The effects of phytochemicals and herbal bio-active compounds on tumour necrosis factor-α in overweight and obese individuals: a clinical review

Inflammopharmacology - Obesity is abnormal fat accumulation in the body which acts as a risk factor for various cardiometabolic states. Adipose tissue in excess can release inflammatory factors,...     

Metastasis of femoral osteosarcoma to the abdominal wall detected on 99m Tc-MDP skeletal scintigraphy

Osteosarcoma is the most frequent primary malignancy of bone, and usually metastasizes to the lung and bones, while other sites are rare. In most reported cases, soft tissue metastasis of osteosarcoma is unusual, and only develops in the advanced stages of the disease, especially following multiple recurrences. We present a patient with recently diagnosed osteosarcoma of the right femur, showing abdominal wall metastasis diagnosed by technetium-99m-methylene diphosphonate (99m Tc-MDP) whole body bone scintigraphy and confirmed histologically. The present case highlights the importance of whole body imaging of patients with osteosarcoma for detecting unusual sites of metastasis, especially in soft tissue organs.     

Detection of Helicobacter pylori in bovine, buffalo, camel, ovine, and caprine milk in Iran

Helicobacter pylori infection in humans is one of the most common infections worldwide. However, the origin and transmission of this bacterium has not been clearly explained. One of the suggested theories is transmission via raw milk from animals to human beings. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence rate of H. pylori in bulk milk samples from dairy bovine, buffalo, camel, ovine, and caprine herds in Iran. In the present study, 447 bulk milk samples from 230 dairy bovine, buffalo, camel, ovine, and caprine herds were collected in four provinces and tested for H. pylori by cultural method and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the detection of the ureC (glmM) gene. The animals whose milk samples collected for this study were clinically healthy. Using the cultural method, three of 447 milk samples (0.67%), including two sheep (2.2%) and one buffalo (1.6%) milk samples, were found to be contaminated with H. pylori. H. pylori ureC gene was detected in 56 (12.5%) of milk samples, including 19 cow (14.1%), 11 sheep (12.2%), nine goat (8.7%), two camel (3.6%), and 15 buffalo (23.4%) milk samples. Using PCR method, there were significant differences (p<0.05) in the level of contamination with H. pylori between milk samples collected from different species. The present study is the first report of the isolation of H. pylori from raw sheep and buffalo milk in Iran and the first demonstration of H. pylori DNA in camel and buffalo milk.     

Effect of testosterone replacement therapy on prostate tissue in men with late-onset hypogonadism: a randomized controlled trial

Context  Prostate safety is a primary concern when aging men receive testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), but little information is available regarding the effects of TRT on prostate tissue in men. Objective  To determine the effects of TRT on prostate tissue of aging men with low serum testosterone levels. Design, Setting, and Participants  Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 44 men, aged 44 to 78 years, with screening serum testosterone levels lower than 300 ng/dL (<10.4 nmol/L) and related symptoms, conducted at a US community-based research center between February 2003 and November 2004. Intervention  Participants were randomly assigned to receive 150 mg of testosterone enanthate or matching placebo intramuscularly every 2 weeks for 6 months. Main Outcome Measures  The primary outcome measure was the 6-month change in prostate tissue androgen levels (testosterone and dihydrotestosterone). Secondary outcome measures included 6-month changes in prostate-related clinical features, histology, biomarkers, and epithelial cell gene expression. Results  Of the 44 men randomized, 40 had prostate biopsies performed both at baseline and at 6 months and qualified for per-protocol analysis (TRT, n = 21; placebo, n = 19). Testosterone replacement therapy increased serum testosterone levels to the mid-normal range (median at baseline, 282 ng/dL [9.8 nmol/L]; median at 6 months, 640 ng/dL [22.2 nmol/L]) with no significant change in serum testosterone levels in matched, placebo-treated men. However, median prostate tissue levels of testosterone (0.91 ng/g) and dihydrotestosterone (6.79 ng/g) did not change significantly in the TRT group. No treatment-related change was observed in prostate histology, tissue biomarkers (androgen receptor, Ki-67, CD34), gene expression (including AR, PSA, PAP2A, VEGF, NXK3, CLU [Clusterin]), or cancer incidence or severity. Treatment-related changes in prostate volume, serum prostate-specific antigen, voiding symptoms, and urinary flow were minor. Conclusions  These preliminary data suggest that in aging men with late-onset hypogonadism, 6 months of TRT normalizes serum androgen levels but appears to have little effect on prostate tissue androgen levels and cellular functions. Establishment of prostate safety for large populations of older men undergoing longer duration of TRT requires further study. Trial Registration  clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00161304      

Four novel C20orf54 mutations identified in Brown-Vialetto-Van Laere syndrome patients

Brown-Vialetto-Van Laere syndrome (BVVLS) is a very rare neurodegenerative disorder characterized by pontobulbar palsy and sensorineural hearing loss. Its mode of inheritance in affected families has usually been autosomal recessive, although autosomal dominant inheritance and incomplete penetrance have also been reported. Recently, C20orf54 was identified as a causative gene for BVVLS. Twelve different mutations have so far been identified in 10 patients affected with BVVLS or the related disorder Fazio Londe syndrome. Here, results of screening of C20orf54 in three unrelated BVVLS patients are reported. Four novel mutations that affect amino acid changes, p.Asn21Ser, p.Pro220His, p.Ala312Val and p.Gly375Asp, were identified in the patients. The causative nucleotide variations were not observed in 200 control individuals. One of the patients harbored compound heterozygous mutations, but only one mutated allele was observed in each of the two remaining patients.     

Does the tissue engineering architecture of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) scaffold affects cell-material interactions?

A critical element in tissue engineering involves the fabrication of a three-dimensional scaffold. The scaffold provides a space for new tissue formation, supports cellular ingrowth, and proliferation and mimics many roles of the extracellular matrix. Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) is the most thoroughly investigated member of the polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) family that has various degrees of biocompatibility and biodegradability for tissue engineering applications. In this study, we fabricated PHB scaffolds by utilizing electrospinning and salt-leaching procedures. The behavior of monkey epithelial kidney cells (Vero) and mouse mesenchymal stem cells (mMSCs) on these scaffolds was compared by the MTS assay and scanning electron microscopy. Additionally, this study investigated the mechanical and physical properties of these scaffolds by measuring tensile strength and modulus, dynamic contact angle and porosity. According to our results, the salt-leached scaffolds showed more wettability and permeability, but inferior mechanical properties when compared with nanofibrous scaffolds. In terms of cell response, salt-leached scaffolds showed enhanced Vero cell proliferation, whereas both scaffolds responded similarly in the case of mMSCs proliferation. In brief, nanofibrous scaffolds can be a better substrate for cell attachment and morphology.     

Intragenic SNP haplotypes associated with 84dup18 mutation in <Emphasis Type="Italic">TNFRSF11A</Emphasis> in four FEO pedigrees suggest three independent origins for this mutation

Familial expansile osteolysis (FEO) is a rare disorder causing bone dysplasia. The clinical features of FEO include early-onset hearing loss, tooth destruction, and progressive lytic expansion within limb bones causing pain, fracture, and deformity. An 18-bp duplication in the first exon of the TNFRSF11A gene encoding RANK has been previously identified in four FEO pedigrees. Despite having the identical mutation, phenotypic variations among affected individuals of the same and different pedigrees were noted. Another 18-bp duplication, one base proximal to the duplication previously reported, was subsequently found in two unrelated FEO patients. Finally, mutations overlapping with the mutations found in the FEO pedigrees have been found in ESH and early-onset PDB pedigrees. An Iranian FEO pedigree that contains six affected individuals dispersed in three generations has previously been introduced; here, the clinical features of the proband are reported in greater detail, and the genetic defect of the pedigree is presented. Direct sequencing of the entire coding region and upstream and downstream noncoding regions of TNFRSF11A in her DNA revealed the same 18-bp duplication mutation as previously found in the four FEO pedigrees. Additionally, eight sequence variations as compared to the TNFRSF11A reference sequence were identified, and a haplotype linked to the mutation based on these variations was defined. Although the mutation in the Iranian and four of the previously described FEO pedigrees was the same, haplotypes based on the intragenic SNPs suggest that the mutations do not share a common descent.