The orthopan tomoscintigram — a new application of emission computed tomography for facial bone scanning

The exact regional correlation of findings of facial bone scans, planar or SPECT, to dental orthopan X-ray films (OPT) is difficult because of the very different projection techniques. To improve correlative imaging in this regard a projection algorithm was developed that uses SPECT data of the skull for reconstructing an orthopan tomoscintigraphic projection. Fourteen conventional SPECT slices of the upper and lower jaws were obtained during bone scanning. All mandibular slices were superimposed resulting in a horseshoe shaped structure, which was marked by an ROI which was divided into segments. All 14 SPECT slices were then masked by this segmental ROI, thereby marking the teeth-carrying bone in all slices. The information from this horseshoe like ROI is then transformed into lines. Line by line arrangement results in an orthopan projection, the orthopan tomoscintigram. This new display allows 1:1 true scale superimposition with the X-ray OPT and markedly facilitates correlative imaging.     

Internationale Union für Gesundheitsf?rderung und Gesundheitserziehung (IUHPE)

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Quantitative and comparative study of haematoporphyrin-derived photosensitizers on a murine tumour model

Eight commercially available HPD-photosensitizers intended for photodynamic therapy were tested in a murine tumour model with regard to their therapeutic efficacy. The regrowth delay of the fibrosarcoma SSK-2 on the mouse C3H, Neuherberg-line, was determined 3, 24, 48 and 72 h after injection of the drugs (dose: 9 mg kg^–1 body weight). The corresponding pharmacodynamics, as measured by regrowth delay, were approximated by an exponential function and the characterizing coefficients derived. These coefficients served to quantify the photodynamic properties of the drugs.The pharmacodynamics of five substances were compared with those obtained fluorometrically. The latter showed shorter decay constants than the therapy-correlated substances which indicates different metabolic behaviour of the therapeutic and diagnostically useful fluorescent components of haematoporphyrin-derived photosensitizers.     

Intramolekulare Aromatenalkylierungen, 17. Mitt. Synthese von trans-3,10b-Dimethyl-1,2,3,4,4a,5,6,10b-octahydrobenzo(f)isochinolin

Intramolecular Alkylations of Aromatic Compounds, XVII¹⁾: — Synthesis of trans-3,10b-Dimethyl-1,2,3,4,4a,5,6,10b-octahydrobenzo(f)isoquinoline From the cyanhydrine 5b , easily obtained from 4 and trimethylsilyl cyanide, the lactone 6 is prepared, hydrogenation of which gives a mixture of the lactam 7a and the lactone 8 . Compound 7a is reduced to the secondary base 9 , which by treatment with acid is dehydrated to 10 and rearranges to give the isomer 11 , too. Attempted cyclization of the aminoalcohol 12 fails to give 9 or 10 . Rather, the furan 13 is isolated as the final product. N-methylation 10 → 14 and subsequent hydrogenation furnish the 4:1 trans/cis-mixture 2a, b , from which the title compound is separated by column chromatography. From 11 the stereomers 18a, b can be prepared analogously.     

Das kleinzellige Bronchialkarzinom – neue Entwicklungen nach ASCO 2007

Wiener Medizinische Wochenschrift - Aggressives Tumorwachstum, frühe Metastasierung und hohe Assoziation mit intensivem Nikotinkonsum sind die Charakteristika des kleinzelligen...     

Nitric oxide synthesis in endothelial cytosol: Evidence for a calcium-dependent and a calcium-independent mechanism

Summary Release of nitric oxide (NO) from endothelial cells critically depends on a sustained increase in intracellular free calcium maintained by a transmembrane calcium influx into the cells. Therefore, we studied whether the free cytosolic calcium concentration directly affects the activity of the NO-forming enzyme(s) present in the cytosol from freshly harvested porcine aortic endothelial cells. NO was quantified by activation of a purified soluble guanylate cyclase coincubated with the cytosol. In the presence of 1 mM L-arginine, 0.1 mM NADPH and 0.1 mM EGTA, endothelial cytosol (0.2 mg of cytosolic protein per ml) stimulated the activity of guanylate cyclase 5.0 + 0.5-fold (from 31 + 9 to 153 + 15 nmol cyclic GMP formed per min per mg guanylate cyclase). Calcium chloride increased this stimulation further in a concentration-dependent fashion by up to 136 + 15% (with 2 M free calcium; EC₅₀ 0.3 M). The calcium-dependent and -independent activation of guanylate cyclase was enhanced by superoxide dismutase (0.3 M) and was inhibited by the stereospecifically acting inhibitor of L-arginine-dependent NO formation N^G-nitro-L-arginine (1 mM) and by LY 83583 (1 M), a generator of superoxide anions. Our findings suggest a calcium-dependent and -independent synthesis of NO from L-arginine by native porcine aortic endothelial cells. Send of fprint requests to A. Mülsch, at the above address     

Synergistic interaction of topographic features in the production of bone-like nodules on Ti surfaces by rat osteoblasts

The objective of this study was to study the responses of osteoblast-like cells to rough Titanium (Ti)-coated epoxy surfaces of differing topographic complexity. Four topographies were studied: polished (PO), coarse-blasted (CB), acid-etched (AE) and coarse-blasted+acid-etched (SLA). Rat osteoblasts were cultured on these surfaces and their morphology, thickness as well as the number and size of bone-like nodules measured. To determine cell shape and cell thickness, fluorescein-5-thiosemicarbazide was used to stain the cell components including the cell membrane, the stained cells were optically sectioned using epifluorescent microscopy and the optical sections were computationally reconstructed to obtain three-dimensional images in which cell volume and cell thickness could be determined. Similarly optical sections of bone-like nodules labeled with tetracycline were also reconstructed to determine their size. The different surface topographies were found to alter the thickness and morphology of osteoblasts cultured on these surfaces. Osteoblasts produced significantly more and larger nodules on SLA compared to other surfaces. Nevertheless and perhaps surprisingly, given the evidence in various cell populations that cell shape can affect cell differentiation, cell thickness was not directly correlated with an increase in bone-like nodule formation. Data were analyzed by factorial analysis of variance. In this way the primary effect of each surface treatment ( i.e. blasting and acid etching) could be assessed as well as their interaction. Both the acid etching and blasting processes significantly affected the number and size of bone-like nodules cultured on Ti surfaces. Moreover there were significant interaction effects indicating that surface topographic features can act synergistically to enhance bone formation. This result suggests that a useful approach to the optimization of surfaces for bone production could involve systematic investigation of combinations of processes each of which produces distinct surface topographical features.     

Laudationes

Ohne ZusammenfassungHerr Professor Dr.James E. Rothman wurde 1950 in Haverhill/Mass. geboren, studierte am Yale-College und am Department of Biological Chemistry, Harvard Medical School sowie am Department of Biology, Massachusetts Inst. of Technology von 1967–1978. Daraufhin wurde er Assistant Professor, 3 Jahre später Associate Professor und nach weiteren 3 Jahren Professor am Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University. Seit 1988 ist er Squibb Professor of Molecular Biology am Department of Biology an der Princeton University.Herr Prof. Dr.K.W.A. Wirtz wurde 1942 in Utrecht geboren, erhielt seine Ausbildung in Biochemie und Physiologie an den Universitäten von Utrecht und Cornell Univ. Ithaka und promovierte mit einer Arbeit unter Prof. L.L.M. van Deenen (Heinrich-Wieland-Preis 1971). Unterbrochen durch längere Aufenthalte im Ausland, wurde er 1973 Assistant Professor und 1980 Professor für Biochemie an seiner heutigen Wirkungsstätte.