Blunt traumatic rupture of the heart: case report and selected review.

Cardiac rupture is a common complication following blunt thoracic trauma. Blunt traumatic rupture of the heart is a frequent cause of death. Cardiac injuries are rarely diagnosed early in the preoperative period. Most of them die at the scene of the accident and only a few survive to make it to the hospital alive. Rapid evaluation and expeditious management may increase the number of survivors. We present here an illustrative case report and selected review of literature regarding clinical presentation, mechanism of injury, investigation and treatment.     

Sub-clinical infection with Mycobacterium leprae in household contacts of leprosy

870 household contacts of leprosy patients were examined for sub-clinical infection with M. leprae by smear (skin and nasal), lepromin and FLA-ABS tests. 0.6%, 3.3%, 71.5% and 14.4% of the contacts were found to be positive for skin smear, nasal smear, lepromin and FLA-ABS tests respectively. An analysis of the results revealed that 4% of the lepromin positive contacts and 3.6% of the lepromin negative contacts were positive to both FLA-ABS and skin or nasal smear.     

p66Shc—a longevity redox protein in human prostate cancer progression and metastasis

p66Shc, a 66 kDa proto-oncogene Src homologous-collagen homologue (Shc) adaptor protein, is classically known in mediating receptor tyrosine kinase signaling and recently identified as a sensor to oxidative stress-induced apoptosis and as a longevity protein in mammals. The expression of p66Shc is decreased in mice and increased in human fibroblasts upon aging and in aging-related diseases, including prostate cancer. p66Shc protein level correlates with the proliferation of several carcinoma cells and can be regulated by steroid hormones. Recent advances point that p66Shc protein plays a role in mediating cross-talk between steroid hormones and redox signals by serving as a common convergence point in signaling pathways on cell proliferation and apoptosis. This article first reviews the unique function of p66Shc protein in regulating oxidative stress-induced apoptosis. Subsequently, we discuss its novel role in androgen-regulated prostate cancer cell proliferation and metastasis and the mechanism by which it mediates androgen action via the redox signaling pathway. The data together indicate that p66Shc might be a useful biomarker for the prognosis of prostate cancer and serve as an effective target for its cancer treatment.     

Impact of ivermectin drug combinations on Pediculus humanus capitis infestation in primary schoolchildren of south Indian rural villages

Background  Antifilarial drug combinations including ivermectin provide antifilarial activity with ancillary benefits on intestinal helminths and ectoparasites, such as chiggers and lice. The impact of single oral dose of antifilarial drugs, viz; (1) diethylcarbamazine (DEC) alone, (ii) DEC + albendazole (ALB), (iii) ivermectin (IVR) + DEC and (iv) IVR + ALB, was determined, on the head louse ( Pediculus humanus capitis ) in primary school children in a rural community in south India.
Methods  Primary school children ( n  = 534) of age 6–10 years from four villages of South India were examined for the presence of head lice before and after single dose of DEC + ivermectin drug combination. The effectiveness and the duration of cure sustained by these drugs were quantified. The head louse was examined by "combing method" during post-treatment periods at 15, 45, 60 and 75 days interval.
Results  The antifilarial drug consumption rate was similar (96–98%) in all treatment arms. In pre-treatment survey the prevalence of head lice in children administered with DEC, DEC + ALB, IVR + DEC and IVR + ALB arm was 86%, 80%, 87% and 80%, respectively, with the latter two arms demonstrating significant reduction in louse infestation ( P  < 0.05) for 60 days.
Conclusion  Single dose with IVR combination demonstrates a greater impact in reducing head louse infestation in the endemic rural communities for nearly 60 days. Therefore, in regions such as Africa where ivermectin is part of the antifilariasis campaign, this drug will have an additional benefit in reducing head lice infestation.     

High-dose 166Ho-DOTMP in myeloablative treatment of multiple myeloma: pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, and absorbed dose estimation.

Thirty-two patients with multiple myeloma were treated with high doses of 166Ho-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetramethylene-phosphonic acid (DOTMP) and were a subset of patients enrolled in a multicenter phase I/II dose escalation myeloablative trial. 166Ho with beta-emission (half-life, 26.8 h; beta-particle energies, 1.85 MeV [51%] and 1.77 MeV [48%]; gamma-photons, 80.6 keV [6.6%] and 1.38 MeV [0.9%]) was complexed to DOTMP, a macrocyclic tetraphosphonate. Pharmacokinetics, dosimetry, and biodistribution were studied. METHODS: Patients were treated at escalating dose levels of 20, 30, and 40 Gy to the bone marrow in combination with high-dose melphalan, with or without total-body irradiation, to evaluate toxicity and efficacy. After infusion with 1,110 MBq (30 mCi) of 166Ho-DOTMP for evaluation of biodistribution and dosimetry calculation, patients received the calculated amount of radioactivity for therapy in a single administration based on estimated dose calculations. RESULTS: Thirty-two patients participated in the study and were then treated. The average amount of administered radioactivity was 74.3 GBq (2,007 mCi) (range, 21.5-147.5 GBq [581-3,987 mCi]) of 166Ho-DOTMP. CONCLUSION: 166Ho-DOTMP has physical and pharmacokinetic characteristics compatible with high-dose myeloablative treatment of multiple myeloma.     

A novel combination of silane‐coated silica colloid with hybrid RNA extraction protocol and RNA enrichment for downstream applications of spermatozoal RNA

Spermatozoa are specialised cells with low RNA content as compared to somatic cells. The suitable sperm RNA extraction and enrichment protocols for downstream applications are available for human, cattle, stallion and mouse but not for buffalo spermatozoa. Therefore, the present work was conducted to find out suitable colloidal solution for sperm purification and appropriate protocol for sperm RNA extraction and enrichment/amplification of RNA. For purification, we used PVP‐coated silica colloidal solution (PVP‐Si), silane‐coated silica colloidal solution (Silane‐Si) and iodixanol. Sperm recovery rate, total sperm motility and progressive sperm motility were significantly improved after separation by Silane‐Si and iodixanol compared to PVA‐Si method. The combined guanidinium thiocyanate–phenol–chloroform (GTPC) with silica matrix (SM)‐based RNA extraction yielded more quantity of RNA in compared to individual method. The hybrid of SM and GTPC into a single protocol yielded 360–450 ng RNA from 30 million buffalo spermatozoa. For the first time, we adopted new way to enrich sperm RNA that increased the RNA concentration 4–5 times that was sufficient for downstream applications. The linear amplification of sperm RNA increased RNA concentration around 27–45 times. In summary, Silane‐Si colloid for sperm separation, hybrid SM and GTPC protocol for sperm RNA extraction followed by enrichment or amplification of RNA was found suitable for high‐throughput analyses of buffalo sperm RNA.     

Neuronal vs. Glial Fate of Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Neural Progenitors (ES-NPs) is Determined by FGF2/EGF During Proliferation

Fate-specific differentiation of neural progenitors attracts keen interest in modern medicine due to its application in cell replacement therapy. Though various signaling pathways are involved in maintenance and differentiation of neural progenitors, the mechanism of development of lineage-restricted progenitors from embryonic stem (ES) cells is not clearly understood. Here, we have demonstrated that neuronal vs. glial differentiation potential of ES cell-derived neural progenitors (ES-NPs) are governed by the growth factors, exposed during their proliferation/expansion phase and cannot be significantly altered during differentiation phase. Exposure of ES-NPs to fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF2) during proliferation triggered the expression of pro-neural genes that are required for neuronal lineage commitment, and upon differentiation, predominantly generated neurons. On the other hand, epidermal growth factor (EGF)-exposed ES-NPs are not committed to neuronal fate due to decreased expression of pro-neural genes. These ES-NPs further generate more glial cells due to expression of glial-restricted factors. Exposure of ES-NPs to the same growth factors during proliferation/expansion and differentiation phase augments the robust differentiation of neurons or glial subtypes. We also demonstrate that, during differentiation, exposure to growth factors other than that in which the ES-NPs were expanded does not significantly alter the fate of ES-NPs. Thus, we conclude that FGF2 and EGF determine the neural vs. glial fate of ES-NPs during proliferation and augment it during differentiation. Further modification of these protocols would help in generating fate-specified neurons for various regenerative therapies.