Ferrite particles for bowel contrast in MR imaging: design issues and feasibility studies

Diverse materials with varying physical and magnetic properties have been evaluated as gastrointestinal contrast agents for magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Uniform marking of the small bowel remains the greatest challenge. Ferrites are magnetically active iron oxide particles that are miscible with water and cause loss of signal on MR images. The decrease in MR signal intensity produced by ferrites occurs with a wide range of iron concentrations (0.1-10 mM) and with both T1- and T2-weighted pulse sequences. These effects of ferrites are explained by predominant T2 shortening with negligible T1 effects. The ferrite preparation used in this study was stable in vitro, with little iron solubilized by acid. Intragastric administration of ferrite (5 mg of iron per kg in 6 ml) routinely marked the small bowel of rats. The authors conclude that ferrites represent a promising new class of contrast agents for gastrointestinal MR imaging.     

Tetrahydrocannabinol vs. prochlorperazine. The effects of two antiemetics on patients undergoing radiotherapy

The authors tested the effectiveness of orally administered delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) as compared to prochlorperazine for the alleviation of symptoms, such as vomiting and nausea, experienced by patients receiving radiotherapy. The test subjects rated the severity of their illness, as well as the extent of their subsequent moods, their level of concentration, their amount of physical activity, and their desire for social interaction. They chose the drug they preferred and recorded its side effects. The use of THC was slightly more beneficial than the use of prochlorperazine.     

Cell cycle-related expression of p120 nucleolar antigen in normal human lymphocytes and in cells of HL-60 and MOLT-4 leukemic lines: effects of methotrexate, camptothecin, and teniposide.

Expression of the proliferation-associated nucleolar antigen p120 was studied by flow cytometry in human quiescent and phytohemagglutinin-stimulated lymphocytes, as well as in human lymphocytic (MOLT-4) and promyelocytic (HL-60) cell lines. Bivariate analysis of p120 and DNA content made it possible to correlate p120 expression with cell position in the cycle. Proliferating lymphocytes and MOLT-4 and HL-60 cells had a similar pattern of p120 expression. Populations of G1 cells, in all three cell types, were very heterogenous with respect to p120, and a threshold in G1 was observed. The cells with a p120 level below the threshold value did not enter S phase. An increase in p120 was observed during progression through S phase, and the antigen was maximally expressed in G2 cells. The p120/DNA content ratio, however, was highest in late G1 cells (G1B) and was declining during S and G2. The data thus suggest that p120 may be degraded during mitosis and that the postmitotic cells inherit little, if any, of this protein; the antigen then accumulates predominantly during G1, and must reach a threshold level to enable the cells to enter S phase. Antigen p120 could not be detected in noncycling lymphocytes nor in HL-60 cells induced to myeloid differentiation by growth in the presence of dimethyl sulfoxide. Treatment of MOLT-4 cells with pharmacological concentrations of methotrexate, camptothecin, or teniposide induced cell arrest in S or G2; expression of p120 in the arrested cells was unchanged from that of untreated MOLT-4 controls at the same phase of the cycle. The level of p120 was minimal in MOLT-4 or HL-60 cells arrested in M phase by vinblastine, but vinblastine had no effect on p120 fluorescence of interphase cells. Camptothecin or teniposide induced apoptosis selectively in S phase of HL-60 cells; apoptotic cells from camptothecin-treated cultures, however, despite the marked nucleolysis, still expressed p120. The data on the drug-treated cells indicate that the p120 level in tumors of patients may be used as a marker of tumor/malignancy even in clinical samples obtained during treatment.     

人参皂甙Rb1和Rg1对小鼠中枢神经递质受体和脑内蛋白质合成的影响

应用放射配基结合法测定了人参皂甙Rb₁和Rg₁对α₁,α₂,β肾上腺素能受体、M胆碱能受体、5-羟色胺、多巴胺及GABA等七种受体的作用。结果均不能证明它们对这七种受体有亲和力。但给动物ip药物连续5天,Rb₁和Rg₁均能使中枢M胆碱受体密度显著增高。Rb₁及Rg₁还能显著增加脑内蛋白质的含量。上述实验结果对解释人参的中枢作用提供了重要证据。     

Intrauterine growth retardation: evaluation by magnetic resonance. Work in progress

Eleven high risk fetuses between 32 and 37 menstrual weeks gestational age were examined by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Serial obstetrical sonograms, birth weights, and serial postnatal examinations were obtained in all subjects. Sagittal MR spin echo images obtained using TR = 0.5 sec and TE = 28 msec were useful for assessing subcutaneous fat. Prospective estimates of fetal fat stores correlated with neonatal outcome better than sonographic measurements of fetal growth parameters or actual birth weight. MR appears to be a safe and useful technique that offers information complementary to obstetrical sonography when IUGR is suspected.