The protective effects of polysaccharide extract from Xin-Ji-Er-Kang formula on Ang II-induced HUVECs injury, L-NAME-induced hypertension and cardiovascular remodeling in mice.

Background: Xin-Ji-Er-Kang (XJEK) is a Chinese herbal formula, which has been reported to exert effective protection against cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension and myocarditis.

Methods: Cultured human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) were treated with angiotensin II (Ang II) and different concentrations of aqueous layer extracts (AqE). Subsequently nitric oxide (NO) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression levels were detected.

Al F labeled sulfonamide-conjugated positron emission tomography tracer in vivo tumor-targeted imaging.

An ideal positron emission tomography (PET) tracer should be highly extractable by the tumor tissue or organ that contains low toxicity and can provide high-resolution images in vivo. In this work, the aim was to evaluate the application of Al F-labeled 1,4,7-triazacyclononane-1,4,7-triacetic acid containing sulfonamide group ( F-Al-NOTA-SN) as a potential tumor-targeting signal-enhanced radioactive tracer in PET. SN as a tumor-targeting group was incorporated to NOTA to make a ligand.

Right ventricle performances with echocardiography and Tc myocardial perfusion imaging in pulmonary arterial hypertension patients.

Right heart catheterization is commonly used to measure right ventricle hemodynamic parameters and is the gold standard for pulmonary arterial hypertension diagnosis; however, it is not suitable for patients' long-term follow-up. Non-invasive echocardiography and nuclear medicine have been applied to measure right ventricle anatomy and function, but the guidelines for the usefulness of clinical parameters remain to be established. The goal of this study is to identify reliable clinical parameters of right ventricle function in pulmonary arterial hypertension patients and analyze the relationship of these clinical parameters with the disease severity of pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Effects of Xin-Ji-Er-Kang on Anticardiovascular Remodeling in -NAME Induced Hypertensive Mice and Its Potential Mechanisms.

Background: Xin-Ji-Er-Kang (XJEK) shows protective effects on the myocardial ischemic diseases in our previous reports. We hypothesized that XJEK may exert preventing effects on -NAME induced hypertensive mice by ameliorating oxidative stress (OS) and endothelial dysfunction (ED).

Methods: After treatment with XJEK for four weeks, cardiac function and cardiovascular pathology changes were evaluated.

Protective effects of Xinji'erkang on myocardial infarction induced cardiac injury in mice.

Background: Myocardial infarction (MI) is a major risk factor responsible for morbidity and mortality. Xinji'erkang (XJEK) has been clinically used as an effective medication in the treatment of coronary heart disease and myocarditis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the cardioprotective effect of Xinji'erkang on MI mice.

Increased uptake of Tc-99m-methylene diphosphonate in the jaw.

Increased uptake of Tc-99m-methylene diphosphonate in the area of jaw is a common finding on the whole body bone scan. To study its incidence, causes and clinical significance, we performed static anterior and bilateral head views on 52 consecutive patients, followed by a dental examination and a panoramic radiograph. We demonstrated that increased uptake of bone tracer in the area of jaw was observed at a high incidence, as well as its characteristic distribution.

Endovascular management of pararenal aortic aneurysms with multiple overlapping uncovered stents.

Objective: This study aims at evaluating the safety and efficacy of a porous stent system consisting of multiple overlapping uncovered stents in the treatment of complex aortic aneurysms with vital branches.

Methods: Data of all patients with aortic aneurysms treated in our center with multiple overlapping uncovered stents between February 2010 and December 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. Preoperative characteristics, intraoperative details, and follow-up outcomes were documented.

Multilayer stents, a new progress in the endovascular treatment of aneurysms.

Objective: To review the recent progress of multilayer stents in treating arterial aneurysms and to draw an initial conclusion about its paradigm.

Data Sources: PubMed database and ELSEVIER database were searched with the keywords "cardiatis" or "multilayer stent" for relevant articles from January 2008 to September 2012. Relevant websites (provided by Cardiatis) were also involved in the review process.

Innovative sandwich technique in treating a symptomatic saccular suprarenal aneurysm involving the celiac trunk.

Purpose: To describe a new technique that combines traditional stent graft and multiple overlapping uncovered stents to form a sandwich-like structure in the management of a wide-necked saccular suprarenal aneurysm.

Case Report: An 83-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital with a large symptomatic aortic aneurysm that involved celiac trunk. Traditional stent graft and coiling were precluded due to the anatomical complexity of the aneurysm.

Organocatalytic asymmetric synthesis of substituted 3-hydroxy-2-oxindoles via Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction.

We report a highly enantioselective Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) reaction of isatins and acrolein to provide enantiomerically enriched 3-substituted 3-hydroxyoxindoles, which could serve as valuable synthetic building blocks. This is also the first time that a ketone has been used as the electrophile and acrolein as the nucleophile in a highly enantioselective catalytic asymmetric MBH reaction. Hatakeyama's catalyst, β-isocupreidine (1), turned out to be a powerful catalyst for this transformation.

[Study of infective efficiency of two adenovirus vectors to rBMSC and its mechanism].

Objective: To investigate the infective efficiency of Ad5/EGFP versus AdF35/EGFP to rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (rBMSC) and understand its mechanism.

Methods: rBMSC were isolated from rat bone marrow by density gradient method. The expressions of CD90, CD29, CD44, CD34, CD11b and CD45 on the surface of rBMSC were measured by flow cytometry.

[Research on the mechanism of ginsenoside Rh2 reversing the resistance of lung adenocarcinoma cells to cisplatin].

Objective: To explore the mechanism of ginsenoside Rh2 in reversing the resistance of lung adenocarcinoma cells to cisplatin.

Methods: In the Rh2, DDP and DDP + Rh2 group A549DDP cells were treated with Rh2, cisplatin, cisplatin + Rh2 respectively for 48 hours. In the control group the A549DDP cells were not treated with any kind of drugs.

[Autoradiography reporter gene (Ad5-tk carrying HSV1-tk gene) expression imaging in rat myocardium].

Objective: Radionuclide imaging of reporter gene expression holds promise for noninvasive monitoring of gene therapy. Herpes simplex virus 1-thymidine kinase (HSV1-tk) has been successfully applied to the tumor tissue.We explored the feasibility of the expression imaging of HSV1-tk reporter gene in rat myocardium by using SPECT reporter probe (131)I-2'-fluoro-2'-deoxy-1-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl-5-iodouracil ((131)I-FIAU) and autoradiography (ARG).

[Myocardial single photon emission tomography imaging of reporter gene expression in rabbits].

Objective: To explore the feasibility of single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) detection of heart reporter gene expression and observed the optimal transfecting titer and imaging time by using herpes simplex virus 1-thymidine kinase (HSV1-tk) as reporter gene and 131I-2'-fluoro-2'-deoxy-1-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl-5-iodouracil (131I-FIAU) as reporter probe in rabbit myocardium.

Methods: The recombinant Ad-tk carrying HSV1-tk gene and adenovirus (Ad) as vector was constructed and intramyocardially injected to rabbits at various concentrations (1 x 10(9) pfu, 5 x 10(8) pfu, 1 x 10(8) pfu, 5 x 10(7) pfu, 1 x 10(7) pfu). Two days later, rabbits were injected with 600 microCi 131I-FIAU in ear-margin vein and then underwent SPECT myocardium imaging for detection of HSV1-tk expression at 6 h, 24 h, 48 h and 72 h after injection, rabbits with 1 x 10(9) pfu Ad-tk injection were imaged at 96 h and 120 h.

[Treatment on post-operational complications of aortic endovascular grafting exclusion].

Objective: To investigate the post-operative complications of aortic endovascular grafting exclusion (EVGE) and its reasons and treatments.

Methods: Clinical data of 82 cases received aortic endovascular grafting exclusion from January 2002 to October 2008 were retrospectively analyzed. Seventy-one cases were male and 11 cases were female with the age of 33 to 78 years and the average age of 49.

The antiproliferative effects of somatostatin receptor subtype 2 in breast cancer cells.

Aim: Somatostatin receptor subtype 2 (SSTR2) is the principal mediator of somatostatin's (SST) antiproliferative effects on normal and cancer cells. Therefore, we investigated whether the enhanced expression of SSTR2 could inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells, and, if so, the mechanisms that might be involved.

Methods: SSTR2 expression levels were determined by qRT-PCR in several tumor cell lines.

[Feasibility of apoptosis-imaging agent 99mTc-HYNIC-annexin V in early assessment of chemotherapeutic effect on tumor models].

Objective: To evaluate if 99mTc-HYNIC-annexin V may be used to detect the early chemotherapeutic effect and to determine the best timing for detecting apoptosis in vivo.

Methods: Annexin V was labeled with 99mTc using HYNIC as a bifunctional agent. Normal Kunming mice received inoculation of Ehrlich ascites cells into the right upper limb.

[The role of whole body 2-[fluorine-18]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography in the management of unknown primary tumors].

Objective: To assess the role of 2-[fluorine-18]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose ((18)F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in the management of unknown primary primary (CUP) with metastatic loci.

Methods: Thirty-four patients of CUP with metastatic loci who had undergone unsuccessful conventional diagnostic work-up underwent (18)F-FDG PET/CT. The images thus obtained were analyzed with visual and semi-quantitative methods.

[Targeted radionuclide therapy for patients with metastatic medullary thyroid carcinoma].

Objective: To evaluate the effect of 90Y-DOTATOC and 131I-MIBG in treatment of metastatic medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC).

Methods: Twelve histologically confirmed patients with metastatic MTC were included. All patients underwent both 111In-DTPA-octreotide imaging and 131I/ 123I-meta-iodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) imaging.

[Experimental study of transferrin receptor molecular imaging in human hepatocellular carcinoma transplanted in nude mice].

Objective: To investigate the feasibility of (99m)Tc-transferrin ((99m)Tc-Tf) as an transferrin receptor imaging agent in nude mice bearing human hepatoma SMMC-7721 tumor.

Methods: Biodistribution of (99m)Tc-Tf in Balb/c mice was assayed, and transferrin receptor imaging in Balb/c nu/nu nude mice bearing human hepatocellular carcinoma SMMC-7721 xenografts was carried out, with or without inhibition of transferrin receptor with unlabeled transferrin. The receptor radioligand binding assay with (125)I-transferrin as ligand was established, and the number of receptors per cell and the K(d) were worked out.

[Use of 99mTc-survivin antisense oligonucleotide in diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma: an experiment with mice].

Objective: To investigate the possibility of using survivin antisense oligonucleotide (ASON) labeled with radionuclide technetium-99m ((99m)Tc) for diagnosing hepatocellular carcinoma in nude mice bearing human hepatoma.

Methods: A 18 mer single-stranded survivin ASON sequence was synthesized and linked with a primary amine on the 5'-end. Survivin ASON was labeled with (99m)Tc by conjugating the chelator, S-acetyl-NHS-MAG3 (mercaptoacetyltriglycine).

Uptake kinetics of 99mTc-MAG3-antisense oligonucleotide to PCNA and effect on gene expression in vascular smooth muscle cells.

Unlabelled: To investigate the feasibility of in vivo imaging study of atherosclerotic plaque and restenosis using antisense probe, we evaluated the uptake kinetics of radiolabeled oligonucleotides to the messenger RNA (mRNA) of proliferating cell nucleus antigen (PCNA) in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and the effect on gene expression.

Methods: The antisense oligonucleotide to PCNA was radiolabeled with (99m)Tc through bifunctional chelator mercaptoacetyltriglycine (MAG(3)). The labeling efficiency was assessed by Sephadex G25 chromatography.