A technique for pediatric total skin electron irradiation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Total skin electron irradiation (TSEI) is a special radiotherapy technique which has generally been used for treating adult patients with mycosis fungoides. Recently, two infants presented with leukemia cutis isolated to the skin requiring TSEI. This work discusses the commissioning and quality assurance (QA) methods for implementing a modified Stanford technique using a rotating harness system to position sedated pediatric patients treated with electrons to the total skin.</p> <p>Methods and Results</p> <p>Commissioning of pediatric TSEI consisted of absolute calibration, measurement of dosimetric parameters, and subsequent verification in a pediatric patient sized cylindrical phantom using radiographic film and optically stimulated luminance (OSL) dosimeters. The depth of dose penetration under TSEI treatment condition was evaluated using radiographic film sandwiched in the phantom and demonstrated a 2 cm penetration depth with the maximum dose located at the phantom surface. Dosimetry measurements on the cylindrical phantom and in-vivo measurements from the patients suggested that, the factor relating the skin and calibration point doses (i.e., the <it>B</it>-factor) was larger for the pediatric TSEI treatments as compared to adult TSEI treatments. Custom made equipment, including a rotating plate and harness, was fabricated and added to a standard total body irradiation stand and tested to facilitate patient setup under sedated condition. A pediatric TSEI QA program, consisting of daily output, energy, flatness, and symmetry measurements as well as in-vivo dosimetry verification for the first cycle was developed. With a long interval between pediatric TSEI cases, absolute dosimetry was also repeated as part of the QA program. In-vivo dosimetry for the first two infants showed that a dose of ± 10% of the prescription dose can be achieved over the entire patient body.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Though pediatric leukemia cutis and the subsequent need for TSEI are rare, the ability to commission the technique on a modified TBI stand is appealing for clinical implementation and has been successfully used for the treatment of two pediatric patients at our institution.</p

Multi-omics analysis of the bioactive constituents biosynthesis of glandular trichome in Perilla frutescens

Abstract Background Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt is a medicinal and edible plant widely cultivated in Asia. Terpenoids, flavonoids and phenolic acids are the primary source of medicinal ingredients. Glandular trichomes with multicellular structures are known as biochemical cell factories which synthesized specialized metabolites. However, there is currently limited information regarding the site and mechanism of biosynthesis of these constituents in P. frutescens. Herein, we studied morphological features of glandular trichomes, metabolic profiling and transcriptomes through different tissues. Results Observation of light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy indicated the presence of three distinct glandular trichome types based on their morphological features: peltate, capitate, and digitiform glandular trichomes. The oil of peltate glandular trichomes, collected by custom-made micropipettes and analyzed by LC–MS and GC–MS, contained perillaketone, isoegomaketone, and egomaketone as the major constituents which are consistent with the components of leaves. Metabolomics and transcriptomics were applied to explore the bioactive constituent biosynthesis in the leaves, stem, and root of P. frutescens. Transcriptome sequencing profiles revealed differential regulation of genes related to terpenoids, flavonoids, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, respectively with most genes expressed highly in leaves. The genes affecting the development of trichomes were preliminarily predicted and discussed. Conclusions The current study established the morphological and chemical characteristics of glandular trichome types of P. frutescens implying the bioactive constituents were mainly synthesized in peltate glandular trichomes. The genes related to bioactive constituents biosynthesis were explored via transcriptomes, which provided the basis for unraveling the biosynthesis of bioactive constituents in this popular medicinal plant

Cellular Metabolomics Revealed the Cytoprotection of Amentoflavone, a Natural Compound, in Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Injury of Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells

Amentoflavone is one of the important bioactive flavonoids in the ethylacetate extract of “Cebaiye”, which is a blood cooling and hematostatic herb in traditional Chinese medicine. The previous work in our group has demonstrated that the ethylacetate extract of Cebaiye has a notable antagonistic effect on the injury induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The present investigation was designed to assess the effects and possible mechanism of cytoprotection of amentoflavone via metabolomics. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time of flight-mass spectrometry (UPLC/QTOF-MS) coupled with multivariate data analysis was used to characterize the variations in the metabolites of HUVECs in response to exposure to LPS and amentoflavone treatment. Seven putative metabolites (glycine, argininosuccinic acid, putrescine, ornithine, spermidine, 5-oxoproline and dihydrouracil) were discovered in cells incubated with LPS and/or amentoflavone. Functional pathway analysis uncovered that the changes of these metabolites related to various significant metabolic pathways (glutathione metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, β-alanine metabolism and glycine, serine and threonine metabolism), which may explain the potential cytoprotection function of amentoflavone. These findings also demonstrate that cellular metabolomics through UPLC/QTOF-MS is a powerful tool for detecting variations in a range of intracellular compounds upon toxin and/or drug exposure

Application of UHPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS to Identify Multiple Constituents in Processed Products of the Herbal Medicine Ligustri Lucidi Fructus

Ligustri Lucidi Fructus (LLF), the fruit of Ligustrum lucidum Ait. (Oleaceae), has been used as a common herbal medicine in clinical practice in China for nearly 2000 years. In most cases, LLF is prescribed in decoctions in the form of processed products rather than crude drugs. In this study, an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization-quadrupole-time of flight-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS) method was established for rapid separation and identification of multiple constituents in the 80% methanol extract of processed-LLF. A total of 50 compounds (one phenylethanoid, seven phenylethanoid glycosides, seven flavonoids, 25 iridoids, nine triterpenoids and one cyclohexanecarboxylic acid) were either unambiguously identified or tentatively characterized with the aid of authentic standards or published data. Luteolin-7-O-rutinoside, oleoside and secologanoside were detected in LLF for the first time. This study enriches the chemical profiling of processed-LLF and could provide valuable information for the quality control and further investigation of processed-LLF and crude LLF

A Comprehensive Review of Rosmarinic Acid: From Phytochemistry to Pharmacology and Its New Insight

Polyphenolic acids are the widely occurring natural products in almost each herbal plant, among which rosmarinic acid (RA, C18H16O8) is well-known, and is present in over 160 species belonging to many families, especially the Lamiaceae. Aside from this herbal ingredient, dozens of its natural derivatives have also been isolated and characterized from many natural plants. In recent years, with the increasing focus on the natural products as alternative treatments, a large number of pharmacological studies have been carried out to demonstrate the various biological activities of RA such as anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, anti-diabetes, anti-virus, anti-tumor, neuroprotection, hepatoprotection, etc. In addition, investigations concerning its biosynthesis, extraction, analysis, clinical applications, and pharmacokinetics have also been performed. Although many achievements have been made in various research aspects, there still exist some problems or issues to be answered, especially its toxicity and bioavailability. Thus, we hope that in the case of natural products, the present review can not only provide a comprehensive understanding on RA covering its miscellaneous research fields, but also highlight some of the present issues and future perspectives worth investigating later, in order to help us utilize this polyphenolic acid more efficiently, widely, and safely