Neuroimaging in Pineal Tumors

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The authors report radiological findings in 11 tumors in the pineal region, which were histologically diagnosed as germinomas, pineocytomas pineoblastomas, ependymomas, teratomas, and astrocytomas. METHODS: Computed tomography (CT) was performed in seven patients and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed in all patients. RESULTS: CT showed a solid or solid/cystic mass with variable contrast enhancement. MRI showed a heterogeneous mass, with hypointense signal on T1 and iso/hyperintense signal on T2-weighted images (WI) and gadolinium enhancement. Extension to adjacent structures occurred in five patients and spread through the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) in two. CONCLUSIONS: Pineal region tumors have no pathognomonic imaging pattern. MRI and CT are complementary in diagnosis and are important to determine localization, extension, and meningeal spread.     

Benzazepinone calcium channel blockers. 2. Structure-activity and drug metabolism studies leading to potent antihypertensive agents. Comparison with benzothiazepinones.

As part of a program to discover potent antihypertensive analogues of diltiazem (3a), we prepared 1-benzazepin-2-ones (4). Benzazepinones competitively displace radiolabeled diltiazem, and show the same absolute stereochemical preferences at the calcium channel receptor protein. Derivatives of 4 containing a trifluoromethyl substituent in the fused aromatic ring show potent and long-acting antihypertensive activity. Studies of the metabolism of 4 lead to the metabolically stable antihypertensive calcium channel blockers 5a and 5c. Benzazepinone 5a is a longer acting and more potent antihypertensive agent than the second generation diltiazem analogue TA-3090 (3e).     

Deep spatial profiling of human COVID-19 brains reveals neuroinflammation with distinct microanatomical microglia-T-cell interactions

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Expression and characterization of Gag protein of HIV-1（CN） in Pichia pastoris

To express the core protein of HIV-1 of Chinese prevalent strain （HIV-1 （CN）） in Pichia pastoris, the fulllength gag gene was inserted into the secretory expression vector pHILS1. Linearized recombinant plasmid pHILGAG by Sail was electrotransformed into the yeast strain GS115, and the yeast transformants were identified by PCR. To induce the interest protein to be expressed, the PCR positive transformants were inoculated in the medium of BMGY and BMMY, mRNA of the strain was detected by RT-PCR, and the expressed protein was analyzed by SDS-PAGE, Western blotting and thin layer scanning. mRNA （1.3 kb） was amplified by RT-PCR. SDS-PAGE and Western blotting analysis showed that the molecular mass of the expressed protein was 55 kD, which was similar to the expected value, and the expressed protein could react with McAb to HIV-1 p24. Thin layer scanning analysis demonstrated that the whole amount of the expressed protein was approximately 13 % of the soluble protein in the supernatant. The recombinant yeast had good genetic stability. The optimal expression conditions of the engineering yeast were as follows： BMMY medium, 80-90% of dissolved oxygen, 1% methanol, and 3-day-cultivation course. Gag proteins were expressed under the optimal expression condition and purified via gel filtration chromatography. The purity of the interest protein was up to 85 %. After the purified proteins were inoculated into BALB/c mice, the anti-HIV-1 antibodies in the immunized mice could be detected by Western blotting.     

Abnormal depolarizing patterns in three patients with filarial infection

Several authors have described a particular potential of automated depolarization analysis in detecting malaria infection as part of the routine full blood count (FBC) performed by the Cell-Dyn 4000 analyzer. In these cases, abnormal depolarizing patterns are due to the presence of leukocyte-associated malaria hemozoin, a pigment which depolarizes the laser light. In this report we describe samples from three individual patients who did not have malaria infection but showed abnormal depolarizing events. Further investigation determined that these samples were from patients infected by the nematode Mansonella perstans. The observed depolarizing pattern consisted of a normal depolarizing eosinophil population and in addition an abnormal depolarizing population that showed a close linear relationship between granularity (90° depolarization) and lobularity (90° polarization). This atypical population was smaller than normal leukocytes and thus clearly different from the patterns associated with malaria infection. Abnormal depolarization patterns of M. perstans clearly do not reflect leukocyte-associated malaria hemozoin. It is possible however that the erythrocyte-lysing agent used to facilitate leukocyte analysis by the instrument may have caused microfilaria fragmentation and thus the distinctive straight-line features of the abnormal scatter plots     

Dermatological manifestations in onchocerciasis: A retrospective study of 400 imported cases

Introduction

Onchocerciasis is caused by Onchocerca volvulus and mainly leads to pruritus and skin and visual disorders, including blindness. Seventeen million people are infected in 38 countries; 31 of these are in sub-Saharan Africa, six in Latin America and one on the Arabian Peninsula. More than 99% of cases occur in sub-Saharan Africa where 120 million people are at risk of infection. Eye disorders have been well-documented; however, skin disorders have not been described accurately. The objective of our study was to describe the epidemiology, main skin manifestations and treatment of imported onchocerciasis.