PI3K inhibition by BKM120 results in anti-proliferative effects on corticotroph tumor cells

PURPOSE

Cushing's disease is associated with significant morbidity; thus, additional tumor-directed drugs with the potential to exert antineoplastic effects on corticotroph adenoma cells are desired. The phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) pathway, which plays regulatory role in cell survival and proliferation, is activated in pituitary adenomas. The present study evaluated the effects of BKM120 (Buparlisib), an oral PI3K inhibitor, on cell viability, apoptosis, cell cycle phase distribution, and ACTH production in mouse corticotroph tumor cells.

METHODS

AtT-20/D16v-F2 mouse pituitary corticotroph tumor cells were treated with increasing concentrations of BKM120 or vehicle. Cell viability was measured using an MTS-based assay. Apoptosis was evaluated by Annexin V staining. Cell cycle analysis was performed by propidium iodide DNA staining and flow cytometry. Gene expression of cell cycle regulators (Cdkn1b, Ccnd1, Ccne1, Cdk2, Cdk4, Myc, and Rb1) was assessed by qPCR. Protein expression of p27, total and phosphorylated Akt was assessed by Western blot. ACTH levels were measured in the culture supernatants by chemiluminescent immunometric assay.

RESULTS

Treatment with BKM120 decreased AtT-20/D16v-F2 cell viability, induced a G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, reduced the phosphorylation of Akt at Serine 473, and increased p27 expression. Furthermore, BKM120 treatment diminished ACTH levels in the cell culture supernatants.

CONCLUSION

In vitro inhibition of PI3K/AKT pathway by BKM120 resulted in anti-proliferative effects on corticotroph tumor cells, decreasing cell viability and ACTH production. These encouraging findings shape the path for further experiments with the inhibition of PI3K/AKT pathway in Cushing's disease.

Primary central nervous system tumors in Sergipe, Brazil: descriptive epidemiology between 2010 and 2018

BACKGROUND

Central nervous system (CNS) tumors are a heterogeneous group with high morbidity and mortality.

OBJECTIVES

To describe the epidemiology of primary CNS tumors diagnosed in the state of Sergipe from 2010 to 2018.

METHODS

We evaluated histopathological and immunohistochemical reports on primary CNS tumors diagnosed in Sergipe, Brazil, between 2010 and 2018 and collected data regarding age, sex, location, World Health Organization (WHO) classification and histology.

RESULTS

Altogether, 861 primary CNS tumors were found. Tumors in brain locations occurred most frequently (50.8%; n=437). The neoplasms observed were most prevalent in the age range 45‒54 years (20.4%; n=176). Grade I tumors occurred most frequently, corresponding to 38.8% of the cases (n=38) in the age group of 0‒14 years, and 44.6% (n=340) in the population ≥15 years old. Between 0 and 14 years of age, other astrocytic tumors were the most prevalent (29.6%; n=29). In the age group between 15 and 34, gliomas were the most frequent (32.7%; n=54). Meningiomas predominated in the age group of 35 years and above, comprising 47.5% of cases (n=206) in the 35‒74 age group; and 61.2% (n=30) among patients over 75 years old.

CONCLUSION

The epidemiology of primary CNS tumors in Sergipe between 2010 and 2018 is consistent with data in other current studies on the subject. Studies on the epidemiological evolution of these entities in Sergipe are needed.

Removal of flocculated TiO2 nanoparticles by settling or dissolved air flotation

Engineered nanoparticles of TiO₂ (TiO₂-NPs) are used in the industry for a great number of applications. After their usage, the particles end up in aquatic environments, contaminating supply waters and watercourses. Bench-scale studies report removal of TiO₂-NPs (450 nm, the mean volumetric diameter) by flocculation followed by settling or by dissolved air flotation (4 bar saturation pressure and 30% recycling ratio). Floc formation was conducted after heterocoagulation with iron hydroxide (30-40 mg L^-1Fe³⁺⁾ and gelatinized corn starch (10-20 mgL^-1) as flocculant, at pH 7. Particle size distribution and zeta potential, removal efficiencies as a function of time and microphotography of flocs were analyzed. Mechanisms involve ferric hydroxide precipitation, heterocoagulation with the nanoparticles and flocculation of the loaded carrier precipitates with gelatinized starch. Best results showed removals between 95-100% of TiO₂-NPs, either by settling or flotation after 5 min. Clear treated waters with low turbidity < 3 nephelometric turbidity units (NTU) and TiO₂-NPs concentrations <1 mg L^-1 were obtained. A practical advantage in DAF was the higher solids content (1.9% w/w) of the sludge, when compared to settling (0.7% w/w). This would facilitate the sludge dewatering and disposal, but DAF has the disadvantage of the poor efficiency at high concentration of the nanoparticles of titanium oxide (>100 mg L^-1). Conversely, the removal by settling of the flocs increased at high dosages. It is believed that both processes are sustainable in terms of reagents and the removal efficiencies of TiO₂ nanoparticles from water.

Separation of emulsified crude oil in saline water by flotation with micro- and nanobubbles generated by a multiphase pump

The flocculation-column flotation with hydraulic loading (HL, >10 m h^-1) was studied for the treatment of oil-in-water emulsions containing 70-400 mg L^-1 (turbidity = 70-226 NTU) of oil and salinity (30 and 100 g L^-1). A polyacrylamide (Dismulgan, 20 mg L^-1) flocculated the oil droplets, using two floc generator reactors, with rapid and slow mixing stages (head loss = 0.9 to 3.5 bar). Flotation was conducted in two cells (1.5 and 2.5 m) with microbubbles (MBs, 5-80 μm) and nanobubbles (NBs, 50-300 nm diameter, concentration of 10⁸ NBs mL^-1). Bubbles were formed using a centrifugal multiphase pump, with optimized parameters and a needle valve. The results showed higher efficiency with the taller column reducing the residual oil content to 4 mg L^-1 and turbidity to 7 NTU. At high HL (27.5 m h^-1), the residual oil concentrations were below the standard emission (29 mg L^-1), reaching 18 mg L^-1. The best results were obtained with high concentration of NBs (apart from the bigger bubbles). Mechanisms involved appear to be attachment and entrapment of the NBs onto and inside the flocs. Thus, the aggregates were readily captured, by bigger bubbles (mostly MBs) aiding shear withstanding. Advantages are the small footprint of the cells, low residence time and high processing rate.

Effectiveness of insole use in rheumatoid feet: a randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effectiveness of foot orthoses with regard to pain, function, quality of life, and global perceived effect in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

METHOD

A double-blind randomized controlled trial (RCT) was carried out. Eighty women with RA were randomly assigned to an experimental group (EG) or a control group (CG). The EG used an insole with metatarsal and medial arch supports and the CG used a flat insole for 6 months. Evaluations performed at baseline and after 45, 90, and 180 days by a blinded assessor were: foot pain while walking and at rest, function, quality of life, and global perceived effect with treatment.

RESULTS

The groups were homogeneous for all parameters at baseline. A statistically significant improvement (p < 0.001) was found in the EG regarding pain while walking (mean difference: -2.2 for the right foot and -2.1 for the left foot) and at rest (mean difference: -0.3 for the right foot and -0.5 for the left foot) in comparison to CG. There were no differences in any other observed measures. The time of insole use correlated with foot pain and function in the EG.

CONCLUSIONS

Foot orthoses with metatarsal and medial arch supports decreases pain during walking and at rest in both feet in patients with RA. Time of insole use correlated with improvements in pain and function.

Three unequal masses on a ring and soft triangular billiards

The dynamics of three soft interacting particles on a ring is shown to correspond to the motion of one particle inside a soft triangular billiard. The dynamics inside the soft billiard depends only on the masses ratio between particles and softness ratio of the particles interaction. The transition from soft to hard interactions can be appropriately explored using potentials for which the corresponding equations of motion are well defined in the hard wall limit. Numerical examples are shown for the soft Toda-like interaction and the error function.

Development of a new experimental model of saccular aneurysm by intra-arterial incubation of papain in rabbits

INTRODUCTION

Experimental saccular aneurysms can be created with surgical techniques of the arterial wall or by injecting pancreatic elastase. Papain is an enzyme with properties similar to those of elastase, and it has not been tested for this purpose. The objective of this study was to determine whether papain produces saccular aneurysms.

METHODS

Eleven New Zealand white rabbits (1.9-3.0 kg) were divided into two groups: group I (n = 8)-papain, and group II (n = 3)-sham. The animals underwent surgical exposure of the neck; the right common carotid artery was used as the test and the left common carotid artery as the control. On the 21st day after surgery, animals were sacrificed for removal of the arteries, measurements, and histological analysis. We determine formation of aneurysm to occur when the test artery dilated compared to the control.

RESULTS

There was no aneurysm formation in the sham group. The papain group showed aneurysm formation in all cases (100%). The average diameter of the aneurysms was 3.8  ± 1.4 mm and the average length was 16.7  ±  6.0 mm. The histological analysis showed a destruction of the elastic fibers in 100% of cases, mild inflammation in 62.5%, intimal fibrosis in 50%, endothelial injury in 100%, and thrombosis in 100% of cases.

CONCLUSION

Papain was capable of forming aneurysms with histological characteristics similar to those of elastase-induced aneurysms; however, a comparative study is necessary to determine whether the papain is superior to elastase in the production of experimental saccular aneurysms.

Clinical description of hemodialysis headache in end-stage renal disease patients

BACKGROUND

Hemodialysis (HD)-related headaches are a common complaint of patients undergoing this procedure.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the frequency and clinical characteristics of headache in patients undergoing HD and to discuss their diagnostic criteria.

METHOD

The present study assessed, in a prospective manner, a series of patients consulting at a HD center in Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil, from November 2007 to January 2008. Only patients with HD-related headaches without previous history of primary headache were diagnosed as isolated HD headache (HDH).

RESULTS

Headache was reported by 76.1% of the patients studied. Prior to beginning dialysis, 47.9% had migraine without aura, 6.7% migraine with aura, 0.6% hemiplegic migraine, 5% episodic tension-type headache, and 2.5% migraine and tension-type headache. HDH was diagnosed in 6.7% of the patients, the most prevalent features being diffuse or temporal region location, bilateral headache, throbbing nature, and moderate severity. Seven patients with headaches between the sessions were not classified.

CONCLUSION

While the pathophysiology of HDH is unknown, to diagnose patients with HDH or other possible HD-related headaches remains a challenge.

Soft wall effects on interacting particles in billiards

The effect of physically realizable wall potentials (soft walls) on the dynamics of two interacting particles in a one-dimensional (1D) billiard is examined numerically. The 1D walls are modeled by the error function and the transition from hard to soft walls can be analyzed continuously by varying the softness parameter sigma . For sigma-->0 the 1D hard wall limit is obtained and the corresponding wall force on the particles is the delta function. In this limit the interacting particle dynamics agrees with previous results obtained for the 1D hard walls. We show that the two interacting particles in the 1D soft walls model is equivalent to one particle inside a soft right triangular billiard. Very small values of sigma substantiously change the dynamics inside the billiard and the mean finite-time Lyapunov exponent decreases significantly as the consequence of regular islands which appear due to the low-energy double collisions (simultaneous particle-particle-1D wall collisions). The rise of regular islands and sticky trajectories induced by the 1D wall softness is quantified by the number of occurrences of the most probable finite-time Lyapunov exponent. On the other hand, chaotic motion in the system appears due to the high-energy double collisions. In general we observe that the mean finite-time Lyapunov exponent decreases when sigma increases, but the number of occurrences of the most probable finite-time Lyapunov exponent increases, meaning that the phase-space dynamics tends to be more ergodiclike. Our results suggest that the transport efficiency of interacting particles and heat conduction in periodic structures modeled by billiards will strongly be affected by the smoothness of physically realizable walls.

Leucoencefalopatia megalencefálica com substância branca evanescente e cistos subcorticais

Apresentamos três casos de leucoencefalopatia megalencefálica com substancia branca evanescente e cistos subcorticais, diagnosticados através da ressonância nuclear magnética.Os casos estudados apresentam quadro clinico e radiológico de acordo com os critérios diagnósticos estabelecidos na descrição inicial desta enfermidade. São discutidos os aspectos clínicos e neuroradiológicos.

Alterações anátomo-funcionais do sistema nervoso central no transtorno autístico: um estudo com RNM e SPECT

Apresentamos um estudo das alterações anátomo-funcionais do sistema nervoso central (SNC) de pacientes com transtorno autístico (TA), através da ressonância nuclear magnética (RNM) e da tomografia computadorizada por emissão de fóton único (SPECT). Foram estudados 24 pacientes, sendo 15 (62,5%) do sexo masculino e 9 (17,5%) do feminino, com idade média de 9 anos. Todos os pacientes foram submetidos à RNM e apenas em 19 foi realizado o SPECT. Dos pacientes que realizaram RNM, 75% apresentaram alterações anatômicas e dos que realizaram o SPECT todos apresentaram alterações funcionais. As alterações anatômicas estavam preferencialmente localizadas no corpo caloso (25%), septo pelúcido (15,63%), ventrículos cerebrais (12,55%), cerebelo (9,38%), lobo temporal (6,25%), lobo occipital (6,25%) e hipocampo (6,25%). As alterações funcionais predominaram no lobo frontal (53,13%), lobo temporal (28,13%) , lobo parietal (15,63%) e nos núcleos da base (3,13%). A presença de alterações anátomo-funcionais do SNC não são prioritárias para o diagnóstico, o qual deve ter sempre uma validação clínica.

[Polymyositis and HTLV-I infection: case report]

We report the case of a 57 years-old woman presenting polymyositis associated to HTLV-I infection without clinical signs of involvement of the central and peripheral nervous system. Pathophysiologic aspects of muscular involvement in HTLV-I infection are discussed.

[HTLV-I-associated myelopathy, tropical spastic paraparesis: report of the first cases in Sergipe, Brazil]

HTLV-I associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) has been described in practically all regions of Brazil. The authors present eight clinically defined cases of HAM/TSP, as being the first reported in Sergipe (Northeastern Brazil). All of them were confirmed through ELISA in two examinations, although only two were confirmed by Western Blot. According to clinical/laboratorial investigation protocol, all patients presented involvement of the pyramidal tract with minimal sensory loss and sphincter alteration. The authors call the attention for the endemicity of HTLV-I in the region, whose prevalence amongst blood donors is significant (0.43%).

Peptic disease and Helicobacter pylori are highly prevalent in patients with the indeterminate form of Chagas' disease: report of 21 cases

Given that chagasic patients in the indeterminate form of this disease, can have abnormal motility of the digestive tract and immunologic abnormalities, we decided to assess the frequency of peptic disease and Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection in these individuals. Twenty-one individuals, 13 males and 8 females, mean age 37.6 +/- 11.1 years, were examined. Biopsies of the duodenum, antrum, lesser and greater gastric curvature and esophagus were performed. The endoscopic findings were of chronic gastritis in 20 (95.2%) patients, duodenal ulcer in 3 (14.3%), gastric and duodenal ulcer in 3 (14.3%), gastric ulcer alone in 1 (4.8%), esophagitis in 5 (23.8%), and duodenitis in 5 (23.8%). The diagnosis of infection by the Hp was done by the urease test and histologic examination. Hp infection was found in 20 (95.2%) individuals: in 20 out of them in the antrum, in 17 in the lesser curvature, and in 17 in the greater curvature. Hp was not found in the esophagus and duodenum. The only individual with no evidence of infection by Hp was also the only one with normal endoscopic and histologic examinations. The histologic examinations confirmed the diagnoses of gastric ulcer as peptic, chronic gastritis in 20 patients, duodenitis in 14, and esophagitis in 9. In this series the patients had a high frequency of peptic disease, which was closely associated with Hp infection.

[Wernicke's encephalopathy: report of a case with obstructive pyloric syndrome]

The authors present one case of Wernicke's encephalopathy in a patient with obstructive pyloric syndrome caused by gastric adenocarcinoma, without previous history of alcoholism or malnutrition. They comment on the importance of physiological aspects of thiamine as a co-enzyme of transketolase and pyruvate-decarboxilase in the metabolic pathway for ATP production and the possibility of existing an interaction between genetical and environmental factors in the onset the symptoms. They draw attention for the clinical diagnosis, which should be precocious for the therapy with thiamine to be effective, especially in patients without previous history of alcoholism or malnutrition.

[Poliomyelitis in Sergipe]

A retrospective study of poliomyelitis in Sergipe, Northeast of Brazil, is presented by the authors. The study was divided in three periods, taking in consideration the notification rate of positive cases and emphasizing the period from 1979 to 1989 through the study of 159 consecutive cases. The following information was gathered for each case: sex, age, origin, former immunization status and clinical development. Also evaluated were annual incidence, relationship of incidence/vaccinal coverage and geographic distribution. Comments were made about the change in the wild poliovirus circulation (P1 to P3) and about epidemiological outbreaks occurred in 1984 and 1986, and problems related to the lack of immunity in children with complete vaccinal scheme. Poliomyelitis was considered to be controlled in the State of Sergipe but the necessity of maintenance of effective epidemiological vigilance for all cases of acute and flabby paralysis in children under 14 years is emphasized.

[Persistent primitive trigeminal artery: critical review of the clinical significance]

The authors report three cases of persistence of primitive trigeminal artery with no evidence of a relationship between its presence and any specific clinical syndrome. They discuss embryological aspects and establish the correlation between the presence of this malformation and other intracranial pathologies, such as "tic douloureux" and morphologic alteration of the circle of Willis. A critical review of the literature is also presented.

[Inclusion dermoid cyst of the anterior fontanel region in adults: report of a case]

The author describes one case of congenital inclusion dermoid cyst located over the region of the anterior fontanel in an adult patient aged 24 years. The question of racial prevalence is discussed and considerations on the incidence of these cysts in adult patients are made based on the review of cases previously reported in the literature.

[Spontaneous extracranial pneumatocele. Report of a case]

A case of extracranial espontaneous pneumatocele, diagnosed and operated on with good results is reported. The authors comment about the physiopathology, emphasizing as principal cause the alteration in the development of the petroscamous fissure, that makes the air going from them to the Eustachian tubes reaching the median ear and the mastoid cells which will suffer a constant pressure resulting in this way a progressive increase of the pressure followed by rupture and propagation of the air to the subaponeurotic space. A review of cases previously described has been made.