Vascular contact with soft tissue: a sign of mesenteric masses at computed tomography

PURPOSE: To evaluate prevalence of mesenteric vascular contact at routine computed tomography (CT) and evaluate its value for distinguishing missed mesenteric masses from adjacent bowel. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We identified 18 abdominopelvic CT scans of 9 patients in whom mesenteric masses were missed on the prospective CT reports. We recorded the long-axis diameter of the masses, time interval to eventual detection, and presence of vascular contact (fat plane obscuration) with a mesenteric vessel greater than 1 mm in diameter. We also retrospectively identified 129 consecutive abdominopelvic CT scans of nononcology patients and recorded all locations of vascular contact between a mesenteric vessel greater than 1 mm in diameter and adjacent bowel. RESULTS: In the 18 CT examinations where mesenteric masses were missed, the mean long-axis diameter was 2.9 cm, and time between the initial CT scan and first discovery was 12 months. Mesenteric vessels contacted the masses in 17 (94%) of 18 scans. In the 129 nononcology patients, vascular contact was rarely seen with bowel distal to the proximal jejunum (6 had vascular contact with distal jejunum, 5 with ileum, and 0 with colon). However, the third and fourth duodenal portions showed vascular contact with the superior mesenteric vessels in 36 (28%) and 12 patients (9.4%), respectively, and with the inferior mesenteric vessels in 58 patients (48%). CONCLUSIONS: At CT, mesenteric vessels greater than 1 mm in diameter rarely contact bowel other than the duodenum and proximal jejunum; however, they often contact mesenteric masses. At CT scan review, inspection of the mesenteric vessels may facilitate mesenteric mass identification.     

Effects of acute exercise on neutrophils in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia survivors: a pilot study

PURPOSE: This nonrandomized controlled trial was designed to investigate the effects of acute exercise on neutrophil count and function in children and adolescents receiving maintenance treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) compared to matched controls. METHODS: Participants (n = 10; 4 ALL patients and 6 healthy matched controls) were males between the ages of 7 to 18 years. On visit 1, participants completed an incremental exercise test to volitional exhaustion on a treadmill to determine peak aerobic fitness (VO(2peak)). On visit 2, participants completed a 30-minute exercise session consisting of an intermittent run-walk on a treadmill at 70% to 85% of VO(2) peak with blood sampling completed at 5 time points: fasting, preexercise, postexercise, 1-hour postexercise, and 2-hour postexercise. RESULTS: A significant increase in absolute neutrophil count from preexercise to postexercise was observed in both groups (P = 0.011). Neutrophil oxidative capacity was significantly depressed in the ALL group at the basal level (P = 0.029), however, it increased in both groups after exercise and stimulation. CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary study suggests that 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise in ALL patients receiving maintenance therapy provides a similar neutrophil response to that of healthy age and sex-matched controls.     

Senescent mesenchymal cells accumulate in human fibrosis by a telomere-independent mechanism and ameliorate fibrosis through matrix metalloproteinases

Fibrosis can occur in many organs, where it is a debilitating and preneoplastic condition. The senescence of activated fibroblasts has been proposed to ameliorate fibrosis via the innate immune system but its role in humans has not been investigated. The availability of oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) biopsies at different stages of disease progression allowed us to test the hypothesis that senescent fibroblasts accumulate with the progression of human fibrosis in vivo, and also to examine the mechanism of senescence. We tested the hypothesis that senescent cells may ameliorate fibrosis by increasing the secretion of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). We have used a combination of in situ immunodetection techniques, drug treatments, fluorescence-activated cell sorting and enzyme-linked absorbance assays on tissue samples and fibroblast cultures. We report a novel panning technique, based on fibronectin adhesion rates, to enrich and deplete senescent cells from fibroblast populations. Senescent fibroblasts, as determined by the presence of senescence-associated heterochromatic foci, accumulated with OSMF progression (R(2) = 0.98) and possessed a reduced replicative lifespan in vitro. Unlike wounds, however, OSMF fibroblasts were quiescent in vivo and consistent with this observation, possessed functional telomeres of normal length. Senescence was associated in vivo and in vitro with oxidative damage, DNA damage foci and p16(INK4A) accumulation and required the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), perhaps from damaged mitochondria, but not the continuous presence of the disease stimulus (areca nut and tobacco), the tissue environment or other cell types. Depletion of OSMF fibroblasts of senescent cells showed that these cells accounted for 25-83 times more MMP-1 and -2 than their pre-senescent counterparts. The results show that the accumulation of senescent fibroblasts in human fibrosis occurs by a telomere-independent mechanism involving ROS and may locally ameliorate the condition by the increased expression of MMPs prior to clearance by the immune system.     

FAK-shRNA重组逆转录病毒载体的构建及稳定表达细胞株的筛选

目的: 研究利用RNA干扰技术,以黏附斑激酶(FAK)为靶基因,构建FAK-shRNA重组逆转录病毒载体,将其导入包装细胞Phoenix中,筛选出稳定产生FAK-shRNA病毒的细胞克隆,以病毒上清感染并筛选FAK表达沉默的细胞株,观察其对相关蛋白表达的影响。方法: 体外合成能转录产生靶向FAK短发夹RNA(shRNA)的寡核苷酸并定向克隆入pSuper.retro逆转录病毒载体,以脂质体法转染Phoenix细胞株,待筛选稳定克隆成功后收获病毒上清,感染人肝癌细胞株HCC-LM3,以嘌呤霉素筛选得到抑制FAK表达的稳定细胞株后用Western boltting鉴定FAK表达的抑制效果及相关蛋白表达情况。结果: 构建了重组逆转录病毒载体pSuper-FAK并抑制了人肝癌HCC-LM3细胞内FAK蛋白的表达。在下调FAK表达的细胞株中p-Akt和p-MAPK1/2表达明显受到抑制。下调FAK的细胞株迁移和侵袭能力下降,细胞周期多被阻止在G₀/G₁期,细胞凋亡增多,增殖率明显下降。结论: 重组逆转录病毒载体pSuper-FAK转染包装细胞Phoenix后,其产生的FAK-shRNA病毒可以抑制HCC-LM3细胞内的FAK蛋白表达并抑制Akt及MAPK1/2磷酸化。下调FAK后可以对肿瘤细胞的生物学行为产生明显影响。     

Structurally Diversified Heterocycles and Related Privileged Scaffolds as Potential Urease Inhibitors: A Brief Overview

Ureases have emerged as significant virulence factors implicated in the pathogenesis of many clinical conditions such as pyelonephritis, hepatic coma, peptic ulceration, and the formation of injection‐induced urinary stones and stomach cancer. They have also been identified as important targets in research both for human and animal health, as well as in agriculture. Strategies based on urease inhibition are the main treatment of diseases caused by urease‐producing bacteria. So, in the present context, a diverse library of chemical structures is known to possess remarkable inhibitory activities against urease enzymes. The current review article summarizes and discusses endeavours towards the developments in the burgeoning field of urease inhibition in medicinal chemistry, with an emphasis on the insights that have been gleaned into the structural features that contribute to high and promising levels of anti‐urease activity.     

Perceptions of changes in weight among African American breast cancer survivors

BACK GROUND: Although African American breast cancer survivors are most likely to gain weight following diagnosis and treatment compared to women from other ethnic groups, limited information is available on psychological and behavioral reactions to weight change in this population. OBJECTIVES: To explore perceptions and reactions to weight change in African American breast cancer survivors. METHODOLOGY: A parallel mixed methods approach was used to explore experiences with and reactions to weight change following breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. Participants were 16 short- and long-term African American breast cancer survivors. RESULTS: Nine out of 16 participants gained weight following diagnosis and treatment and most participants were concerned about these changes. Most participants were also interested in diet and exercise programs; however, a holistic and common sense approach to diet and physical activity emerged as key themes. CONCLUSIONS: Although prior reports have found that African American women in the general population report a greater tolerance for larger body sizes, most participants in this study were concerned about changes in their weight and were actively trying to minimize weight gain. Several themes emerged regarding physical activity and dietary behaviors; overall, participants described a holistic and practical approach to these behaviors.     

Concordance of second-order portal venous and biliary tract anatomies on MDCT angiography and MDCT cholangiography

OBJECTIVE: We sought to investigate the concordance between second-order portal venous and biliary tract anatomies using MDCT angiography and MDCT cholangiography. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively identified 56 living related potential liver donors who underwent both MDCT angiography and MDCT cholangiography. Two reviewers independently rated axial images and 3D reconstructions of MDCT angiograms and cholangiograms as diagnostic or nondiagnostic with respect to depiction of second-order portal venous and biliary tract anatomies. In images rated as diagnostic, second-order portal venous and biliary tract anatomies were categorized as conventional or variant. The concordance between portal venous and biliary tract anatomies was analyzed using McNemar exact chi-square test. RESULTS: All examinations were diagnostic. Second-order portal venous variants were seen in 10 (18%) and biliary branch variants were seen in 23 (41%) of the 56 patients. Patients with variant portal venous anatomy (6/10, 60%) were more likely to have variant biliary tract anatomy than patients with conventional portal venous anatomy (17/46, 37%; p < 0.01). The sensitivity of variant portal venous anatomy as a marker for variant biliary anatomy was 26% (6/23 patients). CONCLUSION: Concordance between second-order portal venous and biliary tract anatomies is statistically significant. However, in our series, a number of patients with conventional portal venous anatomy had variant biliary anatomy; therefore, the finding of conventional portal venous anatomy does not obviate preoperative biliary tract imaging in patients before liver donation.