Person:
Zuo, Chun

Profile Picture

Email Address

AA Acceptance Date

Birth Date

Research Projects

Organizational Units

Job Title

Last Name

Zuo

First Name

Chun

Name

Zuo, Chun
Author's Publications: search.filters.isAuthorOfPublication.7257f692-6a39-4f5b-ba1e-e7b10fab93b3

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
  • Thumbnail Image
    Publication
    Optical imaging of ovarian cancer using a matrix metalloproteinase-3-sensitive near-infrared fluorescent probe
    (Public Library of Science, 2018) Wang, Kuo-Hwa; Wang, Yung-Ming; Chiu, Li-Hsuan; Chen, Tze-Chien; Tsai, Yu-Hui; Zuo, Chun; Chen, Kuan-Chou; Changou, Chun Austin; Lai, Wen-Fu
    Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the seventh most common cancer among women worldwide. The 5-year survival rate for women with EOC is only 30%-50%, which is largely due to the typically late diagnosis of this condition. EOC is difficult to detect in its early stage because of its asymptomatic nature. Recently, near-infrared fluorescent (NIRF) imaging has been developed as a potential tool for detecting EOC at the molecular level. In this study, a NIRF-sensitive probe was designed to detect matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity in ovarian cancer cells. A cyanine fluorochrome was conjugated to the amino terminus of a peptide substrate with enzymatic specificity for MMP-3. To analyze the novel MMP-3 probe, an in vivo EOC model was established by subcutaneously implanting SKOV3 cells, a serous-type EOC cell line, in mice. This novel MMP-3-sensitive probe specifically reacted with only the active MMP-3 enzyme, resulting in a significantly enhanced NIRF emission intensity. Histological analysis demonstrated that MMP-3 expression and activity were enhanced in the stromal cells surrounding the ovarian cancer cells. These studies establish a molecular imaging reporter for diagnosing early-stage EOC. Additional studies are required to confirm the early-stage activity of MMP-3 in EOC and its diagnostic and prognostic significance.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Publication
    Dynamic Default Mode Network across Different Brain States
    (Nature Publishing Group, 2017) Lin, Pan; Yang, Yong; Gao, Junfeng; De Pisapia, Nicola; Ge, Sheng; Wang, Xiang; Zuo, Chun; Jonathan Levitt, James; Niu, Chen
    The default mode network (DMN) is a complex dynamic network that is critical for understanding cognitive function. However, whether dynamic topological reconfiguration of the DMN occurs across different brain states, and whether this potential reorganization is associated with prior learning or experience is unclear. To better understand the temporally changing topology of the DMN, we investigated both nodal and global dynamic DMN-topology metrics across different brain states. We found that DMN topology changes over time and those different patterns are associated with different brain states. Further, the nodal and global topological organization can be rebuilt by different brain states. These results indicate that the post-task, resting-state topology of the brain network is dynamically altered as a function of immediately prior cognitive experience, and that these modulated networks are assembled in the subsequent state. Together, these findings suggest that the changing topology of the DMN may play an important role in characterizing brain states.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Publication
    A preliminary evaluation of the correlation between regional energy phosphates and resting state functional connectivity in depression
    (Elsevier, 2015) Zuo, Chun; Lin, Pan; Vitaliano, Gordana; Wang, Kristina; Villafuerte, Rosemond; Lukas, Scott
    Impaired brain energy metabolism is among the leading hypotheses in the pathogenesis of affective disorders and linking energy phosphates with states of tissue-function activity is a novel and non-invasive approach to differentiate healthy from unhealthy states. Resting state functional MRI (fMRI) has been established as an important tool for mapping cerebral regional activity and phosphorous chemical shift imaging (31P CSI) has been applied to measure levels of energy phosphates and phospholipids non-invasively in order to gain insight into the possible etiology of affective disorders. This is an initial attempt to identify the existence of a correlation between regional energy phosphates and connectivity at nodes of the posterior default mode network (DMN). Resting state fMRI in conjunction with 31P 2D CSI was applied to 11 healthy controls and 11 depressed patients at 3 T. We found that differences between the two groups exist in correlation of lateral posterior parietal cortex functional connectivity and regional Pi/PCr. Results of this study indicate that resting-state-fMRI-guided 31P CSI can provide new insight into depression via regional energy phosphates and functional connectivity.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Publication
    Reduced T2* Values in Soleus Muscle of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
    (Public Library of Science, 2012) Sung, Young-Hoon; Habecker, Erin; Haws, Charlotte; Villafuerte, Rosemond A.; Dobbins, Robert L.; Hodge, Rebecca J.; Nunez, Derek J. R.; Zuo, Chun; Simonson, Donald; Wang, Jian; Henry, Michael; Renshaw, Perry Franklin
    Tissue water transverse relaxation times (T2) are highly sensitive to fluid and lipid accumulations in skeletal muscles whereas the related T2* is sensitive to changes in tissue oxygenation in addition to factors affecting T2. Diabetes mellitus (DM) affects muscles of lower extremities progressively by impairing blood flow at the macrovascular and microvascular levels. This study is to investigate whether T2 and T2* are sensitive enough to detect abnormalities in skeletal muscles of diabetic patients in the resting state. T2 and T2* values in calf muscle of 18 patients with type 2 DM (T2DM), 22 young healthy controls (YHC), and 7 age-matched older healthy controls (OHC) were measured at 3T using multi-TE spin echo and gradient echo sequences. Regional lipid levels of the soleus muscle were also measured using the Dixon method in a subset of the subjects. Correlations between T2, T2*, lipid levels, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and presence of diabetes were evaluated. We found that T2 values were significantly higher in calf muscles of T2DM subjects, as were T2* values in anterior tibialis, and gastrocnemius muscles of T2DM participants. However, soleus T2* values of the T2DM subjects were significantly lower than those of the older, age-matched HC cohort \((22.9\pm 0.5 vs 26.7\pm 0.4 ms, p<0.01)\). The soleus T2* values in the T2DM cohort were inversely correlated with the presence of diabetes (t = −3.46, p<0.001) and with an increase in HbA1c, but not with body mass index or regional lipid levels. Although multiple factors may contribute to changes in T2* values, the lowered T2* value observed in the T2DM soleus muscle is most consistent with a combination of high oxygen consumption and poor regional perfusion. This finding is consistent with results of previous perfusion studies and suggests that the soleus in individuals with T2DM is likely under tissue oxygenation stress.