Development of in vitro three-dimensional co-culture system for metabolic syndrome therapeutic agents.

AIMS: There are many obstacles to overcome in the development of new drugs for metabolic diseases, including efficacy and toxicity problems in later stages of drug development. To overcome these problems and predict efficacy and toxicity in early stages, we constructed a new model of insulin resistance in terms of communication between 3T3-L1 adipocytes and RAW264.7 macrophages by three-dimensional (3D) culture. RESULTS: In this study, results focused on the functional resemblance between 3D co-culture of adipocytes and macrophages and adipose tissue in diabetic mice. The 3D mono-culture preadipocytes showed good cell viability and induced cell differentiation to adipocytes, without cell confluence or cell-cell contact and interaction. The 3D co-cultured preadipocytes with RAW264.7 macrophages induced greater insulin resistance than two-dimensional and 3D mono-cultured adipocytes. Additionally, we demonstrated that 3D co-culture model had functional metabolic similarity to adipose tissue in diabetic mice. We utilized this 3D co-culture system to screen PPARγ antagonists that might have potential as therapeutic agents for diabetes as demonstrated by an in vivo assay. CONCLUSION: This in vitro 3D co-culture system could serve as a next-generation platform to accelerate the development of therapeutics for metabolic diseases.

X-Ray-based Kinematic Analysis of Cervical Spine According to Prosthesis Designs: Analysis of the Mobi C, Bryan, PCM, and Prestige LP.

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study. OBJECTIVE: To identify significant kinematic changes in the cervical spine after cervical artificial disk replacement (ADR) using prostheses with diverse designs. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Various types of artificial disks are used for cervical ADR. However, few clinical studies with a follow-up of 2 or more years have reported on the change in the curvatures and range of motion (ROM) of the cervical spine after cervical ADR in relation to different designs. METHODS: The cohort comprised 58 patients who underwent single-level cervical ADR for radiculopathy. The patients were divided into 4 groups according to the device they received: Mobi-C, Bryan, PCM, and Prestige LP. The radiographs of the cervical spine were obtained preoperatively and at 12, 24, and 36 months after surgery. Several kinematic parameters, including lordotic angles and ROM of the cervical spine, index level, and superior and inferior adjacent disk levels, were assessed preoperatively and at predefined follow-up time points. RESULTS: Cervical sagittal lordosis in patients who received Bryan and PCM prostheses increased at the last follow-up period. The 4 patient groups showed a trend toward an increase of lordosis in the superior adjacent segment with time. The patients who received the Bryan device lost their preoperative lordotic angle at the inferior adjacent level. The ROM of the cervical spine in patients who received Bryan and PCM prostheses increased at the last follow-up compared with preoperative values. The incidence of adjacent segment degeneration in the Mobi-C, Bryan, Prestige LP, and PCM groups were 14.2%, 25%, 9.0%, and 7.6%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest preservation of sagittal ROM and increased superior adjacent segment kinematics, regardless of prosthesis design. Devices with an unconstrained design may not be beneficial to adjacent segment kinematics compared with semiconstrained prostheses.

Intranodal Hemangioma in the Pelvic Cavity: A Case Report.

Hemangiomas are benign tumours that commonly develop in the skin, mucosal surfaces, and soft tissues. However, intranodal hemangiomas are extremely rare and are among the benign primary vascular abnormalities of the lymph nodes that include lymphangioma, hemangioendothelioma, angiomyomatous hamartoma and hemangiomas. The hemangioma in the pelvic lymph node has never been reported in the English literature. Herein, we described an extremely rare case of hemangioma in the pelvic lymph node, simulating a benign metastasizing leiomyoma.

Determination of optimal imaging settings for urolithiasis CT using filtered back projection (FBP), statistical iterative reconstruction (IR) and knowledge-based iterative model reconstruction (IMR): a physical human phantom study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare CT image quality for evaluating urolithiasis using filtered back projection (FBP), statistical iterative reconstruction (IR) and knowledge-based iterative model reconstruction (IMR) according to various scan parameters and radiation doses. METHODS: A 5 × 5 × 5 mm(3) uric acid stone was placed in a physical human phantom at the level of the pelvis. 3 tube voltages (120, 100 and 80 kV) and 4 current-time products (100, 70, 30 and 15 mAs) were implemented in 12 scans. Each scan was reconstructed with FBP, statistical IR (Levels 5-7) and knowledge-based IMR (soft-tissue Levels 1-3). The radiation dose, objective image quality and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) were evaluated, and subjective assessments were performed. RESULTS: The effective doses ranged from 0.095 to 2.621 mSv. Knowledge-based IMR showed better objective image noise and SNR than did FBP and statistical IR. The subjective image noise of FBP was worse than that of statistical IR and knowledge-based IMR. The subjective assessment scores deteriorated after a break point of 100 kV and 30 mAs. CONCLUSION: At the setting of 100 kV and 30 mAs, the radiation dose can be decreased by approximately 84% while keeping the subjective image assessment. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: Patients with urolithiasis can be evaluated with ultralow-dose non-enhanced CT using a knowledge-based IMR algorithm at a substantially reduced radiation dose with the imaging quality preserved, thereby minimizing the risks of radiation exposure while providing clinically relevant diagnostic benefits for patients.

Factors affecting ocular pulse amplitude in eyes with open angle glaucoma and glaucoma-suspect eyes.

PURPOSE: To investigate the associations between ocular pulse amplitude (OPA) as measured by dynamic contour tonometry (DCT) and ocular and systemic factors in patients with open angle glaucoma (OAG) and in glaucoma suspects. METHODS: One hundred and seventy-three glaucoma-suspect patients were consecutively enrolled. All subjects underwent intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement by DCT and Goldmann applanation tonometry (GAT), OPA measurement by DCT, Humphrey visual field (HVF) examination and central corneal thickness measurements. Arterial pulse amplitude (APA) and ocular perfusion pressure (OPP) were defined as the difference between systolic and diastolic BP and the difference between mean arterial pressure and IOP, respectively. All subjects also completed a systemized questionnaire on systemic vascular morbidities. RESULTS: Seventy-four eyes were diagnosed with OAG, based on HVF results. The overall mean CCT was 538.2±37.6 µm. In all 173 eyes, OPA was associated with spherical equivalent (SE, p<0.001) and with IOP by GAT (p=0.013) by multivariate analysis. Multivariate analysis of the 77 subgroup eyes of patients for whom BP parameters were available also revealed that OPA was associated with SE (p=0.007) and with IOP by GAT (p<0.001). When the subjects were classified into the groups with low, intermediate and high cardiovascular risk based on the questionnaire, there was no difference in OPA among these groups (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Ocular pulse amplitude was associated with IOP measured by GAT and SE in patients with OAG and in glaucoma suspects. There was neither significant correlation between systemic hemodynamic parameters and OPA, nor difference of OPA in patients with different cardiovascular risk. OPA is primarily a measure of pressure, and there are certain limitations towards its use as a hemodynamic index.