Spanish Black Radish (Raphanus Sativus L. Var. niger) Diet Enhances Clearance of DMBA and Diminishes Toxic Effects on Bone Marrow Progenitor Cells

Vegetables of the Cruciferae family contain high levels of glucosinolates, metabolites of which are believed to enhance detoxification. Spanish black radishes (SBR) contain 4× more glucosinolates than other crucifers. This study examined whether feeding mice a diet containing 20% SBR for 2 wk could enhance metabolism of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA) and inhibit DMBA-mediated bone marrow toxicity. Expression of Phase I and II detoxification enzymes was significantly greater for mice fed SBR than control diet. Six hours after DMBA administration, the blood levels of DMBA in mice fed the SBR diet were significantly lower than mice fed a control diet. DMBA reduced bone marrow cells in mice fed control diet to a significantly greater extent than mice fed the SBR diet. Colony forming assays demonstrated that mice on the SBR diet had 1) less reduction in lymphoid CFU-preB progenitor cells, 2) greater recovery of CFU-preB progenitor cells at 168 h, and 3) less reduction of CFU-GM progenitor cells at 6 h. Therefore, mice fed a 20% SBR diet for 2 wk had greater expression of detoxification enzymes, faster metabolism of DMBA, and a reduction in DMBA-induced bone marrow toxicity. Overall, these results support the hypothesis that glucosinolates in SBR are protective against acute toxicity.     

Problems With Nomenclature of Specialty Training and Practice and Disclosure of Information Within Clinical Psychology

This commentary responds to Perry and Boccaccini (2009) by extending implications of the findings to nomenclature about specialties and specialty training, standardizing website information, and truth in advertising about clinical training programs.     

A Case Report of Drug-Induced Myopathy Involving Extraocular Muscles after Combination Therapy with Tremelimumab and Durvalumab for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Recently developed anti-tumour therapies targeting immune checkpoints include tremelimumab and durvalumab. These agents have incompletely characterised side effect profiles. The authors report a 68-year-old man treated for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with a combination of tremelimumab and durvalumab. After treatment he developed diplopia, ptosis, fatigue, weakness, and an inflammatory myopathy affecting the extraocular muscles requiring hospitalisation. Electromyography (EMG) testing and muscle biopsy suggested inflammatory myopathy without sign of myasthenia. Within 1 month of withdrawal of cancer therapies and initiation of oral steroid therapy, ocular and systemic symptoms had resolved. This notable adverse effect has not been previously described for these drugs administered singly or in combination, and ophthalmologists should be aware of this presentation in patients treated with these agents.     

Electrochemiluminescence immunosorbent assay of ricin in ground beef: biotinylated capture antibodies and matrix effects

Ricin is a highly toxic protein present in the seeds of castor (Ricinus communis), grown principally as a source of high quality industrial lubricant. Because of the past use of ricin for intentional poisoning, there is a need for analytical methodology to detect ricin in food matrices. Ground beef and other fatty, solid matrices present challenges for extraction and detection of protein constituents. This study focused on the use of streptavidin-coated assay plates, with biotinylated monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) immobilised as capture reagents. It explored matrix effects on immunosorbent analyses of ricin in enzyme-linked and electrochemiluminescent detection systems. A variety of mAb pairs enabled assays with predetermined specificity for ricin vs. the related protein, Ricinus communis agglutinin-1 (RCA-1). Extraction of samples at low dilution (1:5) and inclusion of 100 mM galactose in the extraction medium produced excellent quantification of ricin in the 1–20 ng/g range in ground beef.     

Non-invasive measurement of cerebral oxygen metabolism in the mouse brain by ultra-high field 17O MR spectroscopy

To assess cerebral energetics in transgenic mouse models of neurologic disease, a robust, efficient, and practical method for quantification of cerebral oxygen consumption is needed. ¹⁷O magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) has been validated to measure cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO₂) in the rat brain; however, mice present unique challenges because of their small size. We show that CMRO₂ measurements with ¹⁷O MRS in the mouse brain are highly reproducible using 16.4 Tesla and a newly designed oxygen delivery system. The method can be utilized to measure mitochondrial function in mice quickly and repeatedly, without oral intubation, and has numerous potential applications to study cerebral energetics.     

The lesser curvature fold: a new plain film finding for diagnosing a paraesophageal hernia

This case report describes a new plain film X-ray finding for a paraesophageal hernia. A plain film of the chest containing a new finding for a paraesophageal hernia was later confirmed by barium study. This new finding was a horizontal fold traversing the air-filled diaphragmatic hernia sac, with the fold representing the opposed sides of the stomach's lesser curvature. Recognition of this finding can hasten the diagnosis of this potentially life-threatening type of hiatal hernia.