Exploiting Exosomes in Cancer Liquid Biopsies and Drug Delivery.

Exosomes are cell-derived nanovesicles that transfer molecular cargo from donor to recipient cells and mediate intercellular communication. Advancement in elucidating the biological capabilities and functionalities of exosomes has revealed the striking roles of exosomes as conveyors of bioactive molecules across the biological barriers. Tumor-derived exosomes hold great promise to serve as a liquid biopsy tool for cancer diagnosis and prognosis, as large quantities of exosomes are excreted by tumor cells continuously into the circulation, carrying the molecular cargo (DNA, RNA, proteins) reflective of the genetic and signaling alterations in tumor cells.

Modeling Dewatered Domains in Multilayer Analytic Element Models.

This proposed technique allows sensible and numerically stable behavior in multilayer analytic element models when layers dewater. When saturated thickness approaches zero in an unconfined or fresh/salt interface domain, the domain transitions to a very thin confined domain with a minimum saturated thickness M. M is an adjustable input parameter, so you can make the horizontal flow in dewatered domains negligibly small by making the minimum saturated thickness very small.

Analytic Element Modeling of Steady Interface Flow in Multilayer Aquifers Using AnAqSim.

This paper presents the analytic element modeling approach implemented in the software AnAqSim for simulating steady groundwater flow with a sharp fresh-salt interface in multilayer (three-dimensional) aquifer systems. Compared with numerical methods for variable-density interface modeling, this approach allows quick model construction and can yield useful guidance about the three-dimensional configuration of an interface even at a large scale. The approach employs subdomains and multiple layers as outlined by Fitts (2010) with the addition of discharge potentials for shallow interface flow (Strack 1989).

Exact solution for two-dimensional flow to a well in an anisotropic domain.

Although most current applications of the analytic element method are formulated for isotropic hydraulic conductivity, anisotropic domains can be modeled with analytic elements using the well-known coordinate transformation where one coordinate axis is scaled by the square root of the anisotropy ratio. If the standard analytic solution for steady radial flow to a well is used with this coordinate transformation, the resulting solution correctly models the far field but it does not meet the constant head boundary condition at the well radius. This could be a significant shortcoming if you are interested in the flow field close to the well or want to estimate the head at the pumping well.

Failure of dialysis access: revise or replace?

Providing adequate long-term dialysis access has become increasingly difficult. In order to evaluate the operative factors associated with early failure of dialysis access, 2337 operations performed in 1124 patients over an 8-year period were retrospectively reviewed. Evaluation of 1306 procedures that eventually failed and required operative revision or repair provided the basis for this study.

Reduced inter- and intrasubject variability in cyclosporine pharmacokinetics in renal transplant recipients treated with a microemulsion formulation in conjunction with fasting, low-fat meals, or high-fat meals.

This cross-over study compared the pharmacokinetic parameters obtained from cyclosporine (CsA) concentration-time profiles after administration of the corn oil-based soft gel cap (CsA-GC) with those with the microemulsion (CsA-ME) gel cap. Neither the fasting state nor the coadministration of a low- or high-fat breakfast affected the pharmacokinetics of CsA presented in either formulation. Comparisons of the three sets of pharmacokinetic parameters--namely, after fasting or after low-fat or after high-fat diets--demonstrated the CsA-ME formulation to display greater intraindividual reproducibility of the C0 and C12 trough levels (TLs), Cmax, tmax, and area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) than the CsA-GC formulation.

New patterns of transplant nephrectomy in the cyclosporine era.

Several significant advances in transplantation during the last decade, among them the introduction of cyclosporine, have greatly altered the management of allograft recipients. To determine the frequency and pattern of transplant nephrectomy (TN) since cyclosporine was introduced in 1984, we reviewed our results from 1968 through 1990. During the 23 year period, 766 renal transplants were performed; 280 before 1984, when cyclosporine was first introduced into routine care and 486 after that time.

Renal transplantation from living related donor after excision of angiomyolipoma of the donor kidney.

A 44-year-old woman with end stage renal disease underwent living related renal transplantation after planned partial nephrectomy of the donor kidney for angiomyolipoma.

Ischemia-reperfusion injury: biochemical alterations in peroxisomes of rat kidney.

Exogenously supplied catalase, a peroxisomal enzyme, has been found to be of therapeutic value in ischemic injury. Therefore, we examined the effect of ischemic-reperfusion injury on the structure and function of kidney peroxisomes. Ischemic injury changed the density of peroxisomes from 1.

Mitochondrial membrane fluidity changes in renal ischemia.

The fluorescence polarization technique with 1,6-Diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene as a probe, was used to determine the lipid rotational mobility (LRM) measured by fluorescence anisotropy of isolated whole mitochondria of the rat kidney following normothermic ischemia of 30, 45, 60 and 90 minutes and upon reperfusion for 24 hours. The LRM of mitochondrial membrane lipids of the ischemic kidney decreased steadily with increasing ischemic times (0.1590 vs.

Effect of ischemia and 24 hour reperfusion on ATP synthesis in the rat kidney.

The ability of renal tissue to synthesize ATP was examined in adult Sprague Dawley Rats immediately following normothermic ischemia of 30, 45, 60 and 90 minutes and upon reperfusion for 24 hours. Following ischemia the rate of ATP synthesis decreased progressively. It was 64.

Necrotizing fasciitis in a renal transplant patient.

We have described a 28-year-old diabetic woman who had necrotizing fasciitis of the perineum three years after receiving a living related renal transplant. The diagnosis of necrotizing fasciitis was made early and she was referred to a tertiary care center where she received radical perineal debridement and aggressive medical and surgical follow-up. Necrotizing fasciitis in a transplant patient is rare; review of the literature shows few cases and no survivors.

Fatty acid metabolism in renal ischemia.

The increase in free fatty acids in the ischemic tissue is a consistent observation and these free fatty acids are considered to play a role in the cellular toxicity. To elucidate the cause of higher levels of free fatty acids in ischemic tissue, we examined the catabolism of fatty acids. The beta-oxidation of lignoceric (24:0), palmitic (16:0) and octanoic (8:0) acids and the peroxidation of fatty acids were measured at different times of renal ischemia in whole kidney homogenate.

Prevention of acute tubular necrosis after transplantation: effect of pretransplantation volume expansion.

We reviewed our experience with 100 consecutive cadaveric transplants of kidneys from satisfactory donors with respect to immediate function after transplantation. The management was the same in all patients except that 66 of them received 1,000 ml of 0.9 N saline IV preoperatively.

Renal transplantation in Alport's syndrome.

Nineteen patients (3 women and 16 men) with Alport's Syndrome and endstage renal failure received 23 allograft kidneys at two medical centers between 1972 and 1983. Ten patients had pretransplant splenectomies, and four patients had pretransplant thoracic duct drainage. After a mean follow-up time of 49 months, analysis revealed total allograft survival was 65 per cent at 1 year, 50 per cent at 2 years, and 57 per cent at 5 years.

Reversal of acute renal failure using hemodilution with hydroxyethyl starch.

Acute renal failure (ARF) was induced in two groups of unilaterally nephrectomized dogs by occluding the renal artery, vein, and ureter of the remaining kidney for 2 hours. The control group (Group I), had no therapy; in the experimental group (Group II), isovolemic hemodilution was carried out using 6% hydroxy ethyl starch (HES) as diluent. The hematocrit in the experimental animals was lowered from 41.

Antigen-coated immunoadsorbents utilized for in vivo depletion of antibodies and lymphocytes with specificity for the antigen.

Hyperacute rejection of xenografts is thought to be triggered by humoral antibodies. It is known that natural antibodies against dog blood cells have been identified in sheep serum. Dog kidney antigen immunoadsorbent columns were placed in the extracorporeal lymph circuit of two sheep.