CXCL1/IGHG1 signaling enhances crosstalk between tumor cells and tumor-associated macrophages to promote MC-LR-induced colorectal cancer progression.

Microcystin-leucine arginine (MC-LR) is a common cyantotoxin produced by hazardous cyanobacterial blooms, and eutrophication is increasing the contamination level of MC-LR in drinking water supplies and aquatic foods. MC-LR has been linked to colorectal cancer (CRC) progression associated with tumor microenvironment, however, the underlying mechanism is not clearly understood. In present study, by using GEO, KEGG, GESA and ImmPort database, MC-LR related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and pathway- and gene set-enrichment analysis were performed. Of the three identified DEGs (CXCL1, GUCA2A and GDF15), CXCL1 was shown a positive association with tumor infiltration, and was validated to have a dominantly higher upregulation in MC-LR-treated tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) rather than in MC-LR-treated CRC cells. Both CRC cell/macrophage co-culture and xenograft mouse models indicated that MC-LR stimulated TAMs to secrete CXCL1 resulting in promoted proliferation, migration, and invasion capability of CRC cells. Furtherly, IP-MS assay found that interaction between TAMs-derived CXCL1 and CRC cell-derived IGHG1 may enhance CRC cell proliferation and migration after MC-LR treatment, and this effect can be attenuated by silencing IGHG1 in CRC cell. In addition, molecular docking analysis, co-immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence further proved the interactions between CXCL1 and IGHG1. In conclusion, CXCL1 secreted by TAMs can trigger IGHG1 expression in CRC cells, which provides a new clue in elucidating the mechanism of MC-LR-mediated CRC progression.

Core network traffic prediction based on vertical federated learning and split learning.

Wireless traffic prediction is vital for intelligent cellular network operations, such as load-aware resource management and predictive control. Traditional centralized training addresses this but poses issues like excessive data transmission, disregarding delays, and user privacy. Traditional federated learning methods can meet the requirement of jointly training models while protecting the privacy of all parties' data. However, challenges arise when the local data features among participating parties exhibit inconsistency, making the training process difficult to sustain. Our study introduces an innovative framework for wireless traffic prediction based on split learning (SL) and vertical federated learning. Multiple edge clients collaboratively train high-quality prediction models by utilizing diverse traffic data while maintaining the confidentiality of raw data locally. Each participant individually trains dimension-specific prediction models with their respective data, and the outcomes are aggregated through collaboration. A partially global model is formed and shared among clients to address statistical heterogeneity in distributed machine learning. Extensive experiments on real-world datasets demonstrate our method's superiority over current approaches, showcasing its potential for network traffic prediction and accurate forecasting.

Magnetic Resonance Diffusion Tensor Imaging Characterize the Hepatic Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in an Animal Study.

BACKGROUND: Hepatic ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is the main cause of morbidity and mortality after hepatectomy; thus, new methods for reducing I/R injury are required. The aim of this study is to evaluate changes in the average apparent diffusion coefficient (ADCavg) and fractional anisotropy (FA) in rabbits with partial hepatic I/R injury with magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). METHODS: The left lobe of the rabbit liver underwent 60 minutes of ischemia followed by 0.5, 2, 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours of reperfusion. T2-weighted images (T2WI), T1-weighted images (T1WI), DTI, and contrast-enhanced T1WI were performed; 6 b values were used for DTI on 6 diffusion directions. The serum levels of transaminases and liver histopathology findings were examined. RESULTS: In the early stage of I/R (0.5 hour), ADCavg decreased significantly and increased sharply to 2 hours, then increased from 6 hours to 48 hours of reperfusion, except for a transient decrease (24 hours). Meanwhile, FA showed almost the opposite trend, drastically increasing during the first 0.5 hour and then slightly decreasing until 48 hours of reperfusion, except for an obvious decrease in the 2-hours group. The serum levels of liver markers and the pathologic scores were sharply increased in the I/R group after reperfusion and correlated with DTI of hepatic tissue after I/R. CONCLUSIONS: Diffusion tensor imaging is feasible for imaging I/R-induced liver damage and can discriminate isotropic properties of the liver after I/R injury with objective changes in the ADCavg and FA. Diffusion tensor imaging can be a promising novel approach for use in clinical management after liver surgery.

Mono-(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate (MEHP)-Induced Telomere Structure and Function Disorder Mediates Cell Cycle Dysregulation and Apoptosis via c-Myc and Its Upstream Transcription Factors in a Mouse Spermatogonia-Derived (GC-1) Cell Line.

As a typical environmental endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC), di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is thought to be related to reproductive disorders, especially in males. Growing evidence suggests that various EDCs may result in an impaired telomere structure and function, which is associated with male infertility. However, the adverse effect of DEHP on telomeres in male reproductive cells has rarely been studied, and the related mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we tested the effects of mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), the primary metabolite of DEHP, on telomere dysfunction in mouse spermatogonia-derived cells (GC-1) and the potential role of TERT and c-Myc in MEHP-induced spermatogenic cell damage. Results showed that MEHP induced cell viability inhibition, G0/G1 phase cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis in GC-1 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Shortened telomeres, reduced telomerase activity, and decreased expression of TERT, c-Myc, and upstream transcription factors of c-Myc were also observed in the MEHP-treated cells. In conclusion, it can be concluded that TERT-mediated telomere dysfunction may contribute to MEHP-induced G0/G1 phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in GC-1 cells through the impairment of c-Myc and its upstream transcription factors.

Early diagnosis of retinal neurovascular injury in diabetic patients without retinopathy by quantitative analysis of OCT and OCTA.

AIMS: To quantitatively analyze and compare the differences in retinal neurovascular units (NVUs) between healthy individuals and patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) techniques and to determine the value of this technique for the early diagnosis of retinal neurovascular damage in patients with diabetes mellitus without retinopathy (NDR). METHODS: This observational case‒control study was conducted from July 1, 2022, to November 30, 2022, at the outpatient ophthalmology clinic of the Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. All subjects underwent baseline data entry and mean thickness of the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL), the thickness of each retinal layer in the macula 3 × 3 mm, and vascular density (VD) examination. RESULTS: The study included 35 healthy individuals and 48 patients with DM. The retinal VD as well as partial pRNFL, macular nerve fiber layer (NFL), and macular ganglion cell layer (GCL) thickness in DM patients exhibited significantly lower VD in the DM group than in the control group (p < 0.05). Age and disease duration of DM patients showed a negative trend with pRNFL thickness, macular NFL thickness, macular GCL thickness, and VD. However, a positive trend was observed between DM duration and partial inner nuclear layer (INL) thickness. Moreover, there was a positive correlation between macular NFL and GCL thickness and VD for the most part, while a negative correlation was shown between INL temporal thickness and DVC-VD. pRNFL-TI and GCL-superior thickness were screened as two variables in the analysis of the predictors of retinal damage in DM according to the presence or absence of DM. The AUCs were 0.765 and 0.673, respectively. By combining the two indicators for diagnosis, the model predicted prognosis with an AUC of 0.831. In the analysis of retinal damage indicators associated with the duration of DM, after regression logistic analysis according to the duration of DM within 5 years and more than 5 years, the model incorporated two indicators, DVC-VD and pRNFL-N thickness, and the AUCs were 0.764 and 0.852, respectively. Combining the two indicators for diagnosis, the AUC reached 0.925. CONCLUSIONS: Retinal NVU may have been compromised in patients with DM without retinopathy. Basic clinical information and rapid noninvasive OCT and OCTA techniques are useful for the quantitative assessment of retinal NVU prognosis in patients with DM without retinopathy.

An optimized method for intratracheal instillation in mice.

Non-invasive intratracheal instillation is an important method for direct exposure of the respiratory tract which is commonly used in toxicology, environmental science, and other research fields. However, there is no standard operating process for non-invasive intratracheal instillation. To keep the reliability and accuracy of intratracheal instillation is vital, especially, for animal models of sub-chronic or chronic exposure which may need repeated operations performed on many animals. In this study, we improved the intratracheal instillation operation and verified the accuracy and reliability of this method. Adult female BALB/c mice were treated with ink solution, normal saline and PM2.5 suspension by the described intratracheal instillation method. After a short recovery, the mice were killed. The distribution of ink in the lungs and gastrointestinal tract of the mice was observed anatomically, and the dispersion of PM2.5 in the lungs and the status of lung injury were observed by pathological staining after 24 h. Scattered ink blots were observed in the lungs of the mice with instillation inks, but not in their gastrointestinal tract. Pathological staining of mouse lung showed that PM2.5 was distributed at the end of bronchiole and alveolar cavity, and caused diffuse acute lung injury in the mice. This study shows that the non-invasive intratracheal instillation method has good accuracy and reliability, which can reduce the use of mice, do less harm to the mice, and then improve 3R animal welfare. This method can be applied to establish a mouse model of short-term or long-term exposure through the respiratory tract.

Bioinformatics analysis of the clinical significance of HLA class II in breast cancer.

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II plays critical roles in antigen presentation and the initiation of immune responses. However, the correlation between the HLA class II gene expression level and the survival of patients with breast cancer is still under investigation. We analyzed microarray and RNA-Seq data of breast cancer from the cancer genome atlas (TCGA), genotype-tissue expression (GTEx) and Oncomine databases by using bioinformatics tools. The expression of the HLA-DQA1, HLA-DQA2, and HLA-DQB2 genes was significantly upregulated in breast cancer. Higher expression levels of HLA class II genes in breast cancer, especially HLA-DOB and HLA-DQB2, were significantly associated with better overall survival. Furthermore, the expression of HLA class II genes was more closely associated with survival in breast cancer than in other cancer types. CD48 coexpressed with both HLA-DOB and HLA-DQB2 was also positively associated with the overall survival of breast cancer patients. The results indicated that HLA class II and CD48 may enhance antitumor immunity, and their expression patterns may serve as potential prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in breast cancer.

The effect of MWA protocols upon morphology and IVIM parameters of hepatic ablation zones-a preliminary in vivo animal study with an MRI-compatible microwave ablation device.

PURPOSE We aimed to explore the effect of microwave ablation (MWA) protocols upon morphology and instant changes in intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) parameters on MWA zones in porcine livers. METHODS According to the empirical protocol for MWA in tumors less than 3 cm in our hospital, the power and application duration were assigned as five groups: A, 60 W × 5 min (n = 6); B, 80 W × 3 min (n = 7); C, 80 W × 5 min (n = 10); D, 100 W × 3 min (n = 10); E, 100 W × 5 min (n = 9). Spearman correlation between MWA protocols, morphological metrics, and instant post-ablation IVIM parameters was performed. RESULTS There was fair positive correlation between energy delivery and short axis (RSpearman = 0.426, P= .005) of the white zone. There was moderate-to-good positive correlation between wattage and short axis (RSpearman = 0.584, P < .001) of the white zone. For post-ablation IVIM parameters in the white zone, only wattage had moderate-to-good positive correlation with D value (RSpearman= 0.574, P < .001) or ADC value (RSpearman = 0.550, P < .001). No correlation between energy delivery, wattage, duration, and f value was observed (RSpearman = 0.185, P = .24; RSpearman= - 0.001, P = .99; RSpearman = 0.203, P = .20, respectively). CONCLUSION The increase in the short axis of the white zone is more likely to be affected by wattage than energy delivery. The instant post-ablation IVIM is feasible in monitoring the MWA zones since the f value in the white zones is not sensitive to changes in MWA protocols, which is promising in evaluating the instant effect of MWA.

Nerve Growth Factor Promotes Retinal Neurovascular Unit Repair: A Review.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the imbalance of neurogenic factor (NGF) and its precursor (pro-NGF) mediates structural and functional impairment of retinal neurovascular unit (RNVU) that plays a role in retinal degenerative diseases.Methods: A literature search of electronic databases was performed.Results: The pro-apoptotic effect of pro-NGF and the pro-growth effect of NGF are essential for the pathological and physiological activities of RNVU. Studies show that NGF-based treatment of retinal degenerative diseases, including glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, and diabetic retinopathy, has achieved remarkable efficacy.Conclusions: RNVU plays a complex and multifaceted role in retinal degenerative diseases. The exploration of the differential signaling expression of proNGF-NGF homeostasis under physiological and pathological conditions, and the corresponding pathological processes induced by its regulation, has prompted us to focus on earlier retinal neuroprotective therapeutic strategies to prevent retinal degenerative diseases.

Gender differences in outpatients with dementia from a large psychiatric hospital in China.

BACKGROUND: The sociodemographic characteristics and clinical features of dementia patients in psychiatric hospitals have not been thoroughly studied in China. This study aimed to explore the psychiatric outpatient attendance of dementia patients at a psychiatric hospital in China, with particular emphasis on gender differences. METHODS: This retrospective study examined outpatients with dementia from January 2013 to August 2019 using data in the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership Common Data Model (OMOP-CDM) in Beijing Anding Hospital. Age, sex, number of visits, use of drugs and comorbid conditions were extracted from medical records. RESULTS: Nine thousand four patients were recruited from a specific outpatient clinic of a hospital in Beijing, and the mean number of visits was 6.92. There were 3,433 (38.13%) male patients and 5,571 (61.87%) female patients. The most common comorbidities were generalized anxiety disorder, nonorganic insomnia, delusional disorder and depressive disorder. The proportion of patients using antidementia was the highest, with the rate of 68.3%, followed by benzodiazepines (48.83%), antipsychotics (45.43%), antidepressants (22.24%) and nonbenzodiazepines (19.96%). Patients with dementia showed a significant gender difference in average age (t = 6.36, P < 0.0001). Compared to male patients, female patients had a higher number of visits (7.40 ± 12.90 vs 6.15 ± 10.50, t = 4.81, P < 0.0001). There were significant differences in comorbidity composition between male and female patients (t = 23.09, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Our present findings suggested significant gender differences in the proportion of age, number of visits and comorbidity composition in outpatients with dementia.

Comparing Screening Abilities of the 33-Item Hypomania Checklist (HCL-33) and the 33-Item Hypomania Checklist External Assessment (HCL-33-EA) for the Detection of Bipolar Disorder.

Background: Bipolar disorder (BD) is a severe psychiatric disorder that is often misdiagnosed and under-diagnosed in clinical settings. The 33-item Hypomania Checklist (HCL-33) is a newly developed self-administered scale for BD detection, while the 33-item Hypomania Checklist-external assessment (HCL-33-EA) is a version of the HCL-33 for external rating used by patient's carer (e.g., family member or friend). We aimed to compare the screening abilities between the HCL-33 and the HCL-33-EA, and evaluate the screening consistency between the two scales. Methods: The data were collected from 269 patients with diagnosed BD (n = 84) or major depressive disorder (MDD) (n = 185). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and area under the curve (AUC) between the HCL-33 and the HCL-33-EA for BD were compared against clinician diagnosis as the gold standard. Results: Using Youden's index, the optimal cut-off value of the HCL-33 is 20, while the corresponding figure for HCL-33-EA is 11. Using Youden's index, the HCL-33-EA showed a better performance than the HCL-33 (0.51 vs.0.41). The HCL-33-EA was more sensitive in correctly identifying BD patients from MDD patients than the HCL-33 (0.83 vs. 0.59), while the HCL-33 presented better specificity than the HCL-33-EA (0.82 vs. 0.68). There was significant screening consistency between the two scales (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Both scales have acceptable psychometric properties in detection BD from MDD. Use of the two scales should be considered based on the assessment purpose in clinical research or daily practice (i.e., prefer sensitivity or specificity). Noticeably, the current sample size is insufficient and future studies are recommended to further evaluate the scales.

Mingjing granule, a traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss and blindness among the older people aged 50 and over. Although anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapies have resulted in improving patient outcomes, there are limitations associated with these treatments. In China, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used to treat eye diseases for more than 2000 years. Previous studies have shown that TCM may be beneficial for nAMD patients. However, explicit evidence has not been obtained. The purpose of the present trial is to examine the efficacy and safety of the Mingjing granule, a compound Chinese herbal medicine, for nAMD patients. METHODS/DESIGN: This is a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial of Mingjing granule as an add-on to intravitreous ranibizumab for nAMD. One hundred eighty nAMD patients from six hospitals in China will be enrolled according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria and randomly allocated into two groups, 90 in each. All participants will receive a 24-week treatment and then be followed up for another 24 weeks. The primary outcome is the mean change of best-corrected visual acuity at week 24 and 48 as compared to the baseline. The secondary outcomes include mean change in central retinal thickness, area of retinal hemorrhage and exudation, and TCM syndrome score, mean number of intravitreal ranibizumab injection, and total cost of the treatment. Indexes of safety include blood regular test, urine regular test, liver function test, renal function test, and electrocardiogram from baseline to weeks 24 and 48. Qualitative control and some standard operating processes will be formed throughout the trial. Any ocular or systemic adverse events will be treated suitably, and related data will be recorded accurately and completely in the case report form. DISCUSSION: Based on previous empirical and animal laboratory studies, this study will address the question of whether Mingjing granule could contribute to improving efficacy, safety, and efficiency with need for fewer intravitreal injections of anti-VEGF, improving compliance and visual outcomes in the management of persons with nAMD. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ( http://www.chictr.org.cn ), ChiCTR2000035990 . Registered on 21 August 2020.

Theoretical studies on the bond strength and electron density characteristics in multiple hydrogen bonded arrays.

Multipoint hydrogen bonded motifs with intermolecular N-H⋯N hydrogen bonds have been theoretically studied at the PBE0-D3/ma-def2-TZVP level. The properties of electron density at the bond critical points of hydrogen bonds have been analyzed through "atoms in molecule" (AIM) theory and "electron localization function" (ELF) method. The results imply that the secondary electrostatic interactions have a significant effect to the strength of multipoint hydrogen bonds. Good relationships are found between ρ, ELF parameters and CVB indices. Moreover, they also show good relationships with hydrogen bond distances. These parameters may be treated as universal indicators of the hydrogen bond strength. The investigations would be useful in understanding comprehensively the multipoint hydrogen bonded motifs and helpful in designing the supramolecular systems through multipoint hydrogen bonds.

Characterization of the complete chloroplast genome of a common Chinese medicinal herb, Eriocaulon buergerianum (Eriocaulaceae: Eriocaulon).

Eriocaulon buergerianum is a common Chinese medicinal herb and belongs to the family Eriocaulaceae genus Eriocaulon the annual herbs. In this study, the complete chloroplast genome of E. buergerianum was assembled and reported. The complete chloroplast genome of E. buergerianum is 157,016 bp in length as the circular, which harbours a large single-copy region (LSC) of 81,534 bp, a small single-copy region (SSC) of 17,114 bp, and two inverted-repeat regions (IRs) of 26,393 bp each one. The overall nucleotide content of the chloroplast genome: A of 31.8%, T of 32.4%, C of 18.2% G of 17.6%, and 35.8% GC content. The chloroplast genome of E. buergerianum contains 133 genes, which includes 88 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 37 transfer RNA (tRNAs), and 8 ribosome RNA (rRNAs). The evolutionary analysis used neighbour-joining (NJ) method and the result showed that E. buergerianum was closely related to Eriocaulon sexangulare in the family Eriocaulaceae. This study will be helpful for genome data and genomic resources of the family Eriocaulaceae for further.

1,25-dihydroxyvitamin-D3 promotes neutrophil apoptosis in periodontitis with type 2 diabetes mellitus patients via the p38/MAPK pathway.

BACKGROUND: Abnormal neutrophils are involved in many chronic endocrine diseases, including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and in periodontitis (PD), which is a chronic inflammatory disease in which neutrophils play a vital role. The p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway participates in the apoptosis of many inflammatory cells. Additionally, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin-D3 (1,25VitD3) as a regulator can induce responses to infection and tumor cell apoptosis. However, the effect of 1,25VitD3 in the pathogenic relationship between T2DM and PD remains unclear. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of 1,25VitD3 on neutrophil apoptosis in patients with T2DM and PD and the p38-MAPK-relevant signaling pathway mechanism in this process in vitro. METHODS: Neutrophils were stained with Wright's stain, and apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry and Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)/propidium iodide (PI) staining. Apoptosis- and p38-related mRNAs and proteins were examined by real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), Western blotting and ELISA. The internal relationships were analyzed using a linear regression equation and Pearson's correlation coefficient. RESULTS: The highest rate of neutrophil apoptosis occurred in cultures treated with 10 mol/L 1,25VitD3 in the T2DM-PD group. The apoptosis rate in the T2DM-PD-p38 inhibitor group was higher than that in the healthy control group. Western blot, ELISA and qRT-PCR results showed that the mRNA and protein expression profiles of Caspase-3 and Bax were highly up-regulated and that Bcl-2 was down-regulated in the T2DM-PD-p38 inhibitor group. The expression levels of apoptotic mRNAs and proteins in the T2DM and T2DM-PD groups were significantly higher than those in the T2DM-p38 and T2DM-PD-p38 inhibitor groups. 1,25VitD3-induced neutrophil apoptosis and phosphorylated p38 (p-p38) expression were partially inhibited by the p38 inhibitor. Expression levels of apoptosis-related genes and p-p38 in neutrophils were positively associated with increasing concentrations of 1,25VitD3. p-p38 protein expression was positively associated with the level of serum 1,25VitD3. CONCLUSION: 1,25VitD3 could promote peripheral blood neutrophil apoptosis in patients with T2DM and PD through activation of the p38-MAPK signaling pathway in vitro.

Can intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted imaging characterize the cellular injury and microcirculation alteration in hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury? An animal study.

PURPOSE: To investigate whether intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted imaging (IVIM-DWI) can be used to quantitatively analyze the cellular injury and microcirculation alterations in hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (HIRI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-two New Zealand white rabbits were randomly and equally assigned to the sham group, 1-hour, 4-hour, and 12-hour groups according to the reperfusion time after 1 hour of ischemia using a 70% liver ischemia-reperfusion injury model. All the animals underwent IVIM-DWI with 12 b values at 1.5T. The imaging parameters (IVIM parameters and apparent diffusion coefficient [ADC]) among different groups were compared. The correlations between imaging parameters and histological scores, and the ratio of serum aspartate aminotransferase to serum alanine aminotransferase (serum AST/ALT) were analyzed. RESULTS: During the first hour of HIRI, true diffusion coefficient (D) and ADC significantly decreased (P < 0.05), while there was no significant decrease in perfusion fraction (f) (P = 0.708). There was fair to good correlation between histological scores and f (rs = -0.493 with the sham cases excluded, and -0.682 with all cases, both P < 0.05) and ADC (rs = -0.479 with the sham cases excluded, and -0.766 with all cases, both P < 0.05). There was no correlation between imaging parameters and serum AST/ALT with the sham cases excluded (P = 0.673 for f, 0.568 for D, 0.403 for ADC), and good correlation between D, ADC, and serum AST/ALT (r = 0.747 and 0.748, both P < 0.001) with all cases. CONCLUSION: IVIM-DWI can quantitatively characterize an animal model of HIRI, with D and ADC sensitive in early detection of cellular injury, as well as fair to good correlation between f, ADC, and microcirculation alteration. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2016;43:1327-1336.

Perfusion computed tomography evaluation of partial hepatic ischemia reperfusion in a rabbit model.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: An animal model of partial hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury (I/R) has benefits for decision making and clinical management after liver transplantation or massive hepatic resection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the change in perfusion parameters after partial hepatic I/R in rabbits using multislice computed tomography perfusion imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty rabbits underwent 60 minutes of left hepatic lobar ischemia followed by 0.5, 2, 6, 12, and 24 hours of reperfusion (six rabbits were used for each reperfusion interval). An additional six rabbits served as sham-operated controls. The perfusion indices of hepatic arterial perfusion, hepatic portal perfusion, total liver perfusion, and hepatic perfusion index were measured. Levels of serum aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase and liver histopathology at different time points were also examined. RESULTS: Hepatic microvascular flow patterns showed heterogeneity in the 6-hour, 12-hour, and 24-hour groups. Computed tomographic perfusion parameters were significantly different between infarcted liver tissue and viable liver tissue. In poorly enhancing tissues in the 6-hour, 12-hour, and 24-hour groups, hepatic portal perfusion and total liver perfusion were lower compared to the sham group, but hepatic arterial perfusion of poorly enhancing tissues significantly increased in the 6-hour group and then decreased slightly from 12 to 24 hours after reperfusion. The hepatic perfusion index was always higher compared to that of the sham group. Hepatic arterial perfusion, hepatic portal perfusion, total liver perfusion, and hepatic perfusion index in the noninfarcted areas decreased slowly from 6 to 24 hours after reperfusion. The levels of alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase in the I/R groups significantly increased after reperfusion and were correlated with the computed tomographic perfusion indices of infarcted liver tissue. CONCLUSIONS: Computed tomographic perfusion can dynamically monitor the pathologic processes of liver I/R and reveal the underlying microvascular disorder, improving clinical management after liver surgery.

[Optimization of the scan delay time of 64-slice spiral CT portal venography].

OBJECTIVE: To optimize scan delay time of multi-slice spiral CT portal venography (MSCTP) using test bolus injection. METHODS: Sixty individuals with no hepatic diseases were randomly divided into 4 groups (A, B, C and D). The time-density curves (TDC) of the portal vein (PV) were acquired by test bolus (15 ml, 5 ml/s) at the level of liver hilus. In the 4 groups, the MSCTP were delayed for 4, 6, 8 and 10 s according to the peak time of TDC, respectively. The maximum CT value of the portal vein and liver parenchyma were recorded. The maximum intensity projection (MIP) and volume rendering (VR) were employed for three-dimensional reconstruction and the image quality of the 4 groups was estimated. RESULTS: The average peak time of healthy individuals ranged between 24 and 32 s (95% confidence interval) by means of the test bolus (15 ml). Group C (delay time of 8 s) had a much better image quality of the portal vain than the other groups, and the small branches of the portal vein (6th and 7th orders) were clearly visualized; the major portal vein branches (1st to 4th orders) were also enhanced with sharp edges. Although the hepatic vein was also observed in the portal venous phase in group D, the details of the portal vein on the hepatic edge were distinct and well defined. CONCLUSION: At the injection rate of 5 ml/s, the optimum scan time delayed is 8 to 10 s in normal individuals according to the peak time of the test bolus.