Anti-MMP-2 Activity and Skin-Penetrating Capability of the Chemical Constituents from Rhodiola rosea.

Based on the significant inhibitory activity toward matrix metalloproteinase-2 and collagenase noticed in preliminary studies, crude extracts of Rhodiola rosea were partitioned and chromatographed sequentially to afford three new compounds, 1,2,3,6-tetra-O-galloyl-4-O-p-hydroxybenzoyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (1), (E)-creoside I (2), and (R,Z)-2-methylhept-2-ene-1,6-diol (3), along with twenty-four known compounds (4-27). Their structures were determined by spectroscopic data analyses. All isolated compounds were subjected to bioactivity assays.

Decrease in breast density in the contralateral normal breast of patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy: MR imaging evaluation.

Purpose: To investigate the change of breast density with quantitative magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in the contralateral normal breast of patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Materials And Methods: This study was approved by the institutional review board and was HIPAA compliant. Informed consent was obtained.

Impact of skin removal on quantitative measurement of breast density using MRI.

Purpose: In breast MRI, skin and fibroglandular tissue commonly possess similar signal intensities, and as such, the inclusion of skin as dense tissue leads to an overestimation in the measured density. This study investigated the impact of skin to the quantitative measurement of breast density using MRI.

Methods: The analysis was performed on the normal breasts of 50 women using nonfat-saturated (nonfat-sat) T1 weighted MR images.

Quantitative analysis of breast parenchymal patterns using 3D fibroglandular tissues segmented based on MRI.

Purpose: Mammographic density and breast parenchymal patterns (the relative distribution of fatty and fibroglandular tissue) have been shown to be associated with the risk of developing breast cancer. Percent breast density as determined by mammography is a well-established risk factor, but on the other hand, studies on parenchymal pattern have been scarce, possibly due to the lack of reliable quantitative parameters that can be used to analyze parenchymal tissue distribution. In this study the morphology of fibroglandular tissue distribution was analyzed using three-dimensional breast MRI, which is not subject to the tissue overlapping problem.

Selection of diagnostic features on breast MRI to differentiate between malignant and benign lesions using computer-aided diagnosis: differences in lesions presenting as mass and non-mass-like enhancement.

Purpose: To investigate methods developed for the characterisation of the morphology and enhancement kinetic features of both mass and non-mass lesions, and to determine their diagnostic performance to differentiate between malignant and benign lesions that present as mass versus non-mass types.

Methods: Quantitative analysis of morphological features and enhancement kinetic parameters of breast lesions were used to differentiate among four groups of lesions: 88 malignant (43 mass, 45 non-mass) and 28 benign (19 mass, 9 non-mass). The enhancement kinetics was measured and analysed to obtain transfer constant (K(trans)) and rate constant (k(ep)).