Evaluation of Changes in Condylar Cartilage Thickness Using MRI and Ultrasound Imaging in Patients Treated by Mandibular Advancement With Myofunctional Appliance: An In-Vivo Pilot Study

Based on theoretical considerations, experimental data with cells in vitro, animal studies in vivo, as well as a single case pilot study with one colitis patient, a consolidated hypothesis can be put forward, stating that “oral supplementation with creatine monohydrate (Cr), a pleiotropic cellular energy precursor, is likely to be effective in inducing a favorable response and/or remission in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), like ulcerative colitis and/or Crohn’s disease”. A current pilot clinical trial that incorporates the use of oral Cr at a dose of 2 × 7 g per day, over an initial period of 2 months in conjunction with ongoing therapies (NCT02463305) will be informative for the proposed larger, more long-term Cr supplementation study of 2 × 3–5 g of Cr per day for a time of 3–6 months. This strategy should be insightful to the potential for Cr in reducing or alleviating the symptoms of IBD. Supplementation with chemically pure Cr, a natural nutritional supplement, is well tolerated not only by healthy subjects, but also by patients with diverse neuromuscular diseases. If the outcome of such a clinical pilot study with Cr as monotherapy or in conjunction with metformin were positive, oral Cr supplementation could then be used in the future as potentially useful adjuvant therapeutic intervention for patients with IBD, preferably together with standard medication used for treating patients with chronic ulcerative colitis and/or Crohn’s disease.

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Pilot Study: Quantitative Photoacoustic Evaluation of Peripheral Vascular Dynamics Induced by Carfilzomib In Vivo

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s21030836 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (3) ◽

pp. 836

Author(s):

Thi Thao Mai ◽

Manh-Cuong Vo ◽

Tan-Huy Chu ◽

Jin Young Kim ◽

Chulhong Kim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Side Effects ◽

Cardiovascular Events ◽

Evaluation Method ◽

Vascular System ◽

Maximum Amplitude ◽

Peripheral Vascular ◽

Peripheral Vasculature ◽

Mouse Ear

Carfilzomib is mainly used to treat multiple myeloma. Several side effects have been reported in patients treated with carfilzomib, especially those associated with cardiovascular events, such as hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease. However, the side effects, especially the manifestation of cardiovascular events through capillaries, have not been fully investigated. Here, we performed a pilot experiment to monitor peripheral vascular dynamics in a mouse ear under the effects of carfilzomib using a quantitative photoacoustic vascular evaluation method. Before and after injecting the carfilzomib, bortezomib, and PBS solutions, we acquired high-resolution three-dimensional PAM data of the peripheral vasculature of the mouse ear during each experiment for 10 h. Then, the PAM maximum amplitude projection (MAP) images and five quantitative vascular parameters, i.e., photoacoustic (PA) signal, diameter, density, length fraction, and fractal dimension, were estimated. Quantitative results showed that carfilzomib induces a strong effect on the peripheral vascular system through a significant increase in all vascular parameters up to 50%, especially during the first 30 min after injection. Meanwhile, bortezomib and PBS do not have much impact on the peripheral vascular system. This pilot study verified PAM as a comprehensive method to investigate peripheral vasculature, along with the effects of carfilzomib. Therefore, we expect that PAM may be useful to predict cardiovascular events caused by carfilzomib.

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Molecular imaging of orthotopic prostate cancer with nanobubble ultrasound contrast agents targeted to PSMA

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-84072-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Yu Wang ◽

Al Christopher De Leon ◽

Reshani Perera ◽

Eric Abenojar ◽

Ramamurthy Gopalakrishnan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prostate Cancer ◽

Ultrasound Imaging ◽

Prostate Gland ◽

Ultrasound Contrast Agent ◽

Tumor Model ◽

Focal Therapy ◽

Ultrasound Contrast Agents ◽

Time Intensity Curve ◽

Ultrasound Contrast

AbstractUltrasound imaging is routinely used to guide prostate biopsies, yet delineation of tumors within the prostate gland is extremely challenging, even with microbubble (MB) contrast. A more effective ultrasound protocol is needed that can effectively localize malignancies for targeted biopsy or aid in patient selection and treatment planning for organ-sparing focal therapy. This study focused on evaluating the application of a novel nanobubble ultrasound contrast agent targeted to the prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA-targeted NBs) in ultrasound imaging of prostate cancer (PCa) in vivo using a clinically relevant orthotopic tumor model in nude mice. Our results demonstrated that PSMA-targeted NBs had increased extravasation and retention in PSMA-expressing orthotopic mouse tumors. These processes are reflected in significantly different time intensity curve (TIC) and several kinetic parameters for targeted versus non-targeted NBs or LUMASON MBs. These, may in turn, lead to improved image-based detection and diagnosis of PCa in the future.

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Resizable Ventricular Patch Plasty in the Porcine Left Ventricle a Pilot Study

Innovations Technology and Techniques in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery ◽

10.1097/imi.0b013e3181cfa8f1 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 16-21 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Willemijn H. F. Huijgen ◽

Paul F. Gründeman ◽

Tycho van der Spoel ◽

Maarten-Jan Cramer ◽

Paul Steendijk ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Animal Experiments ◽

Ventricular Volume ◽

Left Ventricular ◽

Left Ventricular Aneurysm ◽

Patch Shape ◽

End Diastolic Volume ◽

Patch Plasty

Objective Endoventricular circular patch plasty is a method used to reconstruct the ventricular cavity in patients with (post) ischemic left ventricular aneurysm or global dilatation. However, late redilatation with mitral regurgitation has been reported, in which postoperative apex shape seems to play an important role. We studied the feasibility of ventricular volume downsizing with a variably shaped patch in porcine hearts. Methods In five in vitro and two acute animal experiments, a dyskinetic aneurysm was simulated with a pericardial insert. Reducing patch surface by changing patch shape diminished end-diastolic volume. In vitro, static end-diastolic volume was determined for each patch shape using volumetry and echocardiography. In the acute animal experiments, preliminary observations of patch behavior in live material were made, and pressure/time relationship, dPdTmax, was registered. Results In vitro, bringing the convex patch into a flat plane reduced LV volume from 66 ± 7 mL (aneurysm) to 49 ± 5 mL. Four of 5 patch shapes further reduced volume to a mean of 38 ± 7 mL (P = 0.03). The in vitro echocardiographic measurements correlated with volumetry findings (r = 0.81). In the acute animal experiments, dPdTmax varied with patch shape, independent of volume changes. Conclusions In this pilot study, in vitro shape configuration of the resizable ventricular patch resulted in a calibrated end-diastolic volume reduction. The data of the two in vivo pilot experiments clearly indicate that change in patch configuration in the situation of more or less unchanged end-diastolic volume had impact on cardiac performance. Future studies must substantiate the results of this observation.

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A Tumbling Magnetic Microrobot System for Biomedical Applications

Micromachines ◽

10.3390/mi11090861 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (9) ◽

pp. 861

Author(s):

Elizabeth E. Niedert ◽

Chenghao Bi ◽

Georges Adam ◽

Elly Lambert ◽

Luis Solorio ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ultrasound Imaging ◽

Biomedical Applications ◽

Imaging System ◽

Ex Vivo ◽

Negative Control ◽

Circular Path ◽

Rotational Axis ◽

Significant Difference

A microrobot system comprising an untethered tumbling magnetic microrobot, a two-degree-of-freedom rotating permanent magnet, and an ultrasound imaging system has been developed for in vitro and in vivo biomedical applications. The microrobot tumbles end-over-end in a net forward motion due to applied magnetic torque from the rotating magnet. By turning the rotational axis of the magnet, two-dimensional directional control is possible and the microrobot was steered along various trajectories, including a circular path and P-shaped path. The microrobot is capable of moving over the unstructured terrain within a murine colon in in vitro, in situ, and in vivo conditions, as well as a porcine colon in ex vivo conditions. High-frequency ultrasound imaging allows for real-time determination of the microrobot’s position while it is optically occluded by animal tissue. When coated with a fluorescein payload, the microrobot was shown to release the majority of the payload over a 1-h time period in phosphate-buffered saline. Cytotoxicity tests demonstrated that the microrobot’s constituent materials, SU-8 and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), did not show a statistically significant difference in toxicity to murine fibroblasts from the negative control, even when the materials were doped with magnetic neodymium microparticles. The microrobot system’s capabilities make it promising for targeted drug delivery and other in vivo biomedical applications.

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