Resveratrol Mobilizes Endogenous Copper in Human Peripheral Lymphocytes Leading to Oxidative DNA Breakage: A Putative Mechanism for Chemoprevention of Cancer

Plant polyphenols are important components of human diet, and a number of them are considered to possess chemopreventive and therapeutic properties against cancer. They are recognized as naturally occurring anti-oxidants but also act as pro-oxidants catalyzing DNA degradation in the presence of metal ions such as copper. The plant polyphenol resveratrol confers resistance to plants against fungal agents and has been implicated as a cancer chemopreventive agent. Of particular interest is the observation that resveratrol has been found to induce apoptosis in cancer cell lines but not in normal cells. Over the last few years, we have shown that resveratrol is capable of causing DNA breakage in cells such as human lymphocytes. Such cellular DNA breakage is inhibited by copper specific chelators but not by iron and zinc chelating agents. Similar results are obtained by using permeabilized cells or with isolated nuclei, indicating that chromatin-bound copper is mobilized in this reaction. It is well established that tissue, cellular and serum copper levels are considerably elevated in various malignancies. Therefore, cancer cells may be more subject to electron transfer between copper ions and resveratrol to generate reactive oxygen species responsible for DNA cleavage. The results are in support of our hypothesis that anti-cancer mechanism of plant polyphenols involves mobilization of endogenous copper and the consequent pro-oxidant action. Such a mechanism better explains the anti-cancer effects of resveratrol, as it accounts for the preferential cytotoxicity towards cancer cells.     

Impact of the shift from NCHS growth reference to WHO2006 growth standards in a therapeutic feeding programme in Niger

Objectives  To describe the implementation of the WHO₂₀₀₆ growth standards in a therapeutic feeding programme.
Methods  Using programme monitoring data from 21 769 children 6–59 months admitted to the Médecins Sans Frontières therapeutic feeding programme during 2007, we compared characteristics at admission, type of care and outcomes for children admitted before and after the shift to the WHO₂₀₀₆ standards. Admission criteria were bipedal oedema, MUAC <110 mm, or weight-for-height (WFH) of <-70% of the median (NCHS) before mid-May 2007, and WFH <-3 z score (WHO₂₀₀₆) after mid-May 2007.
Results  Children admitted with the WHO₂₀₀₆ standards were more likely to be younger, with a higher proportion of males, and less malnourished (mean WFH -3.6 z score vs. mean WFH -4.6 z score). They were less likely to require hospitalization or intensive care (28.4% vs. 77%; 12.8% vs. 36.5%) and more likely to be treated exclusively on an outpatient basis (71.6% vs. 23%). Finally, they experienced better outcomes (cure rate: 89% vs. 71.7%, death rate: 2.7% vs. 6.4%, default rate: 6.7% vs. 12.3%).
Conclusions  In this programme, the WHO₂₀₀₆ standards identify a larger number of malnourished children at an earlier stage of disease facilitating their treatment success.     

Acute Aortic Valve Rupture Secondary to Blunt Chest Trauma

Abstract Cardiac valve injury after blunt chest trauma is rare. We present a case of blunt chest trauma resulting in an isolated aortic valve rupture treated with aortic valve replacement . (J Card Surg 2010;25:381‐382)