Anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of the ethanolic extract of potato (Solanum tuberlosum)

The ethanol extract of potato tubers (Solanum tuberlosum L.) has been evaluated for antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities in mice. The acute treatment of mice with an ethanolic extract from the potato tuber at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg, by oral administration, produced a significant anti-nociceptive effect in the acetic acid-induced writhing, formalin-induced pain licking and hot plate-induced pain. Also, the ethanolic extract of potato tubers significantly inhibited both carrageenan- and formalin-induced inflammation in mice as well as arachidonic acid-induced ear edema in mice. These inhibitions were statistically significant (p<0.05). These results provide support for the use of the ethanol extract of potato tuber in relieving inflammatory pain, and insight into the development of new agents for treating inflammatory diseases.     

Prognostic factors of the long-term survival after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt in the treatment of gastric and esophageal variceal bleeding

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPSS) is a promising method of treatment for gastric or esophageal variceal bleeding. This study was performed to determine the prognostic factors contributing to the survival of patients after TIPSS for gastric or esophageal variceal bleeding. One hundred and fifty-five patients who underwent TIPSS between September 1991 and March 2001 were followed up by clinical examination, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, and Duplex sonography. The mean portohepatic pressure gradient prior to TIPSS was 20.5+/-9.93 mmHg and dropped to 10.7+/-6.62 mmHg after TIPSS (p<0.001). The cumulative survival rate was 75.1% at 6 months, 66.6% at 1 yr, 58.4% at 2 yr, and 38.1% at 5 yr. Survival after TIPSS was inversely related to the Child-Pugh classification (p<0.05). The rebleeding rate was 18.3% at 6 months, 21.0% at 1 yr, 32.8% at 2 yr, and 53.1% at 5 yr. The causes of deaths were hepatic failure (53.5%), recurrent variceal bleeding (11.6%), pneumonia (4.6%), sepsis (3.5%), hepatic encephalopathy (2.3%), and unknown (17.4%). Multivariate analysis (Cox proportional hazard model) revealed that the Child-Pugh classification and age were statistically significant independent prognostic factors. In conclusion, TIPSS is an effective method of treatment for variceal bleeding in cases where other treatment modalities including endoscopic therapy are unsuccessful and the most important prognostic factors are preprocedural hepatic reserve (Child-Pugh class) and age.     

Angiogenic and lymphangiogenic microvessel density in breast carcinoma: correlation with clinicopathologic parameters and VEGF-family gene expression.

Angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis are essential for breast cancer progression and are regulated by vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF). To determine clinical and molecular correlates of these processes, we measured blood and lymphatic vascular microvessel density in 29 invasive carcinomas (22 ductal, six lobular, one papillary), using the vascular marker CD31 and the novel lymphatic marker D2-40. Microvessel density was assessed microscopically and by image cytometry, and was compared with tumor histology, grade, stage, lymph node metastasis, hormone receptors, HER2/neu status, and expression of VEGF, VEGF-C and VEGF-D by immunohistochemistry or quantitative RT-PCR. Strong correlation was observed between visual and image cytometric microvessel density using D2-40 but not CD31 (P=0.016 and 0.1521, respectively). Image cytometric CD31 microvessel density correlated with tumor size, grade, stage and lymph node metastasis (P=0.0001, 0.0107, 0.0035 and 0.0395, respectively). D2-40 microvessel density correlated with tumor stage (P=0.0123 by image cytometry) and lymph node metastasis (P=0.0558 by microscopy). Immunohistochemical VEGF signal in peritumoral blood vessels correlated with image cytometric CD31 and D2-40 microvessel density (P=0.022 and 0.0012, respectively), consistent with the role of VEGF in blood and lymphatic vascular growth. Intratumoral VEGF-C and VEGF-D expression by quantitative RT-PCR correlated with D2-40 (P=0.0291 by image cytometry) but not with CD31 microvessel density, which could suggest a selective role of VEGF-C and VEGF-D in lymphangiogenesis. CD31 and D2-40 microvessel density correlated significantly with several prognostic factors, including lymph node metastasis. Thus, measurements of angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis may have utility for breast cancer pathology, particularly for estimation of metastatic risk.     

Hormone replacement therapy in women with pre-existing hyperpigmented lesions

OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to determine whether skin pigmentation is darkened after hormone replacement therapy (HRT). METHODS: The color of hyperpigmentary lesions and control sites before and after 1, 2, and 3 months of HRT was measured. RESULTS: All of the three tested sites showed no significant pigment alteration in 3 months of follow up after starting HRT (P>0.05). Age, duration of menopause, and sex hormone levels did not correlate with pigmentation level. CONCLUSIONS: Pigmentation changes after HRT are not significantly associated with the treatment. This finding suggests that low-dose estrogen replacement therapy does not induce pigmentation changes alone and that differences in individual susceptibility and end organ responsiveness or other multiple factors in addition to the sex hormone may be responsible for the development and darkening of hyperpigmentary lesions.     

Receptors for Treponema pallidum attachment to the surface and matrix proteins of cultured human dermal microvascular endothelial cells

Pathogenicity of Treponema pallidum may depend upon the binding of Treponema pallidum to matrix proteins, especially to fibronectin. Infectious organism or cell to matrix interactions are mediated by a family of adhesion molecule receptors known as integrins. Once in the host, the pathogenic Treponema pallidumdum adheres to the vascular endothelium and readily penetrates surrounding tissues. Fibronectin plays an important role in the mediation of the attachment of Treponema pallidum to host cells, including endothelial cells. We found that the binding of Treponema pallidum to human dermal microvascular endothelial cells and to a glass surface coated with fibronectin is inhibited by the presence of arginine-glycine- aspartic acid (RGD), and analysis of the surface receptor revealed an antigenic similarity to an integrin molecule, namely alpha5. This ability to adhere to host endothelium and fibronectin is quite unique to T. pallidum among the treponemes, and may be a key pathogenic factor.     

Coexistence of a pectoralis quartus muscle and an unusual axillary arch: case report and review

A pectoralis quartus muscle and an unusual axillary arch were found on the left side of a female cadaver. The axillary arch was a musculoaponeurotic complex continuous with the iliacal fibers of the latissimus dorsi. The muscular part, together with the tendon of pectoralis major, inserted into the lateral lip of the bicipital groove of the humerus, whereas the aponeurotic part was formed by a fibrous band that extended deep to the pectoralis major to insert into the coracoid process between the attachments of the coracobrachialis and pectoralis minor. The pectoralis quartus originated from the rectus sheath, and joined the inferior medial border of the fibrous band of the axillary arch, at the lateral edge of the pectoralis major. The axillary arch muscle crossed anteriorly the axillary vessels and the brachial plexus. The clinical importance of these muscles is reviewed.     

Cyr61 protects against hyperoxia-induced cell death via Akt pathway in pulmonary epithelial cells

We have used gene expression profiling approaches to identify new molecular targets in various models of lung injury and human lung diseases. Among the many genes that are significantly induced in these studies, cysteine-rich61 (Cyr61) consistently ranks as one of the most significant genes. Here, we use the well-established model of hyperoxia to better understand the function of Cyr61 in acute lung injury. Cyr61, a stress-related immediate-early response gene, has known diverse functions involving angiogenesis, tumorigenesis, and wound repair. It belongs to the newly discovered "CCN" family containing six growth and regulatory factors. We showed that hyperoxia induces Cyr61 expression in a variety of pulmonary cells and in lung tissue in vivo. Loss of function studies, by suppressing Cyr61 expression by siRNA, accelerated lung epithelial cell death after hyperoxia. Gain of function studies, by overexpressing Cyr61, significantly conferred increased resistance to hyperoxia-induced cell death. Moreover, cells overexpressing Cyr61 induce Akt activation. Inhibition of Akt by siRNA abrogated the protective effects of Cyr61-overexpressing cells in response to hyperoxia. Taken together, our data demonstrate that Cyr61 expression provides cytoprotection in hyperoxia-induced pulmonary epithelial cell death and that this effect was in part mediated via the Akt signaling pathway.     

Activation of Src tyrosine kinase in microglia in the rat hippocampus following transient forebrain ischemia

To better understand the pathophysiological role of Src protein, a non-receptor protein tyrosine kinase of 60kDa, in the ischemic brain, we investigated the time course and regional distribution of active Src expression by using a specific antibody against Tyr416 phosphorylated Src (phospho-Src) in the rat hippocampus after transient forebrain ischemia. In the hippocampus of the control animals, active Src expression was too low to be detected by immunolabeling. Beginning 4h after reperfusion, active Src expression became evident and, after 1 day, had increased preferentially in the CA field of the hippocampus proper and the dentate gyrus. By day 3, active Src expression markedly increased in the pyramidal cell layer of CA1 and the dentate hilar region in temporal correlation with neuronal cell death occurring in these areas, where cells typical of phagocytic microglia showed phospho-Src immunoreactivity. Double-labeling experiments revealed that cells expressing active Src were microglia that stained for biotinylated lectin derived from Griffonia simplicifolia (GSI-B4). Active Src expression began to decline at day 7 and returned to the basal level by day 14 after reperfusion. These results demonstrate increased phosphorylation of Src in activated microglia of the post-ischemic hippocampus, indicating that Src signaling may be involved in the microglial reaction to an ischemic insult.     

PD-1-Expressing SARS-CoV-2-Specific CD8+ T Cells Are Not Exhausted,but Functional in Patients with COVID-19

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Spontaneous programmed cell death of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from HIV-infected persons is decreased with interleukin-15

Interleukin 15 (IL-15) is an important regulatory cytokine in cellular immunity. In vitro replacement of IL-15 has been shown to enhance immunity in Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infected lymphocytes. We evaluated the effect of IL-15 on the survival of peripheral blood mononuclear cells of HIV patients by examining in vitro lymphocyte apoptosis, and correlated the process with Bcl-2 and Fas gene regulation. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 21 HIV-infected adults and 24 HIV-seronegative healthy individuals were isolated and cultured to determine the effect of escalating doses of IL-15 (0, 1, 10, 100, 1000 ng/mL) on apoptosis. Lymphocyte proliferation assay with (3H) TdR was measured and Bcl-2 and Fas gene regulation was observed. The results were as follows: 1) IL-15 reduced culture induced lymphocyte apoptosis in HIV patients in a dose dependent manner, and reached a plateau level at a concentration of 100 ng/ml; 2) IL-15 significantly reduced the level of apoptosis after 3 days (14%) and 5 days (15%) of culture in HIV patients, while no difference was observed in HIV (-) donors; 3) The percentage of viable cells among the total number of lymphocytes was significantly enhanced by 25% in HIV patients with IL-15; 4) Bcl-2 expression was decreased in HIV patients (53.9 +/- 12.3%) compared to HIV (-) donors (93.0 +/- 3.7%), and IL-15 increased Bcl-2 expression by 21.2 +/- 5.2% in HIV patients; 5) Fas expression was increased in HIV patients (70.2 +/- 4.6%) compared to HIV (-) donors (32.4 +/- 4.3%), and IL-15 increased Fas expression by 8.4 +/- 1.2% in HIV (-) donors. Our findings indicate that IL-15 may influence immunologic abnormalities in HIV infection, particularly its ability to prevent apoptosis of lymphocytes by suppressing the down-modulation of Bcl-2. This may provide an experimental basis for IL-15 immunotherapy.