Association Between Cervical and Penile Cancers in Madras, India

A total of 4 995 cervical and 311 penile cancer cases were registered in the Madras Population-Based Cancer Registry at the Cancer Institute (WIA), Madras, India, in 1982-1990. the parameters analyzed were age at the time of diagnosis, educational level, marital status, and religion. Peak incidence of carcinoma of the cervix was seen in the age group 55-59 years. the incidence of penile cancer increased consistently with age. Among cervical cancer patients, the incidence was significantly higher among illiterates and among those who had an education for 12 years or less than among those with over 12 years of education. the incidence of cervical cancer was low among Muslim women compared to Hindu and Christian women, and penile cancer was not seen at all among Muslim men. Our results re-emphasize the importance of circumcision in the reduction of the risk of both cervical and penile cancers.     

The 2nd conference on Asian trends in prostate cancer hormone therapy

Among the aims of the 2nd Conference on Asian Trends in Prostate Cancer Hormone Therapy, Hong Kong, December 7-8, 2002, was to lay the groundwork for eventually having cooperative or collaborative studies of prostate cancer specifically in Asian patients. The conference was divided into 2 sessions. In the first session, entitled "Current Status of Therapy for Prostate Cancer in Asian Countries," the results of analysis of 100 patients with prostate cancer enrolled in the Patients Registration System is each of the 6 participating Asian countries were discussed. The Patients Registration System is a database template established by the Japanese Urological Association that allows physicians to compare prostate cancer therapy in the different Asian countries. Session 2 was devoted to a "Roundtable Discussion on the Establishment of Asian Guidelines for Prostate Cancer." This session included 2 lively discussions, on whether Asian physicians can apply Western clinical data to Asian patients, and the need for Asian clinical data and developing clinical trials in the region, respectively.     

Detoxification of Nerium indicum roots based on Indian system of medicine: phytochemical and toxicity evaluations

Indian system of medicine describes the usage of certain very toxic plant based drugs after performing a detoxification process (Shodhana samskara). Nerium indicum is traditionally used as a medicine though known to cause severe allergic symptoms, tachycardia and gastrointestinal effects leading to fatalities. In this study, the detoxification (shodhana) for Nerium indicum was scientifically validated based on phytochemical and toxicity profiles. Shodhana was performed according to traditional literature. HPTLC densitometric studies were performed for the pre- and post-shodhana powders followed by sub-acute toxicity evaluation in rats. Preparative TLC and LC-MS showed the reduction of oleandrin peak in the post-shodhana sample. Prominent features of cardiotoxicity including tachycardia were noted in the pre-shodhana Nerium treated animals along with mortality. However, no such toxicity was encountered in the post-shodhana Nerium treated animals. Hence, using the recommended detoxification (shodhana), the toxicity of an important medicinal plant was significantly nullified. Such studies provide a scientific support towards our traditional medicinal practices using modem analytical and experimental methodologies and may prove to be very useful in establishing standard scientific procedures for routine and safe use of traditional medicines.     

Role of p21 and cyclin E in normal and secalonic acid D-inhibited proliferation of human embryonic palatal mesenchymal cells

Secalonic acid D (SAD), a cleft palate-inducing teratogen, has been shown to inhibit proliferation/cell cycle progression in association with alteration in the levels of cell cycle regulators, p21 and cyclin E. These studies were conducted to test the hypotheses that p21 and cyclin E play an important functional role in normal human embryonic palatal mesenchymal (HEPM) cell cycle and that their up- and down-regulation, respectively, by SAD is functionally significant to its cell cycle block. Using small interfering RNA (siRNA) to silence p21 gene and transient transfection to overexpress cyclin E in control & SAD-treated HEPM cells, cell proliferation was assessed using a combination of cell numbers, thymidine uptake, CDK2 activity and Ki-67 expression. The results showed that silencing of p21 gene, although increased cell proliferation/numbers and CDK2 activity in normal HEPM cells, failed to counteract SAD-induced anti-proliferative effect despite inducing partial recovery of CDK2 activity. Similar effects were apparent with cyclin E overexpression. It is concluded that p21 and cyclin E are important for normal HEPM cell proliferation. However, SAD-induced deregulation of either protein, singly, may not be sufficient to induce anti-proliferative effect. Involvement of other cell cycle proteins such as cyclin D1 or of multiple proteins in SAD-induced cell cycle block needs to be examined.     

Isolation and antihyperglycemic activity of flavonoid from flower petals of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Opuntia stricta</Emphasis>

The fresh flowers of Opuntia stricta were collected and extracted with 85% methanol under reflux. The concentrated extract was fractionated with Et₂O, EtOAc and petroleum ether. Rhamnetin 3-O-rutinoside was obtained from EtOAc fraction, as confirmed through ¹H and ¹³C NMR, ¹H-¹H NOESY, ¹H-¹³C HSQC, and mass spectra. The isolated flavonoid glycoside was investigated for its antihyperglycemic activity on alloxan-induced diabetic male albino rats.     

Internalization of Mycobacterium bovis, Bacillus Calmette Guerin, by bladder cancer cells is cytotoxic

Instillation of Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG) into the bladder is the standard treatment for superficial bladder cancer. It leads to a local inflammatory response due to the release of cytokines and influx of immune cells to the tumor site. Although the presence of an intact immune system is an essential criterion for successful therapy, attachment of the bacteria to the bladder urothelial is just as important. The purpose of our study is to determine the role of bacterial internalization by epithelial cells. Transfection of the alpha5 integrin gene into the BCG unresponsive bladder cancer cell line, RT4, caused an increase in bacterial uptake and also increased cell death. Treatment of cells with cycloheximide did not prevent bacterial internalization but blocked its cytotoxic effect suggesting that unlike cell death, the process of bacterial internalization does not require new protein synthesis. Our data also show that the bacteria secretory products can prevent its own internalization. The extract prepared from lyophilized BCG altered the phosphorylation status of the focal adhesion kinase which is responsible for cellular endocytosis. Therefore, bacterial phosphatases may be present in the bacterial extract. Their activity may inhibit BCG internalization. Thus washing the reconstituted bacteria to remove the enzymes before instillation into the bladder might improve the therapeutic outcome of intravesical BCG therapy.     

Eosinophil Tethering to Interleukin-4-Activated Endothelial Cells Requires Both P-Selectin and Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1

We examined the mechanisms used by eosinophils to tether andaccumulate on interleukin-4 (IL-4)-stimulated human umbilical veinendothelial cells (HUVECs) under flow conditions. As previously reported, HUVECs treated for 24 hours with 20 ng/mL IL-4 had increased expression of P-selectin and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1)but not E-selectin. We found that eosinophils tethered and rolled onIL-4-stimulated HUVECs at physiologic shear stresses. Eosinophilrolling was quickly followed by firm adhesion. Treatment with either ananti-P-selectin monoclonal antibody (MoAb) or an anti-VCAM-1 MoAbdecreased both eosinophil tethering and accumulation at 2 dyn/cm². VCAM-1 interacts with 4-integrins expressed oneosinophils. We found that an anti-4-integrin MoAb also blockedeosinophil tethering and accumulation at 2 dyn/cm². None ofthese MoAbs alone had an impact on eosinophil accumulation at lowershear stresses, but when either an anti-VCAM-1 or an anti-4-integrin MoAb was used in combination with ananti-P-selectin MoAb, all eosinophil tethering and accumulation onIL-4-stimulated HUVECs were blocked. This was true at both high andlow shear stresses. These data show that both P-selectin and VCAM-1 are required to tether eosinophils at high shear stresses, but at low shearstresses these adhesion proteins can act independently to recruiteosinophils to IL-4-stimulated HUVECs.