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Journal of Nanobiotechnology Aug 2023The excellent physicochemical and biomedical properties make silk fibroin (SF) suitable for the development of biomedical materials. In this research, the silk fibroin...
BACKGROUND
The excellent physicochemical and biomedical properties make silk fibroin (SF) suitable for the development of biomedical materials. In this research, the silk fibroin microspheres (SFMS) were customized in two size ranges, and then carried gold nanoparticles or doxorubicin to evaluate the performance of drug loading and releasing. Embolization efficiency was evaluated in rat caudal artery and rabbit auricular artery, and the in vivo distribution of iodinated SFMS (I/I-SFMS) after embolization of rat hepatic artery was dynamically recorded by SPECT. Transhepatic arterial radioembolization (TARE) with I-SFMS was performed on rat models with liver cancer. The whole procedure of selective internal radiation was recorded with SPECT/CT, and the therapeutic effects were evaluated with F-FDG PET/CT. Lastly, the enzymatic degradation was recorded and followed with the evaluation of particle size on clearance of sub-micron silk fibroin.
RESULTS
SFMS were of smooth surface and regular shape with pervasive pores on the surface and inside the microspheres, and of suitable size range for TAE. Drug-loading functionalized SFMS with chemotherapy or radio-sensitization, and the enhanced therapeutic effects were proved in treating HUH-7 cells as lasting doxorubicin release or more lethal radiation. For artery embolization, SFMS effectively blocked the blood supply; when I-SFMS serving as the embolic agent, the good labeling stability and embolization performance guaranteed the favorable therapeutic effects in treating in situ liver tumor. At the 5th day post TARE with 37 MBq/3 mg I-SFMS per mice, tumor activity was quickly inhibited to a comparable glucose metabolism level with surrounding normal liver. More importantly, for the fragments of biodegradable SFMS, smaller sized SF (< 800 nm) metabolized in gastrointestinal tract and excreted by the urinary system, while SF (> 800 nm) entered the liver within 72 h for further metabolism.
CONCLUSION
The feasibility of SFMS as degradable TARE agent for liver cancer was primarily proved as providing multiple therapeutic potentials.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Rabbits; Rats; Fibroins; Gold; Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography; Metal Nanoparticles; Arteries; Doxorubicin
PubMed: 37598140
DOI: 10.1186/s12951-023-02032-9 -
Clinica E Investigacion En... 2024One of the objectives of the Spanish Society of Arteriosclerosis is to contribute to the knowledge, prevention and treatment of vascular diseases, which are the leading...
One of the objectives of the Spanish Society of Arteriosclerosis is to contribute to the knowledge, prevention and treatment of vascular diseases, which are the leading cause of death in Spain and entail a high degree of disability and health expenditure. Atherosclerosis is a multifactorial disease and its prevention requires a global approach that takes into account the associated risk factors. This document summarises the current evidence and includes recommendations for patients with established vascular disease or at high vascular risk: it reviews the symptoms and signs to evaluate, the laboratory and imaging procedures to request routinely or in special situations, and includes the estimation of vascular risk, diagnostic criteria for entities that are vascular risk factors, and general and specific recommendations for their treatment. Finally, it presents aspects that are not usually referenced in the literature, such as the organisation of a vascular risk consultation.
Topics: Humans; Vascular Diseases; Spain; Atherosclerosis; Global Health; Risk Factors; Heart Disease Risk Factors; Cardiovascular Diseases; Societies, Medical
PubMed: 38490888
DOI: 10.1016/j.arteri.2024.02.001 -
BMC Cardiovascular Disorders Nov 2023The impact of sex hormones on right and left auricular contractile apparatus function is largely unknown. We evaluated the impact of sex hormones on left and right heart...
BACKGROUND
The impact of sex hormones on right and left auricular contractile apparatus function is largely unknown. We evaluated the impact of sex hormones on left and right heart contractility at the level of myocardial filaments harvested from left and right auricles during elective coronary artery bypass surgery.
METHODS
150 patients (132 male; 18 female) were enrolled. Preoperative testosterone and estradiol levels were measured with Immunoassay. Calcium induced force measurements were performed with left- and right auricular myofilaments in a skinned fiber model. Correlation analysis was used for comparison of force values and levels of sex hormones and their ratio.
RESULTS
Low testosterone was associated with higher top force values in right-sided myofilaments but not in left-sided myofilaments for both sexes (p = 0.000 in males, p = 0.001 in females). Low estradiol levels were associated with higher top force values in right-sided myofilaments (p 0.000) in females and only borderline significantly associated with higher top force values in males (p 0.056). In females, low estradiol levels correlated with higher top force values in left sided myofilaments (p 0.000). In males, higher Estradiol/Testosterone ratio (E/T ratio) was only associated with higher top force values from right auricular myofilaments (p 0.04) In contrast, in females higher E/T ratio was associated with lower right auricular myofilament top force values (p 0.03) and higher top force values in left-sided myofilaments (p 0.000).
CONCLUSIONS
This study shows that patients' comorbidities influence left and right sided contractility and may blur results concerning influence of sex hormones if not eliminated. A sex hormone dependent influence is obvious with different effects on the left and right ventricle. The E/T ratio and its impact on myofilament top force showed divergent results between genders, and may partially explain gender differences in patients with cardiovascular disease.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Myofibrils; Testosterone; Estradiol; Coronary Artery Bypass; Gonadal Steroid Hormones
PubMed: 37925416
DOI: 10.1186/s12872-023-03582-4 -
World Neurosurgery: X Jul 2023The hemicraniectomy is a common technique used in a variety of pathologies including some traumatic brain injury and malignant stroke. A novel technique of performing...
OBJECTIVE
The hemicraniectomy is a common technique used in a variety of pathologies including some traumatic brain injury and malignant stroke. A novel technique of performing hemicraniectomies using a retro-auricular incision can avoid transgressing the temporalis muscle and superficial temporal artery while providing adequate hemicranial exposure.
METHODS
This technique was reproduced in a skull base lab using a cadaveric head. The key steps of this approach were illustrated in step-by-step fashion. A post-approach CT scan of the cadaver was performed to evaluate the decompression exposure.
RESULTS
This approach can provide sufficient middle fossa decompression and area of exposure, while preserving the temporalis along with the superficial temporal artery. A step-by-step technical illustration is demonstrated in the present note.
CONCLUSIONS
The modified retro-auricular myocutaneous flap is a novel technique in hemicraniectomy which can provide sufficient middle fossa decompression and exposure while sparing the temporalis muscle and superficial temporal artery during the approach.
PubMed: 37021293
DOI: 10.1016/j.wnsx.2023.100174 -
Folia Morphologica Nov 2023The anatomy of the posterior auricular artery (PAA) is highly variable and relevant in various plastic and reconstructive procedures.
BACKGROUND
The anatomy of the posterior auricular artery (PAA) is highly variable and relevant in various plastic and reconstructive procedures.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The results of 55 consecutive patients who underwent head and neck computed tomography angiography (CTA) were analyzed. A total of 78 hemifaces were evaluated. The analysis has been performed in 19 categories.
RESULTS
Median PAA length was found to be 47.59 mm (LQ = 32.75; HQ = 56.16). The median PAA diameter (at its origin) was established at 2.55 mm (LQ = 2.29; HQ = 2.90). Moreover, the median PAA cross-sectional area (at its origin) was set to be 3.22 mm (LQ = 2.49; HQ = 4.13). Sexual dimorphism regarding all of the measured parameters was also evaluated. Statistically significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) were found in 13 of the measured categories.
CONCLUSIONS
The present study demonstrated the complete anatomy of the PAA. The most frequent origin of the said artery was from the ECA, and its mean length was 45.07 mm; which did not differ between males and females significantly (p>0.05). Moreover, we have provided surgeons with tools to localize this artery pre- and intraoperatively using simple landmarks, namely the apex of the mastoid process and the center of the external acoustic meatus. The exact position of the origin of the PAA was also demonstrated by a heat map of the auricular region. Our findings have the potential to assist surgeons in developing a mental visualization of the arterial anatomy of the retroauricular region. This visualization can be instrumental in precisely identifying the location of the PAA during reconstructive surgeries, thereby minimizing complications and enhancing surgical outcomes.
PubMed: 37957932
DOI: 10.5603/fm.96993