Brachytherapy: An emblematic example of extreme hypofractionated regimen

In order to provide more convenient irradiation regimens for patient comfort, radiation facility organization and health expenses, new hypofractionated protocols have been evaluated. Moderately (dose/fraction: 2.3 to 3 Gy), then ultra (dose/fraction: 5.2 to 6.1 Gy) hypofractionated irradiations were first validated. The current question is: is it possible to go forward using extreme hypofractionated regimens (EHR) based on 1 to 3 fractions. Different irradiation techniques are under investigation. However, brachytherapy remains the smartest way to deliver a high dose in a small volume. We report prospective and retrospective study results which evaluated EHR for breast and prostate brachytherapy. While oncological outcome and toxicity profile appear extremely encouraging for low-risk breast cancer after a 1 to 4 fractions (6.25 to 20 Gy/fraction), the use of a single fraction of 19 to 23 Gy appears debatable for prostate cancer. Brachytherapy represents an emblematic example of EHR but longer follow-up and more mature results are awaited in order to specify the right indications and refine the EQD2 calculation method including new biological and technical factors.     

The association between the decreased expression levels of FOXJ1 and the activation of NF-κB pathway in interstitial lung disease of MRL/Lpr mice

Background: Pulmonary manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are appearing in 4-5% of patients involving lung in almost half of the cases during the disease course. Objective: We compared the autoimmune pulmonary inflammation in the lung tissue of mice to determine the association between decreased expression levels of Forkhead Box J1 (FOXJ1) and the activation of the NF-κB pathway in autoimmune pulmonary inflammation of MRL/Lpr mice. Methods: The female BALB/c mice (n=6) and MRL/Lpr mice (n=30) were divided into 5 groups including a control group (BALB/c), and five MRL/Lpr mice groups (8W, 12W, 16W, 24W, and 32W). The infiltration of the inflammatory cells was determined in lung tissue by performing the histological analysis. The western blotting was used to examine the expression levels of the age-related FOXJ1, and p50 and p65 proteins in the lungs of MRL/Lpr mice. The expression levels of MMP2 and MMP9 were determined via immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. Results: There were severe infiltrates of lung cells with high levels of tracheal damage, perivascular injury and interstitial inflammatory cell infiltration when the MRL/Lpr mice from 16w to 32w comparing to the 8w old healthy MRL/Lpr mice in the control group (p <0.05). Moreover, the reduced expression levels of FOXJ1 were associated with the activation of the NF-κB pathway in interstitial lung disease of MRL/Lpr mice via the modulation of p50 and p65. In addition, the expression levels of MMP2 and MMP9 pro-inflammation factors increased in the lungs of the MRL/Lpr mice from 16w to 32w. Conclusions: The expression level of FOXJ1 might be an indicator of the degree of lung disease in lupus-prone mice.     

Understanding the Influence of Nanocarrier-Mediated Brain Delivery on Therapeutic Performance Through Pharmacokinetic-Pharmacodynamic Modeling

This study aimed at evaluating how encapsulation in a regular nanocarrier (NC) (providing extended circulation time) or in a brain-targeting NC (providing prolonged circulation time and increased brain uptake) may influence the therapeutic index compared with the unformulated drug and to explore the key parameters affecting therapeutic performance using a model-based approach. Pharmacokinetic (PK) models were built with chosen PK parameters. For a scenario where central effect depends on area under the unbound brain concentration curve and peripheral toxicity relates to peak unbound plasma concentration, dose-effect and drug-side effect curves were constructed, and the therapeutic index was evaluated. Regular NC improved the therapeutic index compared with the unformulated drug due to reduced peripheral toxicity, while brain-targeting NC enhanced the therapeutic index by lowering peripheral toxicity and increasing central effect. Decreasing drug release rate or systemic clearance of NC with drug still encapsulated could increase the therapeutic index. Also, a drug with shorter half-life would therapeutically benefit more from a NC encapsulation. This work provides insights into how a NC for brain delivery should be optimized to maximize the therapeutic performance and is helpful to predict if and to what extent a drug with certain PK properties would obtain therapeutic benefit from nanoencapsulation.     

Ets-1、MMP-1及TIMP-1在膀胱移行细胞癌中的表达

目的研究Ets-1、基质金属蛋白酶1(MMP-1)及基质金属蛋白酶1抑制物(TIMP-1)在膀胱移行细胞癌(BTCC)中的表达及意义。方法用免疫组化方法检测40例BTCC组织和12例正常膀胱黏膜组织中Ets-1、MMP-1及TIMP-1的表达;分析Ets-1与BTCC临床病理特征间的关系;研究BTCC中MMP-1、TIMP-1表达与Ets-1表达的相关性。结果①Ets-1在BTCC中高度表达,阳性率为82.5%(P<0.01),且随BTCC临床分期和病理分级的升高而增加,肿瘤复发组高于无复发组,肿瘤转移组高于无转移组(P<0.05)。②MMP-1阳性表达率膀胱癌组(85.0%)明显高于对照组(58.3%)(p<0.05);TIMP-1阳性表达率对照组(83.3%)明显高于膀胱癌组(47.5%)(P<0.05)。③MMP-1与Ets-1表达呈正相关(Rs为0.824,P<0.01),而TIMP-1与Ets-1表达呈负相关(Rs为-0.821,P<0.01)。结论①Ets-1在BTCC中高度表达,并随BTCC分期分级升高而增加;Ets-1与BTCC转移及复发密切相关。②BTCC中Ets-1上调MMP-1表达,而下调TIMP-1表达,从而参与BTCC侵袭与转移。     

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: A UNOS/OPTN Database Analysis

We previously reported poorer survival among non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanics with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) compared to non-Hispanic whites at our center. In the current study, we hypothesized that these disparities would exist in a nationwide cohort of wait-listed patients with IPF. We performed a retrospective cohort study of 2635 patients with IPF listed for lung transplantation between 1995 and 2003 at 94 transplant centers in the United States. The age-adjusted mortality rate was higher among non-Hispanic blacks [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.24, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06-1.45, p = 0.009] and Hispanics (HR = 1.29, 95% CI 1.06-1.56, p = 0.01) compared to non-Hispanic whites. These findings persisted after adjustment for transplantation, medical comorbidities and socioeconomic status. Worse lung function at the time of listing appeared to explain some of these differences (HR for non-Hispanic blacks after adjustment for forced vital capacity percent predicted = 1.16, 95% CI 0.98-1.36, p = 0.09; HR for Hispanics = 1.21, 95% CI 0.99-1.48, p = 0.056). In summary, black and Hispanic patients with IPF have worse survival than whites after listing for lung transplant.     

Mild gentamicin nephrotoxicity reduces the progression of chronic adriamycin nephrosis

SUMMARY: The effect of mild acute tubular injury on the progression of tubulointerstitial fibrosis was studied in pair-fed uninephrectomized male Wistar rats with established adriamycin nephrosis ( n = 34). Rats were stratified into three groups according to endogenous creatinine clearance (CrCl), proteinuria (Upr) and body weight (BW): (i) group 1 (Fe, n = 12) received a single intraperitoneal injection of ferric nitrilotriacetate (5 mg Fe/kg BW); (ii) group 2 (G, n = 10) three daily subcutaneous injections of gentamicin (60 mg/kg BW) and; (iii) group 3 (C, n = 12) saline injections. Serial CrCl (day 2, day 5, weeks 2, 4, 6 and 8) and renal histology (week 8) were examined following administration of nephrotoxin. CrCl was reduced on d2 (Fe: 0.78 ± 0.23 mL/min; mean ± SD) and day 5 (G: 0.91 ± 0.36 mL/min) as compared with C (1.22 ± 0.12 mL/min; P <0.05). There was no change in the serum creatinine and functional recovery occurred by d5 (Fe) and week 2 (G). Upr decreased transiently in G at week 2 (G: 482 ± 208 mg/day vs C: 716 ± 233; P = 0.05) despite similar food intake, baseline Upr and CrCl. At week 8, CrCl in Fe (0.84 ± 0.40 mL/min) was similar to C (0.84 ± 0.58 mL/min), whereas in G it remained stable (1.27 ± 0.39 mL/min; P <0.05). By morphometric analysis, mean relative interstitial volume (RIV) and glomerulosclerosis (GS) in Fe (RIV: 28.5 ± 13.4%; GS: 10.3 ± 12.3%) was no different to C (RIV: 24.5 ± 12.5%; GS: 20.9 ± 20.0%), whereas both parameters were reduced in G (RIV: 14.1 ± 8.1%; GS: 4.0 ± 4.8%; P <0.05). Mild gentamicin nephrotoxicity therefore reduced the progression of adriamycin nephrosis. the mechanism of this finding is unclear, but it may relate to altered glomerular and tubular cell handling of protein.     

关木通引起慢性间质性肾炎7例报告

目的　观察关木通所致慢性肾损伤的临床和病理改变特点。方法　本组 7例中 ,男 5例 ,女 2例。 3例服关木通汤药 ,4例服含关木通成药。分析服用时间、累积总量与肾损害首发症状及症状出现时间、肾功能和肾病理改变的关系。结果　汤药组 :服药时间平均 3 3 3个月 ,累积总量平均 82 9 3 g ,首发症状为乏力 3例 ,夜尿增多 2例 ,平均时间为 8 3个月 ,Cr平均 40 2 μmol/L。肾病理 :3例均为重度寡细胞性肾间质纤维化 ,肾小管广泛萎缩。成药组 :服药时间平均 7 5个月 ,累积总量平均 13 6g ,乏力 3例 ,夜尿增多 1例 ,恶心呕吐、头痛头晕 1例 ,平均18 8个月 ,Cr 3 62 8μmol/L。肾病理为重度寡细胞性间质纤维化和灶状纤维化各 2例 ,肾小管灶状萎缩 3例 ,广泛萎缩 1例。结论　汤药组关木通积累大 ,发病时间早 ,肾病理改变重。提示关木通所致肾损其临床表现、病理改变与服用关木通时间、剂量相关。