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This study investigated the usefulness of [18F]-3'-deoxy-3'-fluorothymidine (18F-FLT) and [18F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) imaging for predicting the therapeutic efficacy of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) irradiation at an early stage after radiation treatment. Mice were xenografted with the human lung adenocarcinoma line A549 or large cell lung cancer line FT821. Tumour uptake of 18F-FLT and 18F-FDG was imaged using PET/CT before and 1 week after irradiation. In A549 tumours, 18F-FLT uptake was significantly decreased, and 18F-FDG uptake was unchanged post-irradiation compared with pre-irradiation. In FT821 tumours, uptake of both 18F-FLT and 18F-FDG uptake was substantially decreased post-irradiation compared with pre-irradiation. In both xenografts, tumour volumes in the irradiated groups were significantly decreased compared with those in the control group. 18F-FLT is expected to contribute to individual NSCLC therapy because it accurately evaluates the decrease in tumour activity that cannot be captured by 18F-FDG. 18F-FDG may be useful for evaluating surviving cells without being affected by the inflammatory reaction at an extremely early stage, approximately 1 week after irradiation. Combined use of 18F-FLT and 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging may increase the accurate prediction of radiotherapy efficacy, which may lead to improved patient outcomes and minimally invasive personalised therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new scintillation imaging material [scintillator-silica fine powder (FP)] was prepared using silica FPs and scintillator-encapsulating silica nanoparticles (NPs) (scintillator-silica NPs). The wt% values of scintillator-silica NPs on the scintillator-silica FPs were 38, 43, 36 and 44%. Scintillation images of 3H, 63Ni, 35S, 33P, 204Tl, 89Sr and 32P dropped on the scintillator-silica FPs were obtained at about 37 kBq per 0.1-10 μl with a charge-coupled device (CCD) imager for a 5 min exposure. In particular, high-intensity CCD images of 35S were selectively obtained using the 2.25, 4.77 and 10 μm silica FPs with scintillator-silica NPs owing to the residual S of dimethyl sulfoxide in the preparation. Scintillation images of 3H at 1670 ± 9 Bq/0.5 μl and 347 ± 6 Bq/0.5 μl dropped in a 2 mm hole on the scintillator-silica FPs (6.78 and 10 μm) were also obtained using the CCD imager for a 2 h exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent epidemiological and animal studies have suggested that excess intake of phosphate (Pi) is a risk factor for the progression of chronic kidney disease and its cardiovascular complications. However, little is known about the impact of dietary high Pi intake on the development of metabolic disorders such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. In this study, we investigated the effects of dietary Pi on glucose and lipid metabolism in healthy rats. Male 8-wk-old Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups and given experimental diets containing varying amounts of Pi, i.e., 0.2 [low Pi (LP)], 0.6 [control Pi (CP)], and 1.2% [high Pi (HP)]. After 4 wk, the HP group showed lower visceral fat accumulation compared with other groups, accompanied by a low respiratory exchange ratio (V˙CO2/V˙O2) without alteration of locomotive activity. The HP group had lower levels of plasma insulin and nonesterified fatty acids. In addition, the HP group also showed suppressed expression of hepatic lipogenic genes, including sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c, fatty acid synthase, and acetyl-CoA carboxylase, whereas there was no difference in hepatic fat oxidation among the groups. On the other hand, uncoupling protein (UCP) 1 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor- γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) expression were significantly increased in the brown adipose tissue (BAT) of the HP group. Our data demonstrated that a high-Pi diet can negatively regulate lipid synthesis in the liver and increase mRNA expression related to lipid oxidation and UCP1 in BAT, thereby preventing visceral fat accumulation. Thus, dietary Pi is a novel metabolic regulator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]