Current status quo on COVID-19 including chest imaging

With each day the number coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)cases continue to rise rapidly and our imaging knowledge of this disease is expeditiously evolving.The role of chest computed tomography(CT)in the screening or diagnosis of COVID-19 remains the subject of much debate.Despite several months having passed since identifying the disease,and numerous studies related to it,controversy and concern still exists regarding the widespread use of chest CT in the evaluation and management of COVID-19 suspect patients.Several institutes and organizations around the world have released guidelines,recommendations and statements against the use of CT for diagnosing or screening COVID-19 infection and advocating its use only for those cases with a strong clinical suspicion of complication or an alternate diagnosis.However,these guidelines and recommendations are in disagreement with majority of the widely available literature,which strongly favour CT as a pivotal tool in the early diagnosis,management and even follow-up of COVID-19 infection.This article besides comprehensively reviewing the current status quo on COVID-19 disease in general,also writes upon the current consensus statements/recommendations on the use of diagnostic imaging in COVID-19 as well as highlighting the precautions and various disinfection procedures being employed world-wide at the workplace to prevent the spread of infection.

Novel flutamide regulated genes in the rat veritral prostate： differential modulation of their expression by castration and flutamide treatments

Aim： To identify flutamide regulated genes in the rat ventral prostate. Methods： Total RNA from ventral prostates of control and flutamide treated rats were isolated. Differentially expressed transcripts were identified using differential display reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. The effect of castration on the expression of flutamideregulated transcripts was studied. Results： We have identified β2-microglobulin, cytoplasmic FMR1 interacting protein 2 and pumilio 1 as flutamide induced and spermine binding protein and ribophorin Ⅱ as flutamide repressed targets in the rat ventral prostate. Although flutamide treatment caused an induction of pumilio 1 rnRNA, castration had no effect. Conclusion： Castration and flutamide treatments exert differential effects on gene expression. Flutamide might also have direct AR independent effects, which might have implications in the emergence of androgen independent prostate cancer and the failure of flutamide therapy.

Development of a real-time PCR method for the detection of bacterial colonization in rat models of severe acute pancreatitis

Background Techniques for the fast and accurate detection of bacterial infection are critical for early diagnosis, prevention and treatment of bacterial translocation in clinical severe acute pancreatitis （SAP）. In this study, the availability of a real-time PCR method in detection of bacterial colonization in SAP rat models was investigated. Methods Samples of blood, mesenteric lymph nodes （MLN）, pancreas and liver from 24 specific pathogen-free rats （8 in a control group, 16 in a SAP group） were detected for bacterial infection rates both by agar plate culture and a real-time PCR method, and the results were made contrast. Results Bacterial infection rates of the blood, MLN, pancreas and liver in the SAP group and the control group by the two different methods were almost the same, which were 5/16, 12/16, 15/16, 12/16 in the SAP group compared with 0/8, 1/8, 0/8, 0/8 in the control group by agar plate culture, while 5/16, 10/16, 13/16, 12/16 and 0/8, 1/8, 0/8, 0/8 respectively by a real-time PCR method. Bacterial number was estimated by real-time PCR, which showed that in the same mass of tissues, the pancreas contained more bacteria than the other three kinds of organs in SAP rats （P 〈0.01）, that may be due to the edema, necrosis and hemorrhage existing in the pancreas, making it easier for bacteria to invade and breed. Conclusion Fast and accurate detection of bacterial translocation in SAP rat models could be carried out by a real-time PCR procedure.

Gene-CYP11B2 expression in rat liver in hepatic fibrogenesis induced by CCl_4

identify aldosterone synthase gene CYP11B2 mRNA expression in normal and fibrotic liver in rats and evaluate the curative effect of antisterone Methods 160 Wistar rats weighing about 250?g were divided into 4 groups In the model group (n=40), the rats were injected with 40% CCl 4 (0 25?ml/100?g) subcutaneously three times a week In the antisterone group (n=40), the rats were injected with 40% CCl 4 (0 25?ml/100?g) subcutaneously three times a week Antisterone equivalent to 20?mg·kg 1 ·d 1 was given intragastrically (ig) In the malotilate group (n=40), the rats were injected with 40% CCl 4 (0 25?ml/100?g) subcutaneously three times a week Malotilate equivalent to 50?mg·kg 1 ·d 1 was given ig In the control group (n=40), the rats were injected with olive oil only After 2,4,6,8 and 10 weeks, animals were sacrificed, and morphological examination was carried out The area of collagen was examined with an Image Analyse System Expression of the aldosterone synthase gene, CYP11B2 mRNA, in fibrotic and normal liver was detected by means of reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT PCR) and in situ hybridization Results In situ hybridization and RT PCR showed that the expression of CYP11B2 mRNA, which localized in the endoplasm of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), was up regulated when fibrogenesis occurred Histological observation indicated that the grade of fibrosis and the area of collagen in the antisterone group were less than those in model group before 6 weeks ( P <0 05) There was no significant difference between the antisterone and malotilate groups ( P >0 05) After that, however, the grade of fibrosis and the area of collagen in the antisterone group were higher than those in the malotilate group ( P <0 05) There was no significant difference between the antisterone and model groups ( P >0 05) Conclusions The expression of CYP11B2 mRNA is up regulated in fibrotic liver Antisterone can have a partial fibrogenesis inhibiting effect in the early stages

Two novel mutations of the LDL receptor gene associated with familial hypercholesterolemia in a Chinese family

Background Familial hypercholesterolemia （FH） is a type of dominant autosomal disease that causes high levels of plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C）. In the past years, molecular data related to FH were limited in China. Now, to gain more information about FH, we analyzed one proband with a severe FH phenotype as well as his relatives. Methods After the entire coding sequence and the intron-exon junctions of the low-density lipoprotein receptor （LDLR） gene were amplified using PCR, we sequenced the LDLR gene of a Chinese FH family. RT-PCR was used to detect changes in the mRNA. Results Two novel mutations were identified in the LDLR gene of this family. One, W165X, was a G〉A substitution at the third nucleotide of codon 165. The other, IVS5-1G〉A, was also a G〉A substitution at the acceptor splice site of intron 5. The most striking discovery is that the proband was heterozygous for W165X but homozygous for IVS5-1G〉A. The cDNA sequencing showed that the IVS5-1G〉A mutation caused the insertion of 10 nucleotides, namely GCTCTCACAA, between exon 5 and exon 6. Conclusions The two nucleotide variations are thought to be the FH-causing mutations because the co-segregation of the mutant allele with the phenotype of FH has been shown in this Chinese family. These data show an increase in the mutational spectrum of FH in China and verify a scarce mutational form in the LDLR gene.

Effect of intestinal ischemia/reperfusion injury on leptin and orexin-A levels

The aim of this paper is to explore the effect of intestinal ischemia/reperfusion(I/R)injury on leptin and orexin-A levels in peripheral blood and central secretory tissues,and to examine the roles of leptin and orexin-A in acute inflammatory responses.An intestinal I/R injury model of rats was made;the rats were grouped according to the time of after 60 min ischemia.Radioimmunoassay was employed to detect the levels of leptin in serum and adipose tissue and orexin-A levels in plasma and hypothalamus.Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction was used to detect mRNA expressions of adipose leptin and hypothalamus orexin-A.Compared with the levels before the injury,serum leptin in 60 min ischemia/30 min reperfusion(I60pR30p)group decreased and that of I60pR360p group increased.Compared with sham-operation group(sham group)after injury,serum leptin level of I60pR360p group increased,adipose leptin levels of I60pR30p and I60pR90p decreased,and adipose leptin in I60pR360p group increased.After the injury,adipose leptin mRNA expressions of I60pR30p,I60pR240p and I60pR360p increased,whereas that of I60pR150p group decreased as compared with the sham group.There was no significant difference in the protein levels of orexin-A,either between plasma and hypothalamus or between pre-and post-I/R injury.Compared with sham group,hypothalamus orexin-A mRNA expressions of I60pR30p and I60pR90p decreased gradually after the injury,with that of I60pR150p group reaching the lowest,and those of I60pR240p and I60pR360p recovering gradually,although they were still significantly lower than that of sham group.Leptin and orexin-A respond to intestinal I/R injury in a time-dependent manner,with leptin responding more quickly than orexin-A does,and both of them may contribute to the metabolic disorders in acute inflammation.

Significance of peritoneal lavage cytology based on genetic signatures in gastric cancer

Perit on eal metastasis is the most comm on patter n of recurre nee and the most freque nt cause of death after surgery in patie nts with gastric can cer.Perit on eal free can cer cells dissem in ated from the primary lesi on site have bee n con sidered the main cause of perit on eal metastasis.Perit on eal lavage cytological exam in ati on(PLC)has bee n show n to be an in depe ndent predictor of gastric cancer relapse after curative resection and poor overall survival.However,the conventional cytological examinations have high rates of false-positive and false-negative findings.To improve the sensitivity,molecular-based methods using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction have been developed for detecting cancer cells in peritoneal wash fluids of patients with gastric cancer.We performed a PubMed search for articles describing PLC in gastric can cer.Releva nt articles were reviewed and data on available outcomes elaborated.The cli nical roles and attributes of PLC in gastric can cer were reviewed,and its future applicati on to this disease is discussed.

Aberrant expression of growth factor Wnt-5A in six urinary malignant cell lines

Objective To investigate the expression of growth factor Wnt 5A in urinary tumor cell lines. Methods By semi quantitative RT PCR (reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction), the expression of Wnt 5A in six urinary malignant cell lines, one primary cultured renal fibroblast and one case of normal human renal tissue was detected using Gel Doc 1000 computer controlled molecular analysis system. Results The expression of Wnt 5A in urinary tumor cell lines was much higher than that in primary cultured renal fibroblasts (PRF) and normal human renal tissue (NRT). The levels of Wnt 5A mRNA were different between six malignant cell lines. Conclusion The overexpression of growth factor Wnt 5A has a potential effect on the oncogenesis of urinary malignancies.

Detection of Messenger RNA for Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) but not for GnRH Receptors in Rat Pancreas

Although gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH), GnRH like molecule, and GnRH receptor (GnRH R) have been reported to exist in several tissues other than brain or anterior pituitary, there are no reports concerning GnRH or GnRH R gene expression in a normal pancreatic gland. In order to define the production of GnRH as well as GnRH R in the pancreatic gland, we examined their gene expression in various developmental stages of rat pancreas using the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT PCR). GnRH mRNA transcripts were found in pancreas of male and female rats at different ages, expressing at about the same level, whereas GnRH R mRNA transcripts could not be detected in any rat pancreatic gland samples. These results suggest a possible biological role of GnRH in rodent pancreas.