Vertebral blood perfusion reduction associated with vertebral bone mineral density reduction: a dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI study in a rat orchiectomy model.

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between vertebral blood perfusion and vertebral bone mineral density (BMD) in a rat orchiectomy (ORX) model.

Materials And Methods: Nine 6-month-old male Wistar-Kyoto rats were used. Computed tomography (CT) bone densitometry and dynamic MRI were performed at baseline and four weeks post-ORX.

A novel semisynthesized small molecule icaritin reduces incidence of steroid-associated osteonecrosis with inhibition of both thrombosis and lipid-deposition in a dose-dependent manner.

Background: Intravascular-thrombosis and extravascular-lipid-deposition are the two key pathogenic events considered to interrupt intraosseous blood supply during steroid-associated osteonecrosis (ON) development. However, there are no reported candidate agents capable of simultaneously targeting these two key pathogenic events. The authors' published experimental studies have shown that Epimedium-derived flavonoids possess an anti-ON effect.

Rat lumbar vertebrae bone densitometry using multidetector CT.

Peripheral quantitative CT (pQCT) is the main method of bone mineral density (BMD) measurement in small animals. However, pQCT is usually only available in specialized centers, while clinical multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) is much more widely available. This study investigated the feasibility of using clinical 64-slice MDCT for measuring the BMD of rat lumbar vertebrae.

Determination of residual isobutylene oxide--a genotoxic starting material in a drug substance by static headspace gas chromatography.

A sensitive static headspace gas chromatography (sHS-GC) method is developed and validated for the determination of residual isobutylene oxide (IBO)-a genotoxic starting material in a drug substance for Phase I clinical trial studies. The experimental parameters, such as headspace vial pressure, headspace oven temperature, vial equilibration time, column flow rate, and GC oven temperature programs are optimized. Under the optimal conditions, the recovery is between 89.

Effect of column temperature on enantioseparation of dihydropyrimidinones using alcohol solvated Chiralpak AS and AS-H columns.

In this study we report the application of column temperature programs to compare the chromatographic behaviors of four commercially available dihydropyrimidinone (DHP) compounds on Chiralpak AS and AS-H phases under different alcohol solvation conditions such as 1-propanol (1-PrOH), 2-methyl-1-PrOH (2-Me-1-PrOH), 1-butanol (1-BuOH), 2-BuOH, and tert-BuOH (t-BuOH) in n-hexane (n-Hex). It was observed that the apparent retention factors of the DHP compounds on the AS phase in t-BuOH/n-Hex mobile phase had the largest reduction (>27%) among the mobile phases studied after a heating and cooling temperature cycle (10 to 50 back to 10 degrees C). However, the average reduction of the apparent retention factors of the compounds on t-BuOH solvated AS-H was less than 4%.

Compromised bone marrow perfusion in osteoporosis.

A link between bone blood flow and osteoporosis may exist. Outside of the spine, the proximal femur is the most common site of osteoporotic fracture and is also an area prone to avascular necrosis and fracture nonunion. This study of the proximal femur investigates the relationship between BMD, bone marrow fat content, bone perfusion, and muscle perfusion.

A gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric approach to examining stereoselective interaction of human plasma proteins with soman.

The organophosphorus (OP) nerve agent soman (GD) contains two chiral centers (a carbon and a phosphorus atom), resulting in four stereoisomers (C+P+, C-P+, C+P-, and C-P-); the P- isomers exhibit a mammalian toxicity that is approximately 1000-fold greater than that of the P+ isomers. The capacity to assess the binding or hydrolysis of each of the four stereoisomers is an important tool in the development of enzymes with the potential to protect against GD intoxication. Using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-based approach, we have examined the capacity of plasma-derived human serum albumin, plasma-purified human butyrylcholinesterase, goat milk-derived recombinant human butyrylcholinesterase, and recombinant human paraoxonase 1 to interact with each of the four stereoisomers of GD in vitro at pH 7.

Column temperature programming in enantioseparation of dihydropyrimidinone compounds using derivatized cellulose and amylose chiral stationary phases.

We report the application of column temperature programs as a tool to examine unusual temperature-induced behaviors of polysaccharide chiral stationary phases (CSPs). Using dihydropyrimidinone (DHP) compounds as probes we observed the heating (10-50 degrees C) and cooling (50-10 degrees C) van't Hoff plots of retention factors and/or selectivities of DHP compounds were not superimposable on AD, IA, and AS-H columns solvated with ethanol (EtOH)/n-hexane (n-Hex) mobile phases. The plots were not superimposable on AD, IB, and AS-H columns solvated with 2-propanol (2-PrOH)/n-Hex mobile phases.

Analysis of bone marrow fatty acid composition using high-resolution proton NMR spectroscopy.

High-resolution 1H NMR spectroscopy as a complementary method in the analysis of human bone marrow fatty acid (FA) composition was examined. Marrow FA composition in 10 bone samples measured by NMR and gas chromatography (GC) were compared. NMR T1 relaxation time of FA was determined and reproducibility tests were performed to assess the variability.

Malignant cervical lymphadenopathy: diagnostic accuracy of diffusion-weighted MR imaging.

Purpose: To prospectively determine the diagnostic accuracy of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for discrimination of malignant neck nodes due to lymphoma, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), with histologic findings and imaging criteria as reference standards.

Materials And Methods: Ethics committee approval and informed consent were obtained. Patients with malignant lymphadenopathy underwent 1.

Nasopharyngeal cancers: which method should be used to measure these irregularly shaped tumors on cross-sectional imaging?

Purpose: To determine whether the standard techniques of measuring tumor size and change in size after treatment could be applied to the measurement of nasopharyngeal cancers, which are often irregular in shape.

Methods And Materials: The standard measurements of bidimensional (BDM) (World Health Organization criteria) and unidimensional (UDM) (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors [RECIST] criteria), together with the maximum depth of the tumor perpendicular to the pharyngeal wall (DM), were acquired from axial magnetic resonance images of primary nasopharyngeal carcinoma in 44 patients at diagnosis and in 29 of these patients after treatment. Tumor volume measurements (VM), acquired from the summation of areas from the axial magnetic resonance images, were used as the reference standard.

Dual-tracer PET/CT imaging in evaluation of metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma.

Unlabelled: We have reported previously that (11)C-acetate ((11)C-ACT) PET was complementary to (18)F-FDG PET in the evaluation of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in relation to the degree of tumor cellular differentiation. In this retrospective study, our goals were to further explore the complementary role of (11)C-ACT and (18)F-FDG PET in the detection of metastatic HCC disease, to evaluate the tracer characteristics of individual organ metastasis, to identify the risk factors of metastasis, and to evaluate how these results could affect patient management.

Methods: One hundred twenty-one patients were selected for this study.

Direct detection of stereospecific soman hydrolysis by wild-type human serum paraoxonase.

Human serum paraoxonase 1 (HuPON1; EC 3.1.8.

Stoichiometric and catalytic scavengers as protection against nerve agent toxicity: a mini review.

Currently fielded treatments for nerve agent intoxication promote survival, but do not afford complete protection against either nerve agent-induced motor and cognitive deficits or neuronal pathology. The use of human plasma-derived butyrylcholinesterase (HuBuChE) to neutralize the toxic effects of nerve agents in vivo has been shown to both aid survival and protect against decreased cognitive function after nerve agent exposure. Recently, a commercially produced recombinant form of human butyrylcholinesterase (r-HuBuChE; PharmAthene Inc.

Vertebral marrow fat content and diffusion and perfusion indexes in women with varying bone density: MR evaluation.

Purpose: To prospectively study the relationship among vertebral marrow fat content, marrow diffusion indexes, and marrow and erector spinae muscle perfusion indexes in female subjects with varying bone mineral density.

Materials And Methods: Institutional study approval and informed consent were obtained. Dual x-ray absorptiometry, proton magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy, diffusion-weighted MR imaging, and dynamic contrast material-enhanced MR imaging of the lumbar spine and erector spinae muscle were performed in 110 women (mean age, 73 years; range, 67-84 years).

In vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of breast lesions: an update.

In vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) has been demonstrated to be successful in the differentiation of benign and malignant breast lesions in a non-invasive manner by detecting increased levels of composite choline (Cho) compounds. Currently there is molecular evidence of increased Cho metabolism in breast cancer cells. In breast malignancies, (1)H-MRS achieved a high-overall sensitivity (82%).

Magnetic resonance imaging of breast lesions--a pathologic correlation.

Magnetic resonance imaging of the breast is useful in assessing breast lesions. An understanding of the pathologic characteristics of the tumors may help to understand these magnetic resonance imaging observations.Large lesional size (>10 mm), ill-defined margin, and irregular outlines are associated with malignancy.

Changes of brain activity in the aged SAMP mouse.

This study investigates characteristics of aging in the central nervous system of the senescence accelerated prone mice (SAMP8). We examined 3 and 10-months old senescence-accelerated-prone mice (SAMP8) for functional and molecular changes in their brains, specifically in the hippocampus and somatosensory cortex. There was no statistically significant increase in the apoptosis indicators as revealed by Western Blotting for BAD and TUNEL experiments.

Pilot study of efficacy of tongue and body acupuncture in children with visual impairment.

We studied the efficacy of tongue and body acupuncture in affecting visual recovery in children with central and peripheral visual disorders. Twelve children (five boys, seven girls) (age range 18 months to 14.5 years) with visual disorder with static functional visual ability for at least 12 months were recruited for the study.

Pilot study of positron emission tomography (PET) brain glucose metabolism to assess the efficacy of tongue and body acupuncture in cerebral palsy.

We aimed to assess the efficacy of tongue and body acupuncture with clinical function and brain glucose metabolism in children with a severe type of cerebral palsy. Four children were recruited. The motor function belonged to grade 5 of the Gross Motor Function Measure (i.

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) of rodent brains in vivo using a 1.5T clinical MR scanner.

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of using a clinical 1.5T MR scanner to perform magnetic resonance (MR) diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) on in vivo rodent brains and to trace major rodent neuronal bundles with anatomical correlation.

Materials And Methods: Two normal adult Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were anesthetized and imaged in a 1.

Bilateral frontal activation associated with cutaneous stimulation of elixir field: an FMRI study.

Elixir Field, or Dan Tian, is the area where energy is stored and nourished in the body according to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Although Dan Tian stimulation is a major concept in Qigong healing and has been practiced for thousands of years, and while there are some recent empirical evidence of its effect, its neurophysiological basis remains unknown. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study brain activations associated with external stimulation of the lower Elixir Field in ten normal subjects, and compared the results with the stimulation of their right hands.

Salivary gland tumors at in vivo proton MR spectroscopy.

Purpose: To prospectively evaluate whether proton magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy can be used to characterize salivary gland tumors (SGTs).

Materials And Methods: Ethics committee approval and informed consent were obtained. Hydrogen 1 ((1)H) MR spectroscopy was performed with echo times of 136 and 272 msec at 1.

Vertebral bone mineral density, marrow perfusion, and fat content in healthy men and men with osteoporosis: dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging and MR spectroscopy.

Purpose: To prospectively use hydrogen 1 (1H) magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy and dynamic contrast material-enhanced MR imaging to measure vertebral body marrow fat content and bone marrow perfusion in older men with varying bone mineral densities as documented with dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA).

Materials And Methods: This study had institutional review board approval, and all participants provided informed consent. DXA, 1H MR spectroscopy, and dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging of the lumbar spine were performed in 90 men (mean age, 73 years; range, 67-101 years).

Osteoporosis is associated with increased marrow fat content and decreased marrow fat unsaturation: a proton MR spectroscopy study.

Purpose: To use proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) to evaluate vertebral marrow fat, and to determine whether bone density correlates with fat content and fat unsaturation levels in postmenopausal women.

Materials And Methods: Fifty-three women (mean age = 70 years) underwent dual energy x-ray absorptiometry and (1)H-MRS, and 12 young female controls (mean age = 28 years) underwent (1)H-MRS of the lumber spine. Water and lipid peak amplitudes were measured to calculate fat content and fat unsaturation index.