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Purpose: Brain metastases (BM) often leave residual tumors despite having visible margins, which increases the risk of local tumor recurrence and can impact overall patient survival rates. Fluorescence-guided surgery (FGS) utilizing sodium fluorescein (FL) has been reported as an effective technique in recent studies. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of FL FGS in improving the extent of resection of brain metastases and its impact on overall survival. Methods: We conducted a systematic search following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. Our primary focus was on gross total resection (GTR). Additionally, we extracted survival data and evaluated the risk of bias using a modified version of the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tool. Results: The study comprised 970 patients with brain metastases through eight different studies. The study found that patients who underwent FL-guided resection had a significantly higher rate of GTR (OR: 2.02, 95% CI: 1.14–3.56, p = 0.0156, I2 = 41.5%). Additionally, the study concluded that FL-guided resection is associated with better overall survival rates (HR: 0.61, 95%CI: 0.47 0.80, p = 0.0003, I2 = 41.5%). Conclusion: Our research suggests that the use of FL is associated with a higher rate of GTR and improved overall patient survival. None of the studies we reviewed reported significant complications associated with the use of FL in patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The morphology of the major and minor glands in the Persian squirrel (Sciurus anomalus) is crucial for understanding this mammal's biological and ecological relationships. This study aimed to compare the macro- and microanatomies of the major and minor salivary glands in Persian squirrels. Five euthanized adult Persian squirrels were used for this investigation. The macroscopic and microscopic evaluations were carried out after dissection, and tissue samples were fixed and slides prepared. Afterward, specific staining methods were used for the histochemical study. The results of this investigation indicated that Persian squirrels, as pets and wild rodents, have several minor salivary glands, including caudal buccal, lingual, palatine, and palatoglossal salivary glands. The rostral buccal region and labial region of the Persian squirrel were sectioned serially, but there were no salivary secretory units in these regions. The parotid gland was completely acinar serous, the submandibular salivary gland was branched tubuloacinar seromucous, and the sublingual gland was tubuloacinar seromucous. In addition, in this research, the two parts of the sublingual gland, monostomatice, and polystomatic parts, were completely determined. The striated, intercalated, interlobar, and excretory ducts composed the ductal system of the major salivary glands in Persian squirrels. The interlobar septa between the lobules contained blood vessels and interlobar ducts. The myoepithelial cells were seen around the secretory units of all major salivary glands. In conclusion, it can be noticed that the major and minor salivary glands of the Persian squirrel had been scattered in the oral cavity, such as the palatine, tongue, and buccal regions, and the secretory units of these glands were different from other rodents due to the difference in nutrition of the Persian squirrel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a significant risk factor for the development of critical limb ischemia (CLI), the most advanced stage of peripheral arterial disease. The concurrent existence of T2DM and CLI often leads to adverse outcomes, namely limb amputation. Objective: To identify biomarkers for improving the screening of CLI in high-risk people with T2DM. Methods: We investigated metabolome profiles in serum samples of 113 T2DM people with CLI (n = 23, G2) and without CLI (n = 45, G0: no lower limb stenosis (LLS) and n = 45, G1: LLS < 50%), using hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) approach. Principle component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) were used to analyze 1H NMR data. Results: Twenty potential metabolites that could discriminate people with T2DM and CLI (G2) from non-CLI patients without LLS (G0) were determined in serum samples. The correct percent of classification for the PLS-DA model for the test set samples was 85% (n = 20) and 100% (n = 5) for G0 and G2 groups, respectively. Non-CLI patients with LLS < 50% (G1) were projected on the PCA abstract space built using 20 discriminatory metabolites. Eleven people with T2DM and LLS < 50% were prospectively followed, and their ankle-brachial index (ABI) was measured after 4 years. A promising agreement existed between the PCA model's predictions and those obtained by ABI values. Conclusion: The findings suggest that confirmation of blood potential metabolic biomarkers as a complement to ABI for screening of CLI in a large group of high-risk people with T2DM is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Peripheral neuropathy is a dose-limiting adverse effect of oxaliplatin. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of duloxetine in the prevention of oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy (OIPN). Method: Cancer patients receiving oxaliplatin based chemotherapy were randomized into two arms. Duloxetine 60 mg capsule was given in the first 14 days of each chemotherapy cycle to one arm and placebo was similarly given to another. We compared the two arms based on the incidence of neuropathy and the results of the nerve conduction study (NCS). Grade of complained neuropathy was recorded according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE). Results: Thirty-two patients mostly rectal cancer (90.6%) were randomized to duloxetine and placebo arms. Highest grade of neuropathy in each cycle was not significantly different between the two groups. Six weeks after treatment incidence of neuropathy of any grade was 52.9 in duloxetine arm compared to 76.9% in placebo arm (P: 0.26). Patients in the duloxetine arm had a lower percentage of chemotherapy cycles (mean) in which they reported distal paresthesia (51% vs. 84%, P = 0.01) and throat discomfort (37% vs. 69%, P = 0.01). Results of NCS were mostly comparable between the two arms except for the velocity in two of the examined nerve which was significantly higher in duloxetine group. Duloxetine was safe and well-tolerated. Conclusion: Although a definite conclusion might be difficult to draw but administering duloxetine for 14 days in each chemotherapy cycle could not decrease the incidence of acute OIPN based on CTCAE grading system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human activities are the most effective and significant cause of environmental changes, some of which are destructive and others are beneficial. One of the most effective steps to protect the environment is to assess farmers' behavior in achieving the goals of environmental sustainability. This study aimed to analyze the environmental sustainability behavior of farmers using the norm activation theory (NAT) in a questionnaire-based survey. The statistical population comprised wheat farmers in Kermanshah province, Iran (N = 126,900). The sample size was determined to be 382 farmers by Krejcie and Morgan's table. The validity of the questionnaire was verified by experts and its reliability was confirmed by a pilot test and calculating Cronbach's alpha. Five variables of perceived behavior control, perceived self-efficacy, ascription of responsibility, denial of responsibility, and awareness of consequences had significant effects on personal norms. The variable of personal norms had a significant effect on farmers' sustainable behavior. By and large, it can be concluded that NAT can adequately account for the environmental sustainability of farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: To evaluate the efficacy of empagliflozin compared to pioglitazone in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Methods: In this prospective randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we assigned 106 patients with NAFLD and T2DM to receive empagliflozin 10 mg (n = 35), pioglitazone 30 mg (n = 34), or placebo (n = 37) for 24 weeks. Liver fat content and liver stiffness were measured using fibroscans. Body composition assessment was performed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scans. The primary end point was change from baseline in liver steatosis, using the controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) score. Results: A borderline significant decrease in CAP score was observed with empagliflozin compared to placebo, mean difference: − 29.6 dB/m (− 39.5 to − 19.6) versus − 16.4 dB/m (− 25.0 to − 7.8), respectively; p = 0.05. Using multivariate analysis, we observed a significant reduction in the placebo-corrected change in liver stiffness measurement (LSM) with empagliflozin compared to pioglitazone: − 0.77 kPa (− 1.45, − 0.09), p = 0.02, versus 0.01 kPa (95% CI − 0.70, 0.71, p = 0.98), p for comparison = 0.03. Changes in serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), fasting insulin, homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), HOMA2-IR, fibrosis-4 index (FIB4 index), NAFLD fibrosis score, aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI), android/gynecoid ratio (A/G ratio), and skeletal muscle index (SMI) were comparable between the two treatment groups, while significant reductions of the body weight and visceral fat area were observed only in the empagliflozin group (p < 0.001 and p = 0.01, respectively) and both were increased in the placebo and pioglitazone groups. There were no serious adverse events in either group. Conclusion: Treatment for 24 weeks with empagliflozin, in contrast to pioglitazone, was associated with improvement of liver steatosis and fibrosis in patients with NAFLD and T2DM. In addition, body weight and abdominal fat area were decreased in the empagliflozin group. Trial Registration: Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT), IRCT20190122042450N3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Despite the high prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its associated co-morbidities, no efficient treatment in a high percentage of individuals is available. Beneficial effects of sodium–glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors on fatty liver have been investigated in people with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). The aim of this study was to explore the effect of empagliflozin on liver steatosis and fibrosis in patients with NAFLD without T2DM. Methods: In this prospective randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, participants with NAFLD were randomized to empagliflozin (10 mg/day) (n = 43) or placebo (n = 47) for 24 weeks. Hepatic steatosis and fibrosis were assessed using transient elastography to measure the controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) and liver stiffness measurement (LSM). The primary outcome was the change in CAP score at 24 weeks. Results: There was significant decrease in CAP score in both groups but no significant difference was observed between the two groups (P = 0.396). LSM was significantly decreased in the empagliflozin-treated group (6.03 ± 1.40 to 5.33 ± 1.08 kPa; P = 0.001), while no change was found in the placebo group. In subgroups analysis of patients with significant steatosis at baseline (CAP ≥ 302 dB/m), steatosis significantly improved in the empagliflozin group (37.2% vs. 17%; P = 0.035). There was a significant decrease in the grade of liver fat on visual analysis of ultrasound images, AST, ALT, and fasting insulin levels in the empagliflozin group, while no changes were observed in the placebo group. Conclusions: Empagliflozin improves liver steatosis and, more importantly, measures of liver fibrosis in patients with NAFLD without T2DM. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, IRCT20190122042450N1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflow prediction of reservoirs is of considerable importance due to its application in water resources management related to downstream water release planning and flood protection. Therefore, in this research, different new input patterns for predicting inflow to Zayandehroud dam reservoir is proposed employing artificial neural network (ANN) and support vector machine (SVM) models. Nine different models with different patterns of input data such as inflow to the dam reservoir considering time duration lags, time index, and monthly rainfall of Ghaleh-Shahrokh station have been proposed to predict the inflow to the dam reservoir. Comparison of the results indicates that the ninth proposed model has the least error for inflow prediction in which the results of SVM model outperform those of ANN model. That is, the least error has been obtained using the ninth SVM (ANN) model with correlation coefficient (R) values of 0.8962 (0.89296), 0.9303 (0.92983) and 0.9622 (0.95333) and root mean squared error (RMSE) values of 47.9346 (48.5441), 42.69093 (43.748) and 23.56193 (28.5125) for training, validation and test data, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During an organism’s evolution, functional adaptations help species to become better suited to their ecological niches. From the morphological aspect, these adaptations are reflected in the anatomical specializations of different organs. Specializations of the lingual organ is a critical adaptation of birds, such as the white-headed duck (Oxyura leucocephala), that enables their nutritional requirements to be met. For optimal use of the available food resources, the white-headed duck utilizes three methods of food collection, namely pecking, grazing and filter-feeding. Since this species is classified as endangered, we conducted the present study on two carcasses of the white-headed duck (death due to natural causes) employing routine histological methods, light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Our results show that the tongue of this bird shares some similarities and some differences with the tongue of other members of the family Anatidae. The results confirm that it is better adapted to the filter-feeding method rather than to other types of food intake. This adaptation is reflected by anatomical specializations of its lingual structures, including the stair-like outline shape, bi-sectional lingual body, a deep median sulcus, lateral conical papillae, mucus secreting glands, lack of serous secreting glands, cartilaginous skeleton and the triangular fibromuscular structure of the lingual body. The so-called triangular structure and cartilaginous skeleton are the major structures involved in the lingual motions during the filter-feeding method. The presence of the triangular structure and its connection with the cartilaginous skeleton and lingual mucosa have not previously been reported in any species of birds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hedgehog tongue is a tactile and taste organ which carries out various functions. Detailed functional and morphological studies are required to clearly define the relationship of the hedgehog tongue with taste, food palatability, mastication and swallowing of food, as well as the production of sounds. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the morphological characteristics of the European hedgehog tongue and the lifestyle of this animal, as well as to compare findings with the results of studies on other vertebrates. Gross and micro-anatomical light and scanning electron microscopy studies revealed that the hedgehog tongue could be divided in three areas, namely the apex, body and root. A keratinized stratified squamous epithelium, which was smooth on the ventral surface but bore four types of papillae on the dorsal surface, lined the tongue. Three types of these papillae were found to have gustatory functions and to express their activity in close relation with the salivary glands. These simple conical filiform papillae were situated caudally and distributed one after the other without a break. The dome-shaped fungiform papillae on the apex, with the highest distribution rate on the apex edge, were small, but those on the body and root were large. The three circular vallate papillae were arranged in a triangular shape. The foliate papillae with a few tiny projections, found in a shallow furrow, were situated between the root and the body. Most of the nerve fibers observed in different sections of the tongue tissue were of the unmyelinated type, confirming that the main task of the hedgehog tongue was its gustatory function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteomyelitis can present as a severe complication in diabetic patients. The present study was structured to evaluate the histopathological characteristics of bone infection in the feet of diabetic patients and to associate any clinical variables seen with each type of bone infection. Eighty-four cases of osteomyelitis were evaluated microbiologically and histopathologically after samples were collected under sterile conditions in an operating room. The data generated were analysed using SPSS software. Polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) infiltrates were associated with acute osteomyelitis (AO) (22 cases (26.2%)) and chronic acute osteomyelitis (CAO) (10 cases (11.9%)), whereas a strong association was observed between mononuclear infiltrates and chronic osteomyelitis (CO) (33 cases (39.3%)) and fibrosis (19 cases (22.6%)). Ulcer longevity on hospital admission varied for each condition: AO (10.9 + 22 weeks), CO (29.1 + 20.6 weeks), CAO (31.5 + 22.2 weeks) and fibrosis (30.5 + 23 weeks) ( P < 0.05) (values expressed as mean + SD). The same was true for the presence of pathogenic bacteria: AO (16/22, 72.7%), CO (27/33, 81.8%), CAO (7/10, 70%) and fibrosis (16/19, 84.2%). There was significant correlation between histopathological features and presence of bacteria and longevity of the ulcer on presentation ( P < 0.05). Osteomyelitis in the feet of diabetic patients should be classified as four specific but interlinked groups: acute, chronic, acute on chronic and fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, simultaneous effects of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and polyurethane (PU) nanofibers, multi wall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) and nanoclay incorporation on sound absorption behavior of polyurethane foam were studied. The most important parameters such as nanoparticles content, number and mass per unit area of nanofiber layers and foam thickness were chosen and their influences on sound absorption in a wide band of frequencies were investigated. Applying of both nanoparticles gave rise to considerable improvement in PU foam sound absorption, however in case of MWNTs more satisfied results were observed. Sound absorption tests of simultaneous incorporation of MWNTs and nanoclay showed that the optimized result can be obtained at moderate to high MWNTs percents (0.1-0.15 wt.%) and low percents of nanoclay (0.5 wt.%). On the other hand, by adding PAN or PU nanofiber layers within the PU foam structure, superior sound absorption was achieved. Upper sound absorption by increasing the numbers of nanofiber layers was obtained. Incorporation of PAN nanofiber layers showed a better effect at high mass per unit area (5 g/m), however the higher sound absorption in case of PU nanofiber layers was observed at low mass per unit area (1 g/m). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focused on using response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN) to analyze polyurethane (PU) nanofibers morphology synthesized by electrospinning. The process was characterized in detail by using experimental design to determine the parameters that may affect the nanofibers morphology such as polymer concentration, a tip to collector distance and applied voltage. It was concluded that solution concentration plays an important role (relative importance of 79.85 %) against nanofibers diameter and its standard deviation. Based on the results, applied voltage has a different effect on the nanofiber diameter at low and high solution concentrations. Moreover, the tip to collector distance parameter has no significant impact on the average nanofiber diameter. The finest PU nanofiber (201 nm) was obtained from experimental under conditions of: 9 w/v% polymer concentrations, 12 cm tip to collector distance and 16 kV applied voltage. The results show a very good agreement between the experimental and modeled data. It was demonstrated that both models (specially, in case of neural network) are excellent for predicting diameter of PU nanofibers. Furthermore, numerical optimization has been performed by considering desirability function to access the region in design space that introduces minimum average diameter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic parameters for average daily gain from birth to weaning (ADGa), birth to 6 months (ADGb), weaning to 6 months (ADGc), weaning to yearling age (ADGd), and corresponding Kleiber ratios (KRa, KRb, KRc, and KRd) were estimated by using records of 3,533 Zandi lambs, descendent of 163 sires and 1265 dams, born between 1991 and 2005 at the Zandi Sheep Breeding Station at Khojir National Park, Tehran, Iran. A derivative-free algorithm combined with a series of six single-trait linear animal models was used to estimate phenotypic variance and its direct, maternal, and residual components. In addition, bivariate analyses were done to estimate (co)variance components between traits. Estimates of direct heritability ( h) were 0.11, 0.15, 0.09, 0.10, 0.10, 0.10, 0.06, and 0.07 for ADGa, ADGb, ADGc, ADGd, KRa, KRb, KRc, and KRd, respectively, thereby indicating the presence of low additive genetic variation for growth rate and Kleiber ratio in this population of Zandi sheep. Maternal genetic component was found to be significant on ADGa and KRa and contributed 3% and 5%, respectively, in total phenotypic variance of ADGa and KRa. A widespread range of genetic correlations among traits studied was observed. Except for negative genetic correlations between ADGa and KRc, ADGa and KRd, and between KRa and KRc, in other cases, genetic correlations were positive and moderate to very high. Phenotypic correlations ranged from −0.49 (ADGa/KRd) to 0.94 (ADGc/KRc). These results indicate that selecting for improved growth rate or Kleiber ratio in Zandi sheep would generate a relatively slow genetic progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, Trastuzumab modified Magnetic Nanoparticles (TMNs) were prepared as a new contrast agent for detecting HER2 (Human epidermal growth factor receptor-2) expression tumors by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). TMNs were prepared based on iron oxide nanoparticles core and Trastuzumab modified dextran coating. The TMNs core and hydrodynamic size were determined by transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. TMNs stability and cytotoxicity were investigated. The ability of TMNs for HER2 detection were evaluated in breast carcinoma cell lines (SKBr3 and MCF7 cells) and tumor-bearing mice by MRI and iron uptake determination. The particles core and hydrodynamic size were 9 ± 2.5 and 41 ± 15 nm (size range: 15-87 nm), respectively. The molar antibody/nanoparticle ratio was 3.1-3.5. TMNs were non-toxic to the cells below the 30 μg (Fe)/mL concentration and good stable up to 8 weeks in PBS buffer. TMNs could detect HER2 oncogenes in the cells surface with imagable contrast by MRI. The invivo study in mice bearing tumors indicated that TMNs possessed a good diagnostic ability as HER2 specific contrast agent by MRI. TMNs were demonstrated to be able to selectively accumulate in the tumor cells, with a proper signal enhancement in MRI T2 images. So, the complex may be considered for further investigations as an MRI contrast agent for detection of HER2 expression tumors in human. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We digested anti-MUC1 monoclonal antibody PR81 to produce F(ab')₂ fragments. A comparison was performed between the two radiolabeled PR81 and F(ab')₂ fragments for breast tumor imaging in a mouse model. Methods: The optimum conditions for pepsin digestion of PR81 were investigated in terms of enzymes: antibody ratio, digestion time duration and preserved immunoreactivity of the produced fragments. The F(ab')₂ fragments were labeled with Technetium-99m using HYNIC as a chelator and tricine as a co-ligand. The immunoreactivity of the complexes was assessed by radioimmunoassay using MCF7 cells. Biodistribution and imaging studies were performed in female BALB/c mice with breast tumor xenograft at 4, 8 and 24 h post-administration. The PR81 was labeled with technetium-99m in the same way for comparison. Results: The optimum time duration for PR81 digestion was found to be 28 h at an enzyme:antibody weight ratio of 1:20 that resulted in 95.2 ± 4.7% purity. The labeling of intact PR81 and its F(ab')₂ fragments were 87.6 ± 4.2 and 76.1 ± 3.3% after 1 h, respectively (p value <0.05). The percentage of immunoreactivity of F(ab')₂ fragments and intact PR81 were 75.4 ± 2.1% and 85.7 ± 2.9%, respectively (p value <0.05). The biodistribution and imaging studies demonstrated localization of the fragments at 4 h post-administration with high sensitivity and specificity. Conclusion: The results showed that F(ab')₂ fragment of PR81 is more suitable than intact PR81 for safer and more rapid detection of human breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We digested anti-MUC1 monoclonal antibody PR81 to produce F(ab′) fragments. A comparison was performed between the two radiolabeled PR81 and F(ab′) fragments for breast tumor imaging in a mouse model. Methods: The optimum conditions for pepsin digestion of PR81 were investigated in terms of enzymes: antibody ratio, digestion time duration and preserved immunoreactivity of the produced fragments. The F(ab′) fragments were labeled with Technetium-99m using HYNIC as a chelator and tricine as a co-ligand. The immunoreactivity of the complexes was assessed by radioimmunoassay using MCF7 cells. Biodistribution and imaging studies were performed in female BALB/c mice with breast tumor xenograft at 4, 8 and 24 h post-administration. The PR81 was labeled with technetium-99m in the same way for comparison. Results: The optimum time duration for PR81 digestion was found to be 28 h at an enzyme:antibody weight ratio of 1:20 that resulted in 95.2 ± 4.7% purity. The labeling of intact PR81 and its F(ab′) fragments were 87.6 ± 4.2 and 76.1 ± 3.3% after 1 h, respectively ( p value <0.05). The percentage of immunoreactivity of F(ab′) fragments and intact PR81 were 75.4 ± 2.1% and 85.7 ± 2.9%, respectively ( p value <0.05). The biodistribution and imaging studies demonstrated localization of the fragments at 4 h post-administration with high sensitivity and specificity. Conclusion: The results showed that F(ab′) fragment of PR81 is more suitable than intact PR81 for safer and more rapid detection of human breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DTPA is a very strong metal chelator widely utilized in radiopharmaceutical chemistry for conjugation of chemicals which do not have enough potency for direct metalo-labeling and also to manage toxic radioactive materials such as plutonium, americium, and curium. It is difficult to conjugate DTPA to an amine group in a singular direction and such reactions usually also coincidently produce a mixture of DTPA-bis-amides and DTPA-mono-amide resulting in considerable insufficiencies/difficulties in synthesis and especially yield/separation procedures. In this paper, novel methods for the exclusive synthesis of DTPA-mono-amide have been established which extensively reduce the difficulties otherwise encountered and increase the reaction’s yield considering the green chemistry approaches. This is expected to be of interest to radiopharmaceutical researchers interested in the DTPA (Radio)-metallic-conjugate. Overall, this paper provides a framework to achieve a higher degree of propriety from DTPA as a chelator to conjugate to the chemical compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Elevated expression of insulin-like growth factor-I receptor (IGF-IR) is a frequent genetic abnormality seen in this malignancy. For a better understanding of its role in maintaining the malignant phenotype, we used RNA interference (RNAi) directed against IGF-IR in our study. The aim of this study was to examine the anti-proliferation and chemosensitization effects elicited by a decrease in the transcription and protein levels of IGF-IR by RNAi in SW480 colon cancer cells. A plasmid-based polymerase III promoter system was used to deliver and express short interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting IGF-IR to reduce its expression in SW480 cells. Western blot analysis was used to measure the protein level of IGF-IR. We assessed the effects of IGF-IR silencing on cancer cell growth by a cell growth curve. The effect of the 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-induced cell death by knockdown of IGF-IR was also investigated by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay. Transfection of siRNA targeting IGF-IR was shown to reduce IGF-IR messenger RNA levels by 95%. Western blotting detected a similar inhibition of IGF-IR protein levels in those cells. The cells transfected with PKD-short hairpin RNA-IGF-IR-V2 significantly decreased cell growth and rendered cells more sensitive to chemotherapy. The highest proliferation inhibitory and chemosensitization ratios were 53 ± 2% and 1.78, respectively. This study indicates that downregulation of IGF-IR results in significant inhibition of tumor growth in vitro. It also provides a promising strategy to chemotherapy efficacy in human tumors and forming a basis for future in vivo trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radioimmunoscintigraphy (RIS) has found widespread clinical application in tumor diagnosis. The antibody (Ab) PR81 is a new murine anti-MUC1 monoclonal antibody (MAb) against human breast carcinoma. In this study a very simple, rapid and efficient method for labeling of this MAb with 99mTc, particularly suitable for development of a 'kit'is described. The reduction of Ab was performed with 2- mercaptoethanol (2-ME) at a molar ratio of 2000:1 (2-ME:MAb) and the reduced Ab was labeled with 99mTc via methylene diphosphonate (MDP) as a transchelator. The labeling efficiency which was determined by instant thin layer chromatography (ITLC) was 94.2%±2.3. Radiocolloides measured by cellulose nitrate electrophoresis were 2.5%±1.7. In vitro stability of the labeled product in human serum which was measured by gel filtration chromatography (FPLC) was 70%±5.7 over 24 hr. The integrity of labeled MAb was checked by means of SDS-PAGE and no significant fragmentation was observed. The results of the cell-binding studies showed that both labeled and unlabeled PR81 were able to compete for binding to MCF 7 cells. Biodistribution studies were performed in normal BALB/c mice at 4 and 24 hrs post-injection and no important accumulation was observed in vital organs. These results show that the new radiopharmaceutical may be considered as a promising candidate for imaging of breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The affiliation of the third author has been incorrectly published in the original publication of the article. The correct affiliation is provided in this erratum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]