In vivo real-time analysis of intraperitoneal radiolabeled tumor cell movement during laparoscopy

PURPOSE: A porcine model has been developed to allow the real-time imaging of radiolabeled tumor cell movement throughout the peritoneal cavity, both at rest and during carbon dioxide insufflation. METHODS: Fifteen 30-kg domestic white female pigs were used. Under anesthesia, 15 to 20 million radiolabeled human colorectal tumor cells (LIM1215) were introduced into the peritoneal cavity under laparoscopic vision into the pelvis. Radiolabeled tumor cell movement was examined by using a 25-cm-diameter, low-energy mobile gamma camera with high resolution collimator. Tumor cell movement and distribution during two hours without insufflation was examined in four pigs. Then tumor cell movement and distribution during two hours with CO₂ insufflation was examined in four pigs. In a further four pigs, tumor cells were then mixed with blood and injected into the peritoneal cavity and the effect of no insufflationvs. insufflation was noted. A further three pigs were examined with manipulation of the intra-abdominal contents after injection of LIM1215 cells into the peritoneal cavity. Venting insufflating CO₂ was filtered for tumor cells. RESULTS: Widespread intraperitoneal distribution of tumor cells from the pelvis was identified both with CO₂ insufflation of the peritoneal cavity and without insufflation. Tumor cells dispersed throughout the peritoneal cavity at a slower rate without carbon dioxide insufflation. There was a differential rate of tumor cell movement to the left upper quadrant and right upper quadrant with insufflation and without insufflation. Blood within the peritoneal cavity and an extended contact of the laparoscopic trocars with the peritoneal cavity in this setting increased contamination of the trocars and trocar sites with tumor cells. Tumor cells were identified on laparoscopic instruments in all experiments. No evidence of aerosolization of tumor cells was found. CONCLUSION: Tumor cells move throughout the peritoneal cavity both at rest and during CO₂ insufflation. The pattern of tumor cell dispersion differs with CO₂ insufflation. The presence of blood and extended contact of trocars with peritoneal contents are a major factor in trocar and trocar site tumor cell contamination.This work was performed at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the Institute of Medical and Veterinary Sciences, South Australia.Supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia and the Alfred and Ferrers Scammel Scholarship, Faculty of Medicine, University of Adelaide.Material supplies provided by Johnson and Johnson Australia.Read at the meeting of The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, San Antonio, Texas, May 2 to 7, 1998.     

Modern approaches to the treatment of breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer death in women in this country. Until recently, the traditional treatment has been radical surgery with or without radiation therapy for patients with primary breast cancer, and palliative endocrine therapy followed by chemotherapy for patients with advanced disease. These treatments have met with limited effectiveness in terms of eradicating the disease. Studies in the past decade have given cause for optimism for breast cancer patients. Adjuvant systemic therapy after local treatment appears promising for certain subsets of patients with primary breast cancer. The development of estrogen receptor assays has markedly changed our approach to the disease and improved patient care. Estrogen receptor is an important prognostic factor and is useful in planning appropriate therapy for patients with primary breast cancer as well as those with advanced disease. Further research is urgently needed to improve the dismal survival of certain women with this common malignancy.     

Areca catechu—From farm to food and biomedical applications

The family Arecaceae includes 181 genera and 2,600 species with a high diversity in physical characteristics. Areca plants, commonly palms, which are able to grow in nearly every type of habitat, prefer tropical and subtropical climates. The most studied species Areca catechu L. contains phytochemicals as phenolics and alkaloids with biological properties. The phenolics are mainly distributed in roots followed by fresh unripe fruits, leaves, spikes, and veins, while the contents of alkaloids are in the order of roots, fresh unripe fruits, spikes, leaves, and veins. This species has been reputed to provide health effects on the cardiovascular, respiratory, nervous, metabolic, gastrointestinal, and reproductive systems. However, in many developing countries, quid from this species has been associated with side effects, which include the destruction of the teeth, impairment of oral hygiene, bronchial asthma, or oral cancer. Despite these side effects, which are also mentioned in this work, the present review collects the main results of biological properties of the phytochemicals in A. catechu. This study emphasizes the in vitro and in vivo antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, and clinical effectiveness in humans. In this sense, A. catechu have demonstrated effectiveness in several reports through in vitro and in vivo experiments on disorders such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, or anticancer. Moreover, our findings demonstrate that this species presents clinical effectiveness on neurological disorders. Hence, A. catechu extracts could be used as a bioactive ingredient for functional food, nutraceuticals, or cosmeceuticals. However, further studies, especially extensive and comprehensive clinical trials, are recommended for the use of Areca in the treatment of diseases.     

Chronic pelvic pain syndrome: Highlighting medicinal plants toward biomolecules discovery for upcoming drugs formulation

Chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) can be triggered by a various types of gynecological, gastrointestinal, urological, and musculoskeletal disorders. Recently, the role of the central nervous system has proven to be an integral part on the development of any chronic pain syndrome, including CPPS. However, owing to the complex and heterogeneous etiology and pathophysiology of CPPS, the establishment of effective therapeutic interventions remains challenging for both physicians and patients. Nonetheless, recent studies have pointed that medicinal plants and their secondary metabolites can be effectively used in CPPS therapy, besides contributing to restore the patients' quality of life and potentiate the conventional CPPS management. In this sense, this review aims to provide a careful overview on the biomedical data for the use of medicinal plants use and their secondary metabolites on CPPS management.     

Rosmarinus plants: Key farm concepts towards food applications

Rosmarinus species are aromatic plants that mainly grow in the Mediterranean region. They are widely used in folk medicine, food, and flavor industries and represent a valuable source of biologically active compounds (e.g., terpenoids, flavonoids, and phenolic acids). The extraction of rosemary essential oil is being done using three main methods: carbon dioxide supercritical extraction, steam distillation, and hydrodistillation. Furthermore, interesting antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, antileishmanial, anthelmintic, anticancer, anti‐inflammatory, antidepressant, and antiamnesic effects have also been broadly recognized for rosemary plant extracts. Thus the present review summarized data on economically important Rosmarinus officinalis species, including isolation, extraction techniques, chemical composition, pharmaceutical, and food applications.     

Apigenin as an anticancer agent

Apigenin is an edible plant‐derived flavonoid that has been reported as an anticancer agent in several experimental and biological studies. It exhibits cell growth arrest and apoptosis in different types of tumors such as breast, lung, liver, skin, blood, colon, prostate, pancreatic, cervical, oral, and stomach, by modulating several signaling pathways. Apigenin induces apoptosis by the activation of extrinsic caspase‐dependent pathway by upregulating the mRNA expressions of caspase‐3, caspase‐8, and TNF‐α. It induces intrinsic apoptosis pathway as evidenced by the induction of cytochrome c, Bax, and caspase‐3, while caspase‐8, TNF‐α, and B‐cell lymphoma 2 levels remained unchanged in human prostate cancer PC‐3 cells. Apigenin treatment leads to significant downregulation of matrix metallopeptidases‐2, ?9, Snail, and Slug, suppressing invasion. The expressions of NF‐κB p105/p50, PI3K, Akt, and the phosphorylation of p‐Akt decreases after treatment with apigenin. However, apigenin‐mediated treatment significantly reduces pluripotency marker Oct3/4 protein expression which might be associated with the downregulation of PI3K/Akt/NF‐κB signaling.     

伊朗2009-2016年间传统医学使用及家庭费用支出情况概述

目的:分析2009-2016年间伊朗传统医学使用及家庭费用支出情况的影响因素.方法:基于伊朗家庭收入和支出调查(HIES),采用伪面板数据的Tobit模型分析家庭收入、家庭财富等级、家庭规模、男性数量、识字成员数量、家庭成员平均年龄对传统医学使用及经费支出的影响.结果:研究结果表明,越富裕的家庭使用传统医学的频率越高;...