Non-invasive diagnosis of liver fibrosis via MRI using targeted gadolinium-based nanoparticles.

Introduction: Accurate diagnosis of liver fibrosis is crucial for preventing cirrhosis and liver tumors. Liver fibrosis is driven by activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) with elevated CD44 expression. We developed hyaluronic acid (HA)-coated gadolinium-based nanoprobes to specifically target CD44 for diagnosing liver fibrosis using T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Inhibition of Notch1 signal promotes brain recovery by modulating glial activity after stroke.

Background: Notch1 signaling inhibiton with N-[N-(3,5-difluorophenacetyl)-1-alanyl]-S-phenylglycine t-butylester] (DAPT) treatment could promote brain recovery and the intervention effect is different between striatum (STR) and cortex (CTX), which might be accounted for different changes of glial activities, but the in-depth mechanism is still unknown. The purpose of this study was to identify whether DAPT could modulate microglial subtype shifts and astroglial-endfeet aquaporin-4 (AQP4) mediated waste solute drainage.

Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats (n=10) were subjected to 90min of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and were treated with DAPT (n=5) or act as control with no treatment (n=5).

Evaluation of Inferior Intercavernous Sinus in Patients With Pituitary Microadenoma by Contrast-Enhanced SPACE Imaging.

Objective: Inferior intercavernous sinus (iICS) is a venous channel below the pituitary gland. Inferior intercavernous sinus injury is predisposed to cause venous bleeding during dura incision in transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary adenomas. Therefore, this study aimed to perform a radiological assessment of iICS before transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary microadenoma.

Glymphatic system in the thalamus, secondary degeneration area was severely impaired at 2nd week after transient occlusion of the middle cerebral artery in rats.

Background And Objectives: The glymphatic system is a recently discovered cerebrospinal fluid transport system and little is known about its dynamic changes after stroke. This study aimed to dynamically observe the structural and functional changes of the impaired glymphatic system in the thalamus after ischemic stroke by pathology and MRI.

Materials And Methods: Ischemic stroke was induced by the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model.

Acutely Inhibiting AQP4 With TGN-020 Improves Functional Outcome by Attenuating Edema and Peri-Infarct Astrogliosis After Cerebral Ischemia.

Background: Ischemic stroke is one of the leading causes of human death and disability. Brain edema and peri-infarct astrocyte reactivity are crucial pathological changes, both involving aquaporin-4 (AQP4). Studies revealed that acute inhibition of AQP4 after stroke diminishes brain edema, however, its effect on peri-infarct astrocyte reactivity and the subacute outcome is unclear.

Prognostic Value of a New Integrated Parameter-Both Collateral Circulation and Permeability Surface-in Hemorrhagic Transformation of Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion Acute Ischemic Stroke: Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Multimodal CT, including CT angiography (CTA) and CT perfusion (CTP), was increasingly used in stroke triage. This study was to determine the relationship between a new integrated parameter-both collateral circulation and relative permeability surface (PS)-and the hemorrhagic transformation (HT) in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) with middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO).

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed consecutive AIS patients with MCAO who underwent baseline CTA/CTP within 4 h of symptom onset and follow-up susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) within 3 weeks.

Impaired glymphatic system in secondary degeneration areas after ischemic stroke in rats.

Background: Pathomechanism of secondary degeneration in remote regions after ischemic stroke has not been totally clarified. Contrast-enhanced MRI with injecting Gd-DTPA in cisterna magna (CM) is regarded as an efficient method to measure glymphatic system function in brain. Our research aimed at evaluating glymphatic system changes in secondary degeneration areas by contrast-enhanced MRI.

Hierarchical Cobalt Selenides as Highly Efficient Microwave Absorbers with Tunable Frequency Response.

Microwave absorbing materials have attracted much attention in solving electromagnetic interference and pollution problems. Hierarchical cobalt selenides have been obtained through a facile selenization annealing process. The as-prepared samples exhibit distinct reflection losses () and frequency responses via tailoring their crystalline configurations, with excellent absorption in Ku, X, or C band.

Abnormal Gray Matter Structural Networks in Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus.

: Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) is known as a treatable form of dementia. Network analysis is emerging as a useful method to study neurological disorder diseases. No study has examined changes of structural brain networks of iNPH patients.

Inhibition of Notch1 Signaling at the Subacute Stage of Stroke Promotes Endogenous Neurogenesis and Motor Recovery After Stroke.

It is still not clear whether Notch1 signaling inhibition can promote functional outcomes after stroke, given that it plays time-dependent roles in the sequential process of endogenous neurogenesis. The purpose of this study was to identify the appropriate time frame for Notch1 signaling inhibition according to the temporal evolution of Notch1 signaling activation and the responses of neural stem cells (NSCs), in order to target it for therapeutic intervention and stimulate neurorestorative strategies after stroke. Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were subjected to 90-min of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO).

Dynamic Evaluation of Notch Signaling-Mediated Angiogenesis in Ischemic Rats Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Objective: The Notch signaling pathway is involved in angiogenesis induced by brain ischemia and can be efficiently inhibited by the -secretase inhibitor N-[N-(3,5-difluorophenacetyl)-1-alanyl]-S-phenylglycine t-butyl ester (DAPT). The aim of the present study was to noninvasively investigate the effect of DAPT treatment on angiogenesis in brain repair after stroke using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats ( = 40) were subjected to 90 minutes of transient middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion and treated with PBS ( = 20) or DAPT ( = 20) at 72 hours after the onset of ischemia.

Predictors of short-term outcome in patients with acute middle cerebral artery occlusion: unsuitability of fluid-attenuated inversion recovery vascular hyperintensity scores.

Fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) vascular hyperintensity (FVH) is used to assess leptomeningeal collateral circulation, but clinical outcomes of patients with FVH can be very different. The aim of the present study was to assess a FVH score and explore its relationship with clinical outcomes. Patients with acute ischemic stroke due to middle cerebral artery M1 occlusion underwent magnetic resonance imaging and were followed up at 10 days (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale) and 90 days (modified Rankin Scale) to determine short-term clinical outcomes.

MRI detects protective effects of DAPT treatment with modulation of microglia/macrophages at subacute and chronic stages following cerebral ischemia.

Notch homolog 1 (Notch 1) signaling is regarded as a potential therapeutic target for modulating the inflammatory response and exhibiting neuroprotective effects in cerebral injury following stroke. N-[N-(3,5-difluorophenacetyl)-1-alanyl]-S-phenylglycine t‑butylester (DAPT) efficiently inhibits activation of the Notch 1 signaling pathway in microglia and may protect brain tissue from ischemic damage. However, the temporal proliferation and morphological alterations of microglia/macrophages throughout progression of the disease, as well as the comprehensive alterations of the whole brain following DAPT treatment, remain to be elucidated.

Imaging the Transformation of Ipsilateral Internal Capsule Following Focal Cerebral Ischemia in Rat by Diffusion Kurtosis Imaging.

Background: The purpose of our study is to explore the relationship between recovery of neural function and transformation of the internal capsule (IC) after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) by using diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI).

Methods: Six male adult Sprague-Dawley rats implemented with transient MCAO were used in this study. Sensorimotor function was assessed according to repetitive behavioral testing on day 1, 3, 7, 14, and 28 after cerebral ischemia.

Combining systemic and stereotactic MEMRI to detect the correlation between gliosis and neuronal connective pathway at the chronic stage after stroke.

Background: The early dysfunction and subsequent recovery after stroke, characterized by the destruction and remodeling of connective pathways between cortex and subcortical regions, is associated with neuroinflammation. As major components of the inflammatory process, reactive astrocytes have double-edged effects on pathological progression. The temporal patterns of astrocyte and neuronal pathway activity can be revealed by systemic and stereotactic manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI), respectively.