Epidermotropic presentation by splenic B‐cell lymphoma: The importance of clinical‐pathologic correlation

There are exceedingly rare reports of patients with epidermotropic B‐cell lymphomas. A subset presented with intermittent, variably pruritic papular eruptions and involvement of their spleens, peripheral blood and bone marrow at the time of diagnosis. Furthermore, some experienced an indolent course despite dissemination of their lymphomas. We report a 66‐year‐old woman with a 12‐year history of intermittent eruptions of non‐pruritic, salmon‐colored papules on her torso and proximal extremities that occurred in winter and resolved with outdoor activity in spring. Skin biopsy revealed an epidermotropic B‐cell lymphoma with a non‐specific B‐cell phenotype and heavy chain class switching with IgG expression. On workup, our patient exhibited mild splenomegaly and low‐level involvement of her peripheral blood and bone marrow by a kappa‐restricted B‐cell population. A splenic B‐cell lymphoma was diagnosed. Considering her longstanding history and absences of cytopenias, our patient has been followed without splenectomy or systemic therapy. Furthermore, the papules have responded dramatically to narrowband UVB. Our case and a review of similar rare reports aim to raise awareness among dermatopathologists and dermatologists of a clinically distinct and indolent subset of epidermotropic splenic lymphomas with characteristic clinical and histologic findings.     

Gutartige Knochentumoren

Benign bone tumors are neoplasms which have their origin in bone and lack criteria of malignant tumors, i.e. infiltrative growth pattern and distant metastases. They are classified according to the WHO criteria concerning the tumor matrix (osseous, cartilaginous, fibrous etc.). Traditionally there are also some non-neoplastic bone lesions which are classified as benign bone tumors and belonging to the group of tumor-like bone lesions. For the physician it is important to know those entities which are harmless, as well as those which can tend to re-occur or which ones can be locally destructive. Finally, some tumors are at risk of becoming malignant (large and proximal enchondromas or multiple tumors within a syndromal disease). Treatment is in most cases uncomplicated and can range between observation, curettage and sometimes extensive resection with complex defect reconstruction.     

Premenstrual syndrome: a single-blind study of treatment with buspirone versus fluoxetine

Purpose

The premenstrual syndrome (PMS), which causes emotional and physical symptoms, is a common problem in many women in their reproductive age. Many approaches to PMS with controversial results are available. The present study was performed to compare fluoxetine and buspirone in the treatment of PMS.

Methods

One hundred female patients who met DSM-IV criteria for PMS were randomly divided into two groups in a single-blind study; one group was treated with fluoxetine 20 mg/day and the other group with buspirone 10 mg/day for two consecutive months. The subjects were evaluated in pretreatment, after 1 and 2 months of treatment with a valid and reliable questionnaire.

Results

Both fluoxetine and buspirone showed significant efficacy in the treatment of PMS and this efficacy was significant along the treatment period. However, no significant differences were observed between fluoxetine and buspirone in the treatment of PMS.

Conclusion

Considering efficacy and few side effects of buspirone, it can be a favorable drug in the treatment of patients with PMS. However, further studies (preferably double-blind, placebo controlled ones) with large sample sizes are recommended to investigate efficacy and side effects of buspirone.     

GABAB receptors within the ventral tegmental area are involved in the expression and acquisition of morphine-induced place preference in morphine-sensitized rats

The influence of intra-ventral tegmental area administration of gamma-amino-butyric-acid-B (GABA_B) receptor agonist and antagonist on the expression and acquisition of morphine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) in morphine-sensitized female rats was examined. Our pilot experiment showed that subcutaneous administration of morphine-(2.5, 5 and 7.5 mg/kg) induced CPP. Administration of one dose daily morphine (5 mg/kg) for 3 days followed by 5 days rest, enhanced the conditioning induced by ineffective doses of morphine (0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg/kg). Injections of GABA_B receptor agonist, baclofen, (1.5 and 12 µg/rat) reduced the expression of morphine CPP whereas the dose of 6 µg/rat of the drug increased it. Baclofen also significantly reduced the acquisition of morphine CPP in morphine-sensitized animals. Administration of GABA_B receptor antagonist, CGP 35348, significantly reduced the expression (12 µg/rat) and acquisition (1.5, 6 and 12 µg/rat) of morphine CPP in morphine-sensitized animals.In conclusion, results confirmed the importance of GABA_B receptors within the ventral tegmental area of morphine CPP in morphine-sensitized female rats.     

Rare Association of Severe Cryptococcal and Tuberculosis in Central Nervous System in a case of Sarcoidosis

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem noncaseating granulomatous disease with a propensity for lung, eye, and skin which recently have been proposed that mycobacterium tuberculosis may contribute in its pathogenesis, and rarely involves central nervous system (CNS). Despite CD4+ lymphocytopenia, sarcoidosis by itself does not increase risk of opportunistic infections other than cryptococcosis. Nonetheless, simultaneous association of CNS cryptococcosis and tuberculosis infection remains extremely rare event in immunocompetent states, and has not been reported in sarcoidosis yet. We here presented such a case in a 42 years old man, a known case of sarcoidosis with diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties were encountered in a fourteen-month-long hospitalization period.     

Aqueous dispersions of carbon black and its hybrid with carbon nanofibers

The aqueous dispersions of a special type of carbon black (CB) in 1 M lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonimide) electrolyte is mainly controlled by the affinity of the aqueous electrolyte towards the CB particles rather than the particle size. In spite of its small particle size (30 nm), this type of CB forms a three-dimensional open network which is rheologically and electrically percolated at a relatively high threshold (2.0 wt%) with enhanced rheological and electrical properties. At this percolating threshold, replacing a trace amount of CB with equivalent carbon nanofibers (CNFs) produces hybrid dispersions with higher electrical conductivity and comparable rheological behavior to pure CB dispersions. This hybrid dispersion is dominated by a cooperatively supporting network, which is wired by the flexible filamentous nanofibers so that it is able to recover the conductivity loss under flow conditions due to flow-induced breaking up of the conductive pathways of CB and presumably sustain a higher load of active materials. This finding suggests hybrid dispersions as a promising precursor in the formulation of electrode suspensions for aqueous semi-solid redox flow cells.

Optimal hybrid dispersion of carbon black (CB) and nanofibers (CNFs) is formed at a critical content of CNFs before its aggregation concentration so that CNFs wire CB aggregates to recover the conductivity loss without increasing of CB rigidity.     

Oleuropein,Chief Constituent of Olive Leaf Extract,Prevents the Development of Morphine Antinociceptive Tolerance through Inhibition of Morphine‐induced L‐type Calcium Channel Overexpression

It has been shown that blockade of L‐type calcium channels could abolish the development of opioid‐induced antinociceptive tolerance. Here, the antitolerant effects of olive leaf extract (OLE) and its main component, oleuropein, which have a calcium channel blocker property were determined. Adult male Wistar rats were injected with morphine (20 mg/kg, i.p.) for 8 days to induce antinociceptive tolerance. Then OLE (50–200 mg/kg i.g.) and oleuropein (1–10 mg/kg i.p.) were injected concomitantly with morphine. The tail‐flick test was used to assess the nociceptive threshold. The dorsal half of the lumbar spinal cord was assayed for the expression of L‐type calcium channel using semiquantitative RT‐PCR. The results showed that OLE (200 mg/kg) completely prevented morphine tolerance development. In addition, oleuropein in dose of 10 mg/kg, but not in 5 mg/kg, prevented the development of morphine antinociceptive tolerance. In addition, a significant increase in the mRNA levels of calcium channel (43.9%) was observed in the lumbar spinal cord of tolerant animals, which was reversed by effective of dose OLE. In conclusion, the results indicate that olive leaf extract has a potential antitolerant property against the chronic usage of morphine and that its main component, oleuropein, is responsible for such effect. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Saffron (Crocus sativus) aqueous extract and its constituent crocin reduces stress-induced anorexia in mice

In the present study, the effects of an ethanol and aqueous extract of saffron Crocus sativus and its constituents safranal and crocin on the stress‐induced reduction in food intake, weight gain and anorexic time in mice were investigated. Male albino mice (20–25 g) were irregularly exposed to a trial of electroshock stress for 7 days. Then, the anorexic time as well as the animal's food intake and weight were recorded. In addition, blood samples were obtained on days 1 and 7 for corticosterone determination. Intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of the aqueous but not the ethanol extract (10, 50 and 100 mg/kg) significantly reduced the anorexic time. The results were similar for crocin (1, 5 and 10 mg/kg; i.p.). In addition, a reduction in weight gain was observed in the controls as well as in the groups that received alcohol extract or safranal. However, this was not observed in animals treated with aqueous extract or crocin. The plasma corticosterone level did not increase in the aqueous extract and crocin treated animals. It can be concluded that the saffron aqueous extract and its constituent crocin reduce side effects of electroshock stress in mice. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Inhibition of estrogen-independent mammary carcinogenesis by disruption of growth hormone signaling

Clinical trials and laboratory-based studies indicate that thegrowth hormone/insulin-like growth factor-I axis may affectthe development of breast cancer. The purpose of the presentinvestigation was to develop a genetic model of mammary cancerto test the hypothesis that downregulation of GH signaling cansubstantially retard mammary cancer progression. We crossedthe Laron mouse, in which the gene for the GH receptor/bindingprotein has been disrupted, with the C3(1)/TAg mouse, whichdevelops estrogen receptor