Ectopic production of human chorionic gonadotrophin-like material by breast cancer

Human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) is a placental protein whose ectopic secretion by nontrophoblast tumors has been claimed to be of clinical relevance. Serum levels of hCG were measured in 570 patients with breast disease. A double-antibody radioimmunoassay (RIA) using antisera to hCG-beta was employed. Approximately 14% of patients with breast cancer were found to have elevated serum hCG levels. Such raised titers were not stage- or tumor-type-related, but occurred only in postmenopausal subjects. Further study showed that those patients with elevated hCG levels also had raised levels of human luteinizing hormone (hLH). Assay cross-reactivity was shown to account for the "spurious" hCG elevations. An immunocytochemical study also failed to find hCG an ectopic breast tumor constituent and/or product. It is concluded that hCG is not produced by breast tumors and has no clinical utility.     

Extent of resection in diffuse low-grade gliomas and the role of tumor molecular signature—a systematic review of the literature

Neurosurgical Review - There is a lack of class I evidence concerning the impact of surgery in the treatment of diffuse low-grade glioma; the early maximal resection with preservation of eloquent...     

Efecto sobre el comportamiento de dexmedetomidina como premedicación anestésica en la población pediátrica: Estudio prospectivo observacional

Premedication in the pediatric population is of vital importance to reduce anxiety and facilitate anesthetic induction. Midazolam and ketamine have been used for this purpose, drugs that have shown long-term changes in neurodevelopment. Dexmedetomidine promotes a sedative, analgesic effect and lacks neurotoxic effects, its intranasal application is easy and minimally invasive. We studied the sedative and behavioral effect of intranasal dexmedetomidine 2 mcg/kg in ASA 1 and 2 children for elective surgery. They were evaluated at 10, 20 and 30 minutes of administered, in the separation of the parents and placement of the mask for inhalation induction with behavioral and sedation scores (classified from 1 to 4), we considered acceptable for admission to operating room categories 3 and 4.ResultsThirty patients between 1 and 10 years old were included in the period from September 2017 to April 2018. The sedation score obtained at 30 minutes was acceptable in 46.6% of the patients and the behavior score was in 96% of the cases. In 63% of cases the acceptance of the facial mask placement for inhalation induction was achieved. The procedure was well tolerated in all cases and parents were satisfied in 100% of the cases.     

Injectable semi rigid penile prosthesis: study in rabbits and future perspectives

BackgroundPenile prostheses are the third option in the treatment of erectile dysfunction, however, despite their proven effectiveness, the occurrence of infections, advanced age of patients and comorbidities are the main limiting factors for this treatment modality. In the continuous search for biointegrated, clinically durable and minimally invasive treatment options, a possible model of penile prosthesis was sought through the use of intracavernous bacterial cellulose (BC) gel, in an experimental model of orchiectomized rabbits.MethodsThirty adult New Zealand rabbits were equally distributed into three groups: BC; vehicle and control. Each group was then subdivided according to the follow-up time of 3 and 6 months. Bilateral orchiectomy was performed 3 weeks before injection in the BC and vehicle groups. Pachymetry measurements of the penile axis, diameter and length were performed in situ. Histomorphometry analyzes of the corpora cavernosa (CC), thickness of the tunica albuginea, cell density, collagen and elastic fibers post-injection were also performed, in addition to immunohistochemistry for newly formed vessels.ResultsThe implant of BC increased both the length and thickness of the penis three and six months after the last injection, with a consequent increase in the diameter of the CC. On the other hand, the filling effect was not observed in the control and vehicle groups, confirming the degradation of this tissue after orchiectomy and the effectiveness of BC as a filling agent. Histomorphometry analyzes corroborate the mass effect of BC integrated into the tissue, permeated by predominantly lymphomononuclear inflammatory infiltrate, multinucleated giant foreign body cells, fibroblasts, elastic fibers and newly formed vessels, without degradation or loss of volume, even after six months of implantation.ConclusionsBiocompatibility and biointegration to the host tissue make BC a prosperous penile filling material, with local application and minimally invasive.     

Exercise-induced signs of muscle overuse in children

Signs of overuse after intense muscular exertion are well described in adults, while little research has been conducted in children. The aim of the study was to investigate some indirect markers of muscle damage in 13 years old boys following two different protocols of one-leg stepping exercise to exhaustion. This stepping exercise was performed by two experimental groups with different contributions of concentric and eccentric contractions in a 1:1 vs 1:2 ratio of timing. Subjective soreness perception and maximum voluntary isometric force of the knee extensor muscles were measured immediately prior to and immediately following the exercise, and at 1, 3, 24, 48, 72, 96 hours post exercise. Metabolic markers of exercise stress were taken at similar time intervals and included plasma glutathione concentrations as a marker for oxidative stress, circulating leukocyte numbers, and plasma creatine kinase (CK) activity. All parameters studied demonstrated a higher level of muscular exertion, with more evident signs of overuse in the group with the more eccentric contribution. Complete recovery was achieved between 72 and 96 hours after exertion. However, in this group of boys, the CK activity did not show the typical adult-like increase. Therefore the wide use of CK as an indicator of intense muscle exertion was not supported in this group of children. It can be concluded that children, like adults, experience similar degrees of muscle disturbances following intense exercise and that they may recover more quickly from such exercise.     

Use of the microorganism Bacillus stearothermophilus as a model to evaluate toxicity of the lipophilic environmental pollutant endosulfan.

Microorganisms are very powerful tools for the supply of information about the toxic effects of lipophilic compounds, since an impairment of cell growth usually occurs as a result of perturbations related, in most cases, with the partition of toxicants in membranes. The thermophilic eubacterium Bacillus stearothermophilus has been used as a model system to identify - and β-endosulfan interactions with the membrane possibly related with the insecticide toxicity. Two approaches have been pursued: (a) bacterial growth is followed and the effects of endosulfan isomers determined; (b) biophysical studies with the fluorescent fluidity probe 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) were performed to assess the effects of - and β-endosulfan on the organization of the membrane lipid bilayer. The effects on growth were quantitatively evaluated by determination of growth parameters, namely the lag phase, the specific growth rate and the cell density reached by cultures in the stationary phase. Growth inhibition by and β-endosulfan dependent on the concentration is diminished or removed by the addition of 2.5 m Ca²⁺ to bacterial cultures. Fluorescence DPH polarization consistently showed opposite effects of Ca²⁺ and - and β-endosulfan on the physical state of bacterial polar lipid dispersions.     

Total but not resting energy expenditure is increased in infants with ventricular septal defects

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of left-to-right shunting on the resting energy expenditure (REE), total energy expenditure (TEE), and energy intake in a group of 3- to 5-month-old infants with moderate to large unrepaired ventricular septal defects (VSDs) compared with age-matched, healthy infants. METHODS: Eight infants with VSDs and 10 healthy controls between 3 to 5 months of age participated in the study. Indirect calorimetry was used to measure REE and the doubly-labeled water method was used to measure TEE and energy intake. An echocardiogram and anthropometric measurements were performed on all study participants. Daily urine samples were collected at home for 7 days. Samples were analyzed by isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Data were compared using analysis of variance. RESULTS: No significant differences were found in REE (VSD, 42.2 +/- 8.7 kcal/kg/d; control, 43.9 +/- 14.1 kcal/kg/d) or energy intake (VSD, 90.8 +/- 19.9 kcal/kg/d; control, 87.1 +/- 11.7 kcal/kg/d) between the groups. The percent total body water was significantly higher in the VSD infants and the percent fat mass was significantly lower. TEE was 40% higher in the VSD group (VSD, 87.6 +/- 10.8 kcal/kg/d; control, 61.9 +/- 10.3 kcal/kg/d). The difference between TEE and REE, reflecting the energy of activity, was 2.5 times greater in the VSD group. CONCLUSIONS: REE and energy intake are virtually identical between the two groups. Despite this, infants with VSDs have substantially higher TEE than age-matched healthy infants. The large difference between TEE and REE in VSD infants suggests a substantially elevated energy cost of physical activity in these infants. These results demonstrate that, although infants with VSDs may match the energy intake of healthy infants, they are unable to meet their increased energy demands, resulting in growth retardation.