Variability of apoptosis and response in N1-S1 rodent hepatomas to benzamide riboside and correlation to early changes in water apparent diffusion coefficient and sodium MR imaging.

PURPOSE: This pilot trial assesses variability of apoptosis and response 1 day after hepatic intraarterial (IA) benzamide riboside (BR) in rodent hepatomas and its correlation to water apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and single-quantum (SQ) and triple-quantum-filtered (TQF) sodium-23 ((23)Na) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 8) were inoculated with 10(6) N1-S1 cells. IA BR (20 mg/kg) was infused after 14 days. Animals were killed 1 day (n = 4) or 21 days (n = 4) after therapy. Imaging was performed 1 day before and after treatment. Volume was assessed over 2 weeks. Percentage apoptosis was counted from terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling-stained slides at 400×magnification. Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare apoptosis, and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to compare MR signal intensity (SI). RESULTS: Apoptosis was marginally greater in tumor than in nontumor (6.7% vs 1.3%; P = .08), varying from 2% to 10%. Before treatment, MR SI was greater in tumor than in nontumor (ADC, 1.18 vs 0.76 [P = .0078]; SQ, 1.20 vs 1.04 [P = .03]; TQF, 0.55 vs 0.34 [P = .03]). After treatment, tumors increased in volume (0.62 vs 0.33; P = .016) variably over 2 weeks. MR SI remained greater in tumor than in nontumor (ADC, 1.20 vs 0.77 [P = .0078]; SQ, 1.76 vs 1.15 [P = .016]; TQF, 0.84 vs 0.49 [P = .03]). SQ and TQF SI increased by 47% (P = .016) and 53% (P = .016) in tumors, whereas ADC did not change. CONCLUSIONS: Apoptosis was marginal and varied from 2% to 10%. Water ADC, SQ, and TQF MR imaging distinguished tumor from nontumor. Changes in water ADC and sodium MR imaging correlated to apoptosis and volume in select cases, but additional animals are needed to validate this trend against tumor growth.

MR neurography of the brachial plexus in adult and pediatric age groups: evolution, recent advances, and future directions.

Introduction: MR neurography (MRN) of the brachial plexus has emerged in recent years as a safe and accurate modality for the identification of brachial plexopathies in pediatric and adult populations. While clinical differentiation of brachial plexopathy from cervical spine-related radiculopathy or nerve injury has long relied upon nonspecific physical exam and electrodiagnostic testing modalities, MRN now permits detailed interrogation of peripheral nerve anatomy and pathology, as well as assessment of surrounding soft tissues and musculature, thereby facilitating accurate diagnosis. The reader will learn about the current state of brachial plexus MRN, including recent advances and future directions, and gain knowledge about the adult and pediatric brachial plexopathies that can be characterized using these techniques.Areas Covered: The review details recent developments in brachial plexus MRN, including increasing availability of 3.0-T MR scanners at both private and academic diagnostic imaging centers, as well as the advent of multiple new vascular and fat signal suppression techniques. A literature search of PubMed and SCOPUS was used as the principal source of information gathered for this review.Expert Opinion: Refinement of fat-suppression, 3D techniques and diffusion MR imaging modalities has improved the accuracy of MRN, rendering it as a useful adjunct to clinical findings during the evaluation of suspected brachial plexus lesions.

Medical management of tumor lysis syndrome, postprocedural pain, and venous thromboembolism following interventional radiology procedures.

The rapid expansion of minimally invasive image-guided procedures has led to their extensive use in the interdisciplinary management of patients with vascular, hepatobiliary, genitourinary, and oncologic diseases. Given the increased availability and breadth of these procedures, it is important for physicians to be aware of common complications and their management. In this article, the authors describe management of select common complications from interventional radiology procedures including tumor lysis syndrome, acute on chronic postprocedural pain, and venous thromboembolism. These complications are discussed in detail and their medical management is outlined according to generally accepted practice and evidence from the literature.

Measurement of acetaldehyde in exhaled breath using a laser absorption spectrometer.

A high-resolution liquid-nitrogen-free mid-infrared tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) system was used to perform real-time measurement of acetaldehyde concentrations in human exhaled breath following ingestion of an alcoholic beverage. Acetaldehyde absorption features were measured near 5.79 mum (1727 cm(-1)) using a IV-VI semiconductor laser, a 100 m long path optical gas cell, and second- harmonic detection coupled with wavelength modulation. Acetaldehyde levels were measured with a minimum detection limit of 80 ppb for 5 s integration time. The variations in exhaled acetaldehyde levels over time were analyzed prior to and following ingestion of two different amounts of white wine. A method to calibrate acetaldehyde measurements internally using water vapor absorption lines was investigated to eliminate the need for system calibration with gas standards. The potential of a TDLAS system to be used as a noninvasive clinical tool for measurements of large volatile compounds with possible applications in cancer detection is demonstrated.