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At least 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources

Renal insufficiency: usefulness of gadodiamide-enhanced renal angiography to supplement CO2-enhanced renal angiography for diagnosis and percutaneous treatment.

PURPOSE: To determine whether gadodiamide is a safe and useful angiographic contrast agent for help in diagnosis and percutaneous treatment of renal artery stenosis in patients with renal insufficiency. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Diagnostic renal angiography and percutaneous renal interventions were performed by using gadodiamide (total dose, 0.3 mmol/kg) and CO2 as intraarterial contrast agents in 25 procedures in 24 patients with renal insufficiency. Serum creatinine levels were obtained within 24 hours before and at 24 and 48 hours after the procedure. Increases in serum creatinine of more than 44 mumol/L were considered clinically important. Gadodiamide-enhanced angiograms were compared with CO2-enhanced angiograms. RESULTS: In 23 (92%) of 25 procedures, there was no increase in serum creatinine level at 48 hours. One patient with acute and chronic rejection of a renal transplant and one with evidence of cholesterol embolization had a clinically important increase in serum creatinine level at 48 hours. No marked increase in creatinine level was observed in patients with relatively low baseline levels (n = 19). Gadodiamide-enhanced angiograms appeared to be better than CO2-enhanced angiograms for help in identifying renal artery occlusions, visualizing renal vessels incompletely filled with CO2, and determining the progress of intervention. CONCLUSION: Gadodiamide appears to be a safe and useful intraarterial contrast agent in patients with renal insufficiency and can be used to supplement or confirm CO2-enhanced angiographic findings.

Acute Disease↗

Comparison of mouse and rabbit Ei kappa enhancers indicates that different elements within the enhancer may mediate activation of transcription and recombination.

The intronic Ig kappa-light chain enhancer (Eikappa) has been implicated in regulation of transcription and Vkappa-Jkappa recombination at the kappa locus. To identify sequences within the Eikappa enhancer which are involved in control of recombination, we have made use of the finding that the Eikappa element from the rabbit b9 kappa locus is capable of inducing rearrangement, but not transcription of kappa genes in mouse lymphoid cells. We have therefore compared the binding of murine nuclear proteins to the mouse and rabbit Eikappa elements. DNase I footprinting and gel mobility shift assays indicate that only the kappaB, kappaE1, and kappaE2 sites of the rabbit enhancer are able to interact with murine trans-acting factors. Moreover, although the rabbit kappaB site binds murine NF-kappaB p50/p50 and p50/p65 complexes with high affinity, this site is not capable of mediating transcriptional activation of transient transfection reporter constructs in mouse B lineage cells. These results therefore suggest that, in contrast to the maintenance of kappa enhancer transcription which requires all of the Eikappa sites, only the kappaB, kappaE1, and kappaE2 sites may be necessary for the recombinational activity of the enhancer. Furthermore, NF-kappaB-mediated effects on transcription and recombination appear to involve separate downstream activation pathways.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

Distinct roles for c-Myb and core binding factor/polyoma enhancer-binding protein 2 in the assembly and function of a multiprotein complex on the TCR delta enhancer in vivo.

Enhancers and promoters within TCR loci functionally collaborate to modify chromatin structure and to confer accessibility to the transcription and V(D)J recombination machineries during T cell development in the thymus. Two enhancers at the TCRalphadelta locus, the TCR alpha enhancer and the TCR delta enhancer (Edelta), are responsible for orchestrating the distinct developmental programs for V(D)J recombination and transcription of the TCR alpha and delta genes, respectively. Edelta function depends critically on transcription factors core binding factor (CBF)/polyoma enhancer-binding protein 2 (PEBP2) and c-Myb as measured by transcriptional activation of transiently transfected substrates in Jurkat cells, and by activation of V(D)J recombination within chromatin-integrated substrates in transgenic mice. To understand the molecular mechanisms for synergy between these transcription factors in the context of chromatin, we used in vivo footprinting to study the requirements for protein binding to Edelta within wild-type and mutant versions of a human TCR delta minilocus in stably transfected Jurkat cells. Our data indicate that CBF/PEBP2 plays primarily a structural role as it induces a conformational change in the enhanceosome that is associated with augmented binding of c-Myb. In contrast, c-Myb has no apparent affect on CBF/PEBP2 binding, but is critical for transcriptional activation. Thus, our data reveal distinct functions for c-Myb and CBF/PEBP2 in the assembly and function of an Edelta enhanceosome in the context of chromatin in vivo.

Base Sequence↗

[Enhancement of cellular transforming activities of truncated EJ c-H-ras-1 with viral enhancers or with c-myc].

The 2.9kb Sac I fragment (EJ2.9), which lacks the previously reported promoter/enhancers of the activated human c-H-ras-1, was used to study the interaction with the tumor virus promoter/enhancers or with the activated c-myc. When EJ2.9 constructs linked to the viral promoter/enhancers or to a viral enhancer even in the antisense orientation was transfected to the mouse cells, 16-39% of the foci induced with those linked in the sense orientation were formed. Further, the transforming activity decreased dramatically when the deletion was introduced from the upstream Sac I site to the 61 bases (-61) upstream of translational initiation codon, but the deletions to -144 did not significantly change the activity. Cotransfections with the activated c-myc were found also to enhance the transforming activity of EJ2.9 constructs either with or without the LTR linked in the antisense orientation. The transfected ras and myc were expressed as 1.2 and 2.5kb mRNAs, respectively, in each transformant. The in vitro mutagenesis suggested that the c-myc protein was involved in the enhancement. These results raise the possibility that the viral enhancers activate a cryptic promoter (s) within the region between -1 and -144 of p21 initiation codon by interacting with the region between -61 and -144 and that the c-myc protein also activates the same or different cryptic promoter(s) within the intron 0 or noncoding region of exon I, thus leading to the enhancement of the EJ2.9 transforming activity.

Animals↗

Prominent dural enhancement adjacent to nonmeningiomatous malignant lesions on contrast-enhanced MR images.

Prominent dural enhancement was noted in 10 (16%) of 61 superficial malignant intracranial tumors studied with contrast-enhanced MR imaging during a 2-year period. Included were six glioblastomas, three parenchymal metastases, and one case of dural metastasis. Seven patients had surgery. In four, there was extensive leptomeningeal invasion in the center of the lesion. In two of these lesions there was firm attachment of the center of the tumor to the dura, but without dural invasion despite extensive external carotid artery supply to the tumor in one case. In two cases the overlying dura was normal, and there was no leptomeningeal tumoral invasion. In the case of dural metastasis, huge nodular lesions were present along the inner aspect of the dura. In none of the cases did prominent dural enhancement adjacent to the tumor correspond with tumoral invasion or extension to the dura. Prominent dural enhancement on contrast-enhanced MR images appears to be much less frequent in malignant tumor than in meningioma, where it is seen in up to 60% of the cases. We believe this finding is more likely to represent reactive changes of the dura than tumoral invasion.

Brain Neoplasms↗

Contrast-enhanced MR images in patients with meningioma: importance of enhancement of the dura adjacent to the tumor.

Linear enhancement (flare sign) along the dura mater that was continuous with or emanated from the dural margin of meningiomas was frequently observed on contrast-enhanced MR images obtained in 18 patients with intracranial meningiomas (surgically proved). Preoperative MR studies obtained at 1.5 T after administration of gadopentetate dimeglumine were reviewed retrospectively to determine the clinical significance of this sign. Thirteen (72%) of the 18 meningiomas exhibited the finding adjacent to the dural attachments. Four meningiomas of the cerebellopontine angle showed enhancement along the internal auditory canals. Three specimens of the dura adjacent to the tumor in different patients with this finding revealed proliferation of connective tissues abounding with vessels along the dura without definite tumor invasion. The flare sign is thought to be a common finding of meningiomas on contrast-enhanced MR images obtained with high-resolution sequences, and it is observable without tumor invasion. This sign in the cerebellopontine angle should not be misinterpreted as enhancement of acoustic schwannomas.

Adult↗

A tumor promoting phorbol ester, TPA, enhances polyomavirus DNA replication by activating the function of the viral enhancer.

The effect of tumor promoter, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) on enhancer dependent polyomavirus (Py) DNA replication was examined in cells expressing Py large T antigen. The results showed that TPA enhanced Py DNA replication by stimulating the activity of the A element, one of the two cores of Py enhancer. Of the three subdomains of the A element, the biding sites of PEBP1 (PEA1), a member of AP1 family, and of PEBP5 were by themselves able to activate Py DNA replication. Furthermore, each binding site of PEBP1 and PEBP5 responded to TPA to enhance Py DNA replication. The results suggest that growth promoting signals could activate DNA replication directly via enhancer binding proteins.

Antigens, Polyomavirus Transforming↗

Late contrast-enhanced CT for small pancreatic carcinoma: delayed enhanced area on CT with histopathological correlation.

PURPOSE: To determine the appearance of pancreatic adenocarcinoma on delayed contrast enhanced computed tomography (CT) and verify the diagnostic significance. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-two surgically resected lesions of pancreatic adenocarcinoma were studied with dynamic CT and findings were compared with those on histopathology. RESULTS: Ten (45%) of 22 pancreatic adenocarcinoma demonstrated masses on unenhanced CT, while 21 (95%) demonstrated on early contrast-enhanced CT (early CT), and 15 (68%) demonstrated masses on delayed contrast-enhanced CT (late CT). Pancreatic mass was demonstrated as a low-density area on unenhanced and early CT, but mass density varied on late CT. Delayed enhancement of the mass was predominantly observed in small lesions; 3 (75%) of 4 lesions 2 cm or smaller were detected as high-density areas. Histologically, delayed enhanced lesions showed severe or moderate degrees of fibrosis. CONCLUSION: Late CT is useful for the detection of pancreatic adenocarcinoma with fibrosis as a high-density area, especially in small lesions.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Dynamic gadolinium-enhanced echo-planar MR imaging of the liver: effect of pulse sequence and dose on enhancement.

To develop guidelines for clinical magnetic resonance imaging of the liver, the authors undertook an animal study to investigate the effect of dose and pulse sequence on liver signal intensity in gadopentetate dimeglumine-enhanced echo-planar imaging. Serial imaging of the liver was performed in anesthetized rats after intravenous administration of five different doses (0.01, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.5 mmol/kg) of contrast agent, with six different pulse sequences. The results show that gadopentetate dimeglumine-enhanced echo-planar images obtained during the perfusion phase can yield either positive (due to increased T1 relaxation rates) or negative (due to susceptibility-induced increased T2 relaxation rates) liver enhancement depending on choice of pulse sequence and dose. At the current clinically recommended dose of 0.1 mmol/kg, maximal liver signal enhancement was seen with a T1-weighted inversion-recovery sequence, while maximal liver signal diminution was seen with a T2*-weighted gradient-echo sequence. The authors conclude that gadopentetate dimeglumine-enhanced echo-planar imaging can provide T1, T2, and T2* contrast that may be exploited for both lesion detection and lesion characterization.

Animals↗

Dermal penetration enhancement profile of hexamethylenelauramide and its homologues: in vitro versus in vivo behavior of enhancers in the penetration of hydrocortisone.

Several amides of cyclic amines were prepared and tested as penetration enhancers in the diffusion of various drugs through hairless mouse skin in vitro. Hexamethylenelauramide (hexahydro-1-lauroyl-1H-azepine) was selected as a broad spectrum penetration enhancer worthy of further study. Later, the duration of the effect of various enhancers on the penetration barrier in vivo was determined by evaluating the in vitro diffusion of hydrocortisone through skins that had been pretreated in vivo. We found that the longer the pretreatment, the smaller the amount of penetrated hydrocortisone. Furthermore, our results suggested that differences exist in the retention of various enhancers in living mouse skin. The in vitro pretreatment experiments revealed that the penetration through dead skin is slow compared with the penetration through living skin. Neither the nature of the receptor phase, nor the increased temperature of the in vitro experiments, explain the striking differences between the in vivo and the in vitro experiments. Finally, the penetration of hydrocortisone through the stratum corneum in the presence of enhancers, as well as the penetration of 1-dodecylhexahydro-2H-azepin-2-one (laurocapram), hexamethylenelauramide, and oleic acid, were determined using a stratum corneum stripping technique. More hydrocortisone penetrated through the stratum corneum during the first 3 h in the presence of hexamethylenelauramide than in the presence of laurocapram or oleic acid.

Animals↗

Contrast-enhanced MR angiography (enhanced 3-D fast gradient echo) for diagnosis of cerebral aneurysms.

We evaluated contrast-enhanced MRA (enhanced 3-D fast gradient echo, EFGRE3D, with spectral IR) for the identification of unruptured cerebral aneurysms. We examined 22 aneurysms from 15 patients. In its ability to identify aneurysms, contrast-enhanced MRA was superior to 3-D-time of flight (3D-TOF) MRA in 4 instances, equal in 17, and inferior in 1. Contrast-enhanced MRA demonstrated thrombus formation more clearly and accurately than did 3D-TOF MRA. Contrast-enhanced MRA was performed in less than 1 min, and was found to be a useful method for the identification of intracranial aneurysms.

Aged↗

Evaluation of focal pancreatic masses: comparison of mangafodipir-enhanced MR imaging and contrast-enhanced helical CT.

The detection and characterization of pancreatic tumors as well as the reliable staging of pancreatic cancer are important tasks for radiologic evaluation. Contrast-enhanced helical CT has been the standard modality for pancreatic imaging in many institutions, but MR imaging has gained a considerable role in the evaluation of patients with equivocal CT findings. Recently, the first organ-specific MR contrast agent targeted to the liver and pancreas, mangafodipir trisodium, has been registered in the European Union (EU) for use in MR imaging of the pancreas. This paper reviews technical considerations and characteristic imaging findings of mangafodipir-enhanced MR imaging in the assessment of focal pancreatic lesions. Contrast-enhanced MRI has proven to be very helpful in the detection of small tumors or the identification of tumor-simulating lesions in patients with equivocal CT findings. Mangafodopir may improve the staging of pancreatic cancer by increasing the sensitivity of MRI in the detection of liver metastases. This review summarizes the potential of contrast-enhanced MRI and the limitations compared with contrast-enhanced helical CT.

Contrast Media↗

Leukocyte migration enhancement as an indicator of immunologic enhancement. I. Pregnancy.

Leukocyte migration studies with amniotic fluid (AF) were performed in 47 pregnant women and 24 control patients. Previous reports about the enhancing effect of AF on leukocyte migration during pregnancy were confirmed (p less than 0.003). No enhancing effect was observed with first-trimester leukocytes. Maximal enhancement occurred during the second trimester (p less than 0.0001). It decreased during the third trimester (p less than 0.01) and lost significance in the postpartum period (p less than 0.072). Fifteen pregnant and control patients were investigated with autologous plasma. Leukocyte migration enhancement (LME) was significant with pregnancy plasma (PL) (p less than 0.03). Again LME was the largest during the second trimester (p less than 0.006). It is concluded that an immunologically active factor is present in AF and PL which in term induces the enhancing activity of a predetermined effector cell subgroup. This process is absent in conjunction with male leukocytes and is lacking in the majority of patients with toxemia of pregnancy.

Amniotic Fluid↗

Enhancement studies on algae and isolated chloroplasts. Part II. Enhancement of oxygen evolution in intact chloroplasts.

Intact isolated chloroplasts were shown to exhibit a characteristic three-phase pattern of development of oxygen evolution activity. The first phase, Phase I, appeared to be an equilibration phase in which the isolated chloroplasts adapted to the conditions on the electrode surface. It was characterised by a rapidly increasing rate of oxygen evolution accompanied by decreasing enhancement signals. The second phase, Phase II, was an intermediate phase in which the rate of oxygen evolution was maximal and no enhancement was observed. In the last phase, Phase III, the rate of oxygen fell again, normal enhancement was still missing, but the samples appeared to undergo slow adaptive changes closely related to the State I-State II changes previously reported for whole cell systems. The concentrations of Mg2+ within the chloroplast were shown to play an important role in the control of the development of both the oxygen evolution and enhancement signals. It was shown how these signals could be explained in terms of a model that was consistent with that developed in Part I of this investigation to account for the variability of enhancement of the alga Chlorella pyrenoidosa.

Chlorella↗

Radiation-enhanced resistance to oxygen: a possible relationship to radiation-enhanced longevity.

Shortly after gamma-irradiation, flour beetles (Oklahoma strain of Tribolium confusum) exhibited a decline in resistance to oxygen toxicity. Beginning about two weeks after irradiation, however, the LD50 exposure time in pure oxygen was much greater than that of nonirradiated beetles, and this enhanced resistance persisted for about 6 months. The magnitude of the enhancement was a function of dose, and decreased with increasing age at irradiation. These characteristics of a radiation-enhanced resistance to a stress are comparable to the characteristics of radiation-enhanced longevity in Tribolium, in that after irradiation mortality rate is less than that of controls for about 6 months, the magnitude of the effect is dose-dependent, and older beetles are refractory to the effect. Irradiation under anoxic conditions reduced the development of oxygen resistance to the same degree that it reduced acute radiation lethality, suggesting that the amount of biological damage is the critical factor. These results are discussed in terms of the "induced repair" theory of radiation-enhanced longevity of insects.

Aging↗

Enhancer substances: selegiline and R-(-)-1-(benzofuran-2-yl)-2-propylaminopentane [(-)-BPAP] enhance the neurotrophic factor synthesis on cultured mouse astrocytes.

R-(-)-1-(benzofuran-2-yl)-2-propylaminopentane [(-)-BPAP] is a potent "catecholaminergic and serotonergic activity enhancer (CAE/SAE)", which enhances the impulse-evoked catecholamines and serotonin release, e.g. (-)-BPAP enhances in vitro norepinephrine efflux from the slices of locus coeruleus in a bipolar manner with the two effective ranges of low (fM-pM level) and high (nM-microM level) concentrations. Here, the effects of (-)-BPAP and selegiline on the cultured mouse astrocytes were studied. The protein levels of the neurotrophic factors (NGF, BDNF and GDNF) in the conditioned medium of cultured astrocytes were determined by using ELISA. In the cultured astrocytes incubated for 24 h with selegiline, the synthesis of NGF and BDNF was significantly enhanced in the concentration dependent manner, with minimum effective concentrations of 4 x 10(-4) and 5 x 10(-4) M, respectively. (-)-BPAP also enhanced the NGF, BDNF and GDNF synthesis, with minimum effective concentrations of 5 x 10(-5), 1 x 10(-5), and 1 x 10(-6) M, respectively. Although the effects of (-)-BPAP on the NGF synthesis was tested in the range of 1 x 10(-15)-5 x 10(-4) M, the concentration response curve of (-)-BPAP was a single bell shape with the peak effect at 1 x 10(-4) M, and did not show any effects in low concentrations such as fM-pM level. Each concentration response curve of (-)-BPAP on BDNF and GDNF synthesis was a single bell shape with peak effects at 1 x 10(-3) M and 1 x 10(-4) M, respectively.

Animals↗

Enhanced transdermal delivery of AZT (Zidovudine) using iontophoresis and penetration enhancer.

The effect of current, its magnitude and penetration enhancers (propylene glycol/oleic acid) on the transdermal flux of AZT (Zidovudine) across hairless mouse skin was studied and the results were compared. The in vitro iontophoretic flux from AZT solution increased to about 5-40 fold that obtained by passive diffusion, depending on the magnitude of current density. When the donor side was karaya gum matrix, instead of solution, the flux enhancement effect by iontophoresis was much smaller. Incorporation of penetration enhancers into the matrix increased the passive flux 2-50 fold, depending on the amount of penetration enhancers in the matrix. These enhancers worked synergistically with iontophoresis in the transdermal transport: a much larger flux than that expected from a simple additive effect was observed. Electrical resistance data from our previous work is utilized to further discuss this synergistic effect.

Administration, Cutaneous↗

ATP-sensitive potassium channel blockade enhances spontaneous alternation performance in the rat: a potential mechanism for glucose-mediated memory enhancement.

Peripheral and central injections of D-glucose enhance learning and memory in rats, and block memory impairments produced by morphine. The mechanism(s) for these effects is (are) as yet unknown. One mechanism by which glucose might act on memory and other brain functions is by regulating the ATP-sensitive potassium channel. This channel may couple glucose metabolism and neuronal excitability, with channel blockade increasing the likelihood of stimulus-evoked neurotransmitter release. The present experiments explored the effects of intra-septal injections of glucose and the ATP-sensitive potassium channel blocker glibenclamide on spontaneous alternation behavior in the rat. Intra-septal injections of glucose (20 nmol) or glibenclamide (10 nmol), 30 min prior to plus-maze spontaneous alternation performance, significantly enhanced alternation scores compared to rats receiving vehicle injections. Glibenclamide enhanced spontaneous alternation performance in an inverted-U dose-response manner. Individually sub-effective doses of glucose (5 nmol) and glibenclamide (5 nmol) significantly enhanced plus-maze alternation scores when co-injected into the septal area. Glibenclamide (10 nmol), when co-administered with morphine (4 nmol) 30 min prior to Y-maze spontaneous alternation performance, attenuated the performance-impairing effects of morphine alone. The present findings show that intra-septal injections of the direct ATP-sensitive potassium channel blocker glibenclamide, both alone and in conjunction with a sub-effective dose of glucose, enhance spontaneous alternation performance and attenuate the performance-impairing effects of morphine. The similarity of the results obtained with glibenclamide and glucose, together with their similar actions on ATP-sensitive potassium channel function, suggests that glucose may modulate memory-dependent behavior in the rat by regulating the ATP-sensitive potassium channel.

ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters↗