ABSTRACT
Objective: To evaluate the differences of brain microbleeds among Alzheimer's disease (AD), amnesia mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and normal control (NC). Methods: Eighteen AD patients, 28 aMCI patients and 30 age-matched NC were recruited in the study. The location and number of microbleeds was recorded in the brain according to the susceptibility-weighted images. The bilateral frontal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe, temporal lobe, and thalamus were manually mapped on 3D-MR imaging. The number of cases with microbleeds and the number of microbleeds in each lobe were calculated and compared among three groups using the chi-square test and ANOVA. Results: Significant differences on case number with microbleeds were found between AD group and NC group in the frontal lobe (P=0.005), the temporal lobe (P=0.005) and whole brain (P=0.004), and between aMCI group and NC group in the frontal lobe (P=0.048). It also showed significant differences among three groups in the frontal lobe (P=0.006), the temporal lobe (P=0.006) and whole brain (P=0.016). For the microbleeds counts, significant differences were found between AD group and NC group in the frontal lobe (P=0.004) and the temporal lobe (P=0.049), and between AD group and NC group in the frontal lobe (P=0.044). It also had significant differences among three groups in the frontal lobe (P=0.016), the temporal lobe (P=0.038) and whole brain (P=0.048). Conclusion: The AD group has more significant microbleeds in frontal and parietal lobes in comparison to NC group. The quantization of cerebral microbleeds may be a potential biomarker for AD diagnosis.
ABSTRACT
The proliferation of cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) is a key pathological process in the cardiac remodeling. To establish an objective, quantitative method for the analysis of cell proliferation and cell cycle, we applied the high-content screening (HCS) and flow cytometry (FCM) techniques. CFs, isolated by enzyme digestion from newborn C57BL/6J mice, were serum starved for 12 h and then given 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) for 24 h. Followed by BrdU and DAPI (or 7-AAD) staining, CFs proliferation and cell cycle were analyzed by HCS and FCM, respectively. Discoidin domain receptor 2 (DDR2) staining indicated that the purity of isolated CFs was over 95%. (1) HCS analysis showed that the ratio of BrdU-positive cells was significantly increased in 10% FBS treated group compared with that in serum-free control group [(12.96 ± 0.67)% vs (2.77 ± 0.33)%; P < 0.05]. Cell cycle analysis showed that CFs in G0/G1 phase were diploid, and CFs in S phase were companied with proliferation, DNA replication and enlarged nuclei; CFs in G2 phase were tetraploid, and CFs in M phase produced two identical cells (2N). (2) FCM analysis showed that the ratio of BrdU-positive cells was increased in 10% FBS treated group compared with that in the control group [(11.10 ± 0.42)% vs (2.22 ± 0.31)%; P < 0.05]; DNA content histogram of cell cycle analysis indicated that the platform of S phase elevated in 10% FBS group compared with control group. (3) There were no differences between the two methods in the results of proliferation and cell cycle analysis. In conclusion, HCS and FCM methods are reliable, stable and consistent in assessment of the proliferation and cell cycle in CFs.