Diffusion Kurtosis Imaging Reflects Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP), Topo IIα, and O6-Methylguanine-DNA Methyltransferase (MGMT) Expression in Astrocytomas.

BACKGROUND Astrocytomas are the most common primary brain neoplasms. Biological indicators of astrocytomas can reflect its biological characteristics. The aim of this study was to assess the expression of the pathological glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) Topo IIα and O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) in astrocytomas using magnetic resonance (MR) diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) to evaluate the biological characteristics of astrocytomas. MATERIAL AND METHODS Sixty-six patients with pathologically proven astrocytomas were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent conventional MRI head scanning, DKI scanning, and enhanced scanning under the same conditions. Spearman's rank correlation analysis and Bonferroni correction were used to compare the values of DKI and the expression levels of GFAP, Topo IIα, and MGMT between the 2 groups. RESULTS Mean kurtosis (MK) values were negatively correlated with the expression of GFAP (r=-0.836; P=0.03). However, these were positively correlated with the expression of Topo IIα (r=0.896; P=0.01). Moreover, fractional anisotropy (FA) values were not correlated with the expression of GFAP (r=0.366; P=0.05), Topo IIα (r=-0.562; P=0.05), or MGMT (r=-0.153; P=0.10). CONCLUSIONS MK was significantly associated with the expression of GFAP and Topo IIα. To a certain extent, applying DKI may show the biological behavior of tumor cell differentiation, proliferation activity, invasion, and metastasis, and guide individual treatment.

LncRNA CamK-A Regulates Ca2+-Signaling-Mediated Tumor Microenvironment Remodeling.

Cancer cells entail metabolic adaptation and microenvironmental remodeling to survive and progress. Both calcium (Ca2+) flux and Ca2+-dependent signaling play a crucial role in this process, although the underlying mechanism has yet to be elucidated. Through RNA screening, we identified one long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) named CamK-A (lncRNA for calcium-dependent kinase activation) in tumorigenesis. CamK-A is highly expressed in multiple human cancers and involved in cancer microenvironment remodeling via activation of Ca2+-triggered signaling. Mechanistically, CamK-A activates Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase PNCK, which in turn phosphorylates IκBα and triggers calcium-dependent nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) activation. This regulation results in the tumor microenvironment remodeling, including macrophage recruitment, angiogenesis, and tumor progression. Notably, our human-patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model studies demonstrate that targeting CamK-A robustly impaired cancer development. Clinically, CamK-A expression coordinates with the activation of CaMK-NF-κB axis, and its high expression indicates poor patient survival rate, suggesting its role as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target.

Brainstem Congestion Due to Dural Arteriovenous Fistula at the Craniocervical Junction: Case Report and Review of the Literature.

BACKGROUND: Dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVFs) at the craniocervical junction are rare. Clinical manifestations range from acute or chronic myelopathy to subarachnoid hemorrhage to brainstem dysfunction. We encountered 4 cases of DAVFs at the craniocervical junction with progressive brainstem dysfunction and investigated the typical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features using T2-weighting imaging, susceptibility-weighted imaging, diffusion-weighted imaging, and contrast-enhanced imaging. Literature review revealed 10 case reports of DAVFs at the craniocervical junction manifesting with brainstem dysfunction. CASE DESCRIPTION: Four patients presented with DAVFs at the craniocervical junction with progressive brainstem dysfunction. Two patients underwent midline suboccipital craniotomy and C1 laminectomy, and 1 patient underwent transarterial endovascular embolization with Onyx 18 under general anesthesia. All neurologic deficits gradually improved after the operation. In the fourth case, the patient received conservative treatment and did not undergo any surgical procedure. MRI showed high signal intensity on T2-weighted imaging, magnetic resonance angiography, and magnetic resonance venography. Abnormal dilated vessels and flow-void signs around the lesions were detected on susceptibility-weighted imaging and contrast-enhanced images. Two cases revealed no abnormalities and had improved neurological deficits than those showed on diffusion-weighted imaging. CONCLUSIONS: Susceptibility-weighted imaging, diffusion-weighted imaging, or contrast-enhanced scanning should be used during MRI examination of patients with progressive brainstem dysfunction to differentiate DAVFs at the craniocervical junction from other diseases, such as glioma or infection. Prompt diagnosis using MRI is of great significance in producing good functional outcomes of the patients.

Humanin rescues cultured rat cortical neurons from NMDA-induced toxicity through the alleviation of mitochondrial dysfunction.

N-methyl-D-aspartate (NDMA) receptor-mediated excitotoxicity has been implicated in a variety of pathological situations such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease. However, no effective treatments for the same have been developed so far. Humanin (HN) is a 24-amino acid peptide originally cloned from the brain of patients with AD and it prevents stress-induced cell death in many cells/tissues. In our previous study, HN was found to effectively rescue rat cortical neurons. It is still not clear whether HN protects the neurons through the attenuation of mitochondrial dysfunction. In this study, excitatory toxicity was induced by NMDA, which binds the NMDA receptor in primarily cultured rat cortical neurons. We found that NMDA (100 µmol/L) dramatically induced the decrease of cell viability and caused mitochondrial dysfunction. Pretreatment of the neurons with HN (1 µmol/L) led to significant increases of mitochondrial succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity and membrane potential. In addition, HN pretreatment significantly reduced the excessive production of both reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO). Thus, HN could attenuate the excitotoxicity caused by the overactivation of the NMDA receptor through the alleviation of mitochondrial dysfunction.

RNA interference-mediated gene silencing of cyclophilin A enhances the radiosensitivity of PAa human lung adenocarcinoma cells in vitro.

Radiotherapy is currently the major therapeutic strategy for patients with lung cancer. However, radioresistance and various side effects continue to present challenging issues for this form of treatment. A recent study demonstrated that cyclophilin A (CyPA) was overexpressed in non-small cell lung cancer and, therefore, presents a novel potential therapeutic target. In addition, gene-radiotherapy is a novel method for cancer treatment. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to investigate the potential effect of CyPA silencing on radiosensitivity in human lung adenocarcinoma in vitro. The stable CyPA-silencing lung adenocarcinoma (PAa) cell line was generated using lentivirus-mediated small hairpin RNAs. The knockdown of CyPA was determined using fluorescent microscopy and western blot analysis. Cells were irradiated using various doses of cobalt-60 (0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 Gy). The radiosensitizing effects were determined by a clonogenic survival assay. Apoptosis and cell cycle distribution were evaluated using flow cytometry. Silencing of CyPA significantly increased the apoptosis of PAa cells. In addition, the radiosensitivity of cells was markedly enhanced following CyPA silencing. Furthermore, silencing of CyPA, in combination with irradiation, induced G2/M phase cell cycle arrest. Taken together, the data suggest that the silencing of CyPA, combined with radiation therapy, may increase the therapeutic efficacy of lung cancer treatment through regulation of the cell cycle and apoptosis-associated signaling pathways.

Comparison of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography with virtual touch tissue quantification in the evaluation of focal liver lesions.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of virtual touch tissue quantification (VTQ) and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS), separately and in combination, in diagnosing malignant focal liver lesions (FLLs). METHODS: Forty-six patients with 55 FLLs (28 benign and 27 malignant) underwent both VTQ and CEUS. The diagnostic values of VTQ and CEUS, alone and in combination, were compared. RESULTS: The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of CEUS were 92.6% (25/27), 96.4% (27/28), 94.5% (52/55), 96.2% (25/26), and 93.1% (27/29), respectively. The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, PPV, and NPV of VTQ with a cutoff of 2.22 m/s were 51.9% (14/27), 85.7% (24/28), 69.1% (38/55), 77.8% (14/18), and 64.9% (24/37), respectively. The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, PPV, and NPV of VTQ and CEUS combined were 96.3% (26/27), 82.1% (23/28), 89.1% (49/55), 83.9% (26/31), and 95.8% (23/24), respectively. Comparing the accuracies of the three methods, the diagnostic values of CEUS and of the combination of CEUS with VTQ were significantly higher than those of VTQ alone (p ≤ 0.01). There was no significant difference between the combination of CEUS with VTQ and CEUS (p = 0.49). CONCLUSIONS: CEUS is superior to VTQ in diagnosing malignant FLLs. Adding VTQ to CEUS did not improve the diagnosis of FLLs. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 44:347-353, 2016.

A novel stent coated with antibodies to endoglin inhibits neointimal formation of porcine coronary arteries.

Endoglin/CD105 is an accessory protein of the transforming growth factor-ß receptor system that plays a critical role in proliferation of endothelial cells and neovasculature. Here, we aimed to assess the effect of novel stents coated with antibodies to endoglin (ENDs) on coronary neointima formation. Thirty ENDs, thirty sirolimus-eluting stents (SESs), and thirty bare metal stents (BMSs) were randomly assigned and placed in the coronary arteries in 30 juvenile pigs. Histomorphometric analysis and scanning electron microscopy were performed after stent implantation. Our results showed that after 7 days, there was no difference in the neointimal area and percent area stenosis in ENDs compared with SMSs or BMSs. After 14 days, the neointima area and percent area stenosis in ENDs were markedly decreased than those in BMSs or SESs (P < 0.05). Moreover, the percentage of reendothelialization was significantly higher in ENDs than that in SESs or BMSs (P < 0.01) at 7 and 14 days. The artery injury and the inflammation scores were similar in all groups at 7 and 14 days. In conclusion, our results demonstrated for the first time to our knowledge that endoglin antibody-coated stents can markedly reduce restenosis by enhancing reendothelialization in the porcine model and potentially offer a new approach to prevent restenosis.

Humanin rescues cultured rat cortical neurons from NMDA-induced toxicity not by NMDA receptor.

Excitatory neurotoxicity has been implicated in many pathological situations and there is no effective treatment available. Humanin is a 24-aa peptide cloned from the brain of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). In the present study, excitatory toxicity was induced by N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) in primarily cultured rat cortical neurons. MTT assessment, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, and calcein staining were employed to evaluate the protective activity of humanin on NMDA induced toxicity. The results suggested that NMDA (100 µmol/L, 2.5 hr) triggered neuronal morphological changes, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release (166% of the control), reduction of cell viability (about 50% of the control), and the decrease of living cell density (about 50% of the control). When pretreated with humanin, the toxicity was suppressed. The living cells' density of humanin treated group was similar to that of control. The cell viability was attenuated dose-dependently (IC50 = 0.132 nmol/L). The LDH release was also neutralized in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, the intracellular Ca(2+) overloading triggered by NMDA reverted quickly and humanin could not inhibit it. These findings indicate that humanin can rescue cortical neurons from NMDA-induced toxicity in rat but not through interfering with NMDA receptor directly.

Peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor: dynamic CT, MRI and clinicopathological characteristics--analysis of 36 cases and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: The peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor (pPNET) is a rare malignant tumor originating from neuroectoderm. The accurate diagnosis is essential for the treatment of pPNET. METHODS: we performed the largest cases of retrospective analysis thus far to review the unique computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and clinicopathological features of pPNET. The tumor location, morphological features, signal intensity, contrast enhancement characteristics, and involvement of local soft tissues of 36 pPNETs were assessed. RESULTS: Our results showed that there were more men (25/36) than women pPNETs patients. Unenhanced MRI (16 cases) showed that 14 cases were isointense and 2 cases were hypointense on T1WI. Nine cases were isointense and 7 were hyperintense on T2WI. Most pPNETs had heterogeneous signal intensity with small necrosis (CT: 31/36; MRI: 14/16) as well as heterogeneous enhancement (CT: 34/30; MRI: 15/16). The tumors usually had ill-defined borders and irregular shapes (CT: 30/36; MRI: 15/16). Pathologic exam showed small areas of necrosis in all tumors. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnosis of pPNET should be suggested in young men when the imaging depicts a single large ill-defined solid mass with small area of necrosis, especially for those whose images show iso-intense on T1WI and T2WI and have heterogeneous enhancement.

[Hemodynamic study of hepatocellular carcinoma nodules by multi-slice spiral computed tomographic perfusion].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the 64-slice computed tomographic (CT) perfusion parameters of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) nodule so as to assess the diagnostic value of hemodynamic changes of HCC nodule by this perfusion technique. METHODS: Forty volunteers without liver disease (control subjects) and 37 HCC patients (experimental group) were selected. After informed consents, all of them underwent plain, perfusion and contrast CT examinations. Perfusion CT scan was performed at 120 kV, 60 mA and a thickness of up to 40 mm. The injection rate of contrast medium was 4 - 5 ml/sec at a dose of 1.0 ml/kg body weight. And 50 seconds of continuous scanning time was set at 5 seconds post-injection. The indices were 1 second per 360° revolution, 5 mm slice thickness image reconstruction and a matrix size of 512×512 pixels. Perfusion parameters associated with changes in hepatic blood flow included blood flow (HBF), hepatic blood volume (HBV), hepatic arterial perfusion index (HAI), hepatic artery perfusion (HAP) and portal venous perfusion (HPP). Perfusion parameters were measured thrice at each time point for each different region of interest (ROI): hepatic parenchyma surrounding HCC nodule, HCC nodule and normal liver parenchyma(control group). RESULTS: For HCC nodule, the increased levels of HBF, HAP and HAI were significantly differentiated from normal liver parenchyma of control group (P < 0.01). Increased HBV and decreased HPP had no difference from control group (P > 0.05). Higher levels of HAP, HPP and HAI in HCC nodules were differentiated from hepatic parenchyma surrounding HCC nodules (P < 0.05). HBV decreased and HBF increased in HCC nodule. But it had no differences from hepatic parenchyma surrounding HCC nodule (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Perfusion CT may visualize the status of liver blood flow caused by HCC nodule so as to serve as a new tool of studying the hemodynamic changes of HCC nodules.

Assessment of myocardial bridge and mural coronary artery using ECG-gated 256-slice CT angiography: a retrospective study.

Recent clinical reports have indicated that myocardial bridge and mural coronary artery complex (MB-MCA) might cause major adverse cardiac events. 256-slice CT angiography (256-slice CTA) is a newly developed CT system with faster scanning and lower radiation dose compared with other CT systems. The objective of this study is to evaluate the morphological features of MB-MCA and determine its changes from diastole to systole phase using 256-slice CTA. The imaging data of 2462 patients were collected retrospectively. Two independent radiologists reviewed the collected images and the diagnosis of MB-MCA was confirmed when consistency was obtained. The length, diameter, and thickness of MB-MCA in diastole and systole phases were recorded, and changes of MB-MCA were calculated. Our results showed that among the 2462 patients examined, 336 have one or multiple MB-MCA (13.6%). Out of 389 MB-MCA segments, 235 sites were located in LAD2 (60.41%). The average diameter change of MCA in LAD2 from systole phase to diastole phase was 1.1 ± 0.4 mm, and 34.9% of MCA have more than 50% diameter stenosis in systole phase. This study suggested that 256-slice CTA multiple-phase reconstruction technique is a reliable method to determine the changes of MB-MCA from diastole to systole phase.

Early changes of hepatic hemodynamics measured by functional CT perfusion in a rabbit model of liver tumor.

BACKGROUND: Early detection and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma is crucial to improving the patients' survival. The hemodynamic changes caused by tumors can be serially measured using CT perfusion. In this study, we used a CT perfusion technique to demonstrate the changes of hepatic hemodynamics in early tumor growth, as a proof-of-concept study for human early hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODS: VX2 tumors were implanted in the liver of ten New Zealand rabbits. CT perfusion scans were made 1 week (early) and 2 weeks (late) after tumor implantation. Ten normal rabbits served as controls. CT perfusion parameters were obtained at the tumor rim, normal tissue surrounding the tumor, and control liver; the parameters were hepatic blood flow, hepatic blood volume, mean transit time, permeability of capillary vessel surface, hepatic arterial index, hepatic arterial perfusion and hepatic portal perfusion. Microvessel density and vascular endothelial growth factor were correlated. RESULTS: At the tumor rim, compared to the controls, hepatic blood flow, hepatic blood volume, permeability of capillary vessel surface, hepatic arterial index, and hepatic arterial perfusion increased, while mean transit time and hepatic portal perfusion decreased on both early and late scans (P<0.05). Hepatic arterial index increased (135%, P<0.05), combined with a sharp increase in hepatic arterial perfusion (182%, P<0.05) and a marked decrease in hepatic portal perfusion (-76%, P<0.05) at 2 weeks rather than at 1 week (P<0.05). Microvessel density and vascular endothelial growth factor showed significant linear correlations with hepatic blood flow, permeability of capillary vessel surface and hepatic arterial index, but not with hepatic blood volume or mean transit time. CONCLUSION: The CT perfusion technique demonstrated early changes of hepatic hemodynamics in this tumor model as proof-of-concept for early hepatocellular carcinoma detection in humans.

[Morphological and quantitative evaluation of myocardial bridge and mural coronary artery with 256-slice CT angiography: initial clinical experience].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the morphological characteristics of myocardial bridge and mural coronary artery (MB-MCA) and initially quantify the changes of MB-MCA in diastole and systole phase with multiple-phase reconstruction technique using 256-slice CT angiography (256-slice CTA). METHODS: We retrospectively collected the coronary artery imaging data of 861 patients undergoing 256-slice CTA with suspected or documented coronary artery disease. The images were reviewed by two independent radiologists, the diagnosis of MB-MCA was confirmed when consistency was obtained. The length, diameter and thickness of MB-MCA in the middle segment of LAD (LAD2) in diastole and systole phase were recorded, and changes of MB-MCA were calculated. RESULTS: Among the 861 patients, 150 MB-MCA were found in 131 patients (15.2%). 99 MB-MCA (66.0%) were located in LAD2, the remaining 51 (34.0%) in the other segments of coronary arteries. The average length and thickness of MB was (17.6 ± 5.7) mm and (2.6 ± 0.7) mm, respectively. The average diameter change of MCA in LAD2 from systole phase to diastole phase was (1.2 ± 0.5) mm, and 41% of MCA have diameter stenosis more than 50% in systole phase. CONCLUSION: The changes of MB-MCA from diastole to systole phase could be determined to some extent by 256-slice CTA multiple-phase reconstruction technique.

[Relationship between proliferation and apoptosis of parathyroid cell in rabbits with primary hyperparathyroidism].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of proliferation and apoptosis of parathyroid cell in rabbits with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). METHODS: A total of 80 adult Chinese rabbits were randomly divided into two groups (n = 40 each). The control group was fed with a normal diet (Ca: P, 1:0.7) while the experimental group a high phosphate diet (Ca: P,1:7) for 3-, 4-, 5-, or 6-month intervals to establish the animal model of PHPT. The parathyroid was totally removed for pathological examination after all rabbits were sacrificed. The thyroparathyroid complex was removed en bloc, fixed in neutral formalin and prepared for histological examination. The number of parathyroid cell in PHPT was calculated. Proliferation was determined by immunohistochemistry of proliferation cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) while apoptosis assessed by in situ dUTP biotin nick-end labeling (TUNEL). RESULTS: The number of parathyroid cell was 1.61 times in PHPT than that in the normal control (673 +/- 151, 418 +/- 25, t = - 12.112, P < 0.01). Apoptotic index (AI) increased significantly more in PHPT than that in normal control (200.2 per thousand +/- 125.6 per thousand, 11.0 per thousand +/- 3.0 per thousand, t = -10.193, P < 0.01). The rate of PCNA positive-cell increased significantly more in PHPT than that in control (50.5 per thousand +/- 11.6 per thousand, 26.7 per thousand +/- 2.8 per thousand, t = -13.120, P < 0.05). So did Bcl-2 (460 per thousand +/- 190 per thousand, 67 per thousand +/- 4 per thousand, t = -14. 120, P < 0.05). There was a positive correlation between AI and PCNA (r = 0.861, P < 0.05). It was the same as between AI and Bcl-2 (r = 0.871, P < 0.05). The value of bone mineral density decreased significantly more in PHPT than that in normal control (152 +/- 34, 189 +/- 12, t = 9.236, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: PHPT may be mainly induced by an excessive proliferation of parathyroid cells and an acceleration of apoptotic process.

[The value of MRI and MR DWI in diffuse lesion of the cerebral hemisphere].

OBJECTIVE: To study the MRI and DWI appearance of diffuse lesion in the bilateral cerebral hemisphere. METHODS: 19 patients with diffuse lesion in the cerebral hemisphere were concluded in the study, 9 were male and 10 were female. The age range is from 16 to 70 years old and mean age is 45 years old. All of the patients performed MR scan on Philips 1.5 T MRI system. The parameters of SE-EPI DWI sequence, TR/TE 6225/118.7 ms, ETL 128, FLIP 90°, thickness 5 mm, matrix 128 × 128, b = 1000 mm(2)/s. RESULTS: 3 cases of CJD which showed bilateral diffuse high signal intensity in the cerebral hemisphere on DWI, 4 cases of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) adhesive toxication, 2 cases of viral encephalitis, 3 cases of liver failure-related brain edema, 1 cases of delayed encephalopathy of CO toxication, all of the lesions showed high signal intensity both on DWI and ADC sequences. On the following MRI, most of the high signal recovered and the high signal disappeared. 4 cases of asphyxia with coma, 2 cases of H(2)S toxication, The lesion of them showed high signal intensity on DWI and low signal on ADC. CONCLUSION: DWI can sensitively show the lesion with limited diffusion. The patients with high signal intensity on both DWI and ADC indicating T(2) effect.

[Characteristics of papillary structure of thyroidal lesions on multiple-slice spiral computed tomography for the diagnosis of thyroidal diseases].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the characteristics of papillary structure of thyroidal lesions on MSCT (multiple-slice spiral computed tomography) for the diagnosis of thyroidal diseases. METHODS: Thirty-five cases of thyroidal diseases pathologically confirmed with plain and contrast MSCT data from March 2003 to April 2010 were retrospectively analyzed. The number, margin, shape, enhancement behavior, location, calcification and the delineation of papillary structure were compared by the stata 10.1 software. RESULTS: There were statistically significant differences between thyroidal carcinoma, thyroidal adenoma and nodular goiter in margin, shape and location of papillary structure (P < 0.05). Papillary structure of thyroidal carcinoma was most commonly located in central part with an indistinct margin. Psammoma, such as microcalcification, was characteristic of thyroidal cancer. Coarse and peripheral calcification was commonly observed in nodular goiter. No statistical difference existed in the number and internal septa of papillary structure among thyroidal carcinoma, thyroidal adenoma and nodular goiter (P > 0.05). It could offer a more distinct visualization of papillary structure during the venous phase. CONCLUSION: The features of papillary structure on MSCT of various thyroidal lesions may help make the differential diagnosis of thyroidal lesions.

[FMRI study of linguistic cortex in healthy Chinese individuals].

OBJECTIVE: To study the linguistic-functional cortex and identify the effect of age and sex on normal language processing by ER-fMRI and to observe whether a left or right predominance for linguistic-functional cortex exits or not. METHODS: A total of 50 healthy Chinese volunteers with right-hand dominance were divided into 4 groups according to gender and age: Group A, young male (< or =50 yr); Group B, young female ( < OR =50 yr); Group C, old male ( >50 yr); Group D, old female ( >50 yr). Each group finished 2 tasks of reading Chinese words loudly and silently. RESULTS: There were no statistical differences of activated voxel and intensity changes in linguistically functional cortex between healthy male and female individuals of different decades. The activated areas include bilateral frontal lobe, temporal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe and bilateral cerebellar hemisphere. And there were no statistical difference of activated voxel and intensity changes in bilateral activated areas. Although the activated areas were not quite the same between two tasks and more activation elicited by overt-reading, but there was no statistical difference of activated voxel and intensity changes in the same activated areas. CONCLUSION: There is no age and gender difference in linguistic-function regions of healthy individual whose native language is Chinese. It is bilateral-equilibrium and no linguistic hemisphere's predominance exits. This characteristic is different from the left-hemisphere dominance of western languages. Although there is no statistical difference of activated voxel and intensity change between overt-reading and covert-reading, the activated areas of covert-reading are so unreliable that the way of covert-reading to study the linguistic-function regions of human brain is improper to some extent.

[The study of an animal model in rabbits with the early primary hyperparathyroidism].

OBJECTIVE: to study the biochemistry of blood and feature of pathology of an animal model in rabbits with the early primary hyperparathyroidism(PHPT). METHODS: 60 rabbits were divided into six groups of 10 each and fed a control diet (Ca:P, 1:0.7) or a high-phosphate diet (Ca:P, 1:7) for 1-, 2- or 3-month intervals. Compared with the control animals, serum PTH levels, serum calcium levels and serum phosphorus levels were determined. The parathyroid and kidneys of all animals were performed by the histologic examination. RESULTS: compared with the control animals, serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels were elevated at 1-, 2-, 3-month intervals in experimental group (t = -7.665, t = -16.033, t = 12.877 respective, P < 0.05), whereas serum calcium levels were decreased at all three time intervals (t = 6.184, t = 9.329, t = 13.842, respective, P < 0.05), but serum phosphorus levels did not change (t = 0.611, t = 1.041, t = 1.941, respective, P > 0.05). Parathyroid histopathologic studies demonstrated no change at 1 month whereas six of ten experimental animals showed mild hyperplasia at 2 months and nine of ten showed mild to moderate hyperplasia with gland enlargement at 3 months compared with control animals. Histopathologic examination of the kidneys showed no change at 1 month but focal parenchymal inflammation with calcium deposition at 2- and 3-month in the experimental groups. CONCLUSION: the high-phosphate diet successfully induced an animal model in rabbits with the early primary hyperparathyroidism, which has a better stability and reproducibility.