Effect of Growth Hormone on Growth and Cytokinetics of Ehrlich Ascites Tumor in Hypophysectomized Mice

Growth of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells was inhibited in hypophysectomized in ICR-JCL male mice. The total cell number in the hypophysectomized animals was about a half of that in control on the 5th day after tumor cell inoculation. This inhibitory effect in hypophysectomy was more evident as the tumor age increased, and the doubling time of the tumor cells was prolonged as the time after the inoculation elapsed. Administration of mouse growth hormone showed a recovery of the inhibited tumor growth in hypophysectomized animals, whereas that of prolactin did not show any affect on the growth of the tumor. The tumor cells transplanted into the thyroidectomized, adrenalectomized, and castrated mice grew in a manner comparable to that in intact animals. Regarding the retardation of growth of the tumor cells in hypophysectomized mice, cytokinetic experiments revealed that the inhibition of the growth in hypophysectomy was caused by an prolongation of the DNA synthetic phase in the cell cycle time

Tc-99m human serum albumin lymphoscintigraphy with SPECT/CT in chylothorax.

A 45-year-old man who had refractory right chylothorax after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer, underwent lymphoscintigraphy with Tc-99m human serum albumin. Focal abnormal uptake was seen in the mid-abdomen on planar image 30 minutes after the tracer injection. SPECT/CT delineated the extent of the accumulation between the anastomotic site and the right pleural effusion area. SPECT/CT effectively detected the site of lymphatic leakage

Novel role of neuronal Ca2+ sensor-1 as a survival factor up-regulated in injured neurons

A molecular basis of survival from neuronal injury is essential for the development of therapeutic strategy to remedy neurodegenerative disorders. In this study, we demonstrate that an EF-hand Ca2+-binding protein neuronal Ca2+ sensor-1 (NCS-1), one of the key proteins for various neuronal functions, also acts as an important survival factor. Overexpression of NCS-1 rendered cultured neurons more tolerant to cell death caused by several kinds of stressors, whereas the dominant-negative mutant (E120Q) accelerated it. In addition, NCS-1 proteins increased upon treatment with glial cell line–derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and mediated GDNF survival signal in an Akt (but not MAPK)-dependent manner. Furthermore, NCS-1 is significantly up-regulated in response to axotomy-induced injury in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus neurons of adult rats in vivo, and adenoviral overexpression of E120Q resulted in a significant loss of surviving neurons, suggesting that NCS-1 is involved in an antiapoptotic mechanism in adult motor neurons. We propose that NCS-1 is a novel survival-promoting factor up-regulated in injured neurons that mediates the GDNF survival signal via the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase–Akt pathway

Cause of apical thinning on attenuation-corrected myocardial perfusion SPECT

Objectives: Decreases in apical and apex activities - namely, \u27apical thinning\u27 - are a well-known phenomenon in attenuation-corrected (AC) myocardial perfusion. The aim of this study was to compare actual myocardial thickness derived from a multidetector-row computed tomography with AC myocardial perfusion count from a hybrid single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography to investigate the cause of apical thinning. Methods: We enrolled 21 participants with a low likelihood of coronary artery disease (mean age 65±21 years, 13 men) from 185 consecutive patients and 11 healthy volunteers, who independently underwent Tc-sestamibi single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography and 64-slice multidetector-row computed tomography scans. AC and non-AC myocardial perfusion counts and thickness were measured on the basis of a 17-segment model and averaged at the apex, apical, mid, and basal walls. Results: Myocardial thickness at the apex was significantly thinner than that at the apical and mid walls (5.1±1.3, 7.3±1.3, and 9.9±2.4 mm, respectively; P<0.005). AC count at the apex was significantly lower than that at the apical and mid regions (76.0±5.5, 82.8±4.7, and 85.6±3.8, respectively; P<0.002). Moderate relationship was observed between myocardial thickness and AC count (y=-10.5+0.22x, r=0.54, P<0.0001. No relationship was found between thickness and non-AC count (r=0.16, P=0.263). Conclusion: The low apex and apical counts were caused by anatomical thinning of the myocardium in AC myocardial perfusion imaging. Attenuation correction provided an accurate relationship between myocardial count and thickness because of the partial volume effect. © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams and Wilkins

Localization and Quantum Hall Effect in Two-Dimensional Systems Under Strong Magnetic Fields(Transport and Fermiology)

Experimental researches of quantum transport properties of semiconductor two-dimensional electron systems in Si-MOSFETs and GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures in high magnetic fields up to 27 T and at low temperatures down to 20 mK are performed. Analysis of the Hall conductivity of Si-MOSFETs based on a mobility edge model shows that the temperature dependence of the mobility edge can not be explained by existing theory of localization. The fractional quantum Hall effect is observed at the filling factor of 1/7 in heterostructures. Sample size dependence and magnetic field dependence of the breakdown of the integral quantum Hall effect in heterostructures reveal that the Hall current is carried not by the edge states but by the extended states in the localization in the bulk of the two-dimensional systems

Early prediction of histopathological tumor response to preoperative chemotherapy by Tc-99m MIBI imaging in bone and soft tissue sarcomas

金沢大学附属病院核医学診療科PURPOSE: Tc-99m-methoxyisobutylisonitrile (MIBI) accumulates in only viable cells. In patients with bone and soft tissue sarcomas, preoperative chemotherapy is essential and the early prediction of the tumor response to chemotherapy would be beneficial for the planning of treatment strategy. The purpose of this study was to assess whether the change of Tc-99m-MIBI images from the prechemotherapy state to the early to midportion of chemotherapy can predict the final histopathological tumor response as accurately as the change of imaging after completion of chemotherapy. METHODS: Seventy-three patients with bone and soft tissue sarcomas underwent Tc-99m-MIBI scintigraphy before chemotherapy and at least 2 times after the second or third or fifth course of chemotherapy. The changes of the tracer uptake (ΔUR) and perfusion (ΔPI) from prechemotherapy to postchemotherapy were compared with histologic response. RESULTS: The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for the prediction of effective chemotherapy in ΔPI were 88%, 83%, 85% after second, 85%, 72%, 78% after third, and 81%, 71%, 76% after 5th chemotherapy, and those in ΔUR were 88%, 83%, 85% after 2nd, 85%, 92%, 89% after 3rd, and 94%, 77%, 85% after fifth chemotherapy, respectively. The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve of the ΔPI after second, third, and fifth chemotherapy were similarly good (0.842, 0.858, 0.811, respectively) and those of ΔUR were similarly excellent (0.915, 0.936, 0.931, respectively). CONCLUSION: In patients with bone and soft tissue sarcomas, the change of Tc-99m-MIBI images from prechemotherapy to early to middle of chemotherapy can predict the final histopathological tumor response to chemotherapy as accurately as the change of Tc-99m-MIBI images from prechemotherapy to the completion of the preoperative chemotherapy. © 2010 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins