Clinical Utility of Bioimpedance Analysis for Upper Limb Lymphedema with Surgical Treatment.

In lymphedema, the accumulation of subcutaneous interstitial fluid is the most characteristic feature. Bioimpedance analysis (BIA) is a promising technique to measure the amount of body components using a noninvasive method. In this study, we determined the clinical significance of BIA parameters in upper limb lymphedema with surgical treatment such as lymphovenous anastomosis or vascularized lymph node transfer.

Improved lymphangiogenesis around vascularized lymph node flaps by periodic injection of hyaluronidase in a rodent model.

Vascularized lymph node transfer (VLNT) is an advanced surgical approach for secondary lymphedema (SLE) treatment, but tissue fibrosis around the lymph node flap (VLNF) inhibiting lymphangiogenesis is the biggest challenge undermining its therapeutic efficacy. This study explored the effects of periodic hyaluronidase (HLD) injection in reducing fibrosis and promoting lymphangiogenesis in 52 Sprague-Dawley rats with a VLNF over 13 weeks. The results demonstrated that HLD administration significantly enhanced swelling reduction, lymphatic drainage efficiency, and lymphatic vessel regeneration, with up to a 26% decrease in tissue fibrosis around the VLNF.

Investigation of optimizing indocyanine green solution for in vivo lymphatic research using near-infrared fluorescence indocyanine green lymphangiography.

Despite the tireless efforts of many researchers in lymphatic research, indocyanine green (ICG) solution conditions suitable for lymphatic circulation tests have not been perfectly established yet. We aimed to investigate the optimal in vivo conditions of ICG solution to avoid photobleaching and quenching effects, which may affect the accuracy of lymphatic circulation evaluation. After ICG fluorescence intensity (or ICG intensity) was assessed under different in vitro conditions, the image quality of brachial lymph nodes (LNs) and collecting lymphatic vessels (LVs) in eight rats was investigated.

In Vivo Dynamic and Static Analysis of Lymphatic Dysfunction in Lymphedema Using Near-Infrared Fluorescence Indocyanine Green Lymphangiography.

Background: Near-infrared fluorescence indocyanine green lymphangiography, a primary modality for detecting lymphedema, which is a disease due to lymphatic obstruction, enables real-time observations of lymphatics and reveals not only the spatial distribution of drainage (static analysis) but also information on the lymphatic contraction (dynamic analysis).

Methods: We have produced total lymphatic obstruction in the upper limbs of 18 Sprague-Dawley rats through the dissection of proximal (brachial and axillary) lymph nodes and 20-Gy radiation (dissection limbs). After the model formation for 1 week, 9 animal models were observed for 6 weeks using near-infrared fluorescence indocyanine green lymphangiography by injecting 6-μL ICG-BSA (indocyanine green-bovine serum albumin) solution of 20-μg/mL concentration.

The effects of postoperative treadmill exercise on rats with secondary lymphedema.

Cancer-related lymphedema (LE) is often caused by radiotherapy and surgery such as lymph node dissection (LND). Previous studies have reported that exercise is beneficial to relieve LE, but the changes in the lymphatic system following exercise are still unclear. This study aimed to examine the changes in lymphatic drainage pathways over the exercise period and beneficial effects of exercise in rats with LE.

The effects of inspiratory muscle training with pulmonary rehabilitation on NSCLC patients during radiation therapy: A pilot clinical study.

Background: The effects of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) with pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) on patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving radiotherapy (RT) have not previously been reported. This pilot study aimed to determine the effectiveness of IMT with PR on respiratory muscles and exercise capacity of NSCLC patients receiving RT.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 20 patients who underwent RT for NSCLC.

Epigenetic modification of gene expression in cancer cells by terahertz demethylation.

Terahertz (THz) radiation can affect the degree of DNA methylation, the spectral characteristics of which exist in the terahertz region. DNA methylation is an epigenetic modification in which a methyl (CH) group is attached to cytosine, a nucleobase in human DNA. Appropriately controlled DNA methylation leads to proper regulation of gene expression.

Lymphatic channel sheet of polydimethylsiloxane for preventing secondary lymphedema in the rat upper limb model.

Secondary lymphedema is a severe complication of cancer treatment, but there is no effective curative method yet. Lymph node dissection and radiation therapy for cancer treatment may lead to secondary lymphedema, which is a chronic disease induced by malfunction of lymphatic flow. The lymphatic channel sheet (LCS) is an artificial micro-fluidic structure that was fabricated with polydimethylsiloxane to maintain lymphatic flow and induce lymphangiogenesis.

Numerical Model for Cerebrovascular Hemodynamics with Indocyanine Green Fluorescence Videoangiography.

Objective: The use of indocyanine green videoangiography (ICG-VA) to assess blood flow in the brain during cerebrovascular surgery has been increasing. Clinical studies on ICG-VA have predominantly focused on qualitative analysis. However, quantitative analysis numerical modelling for time profiling enables a more accurate evaluation of blood flow kinetics.

Anatomy and relationships of forelimb lymph nodes in Sprague-Dawley rats: A detailed dissecting approach.

Background: Constructing a reliable animal model for preclinical treatment of secondary lymphedema is challenging because the anatomical characteristics near the lymph nodes are understudied. Therefore, this study examined the detailed anatomical relationship between the axillary lymph node flaps (ALNFs) and brachial lymph node flaps (BLNFs) in the forelimb of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats.

Materials And Methods: Ten male rats, weighing 250-300 g, were used.

Clinical Utility of Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis Parameters for Evaluating Patients with Lower Limb Lymphedema after Lymphovenous Anastomosis.

Background:  In lymphedema, lymphatic fluid accumulates in the interstitial space, and localized swelling appears. Lymphovenous anastomosis (LVA) is the most widely used surgery to rebuild a damaged lymphatic system; however, assessing outcome of LVA involves performing volume measurements, which provides limited information on body composition changes. Therefore, we analyzed the bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) parameters that can reflect the status of lymphedema patients who underwent LVA.

Transformation of terahertz vibrational modes of cytosine under hydration.

Cytosine and cytosine monohydrate are representative biomolecules for investigating the effect of hydrogen bonds in deoxyribonucleic acid. To better understand intermolecular interactions, such as hydrogen bonds, between nucleobases it is necessary to identify the low-frequency vibrational modes associated with intermolecular interactions and crystalline structures. In this study, we investigated the characteristic low-frequency vibrational modes of cytosine and cytosine monohydrate using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS).

Determining terahertz resonant peaks of biomolecules in aqueous environment.

The resonant peaks of biomolecules provide information on the molecules' physical and chemical properties. Although many biomolecules have resonant peaks in the terahertz region, it is difficult to observe their specific signals in aqueous environments. Hence, this paper proposes a method for determining these peaks.

Effective demethylation of melanoma cells using terahertz radiation.

Terahertz (THz) demethylation is a photomedical technique applied to dissociate methyl-DNA bonds and reduce global DNA methylation using resonant THz radiation. We evaluated the performance of THz demethylation and investigated the DNA damage caused by THz irradiation. The demethylation rate in M-293T DNA increased linearly with the irradiation power up to 48%.

Detection and manipulation of methylation in blood cancer DNA using terahertz radiation.

DNA methylation is a pivotal epigenetic modification of DNA that regulates gene expression. Abnormal regulation of gene expression is closely related to carcinogenesis, which is why the assessment of DNA methylation is a key factor in cancer research. Terahertz radiation may play an important role in active demethylation for cancer therapy because the characteristic frequency of the methylated DNA exists in the terahertz region.

Terahertz imaging of metastatic lymph nodes using spectroscopic integration technique.

Terahertz (THz) imaging was used to differentiate the metastatic states of frozen lymph nodes (LNs) by using spectroscopic integration technique (SIT). The metastatic states were classified into three groups: healthy LNs, completely metastatic LNs, and partially metastatic LNs, which were obtained from three mice without infection and six mice infected with murine melanoma cells for 30 days and 15 days, respectively. Under histological examination, the healthy LNs and completely metastatic LNs were found to have a homogeneous cellular structure but the partially metastatic LNs had interfaces of the melanoma and healthy tissue.

Terahertz molecular resonance of cancer DNA.

Carcinogenesis involves the chemical and structural alteration of biomolecules in cells. Aberrant methylation of DNA is a well-known carcinogenic mechanism and a common chemical modification of DNA. Terahertz waves can directly observe changes in DNA because the characteristic energies lie in the same frequency region.