The effects of genistein and daidzein on cell proliferation kinetics in HT29 colon cancer cells: the expression of CTNNBIP1 (beta-catenin), APC (adenomatous polyposis coli) and BIRC5 (survivin)

Soybean isoflavonoids have received significant attention due to their potential anticarcinogenic and antiproliferative effects and possible role in many signal transduction pathways. However, their mechanisms of action and their molecular targets remain to be further elucidated. In this paper, we demonstrated that two soybean isoflavones (genistein and daidzein) reduced the proliferation of the human colon adenocarcinoma grade II cell line (HT-29) at concentrations of 25 and 50-100 mu M, respectively. We then investigated the effects of genistein and daidzein by RT-PCR on molecules that involved in tumor development and progression by their regulation of cell proliferation. At a concentration of 50 mu M genistein, there was suppressed expression of beta-catenin (CTNNBIP1). Neither genistein nor daidzein affected APC (adenomatous polyposis coli) or survivin (BIRC5) expression when cells were treated with concentrations of 10 or 50 mu M. These data suggest that the down-regulation of beta-catenin by genistein may constitute an important determinant of the suppression of HT-29 cell growth and may be exploited for the prevention and treatment of colon cancer.

Laparoscopic Heller Myotomy and Fundoplication in Patients with Chagas' Disease Achalasia and Massively Dilated Esophagus

Laparoscopic Heller myotomy and fundoplication is considered today the treatment of choice for achalasia. The optimal treatment for end-stage achalasia with esophageal dilation is still controversial. This multicenter and retrospective study aims to evaluate the outcome of laparoscopic Heller myotomy in patients with a massively dilated esophagus. Eleven patients (mean age, 56 years; 6 men) with massively dilated esophagus (esophageal diameter greater than 10 cm) underwent a laparoscopic Heller myotomy and anterior fundoplication between 2000 and 2009 at three different institutions. Preoperative workup included upper endoscopy, esophagram, and esophageal manometry in all patients. Average follow-up was 31.5 months (range, 3 to 60 months). Two patients (18%) had severe dysphagia, four patients (36%) had mild and occasional dysphagia to solid food, and five patients (45%) were asymptomatic. All patients gained or kept body weight, except for the two patients with severe dysphagia. Of the two patients with severe dysphagia, one underwent esophageal dilatation and the other a laparoscopic esophagectomy. They are both doing well. Heller myotomy relieves dysphagia in the majority of patients even when the esophagus is massively dilated.

Estrogen-Responsive Genes Overlap with Triiodothyronine-Responsive Genes in a Breast Carcinoma Cell Line

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Hypothermia prevention during surgery: comparison between thermal mattress and thermal blanket

This study aimed to compare the efficiency of the thermal blanket and thermal mattress in the prevention of hypothermia during surgery. Thirty-eight randomized patients were divided into two groups (G1 - thermal blanket and G2 - thermal mattress). The variables studied were: length of surgery, length of stay in the post-anesthetic care unit, period without using the device after thermal induction, transport time from the operating room to post-anesthetic care unit, intraoperative fluid infusion, surgery size, anesthetic technique, age, body mass index, esophageal, axillary and operating room temperature. In G2, length of surgery and starch infusion longer was higher (both p=0.03), but no hypothermia occurred. During the surgical anesthetic procedure, the axillary temperature was higher at 120 minutes (p=0.04), and esophageal temperature was higher at 120 (p=0.002) and 180 minutes (p=0.03) and at the end of the procedure (p=0.002). The thermal mattress was more effective in preventing hypothermia during surgery.

Helicobacter pylori infection: Host immune response, implications on gene expression and microRNAs

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is the most common bacterial infection worldwide. Persistent infection of the gastric mucosa leads to inflammatory processes and may remain silent for decades or progress causing more severe diseases, such as gastric adenocarcinoma. The clinical consequences of H. pylori infection are determined by multiple factors, including host genetic predisposition, gene regulation, environmental factors and heterogeneity of H. pylori virulence factors. After decades of studies of this successful relationship between pathogen and human host, various mechanisms have been elucidated. In this review, we have made an introduction on H. pylori infection and its virulence factors, and focused mainly on modulation of host immune response triggered by bacteria, changes in the pattern of gene expression in H. pylori-infected gastric mucosa, with activation of gene transcription involved in defense mechanisms, inflammatory and immunological response, cell proliferation and apoptosis. We also highlighted the role of bacteria eradication on gene expression levels. In addition, we addressed the recent involvement of different microRNAs in precancerous lesions, gastric cancer, and inflammatory processes induced by bacteria. New discoveries in this field may allow a better understanding of the role of major factors involved in the pathogenic mechanisms of H. pylori. (C) 2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.

Ethanolic extract of Mimosa caesalpiniifolia leaves: Chemical characterization and cytotoxic effect on human breast cancer MCF-7 cell line

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Avaliação do pH das secreções em hipofaringe, durante laparoscopia ginecológica: é seguro o emprego da máscara laríngea?

Pós-graduação em Anestesiologia - FMB

Síntese, caracterização e avaliação da citotoxicidade de complexos de Pd(II) contendo ligantes fosfínicos de N,S - quelantes

Pós-graduação em Química - IQ

Morphology and histochemistry of the digestive tract in carnivorous freshwater Hemisorubim platyrhynchos (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Embolization of splenorenal shunt associated to portal vein thrombosis and hepatic encephalopathy

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a cognitive disturbance characterized by neuropsychiatric alterations. It occurs in acute and chronic hepatic disease and also in patients with portosystemic shunts. The presence of these portosystemic shunts allows the passage of nitrogenous substances from the intestines through systemic veins without liver depuration. Therefore, the embolization of these shunts has been performed to control HE manifestations, but the presence of portal vein thrombosis is considered a contraindication. In this presentation we show a cirrhotic patient with severe HE and portal vein thrombosis who was submitted to embolization of a large portosystemic shunt. Case report: a 57 years-old cirrhotic patient who had been hospitalized many times for persistent HE and hepatic coma, even without precipitant factors. She had a wide portosystemic shunt and also portal vein thrombosis. The abdominal angiography confirmed the splenorenal shunt and showed other shunts. The larger shunt was embolized through placement of microcoils, and the patient had no recurrence of overt HE. There was a little increase of esophageal and gastric varices, but no endoscopic treatment was needed. Since portosystemic shunts are frequent causes of recurrent HE in cirrhotic patients, portal vein thrombosis should be considered a relative contraindication to perform a shunt embolization. However, in particular cases with many shunts and severe HE, we found that one of these shunts can be safely embolized and this procedure can be sufficient to obtain a good HE recovery. In conclusion, we reported a case of persistent HE due to a wide portosystemic shunt associated with portal vein thrombosis. As the patient had other shunts, she was successfully treated by embolization of the larger shunt. (C) 2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.

Portal hypertension in dogs

Portal hypertension (PH) is the pathological increase in portal vein pressure above normal limits. Two variables control the pressure in the portal system: the resistance to blood flow and blood flow volume in the portal system. If one these variables changes, PH may develop. Classification: Pre-hepatic (e. g. compression of the portal vein), intrahepatic (e. g. chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis) or post-hepatic (e. g. right heart failure). The invasive methods (intravenous catheter) were replaced by an indirect method of diagnosis: Doppler Ultrasound. This technique does not measure portal pressure, but indirectly allows the diagnosis of PH. Average speed of portal flow decrease (<10 cm/s) and hepatofugal flow have been reported in cirrhotic dogs with PH. Currently, the focus of the ultrasound is the detection of acquired collateral portal circulation (ACPC), closely correlated with hepatic encephalopathy. The characterization of these vessels is essential to differentiate them from congenital shunts. They are usually multiple vessels, small and tortuous, with turbulent flow, near to the kidneys, and/or a single and larger vessel, draining into the left renal vein (dilated gonadal vein). Gastric, esophageal and mesenteric varices may occur. After identifying the PH, it is important to determine its origin in order to treat the underlying disease. B-Mode Ultrasound and Doppler are the best choices in cases of suspected PH, because they may recognize not just the hypertension, but also its complications and origin.

Caracterização in vitro de técnica biomagnética empregando magnetômetros 3D para avaliar tempo de trânsito esofagiano

The biomagnetic techniques use different magnetic field detectors to measure parameters of the human physiology. Those techniques present the advantage of being noninvasive and radiation free. Among them we can show up the Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID), the Current Alternate Biosusceptometry (ACB) and, more recently, the employment of anisotropic magnetoresistive sensors. Those magnetic sensors have a low cost and good sensitivity to measure different physiological parameters using magnetic markers. The biomagnetic techniques have being used successfully through study on the characteristics of the gastrointestinal tract. Recent research, the magnetoresistors were used to evaluate the transit time and localization of magnetic sources in different parts of the gastrointestinal tract. The objective of this work is the characterization, with in vitro tests, of a biomagnetic instrumentation using two 3-axis magnetoresistors arranged in a gradiometric coplanar setup to evaluate esophageal transit time, analyze and compare the results of experimental signals and the magnetic theory, as well as evaluate the instrumentation gain with use of tri-axial sensor front to the mono-axial sensor. The instrumentation is composed by two three-axis sensing magnetometers, precision power supply and amplifier electronic circuits. The sensors fixed in a coplanar setup were separate by distance of 18 cm. The sensitivity tests had been carried through using a cylindrical magnet (ø = 4 mm and h = 4 mm) of neodymium-iron-boron (grid 35). The tests were done moving the permanent magnet on the sensors parallel axis, simulating the food transit in... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Modelos de tratamento para adenocarcinomas de próstata tratados por radioterapia conformacional 3D

Radiotherapy is a branch of medical physics related to the treatment of malignant neoplasm, being an important instrument in the fight against cancer, when combined with the effort of a multidisciplinary team, composed of, physicians, physicists, nurses and technicians. Every year more than 3.5 million new cases of cancer are recorded in the world, being the prostate cancer responsible for approximately 25% of this amount (INCA and IARC, 2008). In this type of cancer, radiotherapy is a method indicated for treatement. The technological advance in this area over years has allowed a greater accuracy in the tumor location, more conformation of the radiation beam around the tumor, reducing the dose in healthy tissues and a consequent dose increase on treatment (Bedford et al., 1999). A radiotherapy planning, in which the physicist develops an important role, is composed of several steps, including choosing the best configuration of treatment beams. This choice has a close relationship with success of therapy and is critical to achieve the best distribution of dose inside the tumor and expose the least as possible the healthy tissue to radiation. In this work, two options for setting up camps in the first phase in a treatment of prostate cancer were simulated in computer planning: 4 fields orthogonal or “Box” with gantry angles in 00, 1800, 2700 e 90° and 4 fields angled or “X” (1350, 450, 3150 e 2250). The percentage of the rectal volume exposed to 40, 50, 60, 72 and 76 Gy should be limited to 60, 50, 25, 15 and 5% respectively (Greco et al., 2003). The femoral toxicity have limited dose by 70% of the total dose prescribed in a prostate treatment (Bedford et al., 1999). The planning of 27 patients with prostate adenocarcinoma submitted to 3D conformal radiotherapy were accompanied. As a result, it was assessed that the best TCP (tumor control probability)... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Prevalence of the germline TP53 p.R337H mutation in families with multiple cases of cancer

Germline mutations in TP53 gene are associated with Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) and its variants Li-Fraumeni-like (LFL). They predispose carriers to a wide variety of early onset tumors. In Brazil, there is a high frequency of a germline mutation in this gene (NC_000017.9: c.1010G>A; p.R337H) in Southern and Southeastern regions, due to a founder effect. It is estimated to be present in 0,3% ofthe local population, but only few families have been detected. Due to this significant divergence, the purpose of this study was to verify the effectiveness of wider criteria for detection of these individuals. Herein, clinical criteria were established, DNA samples were collected, analyzed by Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) and sequenced. Thus, assessing the prevalence of this mutation in families with multiple cases of cancer. Based on our proposed criteria, one out of 31 patients (3,22%) was found to carry p.R337H mutation. The patient developed ductal invasive breast cancer at age 47, invasive adenocarcinoma of the lung at age 48 and soft-tissue sarcoma at age 49. In addition, an extensive cancer family history was referred, atypical for LFS, including a case of Ewing’s sarcoma. These outcomes indicate that the proposed criteria may detect probable carriers who did not fit previous LFS criteria. Nevertheless, additional studies, which might include a larger number of families and more stringent parameters, will be useful to improve screening sensibility

Características clínicas da associação entre o bruxismo do sono e o refluxo gastroesofágico merecem atenção profissional

Introduction: Bruxism has been defined as an oral parafunctional activity that includes clenching and/or grinding the teeth while asleep or awake. In addition to sleep bruxism (SB), various other orofacial movements sporadically occur during sleep. Occasional regurgitation and heartburn due to gastroesophageal reflux (GER) are frequent in the general population. GER refers to the presence of symptoms that are secondary to the reflux of gastric content through the esophagus with or without signs of esophageal mucosal lesions. Dentists are often the first health care professionals to diagnose GER through observation of its oral manifestation. Objective: The aim of the present case reports was to discuss the diagnosis and clinical procedures followed in two patients with SB and GER, thereby contributing to the dissemination of knowledge about these two entities. We therefore recommend dentists to be alert to identifying the first signs of GER that appear in the oral cavity. Conclusion: At this point, we highlight the importance of treating the patient as a whole, in an endeavor to identify other sources of the problems that could contribute as factors aggravating these conditions.