Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

X F Wang

Publications and source records attributed to X F Wang.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Study on three dimensional reconstruction of transesophageal echocardiographic images.

Using biplane transesophageal echocardiography and the concept of three dimensional transthoracic echocardiography, we performed three dimensional reconstruction of transesophageal images of various clinicopathologic cases, including atrial septal defect, mitral stenosis, mitral valve prolapse and pulmonary stenosis. The hardware equipment and image processing flow chart of three dimensional reconstruction of transesophageal echocardiographic images are described. Our present study indicates that three dimensional reconstruction of transesophageal echocardiographic images could display multi-regional three dimensional structures of heart and great vessels, including superior vena cava, ascending aorta, right ventricular outflow tract, pulmonary artery and left heart, with clear, visual and stereoscopic imaging. The regional structures could be displayed at different levels of stereo-anatomic-sections and in different orientations of rotating stereo-images, which could provide accurate three dimensional anatomical information for cardiac stereo-morphological study and definition of spatial location and size of cardiac abnormalities.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Left coronary artery fistula identified by color Doppler flow imaging.

Coronary artery fistula (CAF) is an abnormal communication between a coronary artery and a cardiac chamber, great vessel, or other vascular structures. The presence of the fistula is usually identified by angiography. In this paper, the diagnosis of left coronary artery-right ventricle fistula was made by color Doppler before angiography? and it was confirmed by surgery. Color Doppler flow imaging is a non-invasive method which can reveal the proximal dilatation, the course and the draining site of CAF.

Child↗
PubMed1995

Restricted expression of type-II TGF beta receptor in murine embryonic development suggests a central role in tissue modeling and CNS patterning.

The type-II TGF beta receptor mediates many of the biological responses to TGF beta. An examination of the expression of the type-II TGF beta receptor during mouse embryogenesis therefore provides specific information about the role of TGF beta during embryogenesis than has been available to date. We have isolated the genomic murine homologue of the human type-II TGF beta receptor corresponding to exon 2. The murine and human sequences show a high degree of homology. Using the murine probe, we found that type-II TGF beta receptor expression is regulated in both a spatial and a temporal fashion by using in situ hybridization and ribonuclease protection assays. Type-II TGF beta receptor expression is localized to the mesenchyme during critical interactions with adjacent epithelium such as developing hair follicles, whisker follicles and tooth anlage. In the central nervous system, type-II TGF beta receptor expression is highly restricted to the floor plate. Strong expression is also detected in migrating neural crest cells, meninges, and choroid plexus. Specific mesenchymal localization of type-II TGF beta receptor is also observed in lung, kidney, intestine, stomach, and bladder. The restricted expression of type-II TGF beta receptor in mesenchymal cells at sites of epithelial-mesenchymal interactions suggests that type-II TGF beta receptor plays a major role in mediating the establishment of embryonic organ systems. The highly restricted expression of type-II TGF beta receptor in the developing CNS suggests an important role for a serine/threonine kinase in patterning of the nervous system.

Aging↗
PubMed1995

Analysis of simulated and experimental fluorescence recovery after photobleaching. Data for two diffusing components.

Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching has been a popular technique to quantify the lateral mobility of membrane components. A variety of analysis methods have been used to determine the lateral diffusional mobility, D. However, many of these methods suffer from the drawbacks that they are not able to discern two-component diffusion (i.e., three-point fit), cannot solve for two components (linearization procedures), and do not perform well at low signal-to-noise. To overcome these limitations, we have adopted the approach of fitting fluorescence recovery after photobleaching curves by the full series solution using a Marquardt algorithm. Using simulated data of one or two diffusing components, determinations of the accuracy and reliability of the method with regard to extraction of diffusion parameters and the differentiation of one- versus two-component recovery curves were made under a variety of conditions comparable with those found in actual experimental situations. The performance of the method was also examined in experiments on artificial liposomes and fibroblast membranes labeled with fluorescent lipid and/or protein components. Our results indicate that: 1) the method was capable of extracting one- and two-component D values over a large range of conditions; 2) the D of a one-component recovery can be measured to within 10% with a small signal (100 prebleach photon counts per channel); 3) a two-component recovery requires more than 100-fold greater signal level than a one-component recovery for the same error; and 4) for two-component fits, multiple recovery curves may be needed to provide adequate signal to achieve the desired level of confidence in the fitted parameters and in the differentiation of one- and two-component diffusion.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1995

Effects of morphine and naloxone on proliferation of lymphocytes in vitro.

AIM: To study the effects of morphine on different lymphocytes and the influence of naloxone. METHODS: The proliferation rates of unmature, resting, and activated T-lymphocytes and B-lymphocytes were determined under various concentrations of morphine with or without naloxone in vitro. RESULTS: Morphine 1 x 10(-10)-1 x 10(-6) mol L-1 enhanced concanavalin A (Con A)-induced splenic T-cell proliferation, and 1 mumol L-1 enhanced lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced splenic B-cell proliferation. Naloxone, which per se enhanced the T-cell proliferation, blocked the enhancing effects of morphine. Morphine (1 x 10(-10)-1 x 10(-5) mol L-1) had no influence on the proliferation of resting splenocytes and Con A-induced thymus cells. Morphine 1 mmol L-1 inhibited the proliferation of resting, LPS-induced splenocytes, and Con A-induced splenic and thymus cells. These inhibiting effects were not blocked by naloxone (50 mumol L-1). CONCLUSION: Stimulating effect of morphine on activated T- and B-cells were mediated by opioid receptors and different opioid receptors existed during the differentiation and activation of lymphocytes. The inhibitory effects of morphine (1 mmol L-1) were not mediated by opioid receptors.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Effect of morphine on interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor alpha production from mouse peritoneal macrophages in vitro.

AIM: To study the influence of morphine on lymphokine production from mouse peritoneal macrophages (PM phi). METHODS: The productions of interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) from PM phi under various concentrations of morphine with or without naloxone were measured by testing thymocyte proliferation and L929 cell lysis in vitro. RESULTS: Both morphine (1 x 10(-8) - 1 x 10(-3) mol L-1) and naloxone (50 mumol L-1) inhibited IL-1 production from mouse PM phi primed by sodium thioglycolate. Naloxone did not block the inhibitory effect of morphine. TNF-alpha production from PM phi was inhibited by only high concentration (1 mmol L-1) of morphine which was not blocked by naloxone. CONCLUSION: Morphine had a direct inhibitory effect on PM phi, which was not mediated by opioid receptor of PM phi.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

NMDA receptors in layers II and III of rat cerebral cortex.

Glutamate receptors are found in all layers of the cerebral cortex, but NMDA receptors are concentrated in layers II and III in the adult. We investigated the location of these receptors, and their contribution to the responses of cells in layers V and VI, by iontophoresing NMDA at various distances from the cell body along the apical dendrite of the cells, first in artificial CSF, then in TTX to abolish action potentials. Comparison of responses at various distances along the apical dendrite showed that the response generally increases as distance from the cell body decreases. Comparison of responses in layers II and III, before and after TTX, showed that TTX reduced the response considerably. We conclude first that NMDA receptors in layers II and III are located primarily on cells in layers II and III, rather than on the apical dendrites of cells in layers V and VI, and second that the contribution of NMDA receptors to the response of cells in layers V and VI comes primarily from receptors close to the cell body.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Expression of transforming growth factor beta type II receptor leads to reduced malignancy in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells.

The role of transforming growth factor (TGF) beta type II receptor in reversing the malignant phenotype of human breast cancer MCF-7 cells was examined. MCF-7 cells were insensitive to TGF beta 1 and expressed undetectable levels of cell surface TGF beta type I receptor (RI) and type II receptor (RII) by cross-linking with 125I-TGF beta 1. Stable transfection of a RII expression vector yielded 3 transfectants with varying levels of exogenous RII mRNA and protein levels. Expression of RII also increased TGF beta 1 binding to RI in all 3 clones. Proliferation of RII-positive clones was inhibited by exogenous TGF beta 1 in a dose-dependent manner, whereas the control clones remained TGF beta-insensitive. The RII transfectants were growth arrested in monolayer culture at saturation densities which were 41-66% of that of the Neo controls. They also showed reduced clonogenicity in soft-agarose. Tumorigenicity in ovariectomized, estrogen-supplemented nude mice was delayed in transfectants with low RII levels. Transfectants expressing high levels of RII showed a large reduction in tumorigenicity as well as a longer delay in tumor formation. Tumor growth was associated with loss of exogenous RII expression in transfectants. The results indicate that when systems for TGF beta signal transduction are intact, reconstitution of the TGF beta receptor system can lead to reversion of malignancy in cells lacking RII.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

A single heteromeric receptor complex is sufficient to mediate biological effects of transforming growth factor-beta ligands.

Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta), a multifunctional cytokine that regulates a variety of biological functions, signals through a heteromeric receptor complex of the type I and type II TGF-beta receptors. The type II receptor, a transmembrane serine-threonine kinase, was cloned based on its ability to directly bind TGF-beta. Recently, a number of candidate type I TGF-beta receptors have been isolated. Although only one of these transmembrane kinases (R4) has been shown to mediate TGF-beta-dependent gene activation, others bind TGF-beta when overexpressed in COS cells. Consequently, it has been postulated that the diversity of TGF-beta responses is generated through the association of distinct type I receptors with the type II TGF-beta receptor, thus creating receptor complexes of differential signaling capacities. In contrast to this model, we demonstrate that stable expression of only the R4 type I TGF-beta receptor in a mutant cell line lacking endogenous type I TGF-beta receptor was able to complex with the endogenous type II TGF-beta receptor and restore the effects of TGF-beta on inhibition of cell proliferation and activation of specific genes, regardless of which of the three mammalian isoforms of TGF-beta was used as the ligand. Therefore, R4 acts as a fully functional type I TGF-beta receptor, and the differential effects of TGF-beta are likely mediated by a single receptor complex consisting of R4 and the type II receptor.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Response to acoustic stimuli increases in the ventral cochlear nucleus after stimulus pairing.

Recordings of activity in response to click and hiss were made from 364 units of the ventral cochlear nucleus of cats. The unit response to acoustic stimuli increased after forward or backward pairing of the stimuli with glabella tap and hypothalamic electrical stimulation. The results provide evidence against the widely held view that transmission through this initial brain stem relay of the auditory system is invariant, and suggest, instead, that the activity of the ventral cochlear nucleus changes to support increased attentiveness to acoustic signals after variably ordered pairing of conditioned and unconditioned stimuli.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed1994

A transforming growth factor beta type I receptor that signals to activate gene expression.

Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) is a multifunctional factor that regulates many aspects of cellular functions. TGF-beta signals through a heteromeric complex of the type I and type II TGF-beta receptors. However, the molecular mechanism of signal transduction by this receptor complex remains unresolved. The type II receptor belongs to a transmembrane receptor serine-threonine kinase family. A new member of this receptor family (R4) was identified and shown to be a functional TGF-beta type I receptor on the basis of its ability to restore a TGF-beta-induced gene response in mutant cell lines lacking endogenous type I receptor. Both ligand binding and signaling of the R4 protein were dependent on the presence of a functional type II receptor. The type I receptor has an intrinsic serine-threonine kinase activity, which was essential for signal transduction.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Cloning and developmental expression of the chick type II and type III TGF beta receptors.

To address the role of peptide growth factors in chick organogenesis, we have focused on TGF beta 2 and have cloned the chick Type II and Type III TGF beta receptors. The chick Type II receptor is a serine/threonine kinase with a ligand binding profile identical to the human receptor and a divergent N-terminus when compared to the mammalian receptors. The chick Type III receptor is a beta-glycan that demonstrates a binding profile identical to the rat receptor and contains a single transmembrane spanning domain and short cytoplasmic tail that are highly conserved when compared to the mammalian receptors. Both the Type II and Type III TGF beta receptors are coexpressed during chick embryogenesis in the developing heart, lung, and eye, and are developmentally upregulated in parallel in the heart and lung. Levels of both receptor proteins and mRNAs also increase in cardiocytes cultured from different developmental stages, in agreement with the increase in Type II and Type III receptor mRNA levels observed in the developing heart. Although exhibiting different temporal or spatial profiles from the receptors, TGF beta 2 is also expressed in the developing heart, lung, and eye. These findings are consistent with recent data indicating that co-expression of both the Type II and Type III TGF beta receptors is required for high affinity binding of TGF beta 2 by the Type II receptor and suggest that TGF beta 2 and the Type II and Type III TGF beta receptors participate in heart, lung, and eye development.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Effect of activation of protein kinase C on excitation-contraction coupling in frog twitch muscle fibres.

Intracellular Ca2+ transients were recorded from frog twitch muscle fibres in response to voltage-clamp depolarizing pulses, using arsenazo III as an intracellular Ca2+ indicator. The effect of the activation of protein kinase C (PKC) on the Ca2+ transients was studied. With 1 microM phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu), a PKC activator, the peak of the Ca2+ transients increased to about 120% of control during the first 0.5 h, and then decreased gradually to a plateau of 44% of control within the following 2 h. This effect of PDBu could be alleviated significantly by PKC inhibitors, 10 microM polymyxin B (PMB) or 30 microM 1-(5-isoquinolinylsulphonyl)-2-methyl-piperazine (H-7). Moreover, PDBu caused an upward shift of the strength/duration curve. In Li(+)-loaded muscle fibres the Ca2+ transients could not fully recover after 80 mM K+ exposure for 15 min, while the post-K+ Ca2- transients could be completely restored in the fibres not loaded with Li+. In the presence of 10 microM PMB or 30 microM H-7, a full restoration of the post-K+ Ca2+ transients was seen in Li(+)-loaded fibres. PMB supplemented after high-K+ exposure also could result in a complete recovery of the post-K+ Ca2+ transients in Li(+)-loaded fibres. The role of PKC in modulating excitation-contraction coupling in frog twitch muscle fibres is clearly indicated, but the mechanism(s) and physiological significance remain to be established.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1994

Clinical application of three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography.

Three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography is a new and evolving cardiac imaging technique. We reported our experiences of its clinical applications in 59 patients. A series of special temporal longitudinal views were selected by the frame grabber. Then the computer connected each digitized endocardial surface of the longitudinal views according to their spatial position and reconstructed the three-dimensional, cardiac shaded picture with gray scale. The three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiographic images were divided into three areas. The right area was right anterior to the esophagus and included such structures as the superior vena cava, right atrium, interatrial septum, and left atrium; the size, shape, and location of an atrial septal defect could be clearly shown. In the middle area the origin and the course of the two great arteries could be visualized, thus facilitating the diagnosis of transposition of the great arteries; in patients with obstruction of the right ventricular outflow tract, the circular ridgelike narrowing in the right ventricle was clearly visualized. In the left area the contour and size of the left ventricle and left atrium and the shape and point of coaptation of the mitral valve could be demonstrated; in patients with mitral valve prolapse, part of either leaflet protruded into the left atrium and appeared as a spoonlike depression in the mitral valve. Other entities subjected to three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiographic reconstruction included cor triatriatum, left atrial myxoma, aneurysm of sinus of Valsalva, dissecting aortic aneurysm, mitral stenosis, mitral regurgitation, and mitral valve prolapse.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography in the diagnosis of mitral valve prolapse.

Because the anulus of the mitral valve is nonplanar in systole, false-positive diagnosis of mitral valve prolapse may result from two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography. Because of the superior image quality of TEE, we used the three-dimensional TEE technique to evaluate the mitral valve in both normal subjects and patients with mitral valve prolapse and with ruptured chordae tendineae. After a conventional TEE examination, sequential images of longitudinal views were obtained by probe rotation. The images at 5-degree intervals were stored in machine cine memory loop; the special temporal images were selected with ECG gating and videorecorded. During the examination, 6 to 8 images of the left heart were recorded for later off-line, three-dimensional reconstruction. A total of 42 subjects were studied: 32 normal, 9 with mitral valve prolapse, and 1 with ruptured chordae tendineae. In normal subjects, three-dimensional TEE showed nonplanarity of the entire mitral valve, which assumes a saddle shape. In mitral valve prolapse, either the anterior or posterior leaflet protruded into the left atrium like a spoon; when both leaflets are involved, they prolapse like two spoons. The anterior and posterior leaflets coapted poorly, and there was a seam between them. In ruptured chordae tendineae the tip of the mitral leaflet protruded during systole into the left atrium far from the coaptation point and was perpendicular to the body of the mitral valve and parallel to the anterior and posterior walls of the left atrium.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Estimation of mitral valve area in patients with mitral stenosis by the flow convergence region method: selection of aliasing velocity.

OBJECTIVES: We attempted to determine the most suitable aliasing velocity for applying the hemispheric flow convergence equation to calculate the mitral valve area in mitral stenosis using a continuity equation. BACKGROUND: The flow convergence region method has been used for calculating mitral valve area in patients with mitral stenosis. However, the effect of varying aliasing velocity on the accuracy of this method has not been investigated fully. METHODS: We studied 42 patients with mitral stenosis using imaging and Doppler echocardiography. Aliasing velocities of 17, 21, 28, 34, 40 and 45 cm/s were used. The transmitral maximal flow rate (Q [ml/s]) was calculated using the hemispheric flow convergence equation Q = 2 x pi x R2 x AV x alpha/180, where R (cm) is the maximal radius of the flow convergence region, AV is the aliasing velocity, and alpha/180 is a factor accounting for the inflow angle (alpha). Mitral valve area (A [cm2]) was calculated according to the continuity equation A = Q/V, where V (cm/s) is the peak transmitral velocity by the continuous wave Doppler method. RESULTS: Mitral valve area was progressively underestimated with increasing aliasing velocity. The actual and percent differences noted between the mitral valve area by the flow convergence region method and that by two-dimensional echocardiographic planimetry were -0.06 +/- 0.23 cm2 (mean +/- SD) and 0.09 +/- 15.7% at an aliasing velocity of 21 cm/s, increasing gradually with increasing aliasing velocity, and were -1.24 +/- 0.9 cm2 and -72.56 +/- 16.4% at an aliasing velocity of 45 cm/s. Mitral valve areas estimated by the flow convergence region method at an aliasing velocity of 21 cm/s in 11 patients with associated > 2+ mitral regurgitation (2.12 +/- 1.17 cm2) and 8 with associated > 2+ aortic regurgitation (1.28 +/- 0.71 cm2) were not significantly different using planimetry (2.24 +/- 1.39 cm2, p > 0.05 and 1.27 +/- 0.74 cm2, p > 0.05, respectively) but were significantly different by the pressure half-time method (1.59 +/- 1.12 cm2, p < 0.001 and 1.63 +/- 0.93 cm2, p < 0.01, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This study indicated the most appropriate aliasing velocity for the accurate estimation of mitral valve area in patients with mitral stenosis.

Adolescent↗