Direct imaging of hyperpolarized 129Xe alveolar gas uptake in a mouse model of emphysema

MRI of hyperpolarized ¹²⁹Xe dissolved in pulmonary tissues, and blood has the potential to offer a new tool for regional evaluation of pulmonary gas exchange and perfusion; however, the extremely short T and low magnetization density make it difficult to acquire the image. In this study, an ultrashort echo‐time sequence was introduced, and its feasibility to quantitatively assess emphysema‐like pulmonary tissue destruction by a combination of dissolved‐ and gas‐phase ¹²⁹Xe lung MRI was investigated. The ultrashort echo‐time has made it possible to acquire dissolved ¹²⁹Xe images with reasonably high spatial resolution of 0.625 × 0.625 mm² and to obtain T of 0.67 ± 0.30 ms in a spontaneously breathing mouse at 9.4 T. The regional dynamic alveolar gas uptake as well as subsequent transport by pulmonary blood flow was also visualized. The ratio of ¹²⁹Xe magnetization that diffused into the septa relative to the gas‐phase magnetization F was regionally evaluated. The mean F value of elastase‐treated mice was 2.28 ± 0.46%, which was significantly reduced from that of control mice 3.41 ± 0.48% (P = 0.0052). This reflects the reduced uptake efficiency due to alveolar tissue destruction and is correlated with the histologically derived alveolar surface‐to‐volume ratio. Magn Reson Med, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Emphysema and Other Chronic Lung Disease in Textile Workers: An 18-Year Autopsy Study

Review of 2895 consecutive autopsies from 1962 to 1980 inclusive showed no significant differences in the prevalence of emphysema or other chronic lung disease between 282 active and retired employees of a cotton textile mill and the nontextile population. There was no statistical evidence that exposure to cotton dust, even after many years, produced emphysema, interstitial fibrosis, or cor pulmonale. The prevalence of emphysema in the series was highest in white males (22.0%), followed closely by black males (18.3%). In white females it was 7.5%, in black females, 5.5%. The prevalence in subjects under age 50 yr was 4.5%; in the age group 60-64 yr, 14.6%; and in subjects 65 yr of age and older, 21.9%. A significant increase in the prevalence of emphysema occurred between the 1962 to 1969 period and the 1970 to 1980 period.     

乙型肝炎病毒表面抗原终止密码子的偏嗜性选择

目的:探究乙型肝炎病毒表面抗原(HBsAg)终止密码子的存在状况及偏嗜性.方法:从GenBank中选取各基因型的参考序列共174例;使用生物软件BioEdit进行序列比对,应用RNAdraw构建并分析其RNA二级结构.结果:(1)在174例参考序列中,HBsAg的终止密码子共有TAA和TGA两种形式.其中TAA形式的有124例,占71.26%;TGA形式的有50例,占28.74%.(2)终止密码子的使用存在偏嗜性,并影响RNA的二级结构和蛋白质的编码氨基酸序列.结论:HBsAg终止密码子的使用偏嗜性客观存在,可能与进化过程中RNA结构和蛋白质功能的保守性相关.     

Mutation in the prion protein gene at codon 232 in Japanese patients with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: a clinicopathological,immunohistochemical and transmission study

We describe the clinical, neuropathological, immunohistochemical and transmission findings in three patients with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) with a substitution from methionine to arginine at codon 232 (M232R) in the prion protein (PrP) gene. The patients with M232R presented clinically with rapidly progressive dementia, myoclonus, and periodic synchronous discharges in the electroencephalogram. These findings were mostly consistent with those for sporadic CJD. All patients reached the stage of akinetic mutism between 2 and 6 months, and died between 4 and 24 months after the onset of the disease. Histopathological examination revealed spongiform changes, neuronal loss and severe astrocytosis. Immunohistochemical staining for PrP showed diffuse gray matter staining, including synaptic structures. However, no plaque-type PrP deposition was observed in the affected brain tissue sections. The brain homogenates from two patients were successfully transmitted to experimental animals. Since the same mutation was not found in 100 healthy control individuals, the mutation might be associated with the disease. The clinicopathological and experimental transmission studies of CJD patients with this PrP gene mutation may thus help us to determine both phenotypic variations and the potential infectivities in different forms of prion diseases. Received: 27 December 1995 / Revised, accepted: 25 March 1995     

Determination of I in I-pharmaceuticals produced in THOR

¹³¹I is one of the most important radionuclides used in nuclear medicine. The accompanying isotope ¹²⁹I with insignificant activities in ¹³¹I-pharmaceuticals, produced in THOR, were determined in terms of ¹²⁹I/¹³¹I ratio by neutron activation analysis. The detection limit of ¹²⁹I can be lowered to order of 0.1 Bq, superior to conventional radiometric methods. The ¹²⁹I/¹³¹I ratios in the ¹³¹I-pharmaceuticals, were measured to be in the range from 3.9 to 8.3.     

Phase 2 Study of the HSP-90 Inhibitor AUY922 in Previously Treated and Molecularly Defined Patients with Advanced Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer

Introduction

In this phase 2 study, we evaluated the activity of AUY922 in pretreated patients with stage IV NSCLC.