Efficacy of phytosterols and fish-oil supplemented high-oleic-sunflower oil rich diets in hypercholesterolemic growing rats

Phytosterols (P) and fish-oil (F) efficacy on high-oleic-sunflower oil (HOSO) diets were assessed in hypercholesterolemic growing rats. Controls (C) received a standard diet for 8 weeks; experimental rats were fed an atherogenic diet (AT) for 3 weeks, thereafter were divided into four groups fed for 5 weeks a monounsaturated fatty acid diet (MUFA) containing either: extra virgin olive oil (OO), HOSO or HOSO supplemented with P or F. The diets did not alter body weight or growth. HOSO-P and HOSO-F rats showed reduced total cholesterol (T-chol), non-high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (non-HDL-chol) and triglycerides and increased HDL-chol levels, comparably to the OO rats. Total body fat (%) was similar among all rats; but HOSO-F showed the lowest intestinal, epididymal and perirenal fat. However, bone mineral content and density, and bone yield stress and modulus of elasticity were unchanged. Growing hypercholesterolemic rats fed HOSO with P or F improved serum lipids and fat distribution, but did not influence material bone quality.     

p53 and MDM2 expression in odontogenic cysts and tumours

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this report was to assess p53 and MDM2 expression in odontogenic cysts and tumours, as they are known to play important roles in cell proliferation and tumorigenesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The expression of p53 and MDM2 proteins was determined immunohistochemically in 51 formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded specimens of odontogenic cysts and tumours.RESULTS: No positivity to p53 was found in the cases studied. MDM2 expression in ameloblastoma was higher than in radicular cysts, but lower than that observed in odontogenic keratocysts. No difference was observed between MDM2 expression in radicular cyst and adenomatoid odontogenic tumour. The clear-cell odontogenic ameloblastoma presented strong immunoreaction to this antigen.CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that MDM2 overexpression may be involved in the pathogenesis of some odontogenic lesions.     

Immune responses to Aspergillus antigen in IL‐4‐/‐ mice and the effect of eosinophil ablation

BACKGROUND: Exposure to Aspergillus fumigatus allergens results in enhanced total serum IgE and peripheral blood eosinophils in mice. The associated pulmonary inflammation and immunologic responses are comparable to those detected in human allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis. Allergen-induced cytokines are thought to regulate the inflammatory and immune responses in these animals. METHODS: In the present study, we exposed C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice to A. fumigatus antigen. Both wild-type and IL-4 knockout phenotypes of animals of both strains were used. Some animals were also treated with anti-IL-5 or anti-IFN-gamma. Total serum IgE, Aspergillus species IgG subclass, peripheral blood eosinophils, and lung histology were studied. RESULTS: The results demonstrate similar lung inflammation in all wild-type and IL-4-/- animals exposed to A. fumigatus antigen. Similarly, in spite of the diverse immune response produced by the anticytokine treatment, no major differences were detected among any of the animal groups studied. CONCLUSIONS: It can be concluded that A. fumigatus exposure in an immunologically unaltered host is predominantly of a Th2 type, and that depletion of the Th2 cytokine leads to a similar lung inflammation but with a characteristic Th1 response, suggesting that the pathogenesis of allergic aspergillosis is the result of multiple induction pathways.     

Adenosquamous lung carcinomas: a histologic subtype with poor prognosis

Introduction

The aim of this study is to evaluate the prognostic factors and outcome of patients operated for adenosquamous (ADS) carcinoma of the lung, in comparison with adenocarcinoma (AD) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

Methods

a retrospective review of our thoracic cancer surgical database for patients operated for ADS, SCC and AD between January, 1995 and December, 2009 was done.

Results

Forty-eight patients (39 males, 81.3%) had ADS; complete tumor resection and lymphadenectomy was accomplished in all patients. A higher stage at presentation was observed in ADS, as compared to AD or SCC (p = 0.0001). Three and 5-year survival rates were 25% and 15%. ADS overall survival was worse than AD or SCC (p = 0.0005). Three and 5-year survival rates of ADS Stage I were similar to those of Stage IIIA AD or SCC. More than half ADS patients developed distant metastases (MTS) or local recurrences. Brain MTS were the most frequent. Median survival for those patients was 8 ± 2.3 months. Postoperative platinum-based chemotherapy statistically improved patients survival (p = 0.02). In the multivariate analysis, the presence of MTS (p = 0.001), the tumor perineural invasion (p = 0.01) and the tumor stage (p = 0.0005) were factors associated with poor prognosis. Adjuvant chemotherapy was a significant positive prognostic factor (p = 0.00001).

Conclusions

ADS are uncommon and extremely aggressive lung tumors. Adjuvant chemotherapy should be administered even in Stage I radically resected tumors. A whole brain postoperative prophylactic radiotherapy could be proposed to reduce risk of developing brain MTS.