Dendrosomal curcumin significantly suppresses cancer cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo

Curcumin, the main compound of spice turmeric, is one of the natural products that has been shown to possess effective anti-cancer properties. However, the absorption efficacy of curcumin is too low to make dramatic results in therapy. Therefore, we based the main aim of this study on improving the bioavailability of curcumin taking advantage of dendrosome nanoparticles; and subsequently evaluating in vitro and in vivo anti-tumor properties of dendrosomal curcumin. In vitro studies were carried out utilizing A431 and WEHI-164 cell lines and mouse embryonic normal fibroblasts. Our data revealed that dendrosomal curcumin not only exhibits a much higher bioavailability than void curcumin (P<0.05) but also inhibits the proliferation of cancer cells (P<0.01) in a time- and dose-dependent manner that could be ascribed to the induction of apoptosis. However, dendrosome did not indicate any toxic effect on different types of cell lines. For in vivo studies, BALB/c tumor-bearing mice were treated with dendrosomal curcumin, void curcumin, dendrosome and PBS. The results indicated that dendrosomal curcumin reduces significantly the tumor size in comparison with void curcumin and control samples (P<0.05). Furthermore, in animals treated with dendrosomal curcumin a longer survival was observed (P<0.01). We also found that the mice treated with dendrosomal curcumin, showed a significant increase in splenocyte proliferation and IFN-γ production as well as a significant decrease in IL-4 production. This can be a proof of anti-tumor immunity caused by dendrosomal curcumin. The findings demonstrate that dendrosomal curcumin offers a great potential to be a promising anti-cancer therapeutic agent.     

Incarceration is a major risk factor for blood-borne infection among intravenous drug users: Incarceration and blood borne infection among intravenous drug users

Background

There is a strong association between hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection which are mainly transmitted by contamination with blood via intravenous drug abuse (IVDU) or sexual contact.

Objectives

To determine the prevalence of these infections and the risk factors associated with them among prisoner and non-prisoner IVDUs in Tehran, Iran.

Patients and Methods

This cross-sectional study was performed in two jails and three drug rehabilitation centers between 2001 and 2002 in Tehran. HBsAg and HBcAb were checked using highly specific third generation enzyme immunoassays (DIA.PRO, Italy, specificity >99%, and Radim, Italy, specificity 99.7%, respectively). HCVAb was detected using ELISA (DIA.PRO, Italy) with both sensitivity and specificity >98%. HIVAb test (DRG Diagnostics kit, Germany) was performed for 459 of the 468 IDU subjects.

Results

392 prisoners and 135 individual attending drug rehabilitation centers were approached. Of the 518 subjects studied, 464 (89.5%) were male, 386 (74.5%) were prisoners and 132 (25.5%) were non-prisoners. In this study, HBsAg, HCVAb and HIVAb were positive in 19 (3.7%), 359 (69.5%) and 70 (15.5%) of subjects, respectively. These tests were positive in 17 (4.5%), 311 (80.5%) and 63 (17%) among prisoners and 2 (1.5%), 48 (36.5%) and 7 (7.8%) in non-prisoners, respectively. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that independent factors related to co-infection of HCV and HIV infection were imprisonment (p<0.001. OR: 7.5) and using common syringe (p=0.03, OR: 4.5).

Conclusions

Our findings strongly suggest that drug injection inside prison carries is a risk for HIV infection and that HIV infection among IDUs is likely to be bridged to the broader population through sexual contact without using effective prevention programs.     

Magnetic resonance contrast media sensing in vivo molecular imaging agents: an overview

Metabolic imaging is commonly performed by nuclear medicine facilities such as PET or SPECT, etc. The production and biomedical applications of bio-molecular sensing in vivo MRI metabolic contrast agents has recently become of great universal research interest, which follows its great success as a potential cost effective, less radioactive, nuclear medicine alternative. Temperature, redox potential, enzyme activity, free radial/metal ion responsive and/or pH sensitive molecular metabolic MR contrast agents are among the famous instances exemplified, which basically promote MR image contrast enhancement ability to distinguish molecular metabolic/gene expression features. Overall, these MRI contrast agents provide a framework to achieve a greater degree of accuracy from MRI as a low cost, more available facility, non radioactive radiation producing and highly sensitive biomedical tool to propound as a new suggesting opponent for PET nuclear medicine imaging. In the present review, the design, development, examination and future of the above agents will be discussed in detail.     

Effect of reversible inactivation of reuniens nucleus on memory processing in passive avoidance task

The reuniens nucleus (RE) is the largest nucleus of the midline thalamic nuclei (MLN). RE has strongly connections with the amygdala and hippocampus, the structures that are involved in the learning and memory processes. In our previous report we have shown the role of RE in the spatial learning and memory using Morris water maze (MWM) task. Since RE is connected to multiple limbic structures, its involvement in the emotional learning and memory is a possibility. The present study was designed to elucidate the role of RE in acquisition, consolidation, and retrieval on the passive avoidance (PA) task which depends on a distributed network including the thalamus, amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and hippocampus. For this purpose, rats were chronically implanted with a cannula aimed at the RE through which 0.5 μl tetracaine (2%) or saline were injected. Rats were trained in a PA task and their retention test was performed 24 h later. The injection of saline or tetracaine was applied 5 min before or 5, 90, and 360 min after the acquisition trial and 5 min before the retention tests. Our findings showed that inactivation of RE before training did not affect acquisition, but affected memory retention 24 h later in PA task. Moreover, inactivation of RE only 5 min after training impaired consolidation but not after 90 or 360 min. Also, inactivation of the RE, 5 min before the retrieval test impaired memory retrieval in PA task. In conclusion, it seems that RE is involved in memory processes in rats.     

Ilioinguinal nerve excision in open mesh repair of inguinal hernia--results of a randomized clinical trial: simple solution for a difficult problem?

BACKGROUND: Inguinodynia is the second most common complication occurring after inguinal hernia repair. This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of ilioinguinal nerve excision, a concept previously proposed to be performed during open hernia mesh repair, on postsurgical pain and hyposthesia. METHODS: A double-blind randomized clinical trial was performed on 121 patients undergoing open anterior mesh repair of inguinal hernia in 1 center from April 2005 through June 2006. The ilioinguinal nerve was excised in half of the patients and preserved in the other half. Pain and hyposthesia at POD 1, 1 and 6 months after surgery, and 1 year after surgery was evaluated in both groups using a visual analog scale. Results were compared using chi-square analysis. RESULTS: Of the total number of 121 patients who entered the study, with an age range of 18 to 86 years (mean +/- SD 45 +/- 18), 115 (95%) were male. Sixty-one were in the nerve-excision group, and 60 were in the nerve-preservation group. One hundred patients were followed-up until the end of the first year. Using the visual analog scale to detect pain severity on postsurgical day 1, mean scores in the nerve-excision and nerve-preservation groups were 2.2 +/- .8 (range 1 to 4) versus 2.8 +/- .7 (range 2 to 4.5), respectively (P < .001). At 1 month after surgery, these scores were .7 +/- .7 (range 0 to 3) versus 1.5 +/- .7 (range 0 to 3.5), respectively (P < .001). Between 6 months and 1 year after surgery, median scores of zero were detected in both groups. After postsurgical day 1, the median score of hyposthesia was near zero in both groups. Thirteen patients developed chronic inguinodynia (13%), 10 of whom were in the nerve-preservation group. Chronic postsurgical inguinodynia was seen in 6% of patients in the ilioinguinal nerve-excision and 21% of the patients in the ilioinguinal nerve-preservation group (P = .033). COMMENTS: Neurectomy decreases postsurgical pain after elective inguinal hernia repair. Although chronic inguinodynia was less frequent in our study than reported by many previous studies, it is still wise to recommend ilioinguinal neurectomy in patients undergoing anterior inguinal hernia mesh repair.     

Effect of nickel on the mineralization of hydrocarbons by indigenous microbiota in Kuwait soils

Assessment of nickel contents in soil samples in Kuwait indicated only a minor difference in concentration in hydrocarbon‐contaminated (86 mg kg^–1 soil) and non‐contaminated soils (84 mg kg^–1 soil). The potential inhibitory effects of nickel on the number of hydrocarbon degraders, and hydrocarbon utilization were investigated over a wide range of nickel concentrations to span concentrations observed in the soil. Nickel addition, as nickel sulphate, to soil samples reduced the number of hydrocarbon degraders in all samples by a wide range (15–96%) depending on concentration and the hydrocarbon substrate utilized. Similarly, the metabolic activities were affected as observed in mineralization (3–60%) of soils amended with various concentrations of nickel. The inhibitive effects of nickel on hexadecane and crude oil utilization were minimal but were significantly higher with naphthalene (P < 0.05) in both hydrocarbon‐contaminated and non‐contaminated soils. Polarographic determination of hydrocarbons induced oxygen uptake rate demonstrated the tendency of nickel to significantly inhibit (P < 0.05) the oxidation of polyaromatic hydrocarbons compared to aliphatic hydrocarbons. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)