CELLULAR EXPRESSION OF ADHESION FACTORS IN CHILDHOOD RHABDOMYOSARCOMA

Tumor invasion and metastasis are believed to involve the adhesive interaction of tumor cells with extracellular matrix ECM . This study reports the expression of laminin, fibronectin, thrombospondin, tenascin, and CD44 in rhabdomyosarcoma cells taken from tumors derived from 12 pediatric patients. Twelve paraffin-embedded rhabdomyosarcomas consisting of five alveolar, six embryonal, and one botryoid subtype were examined. All tumors demonstrated positive staining for tenascin and thrombospondin, 10 were positive for fibronectin, 5 positive for laminin, and 4 positive for CD44. Both specimens without cellular staining for fibronectin were of embryonal subtype and no alveolar rhabdomyosarcomas were positive for CD44. No association of the expression of the studied ECM proteins and receptor with the presence of metastatic disease at clinical presentation or with the level of tumor differentiation was found.     

Effect of dimethyl sulfoxide on excitation-contraction coupling in chicken slow skeletal muscle

To evaluate the suitability of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as a solvent for muscle-contraction studies in the chicken, its effect on the slow muscle contracture induced by high-K(+) solution was explored using the anterior latissimus dorsi (ALD) muscle from one-week-old chicks. Measurements were made of isometric tension and various characteristics of the contractures [peak tension, total tension (area under the curve), duration of contraction, drop in tension from peak to plateau, and resting tension], in the presence and absence of DMSO (20 mM). Exposure to DMSO led to a concentration-dependent reduction in resting tension of up to 9 +/- 1.8% (n = 4) with respect to the control. The threshold concentration was 10 mM, and the maximum effect was reached between 20 and 30 mM. The drop in tension from peak to plateau was three times larger in the presence of DMSO (20 mM) than in its absence. At the same concentration, there was a 10 +/- 2.3% increase in the time constant of activation. No significant changes were observed in peak tension or in total tension in the presence of 20 mM DMSO. As a consequence, this type of biological preparation is not suitable for research on muscle contractures involving drugs that must be dissolved in DMSO (at the DMSO concentrations tested here).     

Labdane and kaurane diterpenoids from Plectranthus fruticosus

Six new diterpenoids, three labdane and three kaurane derivatives, have been isolated from an acetone extract of Plectranthus fruticosus together with other already known substances. The structures of these compounds (1-5 and 7) were established mainly by spectroscopic means, particularly by 1D and 2D NMR studies, as well as by some chemical correlations with known diterpenoids. The physical and spectroscopic data of the derivative 11, obtained by hydrolysis of the labdane 2, were identical to those reported for a compound previously isolated from Croton joufra, to which structure 12 had been established erroneously by other authors. Several of the isolated compounds were tested as antimicrobial agents against three bacteria strains and one yeast strain, but only 4 showed a moderate inhibitory activity against Staphylococcus aureus.     

Mitochondrial DNA depletion and respiratory chain enzyme deficiencies are present in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of HIV-infected patients with HAART-related lipodystrophy

The main objective of the present study was to ascertain if mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) depletion as reported in HIV-infected patients with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)-related lipodystrophy (LD) implies any degree of mitochondrial respiratory chain (MRC) dysfunction. For this purpose, we evaluated HIV patients on different HAART schedules with LD (group A; n=12) and on HAART but without LD (group B; n=12), and untreated HIV-infected patients as controls (group C; n=24). mtDNA content was determined on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with a real-time PCR method. Complex II, III and IV activities of the MRC were simultaneously measured spectrophotometrically, as were spontaneous and stimulated oxygen consumption by PBMCs. Compared to controls (group C, 100%), patients with LD (group A) showed a decreased mtDNA content (54%, P<0.001), which was associated with a decline in complex III (62%, P<0.05) and IV activity (69%, P<0.05) (both complexes partially encoded by mtDNA), but not in complex II activity (exclusively encoded by nuclear DNA). Patients in group B showed a similar pattern of mitochondrial dysfunction but to a lesser extent and without statistical significance. Respiratory activities in both treated groups (A and B) did not differ in comparison with controls. We conclude that mtDNA depletion occurring during HAART is associated with deficiencies in MRC complexes partially encoded by mtDNA, which are detectable by PBMCs. Presented in 'Late Breakers and Hot Topics' session at 6th International Congress on Drug Therapy in HIV Infection, Glasgow, UK, 17-21 November 2002.     

Polymorphous low grade adenocarcinoma: review and case report

Polymorphous Low-Grade Adenocarcinoma is a rare, malignant salivary gland tumor, which is found almost exclusively in minor salivary glands. It is more frequent in the age range from 30 to 70, with a clear female predilection in a 2:1 ratio. It is usually located in the hard or soft palate, although it may be found in the rest of the oral cavity too. It is rare in major salivary glands. In general it has good prognosis, with recurrence rates in the range of 17% - 24%. Although rare, metastasis to regional lymph nodes may occur in 9% of the cases. This report describes the case of a patient that consulted at the Military Odontological Center (Central Odontológica del Ejército) due to an esthetic alteration of her dental prosthesis, which had been made 8 years before. The patient was sent to the Maxillofacial Surgery Service, where the intraoral examination showed a big mass compromising the hard palate and the alveolar ridge. During examination, a dent in her prosthesis was found to correspond to the tumor mass; it was therefore concluded that the tumor had at least an eight-year-old evolution. An incisional biopsy was carried out, and once the polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinoma diagnosis had been stated, the patient was sent to the Head and Neck Surgery Service of the Military Hospital, where the lesion was treated by wide surgical excision followed by radiation therapy.     

Further delineation of the phenotype caused by loss of function mutations in PRMT7

PRMT7 encodes for an arginine methyltransferase that methylates arginine residues on various protein substrates and has been shown to play a role in various developmental processes. Mutations in PRMT7 have been recently shown to be implicated in a phenotype with intellectual disability, short stature and brachydactyly, and considered to be a phenocopy of pseudohypoparathyroidism. We report a patient with short stature, psychomotor delay, hearing loss and brachydactyly, for whom whole exome sequencing detected two mutations in PRMT7 and parental segregation studies detected biallelic mutation inheritance. Few patients with biallelic PRMT7 mutations have been reported so far in the literature. We report a new patient and review all reported cases to date to delineate the clinical manifestations that may help in diagnosis this disorder, known as Short Stature, Brachydactyly, Intellectual Developmental Disability, and Seizures syndrome, allowing appropriate management and genetic counselling.