Uptake, distribution, and speciation of selenoamino acids by human cancer cells: X-ray absorption and fluorescence methods

Selenium compounds exhibit chemopreventative properties at supranutritional doses, but the efficacy of selenium supplementation in cancer prevention is dependent on the chemical speciation of the selenium supplement and its metabolites. The uptake, speciation, and distribution of the common selenoamino acid supplements, selenomethionine (SeMet) and Se-methylselenocysteine (MeSeCys), in A549 human lung cancer cells were investigated using X-ray absorption and fluorescence spectroscopies. X-ray absorption spectroscopy of bulk cell pellets treated with the selenoamino acids for 24 h showed that while selenium was found exclusively in carbon-bound forms in SeMet-treated cells, a diselenide component was identified in MeSeCys-treated cells in addition to the carbon-bound selenium species. X-ray fluorescence microscopy of single cells showed that selenium accumulated with sulfur in the perinuclear region of SeMet-treated cells after 24 h, but microprobe selenium X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy in this region indicated that selenium was carbon-bound rather than sulfur-bound. X-ray absorption and X-ray fluorescence studies both showed that the selenium content of MeSeCys-treated cells was much lower than that of SeMet-treated cells. Selenium was distributed homogeneously throughout the MeSeCys-treated cells.     

双源CT 冠状动脉血管成像诊断心肌桥的价值探讨

目的：研究双源CT 冠状动脉血管成像诊断心肌桥的临床价值。方法：选择260 例具有典型心前区不适的患者进行双源CT 冠脉血管成像检查,观察其发生部位,测量其长度和深度并进行分析。结果：260 例受检患者中,62例共70 段存在心肌桥,检出率 达20.76%,高于文献报道的检出率18.2%。所有心肌桥均发生于左前降支,其中近段17 段(24.4%),中段43 段(61.4%),远段10 段 (14.2%)。心肌桥平均长度为15.8± 6.4mm,深度为1.4± 0.85mm。结论：双源CT 冠状动脉血管成像因其便捷无创,不受心率严格 限制且价格低廉可作为心肌桥筛查的理想检查手段。     

A convenient on-line device for reagent addition, sample mixing, and temperature control of cell suspensions in flow cytometry

We describe a simple and inexpensive device which permits the addition of up to three different solutions into a cell suspension which is on-line in a flow cytometer. The mixing chamber houses a disposable plastic cuvette stirred with a magnetic stirrer. The sample chamber is attached to a circulating water bath, hence accurate temperature control is achieved. Because the system is prepressurized and the sample line is very short, the delay time-between the point of sample modification and the point of analysis is reduced to a few seconds. Thus reagents may be added rapidly, and kinetic measurements of high temporal resolution are possible. Because the temperature of the sample chamber is regulated, binding can be observed over longer time periods than was previously possible. We demonstrate the usefulness of this device in determining the binding of fluoresceinated hexapeptide to human neutrophils under conditions where the stimulus is infused into the cell suspension while on-line in the cytometer.     

Loss of Pluripotency in Human Embryonic Stem Cells Directly Correlates with an Increase in Nuclear Zinc

The pluripotency of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) is important to investigations of early development and to cell replacement therapy, but the mechanism behind pluripotency is incompletely understood. Zinc has been shown to play a key role in differentiation of non-pluripotent cell types, but here its role in hESCs is directly examined. By mapping the distribution of metals in hESCs at high resolution by x-ray fluorescence microprobe (XFM) and by analyzing subcellular metal content, we have found evidence that loss of pluripotency is directly correlated with an increase in nuclear zinc. Zinc elevation not only redefines our understanding of the mechanisms that support pluripotency, but also may act as a biomarker and an intervention point for stem cell differentiation.     

18F-FDG PET和治疗量131I全身扫描对分化型甲状腺癌根治术后转移灶检测的临床价值评估

目的：探讨18F-FDG PET显像和131I-全身扫描（131I-WBS）SPECT显像对分化型甲状腺癌（DTC）术后转移灶的临床诊断价值。方法：对57例外科术后拟行131I治疗的DTC患者行18F-FDG PET全身显像和131I-WBS扫描,观察和记录在糖代谢和碘代谢中DTC转移灶的定位及数量变化,并同时测定甲状腺球蛋白（Tg）,促甲状腺激素释放激素（TSH）等实验室检查项目。结果：57例DTC患者18F-FDG PET显像发现真阳性20例、假阳性3例、真阴性31例、假阴性3例,其灵敏度为87.0%,特异性为91.2%。而131I-WBS扫描发现真阳性13例、假阳性2例、真阴性34例、假阴性8例,其灵敏度为61.9%,特异性为94.4%。PET显像和131I-WBS扫描共检出阳性病灶73个,其中淋巴结32个,肺5个,纵隔6个,骨26个,其他部位4个。PET显像发现43个阳性病灶（58.9%）,而131I-WBS检出30个（41.1%）。当Tg水平〉10μg/L时,随着Tg在血清含量的增高,两种显像方法的对DTC转移灶的阳性检出率亦随之升高。结论：两种检查对DTC术后转移灶的监测和131I的治疗具有良好的互补性,18F-FDG PET显像在Tg阳性和131I-WBS阴性的患者的转移灶检出上更具有优势,有重要的临床指导意义。