Macrophage metalloelastase (MME) as adjuvant for intra-tumoral injection of oncolytic adenovirus and its influence on metastases development.

Oncolytic adenoviruses are a promising treatment alternative for many advanced cancers, including colorectal cancer. However, clinical trials have demonstrated that single-agent therapy in advanced tumor masses is rarely curative. Poor spreading of the virus through tumor tissue is one of the major issues limiting efficacy.

Optimized mouse model for the imaging of tumor metastasis upon experimental therapy.

Development of new cancer treatments focuses increasingly on the relation of cancer tissue with its microenvironment. A major obstacle for the development of new anti-cancer therapies has been the lack of relevant animal models that would reproduce all the events involved in disease progression from the early-stage primary tumor until the development of mature metastatic tissue. To this end, we have developed a readily imageable mouse model of colorectal cancer featuring highly reproducible formation of spontaneous liver metastases derived from intrasplenic primary tumors.

Adenoviruses with an αvβ integrin targeting moiety in the fiber shaft or the HI-loop increase tumor specificity without compromising antitumor efficacy in magnetic resonance imaging of colorectal cancer metastases.

Background: Colorectal cancer is often a deadly disease and cannot be cured at metastatic stage. Oncolytic adenoviruses have been considered as a new therapeutic option for treatment of refractory disseminated cancers, including colorectal cancer. The safety data has been excellent but tumor transduction and antitumor efficacy especially in systemic administration needs to be improved.

The effects of ventilatory mode on lung aeration assessed with computer tomography: a randomized controlled study.

Maintenance of spontaneous breathing superimposed on mechanical ventilation is suggested to improve gas exchange in patients with acute lung injury. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term effects of airway pressure release ventilation with maintained unsupported spontaneous breathing (APRV) and synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation with pressure support (SIMV) on the amount of lung collapse in acute lung injury patients. Thirty-seven patients with acute lung injury were studied in a trial comparing APRV or SIMV.

Comparison of liver perfusion parameters studied with conventional extravascular and experimental intravascular CT contrast agents.

Rationale And Objectives: To compare liver perfusion parameters obtained by using an extravascular contrast agent and a blood-pool agent.

Materials And Methods: Fifteen rabbits were imaged with a continuous 40-second single-slice computed tomography acquisition after a bolus injection of contrast agent (physiologic bolus duration 4-5 seconds, extravascular iohexol, n = 7; experimental nanoparticulated blood-pool agent WIN8883, n = 8). Time-density curves were generated for the aorta, portal vein, and liver.

Liver tumor characterization: comparison between liver-specific gadoxetic acid disodium-enhanced MRI and biphasic CT--a multicenter trial.

Objective: In our multi center trial we compared the potentials of biphasic contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) and a novel tissue-specific magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent gadoxetic acid disodium in liver lesion characterization.

Methods: A total of 176 patients with 252 liver lesions were analyzed. There were 104 malignant and 148 benign lesions.

Open four-compartment model in the measurement of liver perfusion.

Rationale And Objectives: The goal was to improve informativeness in the determination of liver perfusion with a clinically available iodinated computed tomography (CT) contrast agent by developing open multicompartmental modeling.

Materials And Methods: Contrast-enhanced functional CT (fCT) examinations were conducted with temporal resolutions of 200-500 msec to 6 New Zealand White rabbits. First, we applied conventional open two-compartment model for the determination of arterial and portal blood flows (FA and FP), blood and interstitial volume fractions (fb and fi), and capillary permeability-surface area product (PS) of liver parenchyma.

Preoperative assessment of focal liver lesions: multidetector computed tomography challenges magnetic resonance imaging.

Purpose: To investigate prospectively multidetector computed tomography (CT) (MDCT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging (MRI) in the preoperative assessment of focal liver lesions.

Material And Methods: Multiphasic MDCT and conventional gadolinium-enhanced MRI were performed on 31 consecutive patients prior to hepatic surgery. All images were blindly analyzed as consensus reading.

Non-invasive diagnosis of liver cirrhosis: magnetic resonance imaging presents special features.

Objective: Liver cirrhosis and its complications constitute a daily clinical challenge. The diagnosis of cirrhosis is traditionally established with the invasive method of liver biopsy. We undertook the present study in order to investigate the sensitivity and specificity of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in diagnosing cirrhosis.

Liver tumour MRI: what do we need for lesion characterization?

Background: Hepatic lesions constitute a daily challenge to radiology in clinical settings, and non-invasive methods are valuable in the characterization of these liver tumours. We undertook our investigation to assess the lesion characterization potential of MRI by evaluating several unenhanced MR sequences and the dynamic gadolinium (Gd)-enhanced technique.

Methods: A total of 116 focal liver lesions in 116 patients were included in our retrospective study, and histological verification was available for 107 lesions.

Contrast-to-noise ratio of multiple slice spin lock technique: prospects for liver imaging.

Spin lock (SL) MRI technique has been demonstrated to provide similar lesion/liver contrast to conventional MR technique. Multiple slice SL technique allows a large number of slices to be collected within a given repetition time due to the short echo time. In addition, the short echo time reduces movement and susceptibility artefacts.

Assessment of vascular physiology of tumorous livers: comparison of two different methods.

Rationale And Objectives: To evaluate liver and liver tumor perfusions by using two different modelling methods: gamma-variate fitting and a single-compartment model.

Materials And Methods: 5 New Zealand White rabbits with VX2 tumor implanted into the liver via portal injections were studied. Contrast-enhanced functional CT (fCT) examinations with temporal resolution of 200-500 milliseconds were conducted before tumor inoculation.

Rosiglitazone in the treatment of HAART-associated lipodystrophy--a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study.

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is associated with metabolic adverse events such as insulin resistance and lipodystrophy, that is, atrophy of subcutaneous fat and accumulation of intra-abdominal fat. Currently, there is no pharmacological treatment for lipoatrophy. Glitazones, a novel class of insulin-sensitizing anti-diabetic agents, increase subcutaneous fat in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Magnetic resonance imaging of the liver: true fast imaging with steady state free precession sequence facilitates rapid and reliable distinction between hepatic hemangiomas and liver malignancies.

Objective: To assess the capability of the true fast imaging with steady state free precession (true FISP) sequence in the distinction between hemangiomas and malignant liver lesions.

Methods: Sixty-eight patients with 45 hemangiomas and 51 liver malignancies were included in this study. A 1.

Wernicke's encephalopathy: is diffusion-weighted MRI useful?

We present the clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of five patients with acute Wernicke's encephalopathy. T2-weighted and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) images demonstrated symmetrical hyperintense lesions within the dorsomedial thalami, periaqueductal white matter, and the tectum of the midbrain. None of the lesions enhanced with gadolinium.

MnDPDP-enhanced magnetization transfer MR imaging: implications for effective liver imaging.

The benefit of combining magnetization transfer (MT) MR imaging technique with liver-specific contrast agent manganese dipyridoxyldiphosphate (MnDPDP) was assessed in our experimental investigation. The study was accomplished by imaging a phantom containing serial concentrations of MnDPDP in cross-linked bovine serum albumin (BSA) with various protein concentrations. A 0.

Neuroimaging supports the clinical diagnosis of methanol poisoning.

In addition to visual loss, methanol intoxication can cause brain damage that is revealed by neuroimaging. We report on a 34-year-old man whose visual acuity deteriorated dramatically during his journey round the world, shortly after an evening with excessive alcohol consumption. Two months after the start of visual disturbances he returned to Finland.

Increased fat accumulation in the liver in HIV-infected patients with antiretroviral therapy-associated lipodystrophy.

Objective: To determine liver fat content in patients with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)-associated lipodystrophy.

Background: Lipodystrophy in several animal models is associated with fat accumulation in insulin-sensitive tissues, such as the liver. This causes hyperinsulinaemia, dyslipidaemia and other features of insulin resistance.

Liver-fat accumulation and insulin resistance in obese women with previous gestational diabetes.

Objective: We determined whether fat accumulation in the liver is associated with features of insulin resistance independent of obesity.

Research Methods And Procedures: We recruited 27 obese nondiabetic women in whom liver fat (LFAT) content was determined by proton spectroscopy, intra-abdominal and subcutaneous fat by magnetic resonance imaging, and insulin sensitivity by the euglycemic insulin clamp technique. The women were divided based on their median LFAT content (5%) to groups with low (3.

Fat accumulation in the liver is associated with defects in insulin suppression of glucose production and serum free fatty acids independent of obesity in normal men.

We determined whether interindividual variation in hepatic insulin sensitivity could be attributed to variation in liver fat content (LFAT) independent of obesity. We recruited 30 healthy nondiabetic men whose LFAT (determined by proton spectroscopy); intraabdominal, sc, and total (determined by magnetic resonance imaging) fat; and insulin sensitivity of endogenous glucose rate of production (R(a)) and suppression of serum FFA [euglycemic insulin clamp combined with [3-(3)H]glucose (0-300 min); insulin infusion rate, 0.3 mU/kg.

Efficacy of sequential use of superparamagnetic iron oxide and gadolinium in liver MR imaging.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of combined (double contrast) use of superparamagnetic iron particles (SPIOs) and gadolinium (Gd) in liver MR imaging.

Material And Methods: Unenhanced, Gd-enhanced, SPIO-enhanced, and both SPIO- and Gd-enhanced images were acquired at 1.5 T.

Intramyocellular lipid is associated with resistance to in vivo insulin actions on glucose uptake, antilipolysis, and early insulin signaling pathways in human skeletal muscle.

To examine whether and how intramyocellular lipid (IMCL) content contributes to interindividual variation in insulin action, we studied 20 healthy men with no family history of type 2 diabetes. IMCL was measured as the resonance of intramyocellular CH(2) protons in lipids/resonance of CH(3) protons of total creatine (IMCL/Cr(T)), using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in vastus lateralis muscle. Whole-body insulin sensitivity was measured using a 120-min euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic (insulin infusion rate 40 mU/m(2).

Hepatic fat content and insulin action on free fatty acids and glucose metabolism rather than insulin absorption are associated with insulin requirements during insulin therapy in type 2 diabetic patients.

To determine causes of interindividual variation in insulin requirements, we recruited 20 type 2 diabetic patients with stable glucose control and insulin doses for >1 year on combination therapy with bedtime NPH insulin and metformin. Insulin absorption (increase in free and total insulin over 8 h after a subcutaneous dose of regular insulin) and actions of intravenous (6-h 0.3 mU x kg(-1) x min(-1) euglycemic insulin clamp combined with [3-3H]glucose) and subcutaneous (glucose infusion rate required to maintain isoglycemia and suppression of free fatty acids [FFAs]) insulin, liver fat content (proton spectroscopy), visceral fat (magnetic resonance imaging), weight, and body composition were determined.