Recognition of nonself is necessary to activate Drosophila's immune response against an insect parasite

BACKGROUND

Innate immune responses can be activated by pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), danger signals released by damaged tissues, or the absence of self-molecules that inhibit immunity. As PAMPs are typically conserved across broad groups of pathogens but absent from the host, it is unclear whether they allow hosts to recognize parasites that are phylogenetically similar to themselves, such as parasitoid wasps infecting insects.

RESULTS

Parasitoids must penetrate the cuticle of Drosophila larvae to inject their eggs. In line with previous results, we found that the danger signal of wounding triggers the differentiation of specialized immune cells called lamellocytes. However, using oil droplets to mimic infection by a parasitoid wasp egg, we found that this does not activate the melanization response. This aspect of the immune response also requires exposure to parasite molecules. The unidentified factor enhances the transcriptional response in hemocytes and induces a specific response in the fat body.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that a combination of danger signals and the recognition of nonself molecules is required to activate Drosophila's immune response against parasitic insects.

The evolution of constitutively active humoral immune defenses in Drosophila populations under high parasite pressure

Both constitutive and inducible immune mechanisms are employed by hosts for defense against infection. Constitutive immunity allows for a faster response, but it comes with an associated cost that is always present. This trade-off between speed and fitness costs leads to the theoretical prediction that constitutive immunity will be favored where parasite exposure is frequent. We selected populations of Drosophila melanogaster under high parasite pressure from the parasitoid wasp Leptopilina boulardi. With RNA sequencing, we found the evolution of resistance in these populations was associated with them developing constitutively active humoral immunity, mediated by the larval fat body. Furthermore, these evolved populations were also able to induce gene expression in response to infection to a greater level, which indicates an overall more activated humoral immune response to parasitization. The anti-parasitoid immune response also relies on the JAK/STAT signaling pathway being activated in muscles following infection, and this induced response was only seen in populations that had evolved under high parasite pressure. We found that the cytokine Upd3, which induces this JAK/STAT response, is being expressed by immature lamellocytes. Furthermore, these immune cells became constitutively present when populations evolved resistance, potentially explaining why they gained the ability to activate JAK/STAT signaling. Thus, under intense parasitism, populations evolved resistance by increasing both constitutive and induced immune defenses, and there is likely an interplay between these two forms of immunity.

Repurposing pantoprazole in combination with systemic therapy in advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a phase I/II randomized study

Pantoprazole decreases the acidity of the tumor microenvironment by inhibiting proton pumps on the cancer cell. This possibly leads to increased sensitivity to cytotoxic therapy. We conducted a phase I/II randomized controlled trial in adult patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) planned for first-line palliative chemotherapy. Patients were randomized to chemotherapy + / - intravenous (IV) pantoprazole. The primary endpoint in phase I was to determine the maximum safe dose of intravenous pantoprazole, whereas it was progression-free survival (PFS) in phase II. The dose of IV pantoprazole established in phase I was 240 mg. Between Nov'18 and Oct'20, we recruited 120 patients in phase II, 59 on pantoprazole and 61 on the standard arm. Median age was 51 years (IQR 43-60), 80% were men. Systemic therapy was IV cisplatin in 22% and oral-metronomic-chemotherapy (OMC) in 78%. Addition of pantoprazole did not prolong PFS, which was 2.2 months (95% CI 2.07-3.19) in the pantoprazole arm and 2.5 months (95% CI 2.04-3.81, HR, 1.14; 95% CI 0.78-1.66; P = 0.48) in the standard arm. Response rates were similar; pantoprazole arm 8.5%, standard arm 6.6%; P = 0.175. Overall survival was also similar; 5.6 months (95% CI 4.47-8.51) in the pantoprazole arm and 5.4 months (95% CI 3.48-8.54, HR 1.06; 95% CI 0.72-1.57; P = 0.75) in the standard arm. Grade ≥ 3 toxicities were similar. Thus, pantoprazole 240 mg IV added to systemic therapy does not improve outcomes in patients with advanced HNSCC.

Natural selection has driven the recurrent loss of an immunity gene that protects Drosophila against a major natural parasite

Polymorphisms in immunity genes can have large effects on susceptibility to infection. To understand the origins of this variation, we have investigated the genetic basis of resistance to the parasitoid wasp Leptopilina boulardi in Drosophila melanogaster. We found that increased expression of the gene lectin-24A after infection by parasitic wasps was associated with a faster cellular immune response and greatly increased rates of killing the parasite. lectin-24A encodes a protein that is strongly up-regulated in the fat body after infection and localizes to the surface of the parasite egg. In certain susceptible lines, a deletion upstream of the lectin-24A has largely abolished expression. Other mutations predicted to abolish the function of this gene have arisen recurrently in this gene, with multiple loss-of-expression alleles and premature stop codons segregating in natural populations. The frequency of these alleles varies greatly geographically, and in some southern African populations, natural selection has driven them near to fixation. We conclude that natural selection has favored the repeated loss of an important component of the immune system, suggesting that in some populations, a pleiotropic cost to lectin-24A expression outweighs the benefits of resistance.

Trans-regulatory changes underpin the evolution of the Drosophila immune response

When an animal is infected, the expression of a large suite of genes is changed, resulting in an immune response that can defend the host. Despite much evidence that the sequence of proteins in the immune system can evolve rapidly, the evolution of gene expression is comparatively poorly understood. We therefore investigated the transcriptional response to parasitoid wasp infection in Drosophila simulans and D. sechellia. Although these species are closely related, there has been a large scale divergence in the expression of immune-responsive genes in their two main immune tissues, the fat body and hemocytes. Many genes, including those encoding molecules that directly kill pathogens, have cis regulatory changes, frequently resulting in large differences in their expression in the two species. However, these changes in cis regulation overwhelmingly affected gene expression in immune-challenged and uninfected animals alike. Divergence in the response to infection was controlled in trans. We argue that altering trans-regulatory factors, such as signalling pathways or immune modulators, may allow natural selection to alter the expression of large numbers of immune-responsive genes in a coordinated fashion.

A fundamental question in biology is the nature of the genetic changes underlying evolutionary change, and immune systems provide an ideal system to examine this as they tend to evolve fast as animals adapt to an ever-changing array of parasites and pathogens. Comparing two species of the fruit fly Drosophila, we found that the transcriptional response to infection evolves extremely fast. However, changes in cis (where the genetic change is on the same DNA molecule as the gene in question) and trans (where the genetic change can be elsewhere in the genome) are playing different roles. Changes in cis frequently caused large differences in immune gene expression between species, but these differences were seen regardless of whether the animal was infected. In contrast, changes in trans were responsible for altering how gene expression changes in response to infection. Immune responses are complex and multifaceted, requiring the expression of many genes to be altered in a tightly regulated manner when the animal is infected. Natural selection acting on trans regulatory factors may allow the expression of many downstream genes to be altered in a coordinated fashion.

Transcription factor retention through multiple polyploidization steps in wheat

Whole-genome duplication is widespread in plant evolutionary history and is followed by nonrandom gene loss to return to a diploid state. Across multiple angiosperm species, the retained genes tend to be dosage-sensitive regulatory genes such as transcription factors, yet data for younger polyploid species is sparse. Here, we analyzed the retention, expression, and genetic variation in transcription factors in the recent allohexaploid bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). By comparing diploid, tetraploid, and hexaploid wheat, we found that, following each of two hybridization and whole-genome duplication events, the proportion of transcription factors in the genome increased. Transcription factors were preferentially retained over other genes as homoeologous groups in tetraploid and hexaploid wheat. Across cultivars, transcription factor homoeologs contained fewer deleterious missense mutations than nontranscription factors, suggesting that transcription factors are maintained as three functional homoeologs in hexaploid wheat populations. Transcription factor homoeologs were more strongly coexpressed than nontranscription factors, indicating conservation of function between homoeologs. We found that the B3, MADS-M-type, and NAC transcription factor families were less likely to have three homoeologs present than other families, which was associated with low expression levels and high levels of tandem duplication. Together, our results show that transcription factors are preferentially retained in polyploid wheat genomes although there is variation between families. Knocking out one transcription factor homoeolog to alter gene dosage, using TILLING or CRISPR, could generate new phenotypes for wheat breeding.

Difference Between Erector Spinae Plane Block and Paraspinal Interfascial Plane Block in Analgesia after Posterior Cervical Laminectomy

Spine surgeries are associated with severe intraoperative and postoperative pain which need a comprehensive management protocol. It is important to manage postoperative pain in such cases to improve early ambulation and discharge and hence the functional outcomes. A 46-year-old male, weighing 80 kg, was posted for cervical laminectomy with posterior stabilisation. After institution of general anaesthesia before surgical incision, 15 mL of 0.5% bupivacaine on each side at the level of C6 in the erector spinae plane on the left- side and the paraspinal posterior interfascial plane on the right-side was administered. The patient experienced significant postoperative pain relief for 12 hours. However, on clinical examination, there was a mild sensory loss on the left-side from C4 to T1, but no such sensory loss on the right-side. There was a complete recovery of sensory loss the following day. It is proposed that such volume in the Erector Spine plane can provide excellent analgesia for 12 hours, but with sensory loss. The drug may trickle to nerve roots, whereas it is unlikely to do so in the interfascial plane. It is also suggested that such volumes are needed for effective analgesia. It is also suggested that a technique without definitive sensory deficit is ideal in such cases to detect early surgical complication.

Semen and Spermatozoa Characteristics in Alcohol Users and Non-Users

Introduction: Increasing infertility rate worldwide raises research to investigate plausible reason health community. To find out the characteristics of semen and spermatozoa in alcohol users and compare these characteristics with that of non-users of alcohol. Methodology: The data on alcohol use and semen analysis were obtained from case records of patients reported to the Department of Andrology & Reproductive Medicine of a tertiary care hospital for a period of one year from January 2018 to December 2018. The semen volume, sperm concentration, motility and morphology in alcohol users were compared with non-users. Results: A total of 231 patients had reported to the Department of Andrology & Reproductive Medicine during the study period. Among them 81 (35.06%) were alcohol users and 150 (64.94%) alcohol non-users. Analysis of their semen reports revealed that the difference in semen volume and sperm morphology was not found to be statistically significant, but the sperm concentration and progressive motility of spermatozoa showed significant reduction in alcohol users compared to non – users (p<0.05). Conclusion: The semen volume and sperm quality were found to be low in alcohol users. Among the spermatozoa characteristics, sperm concentration and motility were significantly reduced in alcohol users.

Constitutive activation of cellular immunity underlies the evolution of resistance to infection in Drosophila

Organisms rely on inducible and constitutive immune defences to combat infection. Constitutive immunity enables a rapid response to infection but may carry a cost for uninfected individuals, leading to the prediction that it will be favoured when infection rates are high. When we exposed populations of Drosophila melanogaster to intense parasitism by the parasitoid wasp Leptopilina boulardi, they evolved resistance by developing a more reactive cellular immune response. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, we found that immune-inducible genes had become constitutively upregulated. This was the result of resistant larvae differentiating precursors of specialized immune cells called lamellocytes that were previously only produced after infection. Therefore, populations evolved resistance by genetically hard-wiring the first steps of an induced immune response to become constitutive.

Virus evolution in Wolbachia-infected Drosophila

Wolbachia, a common vertically transmitted symbiont, can protect insects against viral infection and prevent mosquitoes from transmitting viral pathogens. For this reason, Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes are being released to prevent the transmission of dengue and other arboviruses. An important question for the long-term success of these programmes is whether viruses can evolve to escape the antiviral effects of Wolbachia. We have found that Wolbachia altered the outcome of competition between strains of the DCV virus in Drosophila. However, Wolbachia still effectively blocked the virus genotypes that were favoured in the presence of the symbiont. We conclude that Wolbachia did cause an evolutionary response in viruses, but this has little or no impact on the effectiveness of virus blocking.

Anti-rheumatoid activity of ethanolic extract of Sesamum indicum seed extract in Freund's complete adjuvant induced arthritis in Wistar albino rats

Sesamum indicum, one of the first recorded plants used for its seeds, is reported to have analgesic, antioxidant, anticancer, anti-obesity as well as hepato and nephro protective activities. The current study evaluated the effects of two doses (400 and 800 mg/kg) of ethanolic extract of S. indicum seeds in Freund's complete adjuvant induced arthritis in rats in comparison with diclofenac and methotrexate by the changes produced in body weight, body temperature, paw volume and spontaneous activity, hemoglobin, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, total white blood cells, red blood cells, Interleukin-6 and Tumor necrosis factor-α as well as joint changes in X-ray and histological changes in joint tissue. Unlike the untreated group, the groups treated with S. indicum showed significant decrease in paw volume, body weight, white blood cell count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, Interleukin-6 and Tumor necrosis factor-α and an increase in body weight, spontaneous activity, hemoglobin level, and red blood cell count. Histopathological examination showed gross reduction in synovial inflammation and cartilage damage. X-ray revealed significant improvement in joint space. The effect of ethanolic extract of S. indicum was found to be equivalent to methotrexate and greater than diclofenac.

Intraoperative serum lactate is not a predictor of survival after glioblastoma surgery

BACKGROUND

Cancer cells can produce lactate in high concentrations. Two previous studies examined the clinical relevance of serum lactate as a biomarker in patients with brain tumors. Patients with high-grade tumors have higher serum concentrations of lactate than those with low-grade tumors. We hypothesized that serum lactic could be used of biomarker to predictor of survival in patients with glioblastoma (GB).

METHODS

This was a retrospective study. Demographic, lactate concentrations and imaging data from 275 adult patients with primary GB was included in the analysis. The progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were compared in patients who had above and below the median concentrations of lactate. We also investigated the correlation between lactate concentrations and tumor volume. Multivariate analyses were conducted to test the association lactate, tumor volume and demographic variables with PFS and OS.

RESULTS

The median serum concentration of lactate was 2.3mmol/L. A weak correlation was found between lactate concentrations and tumor volume. Kaplan-Meier curves demonstrated similar survival in patients with higher or lower than 2.3mmol/L of lactate. The multivariate analysis indicated that the intraoperative levels of lactate were not independently associated with changes in survival. On another hand, a preoperative T1 volume was an independent predictor PFS (HR 95%CI: 1.41, 1.02-1.82, p=0.006) and OS (HR 95%CI: 1.47, 1.11-1.96, p=0.006).

CONCLUSION

This retrospective study suggests that the serum concentrations of lactate cannot be used as a biomarker to predict survival after GB surgery. To date, there are no clinically available serum biomarkers to determine prognosis in patients with high-grade gliomas. These tumors may produce high levels of lactic acid. We hypothesized that serum lactic could be used of biomarker to predictor of survival in patients with glioblastoma (GB). In this study, we collected perioperative and survival data from 275 adult patients with primary high-grade gliomas to determine whether intraoperative serum acid lactic concentrations can serve as a marker of prognosis. The median serum concentration of lactate was 2.3mmol/L. Our analysis indicated the intraoperative levels of lactate were not independently associated with changes in survival. This retrospective study suggests that the serum concentrations of lactate cannot be used as a biomarker to predict survival after GB surgery.

Recent mating-system evolution in Eichhornia is accompanied by cis-regulatory divergence

The evolution of predominant self-fertilization from cross-fertilization in plants is accompanied by diverse changes to morphology, ecology and genetics, some of which likely result from regulatory changes in gene expression. We examined changes in gene expression during early stages in the transition to selfing in populations of animal-pollinated Eichhornia paniculata with contrasting mating patterns. We crossed plants from outcrossing and selfing populations and tested for the presence of allele-specific expression (ASE) in floral buds and leaf tissue of F1 offspring, indicative of cis-regulatory changes. We identified 1365 genes exhibiting ASE in floral buds and leaf tissue. These genes preferentially expressed alleles from outcrossing parents. Moreover, we found evidence that genes exhibiting ASE had a greater nonsynonymous diversity compared to synonymous diversity in the selfing parents. Our results suggest that the transition from outcrossing to high rates of self-fertilization may have the potential to shape the cis-regulatory genomic landscape of angiosperm species, but that the changes in ASE may be moderate, particularly during the early stages of this transition.

The demography and population genomics of evolutionary transitions to self-fertilization in plants

The evolution of self-fertilization from outcrossing has occurred on numerous occasions in flowering plants. This shift in mating system profoundly influences the morphology, ecology, genetics and evolution of selfing lineages. As a result, there has been sustained interest in understanding the mechanisms driving the evolution of selfing and its environmental context. Recently, patterns of molecular variation have been used to make inferences about the selective mechanisms associated with mating system transitions. However, these inferences can be complicated by the action of linked selection following the transition. Here, using multilocus simulations and comparative molecular data from related selfers and outcrossers, we demonstrate that there is little evidence for strong bottlenecks associated with initial transitions to selfing, and our simulation results cast doubt on whether it is possible to infer the role of bottlenecks associated with reproductive assurance in the evolution of selfing. They indicate that the effects of background selection on the loss of diversity and efficacy of selection occur rapidly following the shift to high selfing. Future comparative studies that integrate explicit ecological and genomic details are necessary for quantifying the independent and joint effects of selection and demography on transitions to selfing and the loss of genetic diversity.

Quercetin reverses EGF-induced epithelial to mesenchymal transition and invasiveness in prostate cancer (PC-3) cell line via EGFR/PI3K/Akt pathway

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) plays an important role in metastasis and tumorigenesis of prostate cancer. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a process in tumor progression during which cancer cells undergo dramatic changes acquiring highly invasive properties. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of quercetin on EGF-induced EMT in prostate cancer (PC-3) cell line. Quercetin, a plant flavonoid, prevented EGF-induced invasion and migration of PC-3 cells. The protein and mRNA expressions of E-cadherin and N-cadherin were studied by immunocytochemistry, Western blotting and real-time polymerase chain reaction. Quercetin prevented EGF-induced expression of N-cadherin and vimentin and increased the expression of E-cadherin in PC-3 cells, therefore preventing EGF-induced EMT. EGF-induced cell adhesion proteins, intercellular adhesion molecule and vascular cell adhesion molecule were significantly decreased by quercetin treatment. Furthermore, mRNA and protein expressions of Snail, Slug and Twist showed that quercetin significantly decreased EGF-induced expressions of Snail, Slug and Twist. The protein expressions of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/phosphatidylinositide 3-kinases (PI3K)/Akt/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 pathway showed that quercetin prevents EGF-induced EMT via EGFR/PI3k/Akt/ERK1/2 pathway and by suppressing transcriptional repressors Snail, Slug and Twist in PC-3 cells. Thus, it is concluded from the present study that quercetin may prevent cancer metastasis by targeting EMT.

Methylation and expression patterns of tropomyosin-related kinase genes in different grades of glioma

Tropomyosin-related kinase family (NTRK1, NTRK2 and NTRK3) is well known to play an important role in the pathogenesis of brain tumour, which exhibit heterogeneity in its biological and clinical behaviour. However, the mechanism that regulates NTRKs in glioma is not well understood. The present study investigates the epigenetic status (methylation) of NTRKs and their expression in different grades of glioma. Promoter methylation and structural relationship of NTRKs was assessed using methylation-specific PCR followed by chromatin immunoprecipitation in brain tissue samples from 220 subjects with different grades of glioma. Control brain samples were also assessed similarly. Reverse transcriptase PCR was performed to analyse the expressions of NTRK mRNAs in the grades of glioma. In addition, the expression level of p75(NTR) protein was analysed using immunofluorescent technique in all of the samples. The overall percentage of NTRK3 gene methylation frequency with subsequent loss of mRNA expression was significantly higher in glioma compared with control samples (p < 0.05). No such significance was observed in other NTRK1 and NTRK2 genes. Further, mRNA expression pattern of NTRK1 and NTRK2 genes was found to be significantly higher in low grades as compared with high grades (HG) and control samples (p < 0.05). Survival rate of HG patients with negative expressions of NTRK1 and NTRK2 was poor than those with the positive expressions of both NTRK1 and NTRK2. Further, a significant correlation was observed with reduced expression of p75(NTR) and the expression pattern of NTRK family in glioma as compared with the control samples (p < 0.05). There exists a correlation between the expression of NTRK family and different grades of glioma with a significant suggestion that the promoter methylation does not play role in the regulation of these genes in glioma. Further, poor survival could be associated with NTRK mRNAs 1 and 2. Hence, NTRKs are potential probes for assessing the behaviour of different grades of glioma, which could also function as significant prognostic factors and thus deserve wider attention for an effective management of the grades.

Promising anti-diabetes mellitus activity in rats of β-amyrin palmitate isolated from Hemidesmus indicus roots

While evaluating the toxicity of the tuberous root extracts of Hemidesmus indicus, a traditional medicinal plant, the glucose lowering property of the root was observed by the investigators. Therefore, it was thought of interest to isolate the anti-hyperglycemic principle from the root and determine its utility to develop an anti-diabetes mellitus medicine. The active principle was isolated from H. indicus root extract by anti-hyperglycemic activity guided chromatographic techniques. Glucose tolerance test in rats was used to evaluate the anti-hyperglycenic property. Anti-diabetes mellitus property was evaluated in alloxan-induced diabetic rats as well as streptozotocin-induced (type-2 model) diabetic rats. The active principle was isolated and identified with spectral data as β-amyrin palmitate. Although it is a known compound, its presence in H. indicus is not known previously. It was observed for the first time that β-amyrin palmitate has remarkable anti-hyperglycemic activity in orally glucose loaded rats. Further, interestingly, it exhibited excellent anti-diabetes mellitus activity in both alloxan-diabetic and streptozotocin-diabetic rats at a very low concentration (50µg/kg body weight). One of the mechanisms of action of β-amyrin palmitate appears to be blocking the entry of glucose from the intestine. β-Amyrin palmitate is very promising to develop a medicine for diabetes for combination therapy and/or mono-therapy.

Disease Identification and Grading of Pomegranate Leaves Using Image Processing and Fuzzy Logic

Plant diseases cause major losses to several agricultural and horticultural crops around the World. Therefore, methods for proper diagnosis of diseases found in any parts of the plant body play a crucial role in disease management. In the past few decades, many methods and techniques of image processing and soft computing are applied on a number of plants to diagnose and treat variety of plant diseases. Hence, the present work is aimed to develop an automated system that results in three major outcomes for a leaf image. They are disease identification, disease grading and treatment advisory. The methodology begins with capturing of samples of healthy and diseased leaf images of Pomegranate plant. All the images are made to undergo pre-processing steps and different features are extracted and stored in the database. Analysis is done on the extracted features to determine those features that constitute a disease in the leaf. Later, a query image is taken and is tested to determine whether that image is healthy or diseased one. If the query image is found to be diseased, then the grade of the disease is determined. Finally, a treatment advisory module is built which ultimately helps agriculturists/farmers.

Pollen-specific, but not sperm-specific, genes show stronger purifying selection and higher rates of positive selection than sporophytic genes in Capsella grandiflora

Selection on the gametophyte can be a major force shaping plant genomes as 7-11% of genes are expressed only in that phase and 60% of genes are expressed in both the gametophytic and sporophytic phases. The efficacy of selection on gametophytic tissues is likely to be influenced by sexual selection acting on male and female functions of hermaphroditic plants. Moreover, the haploid nature of the gametophytic phase allows selection to be efficient in removing recessive deleterious mutations and fixing recessive beneficial mutations. To assess the importance of gametophytic selection, we compared the strength of purifying selection and extent of positive selection on gametophyte- and sporophyte-specific genes in the highly outcrossing plant Capsella grandiflora. We found that pollen-exclusive genes had a larger fraction of sites under strong purifying selection, a greater proportion of adaptive substitutions, and faster protein evolution compared with seedling-exclusive genes. In contrast, sperm cell-exclusive genes had a smaller fraction of sites under strong purifying selection, a lower proportion of adaptive substitutions, and slower protein evolution compared with seedling-exclusive genes. Observations of strong selection acting on pollen-expressed genes are likely explained by sexual selection resulting from pollen competition aided by the haploid nature of that tissue. The relaxation of selection in sperm might be due to the reduced influence of intrasexual competition, but reduced gene expression may also be playing an important role.

Anti-cancer activity of quercetin in neuroblastoma: an in vitro approach

Neuroblastoma is a neuroendocrine tumour derived from neural crest cells and it remains a major therapeutic challenge in pediatric oncology. As response rates to chemotherapy are low, surgery remains the only effective treatment but since many tumors have metastasized at the time of diagnosis, curative surgery is rarely achieved. Consequently, a substantial need for new therapeutic options emerges. Quercetin a flavonoid, has been reported to lower the risk of several cancers. This study was designed to investigate its effects on apoptosis induction in the N2a, a mouse neuroblastoma cell line. The cell viability was determined by dimethyl thiazolyl tetrazolium bromide assay and diamidino-2-phenylindole staining was performed to confirm the apoptosis. The gene expression of bcl-w, p53, p27 and protein expression of caspases (3 and 9), bax, cytochrome-c were studied. This in vitro outcome suggests that quercetin can be used as a potent anti-cancer drug in future.

Induction of cell-specific apoptosis and protection of mice from cancer challenge by a steroid positive compound from Zornia diphylla (L.) Pers

Objectives:

Zornia diphylla (L.) Pers is an ethnomedical herb. The aim of the study is to scientifically verify the traditional use of Z. diphylla as an anticancer medicine.

Materials and Methods:

Different extracts, fractions, and chemical isolates of the whole plant were screened for cytotoxicity to Dalton's lymphoma ascites (DLA) cells by the Trypan blue exclusion method and MTT assay. Column chromatographic and preparative TLC techniques were used for the isolation of active fraction (AF) and active principle. Cytotoxicity of AF to different cell types was tested. The apoptotic activity of AF was evaluated by morphological observations, nuclear condensation, and comet assay. In vivo antitumor activity of AF was determined in DLA-challenged mice. Short-term (29 days) preliminary toxicity evaluation of AF was done in mice.

Results:

n-Hexane extract (but not water and ethanol extracts) showed significant cytotoxicity. AF, isolated from n-hexane extract, induced apoptotic cell death (in vitro) to DLA cells, but not to normal thymocytes and macrophages. A steroid positive active principle was isolated which showed 100% cytotoxicity at 5 μg/mL level. Interestingly, AF (50 mg/kg) protected all the mice challenged with one million DLA cells/mouse. AF (up to 10 times higher than the therapeutic dose) did not exhibit any conspicuous adverse toxic symptoms in the toxicity evaluation.

Conclusion:

Z. diphylla (AF) showed promising in vitro and in vivo anticancer activity against DLA cells, and it was devoid of any toxicity to mice in short-term toxicity evaluation. The herb is promising for the development of a valuable anticancer medicine.

Effect of diallyl disulfide on insulin-like growth factor signaling molecules involved in cell survival and proliferation of human prostate cancer cells in vitro and in silico approach through docking analysis

PURPOSE

Diallyl Disulfide (DADS) is one of the major components of garlic, which inhibits the proliferation of various cancer cells. Our previous studies showed that DADS inhibits cell growth and induces apoptosis on prostate cancer cells. Insulin like growth factor signaling pathway plays a significant role on prostate cancer cell growth and survival and it's over expression also identified in human prostate cancers. The molecular mechanism of IGF mediated PI3K/Akt signaling remains to be elucidated. The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of diallyl disulfide on IGF signaling in androgen independent prostate cancer cells (PC-3).

METHODS

DADS (10-50 μM) caused dose-dependent inhibition of PC-3 cells, were analyzed by MTT, IC50 value of PC-3 cells was 40 μM for 24h. Interestingly, DADS also altered the mRNA and protein expressions of IGF signaling and apoptotic molecules which were confirmed by semi quantitative PCR and western blot method. Further the docking study of DADS with IGF receptor was carried out by Ligand Fit of Discovery studio. Accord Excel Package was used for the prediction of ADME properties of the compound.

RESULTS

The results suggests that DADS decreases the survival rate of androgen independent prostate cancer cells by modulating the expression of IGF system, which leads to inhibition of phosphorylation of Akt, thereby inhibits cell cycle progression and survival by lowering the expression of cyclin D1, NFkB and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 molecule and increasing the level of pro-apoptotic (Bad and Bax) signaling molecules which leads to apoptosis.

CONCLUSION

The present investigation showed downregulation of Akt and a concomitant increase in apoptosis in DADS treated prostate cancer cells. Since inhibition of this Akt pathway by DADS leads to inhibition in cancer cell progression, it is highly suggested that DADS has the potential use as a therapy for prostate cancer.

High-efficiency particulate air filter test stand and aerosol generator for particle loading studies

This manuscript describes the design, characterization, and operational range of a test stand and high-output aerosol generator developed to evaluate the performance of 30 x 30 x 29 cm(3) nuclear grade high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters under variable, highly controlled conditions. The test stand system is operable at volumetric flow rates ranging from 1.5 to 12 standard m(3)/min. Relative humidity levels are controllable from 5%-90% and the temperature of the aerosol stream is variable from ambient to 150 degrees C. Test aerosols are produced through spray drying source material solutions that are introduced into a heated stainless steel evaporation chamber through an air-atomizing nozzle. Regulation of the particle size distribution of the aerosol challenge is achieved by varying source solution concentrations and through the use of a postgeneration cyclone. The aerosol generation system is unique in that it facilitates the testing of standard HEPA filters at and beyond rated media velocities by consistently providing, into a nominal flow of 7 standard m(3)/min, high mass concentrations (approximately 25 mg/m(3)) of dry aerosol streams having count mean diameters centered near the most penetrating particle size for HEPA filters (120-160 nm). Aerosol streams that have been generated and characterized include those derived from various concentrations of KCl, NaCl, and sucrose solutions. Additionally, a water insoluble aerosol stream in which the solid component is predominantly iron (III) has been produced. Multiple ports are available on the test stand for making simultaneous aerosol measurements upstream and downstream of the test filter. Types of filter performance related studies that can be performed using this test stand system include filter lifetime studies, filtering efficiency testing, media velocity testing, evaluations under high mass loading and high humidity conditions, and determination of the downstream particle size distributions.

Efficiency of supercritical fluid extraction for determining 4-nonylphenol in municipal sewage sludge

When the sewage sludge containing the persistent, lipophilic, metabolite 4-nonylphenol (4-NP) has been disposed of in the environment it's toxic nature can lead to serious health risks to human beings and can also affect plants and aquatic organisms. Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) is a new and powerful technique for extracting the organic contaminants from the solid phase. The present study was conducted to investigate optimal conditions for the quantitative extraction of 4-NP by SFE and to determine the concentration of 4-NP in municipal sewage sludge. The effect of several parameters such as temperature, pressure, static extraction time, dynamic extraction time, CO2 flow-rate, sample mass and modifier on the extraction were investigated. The optimal conditions for the extraction of the spiked sample were fluid pressure 97 bar, temperature 40 degrees C, flow-rate 3.0 ml/min, static extraction time 2 min, dynamic extraction time 5 min and modifier methanol (0.5 ml). Extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Concentration of 4-NP in the anaerobically degraded sludge of the De-Haw Sewage Treatment Plant in Taiwan was found to be 243.9 mg/kg. The extraction efficiency of the SFE method was compared with the conventional Soxhlet extraction method. The overall recovery of the SFE method was found to be greater and the results indicate that SFE is an efficient method for extracting 4-NP from sewage sludge.

Classification and treatment of vertebral dissecting aneurysm

BACKGROUND

For many years, dissecting aneurysms of the intracranial vertebral artery were believed to be quite rare. In recent years, because vascular disorders have been studied more thoroughly by three dimensional-computed tomography (3D-CT), angiographically and pathologically, these aneurysms are being reported with more frequency.

METHODS

Among the 45 patients diagnosed to have aneurysms arising from the vertebral artery or its branches over a 20-year period, 16 had dissecting aneurysms. The authors present their therapeutic strategy for these patients. Surgery was performed in the 16 patients, the most common technique being clip-occlusion or trapping of the parent artery wherever feasible, in an attempt to optimize cerebral blood flow. The dissecting aneurysms of the vertebral artery were classified into two groups for the purpose of determining a therapeutic approach, namely unilateral and circumferential groups. In the unilateral group, the dissection seemed to involve only on one side of the vessel according to the conventional cerebral angiogram. These patients underwent surgical reconstruction of the vertebral artery by direct clipping. In the circumferential group, the dissection was all around the artery. Proximal clipping or trapping was performed in this group.

RESULTS

In six out of eight patients with unilateral dissecting aneurysms, vascular reconstruction was possible by direct clipping. Of these six patients, the surgical outcome was considered excellent in four, fair in one, and one patient died of cardiac failure after 12 days as his preoperative morbid condition remained the same after surgery. Two other patients with unilateral dissecting aneurysms were treated with trapping technique and the surgical outcome was excellent in one patient and good in the other patient. Both patients resumed a normal social life. In five out of eight patients with circumferential dissecting aneurysms, trapping or proximal clipping was performed and the surgical outcome was excellent in two patients, good in one and fair in one patient. One patient with preoperative brain stem infarction died of aspiration pneumonitis after 8 months. Two patients who were noted to have an increase in the size of aneurysm during follow-up angiography underwent a craniotomy with clipping and wrapping of the aneurysm. There was a favorable surgical outcome in both patients. The remaining three patients had Grade IV subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) prior to surgery and at autopsy a disturbed vascular wall was detected.

CONCLUSION

The authors' experience suggests that when surgically feasible, direct clipping is an effective alternative approach in the treatment of dissecting aneurysms of the vertebral artery in which blood flow in the parent artery is to be preserved.

Operation on high-lying basilar bifurcation aneurysms

BACKGROUND

The surgical approach to basilar bifurcation aneurysms is a complicated procedure, especially with those located high in the interpeduncular cistern. We have developed a surgical approach to these aneurysms involving only a small anterior temporal craniotomy and detachment of the zygomatic arch.

METHODS

The skin incision is placed 5 mm below the inferior border of the zygomatic arch and 5 mm anterior to the tragus, extending on towards the eyebrow but well within the hairline. The zygomatic arch is detached on either side followed by a small temporal craniotomy exposing the anterior temporal lobe. The temporal lobe is retracted and the internal carotid artery, posterior cerebral artery, posterior communicating artery, and inferior aspect of the optic chiasma are exposed.

RESULTS

We have performed a transzygomatic anterior subtemporal approach in 12 patients with high-lying basilar bifurcation aneurysm. Eight patients demonstrated a good recovery as per the Glasgow outcome scale and four patients had a moderate disability that correlated with a poor WFNS grade preoperatively. One patient had an oculomotor palsy and another experienced a small infarction postoperatively.

CONCLUSIONS

This approach is a suitable procedure for high-lying basilar bifurcation aneurysms in the interpeduncular cistern and 1.2 cm above the clinoid process.