Novel treatment system using endoscopic ultrasound-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound: A proof-of-concept study.

Aim: High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a novel minimally invasive local treatment of solid tumors. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided HIFU (EUS-HIFU) using mechanical effects would have potential benefits, including precise detection of target lesions and enhance drug delivery. The aim of this study is to develop EUS-HIFU device and to prove our concept in porcine model using a locally injected phase change nano droplet (PCND) as the sensitizer.

Oil Gel-Based Phantom for Evaluating Quantitative Accuracy of Speed of Sound Measured in Ultrasound Computed Tomography.

To evaluate the quantitative accuracy of the measured speed of sound in ultrasound computed tomography for breast imaging, it is necessary to use a phantom with inclusions whose speed of sound is known. Accordingly, a phantom with known-speed-of-sound inclusions (e.g.

High levels of stromal cell-derived factor-1α predict short-term progression of renal dysfunction in patients with coronary artery disease.

Background: Stromal cell-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α) is an inflammatory chemokine that plays a critical role in cardiovascular disease. Although persistent inflammation causes renal dysfunction, it remains unclear whether SDF-1α is related to progression of chronic kidney disease. This study examined whether high levels of SDF-1α are associated with future declines in renal function in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).

Pulmonary Vascular Resistance Is Associated With Brachial-Ankle Pulse-Wave Velocity and Adverse Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction.

Background: The precise mechanisms underlying the high prevalence of pulmonary hypertension (PH) with increased pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) remain largely unknown. Measurements of brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) have been shown to be useful for risk assessment in HF patients. Thus, this study sought to define the association of PVR with baPWV and clinical outcomes in HFpEF.

Correction to: Accuracy and limitations of vector flow mapping: left ventricular phantom validation using stereo particle image velocimetory.

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake. The conflict of interest statement was missing in the article. The CoI statement is given below.

Transluminal Approach with Bubble-Seeded Histotripsy for Cancer Treatment with Ultrasonic Mechanical Effects.

Bubble-seeded histotripsy (BSH) is a newly developed ultrasound-based mechanical fractionation technique using locally injected phase change nanodroplets (PCNDs) as sensitizers. The PCNDs are a kind of microbubble precursor compressed into submicron-size in droplets form, which were designed for local administration and will expand into microbubbles under ultrasound exposure. Previously, we reported that a combination of PCNDs injection and pulsed high-intensity focused ultrasound (pHIFU) with an acoustic intensity as low as about 3 kW/cm at 1.

A posteriori accuracy estimation of ultrasonic vector-flow mapping (VFM).

Abstract: A novel method, called a posteriori "VFM accuracy estimation" (VAE), for resolving an intrinsic VFM problem is proposed. The problem is that VFM uncertainty can easily vary according to blood flows through an echocardiographic imaged plane (i.e.

Sonodynamic Therapy Based on Combined Use of Low Dose Administration of Epirubicin-Incorporating Drug Delivery System and Focused Ultrasound.

Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) is currently considered as one of the promising minimally invasive treatment options for solid cancers. SDT is based on the combined use of a sonosensitizer drug and high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) to produce cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) in and around neoplastic cells. Anthracycline drugs, including epirubicin (EPI), have been well known as effective sonosensitizers after interaction with focused ultrasound.

Centralization of extruded medial meniscus delays cartilage degeneration in rats.

Background: Meniscus extrusion often observed in knee osteoarthritis has a strong correlation with the progression of cartilage degeneration and symptom in the patients. We recently reported a novel procedure "arthroscopic centralization" in which the capsule was sutured to the edge of the tibial plateau to reduce meniscus extrusion in the human knee. However, there is no animal model to study the efficacy of this procedure.

Accuracy and limitations of vector flow mapping: left ventricular phantom validation using stereo particle image velocimetory.

Background: The accuracy of vector flow mapping (VFM) was investigated in comparison to stereo particle image velocimetry (stereo-PIV) measurements using a left ventricular phantom. VFM is an echocardiographic approach to visualizing two-dimensional flow dynamics by estimating the azimuthal component of flow from the mass-conservation equation. VFM provides means of visualizing cardiac flow, but there has not been a study that compared the flow estimated by VFM to the flow data acquired by other methods.

New approach for local cancer treatment using pulsed high-intensity focused ultrasound and phase-change nanodroplets.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the combination effects of pulsed HIFU (pHIFU) and phase-change nanodroplets (PCND) as a sensitizer on efficient induction of mechanical effects of pHIFU and chemically enhanced tumor growth inhibition for local anti-tumor therapy.

Method: Changes in growth of colon 26 tumor tissue inoculated onto CDF1 mice were evaluated by the following treatments. (1) pHIFU exposure (1.

Assessment of carotid plaque neovascularization using quantitative analysis of contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging is useful for risk stratification in patients with coronary artery disease.

Background: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) of the carotid artery is a potential technique for imaging plaque neovascularization, a feature of unstable atherosclerotic plaques. This study examined whether assessment of intra-plaque neovascularization of the carotid artery using CEUS provides prognostic information in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods: A total of 206 patients with stable CAD underwent a CEUS examination of the carotid artery and were followed up prospectively for <38 months or until a cardiac event (cardiac death, non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), unstable angina pectoris (uAP) requiring unplanned coronary revascularization, or heart failure requiring hospitalization).

Combined assessment of flow-mediated dilation of the brachial artery and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity improves the prediction of future coronary events in patients with chronic coronary artery disease.

Background And Purpose: Measurement of either flow-mediated endothelium-dependent dilatation (FMD) of the brachial artery, brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), or intima-media thickness (IMT) of the carotid artery is useful for risk assessment of future cardiovascular events. This study examined whether combination of these vascular parameters may have an additive effect on the ability of traditional risk factors to predict coronary events in patients with chronic coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods: Patients (n=923) with stable CAD had measurements of FMD, baPWV, and maximum IMT (maxIMT), and were prospectively followed up for <8.

Lack of phospholipase A2 receptor increases susceptibility to cardiac rupture after myocardial infarction.

Rationale: Recent evidence indicates that the biological effects of secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) cannot be fully explained by its catalytic activity. A cell surface receptor for sPLA2 (PLA2 receptor 1 [PLA2R]) and its high-affinity ligands (including sPLA2-IB, sPLA2-IIE, and sPLA2-X) are expressed in the infarcted myocardium.

Objective: This study asked whether PLA2R might play a pathogenic role in myocardial infarction (MI) using mice lacking PLA2R (PLA2R(-/-)).

Echolucency of carotid plaque is useful for assessment of residual cardiovascular risk in patients with chronic coronary artery disease who achieve LDL-C goals on statin therapy.

Background: Ultrasound assessment of either intima-media thickness (IMT) or plaque echolucency of the carotid artery provides prognostic information on coronary events. This study examined the hypothesis that IMT and plaque echolucency of the carotid artery may remain useful for prediction of coronary events in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) after achievement of LDL-C goals on statin therapy.

Methods And Results: Ultrasound assessment of carotid maximum IMT (maxIMT) and plaque echolucency with integrated backscatter (IBS) analysis was performed in 357 chronic CAD patients with LDL-C <100mg/dl on statin therapy.

Phospholipase A2 expression in coronary thrombus is increased in patients with recurrent cardiac events after acute myocardial infarction.

Objectives: Intracoronary thrombus is a source of active lipid mediators including eicosanoids that play a critical role in the pathogenesis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Eicosanoids are derived from arachidonic acid generated by phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)). This study examined whether PLA(2) is expressed in the aspirated coronary thrombus and whether PLA(2) expression in the thrombus may be related to recurrence of cardiac events and development of atherosclerosis in the culprit coronary artery after AMI.

Deficiency of phospholipase A2 receptor exacerbates ovalbumin-induced lung inflammation.

Secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) plays a critical role in the genesis of lung inflammation through proinflammatory eicosanoids. A previous in vitro experiment showed a possible role of cell surface receptor for sPLA2 (PLA2R) in the clearance of extracellular sPLA2. PLA2R and groups IB and X sPLA2 are expressed in the lung.

Insulin resistance negatively affects long-term outcome in non-diabetic patients with coronary artery disease after therapies to reduce atherosclerotic risk factors.

Background: Insulin resistance (IR) is a predictor of cardiovascular (CV) events even before the onset of diabetes. However, it is unclear whether changes in IR after a reduction of atherosclerotic burden may affect long-term outcome in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). This study examined whether changes in IR after therapy to reduce atherosclerotic risk factors provides prognostic information on future CV events in non-diabetic patients with CAD.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging of carotid plaque neovascularization is useful for identifying high-risk patients with coronary artery disease.

Background:  Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in the carotid artery has potential as a technique for imaging plaque neovascularization. This study examined whether CEUS could provide information on the severity and instability of coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods And Results:  A total of 304 patients with CAD and carotid plaque underwent CEUS examination of the carotid artery.

In-stent restenosis is inhibited in a bare metal stent implanted distal to a sirolimus-eluting stent to treat a long de novo coronary lesion with small distal vessel diameter.

Objectives: This study examined whether sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) implantation exerts an antiproliferative action on a bare metal stent (BMS) placed distally in the same coronary artery.

Background: Diffusion of sirolimus into flowing coronary blood may cause accumulation of this drug in the coronary bed beyond the distal edge of an SES.

Methods: We analyzed data from 115 consecutive patients with ischemic heart disease who were treated with two overlapping stents without a gap in the same coronary artery for a long de novo lesion.

Chronic depletion of glutathione exacerbates ventricular remodelling and dysfunction in the pressure-overloaded heart.

Aims: Chronic depletion of myocardial glutathione (GSH) may play a role in cardiac remodelling and dysfunction. This study examined the relationship between chronic GSH depletion and cardiac failure induced by pressure overload in mice lacking the modifier subunit (GCLM) of glutamate-cysteine ligase, the rate-limiting enzyme for GSH synthesis. In addition, we examined the association between idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in humans and -588C/T polymorphism of the GCLM gene, which reduces plasma levels of GSH.