Some biological effects of scorpion envenomation in late pregnant rats

Scorpion envenoming is less studied during gestation; however, it may induce various biological disturbances in maternal organism and hypothetical ones on their fetuses. The scope of this report was to elucidate some biological effects of such poisoning in late pregnant rats. Hence, TBARS levels in maternal lung, placental and fetal pulmonary and hepatic tissues and dam's biochemical blood parameters (glucose, creatinine, 17-β estradiol, progesterone, blood nitrogen urea, sodium and potassium maternal plasma concentrations) had been evaluated after saline (G1), and scorpion venom (G2: 30 min and G3: 60 min) injections in 22nd day pregnant rats. Histological microscopic examination of these tissues was also carried out in HE-stained paraffin sections. In addition, the mean arterial blood pressure following the envenomation variations was measured in three rats from the same pool. Our results showed that Buthus occitanus tunetanus crude venom induced significant increase in maternal, placental and fetal tissues lipid peroxidation, concomitant with blood pressure elevation. Maternal plasma creatinine, estradiol and progesterone concentrations levelled up significantly after 30 min or later (60 min) after the venom injection. Except for a probable pronounced oedema and few congestions in maternal lungs and degenerative aspects of trophoblast cells, all examined tissues showed a conserved structure. These results suggest that scorpion envenomation may induce gestation process disturbances and threatens both mother's and fetus’ well-being.     

The relation of high fat diet,metabolic disturbances and brain oxidative dysfunction: modulation by hydroxy citric acid

Background  

Obesity became major health problem in the world, the objective of this work was to examine the effect of high sucrose and high fat diet to induce obesity on antioxidant defense system, biochemical changes in blood and tissue of control, non treated and treated groups by administration of Garcinia cambogia, and explore the mechanisms that link obesity with altered renal function     

Epidermal growth factor receptor expression in normal ovarian epithelium and ovarian cancer. I. Correlation of receptor expression with prognostic factors in patients with ovarian cancer

Previous studies in breast and bladder cancer have suggested that epidermal growth factor receptor is expressed by only a proportion of cancers and is associated with poor clinical outcome. We used a monoclonal antibody specifically reactive with the extracellular domain of the epidermal growth factor receptor to localize this receptor immunohistochemically in frozen sections of normal ovary and epithelial ovarian cancer. Normal ovarian epithelium was found to express epidermal growth factor receptor in all cases. Among 87 ovarian cancers, however, 23% did not express immunohistochemically detectable receptor. Epidermal growth factor receptor expression was not related to histologic grade or stage, but was associated with poor survival (p less than 0.05). The median length of survival of patients with tumors that did not express epidermal growth factor receptor was 40 months compared with 26 months in patients with tumors that did express epidermal growth factor receptor. As in breast and bladder cancer, expression of epidermal growth factor receptor in ovarian cancer appears to be a poor prognostic factor.     

Gonadotropin dynamics in women receiving immediate or delayed transdermal estradiol after oophorectomy

A prospective study was performed in 24 premenopausal women to evaluate the gonadotropin dynamics of pharmacologic doses of transdermal estradiol-17 beta (E2) administered after bilateral oophorectomy. Patients were given 0.2-mg transdermal E2 patches for 2 weeks, followed by 0.1-mg patches for 4 weeks either immediately postoperatively (immediate estrogen replacement therapy [ERT]) or beginning 12-14 days after surgery (delayed ERT). Serum gonadotropins and E2 levels were measured serially, and postmenopausal symptoms were prospectively recorded. Administration of 0.2 mg transdermal E2 immediately after surgery suppressed the post-castration rise in gonadotropins for at least 4 days, but LH and FSH levels did increase to the menopausal range after 2 weeks despite continued therapy. Sustained circulating levels of E2 with transdermal E2 therapy were comparable to follicular phase values. Vasomotor symptoms were well controlled by 0.2 mg of transdermal E2 in the majority of patients during the clinical trial. There was no significant estrogen-related morbidity despite the large doses used. Two patients had skin irritation at the patch site causing discontinuation of therapy. These data suggest that large doses of transdermal E2 can suppress gonadotropin levels only for a brief interval. We were unable to demonstrate any long-term alteration in the hypothalamic-pituitary set point for sensitivity to exogenous E2.     

p53 protein accumulation and the presence of human papillomavirus dna in bronchiolo-alveolar carcinoma correlate with poor prognosis

Accumulation of the tumour suppressor gene p53 product due to a gene mutation is frequently seen in human carcinomas, including lung carcinoma. Another indirect mechanism involving p53 in malignant growth relates to the E6 protein of the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is able to bind and degrade wild-type p53 protein, thus eliminating its tumour suppressor activities. Bronchiolo-alveolar carcinoma (BAC) is a rare type of lung carcinoma. The aim of our study was to examine the occurrence of p53 accumulation and the presence of HPV DNA in BAC. Sections of 22 BACs were immunohistochemically stained using a p53 antibody, CM-1. The presence of HPV DNA in BACs was verified by in situ hybridisation for HPV types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31 and 33 and confirmed by PCR. Thirty-six percent of the tumours showed abnormal p53 nuclear accumulation, and HPV DNA, revealed by in situ hybridisation, was found in 36%. Unexpectedly, only 13% of the type 1 BACs were positive for p53, whereas 45% of the type 2 BACs were positive. During a follow-up of 12-176 months, only 10% of the patients with BACs negative for both p53 and HPV died of the disease, compared with 42% of the patients with either p53 or HPV positivity. No inverse relationship between abnormal p53 protein accumulation and the presence of HPV DNA was found. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.