292 research outputs found
Amniotic fluid stem cells prevent development of ascites in a neonatal rat model of necrotizing enterocolitis.
No full textIt has been demonstrated that in a neonatal rat model of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), amniotic fluid stem (AFS) cells decrease intestinal damage and improve survival via modulation of stromal cells expressing cyclooxygenase 2 in the lamina propria. Herein, we aimed to evaluate the effect of AFS cells on body weight and fluid retention in this NEC model. Methods AFS cells were obtained from green fluorescent protein (GFP) + pregnant rats at E16 and expanded in culture. A total of 185 neonatal rats had NEC induced by gavage feeding of hypertonic formula + hypoxia + oral lipopolysaccharide (4 mg/kg/d) and were randomized to intraperitoneal phosphate buffered saline (PBS, n = 93) or AFS cells (n = 92). A total of 36 breastfed (BF) rats were used as controls. All rats were being killed at 96 hours of life. Groups were compared for body weight and presence of free intraperitoneal fluid using nonparametric and contingency tests. Data are expressed as mean ± standard deviation. There were no differences in birth weight among the groups (PBS = 5.6 ± 0. 3 g; AFS cells = 5.6 ± 0. 3 g; BF = 5.6 ± 0. 3 g; p = 1). The body weight at randomization was not different between PBS (5.61 ± 0. 5 g) and AFS cells (5.60 ± 0. 5; p = 1) rats. After the rats were killed, BF rats were significantly heavier (12.5 ± 0.1 g) than PBS (5.12 ± 0.4 g) and AFS cell rats (4.95 ± 0.3; p < 0.0001). From randomization to being killed, PBS rats had 9% of weight loss in comparison with 12% in AFS cell rats (p = 0.08). After the rats were killed, 42 (45%) PBS rats developed ascites with evident abdominal distension in comparison with 19 (21%) AFS cells (p = 0.0005). None of BF animals had ascites. Gavage feeding and undernutrition severely affect growth in this model of NEC. Administration of AFS cells result in lower incidence of ascites than in PBS rats. This could explain the differences in body weight between the two groups of rats that were killed. Furthermore, studies on liver function and fluid composition are needed to investigate our speculation. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York
sj-pdf-3-jcb-10.1177_0271678X231209641 - Supplemental material for Changes in cardiac-driven perivascular fluid movement around the MCA in a pharmacological model of acute hypertension detected with non-invasive MRI
No full textSupplemental material, sj-pdf-3-jcb-10.1177_0271678X231209641 for Changes in cardiac-driven perivascular fluid movement around the MCA in a pharmacological model of acute hypertension detected with non-invasive MRI by Phoebe G Evans, Maria Sajic, Yichao Yu, Ian F Harrison, Patrick S Hosford, Ken J Smith, Mark F Lythgoe, Daniel J Stuckey and Jack A Wells: on behalf of the CONTRAST consortium in Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism</p
sj-pdf-2-jcb-10.1177_0271678X231209641 - Supplemental material for Changes in cardiac-driven perivascular fluid movement around the MCA in a pharmacological model of acute hypertension detected with non-invasive MRI
No full textSupplemental material, sj-pdf-2-jcb-10.1177_0271678X231209641 for Changes in cardiac-driven perivascular fluid movement around the MCA in a pharmacological model of acute hypertension detected with non-invasive MRI by Phoebe G Evans, Maria Sajic, Yichao Yu, Ian F Harrison, Patrick S Hosford, Ken J Smith, Mark F Lythgoe, Daniel J Stuckey and Jack A Wells: on behalf of the CONTRAST consortium in Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism</p
sj-pdf-4-jcb-10.1177_0271678X231209641 - Supplemental material for Changes in cardiac-driven perivascular fluid movement around the MCA in a pharmacological model of acute hypertension detected with non-invasive MRI
No full textSupplemental material, sj-pdf-4-jcb-10.1177_0271678X231209641 for Changes in cardiac-driven perivascular fluid movement around the MCA in a pharmacological model of acute hypertension detected with non-invasive MRI by Phoebe G Evans, Maria Sajic, Yichao Yu, Ian F Harrison, Patrick S Hosford, Ken J Smith, Mark F Lythgoe, Daniel J Stuckey and Jack A Wells: on behalf of the CONTRAST consortium in Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism</p
sj-pdf-1-jcb-10.1177_0271678X231209641 - Supplemental material for Changes in cardiac-driven perivascular fluid movement around the MCA in a pharmacological model of acute hypertension detected with non-invasive MRI
No full textSupplemental material, sj-pdf-1-jcb-10.1177_0271678X231209641 for Changes in cardiac-driven perivascular fluid movement around the MCA in a pharmacological model of acute hypertension detected with non-invasive MRI by Phoebe G Evans, Maria Sajic, Yichao Yu, Ian F Harrison, Patrick S Hosford, Ken J Smith, Mark F Lythgoe, Daniel J Stuckey and Jack A Wells: on behalf of the CONTRAST consortium in Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism</p
sj-pdf-5-jcb-10.1177_0271678X231209641 - Supplemental material for Changes in cardiac-driven perivascular fluid movement around the MCA in a pharmacological model of acute hypertension detected with non-invasive MRI
No full textSupplemental material, sj-pdf-5-jcb-10.1177_0271678X231209641 for Changes in cardiac-driven perivascular fluid movement around the MCA in a pharmacological model of acute hypertension detected with non-invasive MRI by Phoebe G Evans, Maria Sajic, Yichao Yu, Ian F Harrison, Patrick S Hosford, Ken J Smith, Mark F Lythgoe, Daniel J Stuckey and Jack A Wells: on behalf of the CONTRAST consortium in Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism</p
Exploration of novel prognostic markers in grade 3 neuroendocrine neoplasia
No full textBackground: High-grade neuroendocrine tumours and carcinomas (NET/NECs) behave aggressively, typically presenting at an advanced stage. Prognosis is poor, with median survival between 5 and 34 months. The mainstay of treatment is palliative systemic therapy. However, therapy carries a risk of toxicity, which can reduce quality of life. Therefore, accurate prognostic scores for risk stratification of patients with high-grade NET/NECs are needed to help guide patient management to decide whether active treatment is likely to improve overall survival (OS). We aimed to compare the prognostic ability of published prognostic scores to predict OS in a cohort of patients with high-grade NET/NECs of any primary site. Methods: Treatment, biochemical and clinicopathological data were collected retrospectively from 77 patients with high-grade NET/NECs across three hospitals between 2016 and 2020. Variables including performance status (PS), Ki-67, age at diagnosis, previous treatment and presence of liver metastases were recorded. Pre-treatment neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio, modified Glasgow prognostic score (mGPS), and gastrointestinal neuroendocrine carcinoma (GI-NEC) score were derived. Univariable and multivariable survival analyses were used to assess prognostic ability. Results: The median age of the cohort was 63 years (range: 31–85); 53% of subjects were female. Grade 3 NETs (G3-NETs) were identified in 32 patients and NECs in 45 patients. The median OS was 13.45 months (range: 0.87–65.37) with no difference observed between G3-NETs and NECs. Univariable analysis revealed that NLR (n = 72, p = 0.049), mGPS (n = 56, p = 0.003), GI-NEC score (n = 27, p = 0.0007) and Ki-67 (n = 66, p = 0.007) were significantly associated with OS. Multivariable analysis confirmed that elevated mGPS (p = 0.046), GI-NEC score (p = 0.036), and Ki-67 (p = 0.02) were independently prognostic for reduced OS across the entire cohort. mGPS was identified as an independent prognostic factor in G3-NETs. Independent predictors of OS in NECs were PS and Ki-67. Conclusions: mGPS, PS and Ki-67 are independent prognostic markers in high-grade NET/NEC patients. Our study supports the use of these prognostic scores for risk stratification of patients with high grade cancers and as useful tools to guide treatment decisions
Brain imaging of acupuncture: comparing superficial with deep needling
No full textThe difference between superficial and deep needling at acupuncture points has yet to be mapped with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Using a 3 T MRI, echo planar imaging data were acquired for 17 right-handed healthy volunteer participants. Two fMRI scans of acupuncture needling were taken in random order in a block design, one for superficial and one for deep needling on the right hand at the acupuncture point LI-4 (Hegu), with the participant blind to the order. For both scans needle stimulation was used. Brain image analysis tools were used to explore within-group and between-group differences in the blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) responses. The study demonstrated marked similarities in BOLD signal responses between superficial and deep needling, with no significant differences in either activations (increases in BOLD signal) or deactivations (decreases in BOLD signal) above the voxel Z score of 2.3 with corrected cluster significance of P = 0.05. For both types of needling, deactivations predominatid over activations. These fMRI data suggest that acupuncture needle stimulation at two different depths of needling, superficial and deep, do not elicit significantly different BOLD responses. This data is consistent with the equivalent therapeutic outcomes that are claimed by proponents of Japanese and Chinese styles of acupuncture that utilise superficial and deep needling, respectively
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