Our results report that a long-term treatment with an arginase inhibitor reduced blood pressure, improved vascular function, and reduced cardiac fibrosis in SHR with fully developed hypertension. These data suggest that arginase represents a promising novel target for pharmacological intervention in essential hypertension.
Objectives
To determine the utility of the amide proton transfer-weighted (APTw) MR imaging in distinguishing solitary brain metastases (SBMs) from glioblastomas (GBMs).
Methods
Forty-five patients with SBMs and forty-three patients with GBMs underwent conventional and APT-weighted sequences before clinical intervention. The APTw parameters and relative APTw (rAPTw) parameters in the tumor core and the peritumoral brain zone (PBZ) were obtained and compared between SBMs and GBMs. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to assess the best parameter for distinguishing between the two groups.
Results
The APTwmax, APTwmin, APTwmean, rAPTwmax, rAPTwmin or rAPTwmean values in the tumor core were not significantly different between the SBM and GBM groups (P=0.141, 0.361, 0.221, 0.305, 0.578 and 0.448, respectively). However, the APTwmax, APTwmin, APTwmean, rAPTwmax, rAPTwmin or rAPTwmean values in the PBZ were significantly lower in the SBM group than in the GBM group (P<0.001). The APTwmin values had the highest area under the ROC curve 0.905 and accuracy 85.2% in discriminating between the two neoplasms.
Conclusion
As a noninvasive imaging method, APT-weighted MR imaging can be used to distinguish SBMs from GBMs.
MicroRNAs and long noncoding RNAs have long been investigated due to their roles as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of cancers and regulators of tumorigenesis, and the potential regulatory roles of these molecules in anticancer therapies are attracting increasing interest as more in-depth studies are performed. The major clinical therapies for cancer include chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted molecular therapy. MicroRNAs and long noncoding RNAs function through various mechanisms in these approaches, and the mechanisms involve direct targeting of immune checkpoints, cooperation with exosomes in the tumor microenvironment, and alteration of drug resistance through regulation of different signaling pathways. Herein we review the regulatory functions and significance of microRNAs and long noncoding RNAs in three anticancer therapies, especially in targeted molecular therapy, and their mechanisms.
Gender differences in immune capabilities suggest that sex hormones such as estrogens were involved in the regulation of the immunocompetence. Numerous studies also suggest that plasmacytoid dendritic cells (PDCs) play a pathogenic role in SLE. However, it is unclear whether estrogen can modulate the function of PDCs to influence the development of SLE. In the present study, PDCs from murine spleens were treated with 17β-estradiol (E2) and CpG respectively or both in vitro, then cell viability, costimulatory molecule expression, cytokine secretion of PDCs, as well as stimulatory capacity of PDCs to B cells were analyzed. Results showed that E2 and CpG increased the cell viability and costimulatory molecule expression on PDCs synergistically. Moreover, the intracellular and extracellular secretion of IFN-α was increased by E2 or E2 plus CpG. In addition, E2 and CpG also increased the stimulatory capacity of PDCs to B cells, and the viability of B cells was decreased after neutralizing IFN-α significantly. In the experiments in vivo, mice received daily s.c. injections of E2 and CpG respectively or both, then we found that the plasma concentration of IgM were elevated by E2 and CpG synergistically and the expression of IFN-α/β in spleens were noticeably increased by CpG plus E2 compared with the treatment of E2 or CpG only. This study indicates that E2 could exacerbate PDCs' activation with CpG, which further activates B cells to upregulate susceptibility to autoantigens. IFN-α plays an important role in the stimulatory effect of PDCs on B cells. E2 stimulation of IFN-α production may result in female prevalence in autoimmune diseases such as SLE through activation of PDCs. This study provides novel evidence of relationship between estrogen and SLE and also sheds light on gender biases among SLE patients.
Objective: To discuss imaging features of radiographs, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and radionuclide imaging of the herniation pit of the femoral neck and their implications for pathogenesis.
Methods:Twenty-seven patients with 31 herniation pits of the femoral neck were analyzed. All patients were examined by plain radiographs, 18 by CT, 16 by MRI, and 8 by radionuclide imaging.Results: Thirty-one herniation pits located in the anterior part of the femoral neck or the base of the femoral head were round, oval or '8'-shaped subcortical defects. The pits were usually seen as mild radiolucent areas on radiographs, soft-tissue attenuation with a thin sclerotic rim and a focal cortical perforation on CT and three different signal intensities on MRI. Only one of eight pits revealed mild focal increased uptake on bone radionuclide scans.
Conclusion:The occurrence of a herniation pit of the femoral neck correlates closely with the particulars of the structure of the hip joint and corresponding mechanical forces. Round or oval subcortical defects surrounded by a thin sclerotic rim in the superior lateral part of the femoral neck or the anterior lateral base of the femoral head, which are usually normal on radionuclide imaging and have focal cortical perforations on CT, are specific signs for diagnosing herniation pits of the femoral neck.
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