Biomedical subjects

Chuan-fu Li

Publications and source records attributed to Chuan-fu Li.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

[Accuracy of preoperative magnetic resonance imaging in prediction of pathological stage and circumferential resection margin in rectal cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the accuracy of preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in prediction of pathological staging and involvement of circumferential resection margin (CRM) in rectal cancer. METHODS: Fifty-three patients undergoing total mesorectal excision for biopsy-proven rectal cancer were assessed prospectively using high-resolution MRI for tumour (T) and mesorectal nodal (N) staging as well as CRM status using the depth of tumour spread, tumour node metastasis and CRM involvement. Preoperative MRI assessment of these prognostic factors was compared with the histopathological findings in carefully matched whole-mount sections of the specimen. RESULTS: MRI correctly staged the tumor in 41 patients, understaged in 8, and overstaged in 4. The accuracy of T stage was 77.4% (41/53). There was ageneric correlation between pathologic and MRI tumor staging (Kappa = 0.602, P < 0.001). Node status was correctly staged in 37 patients, overstaged in 10, and understaged in 6. The accuracy of node staging was 69.8% (37/53), sensitivity was 75% (18/24), and specificity was 65.5% (19/29). The correlation between pathologic and MRI node staging was poor (Kappa = 0.399, P = 0.003). The CRM status was correctly reported in 51 patients, overstaged in 1, and understaged in 1. The accuracy of CRM status was 96.2% (51/53), sensitivity was 80% (1/5), and specificity was 97.9% (47/48). There was a good correlation between pathologic and MRI CRM involvement (Kappa = 0.779, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Preoperative MRI provides poor predictive data as to subsequent pathologic tumor and mesorectal node stage, but does produce reliable prediction of clear CRM.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

[Erythropoietin enhances the therapy potency of autologous bone marrow stromal cells in a rat heart infarction model via phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/Akt pathway].

OBJECTIVES: Erythropoietin (EPO) induces angiogenesis and inhibits apoptosis through the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/Akt (PI3-K/Akt) pathway. Transplantation of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) has been shown to improve heart perfusion and function post myocardial ischemia. We investigated whether EPO enhances the therapeutic potency of MSC transplantation in rats with experimental myocardial infarction (MI). METHODS: Wistar rats were divided into four groups (n=8 each): myocardial infarction (MI) group, EPO group, MSC group and MSC-EPO group. MI was made by ligating the anterior descending coronary artery. MSC was injected in the infarcted area immediately after ligation in MSC group and MSC-EPO group. EPO (3000 U/kg) was administered i.p. in EPO group and MSC-EPO group for 3 days post MI and on the 14th to 16th day post MI. Cardiac function was measured by echocardiography at 2 and 21 days after MI. MI size was measured, and the level of phosphorylated Akt was assessed by Western blot and immunohistology at 21 days post MI. RESULTS: LVEF was significantly lower at 21 days than that at 2 days in MI group while significantly increased in other 3 groups, especially in MSC-EPO group at 21 days than that at 2 days. MI size was significantly lower (20.7%+/-2.3% vs. 24.0%+/-2.3%, 26.0%+/-0.9%, 28.1%+/-1.5%, all P<0.05), capillary density was significantly higher (12.95+/-2.11 vs. 10.78+/-0.99, 10.43+/-1.52 and 6.31+/-0.69, all P<0.05) in MSC-EPO group at 21 days than that in other groups and the ratio of phosphorylated Akt to total Akt measured by Western blot was also significantly higher in MSC-EPO group than other groups (0.36 vs. 0.32, 0.31 and 0.28, all P<0.05). Compared to other groups, Bcl-2 was significantly up-regulated and Bax down-regulated in MSC-EPO group. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrated that MSC transplantation and EPO infusion could improve cardiac function and EPO enhances the therapeutic potency of MSC transplantation via PI3-K/Akt pathways.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

[Role of MyD88-dependent nuclear factor-kappaB signaling pathway in the development of cardiac hypertrophy in vivo].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of MyD88-dependent nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-(B) activation signaling pathway in the development of cardiac hypertrophy in vivo. METHODS: Dominant negative myeloid differentiation protein (dn-MyD) 88 fragment was inserted into pShuttle plasmid and then fused into adenovirus so as to construct Ad5-dn-MyD88. Some Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats underwent banding of aorta (aorta binding group) and some SD rats underwent sham operation (sham operation group). Part of the rats in the aorta banding group were transfected with Ad5-dn-MyD88 into the myocardium tissue (Ad5-dn-MyD88 transfection group) or adenovirus expressing dnMyD88 (Ad5-GFP) (control group) so as to determine the effect of blocking down stream of MyD88 signaling on the development of cardiac hypertrophy. Three days after the hearts of some rats from the 4 groups were collected and Western blotting was used to detect the expression of dn-MyD88 protein and fluorescent microscopy was used to detect the expression of GFP. Three weeks after the beginning of experiment the hearts were collected to calculate the heart weight/body weight (HW/BW) ratio and extract the plasma protein and nuclear protein. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) was used to determine the NFkappaB binding activity. Western blotting was used to examine the phosphorylation of IkappaBalpha and IKKalpha/beta with appropriate specific anti-phospho antibodies. RESULTS: Flag and dn-MyD88 were effectively expressed 3 days after the transfection of Ad5-dn-MyD88 into the myocardium. Three weeks after the HW/BW ratio was 0.47 +/- 0.01 in the aorta banding group, significantly higher, by 37.8%, than that of the sham operation group (0.34 +/- 0.01, P < 0.01), and was 0.41 +/- 0.02 in the Ad5-dn-MyD88 transfection group, significantly lower, by 11.58%, than that of the aorta banding group (P < 0.01); the myocardial ANP protein expression level of the aorta binding group was significantly higher, by 43.5%, than that of the sham operation group (P < 0.01) and 36.2% higher than that of the Ad5-dnMyD88 transfection group (P < 0.01); the ANP/GAPDH in the aorta binding group was significantly higher than that of the sham operation group (P < 0.01) and that of the Ad5-dn-MyD88 transfection group (P < 0.01); the NF-kappaB binding activity in the myocardium of the aorta banding group was 9.94 +/- 1.58, significantly higher, by 144.8%, than that of the sham operation group (4.06 +/- 0.52, P < 0.01) and significantly lower, by 41.8%, than that of the Ad5-dn-MyD88 transfection group (5.79 +/- 0.52, P < 0.05); the phospho-(p-) IkappaBalpha level and p-IkappaBalpha/IkappaBalpha of the aorta binding group were significantly higher than those of the sham operation group (P < 0.01) and significantly higher, by 26.7%, than that of the Ad5-dn-MyD88 transfection group (P < 0.05); the p-IKKalphabeta/IKKalphabeta in the myocardium of the aorta binding group was significantly higher, by 318.0%, than that of the sham operation group (P < 0.01), and significantly higher, by 77.4%, than that of the Ad5-dn-MyD88 transfection group (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: MyD88-dependent NFkappaB signaling is a novel pathway for inducing the development of cardiac hypertrophy in vivo and blocking MyD88 mediated signaling pathway attenuates the development of cardiac hypertrophy.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗

PubMed2005

Time-intensity-based quantification of vascularity with single-level dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasonography: a pilot animal study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to delineate the hemodynamic features of VX2 tumor and perineoplastic liver parenchyma and to evaluate the potential usefulness of single-level dynamic ultrasonography in the diagnosis of tumors by the analysis of time-intensity curves. METHODS: An in vivo animal model was studied using a low mechanical index in conjunction with single-level dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasonography. A sulfur hexafluoride contrast agent (SonoVue; Bracco SpA, Milan, Italy) was applied in 8 rabbits by intravenous bolus injection. Data were acquired before and after VX2 tumor induction. Corresponding parameters of the time-intensity curve were measured using wash-in/wash-out curve software. RESULTS: No significant difference was found in the time to enhancement, time to peak intensity, peak signal intensity, and enhancement duration between liver parenchyma before and after VX2 tumor induction (P > .05). The typical enhancement pattern of VX2 tumors was hyperechoic relative to liver parenchyma during the early phase and hypoechoic during the later phase. The curves obtained in carcinomas revealed an early arrival time and time to peak intensity with an irregular and sharp decrease of the intensity signal and a very early return to baseline, presenting a much more rapid wash-in and wash-out of ultrasonographic contrast agents. There was a significant difference in the time to enhancement, time to peak intensity, peak signal intensity, and enhancement duration between the VX2 tumors and perineoplastic liver parenchyma (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Single-level dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasonography with a low mechanical index level could provide real-time and continuous enhanced images and fully delineate the typical enhancement pattern of liver tumors. The analysis of time-intensity curves may provide useful, complementary, and quantitative information. This technique may be useful for the diagnosis of liver tumors, especially those showing an atypical enhancement pattern on biphasic helical computed tomographic scanning.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

[Algorithm for automatic quantification of brain atrophy with computed tomography].

In this paper, a new, fully-automatic method for the quantification of brain atrophy based on CT volume data is put forward by taking advantage of the characteristics of cerebral CT images in combination with the prior medical knowledge. This algorithm has been verified through the calculation of 2388 cases of normal and brain atrophy subjects.

Adolescent↗