Anti-mutagenic and pro-apoptotic effects of apigenin on human chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells

Diet can play a vital role in cancer prevention. Nowadays the scientists are looking for food materials which can potentially prevent the cancer occurrence. The purpose of this research is to examine anti-mutagenic and apoptotic effects of apigenin in human lymphoma cells. In present study human chronic lymphocytic leukemia (Eheb cell line) were cultured in RPMI 1640 (Sigma), supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum, penicillin-streptomycin, L-glutamine and incubated at 37 oC for 2 days. In addition cancer cell line was treated by and apigenin and cellular vital capacity was determined by MTT assay. Then effect of apigenin in human lymphoma B cells was examined by flow cytometry techniques. The apigenin was subsequently evaluated in terms of anti-mutagenic properties by a standard reverse mutation assay (Ames test). This was performed with histidine auxotroph strain of Salmonella typhimurium (TA100). Thus, it requires histidine from a foreign supply to ensure its growth. The aforementioned strain gives rise to reverted colonies when exposed to sodium azide as a carcinogen substance. During MTT assay, human chronic lymphocytic leukemia revealed to have a meaningful cell death when compared with controls (P<0.01) Apoptosis was induced suitably after 48 hours by flow cytometry assay. In Ames test apigenin prevented the reverted mutations and the hindrance percent of apigenin was 98.17%.These results have revealed apigenin induced apoptosis in human lymphoma B cells in vitro.     

Epigallocatechin‐3‐gallate enhances differentiation of acute promyelocytic leukemia cells via inhibition of PML‐RARα and HDAC1

The use of all‐trans retinoic acid (ATRA) has dramatically improved the treatment and survival rate of patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). However, toxicity and resistance to this drug are major problems in the treatment of APL with ATRA. Earlier studies have suggested that the green tea polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) induces cell death in hematopoietic neoplasms without adversely affecting normal cells. In the present study, the potential therapeutic effect of EGCG in APL and the underlying molecular mechanisms were investigated. EGCG (100 μM) significantly inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in HL‐60 and NB4 cells. This effect was associated with decreased expressions of multidrug resistance proteins ABCB1, and ABCC1, whereas the expressions of pro‐apoptotic genes CASP3, CASP8, p21, and Bax/Bcl‐2 ratio were significantly increased. EGCG, at 25 μM concentration, induced differentiation of leukemic cells towards granulocytic pattern in a similar manner to that observed for ATRA (1 μM). Furthermore, EGCG suppressed the expression of clinical marker PML/RARα in NB4 cells and reduced the expression of HDAC1 in leukemic cells. In conclusion, the results suggested that EGCG can be considered as a potential treatment for APL.     

Integrin expression in human dental pulp cells and their role in cell attachment on extracellular matrix proteins

Integrins are a family of heterodimeric glycoproteins consisting of alpha and beta subunits that noncovalently interact to form cell surface adhesion receptors. The objective of this study was to identify integrins in human dental pulp cells and determine their role in human dental pulp cell attachment to the biological active molecules, laminin and fibronectin. Integrin expression was studied by immunoblot and immunoprecipitation using monoclonal integrin antibodies. The role of integrin in human dental pulp cell adhesion on laminin and fibronectin was determined by inhibition of cell adhesion with those antibodies. This study found human dental pulp cells expressed alpha 1, alpha 3, alpha 5, alpha 6, alpha v, and beta 1 integrin subunits. The adhesion of human dental pulp cells to laminin and fibronectin was not inhibited by monoclonal antibody to any subunit, except that anti-beta 1 antibody inhibited pulp cells adhesion on laminin. These data provide information for further studying the role of integrins in dental pulp cell biological function.     

The bone scan in disseminated BCGitis

Despite the long history of worldwide use of bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine, a wide spectrum of adverse reactions has been observed in a small proportion of immunized infants. The most severe complication is disseminated BCGitis, often fatal but extremely rare and considered to be a result of host immunodeficiency. At present, polymerase chain reaction test, CT scan, ultrasound, X-rays and bone marrow aspirations are the investigations used to diagnose this disease. We report a case report of a 6 months old female infant with disseminated BCGitis. This paper aims to highlight the advantages of using bone (99m)Tc-MDP imaging and it's findings in supporting the diagnosis of disseminated BCGitis.     

Morphologic Evaluation of Cervical and Lumbar Facet Joints: Intra‐Articular Facet Block Considerations

Study Design: Needle orientations for lumbar and cervical facet injection were measured in cadavers and compared with facet angles measured on magnetic resonance images (MRIs). Objectives: To establish facet orientation relative to clinical procedures of a facet joint block in the cervical and lumbar spine. Methods: Needle orientation angles were measured from 20 unembalmed human cadaveric specimens (13 cervical and 7 lumbar). Spinal needles were inserted into the midpoints of the facet joint spaces from C3 to C7 and L1 to L5. Needle trajectories were measured with an optical tracking system. For comparison, facet angles from 100 clinical MRIs of lumbar spines were also measured. Facet orientations on MRIs were measured at their intersection with the transverse plane, and angles were quantified using image analysis software. Results: Typical angles for insertion of the needle into the cervical facets were oriented closer to the coronal plane, whereas insertion angles for lumbar needles were oriented closer to the sagittal plane. Relative to the sagittal plane, the mean cervical angle was 72 degrees and the mean lumbar angle was 33 degrees. The insertion points of the cervical facets were a mean of 29 mm from the midsagittal plane compared with a mean of 22 mm for the lumbar facets. MRI‐based facet joint angles correlated poorly with actual injection angles, which were overestimated 5 to 23 degrees, depending on the lumbar level. Conclusions: Knowledge of the quantitative anatomy of the facets may help improve clinical diagnosis and treatment. These data also may aid in constructing more realistic computer simulations.     

An in vitro method for longitudinal evaluation of toxicity of endodontic sealers

An in vitro method for longitudinal evaluation of root canal sealers was developed and applied. A newly introduced cell culture chamber was used to evaluate the cytotoxic effects of test samples immediately after mixing and for an extended period of time thereafter. A ranking of the test materials, based on their cytotoxicity, was allowed by the method.