Purpose To discuss the value of MRI in the diagnosis of placenta implantation abnormality, and to explore preliminarily the relationship between MRI signs and types of placenta implantation abnormality. Materials and Methods The clinical preoperative data and postnatal pathological findings of 54 women at high risk of placenta accreta were collected. All the patients undertook the conventional pelvic MRI examination. The scanning sequences mainly included: sagittal, coronal and axial T2-weighted imaging-turbo spin echo, balance fast field echo. The MRI images were observed and the areas which showed low signal in all the three directions on T2WI were measured. Then the correlation between the areas of low signal on T2WI in placental and the types of placenta implantation abnormality was analyzed. Results The incidence of placenta implantation abnormality was 64.8% in our research (35/54). The main MRI signs were low signal on T2WI (68.5%, 37/54) and heterogeneous signal in placenta (57.4%, 31/54); the main sign of placenta percreta was tenting bladder (75.0%, 6/8). The types of placenta implantation abnormality were positively correlated with the areas of low signal on T2WI (r=0.454, P<0.05). Conclusion Pregnant women at risk of placenta accreta should be evaluated with imaging examinations, particularly with MRI scanning, to improve disease detection rate. The typical indirect signs of placenta implantation abnormality are low signal on T2WI and heterogeneous signal in placenta. The larger size of low signal area on T2WI in placenta, the deeper implantation of placenta.

Cardiomyopathy, Dilated ; pathology ; Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic ; pathology ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Fetal Diseases ; pathology ; Fetus ; Heart Neoplasms ; pathology ; Humans ; Myocardium ; pathology ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of Fructus Aurantii Immaturus (FAI) on the electro-activity of small intestines in rats, and evaluate the interrelations between the FAI regulating effect and choecystokinin (CCK) and somatostatin (SS).

METHODSMigrating myoelectric complex (MMC) cyclic period, the ratio of the active time to the cyclic period, and the number of the fast wave within the active time per minute were observed between FAI and the normal saline group by external alimentary canal electrodes; the CCK contents in dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus (DMH), ventromedia hypothalamic nucleus (VMH), lateral hypothalamus area (LHA) and SS in VMH, LHA, paraventricular nucleus (PVN) by using immuno-chemistry technique and micro-image pattern quantitative analysis and scanning system.

RESULTSThe MMC cyclic period shortened, the ratio of the active time to the cyclic period increased and the number of the fast wave within the active time per minute increased in the FAI group, which showed significant difference from the normal saline group; CCK positive neurons were reduced in the areas of DMH, VMH and LHA, SS positive neurons were increased in the areas of VMH, LHA and PVN in the FAI gioup,which showed significant difference compared with the normal saline and the blank control group.

CONCLUSIONFAI can stimulate the electro-reactivity of small intestines. The stimulative effect of FAI might be related to CCK and SS in hypothamus.

Animals ; Central Nervous System Stimulants ; pharmacology ; Cholecystokinin ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Hypothalamus ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Intestine, Small ; drug effects ; physiology ; Myoelectric Complex, Migrating ; drug effects ; Rats ; Somatostatin ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo determine the expression of Skp2 in different prostate cancer (PCa) cell lines and tissues, and explore its influence on the androgen receptor (AR) signaling pathway and development of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC).

METHODSThe expression levels of Skp2 and AR in different PCa cell lines were detected by Western blot. After knockdown of Skp2 in the C4-2 and 22RV1 cells transfected with shRNA, the expressions of AR and P27 were determined and the activity of ARR3-Luc measured by dual-luciferase reporter gene assay following treatment with dihydrotestosterone (DHT). The expressions of AR and Skp2 in human naïve PCa or CRPC specimens were detected by immunohistochemical staining followed by analysis of their differences and correlation.

RESULTSThe Skp2 protein expression level was significantly higher in the C4-2 or 22RV1 cells than in the LNCaP cells. DHT treatment increased the expression of Skp2 in the C4-2 cells, but knock-down of Skp2 significantly up-regulated the expression of the well-known downstream protein P27 and down-regulated that of AR. Consistently, DHT treatment increased the activity of ARR3-Luc, while knockdown of Skp2 remarkably decreased it in the C4-2 and 22RV1 cells (P < 0.05). In addition, significantly higher expressions of Skp2 and AR were observed in the CRPC than in the naïve specimens (P < 0.05), with a positive correlation between the two proteins (r = 0.658 1, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSkp2 can enhance the expression and transcription activity of the AR protein in CRPC cells or tissues and is promising to be a critical molecular therapeutic target.

Androgens ; pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Dihydrotestosterone ; pharmacology ; Disease Progression ; Gene Knockdown Techniques ; Humans ; Male ; Neoplasm Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant ; metabolism ; Receptors, Androgen ; genetics ; metabolism ; S-Phase Kinase-Associated Proteins ; physiology ; Transcriptional Activation ; Up-Regulation

Objective To determine,the clinical significance of serum myocardial enzymes (Mb,cTNI, CK,CK-Mb,AST,LDH) in the classification of the disease severity of non-cardiogenic critically-ill patients. Compared with APACHEⅡscore concerned as the standard diagnosis of the critical ills,these biomarkers were investigated for the evaluation possibility of the degree and the prognosis of the critical ills.Method Patients admitted to our EICU were consecutively collected for the research from April to December in 2005 and the myocardial enzymes,and routine serum biochemical test and APACHEⅡscore were detected simultaneously.All the patients were classified to three groups according to the APACHEⅡscore (mild group,APACHEⅡ25) and two groups (survive group and death group) according to the prognosis.All the patients were followed up till recovery/discharge or death. Covariance,Wilcoxon and x~2 were used for the statistical analysis.Results The myocardial enzymes rose when the disease deteriorated and the APACHEⅡscore went up.AST,LDH,CK,CK-Mb,Mb were significantly different in the three groups according to the APACHEⅡscore (P

Lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) plays vital roles in cell stemness, differentiation, cell motility, metabolic control and epithelial-mesenchymal transition, which is closely associated with tumorigenesis processes including cell proliferation, invasive, metastasis and poor prognosis. Besides, LSD1 also contributes to the occurrence of other diseases such as neurodegenerative diseases and viral infections. Since 2013, the irreversible inhibitors including tranylcypromine, ORY-1001, ORY-2001, GSK-2879552, IMG-7289, INCB059872, TAK-418, LH-1802 and reversible inhibitors including CC-90011 and SP-2577 have been approved for clinical assessment. This review comprehensively summarizes the clinical research of LSD1 drug candidates and briefly discusses the prospects, opportunities and challenges of LSD1-targeted drug discovery, aiming to provide a landscape for the related drug development.

Osteoclasts are multinucleated giant cell, which derived from mononuclear myeloid hematopoietic stem cells with the function of bone absorption. Osteoclasts plays a key role in bone metabolism, therefore the body is very strict to regulation of osteoclastogenesis. Mobilization and differentiation of osteoclast maturation is a complex and sophisticated multi-level regulatory processes. In the relevant regulatory mechanisms, OPG/RANKL/RANK system plays a pivotal role in the process of osteoclast differentiation and maturation. Recent studies revealed that immune cells and osteoclasts were closely connect with each other in the field of bone metabolism, also provide a new therapeutic target for the treatment of bone diseases. The apoptosis of osteoclasts in bone metabolism have been payed more attention,while its mechanism is still not clear, which need further research.
Animals ; Cell Differentiation ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Humans ; Osteoclasts ; cytology ; metabolism ; Osteoprotegerin ; genetics ; metabolism ; RANK Ligand ; metabolism ; Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor-kappa B ; genetics ; metabolism

This study was aimed to investigate the clinical value of multiplex nested reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) in detecting MLL-related fusion genes in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Ten MLL-related genes (dupMLL, MLL-ELL, MLL-ENL, MLL-AF6, MLL-AF9, MLL-AF10, MLL-AF17, MLL-CBP, MLL-AF1P, MLL-AF1Q) in 221 MDS cases were detected by multiplex nested RT-PCR. The results indicated that 20 patients were detected with positive result among 221 patients and the positive rate was 9.05%. The number of the positive cases and positive rates of the above mentioned 10 fusion genes were in order: 7 (3.16%), 2 (0.9%), 1 (0.45%), 1 (0.45%), 2 (0.9%), 2 (0.9%), 1 (0.45%), 2 (0.9%), 1 (0.45%), 1 (10.45%). It is concluded that the multiplex nested RT-PCR has been confirmed to be able to detect 10 fusion genes in MDS patients, which can provide important evidences for assessing diagnosis and treatment, and give related necessary information about minimal residual disease and its prognosis.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Humans ; Karyotyping ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes ; genetics ; Oncogene Proteins, Fusion ; genetics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Translocation, Genetic ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo compare the effects of two contrast agents, Gd-DTPA and HSA-Gd-DTPA, in magnetic resonance (MR) lymphography.

METHODSTwelve New-Zealand rabbits were randomized into Gd-DTPA and HSA-Gd-DTPA groups with subcutaneous (interdigital skin fold) injection of the two contrast agents (0.2 ml of 0.5 mmol/L Gd(3+)) for MR lymphography of the popliteal lymph nodes examined in the axial and sagital orientation. T(1)-weighted, T1-weighted fat suppressed, and T(2)-weighted spin-echo (SE) images of the lymph nodes were obtained in plain scans. The post-contrast scanning started at 30 min, 1 h and 3 h after Gd-DTPA administration and at 10 min, 30 min and 60 min after HSA-Gd-DTPA injection to obtain T(1)-weighted images with identical imaging parameters. The signal intensity of popliteal lymph node was measured and the enhancement rate calculated.

RESULTSAfter subcutaneous injection, Gd-DTPA quickly entered blood circulation to result in obvious enhancement of the anterior-tibial vein and the urine and also in heterogeneous enhancement of the popliteal lymph nodes. HSA-Gd-DTPA did not enter the blood, causing obvious homogeneous enhancement of the lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes. HSA-Gd-DTPA resulted in higher enhancement rate than Gd-DTPA, and the enhancement rate in Gd-DTPA group decreased with time as opposed to that of the HSA-Gd-DTPA group.

CONCLUSIONHSA-Gd-DTPA has better performance than Gd-DTPA in MR lymphography after subcutaneous administration.

Animals ; Contrast Media ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Gadolinium DTPA ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; diagnostic imaging ; Lymphography ; instrumentation ; methods ; Rabbits ; Random Allocation ; Serum Albumin ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics