Alkaloids extracted from Pterogyne nitens induce apoptosis in malignant breast cell line

In the present study, two alkaloids isolated from Pterogyne nitens, a plant native to Brazil, have been shown to induce apoptosis in human breast cancer cells. These compounds, pterogynine (PGN) and pterogynidine (PGD), were tested for their effect on a human infiltrating ductal carcinoma cell line (ZR-7531). The cell line was treated with each alkaloid at several concentrations. Time-dependence (with or without recuperation time) and concentration-dependence (in the range 0.25-10 mM) were investigated in cytotoxicity and apoptosis assays. The annexin assay indicated an apparently higher percentage of death by necrosis of malignant cells after 24 h exposure to both P. nitens extracts than the Hoechst assay. Thus, our results in the two tests demonstrated that the Hoechst assay can discriminate between late apoptotic cells and necrosis, whereas the flow cytometry-based annexin V assay cannot. We concluded that PGN and PGD have effective antineoplastic activity against human breast cancer cells in vitro, by inducing programmed cell death.

Multiplane ultrasound approach to quantify pleural effusion at the bedside

To assess the accuracy of a multiplane ultrasound approach to measure pleural effusion volume (PEV), considering pleural effusion (PE) extension along the cephalocaudal axis and PE area.Prospective study performed on 58 critically ill patients with 102 PEs. Thoracic drainage was performed in 46 patients (59 PEs) and lung computed tomography (CT) in 24 patients (43 PEs). PE was assessed using bedside lung ultrasound. Adjacent paravertebral intercostal spaces were examined, and ultrasound PEV was calculated by multiplying the paravertebral PE length by its area, measured at half the distance between the apical and caudal limits of the PE.Ultrasound PEV was compared to either the volume of the drained PE (59 PE) or PEV assessed on lung CT (43 PE). In patients with lung CT, the accuracy of this new method was compared to the accuracy of previous methods proposed for PEV measurement. Ultrasound PEV was tightly correlated with drained PEV (r = 0.84, p < 0.001) and with CT PEV (r = 0.90, p < 0.001). The mean biases between ultrasound and actual volumes of PE were -33 ml when compared to drainage (limits of agreement -292 to +227 ml) and -53 ml when compared to CT (limits of agreement -303 to +198 ml). This new method was more accurate than previous methods to measure PEV.Using a multiplane approach increases the accuracy of lung ultrasound to measure the volume of large to small pleural effusions in critically ill patients.

Peritoneal pseudomyxoma associated with synchronic malignant mucinous neoplasias of the cecum, appendix and rectum: case report and review of the literature

O pseudomixoma peritoneal é uma condição patológica que acomete o peritoneo, caracterizada pela produção de grandes quantidades de líquido mucinoso, que progressivamente preenche a cavidade peritoneal, tendo em geral como origem tumores mucinosos apendiculares ou de ovário. Relatamos a ocorrência de um pseudomixoma peritoneal associado a adenocarcinoma mucinoso do apêndice sincrônico e adenocarcinoma do reto em paciente de 44 anos, cujo diagnóstico inicial foi de adenocarcinoma do reto. A neoplasia do apêndice e o pseudomixoma peritonial foram achados incidentais, intra-operatórios. Enfocamos as principais características anatomo-patológicas das lesões, o diagnóstico e tratamento, através de ampla revisão da literatura.

Malignant lesions in the ventral prostate of alloxan-induced diabetic rats

The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes caused by chronic diabetes in the rat ventral prostate and to establish a correlation between diabetes and the development of prostatic lesions. Male rats received alloxan (42 mg/kg b.w.) to induce diabetes. Ninety days after diabetes diagnosis, animals were sacrificed and the ventral prostate was removed and prepared for general and immunohistochemical analyses. The total area showing different types of lesions was estimated. Diabetes led to a decrease in the body and prostatic weights, as well as in testosterone levels. The prostate morphology and stereology showed high variation in the diabetic group. Some animals had light changes; the great majority had an intense epithelial atrophy; and other rats showed premalignant and malignant lesions in the prostate. Such epithelial atrophy was, in some samples, combined with chronic inflammation, similar to proliferative inflammatory atrophy (PIA). The diabetic group also presented high incidence of prostatitis, adenocarcinoma and prostatic intra-epithelial neoplasia (PIN). Samples with adenocarcinoma had poorly differentiated acini with high levels of cellular proliferation and nuclear atypia. These lesions exhibited an invasive feature showing Bcl-2-positive cells and interruptions in the basement membrane. An association of PIA, PIN and adenocarcinoma was detected in one sample. Reduced androgen levels have a synergic effect to insulin dysfunction promoting negative effects in the rat prostate. Diabetic individuals had a high incidence of prostatitis, and this inflammation could stimulate the incidence of other forms of prostatic pathology.

Timoma em cão. Relato de caso

Uma cadela, Dachshund, quatro anos, foi encaminhada ao H.V. da FMVZ-UNESP-Botucatu-SP com histórico de prostração, emagrecimento progressivo, anorexia, cansaço e tosse seca. Ao exame clínico observou-se apatia, secreção nasal serosa bilateral e dispnéia intensa. Radiografia torácica demonstrou efusão pleural, edema pulmonar acentuado, desvio dorsal da traquéia e possível massa mediastinal. A ultra-sonografia, após drenagem torácica, confirmou a presença de massa mediastinal, sendo classificada como neoplasia maligna de origem epitelial pela citologia aspirativa por agulha fina. O animal veio a óbito logo após o diagnóstico de neoplasia. À necropsia constatou-se massa mediastinal encapsulada, consistência macia e superfície de corte com coloração branco-acinzentada e áreas necrótico-hemorrágicas, localizada na região ântero-ventral do tórax. O exame histopatológico demonstrou células epiteliais neoplásicas, células linfóides (timócitos) com morfologia normal, vasos sangüíneos de pequeno e médio calibre, formações císticas com conteúdo eosinofílico e corpúsculos de Hassall. A imunohistoquímica apresentou positividade para citoqueratina AE1/AE3 e UCHL, confirmando o diagnóstico de timoma.

DNA damage in lymphocytes and buccal mucosa cells of children with malignant tumours undergoing chemotherapy

The aim of the present study was to evaluate DNA damage (micronucleus) in cytokinesis-blocked lymphocytes and exfoliated buccal mucosa cells from children with malignant tumours and under chemotherapy. Micronucleated cells (MNCs) were assessed from children before and during chemotherapy. A total of 21 healthy children (controls), matched for gender and age, were used as control. The results pointed out higher frequencies of micronucleated lymphocytes in children with malignant tumour before any therapy when compared to healthy probands. Furthermore an increase of micronucleated lymphocytes during chemotherapy was detected when compared to the data obtained before chemotherapy. No statistically significant increases of MNCs were noticed in buccal mucosa cells at any of the timepoints evaluated. Taken together, these data indicate that the presence of malignant tumours may increase the frequency of DNA damage in circulating lymphocytes, these cells being more sensitive for detecting chromosome aberrations caused by anti-cancer drugs.

Malignant mammary tumor in female dogs: environmental contaminants

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Incidents Malignant Neoplasias Maxillofacial Area

Cancer is regarded as abnormal cellular multiplication; it is not controlled by the organism, and its cells present a differentiated DNA. Initially, the disease does not show clinical signs, but it can be diagnosed by laboratory examinations. When tumors are present in the maxillofacial area.. the carrier can lose structures in this area, resulting to the carrier's social environment exclusion. This article aims to show incidences and causes of malignant neoplasias in the maxillofacial area.