Thyroid-Associated Orbitopathy: Evaluating Microstructural Changes of Extraocular Muscles and Optic Nerves Using Readout-Segmented Echo-Planar Imaging-Based Diffusion Tensor Imaging

Huan-Huan Chen,Hao Hu,Wen Chen,Dai Cui,Xiao-Quan Xu,Fei-Yun Wu,Tao Yang 대한영상의학회 2020 Korean Journal of Radiology Vol.21 No.3

Objective: We aimed to investigate the ability of readout-segmented echo-planar imaging (rs-EPI)-based diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in assessing the microstructural change of extraocular muscles (EOMs) and optic nerves in patients with thyroidassociated orbitopathy (TAO) as well as in evaluating disease activity. Materials and Methods: We enrolled 35 TAO patients and 22 healthy controls (HCs) who underwent pre-treatment rs-EPIbased DTI. Mean, axial, and radial diffusivity (MD, AD, and RD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) of the medial and lateral EOMs and optic nerve for each orbit were calculated and compared between TAO and HC groups and between active and inactive TAO groups. Factors such as age, sex, disease duration, mediation, and smoking history between groups were also compared. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the predictive value of significant variables for disease activity. Results: Disease duration was significantly shorter in active TAOs than in inactive ones (p < 0.001). TAO patients showed significantly lower FA and higher MD, AD, and RD than HCs for both medial and lateral EOMs (p < 0.001), but not the AD value of lateral EOMs (p = 0.619). Active patients had significantly higher FA, MD, and AD than inactive patients for medial EOMs (p < 0.005), whereas only FA differed significantly in the lateral EOMs (p = 0.018). The MD, AD, and RD of optic nerves were significantly lower in TAO patients than HCs (p < 0.05), except for FA (p = 0.129). Multivariate analysis showed that the MD of medial EOMs and disease duration were significant predictors for disease activity. The combination of these two parameters showed optimal diagnostic efficiency for disease activity (area under the curve, 0.855; sensitivity, 68.4%; specificity, 96.9%). Conclusion: rs-EPI-based DTI is promising in assessing microstructural changes of EOMs and optic nerves and can help to indicate the disease activity of TAO, especially through the MD of medial EOMs.

Timosaponin B-Ⅱ Inhibits Pro-inflammatory Cytokine Induction by Lipopolysaccharide in BV2 Cells

Wen-Quan Lu,Wan-Sheng Chen,Yan Qiu,Tie-Jun Li,Xia Tao,Lian-Na Sun 대한약학회 2009 Archives of Pharmacal Research Vol.32 No.9

It was reported that the total polysaccharides extracts from Anemarrhenae asphodeloides Bge(Liliaceae, rhizome) could inhibit inflammatory responses in various models. In the present study, the effects of Timosaponin B-II, a purified extract from A. asphodeloidesb, on the expressions of IL-1β, TNF-α and IL-6, the activity of NF-κB and the activation of signal pathway related to NF-κB were explored in vitro. Timosaponin B-Ⅱ significantly attenuated increase of these cytokines on both mRNA and protein levels from LPS-stimulated BV2 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The reporter gene assay also showed that the activation of NF-κB induced by LPS was inhibited by pre-treatment with Timosaponin B-Ⅱ. Moreover, western blot results showed that the activation of p38, JNK and P65 had been decreased. These results suggest that both NF-κB signal pathway and MAPK pathway were involved in the inhibitory effects of Timosaponin B-II on the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Percutaneous catheter drainage for abscess after surgery

Wen-Bo Zhu,Xiao-Hui Zhao,Hai-Liang Li,Chen-Yang Guo,Quan-Jun Yao,Xiang Geng,Ke Zhao,Hong-Tao Hu 소화기인터벤션의학회 2022 Gastrointestinal Intervention Vol.11 No.4

Percutaneous abscess drainage (PAD) has been proven to be a safe, effective, and widely used technique for the treatment of patients with abscesses after gastrointestinal surgery. The indications for PAD are expanding and most postoperative abscesses of the gastrointestinal tract are susceptible to PAD. PAD uses various imaging methods, including ultrasound, computed tomography, and several safe and reliable catheter insertion methods.

Mest Attenuates CCl4-Induced Liver Fibrosis in Rats by Inhibiting the Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway

( Wen Ting Li ),( Chuan Long Zhu ),( Yi Li ),( Quan Wu ),( Ren Tao Gao ) 대한소화기학회 2014 Gut and Liver Vol.8 No.3

Background/Aims: The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway has been reported to play an important role in liver fibrosis. This study was designed to investigate whether mesoderm-specific transcript homologue (Mest), a strong negative regulator of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, could inhibit liver fibrosis. Methods: pcDNA-Mest was transfected into hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and rats. Rats were randomly divided into four groups: normal group (normal saline), treatment group (pcDNA- Mest+CCl4), control group (pcDNA-neo+CCl4), and model group (normal saline+CCl4). Changes in liver pathology were evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin and Masson’s trichrome staining. The levels of alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, lactic dehygrogenase, hyaluronic acid, and laminin in the serum and hydroxyproline in the liver were detected by biochemical examination and radioimmunoassay, respectively. The expression and distribution of β-catenin, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), Smad3, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase type I were determined, and the viability of the HSCs was tested. Results: Our data demonstrate that Mest alleviated CCl4-induced collagen deposition in liver tissue and improved the condition of the liver in rats. Mest also significantly reduced the expression and distribution of β-catenin, α-SMA and Smad3 both in vivo and in vitro, in addition to the viability of HSCs in vitro. Conclusions: We found that Mest attenuates liver fibrosis by repressing β-catenin expression, which provides a new therapeutic approach for treating liver fibrosis.

Percutaneous catheter drainage for abscess after surgery

Wen-Bo Zhu,Xiao-Hui Zhao,Hai-Liang Li,Chen-Yang Guo,Quan-Jun Yao,Xiang Geng,Ke Zhao,Hong-Tao Hu 소화기인터벤션의학회 2022 International journal of gastrointestinal interven Vol.11 No.4

Percutaneous abscess drainage (PAD) has been proven to be a safe, effective, and widely used technique for the treatment of patients with abscesses after gastrointestinal surgery. The indications for PAD are expanding and most postoperative abscesses of the gastrointestinal tract are susceptible to PAD. PAD uses various imaging methods, including ultrasound, computed tomography, and several safe and reliable catheter insertion methods.

Development and Validation of Nomograms to Provide Individualized Predictions of Sur-vival Benefits from Surgery in Patients with Intermediate/Advanced Hepatocel-lular Carcinoma

( Wen-tao Yan ),( Jia-he Wang ),( Ming-da Wang ),( Zheng Wang ),( Bing Quan ),( Ya-hao Zhou ),( Wei-min Gu ),( Hong Wang ),( Ting-hao Chen ),( Tian Yang ) 대한간학회 2018 춘·추계 학술대회 (KASL) Vol.2018 No.1

Aims: According to the BCLC treatment guidelines, surgery does not be recommended for intermediate/advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In real world, however, liver resections are often performed in patients with intermediate/ advanced but resectable HCC, especially in the East. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated multicentric data of 1,325 patients newly diagnosed with intermediate/advanced HCC who underwent curative resection. We randomly divided the subjects into development (n = 875) and validation (n = 450) samples. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were developed and separately validated on the basis of patients’ clinicopathological variables assessed for associations with 1-year recurrence and 3-year mortality. The discriminatory accuracy of these models was compared with conventional tools by analyzing receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results: He statistical nomograms built based on performance status, Child-Pugh grade, portal hypertension, preoperative alpha-fetoprotein level, tumor rupture, largest tumor diameter, tumor number, macrovascular and microvascular invasion, and satellites had good calibration and discriminatory abilities, with c-indices of 0.70 (1-year recurrence) and 0.68 (3-year survival), respectively. These models showed satisfactory goodness-of-fit and discrimination abilities in the validation cohort (c-index, 0.68 for 1-year recurrence and 0.69 for 3-year survival). The areas under the ROC curve using these nomograms exceeded those of traditional staging systems, indicating superior discriminatory capability (c-indices, 0.60-0.63 and 0.56-0.62, respectively). Conclusions: Our proposed online nomograms, which present graphically postoperative prognostic models for recurrence and survival in patients with intermediate/advanced but resectable HCC, offer valuable guidance to surgeons and hepatologists for individually predicting survival benefits from surgery and planning recurrence surveillance and adjuvant therapy.

Experimental Study on Inhibition Effects of the XAF1 Gene against Lung Cancer Cell Proliferation

Yang, Wen-Tao,Chen, Dong-Lai,Zhang, Fu-Quan,Xia, Ying-Chen,Zhu, Rong-Ying,Zhou, Duan-Shan,Chen, Yong-Bing Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.18

Objective: To investigate the effect of high expression of XAF1 in vivo or in vitro on lung cancer cell growth and apoptosis. Methods: 1. The A549 human lung cancer cell line was transfected with Ad5/F35 - XAF1, or Ad5/F35 - Null at the same multiplicity of infection (MOI); (hereinafter referred to as transient transfected cell strain); XAF1 gene mRNA and protein expression was detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting respectively. 2. Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) and annexin V-FITC/PI double staining were used to detect cell proliferation and apoptosis before and after infection of Ad5/F35 - XAF1 with Western blotting for apoptosis related proteins, caspase 3, caspase - 8 and PARP. 3. After the XAF1 gene was transfected into lung cancer A549 cells by lentiviral vectors, and selected by screening with Blasticidin, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting were applied to detect mRNA and protein expression, to establish a line with a stable high expression of XAF1 (hereinafter referred to as stable expression cell strain). Twenty nude mice were randomly divided into groups A and B, 10 in each group: A549/XAF1 stable expression cell strain was subcutaneously injected in group A, and A549/Ctrl stable cell line stable expression cell strain in group B (control group), to observe transplanted tumor growth in nude mice. Results: The mRNA and protein expression of XAF1 in A549 cells transfected by Ad5/F35 - XAF1 was significantly higher than in the control group. XAF1 mediated by adenovirus vector demonstrated a dose dependent inhibition of lung cancer cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis. This was accompanied by cleavage of caspase -3, -8, -9 and PARP, suggesting activation of intrinsic or extrinsic apoptotic pathways. A cell strain of lung cancer highly expressing XAF1 was established, and this demonstrated delayed tumor growth after transplantation in vivo. Conclusion: Adenovirus mediated XAF1 gene expression could inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in lung cancer cells in vitro; highly stable expression of XAF1 could also significantly inhibit the growth of transplanted tumors in nude mouse, with no obvious adverse reactions observed. Therefore, the XAF1 gene could become a new target for lung cancer treatment.

Significance of Caveolin-1 Regulators in Pancreatic Cancer

Chen, Tao,Liu, Liang,Xu, Hua-Xiang,Wang, Wen-Quan,Wu, Chun-Tao,Yao, Wan-Tong,Yu, Xian-Jun Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.8

Caveolin-1 is a scaffold protein on the cell membrane. As the main component of caveolae, caveolin-1 is involved in many biological processes that include substance uptake and transmembrane signaling. Many of these processes and thus caveolin-1 contribute to cell transformation, tumorigenesis, and metastasis. Of particular interest are the dual rolesof tumor suppressor and oncogene that caveolin-1 appear to play in different malignancies, including pancreatic cancer. Therefore, analyzing caveolin-1 regulators and understanding their mechanisms of actionis key to identifying novel diagnostic and therapeutic tools for pancreatic cancer. This review details the mechanisms of action of caveolin-1 regulators and the potential significance for pancreatic cancer treatment.

Experimental research on the integration of heterogeneous system information for titanium alloy blade adaptive belt grinding

Gui-Jian Xiao,Quan Li,Yun Huang,Yin Liu,Wen-Tao Dai 한국생산제조학회 2018 한국생산제조시스템학회 학술발표대회 논문집 Vol.2018 No.10

Two Luminescent Cd(II) Coordination Polymers: Enhancement Activity on Pancreatic Cancer Combined with Biliary Stent Placement and 125I Particles

Jie-Peng Jia,Quan Shao,Ying-Kai Wang,Bo Qian,Wen Zhang,Tao Hu,Ji-Jun Zhang 한국고분자학회 2021 Macromolecular Research Vol.29 No.11

With the reaction between bib ligands, 5-substituted isophthalic acid and Cd(II) ions, we produced two coordination polymers in success, that is, [Cd(5-meo-ip) (bib)0.5]n (2) and [Cd(5-me-ip)(bib)(H2O)]n·n(H2O) (1) (bib is 1,4-bis(imidazoly)butane, 5-meo-H2ip is 5-methoxyisophthalic acid, and 5-me-H2ip is 5-methylisophthalic acid). The luminescent performances and thermal stability of the two compounds were also explored. Their anti-pancreatic cancer activity combined with biliary stent placement and 125I particles was evaluated and the specific mechanism was explored as well. Firstly, after the model construction and compound treatment, the weight and volume of the tumor tissue was measured. Next, the apoptosis level of the cancer cells were evaluated with Annexin V-FITC/PI apoptosis assay.