gastric cancer and their correlation with clinicopathologic features and prognosis.Methods The expression of KAI1 and CD40 of 64 gastric cancer tissues was examinated by S-P immunohistochemieal methods.Results The overall positive rate of KAI1 was 22% in gastric cancer.Expression of KAI1 was positively related to the degree of tumor differentiation,it was negatively related to invasion depth and lymph node metastasis and the tumor clinical stage.The 5-year survival rate of cases with positive expression of KAII was significantly higher than that of cases with negative expression(X~2=42.426,P=0.000).The expression rate of CD40 in gastric cancer tissue was 34%.The expression of CD40 was significantly correlated with metastasis and clinical stage of gastric cancer.The 5-year survival rate of cases with positive expression of CD40 was significantly lower than that of cases with negative expression(X~2=4.841,P=0.028).There is no relationship between KAI1 and CD40 expression in gastric cancer.Conclusion KAI1 is associated with gastric cancer differentiation,invasion and metastasis.CD40 status helps to evaluate metastasis,and predict prognosis of gastric cancer.

AIMTo investigate the bio-affinities of ligustilide and butylidenephthalide to rat aortic smooth muscle cells and the inhibitory effects of them on bFGF-stimulated proliferation of rat vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC).

METHODSVSMCs were cultured from rat aorta pectoralis and identified by an immunohistochemical method. The bio-affinities between solute (ligustilide or butylidenephthalide) and cell membrane were measured by rat aortic cell membrane chromatography (CMC). The inhibitory effects of ligustilide and butylidenephthalide on bFGF-stimulated VSMC proliferation were evaluated by MIT colorimetric method.

RESULTSBoth ligustilide and butylidenephthalide had selective affinities to rat aortic smooth muscle cell as the same as verapamil, one of the calcium ion antagonists. They could potently inhibit the bFGF-stimulated VSMC proliferation at the concentrations of 5.5 and 11.1 micromol x L(-1), separately (P < 0.05), but had no effects on the normal VSMC growth.

CONCLUSIONBoth ligustilide and butylidenephthalide can inhibit the abnormal proliferation of VSMC induced by bFGF.

4-Butyrolactone ; analogs & derivatives ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Aorta, Thoracic ; cytology ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Female ; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Ligusticum ; chemistry ; Male ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; cytology ; drug effects ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; cytology ; drug effects ; Phthalic Anhydrides ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

To evaluate the protective effects of intravitreal injection of cannabinoid HU - 211 for optic nerve in glaucoma rats, providing the experimental evidence in the treatment of glaucoma optic nerve injury.
●METHODS: Glaucoma rats (18 eyes) were modeled by electric coagulation sclera surface vein and randomized into 3 groups, group A received intravitreal injection of 1mg/ 0. 1mL cannabinoid HU - 211 every other day respectively; group B was given intravitreal injection of 0. 1mL water every other day, group C was high intraocular pressure (lOP) group, 6 eyes were randomly selected for blank control group ( group D). lOP was observed every day. The rats were sacrificed after treatment 4wk, froze retina section, HE stain. The density fluctuation of retinal ganglion cell ( RGC ) neurons assessment the optic nerve of rat model with chronic high lOP glaucoma were measured.
●RESULTS: The apoptosis and damage degree of RGC in group B was obviously higher than that in group A, with statistically significant difference (P<0. 05). There was no significant difference in groups B and C (P >0. 05).
●CONCLUSlON: lntravitreal injection of cannabinoid HU-211 shows obvious protective effect on optic nerve in glaucom rat models.

Objective To evaluate the effects of 131 adrenoceptor anfisense on blood pressure and?1 adrenoceptor mRNA and protein levels in 2 kidney 1 clip(2K1C)rats.Method 2KIC hypertensive rots were produced by clipping renal artery of SD rats.Liposome/AS-ODNs 2.0 were tested intravenously in rats with 2KIC hypertension.Animals were divided into 5 groups(n=18 in each group):?1-AS-ODN group,?1-IN-ODN group,2K1C group,Sham group and SD group.Blood pressure was measured by tail-cuff method,the levels of myocardial?adreneceptor mRNA and protein were tested by RT-PCR and binding assay.Results On the basis of the magnitude and duration of hypotension,?1-AS-ODN decreased blood pressure by 39 mmHg at the most for 4 weeks.Compared with the 2KIC group,?1-AS-ODN did not significantly change the levels of myocardial?1 adrenoceptor mRNA but significantly decreased the levels of myocardial?1 adrenoceptor protein at 2,7,30 days (P

Animals ; Comet Assay ; DNA Damage ; drug effects ; Lymphocytes ; drug effects ; Male ; Organometallic Compounds ; toxicity ; Rats

Bufalin is an active compound of the traditional Chinese medicine Chansu, which exhibits significant anti-tumor activities in many solid tumors and leukemia cell lines. Bufalin could introduce apoptosis, reverse drug-resistance, and prevent migration and invasion of tumor cells. This paper reviewed the latest research progress of the in vitro and in vivo anti-tumor effect and mechanism of bufalin on a series of cancers, such as hepatocellular carcinoma, lung cancer, colon cancer, gastric cancer, leukemia, bladder cancer, and its formulation study is also summarized for the reference of its further study and application.
Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Bufanolides ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; methods ; Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology

Lipoproteins are biological lipids carriers. The natural and reconstituted lipoprotein based drug delivery systems have been extensively developed in recent years. This article reviews the development of natural and reconstituted low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein based vehicles in the antitumor area.
Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Apolipoproteins B ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Drug Carriers ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Humans ; Lipoproteins ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Lipoproteins, HDL ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Lipoproteins, LDL ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Nanoparticles ; Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Peptides ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Pharmaceutical Vehicles ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo investigate the constituents of fermented leaves of Agave americana, and discover new compounds.

METHODCompounds were purified with silica gel and C8 reverse--phase silica gel column chromatography. The structures were elucidated by chemical and spectroscopic evidence.

RESULTThree steroidal compounds were obtained and their structures were identified as (25R)-5 alpha-spirostan-3 beta, 6 alpha, 23 alpha-triol 6-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside(1), (25R)-5 alpha-spirostan-3 beta, 6 alpha, 23 alpha-triol-3, 6-di-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (cantalasaponin-1) (2) and (25R)-5 alpha-spirostan-3 beta, 6 alpha, 23 alpha-triol(hongguanggenin) (3).

CONCLUSIONCompound 1 is new compound, named agamenoside C.

Agave ; chemistry ; Fermentation ; Glycosides ; isolation & purification ; Molecular Structure ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Triterpenes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

Objective To evaluate the prognostic value of serial 18F-fluorodeexyglucose (FDG) PET/CT in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).Methods Thirty-seven NPC patients who had 18F-FDG PET/CT scan before and after external beam intensity-modulated radiotherapy, were studied retrospectively.All patients were followed for five years.Correlation analysis between metabolic tumor volume (MTV)/uptake volume index (UVI) and survival was performed by Kaplan-Meier analysis, Log-rank test and multivariate Cox model.Results The 5-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) rates were 70.3% (26/37) and 62.2% ( 23/37 ), respectively.Patients with a lower MTV (MTV＜30 cm3) had significantly higher 5-year OS ( 82.6% ( 19/23 ) ) and DFS (73.9% ( 17/23 )) rates than those with a higher MTV (OS:50.0% (7/14),x2 =5.28, P＜0.05; DFS:42.9% (6/14),x2 =4.84, P＜0.05).Patients with a lower UV1 (UVI＜150) had significantly higher 5-year OS( 87.5%( 21/24 )) and DFS (79.2% (19/24)) rates than those with a higher UVI (OS:38.5% (5/13),x2 =10.72, P＜0.01;DFS:30.8% (4/13), x2 =11.04, P＜0.01).Multivariate analysis showed that UVI and metabolic response (MR) were independent predictors of DFS.Conclusions Tumor volume parameters, UVI and MR, are independent prognostic factors for patients with NPC.Patients with a high UVI may benefit from more aggressive treatment.