Protective effects of berberine against ß-amyloid-induced neurotoxicity in HT22 cells via the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway.

Neuronal apoptosis has been found to have a pivotal role in the course of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Berberine (BBR), a potent antioxidant, occurs in plants such as Berberis, Phellodendron chinense, and Hydrastis canadensis. In this study, a neuronal apoptotic model was established in vitro using HT22 cells induced by Aß25-35 to explore whether BBR contributes to protecting neurons against Aß25-35-induced neurotoxicity, as well as its potential mechanisms. BBR was applied to HT22 cells for 1 h prior to exposing the cells to Aß25-35 for 24 h. A CCK-8 assay was utilized to assess cell viability, and Annexin V - fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)/propidium iodide and Hoechst 33342 fluorescence staining were used to measure the rate of cell apoptosis. Existing scientific literature was also reviewed to further determine the effects of BBR on ROS production and mitochondrial function in HT22 cells. Furthermore, the expressions of proteins, including cytochrome C, cleaved caspase-3, p-p65, p65, and Nrf2/HO-1 antioxidant axis were assessed by Western blotting. The data indicated that BBR markedly improved cell viability, inhibited apoptosis and intracellular ROS levels, improved mitochondrial membrane potentials, decreased the rate of p-p65/p65, cytochrome C, and cleaved caspase-3, and intensified the activity of Nrf2/HO-1 antioxidants in HT22 cells. Overall, the findings indicated that BBR provides a certain level of neuroprotectiveness in HT22 cells exposed to Aß25-35 via relieving oxidative stress, as well as by restraining the mitochondrial pathway of cellular apoptosis. In addition, the restraint of NF-κB activity and sensitization of the Nrf2/HO-1 antioxidant axis, which together are intimately involved in the neuroprotection of BBR, may be possible mechanisms accounting for its effectiveness against Aß25-35in vitro.

Retraction notice to "The comparative study of clinical efficacy and safety of baclofen vs tolperisone in spasticity caused by spinal cord injury" [Saudi Pharm. J. 25 (2017) 655-659].

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1016/j.jsps.2017.04.041.].

Evaluation of HE4 in the Diagnosis and Follow Up of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancers.

BACKGROUND: The aim of our study was to evaluate the performance of HE4 in the diagnosis and follow up in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: Serum levels of HE4, CEA, and Cyfra 21-1 were analyzed in 146 patients suspected with NSCLC and 30 healthy subjects to evaluate their diagnostic performance. A one year follow up was performed in 61 patients confirmed with NSCLC after surgery eradication at the interval of 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months. RESULTS: Our results showed that the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) of HE4 was 0.761, which was similar with CEA. The sensitivity and specificity of HE4 was 0.82 and 0.62, respectively, at the level of 75.0 pmol/L. The AUC of HE4 was 0.70, 0.81, and 0.90 at 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after surgery, respectively, which was significantly higher than CEA and Cyfra 21-1. CONCLUSIONS: Our finding indicates that HE4 is a potential marker for the diagnosis and follow up of NSCLC patients, which is complementary with CEA and Cyfra 21-1 and accurate in predicting NSCLC recurrence in early stage.

The comparative study of clinical efficacy and safety of baclofen vs tolperisone in spasticity caused by spinal cord injury.

In the present study we compared the clinical efficacy and safety of baclofen vs tolperisone in spasticity caused by spinal cord injury. A total of 150 patients were enrolled in the present study and were divided into two groups with 75 patients in each group, receiving baclofen or tolperisone, respectively. We used Modified Ashworth Scale, Medical research council scale, Barthel Index, and Coefficient of efficacy to measure clinical efficacy. After 6-week treatment, both groups demonstrated significant improvement in muscle tone, muscle strength and functional outcome (Group I, 1.55 ± 0.053, 2.79 ± 0.032, 59.31 ± 1.32; Group II, 1.57 ± 0.053, 3.04 ± 0.032, 73 ± 1.32 respectively). There was no significant difference regarding improvement in muscle tone and muscle strength between the two groups (Group I, 1.055 ± 0.053 vs Group II, 1.57 ± 0.053; Group I, 2.79 ± 0.032 vs Group II, 3.04 ± 0.032, p > 0.05). However, the improvement in functional outcomes was greater in group II as compared to that in group I (Group I, 59.31 ± 1.32 vs Group II, 73 ± 1.32, p < 0.05). In addition, overall efficacy coefficient was greater for group II as compared to group I (Group I, 3.6 vs Group II, 2.3, p < 0.05). Group I had more side effects compared to Group II. Compared to baclofen, tolperisone offers greater improvement in activities of daily living compared to baclofen.

Tranexamic Acid Reduces Hidden Blood Loss in Patients Undergoing Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Comparative Study and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: To explore the efficacy of tranexamic acid (TXA) on reducing hidden blood loss (HBL) in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) by conducting a comparative study and meta-analysis. MATERIAL/METHODS: A total of 108 patients underwent TKA was equally distributed to experimental and control groups. The only difference between two groups was the administrations of 15 mg of TXA mixed in 100 mL normal saline for experimental group and 100 mL of normal saline for control group. The volumes of blood loss, red blood loss (RBL) were recorded, calculated and analyzed. Stata 12.0 software was applied for data analysis. RESULTS: The intraoperative and postoperative blood loss volume in experimental group were remarkably reduced compared with those in control group (intraoperative: 105.1±12.1 mL vs. 185.5±20.3 mL, P<0.001; postoperative: 220.7±16.8 mL vs. 290.5±22.4 mL, P<0.001). Accordingly, the control group had significantly higher transfusion rate than experimental group (3.7% vs.25.9%, P=0.001). Our results also found that both the measured and hidden RBL were obviously reduced in experimental group compared with control group (measured RBL: 96.9±11.8 mL vs. 135.2±13.5 mL, P<0.001; hidden RBL: 170.8±37.2 mL vs. 364.2±41.5 mL, P<0.001). Furthermore, meta-analysis confirmed that TXA can notably decrease HBL (SMD=2.68, 95%CI=1.55~3.80, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: TXA can significantly reduce the intraoperative and postoperative blood loss and HBL, therefore decreasing the transfusion need in TKA.

In vitro assessment of effects of hyperglycemia on the optical properties of blood during coagulation using optical coherence tomography.

No published reports have demonstrated the capability of the optical coherence tomography technique for quantifying the optical coherence tomography signal slope, 1/e light penetration depth, and attenuation coefficient of hyperglycemic blood by an in vitro assessment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of hyperglycemia on optical properties during in vitro blood coagulation by optical coherence tomography. Normal whole blood acted as the control group. After 1-h coagulation, the average optical coherence tomography signal slope decreased approximately 23.3 and 16.7%, and the 1/e light penetration depths increased approximately 21.5 and 19.2% for the control and hyperglycemic groups, respectively. It could be seen from the 1/e light penetration depth evolution curves that the blood coagulation time was about (425 ± 19) s for normal whole blood and (367 ± 15) s for the hyperglycemic blood. The coagulation time decreased 13.6% for the hyperglycemic blood compared with that for normal whole blood. There was statistically significant difference in blood coagulation time between the hyperglycemic and normal whole blood (p < 0.05). The results suggested that hyperglycemia has a procoagulant effect. Our experiment was the first reported study of monitoring hyperglycemic blood coagulation using OCT. We conclude that OCT is potential technique to quantify and follow the liquid-gel transition of hyperglycemic blood coagulation.

Intermittent water supply and self-rated health in rural China's karst region.

Introduction: With rapid economic and social development, surging demand for domestic water, and the increasing shortage of water resources, the applications of intermittent water supply systems have become more common in rural China and other developing countries. The accompanying hygiene risks require our more attention. Methods: Based on the Grossman model, this paper conducted an IV-Oprobit model to investigate whether and how intermittent water supply affect rural residents' self-rated health status. Our data came from "China Karst Rural Economic Survey (CKRS)", which covers 8 provinces and 641 villages in rural China's karst region. Results and discussion: We found that: (1) Intermittent water supply has adverse effects on the self-rated health status of rural residents. Compared with the rural residents under continuous water supply, the probability of "fair" health status under intermittent water supply significantly increases by 18.2%, while the probability of "excellent" significantly reduces by 58.8%. (2) Residents' water storage behavior and sanitary water habit are important mechanisms for intermittent water supply to affect residents' self-rated health status; (3) Intermittent water supply has a greater impact on the self-rated health of females and the groups with lower education levels. The results of our study have the following policy implications: relevant departments should make a rational plan about water supply methods and improve related supporting measures; we should strengthen health education for rural residents on water behavior to standardize their water storage and sanitary water behavior; government should enhance the pertinence of policy implementation and favor specific measures to specific populations.

Multi-omics analysis reveals PUS1 triggered malignancy and correlated with immune infiltrates in NSCLC.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the main pathological type of lung cancer. In this study, multi-omics analysis revealed a significant increase of pseudouridine synthase 1 (PUS1) in NSCLC and the high expression of PUS1 was associated with shorter OS (Overall Survival), PFS (Progression Free Survival), and PPS (Post Progression Survival) of NSCLC patients. Clinical subgroup analysis showed that PUS1 may be involved in the occurrence and development of NSCLC. Besides, TIMER, ESTIMATE, and IPS analysis suggested that PUS1 expression was associated with immune cell infiltration, and the expression of PUS1 was significantly negatively correlated with DC cell infiltration. GESA analysis also indicated PUS1 may involve in DNA_REPAIR, E2F_TARGETS, MYC_TARGETS_V2, G2M_CHECKPOINT and MYC_TARGETS_V1 pathways and triggered NSCLC malignancy through MCM5 or XPO1. Furthermore, PUS1 may be a potential target for NSCLC therapy.

LincRNA01703 Facilitates CD81+ Exosome Secretion to Inhibit Lung Adenocarcinoma Metastasis via the Rab27a/SYTL1/CD81 Complex.

Metastasis, a major cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, frequently occurs early in the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). However, the precise molecular mechanisms governing the aggressive metastatic behavior of LUAD remain incompletely understood. In this study, we present compelling evidence indicating that the long noncoding RNA linc01703 is significantly downregulated in metastatic lung cancer cells. Intriguingly, in vivo experiments revealed that Linc01703 exerted a profound inhibitory effect on lung cancer metastasis without discernible impact on the in vitro proliferation or invasion capacities of LUAD cells. Mechanistically, Linc01703 enhanced the interaction between Rab27a, SYTL1, and CD81, consequently promoting the secretion of CD81+ exosomes. These exosomes, in turn, suppressed the infiltration of immune cells within the tumor microenvironment, thereby impeding LUAD metastasis. Importantly, our analysis of lung cancer tissues revealed a correlation between reduced CD81 expression and an unfavorable patient prognosis. Collectively, our findings suggest that Linc01703 functions as a metastasis suppressor by facilitating the secretion of CD81+ exosomes through the formation of the Rab27a/SYTL1/CD81 complex.

Revealed consumers' preferences for fresh produce attributes in Chinese online markets: A case of domestic and imported apples.

BACKGROUND: The online market is getting popular today, and consumers' preferences about products are revealed differently in online and offline markets. Especially, fresh food purchasing online is very different from non-food products due to its unique features such as perishability, low cost and frequent purchases, low value-volume ratio, and highly relevance to safety and health. However, studies on online fresh food are rather few, and this study will fill the gap by investigating consumers' preferences for fresh food online purchasing. METHODS: Using unique data observed from online stores, we conduct a hedonic analysis of fresh produce online market using apple market in China, avoiding hypothetical bias. Propensity Score Matching is used to check the online promotion effects. The data are apples transactions from Jingdong JD e-commerce platform with sample size 8,200, observed across six weeks from 11/26/2018 to 12/31/2018. Variables used include prices, promotions, varieties, places of origin, fruit size, labeled as organic or green food, watercore label, and customer reviews for the products as well as for the venders. RESULTS: We found place of origin, food safety and eco-certificates, and sensory features all influence apple prices which reflect consumer preferences. In addition to product features, store features such as former customers' review for the store, a video post of the product, and other latent product features through former customers' review for the product quality also influence consumers' preference reflected by price. CONCLUSIONS: In additional to product intrinsic features, consumer show preferences and valuation for online market special features.

[In vivo reflectance spectroscopy study of different clearing agents on human skin optical clearing].

The changes of skin tissue reflectance spectroscopy before and after being treated with the optical clearing agents of three different types of optical clearing within the wavelength rang of 400-1 000 nm, and the degree of changes in reflectance spectroscopy of each group skin during 0-60 min at 580 nm in vivo were real-time dynamically researched. The reflectance spectroscopy of skin tissue before and after being dealt by the optical clearing agents of glycerol, glucose and propylene glycol was measured using a USB-4000 fiber spectrophotometer at 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 min. The results showed that the reflectance spectral intensity was distinctly decreased, but the reflectance was significantly increased gradually with the time prolonged. However, different optical clearing agents have different clearing progress. The relative decrease of reflectance of palm skin tissue before and after being dealt by the optical agents of 40% glycerol, 40% glucose and 40% propylene glycol during 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 min at the wavelength 580 nm is 5%, 7%, 9%, 10%, 11% and 12%, 9%, 13%, 16%, 19%, 21% and 22%, and 14%, 22%, 29%, 32%, 34% and 35%, respectively. The significant improvement in light transmittance and enhancement of light penetration through tissue was demonstrated for all solutions. The effect and processes of optical clearing of skin tissue is not only closely related to the choosing of the clearing agent type, but also related to the treatment time with the skin tissue. The clearing progress of different type optical clearing agent showed the order of 40% propylene glycol, 40% glucose and 40% glycerol.

[Serum proteomics profiling for diagnosis of myasthenia gravis].

OBJECTIVE: To identify the significant protein peaks and establish the diagnostic model of myasthenia gravis (MG) by serum proteomics profiling analysis. METHODS: The serum samples from 56 MG patients and 16 healthy controls were detected by the technology of surface-enhanced laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF MS). The differentially expressed protein peaks were identified to establish a MG diagnostic model. And preliminary validation was performed. RESULTS: Thirty-eight specific protein peaks with significant differences were found in the serum protein pattern of 56 MG patients and 16 healthy controls. Systemic optimization identified 2 protein peaks of M4168.94 and M1122.57. And they were used to build the MG diagnostic model of differentiating 56 cases from 16 controls. CONCLUSION: The serum protein profiling can be a novel, effective and sensitive tool to screen for MG-related protein peaks and establish a diagnostic model.

[Gastric cancer detection using kubelka-Munk spectral function of DNA and protein absorption bands].

Differential diagnosis for epithelial tissues of normal human gastric, undifferentiation gastric adenocarcinoma, gastric squamous cell carcinomas, and poorly differentiated gastric adenocarcinoma were studied using the Kubelka-Munk spectral function of the DNA and protein absorption bands at 260 and 280 nm in vitro. Diffuse reflectance spectra of tissue were measured using a spectrophotometer with an integrating sphere attachment. The results of measurement showed that for the spectral range from 250 to 650 nm, pathological changes of gastric epithelial tissues induced that there were significant differences in the averaged value of the Kubelka-Munk function f(r infinity) and logarithmic Kubelka-Munk function log[f(r infinity)] of the DNA absorption bands at 260 nm between epithelial tissues of normal human stomach and human undifferentiation gastric cancer, between epithelial tissues of normal human stomach and human gastric squamous cell carcinomas, and between epithelial tissues of normal human stomach and human poorly differentiated cancer. Their differences were 68.5% (p < 0.05), 146.5% (p < 0.05), 282.4% (p < 0.05), 32.4% (p < 0.05), 56.00 (p < 0.05) and 83.0% (p < 0.05) respectively. And pathological changes of gastric epithelial tissues induced that there were significant differences in the averaged value of the Kubelka-Munk function f(r infinity) and logarithmic Kubelka-Munk function log[f(r infinity)] of the protein absorption bands at 280 nm between epithelial tissues of normal human stomach and human undifferentiation gastric cancer, between epithelial tissues of normal human stomach and human gastric squamous cell carcinomas, and between epithelial tissues of normal human stomach and human poorly differentiated cancer. Their differences were 86.8% (p < 0.05), 262.9% (p < 0.05), 660.1% (p < 0.05) and 34% (p < 0.05), 72. 2% (p < 0.05), 113.5% (p < 0.05) respectively. And pathological changes of gastric epithelial tissues induced that there were significant differences in the averaged value of the Kubelka-Munk function f(r infinity) and logarithmic Kubelka-Munk function log[f(r infinity)] of the carotene absorption bands at 480 nm between epithelial tissues of normal human stomach and human undifferentiation gastric cancer, between epithelial tissues of normal human stomach and human gastric squamous cell carcinomas, and between epithelial tissues of normal human stomach and human poorly differentiated cancer. Their differences were 59.5% (p < 0.05), 73% (p < 0.05), 258.9% (p < 0.05), 118.7% (p < 0.05), 139.2% (p < 0.05), and 324. 6% (p < 0.05) respectively. It is obvious that pathological changes of gastric epithelial tissues induced that there were significant changes in the contents of the DNA, protein and beta-carotene of gastric epithelial tissues. The conclusion can be applied to rapid, low-cost and noninvasive the optical biopsy for gastric cancer and provides a useful reference.

[Colon adenoma detection using Kubelka-Munk spectral function of DNA and protein bands].

Differential diagnosis of human colon adenoma was studied using the Kubelka-Munk spectral function of the DNA and protein absorption bands at 260 and 280 nm in vitro. Diffuse reflectance spectra of tissue were measured using a spectrophotometer with an integrating sphere attachment. The results of measurement showed that for the spectral range from 590 to 1 064 nm pathological changes of colon epithelial tissues were induced so that there were significant differences in the averaged values of the Kubelka-Munk function f(r infinity) and logarithmic Kubelka-Munk function log [f(r infinity)] of the DNA absorption bands at 260 nm between normal and adenomatous colon epithelial tissues, and the differences were 218% (p < 0.05) and 68.5% (p < 0.05) respectively. Pathological changes of colon epithelial tissues were induced so that there were significant differences in the averaged values of the Kubelka-Munk function f(r infinity) and logarithmic Kubelka-Munk function log [f(r infinity)] of the protein absorption bands at 280 nm between normal and adenomatous colon epithelial tissues, and the differences were 208% (p < 0.05) and 59.0% (p < 0.05) respectively. Pathological changes of colon epithelial tissues were induced so that there were significant differences in the averaged values of the Kubelka-Munk function f(r infinity) and logarithmic Kubelka-Munk function log [f(r infinity)] of the beta-carotene absorption bands at 480 nm between normal and adenomatous colon epithelial tissues, and the differences were 41.7% (p < 0.05) and 32.9% (p < 0.05) respectively. Obviously, pathological changes of colon epithelial tissues were induced so that there were significant changes in the contents of the DNA, protein and beta-carotene of colon epithelial tissues. The conclusion can be applied to rapid, low-cost and noninvasive optical biopsy of colon adenoma, and provides a useful reference.

Thermal coagulation-induced changes of the optical properties of normal and adenomatous human colon tissues in vitro in the spectral range 400-1,100 nm.

The absorption coefficients, the reduced scattering coefficients and the optical penetration depths for native and coagulated human normal and adenomatous colon tissues in vitro were determined over the range of 400-1,100 nm using a spectrophotometer with an internal integrating sphere system, and the inverse adding-doubling method was applied to calculate the tissue optical properties from diffuse reflectance and total transmittance measurements. The experimental results showed that in the range of 400-1,100 nm there were larger absorption coefficients (P < 0.01) and smaller reduced scattering coefficients (P < 0.01) for adenomatous colon tissues than for normal colon tissues, and there were smaller optical penetration depths for adenomatous colon tissues than for normal colon tissues, especially in the near-infrared wavelength. Thermal coagulation induced significant increase of the absorption coefficients and reduced scattering coefficients for the normal and adenomatous colon tissues, and significantly reduced decrease of the optical penetration depths for the normal and adenomatous colon tissues. The smaller optical penetration depth for coagulated adenomatous colon tissues is a disadvantage for laser-induced thermotherapy (LITT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT). It is necessary to adjust the application parameters of lasers to achieve optimal therapy.

[Superficial bladder cancer detection using diffuse reflectance spectral ratio R540/R575 of oxygenated hemoglobin bands].

A low-cost, fast, and noninvasive method for early diagnosis of malignant lesions of mucosa tissue based on diffuse reflectance spectra was applied in the study of the optical biopsy of superficial human bladder cancer. In the present paper, differential diagnosis of superficial human bladder cancer was studied using the diffuse reflectance spectral ratio (R540/R575) of the oxygenated hemoglobin absorption bands at 540 and 575 nm in vitro. Diffuse reflectance spectra for mucosa/submucosa tissues of normal bladder and superficial bladder cancer were measured using a spectrophotometer with an integrating sphere attachment. The results of measurement showed that there were three the diffuse reflectance spectral dips at 415, 542 and 577 nm respectively for mucosa/submucosa tissues of normal bladder and superficial bladder cancer in the spectral range from 400 to 600 nm. The mean diffuse reflectance spectral ratio (R540/R575) of normal bladder mucosa/submucosa tissue decreased slowly with time increase after surgical excision, and the mean diffuse reflectance spectral ratio (R540/R575) of superficial bladder cancer mucosa/ submucosa tissue also decreased slowly with time increasing after surgical excision. The mean diffuse reflectance spectral ratios (R540/R575) of normal bladder mucosa/submucosa tissue were 111%, 107%, 104% and 102% after 2, 3, 4 and 5 h after surgical excision respectively, and those of superficial bladder cancer mucosa/submucosa tissue were 98.4%, 95.5%, 93.1% and 91.6% after 2, 3, 4 and 5 h after surgical excision respectively. There were significant differences in mean diffuse reflectance spectral ratio (R540/R575) for mucosa/submucosa tissues between normal bladder and superficial bladder cancer after 2, 3, 4 and 5 h after surgical excision respectively (p < 0.05). Differences in mean diffuse reflectance spectral ratio (R540/R575) for mucosa/ submucosa tissues between normal bladder and superficial bladder cancer were 12.6%, 11.5%, 10.9% and 10.4% after 2, 3, 4 and 5 h after surgical excision respectively. It is obvious that pathological changes in bladder mucosa/submucosa tissues induced changes in the component and structure of the tissues, and especially quantitative changes in oxyhemoglobin and de-oxyhemoglobin of tissues obviously. Conclusion of the study provides a new method that can be applied to rapid, low-cost and noninvasive optical biopsy of superficial bladder cancer.

[Thermal coagulation of human benign prostatic hyperplasia tissues induced changes in the absorption and scattering properties in spectral range from 590 to 1 064 nm in vitro].

The optical properties and their differences of native and coagulated human benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) tissues were studied in the spectral range from 590 to 1 064 nm in vitro. The measurements were performed using a spectrophotometer with an integrating sphere attachment, and the absorption and scattering properties were assessed from these measurements using the inverse adding-doubling method. The results of measurement showed that the thermal coagulation of BPH tissues induced obviously the decrease in the absorption coefficients in the spectral range from 590 to 1 064 nm. The peaks in the absorption coefficients for native and coagulated BPH tissues were respectively 0.438 and 0.416 mm(-1) corresponding to the same wavelength of 990 nm, the maximum difference in the absorption coefficients of native and coagulated BPH tissues is 86.79% at 1 064 nm, and the minimum difference is 4.74% at 920 nm. The thermal coagulation of BPH tissues induced an increase in the reduced scattering coefficients in the spectral range from 600 to 1 064 nm obviously, and induced a decrease in the reduced scattering coefficients at 590 nm obviously. The peaks in the reduced scattering coefficients for native and coagulated BPH tissues were respectively 1.090 and 1. 449 mm(-1) corresponding to the same wavelength of 970 nm, and other peaks in the reduced scattering coefficients for native and coagulated BPH tissues were respectively 1.116 and 1.627 mm(-1) corresponding to the same wavelength of 1 050 nm, the maximum difference in the reduced scattering coefficients of native and coagulated BPH tissues is 47.73% at 1 064 nm, and the minimum difference is 4.86% at 600 nm.

[Absorption and scattering characteristics of human benign prostatic hyperplasia tissue with Ti: sapphire laser irradiation in vitro].

The optical properties and their differences of human benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) tissues removed using transurethral plasma kinetic resection of the prostate (PKRP) and transurethral vaporization of the prostate (TUVP) at 640, 660, 680, 700, 720, 740, 760, 780, 800, 820, 840, 860 and 880 nm of Ti: Sapphire laser were studied in vitro. The measurements were performed using a double-integrating-sphere setup, and the absorption and scattering properties were assessed using the inverse adding-doubling method. The results of measurement showed that the absorption coefficients and reduced scattering coefficients of BPH tissues removed using PKRP and TURP obviously decreased with the increase in the wavelength for thirteen different laser wavelengths. The absorption coefficient and reduced scattering coefficient of BPH tissues removed using PKRP at a certain laser wavelength were obviously smaller than that of BPH tissues removed using TUVP at the same laser wavelength. The maximum absorption coefficient and maximum reduced scattering coefficient of BPH tissues removed using PKRP and TURP were respectively (0. 885 +/- 0. 022) and (0.955 +/- 0.024)mm(-1), and (1.564 +/- 0.039) and (1.658 +/- 0.042)mm(-1) at 640 nm, their differences were respectively 7.91% and 6.01%, and the minimum absorption coefficient and minimum reduced scattering coefficient of BPH tissues removed using PKRP and TURP were respectively (0.443 +/- 0.011) and (0.455 +/- 0.011) mm(-1), and (1.117 +/- 0.028) and (1.197 +/- 0.030)mm(-1) at 640 nm, their differences were respectively 2.71% and 9.13%. The maximum difference in the absorption coefficients of BPH tissues removed using PKRP and TURP is 8.95% at 660 nm, and the minimum difference is 1.75% at 860 nm. The maximum difference in the reduced scattering coefficients of BPH tissues removed using PKRP and TURP is 9.13% at 800 nm, and the minimum difference is 6.01% at 640 nm.

A method comparison in monitoring disease progression of G93A mouse model of ALS.

Our aim was to find an optimal method for monitoring disease progression and assessing the effectiveness of new agents in SOD1 mice. We compared six testing methods including clinical grading, weighing, hanging wire test, rotarod test, motor neuron counting and motor unit number estimation (MUNE) in SOD1 mice and control animals. The six methods were all able to differentiate between control animals and SOD1 transgenic mice at some time points; of them motor neuron counting, weighing and MUNE could detect abnormalities in presymptomatic stage in SOD1 mice; The number of functional motor units precisely correlated with motor neuron counts (r = 0.894, p<0.01). We concluded that MUNE is the better testing measure for monitoring disease and evaluating pharmacological therapies in SOD1 mice, which not only can reflect a meaningful biological effect of the agents used, but also is a sensitive, accurate and practical method.

[Canceration and thermal coagulation of human liver induced changes in the absorption and scattering properties of liver-tissue at near infrared in vitro].

Canceration and thermal coagulation of human liver induced changes in the absorption and scattering properties of liver tissue at 710, 730, 750, 77, 790, 810, 830, 850, 870 and 890 nm of Ti: sapphire laser were studied in vitro. The measurements were performed using a double-integrating-sphere setup, and the absorption and scattering properties were assessed from these measurements using the inverse adding-doubling method. The results of measurement showed that canceration of liver induced significant decrease in the absorption coefficients of liver tissue, and the maximum change in the absorption coefficients is 86.12% at 850 nm, while the minimum change in the absorption coefficients is 82.65% at 750 nm. Thermal coagulation of normal liver induced obvious change in the absorption coefficients from 710 to 890 nm, and the maximum change in the absorption coefficients is 79.55% at 710 nm, while the minimum change in the absorption coefficients 0.72% at 790 nm. Thermal coagulation of carcinoma liver tissue induced significant increase in the absorption coefficients, the maximum change in the absorption coefficients of carcinoma liver tissue is 78.69% at 810 nm, in the minimum change in the absorption coefficients of carcinoma liver tissue 38.16% at 710 nm. Canceration of liver induced significant increase in the scattering coefficients of liver tissue, and the maximum change in the scattering coefficients is 158.37% at 710 nm, while the minimum change in the scattering coefficients is 136.03% at 890 nm. Thermal coagulation of normal liver induced significant increase in the scattering coefficients of liver tissue, and the maximum change in the scattering coefficients is 632.92% at 890 nm, while the minimum change for the scattering coefficients is 587.40% at 710 nm. Thermal coagulation of carcinoma liver tissue induced significant increase in the scattering coefficients, and the maximum change in the scattering coefficients of carcinoma liver tissue is 384. 25% at 810 nm, while the minimum change in the scattering coefficients of carcinoma liver tissue is 330. 86% at 710 nm. The change in the absorption and scattering properties also varies with the change of laser wavelength.