Differential organ infection studies, potyvirus elimination, and field performance of virus-free garlic plants produced by tissue culture

Presence of potyvirus in single garlic (Allium sativum L.) cloves from the same bulb, and in five single leaves excised from commercial field-grown individual plants was studied using ELISA. It was found that the viruses were not present in all organs of the same plant, since some cloves of the same bulb were infected with potyvirus but some others were potyvirus-free. Analyzed leaves from a given plant also exhibited irregular distribution of potyvirus. This study also aimed to obtain potyvirus-free plants from two commercial garlic cultivars (Taiwan and Chileno) using cloves subjected to thermotherapy, chemotherapy or meristematic dissection followed by in vitro culture. Thermotherapy (sequential treatment at 32°C for a week, 36°C for 2 weeks, and 38°C for 3 weeks) was found to affect survival of explants and 36.5% cloves from Taiwan and 26.8% from Chileno cultivars were recovered after the treatment. ELISA tests showed that 63% of the cloves of Taiwan that survived the treatment and 70.9% of Chileno explants were potyvirus-negative. Regarding chemotherapy (205 μM Ribavirin solution), the explants (cloves) survived, but only an average of 27.0–34.8% were negative for the presence of potyvirus. When meristematic dissection was applied, an average of 41.7% explants of Taiwan and 34.2% of Chileno survived the treatment, and approximately 64% of these explants from both cultivars were potyvirus-negative. Potyvirus-free garlic plants grown in field conditions showed longer stems with a major fresh and dry weight per bulb, and also exhibited a higher yield than non-treated plants.     

吐温80 在深部脏器肿瘤热化疗中的应用研究

目的：研究热增敏剂吐温80在深部肿瘤热化疗中的临床应用疗效。方法：采用吐温80合并热化疗综合治疗晚期肿瘤118例,并与同时期未采用吐温80的热化疗组98例进行比较。膀胱癌复发5例,伴腹水、腹膜转移7例。小剂量化疗用5-FU、丝裂霉素、顺铂等行膀胱灌注或腹腔注射,吐温80浓度为0．2％。肿瘤射频热疗机,f：41MHz。平均随访时间36个月。结果：复发性膀胱癌完全缓解率达60％,血尿消失,3例在12～34月随访期间膀胱镜检查未复发;伴腹水者完全缓解率达85．7％（CR6／7）,中位生存期8．5月,腹痛、腹胀、便血等消失。治疗未引起恶心、呕吐等明显的消化道症状,肝、肾和骨髓功能损害。结论：在肿瘤的热化疗中。合用吐温80不仅可以降低化疗药物的剂量,而且降低热疗时的温度,减少毒副作用,改善症状和体征。     

Microwave Thermotherapy of Prostatic Enlargement—Analysis of Radiometric Thermometry Using a Hybrid Bio-heat Equation

The radiometric temperature measurement included in a commercial device for transurethral microwave thermotherapy (TUMT) of the prostate was investigated utilizing both phantom experiments and computer simulations. Two finite element (FE) models were developed. One is in part based on the experimental results, and serves as a complement to the experiments, while the other describes a perfused tissue situation for which the hybrid bio-heat equation was used to model the thermal effects of blood perfusion. The aim of the study was to investigate how the radiometric thermometer is affected by the temperature close to the antenna, and to analyze the relation between blood perfusion, temperature distribution and radiometric temperature measurement.

It was found that the radiometric temperature was affected to a greater extent by the temperature very close to the antenna, in contrast to what has been expected in previous studies. The blood perfusion was found to mainly affect the temperature distribution outside the maximum temperature (located 2–3?mm outside the cooled catheter). Thus, the relation between the radiometric temperature and the temperature in the treated area is relatively weak.     

Short-term effects of thermotherapy for spasticity on tibial nerve F-waves in post-stroke patients

Thermotherapy is generally considered appropriate for post-stroke patients with spasticity, yet its acute antispastic effects have not been comprehensively investigated. F-wave parameters have been used to demonstrate changes in motor neuron excitability in spasticity and pharmacological antispastic therapy. The present study aimed to confirm the efficacy of thermotherapy for spasticity by evaluating alterations in F-wave parameters in ten male post-stroke patients with spastic hemiparesis (mean age: 49.0±15.0 years) and ten healthy male controls (mean age: 48.7±4.4 years). The subjects were immersed in water at 41°C for 10 min. Recordings were made over the abductor hallucis muscle, and antidromic stimulation was performed on the tibial nerve at the ankle. Twenty F-waves were recorded before, immediately after, and 30 min following thermotherapy for each subject. F-wave amplitude and F-wave/M-response ratio were determined. Changes in body temperature and surface-skin temperature were monitored simultaneously. The mean and maximum values of both F-wave parameters were higher on the affected side before thermotherapy. In the post-stroke patients, the mean and maximum values of both parameters were significantly reduced after thermotherapy (P<0.01). Hence, the antispastic effects of thermotherapy were indicated by decreased F-wave parameters. Body temperature was significantly increased both immediately after and 30 min after thermotherapy in all subjects. This appeared to play an important role in decreased spasticity. Surface-skin temperature increased immediately after thermotherapy in both groups and returned to baseline 30 min later. These findings demonstrate that thermotherapy is an effective nonpharmacological antispastic treatment that might facilitate stroke rehabilitation.     

In vitro production of Indian citrus ringspot virus (ICRSV) free Kinnow plants employing thermotherapy coupled with shoot tip grafting

Indian citrus ringspot virus (ICRSV) is known to cause serious disease problem in Kinnow (Citrus nobilis Lour × C. deliciosa Tenora) plants. This work reports the elimination of ICRSV by using thermotherapy coupled with shoot tip grafting in vitro. Nodal segments from infected mother plants (indexed by indirect ELISA and RT-PCR) were treated both in water bath and moist hot air at different temperatures viz. 40, 45 and 50°C for 30, 60 and 120 min and cultured on MS medium containing 2-iP (1 mg/l) and malt extract (800 mg/l). Shoot tips were excised from the nodal sprouts and grafted on to rough lemon (C. jambhiri) rootstock under aseptic conditions. Water bath treatment was found to be more effective as compared to moist hot air treatment as maximum number of ICRSV free plants (36.84%) were obtained by grafting the tips (0.7 mm) taken from the nodal segments treated at 50°C in water bath for 2 h. In an alternate treatment regime, 1-year-old infected plants were kept at various temperatures viz.36, 38 and 40°C in a thermotherapy chamber. Maximum of 60% ICRSV free plants were obtained by grafting the tips (0.7 mm) from the plants placed at 40°C followed by the plants placed at 38°C (59.09%) and the least was observed in case of the plants placed at 36°C (40.74%). Only those plants/plantlets were considered virus free, which showed negative reaction both in Indirect ELISA and RT-PCR.     

Antagonistic yeasts and thermotherapy as seed treatments to control Fusarium fujikuroi on rice

Bakanae disease, caused by Fusarium fujikuroi, is the most important seedborne disease of rice. Biological control and physical treatments can be effective tools to control seedborne diseases. Sixty-two isolates of yeasts and yeast-like fungi were obtained from different rice seeds. Four yeast isolates were selected in dual culture assays for mycelial growth inhibition, and in seed tests for reduction of infection rate. The isolates R23 and R26 were identified as Metschnikowia pulcherrima, the isolate R9 as Pichia guilliermondii, and the isolate SB1 as Sporidiobolus pararoseus. Rice seeds treated with P. guilliermondii R9, M. pulcherrima R23 and R26 significantly reduced the infection rate of F. fujikuroi, compared to some commercial biofungicides. The four selected yeasts reduced the bakanae disease severity in rice plants grown in greenhouse trials. Antagonist seed dressing resulted in reduction of the disease index from 93.0% in the untreated control to 20.0% in P. guilliermondii R9 treated seeds, and to 28.5% in M. pulcherrima R23 treated seeds. Selected antagonists were also used in combination with thermotherapy, which contributed to increase their efficacy. Thus, P. guilliermondii R9 and M. pulcherrima R23 combined with thermotherapy at 60 °C for 10 min decreased the bakanae disease index below 5%, and improved the seed germination rate compared to the single treatments, showing a seed priming effect. This is the first report about the use of antagonistic yeasts for seed dressing of rice to control F. fujikuroi on rice seeds, and biological treatment may be improved through combination with thermotherapy.     

放疗联合热疗治疗68例晚期卵巢癌术后复发的放疗联合热疗临床观察

目的:探讨放疗联合热疗治疗晚期卵巢癌术后复发的临床疗效。方法:选择哈医科大学第四临床医院及黑龙江省第二肿瘤医院2010年3月~2013年3月收治的68例卵巢癌术后复发患者(均为术后化疗6-8个疗程盆腔复发),将其随机分为热疗联合放疗组(实验组)和单纯化疗组(对照组)。所有患者均给予化疗6-8个周期以上,实验组在放疗结束后2小时内进行热疗,2次/周,共6-8周。通过影像学检查治疗前后肿瘤体积的变化进行疗效评估,观察两组治疗期间各种不良反应的发生情况及术后3年的生存情况。结果:观察组肿瘤完全缓解率(CR)实验组明显高于对照组(P0.05)。皮肤损伤的发生率显著高于对照组,而白细胞计数下降的发生率明显低于对照组(P0.05)。两组随访1、2年的生存率无明显差异(P0.05),实验组第3年的生存率明显高于对照组(P0.05)。结论:热疗联合放疗可提高晚期卵巢癌术后复发的临床疗效。     

Dependence of HSP27 cellular level on protein kinase CK2 discloses novel therapeutic strategies

Background

HSP27 plays a role in various diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases, ischemia, and atherosclerosis. It is particularly important in the regulation of the development, progression and metastasis of cancer as well as cell apoptosis and drug resistance. However, the absence of an ATP binding domain, that is, instead, present in other HSPs such as HSP90 and HSP70, hampers the development of small molecules as inhibitors of HSP27.