405 nm versus 633 nm for protoporphyrin IX excitation in fluorescence‐guided stereotactic biopsy of brain tumors

Fluorescence diagnosis may be used to improve the safety and reliability of stereotactic brain tumor biopsies using biopsy needles with integrated fiber optics. Based on 5‐aminolevulinic‐acid‐induced protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) fluorescence, vital tumor tissue can be localized in vivo during the excision procedure to reduce the number of necessary samples for a reliable diagnosis. In this study, the practical suitability of two different PpIX excitation wavelengths (405 nm, 633 nm) was investigated on optical phantoms. Violet excitation at 405 nm provides a 50‐fold higher sensitivity for the bulk tumor; this factor increases up to 100 with decreasing fluorescent volume as shown by ray tracing simulations. Red excitation at 633 nm, however, is noticeably superior with regard to blood layers obscuring the fluorescence. Experimental results on the signal attenuation through blood layers of well‐defined thicknesses could be confirmed by ray tracing simulations. Typical interstitial fiber probe measurements were mimicked on agarose‐gel phantoms. Even in direct contact, blood layers of 20–40 µm between probe and tissue must be expected, obscuring 405‐nm‐excited PpIX fluorescence almost completely, but reducing the 633‐nm‐excited signal only by 25.5%. Thus, 633 nm seems to be the wavelength of choice for PpIX‐assisted detection of high‐grade gliomas in stereotactic biopsy.

PpIX signal attenuation through clinically relevant blood layers for 405 nm (violet) and 633 nm (red) excitation.     

Neural noise as a real time guide for tumor site verification during stereotactic biopsy of brain tumors

Neural noise has been successfully used as a real time guide for verification of tumor site during stereotactic biopsy of brain tumors. This technique is a useful adjunct to other methods for tumor site verification and may possibly give pathophysiological information in peritumoral areas.     

KCTDIO is critical for heart and blood vessel development of zebrafish

KCTD10 is a member of the PDIP1 family, which is highly conserved during evolution, sharing a lot of similarities among human, mouse, and zebrafish. Recently, zebrafish KCTD13 has been identified to play an important role in the early development of brain and autism. However, the specific function of KCTD10 remains to be elucidated. In this study, experiments were carried out to determine the expression pattern of zebrafish KCTD10 mRNA during em- bryonic development. It was found that KCTD10 is a ma- ternal gene and KCTD10 is of great importance in the shaping of heart and blood vessels. Our data provide direct clues that knockdown of KCTDIO resulted in severe pericardial edema and loss of heart formation indicated by morphological observation and crucial heart markers like amhc, vmhc, and cmlc2. The heart defect caused by KCTD10 is linked to RhoA and PCNA. Flk-1 staining revealed that intersomitic vessels were lost in the trunk, although angioblasts could migrate to the midline. These findings could be helpful to better understand the determinants responsible for the heart and blood vessel defects.     

类人胶原蛋白-透明质酸血管支架的性能及生物相容性

将类人胶原蛋白与透明质酸按不同比例复合,控制透明质酸的终浓度(W/V)分别为0、0.01%、0.05%、0.1%,用京尼平交联,采用真空冷冻干燥方法构建出血管支架材料。通过扫描电镜、XPS分析、拉力测试、压力爆破实验、细胞毒性实验、血管支架细胞种植实验及小鼠皮下植入等方法对其表面超微结构、表面元素组成、力学性能、细胞毒性等级、细胞相容性、组织相容性进行了研究。结果表明:当透明质酸的含量为0.05%时,类人胶原蛋白-透明质酸支架的孔径比较均匀,孔隙率达94.38%,应力为(1000.8±7.9)kPa,爆破压力为(1058.6±8.2)kPa,细胞毒性实验合格,同时具有良好的细胞相容性、组织相容性及降解性能。     

The potential of using blood circular RNA as liquid biopsy biomarker for human diseases

Circular RNA (circRNA) is a novel class of single-stranded RNAs with a closed loop structure. The majority of circRNAs are formed by a back-splicing process in pre-mRNA splicing. Their expression is dynamically regulated and shows spatiotemporal patterns among cell types, tissues and developmental stages. CircRNAs have important biological functions in many physiological processes, and their aberrant expression is implicated in many human diseases. Due to their high stability, circRNAs are becoming promising biomarkers in many human diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases and human cancers. In this review, we focus on the translational potential of using human blood circRNAs as liquid biopsy biomarkers for human diseases. We highlight their abundant expression, essential biological functions and significant correlations to human diseases in various components of peripheral blood, including whole blood, blood cells and extracellular vesicles. In addition, we summarize the current knowledge of blood circRNA biomarkers for disease diagnosis or prognosis.     

Novel method for early signs of clinical shock detection by monitoring blood capillary/vessel spatial pattern

The ability to monitor capillary/vessel spatial patterns and local blood volume fractions is critical in clinical shock detection and its prevention in Intensive Care Units (ICU). Although the causes of shock might be different, the basic abnormalities in pathophysiological changes are the same. To detect these changes, we have developed a novel method based on both spectrally and spatially resolved diffuse reflectance spectra. The preliminary study has shown that this method can monitor the spatial distribution of capillary/vessel spatial patterns through local blood volume fractions of reduced hemoglobin and oxyhemoglobin. This method can be used as a real‐time and non‐invasive tool for the monitoring of shock development and feedback on the therapeutic intervention. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Significance of magnetic resonance image and blood manganese measurement for the assessment of brain manganese during total parenteral nutrition in rats

In this study, we report on the influence of trace elements (TE) on signal intensities of nuclear magnetic resonance images (MRI), both in vivo and in vitro. Optimal parameters for the assessment of Mn concentration in the brain of rats on total parenteral nutrition were established. For the in vitro study, Mn and trace element solutions, one containing Zn, Cu, Fe, and I (TE-4) and another containing the above elements plus Mn (TE-5), were diluted with physiological saline or with rat brain homogenate and used to measure signal intensities in MRI. Concentration-dependent signal hyperintensity was observed in both cases in the Mn and the TE-5 solutions, but no effect was observed with the TE-4 solution. The signal increase was greater for brain tissue homogenates. In the in vivo study, the experimental animals were maintained under total parenteral nutrition (TPN) with a standard clinical dose of TE-5 and/or with 10-fold the clinical dose of TE-4 and TE-5 for 1 wk. Only rats that were receiving the increased TE-5 dose showed signal hyperintensity on MRI. Positive correlations were observed among the signal hyperintensity, the blood Mn concentrations, and that of the rat brain. Our results suggest that Mn in TE preparations may be the cause of signal hyperintensity on MRI in a concentration-dependent fashion, and that MRI and measurement of blood Mn may be used to estimate Mn accumulation in brain tissue.