EXOSC2 Mediates the Pro-tumor Role of WTAP in Breast Cancer Cells via Activating the Wnt/ß-Catenin Signal.

BC (breast cancer) is the leading cause of cancer death in women. Exosome component 2 (EXOSC2), an RNA exosome component, is elevated in BC tissues and may relate to BC carcinogenesis. In this work, the high EXOSC2 expression was correlated with TNM (Tumor Node Metastasis) stage. Moreover, overexpression of EXOSC2 enhanced tumorigenic capacity of BC cells via facilitating cell proliferation and cell cycle progression, increasing migration and angiogenesis, as well as exacerbating xenograft formation in vivo. Whereas, EXOSC2 knockdown showed anti-cancer effects, including inhibition of cell proliferation and angiogenesis. Mechanistically, EXOSC2 activated the wnt/ß-catenin pathway, which was also abolished by EXOSC2 knockdown. In addition, there were m6A methylation modification sites in the mRNA of EXOSC2. WTAP (Wilms tumor 1-associated protein) bound to EXOSC2 mRNA and increased its m6A methylation, resulting in extending the half-life of EXOSC2 mRNA. Luciferase data also confirmed that WTAP enhanced EXOSC2 mRNA stability through binding with the 3'-UTR containing m6A sites. Furthermore, WTAP silencing exhibited cancer-inhibiting effects on cell viability, cell cycle progression and tube formation, which was effectively reversed by EXOSC2 overexpression. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that EXOSC2 promotes the malignant behaviors of BC cells via activating the wnt/ß-catenin pathway. In addition, EXOSC2 mediates the function of WTAP which contributes to the m6A modification of EXOSC2. Totally, this study suggested that EXOSC2 mediated the pro-tumor role of WTAP via activating the wnt/ß-catenin signal.

Qiju Dihuangtang Combined with Chinese Medicine Fumigation in Treatment of Dry Eye and Its Effect on Levels of Tear IL-6 and MMP-9 / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy of Qiju Dihuangtang combined with Chinese medicine fumigation in the treatment of dry eye and its effect on the levels of interleukin-6 （IL-6） and matrix metalloproteinase-9 （MMP-9） in tears. MethodA total of 120 patients with dry eye of liver-kidney Yin deficiency syndrome who were treated in the Department of Ophthalmology， The Second Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine（TCM） from october 2019 to october 2021 were randomized into the observation group and control group. The control group was given sodium hyaluronate eye drops， and the observation group was treated with sodium hyaluronate eye drops， Qiju Dihuangtang， and Chinese medicine fumigation. The treatment lasted 30 days for both groups. The changes of ocular surface disease index （OSDI）， TCM syndrome score， tear secretion （SIT）， tear film breaking up time （BUT）， corneal fluorescein staining （FL）， and tear interleukin-6 （IL-6） and matrix metalloproteinase-9 （MMP-9） were observed. ResultAfter the treatment， the total effective rate was 90.0% （54/60） in the observation group and 75.0% （45/60） in the control group （χ2=4.675， P<0.05）. After treatment， the OSDI score and TCM syndrome score were lower than those before treatment in both groups （P<0.05）， and lower in the observation group than in the control group （P<0.05）. After treatment， the SIT and BUT were higher （P<0.05） and FL score was lower （P<0.05） than those before treatment in both groups. After treatment， the improvement of the above indicators in the observation group was better than that in the control group （P<0.05）. After treatment， the levels of IL-6 and MMP-9 were lower than those before treatment in both groups （P<0.05）， and lower in the observation group than in the control group （P<0.05）. ConclusionQiju Dihuangtang combined with Chinese medicine fumigation can effectively improve subjective symptoms， promote tear secretion， prolong BUT， enhance corneal epithelial repair， and reduce the levels of tear IL-6 and MMP-9 in the treatment of dry eye.

Association of Adherent-invasive Escherichia coli with severe Gut Mucosal dysbiosis in Hong Kong Chinese population with Crohn's disease.

Adherent invasive Escherichia Coli (AIEC) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease (CD) in Western populations. Whether the presence of AIEC is also seen in CD populations of different genetic susceptibility and has negative impact on host microbiota ecology and therapeutics are unclear. AIEC presence was assessed in ileal tissues of 60 Hong Kong Chinese patients with CD and 56 healthy subjects. Mucosa microbiota was analyzed by 16s rRNA sequencing. Impact of AIEC on the gut microbiota was determined in a mouse model. AIEC was significantly more prevalent in ileal tissues of patients with CD than controls (30% vs 7.1%). Presence of AIEC in ileal tissues was associated with more severe mucosa microbiota dysbiosis in CD with decreased diversity and lower abundance of Firmicutes including butyrate producing Roseburia and probiotic Bacillus. A random forest model predicted the presence of AIEC with area under the curve of 0.89. AIEC exacerbated dysbiosis in dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis mice and led to resistance to restoration of normal gut microbiota by fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). Proportion of donor-derived bacteria in AIEC-colonized mice was significantly lower than that in uninfected mice. AIEC was prevalent and associated with severe mucosa microbiota dysbiosis in CD in Hong Kong Chinese population. The presence of AIEC impeded restoration of normal gut microbiota. AIEC may serve as a keystone bacterium in CD and impact the efficacy of FMT.

Identification of chemoresistance-associated microRNAs and hub genes in breast cancer using bioinformatics analysis.

Breast cancer threatens women's health. Although there are a lot of methods to treat breast cancer, chemotherapy resistance still hinders the effectiveness of treatment. This study attempts to explore the mechanism of chemotherapy resistance from the perspective of miRNA and look for several new targets for developing new drugs. Three datasets (GSE73736, GSE71142 and GSE6434) from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) were used for the bioinformatics analysis. Differentially expressed miRNAs (DE-miRNAs) and differentially expressed genes (DE-genes) were obtained by using R package "limma". DAVID tool was used to perform gene ontology annotation analysis (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis for the overlapping genes. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was established by STRING database and visualized by software Cytoscape. Hub genes were identified by software Cytoscape. The prognostic value of hub genes was assessed through Kaplan-Meier plotter website. In total, 22 DE-miRNAs, 1932 DE-genes and top 10 hub genes were obtained. The genes were mainly enriched in cell signaling pathways like ErbB signaling pathway and PI3K / AKT/mTOR pathway. These pathways have a significant impact on the proliferation, invasion and drug resistance in cancer. MiRNA-Gene interaction may provide new insight for exploring the mechanism of chemotherapy resistance in breast cancer. Our study ultimately identified effective biomarkers and potential drug targets, which may enhance the effect of chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer.

CDK4/6 signaling pathway and its targeted therapeutic agents in cancer therapy: a review / 生物工程学报

The development and progression of most cancers have been well recognized as the result of highly activated cell cycle. Cyclin dependent kinase 4/6 plays important roles not only in mitosis, but also in multiple biological processes that contribute to cancer development, such as aging, apoptosis and histone modification. Three FDA approved CDK4/6 inhibitors, Palbociclib, Ribociclib and Abemaciclib, have been used as targeted cancer therapeutic agents to benefit patients with endocrine therapy-resistant breast cancer and other types of cancer, prolonging their survival. However, the clinical application of these inhibitors also leads to acquired drug resistance and other problems. This paper reviews the regulatory roles of CDK4/6, the application of CDK4/6 inhibitors in cancer and the challenge of drug resistance.

MRPL13 is a Prognostic Cancer Biomarker and Correlates with Immune Infiltrates in Breast Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To study the expression of MRPL13 in breast cancer tissues using TCGA database, analyze the correlation between the expression and clinicopathological characteristics of patients, and explore the role of MRPL13 in the development of breast cancer (BC). METHODS: The BC mRNA data and clinical information were downloaded from TCGA database. The correlation between MRPL13 expression and clinicopathological parameters was analyzed. Cox regression multivariate analysis was used to explore the factors affecting the prognosis of BC patients. The UALCAN database was used to analyze the expression level of MRPL13 in BC and its relationship with clinical pathological factors. The GSEA method was used to predict the possible regulatory pathways of MRPL13. Immune responses of MRPL13 expression were analyzed using TISIDB and CIBERSORT. Additionally, GEPIA, K-M survival analysis and data from the HPA were used to validate the outcomes. RESULTS: The expression of MRPL13 in BC tissues was significantly higher than normal counterparts, patients with low MRPL13 expression had a better survival prognosis, also indicated an independent prognostic factor. GSEA analysis showed that the regulation of cell migration, positive regulation of endothelial cell migration, and Notch signaling pathway were enriched in tissues with low expression of MRPL13. Additionally, depleting MRPL13 expression inhibited invasion in MCF-10A and MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, PCR showed that MRPL13 affected VEGFA and MMP gene expression. CIBERSORT analysis revealed that the amount of NK cells decreased when MRPL13 expression was high. CONCLUSION: The expression of MRPL13 mRNA is upregulated in BC tissues, and the expression level of MRPL13 is significantly related to the clinicopathological factors of patients. High MRPL13 expression is a poor prognostic factor for BC, and it can be used as a molecular marker for prognosis judgment and as a potential therapeutic target.

Immune-related lncRNAs as predictors of survival in breast cancer: a prognostic signature.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is a highly heterogeneous disease, this poses challenges for classification and management. Long non-coding RNAs play acrucial role in the breast cancersdevelopment and progression, especially in tumor-related immune processes which have become the most rapidly investigated area. Therefore, we aimed at developing an immune-related lncRNA signature to improve the prognosis prediction of breast cancer. METHODS: We obtained breast cancer patient samples and corresponding clinical data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Immune-related lncRNAs were screened by co-expression analysis of immune-related genes which were downloaded from the Immunology Database and Analysis Portal (ImmPort). Clinical patient samples were randomly separated into training and testing sets. In the training set, univariate Cox regression analysis and LASSO regression were utilized to build a prognostic immune-related lncRNA signature. The signature was validated in the training set, testing set, and whole cohorts by the Kaplan-Meier log-rank test, time-dependent ROC curve analysis, principal component analysis, univariate andmultivariate Cox regression analyses. RESULTS: A total of 937 immune- related lncRNAs were identified, 15 candidate immune-related lncRNAs were significantly associated with overall survival (OS). Eight of these lncRNAs (OTUD6B-AS1, AL122010.1, AC136475.2, AL161646.1, AC245297.3, LINC00578, LINC01871, AP000442.2) were selected for establishment of the risk prediction model. The OS of patients in the low-risk group was higher than that of patients in the high-risk group (p = 1.215e - 06 in the training set; p = 0.0069 in the validation set; p = 1.233e - 07 in whole cohort). The time-dependent ROC curve analysis revealed that the AUCs for OS in the first, eighth, and tenth year were 0.812, 0.81, and 0.857, respectively, in the training set, 0.615, 0.68, 0.655 in the validation set, and 0.725, 0.742, 0.741 in the total cohort. Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated the model was a reliable and independent indicator for the prognosis of breast cancer in the training set (HR = 1.432; 95% CI 1.204-1.702, p < 0.001), validation set (HR = 1.162; 95% CI 1.004-1.345, p = 0.044), and whole set (HR = 1.240; 95% CI 1.128-1.362, p < 0.001). GSEA analysis revealed a strong connection between the signature and immune-related biological processes and pathways. CONCLUSIONS: We constructed and verified a robust signature of 8 immune-related lncRNAs for the prediction of breast cancer patient survival.

Coexpression Network Analysis of Genes Related to the Characteristics of Tumor Stemness in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are subsets of cells with the ability of self-renewal and differentiation in neoplasm, which are considered to be related to tumor heterogeneity. It has been reported that CSCs act on tumorigenesis and tumor biology of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). However, the key genes that cause TNBC showing stem cell characteristics are still unclear. We combined the RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and mRNA expression-based stemness index (mRNAsi) to further analyze mRNAsi with regard to molecular subtypes, tumor depth, and pathological staging characteristics of breast cancer (BC). Secondly, we extract the differential gene expression of tumor vs. normal group and TNBC vs. other subtypes of BC group, respectively, and intersect them to achieve precise results. We used a weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) to screen significant gene modules and the functions of selected genes including BIRC5, CDC25A, KIF18B, KIF2C, ORC1, RAD54L, and TPX2 were carried out through gene ontology (GO) functional annotation. The Oncomine, bc-GenExMiner v4.4, GeneMANIA, Kaplan-Meier Plotter (KM-plotter), and GEPIA were used to verify the expression level and functions of key genes. In this study, we found that TNBC had the highest stem cell characteristics in BC compared with other subtypes. The lower the mRNAsi score, the better the overall survival and treatment outcome. Seven key genes of TNBC were screened and functional annotation indicated that there were strong correlations between them, relating to nuclear division, organelle fission, mitotic nuclear division, and other events that determine cell fate. Among these genes, we found four genes that were highly associated with adverse survival events. Seven key genes identified in this study were found to be closely related to the maintenance of TNBC stemness, and the overexpression of four showed earlier recurrence. The overall survival (OS) curves of all key genes between differential expression level crossed at around nine-year follow-up, which was consistent with the trend of the OS curve related to mRNAsi. These findings may provide new ideas for screening therapeutic targets in order to depress TNBC stemness.

ETA-mediated anti-TNF-α therapy ameliorates the phenotype of PCOS model induced by letrozole.

Chronic inflammation is a typical characteristic of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), in which, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α plays an important role. We investigated whether anti-TNF-α therapy can alleviate the core phenotypes of PCOS. In pubertal female Wistar rats, release pellets of letrozole (LET) were administered continuously for 90 days to induce PCOS-like phenotypes, followed by treatment with etanercept (ETA), a TNF-α inhibitor. ETA significantly inhibited increases in body weight and androgen, TNF-α, and MCP-1 levels, excessive recruitment of lipid droplets, altered levels of pre-adipose differentiation markers, and abnormal development of follicles. In addition, TNF-α and testosterone (T) levels in the rat sera were significantly positively correlated. Further experiments were performed to investigate the relationship between TNF-α and androgen. Persistent exposure of the RAW 264.7 cell line to low doses of testosterone significantly enhanced TNF-α expression and activated the NF-κB signaling pathway, which were blocked by ETA. Furthermore, treatment with TNF-α promoted the production of testosterone in KGN granulosa cells by reducing CYP19A1 expression, whereas ETA treatment blocked this process. In conclusion, anti-TNF-α therapy with ETA may be an efficient method to alleviate PCOS, whose underlying mechanism may be associated with its ability to reduce excessive androgen levels.

Roles of Nrf2/HO-1 and HIF-1α/VEGF in lung tissue injury and repair following cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury (CIRI) leads to injury in distant organs, most commonly the lungs, although limited studies have examined self-protective mechanisms during CIRI-induced lung injury. Here, we investigated self-protective mechanisms that attenuate stress-related injury and promote the angiogenetic repair of epithelial function during CIRI-induced lung injury by measuring nuclear factor erythroid-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) levels. A CIRI model was established in male Sprague-Dawley rats by blocking the middle cerebral artery. Rats were divided into five subgroups based on the reperfusion time (6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 hr). Lung injury was assessed using a semiquantitative score and a thiobarbituric acid-based method of determining malonaldehyde production. Lung tissue angiogenesis was detected by CD34 and CD31 immunolabeling. Changes in Nrf2, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), HIF-1α, vascular-endothelial growth factor (VEGF), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), extracellular-regulated kinase1/2 (ERK1/2), and phospho-ERK1/2 ( p-ERK1/2) protein- and mRNA-expression levels were measured by immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription polymerase chain reactions, respectively. Oxidative stress induced by cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (CI/R) caused lung injury. Expression of the Nrf2/HO-1 antioxidative stress pathway in lung tissues increased following CI/R, peaking after 24 hr. PI3K, ERK, and p-ERK1/2, which act upstream of Nrf2/HO-1, were expressed at higher levels in the CI/R-model group, consistent with the general trends observed for Nrf2/HO-1. Within 72 hr post-CI/R, HIF-1α, and VEGF expression significantly increased versus the sham group. Thus, during CIRI-induced lung injury, the body may upregulate antioxidative stress activities and promote angiogenesis to repair the endothelial barrier through the Nrf2/HO-1 and HIF-1α/VEGF signaling pathways, enabling self-protection.

Update on Molecular Imaging in Parkinson's Disease / 神经科学通报·英文版

Advances in radionuclide tracers have allowed for more accurate imaging that reflects the actions of numerous neurotransmitters, energy metabolism utilization, inflammation, and pathological protein accumulation. All of these achievements in molecular brain imaging have broadened our understanding of brain function in Parkinson's disease (PD). The implementation of molecular imaging has supported more accurate PD diagnosis as well as assessment of therapeutic outcome and disease progression. Moreover, molecular imaging is well suited for the detection of preclinical or prodromal PD cases. Despite these advances, future frontiers of research in this area will focus on using multi-modalities combining positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging along with causal modeling with complex algorithms.

GALNT14 mediates tumor invasion and migration in breast cancer cell MCF-7.

Aberrant glycosylation is a hallmark of most human cancers and affects many cellular properties, including cell proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation, transformation, migration, invasion, and immune responses. Here, we report that N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase14 (GALNT14), which mediates the initial step of mucin-type O-glycosylation and is heterogeneously expressed in most breast cancers, plays a critical role in the invasion and migration of breast cancers by regulating the activity of MMP-2 and expression of some EMT genes. We have modulated the expression of GALNT14 by RNAi and overexpression in MCF-7 cells. Overexpression of GALNT14 significantly enhanced cell migration and invasion and promoted the proliferation of breast cancer cells. Knockdown of GALNT14 reduced clonogenicity and attenuates cell migration and cell invasion. The mRNAs for N-cadherin, vimentin, E-cadherin, MMP-2, VEGF, and TGF-ß were determined by RT-qPCR involving GALNT14-overexpressing or knockdown MCF-7 cells. Expression profiling revealed the upregulation of N-cadherin, vimentin, MMP-2, VEGF, TGF-ß and the downregulation of E-cadherin in GALNT14 overexpressing cells, with the opposite seen in GALNT14 knockdowns. Gelatin zymography analysis further indicated that overexpression of GALNT14 increased MMP-2 activity in MCF-7 cells. Conversely, downregulation of GALNT14 reduced MMP-2 activity. Promoter analysis revealed that GALNT14 stimulates MMP-2 expression through the AP-1-binding site. Western blot analyses showed that knockdown of GALNT14 significantly reduced the expression of an oncoprotein mucin 1 (MUC1). These findings indicate that GALNT14 contributes to breast cancer invasion by altering the cell proliferation, motility, expression levels of EMT genes, and by stimulating MMP-2 activity, suggesting GALNT14 may be a potential target for breast cancer treatment.

Immunomodulatory effects of sea cucumber fucoidan on macrophage and the signaling pathways / 中国药理学通报

Aim To investigate the immunomodulatory effects of sea cucumber fucoidan ( SC-FUC) on macro-phage and the signaling pathways. Methods Cell via-bilities in response to different concentrations of SC-FUC were analyzed by MTT, phagocytosis ability was detected by neutral red,and nitric oxide ( NO) produc-tion was examined by Griess reaction kit. The mRNA expression levels of IL-6 , IL-10 , Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and related signal molecules MyD88, TRIF, NF-κB were assayed by real-time PCR. All the experi-ments were based on murine RAW264. 7 cell line. Re-sults SC-FUC could promote RAW264 . 7 cell prolif-eration, phagocytosis as evidenced by uptake of neutral red and release of NO. The effects were significant at the early stage (6 h and 12 h) . SC-FUC could up-reg-ulate the expression of IL-6 , IL-10 , TLR4 , TLR5 , TLR9. Moreover, mRNA expressions of TLRs signaling molecules were increased, as well as MyD88, TRIF, NF-κB. Conclusions SC-FUC could activate macro-phage, and then promote the immune function by pro-moting production or expression of NO, IL-6, IL-10. It is speculated to be relevant to activated cell surface re-ceptors in macrophage, including TLR4, TLR5, TLR9, and NF-κB signaling pathways.

Influence of visual and auditory masking on the brain glucose metabolism in an idiopathic tinnitus patient / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the influence of the audio-visual block (AB) on the brain glucose metabolism of idiopathic tinnitus patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The brain positron emission tomography (PET) test was performed on one chronic idiopathic tinnitus patient under audio-visual block and non-block (NB) conditions respectively. The visual analysis and statistical parameter mapping (SPM) analysis were both used to detect the brain glucose metabolism difference under AB and NB conditions.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Under NB conditions, significant hyperactivity was detected at auditory and visual cortex on both sides of the brain. However, this phenomenon was not shown under AB conditions. Instead, a hyperactivity of brain was presented in the left Wernicke's area.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The generation of chronic idiopathic tinnitus probably has no relationship with the auditory cortex abnormity. Wernicke's area might be involved in the central perception of tinnitus.</p>

18F-FDG uptake changes in the brain functional loop in patients with refractory obsessive compulsive disorder / 中华核医学杂志

Objective To investigate the glucose metabolic pattern of brain functional loop in patients with refractory obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) using 18 F-FDG PET.Methods Eight patients with refractory OCD and 8 age- and gender-matched healthy volunteers underwent 18F-FDG PET brain imaging.SPM software was used for image post-processing and quantitative analysis.Correlation analysis between 18F-FDG uptake and Yale-Brown obsessive compulsive scale(Y-BOCS) score was performed.Results Compared with the controls,the glucose metabolism of bilateral frontal cortices ( including the rectal gyrus,orbital gyrus and cingulate gyrus),left thalamus,right temporal lobe and bilateral cerebellum in refractory OCD patients increased significantly ( Zmax =3.45 - 5.80,all P ＜ 0.001 ).Bilateral motor cortices and bilateral parietal lobes (BA7),however,showed decreased glucose metabolism (Zmax =3.44 - 4.46,all P ＜0.001 ).Y-BOCS score was positively correlated with the glucose metabolism of the bilateral anterior cingulate cortex (Zmax =3.77,3.48 and 2.97,all P ＜ 0.01 ).Conclusions There is a characteristic metabolic pattern of increased glucose utilization in the fronto-striato-thalamic loop and decreased glucose utilization in bilateral motor cortices and parietal lobes in patients with OCD.The glucose metabolism in the anterior cingulate cortex might serve as a quantitative parameter for the assessment of the severity of OCD.

Synthesis of opiate receptor radioligand 11C-carfentanil and its biodistribution in rats / 中华核医学杂志

Objective To establish an automatic synthesis method for 11C-carfentanil (CFN) as an novel opiate receptor radioligand and study its biodistribution in rats. Methods 11C-Triflate-CH3 was bubbled into 0.5 mg precursor desmethyl-CFN (which was dissolved in 0.15 ml DMSO) to generate 11C-CFN in a V-tube at room temperature. Sep-Pak C2 column was used for purification of 11C-CFN, which was eluted by 3ml binary system aqueous solution, 10 ml water thrice, and then I ml ethanol. The biodistribution (% ID/g) of 11C-CFN in SD rats was studied. SPSS 13.0 was used for statistical analysis. Non-normal distribution data were analyzed using nonparametric test. Results The synthesis time for 11C-CFN was 20 min (end of bombardment, EOB). The synthesis yield was (35.5 ± 2.2) % on average (n = 12, uncorrected)with the radiochemical purity over 98%. Biodistribution study in rats showed that the tracer had a high brain uptake, rapid blood clearance, and a metabolic pathway via liver and kidney. The highest tracer uptake was in thalamus (4.26 ± 0.89) % ID/g and striatum (4.05 ± 1.08) % ID/g at 5 min after injection, followed by cerebral cortex (2.63±0.89) %ID/g, pons (2.26 ±0.57) % ID/g, hippocampus (2. 17 ±0.55) %ID/g and cerebellum (2. 15 ±0.39) %ID/g. Conclusions The automatic synthesis of 11C-CFN is fast and reliable, and this radioligand can be used for opiate receptor imaging.

Accuracy of 18F-FDG PET/CT for lymph node staging in non-small-cell lung cancers / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>This retrospective study evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of 2-(F18)-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose-positron emission tomography ((18)F-FDG-PET)/computed tomography (PET/CT) in the preoperative diagnosis of metastatic mediastinal and hilar lymph node in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 39 patients received preoperative (18)F-FDG PET/CT and the postoperative biopsy. We compared preoperative PET/CT scan results with corresponding intraoperative histopathalogic findings in 39 NSCLC patients. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive and negative predictive value of (18)F-FDG PET/CT were assessed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Histopathologic examination confirmed metastasis in 57 out of the 208 excised lymph nodes; 23 of the 57 nodes were mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of PET/CT in the preoperative diagnosis of mediastinal lymph node metastasis in NSCLC patients were 65%, 96.8%, 92%, 78.5% and 90%, respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>PET/CT scan showed good accuracy in the preoperative diagnosis of mediastinal and hilar lymph node metastasis in the patients with NSCLC. We recommend that PET/CT scanning be used as a first-line evaluation tool for tumor diagnosis, therapy evaluation and follow-up.</p>

Remarks on the research of specificities of acupoints / 中国针灸

The scholars at home and abroad pay great attention to the studies of specificities of acupoints, but the studies were superficial and non-systemic because of lacking to application of modern sciences and technology. There are not persuasive conclusive achievements for the specificities of acupoints and the key factors influencing the effect of acupuncture. The study of the specificities of acupoints should be concentrate on the diseases for which acupuncture and moxibustion are effective. And multiple modern sciences and techniques should be adopted to resolve the key problems about biological and physical characteristics, pathological response, effects and law of compatibility of acupoints usually selected for the diseases, and then to create the model of the theory about the specificities of acupoints and to richen and develop the theory of the specificity of acupoints.

Malignant tumor with false negative 18F-FDG PET image / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the FDG uptake characteristics, the factors affecting 18F-FDG uptake and the extra CT diagnostic value of 18F-FDG PET/CT scan in the malignant tumor with false negative 18F-FDG PET image.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The data of PET/CT image in 17 patients with various kinds of cancers were reviewed and analyzed by visual observation and semi-quantity analysis ( SUV). The results were compared with the CT and histopathological diagnosis, respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of 6 well-differentiated HCC patients confirmed by histopathological diagnosis, one had two lesions in the right lobe of the liver. One of these two lesions showed low FDG uptake on 18F-FDG PET scan and low density on CT scan. The other one was not shown on either 18F-FDG PET or plain CT scan. But on enhanced CT scan, these two lesions were found to be inhomogeneous with high density at arterial phase. The false negative 18F-FDG PET images of one gastric signet ring cell carcinoma in the gastric fundus with right adnexa metastasis, 3 renal cell carcinoma, one greater omentum and peritoneal metastatic adenocarcinoma and one well-differentiated prostate cancer were caused by normal physical uptake in the digestive tract or FDG retention in the urinary system due to normal excretion. The size of three metastases was smaller than or equal to 1 cm in diameter, however, two primary lesions of these metastases showed high FDG uptake and only one was negative on either 18F-FDG PET or CT scan. In this series, 68.8% of the primary tumors and 66.7% of metastases were found to show abnormal density on CT scan, and 31. 2% of the primary tumors and 33. 3% of metastases were not detectable on either PET or CT images.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>False negative 18F-FDG PET in malignant tumor may be correlated with the pathologic type, differentiation degree and the lesion size. Combining CT information with PET or paying attention to the scan methods during 8 F-FDG PET examination may reduce the rate of false negative 18F-FDG PET diagnosis in various kinds of malignant tumors.</p>

Epidemiological investigation on 6 common diseases among the elderly in some urban and rural areas in Beijing / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND: With social development, the average life span is prolonged. The issue of aging has increasingly attracted people's attention. It is necessary to promote the health status and the guality of life of the elderly..OBJECTIVE: To understand the status and distribution features of several common diseases which influence the quality of life of elderly.DESIGN: Random cluster sampling methods and a cross-section survey.SETTING: Beijing Institute of Geriatrics of Beijing Hospital.PARTICIPANTS:Totally 1 558 old people aged ≥60 years living in 10 communities affiliated to Jianguomen district office of the Eastern District of Beijing City,and 8 villages affiliated to Xiangyang and Henan Villagers'Commissions of Shunyi County of Beijing from May 1997 and October 1997 were recruited.In fact,1 434 persons responded,with a response rate being 92％,319 males and 498 females came from the city;242 males and 375 females came from the villages.METHODS:Questionnaires were filled up,and physical examinations were conducted in all the elderly. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The 6 common diseases were observed among the elderly: Hyperplasia of prostate, abnormal audition, cartaract ,osteoarthritis, fracture and constipation.RESULTS:Totally 1434 elderly entered the stage of result analysis.①The incidence of hyperplasia of prostate in the males from the urban areas was lower than that in the rural areas (61.4％,65.7％, P ＜ 0.01 ). ② The incidence of abnormal audition among the elderly from the urban areas was lower than that in the rural areas (53.9％,64.7％,P ＜ 0.01).③ The incidence of cataract of the two eyes in the elderly from the urban areas was higher than that in the rural areas(46.4％,44.4％, P ＜ 0.01). ④ The incidence of osteoarthropathy in the elderly from the urban areas was higher than that in the rural areas (24.4％,14.9, P ＜ 0.01). ⑤ The incidence of fracture in the elderly from the urban areas was higher than that in the rural areas (14.2％,9.1％, P ＜ 0.05). ⑥ The incidence of constipation of the elderly in urban areas was lower than that in the rural areas(18.2％,23.0％,P ＜ 0.05).CONCLUSION:There is a difference between the elderly from the urban areas and the rural areas in hyperplasis of prostate,abnormal audition, cataract, osteoarthropathy, fracture and constipation, and this is related with the economy, nutrition, medical conditions and cultural traits.Therefore, attention should be attached to nutrition and health knowledge of the elderly and prevention and treatment of common diseases among the elderly people.