An evaluation of the safety and feasibility of convection-enhanced delivery of carboplatin into the white matter as a potential treatment for high-grade glioma.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and most aggressive form of intrinsic brain tumour. Despite standard treatment involving surgical resection, chemotherapy and radiotherapy this disease remains incurable with the majority of tumours recurring adjacent to the resection cavity. Consequently there is a clear need to improve local tumour control. Convection-enhanced delivery (CED) is a practical technique for administering chemotherapeutics directly into peritumoural brain. In this study, we have tested the hypothesis that carboplatin would be an appropriate chemotherapeutic agent to administer by CED into peritumoural brain to treat GBM. Within this study we have evaluated the relationships between carboplatin concentration, duration of exposure and tumour cell kill in vitro using GBM cell lines and the relationship between carboplatin concentration and clinical and histological evidence of toxicity in vivo. In addition, we have used laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) to evaluate the distribution properties of carboplatin following CED into rat brain and to determine the rate at which carboplatin is cleared from the brain. Finally, we have compared the distribution properties of carboplatin and the MRI contrast agent gadolinium-DTPA in pig brain. The results of these experiments confirm that carboplatin can be widely distributed by CED and that it remains in the brain for at least 24 h after infusion completion. Furthermore, carboplatin provokes a significant GBM cell kill at concentrations that are not toxic to normal brain. Finally, we provide evidence that gadolinium-DTPA coinfusion is a viable technique for visualising carboplatin distribution using T1-weighted MR imaging.

Alternating Horner's syndrome in multiple sclerosis.

Horner's syndrome is well documented in multiple sclerosis (MS). However, alternating Horner's syndrome in MS had not been described before. Here, we report a possible first case of alternating Horner's syndrome in MS.

Manganese enhancement in non-CNS organs.

Manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI) is a novel imaging technique capable of monitoring calcium influx, in vivo. Manganese (Mn2+) ions, similar to calcium ions (Ca2+), are taken up by activated cells where their paramagnetic properties afford signal enhancement in T(1)-weighted MRI methodologies. In this study we have assessed Mn2+ distribution in mice using magnetization-prepared rapid gradient echo (MP-RAGE) based MRI, by measuring changes in T(1)-effective relaxation times (T(1)-eff), effective R(1)-relaxation rates (R(1)-eff) and signal intensity (SI) profiles over time. The manganese concentration in the tissue was also determined using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Our results show a strong positive correlation between infused dose of MnCl2 and the tissue manganese concentration. Furthermore, we demonstrate a linear relationship between R(1)-eff and tissue manganese concentration and tissue-specific Mn2+ distribution in murine tissues following dose-dependent Mn2+ administration. This data provides an optimized MnCl2 dose regimen for an MP-RAGE based sequence protocol for specific target organs and presents a potential 3D MRI technique for in vivo imaging of Ca2+ entry during Ca2+-dependent processes in a wide range of tissues.

Interactions of the melanocortin-4 receptor with the peptide agonist NDP-MSH.

Melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) has an important regulatory role in energy homeostasis and food intake. Peptide agonists of the MC4R are characterized by the conserved sequence His(6)-Phe(7)-Arg(8)-Trp(9), which is crucial for their interaction with the receptor. This investigation utilized the covalent attachment approach to identify receptor residues in close proximity to the bound ligand [Nle(4),D-Phe(7)]melanocyte-stimulating hormone (NDP-MSH), thereby differentiating between residues directly involved in ligand binding and those mutations that compromise ligand binding by inducing conformational changes in the receptor. Also, recent X-ray structures of G-protein-coupled receptors were utilized to refine a model of human MC4R in the active state (R(*)), which was used to generate a better understanding of the binding mode of the ligand NDP-MSH at the atomic level. The mutation of residues in the human MC4R--such as Leu106 of extracellular loop 1, and Asp122, Ile125, and Asp126 of transmembrane (TM) helix 3, His264 (TM6), and Met292 (TM7)--to Cys residues produced definitive indications of proximity to the side chains of residues in the core region of the peptide ligand. Of particular interest was the contact between D-Phe(7) on the ligand and Ile125 of TM3 on the MC4R. Additionally, Met292 (TM7) equivalent to Lys(7.45) (Ballesteros numbering scheme) involved in covalently attaching retinal in rhodopsin is shown to be in close proximity to Trp(9). For the first time, the interactions between the terminal regions of NDP-MSH and the receptor are described. The amino-terminus appears to be adjacent to a series of hydrophilic residues with novel interactions at Cys196 (TM5) and Asp189 (extracellular loop 2). These interactions are reminiscent of sequential ligand binding exhibited by the beta(2)-adrenergic receptor, with the former interaction being equivalent to the known interaction involving Ser204 of the beta(2)-adrenergic receptor.

Prediction of risk for cesarean delivery in term nulliparas: a comparison of neural network and multiple logistic regression models.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to develop a neural network (NN) to predict the risk for cesarean delivery (CD) in term nulliparas. STUDY DESIGN: Using software (BrainMaker for Windows, Version 3.0; California Scientific Software, Nevada City, CA), we trained an NN with 225 patients obtained by chart review and included for nulliparity, singleton vertex > 36 weeks' gestation, and reassuring fetal heart rate on admission. Training inputs included several maternal and fetal clinical variables. Two logistic regression (LR) models using 225 and 600 patients (LR225 and LR600, respectively) were developed. The NN and LR models were tested for prediction of CD in a set of 100 patients not used for development. RESULTS: The NN, LR225, and LR600 correctly predicted 53%, 26%, and 32% of the patients with CD and 88%, 95%, and 95% of the patients with vaginal delivery, respectively. CONCLUSION: Compared with LRs, the NN was slightly better in predicting CD and was similar for predicting vaginal delivery in nulliparas with term singletons.

Dietary administration in rodent studies distorts the tissue deposition profile of lanthanum carbonate; brain deposition is a contamination artefact?

Lanthanum carbonate is a non-calcium phosphate binder used to control hyperphosphataemia in patients with chronic kidney disease who are undergoing dialysis. Ultrastructurally, lanthanum ions are too large to traverse the tight junctions in the blood-brain barrier, yet tissue distribution studies using dietary administration have reported low concentrations in rodent brain, raising concern about accumulation. To investigate this, tissue lanthanum concentrations were measured in rats given the same lanthanum carbonate dose via powdered diet or oral gavage (838 and 863 mg/kg/day). Additional rats were dosed intravenously with lanthanum chloride (0.03 mg/kg/day), a route enabling much higher plasma lanthanum concentrations. After 28 days, median lanthanum concentrations in liver, bone, kidney and heart showed a direct relationship with those in plasma (highest after intravenous and lowest after dietary dosing). In contrast, brain concentrations were dramatically higher after dietary administration (< or =500 ng/g), compared to the other routes (LLOQ of 11 ng/g). An identical skewed pattern was noted for skin, a tissue readily contaminated in powdered diet studies. These data indicate that brain deposition is a contamination artefact caused by transfer of lanthanum from cranial skin to brain as animals are manipulated during autopsy. Dietary administration should be avoided in distribution studies of trace elements due to the high contamination risk.

Severe zinc depletion of Escherichia coli: roles for high affinity zinc binding by ZinT, zinc transport and zinc-independent proteins.

Zinc ions play indispensable roles in biological chemistry. However, bacteria have an impressive ability to acquire Zn(2+) from the environment, making it exceptionally difficult to achieve Zn(2+) deficiency, and so a comprehensive understanding of the importance of Zn(2+) has not been attained. Reduction of the Zn(2+) content of Escherichia coli growth medium to 60 nm or less is reported here for the first time, without recourse to chelators of poor specificity. Cells grown in Zn(2+)-deficient medium had a reduced growth rate and contained up to five times less cellular Zn(2+). To understand global responses to Zn(2+) deficiency, microarray analysis was conducted of cells grown under Zn(2+)-replete and Zn(2+)-depleted conditions in chemostat cultures. Nine genes were up-regulated more than 2-fold (p < 0.05) in cells from Zn(2+)-deficient chemostats, including zinT (yodA). zinT is shown to be regulated by Zur (zinc uptake regulator). A mutant lacking zinT displayed a growth defect and a 3-fold lowered cellular Zn(2+) level under Zn(2+) limitation. The purified ZinT protein possessed a single, high affinity metal-binding site that can accommodate Zn(2+) or Cd(2+). A further up-regulated gene, ykgM, is believed to encode a non-Zn(2+) finger-containing paralogue of the Zn(2+) finger ribosomal protein L31. The gene encoding the periplasmic Zn(2+)-binding protein znuA showed increased expression. During both batch and chemostat growth, cells "found" more Zn(2+) than was originally added to the culture, presumably because of leaching from the culture vessel. Zn(2+) elimination is shown to be a more precise method of depleting Zn(2+) than by using the chelator N,N,N',N'-tetrakis(2-pyridylmethyl)ethylenediamine.

Carbon monoxide-releasing antibacterial molecules target respiration and global transcriptional regulators.

Carbon monoxide, a classical respiratory inhibitor, also exerts vasodilatory, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic effects. CO-releasing molecules have therapeutic value, increasing phagocytosis and reducing sepsis-induced lethality. Here we identify for the first time the bacterial targets of Ru(CO)(3)Cl(glycinate) (CORM-3), a ruthenium-based carbonyl that liberates CO rapidly under physiological conditions. Contrary to the expectation that CO would be preferentially inhibitory at low oxygen tensions or anaerobically, Escherichia coli cultures were also sensitive to CORM-3 at concentrations equimolar with oxygen. CORM-3, assayed as ruthenium, was taken up by bacteria and rapidly delivered CO intracellularly to terminal oxidases. Microarray analysis of CORM-3-treated cells revealed extensively modified gene expression, notably down-regulation of genes encoding key aerobic respiratory complexes. Genes involved in metal metabolism, homeostasis, or transport were also differentially expressed, and free intracellular zinc levels were elevated. Probabilistic modeling of transcriptomic data identified the global transcription regulators ArcA, CRP, Fis, FNR, Fur, BaeR, CpxR, and IHF as targets and potential CO sensors. Our discovery that CORM-3 is an effective inhibitor and global regulator of gene expression, especially under aerobic conditions, has important implications for administration of CO-releasing agents in sepsis and inflammation.

Combination of immunohistochemistry and laser ablation ICP mass spectrometry for imaging of cancer biomarkers.

Laser ablation (LA) ICP-MS has been developed as a new tool for imaging of cancer biomarkers in tissue sections. The distribution of two breast cancer-associated proteins, MUC-1 and HER2 was studied based on multiple line rastering of tissue sections and measurement of relevant Au/Ag tagged antibodies bound to the tissue. Comparisons with optical microscopy indicated extremely high sensitivity for the LA technique and sufficiently good resolution to permit fine scale feature mapping at the cellular level. Application to the quantitative assessment of HER2 expression in tissue microarrays was demonstrated.

Development and certification of the new NIES CRM 28: urban aerosols for the determination of multielements.

A new environmental certified reference material (CRM) for the determination of multielements in aerosol particulate matter has been developed and certified by the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), Japan, based on analyses by a network of laboratories using a wide range of methods. The origin of the material was atmospheric particulate matter collected on filters in a central ventilating system in a building in Beijing city centre. The homogeneity and stability of this material were sufficient for its use as a reference material. Values for elemental mass fractions in the material were statistically determined based on the analytical results of the participating laboratories. Eighteen certified values and 14 reference values were obtained. The diameters, obtained from a micrographic image using image analysis software, of 99% of the particles were less than 10 microm, demonstrating that almost all the particles in the material could be classified as particles of 10 microm or less in aerodynamic diameter. The chemical composition and particle size distribution of this material were close to those of an authentic aerosol collected in Beijing. NIES CRM 28 is appropriate for use in analytical quality control and in the evaluation of methods used in the analysis of aerosols, particularly those collected in urban environments in northeast Asia.

Determination of (234)U/ (238)U isotope ratios in environmental waters by quadrupole ICP-MS after U stripping from alpha-spectrometry counting sources.

The 234U/238U isotope ratio has been widely used as a tracer for geochemical processes in underground aquifers. Quadrupole-based inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) equipped with a high-efficiency nebulizer and a membrane desolvator was employed for the determination of 234U/238U isotope ratios in natural water samples. The instrumental limit of detection for 234U was at the low pg L(-1) level with very low sample consumption. Measurement precision (234U/238U) was 3-5% for bottled mineral water with elevated uranium concentration (>1 microg L(-1)). For the analysis of groundwater samples from the Almonte-Marisma underground aquifer (Huelva, Spain), uranium was stripped from stainless steel planchets that had previously been used as radiometric counting sources for alpha-particle spectrometry. Potential spectral interferences from other metals introduced during the dissolution were investigated. Matrix-matched blank solutions were needed to subtract the background on 234U due to the formation of platinum argides, and to allow for mass bias correction and background correction. The Pt appears to be an impurity present in the stainless steel, either as a minor component by itself or after extraction from the anode and a subsequent uranium electrodeposition. The 234U/238U isotope ratio data were in very good agreement with those of alpha spectrometry, while precision was improved by a factor of up to 10 and counting time was reduced down to approximately 20 min (10 replicate measurements).

Imaging and spatial distribution of beta-amyloid peptide and metal ions in Alzheimer's plaques by laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry.

Laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) has been developed as a new strategy for detection and imaging of beta-amyloid protein in immunohistochemical sections from the brains of a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. The distribution of beta-amyloid deposits in tissue was based on measurement of Eu- and Ni-coupled antibodies. The laser-based methodologies (spot ablation, single line raster, and two-dimensional imaging) were also used to detect and map trace element distributions and thus provide a novel probe for both elemental and protein data. We also report the combination of laser capture microdissection with LA-ICP-MS as an alternative strategy for microanalysis of immunohistochemical sections.

Localization of lanthanum in bone of chronic renal failure rats after oral dosing with lanthanum carbonate.

BACKGROUND: Lanthanum carbonate has been shown to be a safe, effective phosphate-binding agent. We have shown that an impaired mineralization in chronic renal failure rats treated with high doses of lanthanum carbonate develops secondary to phosphate depletion and is therefore pharmacologically mediated rather than a direct effect of lanthanum on bone. Although bulk bone lanthanum concentrations are low, it is important to consider the localization within a given tissue. METHODS: Using the scanning x-ray micro-fluorescence set-up at beamline ID21 of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, calcium and lanthanum distributions in bone samples were mapped. RESULTS: In chronic renal failure rats loaded orally with lanthanum carbonate (12 weeks) (2000 mg/kg/day), bulk bone lanthanum concentrations reached values up to 5 microg/g wet weight. Lanthanum could be demonstrated at the edge of the mineralized bone, at both actively mineralizing and quiescent sites, independent of the type of bone turnover. In the presence of hyperparathyroid bone disease, lanthanum was also distributed throughout the mineralized trabecular bone. No correlation with the presence of osteoid, or the underlying bone pathology could be demonstrated. After a 2- or 4-week washout period before sacrifice, lanthanum localization did not change significantly. CONCLUSION: The comparable localization of lanthanum in different types of bone turnover, and the unchanged localization after washout and consequent disappearance of the mineralization defect, indicates no relationship between the localization of lanthanum in bone and the presence of a mineralization defect.

MTSEA prevents ligand binding to the human melanocortin-4 receptor by modification of cysteine 130 in transmembrane helix 3.

We have investigated the effect of the sulfhydryl-reactive reagent, methyl thiosulfonate ethylammonium (MTSEA), on ligand binding to the human melanocortin-4 (MC4) receptor stably expressed in HEK-293 cells. MTSEA inhibited binding of the agonist, 125I-NDPalpha-MSH, and the antagonist, 125I-SHU9119, in a concentration-dependent manner. Pre-incubation of cells with either the agonist or antagonist protected from subsequent MTSEA inhibition of radioligand binding. Mutation of Cys130 in transmembrane helix 3 to alanine, whilst not affecting ligand binding, led to a complete loss of the inhibitory effect of MTSEA. Since other types of sulfhydryl-reactive reagents had no effect on ligand binding, we conclude that covalent modification of Cys130 by MTSEA disrupts ligand binding by neutralising a close-by negative charge, most likely on Asp126.