Quantification of myocardial fibrosis using noninvasive T2-mapping magnetic resonance imaging: Preclinical models of aging and pressure overload

Noninvasive imaging of cardiac fibrosis is important for early diagnosis and intervention in chronic heart diseases. Here, we investigated whether noninvasive, contrast agent-free MRI T₂-mapping can quantify myocardial fibrosis in preclinical models of aging and pressure overload. Myocardial fibrosis and remodeling were analyzed in two animal models: (i) aging (15-month-old male CF-1 mice vs. young 6- to 8-week-old mice), and (ii) pressure overload (PO; by transverse aortic constriction in 4- to 5-month-old male C57BL/6 mice vs. sham-operated for 14 days). In vivo T₂-mapping was performed by acquiring data during the isovolumic and early diastolic phases, with a modified respiratory and ECG-triggered multiecho TurboRARE sequence on a 7-T MRI. Cine MRI provided cardiac morphology and function. A quantitative segmentation method was developed to analyze the in vivo T₂-maps of hearts at midventricle, apex, and basal regions. The cardiac fibrosis area was analyzed ex vivo by picro sirius red (PSR) staining. Both aged and pressure-overloaded hearts developed significant myocardial contractile dysfunction, cardiac hypertrophy, and interstitial fibrosis. The aged mice had two phenotypes, fibrotic and mild-fibrotic. Notably, the aged fibrotic subgroup and the PO mice showed a marked decrease in T₂ relaxation times (25.3 ± 0.6 in aged vs. 29.9 ± 0.7 ms in young mice, p = 0.002; and 24.3 ± 1.7 in PO vs. 28.7 ± 0.7 ms in shams, p = 0.05). However, no significant difference in T₂ was detected between the aged mild-fibrotic subgroup and the young mice. Accordingly, an inverse correlation between myocardial fibrosis percentage (FP) and T₂ relaxation time was derived (R² = 0.98): T₂ (ms) = 30.45 – 1.05 × FP. Thus, these results demonstrate a statistical agreement between T₂-map–quantified fibrosis and PSR staining in two different clinically relevant animal models. In conclusion, T₂-mapping MRI is a promising noninvasive contrast agent-free quantitative technique to characterize myocardial fibrosis.     

中医药治疗慢性前列腺炎研究概况

综述近年中医药治疗慢性前列腺炎的临床研究,认为本病病因病机之核心在于脾肾亏虚为本,湿热、痰浊、瘀毒为标,病久则伤及脾肾,由实转虚。中医内治法主要以辨证论治、辨病论治或单方验方为主,外治法以中药洗浴、中药灌肠、肛门给药、针灸为主。中医药治疗本病优势明显。应继续完善对中医药作用机制的认识,制订统一的辨证论治及疗效评价标准,针对效果显著的名方开展研究。     

Chalcone hybrids and their antimalarial activity

Malaria, one of the most striking, re-emerging infectious diseases caused by the genus Plasmodium, places a huge burden on global healthcare systems. A major challenge in the control and eradication of malaria is the continuous emergence of increasingly widespread drug-resistant malaria, creating an urgent need to develop novel antimalarial agents. Chalcone derivatives are ubiquitous in nature and have become indispensable units in medicinal chemistry applications due to their diverse biological profiles. Many chalcone derivatives demonstrate potential in vitro and in vivo antimalarial activity, so chalcone could be a useful template for the development of novel antimalarial agents. This review covers the recent development of chalcone hybrids as antimalarial agents. The critical aspects of the design and structure–activity relationship of these compounds are also discussed.     

PBL与CBL教学法在留学生实验诊断教学的应用探讨

目的探讨PBL与CBL教学法在留学生实验诊断教学的应用效果。方法将PBL联合案例教学法(CBL)应用于临床医学本科留学生实验诊断教学,与大班传统讲授教学方法(对照组)相比较,通过问卷调查和成绩分析学习效果。结果试验组在激发学习兴趣和培养临床思维能力方面均高于对照组,理论知识的成绩和实习的成绩也是试验组优于对照组,P<0.05。结论PBL与CBL教学联合应用于实验诊断教学中能够有效提高教学质量,并受到学生的认可和喜爱。     

Quantification of 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptor Binding in Depressed Suicide Attempters and Non-Attempters

Objective: To determine serotonin system abnormalities related to major depression or previous suicidal behavior.

Methods: [¹¹C]WAY100635, [¹⁸F]altanserin and positron emission tomography were used to compare 5-HT_1A and 5-HT_2A binding in MDD patients divided into eight past suicide attempters (>4yrs prior to scanning) and eight lifetime non-attempters, and both groups were compared to eight healthy volunteers.

Results: The two receptor types differed in binding pattern across brain regions from each other, but there were no differences in binding between healthy volunteers and the two depressed groups or between depressed suicide attempters and non-attempters. No effects of depression severity or lifetime aggression were observed for either receptor.

Conclusion: Limitations of this study include small sample size and absence of high lethality suicide attempts in the depressed attempter group. No trait-like binding correlations with past suicide attempt or current depression were observed. Given the heterogeneity of nonfatal suicidal behavior, a larger sample study emphasizing higher lethality suicide attempts may find the serotonin biological phenotype seen in suicide decedents.     

基于器官功能保全的局部进展期直肠癌诊治新策略

局部进展期直肠癌（locally advanced rectal cancer, LARC）的治疗进入肿瘤学效果和功能并重的时代，传统“三明治”治疗模式的利弊凸显，通过高分辨率核磁共振成像，可以将LARC按照局部复发风险进一步分成不同危险度组别，从而施行个体化治疗模式，是保障疗效和功能的最优化策略。部分危险度稍低的LARC可以通过直接进行高质量手术、单纯术前化疗来避免术前放疗带来的功能损害。而对于根治性手术可能带来较大功能损害的LARC，通过结合各种不同的术前治疗策略，乃至全程新辅助治疗（TNT）策略，强化肿瘤退缩，甚至获得肿瘤完全缓解来改变原有的手术方式，从不可保肛的根治性腹会阴联合切除术变为可保肛的低位/极低位前切除术、括约肌间切除术等根治性手术，或从全直肠系膜切除术变为经肛局部切除术，乃至最后不需要手术的“观察＆等待”，从而最大限度保全患者的器官功能。     

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester,a propolis polyphenolic,attenuates potentially cadmium-induced testicular dysfunction in mice

Abstract

Cadmium (Cd) as environmental pollutant can induce severe damage, particularly to the testis. This study investigated the effects of Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) on testicular dysfunction induced by Cd. Adult mice were intraperitoneally injected with cadmium chloride (CdCl₂) with different doses of CAPE pretreatment. After CdCl₂ injection, body/testis weight ratio decreased, Cd levels accumulated and zinc levels decreased in testis. Furthermore, Cd intoxication caused a significant increase of oxidative stress levels, antioxidant enzymes activities, and glutathione levels. Interestingly, significant improvements were observed after the administration of CAPE. Our results demonstrated the protective effect of CAPE, linking Cd testicular dysfunction to oxidative stress.     

益生菌联合肠内营养对急性胰腺炎患者肠道菌群及外周血miR-155的影响

目的 探讨益生菌联合肠内营养对急性胰腺炎患者肠道菌群及外周血miR-155的影响。 方法 选取2016年6月至2018年12月河北医科大学第二医院消化内科收治的92例急性胰腺炎患者作为研究对象，根据随机数字表法分为观察组（n=46）和对照组（n=46），对照组在常规治疗基础上给予肠内营养治疗，观察组在对照组基础上给予双歧杆菌乳杆菌三联活菌片，观察两组患者治疗前后肠道菌群、炎性介质及血清miR-155变化，比较两组患者治疗后胃肠道功能恢复情况。结果 治疗后，观察组双歧杆菌、乳酸杆菌增加数量，肠球菌、大肠埃希菌减少数量，血清CRP、IL-6、IL-17、TNF-α、miR-155降低水平均显著高于对照组（P<0.05）；观察组患者胃肠生活质量量表（GIQLI）评分高于对照组，腹胀消失时间、腹痛消失时间、肠鸣音恢复时间、血清淀粉酶恢复正常时间均少于对照组（P<0.05）。结论 益生菌联合肠内营养治疗急性胰腺炎可调节肠道菌群平衡，降低血清miR-155水平，缓解炎性反应，促进肠道功能恢复。