Role of CTLA Inhibition in Management of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Current Oncology Reports - The use of single-agent or combination immunotherapy strategies has revolutionized the management of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Here, we review the...     

Glycogen distribution in mouse hippocampus

The hippocampus is a limbic structure involved in the consolidation of episodic memory. In the recent decade, glycogenolysis in the rodent hippocampus has been shown critical for synaptic plasticity and memory formation. Astrocytes are the primary cells that store glycogen which is subject to degradation in hypoglycemic conditions. Focused microwave application to the brain halts metabolic activities, and therefore preserves brain glycogen. Immunohistochemistry against glycogen on focused microwave-assisted brain samples is suitable for both macroscopic and microscopic investigation of glycogen distribution. Glycogen immunohistochemistry in the hippocampus showed a characteristic punctate signal pattern that depended on hippocampal layers. In particular, the hilus is the most glycogen-rich subregion of the hippocampus. Moreover, large glycogen puncta (>0.5 µm in diameter) observed in neuropil areas are organized in a patchy pattern consisting of puncta-rich and -poor astrocytes. These observations are discussed with respect to distinct hippocampal neural activity states observed in live animals.     

Curcumin enhances parental reproductive lifespan and progeny viability in Drosophila melanogaster

Organismal lifespan is a complex trait that is governed by both its genetic makeup as well as the environmental conditions. The improved socioeconomic condition of humans has led to many lifestyle changes that in turn have altered the demography that includes postponement of procreation. Late age progeny is shown to suffer from many congenital diseases. Hence, there is a need to identify and evaluate natural molecules that could enhance reproductive health span. We have used the well-established model organism, Drosophila melanogaster, and ascertained the consequence of diet supplementation with curcumin. Flies reared on curcumin-supplemented diet had significantly higher lifespan. The progeny of flies reared on curcumin had a higher viability. The activity of a key mitochondrial enzyme—aconitase was significantly higher in flies reared on curcumin-supplemented diet. The results suggest that curcumin can not only correct a key step in the citric acid cycle and help in the release of additional energy but also permanently correct developmental and morphogenetic processes.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11357-014-9702-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Simple renal cysts in children with AIDS

Simple renal cysts are very uncommon among children. Of 50 children with AIDS that underwent computed tomography at our hospital, 4 had radiographically simple cysts. The incidence of simple renal cysts in this group of children is thus approximately 45 times that seen in normal children. To our knowledge, simple renal cysts have never been reported as a manifestation of AIDS in children. It is unknown whether or not these cysts are a manifestation of HIV nephropathy (HIVN), in which microcysts are seen pathologically. We suggest that simple renal cysts may be a finding compatible with the diagnosis of HIVN. Received: 11 April 1997 Accepted: 22 May 1997     

Human versus bovine endothelial cell culture on glass and tissue-culture plastic

Summary This work demonstrates that human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs; Passages 1 and 5) attach to and grow on glass poorly in comparison to bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs; Passage 5). Seventeen hours after seeding passage 5 cells, there are 6.0±0.1 × 10³ HUVECs/cm² (mean±SE,n=12) on gelatin-coated glass, vs. 29.3±1.5 × 10³ BAECs/cm². This poor attachment and growth is due to a dependence of HUVECs on surface charge and preadsorbed fibronectin not shared by BAECs, because both cell types proliferate on tissue culture plastic and HUVECs can be made to grow comparably well on gelatin-coated glass by the further addition of poly-l-lysine and fibronectin. These data indicate the existence of a human-bovine species difference with respect to endothelial cell adhesion to and growth on glass. This work was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health (HL 33095), Bethesda, MD.