Introduction Isoproterenol is a non-selective β receptor agonist, which is a drug approved for bradycardia and bronchial asthma in many countries. Recently, isoproterenol has been reported to have the potential as a drug for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease by inhibiting the aggregation of tau protein. Isoproterenol is a highly potent drug causing increases in heart rates even when its plasma concentration is very low. Thus, it is critical to know if potentially effective therapeutic levels of isoproterenol can be achieved, maintaining safe plasma levels without any untoward pharmacological effects. The purpose of the study is to investigate the brain pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of 11C-labeled isoproterenol in rodents. Methods We performed positron emission tomography (PET) brain imaging and biodistribution studies of [11C]isoproterenol. 120-min scans with arterial blood sampling were performed in rats. Additionally, plasma and brain homogenates were analyzed with radio-HPLC to characterize its mr in the human brain, it may be difficult to achieve potentially therapeutic levels of this drug safely in humans. Further studies appear warranted to investigate the brain pharmacokinetics in humans with PET using [11C]isoproterenol.Introduction and objectives Infantile hepatic hemangioendothelioma (IHHE) is a benign liver tumor, associated with hypothyroidism and vascular malformations along the skin, brain, digestive tract and other organs. Here, we determined a single-center patient cohort by evaluating the effectiveness and safety of propranolol and sirolimus for the treatment of IHHE. Patients and methods We performed a monocentric and observational study, based on clinical data obtained from 20 cases of IHHE treated with oral propranolol and sirolimus at the Shanghai Children's Medical Center (SCMC), between December 2017 and April 2019. All cases were confirmed by abdominal enhanced CT examination (18/20, 90%) and sustained decrease of alpha fetoprotein (AFP) (2/20, 10%). Propranolol treatment was standardized as once a day at 1.0mg/kg for patients younger than 2 months, and twice a day at 1.0mg/kg (per dose) for patients older than 2 months. Sirolimus was used to treat refractory IHHE patients after 6 months of propranolol treatment, and initial dosing was at 0.8mg/m2 body surface per dose, administered every 12h. Upon treatment, abdominal ultrasound scanning was regularly performed to evaluate any therapeutic effects. All children were followed up for 6-22 months (mean value of 12.75 months). The clinical manifestations and therapeutic effects, including complications during drug management, were reviewed after periodic follow-up. Results The effective rate of propranolol for the treatment of children with IHHE was 85% (17/20). In most cases, the AFP levels gradually decreased into the normal range. A complete response (CR) was achieved in 3 cases, partial response (PR) for 14 cases, progressive disease (PD) for 2 cases and stable disease (SD) was only detected once. Lesions decreased in two PD patients after administration of oral sirolimus. No serious adverse reactions were observed. Conclusion This study indicates that both propranolol and sirolimus were effective drugs for the treatment of children with IHHE at SCMC.Aims Cathepsin D (CTSD) and L (CTSL) are lysosomal proteases which degrade and detoxify advanced glycation end product (AGE)-modified proteins which are predictive of the development of diabetic nephropathy. We aimed to quantify cathepsin levels in urine from patients with type 2 diabetes and to relate these to the amount of urinary free AGEs at baseline and with kidney function after four years of follow-up in this closed cohort study. Methods We established and validated a LC MS/MS method for the quantification of CTSD and CTSL in urine. Patients with type 2 diabetes were screened for diabetic kidney disease and 141 patients were seen at baseline and after four years. CTSD and CTSL and free AGEs were quantified in urine by LC MS/MS at baseline in these patients. Results The detection limit of CTSD and CTSL in urine was 2.4 ng/l and 19.1 ng/l, respectively. CTSD (p less then 0.0001, r = 0.555) and CTSL (p less then 0.0001, r = 0.608) correlated positively with albuminuria at time of recruitment. In addition levels of the proteases but not albuminuria correlated with urinary levels of the major cross-linking AGE glucosepane (CTSD p = 0.012, r = 0.225; CTSL p less then 0.001, r = 0.376).  https://www.selleckchem.com/products/rk-701.html  A strong non-linear association between CTSD (r = 0.568), CTSL (r = 0.588) and change in albuminuria over four years was present. High levels of CTSL (p = 0.007, beta = -0.366) were associated with an improvement of albuminuria after four years. Conclusions A sensitive LC MS/MS assay for the quantification of CTSD and CTSL in urine was established. High CTSL baseline levels were associated with an improvement in albuminuria at follow-up. An increased excretion and thus detoxification of the free form of the pathogenic cross-linking AGE glucosepane could explain the positive predictive value of high CTSL levels on albuminuria.Transient receptor potential (TRP) melastatin member 8 (TRPM8), which is a calcium-permeable ion channel, functions as the primary molecular sensor of cold and menthol in humans. Recent cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) studies of TRPM8 have shown distinct structural features in its architecture and domain assembly compared with the capsaicin receptor TRP vanilloid member 1 (TRPV1). Moreover, ligand-bound TRPM8 structures have uncovered unforeseen binding sites for both cooling agonists and membrane lipid phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P2]. These complex structures unveil the molecular basis of cooling agonist sensing by TRPM8 and the allosteric role of PI(4,5)P2 in agonist binding for TRPM8 activation. Here, we review the recent advances in TRPM8 structural biology and investigate the molecular principles governing the distinguishing role of TRPM8 as the evolutionarily conserved menthol receptor.Introduction On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared an international emergency due to the pandemic caused by a new coronavirus. There are some oncological indications that have special priority and studies are still being carried out despite the current situation. In these studies we have found suspicious findings of COVID-19 pneumonia in asymptomatic patients. The objective of this work is to assess the incidence of these findings, describe their characteristics and the evolution of suspected patients. Material and methods Oncological PET studies carried out in asymptomatic patients between March 18 and April 8, 2020 have been reviewed. Patients who presented findings suggestive of corresponding to an pulmonary infectious process were selected. Clinical findings have been reviewed to confirm or rule out SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results During the specified period, a total of 129 PET/CT studies were performed. Of these, 11 (8.5%) found suspicious findings of a pulmonary infectious process.